5280 Magazine December 2020

MEET THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ENSURE THE EISENHOWER TUNNEL STAYS OPEN

WHAT’S BEHIND PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES’ MOVE TO DENVER?

AN INSIDE LOOK AT FISHERS PEAK, COLORADO’S NEWEST STATE PARK

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BY ROBERT SANCHEZ

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THE DENVER MAGAZINE

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YOUR TRIAL LAWYER’S REPUTATION MATTERS. We are trial attorneys who represent people seriously injured in auto and truck accidents, ski and snowboard collisions, product liability, and professional malpractice.

We remain fully operational to assist those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, while taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our clients, staff, and community. We continue to aggressively advocate for our clients and would welcome the opportunity to do so for you.

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SERIOUS AUTO ACCIDENTS REQUIRE EXPERIENCED LAWYERS. IT ONLY TOOK 1.7 SECONDS. The Ford Taurus was northbound at 65 mph. It lost control, crossed the median, ejected its driver, became airborne, then crashed into the windshield of a southbound HVAC service van. The impact instantly killed the van driver and injured his co-worker in the passenger seat.

First responders smelled alcohol on the breath of the Taurus driver. Her blood test result was positive for alcohol. Felony charges were filed against her alleging careless driving causing death—aggravated by DUI. The wrongful death case on behalf of the van driver would appear simple and straightforward. Make a claim. Settle it quickly. Case closed.

However, to get the best outcome for our clients—the van driver’s widow and their 2-month old baby—would be complicated and time-consuming. The case required five different legal proceedings to get top dollar for the widow and their baby.

CASE #1 – Uninsured motorist coverage. The at-fault driver was uninsured. Our investigation determined, however, that the service van was owned by and, therefore, covered by the HVAC company’s $1 million uninsured motorist (“UM”) policy.

UM coverage is insurance you buy in case an un- or underinsured driver runs into you.

In this case, the passenger of the van was also injured.

The UM insurer, therefore, deposited its policy proceeds with the court. It filed a case so that a court could decide how to divide the money between our clients and the passenger. The widow and her baby received 90% of the money. This led to CASE #2, a probate case on behalf of the 2-month old who was to receive some of the settlement. For the protection of the child, a probate court must approve a child’s settlement, the attorneys’ fees and costs, and the distribution plan. The probate court approved the settlement.

CASE #3 – Criminal case against the Taurus driver. The Colorado Victims’ Rights Act (VRA) ensures that crime victims are treated with fairness, respect, and dignity, and that they have notice and the right to attend any hearings at the critical stages of the criminal case. Victims also have the right to submit a victim impact statement at the time of sentencing. We attended hearings with our client and worked in cooperation with her victim rights advocate assigned to the case.

CASE #4 – Workers Compensation Case, Benefit Penalty.

Employees injured or killed on the job are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits as a matter of law. However, if the injury or death is allegedly the result of the employee failing to follow a safety regulation, then the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier can reduce the benefits it owes by 50%. Because our van driver was not wearing his seatbelt at the moment of the collision, the workers’ compensation carrier petitioned to reduce the widow’s support benefits by half. The evidence we presented however, persuaded the carrier that belted or not, no one could have survived the impact from the Taurus. The penalty claim was dropped. We settled the compensation claim for the widow and baby for over half a million dollars.

CASE #5 – Lawsuit and judgment against the at-fault driver. In the end, we decided we needed to finalize any claim against the at-fault driver. The van driver was the primary breadwinner and source of support for his wife and his baby.

They were a young family, and deeply in love. We filed a civil action for money damages against the at-fault driver and took a default judgment against her for $2,282,005.

As lawyers, we are trusted to represent clients in matters of great importance—and for our clients, that means the one chance an injured person has to hold the responsible party accountable, to stand for David and take on Goliath in a court of law. That is the fight that we make our trade.

Complicated auto accidents cases not only require experienced lawyers to get the top dollar, but also require lawyers who are in this profession for the right reasons. If you or a loved one needs legal help, make sure to vet the lawyers you are interviewing. You want a lawyer who will go the extra miles to ensure you are given the chance to rebuild your life.

At Chalat Law, our clients are never mere case numbers. An injured victim’s recovery and future are always our priority.

We welcome the opportunity to talk to you about your case.

Jim Chalat

Attorney/Partner

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A bison herd roams north-central Montana’s 419,625-acre American Prairie Reserve. 

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Best Of The Mountain West Celebrating the captivating people, beautiful places, and irresistible things endemic to our slice of America in 2020.

BY KELLY BASTONE, LINDSEY B. KING, ELISABETH KWAKHEFFERAN & DALIAH SINGER

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Snow Command An inside look at what it takes for the Colorado Department of Transportation to keep I-70 open—come hell or high snow drifts—so vehicles can cross the Rockies using the world’s highest-elevation tunnel.

PHOTOGRAPHY & WORDS BY DANIEL J. BRENNER

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What does it mean that Palantir Technologies, one of the nation’s most secretive and controversial data-mining firms, moved its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Denver? We’re all about to find out.

BY ROBERT SANCHEZ

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COMPASS 29 ADVENTURE

With major resorts facing visitor limits, Colorado’s independent ski areas are prepping for a big season.

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30 CITY

Dwindling job opportunities have day laborers on the precipice of a bitter winter.

32 CULTURE

EAT & DRINK 41 WHAT’S HOT

At the Fifth String, Amos Watts is composing edible hymns via small plates and family-style dinners.

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42 ESSAY

34 BUSINESS

A restaurant critic considers—and cooks from—his mother’s treasured handwritten recipes.

Larimer Square is hoping to lure shoppers from Amazon with booze, trap music, and unique experiences.

BY SCOTT MOWBRAY

COLUMN

36 OUTDOORS

Adventure experts weigh in on splitboards, the impacts of this summer’s fires on coldweather pursuits, and how to wash your down jacket.

52 GREAT OUTDOORS

38 DIVERSIONS

A guide to the best home light shows in the Denver area—so you can brighten up your December from the comfort of your car.

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Fishers Peak, Colorado’s newest state park, could set an important precedent for how to harmonize recreation and conservation—and help revive nearby Trinidad’s economy.

BY DALIAH SINGER

BACKSTORY 128 TELL ME

SOMETHING GOOD 5280 staffers and readers identify some of the positive developments spawned by 2020’s never-ending crises.

ON THE COVER

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Clockwise from top left: Sarah Boyum; Getty Images; Powder Street Photography; Cameron Davidson; Blake Gordon

Before an array of nature-inspired works by Aspen’s Jody Guralnick opens at Denver Botanic Gardens’ Freyer–Newman Center, we foraged through her studio to trace the roots of her creativity.

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WAS I SKEPTICAL? YOU BET YOUR @#$ I WAS UNTIL I MET DR. HARRIS AND WE TALKED EYEBROWS.

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And Beyond OH, AND... CHICKEN, HAND-CUT FRIES, DOUBLE-BATTERED ONION RINGS, DOGS AND CUSTARD TOO. 1147 Broadway Street #101 Denver, CO 80203 (720) 390-5046

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DIALOGUE his story in this candid personal essay. “I cannot tell you how I felt after reading your story,” Donna R. of Denver wrote. “Finally, someone

Goodbye, 2020

When we look back on 2020, what will we call this singularly difficult year? Will it be “The Pandemic Year” or “The Black Lives Matter Year” or “The Year Of The Wildfire” or “The Year Trump Lost”? Or will something happen during the 31 days of December that will upend everything that’s come before?

(Please, please, please help us all if that’s the case.) Each of us has been forced to reflect upon our lives and the lives of our families, friends, and colleagues as 2020 whirred around us; we had to reckon with our mortality, the nature of our divided country, and an increasingly fragile environment. We faced multiple traumas and saw loss everywhere. ¶ It was, one could say, “The Year Of Loss.” Fortunately, this 366-day test of endurance is almost over. January may bring short days and freezing temperatures, but it also delivers a new beginning. Yes, that beginning may be arbitrarily linked to the calendar, and I personally have never been one to make resolutions—but 2021 is different. So, here, I am saying goodbye to this year, and I hope you can too.

Our lives may be forever changed by all that 2020 has wrought, but this month we can wish for joy during the holiday season. We can hope for widespread mask-wearing and an effective vaccine. We can take action to make substantive progress on race relations in America. And we all can make personal changes that will help preserve the planet for our children and grandchildren. The bar is pretty low after 2020, but here’s to making sure that the coming year will be better than the one that’s finally ending.

GEOFF VAN DYKE

“Wildfire Updates: East Troublesome Fire Grows 100,000 Acres Overnight” October 22, 2020

When the East Troublesome Fire exploded in late October, reaching the edge of Grand Lake and tearing through Rocky Mountain National Park, readers responded to this 5280.com story with an outpouring of support

for the heroic firefighters working to control

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the flames. “Thanks to all our firefighters for their exhausting, difficult work,” @aljeffery2 wrote. “We LOVE you!” “Sending prayers!” @davilee2 commented.

“Keep our firefighters safe and give them strength!” Those prayers

were eventually answered, as snowstorms and cooler weather helped crews begin containing the blaze. But as the smoke cleared, the extent of the damage became clear. “Incredibly tragic,” @champagne. simonefmspinner wrote.

“I was reared on the Troublesome in Grand County. It is simply devastated by this fire.”

“The Insidious Voice Of Depression” November 2020

Mood disorders are on the rise in Colorado and across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading people who’ve never experienced mental health issues to endure some of the emotions 5280 editorial director Geoff Van Dyke has felt almost every day of his life.

Maybe that’s why he felt compelled to finally tell

“As so many of us struggle with mental health during COVID, and/ or struggled prior, [this] article helps bring the conversation into the light.”

who understands what I feel and how damn hard it is to just function some days. I started to cry be-

cause it made me feel a little less crazy and alone in my struggle.” Another reader expressed a similar sentiment: “As so many of us struggle with mental health during COVID, and/or struggled prior, [this] article helps bring the conversation into the light.”

One reader even laid bare his own reliance on alcohol: “I too have suffered with anxiety and depression for most of my life. And like you, I also used alcohol and other substances to ease the pain, only to have it return in a stronger form once whatever I was on wore off. It’s kind of like playing a game of Whac-A-Mole. I have

not used alcohol or other substances for many years, and I can tell you firsthand that these have been the best years of my life. The highs may not be as frequent or high but the lows aren’t as deep or lengthy.”

CORRECTION In November’s “Higher Gear,” we incorrectly stated that Nite Ize began expanding its offerings in 2000. The correct year is 2001.

We regret the error.

CO NTAC T US Send email to letters@5280.com or mail your feedback to Letters, 5280, 1675 Larimer St., Suite 675, Denver, CO 80202. Please include your name, address, and telephone number. Letters and posts may be edited for length and clarity. You can also follow us and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest (all @5280Magazine).

From top: Sarah Boyum; Getty Images

FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

CITY CULTURE BUSINESS OUTDOORS DIVERSIONS 

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Skiers at Sunlight Mountain Resort in Glenwood Springs

Powder Street Photography

Thinking Small

With major resorts hampered by visitor limits, Colorado’s independent ski areas are preparing for a big season.

CoMPASS

Thanks to reservation systems that will restrict capacities at most of the state’s large, conglomerate-owned ski areas, getting a spot on a chairlift this winter might feel like finding parking in Capitol Hill after dark. It’s no wonder, then, that many people are looking to independent venues to catch their turns. Chris Linsmayer, the public affairs director for Colorado Ski Country USA, a trade association that represents 22 Centennial State resorts, says many of the group’s 11 smaller ski areas have seen significant upticks in interest, especially for weekends. At Sunlight Mountain Resort in Glenwood Springs, for example, preseason lift ticket sales jumped 10 percent compared with 2019-’20, and inquiries from potential out-of-state tourists also increased. Smaller locales will still have pandemic protocols in place, including social distancing in lift lines and mask mandates.

“We may eventually have to limit visitors,” says Sunlight’s marketing director, Troy Hawks. “But we only have a few lifts and one main lodge, which makes it easier to manage our setup, depending on what happens with PHOTOGRA P H BY MONAGHAN M A RV I N A N A N I —SHANE COVID.” In other words, the little guys are ready to use their size to their advantage.

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Out In The Cold Dwindling job opportunities have day laborers on the precipice of a bitter winter.

When 2020 began, 55-year-old Antonio Delarosa had steady work as a day laborer with a Denver pavement company. The job required laying asphalt for 14 hours a day, but he was glad for the income—he could afford to send money to his kids in Greeley and took pride in being able to donate small amounts to charities, such as the American Cancer Society. Then, in March, his boss tested positive for COVID-19. Delarosa was spooked and decided it would be safer to look for employment elsewhere.

Now, with the poor economy and fears of COVID-19 infections limiting day laborers’ opportunities, Delarosa isn’t sure he made the right choice. One week in September, he worked just eight hours total, taking home $58 after factoring in travel costs. He’s sleeping in his car. “I want to earn money and help my kids,” Delarosa says. “But right now, I can’t even help myself.”

Delarosa’s story isn’t an outlier, says Sarah Shikes, executive director of the nonprofit Centro Humanitario, which facilitates contingency employment for everyone from construction companies to homeowners looking for landscaping help. (Unlike for-profit agencies, Centro Humanitario provides job safety instruction and other training and advocates for laborers when wage theft occurs.) Requests for labor were unusually slow during the warmer months, when hiring typically reaches its peak. “Last year, during the summer, we got about 200 calls a month for jobs,” Shikes says. “This year, it was closer to 60. I’m apprehensive about what winter will bring.”

High unemployment rates have compounded the problem. In April, when 12.2 percent of Coloradans were out of work, Shikes says an influx of laid-off workers, often former restaurant employees, turned to day labor, potentially saturating the workforce. She expects a similar trend this winter, when dwindling enthusiasm for patio seating and possible extensions of indoor capacity limits could force more eateries into the red. Plus, more competition for fewer jobs encourages

low pay and wage theft.

The result? Most of the day laborers Shikes works with are facing homelessness, stressing the already overwhelmed shelter system.

Day laborers in the country illegally are especially vulnerable. Because of their residency status, they didn’t receive $1,200 payments from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress in March. They also can’t collect unemployment (though the Colorado Department of Local Affairs provides funding for rental assistance, and emergency Medicaid is available through the state).

One source of help has emerged: In April, Denver nonprofit Impact Charitable unveiled the Left Behind Workers Fund, which disburses one-time $1,000 grants to recently unemployed Coloradans who are ineligible for unemployment insurance or the federal stimulus check. Funded by private and public donors, including Denver City Council (it contributed $1.75 million), at press time the fund had given 6,422 grants to workers in 38 Colorado counties. But it estimates as many as 40,000 people may qualify and needs more donations to meet the demand.

Delarosa is one of the lucky recipients of a grant.

The money helped with car insurance and the lease on the storage unit he rents so he has more room to stretch out in his vehicle. There, he falls asleep each night, not sure if he’ll find work the next day—and not sure if the work he does find will be safe. “It’s like I’m playing Russian roulette,” he says, “every time I go to work.”

—ANGELA UFHEIL

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Randy Duchaine/Alamy Stock Photo

CITY

CULTURE

Natural Beauty

Noticing a mountain’s allure doesn’t take much imagination. But recognizing the artistry of lichens’ cell structure requires the discerning eye of Aspen’s Jody Guralnick. Before an array of her nature-inspired work arrives at Denver Botanic Gardens’ Freyer–Newman Center on December 19, we foraged through Guralnick’s studio to trace the roots of her creativity. —AU 1. Despite her current surroundings, Guralnick, 67, launched her career in a more metropolitan locale.

After attending art school in Boston, she studied painting in London: “I was 19. All I wanted to do was go to Europe and smoke cigarettes and wear high heels.”

Guralnick then packed up her paint sets and moved to New York City, where she lived for nearly nine years until her husband’s job brought them to Aspen.

“When I lived in cities, I did a lot of work that involved picking up scraps, like cigarette packages,” she says.

“In Aspen, I realized the woods have a different type of litter.”

2. That natural detritus entranced Guralnick, and she began uniting scientific practices (categorizing, dissecting) with artistic methods. In doing so, she hopes to make viewers aware of the beautiful yet fragile microscopic universes that comprise the planet’s endangered ecosystems.

“I’m seeing the impacts of climate change in my own backyard,” she says. “We’re kicking over the building blocks of nature before even understanding they’re there.”

3. Andy Warhol had Edie Sedgwick. Pablo Picasso had Dora Maar. Jody Guralnick has…fungi. But as far as muses go, yeast, mold, mushrooms, and lichen have a lot to offer. “When fungus grows, it casts these

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4 lacy mycelial threads,” she says. “It’s so baroque and over the top.” Guralnick paints those ornate patterns in her latest series, Prima Lingua: First Words of the Earth, including “Language

of Abundance” (pictured), which can be seen at the Freyer–Newman Center.

such as a book, to create a conversation between nature and humanity.

4. Encasing seeds in wax is a classic method for preserving them. Guralnick plays with that concept using various fronds, pinecones, and other organic debris she collects while hiking near her home. First, she dips them in a porcelain slip, then in wax, often incorporating an item made by people,

5. In Guralnick’s studio, mushrooms are often in for grisly fates: For her ongoing collection of “mushroom self-portraits,” she adheres fungi to paper. The decaying matter turns an inky black and slowly seeps down the surface, forming hauntingly beautiful figures reminiscent of Rorschach tests.

6. An old wood and brass microscope that once belonged to Guralnick’s grandfather holds shelf space in her studio. Although she rarely uses the bulky instrument today, it reminds her of the science-minded relatives (her dad was a surgeon) who’ve influenced her work. “I grew up liking taxonomy, knowing the names of things,” Guralnick says. “My bedtime reading is field guides.”

P H O T O G R A P H Y BY B L A K E G O R D O N

DECEMBER 2020

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REAL COLORADO BOURBON INSPIRES MORE THAN JEALOUSY FROM KENTUCKY. WOODYCREEKDISTILLERS.COM

Come on lemme tell you a story, ‘bout where the bourbon bleeds I ain’t got much but what I got is everything you need Johnny’s sitting at a table with a half-lit cigar giving winks to all of the patrons He’s got a glass of whiskey dressed so neat it could get its own date with a waitress Talking ‘bout rougher times, hustling marbles, pitching dimes If it’s too much go sit in a pothole!

So that Billy and I can toast to the heroes and ghosts And send us home at the end of a bottle!

Sometimes it seems wrong to do something right Stick your neck out take a bite Toe the line and strum a good song ‘Cause nothing worth doing’s worth doing wrong

2 OZ WOODY CREEK BOURBON 1 OZ BLOOD ORANGE JUICE .5 OZ SWEET VERMOUTH A DASH OF BITTERS GARNISH WITH BLOOD ORANGE PEEL

Pour Woody Creek Bourbon, blood orange juice, and sweet vermouth over ice. Stir. Strain into a chilled rocks glass, add bitters. Garnish with a slice of blood orange peel, and serve.

THE BEST BOURBON IS 100% COLORADO GROWN. A WELL CRAFTED WHISKEY SHOULD BE PAIRED WITH A WELL CRAFTED SONG.

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Roehl Western Inspirations

Fall Mosey, Acrylic, 36” x 36” © Karen Roehl

Represented By: TieRRa MaR GalleRy 225 Canyon Rd, SanTa Fe, nM 87501 www.TieRRaMaRGalleRy.CoM

exiBiTinG aRTiST aT The 2021 CooRS weSTeRn aRT exhiBiT & Sale ViRTUal aUCTion: JanUaRy 5, 2021 www.CooRSweSTeRnaRT.CoM www.karenroehl.com

BUSINESS

Garage Sale hopes to lure shoppers with lounge areas, cocktails, and vinyl records.

Hip To Be Larimer Square The retail district is hoping to lure shoppers away from Amazon with unique experiences.

Like so many of history’s brilliant thinkers, Josh Sampson has a difficult time explaining the genesis of his genius. “I just wake up with these things,” says the owner of Good Baby Management, a Denver real estate and brand development company that counts the Big Wonderful, a pop-up beer garden and festival, among its concepts.

One of his latest thunderbolts: Garage Sale, a Larimer Square vintage clothing and vinyl shop that also serves cocktails and tacos. “No one has done it here,” Sampson says, adding that LoDo’s Dairy Block is “mainly a food hall.” Hair-splitting aside, Garage Sale’s conceit is distinctive—though uniqueness itself is becoming commonplace on Larimer as the district looks to novel ideas to reverse its pandemic plunge.

After being saved from demolition in the 1960s by preservationist Dana Crawford, Larimer Square has become one of the most sought-after shopping locations in the city. COVID-19 and its social-distancing requirements, however, hurt brick-and-mortar retail across the country, including in Denver.

Sales here dropped 7.9 percent from July 2019 to July 2020, but restaurants (down 43.2 percent) and clothing stores (26.4 percent), Larimer Square’s lifeblood, were wounded more than other sectors.

Grace Buttorff, owner of the Hailee Grace boutique on Larimer, says sales plummeted 75 percent in April. Urban Villages, the district’s property manager, restructured leases, according to Kyle Mason, director of property management. But by October, eight of Larimer’s tenants had left the square (only two departed due to the coronavirus, according to Urban Villages). Meanwhile, nonstore retail in Denver—mostly e-commerce—more than doubled over the same time period.

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In its desperation not to cede even more territory to online behemoths, Urban Villages is experimenting with experiential shopping.

Garage Sale was in the works prior to the pandemic.

But when the Market—a coffeehouse, bakery, and deli—closed, Sampson replaced it with the Farmers Market, which is like the former Market, only more bougie (locally made dog biscuits, booze, artisan loaves). The Swiss alpine outfitter Mammut opened its first U.S. store, on Larimer, in October. Mammut Exp (as in: experience) allows Coloradans to interact with a more comprehensive range of the brand’s merchandise.

Josh Schmitz, the proprietor of the Bellwether bar and barber shop on Colfax Avenue, at press time planned to unveil three concepts on Larimer: Ghost Coffee Saloon, Drunken Bakery, and Hidden Gems, an ice cream parlor that serves only vanilla mixed with the diner’s choice of cereal. Oh, and its menu is written in a language patrons must decode and the playlist is exclusively trap. “The future of retail,” says Sampson, “is concepts that bring people out of the house.”

The decision to introduce a retinue of experiential retailers, along with transforming the block into a pedestrian-only thoroughfare, seems to be helping the area rebound—just in time for a sale. In November, Larimer’s owner confirmed that Charlotte-based Asana Partners was under contract. Asked if the changes were designed to make Larimer Square a more attractive buy, Urban Villages responded in a statement: “We have set the block up for continued long-term success.” —SPENCER CAMPBELL P H O T O G R A P H Y BY S A R A H B OY U M

DECEMBER 2020

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OUTDOORS

AN ADVE NTURE R

I’m all for preventing COVID-19 outbreaks, but resorts’ temporary reservation systems are messing with my powder days. I think taking my snowboard into the backcountry is the answer, but can I avoid lugging it up a mountain?

For years, snowboarders had to carry their boards and use snowshoes to explore the backcountry. Then splitboards showed up in the ’90s. They’re basically boards you can split into free-heel skis, a style in which your heel isn’t secured to the ski, making skinning up mountains easier. We advise buying one that’s three to five centimeters longer than your usual board. That extra length helps you stay on top of powdery backcountry snow, even with the extra weight from your avalanche safety gear—which you absolutely need, along with training from a group like the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. Most people recommend that you’re proficient on blues and blacks before entering the backcountry and that you’re comfortable with deep snow. If you’re used to riding groomers, then, to quote South Park, “You’re gonna have a bad time.” Oh, and when you’re hiking up an incline, lean back, not forward. It keeps your skins in contact with the ground, giving you more purchase.

—Leo Tsuo, owner of Weston, a ski, snowboard, and splitboard manufacturer in Minturn

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DECEMBER 2020

—Dave Lasky, director of fire management at the Forest Stewards Guild Q: How do I keep my down coat from getting lumpier than mashed potatoes after a wash?

A: Down is made up of a protein similar to our hair. Regular detergent, like Tide, is too harsh and breaks those proteins down, making the down brittle, flat, and less insulating. Instead, use a detergent formulated for down.

Woolite is good, and Allied’s down wash doesn’t use palm oil, a surfactant that damages those proteins. Make sure you dry your down products thoroughly, too. It takes much longer than you’d expect. I recommend running your garment through the dryer three or four times on low heat, and maybe throw a few tennis balls in there to beat the down so it doesn’t clump up.

—Matthew Betcher, creative director at Allied Feather & Down

Carly Finke/Courtesy of Weston

ASK

Q: How will this year’s wildfires impact winter adventuring? (Please say not at all….)

A: Unfortunately, an unhealthy forest hurts everybody. Highseverity fire—that CNN footage of 100-foot flames—is so hot that it can cook and damage the soil, hindering water absorption.

Instead, water flows downhill, and when it finds a drainage point it can quickly erode the land, causing boulders to shift.

The damage from the Grizzly Creek Fire may result in rocks cascading down on the nearby section of I-70, causing travel problems for people taking that road to go skiing. In addition, the U.S. Forest Service frequently closes burned acres to all recreation to help stabilize the ecosystem and keep people safe from burned trees. The Cameron Peak Fire introduced severe fire to more than 100,000 acres, including 50 percent of the Comanche Peak Wilderness area.

That damage prevents anyone from cross-country skiing or snowshoeing there.

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DIVERSIONS The Gingerbread House

LIGHTS ON HUDSON

3070 Hudson St., Denver

Russ Shaver and his husband, Ben, spend months diagramming the 100,000 lights (yes, you read that right) and 300plus elements that take over their front yard every year.

That obsession paid off in 2019, when Denver Post readers voted the Shavers’ the best home holiday display in the metro area.

WINDSOR GARDENS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

595 S. Clinton St., Denver

Since the 1960s, members of this 153-acre retirement community have decorated their residences as part of an annual holiday lights competition.

Drive through the trove of twinkling bulbs (around 75 percent of the neighborhood typically participates) and be sure to keep a lookout for signs designating the top displays, as voted on by a panel of outside judges and Windsor Gardens residents.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIGHT

Every winter, a select few Coloradans spend weeks transforming their houses into over-the-top holiday displays that put even Santa’s workshop to shame.

Here, we’ve mapped out the best home light shows in the Denver area, so you can brighten up your December (for free!) from the comfort of your car. —SM

THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE

10221 S. Fairgate Way, Highlands Ranch

This dazzling array, which features 10,000-plus lights meticulously outlining nearly every edge of Walter Hazard’s home, is beloved by those near (neighborhood kids were the ones who named it “The Gingerbread House”) and far (German magazine Der Spiegel featured it in a roundup of the best holiday displays in America). “It’s so orderly,” Hazard says. “The Germans love that.”

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ONSTOTT CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA

25

Westminster 70

Commerce City Denver 225

Aurora

25

Highlands Ranch

WESTMINSTER FAMILY LIGHT SHOW

10046 Fraser St., Commerce City

11407 W. 103rd Ave., Westminster

When Mike and Jen Onstott met more than 10 years ago, they immediately bonded over their love of Christmas decorations. Now they share their affection for all that twinkles with the rest of us via a massive display of some 35,000 lights, a 10-foot glass castle, a cold spark machine, and a light show synchronized to music.

It takes Davin Young about three hours to match just one minute of music to the dancing lights he puts on his house.

Because that work is so detailed and time-consuming, Young works year-round to synchronize some 16 songs in time for the holidays. The tunes are then broadcast on FM-93.5 through a transmitter in the garage, sparing Young’s neighbors’ sanity.

Corey Christiansen’s decorating theory is pretty straightforward: “I want my display to be as dense as possible.” Those who visit his jam-packed arrangement—which includes some 50,000 lights and the odd inflatable dragon—are also encouraged to donate to the Autism Society of Colorado (both of Christiansen’s kids live with autism) by texting SPREAD LIGHT to 44321.

From top: Courtesy of Walter and Emily Hazard; Courtesy of Corey Christiansen

Pretty Lights

4822 S. Picadilly Court, Aurora

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WHAT’S HOT ESSAY. 

EAT DRINK &

A New Tune

At the Fifth String, Amos Watts is composing edible hymns via small plates and family-style dinners.

When chef Justin Brunson closed seven-year-old Old Major in June, he left the Tejon Street restaurant space in talented hands—those of Amos Watts, who has led the kitchens at Acorn, Old Major (from 2015 to 2017), and, most recently, Corrida in Boulder. Watts purchased the business from Brunson and launched his first solo project, the Fifth String, in August. There, Watts and longtime partner and chef de cuisine Marcos Mendez are cooking small plates inspired by Watts’ Iowa upbringing, his fine-dining pedigree, and Colorado’s bounty, featuring local producers including Esoterra Culinary Garden and Brunson’s River Bear American Meats. Right now, that translates to dishes like butternut squash two ways (roasted and marinated) with green chiles and potato-cheese pierogi with Brussels sprouts. A selection of family-style dinners with all the fixings—such as juicy whole roast chicken, bone-in short ribs, or homemade lamb sausage plus seasonal side dishes—is also on the menu, and beverage director Gene Fereda is ready to pair your meal with the perfect bottle from his thoughtful wine list. Together, it makes for ideal takeout on those winter nights when you would rather put dinner into, well, someone else’s hands. —PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG

The Fifth String’s prime strip loin family-style dinner with grilled bread, beef jus, a salad of local greens, maitake mushrooms, and crispy potatoes with scallion kimchi

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ESSAY

All In The Family A restaurant critic considers—and cooks from—his mother’s treasured handwritten recipes. B Y S C O T T M O W B R AY

About 10 years ago, with December baking duties looming, my mother, Kay, who was then in her mid-80s, told us that she wasn’t going to cook anymore. The Queen Mum of holiday treats had announced her abdication. No more impeccable shortbread, lightly browned about the edges, or raisin-dotted butter tarts, tangy with a splash of vinegar, or slices of fragrant tourtière, that supremely rich Quebecois pork pie that we ate hot and doused with ketchup on Christmas Eve. My father, who had a tremendous sweet tooth and had eaten these goodies through 60 years of marriage, didn’t object, perhaps realizing that he’d had a good run. My brothers and I, and our kids, were crestfallen.

A few years later, my father died. My mother, with dementia encroaching, moved into a lovely care facility; she had her own apartment but no kitchen and took only a few things, mostly pictures and a favorite coffee table. It fell to her sons to sort through her house full of stuff on British Columbia’s Salt Spring Island. We gave almost everything away, but in a box in a back closet, among my mother’s old books, I discovered something I had almost forgotten existed: her recipes.

There were about 300 notecards, in two boxes labeled A–M and P–Z, denoting alphabetized categories of Kay’s own devising: Frostings and Fillings, Pies, Slices, etc. Today, I use only a half-dozen

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of the recipes—the abovementioned holiday treats and a few others that maintain a nostalgic grip. The other 294 constitute a sort of autobiography of my mother’s cooking life. Reading her notes evokes her affecting, precise way of thinking like nothing else does.

The recipes are handwritten, most of them, in compact, looping longhand, a few even done with a fountain pen whose ink later blotched from contact with kitchen spills. The earliest cards, which might be 70 years old, are on blue-lined note stock that has turned the color of old vellum.

My mother was big on attribution, especially if a recipe came from a friend, for maintaining lifelong friendships was one of her great talents. The Butter Tarts recipe came from “H. Strang,” her sister-in-law, an important citation because rural Ontario, where Helen and my dad grew up, is an epicenter of world-class pie making. The shortbread came from a friend named Marney. There is a recipe for wild duck, from one Allan Bond, involving a lot of butter, fruit, and wine and four or five hours in a low oven. It begins with the instruction to “Clean & Dry birds” and ends with my mom’s commentary: “delicious.”

She was given to that sort of succinct praise but spare in offering it. One recipe was dubbed Most Successful Lamb Leg. The title of something called Xmas Morn Saver is underlined emphatically and accompanied by this: “(superb).” The dish is a make-ahead casserole of bread, eggs, milk, butter, ham, and cheese that I L L U S T R AT I O N BY J E S S I C A A L L E N

DECEMBER 2020

FIND OUR WINES AT RUFFINO.COM

Please enjoy our wines responsibly. © 2020 Ruffino Import Company, Rutherford, CA APO-RUF21001

ESSAY

He only had $5 left in his bank account Fill the Void has an emergency fund for situations like this.

We provided him and his family with two $250 gift cards to help them.

Donate online at FilltheVoidColorado.org

She’ll hug you tight...

When you give her the gift of

Visit TallGrassSpa.com or call 303.670.4444 44

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I recently tracked down in the bestselling 1976 Canadian community cookbook Best of Bridge, where I was astonished to see that it is called Christmas Morning Wife Saver. My mom has been a feminist since the ’60s, and I suspect she shortened the title in protest.

The notecards tell the story of a woman who, after she stopped working as a nurse in order to raise her boys, did the thing that many middle-class wives did back then: lunch. The batch of recipes under the omnibus heading of Snacks Lunch Dips is one of the largest in the collection and hints at what was consumed before many a bridge game or confab, along with percolated coffee or white wine or perhaps even a Gin & Lime, for which there is a recipe from someone named Bill. At lunch, they ate Artichoke Heart Dip, Layered Salad “(really good),” Onion Pie from Judy Schiffbauer, and something called All Day Spread.

The names of the people cited bring back fading childhood memories of Mom’s friends—in particular, of her very best friend, Jean, a hilarious chain-smoking firecracker of a woman who lived down the alley and from whom I once stole a pack of cigarettes, which was about as smart as stealing the works from a heroin junkie.

The theft was discovered and reported to my mother before I had walked the 200 yards home from Jean’s kitchen. I had to march right back and return the cigs, profoundly ashamed. That was the end of my smoking days. I think I was nine. I now have several recipes from Jean, including one for an old-timey sweet-and-tart salad dressing of the sort doused on coleslaw.

A recipe for Three Cheese Souffle came from another dear friend in epistolary form, ending with her confiding to my mother that “P.S. I am still smarting from the disastrous dinner party for Elspeth. I am afraid I will kill ‘Mr. Mom’!” I wish I knew what the hell that was all about.

My mother’s recipes are notes to self, not to newbie cooks. Some are so lean on process that they evoke a technical challenge from The Great British Baking Show. This is most notably true of Mom’s legendary pie pastry recipe, which only lists ingredients. One surely knows how to cut the lard into flour, so why bother with method? Except one doesn’t know; I have never been able to equal her pastry. I believe she had some trick with ice water, but the secret is omitted.

be willing be patient be super

be home.

V I S I T U S AT CO R CO R A N . CO M

Š2020 Corcoran Group LLC. All rights reserved. CorcoranŽ and the Corcoran Logo are registered service marks owned by Corcoran Group LLC. Corcoran Group LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated.

ESSAY

17 days without lunch

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

Other classics, such as Marney’s Shortbread, show how even a simple but Christmas-critical recipe was modified as Mom pursued her trademark rich crumble and nutty, browned-butter flavor across different ovens in several countries.

The stained card shows evidence of six modifications with three pens and two pencils, the matters in question being 18 versus 20 minutes at 325 degrees and where in the oven the rack is best placed.

As she aged and traveled, my mom’s palate changed, as did her family’s, and so the boxes contain recipes for Moroccan lamb, Afghan borani banjan (a dish of eggplant, tomatoes, Kay Mowbray, a and yogurt), and Inloving cook and the author’s mother donesian peanut sauce.

Donate online at FilltheVoidColorado.org

Make All Your Celebrations Shine.

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But she was rarely an adventurous cook— rather, a loving and reliable one. Living overseas on my father’s lean NGO-doctor salary for more than a decade, with just one home leave every three years, meant that my mother’s recipes were a lifeline to friends and roots.

It’s the holiday recipes that I use every year. The other day, I made Mom’s shortbread, and it came out almost as fine as hers. (The missing ingredient may, in fact, be that it was not hers.) To eat it is to remember my first Christmases. Mom would begin baking large quantities of shortbread and all the other treats weeks in advance, storing everything in tins in a basement room so chilly it was rightly called “the cold room.” Every day after school, I would sneak down, confident that my pilfering would go undetected,

Courtesy of the author

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ESSAY

1 in5 children in Denver experience food insecurity.

It’s time we do something about that.

Donate online at FilltheVoidColorado.org

and stuff my face. No doubt, I reappeared with powdered sugar on my person. Much later, I realized that a baker knows how much she has baked for her family. My mother was simply allowing for the attrition. I’m sure she had a laugh about it down the alley with Jean, who died this year. Life ends, life goes on. In the meantime, if we’re lucky, we find some measure of sweetness in its recipe.

SCOT T’S MOM ’S BUT TER TARTS Makes about 18 mini tarts Use your favorite pie dough to make these sweet, tangy, individual tarts. You can serve them with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like, though that’s kind of gilding the lily. These tarts freeze well in an airtight container and reheat well in a low oven.

1 ½ 1 1 2 ½ ¾

Cooking spray cup packed brown sugar cup dark corn syrup tablespoon distilled white vinegar teaspoon pure vanilla extract large eggs cup (4 ounces) salted butter, melted cup raisins Pastry dough, suitable for a nineinch two-crust pie Flour, for rolling

1. Heat the oven to 375°. Liberally coat two standard-size muffin tins (or three six-cup tins) with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, corn syrup, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs until just combined. Add the butter and stir vigorously until you’ve got what looks like a smooth caramel sauce. Stir in the raisins.

3. Roll the dough on a floured surface until it’s just under ₁⁄₈-inch thick. Use a glass or round cookie cutter that’s about 4 inches in diameter to cut dough rounds; you want the dough to come all the way up the sides of the muffin cups. Dip the lip of the glass or cutter into flour to prevent sticking as you cut.

4. Gently press the dough rounds into the cups.

Briefly knead and re-roll the dough scraps to cut more rounds.

5. Fill each pastry cup about three-quarters full. Bake until the crust is browned and the filling is no longer jiggly, about 17 minutes.

6. Let the tarts cool for 15 minutes, then gently remove from the cups.

Serve warm. m 48

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Find our Dining Guide, an extensive list of area restaurants, on page 86 and online at 5280.com/ restaurants.

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CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS

FROM BRECKENRIDGE DISTILLERY ’TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY! This year’s Christmas celebration may look a bit different than in the past, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the ‘spirit’ of the holidays. Billie Keithley, Liquid Chef from Breckenridge Distillery has crafted up some delicious Christmas cocktails to spruce up your holiday parties. So make this Christmas season special with a great holiday cocktail.

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TIS THE SEASON FIZZ

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» 1 1/2 oz. Breckenridge Pear Vodka » 1 oz. cranberry, pomegranate, blackberry shrub*

2 oz. Breckenridge Bourbon 4 oz. egg nog 1/2 oz. vanilla liqueur 3 dashes walnut bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice. Served up.

Garnish: sprinkle of vanilla bean sugar.

SANTA’S LIL HELPER » 2 oz. Breckenridge Bourbon/brown butter/ Christmas cookie wash* BILLIE’S HOT BUTTERED RUM » 1 1/2 oz. Breckenridge Spiced Rum » 1 generous Tbsp. hot buttered rum batter* Add ingredients into a mug. Give it a little stir. Top with hot water. Garnish: churros and fresh ground cinnamon. *Hot buttered rum batter: add one stick of softened butter, 1 pint of churro ice cream (substitute your favorite decadent ice cream if you desire), 1 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon into a blender. Blend until it becomes a very thick milkshake consistency. Transfer to a covered container and keep in the freezer.

Pour over large ice ball, sip, and enjoy the slight nuances of a sugar Christmas cookie in this spirit-forward Breckenridge Bourbon libation. *Breckenridge Bourbon wash: add 1 stick of butter to a skillet on medium low heat. Let it melt until it turns a caramel color and nutty aroma comes forth. Add 5 muddled sugar cookies. Stir. Pour the mixture and 375 ml. of Breckenridge Bourbon into a plastic container. Let rest about an hour at room temp. (You’ll see the butter separating). Put into the freezer 4 hours. Take out of the freezer and pull the butter layer off. (Can use this delicious butter for a spread). Strain the rest into a bottle.

Mix ingredients. Top with soda. Garnish: cranberries. *Cranberry, blackberry, pomegranate shrub: over medium heat add 8 oz. cranberry juice, 6 oz. sugar, 1 oz. cider vinegar, 2 oz. cranberries, 2 oz. pomegranate seeds, 2 oz. blackberries muddled. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let rest 2 hours. Strain and bottle.

THE BLITZEN » 1 1/2 oz. Breckenridge Gin » 1 1/2 oz. cranberry, habanero, cinnamon syrup* » 1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice Shake all ingredients with ice. Serve over ice.

Garnish: cranberries and sliced habanero. *Cranberry, habanero and cinnamon simple syrup: over medium heat add 8 o.z cranberry juice, 8 oz. sugar, 4 oz. cranberries muddled with 1 Tbsp. chopped habanero pepper and pinch of ground cinnamon. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and strain. Refrigerate.

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Over 200,000 kids in Colorado miss more meals in a week than you miss in a year.

It happens to all of us. We work through lunch or dinner.

We miss a meal.

But what if that happens four times a week? Or six. Or ten.

And you’re four years old. Or six. Or ten.

It happens to one in five kids in Denver. They miss meals.

And they suffer from food insecurity.

Their potential is limited. Their futures are hampered.

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to address this problem.

Take a moment and donate to Fill the Void, an Amp The Cause program that works to put an end to hunger by helping food-banks and SNAP programs make sure school kids get fed.

Take action today.

Because helping kids is something we should never skip.

Donate online at FilltheVoidColorado.org

Amp the Cause works with over 55 beneficiary organizations to improve the lives of Colorado’s children and families.

To learn more about Amp the Cause and our programs visit ampthecause.org

G R E AT OU T DOOR S

BY DA L I A H S I N G E R

A Delicate Balance

Fishers Peak, Colorado’s newest state park, could set an important precedent for how to harmonize recreation and conservation—and help revive nearby Trinidad’s economy.

Fishers Peak

W

ade Shelton is driving along a gravel road that’s so bumpy his voice shakes as he talks, though the turbulence doesn’t slow his words. He’s besotted with this land in southern Colorado: 19,200 acres of old-growth oak forest, volcanic cliffs, and grasslands. Shelton, senior project manager at the Colorado office of Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit that helps preserve public lands, has dedicated the past six years to turning this private property into a public park that will serve Colorado’s growing number of recreationists while simultaneously conserving its unique habitat.

Privately owned or under corporate control for most of modern history, Fishers Peak hasn’t had to withstand many footsteps. At 9,633 feet, it’s not the state’s most impressive tabletop mountain, but no formation rises higher to its east in the entire country. From its lava-formed summit, the mesa—which towers above the southeastern Colorado town of Trinidad—gives way to untouched wilds thrumming with flora and fauna that have largely been left to exist away from the impacts of human exploration.

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Shelton has bushwhacked through New Mexico locust to scramble up its steep, rocky slope just once. In 2014, he stood on that peak, looking down and envisioning hikers and bikers and birders plying yet-to-be-built trails. He pictured schoolchildren, wide-eyed as the native wildlife they’d read about in class appeared before them. It was such a clear image. Less lucid, however, was how he and others might procure the tens of millions of dollars needed to turn the vision of a new and rugged Colorado state park into a reality.

TRINIDAD RESIDENTS HAD LONG known the property as Crazy French Ranch. The land that encompasses Fishers Peak was named for the couple who purchased it in the 1980s after locals called the husband, Marc Jung, a “crazy Frenchman” for buying what was considered unproductive agricultural land. Now the denizens of Trinidad wanted to do something they once might have considered outrageous: buy a 4,000-acre parcel of the ranch.

Although Fishers Peak has been a sort of symbol for Trinidad and its 8,000 citizens, it was one that had remained

P H O T O G R A P H Y BY C A M E R O N D AV I D S O N

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G R E AT OU T DOOR S beyond reach. “When you’re in the town, you can see this peak looming above from pretty much anywhere,” says Trinidad local Tim Crisler, who has been involved in the state park effort since the early days.

“There’s a connection that all of us who live here have to the mountain. [But] it’s always been off-limits.” Creating easy access to the property would be not only a point of local pride, but potentially also a much-needed windfall for an area that has frequently suffered the booms and busts of a resource-based economy. Over the years, Trinidad has relied on industries like coal mining, natural gas, and marijuana as economic drivers. It recently repositioned itself as an arts hub; it was designated a Colorado Creative District in 2013 and will house the first work/live affordable apartments for creatives developed by Space to Create, a state initiative to drive economic development through the arts in rural areas. But Mayor Phil Rico and other local leaders understood that recreation could help to further diversify and solidify the economy and draw more visitors, residents, and businesses to the compact town near the Colorado–New Mexico border.

Fringe Benefits

Trinidad’s economy This Gang of 14, should profit from as they nicknamed the new state park. themselves, thought buying even a small segment of the land could help launch a new era for Trinidad. They approached Evelyne Jung, the property owner, who said she’d be open to subdividing the 39,000-

acre ranch. (Marc died in 1997.) Next, they needed fundraising help. In fall 2017, they called TPL’s Shelton and Matt Moorhead, the conservation business and partnership development adviser at the Nature Conservancy (TNC), a global environmental nonprofit with an office in Colorado.

Like Shelton, Moorhead was captivated

by Crazy French Ranch. The pair, who’d built a friendship on their matching passions for conservation and World War II history, had been discussing the land for years, ever since the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal published 2014 real estate articles noting that Crazy French had cut its asking price from $79 million to $59 million. (“Buying a ranch is the stuff of childhood cowboy fantasy,” Julie Satow wrote in the Times.) The price tag was still too rich for the nonprofits, but Trinidad’s interest changed the equation: TPL and TNC, which aren’t in the business of owning land, now had a public partner who could step into that role, making the nonprofits’ mission easier. “That community desire to have Fishers Peak be a public park,” Shelton says, “that’s what finally kicked the door open.”

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G R E AT OU T DOOR S Still, Shelton and Moorhead had grander visions; they urged Trinidad officials to think bigger than 4,000 acres.

Fishers Peak’s accessibility, right off I-25, combined with the site’s pristine condition and contiguous connection to nearby wildlife areas felt destined for something significant—like becoming a state park.

Procuring the 30-square-mile property (the other half had already been sold) with additional funding help from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and others and bringing on Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW ) as the land manager could gift Coloradans a new public recreation area, guarantee conservation for the property’s animals and plants, and transform Trinidad from a pass-through town to an outdoor recreation destination.

That was the hope, anyway. In practice, a collaborative effort of this magnitude— involving a locally led vision propped up by a public-private mashup of the city, the state, and a trifecta of local and national conservation- and community-focused groups—hadn’t been attempted before.

Every stakeholder was integral for the purchase and the planning to move for-

ward. There were myriad complexities and uncertainties—any one of which could’ve scuttled the deal—yet the historic partnership worked. “I’ve never seen a project catch fire as fast as this did,” Moorhead says. “What makes this whole thing so compelling is the vision, the scale.”

State parks take an average of about five years to open. Typically, a master plan should be completed, and all of the infrastructure needs to be in place, before the public is granted access. Fishers Peak State Park’s short, maiden trails opened to the public this past fall, just a year after Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order decreeing that Fishers Peak would become Colorado’s 42nd state park by January 2021—the fastest opening in Centennial State history.

It was the governor who helped fasttrack the park into public ownership and speed up the bureaucratic process. TPL and TNC went under contract for the ranch in December 2018 and officially closed on the land a year later for an appraised value of $25.45 million; the funds were a compilation of grant money from GOCO, CPW habitat stamp dollars, additional capital

from the city of Trinidad, and private donations. The public took ownership on April 2, 2020, when the property was transferred from the nonprofit duo to CPW. Then, in June, Polis signed the bill designating Fishers Peak as Colorado’s newest state park. Despite coronavirus-related cuts to the State Parks Improvement Appropriation bill, which slashed general funds for the park from $4 million to $1 million, the phased opening is still inching forward.

“I’m impatient, and I like Coloradans to be able to have their fun,” says Polis, who cut the ribbon on 250 acres of the park in October. “Our state parks are crowded, and many people can’t get into them on summer weekends and holidays. This will be one of our largest state parks—a great opportunity for people to be socially distant in the great outdoors.”

A BLACK BEAR CUB, only about the size of a football, is running along a backcountry trail in an attempt to keep up with its mom. Chris Pague smiles to himself, not just because the scene is so adorable, but also because it shows just how alive the land surrounding Fishers Peak is. Pague is

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G R E AT OU T DOOR S the lead senior conservation ecologist for TNC; it’s his job to inventory precisely what is living in and moving through the forest, including counting one of the state’s healthiest elk herds and capturing wildlife photos to help market the park to the public.

It is also part of Pague’s job to help Fishers Peak’s residents thrive alongside recreationists. With 3,000 feet of elevation change, the land within the park is an ecological wonder and provides terrain for a diverse array of animals and plants. Nestled close to three other protected natural areas—the James M. John and Lake Dorothey state wildlife areas in Colorado and Sugarite Canyon State Park in New Mexico—the rugged landscape is a corridor for wildlife, connecting prairie grasslands to the Rocky Mountains. Since beginning their research, Pague and the rest of the rapid ecological assessment group (comprised of volunteers and representatives from a variety of state and nongovernmental organizations) have inventoried more than 100 species of birds, four endemic butterfly species, the federally endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse, and the hog-nosed skunk, which rarely has been seen in Colorado since the 1940s.

Often, conservation groups enter the conversation after recreationists, not simultaneously, as is happening at Fishers Peak State Park. “A lot of times, recreation management means going in and looking at something that’s already been degraded either by social trails or some sort of public use that has gone out of control—something that’s been loved to death,” says Crystal Dreiling, CPW’s park manager for the Trinidad Lake State Park/Fishers Peak State Park complex. Fishers Peak is different. It’s an expansive, intact parcel of land only lightly touched by man. The previous owners built some roads but only allowed limited hunting, so the high-elevation prairie and its old-growth oak and pine forests—some of the trees are more than 250 years old—have grown unopposed in many areas. “This is a property that has not been loved to death,” Dreiling says. “It’s been pretty well protected, and it’s important to us that we put recreation on this property in a wise way, in a thoughtful way. It’s an important ball that we’re not going to drop, that balance of conservation and recreation.”

In practice, that means a trail won’t be built just because it accesses the prettiest views; instead, the project partners are, for 58

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example, assessing where wildlife corridors are located and what sorts of impacts motorized vehicles could have so the public can enjoy the land inside Colorado’s second-largest state park without worrying too much about the environmental consequences. The park’s full playbook is still being drawn up, so not all of these questions have been answered, but efforts to bridge the sometimes conflicting ambitions of recreation and preservation could set a new standard for future projects— here and across the country.

The phased opening of Fishers Peak State Park began this past fall with two hiking trails and a lottery for limited elk and deer hunting permits. As these activities unfolded, the project partners began monitoring the impacts and will adjust access in real time in ways that best serve the public and the park’s inhabitants.

Eventually, recreationists will be able to explore the land through other potential activities, such as mountain biking, rock climbing, snowshoeing, and educational programming. Parking areas and a visitors center, as well as other infrastructure, are still being plotted out as CPW finalizes the master plan with community input, a collaboration that hasn’t happened in such a robust manner in the past. “We want to make sure that [the landscape and wildlife are] protected as best as we possibly can. It’s very important to me and the community,” Rico says. “This [state park] is a beginning.”

Locals have been largely supportive of the project, with hundreds of citizens attending public meetings to provide input and discuss how to address things park visitors might need, including more lodging, restaurants, and parking in town. “If we’ve got the right kind of activities and balance of conservation so people are seeing elk and mule deer, and people of all abilities can get out there,” Shelton says, “it’ll be the economic draw, the economic catalyst [Trinidad needs].”

If it all comes together as envisioned, the park’s longtime residents should have little trouble adjusting to their new neighbors.

Golden eagles, elk, deer, skunks, mice, and even tiny bear cubs should still feel mostly undisturbed in this enchanting landscape.

People won’t dramatically alter their paths, interrupt their hunting patterns, or corrupt the nature they rely on. Which seems only fair since humans will be the newcomers to this untamed space. m Daliah Singer is a 5280 contributing editor.

Email her at letters@5280.com.

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Best Of The Mountain West Celebrating the captivating people, beautiful places, and irresistible things endemic to our slice of America in 2020.

BY KELLY BASTONE, LINDSEY B. KING, ELISABETH KWAK-HEFFERAN & DALIAH SINGER

Colorado Springs barrel racing champion Savannah Roberts and her horse Tigger 60 5 2 8 0 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0

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FOOD

Bin 707 Foodbar Josh Niernberg always knew there was something special in the ingredients growing along Colorado’s Western Slope.

In 2011, the self-taught chef saw a chance to open a restaurant that would, he says, “provide a sense of place for where we are in the world.” Bin 707 Foodbar was born—and put Grand Junction on the culinary map. In 2017, Niernberg expanded with Taco Party, a fast-casual restaurant that uses Indigenous corn in its tortillas. In February 2020, Niernberg’s efforts to preserve and define Colorado cuisine earned him a Best Chef: Mountain semifinalist nod from the James Beard Foundation. Then COVID-19 struck, and the 45-year-old was forced to get creative: Dinner Party (a specialevents dining room) was transformed into Bin Burger; he launched wine and cocktail clubs; and he assembled greenhouses on Bin 707’s patio to extend the outdoor dining season. At press time, his ingenuity was working. bin707.com

NATURE

American Prairie Reserve Out on the vast swaths of north-central Montana, a team of visionaries is slowly building an empire of sagebrush steppe and butte-lined river lands. The dream is as big as the prairie sky: to create a 3.2-millionacre preserve that restores an intact ecosystem, including grizzly bears, wolves, elk, and bison, the last of which biologists began reintroducing to the land in 2005. Over the past 19 years, the American Prairie Reserve, a nonprofit started by Silicon Valley consultant Sean Gerrity, has assembled a patchwork of almost 420,000 acres—acquiring 14,462 in 2019—through a combination of buying ranches and securing public land rights. We’re all invited to witness the primeval park-in-progress as it builds to its goal of becoming the largest nature reserve in the Lower 48: From the start, it’s been open to the public for camping (in its campgrounds, backcountry, or luxury yurts), hunting, and roaming across the trailless prairie. americanprairie.org

Previous spread: Janelle Beach. This page, from left: Courtesy of Bin 707 Foodbar; Dennis J. Lingohr/Courtesy of American Prairie Reserve. Map icons: Getty Images

A

lthough it’s a bit of a cliché, the phrase “unbridled optimism” is an apt descriptor for how we felt when we began concepting this inaugural edition of “Best Of The Mountain West,” a story spanning eight states that we’d hoped would become a reader favorite in the years to come (and still do!). That was, of course, in the Before Times.

As in, before many of us were relegated to our houses by stay-at-home orders; before concert venues and museums and bars and restaurants and hotels and boutiques closed, many for good; and before adventure outfitters limited their operations.

But put on your bolo ties and your best boots anyway, because despite our complicated reality, we’re still tipping our 10-gallons to the characters, landscapes, institutions, and objects molding the West right now.

After all, even in 2020, our reverence for the great outdoors, our thirst for adventure, our connections to our past, our talent, and our pioneering spirit live on in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. Let us introduce you to 26 ways the Western ethos lives on today.

Best Of The Mountain West ST YLE

Clockwise from top right: Craig Smith/Courtesy of Heard Museum; Edward Nachtrieb/Alamy Stock Photo; Courtesy of Continuum

Verma Nequatewa

LODGING

Continuum At the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, this 90-room hotel occupies the former Inn at Jackson Hole, which got more than just a decor makeover before its grand opening this past January.

The property now lets travelers interface with Jackson-based Teton

Gravity Research (TGR), the media company that helped pioneer the “ski porn” genre and continues to launch daredevil athletes into the limelight.

Part of the hotel’s mystique lies in TGR’s ability to provide guests with opportunities to mingle with outdoorsy superstars, like skier Tim Durtschi and skiing prodigy Kai Jones,

both on the slopes and during après activities. If the pandemic permits, this season’s events include chances to ride and film with such pros as snowboarder Mark Carter and skier Griffin Post.

Even when those luminaries aren’t in-house, travelers can revel in design-focused digs that won’t empty the bank account. Like an oldschool motel, Continuum’s exterior staircases connect open-air hallways; inside the rooms and suites, cozy wool rugs and blankets soften streamlined modern furnishings. The buzzy lobby bar serves wood-fired pizzas, burgers, and epicurean cocktails named for TGR films (try the Winterland, which combines vodka, vanilla bean, and mint). continuumjh.com

Although her uncle’s famous name (Charles Loloma) is often dropped when describing her work, Verma Nequatewa—who uses the artistic nom de plume Sonwai (the feminine Hopi word for beauty)— comes off as nothing if not modest.

The 71-year-old Hopi woman deflects when asked what makes her jewelry so special. She’s also demure when talking about the first retrospective of her work, which was held in 2019 at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. She’s more chatty about the craft of jewelry-making itself. Using 18-karat gold, silver, and precious and semiprecious stones, the resident of Hotevilla, Arizona, does her own metallurgy and hand-cuts coral, turquoise, opals, and lapis to create patterns, asymmetrical inlays, and blocks of color. “It’s really about the combination of colors, knowing what stones work best next to each other,” Nequatewa says. “It’s also about working when you’re feeling good so you can bring that feeling into creating a beautiful piece.” Nequatewa does three to four shows a year, starting with (pandemic-willing) the Faust Gallery in Scottsdale in March. sonwai.com

ADVENTURE

Smith River Float Trip Drawing a permit for Montana’s most coveted float trip has long been akin to finding one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets: This past year, the odds of landing a launch date in high season went as low as one in 120. Now, social distancing makes the journey, which winds along limestone cliffs between the Big Belt and Little Belt mountains, all the more attractive. After all, the Smith sweeps you off the map for 59 blissful miles without public road access— it’s just you, the black bears, the bighorns, and a billion stars. stateparks.mt.gov/ smith-river

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Best Of The Mountain West LODGING

Hotel Ketchum

ADVENTURE

Bluebird Backcountry The West is the birthplace—and beating heart—of American alpine skiing.

Established in 1931, Howelsen Hill is the oldest ski area in continuous use in North America. But that storied slope isn’t the West’s only skiing bona fide: Nationally, Utah’s Park City is the largest ski resort; Idaho’s Sun Valley was the first destination resort; and Breckenridge has the highest elevation. In 2020, Colorado added one more legitimizer when Bluebird Backcountry became the country’s newest ski resort. Located near Kremmling, its 1,200 private acres of inbounds backcountry terrain on Bear Mountain are home to Colorado’s first human-powered ski resort. While there are no chairlifts, Bluebird does have

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avalanche mitigation, warming huts, food, rentals, lessons, and guided trips. “We’re blending the best from backcountry, the best from ski resorts, and the best from guide services and putting it in one place,” says co-founder Erik Lambert.

After hosting 1,000 guests during a test run this past winter, Bluebird will open five days a week from late December to late March (day passes start at $50). bluebirdbackcountry.com

ST YLE

Stio With pearly snaps on its shirts and a Western yoke on its down vests, nineyear-old Stio fuses the Rockies’ cowboy aesthetic with technical fabrics to make apparel ready for all the hardcore skiing, running, and mountain biking available in Jackson, Wyoming, where the company is based. But these days, some of Stio’s biggest fans hail from the biggest coastal cities: Boston, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco are now driving Stio’s sales (growing by more than 50 percent for each of the past three years). That’s due, in part, to a directto-consumer model that relies on online purchases more than brick-and-mortar shops (Stio operates just three, two in Wyoming and one in Utah). But popularity outside the West also points to the widespread appeal of the mountain lifestyle, made even more desirable now that the pandemic is driving people to seek refuge in nature.

“People are anxious to get outside in the fresh air,” says Stio’s Noah Waterhouse. Those urbanites’ “outdoors” might be Central Park rather than the Tetons, but Stio still meets their need for aspiration and authenticity. stio.com

Clockwise from top left: Courtesy of Ray Gadd; Courtesy of Stio; Rob McLennan/Courtesy of Bluebird Backcountry

If there’s one thing you can say about HayMax Hotels, it’s that the small, boutique lodging company has great taste in location: two indie hotels in Aspen (Hotel Aspen, Molly Gibson Lodge) and, with the opening of Hotel Ketchum in 2018, two in Ketchum, Idaho (the other is the Tamarack Lodge). Of the four properties, Hotel Ketchum has the highest kitsch factor, hitting a cute-butcorny sheep theme (sheep heads on the walls, sheep art, sheep dolls and statues) that elicits a smile no matter how hard you try not to; it’s also the largest, with 58 rooms tucked into a fully remodeled building. Situated along Main Street, the lodge has a cozy bar area called the Hangout, a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, a poke restaurant, a tacos and tequila eatery dubbed Barrio 75, and, maybe best of all, on-site ski and snowboard rentals so you can score first chair at Sun Valley ski resort, just 15 minutes away. hotelketchum.com

DRINK

Jot In a prepandemic life, there were two typical coffee dilemmas that played out across the country—settling for lousy kitchen-made drip or spending $5 for joe at a shop. In the West, there is a third java problem: picking grounds out of your teeth after a (bad) cup of cowboy coffee at your campsite. Jot, a coffee bean extract born in Boulder in 2019, solves all of these conundrums. First, coffee snobs agree that a tablespoon poured into hot milk is latte-rific.

Second, at $24 per bottle (each makes 14 cups), the coffee part of whatever beverage you concoct only sets you back $1.71. And Jot’s tiny bottle allows you to leave the percolator out of your backpack. jot.co

From left: Clark Marten/Courtesy of Supaman; Courtesy of Jot

MUSIC

Supaman As a kid growing up in Crow Agency, Montana, Christian Parrish Takes The Gun learned the dancing of his Apsáalooke ancestors then drifted toward poetry and rap (Supaman is his DJ name).

Now, his music fuses all of it: Performing in Apsáalooke dance regalia, he merges

hip-hop and Native styles with positive values. “All spiritual ways, I respect them.

Whatever helps you be a better person,” Parrish says of his eclecticism, which converges into a consistent message of affirmation. In 2017, he collaborated with Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas and six other Native American artists on a recording that protested the Dakota Access Pipeline and won an MTV Music

Video Award. Subsequent recordings with Taboo will grace a forthcoming documentary film about Native American musicians. He’s awaiting word on a pilot episode for a TV program he filmed with celebrity chef Eduardo Garcia. And he’s about to release Frequency, an album that pairs healing sound waves with beats from Nottz, a Grammy-nominated rapper and producer. supamanhiphop.net

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GEAR

Polebridge Mercantile

ADVENTURE

Four Corners Guides unnavigable terrain. The most recent example: bikerafting. A combination of biking and packrafting (using portable boats that can handle white water but are light enough for backpacking), the sport remains niche, but one of the most experienced bikerafters in the world,

Credits Tk

Once upon a time, intrepid travelers used leather to strap wood planks to their feet in order to glide on snow.

Outdoor adventurers continue to draw on that same pioneering spirit to invent new ways of crossing previously

Steve Fassbinder, lives in Mancos. In 2019, he and girlfriend Lizzy Scully founded Four Corners Guides—and became the only outfitter in the country to run guided bikerafting trips. If you can bike and have some basic rafting and backcountry skills, you can join Four Corners Guides for one- to- sixday bikerafting tours in Colorado and Utah. fourcornersguides.com

The North Fork river valley skirts the wild western edge of Glacier National Park, but that’s just one of the myriad reasons to brave the unpaved roads required to access this recreationist’s paradise. Another draw? The grizzly-paw-size huckleberry bear claws that await at Polebridge Mercantile, the state’s best bakery/general store/gift shop. The Merc’s red facade has lured hardy travelers for the past 106 years, but the relatively recent addition of on-site rental cabins and, as of this past summer, a new outfitting arm lending mountain bikes, inflatable kayaks, and paddleboards, keeps this damn-near-toCanada outpost on modern-day wanderers’ checklists. In a region stuffed with gravel touring routes and riffle-y paddling on the North Fork of the Flathead River—but with nary a gear shop for miles—the Merc can now satisfy your need for well-outfitted adventure just as well as it does your craving for sugar. polebridgemerc.com

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Best Of The Mountain West FOOD

Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm

ART

This spread, clockwise from top left: Courtesy of Steve Fassbinder/Four Corners Guides; Elroy Natachu Jr./Courtesy of Artz Cooperative (“Small Olla Jar” by Gaylon Westika); Courtesy of Ace Kvale/Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm; Susan Moldenhauer; Courtesy of Steven Gnam Photography

ARTZ Cooperative The only Native-owned artists’ cooperative in New Mexico, the ARTZ (Ancestral Rich Treasures of Zuni) gallery opened in June 2019 to give the Pueblo of Zuni’s makers a way to sell their wares directly to consumers. “We rarely had a voice in our art market,” explains ARTZ site coordinator Elroy Natachu Jr. Typically, big-city art buyers come in and buy Zuni-made wares for cheap, then sell them for three times as much at stores and galleries in cities like Gallup, Albuquerque, and others across the region. But by placing their works on consignment at the ARTZ Cooperative, creatives earn a fair price. Shoppers, meanwhile, buy more than a generic piece of art: By purchasing direct from creators (or from the community of artists who know these works intimately), they can learn the pieces’ stories and meanings, because all ARTZ members are members of the Zuni Tribe and are “fluent in our culture, language, and traditions,” explains Natachu. COVID-19-related travel restrictions have slowed gallery sales, but artists are still displaying online. zunipuebloart.com

MUSIC

Wyoming SingerSongwriter Competition Seared into the iconography of the Old West is the image of the cowboy crooner: the raspy-voiced horseman who balladizes the beauty of lonesome landscapes. Jon Gardzelewski’s music is more folk-rock than cowboy country, but this native son of Wyoming was so impressed with the musical stylings in the town of Laramie that he helped start a singer-songwriter competition

there in 2012. When the talent pool needed a bigger place to swim, Gardzelewski applied for funding from the Wyoming Arts Council and took the competition statewide in 2018. The event encourages local musicians to write new material and perform it live. Music fans should put Labor Day 2021 on their calendars to attend the finals in Ten Sleep. In the meantime, Google Aspen Jacquet (pictured), Rob Weimann, and Jordan Smith to find music from the 2018, 2019, and 2020 winners (respectively). wyomingsinger-songwriters.com

With four consecutive James Beard Award semifinalist nods—in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020—it’s difficult to argue that Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm, based in Boulder, Utah, isn’t defining organic, seasonal, regional cuisine. Located in one of the most remote towns in the West, the intimate restaurant—owned by two women—has been around for more than two decades, but it’s more than just a place to get braised beef with farm vegetables; it’s part

of the community. During the pandemic, Blake Spalding and Jen Castle have been worried not only about their livelihoods, but also about how their business is a significant employer for the town. As such, they’ve worked tirelessly to stay open—safely.

If you visit nearby Grand Staircase– Escalante National Monument, stop by. hellsbackbonegrill.com

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DRINK

Qutori Wines

CRAFT

J.M. Capriola Under the category of everything old becomes new (and cool) again fall the handcrafted leather goods—particularly, saddles made by Armando Delgado—at J.M. Capriola in Elko, Nevada. Having celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2019, the legendary Western store’s stubborn

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dedication to artistry and craftsmanship makes it one of the last bastions of what is becoming a lost trade. “It can take Armando 80 to 100 hours to make a basic saddle,” says Susan Wright, who manages the store with her husband, John, a third-generation owner. “In his 70s and after 30 years of doing this, he still puts

everything he has—his talent, his attention to detail—into it.” Essentially, Wright says, Delgado creates functional pieces of art for ranchers and cowboys and cowgals alike. “His work is impeccable,” Wright says.

“Nothing goes out the door that isn’t 100 percent, but it doesn’t hurt that he makes everything look so beautiful.” capriolas.com

From left: Courtesy of Qutori Wines; Courtesy of Nicole Poyo Photography

Julie Bennett says that of the 10 pours she’s doling out right now in her Paonia tasting room, her favorites are the 2017 reserve Pinot Noir and the 2018 Syrah. But the bottle that launched three-year-old Qutori Wines into Colorado’s boozy limelight was the 2017 Syrah, which won a bestin-show prize at the 2019 Governor’s Cup Collection competition in Denver. “The win was a total surprise to us,” Bennett says. “We’re just glad it helped further expose the sleepy North Fork Valley to the outside world.” The exposure helped Bennett’s family-run cafe/vineyard/ tasting room business, too.

Even with COVID-19, Qutori’s business is up 15 percent over 2019. “We don’t distribute,” Bennett says, “so you gotta come to Paonia to see us.” qutoriwine.com

Best Of The Mountain West HISTORY

Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum GEAR

Wūru

CULTURE

Clockwise from top left: Chayce Lanphear; Sarah Boyum; Vance Fox Photography/Courtesy of Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum

Savannah Roberts A tradition is a precarious thing; to keep one going, the next generation must want to assume the mantle, or the heritage dies. Thirteen-year-old Savannah Roberts may not even realize she’s shouldering a burden for cowboys and cowgirls across the West, probably because she’s having so much fun. With a father who grew up on a Texas ranch and a mother who was once part of the Westernaires, a mounted precision drills team in Golden, the Colorado Springs native was likely preordained to ride horses. That didn’t necessarily mean she’d be the star barrel racer she’s becoming, though. In 2019, Roberts competed in the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR), a Centennial organization that honors Black cowboys and cowgirls and their contributions to Western culture. Roberts won the BPIR Ladies Barrel Racing Championship in September. She also qualified in 2019 for the Junior World Finals put on by the National Finals Rodeo, the Super Bowl of rodeos. While the teen might be making a name for herself among the bootand-big-belt-buckle set, Roberts doesn’t get any special treatment at home. “Even when it’s really cold out,” says the eighth grader, “I have to go check on the horses before school.” She may not know it, but with her early morning trips to the barn and 12 hours of weekly practice, she’s keeping at least one other Western tradition alive: an unyielding work ethic.

There are those who might quibble with the idea that a small piece of merino wool used to prevent blisters qualifies as gear. Those people would not be Westerners, who know how critical reducing inside-your-sock friction on a long hike can be.

Founded in late 2018, Salt Lake City–based Wūru (pronounced woo-roo) offers a cozy line of wool apparel—T-shirts, base layers, etc.—but it’s the brand’s flagship product, made from 100 percent New Zealand wool, that feels like a tiny blanket for your toes, heels, and anywhere else you might get hot spots. It’s preventive medicine in a 0.75-ounce bag—and it only costs $10.95. wuruwool.com

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the “American history” we learned in school left a few things out—like an accurate portrayal of how the U.S. government treated Native Americans.

Opened in January 2020, the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum in Carson City, Nevada, is filling in the gaps in our education: in particular, how thousands of Native children were removed from their families and sent to assimilation-focused boarding schools. “My grandmother talks about being kidnapped at four years old to attend the Stewart Indian School,” says Stacey Montooth, of the Nevada Indian Commission. From her office on what was the campus of the school from 1890 to 1980, Montooth says she can see the dormitories where her family members grew up, the barns where male students were taught skills so they could be “productive members of society,” and the Bakery Building, where her grandma learned to cook. She can also see the Administration Building, which houses a new $4.5 million cultural center and museum. The history doled out here is what Montooth calls “heavy” but also incredibly necessary. stewartindianschool.com

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LITERATURE

Delia Owens and Tara Westover

TinyCamp There are those who dream about the spaciousness of the penthouse suite, and then there are those who dream smaller— and smarter. For people who dig the tiny house movement (clever design, sustainable building, infill development) or maybe require a step up from glamping, Sedona’s two-year-old TinyCamp resort delivers five beautifully decorated, cliffside retreats that deliver the ahhhhhhhh you need in a big way. With cozy interiors, large decks with amazing views of Oak Creek Canyon and Wilson Mountain, hot tubs (with three of the units), and proximity to hiking trails in Arizona’s famed red rock terrain, these treehouse-like abodes make ideal home bases for a girls spa getaway, a romantic weekend with your SO, or even a quiet escape for a week of remote working. Worried that five teeny cottages might book up fast? Don’t fret: In 2021, a new TinyCamp village will be opening closer to downtown Sedona. tinycamp.com 70

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ADVENTURE

Black Canyon Water Trail In 2012, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior established the National Water Trails System, a designation coordinated by the National Park Service that aimed to help Americans discover water-based recreational opportunities and encourage stewardship of the country’s “treasured waterways.” A couple of years later, the Black Canyon Water Trail—a 30-mile segment of the Colorado River that runs through Nevada and Arizona, starting below the Hoover Dam— became the Southwest’s first National Water Trail. It’s little wonder why this section of flat water was deemed worthy: The water is crystal clear; hot springs abound; there are caves and coves and side hikes aplenty; wildlife is everywhere; and sandy beaches serve as primo campsites. For the best experience, plan to launch at Hoover Dam (permit required through an authorized outfitter), spend at least one night under the stars, and take out at Eldorado Canyon. nps.gov

This spread, clockwise from top left: Katherine Bacon; Izzy Collett/Desert Adventures; Courtesy of Organ Mountain Outfitters; Austin Tucker/Courtesy of Woodward Park City; Jeff Caven Photography/Courtesy of Ten 3; Sarah Boyum

LODGING

Although we’re still searching for just the right mix of expletives to describe 2020, 2019 could easily be called the Year of the Idaho Author. Idahoans are certainly no strangers to national book awards or bestseller lists or Pulitzer Prizes (see Anthony Doerr and Marilynne Robinson); however, last year two books from Gem Staters floated atop the New York Times bestseller lists. In the nonfiction category, Tara Westover’s memoir, Educated, details the author’s isolated upbringing by survivalist parents and her lifelong struggle to educate herself and escape Buck’s Peak. As of early November, Delia Owens’ Where The Crawdads Sing had been on the hardcover fiction list for 112 weeks.

The murder mystery follows the story of a young woman abandoned by her family to live a life of isolation in the North Carolina marshlands. When a young man from a nearby town is found dead, though, locals point at the feral “Marsh Girl.” While one storyline is taken from real life and the other is fashioned from imagination, both books examine themes of family dysfunction, strong women, and survival.

Best Of The Mountain West GEAR

Organ Mountain Outfitters About 10 miles east of the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, sit the rugged Organ Mountains. Their stark silhouette, taken from a photograph snapped by Chris Lang, became the logo for his feel-good apparel company, which started as a booth at the Las Cruces Farmers Market in 2016 and morphed into a brick-andmortar and online sales success story by 2018.

Poignant narratives about the entrepreneurial spirit give most Americans goose bumps, but Organ Mountain Outfitters’ drive to help fund school lunches for local kids whose families can’t afford the bill is what should elicit strong emotions in shoppers looking to purchase T-shirts, hoodies, mesh shorts, and more, all designed, produced, and branded in New Mexico.

To date, the company has donated 100,000 lunches to Las Cruces Public Schools. organmountainoutfitters.com

FOOD

Ten 3

Credits Tk

For those who’ve never been to Albuquerque, New Mexico, there’s a requisite tourist attraction checklist. Old Town, check. ABQ BioPark,

check. Petroglyph National Monument, check. The Sandia Peak Tramway—a 2.7-mile suspended cable car ride from the edge of the city to the 10,378foot summit—is another

must-do, but in 2019 the mountaintop destination got a serious upgrade.

Ten 3, a fine-dining restaurant that offers New Mexican, American, Mediterranean, and other international flavors plus a slick bar area with trendy cocktails, opened in August with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for near360-degree views of the city and the surrounding landscape. In short, there is no better place to take in a Western sunset.

During the pandemic, Ten 3 is operating at 25 percent capacity indoors, but it has also pivoted to provide casual outdoor seating as well as takeout. Reservations are required; tram ticket is not included. ten3tram.com

ADVENTURE

Woodward Park City Accessing a full range of Western terrain means mastering skills most people wouldn’t attempt in their dizziest daydreams. And while hucking off a cliff or screaming around a berm might sound like a blast, learning to do those things in a controlled environment is what Woodward Park City is all about. Billed as the region’s first action sports park, Woodward Park City opened in late 2019 with a 66,000-square-foot indoor space, 120 acres of outdoor amenities, and the Mountain Park, its lift-accessed ski and snowboard area. Related to Woodward Copper, this Utah-based cousin offers activities beyond the snow, including parkour, mountain biking, tumbling, and ninja-ing. It’s also set up in a way that’s perfect for daytrippers, who can sign up for a 90-minute session in the indoor space. woodwardparkcity.com m

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SNOW

COMMAND

Each winter, more than 80 men and women employed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) work alongside first responders to keep I-70 open, come hell or high snow drifts. The crews who work Section 9, the stretch of interstate from Golden to Silverthorne that includes the Eisenhower-Edwin C. Johnson Memorial Tunnel, have a particularly challenging assignment: Clear the pavement so vehicles can cross the Rockies using the world’s highest-elevation tunnel.

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This spread, from left: CDOT snowplows work I-70 during a March 2020 snowfall; from inside CDOT’s command center at the tunnel, Fritz Homann, operations manager for CDOT’s I-70 mountain corridor, explains a multistate program that records data from trucks to help inform CDOT’s preparations for inbound storms.

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EYES ON THE ROAD

Top: Jim Gardner, CDOT incident commander for the department’s rapid response team, coordinates with responders to facilitate the clearing of stranded or disabled vehicles as quickly and safely as possible.

Above: Jeff Tatkenhorst, maintenance superintendent for Section 9, uses binoculars to monitor weather and road conditions on March 19 on the east side of the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnel.

Tatkenhorst is responsible for overseeing all maintenance operations on I-70 between C-470 and the tunnel. During storms, he and Homann take a holistic view of the mountain corridor and position their resources for a unified team approach to keeping Colorado’s most critical east-west thoroughfare open and safe.

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MONITORING THE SITUATION

Above: Traffic management operator Robert Reid checks road conditions, changes caution signs on the highway, and dispatches trucks to clear crashes this past March. Notifying drivers of road conditions through public announcements is one of the ways the department attempts to reduce traffic and keep highways open. “We try to provide accurate information as quickly as possible,” Homann says.

“The rest is up to drivers.” Left: CDOT tunnel superintendent and resident engineer Neal Retzer organizes historical photos of the tunnel.

A plaque on the wall is dedicated to the seven people who died while constructing the tunnel in the 1960s and ’70s.

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GRAINS OF SALT

Above: Bama Milucky, a transportation maintenance 1 worker, tosses salt onto the tunnel’s westbound lanes. The tunnel—which accommodates roughly 35,000 vehicles daily—is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Right: Commercial truck driver Serge Kudelic, who drives along I-70 nearly every week, chains up on the west side of the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnel.

There are 17 chain stations along the I-70 corridor. Colorado’s chain law requires commercial drivers to carry sufficient chains between September 1 and May 31. The regulations help keep highways clear and reduce traffic delays.

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CLEARING THE PATH

Top: CDOT maintenance1 worker Joe Johnson has 10 years of experience on I-70. In the winter, Johnson works 12-hour shifts six days a week, sometimes driving in an echelon formation with other plows during snowstorms. “You gotta watch the guy ahead of you, watch your wing, and watch your side,” he says. “It’s total mayhem, so you need to keep your head on a swivel.”

Johnson lives in Castle Rock but often stays in hotels closer to CDOT’s command center at the tunnel when he’s scheduled to work along I-70. Above: During his typical 12-hour shifts, Milucky’s responsibilities include snow removal, measuring truck height for tunnel clearance, ensuring safety at the portals, and using trucks with push bars to clear stuck vehicles.

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INNER DRIVE

Top: As operations manager, Homann is responsible for Section 9, which stretches from Golden to Silverthorne.

“We stress working with our stakeholders,” he says, “and continuing to get better while working with local, state, county, and municipal law enforcement, maintenance patrols, EMS, and other fellow responders to make roads safer and get them cleared quickly.” Homann acknowledges that drivers often solely talk about CDOT when complaining of delayed traffic or lousy road conditions: “You only hear about us when the broccoli is soggy, not crispy.”

Above: On the job for five years now, Colorado State Trooper Brittani Fah always advises drivers to “slow down, give plows space, and be patient.”

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LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Above: The west side of the tunnel glows through the haze of an April snowfall. Homann explains that the area surrounding the 1.7-mile tunnel receives an average of 315 inches of snow each year. “Avalanche mitigation is a fact of life up here,” he says. CDOT uses handplaced explosives and remotely triggered devices to decrease the danger. Left: Silverthorne resident Patrick Doak rides in the bed of a pickup truck that’s hauling him and other backcountry skiers to the top of Loveland Pass on March 19. The following week, CDOT closed two car pullouts along Loveland Pass to deter backcountry skiers and riders from creating unsafe conditions for motorists. m

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES, ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST SECRETIVE AND CONTROVERSIAL DATA-MINING FIRMS, MOVED ITS HEADQUARTERS FROM SILICON VALLEY TO DENVER? WE’RE ALL ABOUT TO FIND OUT.

BY ROBERT SANCHEZ PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE MCKENNA

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Palantir Technologies, a controversial data-mining company with contracts throughout the highest levels of the federal government, would soon be moving its headquarters out of Palo Alto, California.

As with most everything Palantir does, there was a twist. The company wouldn’t be shifting its operational base to New York City or Washington, D.C., where Palantir maintains offices and would have been in close proximity to some of its most prominent clients. “We haven’t picked a place yet,” Karp said in an interview that aired on HBO late that spring night. “If I had to guess, I would guess something like Colorado.”

Two days later, a manager from Denver’s Department of Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO) pasted into an email a link to a news story that included Karp’s quote about Palantir’s possible move.

Like many within the city’s government, the staffer seemed unfamiliar with Palantir, which has around 2,400 employees worldwide, a valuation estimated near $20 billion, and a mounting list of critics who have questioned the company’s work with the CIA, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and municipal law enforcement agencies. “This company has been talking about relocation for a while,” Rebecca Gillis, DEDO’s business retention and expansion program manager, wrote to employees of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the state agency that most likely would be involved in such a move. “[W]ondering if you can share if they have interacted with OEDIT recently. If not, should we reach out? I may do so on behalf of the city….”

For Colorado, there was reason to act quickly. A Silicon Valley unicorn pulling up anchor in Northern California and seeking refuge at the edge of the This spread, from Rocky Mountains doesn’t happen every day, left: An “unwelespecially in the middle of a pandemic. In come party” at fact, the news couldn’t have come at a betPalantir’s new HQ in LoDo; Palantir’s ter time. As shutdowns mounted nationwide, chief executive, Alex Karp, in 2016

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there appeared to be little immediate economic relief on the horizon; under those circumstances, Palantir’s announcement must have seemed like an unanticipated gift left on Colorado’s doorstep. The company’s move, if it happened, would be an affirmation—a signal to the rest of the nation that Colorado wasn’t just back in business. With another tech company setting up an office in Denver, the state could become a magnet for Silicon Valley firms and other prestigious businesses during the worst economic climate in nearly a century.

THE NAME PALANTIR COMES from the see-

ing stones in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings saga, and the firm’s software analyzes, or “sees,” massive data sets across industries such as finance, transportation, health care, law enforcement, and defense. With two primary programs—named Gotham and Foundry—the company’s tech was forged in the shadow of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when strategic failures underscored the importance of data integration on a mass scale. “We built our company to support the West,” Karp, a billionaire Stanford Law School graduate with a doctorate in neoclassical social theory from Germany’s Goethe University, told the New York Times Magazine earlier this year.

Palantir’s software is viewed as a powerful tool that’s prized for its user-friendliness and its ability to merge and quickly process vast amounts of data that can help organizations identify patterns, trends, and connective tissue that might otherwise elude ordinary human analysis.

The company has at least 125 clients and recently signed a contract to help the U.S. government track the manufacturing, distribution, and administration of future COVID-19 vaccines. Even as Palantir earned $345.5 million in federal contracts in 2019, the company did not turn a profit; in fact, it hasn’t been profitable in its 17 years of existence.

While Palantir officials like talking about their good works—for example, helping Marines in Afghanistan detect roadside bombs, undermining bank fraudsters, or assisting law enforcement in uncovering human trafficking operations—the company’s name these days is synonymous with the nefarious ways in which big data can invade, and even destroy, lives. Among its most recent controversies, Palantir’s tech has been used to power immigration crackdowns across the country. With the help of Palantir, ICE this past year descended on Mississippi chicken-processing plants and arrested nearly 700 undocumented workers, marking one of the largest workplace immigration raids in American history. A 2017 ICE document

Previous spread source photos: Kaitlyn Hodge/EyeEm/Getty Images (eye); Peter Dazeley/Getty Images (camera)

ON MAY 26 OF THIS YEAR, ALEX KARP, THE CEO OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL TECH FIRMS, HINTED AT PERHAPS THE WORST-KEPT SECRET IN SILICON VALLEY:

This spread, from left: Jennifer Piper/Courtesy of American Friends Service Committee; Sean Gallup/Getty Images

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on an impending “Unaccompanied Alien Children Human Smuggling Disruption Initiative” implicated Palantir’s Investigative Case Management software in targeting parents and relatives of unaccompanied minors crossing the border. That same year, Palantir software assisted immigration dragnets across the nation.

Palantir has also been accused of farming Facebook information used by Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. A Palantir employee once helped create an online personality quiz to mine personal data that included information about the test-takers’ Facebook friends (the employee was fired). Over the years, police in New York City and New Orleans have ended their work with Palantir, in the latter case over citizen concerns about how data was being used. Additionally, a University of Texas at Austin professor has raised questions about Palantir’s longtime relationship with the Los Angeles Police Department, in part over data analysis that could lead to racial profiling.

Several Palantir employees left the company after the ICE revelations, and following the departures, Karp—who is also one of the company’s co-founders—began to rail against what he called Silicon Valley’s progressive “monoculture.” He sarcastically called Google employees “super-woke engineers” after the company withdrew in 2018 from Project Maven, the Pentagon’s artificial intelligence operation, following criticism from some employees who didn’t want to be involved in the development of potentially deadly technology.

Soon thereafter, Karp was agitating for Palantir’s exit from California. “The engineering elite of Silicon Valley may know more than most about building software. But they do not know more about how society should be organized or what justice requires,” the company said earlier this year in its paperwork in anticipation of taking the firm public this past September. “Our company was founded in Silicon Valley. But we seem to share fewer and fewer of the technology sector’s values and commitments.”

Even with all of that as a backdrop, Colorado seemed eager to lure the powerful tech company. “I spoke with a [Palantir] rep this morning and they have asked us to prepare a market overview proposal,” Michelle Hadwiger, OEDIT’s deputy director, wrote in an email on May 28, which 5280 obtained through an open records request. “Colorado would likely just be competing w CA….

Governor will call this week and I will let everyone know what I find out.”

On June 3, OEDIT shipped off a 31-page proposal to Palantir. In what could be seen as a nod to Karp’s complaints about Silicon Valley, the plan listed Colorado as a “purple” state, with “conservatives and liberals sharing views and finding common paths forward,” and played up the state’s educated residents, its world-class international airport, its colleges and universities, and Denver’s proximity to federal entities that include military bases and research laboratories. To ease tax-related concerns, the proposal suggested the state’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights “engendered a stable and predictable tax environment for businesses.” The pandemic wasn’t an issue, either. Once COVID-19 was under control, the state assured Palantir, “Colorado businesses and workers will again lead the nation.”

Attached to the proposal was a four-paragraph letter to Karp signed by Governor Jared Polis. Even as Palantir’s workforce was in turmoil, the news cycle was registering negative stories about the company’s work, and ICE raids were being planned across the country, Polis assured Karp that “Colorado shares and embodies Palantir’s vision of promoting national security and economic development through innovation,” adding that “Palantir’s national security primacy would be further cemented by becoming a lead industrial anchor in a forward-looking state that is primed to serve as an international leader in the economy of the future.”

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IN MID-AUGUST, A PALANTIR ATTORNEY let Polis’ office know that the company would locate its headquarters at 1555 Blake Street, in the SugarCube Building, where Palantir had quietly maintained a small staff for the past two years. The attorney then contacted OEDIT, which in turn called the city’s economic development office. An address change—from Palo Alto to Denver—was made on the company’s website. With a few keystrokes and zero fanfare, Palantir now belonged to Denver.

A day or two later, the phone began to ring at the office of Denver City Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca.

The voices on the calls were panicked. Did CdeBaca know that one of the nation’s most secretive companies had just relocated its headquarters into her district? “It was like, Oh, shit,” CdeBaca remembers.

Among those phoning the councilwoman were immiThis spread, from gration activists who’d participated in rallies outside ICE’s left: Governor Jared Aurora Contract Detention Facility, where many of the Polis wrote a letter in support of Palanregion’s undocumented immigrants are kept as they await expansion. Palantir’s decision to relocate their global headtir’s relocation; hearings. The callers were familiar with Palantir’s reputaquarters to Colorado underscores these core strengths.”

Julie Gonzales (top) tion and the ways its technology had been used in support In another statement, Polis’ spokesman wrote that and Jamie Torres are skeptical of the of raids over the years. They also noted how Palantir co“Colorado is quickly becoming a destination for technolcompany’s motives. founder and chairman Peter Thiel—a libertarian and Trump ogy companies because it is an amazing place to live, work, supporter—donated $1.25 million to the 2016 campaign and play and we’re proud that companies are noticing Coland was a speaker at that year’s Republican National Convention. orado’s excellence. When a...company like Palantir moves to our state Until late August, CdeBaca admits, she’d never heard of the comwithout any state incentives, it says a lot about the attractiveness of pany. “These people were asking me, ‘Do you know what Palantir our state and much more about our highly educated, highly motidoes? Do you know what is being done to address this?’ ” CdeBaca vated workforce chock-full of innovators.” says. She Googled “Palantir,” and what she found made her furious.

Hancock’s spokeswoman did not make the mayor available for an “A company like this, and the governor and the mayor don’t say a interview and referred 5280’s questions to Eric Hiraga, the executive thing about it?” the councilwoman says. “I had no heads-up from director of DEDO, who spoke with a Palantir attorney on Septemanyone that this was coming.” ber 14—nearly three weeks after the move was made public. Hiraga Within the first few weeks after Palantir’s relocation, local politisays Palantir’s relocation already had led to “a pipeline of prospects” cians began pressing the city and state for more information. Who from Silicon Valley, though he admits he “didn’t know much” about contacted whom? How many Palantir workers would relocate to the company before its move. During his 15-minute call with PalanDenver? How many Coloradans would the company hire? Had tir—Hancock’s chief of staff was also on the line—Hiraga says the Palantir said anything about working with Denver police? Would the company didn’t shed light on its work or its growth strategy within company’s headquarters remain in its Blake Street office—which was Denver. “They were holding things close to the vest, in anticipation miniscule compared to Palantir’s Palo Alto presence—or was it lookof going public,” Hiraga says of Palantir’s Nasdaq stock exchange ing for property elsewhere in the city? Did Polis and Mayor Michael listing, which went live on September 30. Despite the lack of inforHancock have an opinion about Palantir and its work? mation, Hiraga says DEDO is open to finding ways to assist Palantir, “All anyone keeps hearing is that Palantir didn’t get any tax incenincluding helping the company find prospective employees and tives to move, as if that absolves them of everything else,” says state directing it to potential philanthropic efforts in the city.

Senator Julie Gonzales, whose district also includes Palantir’s new Hiraga says he’s looked at job-recruiting websites and noticed headquarters. “We’ve got a company that’s been the steroid injected that the company was offering employment opportunities at its new into the ICE surveillance infrastructure, in a city where people have headquarters. “Palantir has had impressive growth as a tech company,” actively fought for immigrant rights, and we can’t get answers on Hiraga says. “We have other publicly traded firms in our portfolio, some very basic questions. I’m mystified.” and they add to the attractiveness of the city, and they further our tech Polis’ spokesman referred questions about Palantir to OEDIT, ecosystem. There will be time to build our relationship as [Palantir] which declined to make available any of its officials for interviews. develops plans.”

In a statement to 5280, former U.S. Representative Betsy Markey—a In his interview with 5280, Hiraga was joined by other DEDO member of Polis’ cabinet who serves as OEDIT’s executive director— officials, including the department’s spokeswoman, Leesly Leon. wrote: “Colorado’s world-class talent, quality of life, and collaborative Asked whether Denver’s cultural values aligned with Palantir’s vision, environment continue to be major drivers of business relocation and Leon said, “We don’t know much about Palantir yet, and we need to 84

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AAron Ontiveroz/the Denver Post via Getty Images

“A spirit of support, bold progress, and collaboration permeates all we do here, and my team is standing by to assist you with anything you might need,” the governor continued, according to a copy of the letter obtained by 5280. “There is a friendly set of local and state communities waiting to welcome Palantir to Colorado.”

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From top: Armando Geneyro/Courtesy of Julie Gonzales; Courtesy of Denver City Council

know more from them.” She added, “We look forward, once they get settled, to get to know more about what they do, their operations, and how they plan to engage with our community.”

THOUGH POLIS, HANCOCK, AND OFFICIALS from both OEDIT and DEDO had myriad opportunities to quiz Palantir officials about the company’s future plans, emails obtained by 5280 through open records requests don’t indicate they did. One message in August—sent the day the relocation was announced—includes a rundown of Palantir facts, distributed among members of city staff, that gives a breezy mention of the company’s work with ICE and a note that Thiel was a Trump backer “although recently [he] said he may pull back his support.” Perhaps the most critical comment among dozens of emails is from a DEDO staffer who calls Karp a “character.”

According to a Polis spokesman, the governor has talked once to Karp, on a brief phone call that occurred after Palantir settled on its Denver relocation. Email records show that a Palantir attorney tried to set up a virtual meeting between Karp and Hancock, but the mayor ultimately did not participate.

The decision to welcome Palantir, while also seemingly keeping the messier parts of the company’s work at arm’s length, has dismayed civil rights attorneys. With Polis, who made his fortune through tech-based businesses, “you’ve got a governor with a Silicon Valley attachment,” says Arash Jahanian, director of policy and civil rights litigation at Meyer Law Office. “It might be that all he’s thinking about is how great it is to get a Silicon Valley company here. I would have hoped our state and local leaders wouldn’t so blindly welcome a company like this without hesitation—or at least that they’d mention how unfortunate it is, the business they conduct—but it’s clear that officials looked at this only for the bottom line, that it was good for the economic possibilities in Colorado.”

Seth Levine, a Boulder-based venture capitalist who co-founded the tech investment firm Foundry Group, says Palantir’s relocation could be viewed as a boon for the state, but really it’s just a “continuation of the dynamism in the local tech economy” that has seen giants like Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Amazon open offices in Colorado. “This doesn’t change the game for Denver,” he says, “but it is a signal to other tech businesses, in the time of COVID, that this is a great place.”

But if Karp moved to Colorado to escape California’s political climate, Levine says, “I think he’s misjudged the nature of the Colorado workforce.

I hope this isn’t a political play, because companies should evaluate their region to operate based on availability of talent, their ability to successfully run their businesses. If Palantir moved here because they feel like their current issues won’t matter in Colorado, that’s not true. If they don’t think this is a progressive community, I absolutely believe they’ve made a mistake.”

“DENVER FELT LIKE A PALANTIR SORT OF PLACE,” says Sam Rascoff,a longtime adviser to Palantir who is helping coordinate the company’s expansion to Denver and is a friend of Karp’s. “There’s a diversity of perspective and viewpoints on issues, and that’s important to us because we work in areas where complexity is the rule. Colorado feels like a place where complex issues can be addressed as such, and not broken down into a simple formula. For Palantir, it checked a lot of boxes.”

As the state detailed in its proposal to Palantir, Denver has multiple other tech firms, nearby government offices, and universities from which to draw future employees. It also didn’t hurt that the governor had built his wealth by creating an early internet access provider and later founded online floral and greeting card companies. “Colorado’s hospitable to tech entrepreneurship,” Rascoff says. “One good way to gauge that is whether the governor of your state is a tech entrepreneur himself who has a feel for this area. If so, you probably have essentially proven the point.”

Palantir has added engineers and senior managers to its Denver operation since it officially moved its headquarters. In a few months, Rascoff says, Palantir doubled its Denver workforce, which initially numbered in the “tens.” COVID-19 will determine other moves, but Rascoff expects there will be “substantial growth” in the Denver office within the next year. If that happens, Rascoff says, the company likely would look for a larger office, perhaps elsewhere in the city.

Though Rascoff says working with state government or private entities “wasn’t part of the rationale” in Palantir’s move, the company pitched Colorado officials this spring on a project that would collect “diverse” health-related data to help the state with its COVID-19 response. In an April 3 email obtained by 5280, Palantir executive Medhi Alhassani told state officials the company was in the process of “on-boarding local and emergency and healthcare staff in Colorado” into a program that could bring together “patient-level” electronic health records, hospital capacity information, and supply chain data for critical supplies—among other things—for policy analysts and decision makers. Alhassani offered Palantir’s service for free. Another Palantir executive also emailed Colorado officials “seeking conversations with state leadership and hospitals to explore how we might together contribute to the overall [pandemic] response” with software that would be “the single point of data truth and common operational picture for state, federal, and private leaders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” In yet another email, the executive wanted to know how state officials were “incorporating economic data into policy decisions,” adding the company had “been approached by a client who handles a high volume of Colorado credit card transactions to see how their information might be useful.” It’s unclear whether state officials responded to that request.

In a statement to 5280, a state spokeswoman said Colorado has an “End User Agreement” with Palantir “as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and White House Coronavirus Task Force requirements for reporting hospital and ventilator use data to the federal government.” She added that the program “allows Colorado access to anonymized data provided by Colorado hospitals through this platform. Prior to this agreement, there is no record of transactions or contracts with this entity.”

“As a state, we absolutely have to be on top of what Palantir is doing and what it might want to do in our state down the road,” says Gonzales, the state senator. This year, Gonzales was preparing to introduce a data privacy bill in the Colorado CONTINUED ON PAGE 104 DECEMBER 2020

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DINING GUIDE $

U N D E R $ 10

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$ 11 T O $ 15

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SYMBOL KEY NEW

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

$ 16 T O $ 25

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

Yorkese, Rye Society, Rooted Craft Kitchen, and Quiero Arepas. Also try the original LoHi location. 1401 Pearl St., Boulder, 720-343-7757.

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

B

25 B E S T

Indicates inclusion in 5280’s 2019 list of Denver’s best restaurants; we did not release a 2020 list due to COVID19 disruptions and closures. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change.

A Acreage by Stem Ciders

$$

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

Angelo’s Taverna

$$

Speer / Italian This neighborhood nook dishes up tasty grilled oysters as well as pastas and pizzas.

Try the lobster gnocchi. Also try the Littleton location. Reservations not accepted. 620 E. Sixth Ave., 303-744-3366. Lunch, Dinner

25 B E S T

Annette

$$$

Arcana

$$$$

Aurora / American Caroline Glover brings a warm dining experience to Stanley Marketplace with Annette. 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 25 B E S T

Boulder / American This charming restaurant explores the roots of American heritage through food. Pair a cider with the Colorado lamb shank or the corn and poblano hush puppies. Reservations accepted. 909 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-444-3885. Dinner, Brunch Ash’Kara

$$$

Highland / Middle Eastern Chef Daniel Asher offers a playful take on Middle Eastern cuisine at this plant-bedecked eatery. Try the falafel or king salmon crudo. Reservations accepted. 2005 W. 33rd Ave., 303-537-4407. Dinner, Brunch

Avanti Food & Beverage Boulder

$$

Boulder / International Current tenants of this food collective on the Pearl Street Mall include Boychik, Pig and Tiger, Method Coffee Roasters, New

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Visit our online listings at 5280.com/ restaurants.

25 B E S T

25 B E S T

Bar Dough

$$$

Highland / Italian Tuck into wood-fired pizzas, comforting pastas, and Italian-style cocktails from chef-owner Max Mackissock at this casual gathering spot. Reservations accepted. 2227 W. 32nd Ave., 720-668-8506. Dinner, Brunch

Barcelona Wine Bar

$$

Barolo Grill

$$$$

RiNo / Spanish This cozy tapas bar specializes in the food and wine of Spain. Try the patatas bravas and the paella mariscos with prawns, mussels, and calamari. Reservations accepted. 2900 Larimer St., 303-816-3300. Lunch, Dinner

25 B E S T

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

$$$

Boulder / Italian This wood-fired eatery offers bold flavors and interesting wines. Try the lasagna with seasonal ingredients and the clam pizza.

Reservations accepted. 3601 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-997-8775. Dinner

$$$$

Beckon

$$$$

RiNo / Contemporary Chef Duncan Holmes brings an elevated, intimate dining experience to Larimer Street. The seasonal menu changes frequently, and excellent, thoughtful wine pairings are available. Reservations required. 2843 Larimer St., 303-749-0020. Dinner NEW

Bellota

$$$

RiNo / Mexican Inside the Source, chef Manny Barella cooks elevated regional fare inspired by his Monterrey, Mexico, childhood. Reservations accepted. The Source, 3350 Brighton Blvd., 720-542-3721. Lunch, Dinner Bistro Vendôme

$$$

Downtown / French Indulge in French bistro classics, such as steak frites with béarnaise sauce, at this romantic Larimer Square spot. Reservations accepted. 1420 Larimer St., 303-825-3232.

Dinner, Brunch

25 B E S T

Basta

Beast & Bottle

Uptown Area / American A sustainable-sourcing mantra permeates a menu featuring everything from local lamb to cod collars. Look for weekend farmers’ market pop-ups with Longmont’s Ollin Farms and expanded patio seating. Reservations accepted. 719 E. 17th Ave., 303-623-3223.

Dinner, Brunch

Blackbelly

$$$

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

Nothing But Dumplings Seoul Mandoo is proving that size does matter, one giant dumpling at a time.

The seven-month-old Aurora spot serves madefrom-scratch mandu and other Korean dishes. Order its excellent deep-fried or steamed versions, which are similar to Chinese pot stickers. But don’t miss the wang mandu: quarterpound dumplings stuffed to the brim with pork, kimchi, veggies, or tail-on shrimp.

Sarah Boyum

PRICE KEY

(Average Entrée)

Want More Dining Options?

DINING GUIDE Boney’s Smokehouse BBQ

C

$$$

Downtown / Barbecue Hickory smoke lures diners to this temple of Southern-style slow-cooked meats.

Order the generous sampler platter so you can taste it all. 1543 Champa St., 303-825-9900.

Lunch, Dinner

Briar Common Brewery & Eatery

$$

Jefferson Park / American You’ll find both classic and experimental beer styles here, all of which are designed for pairing with the diverse menu of shared plates and entrées. Reservations accepted. 2298 Clay St., 720-512-3894. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Cafe Aion

Prosecco on tap. Order the Basque-style cheesecake for dessert. Also try the Highland location.

2500 Larimer St., 303-292-3553. Dinner $$$

Boulder / Mediterranian Enjoy a menu of small plates and family-style meals at this European– inspired tapas bar. Reservations accepted. 1235 Pennsylvania Ave., Boulder, 303-993-8131.

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Cart-Driver

25 B E S T

Cattivella

$$$

Central Park / Italian Chef Elise Wiggins offers rustic, wood-fired Italian fare from a sprawling chef’s counter. Go for grilled oysters, seasonal pizzas, and fresh pastas. Reservations accepted.

10195 E. 29th Dr., Ste. 110, 303-645-3779.

Lunch, Dinner

$$

RiNo / Pizza Inspired by Italy’s roadside cafes, Cart-Driver slings oysters, wood-fired pizzas, and

NEW LOCATION COMING SOON!

Chicken Rebel

$$

Highland / American The brick-and-mortar location of the popular food truck and former Avanti food stall serves up sandwiches, salads, and more starring beer-battered fried chicken. Reservations not accepted. 3618 Tejon St., 720-710-6620.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

ChoLon

$$$$

Downtown / Asian This contemporary restaurant serves modern twists on Pan-Asian cuisine. Don’t miss the French onion soup dumplings. Also try the Central Park location. Reservations accepted.

1555 Blake St., 303-353-5223. Lunch, Dinner

Chook

$

Platt Park / Australian Chook specializes in Australian-style, charcoal-grilled rotisserie chicken and fresh veggie sides. Also try the Hale location.

Reservations not accepted. 1300 S. Pearl St., 303-282-8399. Lunch, Dinner

25 B E S T

Comal Heritage Food Incubator

$$

Globeville / International You’ll find family recipes from Latin America and Syria at this restaurant, which has a rotating menu and provides job training to local women. Reservations not accepted. 3455 Ringsby Ct., Ste. 105, 303-292-0770. Lunch 25 B E S T

Corrida

$$$$

Boulder / Spanish Housed on the rooftop level of the Pearl West building, this elegant Spanish steak house offers Flatiron views and fabulous cocktails and wines. Reservations accepted. 1023 Walnut St., Ste. 400, Boulder, 303-444-1333. Dinner

Come and experience why everyone has fallen in love with our food “BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT” - 5280, EVERY YEAR SINCE 2002

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

ESTABLISHED 1998 Takeout, Catering & Delivery Available

★

Gluten Free Menu

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Daughter Thai

$$$$

Highland / Thai This upscale restaurant serves beautifully plated dishes and inventive cocktails with an elegant ambiance to match. Reservations accepted. 1700 Platte St., Ste. 140, 720-6674652. Lunch, Dinner

Denver Central Market

$$

Dimestore Delibar

$$

RiNo / International Dining options at this marketplace range from ceviche to ice cream. Take your pick from Crema Bodega, Vero Italian, Curio Bar, High Point Creamery, and more. 2669 Larimer St., Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

★

FOLLOW OUR FOOD TRUCK!

Your Neighborhood Restaurant of Choice proudly serving you for 22 years 330 E. 6TH AVE. | 303-871-9777

D

2390 S. DOWNING | 303-298-1939

LITTLEINDIAOFDENVER.COM

Highland / American This restaurant, bar, convenience store, and market serves elevated deli fare in an eclectic setting. Try the rolled focaccia meatloaf sandwich. Reservations not accepted. 1575 Boulder St., Unit A, 303-537-5323. Lunch, Dinner

WE HOPE At National Jewish Health, the nation’s

leading respiratory hospital, we breathe hope.

Our doctors, scientists and caregivers are

working in our community and across the globe to meet the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We continue our commitment to pushing the boundaries of respiratory science, research and care which has earned us #1 or #2 rankings on the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list for 24 years.

If you struggle with lung, heart or immune-related conditions, now is the time to get the best care available anywhere.

To make an appointment or for more information, call 800.621.0505 or visit njhealth.org

DINING GUIDE 25 B E S T

Dio Mio

$$

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

The house-made sourdough bread is heavenly.

Reservations not accepted. 3264 Larimer St., 303-562-1965. Dinner

Developing health care leaders.

E

Become part of a new generation leading on the front lines with a Master of Health Administration from MSU Denver.

Edgewater Public Market

$$

El Jefe

$$

Edgewater / International Satisfy your cravings for everything from wild game sandwiches to Ethiopian fare at this eclectic collective of nearly two dozen food stalls and boutiques. Tenants include Konjo Ethiopian, Lucky Bird, Lazo Empanadas, and more. 5505 W. 20th Ave., Edgewater, 303-797-9119. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Sunnyside / Mexican Farm-to-table Mexican fare will lure you to this welcoming Sunnyside haunt.

Pair a house margarita with the four-cheese queso dip, and don’t miss the organic mushroom tacos or the butcher steak fajitas. Reservations accepted.

2450 W. 44th Ave., 720-389-7615. Dinner

El Taco de Mexico

$

Lincoln Park / Mexican This Denver favorite serves Mexican food with an emphasis on authenticity.

Try the chile relleno burrito or Mexican-style hamburger. Reservations not accepted. 714 Santa Fe Dr., 303-623-3926. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

F Farmhouse Thai Eatery

$$

The Feedery

$$

Lakewood / Thai This cozy spot offers flavorful specialties from multiple regions, including northern Thailand’s khao soi (egg noodles in coconut curry) and som tum (green papaya salad). Reservations accepted. 98 Wadsworth Blvd., #117, Lakewood, 303-237-2475. Lunch, Dinner

Englewood / American Seasonal recipes and ingredients from local growers and its own urban farm and marketplace, Grow & Gather, fuel an evolving menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes. Reservations accepted. 900 E. Hampden Ave., Englewood, 720-535-7217. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

NEW

The Fifth String

msudenver.edu/master-your-future

Fish N Beer

MHA 90

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DECEMBER 2020

$$

Highland / American The Fifth String brings chef Amos Watts’ seasonally inspired cooking to Tejon Street. Try the potato-cheese pierogies with Brussels sprouts. Reservations accepted. 3316 Tejon St., #102, 720-420-0622. Dinner

$$$

RiNo / Seafood Kevin Morrison offers approachable, fresh seafood and a hearty beer list at this casual oysterette. Try the wood-fire-grilled whole bass. Reservations not accepted. 3510 Larimer St., 303-248-3497. Dinner

DINING GUIDE Flagstaff House

Frank & Roze

$

Hale / Cafe This stylish cafe serves sustainably sourced coffee from South America, Africa, Asia, and beyond and all-day fare from chef Tom Coohill, including breakfast sandwiches and toasts, fresh-baked pastries, soups, and charcuterie boards. Reservations not accepted. 4097 E. Ninth Ave., 720-328-2960. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

25 B E S T

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 Fruition Restaurant

G

$$$$

Boulder / Contemporary Located atop Flagstaff Mountain, this restaurant has a huge wine list and a spectacular view of Boulder. Try the Hudson Valley foie gras plate. Reservations accepted. 1138 Flagstaff Rd., Boulder, 303-442-4640. Dinner

Gaetano’s

Highland Tap and Burger

$$$

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

Gaku Ramen

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. 2219 W. 32nd Ave., 720-287-4493. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

$$

Boulder / Japanese This Boulder ramen shop serves three of the most traditional types of the Japanese noodle soup: shoyu, miso, and tonkotsu.

Reservations not accepted. 1119 13th St., Boulder, 303-736-2879. Lunch, Dinner

Guard and Grace

HiRa Cafe & Patisserie

$$$$

25 B E S T

$

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

H

Hops & Pie

Hank’s Texas BBQ

$$

Berkeley / Pizza Craft pizza and local brews are this spot’s forte. Load up your pie with toppings such as blackberry barbecue sauce and brisket, and wash it all down with a choice of more than 20 beers. Reservations not accepted. 3920 Tennyson St., 303-477-7000. Lunch, Dinner

$$

Hale / Barbecue This fast-casual barbecue joint serves tender, slow-cooked meats (including brisket and hot links) in sandwiches, tacos, and salads

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$$

Aurora / Ethiopian Pastry chef-owner Hiwot Solomon pairs her from-scratch desserts and Ethiopian breakfast plates with house-roasted, single-origin coffee at this cheery cafe. Reservations not accepted. 10782 E. Iliff Ave., Aurora, 720-9491703. Breakfast

Downtown / Steak House Chef Troy Guard’s modern steak house offers a chic setting for his innovative fare, which includes a raw bar and delicate salads. Try the flight of filet mignon.

Reservations accepted. 1801 California St., 303-293-8500. Dinner

$$$$

Country Club / American James Beard Award– winning chef Alex Seidel’s tiny kitchen focuses on seasonal dishes that are big on flavor.

Many ingredients come straight from Seidel’s farm. Diners flock for the pasta carbonara.

Reservations accepted. 1313 E. Sixth Ave., 303-831-1962. Dinner

until supplies run out each day. Try the pulled pork frito pie. Reservations not accepted. 5410 E. Colfax Ave., 720-277-3225. Lunch, Dinner

Park City Canyons Deer Valley Vail Beaver Creek Aspen Snowmass Copper Keystone Breckenridge Steamboat Sun Valley Mammoth Squaw Santa Monica Killington New York City Whistler Verbier Val d’Isére Oslo London Denver Jackson

SKI THE SUREFOOT DIFFERENCE

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Surefoot’s proprietary fitting process fits you into the most comfortable and best performing boot you could imagine, immediately. With 3D imaging, custom fit insoles, memory foam injected liners, and an integrated heating system, you’re ready for the best skiing of your life– in just over an hour. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned expert, Surefoot has the right boot for you. Come in and experience the Surefoot difference today.

SKIER: Camilla Fraschini, Surefoot buyer (6 yr.)

DINING GUIDE

I

India’s Restaurant

Il Porcellino Salumi

$$

Berkeley / Deli This family-owned spot offers excellent, locally raised cured meats, charcuterie boards, and sandwiches. 4334 W. 41st Ave., 303-477-3206. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Imperial Chinese

Izakaya Den

$$$

Baker / Chinese Enjoy Cantonese and Szechuan fare in an elegant setting. Reservations accepted.

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

J

$$$

Hampden / Indian This spot serves an extensive menu of Indian specialties, including tandoori chicken, goat vindaloo, and saag paneer. Order a thali platter to try a combination of dishes. Reservations accepted. 8921 E. Hampden Ave., 303-755-4284. Lunch, Dinner $$

Platt Park / Japanese Ultra-fresh sushi, sashimi, and creative small plates from the team behind Sushi Den are on the menu at this local favorite.

Reservations accepted. 1487-A S. Pearl St., 303-777-0691. Lunch, Dinner

J’s Noodles Star Thai 2

$

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

Jamaican Grill

$$

Lincoln Park / Jamaican This family-owned Jamaican restaurant serves classic Caribbeancentric dishes like jerk chicken, fried plaintains, and rice and peas. Also try the Jamaican Mini Grille and International Jerk Market in Lakewood. 709 W. Eighth Ave., 303-623-0013.

Lunch, Dinner

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar

$$$

Downtown / Seafood Enjoy sustainable seafood in an upbeat atmosphere. Specialties include the raw oyster bar and seasonally composed plates.

Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 1539 17th St., 303-292-5767. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

25 B E S T

Julep

$$

RiNo / Southern Chef Kyle Foster serves sophisticated dishes inspired by the flavors and techniques of the South, such as barbecued snails and pork and oyster sausage. Reservations accepted. 3258 Larimer St., 303-295-8977. Dinner, Brunch

K Start your own unique cosmic adventure at the newly reopened Space Odyssey!

Kahlo’s Restaurant

$$

Westwood / Mexican Enjoy specialties like 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

Kitsune Denver

$$$

RiNo / Japanese Chefs Marcus Eng and Sam Soell’s bento box delivery service is inspired by the traditional boxed lunches sold at train stations in Japan. Pick-up is also available. Reservations not accepted. 2706 Larimer St., 303-868-3703.

Lunch, Dinner

L dmns.org/spaceodyssey

La Calle Taqueria Y Carnitas

$

Valverde / Mexican This is a must-visit destination for taco lovers. Try the tacos al pastor and carnitas and take advantage of the selection of fresh salsas.

Reservations not accepted. 1565 W. Alameda Ave., 720-583-6586. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

“Space Odyssey” was made possible with support from many donors, including The Anschutz Foundation, Mark & Martha Freeman, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Lockheed Martin, Blair & Kristin Richardson, and M. Patrick & Jo Ann Swingle.

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La Loma

$$

Downtown / Mexican This local favorite offers a menu of classic Mexican eats such as flautas, tacos, and fajitas in a convivial downtown location. Pair your meal with one of the refreshing house margaritas. Reservations accepted. 1801 Broadway, 303-433-8300. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Meet “Indi” a tiny Liger Cub that was recently confiscated from a terrible breeder who purposely cross bred Lions and Tigers to fuel his cub petting business. Indi needs your help so she can safely grow into a happy and healthy adult who will then live the rest of her life in a large natural habitat at the World’s largest carnivore sanctuary.

WildAnimalSanc tuary.org

DINING GUIDE Le Bilboquet

25 B E S T

N

$$$$

Cherry Creek / French An offshoot of the more than 30-year-old New York City establishment, Le Bilboquet serves upscale French fare in a posh setting. Reservations accepted. 299 St. Paul St., 303-835-9999. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch LeRoux

$$$$

Downtown / French Lon Symensma’s upscale, European-inspired eatery features table-side preparations and a roving cheese cart. Reservations accepted. 1555 Blake St., Ste 102, 720-8451673. Dinner 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

Congress Park / American This casual joint has juicy brisket burgers, inventive sandwiches, and griddled tacos. 2730 E. Colfax Ave., 303-3994137. Lunch, Dinner

Lola Coastal Mexican

$$

Athmar Park / Vietnamese This spot serves an extensive menu featuring delicious rice paper wraps, bahn mi sandwiches, pho noodle soup, seafood dishes, rice bowls, and more.

Reservations accepted. 630 S. Federal Blvd., 303-936-4954. Lunch, Dinner

NOLA Voodoo Tavern

$

$$

Highland / American This all-day eatery, bar, and market has a focus 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

$$$

M

$$

Cole / Southern New Orleans native Henry Batiste serves his grandmother’s recipes for gumbo, po’ boys, and more at this Louisiana-inspired spot.

Reservations not accepted. 3321 Bruce Randolph Ave., 720-389-9544. Lunch, Dinner

Northside Eatery & Market

Highland / Mexican The flavors and beachy vibes of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula shine at Lola.

Order the charred octopus and the queso fundido.

Reservations accepted. 1575 Boulder St., 720-570-8686. Dinner, Brunch

Makizushico

New Saigon

Oak at Fourteenth

$$$$

Boulder / American 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., 303-7186580. Lunch, Dinner

$

$$

Osaka Ramen

$$

Mason’s Dumpling Shop

$$

Owlbear Barbecue

$$

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

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

Aurora / Chinese A menu of homemade steamed, boiled, and pan-fried dumplings complement a selection of noodle and rice bowls and vegetable-forward sides at this Los Angelesborn spot. Reservations not accepted. 9655 E. Montview Blvd., Aurora, 303-600-8998.

Lunch, Dinner Mercantile Dining & Provision

My Brother’s Bar

$

Highland / Pub Enjoy beers and burgers in one of Denver’s oldest bars. Reservations not accepted.

2376 15th St., 303-455-9991. Lunch, Dinner |

DECEMBER 2020

RiNo / Japanese Jeff Osaka’s modern ramen shop features original noodle soups, bento boxes, and creative small plates. Try the okonomiyaki fries.

Reservations not accepted. 2611 Walnut St., 303-955-7938. Lunch, Dinner RiNo / Barbecue The brick-and-mortar joint from pitmaster Karl Fallenius is serving brisket, ribs, and all of the fixings. Order the pork belly. 2826 Larimer St., 970-708-3954. Lunch, Dinner

P

$$$

Downtown / American Award-winning chef Alex Seidel offers upscale, contemporary farm-to-table fare. Reservations accepted. Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., 720-460-3733. Dinner

5280

Pho Duy

$

Pizzeria Locale

$

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

Speer / Pizza This fast-casual pizza spot offers family-friendly counter service with premium ingredients, brought to you by the team at Boulder’s more upscale pizzeria of the same name. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 550 Broadway, 720-508-8828. Lunch, Dinner

Post Oak Barbecue

$$

Berkeley / Barbecue Texas barbecue smoked over the restaurant’s namesake wood is the draw at this Tennyson Street joint. Don’t miss the certified Angus prime brisket. Reservations not accepted. 4000 Tennyson St., 303-458-1555. Lunch, Dinner

Potager

Marco’s Coal-Fired

96

$

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

$$$

Capitol Hill / American This rustic family-owned restaurant specializes in seasonal fare made with locally sourced ingredients. The menu changes once a month. Reservations accepted.

1109 Ogden St., 303-832-5788. Dinner

Q

$$$

Littleton / Japanese Fresh fish is flown in daily from coastlines around the world for Makizushico’s menu of sushi, sashimi, and variety of hot and cold Japanese-style small plates. Try the omakase.

Reservations accepted. 5950 S. Platte Canyon Rd., 720-739-7777. Lunch, Dinner

25 B E S T

Pete’s Kitchen

Park Hill Sushi Co.

$$

Park Hill / Sushi This quick-service sushi spot specializes in made-to-order hand rolls. Order a temaki set and choose from a variety of fresh fillings like blue crab, spicy tuna, lobster, and uni.

Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted.

4900 E. Colfax Ave., Unit A, 303-953-9581.

Lunch, Dinner

25 B E S T

Q House

$$$

City Park West / 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. 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

R Restaurant Olivia

$$$$

Rioja

$$$$

Washington Park / Italian This cozy-yet-modern neighborhood spot from the team behind Bistro Georgette specializes in fresh pastas and Italian classics like chicken marsala. Try the lobster spaghetti. Reservations accepted. 209 S. Downing St., 303-999-0395. Dinner

Downtown / Mediterranean James Beard Award– winning chef Jennifer Jasinski creates high-end Mediterranean-influenced cuisine. Reservations accepted. 1431 Larimer St., 303-820-2282. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

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DINING GUIDE Room for Milly

$$

Highland / American A menu of refined small plates and killer cocktails complements a jazzage ambiance inspired by a globe-trotting socialite at Room for Milly. Reservations accepted. 1615 Platte St., Suite 145, 720-6307020. Dinner, Brunch

Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen

$$

Five Points / Deli Get your fix of New York–style bagels at this Five Points deli. Don’t miss the Standard, a bagel and cream cheese topped with gravlax, tomato, and onion. Also try the Aurora location. Reservations not accepted. 725 E. 26th Ave., 720-440-9880. Breakfast, Lunch

S 25 B E S T

Safta

Seoul Mandoo

$$$

$$

Aurora / Korean This petite spot serves steamed and fried Korean dumplings that are made from scratch daily. Don’t miss the wang mandu (giant

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25 B E S T

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 Stanley Marketplace

$$

Sullivan Scrap Kitchen

$$

Aurora / International Stop by this sprawling marketplace for offerings from Logan House Coffee, Miette et Chocolat, Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen, Elita Specialty Market & Kitchen, and many more. 2501 Dallas St., Aurora, 720-990-6743. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Super Star Asian Cuisine

City Park West / American Chef-owner Terrance Rogers uses sustainably sourced ingredients and unused food items from his catering company to produce light and fresh salads, sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and more. Reservations not accepted.

1740 E. 17th Ave., 720-242-6292. Lunch

25 B E S T

Super Mega Bien

$$$

RiNo / Latin American Chef Dana Rodriguez offers a combo of large-format items and PanLatin small plates. Reservations not accepted.

The Ramble Hotel, 1260 25th St., 720-2694695. Dinner

$

Athmar Park / Asian This glitz-free eatery serves top-notch dim sum and an extensive menu of traditional Chinese plates. Don’t miss the char sui pork buns. 2200 W. Alameda Ave., Ste. 34, 303-727-9889. Lunch, Dinner

T Tables

$$$

South Park Hill / American A glass of wine, flickering candlelight, and mismatched tables set the mood at this cozy neighborhood restaurant.

Reservations accepted. 2267 Kearney St., 303-388-0299. Dinner

25 B E S T

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 NEW

dumplings). Reservations not accepted. 2222 S. Havana St., Unit J, Aurora, 303-953-9590.

Lunch, Dinner

Tavernetta

$$$$

Downtown / Italian The team behind Boulder’s acclaimed Frasca Food and Wine offers the same attention to hospitality at this more casual Denver restaurant. The space is home to dishes from across Italy and a deep wine list. Reservations accepted.

1889 16th St., 720-605-1889. Dinner Temaki Den

$$

RiNo / Japanese Chef Kenta Kamo and Sushi Den’s Toshi Kizaki team up to bring temaki (hand rolls), aburi (flame-seared) nigiri, and craft beverages to the Source. Reservations accepted. The Source Hotel, 3330 Brighton Blvd., 225-4050811. Dinner

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DINING GUIDE Tocabe

U

$

Berkeley / American American Indian food goes Chipotle-style at this quick-service restaurant. Try the fry bread taco loaded with beef, buffalo, or chicken and a variety of fresh toppings. Also try the Greenwood Village location. 3536 W. 44th Ave., 720-524-8282. Lunch, Dinner

Turtle Boat

$$

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

25 B E S T

Uchi Denver

style steamed buns and, of course, ramen. Also try the Speer location. 2215 W. 32nd Ave., 303433-3263. Dinner $$$$

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

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

Highland / Asian This modern noodle house’s selective menu includes dishes such as Chinese-

Uncle Zoe’s Chinese Kitchen

Aurora / Chinese Handmade dumplings, along with a selection of Sichuan specialties, are on the menu at this family-owned restaurant. Don’t miss the delicious xiaolongbao (soup dumpings).

12203 E. Iliff Ave., Unit D, Aurora, 303-7558518. Lunch, Dinner

$

Urban Farmer

$$$

Downtown / Steak House This steak house features whole-animal butchery and an excellent charcuterie program, and sources its honey from a rooftop bee hive. The Oxford Hotel, 1659 Wazee St., 303-262-6070. Lunch, Dinner

V Vert Kitchen

$$

Washington Park / French Salads and sandwiches dot the small menu at this European-inspired cafe.

Reservations not accepted. 704 S. Pearl St., 303-997-5941. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

W WaterCourse Foods

$$

Welton Street Cafe Home of Mona’s

$$

White Pie

$$

Uptown Area / American This vegetarian icon has been serving wholesome food since 1998.

The zesty soups, salads, and wraps are healthy and delicious. Reservations accepted after 5 p.m. 837 E. 17th Ave., 303-832-7313. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch Five Points / Southern Enjoy soul food with a dash of Caribbean flair at this charming Five Points cafe. 2736 Welton St., 303-296-6602.

Lunch, Dinner

City Park West / Pizza This neighborhood joint has an excellent selection of New Haven–style pizzas and homemade pastas. Pair the Porky Porkorino, topped with soppressata, mozzarella, pickled chiles, and spicy honey, with a frozen negroni. Reservations not accepted. 1702 Humboldt St., 303-862-5323. Lunch, Dinner

Whittier Cafe

$

Whittier / Cafe This espresso bar, which supports social justice–related causes, serves coffee, beer, and wine sourced from African nations and a small menu of pastries, burritos, paninis, and more.

Reservations not accepted. 1710 E. 25th Ave., 720-550-7440. Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

25 B E S T

The Wolf’s Tailor

$$$$

Sunnyside / Contemporary Chef Kelly Whitaker fuses Asian and Italian techniques and ingredients. 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

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OCTOBER 25, 2020–JANUARY 24, 2021

For tickets, visit denverartmuseum.org.

IMAGES: Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Monkeys (detail), 1943, Oil on canvas. The Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). © 2020 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Gerardo Suter; Diego Rivera, Calla Lilly Vendor (detail), 1943. Oil on Masonite; 59.1 x 47.2 in. (150 x 120 cm). The Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). © 2020 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Gerardo Suter.

Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection is organized by the Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). The Denver Art Museum exhibition is generously supported by John and Sandra Fox, the Birnbaum Social Discourse Project, and Craig Ponzio. Additional funding is provided by the Aegon Transamerica Foundation, Lisë Gander and Andy Main, Lauren and Geoff Smart, Xcel Energy, the Kristin and Charles Lohmiller Exhibitions Fund, the Fine Arts Foundation, the 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 Wynkoop Brewing Company

BAH HUMBUG. #2020.

Downtown / Pub Enjoy freshly brewed beer and pub favorites like burgers, nachos, and fried chicken at one of Denver’s original brewpubs.

Reservations accepted. 1634 18th St., 303-2972700. Lunch, Dinner

$$

Y Yahya’s Mediterranean Grill & Pastries

$$

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

Lunch, Dinner

Yazoo Barbeque Company

$

Five Points / Barbecue This unpretentious BBQ joint offers a Deep South menu, featuring slowsmoked pork ribs and brisket. Also try the Greenwood Village location. Reservations not accepted. 2150 Broadway, 303-296-3334.

Lunch, Dinner

Z Zeppelin Station

$$

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

Zocalito Latin Bistro

$$$

Downtown / Latin American Formerly located in Aspen, chef/owner Michael Beary’s upscale Oaxacan eatery found a home in the heart of Denver. Reservations accepted. 999 18th St., Ste. 107, 970-920-1991. Lunch, Dinner

Zoe Ma Ma

93.3 FM

Zolo Grill

IHEARTRADIO KTCL.COM

$

Downtown / Chinese This cozy counter-service spot offers Chinese home-style cooking. Order the Szechuan braised beef noodle soup, which features homemade noodles. Also try the Boulder location. 1625 Wynkoop St., 303-545-6262.

Lunch, Dinner

$$$

Boulder / Southwestern Zolo serves Southwestern fare made with locally sourced ingredients. Try the Colorado mushroom tamales. Reservations accepted. 2525 Arapahoe Ave., 303-449-0444.

Lunch, Dinner

Zomo

$$

Englewood / Asian Owners Alysia Davey and Ryan Anderson serve family recipes inspired by their Vietnamese and Chinese roots. Reservations not accepted. 3457 S. Broadway, Englewood, 720-739-8882. Lunch, Dinner

 These listings are in no way related to advertising in 5280. If

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.

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THE SNOOP NEXT DOOR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 85

General Assembly—“to set clear guardrails and break the link” between data collection and its usage among public entities like law enforcement—but the pandemic and issues

related to systemic racial injustice forced a hearing on her proposal to be postponed.

She plans to introduce her bill during the next legislative session. “If anything good can come out of Palantir’s relocation, it’s that maybe we start to learn some lessons,” Gonzales says. “The question now becomes whether this pushes people over the line and we finally stand up and say no.”

For Palantir’s part, Rascoff says the company “will have all sorts of conversations

with all sorts of leaders and absolutely welcomes conversations. It’s impossible to be a responsible corporate citizen of Denver and Colorado without engaging proactively with leaders. That includes meeting with people who, for whatever reason, have disagreements with Palantir or the Palantir they’ve read about in the newspaper.

“What I hope to be the case,” Rascoff continued, “is that members of this community take pride in being the home of this organization, that all sorts of Denverites and Coloradans become involved in the company, one way or the other.”

ABOUT A MONTH after the announcement of Palantir’s move, Denver City Councilwoman Jamie Torres attended a hearing to discuss the upcoming budget with city staff. As the former deputy director of Denver’s Human Rights & Community Partnerships Agency and former director of the city’s Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs, Torres had long advocated on behalf of the city’s immigrant population. Through her work representing west Denver on the City Council, she’d continued her interest in community policing, especially the ways in which officers collected and interpreted information to execute their jobs.

When Palantir relocated, Torres had questions about city contracts and turned to members of the city’s Technology Services Department. She asked about the ethics of working with data companies that want to partner with the city. The department’s officials stared at her. “Our tech services people didn’t even know about Palantir,” she says.

Torres already knew about the ways the company had given free, or reduced-cost, software to government entities, some of which can cost tens of millions of dollars.

Palantir had given free copies of its software to members of the U.S. armed services and in some cases helped train soldiers who would use the company’s product on the battlefield and eventually push contracts its way. In 2012 Palantir partnered with New Orleans police—without public knowledge—on a pro-bono predictive policing program that allowed Palantir to create lists of residents deemed likely to commit or be victimized by violence. The contract was renewed three times before a journalist discovered its existence in 2018. The agreement ultimately was canceled.

A Denver ordinance requires City Council approval on city contracts only when they exceed $500,000. Despite Palantir’s suggestion that it wasn’t looking to use its move to generate business in Colorado, 10 4

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THIS IS BIGHORN MOUNTAIN COUNTRY

The world comes out west expecting to see cowboys driving horses through the streets of downtown; pronghorn butting heads on windswept bluffs; clouds encircling the towering pinnacles of the Cloud Peak Wilderness; and endless expanses of wild, open country. These are some of the fibers that have been stitched together over time to create the patchwork quilt of Sheridan County’s identity, each part and parcel to the Wyoming experience.

Toss in a historic downtown district, with western allure, hospitality and good graces to spare; a vibrant art scene; bombastic craft culture; a robust festival and events calendar; and living history on every corner, and you have a Wyoming experience unlike anything you could have ever imagined. Welcome to Sheridan County, in the heart of Bighorn Mountain Country.

So that we can adventure together safely, our team has put together a series of COVID-19 resources to keep you informed of any travel restrictions, local and state health mandates, and other pandemic-related travel information, available on our website. Catch our new streaming series, The Backyard, with new episodes each week.

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THE SNOOP NEXT DOOR Torres doesn’t think it’s too far-fetched to believe the company’s recent relocation would open up an avenue with its new neighbors. “We’re right here, and they’re right there,” she says. Academic research has shown that data mining among law enforcement often can lead to less handson policing and more covert surveillance, which could be an attractive option for the Denver Police Department, particularly following criticisms over the department’s

handling of the Black Lives Matter protests this past summer. If Palantir were to offer police free services to monitor Denver protestors in the future, “no one on [the City Council] would know a thing about it,” Torres says. “There are red flags on this everywhere. It’s horrifying.” (A spokesperson for the Denver Police Department says it “has never had a contract with Palantir nor are we considering a contract with Palantir in the future.”)

JUMP OUT OF THE CAR AND INTO

In Rock Springs & Green River, social distancing activities abound from the Red Desert to Flaming Gorge Country.

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Remember to stay clean, stay safe and stay informed while adventuring responsibly in Sweetwater County.

ExploreWY.com | 1641 Elk Street, Rock Springs, WY Stop by the Explore Rock Springs & Green River Visitor Center for local tips, area information and more.

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Torres’ ethics question to the Technology Services Department wasn’t meant to be a gotcha moment, the councilwoman says, but rather a way to introduce Palantir into the conversation. “It’s fair to ask these questions,” Torres says, adding that she’s open to strengthening Denver’s decisionmaking that has to do with civil liberties and data collection. She hopes the rest of the council agrees with her but admits it might take time for members to wrap their minds around the company’s work and what the relocation might someday mean for the city. “We know a little about Palantir’s footprint here,” she says. “But really, we don’t know anything at all.”

ROUGHLY 50 PROTESTORS

gathered outside Palantir’s office this past September, blocking the sidewalk and spilling into Blake Street. Onlookers across the street stopped to watch; employees at a restaurant next door huddled and pointed.

The event, dubbed an “unwelcome party,” was coordinated in part by the local chapter of Mijente, a national advocacy group that has examined government documents over the years to uncover Palantir’s work on behalf of ICE. Mijente had coordinated a “good riddance party” in Palo Alto a day earlier and planned another event in New York City, in anticipation of the company’s direct listing on the Nasdaq.

(After going public, Palantir’s market cap ultimately reached $16.5 billion.)

The protestors in Denver chanted “No tech for ICE!” while speakers detailed Palantir’s role in the Mississippi immigration raids and the company’s work with law enforcement. Colorado’s universities should prevent Palantir from participating in job fairs, protestors said, and local governments should pledge to keep Palantir’s software from being used on citizens.

A banner that read “Palantir Get Out Of Here” was brought to the front of the SugarCube building. At one point, a piñata with Palantir’s logo was placed on the sidewalk. Blindfolded protestors took turns taking whacks at it with a stick. When the piñata didn’t immediately burst open, one of the organizers saw the moment as a metaphor. “Like Palantir,” the woman yelled into a megaphone, “this isn’t going to be easy to break!” Then someone took the stick and smashed a hole in the piñata, tearing part of the Palantir logo. Candy spilled onto the concrete, and everyone cheered. m

Robert Sanchez is 5280’s senior staff writer. Email him at letters@5280.com.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

DENVER | $948,000 Newly landscaped & recently remodeled bungalow. Exposed brick, refinished floors & fresh paint throughout living/dining/master bed/kitchen. Kitchen w/granite counters & lots of storage. Spacious remodeled bath w/heated floor, dual sinks/showerheads. Lower level w/office, family room & laundry.

Outside: stunning patio, outdoor kitchen w/gas grill, mini-fridge, water feature, fireplace & hot tub.

Patti Johnson 303.875.3653 PattiDenver7@gmail.com | PattiJohnsonDenver.com

DENVER | $919,900 Sprawling 5 bedroom, 3 bath ranch offers a kitchen with granite countertops, pantry and breakfast nook, family room with fireplace and built in bookshelves, sunroom, master with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet, full finished basement and private backyard. This house is updated and move-in ready on a nice quiet block, the street is not a through street.

Chriss Bond 720.771.7369 Chriss.Bond@coloradohomes.com

C o l d w e l l B a n ke r R e s i d e n t i a l B r o ke r a g e | C o l d w e l l B a n ke r D evo n s h i r e

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

DENVER | $880,000 3br/3.5ba home w/a family room that continues to an open concept from the kitchen to the living room w/a fireplace. There is a fully finished basement w/an entertainment center, projector and bar. Entertain guests in your fully fenced & zero-maintenance backyard as music creates the ambiance from surround sound located outside & throughout your house.

Vicki Zeeb 303.549.6203 vicki.zeeb@outlook.com | VickiZeebRealEstate.com

GOLDEN | $850,000 4br/3.5ba home at the base of Green Mountain. Kitchen w/granite counters and ss appliances. 4 bedrooms on the upper level. Unfinished basement. The neighborhood has a park with tennis courts, playground, and walking trails. Home owners have access to the 6th Avenue pool for summer recreation. This is a great opportunity to live close to work or work where you live!

David Hanna 303.475.3141 david.hanna@coloradohomes.com | DavidHannaHomes.com

ColdwellBankerHomes.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

LONGMONT | Price Upon Request Fantastic home on the 11th fairway features vaulted ceilings, 5 bedroom, 5 bath, main floor master with fireplace & patio access, living room with fireplace, gourmet kitchen with granite countertops, high-end appliances, kitchen nook. Finished basement with wet bar, exercise room, guest suite & bath. Great for entertaining. Exceptional property. Two furnaces, two air conditioner units.

Rebecca Harris 303.570.1400 rebecca.harris@coloradohomes.com | RebeccaLovesColorado.com

DENVER | $789,000 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with an open floor plan. Living room with a fireplace and wall of built in bookshelves. Kitchen with granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and farmhouse sink. Master bedroom with an updated en suite bath. Complete with a landscaped backyard. There are plantation shutters and hardwood floors, this home is ready for you to move right in.

Chriss Bond 720.771.7369 Chriss.Bond@coloradohomes.com

C o l d w e l l B a n ke r R e s i d e n t i a l B r o ke r a g e | C o l d w e l l B a n ke r D evo n s h i r e

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

DENVER | $770,000 3 bedroom, 3 bath luxury home with oak floors and new carpet. Eat-in kitchen with ss appliances, connected formal dining. Master with en-suite bath with soaking tub. Bonus room with tremendous views. Basement with workshop and laundry. Fenced back/side yard, all with 9 zone sprinkler system and several trees including a prolific peach tree! Newer roof.

Charmaine Beaulieu 303.907.8648 charmaine.beaulieu@coloradohomes.com | CharmaineB.cbintouch.com

LAKEWOOD | $750,000 Beautiful customized home w/open beams, rich woods & stonework on an almost a half-acre. Featured in this 3,581 sqft. home, you will find an open floorplan, creative workspaces, flex rooms, 5br/3ba & full apartment in the lower level. The yard is capable of hosting huge gatherings, or a night dining al fresco w/friends & family under the stars! Great location near Green Mountain.

Kristine Stirling 303.881.4768 kristine.stirling@coloradohomes.com | KristineStirling.com

ColdwellBankerHomes.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

BOULDER | $719,000 5 bedroom, 3 bath offers great bedroom/office options, gorgeous kitchen, over ¼-acre beautifully landscaped yard & deck. All this in the coveted Heatherwood, surrounded by open space & trails. Sawhill Ponds for nature walks, eagle watching, and fishing right down the street but you're just a 15 minute drive to central Boulder. Better hurry!

Richard Alpers 303.263.8237 Richard.Alpers@coloradohomes.com | BuyABoulderCountyHome.com

ENGLEWOOD | $690,000 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home with a large entry/living room, dining room and hardwood floors. Family room with a wood-burning fireplace. Kitchen with newer cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite counters. Complete with a finished basement and a large patio area. Enjoy easy access to the Cherry Creek State Park, The Denver Tech Center, highways & downtown!

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

C o l d w e l l B a n ke r R e s i d e n t i a l B r o ke r a g e | C o l d w e l l B a n ke r D evo n s h i r e

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

DENVER | $660,000 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with over 1600 sqft. Kitchen with family room off the kitchen and dining room with living room and gas fireplace. Master bedroom with walk-in closet and 5-piece bath. Lower floor with bonus 3rd bedroom. Complete with separate entrance and 2-car garage.

Gail Wheeler 303.726.7202 Gail@GailWheeler.com | GailWheeler.com

WESTMINSTER | $640,000 Fabulous 4 bedroom, 3 bath home featuring Hickory flooring, updated kitchen with white shaker cabinets, quartz countertops, ss appliances & family room with fireplace. Master offers a 4-piece bath & walk-in closets. Finished basement, tile roof & custom flagstone patio. Near top schools, restaurants, shopping; easy access to I25 & Boulder/Denver.

Lorri DeLaney 720.313.7437 delaneylorri@gmail.com | LorriSellsHomesColorado.com

ColdwellBankerHomes.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

DENVER | $999,500 4 bedroom, 3 bath home with a custom, great layout. Kitchen with stainless steel appliances and Aspen Leaf cabinets. Main floor with two bedrooms including master suite. Complete with a lower level, yard and 2-car garage.

HIGHLANDS RANCH | Price Upon Request Eastridge, 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2-story home. Updates Galore! Kitchen with stainless steel appliances, engineered wood floors, new paint, granite counters, walk basement, 3-car tandem garage.

P.J. Farrell 303.884.5368 pj.farrell@devonshirehomes.com | PJFarrell.CBIntouch.com

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

LAKEWOOD | Price Upon Request Situated on a.20-acre lot, this 3br/2ba home has been nicely updated while still keeping the charm of the midcentury era. Smartly designed w/two living areas, updated kitchen, a spacious master & newer windows, furnace, AC & water heater.

LONGMONT | $600,000 3br/2ba w/oak hardwood floors throughout main level. Kitchen w/GE slate finish appliances & granite tops. Master bedroom has a master bath w/a heated tile floor & walk-in shower. Complete w/a finished basement, a sunroom & a landscaped yard.

Shannon Byerly 303.919.2611 YourFreshStartRealtor@gmail.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com

Jimmy Stewart 970.290.3755 jimmy@thekeygroupre.com | TheKeyGroupRE.com

ARVADA | $589,900 5 bedroom, 4 bath features an open floor plan, kitchen with expresso cabinets, granite counters, tile backsplash, hardwoods, a gas range and stainless steel appliances, finished basement and stamped concrete patio.

LAFAYETTE | $579,000 4br/4ba 2-story w/beautiful wood & tile flooring, two work-at-home areas, loft, finished basement w/bathroom, private fenced yard w/flagstone patio & mature vegetation, near park, trails & Good Samaritan hospital/medical complex.

Caryn Geiger 303.249.8149 caryn.geiger@coloradohomes.com | CarynGeiger.com

Cathy Schuster 303.478.6364 Cathy.Schuster@coloradohomes.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

DENVER | $565,000 Lovely brick 2br/2ba Victorian w/wood floors, high ceilings, updated baths, kitchen w/granite countertops, ss appliances, tile flooring & dining area & master suite w/skylights, bamboo flooring, office space & walk-out deck w/views! 1-car garage!

DENVER | $550,000 2br/2.5ba home w/open-concept main level. Living room w/gas fireplace. Kitchen w/quartz counters & vaulted ceiling w/skylights.

Lower level w/family room, bedroom w/full bath & laundry. Complete w/landscaped yard, covered patio & 2-car garage.

Nita Kolarsick 303.250.8280 nita@nitahome.com | NitaHome.com

Garth Criswell 303.669.0252 Garth.Criswell@devonshirehomes.com | GarthCriswell.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH | Price Upon Request 5br/4ba home w/living room w/vaulted ceiling & oversized windows, updated kitchen w/granite countertops, family room w/fireplace, backyard w/deck & hot tub, finished basement w/living area & 2 storage areas & a spacious master suite.

DENVER | $525,000 Charming Victorian 2br/2ba home w/front porch, original woodwork, large windows, vaulted ceilings, formal living area w/vintage fireplace, large dining area, spacious kitchen w/new stone countertop, gas stove, new dishwasher & refrigerator.

Shannon Byerly 303.919.2611 YourFreshStartRealtor@gmail.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com

Colleen Teitelbaum 303.668.8186 teitelbaumcolleen@gmail.com | CocoTeitel.com

DENVER | $525,000 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with fabulous views of Cheesman Park, Denver Skyline & Rocky Mountains! Updated corner unit, hardwood floors, freshly painted interior, master suite, and garage parking.

AURORA | $509,900 4 bedroom, 3 bath 2-story home with gas fireplace, vaulted ceiling in master bedroom, fan, abundance of natural light, entertainment built-ins & quartz counters. New wood look floors!

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

David DeElena 720.275.2091 David.DeElena@coloradohomes.com | DavidDeElena.cbintouch.com

ColdwellBankerHomes.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

BROOMFIELD | $500,000 Beautiful newer home in the Hearthstone community. Open floorplan, beautiful natural light, and large open spaces. Professionally landscaped and fully fenced. 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath.

AURORA | $500,000 4br/4ba home w/over 3,800 sqft. of living space offers amazing finishes throughout. Kitchen w/an island, ss appliances & large pantry.

Entertain in the finished walkout basement. Complete w/a custom backyard deck & 3-car garage.

Heidi P. Martinez 303.717.1870 Heidi@HPMColoradoRealEstate.com | HPMColoradoRealEstate.com

Rich Scott 720.620.0498 homes@richscottrealtor.com | RichScottRealtor.com

CENTENNIAL | $500,000 3 bedroom, 3 bath updated ranch boasts a beautiful yard, cul-de-sac location, new front door, hardwoods, granite countertops, ss appliances, newer windows, roof, siding, garage doors & HVAC.

THORNTON | $493,500 Delightful 2br/2ba ranch offers a kitchen w/dining area, nutmeg cabinets, granite countertops & ss appliances, large living area w/gas fireplace, master suite w/large bath & walk-in closet & charming covered patio accessible from the living room.

Mary Ann O'Toole 720.530.6878 Maryann.Otoole@coloradohomes.com

Linda Gilbert 720.232.1990 linda.gilbert@coloradohomes.com | LindaGilbertHomes.com

WINDSOR | $484,900 Beautiful 3br/2ba ranch w/huge backyard w/mountain views & covered patio, open floor plan, 9ft ceilings, gourmet kitchen w/quartz countertops, upgraded cabinets, touch on sink & slate appliances, master w/luxury upgraded bath & walk-in closet.

AURORA | $465,000 3br/3ba Saddle Rock Ridge home w/finished basement, open floorplan, built-in shelving, master with vaulted ceilings & 5-piece bath. Also boasting a multi-level deck, fenced yard, convection oven, butcher block island & wonderful mountain views.

Shara Trutner 720.930.0030 shara.trutner@coloradohomes.com | TrutnerColoradoHomes.com

Dan DeBacco 720.955.6111 Dan.DeBacco@coloradohomes.com | DeBaccoRealEstate.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

PARKER | $460,000 This 1,705 sqft., 3br/2ba home backs a private lake, features laminate flooring, family room w/gas fireplace & Kitchen w/52'' cabinets for storage, solid granite countertops, backsplash, ss appliances are included. BMR suite & BA w/granite counters.

GREELEY | $450,000 4br/3ba home. Kitchen w/granite counters, ss appliances and an island. Main level master suite w/5-piece bath and a walk-in closet.

Finished basement w/entertainment room, 2 bedrooms and bathroom.

Complete w/3-car garage and a backyard and trex deck.

Colleen Teitelbaum 303.668.8186 teitelbaumcolleen@gmail.com | CocoTeitel.com

Gus Bergs 970.308.4733 gusbergs@hotmail.com

LOVELAND | $450,000 This 4 bedroom, 3 bath home features an open floorplan with vaulted ceilings and hardwood floors. Enjoy the privacy of having a greenbelt behind you instead of neighbors while you sit on the expanded patio and enjoy nature.

THORNTON | $440,000 4br/3ba in a great location, award-winning schools, updated w/fresh paint, countertops & wood floors. Traditional floor plan features a living & dining room, family room w/fireplace, kitchen w/ss appliances, master suite & finished basement.

Erich Menzel 970.402.8457 Erich.Menzel@coloradohomes.com | HomeSalesInLoveland.com

Kelly Baca 303.748.3295 Kelly.Baca@ColoradoHomes.com | AgentKellyBaca.com

WESTMINSTER | Price Upon Request Wonderful ranch style 4br/2ba home features an eat-in kitchen, master, finished basement, enclosed back patio & oversized detached garage. Recent updates: water heater, furnace, double-pane windows, garage door & new carpeting & paint in basement.

DENVER | Price Upon Request 3br/1.5ba home. Updated kitchen w/butcher-block counters & ss appliances. Desirable main floor layout w/open concept living & dining.

Upstairs w/an updated bath & 2 additional bedrooms. Complete w/a 2-car garage, workshop, shed, covered patio.

John Grandt 720.351.8488 John@refrealty.net | RefRealty.net

Mackenzie Jones 303.597.8966 mackenzie.jones@devonshirehomes.com | MackenzieJonesRE.com

ColdwellBankerHomes.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THORNTON | $429,900 Incredible “Urban Dwell” smart home offers wide plank floors, open concept & 9ft ceilings. 3br/2.5ba plus office w/gourmet kitchen w/granite counters, ss appliances & breakfast bar, deck & master w/bay window, walk-in closet & en-suite bath.

LOVELAND | $425,000 4br/3ba home in Hilltop w/new vinyl planking throughout the main level. Kitchen w/ss appliances & farmhouse sink. Finished basement w/a rec room, bedroom & full bath. Complete w/RV or boat parking, alley access & a 4-car detached garage.

Mary Oskay 303.579.7794 maryoskay@comcast.net | OskayPickelsGroup.com

Jimmy Stewart 970.290.3755 jimmy@thekeygroupre.com | TheKeyGroupRE.com

BERTHOUD | $424,900 5br/3ba remodeled home w/new appliances, floors, window treatments and more. Living room w/gas fireplace. Additional finished storage room and finished storage closet room in the basement.

Complete w/private backyard w/a deck and raised garden area.

CENTRAL CITY | $390,000 Secluded 3.39-acre ranch home w/1br/2ba offers views of Mt. Evans. Entire unfinished lower level w/almost 12’ ceilings. Self-contained w/solar, wind, propane & generator energy sources.

Joanna Rallo 720.626.9039 joannarallo@gmail.com | RalloColoradoHomes.com

Mike Fuentes 303.679.8055 Terry Robinson 303.898.3658

THORNTON | Price Upon Request Updated 4 bedroom, 2 bath ranch-style home with finished basement.

Updates: kitchen cabinetry, countertops, LVP flooring, carpet, paint, roof, garage door/opener, hot water heater and dishwasher.

DENVER | Price Upon Request Completely renovated 4br/2ba ranch w/open floor plan, hardwood floors & kitchen w/white quartz counters, new ss appliances & walk-in pantry. Master suite includes a bath & walk-in closet. Complete with AC and an oversized deck.

Caryn Geiger 303.249.8149 caryn.geiger@coloradohomes.com | CarynGeiger.com

Shannon Byerly 303.919.2611 YourFreshStartRealtor@gmail.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com

C o l d w e l l B a n ke r R e s i d e n t i a l B r o ke r a g e | C o l d w e l l B a n ke r D evo n s h i r e

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

GOLDEN | $340,000 3br/3ba townhome. Living room w/cozyfireplace. Kitchen w/42-inch oak cabinets. Upstairs are 2 bedrooms with full bath & master bedroom w/2 closets & en-suite bath. Lower level w/family room & laundry. Plus, private back patio and 2-car carport!

LITTLETON | $325,000 3br/2ba home. Main level has a kitchen w/new countertops & new ss sink. Upstairs has 2 bedrooms, updated bath & loft. Finished basement has the 3rd bedroom w/a walkout to the fenced backyard.

Deck w/views of the greenbelt and trails.

Stephanie Freadhoff 303.589.3777 StephanieSellsHomes@outlook.com | ColoradoHomeForYou.com

Kelly Myers 720.810.1153 kelly@propertypro4u.com | PropertyPro4U.com

AURORA | $310,000 3br/1ba home in Cherry Creek School District w/a living room area, a dining area just off the kitchen & a kitchen w/patio door access. There is low maintenance exterior siding & newer vinyl windows.

Complete w/a fenced backyard & 1-car garage.

PARKER | $280,000 2br/2ba end unit townhome in the Stroh Ranch Community in Parker w/gleaming wood floors in the foyer, kitchen & bathroom. The master bedroom offers a walk-in closet & the second bedroom boasts good closet space. Enjoy a 1-car attached garage.

Donna Jarock 303.718.6285 thanksdonna@gmail.com | HomesAndCondosDenver.com

Steve Laird 303.408.5664 steve.laird@coloradohomes.com | SteveLaird.cbintouch.com

DENVER | $207,500 1br/1ba condo w/new floors and paint, west facing windows and lots of open space and ample natural light. Room for to work from home.

Complete w/1 deeded off-street parking spot and one of the best fitness centers in Capitol Hill.

DENVER | $205,000 1br/1ba condo with new floors and paint, west facing windows and lots of open space and natural light. Complete with 1 deeded off-street parking spot and one of the best fitness centers in Cap Hill.

Chris Campbell 720.678.3060 chris.campbell@coloradohomes.com | DreamHomeDenver.com

Chris Campbell 720.678.3060 chris.campbell@coloradohomes.com | DreamHomeDenver.com

ColdwellBankerHomes.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

CASTLE PINES | $540,000

LAKEWOOD | Price Upon Request

WESTMINSTER | Price Upon Request

4br/3ba ranch home w/a gas fireplace, spacious kitchen and great room. Entertain in the fully finished basement. Master bedroom w/a master bath. Complete w/a backyard and 3-car garage.

Rare opportunity to own this sharp ranch style home in central Lakewood. Fantastic updates throughout. Mature landscaping.

Fenced yard. Please let me know if you want a tour.

3br/2.5ba remodeled duplex w/open floorplan & vaulted living room. Updated kitchen cabinets & countertops, slate tile floors & new windows.

Kurtz Krew 720.421.4580

Maura Putnik 303.882.5653

Ray Brienza 303.910.5854

CENTENNIAL | $450,000

DENVER | $450,000

WESTMINSTER | Price Upon Request

Gorgeous 4br/2.5ba brick ranch w/hardwood floors, updated kitchen w/new granite counters, refinished cabinets, tile flooring & butcher block breakfast bar, master w/updated ensuite.

Lovely 3-bedroom brick ranch style home with full basement.

Gleaming hardwood floors & an eat-in kitchen boasts lots of cabinet and counter space. Priced tosell!

Beautiful 4br/2ba offers a living room w/hardwood floors, updated kitchen w/eating space, family rm with a fireplace, master suite & two-tiered deck. Call Team Fontyn today!

The Rowley Group 303.841.1021

Michael & Laurie Marcus 303.550.0075

Team Fontyn 303.359.9937

ENGLEWOOD | $440,000

LAKEWOOD | $440,000

AURORA | $440,000

remodeled 3br/2ba, 1947 home. Kitchen w/custom-made cabinets, quartz countertops & vintage working stove. Master suite w/attached mba. Complete w/backyard & 2-car garage.

3br/2ba townhome. Kitchen w/granite countertops and updated appliances. Main floor master bedroom w/a large master bath and walk-in closet! Complete w/a lower level and 2-car garage.

Spacious 3br/2ba ranch next to a greenbelt w/an open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, eat-in kitchen, master w/bath & walk-in closet, unfinished basement, 3-car garage & fenced yard.

Sandra Wieber 303.902.6637

Chad Palmer 303.594.0811

Mary Ann O'Toole 720.530.6878

LOVELAND | $424,000

DENVER | $415,000

LONGMONT | $407,000

4br/4ba home. Great room w/2-sided fireplace. Kitchen w/hardwood floors, breakfast bar & ss appliances. Complete w/finished basement and private backyard.

Former model unit 2br/2ba featuring a kitchen w/upgraded cabinets, quartz counters & ss appliances, hardwood floors, fireplace, an in-unit laundry, master w/5piece bath & balcony.Â

2br/2ba home. Main level has a family room & bedroom w/en-suite bath. Upper level w/an open floor plan. Kitchen w/a pantry & plenty of cabinets. Complete w/a balcony & backyard.

Michelle A. Nelson 303.748.5247

Courtney Belknap 720.302.3822

Brad Pickels 720.839.1673

C o l d w e l l B a n ke r R e s i d e n t i a l B r o ke r a g e | C o l d w e l l B a n ke r D evo n s h i r e

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

guiding you home since 1906

NORTHGLENN | $399,900

WESTMINSTER | $399,900

NORTHGLENN | $395,000

Great investment opportunity! Duplex - each w/2br/1ba + full size washer & dryer in each unit. Eat-in kitchen w/appliances included & living area. Each unit also has a 1-car garage.

Beautiful 2br/2ba townhome w/private patio, 1,800+ sqft., unfinished basement, open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, fireplace, remodeled kitchen w/quartz counters & master w/5-piece bath.

T3br/3ba home. Kitchen w/slab granite counters & ss appliances.

Living room w/fireplace. Master suite w/balcony, fireplace, 5-piece bath and walk-in closet. Complete w/2-car garage.

Christy Hepp 303.910.5393

Michael Brassem 303.494.0990

Scott Beville 303.905.6872

AURORA | Price Upon Request

AURORA | $385,000

LOCHBUIE | $380,000

3br/2.5ba home. Kitchen w/stainless steel appliances & breakfast nook! Family room w/fireplace. Master bedroom w/walk-in closet & en-suite bath! Complete w/basement & backyard.

Beautiful 2br/2ba ranch w/vaulted ceilings, fireplace, eat-in kitchen, master w/bath & walk-in closet. Appliances included & 2-car attached garage & fenced backyard w/covered patio.

Enjoy views from this 3br/3ba private cul-de-sac site that backs to a park. Includes a covered front porch, stamped concrete patio, new carpet, open floor plan, great room w/fireplace.

Lindsay Schulze 720.550.2282

Mary Ann O'Toole 720.530.6878

Rodney Allen 303.995.9330

WESTMINSTER | $375,000

DENVER | Price Upon Request

CENTENNIAL | $353,000

2br/3ba home. There is a living and dining room w/a gas fireplace and efficient kitchen. Master suite w/ample closet space and 3/4 bath. Complete w/2-car garage and private fenced area.

2br/2ba updated home has a great layout! Large great room has an updated kitchen with slab granite, maple cabinets & easy care floors. 2 covered patios, 220 volt garage!

2br/1.5ba home. Vaulted living space w/gas fireplace. Kitchen w/many cabinets and counter space. Upper level w/a loft, full bath and 2 bedrooms. Complete w/a basement and 2-car garage.

Amy Metz 720.272.7337

Michelle Brown 720.233.7925

Donna Jarock 303.718.6285

LONGMONT | $340,000

AURORA | $335,000

LONGMONT | $334,900

3br/2ba home has an open floor plan w/a living room and kitchen.

The upstairs laundry room and a backyard will have you feeling at home. This home is in the Idaho Creek Subdivision.

3br/1ba home w/direct access to Horseshoe Park offers an open-concept living & kitchen area w/high-end laminate hardwoods & newer appliances. Complete w/an oversized backyard.

Ground Level 2br + office/2ba, 1,300 sqft. condo w/wood laminate floors. Kitchen w/granite counters & ss appliances. Living room w/a gas fireplace. Complete w/a porch facing west.

Saul Alvidrez Rojo 720.579.1825

Natalie Farn 303.434.8937

Marcelle Partridge 303.945.0553

ColdwellBankerHomes.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

LITTLETON | $325,000

BOULDER | $325,000

COLORADO SPRINGS | $319,500

2br/2ba condo w/brushed nickel fixtures. There are 9-ft ceilings in the great room, gas fireplace as well as updated baths and kitchen w/heated floor. Complete w/detached 1-car garage.

Incredible 1br/1ba condo in North Boulder next to everything you need. Cozy living room as you enter and high-end appliances including a Viking Range and brand-new GE refrigerator.

3br/2.5ba, 2-car features kitchen with island, large pantry, tons of cupboard/counter space. Master Ste has walk-in closet, sitting area, private bath w/garden tub. Large fenced backyard.

Christina Tolbert 720.308.6996

Tom Fowler 303.956.2575

Jennifer Zurzolo 720.315.5497

COLORADO SPRINGS | $310,000

LOVELAND | $295,000

AURORA | $259,900

Beautiful, move-in ready 3br home in northeast Colorado Springs.

Front & backyard are maintenance-free. Large backyard w/new deck & shed. Hardwood floors. Newer roof, siding & windows.

2br/ba bath has an updated roof(3yr), hot water heater(1yr), all electrical redone and recent interior and exterior paint. The windows were replaced in the past three years as well.

2br/1.5ba townhome w/an open floor plan. Kitchen w/granite countertops, stainless appliances and a breakfast bar. Complete w/ a private, fenced-in patio, a deck and a 1-car garage.

Jenny Field 719.330.1664 Julie Matalus 719.330.7798

Janie Larson 720.937.2676

Nita Kolarsick 303.250.8280

CENTENNIAL | $245,000

AURORA | $239,900

GOLDEN | $230,000

2br/2ba condo w/updated flooring and baths. Balconies are on the front and back of the unit. Complete w/1 covered parking spot and bonus storage unit. Close to restaurants and shopping.

2br/2ba condo. Kitchen w/30-inch wood cabinets and laminate countertops. Master bedroom w/dual closets and 3/4 bath.

Complete w/underground parking and covered/enclosed lanai.

Fully renovated top-floor condo w/laminate wood floors. Kitchen has white shaker cabinets, quartz counters & designer backsplash.

Modern bath w/rare laundry. Bike to downtown Golden.

Debbie Joseph 303.842.8331

David DeElena 720.275.2091

Taylor Carpenter 303.909.2108

EVERGREEN | $200,000

AURORA | $200,000

WESTMINSTER | Price Upon Request

Build your Colorado dream home on almost four acres with gorgeous mountain views surrounded by privacy and serenity.

Well, septic, driveway, electric all in. www.103PinewoodDr.com

Perfect for investors! 3br/2.5ba townhome. Kitchen w/a dining space that leads out to the back patio. 2nd floor w/2 bedrooms and a bath. Basement w/a rec room, bedroom and a bath.

1br/1ba top floor condo. Kitchen w/plenty of cabinetry and countertop space. Living room w/a fireplace and patio access w/mountain views. Master bedroom w/dual closets. W/D included.

Josette Montgomery 303.901.8027

Taylor Carpenter 303.909.2108

Kathleen Yarberry 303.913.4246

C o l d w e l l B a n ke r R e s i d e n t i a l B r o ke r a g e | C o l d w e l l B a n ke r D evo n s h i r e

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March to the beat of your own drum The floats you know and love will be displayed all over Downtown Denver throughout the holiday season, offering countless opportunities for YOU to march through downtown and savor the magic of the Parade of Lights all season long.

November 27 - December 31

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BACKSTORY Tell Me Something Good

Not to sugarcoat it, but 2020 was a moldy sourdough starter engulfed in a forest fire. Still, some good came out of it. Staffers at 5280, along with helpful readers, waded through the sewage to compile a list of the best developments spawned by the year’s never-ending crises.

After mining that gold, predicting the longevity of these rare blessings and deciding how impactful they’ve been to Colorado was even easier than wearing a mask in public. —ANGELA UFHEIL

Reservation systems at the zoo and museums as well as limited day use at popular campgrounds. Fewer people made it harder to get access, but the experience was better once there.

MEANINGFUL CHANGE

—@katimcleod

When indoor movie theaters closed, Coloradans rediscovered the retro joy of the drive-in.

—@babygiraffe81

A flurry of overdue appreciation for our essential workers: doctors, nurses, teachers, childcare workers, grocery store clerks, and more. Thanks, everyone!

Takeout cocktails for the win!

Less movement = less pollution.

—@curranmriley

HERE TO STAY

Empty dog shelters because people are adopting!

—@smooochie1

Less traffic.

—@funkes_jean_shorts

People are investing in their homes or apartments, creating a space they’re happy to spend (all that extra) time.

—@klimkkoleynik

Getting to know my neighbors after spending more time in my own neighborhood.

—@mm_303_co

SIMPLE PLEASURE

Cities adopted pedestrianfriendly streets! Maybe they will stick around after the pandemic.

—@kboysen14

We’ve felt a shift of focus to communities; building, supporting, shopping small.

—@somebodypeopledenver

FLEETING MOMENT

Outdoor eating for restaurants that didn’t have it previously!

—@courtneybrillhart

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Denverites thirsting for a way to stay in shape when gyms closed (or, you know, to escape the house for a bit) got even more into cycling, making bikes one of the year’s hottest commodities.

The Denver Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time ever. Let’s hope it wasn’t just the midseason break (or nightclub closures).

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DECEMBER 2020

“I TRUSTED ORTHOCOLORADO HOSPITAL TO GET ME BACK ON THE TRAILS.”

Tina Fellows-Reinhardt, OTR

Bob

Knee Surgery 2018

Hi, I’m Bob. I’m active all year round. I’ve skied and biked all over Colorado, but my knees paid the price. I needed help. That’s why I trusted OrthoColorado Hospital.

The world-class doctors and care team at OrthoColorado gave me my life back. Thanks to them, I’m doing things I haven’t done since my 20s.

Maureen Halligan, RN

Jeremy Kinder, MD Orthopedic Surgeon

At OrthoColorado Hospital, we are dedicated to providing orthopedic patients and their families a truly remarkable experience, and COVID-19 has not changed that. From the moment you enter our doors, your safety is our top concern. We are following CDC guidelines and have taken all the necessary steps to protect the wellbeing of our patients, staff, and visitors.

Trust OrthoColorado Hospital to get you back to the life you love.

To learn more, visit www.orthocolorado.org