Our mission is to create the greatest outdoor products and offer unique adventures. Crafted with quality, function, design, and sustainability through four generations since 1929.
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Breckenridge
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970-445-1349
555 S Park Ave, Breckenridge
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970-445-1691
1252 County Rd 8, Keystone
Operating hours vary seasonally. Scan the QR code or visit mountain.commonspirit.org/SummitUC to learn more.
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Open during ski season, 7 days a week
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860 Copper Rd, Copper Mountain
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WELCOME TO ISSUE 8 of Mountain Women Magazine! We are so glad you are here to read and discover some amazing women, people and places.
A little bit of history as we stoke the flame as you get ready to turn the pages. Back in 2014, I was flipping through our kin publication, Mountain Town Magazine, and I noticed that almost every article we published was about a man. Honestly, it was a bit unsettling. Not that we do not love men, we most certainly do, but women do not get enough recognition in mountain town/ski and ride media. I looked around and saw so many badass women. Women athletes, entrepreneurs, artists, philanthropists, chefs, educators, musicians, mothers, and even those rocking the world with their skills in the grandma arts (you know, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint…). We decided right then to change that and introduced Mountain Town Magazine’s first issue of Women Who Rock the Rockies in 2015. We asked friends and friends of friends to nominate women they thought deserved that accolade and the responses were fantastic!
That edition and subsequent issues each year continued to celebrate women in our mountain towns who are significant in their contributions to their communities, have achieved personal successes in their field, and are recognized with stories that featured their talents. As we were preparing our 5th Annual Women Who Rock the Rockies edition I had an epiphany. Why not resurrect Mountain Women Magazine? It was a title I had created in 2013 but shelved so we could focus on making Mountain Town Magazine successful while in its infancy.
The desire to launch Mountain Women was so strong and felt so good that I went for it and now after a lot of hard work you are reading Issue 8! We are really excited and cannot wait to continue sharing the hard hours, and good work women are putting in to help others, and better themselves.
Mountain Women Magazine and our website: mountainwomenmagazine.com has been live the whole time discussing favorite things, bits of news, food, the outdoors, our homes, travel, life, kids, growing up, and growing old. Being a mountain woman does not necessarily mean that you have to live in the mountains to belong, it is more of having the spirit of the mountain in you. As John Muir said, “you are not in the mountains, the mountains are in you.”
A quick but very sincere shout-out to the people who originally helped make this magazine a reality. Julie Rathke for teaching me the basics of InDesign. Kristen Lummis, aka
The Brave Ski Mom. We met when we were both starting our blogs. She has been a continued source of inspiration, great editorial content and a cheerleader for many years. Colin Bane, for his incredible writing skills and as a side note, is one of the best dads I know. Anna Sitton, a great writer, mom, and believer in this magazine. She’s an incredible entrepreneur and owner of the Buena Viking who can make a mean burger and shred and paddle the gnar like a gnarly girl!
Lastly, Thanks to You, for reading this! Please be sure to share with your friends and family. Let people know about us, and we will keep inspiring you with our incredible stories about wonderful women.
We are Girls, Mothers, Ladies, Lassies, Lovers, Babes, and Bad Asses! We are a magazine for women filled with a passion for living life in the mountains in the Colorado Rockies and beyond.
With Gratitude,
Holly Battista-Resignolo, Owner & Founder
In the heart of the Rocky Mountains lies a mountain chic oasis. One filled with excitement, refinement, elegance and escape. Go wild on two floors of gaming. Escape to Spa Monarch 23 floors above Black Hawk. Indulge in five distinct dining options. Discover the peak of play at Monarch.
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Spinster Sisters is a consciously crafted skincare brand on a mission to be plasticfree and make the best products for you and our planet. Their line of skin, hair, and bath products are made with only natural, clean ingredients, and their Microsoapery in Golden is powered by wind + solar. Check out theie Free From innovation, a line of solid, water-free bars for face, body, and hair in plastic-free packaging.
www.spinstersistersco.com
Lacey Von Riedel picked up her first pair of knitting needles in 2018. After lessons from her life-long knitting mother and a year of trial and error, Nitto Mountain Knits was born. Driven by her newfound love and inspired by nature’s brilliant hues and patterns, Von Riedel, 36, creates warm cozy winter beanies known for their incredibly detailed stitching. Nitto (the Japanese noun for “knit”) hats are composed of 100% merino wool and acrylic yarns and faux fur poms, all ethically sourced and hand dyed.
Look for her popular custom matching hats for the whole family and a new line of mittens and hand-sewn home goods.
www.nittomountainknits.com
Here is one of our favorite outdoor brands, SOL Paddle Boards. A Telluride Colorado company that proudly announced that the SOLrey inflatable paddle board has been honored with the “Best SUP” award in the prestigious 2026 Paddling Magazine Industry Awards. The SOLrey stood out for its exceptional adaptability on every type of water - from serene flat lakes to technical whitewater. It also comes standard with a patent-pending, cutting-edge Switchblade retractable fin, which delivers confident tracking and stability when deployed, then automatically retracts on impact - allowing paddlers to glide over rocks, logs, and shallow water without sacrificing performance or durability.
www.solpaddle.com
Forget Hermes, Patagonia or Bogg Bags, there’s a new local in the game for chic, durable and fashion-forward accessories.
Buena Goods is a women-owned business based in Salida, Colorado, that sells handmade tote bags, pouches, and home goods made with industrial plastic mesh. Founded by Susie Moutray and Katie Meadows, the company aims to make functional, durable, and visually stunning pieces.
Moutray and Meadow created Buena Goods to increase eco-sustainability options for lifestyle accessories. The ladies reuse mesh banners, for example, which are durable for everyday use, and they offer free repairs on all of their products.
You’ll find Buena Goods at their bright brick-and-mortar shop in downtown Salida.
www.buenagoods.com
Red Ants Pants in Montana is crating exceptional work wear for woman young and old curve, straight narrow and wide. This company makes everything in the USA. That will never change. We don’t just assemble here, we start with fabric, trims, thread, buttons and zippers, cut the patterns and make the pants. The entire production happens on our soil.
www.redantpants.com
These Women’s Danner 'Trail Trainers' are our go to for spring, summer and fall outings. We love the sneaker style fit that offers the support and stability of a hiking boot. Padded and comfortable on the inside, the breathable outer mesh and trim cleans up with a stiff brush and has looked sharp all year round.
www.danner.com
by Holly Battista-Resignolo
Iwatched the cityscape of Phoenix blur by as I embarked on a new adventure with my daughter in Sedona, Arizona. We had spent a spring break many years ago camping along the banks of the Verde River. She and her brothers were young, and we did not know much about the area. The ability to explore deeply was also not in our reach at that time.
On this day, an army of Saguaro greeted us standing tall, a stunning sight as we traveled north. The drive from the city to Sedona is a wonder. The landscape changes quickly, with each vista more spectacular than the next.
The beautiful Village of Oak Creek passed us by with the iconic church bell shaped ediface, Bell Rock, rising up to greet us. Here, the incredible Red Rock scenery begins as you descend into Sedona proper. This region is a mecca for hikers, bikers, spiritualists, jeepers, desert botanists, and outdoor enthusiasts of all types. The walls of Red Rock rising up around the small city are a spectacular sight by day. As the quiet settles during sunset, and the rock faces recede into the shadows, you can feel the energy of the Sun that they held begin to release. The entire vibe brings a feeling of calm and peace.
This trip, we came together to hike. Snacks, water, sunscreen, hats, first aid supplies, charged phones, maps, and lunches were prepared. Hiking in Sedona is best done in the early morning before the temperature rises, because the heat there is no joke! You will see warnings at every trailhead letting people know to take precautions. Parking is also a premium, and the city has busing to some trail heads (which is really nice on your return because they are
usually airconditioned). Take note as you plan your trip.
There are trails everywhere, and from our downtown lodging, we were able to walk right out our door and up to Soldier Pass Trail.
Soldier Pass Trail - where we discovered the Seven Sacred Pools, pictured above, and Devil's Kitchen sinkhole. This 1 to 4.5-mile (variable) trail offers stunning red rock views, as well as a hidden cave where we cooled off, explored its nooks and crannys and then enjoyed a snack before returning to the trailhead.
Cathedral Rock - On one of our evening excursions, we marched our way up into the saddle of Cathedral Rock, one of the more famous land-
marks in Sedona. The hike is just under a mile long, but there is a section of near-vertical scrambling that requires a bit of climbing. The reward? An incredible view, especially at sunset when we arrived at the end of the trail. We have been told that it is one of the most photographed sights in Arizona and a powerful, feminine energy Vortex.
Bell Rock - We both hiked Bell Rock and biked its perimeter, enjoying the entire Big Park Loop by bike first. For our hike, we accessed the Bell Rock Pathway, a shorter trail for a lovely walk, scramble, and climb towards the top. This is also a popular Vortex to experience.
Birthing Cave - This hike required a drive on Long Canyon Road to access its trailhead. A three-mile social
trail connects you to the steep scramble up to the shallow cave. The views are spectacular and a cool place to rest before heading back. A quick reminder that Javelinas (a native, pig-like animal) are in the area. If you have a dog, be careful.
Biking in Sedona is another way to experience this breathtaking area. Our ride around Bell Rock and the Big Park Loop was a beautiful, flowy ride with some fun little technical sections. A perfect trail that matched the less-than-technical bikes that were made available to us (we were very grateful to have access to them). It was a good first taste of the many famous trails and other flowy single track you can experience, but that will wait until the next trip with our gear.
Chow Time
Sedona is an exquisite dining destination filled with award winning Chefs and restaurants. Our time was limited to experience some of the best, but here are some locations that we really loved:
Laylas Bakery - Exceptional Pastries
Freeform Coffee - Great Coffee Shop
Pisa Lisa -Outstanding Pizza
Tortas de Fuego - Best Mexican
Hiros Sushi - Fresh Sushi
Thai Fresh and Natural - Best Thai
René - A Culinary Gem
| Staycation | R&R
Sedona is also the perfect place to balance work and play. Ideally, you want to get out the door just as the sun begins to rise. The air is still cool for your ascent into the wilds. As the heat rises, being back by 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. was a reasonable goal for our springtime travels. Work or a Siesta can then be pursued during the midday with the goal of returning to the outdoors as the sun sets for more walkabouts and al fresco dining.
Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village is a must-visit. This beautiful open-air mall was built originally as a craftspersons village. Cobblestone walkways, arched corridors decorated to match the season and holidays, foun-
tains bubbling up in courtyards, cooling the air around it, all add to the delight of discovering as you wander the grounds of the village. Art, fashion, jewelry, food, and fun events dot the village, making it an explorationworthy complex.
'Flamenco in the Courtyard' was a highlight. Master guitarist, Gaetano, and his fellow artists bring music and dancing alongside El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano and their thirstquenching beverages from the restaurant's outside bar in Patio De Las Campanas.
Another highlight of our trip was visiting the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park. This tranquil destination on the north side of Sedona is a welcoming spot for all to pray, meditate, and experience peace. It is a sacred
space on private property owned by Kunzang Palyul Choling, a Tibetan Buddhist Temple in the Vajrayana Tradition. The park is open every day during daylight hours for people of all faiths. Visiting the Park is free and is supported by visitor donations. It will be a stop I will make every time we visit Sedona.
This certainly will not be our last trip to Arizona's red rock country and the exquisite town of Sedona. Like the trails, this destination has an endless supply of natural and cultural attractions to explore.
Resourceswww.visitsedona.com www.fs.usda.gov/r03/coconino Instagram @kaitandbeyond
“Dream Threads II”
BY BRYCE WIDOM
I ns I de a creams I cle sky, two s I sters r I de the currents on a young mounta I n l I oness leap. freedom , togetherness , through l I ght and dark days . an or I g I nal chalk /pastel pa I nt I ng created to cont I nue the theme of B ryce wI dom ’s d reamthreads I
Nordic Combined USA and Nordic Combined News Launch Campaign to Demand Gender Equality at 2030 Olympics and beyond
An updated petition and advocacy efforts call on the IOC to add women’s Nordic Combined and preserve men’s tradition as a decision looms.
Nordic Combined USA and Nordic Combined News announced a joint campaign urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to include Women’s Nordic Combined in the 2030 Olympic Winter Games program while maintaining the men’s event that has been part of the Games since 1924.
About Nordic Combined
Nordic Combined is a winter sport combining ski jumping and crosscountry skiing. It has been part of the Winter Olympics since 1924, making it one of the original Olympic winter sports. Women’s World Cup competition began in 2020 and has experienced rapid growth in participation, viewership, and competitive depth.
Women Have Proven They’re Ready
In 2022, the IOC rejected women’s Nordic Combined for the 2026 Games, citing concerns about the sport’s readiness. Since then, women athletes have systematically responded to and resolved each of those concerns:
Events Expanded
World Cup events nearly doubled from nine in the 2021-22 season to 17 in 2025-26
Viewership increased: Women’s Nordic Combined viewership grew 25% in the 2024-25 season
Global Participation
12 nations competed at the 2025 World Championships in front of an estimated 20,000 fans.
6 different nations in the top 6 current World Cup Standings, and three US women finished in the top 10 at the January 2026 World Cups in Otepää, Estonia and Seefeld, Austria.
“The women have done everything asked of them and more,” said Jill Brabec, Board President of Nordic Combined USA. “They’ve met every benchmark set in 2022. Nordic Combined is the last Winter Olympic sport where women cannot compete. The IOC has committed to gender equality and now it’s time to deliver on that promise.”
American Athletes Poised for Olympic Success
Three American women are currently ranked in the world’s top 11: Alexa Brabec #2, Annika Malacinski #10, Tara Geraghty-Moats #11. All would be legitimate medal contenders if given the opportunity to compete.
The situation is particularly striking for the Malacinski family. While Annika’s brother will represent Team USA in men’s Nordic Combined at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, Annika, despite her world-class ranking, will watch from the sidelines.
“This is about more than one sport,” said Charlotte from Nordic Combined News. “It’s about keeping promises, recognizing achievement, and ensuring that when women do everything asked of them, they’re rewarded with opportunity, not excuses.”
Campaign Elements
The joint campaign includes: Updated petition calling on the IOC to add women’s Nordic Combined and preserve men’s Nordic Combined Digital advocacy toolkit for influencers and supporters to share the athletes’ stories
Outreach to the 21,000 petition signers from 2022, mobilizing them to amplify their voices
Social media campaign featuring athlete stories, including the film Where She Lands about Annika Malacinski’s journey “In 2022, 21,000 people signed a petition supporting these women,” said Brabec. “Those supporters were right–the women WERE ready. Now we need even more voices to ensure
the IOC makes the right decision to expand opportunity rather than erase tradition.”
The Wrong Solution
Rather than adding women’s events to achieve the gender parity the IOC has promised, the organization is considering eliminating men’s Nordic Combined, a foundational winter sport that has been part of every Winter Olympics since the first Games in Chamonix in 1924.
“Removing a century-old Olympic tradition doesn’t solve inequality. It compounds it,” said Brabec. “Nordic Combined uses existing facilities. It requires no additional infrastructure. There is no reason to eliminate the men’s event when the right solution is so clear: add the women.”
The Economic Case
Nordic Combined is uniquely costefficient, utilizing existing ski jumping hills and cross-country courses already built for Olympic venues. Adding women’s events requires no new facilities or infrastructure investment, making it one of the most economical ways to advance gender equality in the Winter Games.
About Nordic Combined USA
Nordic Combined USA is the national governing body for Nordic Combined in the United States, supporting athlete development, competition, and advocacy for the sport at all levels. Call to Action
Nordic Combined USA and Nordic Combined News are calling on supporters to:
Sign and share the updated petition at: https://c.org/Xn5njYN2hh
Watch and share Where She Lands, the film about Annika Malacinski’s journey: https://youtu.be/MC6naKkdo1 c?si=TMA7ySponc4cGGVz
Contact the IOC via social media (@ olympics) to show your support, And -Tune in to the men’s Nordic Combined events during the Winter Olympics to show there is interest in the sport.
by Lisa Blake
I remember my little pink diary fondly. It lived under my mattress and held all of my 10-year-old self’s dreams, crushes and curiosities, a microscopic golden key keeping its pages of rainbow inked (questionably legible) cursive protected from prying eyes.
It was around this time that I fell in love with the art of writing to myself. A practice I now covet and share through monthly Journaling for Clarity Workshops (visit thriveyogasummit.com to join).
When I was 10, it was 1990 and our brains weren’t being pulled in 200 different electronic-driven directions. There were no cell phones, no social media, no digital distractions. The little pink diary was composed from tween daydreams and fifth grade recess shenanigans.
Today’s journal pages look a bit different.
As a professional writer and author, I call on the tool of journaling as a sort of therapy. A way to pull up what needs to be put down on paper, brought into reality and manifest from sparks of intuition that show up during meditations or daily walks by the river.
Journaling is about giving ourselves the time and the sacred, soft, slowed down space that our brains and bodies need. I think of it as a big expressive exhale.
Journaling has been shown to:
Reduce stress and anxiety
Improve emotional regulation
Boost self-awareness
Enhance memory
Improve sleep quality
Reduce blood pressure
Promote mental and emotional health
I’m a big fan of stream of consciousness journaling or writing down thoughts as they happen, without lifting my pen from the page, without making sense or editing myself—the inner critic and editor is something I like to unpack in my workshops.
There’s real healing power in writing thoughts, fears, ideas and feelings down. Our thoughts and emotions have to go somewhere. When we push the hard ones down and hold them in, they don’t stay dormant—they cause things like stomach stress, heartburn, migraines and anxiety.
Journaling doesn’t always have to be about the heavy or the negative. It can be an exercise in love, too. A gratitude practice is a beautiful way to nurture a journaling routine. Try this: Find five or ten minutes in the morning, over coffee when it’s quiet before anyone gets up, and write down five things you’re grateful for. As you write, really feel these gratitudes in your heart.
Remember, if you can think a thought and feel an emotion, and you can bring that from your heart down to paper, then you can journal. Don’t overthink it.
Need a platform or a shiny new piece of inspiration? I published a journal titled Rooted: A Journaling Space for Growth + Reflection that’s filled with mindful prompts and promotes a deeper connection with nature and self.
Find Rooted at Next Page Books in Frisco or order directly from the author on Instagram @ lisananblake.
By Ren Hoskin
We breathe approximately 20,000 times each day, yet most of us never consciously engage with this fundamental act. Breathwork—the deliberate pacing of breathing patterns—offers a bridge to our autonomic nervous system yet with voluntary control, a rare opportunity to influence states we typically can’t access.
The science is compelling. Slow, deep breathing activates the vagus nerve, shifting us from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance. Studies using heart rate variability measures show that controlled breathing at 5-6 breaths per minute optimizes “respiratory sinus arrhythmia”, the natural variation in heart rate that occurs with breathing. This isn’t merely relaxation—it’s measurable down regulation of the nervous system. For many of us who live in a state of high cortisol or stress, this practice can be incredibly beneficial.
There are many traditions of Breathwork. Some techniques like Holotropic, Wim Hof breathing or the Elemental Rhythm Breathwork Experience use controlled hyperventilation to temporarily reduce CO₂ in the arteries, creating respiratory alkalosis. This triggers vasoconstriction in the brain while paradoxically delivering more oxygen to the tissues of the body through the Bohr effect. The result: altered states of consciousness, increased stress resilience, and potential immune modulation. Research shows these practices can reduce inflammatory markers and enhance stress response.
The traditions differ meaningfully in mechanism and intention. Pranayama, rooted in yoga philosophy, emphasizes subtle energy cultivation through varied breath ratios—often extending exhales to promote calm or retentions to build capacity. It’s systematic, precise, and energetically oriented.
Holotropic breathwork, developed by Stanislav Grof, uses sustained hyperventilation to access non-ordinary states for psychological integration. It’s cathartic, traumainformed, and therapeutically very intense.
The Wim Hof Method combines controlled hyperventilation with breath retention and cold exposure, focusing on physiological adaptation and stress resilience. It’s accessible, scientifically investigated, and performance-oriented.
Box breathing and coherent breathing sit at the more pragmatic end—tools for acute stress management backed by military and clinical research. They’re simple and immediately applicable in almost any circumstance.
Choosing a practice requires honest self-assessment. What draws a person to a Breathwork practice—nervous system regulation, emotional processing, spiritual exploration, or performance enhancement? The answer matters
because these practices, while sharing breath as their medium, serve different masters.
Trauma history suggests gentler approaches initially— coherent breathing or therapeutic pranayama with skilled guidance. Athletes and those seeking resilience might gravitate toward Wim Hof protocols. Those on a contemplative path may find pranayama’s subtlety compelling. Those seeking an emotional release, memory exploration, or rewiring belief systems might find the Elemental Rhythm transition more well suited.
The contraindications are real: pregnancy, cardiovascular conditions, severe untreated psychiatric disorders, and epilepsy require medical clearance for intensive practices. This isn’t wellness theater—clients are deliberately altering blood chemistry and nervous system function.
Start simply. Five minutes of 4-7-8 breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8) before sleep has measurable effects on sleep latency and anxiety. Build capacity before intensity. It is beneficial to find qualified teachers and facilitators who understand both the science and the subtlety, who can hold space for what emerges when we finally pay attention to what has sustained us since our first moment of birth.
The breath is always here, always accessible, asking nothing but our attention. In a world of complex interventions and expensive protocols, there’s something profoundly democratic about a practice requiring only the willingness to breathe differently. The science validates what contemplatives have known for millennia: the breath is a doorway, and we hold the key.
Ren Hoskin is a Nutritionist, Board Certified Health Coach and Certified Breathwork Facilitator based in Crested Butte, CO.
READ THE AVALANCHE FORECAST BEFORE SNOWSHOEING SNOWMOBILING HIKING A WINTER 14er
BACKCOUNTRY SKIING SPLITBOARDING ICE CLIMBING
CHECK THE FREE DAILY DANGER RATING AT COLORADO GOV/AVALANCHE OR SEARCH “CAIC” ON YOUR PHONE’S APP STORE
by Holly Battista-Resignolo
Alaska’s Premier Luxury Heli-Ski Resort, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, Kicks Off 20th Anniversary Season with a Brand-New Wellness Center and Weeklong Women’s Heli-Ski Experience with Legendary Guides
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge 20th season begins on February 20, 2026, and this year, they have two major new offerings that will take their renowned, bespoke guest experience to the next level with a brand-new, state-of-the-art wellness center and first-ever luxury women’s heli-ski camp.
“We are honored to celebrate 20 years of sharing pure Alaskan adventure and unforgettable memories with our guests, and we hope to continue for decades to come,” said Mike Overcast, co-owner of Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. “As we welcome new generations of heli-skiers, we are embracing what they value – intention, connection, and wellbeing – through new offerings designed to elevate the Alaskan backcountry experience like never before.”
Surrounded by more than one million acres of Alaskan skiing terrain that receives 600 inches of snow each winter, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge offers some of the most exciting heli-skiing and boarding in Alaska. The resort itself also boasts on-site experiences to round out a true luxury vacation, from a lakeside après on the decks with mountain views and daily gourmet meals prepared to order by the lodge’s private chef, to daily yoga and guided stretching, rejuvenating massages and wellappointed accommodations for rest and relaxation between adventures.
Guests can also enjoy a number of winter activities like snowshoeing or Nordic skiing on the property’s 20KM of groomed trails or the ancient-tradition-turned-wellness-trend – a cold plunge in frozen Judd Lake, followed swiftly by a warm-up in the resort’s lakeside, wood-fired sauna.
Below are more details about Tordrillo Mountain Lodge’s winter 2026 offerings. For additional information or to book a stay, visit www.tordrillomountainlodge.com
Couloirs & Cashmere: A Women’s Luxury Heli-Ski Camp
This upcoming season, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge will launch the first-ever women’s luxury heli-ski camp, February 28-March 7, 2026. The weeklong experience is intended for heli-skiers –from those who are interested in heli-skiing but have not tried it yet, all the way to experts who have dropped in many times. Led by women, for women, guests will enjoy epic heli-skiing, untracked powder, professional and highly experienced guides, luxury lodging, gourmet cuisine and fine wine, and wellness
and recovery activities. Legendary athletes, Jess McMillan, Jamie MacIntosh, and Lel Tone will host the unforgettable week of deep powder, high altitude luxury, and soul nourishing experiences.
The new wellness center, opening in February 2026, will augment Tordrillo Mountain Lodge’s exclusive Alaskan backcountry offerings. In the new space, guests will be able to prepare for a day of adventure or relax and rejuvenate lakeside.
Designed by Skylab Architecture and Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, the 2,400 square-foot structure will feature two massage therapy rooms, outfitted with luxury touches including traditional shou sugi ban walls – a centuries-old Japanese artisan technique of charring cedar. It will offer a juice bar, with made-to-order juices, smoothies, and snacks, as well as lockers and communal space. A yoga studio will accommodate up to 15 guests, a gym with premier cardio and strength equipment and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the resort’s private lake will give the impression of a natural infinity pool.
In addition to the new wellness center, the resort’s exist-
ing wellness space has been expanded by 100 square feet to feature a fully rebuilt sauna with a new stove and all new surfaces. The new sauna is made to accommodate 1215 people – more than twice the capacity of the previous space. The remainder of the existing building will serve as a new surf shop, housing gear used for summer activities on Judd Lake including Stand-Up Paddleboards, wetsuits, and more; as well as a brand-new retail space to allow guests even more access to Tordrillo Mountain Lodge’s partnerships with top outdoor brands like Stio, YETI, and Simms, among others.
All winter packages are seven-day, seven-night stays and include heli adventures, safety equipment and ski/snowboard demos, three gourmet meals daily, exclusive access to Judd Lake and all lodge-based activities, transportation from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, one double-occupancy room at Hotel Captain Cook the evening prior to Tordrillo Mountain Lodge reservation, and a private, round-trip flight between Anchorage and Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. Winter packages start at $18,500 per person.
www.tordrillomountainlodge.com
by Lisa Blake
Lying on Myra Jansky’s warm, velvety massage table, every cell in my body has exhaled. I’m the consistency of melted candle wax, but my post-massage energetic centers are buzzing, eager to remove my eyemask and see what the mystic massage therapist and tarot designer’s cards have revealed.
This is the transcendent scene of a 90-minute Massage + Message session and, just like the time before this, I’m basking in Myra’s integrative hands-on healing style. The intuitive mix of myofascial release, craniosacral holds and deep tissue massage has released knots and tension I hadn’t known existed. I’m thankful for the dreamy, flowing state of consciousness that continues into the second half of the appointment, after I’ve dressed and positioned myself on the edge of the table to sit across from Myra as she calmly explains the messages she sees in the cards that jumped from her hands onto the table moments earlier.
The cards’ revelation—one that matches my own desires for creativity, childlike play, family connection and a fresh career chapter—is partly my own subconscious communicating with me, Myra explains.
“Through working the physical body, we’re working the energetic body, and it can allow your own subconscious to speak more clearly,” Myra says. “The nervous system is allowed to relax, let go and get quiet. The cards are helping you communicate with yourself.”
Myra dug into the world of tarot readings after a deck called to her from a Goodwill game aisle in 2016. Today, the 27-year-old is still surprised at how vivid or intense some readings are. The cards can be loud and, when combined with Myra’s massage techniques, clients have described the experience as psychedelic and similar to a chiropractic release.
Since pain in the body is made manifest in the mind and pain in the mind is made manifest in the body, Myra says her goal is to work with both. She’s currently employed at Alchemy Wellness in Frisco and at Keystone Lodge and Spa as a massage therapist while taking online University of Colorado Denver classes to become a psychotherapist.
“I became a massage therapist because I am passionate about helping relieve suffering,” she says. “It’s for this same reason that I’m back in university.”
The dream is to build a center that allows clients to retreat from the world for a day, a weekend or a month, while receiving healing body work, psychedelic-assisted therapy and somatic therapies.
For Massage & Message clients, Myra offers house visits, along with sliding scale pricing, so that healing assistance can be accessible for more people.
“I have spent the last ten years studying mystical wisdom, a wide range of philosophy and wisdom traditions, and archetypal psychology,” she says. “This knowledge, paired with a touch of intuition and a sprinkle of faith, informs my ability to translate the cards.”
Looking for a unique gift? Book sessions and check out Myra’s self-published watercolor and ink tarot deck, The Skeletal Tarot, at www.myrrhsea.com.
by Mountain Town Magazine
Steamboat Springs winters are not always beautiful bluebird skies, sun and sparkling, powdery, champagne snow. This town knows winter and the kids who live here are a hardy bunch who understand what works best to enjoy a day out skiing, snowboarding or just building a snowman. That is the genius behind Robin Hall’s company, her “KID-sumer” consultants, aka the kids who advise her on the best way to craft Town Hall Outdoor CO gear for them.
As a mother she wanted to create a product that met the needs of her children and other youngsters. Both she, her company founders and the kids she meets up with agreed that in addition to product performance, sustainability is a top goal. From the use of recycled fabrics, and grow with me seams that expand the size of the garment as your young one gets older Town Hall Outdoor CO is making sure they leave this planet a better place for the next generation.
This year’s product line of outerwear includes the Down Town puffy, Around Town cold weather jacket and the Mountain Town winter jacket. These jack-
ets come in a variety of sizes and color combinations. The Mountain Town Winter Pants match up with the jacket colors and all offer sizes from youth XS to XL. Enhancing the outerwear’s warmth and protection from the elements are useful magnetic closures, zipper pulls for little hands, easy access pocket placement, pocket size and more. Check out their T-Shirts, Hats and the cutest Young Artist Collection Neck Gaiter too. You adults reading this might find something you like as well in their adult section.
Growing up also equals Hand Me Ups. We love the tag inside each jacket and pant that lets each kid “Hand Up” their jacket and pants to someone else once they have outgrown their outdoor gear. The company is also working on a trade up deal as well.
www.townhallco.com
by Lisa Blake
On October 4, 2024, Dr. Tracee Metcalfe became the first U.S. woman to scale all of the world’s 8,000-meter (that’s 26,200 feet plus) peaks—a huge prize in alpine climbing.
At age 50, her fourteenth and final 8,000-meter summit climb brought her to the top of Tibet’s Shishapangma, the same peak that took the lives of two American women and two sherpa guides almost exactly one year prior.
From her home in Vail, Metcalfe is still digesting this feat, feeling the shock of ticking off a goal set more than a decade ago, playing a mental highlight reel of skiing off a glacier in Denali, swabbing climbers for Covid on the side of the seventh highest mountain in the world; and climbing precariously along a two-foot path beneath the giant serac on K2’s Bottleneck Couloir.
Along the way, Metcalfe navigated a hip and knee replacement, subsequent addiction to Percocet, and a career path that took her from internal medicine to top-of-the-world expedition doctor to, just this past summer, founding Vail’s newest proactive health and performance clinic.
Beneath it all lies a pursuit of excellence and a deep commitment to helping others thrive on the slopes, in the clinic, and in everyday life.
Eighteen-year-old Tracee Metcalfe found her people when she dropped freshman year at UCLA for a ski bum season in Breckenridge.
The self-described unathletic and introverted Southern California girl worked at A&W and delivered pizzas at night so she could ski all day.
Summers were all about climbing 14ers, a hobby that hooked her after
summiting Mt. Democrat her first season in Colorado. Metcalfe set a goal of climbing all 58 of the state’s 14,000foot peaks, a vision accomplished methodically across the next 20 years while juggling medical school at CU Denver, residency in Seattle, and a successful hospitalist position at Vail Health for 15 years.
“It gave me a roadmap,” she says. “I would take vacations to the San Juans and knock out five there. I worked my way up to technical mountains, went down to Peru and got guidance on glacier climbing and moved from that to big mountains.”
When an opportunity to work with the Denali volunteer ranger program came around, Metcalfe jumped at the chance to intertwine her two loves: medicine and mountains.
This was the young doctor’s first foray into expedition medicine and it was thrilling.
“I realized I really like combining medicine and mountains,” she says. “The park service needed a medical person, so I was working with rope specialists and rangers.”
Then came the spark to go to the Himalayas, so she applied to work in the emergency room on Everest—a coveted position that takes years to work up to. Instead, Himalayan Experience hired her to be their expedition basecamp doctor in 2014. Metcalfe juggled her work as a hospitalist in Vail with Nepal’s spring and fall climbing seasons, working a ton of winter Vail shifts to afford her 45-day expedition trips where she handled altitude illness, colds, frostbite and sherpa health. Eventually, her skills landed her a different Everest doc spot and she was able to summit the 29,028-foot goddess.
The time came, in 2019, for the doctor to stop exchanging her services for guided climbs and to go all in on the quest to conquer all 14 eight-thousanders.
“I’d had a few experiences where I wasn’t able to summit because people got sick and I needed to do my job,” Metcalfe says. “I’m training all year for these climbs and I realized that, if I was going to go, I wanted to be a paying client and summit.”
After Everest, Metcalfe began checking off Nepalese peaks, joining friends for climbs and tackling breathtaking and daunting Annapurna in 2021. The following year, she summited Dhaulagiri and Kanchenjunga and then went to Pakistan in 2023 for the first time and completed the rest of her summits.
Today, back in Eagle County, Metcalfe is leaning into ski mountaineering (ski-mo) races and climbing 13ers. She’s looking forward to returning to Nepal in 2026 as an ambassador and volunteering at a rural clinic in 2027.
“It’s time for a shift from my personal climbing to giving back to a country that has given me so much,” she says. “Will I ever do another 8,000-meter peak? I don’t know.”*
Through all of the personal highs and lows, the surgeries and struggles, the peaks and the perils, Metcalfe has stayed true to high-altitude medicine.
In June 2025, with more than two decades of clinical practice under her belt, Metcalfe opened The Synergy Clinic. Built on Medicine 3.0—proactive, personalized and participatory care—the Avon clinic works to blend functional, traditional and lifestyle medicine.
“Conventional care often focuses on managing illness after it appears,” she says. “Here, we focus on prevention, early detection, and empowering you to take an active role in your health.”
Currently a one-woman show, Metcalfe is serving around 40 patients and loves helping women through perimenopause and menopause.
“I went through menopause early, in my 40s, and it was a challenge finding a doctor that would listen to me,” she says. “It doesn’t need to be a scary thing. It’s part of aging, going through it with education can make a huge difference.”
Whether it’s prescribing hormone replacement therapies, bone density scans, or partnering with a nutritionist and acupuncturist, the goal is to empower patients.
Learn about the Synergy Clinic and book a consultation with Metcalfe at www.thesynergy.clinic
Gretchen Reid is a leader and Soul Guide bringing clarity and purpose to her clients lives and businesses
by Holly Battista-Resignolo
Meet Gretchen Reid, a woman born with a passion to coach and transform people’s lives and businesses. She delights in assisting them in becoming a better version of themselves. Born a coach and facilitator, she is a sleuth for those seeking self-discovery and fulfillment.
Gretchen brought her skills out from New York State to Colorado after graduating with a BA in Psychology and Business Management, and an MS in Human Resource Development.
Shortly after, in 1998, her entrepreneurial spirit kicked in, and she began building Integrated Growth, a coaching and consulting practice rooted in one clear purpose: to ignite the minds and hearts of leaders to align around shared purpose so they can work toward something greater than themselves and solve real-world problems together.
When her children were young, Gretchen founded Motherhood Transitions, a life and career coaching business dedicated to supporting women as they moved from independent woman to mother. She worked with clients through every stage of the journey—from pregnancy and birth to early parenting and even empty-nesting.
Gretchen guided women in navigating the shifts in relationships, identity, priorities, and values that naturally occur throughout the phases of motherhood. She recognized that these core aspects of life evolve over time, and her work focused on helping women integrate those changes in a way that created balance, clarity, and longterm sustainability.
Her mission was to craft a brave and safe space for women to acknowledge and embrace themselves as their personal needs
morphed with parenting. Her business soon began to have further impact, “I’d be working with these women and then their husbands would come to me and ask what I was doing with their wives. Before you know it, they’d become a client too,” she said.
Her professional career path expanded when she made Summit County her home and stepped into a seven year journey assisting Vail Resorts in developing their leadership culture across the enterprise. She started by building leadership development programming for Keystone Resort, Breckenridge Ski Area, and the other handful of resorts they had at the time. By the time she left, she had impacted all 37 resorts in their expanded portfolio, and their associated hospitality and retail outlets across the country and internationally.
What Gretchen helped create became the foundation for Vail Resorts' signature leadership, sustained growth, and leadership over the last decade plus.
In 2019, she gave her full attention back to Integrated Growth, and today Gretchen continues to empower individuals and team leadership for positive change and upgrowth with a new flavor and flair. As Founder and CEO of Integrated Growth, Gretchen Reid brings more than 30 years of experience coaching leaders, creating spaces for transformational conversations, and building customized, award-winning Leadership and Talent Development Programs in the fields of healthcare, wellness, outdoor industry, hospitality, and public service.
She does not do this alone. Gretchen Reid’s team at Integrated Growth is composed of highly trained, tenured consultants, facilitators, and coaches, each with over a decade or more of applied experience. Many have advanced degrees and are
Certified Professional Coaches.
I had the opportunity to hold a deep conversation with Gretchen and told her how impressed I was with her list of accomplishments. Gretchen says, “What makes me different in terms of a consultant, coach, and facilitator is my ability to really lean into my intuition”.
Gretchen continued, “There are many ways of approaching coaching, and there is a unique process that I use. I call my approach SoulWorx. In addition to more traditional approaches, SoulWorx includes mind-body coaching and Evolutionary Kinesiology. These techniques involve psychology, spirituality, and muscle testing to tap into your highest wisdom. There are leaders out there who are struggling silently. All looks well on the outside, but there is something not adding up beneath the surface. They have gone to courses, classes, had coaching and team development, etc., yet they still struggle. That’s when they come to me. The process of Evolutionary Kinesiology can literally get to the root of what is holding them back. It’s like a laser beam that directly shoots into the root cause of their challenges with a neutralizing effect, while activating the positive belief and action required for them to overcome the barrier and move forward successfully.”
“Let me tell you a story about a C-suite executive I had been working with for over a year. During one of our sessions, this client was explaining how she was having a hard time getting her message across to her team. When she suggested a specific action to take they seemed to ignore it. This individual told the CEO basically the same thing she was trying to get across to the others, and when the CEO gave the team that exact direction, they activated the request. This executive had been highly successful in every other pursuit in her career, though had noticed a pattern when trying to mobilize others."
This client thought that the issue was her voice and delivery. “That’s not it, your voice is fine, the issue is within your power center,” I said. “I have a process that I typically don’t use in a corporate setting, but if you’re willing to take a chance, I’m willing to do this.” Without hesitation, she said yes, let’s absolutely do it.
I enacted SoulWorx and the muscle testing process to find the barrier, the root cause of her inability to communicate clearly and activate others. We discovered that her issue has been with her since she was five months in utero. “I got this huge wash of energy, I nearly passed out, and I was like, what is happening? What’s going on for you?” She began to sob and said, “You know, when my mom was pregnant with me, the five month mark was around the holidays, maybe New Year’s Eve? I have this feeling there was a lot of partying going on, alcohol use, as I have to guess that my dad was scared as hell to become a father. I feel like there was an argument, some yelling, something violent that occurred. I didn’t know it until this very moment, but I was afraid to be born. I was scared to come out of the safety of the womb.”
It was a full on Wow moment. We were able to neutralize that fear and that anxiety, and then we were able to activate the positive to allow her to not just speak the words but speak the words with power.
Gretchen’s client was scheduled to appear on stage as part of a professional panel a week later. She said she usually would get up on stage and have this really weird out of body experience that brought a lot of noise into her head. She wouldn’t be able to express herself very well. This time, she said that she communicated crystal clear and was able to activate and connect with the audience. This client was thrilled and said, “I have never spoken so powerfully in all my life”, and continued to have the same result with her team, her family, and others.
I asked Gretchen when she discovered this skill, and she said, “When I was a little girl, around six years old, my mom confirmed this. I’d go into my little friends’ houses and look into their family dynamics and help them work through their family relationships. I’d have all my friends come over to my yard and play kick the can or sardines. We would play these games, and I always acted as the facilitator and teambuilder. Coaching has always been a part of who I am. I have always had intuition and have been an empath as far back as I can remember. I just didn’t know how to harness it until my first child was around one year of age.”
“I was struggling with something, I honestly don’t remember what it was at this point. I called this woman named LaRue. She was in Texas, and I was in Colorado (this was way before people did virtual sessions). She was a coach, and she was doing something on the other end of the line, and she completely neutralized whatever it was that I was dealing with. I said oh my gosh, what is it that you’re doing? Once she explained it to me, I knew I had to fly her out to Colorado to teach me. That’s when I learned Evolutionary Kinesiology, back in 2002.”
It was the spark that lit the fire of Gretechen’s next step into the work she is doing now, and the process has been
proving itself over and over again.
Ultimately, Gretchen loves working with leadership teams and truly transforming them into a highly functional unit where there’s a high level of trust, a high level of productivity, and a high level of commitment so that they can create a greater vision to achieve a greater mission. Gretchen says, ”This is truly what I care about, people working well together to make this world a better place.”
Her expertise has directly contributed to awards, including Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Forbes America’s Best Employers List, Forbes Best Employer for Diversity, and ASTD BEST. Gretchen is a former professor of HR Change Management, Leading a Culture of Innovation, and Leadership Development for DU | University College Strategic HR Masters Program.
You may want to consider joining Gretchen for a one-of-a-kind Women’s Leadership Retreat in 2027 on the breathtaking southern coast of Algarve, Portugal. This is not a typical getaway. It’s a transformational experience designed for accomplished women leaders who know there’s more — more alignment, more fulfillment, more purpose. Learn more at this link, www.womenofthesummit.org
Discover More about Gretchen Reid, her retreat, and Integrated Growth at:
www.integratedgrowth.com
by Caren Austin
There are very few people that you meet in your life that leave an everlasting mark. When I was living in Evergreen CO, I had the chance to meet and befriend an extraordinary woman. I knew from the second I met Megan Mitchell that she was on a mission to make the world a better place. Megan defines what Mountain Woman Magazine is based on. She “Rocks the Rockies” and has climbed mountains, maybe not literally, but will always turn around to make sure that others are ascending with her, because that is who Megan is. She is a selfless, giving, all around good human and I am honored to let you know why.
Megan Mitchell was raised in Kansas City and moved to Evergreen, Colorado. in 1998. She met her husband Gery Mitchell while working as a bartender at Cactus Jack’s in Evergreen. In 2001, they had an opportunity to buy Cactus Jacks and immediately took action. Gary and Megan got married in 2004. There were challenges a-plenty. There was a 100-year flood in 2013, which inundated the building, and injured Gary while trying to repair the damage, Megan stepped in, became sober (and still is), and helped get Cactus Jack’s back on its feet.
Megan’s goal for Cactus Jack’s and in her personal life is inclusivity. She said, “it breaks her heart when people feel excluded”. She always wants Cactus Jack’s to be a restaurant where people can feel safe. They have hosted many events to promote inclusivity including spectacular drag shows where all types of people can come, get together, and have fun.
Megan is the President of the Evergreen Downtown Business Association, where she puts her efforts into making and keeping Evergreen the strong, close-knit community that it is, planning events, and helping its local businesses whenever they need it. Her accolades don’t stop there.
Megan has traveled to Africa twice, not to vacation, but to provide assistance with a water project in Uganda. She is raising money as I write this so a Ugandan village can access clean water without traveling a mile plus up steep hills, on foot, to get it. She is working closely with The Ugandan Water Project in New York State. When the money is raised, the group will go and build the well. This will provide agriculture, income for families and safety from erosion. She funded the trips herself and will continue to help the villages of Uganda. But Megan didn’t stop there.
Megan has been recycling at Cactus Jack’s since 2016, and in 2025, she purchased a Recycling Center in Evergreen to improve compost and recycling. She hopes to turn it into a nonprofit at some point. Foothills Recycling is her way of making Evergreen more ecoconscious and environmentally friendly.
I think we can all use a little “Megan” in our lives. Do good, pay it forward, and embody the term “good human”. That is about as “Woman” as it gets. Thank you, Megan Mitchell, for showing us that ambition, determination and always thinking of others is something we can achieve if we strive for it.
Founder of Gore Range Gravity Alliance
by Lisa Blake
What’s a girl gotta do to get some female skiing buddies? Turns out, you just have to ask.
Anyone want to meet up for a beer and chat about backcountry skiing? Amanda Marchiani threw the question up on Facebook and 65 women responded with interest. It was right before the pandemic hit in 2020 and Marchiani had just moved back to Vail after a stint in Denver. She was craving some time on the mountain that didn’t involve the dude crew intimidation or dominance factor.
“When a guy asks you to go on a backcountry tour, there’s a curious question in your mind…are they trying to get outside with me or trying to date me?” Marchiani says.
The women that showed up that night eventually got together for a hut trip, kept spitballing ideas, and hosted the first Gore Range Gravity Alliance (GRGA) event—a Wax and Wine night in Avon—in January 2022.
Since then, the grassroots organization has snowballed (pun intended) into a volunteer-operated Eagle and Summit County nonprofit on a mission to create spaces where women—regardless of age, background or experience—have opportunities to explore the outdoors and grow in confidence to become a leader of her own adventures.
Last year, in its third year of operation, GRGA held 26 meetups and educational events with more than 380 attendees. Women gathered for free hands-on avalanche safety education, relaxed-pace uphill skins and apres connection, and an annual Backcountry Ball fundraising event that invites women to swap ski boots and snowpants for heels and sequins.
“Winter in the mountains can be isolating,” Marchiani says. “There’s a lack of connection going on. For women to take that first step and get out to a meetup like this makes such a difference. That’s what leads to happiness.”
GRGA founder and part-time executive director, 36-yearold Marchiani says some days she has to pinch herself.
“I feel so grateful that this is part of my life,” she says. “I’ll often look at the women in the room, whether they’re putting on touring skis for the first time or volunteering to help GRGA grow, and I just feel really lucky.”
The Canon City native and Colorado State University alum is a contract events organizer, piecing together infrastructure for high-adrenaline competitions like X Games and Red Bull
Rampage. The end goal, she says, is to hang up the events job and focus full time on GRGA, working to reach broader female audiences and weave together more intergenerational connections.
“When you have a 20-year-old skinning next to a 60-yearold, that relationship is so special,” Marchiani says. “We really want to be able to create more of that.”
GRGA recently brought on three new board members (17 applied for the trio of positions) and fundraising is the central focus as the organization works to hire a full-time staff person and eventually launch youth programming for young women.
“People are always looking for a place to belong and I think it’s really cool to give women an opportunity to feel that,” says Marchiani. “We have empty nesters getting back into the thing they love. Moms with little ones, making time for themselves and 22-year-olds who just moved to the mountains. They’re all getting outside and connecting.”
www.gorerangegravityalliance.com
by Lisa Blake
For many repeat visitors to Breckenridge, a trip to Joy of Sox tops their must-do list. The playful, gift-filled boutique draws shoppers in from Main Street with its walls of buttery soft, hilariously clever and adorably give-worthy keepsake socks along with a slew of souvenirs and other cozy accoutrements. If visitors are lucky, the store’s owner Annie Evans will be in, offering her caring smile and help navigating the ever-changing inventory.
Joy of Sox has been a Breckenridge retail staple for more than 30 years and Evans works hard to ensure her thriving business stays interesting. In addition to any type of sock one might need, she stocks racks and shelves with colorful bags, scarves, jewelry, gag gifts, games, and family goodies for every generation.
Evans and her husband Rick Asher, who owns locally loved ski tuning stop Pup’s Glide Shop, have raised two snow-loving kids in Breckenridge—both Levi and Geneva spent time as competitive skiers—and say the key to long-term mountain living is finding that delicate work-play balance.
“We have a group of friends who meet every Thursday on the mountain,” Evans says. “This group is still skiing and still playing. After all these years, we haven’t lost our love for it.”
Nodding to her small staff of dedicated locals, Evans is able to work from home a couple of days a week, work in the shop a couple of days and play the remaining days. “It’s hard to find people who are sticking around and can afford to live here year round. I’m so grateful for them.”
Evans and her family and staff work diligently to “keep Breckenridge Breckenridge,” encouraging shopping local and keeping sales tax dollars circulating within the community. She’s a part of the Shop Breck retail group, a collection of small businesses promoting each other and staying mindful about keeping dollars local.
“Our sales tax dollars help support things that locals love — the rec center and the parks, Breck Create and all the great things that make Breck Breck,” she says. “We do what we can to maintain that small town resort feel.”
The circle of resort community life has gotten a little more challenging to maintain over recent years with the rise of one-click online and big box shopping. But, Evans says, it’s what makes up the fabric of our community and there’s a certain slice of pride that comes from a Main Street lined with locally owned stores.
S. Main Street Breckenridge, CO 80424 www. joyofsoxinbreck.com
by Shauna Farnell
Annelise Loevlie and her partners at Icelantic Skis celebrates 20 years in business and the Colorado brand keeps getting better. Icelantic has set itself apart in sustainability, vivid artwork, and winter concerts.
Growing up in Evergreen and going to school in Idaho Springs, Annelise Loevlie, Ben Anderson and Travis Parr became friends as preteens through ski racing. One time they were watching a 1990s surf film –In God’s Hands – when a lightbulb went off.
“The movie is about friends creating their own life,” Loevlie recalls. “That moment shifted everything.”
Anderson started talking about starting his own ski company. He graduated from high school early and got an internship with a small ski maker in Boulder called Journey, learning to press skis.
It wasn’t long before he took his newly learned skills to his family’s garage, gathering materials and crafting his own prototypes. Joining forces with Parr, an artist who provided the graphics and Lovelie, who stepped in to help with marketing, his creation became Icelantic Skis. They launched in 2005 with a handmade wood core and overall “bombproof” design. The initial ski was called The Scout, measuring just 143 cm. It would eventually elongate to become The Nomad, which, 20 years later, is still Icelantic’s best-selling ski.
“Our bread-and-butter skis have remained similar,” Loevlie says. “We’ve just gotten more focused and intentional.”
Part of the focus has involved manufacturing out of Never Summer Industries. A snowboard maker since 1991, Never Summer took on Icelantic’s processing 18 years ago.
Another major component of Icelantic’s mission has been to “leave the world better than we found it.” True to that, in 2022, the brand’s sustainability practices earned it a B Corp certification, the second ski company ever (after Faction) to earn the honor.
Operating out of its headquarters in Golden, Anderson continues on as Icelantic’s visionary product creator, whose next wave of innovation includes an all-mountain lineup of skis integrating carbon and various ultra-lightweight materials. Parr is still the artist, his masterpieces over the years ranging from lifelike wildlife to landscapes to vibrant, abstract shapes. Lovelie has worn just about every hat in the company. These days, she’s officially the head honcho, Chief Executive Officer.
“The general experience, especially in a leadership role, has been a refiner’s fire, defining my own power and voice,” she says. “For a long time, it was me and an opinionated, strong, alpha, all-men, creative team. I’ve had to work hard on myself. The opportunity has been a huge highlight.”
Icelantic has also been a major player in ramping up hype for the outdoors off the slopes. The company did, after all, spearhead and continue to organize the incredibly popular Winter on the Rocks, the 14th edition of which will land at Red Rocks this February.
“Standing on the stage looking out at 10,000 people, those moments have been so cool,” Loevlie says. “Also, continuing to do business with friends, watching the evolution of all of us, having families, having kids, getting to meet and ski with amazing people all over the country and world, that’s been one of the biggest highlights.”
Winter on the Rocks 2026 featuring BigXthaPlug, Smino, Mike Jenkins and PawPaw Rod hits Red Rocks Feb. 7. Also, Icelantic’s Spring Bash lands at Loveland on March 21 with demos, costumes and live music.
Discover Icelantic: www.icelanticskis.com
by Amy Schweim
Have you ever been on a ride or hiking with a group of friends and found yourself at the back of the pack suffering, struggling, and beating yourself up the whole time because your mind was telling you how much you suck?! Or maybe you don’t even go on group rides or hikes because you are afraid you won’t be able to keep up. Do you ever feel like your mind is against you sometimes?
I humbly admit, this sums up my early years of mountain biking when I first learned to ride in Crested Butte 20+ years ago and how I went through life off my bike from time to time as well; as though my mind was my worst enemy.
I’ll never forget the first time I rode clipless pedals with a former boyfriend who took me to Horse Thief Bench outside of Grand Junction, to learn. I’m not sure why he chose to take me to the most technical trail to torture me on, but nonetheless, my mind was pretty harsh with me that day as I struggled to keep up with him and stay on my bike! Many times, I found myself stuck in my pedals, tipped over on a pile of rocks with a trail of blood, sweat and mind full of defeat.
To try and salvage my pride, I tried to laugh it off and crack jokes through the sufferfest. I battled my mind all day long, justifying, arguing, and cursing myself. All the while trying to psych myself up after each fall and keep my attitude positive as I humbly slung my leg back over the saddle each time picking myself back up. I felt psychotic trying to maintain the happy face and claim how fun it was to my boyfriend while battling the gremlins of my mind. Mentally and physically exhausted, I survived. But sadly, I didn’t truly enjoy it because I let my mind negatively control my experience.
I spent the next ten years mountain biking the Gunnison Valley throughout my 20’s, battling my mind
to some degree or another. Not only on the bike, but off my bike too. I was a perfectionist and overly critical of myself in any endeavor I pursued.
Until I moved to South America….
After years of living in the land of extreme sports and enduro athletes, I picked up and moved myself to the Caribbean Coast of Colombia to teach internationally for two years. I went from a land of certain to the absolute unknown and uncertain. I moved from a small mountain town where I felt aligned, proud and falsely identi-
fied to the masculine energy side of my being. Upon moving, I found myself thousands of miles away from that masculine energy to the exact polar opposite vibe of the Caribbean embodied with feminine energy, the sea, and a subtle sense of ‘softness’ where I was able to tap into a more gentle way of ‘being’ by mixing up my recreation with mountain biking, surfing, yoga, and Latin dancing!
There weren’t many female riders and in the beginning, I rode alone a lot. What shifted the most for me was re-discovering why I loved mountain biking once I was out of the environ-
ment where I felt an invisible ‘pressure’ to perform. I was able to just enjoy the ride and stop fighting with the gremlins of my mind. I fell in love with mountain biking for the pure joy of it again. I let go of the feeling that I had to prove something on my bike, and also in life. I let myself simply be, in the flow state, happily experiencing joy!
It was like going back to being a kid in a way and learning again. Everything around me was new and I was beginning again: learning a new language, culture, country, singletrack and school system. Not even conscious of it at the time, I see that I had shifted from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset and was open to the process of learning, discovery, and the pure joy and bliss of the experiences! From that time in my life on, I really embarked on a path of self re-discovery, healing, and embraced living life with a growth mindset; excited to learn, develop, and evolve into my full potential both on and off the bike.
Carol Dweck helps explain the difference between a fixed mindset and growth mindset:
“IN A FIXED MINDSET, PEOPLE BELIEVE THEIR BASIC QUALITIES, LIKE THEIR INTELLIGENCE OR TALENT, ARE SIMPLY FIXED TRAITS… THEY BELIEVE THAT TALENT ALONE CREATES SUCCESS–WITHOUT EFFORT. IN A GROWTH MINDSET, PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THEIR MOST BASIC ABILITIES CAN BE DEVELOPED THROUGH DEDICATION AND HARD WORK.”
For so many years, I beat myself up feeling like I was never ‘good enough’ and didn’t have the talent on the bike, and in life, to succeed and reach my goals. Once I shifted to a growth mindset, I was able to accept where I was and recognize what I needed to do to continue to develop myself. I focused more on my inner qualities and the way I perceived my experiences, my focus, values, beliefs, and thoughts about what I set out to do. I allowed myself to develop my skills (on the
mountain bike and in life) rather than hold myself to an unrealistic expectation to be perfect and attain my goals without effort and struggle.
In all honesty, I went through some serious rock bottoms in my personal life that really brought me to the realization that I needed to shift my mindset, because it turns out, I was my own worst enemy and the biggest barrier in my way. I’ll admit, heartbreak was the catalyst that dropped me to my knees where I hit one of my first rock bottoms and the story isn’t pretty how I initially dealt with it. But the silver lining was discovering how to deeply love my own self, heal, forgive and then set out years later to inspire and empower other women seeking to do the same through adventure travel, yoga, and mountain biking!
It kind of felt like a global ‘rock bottom’ in some ways from the effects of COVID-19, eh? But again, it depends on how you look at it! I think one of the greatest silver linings of this pandemic was taking advantage of the time we have had to connect, turn inward, and reflect on how we are showing up at life. Do you see through a lens half full or half empty? Rose or brown shaded? Here are a few tips to start to explore your mindset and move towards one of growth!
Understand the connection between thoughts and feelings – they create the reality of your experiences!
Start to build awareness around your thoughts and feelings. Pay attention to what you are telling yourself! Pay attention to how you feel! If you are beating yourself up STOP ALREADY!
Take five deep breaths. Focus on your breath, change the story you are telling yourself to something softer and more loving! “You’ve got this! It’s not about the destination, it’s about enjoying the journey.”
Notice the beauty around you; the flowers, the trees, the beautiful sky, people you love. Then pay attention to how you feel after you shift your thoughts. It’s a really simple practice, but it takes your awareness and practice.
YOU are in control of your mind; YOU are a powerful conscious creator!
Everyday, start your day by planting the seeds you want to watch grow in your life. You choose: will you grow flowers or weeds? Intentionally create affirmations to tell yourself every morning. Choose a mantra or word or whatever it is you will tell yourself every morning before your feet hit the floor that you can bring with you into your day for when challenges arise in life or on your bike. You have to take
control of your mind rather than be at the mercy of your subconscious mind!
If you learn from the experience, you are a WINNER every time!
Even if you come in dead last, miss a deadline or you don’t finish what you started, you are winning as long as you learn from your experience. Every mistake you make is progress IF you take a valuable lesson away and apply it.
Choose Progress & Growth over Perfection!
Perfection is driven by the ego. Let it go! Remember that life (and mountain biking!) is about enjoying the journey – it’s not about the destination. Strive for progress, growth, and developing yourself along the way rather than doing everything perfectly. You will have lots more fun along the way!
THE TAKEAWAY: TURN PASSION INTO
Many other woman have discovered their passions are their biggest turn on and have crafted something new from their discovery and turned them into something bigger than the initial pursuit.
Amy Schweim is a Breathwork Practitioner, Integration Coach, Artist, Adventurer, Human Rights Activist and Animal Lover
Learn more:www.tierrazuldesigns.com
story by Christy Camp
In Colorado’s high country, where attention is shaped by light, texture, and silence, Traci Guire creates art that feels attuned to place rather than removed from it. Her work— rooted in mixed media and acrylic—invites viewers into a quiet dialogue with the natural world, translating the language of land into layered, tactile form.
Traci’s creative process is deliberate and immersive. Before beginning a new piece, she steps away from the canvas to gather perspective— walking mountain trails, studying design and architecture, and engaging with other artists and creative spaces. These experiences inform her sense of balance and movement, allowing each work to emerge from a place of fullness rather than urgency. The result is art that feels lived-in, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant.
Texture plays a central role in Traci’s work. Natural materials such as stone and wood are incorporated alongside softer, more fluid elements, creating a subtle tension that mirrors the contrasts found outdoors. Smooth surfaces meet rugged ones; quiet color palettes are enriched with depth and variation. Each piece develops its own visual rhythm, shaped by relationships between pattern, form, and touch. Rather than depicting landscapes directly, Traci captures their essence. Her work reflects the way nature is experienced—through sensation, memory, and presence. The tactile quality of her canvases evokes the physicality of the outdoors: coolness of soil, warmth of sunlit stone, interplay of fragility and strength found in forests and mountains. These elements combine to create a sense of calm, grounding a viewer in the moment.
Traci’s art is often drawn into mountain homes, where it complements interiors that value simplicity, warmth, and introspection. There is an elegance to her work that feels natural rather than ornamental— designed to enhance atmosphere and create spaces that invite reflection.
Visitors to Traci’s Evergreen studio are welcomed into this process, where art becomes an extension of environment and experience. Whether encountered in a gallery setting or commissioned for a personal space, her work offers a quiet reminder of connection—between nature and home, material and meaning, and the enduring influence of the landscape on how we see and feel.
Visit her in studio at 2922 Evergreen Parkway Suite B309, Evergreen, CO. Or at www.traciguire.com
story by Caren Austin
Media
If you have ever been to Mountain Home in Evergreen, CO, you know how special it is. Every time I visit, I feel like a kid in a candy store. The store is filled with everything you could ever want to fill your mountain home, or any home. What I didn’t know at first is that Mountain Home is home to Alexa Interiors as well. Alexa owns both businesses and one goes hand in hand with the other. She is a force within the industry, and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.
Alexa Cowley opened Alexa Interiors in 2000, working out of her house. She moved around a ton growing up, which gave her the eye for decorating homes. Her mother was very artistic, creating curtains and other home furnishings as they moved, so this was an organic progression of Alexa’s life, and became her passion. With her set design classes under her belt, Alexa Interiors was born.
In 2010, she moved into a building on Main Street in Evergreen occupying the upstairs, then decided to put a few home furnishings downstairs to complement the interior designs she was creating. In 2018, she moved into her current building with a large client list and even bigger dreams. When the owner of Mountain Home was selling her business, Alexa jumped at the chance to once again meld the art of interior design with her keen eye for home furnishings. It was another organic progression of her life, and she knew it was the right one.
Fast forward to today, Mountain Home and Alexa Interiors is thriving. Mountain Home is something you must see, any season, but the holidays are extra special. Whether you are a tourist or local, Mountain Home’s many Christmas trees amongst the store are jaw dropping. You can purchase any of the ornaments off the tree, and they change every year with a theme that the public gets to guess on. It is something I wait for every year, and it is the first place I go to for my holiday shopping along with family and friends.
Mountain Home hosts classes for the holidays, such as Thanksgiving table setting, and wreath making. Book early as they fill up quickly. The store is also a huge part of the Holiday Walk in Evergreen every year.
Alexa has clients from all over Colorado’s mountain towns and beyond.
“People should feel safe and wrapped up in their home”. ~ Alexa Cowley
.left Alexa Cowley,
.top Mountain Home Showroom
.right
Bespoke Dining Space by Alexa Interior
.middle right
Exterior of Mountain Home in Evergreen, Colorado
.lower right
Kitchen Design by Alexa Interior
With the kindest, and most knowledgeable employees on both sides of the business, it truly is the lifestyle store to go to for your home needs. Paying it forward, Alexa gives back to many nonprofits and is involved with many organizations around Evergreen. Living in Colorado for decades, she loves to give back to the community that has supported her.
Alexa says that “People should feel safe and wrapped up in their home”. Whether you shop at Mountain Home, or Alexa Interiors becomes your interior design experts, that’s exactly how you will feel.
www.alexainteriors.com
.top left
Mountain Home Showroom
. top right
Mountain Home Showroom
.lower right
Bedroom Design by Alexa Interior
Rooted in the Rockies, reimagined for today. Unwind at the base of Peak 9, breathe in the crisp mountain air, and embark on authentic mountain adventures in Breckenridge.
Join us at Breckenridge’s gathering place for exceptional dining. Enjoy unique, open-fire pizzas and creative dishes celebrating local history. Savor modern mountain dining with us.
Edwin is more than just a restaurant, it’s a gathering place, perfect for those seeking an exceptional dining experience in Breckenridge.
Find our secret entrance and step into an exclusive lounge where skilled mixologists craft daring cocktails. Immerse yourself in intimate ambiance and engaging conversation for an unforgettable escape.
Hidden within the walls of Hotel AlpenRock in Breckenridge the Canary Speakeasy offers the only true speakeasy experience in Summit County.
by Lisa Blake
Suzanne Nance, Lead Brewer at Breckenridge Brewery
A Story Shaped by Mountains, Rivers and Beer. As told to Lisa Blake by Suzanne Nance
Some people spend their lives following a plan. Suzanne Nance followed a river. The suburban Chicago native grew up with a healthy dose of stability and support—she’ll tell you it’s the kind of upbringing that bolsters the confidence required to dream big. And so she did.
Fresh out of Denison University with a degree in economics, Nance set aside her quest to land the perfect downtown Chicago consulting job and said yes to a spot on a friend’s Grand Canyon-bound raft.
“What I thought was just a break became the beginning of the end of the life I thought I wanted,” Nance says.
Here, Nance shares her journey from the Midwest to the mountains to motherhood:
Surrounded by the sounds of waves echoing off the canyon walls and sleeping under a blanket of stars, something in me shifted. The rhythm of camp life, the heat of the sun, the challenge of the whitewater—it chipped away at the polished version of who I thought I was supposed to be. I found a strength and sense of peace and contentment in myself I had never known.
I came home, took a deep breath, and made the boldest decision of my life. I moved to Breckenridge with no job, no plan, and a three-month deadline: find work, make friends, carve out a life or head back to Chicago. Twentyfour years later, I’m still here.
My first job was at a ski shop, where I quickly moved through the ranks, leaning on my college education and strong work ethic. That job introduced me to a kind, wildhearted tight-knit crew who would become some of my closest friends. Summers were spent paddle guiding raft trips. Then came a part-time hosting job at the Breckenridge Brewery, a small side gig meant to help pay off credit card debt. I had no idea it would change the trajectory of my entire career.
I settled into brewery life quickly, picking up shifts and moving from server to bartender—a position not easily earned. The more I immersed myself in brewery culture, the more curious I became about what was happening
behind the scenes. I started paying attention to the brewers, their process, and the hard work, both physically and artistically, that went into making beer. I believed in the company. I believed in the product. And I wanted to be a bigger part of it.
At first, nothing made sense. Brewing was a whole new world of science, precision, and terminology I had never encountered. But I had an appetite to learn and a drive for detail—things that align with making good beer. For the next six years, I continued bartending while taking on the role of part-time assistant brewer, throwing myself into the work.
I knew going into the brewing industry that, as a woman, I would face some hurdles, stereotypes to overcome, and big personalities to navigate. What I did not expect was how many allies I would find. From the start, our head brewer and assistant brewer poured their knowledge, energy, and trust into me. The local brewing community welcomed me in, and while the “boy’s club” vibe was definitely present, it softened into something that felt more like big brothers. After all, I was the first and, at that time, the only female brewer in Summit County.
Six years into my role as part-time assistant brewer, the fulltime lead brewer position opened, just as I announced my pregnancy. But the leadership at the Breckenridge Brewery did not hesitate. They saw my potential clearly, even when I was still squinting to see it myself. They offered me the job without pause.
Three years later, I am still the lead brewer and I am proud to say I have made it my own. I have overseen the production of award-winning beers, led national collaborations, and helped build a culture grounded in quality, hard work, innovation, and inclusion. I have learned to trust my instincts, raise my voice, and own my seat at the table, even on the hard days.
My advice for women looking to enter this field? Do not let fear of being underestimated hold you back. Ask questions. Listen deeply. And don’t shrink yourself to fit into someone else’s version of what a brewer should look like.
This work has room for your voice, your style, and your presence.
by Lisa Blake
It’s often said necessity breeds creativity. For Erica Davis, a 2020 breast cancer diagnosis was the motivator that shifted diligent book research into a hands-on strategy for healing.
“There’s nothing like seeing your life flash before your eyes to light a fire under you,” says the Wild Food Girl blogger and foraging hike guide. “I threw out all the processed food in my house and began to shop only in the produce and dry bulk food sections.”
Choosing to undergo radiation and bypass chemotherapy, Davis became a “healthy vegan,” consuming only vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, fruits and whole grains in their purest forms. Within four months, she dropped 25 pounds, ditched the rescue inhaler she’d been using her entire life, and felt more ease on daily trail runs near her home in Fairplay at 10,000 feet.
“I feel like a new person, better than I have my whole life,” says Davis, who has been cancer-free since September 2025. This new way of living and eating was the fuel Davis needed to go all in on what she’s dubbed wild food foraging for the soul.
Originally from Connecticut, Davis spent her formative years chasing plants in the eastern woodlands before moving to Colorado in 2008. She taught snowboarding at Breckenridge Ski Resort for a decade, nurturing her passion for plants on the side. The Wild Food Girl blog was born in 2010 and spawned the monthly magazine Wild Edible Notebook. Davis is deep into penning a book about edible plants in the western United States, educating readers on how to forage in the most sustainable and legal manner.
Today, Davis’ May through October plant walks and hands-on wild food experiences take groups of 12 around the state, plucking salsify (an excellent cooked vegetable with an artichoke flavor), cow parsnip, dandelions, mushrooms, pine nuts, field pennycress (great for making mustard) and more. Hikers trek for around five hours, moving intentionally, looking closely at plants, and gathering goods to bring back to the trailhead to cook.
Davis’ new WFG Learn membership program includes detailed instructional videos on plant and mushroom ID and foraging, while her Healthy & Wild program dispenses plant-based food recipes and culinary techniques.
“This is an invitation to look more closely and explore nature deeply,” Davis says. “My hope is that people walk away with a curiosity to explore the natural world around them in new ways.”
Visit www.wildfoodgirl.com to sign up for digital and in-person classes and follow Erica’s foraging adventures @wild.food.girl on Instagram.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 carrot
1 onion
1 tomato
1 stalk celery
1 potato
2 big salad bowls full of dandelion greens
Olive oil (optional)
Tip: Serve vegans and meat-eaters at the same table with optional Italian sausage and hard Italian cheese or vegan Parmesan soup toppings.
Instructions: Cook vegetables and broth: Chop and boil vegetables with 1 Tbsp olive oil and water or broth to cover, until the potatoes are done. Add herbs or bouillon if desired.
Cook sausage: Open casing and brown sausage. Cook dandelions: Set a big pot of water to boil. Wash and rough-chop dandelion greens. Boil a couple of minutes until desired softness.
Compose soup: Strain and place a mound of dandelions in a bowl. Pour veggies and broth over top and sprinkle with sausage and grated cheese.
This recipe feeds meat-eaters and vegans at the same table if you serve the sausage and cheese on the side. I like it with vegan Parmesan cheese, a simple version of which can be made from nutritional yeast blended with almonds.
by Caren Austin
My love of chocolate runs deep. I could easily pass on a Snickers Bar but will take the time and effort to seek out high quality artisan chocolates wherever my travels take me. Telluride Truffles are a favorite of mine. Owner and entrepreneur Patty Denny set the “chocolate” bar high when it comes to her confections. I first tried her truffles at Union Station in Denver, her newest location and I was immediately hooked. After sitting down and chatting with Patty, I found out there was much more to her story than just chocolate.
Patty Denny started as an actress in New York in her mid 20’s, and although she loved it, she knew that it was not the way for her to make a living. She comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and started experimenting with baking in New York City. She bought a book on becoming a pastry chef, and even though the salary was low at the time, she knew that is what she wanted to do. Patty loves the outdoors, so she explored places to move with year-round outdoor activities, and somewhere that would satisfy her passion for the arts. Patty lived in a tent for 3 weeks after moving to Telluride, and then took a job at The Peaks Resort & Spa, where she started in an entry level position in the pastry department, and after 1 year became the pastry chef. It was at The Peaks where Patty started making truffles. She would bring them to her friends’ homes, and they were a huge hit.
The long hours and stress of restaurant life turned Patty in a different direction. She became an administrator for the ski school in Telluride. On her lunch break, she would go into town with a tray of truffles, and they sold immediately. It was at Telluride Ski School that she learned how to handle high end clients and manage money. Patty really missed making her decadent truffles full time, so she took advice from a
good friend on how to start her own business, and step by step, she started Telluride Truffle. That was 27 years ago.
Today, Telluride Truffle is a place you don’t want to miss when visiting Colorado, or If you are a local. Her Truffles are triangular, and not round on purpose, and by total coincidence, they look like mountains. They have familiar names you might recognize like Bunny Hill, Black Diamond, Early Frost, First Tracks and Mud Season. Each truffle is unique in flavor. Some are made with spirits like Chambord, Kahlua and Tuaca. She has crafted them to look like edible artwork, and they taste like a chocolaty masterpiece.
Her “Fourteener” box is incredibly popular for gift giving or if you want to try a variety of her confections.
Patty didn’t stop with the crafting of truffles. She also sells hot chocolate mix, champagne truffles (my favorite), caramel and chocolate sauce and baked goods including “The Perfect Cookie Box”. The cookies are made in small batches, and they truly are perfect.
With three locations to date, Patty is a woman who has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She has built her business from the ground up, made it through the Covid shutdown, and expanded to a Lakewood CO location where her chocolates are now made. In 2025, she won “50 Companies to Watch” given by The Colorado Department of Economic Development, a well-deserved honor. You can find her incredible treats at her stores in Telluride CO, Lakewood CO, and inside of Union Station in Denver. You can also order them online at TellurideTruffle.com. Taking a bite of a Telluride Truffle is something you just must experience, and that experience is something Patty Denny has put her heart into since 1997.
www.telluridetruffle.com
by Holly Resignolo
VNTRbirds (ven-ture birds) encourage women through outdoor education and adventure. Women-run and based in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, VNTRbirds brings women to the outdoors through mountain biking, backcountry skiing and splitboarding and community meet ups. Their main mission is to bring women together to grow the community and get them exploring with confidence, proper knowledge and self-reliance.
Founded and owned by the Wren sisters, Leanne and Kelley have watched this company grow from small clinics in Breckenridge to large courses and workshops throughout the state of Colorado and beyond.
When Kelley first started VNTRbirds in 2011, she highlighted women in the outdoors by blogging about their experiences to show that there were women to look up to. Then, in 2020, Leanne joined the team and together they changed direction to not just show women in the outdoors, but to create a safer environment for more women to gain experience in the outdoors themselves.
This March experience VENTURE OUT Femme Backcountry Festival Salida, CO on March 20–22, 2026
2026 Festival Details
Dates: March 20–22, 2026
Location: Salida, CO + Monarch Pass
Registration: $200 for early registration (before Dec 1, 2025); $250 after. Capacity: Limited, festival may sell out!
Lodging: Attendees are encouraged to stay in Salida to maximize connection, carpooling, and community Inclusivity & Safety: Helmets and avalanche safety gear are required for all VNTRbirds events.
This festival is designed for participants with at least some backcountry experience. Optional guided tours are available for an additional fee for anyone who wants extra confidence or the opportunity to explore new terrain with a guide, such as their first time on Monarch Pass.
This is a one-of-a-kind, femmecentered gathering designed to bring people together in the mountains. The three-day festival isn’t just about touring terrain — it’s about forging connections, sharing experiences, and building a supportive community where women, femmes, and non-binary adventurers can feel empowered and truly belong in the backcountry.
Over the Weekend, participants can: .Explore the backcountry with friends
on self-guided tours, or join smallgroup guided tours led by experienced backcountry leaders.
.Participate in community-driven games such as scavenger hunts and relay races
.Connect at campfires, enjoy s’mores, share stories, and build lasting friendships.
.Celebrate together at evening events including a glow dance party, happy hours, and raffle giveaways.
VENTURE OUT embodies VNTRbirds’ mission: creating safe, inclusive, femme-centered outdoor spaces where participants can grow confidence, forge community, and enjoy the mountains together. Unlike a traditional skills-focused event, this festival prioritizes connection, belonging, and shared adventure.
“VENTURE OUT is all about connection, community, and experiencing the backcountry together. We created this festival so women and femme-identifying folks can ride, explore, and share the mountains with friends—building confidence, making memories, and feeling like they truly belong out here.”
— Leanne Wren, Co-Founder
Learn More and Register: www.VNTRbirds.com
Maloja introduced a women’s Nordic line and we have to say it functions as well as it looks. We love the comfortable but svelte fit and silky smooth fabrics. The lightly insulated jacket, windstopping vest and and pants offer superior warmth, comfort, and performance that cross over for Nordic skiing and endurance activities in the spring, fall and winter months. www.malojaclothing.com
The Smith Pursuit sunglasses are incredible. The goggle-like coverage with airflow and easy-to-wear feel of sunglasses perform climbing and descending at the local nordic center, mountain, hiking or biking trail. The ChromaPop™ Glacier Photochromic lens adapts to changing light conditions and delivers color and contrast-boosting performance throughout the full range of the lens. Removable, magnetic side shields add peripheral light coverage, and adjustable temple arms let you customize the fit. The nose coverage clip on for those extra sunny days at altitude. We are Smithen...we mean smitten. www.smithoptics.com
We love feeling fashionable on the slopes and found a stylish helmet that brings a modern fit with a retro vibe. Meet LowDown Helmets. Each LowDown helmet is handcrafted in small batches for a refined fit and finish. Built for alpine riders who value both style and modern safety standards, their helmets are independently tested to meet US (ASTM) and European (CE EN) requirements. The full ear coverage is great on those extra cold days but breathes in the sun too. www.lowdownhelmets.com
Bobby Aldighieri competed in the Men’s Moguls event at the 1992 Winter Olympics and shares his experience as an Olympic Athlete. From the Daily Effort of Attaining that Goal, to the People Who Made a Difference, his appreciation and reflection stems from the True Power of a Supportive Network.
by Bobby Aldighieri
Embracing Imperfection and Daily Effort
As an Olympian, it’s easy to assume that the goal is perfection. Yet, in my day-to-day life, I rarely dwell on the title itself. When I coach or consult, I emphasize my own shortcomings, using them to show that even Olympians—World Cup winners—carry flaws and constantly work to overcome them. What truly matters are the moments out of the spotlight: the daily grind, the quiet persistence, and the unseen efforts that build greatness. Those “behind the scenes” times remain some of my favorites.
The People Who Made a Difference
This journey is about more than individual achievement—it’s about the saying, “It takes a village.” My success depended on countless supporters, and my gratitude continues as I reflect on the Milan, Cortina Games and beyond. TV coverage sometimes hints at this, but unless you’ve walked the road, it’s hard to grasp just how many people play pivotal roles.
For example, my boot guy was one such hero. I was constantly in his shop, tweaking and adjusting my boots. He met me early, stayed late, and always took time to discuss what I needed. When I was feeling defeated after tough training sessions or recovering from a torn ACL, he not only got my equipment ready but lifted my spirits. Another person who made a difference was my surgeon, Richard Steadman, whose expertise helped me return to the slopes after injury.
My ski tuner ensured my gear was always competition-ready. There’s the lady who knitted a hat for me—a small gesture, but one that brought warmth and encouragement. My first coaches at Killington Mountain School and Sugarloaf shaped my early development. Even the deli where I worked played a part, accommodating my erratic training schedule and fundraising $6,000 to support my dream. And of course, my mentor and his
family were there every step of the way. Each of these people, whether through technical expertise, emotional support, or acts of kindness, formed the backbone of my journey.
After returning home, I made it a point to express my gratitude tangibly. I visited as many supporters as I could, bringing gifts from the sponsors at The Games—sharing the rewards with those who helped me get there. I wrote countless handwritten notes, not just to sponsors but to everyone whose support, subtle or significant, made a difference.
Some supporters are easy to overlook: the boot guy, the ski tuner, the deli coworkers, the mentors, and even Team Canada, who welcomed me and my training partner for extra sessions in Austria. Their contributions, often unrecognized, were integral to my process. Things have improved since then—more funding, organized training camps, but back then, I had to piece it all together myself, relying on the generosity and flexibility of my network.
Coming home filled me with gratitude and pride—not just for personal achievement, but for the collective spirit of the Killington community (which produced more mogul skiers on Team USA than any other ski area that year). We celebrated together, trained together, and recognized that every Olympian stands on the shoulders of many.
So, next time you see an athlete return from the Games, remember the village behind them. Coaches are important, but the network extends much further. A champion is the product of countless hands, hearts, and encouragement. It truly takes a village.
When you find a piece of land that speaks to you, you want to start enjoying it as soon as possible. Financing for a bare land loan isn’t easy to find but as the leader in rural lending, we’ve got you covered. We’ll work to find a term and down payment that are right for you. Regardless of if it’s open land, timbered land, or a combination of both, we’ll help you secure a loan so you can start enjoying your dream. Speak to one of our rural lending experts today. Visit Rural1st.com or call 1-844-GO-RURAL to get started.
