5280 Magazine December 2021

10 WAYS TO MAKE SKIING FUN AGAIN! PAGE 72

INSIDE THE UTE MOUNTAIN UTES’ BOLD COVID-19 RESPONSE

BY ROBERT SANCHEZ

THE BURGERS, PUB GRUB & SMALL PLATES YOU’VE BEEN CRAVING PAGE 40

THE DENVER MAGAZINE

Best Of The Mountain West 23 People, Places, And Things That Exemplify The Spirit And Lifestyle Of The Rocky Mountains

DECEMBER 2021 |

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FEATURES

D E C E M B E R 2021

Chimney Rock, a formation on Ute Mountain Ute land in southwestern Colorado

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Best Of The Mountain West From a TikTok-famous Navajo Nation skateboarder to a treehouse resort in Montana to a regenerative cattle ranch in Wyoming, allow us to introduce you to the people, places, and things winning the West right now.

EDITED BY JESSICA LARUSSO

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Make Skiing Fun Again Lift lines. Traffic. The tyranny of the mega pass. It seems like much of the joy has disappeared from Colorado’s most prodigious pastime.

But we’re not ready to let our planks start collecting garage dust just yet.

EDITED BY NICHOLAS HUNT

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National Defense How the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s race to protect its sovereign nation from the COVID-19 pandemic transformed its southwestern Colorado reservation, members, and leadership forever.

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BY ROBERT SANCHEZ

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B E H I N D T H E S T O R I ES 22

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D I N I N G G U I D E 88

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COMPASS 25 ADVENTURE

A website called Exploryst helps people of all abilities discover the Centennial State.

26 CULTURE

Blush & Blu, the last lesbian bar in Colorado, fights to survive.

28 OUTDOORS

After the snow flies, many parks in the state become ripe for new adventures.

EAT & DRINK

30 ENVIRONMENT

Tí Cafe brings Vietnamese coffee culture to the Baker neighborhood.

39 SIPS

32 TRAVEL

52

Journeying home for the holidays is always a drag. These four local startups can ease at least some of the slog.

34 ART

On the menu this month: decadent burgers, Latin-inspired pub grub, and locally sourced small plates.

42 CHANGE MAKERS

The regeneratively farmed meat at Boulder’s Corrida is a win for the Earth and your taste buds.

44 AGRICULTURE

A new Andy Warhol exhibit at the Aspen Art Museum explores the artist’s love affair with the mountain town.

Farmers have grown beans in southwest Colorado for 1,000-plus years. Here’s why they should be in your cupboard this winter.

36 HOLIDAYS

How to find a perfect-ish Christmas tree this year.

40 WHAT’S HOT

BY KELLY BASTONE

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COLUMN 52 COMMUNITY

Ruby’s Market—an artisan retailer and supply pantry—supports Denver’s immigrants and refugees.

BY PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG

ON THE COVER

Photograph by Aaron Colussi

BACKSTORY 136 DYNAMIC DUO

The hosts of the podcast Worst Collection Ever share underexplored superhero storylines.

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Does the Colorado Climate Corps have the resources it needs to help quell devastating wildfires?

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Rediscover the magic of the holidays in the heart of Boulder!

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BEHIND THE STORIES SPOTLIGHT

FROM THE EDITOR

It’s a little embarrassing to admit this where thousands of Coloradans will read it, but here goes: I’m not a great skier. Competent? Yes. Able to make it down greens and blues?

Sure. After two decades in the Centennial State, though, I’ve never gotten truly comfortable on the slopes. Some friends have said I lack the confidence, not necessarily the skill. Others have suggested a private lesson. But last year, after my 19-year-old discount ski boots finally broke and I had to borrow a slightly ill-fitting pair of quality ones, I had a revelatory moment.

Sometimes it is about the gear.

Lindsey Vonn I was not, but with boots that actually buckled and padding that protected my shins, I was able to make turns when I wanted to—not just when my ancient footwear and 12-year-old skis grudgingly allowed it. I had three of the best ski days I’ve ever had during the 2020-’21 season. And so, this past Labor Day, I braved the sales and bought myself new boots, new skis, and new bindings. For maybe the first time ever, I’m excited about ski season.

Of course, shiny equipment can’t fix everything that can make skiing or riding in Colorado frustrating. The traffic, the lift lines, and the outrageous prices, among other things, remain. However, in this month’s “Make Skiing Fun Again” (page 72), senior editor Nicholas Hunt explores solutions that could remedy some of the problems that have plagued the local ski industry in recent years. Unsurprisingly, none of them is as easy as swiping a credit card at Christy Sports’ Powder Daze. But, as Hunt’s story suggests, if the resorts and the state were to begin incrementally implementing these measures—with an assist from regular Coloradans—we might all feel a little more stoked when the snow really starts to fly.

LINDSEY B. KING Email: lindsey@5280.com Twitter: @linzbking

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DECEMBER 2021

Kelly Bastone Freelance writer

Bastone had a busy month: The Steamboat Springs local wrote the Eat & Drink section’s “Bean There” (page 44) and contributed to “Best Of The Mountain West” (page 60) and “Make Skiing Fun Again” (page 72).

QUALITY VS. QUANTITY

”I say no to every project I can, so that the yeses become all-stars. That way, I’m not mired in something that I wish I didn’t have to do.”

COFFEE CAVEAT

”It’s like the rule about broken cookies not counting—if I keep pouring myself half-cups, then they’re all under quota.”

ON 5280.COM

 Wheels Up Dreading the madhouse that is Denver International Airport during the holidays? Check out “Flight Plans” (page 32), a collection of Colorado startups tackling some of travel’s biggest pain points, then head to 5280.com for a DIA survival guide complete with parking hacks, advice for navigating construction, and safe travel tips from infectious disease experts.

CORRECTION In our November issue, we misidentified the cover location; the image was taken in a national forest near Idaho Springs, not in Jeffco Open Space’s White Ranch Park. We regret the error.

Clockwise from top left: Sarah Banks; Courtesy of Kelly Bastone; Getty Images (2)

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CULTURE OUTDOORS ENVIRONMENT TRAVEL ART HOLIDAYS 

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CoMPASS

Staunton State Park’s track chair program manager, Natalie Bostow (right), helps Angela and Samuel Wilson enjoy a trail.

All Access Exploryst helps people of all abilities discover the Centennial State.

P H O T O G R A P H BY SARAH BANKS

Like most parents, Angela Wilson turns to the internet when planning a family outing. But the details she’s most concerned about are often missing. “Business webpages and travel sites like Expedia and Tripadvisor rarely include information about accessibility,” says Wilson, a Thornton resident whose 12-year-old son, Samuel, has intellectual and physical disabilities. “It makes exploring much more challenging for us.” So in July 2020, Wilson launched Exploryst. The website provides accessibility intel that Wilson and her family have gathered about more than 3,000 restaurants, lodging operations, parks, and other Colorado destinations. Businesses can edit their own pages, too, with Wilson’s help. Particulars include whether the Clyfford Still Museum provides American sign language interpreters (yes, as long as you request the service two weeks in advance) and if the Denver Zoo is wheelchair-accessible (yes, because its walkways are paved). Exploryst’s visitors, more than 10,000 per month, can also leave reviews, and Wilson intends to start consulting with businesses about amenities they could add. “There’s nothing more human than wanting to explore,” Wilson says. “We’re not made to stay at home.” —ANGELA UFHEIL DECEMBER 2021

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CULTURE

The Last Lesbian Bar Blush & Blu fights to survive.

I

n 1996, Jody Bouffard started working at a Denver lesbian nightclub called the Elle to save money for pharmacy school. But while mopping floors and cleaning bathrooms, Bouffard—whose parents kicked her out at 16 after she revealed she was gay—found family. “When Ellen DeGeneres came out, we had a watch party. The bar was way over capacity,” Bouffard says. “It was awesome to have hundreds of women in the room.” Inspired, Bouffard worked to eventually open her own lesbian-focused establishments. Today, however, Blush & Blu isn’t just her last venture standing; it’s the last remaining lesbian bar in Colorado and one of just 21 left in the United States.

Bars that cater to lesbians face several hurdles. Those who once sought community in person now find it online. It’s also safer for gay people to patronize any run-of-the-mill saloon than it used to be. Plus, “gentrification has wiped out a lot of spaces for marginalized people,” says Erica Rose, a filmmaker and co-founder of the national Lesbian Bar Project, which works to save lesbian-centric taverns.

Historically spread along Colfax Avenue, Mile High City lesbian bars have followed the trend. The Elle changed its name to 716 to try to attract a wider clientele, but it closed in 1998.

Ms. C’s, a country-western joint, shuttered in 2009 after more than a decade. Denver Detour, a karaoke bar, went under around then, too.

Three of Bouffard’s four businesses—such as Her Bar, a Colfax dive that hosted karaoke and poker nights—didn’t last, either. Blush & Blu, which opened in 2012, persists thanks to a savvy balancing act. At night, it’s a dance club and bar.

During the day, it’s a coffeeshop welcoming sober people and remote workers—and customers of any orientation waiting in line at VooDoo Doughnut next door. Its special events, however, such as potlucks on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day frequented by those who are estranged from their families, keep it a distinctly queer space. Bouffard also hosts weddings, funerals, and fundraisers for those in need of gender-affirmation surgery, a reflection of how the queer community is becoming more inclusive of transgender people. “It’s as much a community space as anything else,” says Marilyn Williams, a professor at the University of Denver and Blush & Blu regular.

All that was threatened when the pandemic arrived last year. Not only did Blush & Blu struggle to stay open because of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, but it also had to cancel its holiday events because of capacity limits. Nearly 100 women show up to the gatherings each year. “They had no other place to go,” Bouffard says.

Blush & Blu has been able to keep its doors open thanks to financial support from Jody Bouffard the Lesbian Bar Project, which has raised $260,000 since its inception in 2020. The on the Blush & Blu stage nonprofit disburses those funds directly to tavern owners, who can use the money

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wherever they need it the most. Bouffard used it to pay her rent.

But while it continues to endanger the business’ future, the pandemic also reaffirmed Blush & Blu’s importance to Denver’s queer community. “When things eased off a little bit, people craved being around others,” Williams says. “It sustains you, in a way. That’s why lesbian bars are important. They are sacred spaces.”

—SARAH SCOLES

P H O T O G R A P H BY J O N I S C H R A N T Z

DECEMBER 2021

Presented by

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Alexander Roy by Rachel Neville

nov. 27 – Dec. 24, 2021 ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE with live music featuring the COLORADO BALLET ORCHESTRA

T he beloved holiday favorite returns in a dazzling production like no one’s ever seen, featuring new sets and costumes created especially for Colorado Ballet. A sellout every year, this magical tale of Clara, the Nutcracker and the Mouse King is going to be dreamier than ever.

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OUTDOORS From left: Skiers trek into Rocky Mountain National Park; a snowmobile takes flight at Steamboat Lake State Park.

GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE Freezing temperatures, often in the single digits, greatly curtail visitation during the winter— human visitation, that is. The quiet draws elk and pronghorns out onto the grasslands that surround the dunes in the mornings and evenings to graze, and in February, more than 20,000 migrating sandhill cranes stop by the region to feed and court one another with dancing, bowing, and chortling. Most nearby accommodations shutter during the offseason, but the new Mellow Moon Lodge, an hour away in Del Norte, has dog-friendly rooms, free coffee, and a fire pit to warm your feet. From $112 per night

Winter Wanderlands

RUBY HILL PARK

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

STEAMBOAT LAKE STATE PARK

Despite not having any nearby lifts, Estes Park ranks as one of Colorado’s best ski towns thanks to its proximity to Rocky. Vertically inclined backcountry skiers can bag the bragging-rights-worthy peaks around Bear Lake or head to Hidden Valley, the park’s long-abandoned 1,200-acre ski area. Meanwhile, the vistastrewn Trail Ridge and Old Fall River roads provide steep but scenic challenges to Nordic skiers and snowshoers. If you don’t feel like exploring on your own, Kent Mountain Adventure Center in Estes Park has guided outings suitable for intermediate alpine shredders and novice snowshoers and cross-country skiers.

More than 300 inches of annual snowfall draw ice fishers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers from across Colorado to this state park, 25 miles due north of Steamboat Springs. But it’s the snowmobilers who get the run of the place: Although a small portion of the 2,820-acre tract is set aside for nonmotorized recreation, everything else is fair game for on- and off-trail riding. And if that weren’t enough, the park also provides access to adjacent Routt National Forest’s 146 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.

Don’t have a motor sled? Steamboat Lake Outpost, located just a mile south of the visitor center, offers rentals and guided tours.

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DECEMBER 2021

STATE FOREST STATE PARK This 70,000-acre parcel of land two hours west of Fort Collins is Colorado’s largest (and most pragmatically named) state park. With so much space to explore, it’s best to book a basecamp through Never Summer Nordic, a family-run company that manages 11 yurts and huts scattered throughout State Forest. Accessing them requires a .25- to 2.8-mile ski or snowshoe, but you’ll need that gear anyway for dayhikes to iced-over Lake Agnes (less than a mile from the Nokhu and Agnes Creek huts) or low-angled backcountry skiing right outside the two yurts on the west side of 11,215-foot Montgomery Pass.

From $120 per night

Each winter since 2007, Denver Parks and Recreation and Winter Park Resort have teamed up to transform Ruby Hill Park in southwest Denver into one of the only urban ski and snowboard terrain parks in the United States. This season, the free, volunteer-run operation is offering complimentary on-site snowboard rentals and youth lessons.

(Check denvergov.org for details.) Combine that with Ruby Hill’s beginner-friendly progression of rails and boxes, and your child’s X Games gold is but a jib, grind, and boardslide away.

From top: Courtesy of Visit Estes Park; Courtesy of Ryan Crabb

Attendance may dwindle during the offseason at Colorado’s city, state, and national parks, but we’ll let you in on a secret: After the snow flies, many of them—like these five—become ripe for new adventures. —JEN MURPHY

COLORADO’S SKI COLLISION & INJURY LAW FIRM If you were seriously injured in a skier or snowboarder collision, please visit our website to learn about your rights and our results.

WWW.SKILAW.COM 1600 Broadway, Suite 1920, Denver, CO 80202 | 303.861.1042

ENVIRONMENT Does the Colorado Climate Corps have the resources it needs to help quell devastating wildfires?

Three of the five largest wildfires in Colorado’s history occurred in 2020, burning more than 620,000 acres. Launching next month, the Colorado Climate Corps hopes to prevent similar catastrophes before they ignite. Some, however, question whether the coalition can achieve the goal it’s set for itself.

Inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps—a New Deal– era work relief program that employed three million men to work on wildfire suppression, trail building, and forest revegetation—the Colorado Climate Corps is the brainchild of Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera and will be managed by the nonprofit Colorado Youth Corps Association and staffed by AmeriCorps, which is spending $1.7 million to fund the program. Climate Corps workers, who must be at least 17-and-a-half years old, will be stationed throughout the state to improve the health of public lands. Considering the wildfire crisis in Colorado, the corps’ most immediate mission will be fire mitigation. Teams led by the participating organizations will thin forests and remove dry brush and fallen branches that blazes consume for fuel.

But Jeremy Bailey, the director of prescribed fire training for environmental advocacy group the Nature Conservancy (which is not involved with the Colorado Climate Corps), says those strategies alone don’t meet the urgency of the moment. “Sure, the climate corps will definitely help with wildfire mitigation,” Bailey says, “but we need a mirror image of crews focusing on igniting and managing prescribed fires.” Corps members won’t be trained to perform prescribed burns, and the firefighting crews that are qualified could be busy containing blazes.

Despite these concerns, U.S. Representative Joe Neguse is pushing for the Colorado Climate Corps to become a national model: At press time, President Joe Biden’s proposed Build Back Better bill outlined a plan to revive FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps, but with a climate focus. “The need for bold, urgent climate action,” Neguse said in a press Tree-felling release, “is exactly why we’ve been working to put people to work restoring our during a 2021 fire lands, tackling Western wildfires and the climate crisis.” But will it be enough to mitigation event in Evergreen contain the inferno? —SARAH LAMAGNA

CONSERVATION CALCULATIONS How the Colorado Climate Corps measures up to FDR’s crew.

172 Civilian Conservation Corps camps in Colorado in the 1930s. Anywhere from 50 to 250 men were stationed at each. In comparison, the Colorado Climate Corps will employ 240 workers total.

$63 BILLION Amount, in today’s dollars, that Roosevelt spent over nine years on the Civilian Conservation Corps.

AmeriCorps is funding the Colorado Climate Corps via a one-time $1.7 million infusion, which it received as part of President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan that passed this past March.

3.5 BILLION Trees planted in the United States by FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps, earning it the nickname “Roosevelt’s Tree Army.” It’s unclear if the Colorado Conservation Corps will add to forests, but current plans point to no.

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From left: Courtesy of Mile High Youth Corps; CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Blast From The Past

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TRAVEL

FLIGHT PLANS

Holiday travel is such a drag, it has spawned its own movie genre. With labor shortages disrupting the airline industry and passenger numbers predicted by many to return to near pre-pandemic levels, this winter will be no exception. These four Colorado startups, however, can ease at least some of the slog. —NICHOLAS HUNT

NAVIGATIONAL CHART

It’s easy to like Arvada-based Trip30 for its ability to keep travel details organized and accessible. Simply plug in your flight numbers, accommodations, activities, and ground transportation, and the free web-based platform generates a searchable, shareable itinerary accessible as both a traditional step-by-step list and a Google-style map. But we fell in love with Trip30 when we learned it automatically calculates travel times and routes between all our destinations, whatever our mode of transportation.

TAKE A LOAD OFF, MAN

Most major airlines demand around $30 for your first checked bag.

Budget carriers like Allegiant and Frontier can exact as much as $75 for a carry-on. Starting at $49 one way, TripHero may charge a premium, but in exchange, the Vail company picks up your luggage at your door and delivers it to your final destination. (FedEx handles the cross-country transit.) Trust us: The freedom you’ll feel walking through an airport without a single bag digging into your shoulder is worth the extra cash.

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Unlike many of its rivals, which usually amount to squishy horse collars, the BR2 travel pillow ($60) from Boulder-based Bullbird is made of memory foam wrapped around a semirigid plastic frame— meaning it doesn’t just support your head, it also promotes good posture by keeping your upper spine aligned. And at just 6.5 ounces and around 80 percent of the size of most traditional travel pillows, it’s sleek enough to keep you from feeling like a dork should an alluring stranger take the seat next to you.

HAPPY TRAILS

Desperate to avoid your conspiracy-theorist uncle? Don’t waste time wading through the negativity on sites like Yelp—where up to 15 percent of posts may be bogus anyway, according to one recent study—to find an escape. Boulder-based Pao doesn’t allow negative reviews. Instead, members of the worldwide recommendation app meets social media platform only share events, restaurants, and experiences they adore. So while you’ll still have to account for other users’ sense of taste, you won’t have to filter through hate while you do it.

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Join us to Paint Brighter Futures for kids with cancer artma is back! It’s the funky, fun and always colorful art auction that brings together art lovers of all kinds to raise money to fund life-saving research for pediatric cancer. Join us for food and drinks from Denver’s best restaurants and the chance to bid on hundreds of works of art donated by local and nationally known artists, sculptors, photographers, and more.

Saturday, February 12th from 6–10pm Denver Design Center Tickets at artmaonline.org

ART

I DO, BABE

An impromptu meetup with Sonny Bono on December 29, 1981, earned Warhol an invite to the “I Got You Babe” crooner’s third wedding, to actress and model Susie Coelho. Although Warhol arrived late, he was in time to join the churchwide cringe as the preacher flubbed his pivotal line, instead uttering: “I now pronounce you Sonny and Cherie.”

YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH

One-Stop Pop A new Andy Warhol exhibit at the Aspen Art Museum explores the artist’s love affair with the mountain town.

Andy Warhol’s “Self-Portrait”

Whether his name makes you think of soup cans, neon celebrity portraits, or hair reminiscent of a scene from There’s Something About Mary (yep, that one), “we all know Andy Warhol,” says Simone Krug, assistant curator at the Aspen Art Museum (AAM). Or do we? That’s the question asked by AAM’s new exhibit, Andy Warhol: Lifetimes, which focuses on the biographical underpinnings of his art, including a look at the disruptive visionary through a queer lens.

From December 3 through March 27, visitors can ogle Warhol’s signature pop art pieces, like the sultry “Marilyn Diptych” and the jaunty “Elvis I and II,” as well as lesser-known works like his “Sex Parts” series. (Some scholars believe “Sex Parts,” an intimate, uncensored collection of nudes, traces Warhol’s growing acceptance of his own identity as a gay man.) Together, the exhibit will feature 200-plus pieces.

Although the show has appeared in other countries, AAM is the only museum in the United States that will host Andy Warhol: Lifetimes. Museum organizers attribute that honor to Warhol’s decadeslong love affair with their “toy town,” as Warhol described Aspen in one of his journals. Indeed, the A-list artist visited at least five times during the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s—and not just for the chance to schmooze at the 1980s-era disco Andre’s Club, which he likened to Manhattan’s Studio 54, or leave on a jet plane with John Denver’s father (see “A-List Encounters” at right).

In his journals, Warhol even admitted to taking a “Powder Pandas” ski lesson with “baby instructors on the baby slope,” a day that was “really fun” despite his three falls. Indeed, Warhol’s purchase of a wild parcel of land 30 miles outside of Aspen, his admiration of the town’s beauty, and, as Krug points out, the fact that he’s actually smiling in photos taken there (the guy rarely cracked a grin for the camera) all indicate the brooding artist found something special in Aspen: happiness. —COURTNEY HOLDEN

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Warhol often hung out with Jack Nicholson when their times in Aspen overlapped. Some of Warhol’s reports of the actor were complimentary, like Warhol’s entry from August 31, 1981: “Jack was just adorable.” Warhol was less kind on July 21, 1984, reporting that Nicholson “was there all weekend, we saw him everywhere. He’s fat now.”

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

In an August 30, 1981, entry, Warhol reports a flattering meeting in which John Denver “said that he knew all about me and that people always tell him he looks like me.” The folk star also promised to take him up in his “private little airplane,” though it was Denver’s father who ended up flying Warhol “up and down and up and down” through bad weather to Fort Collins.

From left: © 2021 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo © Tate. (“Self-Portrait,” 1986, by Andy Warhol), acrylic paint and screenprint on canvas; Deborah Feingold/Getty Images

A-LIST ENCOUNTERS

The Andy Warhol Diaries, a collection of dictated memoirs published in 1989, provides an inside look at what the celebrities who frequented Aspen in the ’80s were really like. —CH

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HOLIDAYS

Making The Cut

How to find a perfect-ish tree this year.

LICENSE TO FELL Cutting down trees is permissible in most national forests during the holidays, and each district is responsible for uploading maps that indicate where you are allowed to harvest. That means you have to navigate a bunch of websites that— being operated by the federal government—are clunky to start with. It’s much easier to visit recreation.gov/treepermits to find maps and details on when cutting is allowed (generally from late November to late December). Don’t leave the site without purchasing a permit, which can range from $5 to $20 depending on the area— or else risk a $100 fine ($50 for each additional tree).

Closer-to-Denver options from last year included Arapaho National Forest’s Elk Creek, less than a mile southwest of Fraser, and the Vasquez and Little Vasquez areas south of Winter Park.

There’s no such thing as a perfect Christmas tree. But somewhere between a scruffy Charlie Brown twig and the majesty of Rockefeller Center is the right Christmas tree—and Bruce Ward knows how to find it. As president of Choose Outdoors, a Denver-based national nonprofit that works with public lands partners to create outdoor education, volunteer, and recreation opportunities, for more than a decade Ward and his organization have helped the U.S. Forest Service get the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree to Washington, D.C. (The beauties always come from national forests; this year’s is an 84-foot white fir harvested in Northern California’s Six Rivers National Forest.) So, who better than Ward to provide advice for cutting down your own holiday centerpiece this month? —RACHEL SAUER

trunk can’t be more than six inches in diameter at its base, which is where you should cut it. Taking only the top is forbidden. A tarp is useful for lugging the tree back to your vehicle and wrapping around the needles so they don’t scratch your paint job.

Finally, this is Colorado: Dress in layers that leave you ready for a sunny day in

Denver and a frigid winterscape once in the mountains.

As a precaution, pack a tote with snacks, water, extra clothes, and sun protection.

NOBODY’S PERFECT You may be tempted to trek deeper and deeper into the forest in search of an immaculate, Griswoldian specimen.

It doesn’t exist. A tree from

the forest has been buffeted and windblown, sheltered animals, and otherwise earned its gnarls and bald spots. Although what you cut down isn’t going to be flawless, it’s going to be yours. So, curate that Christmas playlist, fill a thermos with cocoa, pull on a Santa Claus hat, and gather your favorite people for a jaunt into the woods.

PREPARATION Bring a sturdy handsaw.

The Forest Service doesn’t allow chainsaws, and, honestly, the last thing rangers need to add to their to-do lists is finding your finger.

You’ll need rope to secure the tree to your four-wheeldrive vehicle (these are mostly dirt roads) and a tape measure, too, as your

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Kate Ames/Stocksy

AND PERSPIRATION

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WHAT’S HOT CHANGE MAKERS AGRICULTURE 



EAT DRINK &

From left: Sashaline, Shominic, and Shasitie Nguyen, owners of Tí Cafe

Buzz Worthy

Tí Cafe brings Vietnamese coffee culture to the Baker neighborhood.

When Sashaline, Shominic, and Shasitie Nguyen realized they could only find Vietnamese coffee at pho restaurants in Denver, the sisters brewed up a plan to open the city’s first shop dedicated to the potent drink: Tí Cafe (pronounced “thee”), which debuted in June on Broadway. Inside the petite, cheery storefront, the counter is lined with metal coffee filters called phins that allow hot water to slowly drip over ground Robusta coffee beans from Vietnam. Combining the notoriously bold and bitter beans with the drip method results in a highly caffeinated concoction that’s conventionally served black or with condensed milk. It’s a customary preparation that the Nguyens—whose parents moved from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) to the United States in 1975—honor at the cafe. But the menu’s more modern offerings are a nod to their sisterhood (tí is a term of endearment meaning “little” in Vietnamese). Taste it in the Cafe Sua Da, an iced eye-opener that can be made nondairy with creamy coconut condensed milk and an oat milk top, or, for a dessertlike treat, try the flan version capped with discs of fluffy custard. “We love crafting the coffee,” Sashaline says, “and coming up with variations on the traditions together.” —PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG

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WHAT’S HOT Seared pork belly and cheese beignets with pepper jelly at Farow in Niwot

hip-hop group Atmosphere, grew up eating the specialty in the Twin Cities as kids and reunited in Colorado in 2021. With help from Collis in the kitchen, McGlone is fulfilling her longtime dream of running a restaurant via Lucy’s, where other standouts include a just-as-juicy chicken sandwich, a meatless chipotle black bean burger with housemade vegan mayonnaise, and a grilled cheese on whippedbutter-slicked Texas toast. Pair your meal with a selection from the drink menu, which highlights mission-driven and minority- and women-owned makers, from Patagonia Provisions to Montanya Distillers. 4018 Tennyson St.

FARM-FRESH

FARE

Where We’re Eating

On the menu this month: decadent burgers, Latin-inspired pub grub, and locally sourced small plates. —PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG AND RIANE MENARDI MORRISON BAR

BITES

Cholorado at Rocker Spirits, Littleton

After being furloughed from 10-year stints as corporate chefs at the same hotel chain at the onset of the pandemic, Andrew Salazar and Ray Silvia found a new home at Littleton’s Rocker Spirits. In August 2020, the duo founded Cholorado, a food truck parked Wednesday through Saturday at the distillery that serves scratch-made comfort food with a Latin twist.

Pulling from their families’ Latin American culinary traditions and the rib-sticking pizza, burritos, and burgers they love to eat post-shift, they dreamed up elevated renditions of fried papas and cheese, griddle-fried

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tacos, and the Juju dog (Salazar’s nickname). The hot dog is a masterpiece crowned with roasted salsa, Oaxaca cheese, and a spread made with bacon, green chile, and onion. Cholorado also serves green-chile-infused burgers; pizza studded with chorizo, roasted tomatillo salsa, and cilantro cream; and crispy fried chicken bites with honey butter.

All are reasons to be grateful for the chefs’ pandemic pivot. 5587 S. Hill St., Littleton

MOLTEN

STACKERS

Lucy’s Burger Bar, Berkeley

With the opening of Lucy’s Burger Bar in August, Denverites now have access to one of Minneapolis’ most iconic eats: the Juicy Lucy (right), a burger featur-

ing two beef patties enveloping an oozing cheese core that’s well worth the burn it leaves on the roof of your mouth. Owner Michelle “Meesh” McGlone, previously a professional aerial acrobatic performer, and business partner Nate Collis, formerly a guitarist with Minnesota-based

Proximity is the key to sustainability at Farow, a contemporary American restaurant in the tiny community of Niwot, tucked between Longmont and Boulder.

Chef-owners Lisa and Patrick Balcom source about 90 percent of their ingredients from producers—Buckner Family Ranch, MetaCarbon Organic Farm, and others—located within 10 miles of the eatery. Their partnerships and culinary prowess (both are alums of Boulder’s Blackbelly) yield an ever-changing mélange of small plates that showcase the vibrancy of Colorado’s seasons, from cheese beignets with pepper jam to seared pork belly with stewed okra and tangy chow chow.

Share an assortment of dishes in the cozy, local-art-bedecked dining room (a sixcourse tasting menu is available), and don’t skip Lisa’s to-die-for cakes, galettes, and tarts. 7916 Niwot Road, Niwot

Sarah Banks (2)

Farow, Niwot

CHANGE MAKERS

BETTER BEEF

How the new menu of regeneratively raised meat at Boulder’s Corrida is a win for the Earth and your taste buds.

Pounds of beef served at Corrida weekly

Average age, in years, of a regeneratively raised cow when it is ready for consumers to enjoy (as opposed to 1.5 to two years for conventional beef)

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Approximate kilograms of carbon dioxide that are removed from the atmosphere, then locked into the soil, for every kilogram of beef produced on a regenerative farm; in conventional agriculture, more than 30 kilograms of carbon dioxide are emitted for every kilogram of beef produced

14.5 Percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions produced by livestock, a figure the Savory Institute aims to reduce by converting one billion of the 3.3 billion hectares of the world’s livestock-grazing meadows and pastures to regenerative farming practices by 2025

~100 3

3.5

3 240,000 Acres of regenerative land in Colorado associated with the Land to Market program, which encompasses approximately 2.5 million acres worldwide

Local regenerative producers featured on Corrida’s menu, including Parker Pastures in Gunnison, Gleason Bison (left) in Durango, and Cabriejo Ranch, whose grazing pastures span from Colorado to the East Coast

Clockwise from top left: Courtesy of Land to Market (2); Courtesy of Gleason Bison; Frank Bean/Getty Images

Beef production’s harmful effects on the planet mean that ordering a steak often comes with a side of guilt. At Boulder’s Corrida, however, you’ll soon be able to chow down without the angst. The upscale Spanish chophouse will regeneratively source nearly its entire lineup of signature steaks by this spring in pursuit of both sustainability and delicious beef and bison. For owner Bryan Dayton (pictured), the question was simple: “How do we keep this good for the cow, good for the rancher, good for Mother Earth, and good for the consumer?”

The answer is a little more complex. That’s why Dayton partnered with Land to Market, a startup within Boulder’s grasslands-restoring Savory Institute that verifies regenerative producers and measures their impacts on the environment. Unlike traditional ag operations, regenerative ranchers strategically move herds from field to field, increasing plant growth, water retention, and biodiversity by allowing pastures to replenish nutrients and vegetation. This gives flora the power to remove carbon from the air and store it back in the soil, helping reverse carbon emissions.

As for taste? The grass-fed livestock enjoy longer, healthier lives, which produces feel-good vibes and can increase marbling that’s ideal for dry-aging. While many restaurants offer limited regenerative options, if any, Corrida will serve a rotating selection of four to five responsibly raised cuts, such as rib-eyes and striploins, prepared by executive chef Samuel McCandless. Here’s why you can feel better about eating them. —RMM

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AGRICULTURE

Bean There

“People swear that our beans just taste better,” says Denise Pribble, who’s wearing a magenta sweatshirt and earrings that match her cropped burgundy hair. The 64-year-old daughter of a pinto bean farmer, Pribble owns and manages Adobe Milling Company, a retail store and processing plant that cleans, bags, and distributes many of the beans grown around Dove Creek, 35 miles northwest of Cortez. Whitewater paddlers know Dove Creek as the jumping-off point for float trips on the Dolores River, which flows through a deep canyon on the town’s eastern border. Food lovers, however, recognize Dove Creek as the “Pinto Bean Center of the World.”

That’s the slogan that once welcomed motorists to this farming community. For about four decades, starting in the 1950s, Dove Creek celebrated the supremacy of its beans with an annual recipe contest that awarded top honors to a “Pinto Bean Queen” (never mind that some ribbonwinners were men). These days, Dove Creek’s welcome sign simply announces that it’s “Somewhere Special,” but its reputation for producing premium pulses (dried seeds of legume plants) lives on.

Each year, the region reaps between three million and 30 million pounds of beans, depending on rainfall and farmers’ crop rotations. A cult following of home cooks, barbecue competitors, and restaurateurs eagerly scoops up not only the pintos, but also Dove Creek’s Anasazi, black, bolita, and lesser-known heritage varieties, all of which are ideal for winter soups, stews, and side dishes. If these beans walked on four legs, they’d be as lauded as wagyu.

The reason behind the beans’ preeminence is a matter of debate, though.

“Colorado dry beans are known for their bright, vibrant color and delicious flavor,” says Bob Schork, manager of the Colorado Dry Bean Committee, which researches and promotes bean production in the

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Styling by Charli Ornett

Farmers have grown beans in southwest Colorado for nearly 1,000 years. Here’s why they should be in your pantry this winter. BY KELLY BASTONE

AGRICULTURE

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A Dove Creek resident in front of the town’s welcome sign in 1980

state. “We believe this is due to being grown at a higher elevation than other beans in the United States.”

Pribble credits a different natural input: Dove Creek’s russet-colored earth. “Like the places that grow the best peaches, or the best corn, our soil just seems to grow the best beans,” she says as RV-driving road-trippers and locals shouldering burlap sacks of beans stream past Adobe Milling’s register.

Or perhaps, some say, Dove Creek beans are better because their theoretical roots run deeper: Ancient Pueblo people and their modern-day descendants have grown beans (as well as corn and squash) in the region for nearly 1,000 years, as evidenced by the beans and bean pots found among archaeological sites in Mesa Verde National Park and Hovenweep National Monument. Maybe this land embraces that long relationship—or maybe the magic is in the beans themselves.

LIKE THE ANCESTRAL PUEBLOANS who preceded them, many Dove Creek farmers grow beans without irrigation, which allows them to develop at a more leisurely pace than amply watered plants—possibly picking up more flavor in a process reminiscent of how wine grapes reflect their terroir. Dry-farming also reduces the number of pests and diseases that attack bean plants, so growers don’t need to use fertilizers or pesticides.

These conditions combine to produce beans with thinner skins, a dream scenario for restaurant and home chefs alike, since they typically don’t need to be presoaked. Furthermore, bolitas, a variety long favored by communities in the San Luis Valley for its high protein content and rich taste, actually absorb seasonings

Denver Post via Getty Images

When schools are out for the holidays, regular meals are out for children who don’t have reliable access to food.

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AGRICULTURE

children in Denver experience food insecurity.

It’s time we do something about that.

Donate online at FilltheVoidColorado.org

Dove Creek beans may derive their tastiness from the rich, red soil in southwestern Colorado.

through their skins when cooked, allowing flavorings to mingle with the velvety interiors.

Not all Colorado growers eschew irrigation, of course—tasty pintos, light red kidneys, yellow Mayocobas, black beans, garbanzos, and red and black-eyed peas are farmed, sometimes with supplemental water, in various corners of the Centennial State—but the dryland specimens from the southwest corner rank as the pinnacle of all pulses, particularly when they’re fresh.

“Because we receive them so close to harvest, the beans impart a rich, nutty flavor,” says Holly Arnold Kinney, culinary director for the Fort, in Morrison, where chefs use Dove Creek Anasazi and pinto beans in the restaurant’s potato side dish. Plus, “the texture is creamier,” says Angelina LaRue Lopez, a recipe developer and food columnist from Idalou, Texas, who swears

by Dove Creek beans’ softness and lack of chalkiness for making a classic pinto dish: refried beans.

BESSIE WHITE’S STOVE is covered with pots full of gently bubbling pie filling. Jars of gem-colored apricot, strawberry rhubarb, and berry jam sit in boxes on the floor, awaiting delivery to Cortez’s Saturday farmers’ market. At 91 years old, White still delivers her homemade goodies to the produce stand she’s worked since the 1970s, when she and her sister founded the outdoor bazaar. But White doesn’t just deal in fruit; she also sells dry-farmed beans grown by her son and a grandson. Says White: “There is nothing better than a pinto bean.”

White, however, has a unique story about another pulse for which the area is widely known. In 1973, she says she was working at the local elementary school when a student showed up with a handful of pretty beans she’d found among nearby Native

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Kelly Bastone

1 in5

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AGRICULTURE American archaeological sites. “There were burial sites all over the place, and you’d uncover them when you plowed your fields.

The student’s dad was digging up a ruin and found a pot of beans,” says White, who planted some in her garden. She ended up with a quart-size harvest of brilliant redand-white-speckled beans.

The variety—which may have originated in the Lukachukai Mountains of northeastern Arizona, despite White’s memory of them being found in what is now Hovenweep National Monument—ultimately became known as Anasazi.

Find our Although the word was long Dining Guide, an extensive used to describe the Anceslist of area restaurants, on tral Puebloans, modern-day page 88 Pueblo tribes have pointed and online at out that it’s a deroga5280.com/ restaurants. tory term from the Navajo language. As such, the people are now referred to as the Ancestral Puebloans, while the slightly sweet, fastcooking bean is stuck with a moniker that loosely translates to “enemy ancestors.”

Despite its name, the Anasazi bean is a much less formidable foe to the human gastrointestinal system than many other varieties. Containing just 25 percent of the gas-producing compounds found in most beans, Anasazis trigger far less flatulence than a typical pinto. Sensing commercial potential in the rediscovered variety, Ernie Waller, who owned Adobe Milling before Pribble and her husband purchased the business in 2003, obtained a trademark for the Anasazi bean in 1989. Call it Anglo appropriation or a serendipitous, if culturally insensitive, chain of events that likely saved the variety from extinction; either way, the trademark protects the seeds’ genetics and assures that only this variety is marketed under the Anasazi name.

No matter what they’re called—or which variety the nonagenarian is (still) slinging 10-pound sacks of into her black pickup truck—White says southwest Colorado’s beans have long been a delicious part of her life. And it doesn’t take much prodding for her to tout their dominance. “Yes,” she says. “I think our beans are just better.” m Visit Adobe Milling Company’s website, anasazibeans.com, to buy Dove Creek–grown Anasazi, pinto, and black beans in quantities ranging from one to 40 pounds, or call 800542-3623 to order over the phone.

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Global Flavor

Ruby’s Market is dedicated to supporting Denver’s immigrants and refugees. Meet Michelle Lasnier, the brains—and heart—of the operation.

o

From left: Inside In the 10 days since the collapse of that country’s n a sunny Thursday afternoon this past summer, government, Lasnier had partnered with Lutheran a customer peruses racks neatly stocked with Ruby’s Market; owner Michelle Lasnier Family Services Rocky Mountains and African Commore than a dozen brands of hot sauces and munity Center to host a supply drive to collect pantry salsas at Ruby’s Market, an artisan store housed items and toiletries for Afghan refugees relocating to Colorado. in a former brick duplex on South Pearl Street. Inside When the last customer in her store exits, Lasnier darts behind the Platt Park building, four ivory-walled rooms are a fabric curtain and out the back door of the building to meet lined with tables and shelves showcasing more than the woman, who’s parked in the alley. There, she hands Lasnier 175 snacks, spices, cooking supplies, textiles, jewelry, grocery bags stuffed with travel-size shampoos and laundry plants, and other products made by local and global detergent to store in Ruby’s backyard, garage, and storeroom, artisans, the majority of whom identify as women or which serve as an emergency supply pantry for the Denver members of immigrant, refugee, or Indigenous communities. In metro area’s refugee and immigrant communities. The storone room, a homemade sign declaring “Refugees Welcome” in age spaces, which total about 2,000 square feet, overflow with large yellow letters hangs above a fireplace next to a display of donated products: stacks of packaged menstrual pads and baby colorful animal paintings by artist and Iraq native Mousa Al diapers; a wall of electric tea kettles; tables piled with bags of Khafaji. Reggae plays softly in the background, and the scent basmati rice, dried lentils, and nuts; and laundry hampers and of warm spices wafts through the air as a woman shopping reusable tote bags packed with paper towel rolls. with her school-age daughter chats with owner Michelle Within a few minutes, Lasnier is back in the store, talking Lasnier. “Just pull up to the alley,” Lasnier says as the pair about how she’s always running out of one of Ruby’s bestwalks out the front door. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” sellers, Dead Veggies kimchi. The 50-year-old can even identify It’s August 26. Earlier in the day, a suicide bomber had the facial expression of customers seeking a jar of the popular detonated explosives outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan.

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COM M U N I T Y fermented cabbage. “They look at the fridge in anticipation when they open the door,” she says, shifting her gaze to the small cooler in the corner of the room. “People fall in love with these products once they try them, so it’s hard when I can’t get a restock and I have to shut them down. It’s just that small-business juggle.”

Since Ruby’s Market opened for in-store shopping in June 2020, Lasnier’s juggle has included managing the store’s operations by herself while accommodating alleyway rendezvous to collect donations for the pantry up to three times a day, seven days a week.

Although she oversees the two worlds with grace, this wasn’t the original vision she had for the business.

LASNIER’S PASSION for working with artisans blossomed six years ago, when she began volunteering with the We Made This employment skills program at the African Community Center (ACC). Lasnier helped the participants sell bags, accessories, and clothing—crafted in ACC classes—at farmers’ markets and other happenings. Their ingenuity inspired her to establish the nonprofit R Bazaar in 2017. The roving incubator supports artisans, chefs, and entrepreneurs, with a focus on those who are

Locally made art and food items line the shelves of Ruby’s Market.

members of refugee, immigrant, and Indigenous communities, through pop-up markets and mentorship.

Three years later, Lasnier left her full-time gig as a corporate events planner to open Ruby’s Market as a home base for R Bazaar and to

fulfill her longtime dream of owning a mission-driven business. (The name of the shop is a nod to her late grandmother’s birthstone; the native of Brazil lived as an immigrant in Portugal and the United States.)

When the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the shop’s opening in March 2020, Lasnier opened a temporary emergency supply pantry in the space after she realized that many of the makers planning to sell their goods at Ruby’s were particularly vulnerable to the sudden economic downturn. To generate revenue and meet rising demand for online grocery sales, she also launched what she called a “market box” program, curating fresh and shelf-stable foods from local producers, such as Rebel Farms, Syrian Sweet Baklava, and Pint’s Peak Ice Cream, for weekly alleyside pickup. This gave her the funds to run the pantry in collaboration with ACC and Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, which faced increased demand for food and supply pantry services and welcomed Ruby’s food-storage capacity and assistance. In 2020, the two Denver-based human services agencies supported more than 4,700 refugees, asylees, and immigrants from about 12 countries.They predict 50 additional families—including at

n o w o p e n at 9 + c o

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Here’s how it works: Breckenridge Brewery brewed an Imperial Oatmeal Stout at its original Breckenridge Brewery location which was then aged in Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon barrels from just 3 miles down the road. After aging, it was taken from the barrels; those beer-soaked barrels were taken back to Breckenridge Distillery and filled with whiskey to age again for 10-13 months. The subsequent spirits and suds are a perfect marriage between the two craft companies that both beer and whiskey lovers alike will enjoy.

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Written by Katie Coakley • Photo by Eric Benner

of caramel sweetness that take it to the next level. As a result, Buddy Pass is a bold, boozy brew that is meant to be shared.

Though there is a range of barrel-aged beers on the market, there are far fewer beeraged whiskies. Buddy Pass might be the only collaboration that allows imbibers to sample both the barrel-aged beer and the beer-aged whiskey at one time.

“This is a true Breck to Breck partnership,” said Jimmy Walker, Head Innovations Brewer at Breckenridge Brewery.

“There’s a reason that it’s rare to find these types of beer/whiskey collaborations,” said Hans Stafsholt, head distiller at Breckenridge Distillery. “There’s a limited window of time from when the beer is removed and the whiskey should be added. As time passes, undesirable flavors start to develop in the barrels.”

As the rye bourbon barrels impart sweet notes to the beer, the Imperial Oatmeal Stout also imparts flavor to the whiskey. The resulting spirit is dark and sultry: the nose conjures rich chocolate, banana, strawberry, earthy chocolate-covered fruit; at first sip, chocolatecovered dry strawberry notes envelop the

palate with hints of caramel and a finish of light black pepper.

Both iterations of Buddy Pass—both beer and whiskey—will be released at the same time, allowing fans of both brands to try the two simultaneously, if desired, and compare the results. And for buddies that are more beer-focused or whiskey-focused, it’s a great way to get together (each with his or her own preference) and cheers to an epic day.

“This is a true Breck to Breck partnership,” said Jimmy Walker, Head Innovations Brewer at Breckenridge Brewery. “We’re two like-minded companies that love to bring people together for moments that become memories. Plus, we’re buddies. Buddy Pass is an expression of our friendship as well as an ode to the mountain’s buddy passes and the friendships toasted after an epic day. It’s truly a collaboration at its peak.”

Buddy Pass was released mid-November: Breckenridge Brewery will debut the BarrelAged Imperial Oatmeal Stout and Breckenridge Distillery will release the Imperial Stout Cask Finish Whiskey. Shop your local Colorado retailers.

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COM M U N I T Y least 800 Afghans—will arrive in Colorado by early 2022.

Because a lot of refugees are employed in restaurants, hotels, and other sectors of the hard-hit hospitality industry, many were laid off early in the pandemic, leading to the highest demand for ACC’s services in the nonprofit’s 20-year history, says Kate Weatherbee, ACC’s volunteer coordinator. “There was often a gap between when families became unemployed and when they were able to access unemployment

and/or other benefits [like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP],” she says. “So, Ruby’s became an essential way for us to get food and supplies to those families who really, really needed them throughout 2020 and even the beginning of 2021.”

The agencies sent Lasnier lists of families’ needs and mobilized a network of volunteers to deliver packages of nonperishable foods, cleaning supplies, and toiletries collected at Ruby’s to households across the metro area.

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Lasnier manages Ruby’s artisan store and supply pantry seven days a week.

Lasnier posted calls for donations on Ruby’s social media accounts and received an overwhelmingly positive response. Because people in many cultures aren’t used to eating the processed products available at other food banks (think: boxed mac and cheese and canned soup), Lasnier did her best to gather culturally appropriate foods, such as dried beans, basmati rice, and black tea. From April to December 2020, the volunteers delivered $84,435 worth of groceries—including more than 300 care packages for the Thanksgiving holiday—to 503 people, all as a result of Ruby’s efforts, Weatherbee says.

Lasnier planned to return to her original business model—the artisan store—within a few months of the onset of the pandemic, but the need for donations hasn’t subsided. With the help of 12 rotating volunteers and asneeded supply drives, like the event for Afghan refugees, she continues to prepare donations for 30 to 40 families every week. While the unexpected ability to respond to the needs of the community in a volunteer capacity through the supply pantry has become a vital part of Lasnier’s day-to-day life, she is eager to make an impact via the store, too.

ALTHOUGH THE MARKET BOX program remains popular, the opening of in-person sales at Ruby’s Market gave Lasnier the opportunity to increase revenue and promote her merchants by sharing the stories behind the products in the shop as often as possible.

“I want to know what the vendors want to communicate, where they’re from, why they started the business,” she says. “I do feel like I talk too much sometimes, but customers are

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like, No, no, we want to know. And if any bit of this could help integrate these cultures, that’s my personal mission. What a win if we can do that and at least break down some barriers.”

Lasnier’s encouragement and mentorship have made her an ally to many of her vendors, who pay Ruby’s a small commission on products sold at the store, through events, and in market boxes. Before she met Lasnier, Madhavi Tandon, the chef-owner of Maia Foods, struggled to find the right place to sell her ghee, spice blends, meal kits, and baked treats.

The homemade creations are inspired by her upbringing in western India, and she didn’t want to modify them to be more approachable for those unfamiliar with Indian cuisine just for the sake of boosting sales. “I do want to stay authentic, and Michelle really supports all of our chefs in being as authentic as we want to be,” she says. “We can own what we make.”

That’s evident on a Sunday morning in mid-July, as Denverites are standing shoulder to shoulder at booths selling the likes of fresh-baked pies, plump Palisade peaches, and verdant houseplants at the South Pearl Street Farmers’ Market. There’s a tent set up How You Can Help Ruby’s Market is accepting donations for immigrant and refugee families. For information on the latest drive, go to rubysmarketdenver.com or follow the business on Facebook and Instagram.

in front of Ruby’s, where Lasnier features a different group of makers each week; Flana Soap owner Leila Baroudi and chef-caterer Vicky Mayanya of Vicky’s Thai Kitchen are on deck this weekend. Mayanya serves patrons glasses of Thai iced coffee and containers of chicken fried rice while Baroudi answers customers’ questions about her Lebanese soaps, bath bombs, candles, and lotions. Behind them, a continuous stream of shoppers wanders in and out of Ruby’s Market.

At 1 p.m., Lasnier and her crew pack up the booth and carry the tent to Ruby’s alleyway, where cars will begin arriving to pick up market box orders or donate more items for the pantry later in the afternoon. It’s one of the few days each week Lasnier isn’t managing the store on her own. “[The scene] is like an international train station,” Lasnier says.

“When the vendors are here, they’re not just here with customers. They’re here interacting and helping each other. This is their domain.

That’s my happy place.” m Patricia Kaowthumrong is 5280’s food editor.

Email feedback to letters@5280.com.

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Naiomi Glasses’ viral skateboarding videos gave the 25-year-old a platform that she’s used to advocate for the Navajo Nation.

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P H O T O G R A P H S B Y S H A R O N C H I S C H I L LY

BEST OF THE

From a TikTok-famous Navajo Nation skateboarder to a treehouse resort in Montana to a regenerative cattle ranch in Wyoming, allow us to introduce you to the people, places, and things winning the West right now.

EDITED BY JESSICA LARUSSO

MOUNTAIN WEST

LITERATURE

Brothers On Three

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ADVENTURE

TAOS SKI VALLEY Coloradans who’ve watched their quirky ski mountains transform into cookie-cutter industry machines may well shudder to hear about “improvements” to an independent hill like Taos Ski Valley. As usual, however, the world’s only B Corp– certified ski resort did things its own way as it embarked on a refresh over the past couple of years. In summer, visitors will find a via ferrata with, yes, tourist-friendly beginner terrain, but also advanced routes on Kachina Peak’s gnarly rock faces. In winter, the renovated lower plaza—with a skating rink, in-ground radiant heat, and fire pits—is ringed by indie retailers, including an outpost of Taos’ Mesa’s Edge, which sells Southwestern and Native American jewelry and art. On Fridays and Saturdays, sleighs pulled by snowcats now transport guests to the beloved midmountain Bavarian restaurant for dinner. And along with white stuff produced by 13 new high-efficiency snow guns, this season skiers and riders will discover that Pioneer Glade has been renamed Free Tacos, a tribute to George Medina, a longtime Taos instructor who helped end the resort’s ban on snowboarders in 2008 and died in a truck accident in 2020. “Free Taos” was the mantra of the movement, but a misguided spell-check correction resulted in the printing and distribution of “Free Tacos” stickers. So, yes, Taos is still weird. —JL

Clockwise from top left: Courtesy of Celadon Books; Courtesy of Taos Ski Valley (2)

Journalism is rife with reporters who, in the parlance of the trade, “parachute in” to places they’re not from to tell fantastic tales. Abe Streep’s narrative nonfiction work Brothers on Three, published in September, is not one of those stories.

Streep, who’s based in Santa Fe, spent the better part of a year living on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, immersed in the lives of a group of boys who’d improbably won a state basketball championship in 2017.

The resulting book—which grew out of an article Streep penned for the New York Times Magazine—is by turns a rousing tale of a singular basketball team pursuing a second and even more unlikely title, a chronicle of the persistent racism and college recruitment discrimination faced by the players and their families, and a snapshot of small-town life on the reservation. Streep is at his best when he’s recounting the complicated lives of the team’s players and how they care for one another through a series of tragedies. But his prose about the rugged landscape paints a portrait that will live in your mind long after you finish his book.

—Geoff Van Dyke

BEST OF THE MOUNTAIN WEST CULTURE

Spaceport America Southern New Mexico’s Spaceport America, the world’s first facility built for commercial space travel, made headlines this past July when it served as the launchpad for billionaire Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson’s trip to the edge of space—a full nine days before billionaire Blue Origin (and, uh, Amazon) founder Jeff Bezos took his own sightseeing

FASHION

Clockwise from top left: Rebecca Dahl/Courtesy of Kenneth Martine Boggs; Courtesy of Virgin Galactic; Courtesy of Schweitzer (2)

Kenneth Boggs How did a kid who grew up in low-income housing in Los Angeles end up designing custom suits for the likes of former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather and film director Deon Taylor in Utah? First, he moved to the Beehive State to run track at Utah Valley University; then, after studying criminal justice and briefly considering law school, he turned to fashion, a passion first nurtured when his grandmother taught him how to sew as a preteen. Today, 33-yearold Kenneth Boggs lives in Provo but flies around the world for consultations with celebrities, professional athletes, and stylish folks with funds (suits start at $800) about to head down the aisle. His clients’ individual desires and aspirations inform the pants and jackets he dreams up just for them. “When I create somebody a suit, I like to create their own story,” says Boggs, whose wearable tales are pieced together in Spain using high-quality fabrics from Italy, Morocco, Ghana, and Australia. “This is not work for me; this is a priesthood.”

Although he hopes to open his first brickand-mortar store in New York City this coming summer, Provo’s supportive, entrepreneurial environment keeps him in the West—elevating the region’s style cred one perfectly fitting suit at a time.

—Sarah Kuta

LODGING

Humbird Views of glacier-formed Lake Pend Oreille (so deep it’s used as a submarine testing site) have always been a perk of schussing at the Idaho panhandle’s Schweitzer resort. Starting in early 2022, you’ll be able to catch them from your boutique accommodations too. All 31 of the new ski-in, ski-out Humbird’s rooms (winter rates start at $288 per night) have large window seats facing the body of water. After a day of exploring Schweitzer’s 2,900 acres—roughly the same size as Winter Park Resort, but with a quarter of the annual visitors—you can unwind in the 10-person hot tub, perched on a top-floor patio, or hit the onsite Crow’s Bench restaurant. The hanging globe lights above the bar may look randomly arranged, but they actually spell out “pray for snow” in Morse code. And with Schweitzer joining the Ikon Pass this year, you have even more reason to book a flight to Spokane, about two hours away, or, if you’re feeling flush, to charter a seaplane that can splash down directly on the lake. —JL

journey, out of West Texas.

Since then, Virgin has fallen behind in the suborbital space tourism race, delaying flights and announcing that it will spend months improving its rocket planes while competitors Blue Origin and billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX execute more missions with paid passengers. Still, Virgin plans to begin shuttling the 600-some people who’ve already paid $200,000 to $250,000 for tickets (seats are now around $450,000 each) by late 2022. For the rest of us, Spaceport America offers tours (from $50 for adults and $30 for kids)—during which you will see mission control and can take a spin on a G-force machine to experience the disorientation astronauts feel upon re-entry—and the facility is currently constructing a launch viewing area. —JL

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BEST OF THE MOUNTAIN WEST ADVENTURE

Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route Brewery Row

CULTURE

Naiomi Glasses As she skateboarded in bright Diné skirts across sandstone in the Navajo Nation desert a little more than a year ago, 25-year-old Naiomi Glasses​​never dreamed the TikToks she posted would be viewed by millions—or help her embody the Indigenous representation she wished to see as a child. “When I was growing up, I didn’t have a lot of people in the mainstream [media] to look up to,” says Glasses, who started skateboarding at age six, when she says she was often bullied for her cleft lip and palate. “I would really hope to be that one day for the youth.” One could argue she already is. Since those videos went viral in late 2020, Glasses, who is also a talented seventh-generation weaver, has been interviewed by local TV stations, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar; served as the keynote speaker at last month’s virtual Cleft Con; and designed knitwear that graced the runways at New York Fashion Week in September. Plus, she’s used her newly massive social media following to advocate for causes closer to her home and heart, from collaborating on blankets whose sales benefit Chizh for Cheii (an organization that provides free firewood to elders on and near the Navajo Nation) to helping the Diné Skate Garden Project raise enough money to begin construction on a new Navajo Nation skatepark this spring.

—Gia Yetikyel 64

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While the rest of the West is known as the frontier of craft beer, Las Vegas still calls to mind cosmopolitan-filled martini glasses. At least, it did until mid-2021, when the city staked its own suds claim via an initiative called Brewery Row. Building on 11 existing breweries and taprooms, government officials created a map and signage to guide thirsty visitors through the area, between the Strip and Fremont Street, and offered incentives, including waiving up to $50,000 of liquor license fees, to attract more beermakers. Welcome to the party, Sin City. —JL

Clockwise from top left: Sharon Chischilly/© The Navajo Times; Courtesy of city of Las Vegas; Courtesy of Casey Greene

DRINK

Bikepacking—like backpacking, but on a fat-tire bicycle—was anointed

by Condé Nast Traveler as “The Travel Trend We’re Trying This Year.” This 517mile loop through the glacier-carved heart of central Idaho might not be the easiest entrée into the increasingly popular pastime, but it’s among the prettiest: You’ll pedal past the Sawtooth Range, rivers with world-class trout fishing, and some 50 hot springs (40 of them natural and undeveloped). Planned by the Missoula-based Adventure Cycling Association, the intermediate to advanced, roughly two-week-long journey links dirt Forest Service roads and paved streets as it careens up and down subalpine slopes where black bears, bald eagles, and elk roam.

(Visit the association’s website to order the $16 main route map, which has lodging and camping suggestions, or spend $30 on a bundle that includes a supplement detailing hundreds of miles of singletrack extensions.)

Your sore quads will make slipping into all those soaking pools feel all the sweeter.

—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

FASHION

Clockwise from top left: Courtesy of John Lanterman Photography; Courtesy of Kay McKenzie; Courtesy of Laguna Burger

STEAMBOAT HATTER FOOD

Laguna Burger Lines at a gas station are usually signs of a fuel shortage scare—but at the Pueblo of Laguna reservation’s two 66 Pit Stop locations, a queue of people just means it’s lunchtime. For 15 years, hungry hordes have traversed the high desert west of Albuquerque via I-40 in search of the fast-food oases within: Laguna Burger. Their reward? Half-pound groundbeef patties—topped with Hatch green chiles, cheese, pickles, mustard, farm-fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and red onions—sandwiched in locally baked buns. Run by the tribe, this burger biz now has an outpost off the reservation.

The 3,000-squarefoot space in Avanyu Plaza (a north Albuquerque business and cultural corridor owned by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico) may have a more polished feel, but the deliciousness of the fare is unchanged.

—Robert Sanchez

Cowboy hats have long been an iconic symbol of the West, but these days, not many people are walking into local bars wearing 10-gallons. That’s why Kay McKenzie and Sam Daniels are making toppers inspired by those early designs but with 21st century twists at their five-month-old Steamboat Hatter studio and showroom in downtown Steamboat Springs. “The style we’re known for has a little more flair, fun patterns, and colors,” McKenzie says. “It’s definitely a Western vibe, but not your classic cowboy.” The self-taught couple—McKenzie has a background in metalwork and stained glass—sells ready-to-wear models (starting around $450) and fabricates custom lids ($600 and up) by hand using century-old machines and tools. The base of each is fur felt: beaver, rabbit, or a blend of the two. McKenzie then adds flourishes by incorporating family heirlooms such as buttons and pins, feathers, and vintage fabrics or even burning patterns into the felt. The results are one-of-a-kind accessories just as suited to the trail as they are to après—the West’s more modern hallmark. —Daliah Singer DECEMBER 2021

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FOOD

BOOTHEEL 7 RANCH

ADVENTURE

Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run In the past, the start line of the annual Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, an ultramarathon set in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, has been dominated by dudes. That’s not because women aren’t up for the challenge, says Gina Lucrezi, a Hardrock board member and founder of the online running community Trail Sisters. Instead, the race’s complex lottery system has given men an advantage in securing the 145 highly coveted spots, in part by assigning better odds to runners who’ve participated before.

“Women are a little late to the game of ultrarunning, because of reasons that are embedded historically,” Lucrezi says. “In our attempt to play catch-up, [women] aren’t asking for handouts. But what we are asking for is a fair shake.” At July 2022’s Hardrock, they’ll get it: A new policy approved by all board members guarantees the percentage of women in the race will be equal to or more than the percentage of qualified women who apply. —Sarah Banks 66

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From top: Allison Williams Photography/Courtesy of Bootheel 7 Ranch; Howie Stern

The fourth-generation owners of eastern Wyoming’s Bootheel 7 Ranch know good things take time: Their family has spent the past 100 years raising grass-fed cattle in pursuit of perfect tenderness and marbling. Then again, sometimes great things happen overnight—like their pandemic pivot from monthly pickup points for their dry-aged beef to home delivery ($50 order minimum) along the Front Range. Bootheel’s Black Angus cattle graze on thousands of acres of native grass in Lusk, replenishing each pasture with their natural fertilizer before ranch hands on horseback move them along. It’s a regenerative cycle that leans into the ranch’s “cowboy way of doing things,” says Kelly Kugler, who manages the distribution side of Bootheel’s two-part business from Parker while her brother-in-law’s family runs the ranch. For a flavor boost, the animals are fed a blend of hay, alfalfa, corn, beets, and spent grains from Colorado breweries for 30 days before being butchered. Apparently, it works: In 2019, then Urban Farmer executive chef Chris Starkus selected Bootheel’s 90-day dry-aged New York strip as the main course for his guest appearance at New York City’s James Beard House. —Courtney Holden

BEST OF THE MOUNTAIN WEST LODGING

Yonder Escalante

FOOD

Clockwise from top left: Courtesy of Danielle Leoni; Aaron Colussi (2)

Danielle Leoni When the city of Phoenix shut down the Breadfruit & Rum Bar in the middle of dinner service on March 19, 2020, chef-owner Danielle Leoni could have spent the rest of her evening guzzling mai tais. Instead, the alum of the James Beard Foundation’s Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change put her training to work, drafting a letter to Arizona’s governor detailing the support restaurateurs were going to need to survive. Within 48 hours, she’d gathered hundreds of signatures, and combined with social media pressure, the effort resulted in critical state government relief, such as liquor license renewal fee waivers and a three-month eviction moratorium.

Alongside household names like Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio, Leoni also advocated for the industry on a national level as a member of the advisory board to the Independent Restaurant Coalition, which was instrumental in securing $28.6 billion for eateries and bars from Congress in March of this year. In fact, at press time she still hadn’t returned to her own kitchen, but she hopes to reopen Breadfruit soon with a new operational model that will result in more livable wages and career advancement opportunities for her employees. “It’s never been easy to run a restaurant,” Leoni says. “It has to be more sustainable; we have to figure out a way to make sure the people who work for us are treated well.” —JL

All but the most cantankerous backpackers seem to have come around to the charms of glamping, an industry that was valued at $1.88 billion in 2020.

And when you consider operations like Yonder Escalante, which opened its first location—a 20-acre property surrounded by Utah’s Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument—in March, it’s not difficult to see why. The 22 chic cabins, 10 renovated Airstreams, and 67 RV sites, bookable (nightly rates start at $169, $169, and $99, respectively) from February through November, are a vast improvement over tent pads, but it’s the amenities that make this locale feel more resortlike than rustic. Guests can wash away the grime from their

dayhikes in a bathhouse with private outdoor showers, luxuriate in a pool and hot tub with desert views, and mingle with other visitors while spinning vinyl on the vintage record player in the open-air community lodge. Meal kits (think: local rib-eye steak, calabasitas, refried beans, queso, chips, salsa, and

s’mores), available at the general store, come with cooking utensils for the personal fire pits.

And after dark, the stars come out in more ways than one: Yonder honors the property’s past as a drive-in movie theater with nine restored, heated classic cars visitors can hop in to enjoy a big-screen flick. —DS

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BEST OF THE MOUNTAIN WEST ART

The Black Theatre Troupe

HISTORY

Historic Trails West Health: Fair.

Rations: Meager.

And, oh no—you lost three oxen attempting to caulk the wagon and float the river! This year marks five decades of pixilated pioneers and twodimensional Conestogas

in the classic Oregon Trail computer game.

Celebrate its golden anniversary—and the estimated 400,000 industrious individuals who made the odyssey back in the mid-1800s— by rumbling in the ruts

From top: Courtesy of Morris Carter; Laura Durant/Courtesy of the Black Theatre Troupe (Black Nativity)

Oklahoma!, A Doll’s House, The Phantom of the Opera—America’s most popular stage productions haven’t always shone the spotlight on particularly diverse stories or casts. For the past five decades, Phoenix’s Black Theatre Troupe (BTT) has been working to change that.

Founded by civil rights activist Helen Katherine Mason in 1970, BTT began as an intimate, safe space for Black artists to share both their work and personal experiences with racism in the Southwest. Today, says executive director David Hemphill, much of BTT’s focus is on getting more young people of color involved in the performing arts. But the company is also using its 50th season to inspire conversations in the larger community about the Black experience with a compelling lineup that opened this past fall with Sistas: The Musical, a rollicking off-Broadway show that celebrates African American women through Top 40 hits. This month, theatergoers can catch Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, which BTT has put on (and, often, sold out) since 1975. —GY

of the actual path in Wyoming on a multihour or multiday trip with Casper’s 30-yearold Historic Trails West.

Owner Morris Carter has studied pioneer diaries and even built six covered wagons by hand, and he shares that expertise during tours: Did you know that pioneers walked the trail alongside their wagons—only sick and injured travelers hitched rides—and survived primarily on salt pork, biscuits, and beans? Choose the outfitter’s five-day, 55-mile trip (starting at $1,495 per adult; don’t worry, you’ll be riding in the wagon even if you don’t have dysentery) for a chance to ford the Sweetwater River; no caulking and floating necessary. —CH

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CULTURE

Steamboat’s Secret Benefactor

ADVENTURE

From top: Jimmy Chin (2); Noah Wetzel

ALEX HONNOLD Las Vegas–based professional big-wall climber Alex Honnold was already toeing household-name status after the 2018 release of the Academy Award–winning Free Solo, a National Geographic documentary chronicling his unfathomable free solo ascent (that’s without a rope) of the world’s most notorious rock face, Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan. Then, Honnold upped his visibility further with an Olympic commentator gig during the debut of sport climbing in this year’s Tokyo Games. (Strange that one of the world’s best climbers didn’t compete? Not really; Honnold tends to chase adventure, not trophies.) Despite his considerable following—Honnold’s popular weekly podcast, Climbing Gold, launched its second season in July—and headline-grabbing conquests, the North Face–sponsored athlete has stayed humble, a refreshing notion in a sport that can skew toward bravado and elitism. In fact, Honnold’s highest calling might be the charitable foundation he started in 2012 to improve the economic prospects of people around the world through solar power access: This past fall, it installed panels at two nonprofits in power-outage-riddled Detroit that will save the groups an estimated $160,000 over the next 20 years. —Julie Dugdale

Steamboat Springs is proud of its real-town character. Yet even this burg couldn’t escape the housing crisis—recently amplified by the influx of remote workers during the pandemic—facing so many tourism destinations across the West.

Amid skyrocketing home values that are displacing Steamboat’s working class, one longtime resident waved a magic wand: The anonymous donor gifted $24 million to the Yampa Valley Housing Authority (YVHA) in August. “They felt like the town was slipping away, and they wanted to turn the tide,” explains YVHA executive director Jason Peasley. The windfall facilitated the purchase of a 536-acre parcel on the city’s northwestern boundary that YVHA will develop into affordable housing as early as 2025. The goal is to put a roof over some 5,000 shopkeepers, servers, and nurses, meaning both residents and visitors can expect shorter waits at the restaurants that line downtown Steamboat and even at the hospital, should their spread eagles take a nosedive. —Kelly Bastone

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LODGING

THE GREEN O Take the sleek design of a Scandinavian cottage, mix it with the treehouse of your childhood dreams, and plop it in the middle of an evergreen forest, and you have the 12 standalone accommodations at the new Green O resort. Tucked into the corner of a 37,000-acre working cattle and bison ranch, this adults-only escape outside the western Montana hamlet of Greenough is designed to immerse you in nature—except with private hot tubs and French flax sheets instead of tents and sleeping bags. Among four different cabin styles, you might find floor-to-ceiling windows, 360-degree views, or, in the case of the four Tree Hauses, stilts elevating the dwellings 23 feet into the canopy. Nightly rates for two adults are elevated as well, starting at $2,100—but they include everything from credits you can put toward excursions, such as horseback riding, to airport transfers to meals at the on-site Social Haus restaurant. There, executive chef Brandon Cunningham gives you a more literal taste of the outdoors by incorporating foraged chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms and spruce tips from the property. —EKH

Cotopaxi Whether it was the retro-inspired color combos or the cheeky llama logo that caught your gaze, you’ve likely noticed Cotopaxi’s backpacks, fleeces, and puffy jackets in crags and cosmopolitan hangouts alike. There’s more to this adventure wear than rugged good looks, however. Launched in 2014, the Salt Lake City outdoor apparel and gear company has earned a devoted following not just for its form and functionality, but also for its dedication to social and environmental issues. Cotopaxi’s tagline, Gear For Good, applies to multiple aspects of its business practices: enforcing fair labor standards in its factories; purchasing enough carbon credits to earn a climate-neutral certification; and, through its eponymous foundation, funneling one percent of its revenue to nonprofits working to reduce global poverty. (Currently, that means aid for Afghan refugees through the International Rescue Committee.) It’s those efforts that captured the attention of private equity giant Bain Capital’s impact investment arm, which in September pledged roughly $45 million in funding to help Cotopaxi take its sustainable development mission well into the future. —JD 70

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From top: Courtesy of the Green O (2); Courtesy of Cotopaxi

GEAR

BEST OF THE MOUNTAIN WEST ART

NATURE

Clockwise from top left: Courtesy of WD4C; Kate Russell/Courtesy of Meow Wolf; Neubauer Media/Courtesy of Logjam Presents

Working Dogs For Conservation Although all dogs are good dogs in our eyes, Finn is an especially good girl. The five-year-old, 50-pound chocolate lab spent this past summer with her nose to the ground in Wyoming, sniffing out harmful invasive plants that are displacing native species in the riparian habitat along the Snake River near Jackson. Finn, a detection dog trained by the 21-year-old Montana nonprofit Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C), helped locate dozens of small but mighty salt cedar and pepperweed plants that humans likely would’ve overlooked. These noxious weeds can completely overwhelm a region, killing off the normally healthy, diverse array of plants and instead creating a monoculture. “We see the world with our eyes, and that automatically creates biases,” says Finn’s mom and boss, Lauren Wendt, who lives in Washington but has trained detection dogs with WD4C for two years and hopes, pending funding, to bring Finn back to the Jackson area this coming summer. “The dogs don’t have those visual biases. They don’t care where the odor is or if the plant is one inch tall versus 10 inches tall. They’re much more successful at finding the plants with their olfaction than we are with our eyes.” —SK

MUSIC

Meow Wolf

Logjam Presents

Certain coastal critics still turn up their noses at the West’s art scene.

But since 2016, when Meow Wolf opened its first immersive exhibit in Santa Fe, we’ve been seeing a lot less nostril.

Although its wild popularity could have launched Meow Wolf to New York City, the collective chose to expand

Western Montana wasn’t exactly on the map for major musical touring acts—that is, until promotion and production company Logjam Presents put it there. Owner and president Nick Checota had no entertainment experience, but the real estate developer saw potential in Missoula’s Top Hat, an intimate live music bar. He bought the midcentury venue in 2012 and pulled off a full remodel with the help of an acoustic engineer. What began as a one-off investment turned into musical empire-building.

Three years later, Checota purchased the 1,500-capacity Wilma Theater around the corner and gave the 1921 art deco building a badly needed makeover. Then came the construction of the Kettlehouse Amphitheater, an outdoor arena tucked in a canyon along the Blackfoot River in nearby Bonner, in 2017. Kettlehouse, which can accommodate 4,250 revelers, quickly established itself as a destination for both fans and music royalty: In 2021, 40 percent of ticketholders came from outside the Missoula area to see acts including Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, ZZ Top, and Death Cab for Cutie. And with the opening of the Elm (pictured), a sleek, midsize venue in Bozeman, three months ago, Logjam has given top talent yet another reason to come play under the big sky. —EKH m

its oeuvre this past year with Las Vegas’ 52,000-squarefoot Omega Mart (pictured), a comment on consumerism, and Denver’s 90,000square-foot Convergence Station, which imagines an intergalactic collision of worlds. We’re hopeful the dozens of regional artists involved will count the highprofile gigs as a reason to stay in the West too.

—Angela Ufheil

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MAKE SKIING FUN AGAIN EDITED BY NICHOLAS HUNT

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MICHAEL BYERS

Lift lines. Traffic. The tyranny of the mega pass.

It seems like much of the joy has disappeared from Colorado’s most prodigious pastime. But we’re not ready to let our planks start collecting garage dust just yet.

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MAKE SKIING FUN AGAIN

STOKE METER

BREAK NEW GROUND These nine resorts’ on-mountain improvements are the perfect excuse to bust out of your routine this season. —NH

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If you’re simply looking at affordability, it’s easy to see why.

The average price of a day pass in the United States jumped from around $59 in 2005 to $130 in 2018. That’s a 120 percent increase, four times the rate of inflation over the same period. Those nationwide averages can seem quaint in the Centennial State, where walk-up tickets at Vail Mountain Resort ran north of $200 last season. The stoke has been suppressed by other costs as well. The cost of fuel, lodging, parking, gear, and food. The cost of patience.

The cost of climate-changing traffic.

Yet, pandemic aside, the Gore-Tex-bedecked crowds in Colorado have been thicker than ever. In 2018-’19, the state broke its annual record with around 13.8 million visits. How can the industry be both struggling and booming? Laurent Vanat, the French author of the annual 200-plus-page International Report on Snow and Mountain Tourism, points to the mega pass. While resorts are laboring to bring in new skiers, the convenience and prices of the Epic and Ikon passes may be encouraging existing skiers to head

CHANGE IS GOOD, I GUESS

1

FAST PASSES Copper Mountain

COMPOSTING TOILETS Monarch Mountain

Disney-style line skipping is debuting in Colorado this season; starting at $49 a day, you’ll gain access to dedicated Fast Tracks lift lines.

You’ll also gain the ire of every skier you pass.

Last season, Monarch installed a midmountain food trailer at the bottom of its Panorama lift. This season, it added restrooms, so you don’t have to do the pee-pee dance down to the lodge.

FREE SKIING FOR GROMMETS Purgatory Resort

The Power Kids program has long been a wallet-saver for parents. Now Purg has increased the upper age limit for the free, unlimited season pass from 10 to 12 years old.

D. Scott Clark/Tandem Stills + Motion

H

ITTING THE SLOPES on skis or a snowboard will never suck. There’s nothing like toeing up to your favorite line and dropping in to dance with gravity. It’s everything up to and after that moment that’s become a buzzkill. And that’s not just the resentment of a thirtysomething Front Ranger jealous he can’t play hooky for midweek storms anymore.

The U.S. ski industry has lost enough of its luster that newbies aren’t picking up the sport quickly or fervently enough to replace the Baby Boomers retiring their sticks each season, according to a 2017 report by the National Ski Areas Association.

MAKE SKIING FUN AGAIN

to more resorts more often, he writes: “The business model of the large U.S. resorts can be summarized as trying to get always more money from always less customers.”

Something has to give, and the resorts seem to know it. In Colorado, Arapahoe Basin announced it would reduce pass sales this season by 10 percent— not for social distancing, but because it can’t fit any more cars in its lots.

Eldora Mountain is adding 800 new parking spaces and will charge solo drivers $10 for a spot on peak days to encourage them to hop on its free shuttles from Boulder instead. New chairlifts with more seats and faster transit times are popping up around the state to shorten lift lines. But change is slow, and until the resorts, state, and skiers­­—both tourists and residents— come together to make it happen, it’s up to us to take responsibility for our own fun. To help with that, we rounded up some practical advice—plus a few big-picture ideas from our wish list—to make this season worth the hassle, and then some.

Courtesy of Mountain Resorts

ABOUT TIME

SLEEP LIKE A TEXAN

L BIG IDEA

One mountain-town local explains why staying slopeside isn’t just for out-of-staters.

ook, I get it. When you travel within your own state, you don’t want to feel like a rube.

After all, you’ve got the skill, you’ve got the gear, and you shudder at the thought of being lumped in with the traveling hordes. But Front Rangers need to get over themselves.

Take it from a townie: Stop pretending to be a local and admit to being the tourist you are. By embracing your visitor status, you give yourself permission to exploit the true “fast pass” to the mountain: ski-in, ski-out lodging.

This may seem like a preposterous idea. Slopeside accommodations are for oil-moneyed Texans, not for a regular Coloradan like yourself. Instead, you make one of two poor choices. You either spend six hours on I-70 making a daytrip, or you book a short-term rental in a hip neighborhood far from the base area to indulge your local fantasies for the weekend. Either way, you’re sentencing yourself to the same sufferfest of full parking lots, packed shuttles, standing-room-only buses, and monster gondola lines.

Why not sidestep those bottlenecks entirely and hit the slopes on your schedule? That’s what makes ski-in, ski-out lodging so satisfying. You can shred fresh snow in the morning, duck back to home base for a DIY lunch, and re-emerge for a late afternoon session when the crowds have died down. You can warm your icy toes in the hot tub or by the gas fireplace in your room instead of in the resort cafeteria, you can return to your private accommodations for easy-button bathroom breaks, and uphillers can even snag predawn workouts while the rest of the crew keeps snoozing—all without ever moving your car or fighting for an open table at the lodge.

And while slopeside digs can run well over $1,000 a night in Vail, they aren’t always as expensive as you’d think. My hometown of Steamboat Springs has a substantial inventory of onmountain condos, such as those in the Storm Meadows complex (pictured), that rent for well under $400 per night, making them comparable to Silverthorne’s chain hotels.

Similar deals can be snagged in Winter Park, Crested Butte, and Copper Mountain.

So, channel your inner Texan and sleep where no locals ever lay their heads—unless they’ve passed out after a particularly epic après. —KELLY BASTONE

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MORE SEATS Keystone Resort

ROOKIE TERRAIN Beaver Creek Resort

The languid, four-person Peru Express lift has been upgraded to a high-speed six-seater that promises shorter lines and better skier circulation.

With two lifts, 250 acres, and 17 beginner and intermediate trails, new-this-season McCoy Park is ideal for honing your skills or spending a relaxed day on the hill with your family.

CHAIR UPGRADES Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Breckenridge Ski Resort

To celebrate their 60th anniversaries this season, Crested Butte and Breckenridge both treated themselves to new lifts.

FRESH LINES Ski Cooper

Trail crews at Leadville’s local hill spent the offseason adding two new runs in the Tennessee Creek Basin, a steep tree-skiing zone that opened last year.

HOW DID WE LIVE WITHOUT IT? RESORT-RUN SNOWCAT TOURS Loveland Ski Area

Sending Dry Gulch’s open bowl and surrounding trees without having to earn your turns? Yes, please.

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EASE INTO UPHILL

Backcountry skiing is booming as people search for fresh powder and thinner crowds, but out-of-bounds exploring isn’t as simple as buying an alpine touring (AT) setup. The gear can be complicated, the technique different, and the terrain dangerous. Sound daunting? It doesn’t have to be. These four steps are a fun progression to learn the sport and, above all, become a safe and competent backcountry skier or rider. —JEN MURPHY

STEP 1

INBOUND LESSONS

Before you throw down for pricey equipment, make sure you actually enjoy the heart-pumping trudge up the mountain with Winter Park Resort’s three-hour Intro to Uphill tour. The course includes rental gear and highlights the basics, like when to use your heel risers to keep your boot level on steep ascents and how to manage your skins, the unwieldy fabric cutouts that turn your skis into extra-long snowshoes. $89; winterparkresort.com

STEP 2

GO GUIDED

Vail Resort’s Nordic School takes clients into the White River National Forest on half- and full-day guided trips. Bring your own splitboard or AT skis, and the school will provide a beacon, probe, and shovel, plus instruction on how to use them in the event of an avalanche. Options range from mellow tours past abandoned mines to challenging high-alpine traverses. From $322; vail.com

STEP 3

BACKCOUNTRY LITE

With 1,200 acres of terrain and no lifts, Bluebird Backcountry—located just 30 minutes east of Steamboat Springs—feels like the wilderness. Good signage, ski patrol, and avalanche mitigation, however, create a controlled environment perfect for practicing essential backcountry skills, like route-planning, transitioning into ski mode, and kick-turning up steep snow. Day passes from $45; season passes from $275; bluebirdbackcountry.com

STEP 4

GET SCHOOLED

Earn your AIARE 1 certification from the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, the gold standard for avalanche safety instruction, during an epic hut trip with Colorado Adventure Guides. The three-day courses are based out of Summit County’s sweetest backcountry cabins. Your gear and basic uphill skills should be dialed so that field time can be devoted to learning how to read terrain, recognize hazards, and manage risk—which you’ll need to know to strike out on your own. From $895; coloradoadventureguides.com

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MAKE SKIING FUN AGAIN

I

Brian Wolski/Alamy Stock Photo

BIG IDEA

DEMAND CARPOOLING We need resorts to help get single-occupancy vehicles off I-70.

’ve played both roles in the theater that is I-70 during ski season. I’ve been squeezed three abreast in a friend’s car in standstill traffic glaring out the fogged window at the driver next door sitting alone in his truck. Screw that guy, I’d think. On the other hand, I can’t count the number of mornings I’ve actually been that guy.

I’m proof that while we might wish altruism were enough to make us do the right thing and carpool, it’s not. Because even though I’m fully aware of the impact single-occupancy vehicles create—the traffic jams, the pollution, the health concerns—the draw of a powder day is often too strong to stop me from taking the wheel solo. We need something to counter that pull.

Kay Kelly, head of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Office of Innovative Mobility, believes incentives, the proverbial carrots implemented by policymakers and businesses to change our behaviors, can be just that. “But not every incentive is going to appeal to every person,” she says.

“You need a variety to appeal to other people’s priorities.”

That might mean discounted parking for high-occupancy vehicles or cheaper lift tickets for skiers who board CDOT’s Snowstang bus service, both of which could have an immediate impact. Weekends during the season commonly see more than 50,000 vehicles on I-70 a day with an average occupancy of just 1.9 people.

Kelly estimates that if every vehicle filled its seats, we’d cut traffic in half.

But for that to happen, the ski resorts need to step up. Because while the mountains don’t have an obligation to mitigate the traffic they create, they do have direct influence over the majority of winter weekend drivers.

To be fair, a handful of I-70adjacent mountains, including Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Breckenridge, and Copper, along with Eldora and Aspen Snowmass, have perks to encourage carpooling and alternative transportation. However, Stuart Anderson, executive director of Denver-based Transportation Solutions, which advises regional partners on traffic management and more, says they haven’t been robust enough. When I asked nearly a dozen mountains if they planned to implement new incentives or update the few that already exist, only Breckenridge had concrete plans: a $5 parking discount for cars with four or more people.

Anderson says the first step should be for resorts to educate their guests more effectively, particularly around carpooling’s

positive impacts. Then they need to offer more compelling benefits, such as serious discounts at their ticket windows, restaurants, and pro shops, not just a small break on parking. It won’t be easy—when Eldora announced $20 charges for vehicles with two or fewer occupants in 2018, so many skiers protested that it nixed the plan—but the resorts must find the will to do unpopular things, like fees and turning every preferred parking spot over to carpoolers. “At the end of the day,” he says, “people are rational economic decision-makers.”

To complicate matters, these incentives will have to keep pace with population growth, says Margaret Bowes of the nonprofit I-70 Coalition. “There

DITCH YOUR CAR Thanks to a new Colorado law legalizing carpooling apps, these companies aim to reduce I-70 traffic by connecting skiers heading to the same resorts. —JM GONDOLA Selling point: Get rewarded for carpooling with food and drink perks at resorts. In-app messaging makes it easy to coordinate pickup spots.

Number of mountains served: 10 Cost to ride: $20 to $45, round trip Best for: Après fans

TREADSHARE Selling point: Carpool one way or round trip to the mountain or to backcountry trailheads and Nordic ski centers.

Number of mountains served: Anywhere the driver is willing to go Cost to ride: Depends on the destination, but a trip from Denver to Breckenridge costs $16 for passengers versus a $100 off-peak Uber ride Best for: Those who had to work late on Friday and need to meet their pals for dinner and Saturday turns

CARAVAN

is concern that as soon as we take a car off the road, there are going to be two new residents that replace it,” she says, and time is running out. “Colorado is developing a reputation for congestion. That’s not good for the ski industry anywhere in the state.” —JAY BOUCHARD

Selling point: It connects with users’ social feeds so you can get to know the people you’re riding with before you book.

Number of mountains served: 14 Cost to ride: Free, though drivers can ask passengers to chip in for gas Best for: Do-gooder eco-crusaders for whom lowering their carbon footprints is payment enough

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USE BIG BROTHER

S BIG IDEA

Crowd-tracking technology has existed for years, so why aren’t more ski resorts embracing it?

kiers love forecasts. We obsess over weather predictions and pore through grooming reports, but if it’s crowds we want to anticipate, we’ve had surprisingly few ways to peer into the future. Until now.

This season, Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) is using crowd-tracking technology developed for airports, theme parks, and other people-moving entities to let visitors evaluate traffic at parking lots and base areas across its four resorts. The initiative began two years ago when ASC debuted a feature on its app that color-coded parking conditions. “It let people know whether they should take the bus or choose a different resort,” explains spokesperson Jeff Hanle. Then the pandemic happened. Part of last season’s response included a pilot program to survey crowd density in its base areas so visitors could use the Aspen app to predict— and avoid—overloaded (read: virus-y) locations.

Now ASC says it’s found a more accurate way to monitor its visitor levels, thanks to crowd-flow optimization firm Veovo.

The London-based company’s real-time, crowd-sourced data allows ASC to estimate wait times by tracking mobile devices, whether guests are using its app or not. That’s an advantage over Vail Resorts’ EpicMix Time app, which only tracks skiers who have downloaded the program, and Alterra Mountain Company’s Ikon app, which only monitors logged-in visitors.

In true ski resort form, neither would confirm or deny if they had plans to expand their apps’ functionalities or address parking capacity and other bottlenecks.

Which raises the question: Why not? And, frankly, why haven’t more mountains implemented their own systems? Resorts routinely invest in new lifts and facilities to woo skiers, yet nothing can hijack a ski day like overcrowding. Heck, in 2019, even the cash-strapped National Park Service managed to navigate budget shortfalls and government red tape to implement real-time updates for the campgrounds and parking lots at Glacier National Park.

Yet well-heeled Vail Resorts’ nonanswer answer was: “The company is currently focused on finding creative ways to equip guests with additional tools to customize their experience.” Hopefully the acclaim Aspen’s congestion updates have received from skiers will push their competitors to follow suit. —KB

PHONE IT IN Apps can’t guarantee a good ski day, but they can help. —NH Problem

NOT KNOWING WHERE TO SKI

Solution: OpenSnow What it provides: Hourly proprietary snowfall predictions up to five days in advance for all your favorite resorts, live cams, professional snow reports, and seasonal trends make it easy to feed your powder fever. Free ($30 for an annual all-access subscription); iOS and Android Problem

GETTING LOST

Solution: Fat Map What it provides: This GPS-enabled terrain map lays out each run in 3D, has realtime data on which lifts are open, and allows you to mark secret snow stashes for future sessions or share waypoints with friends for midmountain meetups. Free ($30 for an annual all-access subscription); iOS and Android Problem

CRUMMY ON-MOUNTAIN COMMUNICATION

Solution: Bridgefy What it provides: By using Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi or your data plan, Bridgefy lets you chat with friends from almost a football field away sans service, making it perfect for organizing your next lap when your crew is strung out over multiple chairs. Free; iOS and Android

CHAIR 4 CLOSED

Problem

7 MIN WAIT TIMES

10 MIN WAIT TIMES 5 MIN WAIT TIMES

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Solution: CAIC What it provides: Access everything you need to stay informed while skiing the backcountry in the palm of your gloved hand, including a color-coded danger map, daily avalanche and weather forecasts, and the ability to submit observations to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center on the go. Free; iOS and Android

Getty Images

12” SNOW FORECASTED

THE POSSIBILITY OF AVALANCHES

MAKE SKIING FUN AGAIN

CATCH SOME HEIR

Carl Eaton and Pete Seibert Jr. may not have any significant financial stakes in Vail Resorts, the company their fathers founded, but they’ve grown up with the industry their families helped revolutionize.

From top: The Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame; Courtesy of Vail Resorts

5280: For Denverites, skiing revolves around traffic jams and lift lines these days. How do we go back to the Vail your dads, Earl and Pete, imagined when they hiked up Ptarmigan Ridge and decided to build a ski resort?

Seibert: When you’re standing up there, it doesn’t look a lot different today than it did for them. So, if you want an experience like those early days, I guess you have to pick the right day.

Meaning, not a Saturday after a storm when there are lift lines you can see from space. What would they have to say about that?

Eaton: They’d be rolling over in their graves! But the world is changing. You have to change with it or get left behind.

What, exactly, has changed?

Eaton: Back in those early days, Vail was a ski area for people who loved to ski, and there was

never a profit. All of the money that was made went right back into the resort. Today, it’s a business, and businesses make a profit.

One innovation that has made Vail Resorts profitable is the Epic Pass. Thoughts?

Seibert: My dad had a restaurant background. I can’t help thinking he’d say it’s like making Matsuhisa [one of Vail Village’s most exclusive restaurants] all-you-can-eat for $5 on a Friday night.

Did the Epic Pass ruin the experience for everyone?

Eaton: There are a lot of good things that have come out of

it. If you take advantage of it, it pays for itself in about a week, and it locks in money for the company, so there’s a guaranteed profit. But you can’t just live by a quantitative model.

There’s got to be some qualitative considerations as well.

If you could hit the reset button, what would you change?

Eaton: Oh boy. I don’t know if I can answer that, being an employee of Vail Resorts!

[Eaton is the head of lift maintenance at Beaver Creek.]

C’mon, one thing.

Eaton: If we could have made I-70 three lanes or put in that supertrain, that might have solved the traffic jams, but then you’d have even bigger crowds on the mountain. So that’s not the answer.

Seibert: Vail is a big mountain

by North American standards, but by European standards?

Not really. Adding new terrain

Carl Eaton (left) and Pete Seibert Sr. (right) founded Vail in 1962.

would spread skiers out and help keep them out of the choke points.

What do people get wrong about the state of the industry?

Seibert: I think it’s easy to focus on those critically busy days, but 70 to 80 percent of the time, Vail skis like a dream. And in a lot of ways, skiing has become easier and more accessible. Sometimes, I need to focus on my own attitude and make sure I’m taking advantage of everything that is there.

Eaton: For me, it’s taking some nice big turns on a freshly groomed run. There’s just nothing like it.

Seibert: Exactly. That freedom still exists, and every day I go up, I find it. I find something that makes it worth going. —TED KATAUSKAS DECEMBER 2021

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t’s not difficult to get addicted to powder. A day of free refills—when the snow falls fast enough to completely cover your tracks by the time you reach the top of the chairlift again—is close to a religious experience around these parts.

But like any addiction, it comes at a price: mainly, being bored when the snow’s not flying (which is the majority of the season).

Luckily, there’s a quick fix.

If you change your gear, you change your mindset. Click into a pair of thick-waisted all-mountain skis, and the groomers become something to plod along as you hunt for hidden powder stashes. But if you step into a pair of dedicated carving skis instead, the way you see the mountain shifts. Suddenly, the groomers become the fun part; free from powder fever, you can pick runs where the crowds are minimal and days when the traffic is light. The whole season opens up.

To better understand what makes this style of ski perfect for channeling your inner Mikaela Shiffrin, we asked Denver’s Folsom Custom Skis to break down the design of its Spar 88 carvers. —NH

LEAN INTO IT

Craving corduroy?

Here are a few of our favorite groomers. —NH SHEER BLISS Mountain: Aspen Snowmass

HOURGLASS PROFILE The deeper the sidecut—how thin the ski is underfoot compared to its width at the tip and tail—the tighter and faster the ski turns. These days, a carving ski typically has a turning radius under 17 meters— well below a powder ski’s 22-plus meters.

UPWARD ARCH Better known as camber, this bend in the ski’s midsection spreads your weight along the length of the ski for more control during carves and acts as a spring for bouncy transitions from turn to turn. The longer and taller the arch, the more stable the ski is at speed.

HARD WOODS Heavier core materials, such as titinal or the strips of maple found in the Spar 88, help stiffen the ski and dampen vibrations to keep it planted through the turn.

This trail drops nearly 2,000 feet in two miles, but the truth is, the best manicured run at Snowmass is whichever trail has been selected for the Noon Groom, which is exactly what it sounds like.

GOLDEN EAGLE Mountain: Beaver Creek

With two eight-hour snowcat shifts between 4 p.m. and 8:30 a.m., Beaver Creek has one of the most extensive grooming operations going. Take advantage of all that hard work on this expertsonly section of Birds of Prey, the famous World Cup racecourse.

10TH MOUNTAIN Mountain: Ski Cooper

Cooper eschews artificial snow and rarely grooms the same run two days in a row, so it’s home to some seriously soft runs. The hill has one secret groomer, though: The 10th Mountain trail entrance is easy to miss, meaning if you find it, you can often snag corduroy late in the day.

POPPYFIELDS EAST Mountain: Vail

This relatively mellow slope is the only groomer in Vail’s Back Bowls, which makes it the only smooth cruiser in one of the sport’s most venerated meccas.

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Clockwise from left: Sarah Banks; Casey Day/Courtesy of Ski Cooper; Getty Images

BRING SKINNY SKIS BACK

Side View

MAKE SKIING FUN AGAIN

BIG IDEA

BUILD A BETTER SKI SCHOOL

Teaching your kids to ski wouldn’t be such a hassle if the beginner area looked like this.

1 FULLY LOADED BUILDINGS

There’s no quicker way to end your kid’s ski day than schlepping everything back to the lodge for a potty break. Now imagine taking your bundled ski bunny to a minilodge—complete with child-size amenities— right there at the magic carpet. Plus, having a comfortable, discreet place to hover reduces the risk helicopter parents will disrupt their kids’ lessons.

The stress. The coaxing. The tears. The but-I-have-to-go-tothe-bathroom-right-nows. Introducing your young ones to the slopes is traumatic enough without throwing a poorly designed beginner area into the mix. “Kids shouldn’t be getting exhausted just moving about,” says Eric Callender, vice president at British Columbia–based ski area design firm Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners and father to four- and six-year-old shredders. And with snowsports participation shrinking, it’s more important than ever for resorts to lower the barrier to entry. With that in mind, we asked Callender to build us a utopian novice zone. —JULIE DUGDALE 2 CHARACTERS, THEMES, AND PLAY ZONES

Spotting a goofy bear on a snowboard does wonders for toddler morale, so the more cartoonish fun, the better. Bonus: Innovative features that make transitions fun, such as a slide down from the lunch deck, are a good way to trick your kiddos into getting back on the hill for a couple more laps.

3 TURNS FOR MOM AND DAD

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Easy access to a lift that gets grown-ups to the good stuff while the groms are in lessons is a massive bonus. Ideally, the chair offers a view of the kiddie hill from the air so Mom and Dad can ski real terrain without being seen and catch a glimpse of Junior wedging down the hill.

4 LEVEL TERRAIN TO THE LIFTS

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Toddlers simply don’t have the mechanics to move uphill on skis on their own. Yet, many resorts balk at the added cost of installing a lift level with your starting point, leaving parents to carry the gear and herd their little ones upslope by any means necessary.

5 DEDICATED ACCESS

Nothing is worse than fighting for parking, loading onto a shuttle, clambering up a couple of staircases, and trudging a quarter of a mile to the lift. Except, of course, doing it with a three-year-old in tow.

“Well-designed resorts have a dedicated children’s drop-off for cars and shortterm parking right next to the ski school entrance,” Callender says. m

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N A T I O N A L N A T I O N A L

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D E F E N S E How the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s race to protect its sovereign nation from the COVID-19 pandemic transformed its southwestern Colorado reservation, members, and leadership forever.

BY R O B E RT S A N C H E Z P H O T O G R A P H Y BY B L A K E G O R D O N

The Ute Mountain Ute reservation checkpoint in Towaoc

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Small, silver hoops dangled from the tribal chairman’s ears. A beaded bolo tie was pulled tight against his neck. Chimney Rock, a 100-million-year-old, 730-foot sandstone pillar that plays a role in Ute Mountain Ute warrior mythology, stood visible in the distance. Heart’s hands gripped the steering wheel, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

Heart said these had been the most difficult 17 months in his more than two decades of tribal politics. It was not uncommon for the 60-year-old to pull 12-hour days guiding the reservation’s business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes he took a call from a sick tribal member. Sometimes he fought with the county government over its laissez-faire masking policies. Sometimes his days were broken up by a funeral. Sometimes he just cried in his office.

As the novel coronavirus spread across the United States over the past two years, it ravaged Indigenous communities. Since the pandemic began, American Indians and Alaska Natives have been infected at a rate three-and-a-half times greater than that of white Americans; hospitalization rates are four times higher; and rates of death are twice as high. For the more than one million Native Americans who live on reservations across the country, COVID-19 has threatened every part of their existence.

Beyond the Ute Mountain Ute’s southern border, the 173,000 residents of the Navajo Nation reservation have suffered more than 30,000 infections since March 2020. Nearly 1,500 tribal members had died by mid-September of this year, including a former Navajo president. In Montana, the Blackfeet Nation reported 50 deaths and more than 1,400 infections among 10,000 members. The Cherokee Nation, in Oklahoma, lost several dozen fluent speakers in less than a year, undermining a tribal program designed to stop the Native language from dying out.

The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe is one of 574 recognized by the federal government and has been subsisting on its reservation for more than a century. Pushed from traditional hunting grounds that once included

MANUEL HEART SAT IN HIS PICKUP TRUCK OUTSIDE THE UTE MOUNTAIN UTE TRIBAL OFFICE IN TOWAOC ONE DAY THIS PAST SUMMER, THE CHEVY’S ENGINE IDLING IN THE PARKING LOT AS THE SUN SLOWLY ARCED OVERHEAD. THE SOUTHERN COLORADO HEAT WAS MERCILESS THAT AFTERNOON.

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most of what’s now Colorado, the tribe inhabits an 898-square-mile stretch of land that encompasses a small corner of the state plus portions of Utah and New Mexico. Estimated at 10,000 members in the late 19th century, the tribe now has just 2,116 registered members. Of those, 1,100 live within the tribe’s sovereign boundaries—most of them within the tribal capital of Towaoc (pronounced toyyak). By October of this year, about a third of the reservation’s residents had been infected at some point during the pandemic. At least eight tribal members had died from the virus.

Heart had done the math. Estimates, which are likely low, put coronavirus deaths nationwide at roughly one out of every 475 Native Americans. Within the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the number was closer to one out of every 264. (One out of every 500 U.S. residents has died from COVID-19.) For many Indigenous communities, the pandemic also put hundreds of years of history and culture at risk. “If we fail, we no longer exist,” Heart said.

He’d kept the names of the tribal members who’d died on his cell phone. The vast majority of the reservation’s adults had now been vaccinated, which helped ease cases among the Ute Mountain Ute. Heart prayed he would not have to add to his list, but the hopefulness of summer had given way to news of the Delta variant and renewed fears about a potential winter surge of infections.

Heart reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his phone. He tapped on it until the names appeared on the screen. Heart had known each of them well. He knew the jobs they performed and the families they went

home to at night. He also knew how everything began and ended: the cough, the gasping for air, the incapacitation, the rush to the ER in Cortez, the emergency airlift to Durango or Grand Junction, the funeral. Heart could envision the caskets as they were unloaded along the tribe’s rocky cemetery road.

The phone’s screen went dark. Heart held it to his chest. A blue medical mask covered his nose and mouth. He stared out of his truck’s windshield. Chimney Rock stood in the distance, a lone warrior on his way to battle the outside world. ong before the forcible removals from their homelands and the collapse of bison herds across the West, American Indians were besieged by foreign diseases.

Outbreaks of smallpox, cholera, typhus, yellow fever, tuberculosis, and malaria—and the subsequent history of Indigenous populations and mass-casualty illnesses—have been the subject of scholarly research. Despite those efforts to grasp the past, the physical and psychological trauma from those events on Native Americans is still far from fully understood.

More than a century after the Spanish flu killed 50 million people around the world, there’s not an agreed-upon count as to how many American Indians died during that pandemic. The figure could be as low as 3,200 (the National Institutes of Health’s official tally) or number in the tens—if not hundreds—of thousands. “The one thing we know about the plight of tribes,” said Michael Roberts, the president and chief executive officer of the Longmont-based First Nations Development

L

Institute, which works to bolster Native economies, “is that no one really gives a shit.”

When the coronavirus reached the United States in early 2020, Alston Turtle was already studying numbers from the Indian Health Service (IHS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Like most everyone else in the United States, the 37-year-old Ute Mountain Ute treasurer was also watching cable news, where the flood of dire information seemed to intensify with each day. Over and over, Turtle heard the term “highly transmissible.”

Turtle had been in office for little more than a year, a political neophyte among a tribal council with men mostly in their 50s and 60s.

He’d spent much of his life off the reservation in Albuquerque but had lived the previous five years in Towaoc. The council was mostly made up of traditionalists, but Turtle preached openness with the world outside the Ute Mountain Ute land; he called it a “new moment” within the wider tribal community. But not long after he took office, his tribe suddenly faced its greatest threat in perhaps a century.

On March 11, 2020, the seven-member council met at the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Complex, in the middle of Towaoc. The men sat in the circular, tan-brick, kiva-style chambers. Paintings of the tribe’s final three chiefs—Ignacio, Miller, House—hung on a wall facing the council. A massive bison head mounted high above the paintings looked down at the proceedings.

After a prayer, Heart spoke. The Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center, an IHS department that advises tribal health departments across four states, had estimated that inaction on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation could lead to hundreds of deaths. CDC reports showed that the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions were most at risk from COVID-19; Ute Mountain Ute tribal members suffered high rates of diabetes and heart disease, and a significant number were overweight. At least 40 members were on kidney dialysis. A few were fighting cancer.

On top of that, about one-tenth of the reservation’s population was 55 or older, which coincided with the age range in which coronavirus cases began to be most deadly. Ute Mountain Ute elders were the most important cultural link connecting tribal language, art, and history to

From left: The Ute Mountain Ute tribal offices building; tribal chairman Manuel Heart; the cemetery on the reservation

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younger generations. “We need to do something now,” Heart told the members of the council.

The tribe was in a unique position. While state governments across the country were debating how, where, and when to battle the virus, the Ute Mountain Utes’ status as a sovereign nation gave the tribe wide berth when determining its own actions in the fight against COVID-19. That freedom derived from the aftermath of the 1887 Dawes Act, when the federal government began splitting reservations into parcels, giving away land to individual Native Americans and then opening the remaining, formerly communal, land to white settlers. Chief Ignacio refused the allotment system for his band of Weeminuche—federally recognized as the Ute Mountain Ute—and insisted his tribe be given its own contiguous land. The federal government acquiesced, a new reservation was created south and west of Cortez, and the Ute Mountain Ute were allowed to govern themselves mostly without outside interference. As the seven tribal council members sat in their chambers, Ignacio’s “IT WAS PRETTY decision 133 years ago seemed prescient.

CLEAR,” TURTLE Although he was the most progressive among the council, Turtle was fascinated by SAID. “ WE WOULD tribal history. He wanted to know how Chief HAVE TO MAKE OUR Ignacio and his group of sub-chiefs led their people through the 1918 pandemic. The resOWN WAY.” ervation was still young then—Towaoc didn’t exist—and much of the tribe lived in wooden huts in Mancos Canyon, on land near the west end of the then newly designated Mesa Verde National Park. “I wondered if there was anything that could give us guidance,” Turtle said one day this past summer. He’d searched for old records, but the more he looked, the more frustrated he became. “It was pretty clear,” Turtle said. “We would have to make our own way.” lmost immediately after the arrival of COVID-19, the Ute Mountain Ute implemented some of the most aggressive policies to deal with the pandemic anywhere in the United States. A 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew was put in place in March 2020, and the council closed 12 of the reservation’s 13 entry points—both in Colorado and in

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the reservation’s satellite town, White Mesa, Utah. A checkpoint was set up on the main road into Towaoc, off U.S. 491, just beyond the Ute Mountain Casino and the tribe’s truck stop. Outsiders without official tribal business were prevented from entering the reservation, and residents were initially restricted to a 25-mile radius from the tribal border, which allowed them to get to Cortez if they needed to go to the grocery store.

Heart and members of the council argued with Montezuma County commissioners: Heart accused them of downplaying the coronavirus, of a disdain for basic scientific facts. He stressed his tribe’s small size and how Ute Mountain Ute members might have to travel outside the reservation for food, home sanitation supplies, and medical care. He also reminded them that his tribe was one of the largest employers in the county—that hundreds of people worked at the casino and spent their money at nearby businesses—and that masking was critical. No one seemed to listen.

The council decided it would need to temporarily close the casino. When the truck stop subsequently closed, and then later opened with reduced hours, truckers said they would boycott it. Online reviews of the stop referred to the tribe’s COVID-19 policies as “1930s Germany.” “ We had to go drastic,” said Darwin Whiteman Jr., a tribal councilman. “We won’t apologize for that.”

Because wireless internet is virtually nonexistent on the reservation, the tribe set up a parking lot hot spot at the tribal office where children could log in to attend remote classes or download assignments. By summer 2020,

the tribe had secured a $10 million state grant to begin building the infrastructure for highspeed internet in parts of the reservation. A few months later, nearly $6 million in federal CARES Act money had been spent by the Ute Mountain Ute on things like food, hand sanitizer, masks, electricity, and propane.

Millions of dollars from the second federal COVID-19 rescue plan came in later. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment directed another $4 million to the tribe, then sent nurses to the reservation when the council mandated regular coronavirus testing among tribal residents.

Tribal recreation director K’ia Whiteskunk was put in charge of figuring out food deliveries across the reservation; the tribe wanted families to stay home as much as possible and to avoid travel to Cortez, where masking seemed haphazard. Whiteskunk had grown up on the reservation, joined the National Guard at 19, and spent part of 2009 working logistics in Iraq. She prided herself on her work ethic, her tranquility under pressure, and her ability to serve without complaint. “I was being called to help my people,” she said.

Within the first weeks of the pandemic, Whiteskunk had gotten lunches to the youngest schoolchildren across Towaoc. When schools didn’t reopen, she expanded her effort to more than 250 students. By summer 2020, the program grew yet again. To incentivize members to remain within the reservation’s borders, Whiteskunk coordinated deliveries of thousands of pounds of milk, water, meat, vegetables, fruit, and grains. When the trips became too long, she set up drive-thru pickup

lines outside the tribal offices. The Ute Mountain Ute traded ground corn for fresh bison meat from the nearby Southern Ute Tribe.

Hundreds of boxes popped up every two weeks in one of the casino’s convention halls and at the tribal recreation center, where Whiteskunk and her volunteers measured out beans and potatoes and lard. When the food program eventually covered the entire reservation—at one point, Whiteskunk’s truck transmission gave out—Whiteskunk and her crew started delivering food to tribal members living off the reservation, in places like Cortez and Ignacio. When those Ute Mountain Ute were fed, Whiteskunk sent deliveries to a Navajo chapter house in New Mexico that had run out of funding. She even sent food to nontribal shelters and resource centers in Cortez.

What began as a two-week project eventually morphed into a yearlong effort. Whiteskunk didn’t think she was special for what she’d done.

In a way, she was grateful. “My mind was too busy to think about all the other things going on,” she said. “This was one of those fight-orflight situations. We chose to fight.”

From left: A blocked entrance to the Ute Mountain Ute reservation; K’ia Whiteskunk coordinated food deliveries to members of the tribe; the rec center where food was stored

f the spring and summer of 2020 had shown the Ute Mountain Ute at its most resourceful, the late fall and early winter would prove to be the tribe’s most challenging seasons. Across the reservation, the Ute Mountain Ute were not immune to the burnout that was occurring across the United States—the feeling of helplessness, the endless rut that had enveloped the country.

Patience was short on the reservation. By October, members passed the checkpoint out of Towaoc and headed to Las Vegas. They went to Denver and Durango. They traveled to softball tournaments in New Mexico. One man told tribal security he was going to work. He later posted a Facebook selfie from Salt Lake City.

On the reservation, a birthday party resulted in 15 positive COVID19 tests. Several partygoers attended another on-reservation gathering the next day, where tribal officials said 40 more members got sick. By the end of October, Whiteman Jr. said, 113 people had tested positive for the virus—nearly double the tribe’s total since March.

In November, two tribal elders died from COVID-19. Propane driver Dudley Lang was the first. A week later—the day before ThanksCONTINUED ON PAGE 112 giving—a 57-year-old fluent Ute speaker

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DINING GUIDE $

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$ 26 A N D H I G H E R.

Bastien’s Restaurant

SYMBOL KEY Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened).

Abejas

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Golden / Seasonal This community restaurant features an ever-changing menu of farm-fresh produce, sustainable fish, and organic meats. The bar highlights small wineries and local brewers.

Reservations accepted. 807 13th St., Golden, 303-952-9745. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Acreage by Stem Ciders

Lafayette / Seasonal Stem Ciders’ ciderhouse pairs its drinks with house-grown produce and sustainable sourcing by chef Eric Lee. Save room for the cider doughnuts. Reservations accepted for parties of nine or more. 1380 Horizon Ave., Lafayette. 720-443-3007. Lunch, Dinner Annette

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RiNo / Contemporary Chef Duncan Holmes brings an elevated, intimate dining experience to Larimer Street. The seasonal menu changes frequently. Reservations required. 2843 Larimer St., 303-749-0020. Dinner Bellota

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City Park / Steak House Enjoy hearty, homestyle cooking at this local favorite, which has been family-owned for over 80 years. Try the signature sugar-rubbed steaks. Reservations accepted.

3503 E. Colfax Ave., 303-322-0363. Dinner Beckon

Indicates inclusion in 5280’s 2019 list of Denver’s best restaurants; we did not release a 2020 or 2021 list due to COVID-19 disruptions and closures. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change.

Visit our online listings at 5280.com/ restaurants.

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RiNo / Mexican Chef Manny Barella cooks elevated regional Mexican fare inspired by his Monterrey childhood inside the Source. Reservations are accepted. The Source, 3350 Brighton Blvd., 720-542-3721. Lunch, Dinner

Bistro Barbès

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North Park Hill / French Jon Robbins offers a menu inspired by the French, North African, and Middle Eastern flavors of Barbès, the Paris neighborhood where he spent three years. Reservations accepted.

5021 E. 28th Ave., 720-398-8085. Dinner

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Brider

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Highland / American Go for high-quality, fastcasual dining. Be sure to try the rotisserie chicken.

Reservations not accepted. 1644 Platte St., 303-455-3084. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Brightmarten

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Belcaro / American Go to this neighborhood spot with its own in-house butchery program for elevated comfort food. Try the pork chop.

Reservations accepted. 730 S. University Blvd., 720-541-7696. Dinner, Brunch

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HOT POCKETS

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Cherry Creek / Italian Dedication to authenticity translates to the food and extensive wine menu at this elegant eatery, which is focused on the cuisines of northern Italy’s Tuscany and Piedmont regions.

Reservations accepted. 3030 E. Sixth Ave., 303-393-1040. Dinner

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Carmine’s on Penn

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Cattivella

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Speer / Italian This family-style restaurant serves platters of hearty food. Order the ragu con funghi with braised veal. Also try the Ballpark location, Carmine’s on McGregor. Reservations accepted.

92 S. Pennsylvania St., 303-777-6443. Dinner

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West Highland / Pizza Try Detroit-style pizzas like the Brooklyn Bridge, topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and ricotta, Romano, and pecorino cheeses. Also try the Congress Park location.

Reservations not accepted. 3930 W. 32nd Ave., 720-456-7666. Lunch, Dinner

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Downtown / Italian At the urban winery, Snooze co-founder Jon Schlegel is serving vino from artisans in Northern Italy with light, thoughtful fare.

Reservations accepted. 2246 Larimer St., 720-287-4988. Dinner

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Blue Pan Pizza

Five Points / Pub This pub serves up a mélange of fare—from English shepherd’s pie and fish and chips to Pakistani curries and all-American burgers.

Reservations not accepted. 2052 Stout St., 303-295-7974. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

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Barolo Grill

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British Bulldog Pub

Aurora / American Caroline Glover brings a warm dining experience to Stanley Marketplace.

Enjoy a family-style menu featuring seasonal salads, toasts, and wood-grilled fare. Reservations accepted. Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Ste. 108, Aurora. 720-710-9975. Dinner, Brunch Attimo Winery

Blackbelly

Boulder / American Chef Hosea Rosenberg’s meaty menu focuses on charcuterie, small plates, and daily butcher specials. Try the crispy pig ears with red pepper jelly. Check out the butcher shop and grab-and-go market, Blackbelly Butcher, located next door. Reservations accepted. 1606 Conestoga St., Boulder, 303-247-1000. Dinner

Eight-year-old Pasty Republic is a haven for handheld comfort. The fast-casual spot, which has locations in Cherry Creek and Berkeley, serves English-style, single-serving pasties in varieties like the Caretaker, a belly-warmer brimming with chicken, peas, carrots, celery, garlic, and cheddar, or the herbaceous Drover, filled with lamb, leeks, potatoes, mint, and parsley.

Don’t forget to take home some ready-to-bake frozen pies to savor on the coldest winter days.

Central Park / Italian Chef Elise Wiggins offers rustic, wood-fired Italian fare from a sprawling chef’s counter. Go for grilled oysters, pizzas, and fresh pastas. Reservations accepted. 10195 E. 29th Dr., Ste. 110, 303-645-3779. Dinner Cholorado

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Littleton / Latin American This food truck parked at Rocker Spirits dishes out Latin-inspired comfort food, like fried papas and cheese and griddlefried tacos. Reservations not accepted. 5587 S. Hill St., Littleton, 303-795-7928. Dinner

Sarah Banks

PRICE KEY

(Average Entrée)

Want More Dining Options?

History. Heritage. Craft. The Great Outdoors.

The Nature of the West.

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∞

million acres of pristine wildland in the Bighorn National Forest, encompassing 1,200 miles of trails, 30 campgrounds, 10 picnic areas, 6 mountain lodges, legendary dude ranches, and hundreds of miles of waterways. The Bighorns offer limitless outdoor recreation opportunities.

restaurants, bars, food trucks, lounges, breweries, distilleries, tap rooms, saloons, and holes in the wall are spread across Sheridan County. That’s 101 different ways to apres adventure in the craft capital of Wyoming. We are also home to more than 40 hotels, motels, RV parks, and B&Bs.

seasons in which to get thoroughly WYO’d. If you’re a skijoring savant, you’ll want to check out the Winter Rodeo in February 2022. July features the 92nd edition of the beloved WYO Rodeo. Spring and fall are the perfect time to chase cool mountain streams or epic backcountry lines.

Sheridan features a thriving, historic downtown district, with western allure, hospitality and good graces to spare; a vibrant arts scene; bombastic craft culture; a robust festival and events calendar; and living history from one corner of the county to the next.

DINING GUIDE City & Country Deli & Sausage Co.

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Rosedale / Deli This quaint shop offers smartly crafted artisan sandwiches, from roast turkey on rosemary bread to molasses-glazed ham on seven-grain. Reservations not accepted. 2393 S. Downing St., 720-216-0573. Lunch

Cochino Taco

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Speer / Mexican The menu at this quirky taqueria features 16 different tacos and a poblano-chiletopped burger. Also try the Denver location on South Broadway. Reservations not accepted.

3495 S. Downing St., 720-542-9829. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch Comal Heritage Food Incubator

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Globeville / International You’ll find family recipes from Latin America and Syria at this spot, which has a rotating menu and provides job training to local women. Reservations not accepted. 3455 Ringsby Ct., Ste. 105, 303-292-0770. Lunch Coohills

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Downtown / French Enjoy the French-inspired cuisine made with local, sustainable products as you sip cocktails in a dining room that opens right onto Cherry Creek. Reservations accepted. 1400 Wewatta St., 303-623-5700. Dinner Corrida

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Boulder / Spanish Housed on the rooftop level of the Pearl West building, this elegant Spanish steak house offers stunning Flatiron views and fabulous cocktails and wines. Splurge on the Japanese

wagyu or opt for a locally sourced steak. Reservations accepted. 1023 Walnut St., Ste. 400, Boulder, 303-444-1333. Dinner, Brunch Cucina Colore

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Cherry Creek / Italian An upbeat dining room, bar, and patio are a great backdrop for contemporary Italian food. Reservations accepted. 3041 E. Third Ave., 303-393-6917. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Curtis Park Delicatessen

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Curtis Park / Deli This deli serves sandwiches like the Curtis, made with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island. Also try the Cherry Creek location. Reservations not accepted.

2532 Champa St., 303-308-5973. Lunch

D D’Corazon

$

Downtown / Mexican Known for authentic, slowsimmered carnitas, this restaurant offers Mexican at its best. Reservations not accepted. 1530 Blake St., Ste. C, 720-904-8226. Lunch, Dinner

Dae Gee

$$

Congress Park / Korean Enjoy bold Korean flavors at this Congress Park eatery. Order the spicy pork bulgogi or try the bibimbap. Multiple locations.

Reservations accepted. 827 Colorado Blvd., 720-639-9986. Lunch, Dinner

Dimestore Delibar

Dio Mio

Dos Santos

$$$

Duo Restaurant

$$$

City Park West / Mexican The menu at this modern taqueria features light, seafood-centric dishes, like beer-battered fish tacos. Reservations not accepted. 1475 E. 17th Ave., 303-386-3509.

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Highland / Contemporary With Duo, owners Stephanie Bonin and Keith Arnold have captured the true essence of the neighborhood restaurant: simple food, a low-key but polished ambience, and the hum of neighbors trading stories. The seasonal cuisine constantly surprises and comforts, and dessert is worth a visit in itself. Reservations accepted. 2413 W. 32nd Ave., 303-477-4141.

Dinner, Brunch

Inn and Spa at Loretto in Santa Fe

heritage hotels & resorts Taos | Santa Fe | Albuquerque | Las Cruces 877.901.7666 | HHandR.com 5280

|

DECEMBER 2021

$$

RiNo / Italian One thing you can count on at Alexander Figura, Spencer White, and Lulu Clair’s fast-casual Italian eatery: perfect pasta. Try the cacio e pepe or the squid ink fusilli with blue crab.

The house-made sourdough is heavenly. Reservations accepted for parties of eight or more. 3264 Larimer St., 303-562-1965. Dinner

Escape to Enchantment

90

$$

Highland / American This all-in-one restaurant, bar, convenience store, and market serves elevated deli fare in an eclectic setting. Stop by for one of the specialty rolled focaccia sandwiches. Reservations not accepted. 1575 Boulder St., Unit A, 303-537-5323. Lunch, Dinner

NOVEMBER 19 – JANUARY 8

Experience a Twinkling Winter Wonderland

Get tickets and full details at botanicgardens.org Tickets must be purchased in advance.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

DINING GUIDE

E Edge Restaurant & Bar

$$$$

Downtown / Steak House Edge Restaurant and Bar inside the Four Seasons Hotel Denver serves contemporary steakhouse fare by chef Jessica Biederman. Order the dry-aged buffalo rib-eye and the wedge salad with habanero bacon.

Don’t miss the happy hour, available Sunday to Thursday from 3:30–6:30 p.m. Reservations accepted. 1111 14th St., 303-389-3343.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

El Five

$$$

El Jefe

$$

Highland / Mediterranean Justin Cucci’s fifth Edible Beats concept boasts panoramic views, creative tapas, and Spanish-style gin-tonics.

Order the cauliflower yufka. Reservations accepted. 2930 Umatilla St., 303-524-9193.

Dinner, Brunch

Sunnyside / Mexican Enjoy farm-to-table Mexican fare at this Sunnyside haunt. Pair a margarita with the four-cheese queso dip, and try the organic mushroom tacos. Reservations accepted. 2450 W. 44th Ave., 720-389-7615. Dinner

El Noa Noa

$$

Lincoln Park / Mexican Authentic Mexican food with top-notch margaritas. Reservations not accepted. 722 Santa Fe Dr., 303-623-9968.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

F Farow

$$$

Niwot / American Chef-owners Lisa and Patrick Balcom serve contemporary American fare with ingredients sourced within 10 miles of the eatery.

Reservations accepted. 7916 Niwot Rd., Niwot, 303-827-3949. Breakfast, Dinner Fish N Beer

$$$

RiNo / Seafood Kevin Morrison offers fresh seafood and hearty beer at this casual oysterette.

Try the lobster mac and cheese or wood-firegrilled whole bass. Reservations not accepted.

3510 Larimer St., 303-248-3497. Dinner Frasca Food and Wine

$$$$

Boulder / Italian Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and master sommelier Bobby Stuckey’s fine-dining mecca has racked up scores of accolades over the years (including nods from the James Beard Foundation). The elegant Friulano cuisine always wows.

Reservations accepted. 1738 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-442-6966. Dinner Fox Run Cafe

$

Full Afterburner Calzones

$

Congress Park / American This homey cafe has simple, delicious fare including coffee, freshly baked pastries, salads, and sandwiches.

Reservations not accepted. 3550 E. Colfax Ave., 303-537-4584. Breakfast, Lunch

Speer / Italian This quirky eatery offers pizza pockets named after iconic figures in fighter pilot culture. Try the calzone stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, and save room for the aircraft-shaped sugar cookies. Reservations not accepted. 32 N. Broadway, 720-900-5282. Lunch, Dinner

G Gaetano’s

$$$

Gold Point

$$

The Green Collective

$$

Highland / Italian This comfy neighborhood hangout features old-school favorites, such as chicken Parmesan. Reservations accepted. 3760 Tejon St., 303-455-9852. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

VISIT DMNS.ORG/SOS FOR MORE INFO.

Little Ray’s Exhibitions and FARE – Foundation For Animal Rescue

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RiNo / American This hip hangout serves creative craft cocktails and light fare, including tasty sandwiches and customizable charcuterie boards.

Reservations not accepted. 3126 Larimer St., 720-445-9691. Dinner Highland / Cafe Toasts, salads, juices, smoothies, and other nourishing breakfast and lunch options are on the menu at this cheery, fast-casual cafe.

Reservations not accepted. 2158 W. 32nd Ave., Unit 100, 720-708-6865. Breakfast, Lunch

WildAnimalSanctuary.org

Please

The World’s Largest Carnivore Sanctuary

Don’t Forget About The Animals This HOLIDAY SEASON!

A highly effective Non-profit Organization for more than 41 years

DINING GUIDE Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Dining

$$$

Downtown / Japanese This Japanese-based chain boasts table-centered grills on which diners cook proteins like Harami skirt steak. There are also noodles and rice dishes, and appetizers such as tuna poké nachos. Reservations required. 1998 18th St., 720-726-4068. Lunch, Dinner

Hudson Hill

$

Capitol Hill / American Head to this upscale-yetcasual bar for creative, rotating cocktails and warming espresso drinks. Enjoy your drink with a cheese plate or the pork terrine. Reservations not accepted. 619 E. 13th St., 303-832-0776. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

H Highland Tap and Burger

I $$

Highland / American Pick your patty, bun, and premium toppings for a customizable meal enhanced with a choice of more than a dozen Colorado craft beers. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted for eight or more. 2219 W. 32nd Ave., 720-287-4493. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

HiRa Cafe & Patisserie

$

Aurora / Ethiopian Pastry chef-owner Hiwot Solomon pairs from-scratch desserts and Ethiopian breakfast plates with house-roasted coffee at this cheery cafe. Reservations not accepted. 10782 E. Iliff Ave., Aurora, 720-949-1703. Breakfast Hop Alley

$$$

RiNo / Chinese From Tommy Lee of Uncle, this neighborhood hangout serves dishes rooted in Chinese tradition with a touch of distinctive flair. Try the dan dan mian. Reservations accepted. 3500 Larimer St., 720-379-8340. Dinner

Izakaya Den

$$

Platt Park / Japanese Ultra-fresh sushi, sashimi, and creative small plates are on the menu at this local favorite. Reservations accepted. 1487-A S. Pearl St., 303-777-0691. Lunch, Dinner

J J’s Noodles Star Thai 2

Il Porcellino Salumi

$$

Berkeley / Deli This market and deli strives to provide the highest quality, locally raised cured meats in Colorado. Pick a selection to take with you, or enjoy a fresh salumi platter or sandwich inhouse. Reservations not accepted. 4334 W. 41st Ave., 303-477-3206. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Imperial Chinese

$$$

Baker / Asian This stalwart offers Cantonese, Mandarin, and Sichuan food in an elegant setting.

Reservations accepted. 431 S. Broadway, 303-698-2800. Lunch, Dinner

Ivy on 7th

Jamaican Grille

$$

Jerusalem Restaurant

$$

Lincoln Park / Jamaican This family-owned Jamaican restaurant serves classic Caribbeancentric dishes like jerk chicken, fried plantains, and rice and peas, accompanied by a menu of ruminfused cocktails. Also try the Jamaican Mini Grille and International Jerk Market in Lakewood.

Reservations accepted. 709 W. 8th Ave., 303-623-0013. Lunch, Dinner

$$

Speer / American This upbeat eatery serves seasonal, European-inspired brunch and lunch dishes in a bright café. Try the gluten-free lemon and ricotta pancakes with blueberries. Reservations accepted. 410 E. 7th Ave., 720-828-8180.

Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

University / Middle Eastern You can’t beat this spot’s tasty, affordable, and traditional Middle Eastern fare, including gyros, fouel, and sambusas.

Reservations accepted. 1890 E. Evans Ave., 303-777-8828. Lunch, Dinner

DECEMBER AT YOUR SYMPHONY

Elgar Enigma Variations

DEC 3-5 FRI-SAT 7:30 ✣ SUN 1:00

A Colorado Christmas

DEC 10-12 FRI 7:30 ✣ SAT 2:30 & 6:00 ✣ SUN 1:00

Holiday Brass DEC 14 TUE 7:00

A Very DeVotchKa Holiday DEC 16 THU 7:30

Elf in Concert

DEC 18-19 SAT 7:30 ✣ SUN 2:30

Disney’s A Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert DEC 22-23 WED-THU 7:00

A Night in Vienna DEC 31 FRI 6:30

Please join us for family-friendly activities 1 hour before the concert.

These performances include FULL SCREENING OF THE FEATURE FILM!

COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG PRESENTING SPONSOR

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$

Westwood / Thai This traditional Thai spot has developed a cult following over the years. The tom yum soup, drunken noodles, and pad thai are regulars’ picks. Reservations not accepted. 945 S. Federal Blvd., 303-922-5495. Lunch, Dinner

P R O U D LY S U P P O R T E D B Y

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VANILLA CAKE POP CINNALICIOUS MAUI HEAT CHEDAPEÑO FANCY BUTTER SALTED UMAMI

holiday discovery kit For that person who loves popcorn and also loves the sparkle of the holidays - our limited edition holiday flavors are the perfect gift.

HOLIDAY DELIGHTS. flavor wrapped™ by tiny elves.

Hello. We’re Opopop. We’ve reinvented everyone’s all-time favorite snack with our delicious gourmet Flavor Wrapped™ Popcorn Kernels. This holiday season, give your favorite people an unexpectedly awesome gift that they are guaranteed to love. Welcome to the popcorn revolution.

VISIT OPOPOP.COM FOR ALL OF YOUR GIFTING NEEDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. USE CODE POP5280 FOR 15% OFF.

DINING GUIDE

YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO FAR TO GET AWAY.

Jovanina’s Broken Italian

$$$

Downtown / Italian This gorgeous LoDo eatery expands on traditional Italian fare by incorporating unexpected, seasonal ingredients. Reservations accepted. 1520 Blake St., 720-541-7721. Dinner

K Kahlo’s Restaurant

$$

Westwood / Mexican Enjoy plates of mole and enchiladas verdes, as well as a menu of almost 30 different juices and smoothies in a space decorated with the art of Frida Kahlo. Reservations accepted.

3735 Morrison Rd., 303-936-0758. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Katsu Ramen

$$

Aurora / Japanese Satisfy a ramen craving with one of the traditional styles offered at this cozy spot.

Get the most out of your dollar with a combo meal, featuring your choice of ramen plus gyoza and a rice bowl. Reservations not accepted. 1930 S. Havana St., Aurora, 303-751-2222. Lunch, Dinner

Kobe An

$$$

Cherry Creek / Asian Everything is traditional at this Japanese restaurant, including the seating. The menu features Japanese favorites, such as tempura, gyoza, and yakisoba. Reservations accepted. 231 Milwaukee St., 303-989-5907. Lunch, Dinner

L La Calle Taqueria y Carnitas

$

Valverde / Mexican This is a must-visit destination for taco lovers. Try the tacos al pastor and carnitas and don’t skip the salsa bar. Reservations not accepted. 1565 W. Alameda Ave., 720-5836586. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Stories make the best souvenirs, especially when made as a family.

So, hit the road for your next great narrative.

La Cueva

$$

Aurora / Mexican You’ll find excellent chiles rellenos and refried beans at this spot, plus a nice wine list and more than 120 types of tequila. Reservations accepted. 9742 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, 303-367-1422. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner LeRoux

$$$$

Downtown / French Lon Symensma’s Europeaninspired eatery features table-side preparations and a roving cheese cart. Don’t miss the Paris-Brest dessert. Reservations accepted. 1555 Blake St., Ste. 102, 720-845-1673. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

UNCOVER YOUR DIFFERENT AT SANTAFE.ORG

Leven Deli Co.

$$

Golden Triangle / Deli Classic deli meets California cool at this bright spot. Get a taste of the house-made pastrami on the Reuben sandwich or go for the crisp Lil’ Gems salad. Reservations not accepted. 123 W. 12th Ave., 303-325-5691.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Little Beast Street Food

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DECEMBER 2021 11/8/21 2:45 PM

$$$$

Golden Triangle / Italian Lo Stella is the sister restaurant to the acclaimed original of the same name in Portofino, Italy. Don’t miss the authentic, ingredient-driven Italian dishes like house-made ravioli with walnut sauce, or the scratch-made desserts. Reservations accepted. 1135 Bannock St., 303-825-1995. Lunch, Dinner

Locanda Del Borgo

$$$

Los Cabos

$$$

Hilltop / Italian This modern setting offers authentic, house-made pasta and entrées cooked on a wood-burning grill. Reservations accepted. 5575 E. Third Ave., 303-388-0282. Lunch, Dinner

Downtown / Peruvian This cozy spot serves Peruvian specialties with Cantonese and Spanish influences. Don’t miss the rotisserie chicken.

Reservations accepted. 1525 Champa St., 303-595-3232. Lunch, Dinner

Lucy’s Burger Bar

$$

Berkeley / American Belly up to the burger bar at this 1,000-square-foot space for a Minneapolisstyle Juicy Lucy, a cheese-filled burger with an oozing interior. Reservations not accepted. 4018 Tennyson St., 720-379-6311. Dinner

M Marco’s Coal Fired

$$

Mason’s Dumpling Shop

$$

Mehak India’s Aroma

$$

Ballpark / Pizza This spot serves authentic Neapolitan-style pies, coal-fired limoncello wings, and much more. Also try the Englewood location.

Reservations accepted. 2129 Larimer St., 303-296-7000. Lunch, Dinner

Aurora / Chinese A menu of house-made steamed, boiled, and pan-fried dumplings complements a selection of noodle and rice bowls and vegetableforward sides at this Los Angeles–born spot.

Reservations not accepted. 9655 E. Montview Blvd., Aurora, 303-600-8998. Lunch, Dinner

Cherry Creek / Indian There’s not a buffet in sight at this upscale Indian restaurant, where everything from chicken korma to lamb vindaloo is on the menu. Reservations accepted. 250 Steele St., Ste. 100, 720-638-9350. Lunch, Dinner Mercantile Dining & Provision

$$$

Downtown / New American Award-winning chef Alex Seidel offer upscale, contemporary farm-totable fare, including pasta dishes and family-style shared plates for the table. Mercantile also features counter-service dining for lunch, as well as a marketplace of locally sourced foodstuffs.

Reservations accepted for dinner. Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., Ste. 155, 720-460-3733.

Lunch, Dinner Misfit Snackbar

$

Congress Park / American This casual joint has juicy brisket burgers, inventive sandwiches, and griddled tacos. Reservations not accepted. 2730 E. Colfax Ave., 303-399-4137. Lunch, Dinner

21-SF-03736_5280_GetAway_2.25x10_FNL.indd 1

Lo Stella

$$

City Park / Contemporary This walk-up kitchen inside Middleman cocktail bar serves a rotating menu of imaginative twists on familiar pub fare.

Reservations not accepted. 3401 E. Colfax Ave., 303-353-4207. Dinner

TAKE YOUR TIME. WE ALWAYS HAVE.

Whether it’s the art, the food, or the architecture, Santa Fe has always stuck to its own schedule. Carve out a few days from yours and experience The City Different at your own pace.

UNCOVER YOUR DIFFERENT AT SANTAFE.ORG

DINING GUIDE

N New Saigon

$$

Athmar Park / Vietnamese This spot serves an extensive menu featuring delicious rice paper wraps, banh mi sandwiches, pho noodle soup, seafood dishes, rice bowls, and more. Don’t miss the fondue and fire pot, which comes with an array of raw items that you cook yourself in a Vietnamese broth or soup base. Reservations accepted for five or more. 630 S. Federal Blvd., 303-936-4954.

Lunch, Dinner

Noble Riot

$$

NOLA Voodoo Tavern and Perks

$$

RiNo / American Find charcuterie boards, fried chicken, and other picnic-ready fare at this graffiti-filled, sommelier-operated natural wine bar. Reservations accepted. 1336 27th St., 303-993-5330. Dinner

Cole / Southern New Orleans native and owner Henry Batiste serves up gumbo, po’ boys, hush puppies, étoufée, muffalettas, and much more at this Louisiana-inspired spot. Reservations not accepted. 3321 Bruce Randolph Ave., 720-389-9544. Dinner

Northside Eatery & Market

$$

Highland / Seasonal This all-day eatery, bar, and market focuses on local sourcing and seasonality. Try the Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich.

Reservations not accepted. 1691 Central St., 303-993-5599. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

O Oak at Fourteenth

$$$$

Boulder / Seasonal This bright, open space just off the Pearl Street Mall offers a diverse, everchanging menu of seasonal, oak-fired eats from chef Steve Redzikowski and creative cocktails from Bryan Dayton. Order the kale-apple salad, braised meatballs, or smoked brisket. Reservations accepted. 1400 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-4443622. Lunch, Dinner

Ohana Island Kitchen

Highland / Seafood This Hawaiian-inspired eatery serves top-notch tuna poke, Spam musubi, roasted pork, and more in a casual setting.

Reservations not accepted. 2563 15th St., 303-718-6580. Lunch, Dinner

Olive & Finch

$

$$

City Park West / International Discover wholesome, inspired meals at this restaurant, bakery, and juice bar, where you’ll find a full coffee bar, artisan sandwiches, hearty soups, tasty salads, and housemade pastries made daily. Also don’t miss the Cherry Creek location. Reservations not accepted.

1552 E. 17th Ave., 303-832-8663. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Onefold

$$$

Osteria Marco

$$$

City Park West / Contemporary This eatery does early-day dining justice. Pair the bacon fried rice with house-made bone broth, Vietnamese iced coffee, or a local IPA. Reservations not accepted.

1420 E. 18th Ave., 303-954-0877. Breakfast, Dinner, Brunch

Downtown / Italian This casual tavern features deep-set wooden booths and a spacious bar. The menu lists approachable eats, such as house-made fresh mozzarella and rustic pizzas. Reservations accepted. 1453 Larimer St., 303-534-5855.

Lunch, Dinner

Owlbear Barbecue

$$

RiNo / Barbecue The brick-and-mortar joint from pitmaster Karl Fallenius is serving brisket, ribs, and all of the fixings. Reservations not accepted. 2826 Larimer St., 970-708-3954. Lunch, Dinner

P Parisi Italian Market & Deli

$$

Berkeley / Italian Enjoy quick, casual dining, including wood oven pizzas, house-made pasta, gelato, and espresso. Don’t miss the rotating risotto and daily Italian specials. Reservations not accepted. 4401 Tennyson St., 303-561-0234.

Lunch, Dinner

98

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DECEMBER 2021

NOVEMBER 26 – JANUARY 2 VARIOUS EVENINGS

Walk along a winding path glistening with lights that illuminate the Colorado countryside.

Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Get tickets and full details at botanicgardens.org

PRESENTING SPONSOR

C-470 & Wadsworth Blvd.

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

DINING GUIDE Perdida

$$$

Washington Park / Mexican Find cuisine inspired by the Baja coast in an airy space filled with surftown-inspired decor. Pair shrimp tacos with a house margarita. Reservations accepted. 1066 S. Gaylord St., 303-529-1365. Lunch, Dinner

Pete’s Kitchen

Cheesman Park / American A Denver landmark and a staple for late-night comfort food, Pete’s is known for its breakfasts but also serves burgers, gyros, and souvlaki sandwiches any time of day.

Reservations not accepted. 1962 E. Colfax Ave., 303-321-3139. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

$

Pho Duy

Westwood / Vietnamese Slurp down delicious bowls of noodle soup at this popular Vietnamese mainstay. Try the vegetarian lemongrass noodle soup. Reservations not accepted. 925 S. Federal Blvd., 303-937-1609. Lunch, Dinner

Phoenician Kabob

South Park Hill / Middle Eastern This quiet restaurant serves a solid menu of Middle Eastern and Lebanese fare. Try the sabanekh, pastries stuffed with spinach, onion, and pine nuts.

Reservations accepted. 5709 E. Colfax Ave., 303-355-7213. Lunch, Dinner

$

The Plimoth

$$$$

Skyland / American An emphasis on locally farmed and foraged ingredients results in an everchanging menu of seasonal dishes, like confit heirloom potatoes and cauliflower-turnip gratinée.

Reservations accepted. 2335 E. 28th Ave., 303-297-1215. Dinner

$$

Port Side

RiNo / American Grab a slice of avocado toast and a market salad (both made with ingredients from local farms) to pair with your Huckleberry Roasters espresso at this bright cafe. Reservations not accepted. 2500 Larimer St., Unit 103, 720-549-0622. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Pupusas Lover

CENTRAL PARK LOCATION NOW OPEN!

$

$$

University Hills / Salvadoran Pupusas lover is a family-owned restaurant serving a variety of traditional dishes from El Salvador, from the popular pupusas to banana leaf tamales. The cozy spot has gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Reservations accepted. 2236 S. Colorado Blvd., 720-508-3197. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Q Q House

$$$

City Park / Chinese Enjoy a modern take on Chinese cuisine executed by chef Christopher Lin, an alum of Momofuku in New York City. Try the braised pork rice or the salt and pepper, head-on shrimp. Reservations accepted. 3421 E. Colfax Ave., 720-729-8887. Dinner Quality Italian

$$$$

Cherry Creek / Steak House This upscale spot serves a smart mix of steak house fare and American-Italian favorites. Try the baked lasagna for two.

Reservations accepted. 241 Columbine St., 303-532-8888. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Que Bueno Suerte

$$$

Platt Park / Latin American The menu at this vibrant spot offers tacos and fajitas as well as regionally inspired Mexican fare. Try the pulpo a la parrilla (grilled citrus-garlic octopus with huitlacoche-butter sauce). Reservations accepted.

1518 S. Pearl St., 720-642-7322. Dinner

Come and experience why everyone has fallen in love with our food

R

“BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT” - 5280, EVERY YEAR SINCE 2002

“BEST INDIAN & LUNCH BUFFET” - WESTWORD, PAST 17 CONSECUTIVE YEARS

Randall’s

$$

Recess Beer Garden

$$

Cole / Southern This neighborhood restaurant serves up comforting Southern fare with a side of warm hospitality. Try the fried catfish dinner.

Reservations not accepted. 3349 York St., 720-400-7648. Lunch, Dinner

★

ESTABLISHED 1998

★

Takeout, Catering & Delivery Available | Gluten Free Menu LITTLEINDIAOFDENVER.COM

FOLLOW OUR FOOD TRUCK!

Your Neighborhood Restaurant of Choice proudly serving you for 23 years 330 E. 6TH AVE. | 303-871-9777

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2390 S. DOWNING | 303-298-1939

DECEMBER 2021

3496 W. 32ND AVE. | 303-561-2855

7352 29TH AVE.

Highland / American Located in the heart of LoHi, this spot offers an oasis to sample the 25 local and international cold brews on tap. Between beers, nibble on the peach and crispy prosciutto salad or tuck into a hearty burger. Reservations not accepted. 2715 17th St., 720-638-0020.

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

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DINING GUIDE Restaurant Olivia

$$$$

River and Woods

$$

Roaming Buffalo Bar-B-Que

$$

Ros Siam

$$

Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen

$$

Washington Park / Italian This cozy-yet-modern neighborhood eatery from the team behind Bistro Georgette specializes in fresh-made pastas and tasty Italian classics like chicken marsala.

Reservations accepted. 290 S. Downing St., 303-999-0395. Dinner

Boulder / Contemporary Settle into the cozy dining room for a relaxed dinner including dishes such as chicken-fried calamari steak. Chef Daniel Asher’s eclectic menu features community-sourced comfort cuisine. Reservations not accepted. 2328 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-993-6301. Dinner, Brunch

Rosedale / Barbecue House-smoked Colorado craft barbecue is the specialty at this laid-back spot. Innovative meats like bison short ribs and lamb shank are available by the pound. Reservations not accepted. 2387 S. Downing St., 303-722-2226. Lunch, Dinner Jefferson Park / Thai This restaurant sits inside a charming Victorian house (complete with an inviting patio) and offers an array of flavorful Thai dishes. Reservations not accepted. 2637 W. 26th Ave., 303-953-0291. Lunch, Dinner

Five Points / Deli Enjoy New York–style bagels at this deli. Don’t miss the Standard, a bagel topped with cream cheese, gravlax, tomato, and onion. Also try the Aurora and Boulder locations.

Reservations not accepted. 725 E. 26th Ave., 720-440-9880. Breakfast, Lunch

The Rotary

$$$

Russell’s Smokehouse

$$$

Hilltop / South American This outpost of a former food hall stall specializes in Churrasco-style rotisserie: flavorful meats slow-cooked over a wood fire. Reservations not accepted. 217 S. Holly St., 303-537-5327. Lunch, Dinner

Downtown / Barbecue Diners flock to this smokehouse for classic ‘cue. Try the fall-off-the-bone rib combo, which features both baby back beef and pork ribs. Reservations accepted. 1422 Larimer St., 720-524-8050. Lunch, Dinner

S

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Getting to know our clients means we can work from the inside out to create the best solutions for businesses—big and small.

collegiatepeaksbank.com NMLS ID #472212

RIVER NORTH

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DECEMBER 2021

DTC

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BELCARO

•

SALIDA

•

BUENA VISTA

Safta

$$$

Sakura House

$$

RiNo / Mediterranean Acclaimed chef Alon Shaya brings his modern Israeli fare to Denver.

Start with the creamy hummus and pillowy woodoven pita before moving onto tabbouleh salad, charred cabbage, and halloumi. Reservations accepted. The Source Hotel & Market Hall, 3330 Brighton Blvd., 720-408-2444. Lunch, Dinner Downtown / Asian Try one of six ramen varieties like eggy noodles with tender shreds of beef, al dente zucchini, carrots, onions, and cabbage at this Japanese spot. Reservations accepted. 1255 19th St., Ste. A, 303-292-2323. Lunch, Dinner

THROUGH MARCH 13, 2022

John Singer Sargent, A Gust of Wind (Judith Gautier) (detail), about 1883–85. Oil on canvas; 24 ¾ × 15 in. (62.9 × 38.1 cm). Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: James W. and Frances Gibson McGlothlin Collection. L.2015.13.47. Photo by Travis Fullerton. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Whistler to Cassatt: American Painters in France is organized by the Denver Art Museum and presented by Bank of America. The exhibition is supported by the Tom Taplin Jr. and Ted Taplin Endowment, the Kristin and Charles Lohmiller Exhibitions Fund, the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, Kathie and Keith Finger, Lauren and Geoff Smart, Christie’s, the French American Museum Exchange (FRAME), the generous donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS4.

DINING GUIDE Santo

$$$

Boulder / Southwestern Hosea Rosenberg’s second restaurant offers bold New Mexican flavors. Enjoy farm-to-table comfort food such as bison lengua tacos or a green chile cheeseburger.

Reservations accepted. 1265 Alpine Ave., Boulder, 303-442-6100. Breakfast, Dinner

Señor Bear

$$$

Highland / Latin American This charming LoHi spot draws from the vibrant cuisines of Latin America and has excellent tropical cocktails.

Reservations accepted. 3301 Tejon St., 720-572-5997. Dinner, Brunch

Ska Street Brewstillery

Boulder / American This brewery-distillery hybrid from the team behind Durango’s Ska Brewing Co. and Palisade’s Peach Street Distillers offers nearly 30 beers on tap, craft cocktails, and a menu of elevated pub fare. Reservations accepted. 1600 38th St., Boulder, 720-510-9921. Dinner, Brunch

$$

Lincoln Park / American This spot offers smoked meats and sausages crafted by chef Joshua Elliott.

Pickup and delivery in the Denver area are available. Reservations not accepted. 810 Vallejo St., 720-651-0034. Lunch, Dinner

Snooze

Ballpark / Breakfast Sip a mimosa in this hip breakfast eatery’s chic orange booths. Choose between pineapple upside down pancakes and

Spuntino

$$$

Highland / Italian Enjoy the locally sourced menu at this Italian-inspired, husband-and-wife-owned spot. Try the seasonal pasta or any dish with Southern Indian influences. Don’t miss the house-made gelato for dessert. Reservations accepted. 2639 W. 32nd Ave., 303-433-0949. Dinner Stoic & Genuine

$$

Smokin’ Ace

huevos rancheros. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted Monday through Thursday for eight or more. 2262 Larimer St., 303-297-0700. Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

Supermoon

$$$

RiNo / Latin American Chef Dana Rodriguez of Work & Class offers a combo of large-format items and Pan-Latin small plates, the latter served from roving dim-sum-style carts. Try the braised lamb with grilled cactus salad. Reservations not accepted. The Ramble Hotel, 1260 25th St., 720-269-4695. Dinner

$

Super Star Asian Cuisine

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Athmar Park / Asian This glitz-free eatery serves top-notch dim sum and an extensive menu of tradi-

T Tables

$$$

South Park Hill / American A glass of wine, flickering candlelight, and mismatched tables set the tone at this cozy neighborhood restaurant serving seasonal comfort food. Try the crispy halfchicken with beet and goat cheese flan and Brussels sprouts. Reservations accepted. 2267 Kearney St., 303-388-0299. Dinner Tavernetta

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$$$$

Downtown / Italian The team behind Boulder’s acclaimed Frasca Food and Wine offers the same attention to detail and hospitality at this more casual Denver restaurant. The charming space is home to dishes from across Italy and a deep wine list. Reservations accepted. 1889 16th St., 720-605-1889. Lunch, Dinner

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Boulder / American Formerly Arcana, this upscale restaurant serves Asian-inspired shareable dishes and larger entrées. Try the spicy rice cakes with coconut golden curry or the pork gyoza. Reservations accepted. 909 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-444-3885. Dinner

$$$

Downtown / Seafood Impeccably fresh seafood preparations are the star of this iconic oyster house.

Sip on craft cocktails or Champagne as you nosh on Alaskan king crab legs or Maine lobster. For a satisfying entrée, try the paella moderna. Reservations accepted. Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., 303-640-3474. Lunch, Dinner Super Mega Bien

tional Chinese plates. Reservations accepted for six or more. 2200 W. Alameda Ave., Ste. 34, 303-727-9889. Lunch, Dinner

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Five Points / English Head to this teahouse, bookstore, and market for loose-leaf and specialty teas and all-day fare like soups, salads, sandwiches, and freshly baked pastries. High tea service is also available. Reservations accepted. 611 22nd St., 303-593-2013. Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

Thai Pot Cafe

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Virginia Village / Asian Try a variety of curries, noodle bowls, soups, salads, and coconut-infused desserts at this cozy Thai restaurant. The drunken noodles with eggplant are a favorite. Reservations accepted. 1350 S. Colorado Blvd., Ste. 191, 303-693-6200. Lunch, Dinner

Toro

$$$

Cherry Creek / Latin American This Latin-inspired restaurant from chef Richard Sandoval serves favorites like ceviche, empanadas, and lomo saltado. Reservations accepted. 150 Clayton Lane, Ste. B, 303-253-3000. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

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Overland / Seafood This tiny spot offers customizable poke salads elevated with local and sustainably sourced ingredients. The menu features excellent options for both vegetarians and seafood lovers. Reservations not accepted. 2231 South Broadway. Lunch, Dinner

U Uchi Denver

$$$$

Curtis Park / Japanese James Beard Award– winning chef Tyson Cole combines unexpected flavors for his unique take on Japanese food.

Try the sake toro aburi or the foie gras sushi.

Reservations accepted. 2500 Lawrence St., 303-444-1922. Dinner Uncle

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Downtown / Southern Nosh on reimagined versions of down-home dishes, such as the signature honey-dusted fried chicken. Reservations accepted. 1650 Wewatta St., 720-274-0650.

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

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Golden / International Golden’s first food hall boasts nine culinary options, including Generous Coffee, Kona Bowls Superfoods Café, and Opa Cocina Gyros and Tacos. 701 12th St., Golden, 303-856-7225. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

$$

Highland / Asian A bustling atmosphere defines this popular, modern noodle house. The selective menu includes dishes such as Chinese-style steamed buns and, of course, noodles. Also try the Speer location. Reservations accepted. 2215 W. 32nd Ave., 303-433-3263. Dinner

Urban Farmer

$$$

Downtown / Seasonal This steak house features whole-animal butchery and an excellent charcuterie program. Reservations accepted. The Oxford Hotel, 1659 Wazee St., 303-262-6070. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

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Urban Village Grill

$$$

Lone Tree / Indian This fine dining restaurant serves classic and contemporary seasonal dishes from regions across India, including a great selection of vegetarian specialties. Reservations accepted. 8505 Park Meadows Center Dr., Ste. 2184A, 720-536-8565. Lunch, Dinner US Thai Cafe

$

Edgewater / Thai Spicy dishes and a chef straight from Thailand make for an authentic, if mouthtingling, dining experience. Try the green curry.

Reservations accepted. 5228 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater, 303-233-3345. Lunch, Dinner

V Vert Kitchen

$$

Washington Park West / French Salads and sandwiches (think curry chicken or skirt steak with arugula and walnut mustard) dot the small menu at this European-influenced cafe. Reservations not accepted. 704 S. Pearl St., 303-997-5941. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Vital Root

Berkeley / American Justin Cucci’s fourth eatery focuses on quick, healthy food. Grab a seat in the airy space and nosh on creative, wholesome fare such as chilled carrot-ginger soup or a veggie dosa. Reservations not accepted. 3915 Tennyson St., 303-474-4131. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

$

W Welton Street Cafe

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Five Points / Southern Enjoy soul food with a dash of Caribbean flair at this charming Five Points cafe. Order the fried chicken or smothered pork chop with classic sides like red beans and rice, hushpuppies, or seasoned fries. 2736 Welton St., 303-296-6602. Lunch, Dinner

The Wild

$$$

Downtown / American A cheery, light-filled space, walled-in patio, and menu of caffeinated beverages, cocktails, wines, pastries, and light snacks make this cafe and bar a sweet all-day hangout.

Reservations not accepted. 1660 Wynkoop St., 720-456-6507. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wooden Spoon Cafe & Bakery

Highland / American Start your morning off right with hot drinks, fresh baked goods, and pastries.

Or stop in for a hearty sandwich at lunchtime. To satisfy your sweet tooth, pick up a mini Boston cream pie. Reservations not accepted. 2418 W. 32nd Ave., 303-999-0327. Breakfast, Lunch The Wolf’s Tailor

$

$$$$

Sunnyside / Contemporary Basta chef Kelly Whitaker fuses Asian and Italian techniques and ingredients at this hip Sunnyside eatery. The results, such as 7X brisket braised in dashi and red wine and house-extruded mafaldine pasta with koji tomatoes, are unique and delicious. Reservations accepted. 4058 Tejon St., 720-456-6507. Dinner

DINING GUIDE Work & Class

$$$

RiNo / American Chef Dana Rodriguez’s meatand-three concept offers a hybrid of American and Latin cuisine in raucous, repurposed-shipping-container digs. Don’t miss the blue corn empanadas. Reservations not accepted. 2500 Larimer St., 303-292-0700. Dinner

X Xicamiti La Taquería

Golden / Mexican This long-standing joint serves cooked-to-order burritos, quesadillas, tacos, and alambres (skillet dishes) made with recipes inspired by Walter Meza’s childhood in Mexico. Reservations not accepted. 715 Washington Ave., Golden, 303-215-3436.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

$$

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Yahya’s Mediterranean Grill & Pastries

$$

Yak and Yeti

$$

City Park West / Mediterranean This family-run restaurant serves silky hummus, excellent grilled kebabs, and from-scratch sweets. Try the beef koobideh. Reservations not accepted. 2207 E. Colfax Ave., 720-532-8746. Lunch, Dinner

Arvada / Indian This local favorite serves traditional Indian and Nepalese cuisine. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 9000 Yukon St., Arvada, 303-426-1976. Lunch, Dinner

Yazoo Barbeque Co.

Five Points / Barbecue This unpretentious barbecue joint offers slow-smoked pork ribs and brisket. Also try the Greenwood Village location.

Reservations not accepted. 2150 Broadway, 303-296-3334. Lunch, Dinner

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Z Zeppelin Station

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RiNo / International This industrial-chic food hall is home to eight globally inspired food and drink vendors, including OK Poke, La Rola Urban Colombian, Thai-Kun, Graves Good Burger, and Soy Pinoy. 3501 Wazee St., 720-460-1978.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Zoe Ma Ma

$

Downtown / Chinese This cozy, counter-service spot offers Chinese home-style cooking. Order the Sichuan braised beef noodle soup, which features house-made noodles. Also try the Boulder location.

Reservations not accepted. 1625 Wynkoop St., 303-545-6262. Lunch, Dinner

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Support us on Colorado Gives Day.

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you find that a restaurant differs significantly from the information in its listing or your favorite restaurant is missing from the Dining Guide, please let us know. Write us at 5280 Publishing, Inc., 1675 Larimer St., Suite 675, Denver, CO 80202 or dining@5280.com.

N AT I O N A L D E F E N S E

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 87

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named Glynis Wall died after being taken to a Durango hospital. The following day, Whiteman Jr.’s 76-year-old mother hosted a Thanksgiving dinner that resulted in 21 positive cases. (Whiteman Jr. said he objected to the meal and didn’t attend.)

Betty Howe contracted COVID-19 in late December 2020, about two months before the tribe started administering its first vaccines. Her symptoms started with all-over body aches that left her bedridden.

Doing simple tasks, like sitting up or walking to the bathroom, was excruciating.

When her breathing became labored, the 69-year-old called her daughter and asked to be driven to the hospital in Cortez. Howe initially tested negative for the coronavirus and was sent home with an oxygen tank and a foreboding certainty she would die in her own bed. Most days, she lay still, unable to move, barely eating, breathing in oxygen and praying. Howe returned to the hospital two weeks later. This time, she tested positive.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” Howe said one afternoon this past summer inside an office at the tribe’s new Kwiyagat Community Academy, a charter school where she taught a few hours per day, delivering lessons in tribal culture and language to 27 kindergartners and first-graders. “I thought it was over for me,” she said. Howe smoothed the long, gray hair that fell across her shoulders.

After her recovery, Howe thought about what it would mean if people like her su­d­­‑ denly died. Losing elders to the virus was tragic; what would the tribe look like if the number grew larger? Howe wondered what it would mean to the tribe if these were the final generations to hear the Ute language from a Ute Mountain Ute mouth—to hear those vocal inflections, the sweetness of backend vowels. How, she wondered, would their long-ago leaders, the great chiefs, judge their response to the pandemic?

She’d lived here all her life and raised her five children in Towaoc. Howe had served on the tribal council with Manuel Heart more than two decades earlier. Like Heart, she was one of perhaps 200 people in the tribe who could both speak and write in the Ute language.

The tribal council talked often about Kwiyagat, which places cultural literacy, history, and tribal language on the same plane

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N AT I O N A L D E F E N S E

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Betty Howe, who teaches tribal culture and language, in the Kwiyagat Community Academy on the reservation

as math, science, reading, and writing. The school had been in the works for some time and finally opened in August of this year, but it was hardly the beginning the tribe envisioned. One student tested positive for the coronavirus after the first day of classes, which resulted in seven students being quarantined. Parents of another seven didn’t send their children to school for another week.

One afternoon this past fall, Howe pushed a rolling chair from her office to the room that served as the joint kindergarten and first-grade learning area. Two teachers sat on the floor with the children atop a rug outlined with the shapes of green and yellow trees. Howe sat in front of a large whiteboard, next to a sign that said “create.” A few children—most of them girls with braided hair—were seated at Howe’s feet. A couple of boys were rolling around on the tile floor.

The principal was coaxing them to sit upright and listen.

Howe had been working on pronouncing numbers and singing the song “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in Ute. When she asked for volunteers who could help the class count to 10, three girls stood next to Howe, their singsong voices filling the room.

“Very good!” Howe said.

More little hands shot into the air to volunteer. Howe giggled.

“They’re starting to get it,” she said.

Howe planned to record the children speaking in the Ute language at some point during the school year. It was a small thing, she said, but she envisioned these children becoming teenagers and then adults and someday watching the videos, their young voices unsteadily squeaking out numbers or the word for “refrigerator” or “horse” or “elbow.” Howe wondered if the recordings would bring them back to this moment in their tribe’s history, when a pandemic

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N AT I O N A L D E F E N S E raged but their people made a stand for themselves, for their tribe’s future. “At that moment,” Howe said, “they will see how far they have come.” y early fall, there was a sense on the reservation that the pandemic had awakened the tribe to its capabilities. Despite decades of underfunding, broken treaties, and generational trauma, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe was charting its own path. After a successful February vaccine rollout, the tribe sent leftover vaccines to its casino—where visitors could get a free shot—and to Cortez, where the vaccines were directed to the city’s homeless population. Kwiyagat had opened, and the Ute Mountain Ute food program had served thousands of hungry people in both Native and non-Native communities. Not only had the tribe’s members rallied among themselves, but they had also proven to be conscientious and caring neighbors.

Three-quarters of the reservation’s adults had been vaccinated. The tribe’s vaccination rate far outstripped the rest of Montezuma County—where the vaccination rate among adults hovered just above 50 percent. Tribal infections had abated almost as soon as

B

Alston Turtle, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s treasurer

vaccines were administered, and now the Ute Mountain Ute were reporting just a few new COVID-19 cases each week.

The tribe’s general population seemed supportive of the continued efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. Both Turtle and Whiteman Jr.—the only council members whose terms had expired—were re-elected

in October. There was an optimism about the tribe’s post-pandemic future, whenever that day might arrive. In the heart of Towaoc, there were small signs of a reimagining of what the place could be. Work was being done to expand the IHS clinic, and earth movers and front-end loaders were scraping clean a piece of land that would temporarily house the various medical departments.

Next to the Kwiyagat Community Academy’s interim double-wide trailer, crews with blowtorches and wrenches put the final touches on the school’s permanent home.

Sprinklers ticked away on a strip of grass in the town’s center. At the concrete skate park nearby, even the graffiti seemed to give a directive: “Find yourself,” one bright blue scrawl read.

If the pandemic threatened important cultural and historical markers for Native Americans, it also brought renewed attention to life on reservations in far-flung places like Towaoc. Within the Ute Mountain Ute, the pandemic exacerbated longtime issues that had plagued the tribe, underscoring the need for better water and sanitation, for fiber to connect the entire tribe to the internet, and for additional housing to break up multigenerational clusters that had created

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N AT I O N A L D E F E N S E potential epicenters for coronavirus transmission. And those were just the things that were visible. “We still have behavioral health issues, drug-treatment issues, general medical issues,” said Turtle, the treasurer, who will serve another three years in his current role. “How many of those things do you think have gotten better for people who’ve been stuck at home?”

Recently the tribal council has talked about expanding offerings at the IHS clinic, of creating a dialysis center so its members

wouldn’t have to drive so far for treatment, and of starting a tribe-owned grocery store on the reservation. “Maybe there’s a better day ahead,” Turtle said. “This is our starting point, and it’s up to us to determine where we take it.” lynis Wall’s grave occupies a small space near one side of Towaoc’s cemetery, a soft, sandy mound marking her final resting place. Faux pink roses are staked into the dirt next to a vase

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of wilting lilies. There’s a metal crucifix with a heart in its center.

Wall spoke Ute fluently and had a home on the reservation, a husband, grown children, and grandkids. She attended community events, such as the Bear Dance and the Sun Dance. Like many others on the reservation, she’d suffered tremendous loss over the years. Near the grave, a white heart-shaped sign reads, “Mom, your wings were ready.

My heart was not.” Three solar lights form a triangle around the mound. Even in the darkness, Wall still provides light.

One day this past fall, Manuel Heart drove his pickup through the cemetery’s chain-link fence and toward the sea of graves. Knobby heads of sprouting wild grasses popped up from the mostly barren ground, which overlooks red sandstone cliffs where generations of Ute Mountain Ute once hunted. A dusty fog hung over the landscape, all the way to New Mexico.

Heart’s truck tires crunched on the gravel.

He slowed as he passed Wall’s grave. “I’ve known so many people here,” he said.

As a much younger man, he used to walk this cemetery nearly every day. Long before he got into tribal politics, Heart dug graves. It was solitary work, cutting holes in the desert dirt, opening the portal so his people could begin their journeys home.

He hasn’t dug a grave in decades, but he still returns to this place. The chairman speaks at the funerals now, and each has taken on its own significance in his life. He finds himself thinking about Wall, about how quickly the virus took her.

There are a number of others in this cemetery who are casualties of the pandemic. Heart spoke at those funerals, too, each limited in size. He talked to the masked mourners. He chanted tribal songs with them, spoke Native prayers. As is tradition, he threw dirt on the caskets after they were lowered into the ground. With each fistful of earth he tossed, it felt like he was losing something of himself.

He’s promised himself that there will be a grand memorial for these people when the pandemic is finally over. He can see it now: hundreds of Ute Mountain Ute members lining the recreation center’s gymnasium, the same place where all that food had once been stored. The event will mourn the people who were lost but will also celebrate what the tribe discovered about itself.

Heart navigated the truck around a narrow turn and drove back toward the fence.

Behind him, Chimney Rock loomed, an ancient sentinel ready to fight another day. m Robert Sanchez is 5280’s senior staff writer.

Email feedback to letters@5280.com.

The Denver Athletic Club

IN THE BEGINNING

ROOTED IN DENVER HISTORY COMMITTED TO INNOVATION A CLUB FOR YOUR WHOLE LIFE With the addition of a new coworking space, members of The DAC have everything they need to live, work, socialize and work out, all under one roof. The DAC is proud to continually evolve its offerings to meet the needs of its members.

Picture Denver in 1884: the state of Colorado was only eight years old. Wealth and population had boomed in the recent silver rush. Though still a dusty supply town for the miners out west, and not without its share of bawdy characters, Denver was the vibrant heart of the Rocky Mountain states.

And there, in the center of the city, stood the Denver Athletic Club.

From the beginning, The DAC helped its members discover a more fulfilling lifestyle with options for athletics, socializing and networking.

1 3 7 Y E AR S YOU N G Today, Denver looks very different from its boomtown roots. But The DAC remains A Club for Your Whole Life. It’s a place where members can find nourishment at every stage in life. Whether it’s the exceptional childcare, winning youth swim team, outstanding fitness facility, exemplary cuisine or robust social programming, The DAC contributes meaningfully to every member’s Denver experience.

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“After the office and home, The DAC has always been a ‘third place’ for our members—where they fulfill their fitness and social needs.

With coworking space now available, I have a feeling it may become simply the ‘second place.’”

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Even before 2021, thousands of professionals were moving to Denver each month. Now, as the city emerges from the pandemic, a record number of residents are seeking something new from their Colorado experience: flexible alternatives for workspace.

The DAC, always committed to meeting the needs of its members, recently unveiled a new 6,700 square foot coworking space. The space is open 24 hours a day at no additional cost to members. The space features a blend of soft and hard seating, phone booths, meeting rooms and refreshments for the ultimate in luxury coworking.

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Running Through Wild Flowers, Acrylic, 36” x 48” © Karen Roehl

Roehl Western Inspirations

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COLORADO HOMES The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2021 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

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LONGMONT | $1,775,000 Nearly 4-acre retreat compound w/mountain views. 2br/1ba farmhouse w/an open floor plan. Modern kitchen w/white cabinetry, quartz countertops and SS appliances. Farmhouse is complete w/a wraparound porch. Conclude w/3 renovated outbuildings. This absolutely stunning property near the Boulder Reservoir is surrounded by wide open space and sprawling upscale horse properties, perfect for your dream home retreat!

Sonya Peterson 303.587.7969 SonyaKPeterson@gmail.com | SonyaSellsDenver.com

ARVADA | $1,195,000 Stunningly remodeled 5br/6ba home on a 1/3-acre lot boasts gorgeous views of the front range. The home includes a front room parlor, dining area, family room w/fireplace & open concept kitchen w/granite countertops, back splash & ss appliances. Primary bedroom features a huge walk out deck overlooking the mountains & redone 5pc primary bathroom. Finished basement w/unique built in wine cellar.

Jamie Bernal 720.365.5257 jamie.bernal@cbrealty.com

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guiding you home since 1906

ARVADA | $915,000 Pristine 5br/4ba home offers an open floor plan including a gourmet kitchen w/granite counters, island, breakfast nook, 42” cabinets, ss appliances, 5 burner gas cooktop & more. Dining room w/2-sided fireplace. Primary bedroom w/bathroom & walk-in closet. Finished basement w/theater room, rec room, kitchenette & hosting bar. Professionally landscaped yard w/expanded custom patio & pergola.

Osmirelly Kidwell 303.862.0809 osmirelly.kidwell@coloradohomes.com | BuyHomesInDenverMetro.com

PARKER | $875,000 4br ranch style home w/unobstructed views of Colorado's majestic Rocky Mountains and an open floor plan w/a formal dining room and great room that opens to the kitchen and nook with access to an outdoor deck. Main floor also has a primary bedroom suite, 2 bedrooms and bath, an office and 3/4 bath. Walkout basement w/a wet bar, multi-purpose area, bedroom and bath as well as patio and backyard access. www.12031HazyHillsDr.com Josette Montgomery 303.901.8027 josette.montgomery@coloradohomes.com | JosetteMontgomery.cbintouch.com

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HIGHLANDS RANCH | Price Upon Request 4br/4ba home in the desirable Backcountry neighborhood has amazing panoramic views! Large open great room, kitchen, dining area & study. Kitchen w/Kitchenaid professional appliances. Outside oasis w/covered deck & patio. Greenbelts around home.

LOVELAND | $1,375,000 Zoned county, close to Downtown Loveland. 2 remodeled homes on 3 acres. 6 beds/4 baths. Large shop. Well for irrigation. New plumbing, roof, paint, and electrical. Imagine the possibilities! A rental? A wedding venue? Mechanic shop? Horses? MUST SEE!

Dawn & Dennis Martin 303.870.5896 dmartin@martinteam.com | MartinTeam.com

Christina Larson 970.443.4111 You.re.Home777@gmail.com | DiamondHomesACutAbove.com

DENVER | $1,350,000 2br/2ba home. Living room w/a wood burning fireplace. Kitchen w/cherry cabinets, granite countertops, stainless backsplash and upgraded stainless appliances. Upstairs w/2 bedrooms and a full bath. Complete w/a basement, a backyard and a 2-car garage.

EVERGREEN | $1,150,000 4br/4a contemporary home with Mount Evans views. Main level with a great room, 20-foot ceilings and massive windows. Spacious kitchen with mega cabinet space, granite island and a walk-in pantry.

Wrap-around deck with composite decking and views.

Sonya Peterson 303.587.7969 SonyaKPeterson@gmail.com | SonyaSellsDenver.com

Kevin Freadhoff 303.803.6949 Kevin@GoFHG.com | MountainHomeForYou.com

CENTENNIAL | $1,129,000 5br/4.5ba home. Family room w/a fireplace. Kitchen w/a breakfast nook, an island as well as newer cabinets and appliances. Primary suite w/a walk-in closet, a fireplace and a primary bath. Complete w/an unfinished basement and a fenced backyard.

ENGLEWOOD | $1,075,000 Wonderful 5br/4ba home nestled on a cul-de-sac. Exterior boasts new James Hardy siding & Andersen Windows, custom garage doors & new fencing. Custom railing & gorgeous hardwood floors. Kitchen w/newer appliances, granite counters, island & pantry.

Chriss Bond 720.771.7369 chriss.bond@coloradohomes.com | ChrissBond.cbintouch.com

Jennifer Bub 303.253.4969 Jennifer.Bub@coloradohomes.com | JenniferBubRealEstate.com

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guiding you home since 1906

GOLDEN | Price Upon Request Just minutes away from downtown Denver, this 4br/4ba home is a must see. Living room w/vaulted ceilings, stone fireplace and top to bottom windows. Bright kitchen w/new counters & double oven/range. City views. Large lower level walkout basement.

EVERGREEN | $900,000 Beautiful contemporary mountain home. Unique floor plan. Living room w/gas log fireplace & open to dining room & study. Kitchen w/oversized island, sitting area w/wood burning stove & doorway to balcony. Den w/fireplace & master bedroom suite.

The Mailey Team 303.531.3010 sueandjeff@maileyteam.com | MaileyTeam.com

Cindy Sahli 303.588.2399 cindy.sahli@coloradohomes.com | CindySahliRealEstatePro.com

FORT COLLINS | $899,000 2 remodeled duplex units. Each unit completely renovated w/open floor plans and modern finishes throughout. Located across the street from Sherwood Lake w/mountain views & minutes from Colorado State University as well as downtown Ft. Collins.

ARVADA | $875,000 4br/3ba home. Main floor den w/built-ins. Remodeled Kitchen, SS appliances, gas range, quartz and walk-in pantry. Primary suite w/a custom designed bathroom. Situated on a golf course & trail, lots of views. Complete w/a fenced yard and 3-car garage.

Nicole Wolf 303.898.5816 nicole.wolf@coloradohomes.com | WolfFamilyRe.com

Lynn Hodges 303.913.0166 lynn.hodges@coloradohomes.com | LynnHodgesCO.com

DENVER | $850,000 Newly remodeled ground floor 2br/2ba unit w/2 large, secured patios.

Soaring 15' ceilings, huge windows & open floor plan. Chef’s kitchen w/island, gas cook top & wine refrigerator. Primary bedroom w/newly remodeled bathroom & custom walk-in closet.

COLORADO SPRINGS | $840,000 Immaculate 5br/5ba w/main-floor primary bedroom & 4,800 sqft!

Gourmet kitchen features oak cabinets, granite countertops, a double oven, ss appliances & island. Fully finished basement w/traditional English Pub bar and theater room with 9-ft screen.

Randy Burgess 303.883.0007 randy.burgess@coloradohomes.com | LivingAt5280.com

Mark Hiryak 719.466.1407 mark.hiryak@coloradohomes.com | www.MarkHiryak.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

DENVER | $825,000 Meticulously maintained 4br/4ba home features hardwood floors, office, gourmet kitchen & primary bedroom w/5pc bath, walk in closet & private balcony w/mountain views. Finished basement. Backyard w/garden & covered back patio.

DENVER | $795,000 3br2.5ba home w/an open floor plan. Kitchen w/new KitchenAid appliances. Primary bedroom w/a walk-in closet and a private bath.

2 secondary bedrooms are connected by a full bath. Complete w/a 2-car garage as well as a back patio and landscaped yard.

Joe Blinn 720.498.1365 joe@therowleygroup.com | TheRowleyGroup.com

Scott Beville 303.905.6872 Scott@ScottBeville.com | ScottBeville.com

CENTENNIAL | $765,000 4br/4ba ranch. Great room w/gas fireplace and walk-out to covered patio. Kitchen w/island, pantry, double-oven, gas stove top and new SS appliances. Main level primary suite w/walk-in closet and 5-piece bath. Complete w/basement and 3-car garage.

Najib Alami 303.960.1207 najib.alalami@coloradohomes.com | NajibAlami.cbintouch.com

MONUMENT | Price Upon Request Stunning 5br/4ba home on a meticulously landscaped yard that backs to open space. Gourmet kitchen w/gas range oven, granite counters & breakfast nook.

Family room w/wood burning fireplace. Lower level w/additional family room, bedroom & storage.

Camellia Coray 719.359.0014 Camellia@ccSignatureGroup.com | ccSignatureGroup.com

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THORNTON | $765,000 3br/3ba home w/impressive views, hardwood flooring, study & professionally finished basement. Open floor plan features a kitchen w/cherry stained cabinetry, granite counters & ss appliances & great room w/custom built-in cabinet & gas fireplace.

Linda Gilbert 720.232.1990 Greg Gilbert 303.250.9007

AURORA | $750,000 Recently updated in Tallyn's Reach. This 6 bedroom/4 bath/ 3 Car garage with fully finished basement on a large corner lot is absolutely stunning inside and out!

Chase Huddleston 303.585.0895 chase.huddleston@coloradohomes.com | ChaseSellsHomes.com

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guiding you home since 1906

CASTLE PINES | Price Upon Request The Hamlet: Beautiful low maint, 3br/3ba ranch w/mountain views, main floor primary suite w/5pc bathroom, updated kitchen w/granite counters & ss appliances, den, family rm w/fireplace, finished walk-out basement & deck. Gated community.

DENVER | Price Upon Request Elegant two-story attached 3br/2ba townhome across from Cheesman Park. Main floor has an enclosed sunroom, kitchen w/eating area, living room, front & back porch. Large basement w/own walk out entrance.

1 deeded reserved parking space.

Jennifer Hebert 303.929.9044 jennifer.hebert@coloradohomes.com | JenniferHebertProperties.com

Gail Wallace 303.903.5750 gailpwallace4@gmail.com | GailWallace.cbintouch.com

ENGLEWOOD | $725,000 Completely updated 5br/3ba home offers a living space w/vaulted ceiling & gas fireplace. Kitchen has white shaker cabinetry, stone backsplash, quartz counters & Kenmore Elite appliances. Spacious primary retreat w/updated bath. Finished basement.

GOLDEN | $675,000 Calming 3br/2ba home includes a finished basement, attached garage & multiple outdoor relaxation/entertaining areas including an expansive front porch, covered deck & “roof top” deck. The open concept includes a fireplace & is ideally located.

Jennifer Zurzolo 720.315.5497 jz@coloradohomes.com | JZColoradoHomes.cbintouch.com

Tara Laventure 603.540.5919 tara.laventure@cbrealty.com | DizilloLaventureSellsColorado.com

DENVER | $650,000 Beautifully renovated Mayfair ranch-style 2br/1ba home features an open family room, dining area, remodeled kitchen w/all-new white shaker cabinets, quartz countertops & ss appliances, den, covered patio & professionally landscaped backyard.

Susie Warta 303.523.4297 AK Riley 720.289.2929

HIGHLANDS RANCH | $580,000 Approx. 1,685 sq. ft. home w/4br, 2.5ba and an open floor plan. Living room w/a gas fireplace. Kitchen w/an island, SS appliances and a breakfast nook. Owner’s suite w/a 5-piece bath and a walk-in closet.

Complete w/a beautifully landscaped backyard.

Kimberly Chandler 720.883.8373 kimberly.chandler@cbrealty.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

DENVER | $575,000 Beautiful 3br/1ba Tudor design! Spacious living & dining room, wood-burning fireplace & natural hardwood floors. Kitchen w/SS appliances. Finished basement. Backyard w/large deck, covered patio, pergola & a shed matching the home's design.

DENVER | $569,000 2br/1ba property offers a covered front porch, open floor plan, living room w/wood-burning fireplace & built-in bookshelves, kitchen w/granite countertops & ss appliances, dining room & basement w/family room. Located in the heart of the city.

LaDawn Sperling 303.710.5817 ladawn.sperling@coloradohomes.com | LaDawnSperling.com

Chriss Bond 720.771.7369 chriss.bond@coloradohomes.com | ChrissBond.cbintouch.com

WESTMINSTER | $550,000 4br/3ba home. Main floor features a large Kitchen, Dining, Family and Living Room. Bedrooms are upstairs. There's a Rare 3-car tandem garage too! Close to Standley Lake, some of the best outdoor recreation, shopping and restaurants. A Must-See Home!

PARKER | $550,000 4br/3.5ba home includes vaulted ceilings & wainscoting, hickory hardwood floors. Spacious living room w/gas fireplace. Kitchen w/granite countertops & new ss appliances. Primary bedroom w/walk-in closet, double sinks & garden tub. Finished basement.

Stephanie Freadhoff 303.589.3777 Stephanie@GoFHG.com | ColoradoHomeForYou.com

LaDawn Sperling 303.710.5817 ladawn.sperling@coloradohomes.com | LaDawnSperling.com

WESTMINSTER | $516,000 3br/2ba home w/a wood burning fireplace and an open concept living room. There is a remodeled kitchen w/a dining area. Enjoy the outdoors on the covered front porch, back patio or enclosed sunroom.

Complete w/2-car garage and additional outbuilding.

EVERGREEN | $510,000 Welcome! 3br/2ba chalet on 1 acre w/wrap-around deck. Great room w/soaring ceilings, expansive windows, laminate wood floors & wood-burning stove. Remodeled kitchen will delight w/SS appliances.

Master bedroom loft w/private balcony & updated bath.

Amy Metz 720.272.7337 amy.metz@coloradohomes.com | AmyMetz.cbintouch.com

Kevin Freadhoff 303.803.6949 Kevin@GoFHG.com | MountainHomeForYou.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

LAKEWOOD | $500,000 3br/2ba Ranch on corner lot in Green Mountain Village. Hardwood floors, finished basement w/ flex space, gas fireplace, bedroom (non-conforming window), and 3/4 bath. Large backyard w/a covered patio, garden area and shed. Complete w/a 2-car garage.

WESTMINSTER | $495,000 Close to Hidden Lake, 2br/3ba ranch style townhome features a living room w/fireplace & vaulted ceiling, dining room w/bay window, primary bedroom w/en-suite bathroom, walk-in closet & access to back patio.

Spacious finished basement w/egress window.

Kelly Redpath 303.548.4058 Kelly@kellyredpath.com | KellyRedpath.com

Will Hurd 802.310.6988 will.hurd@cbrealty.com | WillHurdHomes.com

ERIE | $485,000 Attractive 3br/2ba ranch w/extended back patio, mountain views & kitchen w/granite countertops, gas stove & pantry. Primary bedroom w/full, private, bath & walk in closet. Extra tall ceiling in the garage.

Easy access to I-25. Washer/dryer included.

AURORA | $485,000 Amazing 4br/3ba home in Tollgate Village. Kitchen boasts granite counter tops, ss appliances, bonus gas stove & wine/coffee bar station w/2 beverage refrigerators. Stunning backyard includes a lighted patio w/pergola & hot tub. Many updates included!

Christiana Barber 720.404.8757 cbhomesco@gmail.com | ChristianaBarber.com

Jamie Bernal 720.365.5257 jamie.bernal@cbrealty.com

COLORADO SPRINGS | $465,000 Premium 3br/3ba corner unit townhouse ideally located near Powers & I-25 w/many upgrades including tankless water heater, HE furnace & kitchen w/high end appliances, granite counters & 42-inch cabinets.

Newly installed oak hardwood flooring.

LITTLETON | $465,000 Completely updated from top to bottom, this 3br/2ba home features an family room w/vaulted ceilings, luxury plank floors and a wood burning fireplace, remodeled kitchen, master bedroom w/walk-in closets, and many more. Step out back to enjoy a large deck and private yard.

John Chudzinski 719.232.4515 john@codreamhomes.net | www.CODreamHomes.net

Adelia Redalen 303.829.6475 adelia.redalen@coloradohomes.com | AdeliaColoradoHomes.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

LAFAYETTE | Price Upon Request 2br/2ba home has a light, bright & open floorplan w/mountain views featuring an open kitchen with 42-inch maple cabinets, conveniently located laundry & powder room & inviting fireplace. Private covered balcony. Large garage. Open space to the west.

Kris Hansen 303.956.6068 kris.hansen@coloradohomes.com | KrisHansenRealEstate.com

FORT COLLINS | $395,000 Beautiful brick ranch patio home on a corner lot w/mountain views.

3 beds/3 baths. Near Old Town and CSU. Pristinely maintained 1/2 duplex. HOA covers exterior maintenance, trash, lawn care, & snow removal. 2,790 sf. with fin. basement. MUST SEE!

THORNTON | $423,500 End unit 2br/2ba townhome w/1,492 sqft & an open floor plan. Spacious kitchen w/granite countertops, bar style island & nook area. Spacious family room w/gas fireplace. Covered patio shrouded by trees & backs to the golf course.

Linda Gilbert 720.232.1990 Greg Gilbert 303.250.9007

Christina Larson 970.443.4111 You.re.Home777@gmail.com | DiamondHomesACutAbove.com

DENVER | $340,000 4br/2ba home w/approx. 1,632 sq.ft and living room w/large picture window. Eat-in kitchen w/nice appliances. Main floor with a primary bedroom, secondary bedroom and 3/4 bath. Basement w/bonus room, 2 bedrooms, 3/4 bath and laundry. Complete w/1-car carport and private landscaped backyard. Move in ready!

Allison Damico 720.639.0974 allison.damico@coloradohomes.com | AllisonDamico.com

DENVER | $300,000 1br/1ba corner unit condo featuring sunny windows on 2 external walls of well-designed floor plan. 540 SQFT- designed to maximize space.

Large living area. Kitchen w/ample storage, bar counter, ss appliances, appealing finishes & track lighting.

DENVER | $239,000 2br/1.5ba condo. Open living room and dining area with an electric fireplace and a deck. Kitchen with new cabinets, granite countertops, SS appliances, induction stove and a pantry. Complete w/a deeded storage unit and 1 covered carport parking spot.

LaDawn Sperling 303.710.5817 ladawn.sperling@coloradohomes.com | LaDawnSperling.com

Preston Gaspar 720.231.1399 preston.gaspar@coloradohomes.com | PrestonGasparHomes.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

BOULDER | $1,025,000

PARKER | $750,000

AURORA | $685,000

Stunning mountain views from this Table Mesa home on a nearly 10K SQFT lot! All newly finished wood floors & fresh interior paint, newer boiler, water heater, windows, AC and roof!

Beautiful 5br/3ba home! Kitchen w/granite counters. Recently remodeled suite w/walk in closet & 5-piece bath! Walk out basement. Shaded solarium. 2-car garage. Central AC. Deck.

Desirably located 3br/3ba home has curb appeal. Open floor plan includes an office, hardwood floors, family rm w/fireplace & kitchen w/wet island, granite counters & SS appliances.

Kim Dunning 303.588.6037

Anna Marquez 303.667.6120 Michelle Marquez 720.949.8400

J. Ray Smith 303.809.3819

ARVADA | Price Upon Request

AURORA | $625,000

ARVADA | $580,000

Enjoy the feeling of being in the mountains in the midst of the suburbs. 3br/3ba includes a kitchen w/island & granite counters, primary suite w/updated 5pc bath & finished basement.

Gorgeous 5br/4ba home on a cul-de-sac including hardwood floors, great room w/fireplace, gourmet kitchen w/granite counters & ss appliances, study, finished basement & enclosed patio.

4br/4ba home on over 1/4 acres w/an open floor plan. Family room w/a fireplace. Kitchen w/SS appliances. Enjoy the finished basement. Complete with a patio and three storage sheds.

Debbie Cooper-George 303.944.8494

Jennifer Oldham 720.234.3863

Christy Hepp 303.910.5393

HIGHLANDS RANCH | $559,900

DENVER | $549,000

ELIZABETH | Price Upon Request

Contemporary, updated 3br/3ba ranch w/garden level unfinished basement! Open floor plan w/loft style kitchen, great room w/ fireplace, multiple level deck & primary suite w/fireplace.

4br/2ba home w/1 level living. New kitchen w/quartz counters, new cabinets and new SS appliances. All bedrooms have new carpet and fresh paint. Complete w/a large yard and 2-car garage.

3br/2ba home situated on 2.32 acres. Kitchen w/stainless appliances. Walkout basement w/endless opportunities. Complete w/a 3-stall loafing shed, 2 fenced pastures and 2 dog runs.

Alice Downie 303.520.0277

Amy Metz 720.272.7337

Kelly Paulk 720.822.2159

AURORA | $500,000

STRASBURG | $500,000

AURORA | $500,000

Newly updated 4br/2ba home features an open floor plan with a new kitchen w/new soft close cabinets, granite countertops, new appliances & tile flooring. Updated bathrooms & basement.

4br/3ba home on a 1/3 acre lot. Kitchen w/granite counters, tile floors and newer appliances. Primary suite w/updated bath and a deck. Complete w/a basement, yard and 2-car garage.

4br/3ba home w/updated flooring throughout. Primary suite w/double vanities and walk-in closet. Complete w/basement family room, flagstone patio w/firepit and additional concrete patio.

Barb Riley 303.548.0753

Christina Kern 303.915.0809

Rodney Allen 303.995.9330

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

ENGLEWOOD | $469,000

BROOMFIELD | $449,000

LAKEWOOD | $445,000

3br/1ba home w/hardwood floors and a wood burning fireplace.

The living room w/a west facing bay window. Kitchen opens to a family room. Complete w/an oversized garage and backyard.

3br/2.5ba home w/pride of ownership has been loved and updated with plenty of upgrades. See if you can find the Harry Potter closet!

Centrally located, close to shopping and trails.

3br/1ba home freshly painted inside & out, off-street parking, updated kitchen w/SS appliances & W/D, fenced back yard includes shed, newer A/C & furnace, newer roof & fencing.

Chriss Bond 720.771.7369

Dawn Mathis 970.481.5263

Bill Rapp 303.358.7070

NORTHGLENN | $425,000

AURORA | $415,000

FOUNTAIN | $415,000

3br/2ba home w/hardwoods throughout main floor. Kitchen w/updated cabinets, SS appliances and granite countertops and opens to the living room. Complete w/a backyard and 1-car garage.

3br/2ba home w/a freshly painted interior and all new carpet. The fenced yard backs to Quincy Road, but private from neighbors and has lots of potential. Close to shopping.

Open 4br/3ba home includes a living room w/vaulted ceilings, dining room w/counter bar & walkout to deck & kitchen w/freshly painted cabinets. Finished, permitted garden level basement.

Brandi Miller 720.442.1681

Donna Sloan 303.718.9913

Jennifer Montoya 719.232.3397

AURORA | $400,000

LOCHBUIE | $400,000

DENVER | $399,900

3br/3ba. Living room w/fireplace. Kitchen w/SS appliances, a pantry and an island. Primary suite w/en suite bath and dual primary closets. Complete w/a lower-level and 2 parking spaces.

Classic 3br/3ba home offers an open floor plan, family room & kitchen w/eat-in space. Primary suite w/walk in closet w/custom built in organization. Back yard w/slab & composite patio.

Updated 3br/2.5ba townhome. Kitchen w/an eating area, a fireplace and new SS appliances. Primary bedroom w/a bath and walk-in closet. Complete w/2 garage spaces, a fenced patio and a balcony.

Mary Ann O'Toole 720.530.6878

Karen Lamar 720.971.8744

Joni Jagger 303.437.3046

LOVELAND | $382,000

DENVER | $369,000

LAKEWOOD | $365,000

Well maintained 2br/2ba patio home located in the gated community of Country Lake Village, 55+ community. Offering vaulted ceilings, sky lights, new carpet & paint & ss appliances.

Great opportunity in Mar Lee! Cozy 2br/2ba w/plenty of living space. Bright & spacious family room & large, finished basement.

Big backyard on a sizeable lot. Clean and well maintained.

3br/1.5ba 2-story townhome in the Village on Belmar Park.

Complete w/a fenced private patio, storage shed and 2-car carport. Low HOA, community swimming pool.

Jeannette Shepherd 970.815.4272 Pennie Landon 303.908.0382

Nicole Cook 720.329.8778

Anastasia Sommer 720.360.7050

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

DENVER | $360,000

COMMERCE CITY | Price Upon Request

DENVER | Price Upon Request

Vintage charm 2br/1ba home located on a large, well-manicured corner lot in Ruby Hill, close to Ruby Hill Park. Boasts updated electrical, plumbing, a newer sewer line & a new roof!

Gorgeous 2br/2ba condo offers a kitchen w/quartz counters, SS appliances, island & pantry, great room w/fireplace, 2 balconies & primary suite w/5pc bath & dual closets. 2-car garage.

2br/1ba home w/hardwood floors throughout. Kitchen w/a gas range, tile floors and a refrigerator. Large lot w/2 storage sheds, a front porch and back patio. Conclude w/1 space carport.

Kari Ostby 970.215.0577

Debbie Cooper-George 303.944.8494

Dawn & Dennis Martin 303.870.5896

LONGMONT | $330,000

ESTES PARK | $319,000

DENVER | $310,000

This well maintained 3br/2ba home has warmth, style, and is nestled in an amazing location. You are walking distance to: coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores, schools and parks.

1br/1ba condo is fully furnished and ready to serve your getaway need to the hills. Complete w/a patio that overlooks Fall River w/a hot tub. Minutes from Rocky Mountain National Park.

Spacious 2br/2ba townhome w/ 1,600+ sqft of living space features a large family room, dining area, eat-in kitchen, covered patio & primary bedroom w/walk-in closet & en-suite bathroom.

Brandi Miller 720.442.1681

Vicky Rath 970.481.4160

Jennifer Bub 303.253.4969

DENVER | $300,000

COLORADO SPRINGS | $300,000

AURORA | $284,000

Light & bright townhouse-style 2br/1.5ba condo on greenbelt & conveniently located featuring a living room, kitchen w/freshly painted cabinets, updated bathrooms & unfinished basement.

2br/2ba home includes a living room w/fireplace, dining room w/tile floors & kitchen w/tile counter & walkout to deck. Large loft and Primary bedroom w/5pc ensuite bath.

2br/2ba condo. Living room w/a wood burning fireplace and a balcony. Kitchen w/a breakfast bar peninsula. Both bedrooms are en-suites w/walk-in closets. Complete w/a 2-car garage.

Leslie Hock 303.507.8887

Jennifer Montoya 719.232.3397

Gail Wheeler 303.726.7202

LIMON | $205,000

ENGLEWOOD | $150,000

FOUNTAIN | $45,000

3br/2ba home located in Northeast Limon on a large 14,200 sqft lot. 2-car detached garage w/partially finished loft room above garage. New vinyl flooring throughout. Newer roof /furnace.

Fully remodeled 1br/1ba condo. Kitchen w/new cabinetry, SS appliances, quartz countertops and subway tile. Complex has a pool and on-site laundry and situated right next to a greenbelt.

Build a home that truly meets your needs and priorities as well as tailors to your tastes. This lot of land offers quick access to shops, parks, the YMCA and local amenities.

Anne-Marie Torp 720.989.6500 Elisabeth Nelson 303.916.5859

Garvin Laverick 720.245.9956

Rob Thompson 719.337.7254

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BACKSTORY

DYNAMIC DUO

This month’s release of Spider-Man: No Way Home marks Spidey’s ninth film since 2002. By now, we feel like we know Peter Parker better than Mary Jane does—but what about the other, lesser-known characters in the multiverse?

Armed with about 2,500 comic books, Denver couple Shawn Marek and Jen Stansfield host the weekly podcast Worst Collection Ever, which introduces listeners to B-list superheroes and underexplored storylines that (arguably) deserve more time on the big screen. —ANGELA UFHEIL

JEN STANSFIELD

Beast and Wonder Man were members of the Avengers during the 1970s, and when they weren’t fighting villains, they were often enjoying the nightlife. “Wonder Man can be overly serious, but Beast drags humor out of him,” Marek says. So maybe it’s not surprising that blue-furred Beast was more successful with the ladies.

FAVORITE TEAM?

Gifted with telepathy, shape-shifting, heat vision, and more, DC’s Martian Manhunter is so powerful, he once made Superman bleed. A lit match, though, can bring the titan to his knees. At first, fire simply burned him. But now, even the sight of flames causes Manhunter—who, remember, has heat vision—to collapse. “I assume it’s because they don’t have fire on his home planet, Mars,” Marek says.

MOST RIDICULOUS WEAKNESS?

A Marvel mutant named Cypher once had the ability to speak any language. “It would be so useful,” Marek says.

Sadly, the publisher killed Cypher off in 1988 as part of a plotline that provided more emotional depth to his super team. Also, drawing a guy talking to people is probably way less fun than depicting Wolverine decapitating them.

FAVORITE NICHE SUPERPOWER?

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For a glorious span from 2009 to 2011, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy operated as the Gotham City Sirens. “Having three female characters leading a book, especially then, was huge,” Stansfield says. We got to see famously mistrustful Catwoman learn to be vulnerable and some truly wild battles, like when the trio duked it out with a villain hell-bent on turning Earth into a giant forest (which actually doesn’t sound too nefarious in hindsight).

The magic rings worn by members of the Green Lantern Corps used to be powerless against anything yellow. “Batman once painted a room yellow,” Stansfield says, “just to play a joke on one of the Lanterns.” The strange Achilles’ heel disappeared after the Green Lanterns defeated Parallax, a villain who lived in the rings’ central battery.

Stansfield likes Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat, but reacts to her ability to pass through walls like this: “Cool, but why?” (To steal stuff, like Pryde, played by Elliot Page, did in the X-Men movies.) Apparently, Marvel execs didn’t find the power interesting either; there was a Pryde solo film in the works, but in 2019, the slated director said it wasn’t happening.

I L L U S T R AT I O N BY N E I L E D WA R D S

DECEMBER 2021

Courtesy of Jen Stansfield and Shawn Marek (2)

SHAWN MAREK

Saturday Night Lights

domino effect*

December 4, 11 & 18 from 5pm-7pm

Collaborate and play with this vibrant interactive light art installation featuring 120 oversized musical dominos bursting with light and dancing with color.

Make a new holiday tradition!

Delight in exciting entertainment and complimentary treats while you stroll this enchanting neighborhood.

Open through December 31

Winter Wanderland Light Walk

Open through December 31 Stroll among 600 trees brightly lit from trunk to tip with nearly a million twinkling lights. Plus, find eight dazzling musical trees and enter for a chance to win a $1,000 Cherry Creek North shopping spree!

Cherry Creek Holiday Market Produced by Fetch

Open through December 24 Discover unique gifts from 30 local artisans and enjoy festive live music while you shop.

275 places to shop, dine, stay and play

Thank you to our sponsors:

CherryCreekNorth.com/Holidays @cherrycreeknorth

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*Tour Production: Creos; Creation and Execution: Ingrid Ingrid; Production: Quartier des Spectacles Partnership

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