Elevation Outdoors April 2019

SALIDA SUFFERFEST | SPIN INTO GRAND JUNCTION | SILVERTON’S ULTRA APRIL 2019

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E L E V AT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

BIKE. RUN. REPEAT. + GRINDING GRAVEL IN TRINIDAD

Clare Gallagher Fights for Public Lands CA M P F I R E JA M S

Trail Runners for Everyone

TJ BOTTOM RALLIES MORE THAN A FEW MILES TO GET TO THIS SPOT. CLAIMS MERINO WOOL SOCKS ARE THE ANSWER. – PHOTOGRAPHER JÜSSI OKSANEN WAS WEARING THEM, TOO.

NO ONE LIKES

THE WORD MOIST [SO WE USE MERINO WOOL TO KEEP YOU DRY] THE THING IS, wool-yielding sheep have been ripping around mountains for 10,000 years and they’re straight covered in the stuff. Why? How? Evolution of one of the most impressive naturally-developed fibers the world has ever seen.

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We have a roundup of trails— including Crested Butte’s Lupine 1 and 2—that nubes and pros alike will love.

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in this issue

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E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / A P R I L 2 01 9

photo by DEVON BALET

APRIL 2019

DEPARTMENTS 7 EDITOR’S LETTER Conservation’s big win.

9 QUICK HITS Ride national parks before the roads open, indulge in Grand Junction, the woman who rode every Crested Butte trail and more...

O’S DES COLORAD

SEE PAGE 21

17 FLASHPOINT Meet five Colorado endurance athletes ready to break out in 2019.

21 HOT SPOT These mountain bike rides are perfect for both beginners and experts.

23 NUMEROLOGY The Colorado High School Cycling League could become more popular than football.

25 STRAIGHT TALK Christopher Wiegand is “Colorado’s Ultimate Badass.” Here's how he plays it forward.

32 GEAR: TRAIL RUNNERS, BIKES AND ACCESSORIES We have the lowdown on the latest necessities for getting out and crushing it on the trail.

35 HEAR THIS Want to bring a concert to the campfire? Check out these instruments.

36 THE ROAD As soon as he moved to Salida, Zach White knew he had to plan a savage bikepacking and float trip right out his back door.

38 ELWAYVILLE Peter Kray expounds on the importance of belief after watching Free Solo.

FEATURES 27 THE DIRT ON TRINIDAD The sleepy Colorado town is making a bid to become the state’s gravel-grinding capital, with a full docket of rides and plenty of lovely, lonely dirt roads.

30 VOICES: CLARE GALLAGHER The ultrarunner and advocate speaks up on how she came to love trail running and why we need the CORE Act.

ON THE COVER Racers thread the lodgepoles during the Breck Epic. “The race has built its philosophy on two ideas: Have fun and don’t be a dick, as put so eloquently by race director Mike McCormack," says photographer Devon Balet, a longtime Elevation Outdoors contributor. The annual six-day stage race will be going on its 11th year this August.

by Devon Balet/ devonbaletmedia.com

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C O N T R IB U T O R S | 0 4.1 9

of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.

-john muir

WHAT MAKES THE RIDE EVEN SWEETER?

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN E DI TOR-I N -CHI E F

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

doug@elevationoutdoors.com PRE SI DE N T

BLAKE DEMASO

blake@elevationoutdoors.com PUBLI SHE R

CASEY VANDENOEVER

casey@elevationoutdoors.com CRE AT I VE DI RE CTOR

LAUREN WORTH

lauren@elevationoutdoors.com EDITORIAL + PRODUCTION

vail rec district

REGISTER EARLY & SAVE! Visit vailrec.com/register to sign up for all seven races for just $200 or save $5 on individual races

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BONEYARD BOOGIE | town of Eagle, Co SUMMER SOLSTICE 10K & 5K | BEAVER CREEK, CO VAIL HILLCLIMB | VAIL, Co camp hale HALF MARATHON & 5K | camp hale, co BERRY PICKER | vail, co 10K & 5K@10,000 FEET | Vail, CO MEADOWGOLD 10K & 5K | town of MINTURN, CO

RACES IN AND AROUND Vail, Co | produced by the vail recreation district vailrec.com | 9 70-479-2280 | sports@vailrec.com

CAMERON MARTINDELL

cameron@elevationoutdoors.com SE N I OR E DI TOR

CHRIS KASSAR

chris@elevationoutdoors.com

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CON T RI BUT I N G E DI TORS

AARON BIBLE, ADAM CHASE, ROB COPPOLILLO, LIAM DORAN, JAMES DZIEZYNSKI, HUDSON LINDENBERGER, SONYA LOONEY, CHRIS VAN LEUVEN CON T RI BUT I N G WRI T E RS

The original local running store, Boulder Running Company has been supporting the community since 1996. Boulder Running Company offers the best in class service, expert fit process, and the top products and brands for their customers. With their highly trained staff, Boulder Running Company’s goal is to help create a unique in-store experience that leaves their customers ready to hit their fitness goals all while connecting to the community. Stop in to see what they are all about or better yet, join them for one of their weekly run clubs!

casey vandenoever

I like to bring a positive and grateful attitude and to be nice to all who are on the trail.

conor sedmak

Good times, good amigos and—oh, yeah— the cold snack waiting at the finish!

TRACY ROSS

When it takes you really far from home.

G RAPHI C DE SI G N E R

AMELIA MCCONNELL

KIM FULLER, CLARE GALLAGHER, GARETT GRAUBINS, KENJI HAROUTUNIAN, BRIAN METZLER, KRISTEN POPE, ERIC STEELE, MORGAN TILTON, BETSY WELCH, ZACH WHITE, MELANIE WONG

Over 20 years in the Running community (est 1996)

Good friends, burning lungs, flow-y downhill and plenty of time to stop and enjoy the view.

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melissa@elevationoutdoors.com CI RCULAT I ON I N QUI RI E S:

circulation@elevationoutdoors.com DIGITAL MEDIA ON LI N E DI RE CTOR

CRAIG SNODGRASS

CAMERON MARTINDELL

A combination of good company (which may be no one at all), good views and good gear.

Clare Gallagher

When you don't have to hike-a-bike!

BETSY WELCH

When we’ve got our camping gear on the bikes and we get to wake up and ride all over again the very next day.

Aaron Bible

Being able to show someone a glimpse of the stoke and pass on the passion.

CHRIS KASSAR

The company. I love when I get the chance to share giggles, flower-lined singletrack, stunning views and postride kombucha and ice cream.

ZACH WHITE Chocolate.

craig@elevationoutdoors.com DI G I TAL M AN AG E R

TYRA SUTAK

tyra@elevationoutdoors.com

ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM 2510 47th Street Unit 209 Boulder, Colorado 80301 (303) 449-1560 P U B L I S H E D BY

2019

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Surrounding ourselves with communities of people who support self-actualization, speak with vulnerability, act from a place of abundance and laugh a ton.

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2775 Pearl Street | Boulder, Colorado 80302 | (303) 786–9255 Littleton | Greenwood Village | CO Springs | Cherry Creek | Boulder

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I guess I don't understand the question...

E D I T O R'S L E T T E R | 0 4.1 9

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SPRING S A M P L E S E TS A R R I V I N G D A I LY A T 4 0 % – 5 0 % O F F RETAIL FROM PATAGONIA, I C E B R E A K E R , A N D M A R M OT

A BIG WIN FOR CONSERVATION H OW CO U L D T H I S B E ? T H E D I N G EL L AC T W I L L P ROT E C T L A N D F O R G EN ER AT I O N S .

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

O

n March 12, President Donald Trump signed the biggest public lands bill of the past decade into law. Hold on. I need to repeat that.

President Donald Trump signed the biggest public lands bill of the past decade into law. This is not The Onion.

It is bizzare, however, to be able to write those words in this era of toxic polarization and an administration that has been wilfully obtuse when it comes to conservation. But it is true.

The John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act—named for the late Michigan Democrat who was the longest-serving member of Congress ever and a champion of environmental efforts—is a massive and far-reaching piece of legislation, incorporating more than 120 separate land and water conservation bills into one ambitious moonshot meant to prioritize Americans’ commitment to public lands and clean air and water. It creates 1.3 million acres of new wilderness and 350 miles of wild and scenic river. It designates 700,000 acres of new recreation and conservation areas. It withdraws 370,000 acres from oil and gas development in Montana and Washington. It creates five new national monuments (a dizzying concept since one of Trump’s first actions in office when it came to public lands was to shrink monuments despite massive public support). It even expands the idea and the area of national monuments dedicated to the history of African Americans. It protects something in some way in every single state in the nation. No joke.

Perhaps most importantly, it also

WORTH THE COMPROMISES MUCH OF UTAH’S CANYON COUNTRY WILL NOW BE PROTECTED UNDER THE ACT. photo by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

permanently reauthorizes the vital Land and Water Conservation Fund, which expired last year and left important and longstanding conservation and recreation projects across the nation without the cash to operate while politicians dug into bitter divides.

There is no way to undersell it.

The John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act will make a difference for generations.

Don’t praise the president for it, however. He simply put his signature on a piece of legislation that passed the Senate by 92-8 and the House by 36362. The real work came from grassroots environmental activists who first crafted the individual bills to protect their local sanctuaries. It also, shockingly, came from lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, actually finding common ground and compromise, actually deciding that public lands and the birthright of future generations matter.

That’s not to say the act is perfect.

To get something this big accomplished required compromises and deals. There were land swaps in Utah. Some have complained that in Alaska, it allows Native veterans or their families 160-acre allotments from public land—but it's hard to argue with giving Native people who served this country land that rightfully was always theirs.

Just because President Trump put his name on it doesn’t mean his administration has changed its stance on conservation, either. It continues to degrade air and water quality, deny climate change, prioritize cheap profit over the health of the public and the planet and work to erode these types of protections. But the passage of this act should be a sign that that type of blatant disregard of the environment and public lands is not a policy that can continue.

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A P R I L 2 01 9 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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TUNED IN TO HARDROCK AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF NEGOTIATIONS, THE 2019 SILVERTON ULTRA MARATHON IS ON COURSE.

JACKED ON LIFE TATIANA PADILLA-MOORE HITS A HIGH NOTE DURING THE 2018 55K SILVERTON ULTRA MARATHON. photo by JOEY SCHRICHTE

COLORADO-BASED RACE DIRECTOR MEGAN FINNESY HAS A UNIQUE SPECIALTY: SHE CONCEPTUALIZES A HANDFUL OF THE MOST challenging mountain-ultra-trail running races in the country. A decade ago, Finnesy founded the infamously tough Golden Gate Dirty 30, an annual 31-mile race in Golden Gate Canyon State Park with 7,250 feet of vertical gain. Finnesy introduced the concept for the Silverton Ultra Marathon four years ago—but her original vision for the race was finally approved last fall. The loop-shaped course will now finish or start (the direction alternates each year) on 11 miles of the elite Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run. “This section is amazingly spectacular. I am so incredibly excited to bring this course to our running community,” Finnesy says. “Hard just got harder.” The 62-mile route follows singletrack— for a whopping 97.3-percent of the race—and climbs a total of 16,993 feet including three 12,500-foot high points. To earn land access, Finnesy adopted the Rico-Silverton Trail and organized trail work for five years. Now, for the easy part: Let’s race. —Morgan Tilton

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SPIN THE PARKS NOW W I T H FE W ER TO U R I S T S A N D C A R S C LO G G I N G U P T H E ROA DS , SH O U L D ER SE A S O N IS THE BEST TIME FOR BIKES I N T H E SE T H R EE P O P U L A R N AT I O N A L PA R K S .

DURING PEAK SEASON, NATIONAL PARK

cyclists have to dodge RV mirrors while simply trying to enjoy the scenery, but spring offers a short window when riders can have the roads mostly to themselves. After plows have cleared away snow, there’s often a short gap when the roads are clear but not yet open to motor vehicles. Keep in mind this only applies in a few national parks, and each one will have different (and often variable) dates and times when the pavement opens for humanpowered recreation. Check with each park to ensure the road is currently open for your intended use, heed all warnings and closures, and stay clear of plows and other vehicles.

Spring is a time of unpredictable and rapidly-changing weather, so be prepared for evolving conditions, and don’t expect a smooth, ice-free ride.

Prepare to be self-sufficient since most facilities will be closed and services will be non-existent or very limited.

Cell phone service will be slim to none.

Also be aware: Wildlife is very active this time of year, so carry bear spray and know how to minimize and safely manage encounters. While roads are closed to the visitors, park vehicles will still be on them, including plows and heavy machinery, so wear high-visibility clothing and use extreme caution.

Grand Teton National Park Just outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park offers postcard-perfect views alongside smooth macadam. The park’s main road is closed to motor vehicles from the Taggart Lake Trailhead to Signal Mountain Lodge through April 30. Be sure to check road conditions and read

up on biking in the park and the rules of the road before heading out, and prepare to encounter bears and other wildlife. nps.gov/grte Rocky Mountain National Park Plan to pedal through Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park on one of the routes labeled with “winter road status.”

These bike-friendly roads typically include Upper Beaver Meadows Road, Endovalley Road and Kaley Cottage Road, though conditions may be variable, including packed snow and ice as well snow drifts—so you might want to consider a fat-tire bike for the ride. Travel along Trail Ridge and Old Fall River Roads April 1 to November 30, except during specific closures.

Be sure to check conditions and that your intended route is open before you decide to venture out. nps.gov/romo

TECHNOLOGY

BIKING WITH BEAR SPRAY RIDERS SPIN PAST YELLOWSTONE'S HOODOOS JUST SOUTH OF MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS. JUST BE BEAR AWARE— GRIZZLIES START TO AWAKE IN SPRING. photo courtesy YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Yellowstone National Park With its geysers and wolf packs, Yellowstone is an extra-special treat before its highways open to the masses.

The park offers a webpage with spring and fall-specific advice on biking the park roads. Several routes may open each year, depending on weather and conditions, including the West Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs and the South Entrance to West Thumb. Cyclists must follow all vehicle regulations. Watch for bears and other wildlife. nps.gov/yell —Kristen Pope

SILCA VIAGGIO TRAVEL PUMP

This nifty app accesses data for 39,158 miles of trail and 1,431 trailheads across the Centennial State. It also includes a host of challenges to collect digital explorer badges, and the data helps Colorado Parks and Wildlife prioritize trail maintenance needs. FREE | IOS & ANDROID

One big bummer when it comes to traveling with your bike: packing along that clunky floor pump. No longer. This collapsable floor pump from Silica wraps up in its own carrying case and connects via bluetooth to your smartphone to provide perfect pressure.

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BRIT TA N Y KONSELL A RODE A LL 750 MILE S OF SINGLE TR ACK IN THE GUNNISON VA LLE Y SOLO TO CELEBR ATE THE SPIRIT OF SINGLE TR ACK COMMUNIT Y A ND TR A ILBUILDING WORK E THOS OF CBMBA .

THE WILD REACHES OF THE GUNNISON

Valley have the highest concentration of singletrack for mountain biking in North America. And bikers can praise the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association (CBMBA, pronounced simba), the oldest mountain bike club in the world for this dirt-track paradise.

Launched by locals in 1983, the grassroots organization began creating

GEAR WE LOVE

THE COLORADO TRAIL EXPLORER (COTREX)

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and maintaining the mountain bike trails that now thread throughout Gunnison National Forest. Three decades down the line, the organization’s volunteers have hand-built more than 450 miles of singletrack in the Crested Butte area alone. Zoom-out and the entire Gunnison Valley includes 750 miles of trails for mountain bike exploration.

Despite the Valley’s robust biking history, no one had ever ridden the region’s complete roster of mountain bike trails—until now. Last year, Crested Butte local Brittany Konsella became the first known person to pedal the entire trail network, which blankets a region including Crested Butte, Gunnison, Crawford and Paonia. A fulltime property manager, Konsella biked an average of 10 miles per day, midweek. Her weekends were full of singleday pushes in the saddle that lasted up to 11 hours. Many of the trails required biking rugged, un-drivable approaches via dirt roads—which added 2,000 miles beyond pure singletrack. And a portion of circuits are tangential to trails, rather than independent rides, meaning she had to cover some trails multiple times.

Plus, she was healing from two back-toback knee surgeries, and she finished the quest with a broken tailbone and pinky toe.

No stranger to endurance feats, Konsella’s also the second woman to

WOMAN ON A MISSION BRITTANY KONSELLA BECAME THE FIRST PERSON TO FINISH THE TRAILQUEST CHALLENGE WHEN SHE RODE EVERY INCH OF SINGLETRACK IN THE GUNNISON VALLEY. photo courtesy GUNNISON CRESTED-BUTTE

ski all of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks.

That grit came in handy. To complete each singular trail, Konsella ultimately rode more than 3,600 miles. She spent 120 days and 450 hours on her bike.

Her total accumulated ascent was 275,000 vertical feet: the equivalent of summiting Mount Everest from basecamp 24 times.

The mission was part of TrailQuest: an ongoing, open competition launched by the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association (GCBTA) in 2017. TrailQuest tracks riders’ mileage via the CBGTrails app—a digital trail map of the Gunnison Valley—and offers virtual challenges. At print, only two other riders (out of 500-plus who are registered) have completed the quest: Frank Konsella (Brittany’s husband) and Kemble Widmer.

Next up? Brittany has her eyes set on exploring the Gunnison Valley via the CBGTrails’ brand new winter recreation map—which she helped propose—that launched in February 2019.

—Morgan Tilton A P R I L 2 01 9 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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APRIL

20 19 Spring

10 30th Annual Enduro & Après Party 10-13 4th Annual Enduro Light 20 Earth Day Celebration and POW Carpool Day 21 Beach N’ Egg Hunt 27 Shakin’ at the Basin Spring Concert Series Live Music by Mama Magnolia

MAY

4 11 11 11 18 19 25 25 26

Shakin’ at the Basin Spring Concert Series Live Music by Dragondeer Shakin’ at the Basin Spring Concert Series Live Music by Atomga 4th Annual Swimwear Day Spring Rail Jam #1 Shakin’ at the Basin Spring Concert Series Live Music by Iceman Special Bockfest Live Music by The Rhinelanders Shakin’ at the Basin Spring Concert Series Live Music by Part & Parcel Spring Rail Jam #2 18th Annual Festival of the Brewpubs Live Music by The Jauntee

JUNE 1

2

Shakin’ at the Basin Spring Concert Series Live Music by Sunday Bankers and Hobo Village Shakin’ at the Basin Spring Concert Series Live Music by Hobo Village and High 5

ARAPAHOEBASIN.COM/EVENTS

after one visit, You’ll need a

new bucket list

FEATURED SPRING EVENTS Life’s a Beach Weekend April 6th | Winter Park Resort

Wild West Weekend Featuring Buckstein

Snowshoeing. Fat Biking. Dog Sled Riding. Ice Fishing. Snowmobiling.

Shopping. Dining. Museum going. There’s no telling where your adventure will begin in Grand County. And with so much to do, it never has to end. From unforgettable bluebird powder days to nonstop spring events, the end of one adventure is just the beginning of another.

80’s Retro Weekend Featuring the Goonies

Don’t just explore Colorado. Go Grand.

April 21st | Winter Park Resort

April 13th | Winter Park Resort

April 20th | Winter Park Resort

Spring Splash Presented by Red Bull Easter at Devil’s Thumb Ranch April 21st | Winter Park Resort

VisitGrandCounty.com GRANBY • GRAND LAKE HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS • KREMMLING WINTER PARK • FRASER

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EAT SLEEP PLAY: GRAND JUNCTION T H E A DV EN T U R E H U B O F CO LO R A D O’ S G R A N D VA L L E Y IS A BIKING AND WINE EN T H US I A S T ’ S PA R A D I SE. EAT With an arid climate and ample sunshine, the Grand Valley is a grower’s paradise, which makes it an eater’s paradise, too. Before hitting the trails, head to GJ’s historic and artsy downtown district for a cup of Klatch coffee and a hearty bagel breakfast sandwich at Main Street Bagels (gjmainstreetbagels.com).

Post-ride, cool down with a housebrewed craft beer and the pub-style dining menu at Rockslide Restaurant and Brewery (rockslidebrewpub. com). This longtime Grand Junction institution also offers up mid-day small plates, like a selection of flat bread pizzas, which are available for just $6 during one of two happy hours offered throughout the day.

And with more than 20 wineries in the area, don’t forget the grapes!

Explore the valley’s thriving winery scene by bike, or snag tickets to the Colorado Mountain Winefest (coloradowinefest.com), September 19 through 22, 2019.

Sleep Book a room at Two Rivers Winery & Chateau (tworiverswinery.com), a rustic lodging property surrounded by some of the area’s most iconic natural draws. Two Rivers hosts a handful of charming guest suites with room rates beginning at $92 per night. If you’d rather sleep under the stars, you’re in luck. The Grand Junction area is home to a healthy camping scene, which includes plenty of dispersed BLM camping. Or head to the Saddlerock Campground in Colorado National Monument, which garnered a Best of the Rockies award from EO readers.

Play Whether you’re a die-hard mountain biker or prefer the road, Grand Junction caters to two wheels.

Explore the Tabeguache Trail, which rolls across 142 miles of public land from Montrose to Grand Junction.

Riders looking for more technical track should head to the Lunch Loops—a system of challenging, fun technical trails just outside of town.

Road riders will want to tick off the classic 33-mile Rim Rock Drive loop in Colorado National Monument that racks up 2,300 vertical feet of climbing along the red rock Visit visitgrandjunction.com for a complete list of trails and menu of rides to choose from.

—Tyra Sutak

WORTH MORE THAN A GRAND YOU CAN EAT, SLEEP AND PLAY ALL IN ONE SPOT IF YOU PICNIC ON THE CLIFFS NEAR SADDLEHORN CAMPGROUND IN COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT. photo by DEVON BALET

photo courtesy KIM LANGMAID

LOCAL HERO: KIM LANGMAID T H E F O U N D ER O F WA L K I N G M O U N TA I N S S C I EN C E C EN T ER I S O N A Q U E S T TO M A K E VA I L T H E WO R L D’ S M OS T SUS TA I N A B L E R E S O RT. AS THE FOUNDER AND VICE PRESIDENT

of sustainability programs at Walking Mountains Science Center (walkingmountains.org) in Avon, Colorado, Kim Langmaid’s commitment to sustainability and conservation has made a lasting impact on the community. Through trainings, certifications, partnerships and events, Walking Mountains helped Vail become the first certified sustainable mountain resort destination in the world.

“All of these programs ultimately help create a culture of environmental sustainability that future generations can participate in and build upon,” says Langmaid, who also serves as a Town of Vail council member.

Walking Mountains is also helping educate Eagle County to reach goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2050 through a Climate Action Plan.

“It’s exciting to serve the town and bring this kind of knowledge and expertise to our conversations and future plans,” she says.

–Kim Fuller A P R I L 2 01 9 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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POWER SAVVY ALL JOSEPH GRAY DOES IS WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS. photo by NANCY HOBBS/ATRA

HIT YOUR STRYD H ER E’ S W H Y EL I T E T R A I L RU N N ER J OSEP H G R AY USE S T H I S P OW ER M E T ER TO T R AC K HIS TRAINING. AFTER NOTICING THAT HEART-RATE

training was producing impoved results in his training in 2017, world champion mountain runner (and Colorado Resident Trail Badass as voted by EO readers) Joseph Gray started using Stryd (stryd. com), a power meter that helps calculate output and effort in order to create a consistent pacing strategy during a race.

The key to Stryd’s success is a bevy of online data features that serve as a type of virtual coach by exposing weaknesses and lack of efficiency.

“I noticed from my power output that my training was missing a few key components and the power meter helped me find what I was doing wrong in workouts and races, especially when it came to effort and knowing how hard to push and when to slow down a bit,” Gray says.

Knowing the intimate details of his power data provides important insight on race day.

“After calculating my maximum output and knowing how it felt, I found that many times in races I could push harder,” Gray says. “I also learned what wattage I could hold and for how long.

That data allows me to understand when to slow down or back off the effort a bit.”

–Kim Fuller

GRIND IT

SP I N I N TO T H E SE T H R EE G R I T T Y CO LO R A D O D I RT RO U T E S T H I S SE A S O N .

GRAVEL RIDING OFFERS FREEDOM from

traffic, the thrill of backcountry adventure and the chance for some alone time.

Colorado has a plenty of great gravel options, but these three top our list. We suggest you give them a spin.

Pedal 50 route (Monument, CO.) This Front Range 50-miler has gained favorite status thanks to the annual ride of the same name. Starting from Pikes Peak Brewery in Monument, dig in to wide-open gravel roads and rolling climbs through the Colorado plains.

Pewabic Mountain via Virginia Canyon (Idaho Springs, CO.) Begin in historic Idaho Springs with a climb up Virginia Canyon Road, which turns into smooth, gently graded dirt.

The 15-mile loop to Pewabic Mountain and back down features views of Mount Evans and plenty of high-alpine terrain. It’s mountain gravel at its best.

Boulder to Gold Hill (Boulder, CO.) Up for lots and lots of climbing? From Boulder, head up either Sunshine or Four Mile canyon (both become steep, hard-pack dirt) to the little town of Gold Hill. Take in the alpine views, and then choose your way down. We recommend a stint on the paved Peak to Peak Highway to the Switzerland Trail.

–Melanie Wong

Charge ahead on life’s great adventures with the comfort, fit and support of the versatile New Sawtooth II Collection.

#LeadTheWay

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Dakine Hot Laps 5 L with Compact 2 L

GEAR CHECK | BIKING HYDRATION

The Flow State

Shape-Shift 2 L

Frame geometry, wheel size, and suspension for mountain bikes have all undergone a sea change in the past decade, yet while flow, loam, and enduro are new buzzwords we’ve all had a bit of a blindspot to the revolutions in hydration technology. This year we’re seeing more low-riding lumbar reservoirs— Dakine cleverly uses them in their Hot Laps 5 L waist bag and half of their hydration backpack line— that offer new levels of on-trail agility. Additionally, bite-valves and kink-free tubing deliver more thirstquenching flow, and reservoir “reversibility” is a welcome maintenance feature turning the moldy science experiments of the past into the paradigm of clean drinking. The brand leading the innovation charge is HydraPak and this season is no different with a complete revamp of their flagship Shape-Shift reservoir. Their entire lineup has innovative, fresh features and an upgrade will leave you feeling like you did when you finally ditched your dusty old trail bike for a new 29er.

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Thule Vital 6 L with ShapeLoc 2 L

F L A S HP O IN T | 0 4.1 9

RISING STARS K EEP A N E Y E O N T H E SE F O U R CO LO R A D O EN D U R A N C E AT H L E T E S W H O A R E R E A DY TO M A K E S O M E N O I SE I N 20 1 9.

by BRIAN METZLER

I

t is often said this time of year that April showers bring May flowers.

But this spring and summer should produce some spectacular local blossoms in the world of endurance and adventure sports.

While the weather certainly plays a role in making local competitors tenacious, Colorado’s inspiring sport communities, rugged topography and competitive gristmill are what allow locally trained athletes to shine so vibrantly. Here are four crushers to keep an eye on as 2019 rolls from spring into summer.

Matt Daniels Trail Runner, Boulder When Daniels attempted his first 100K race in Texas in January, he was running so hard he stumbled and knocked himself out. He was leading the competitive Bandera Endurance Trail Run by a good margin, but on a section of two-way trail, he tripped trying to get out of the way of an oncoming runner and crashed into a tree. He had been gunning for the win, which would have awarded him a Golden Ticket entry into this summer’s Western States 100 in Auburn, California.

“I was going too fast and trying to get out of the way of another runner and didn’t see the trees growing out of the embankment of the trail and I hit my head really hard,” he says laughing.

“It was a bizarre situation for sure.”

The 30-year-old, who originally hails from Texas, has found success on the track (including running a 3:59 mile during an All-American career at Adams State in Alamosa, Colorado, roads (running a 1:03 half marathon that earned him a spot in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon) and the trails (helping the U.S. win a gold medal at the 2016 World Mountain Running Championships in Bulgaria).

Now he’s delving deeper into ultrarunning and appears poised for a breakout year in 2019. The Nikesponsored runner redeemed himself on February 16 at the Black Canyon Ultra 100K in Mayer, Arizona, winning the race by 25 minutes in a new course-record of 7:20:28 to earn a Western States entry. Although he admits he’ll have his work cut out for him at the competitive June 29-30 race through the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, he has gotten a lot of notoriety for being the first sub-4minute miler to ever enter the race.

Matt Daniels (photo By Rob Steger)

“It’s kind of funny to me because it doesn’t correlate at all to having an advantage over someone in a 100mile race, but it’s got people talking and getting excited about it, and that’s cool.” Daniels says. “I’ve found a different kind of fitness than what I was used to in road running, track running and short-distance trail running. I’ve kind of had to learn to slow down a bit and train my body to endure the long days out on the trails.”

Margo Hayes Climber, Boulder Although her first passion was gymnastics, Margo Hayes discovered a love for rock climbing as a pre-teen while tagging along with her dad and older sister on weekend sessions in Boulder Canyon. (Her grandfather was a mountaineer who led the first ascent up the east face of Mt. Everest in the 1980s.)

She joined Boulder’s ABC Kids Climbing at the age of 10, where Robyn ErbesfieldRaboutou, a four-time World Cup champion and the third woman to climb 5.14a, became her coach and mentor.

As a young teen, when Hayes quit gymnastics and began to focus solely on climbing, she became a rising star. She continued to hone her skills in Boulder, earning seven medals at the international junior championships by the time she as 18. Once she turned 19, she competed in her first IFSC lead World Cup event in France and placed sixth.

Two years ago, she became the first woman to climb a route graded at 9a+ (5.15a) in Spain. Although two other women had recorded 5.14d/5.15a ascents, Hayes’ completion of “La Rambla” is considered the first female ascent of a consensus 5.15a route.

Seven months later, she repeated the feat by sending her second 5.15a, “Biographie/Realization,” in Céüse, France. Several women followed with 5.15a ascents after Margo’s effort, but

margo hayes (photo courtesy the north face)

later in 2017, she sent the most difficult route ever climbed by a woman, a 9b+ or 5.15b route in Spain known as “La Planta de Shiva.”

“Just to be part of that progression and be one of the women who opened the door to those possibilities, that’s an honor,” Margo says. “We all kind of stand on each other’s shoulders and we push the bar higher and higher together.”

The North Face-sponsored pro is intent on climbing additional 5.15+ routes and making the U.S. Olympic team in 2020. Already in 2019, Hayes earned a bronze at the USA Climbing Open Boulder Championships in Redmond, Oregon.

“I love the movement and I love the expression on the wall,” she says. “I feel like it’s a dance and when I’m on the wall, when nothing else matters.

It’s just me and the rock. I think that one of my strengths is believing that hard work can lead to success.”

aisha praught-leer (photo by glen delman)

Aisha Praught-Leer Track and field, Boulder There were plenty of twists and turns and stumbles on the path that brought Aisha Praught-Leer to Colorado, but she’s starting to realize the sweet success of the hard work she’s put in since moving to Boulder. The 29-yearold native of Moline, Illinois, was a rising 3,000-meter steeplechase competitor while at Illinois State University and later while training with the Oregon Track Club Elite program when she decided to compete internationally for Jamaica to honor the heritage of her father, Jamaican reggae musician Joseph “Blue” Grant.

But for a while, her career was marred by seemingly unavoidable mishaps in her biggest races. In the semifinals of the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, Praught-Leer accidentally stepped inside of the first

lane of the track and was DQ’ed. Then in the finals of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she got tangled up with two other runners and fell briefly, relegating her to a disappointing 14th place.

When former University of Colorado star Emma Coburn suggested Praught-Leer move to Boulder to help start what would become a powerful all-women’s training group under the direction of coach Coburn’s husband Joe Bosshard, Praught-Leer was all-in, and so was her husband, Will Leer, a professional miler with a 3:51.82 personal best. But despite being in the best fitness of her life heading into the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, Praught-Leer again finished 14th and was once again DQ’ed for stepping on the inside of the track.

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She could only watch as Coburn, her training partner, ran to a historic victory in a new championship record.

Finally in 2018, with more an a year of training under her belt, PraughtLeer was able to take advantage of her elevated fitness to win the 3,000-meter run at the Milrose Games in New York City and place sixth in the 1,500 meters at the World Indoor Track & Field Championships. Then last April in Australia, she won gold in the steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games. In August, she added a win at Boulder’s Pearl Street Mile (4:50) for good measure.

Praught-Leer started 2019 with a strong indoor track season, setting a new personal best in the 3,000-meter open race. With a stellar group of training partners behind her—including Coburn, milers Dominique Scott-Efurd, Cory McGee and Kaela Edwards and marathoner Laura Thweatt— PraughtLeer’s focus is on turning in a high finish in the steeplechase at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar this coming September.

“I know I probably should say ‘marrying Will, that was my high,’ but I think it'll have to be a tie between marrying Will and winning the Commonwealth Games,” says PraughtLeer, who is sponsored by Under Armour. “I guess when you're going for a really big goal, you believe it and you think it’s possible, but nobody else thinks that. My small circle, we

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christopher blevins (photo by kenny when)

knew that it was a possibility, but nobody else really counted me in.”

Christopher Blevins Mountain Biker, Durango Christopher Blevins is as much of a modern Renaissance man as he is one of the world’s most talented up-andcoming cyclists. He started out as a BMX rider when he was five and won numerous national age-group titles before transitioning (with several years of overlap) to mountain biking, where he racked up even more age-group national titles.

Five years ago, as a 16-year-old, he concluded his BMX career by winning grand nationals. Since then, he’s continued to win cross-country

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mountain bike races while taking up road racing and throwing himself into the cyclocross fray.

But as much as the 21-year-old Specialized-sponsored pro is all about the bike, he’s not just about the bike.

He’s studying business at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, California, but he’s also developed a passion for spoken word poetry and rap. He even recorded nine of his own rap tracks and set them to music last year. He also volunteers at the spoken-word poetry club on campus and serves as a volunteer creative writing teacher at a local juvenile detention center.

“I had always written rap just for fun, and then in freshman year of high school

I had a poetry study in English, and I just loved it,” he told Cyclingnews.com last year. He participated in a poetry slam that fall, and calls the art form “a great outlet, especially with cycling. It's very different, and that's important to me.”

As the 2019 race season rolls into high gear, Blevins is the reigning under-23 cyclocross national champion and an elite short-track mountain bike champion. He’s also an up-and-coming road racer who last year competed for the Hagens Berman Axeon premier development team. Boulder-based Velo News says that his diversity of talents puts him among the most skilled young racers in the world.

Last April, Blevins won the second stage of the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico on a breakaway, attacking veteran Daniel Jaramillo in the final kilometer to secure the win. He also earned an impressive nine podium finishes on the international mountain bike circuit, including a runner-up showing in the U23 cross-country race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, last September.

Look for Blevins to continue to ascend in the pro peloton, as well as rack up top finishes on the trails.

“He could be a world champion on the road or the mountain bike,” says Hagens Berman Axeon team manager Axel Merckx, the son of legendary Tour de France champion Eddy Merckx.

“He’s that good.”

Choprock

Peru Travel Blogger

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Booze News SPONSORED BY MOLLY’S

BE SURE TO TOSS THESE FOUR CRUSHABLE IPAS INTO YOUR COOLER THIS SPRING. —BY HUDSON LINDENBERGER—

It’s spring in Colorado and that means the time has come to tune up the mountain bike, lace up the trail runners and dig out your hiking gear.

And cracking a cold one after an afternoon getting after it is practically a requirement for residency in this state.

Since this is the season of transition we suggest loading up your cooler with some tasty session IPAs. They are chock full of flavor yet offer a manageable level of alcohol to help ensure you don’t overindulge.

Here are four beauties we recommend.

Oskar Blues is known for its IPAs, so it only makes sense that the Pinner Throwback IPA would be packed full of flavors that assault your senses the moment you crack a can. Pineapple, mango and berry accents mix with a nice hop bite. Crisp and refreshing, it’s the perfect brew to put in your pack and crack open next to clear running creek.

The irreverence that is infused into every single Lagunitas beer is part of its magic: The company even has a beer that mocks the FBI raid on its brewery in 2005! All kidding aside, the Petaluma, California company constantly turns out some fantastic IPAs. Its Day Time IPA is a testament to Lagunitas’ brewing skill. Loaded with flavor yet only tipping the scales at only four percent ABV, it will blow your mind.

Based in Connecticut, Two Roads Brewing Company knows a little bit about welcoming spring. New England winters are damn cold. Plus the hills are frozen ice tracks. Maybe that’s why its Lil’ Heaven Session IPA tastes so good out in our Colorado sunshine. Packed with tropical flavors and a nice hop kick, this is a beer to toss into the cooler for a treat after an afternoon of rock hopping.

Lastly, check out Founders Brewing Company’s amazing All Day IPA. The Michigan brewery has been crafting it for years but it only just arrived here in the Mile High State. Perfectly balanced with just the right amount of malts, hops, and grains, it has a piney taste up front that quickly blends with an underlying sweetness. It’s the ideal brew to enjoy after you play hooky from work to hit a next spring storm at Eldora.

Molly’s Spirits (mollysspirits.com) in Lakewood, Colorado, harkens back to a time when beer, wine and spirits were even more celebrated than they are today. When liquor was a social icon synonymous with adventure, rebellion and freedom—one that made every occasion a special one.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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H O T S P O T | 0 4.1 9

A RIDE FOR EVERYONE W E B R E A K D OW N T H E B E S T B E G I N N ER A N D I N T ER M ED I AT E — B U T BY N O M E A N S B O R I N G — M O U N TA I N B I K E R I D E S AT T H E SE F O U R C L A S S I C CO LO R A D O FAT-T I R E D E S T I N AT I O N S .

by CHRIS KASSAR

I

t’s the classic mountain-town, outdoor-lover cliché: When the ski and snowboard season ends, you hop on the mountain bike. But if you are like me—a fit, intermediate rider who has just never put in enough time to nail the super tech-y stuff—the idea of spending a weekend with fat-tire freaks in a hardcore mountain biking mecca makes your palms sweat. It doesn’t have to be this way. Go ahead and join your friends. While they’re off shredding Salida’s Monarch Crest or The Divide Trail outside of Steamboat, check out these fun rides that anyone can enjoy (maybe your core posse will even appreciate them, too).

Crested Butte

Merge Lupine 1 and 2 with Lower Loop for a flow-y 12-mile frolick that starts in town, rolls through stunning stands of aspens and massive displays of summer wildflowers (dominated largely by, you guessed it, lupine), and delivers stellar views of the Slate Valley and town. Combining paved bike path, dirt road and singletrack, the ride notches just over 800 feet of up and 800 feet of down and delivers a few short (but tough) climbs and sections of delightful, sweeping switchback descents. The ride’s for

you if you want to explore the joys of Crested Butte singletrack without tackling huge, techy features. And since it’s south-facing and sunny, it’s typically accessible earlier in spring.

CRESTEDBUTTEMOUNTAINBIKE.COM

Fruita

Intermediate mountain biking at its most fun—the type of riding that gets you hooked—is defined by narrow, flowing singletrack on rolling terrain.

Enter Fruita, where the trails were built by bikers rather than adopted by them. Our favorite area rides begin off the 18 Road, about 10 miles south of town. Here you’ll find endless combinations that will keep everyone pedaling and grinning for days. Prime Cut, a one-way, 2.1-mile, uphill-only route serves as a major artery for access and includes a smooth climb that anyone can tackle. Churn slowly or hammer, but be sure to periodically take in the sweeping cliff views. From the top, you have multiple options: Head right to hit PBR (Pumps, Bumps and Rollers), one of the newer trails, which offers 2 miles of giggles in the form of a fast, perfectly flowy trail with endless kickers and berms. Head left and find your rhythm on the ideally spaced and perfectly banked turns

of Kessel Run, a 2.1-mile classic that follows a dry creek bed. You can crank out laps on these trails to build your fitness or hone your skills until you feel comfortable enough to check out other, more adrenaline-inducing faves here like Chutes and Ladders and Zippity Loop. COPMOBA.ORG

FLOWER POWER

Salida

Steamboat

Perfect for beginners but fun enough for experienced riders, Methodist Mountain is a trail system that features forgiving yet engaging singletrack with big views of the Sawatch Range.

You can park at one of two trailheads or make it more of an adventure by riding up CR 110 from town for four miles to the CR 110 trailhead. The Little Rainbow Trail, which runs about 5 miles one way from the trailhead, has it all: sweeping curves, sandy flats and countless whoop-de-dos. Built for bikers, by bikers just last spring, the 1.7-mile Spartan East and 1.4-mile Spartan West trails may be rated as easy, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t engaging for all rider levels.

The system gives you options to get creative and choose-your-ownadventure as you flow through piñon forest, fly along ridges and roll over berms. SALIDAMOUNTAINTRAILS.ORG

CRESTED BUTTE'S LUPINE TRAILS ARE CLOSE TO TOWN AND IDEAL FOR NEW RIDERS, BUT THEY STILL DELIVER FLOWING SINGLETRACK AND BIG VIEWS THAT EVERYONE WILL LOVE. photo by DEVON BALET

Though Steamboat is synonymous with its (trademarked) champagne powder, this is also Bike Town USA (also trademarked). Find out why on Emerald Mountain, which is easy to access from town and right across the valley from Steamboat Resort. Combine the Lupine and Morning Gloria Trails for a sweet 12-mile singletrack adventure that rolls through ferns, pine and aspen forest and rewards you with ridgeline vistas. Packed with numerous gentle switchbacks and interspersed with steeper curves, Morning Gloria is one of the easiest ways to reach the top.

From here, you can either choose to enjoy the smooth ride back down the way you came or a descent via the 1.3mile Quarry Mountain Trail, a faster option that cruises through forest and open meadows on the way down.

STEAMBOATBIKETOWN.COM

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RIDE AT YOUR OWN PACE Ride the action-packed terrain of the Palisade Rim Trail or take a scenic adventure through breathtaking orchards and vineyards on the Fruit and Wine Byway. Rapid Creek Cycles sells, rents and services Mountain, Cruiser and Electric bikes. We are your Gateway to the Grand Valley and Fruita bike trails.

Rapid Creek Cycles

239 Main St. Palisade, CO (970) 464-9266 Ride@rapidcreekcycles.com

Featuring the new trail to downhill convertible Arbitrator helmet, Hunter Merino full zip and Hunter Light shorts. www.sweetprotection.com

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pc: Vegard Breie, Norway

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Live to play another day

N U ME R O L O G Y | 0 4.1 9

YOUTH MOVEMENT

F O R T H E PA S T 1 0 Y E A R S , T H E CO LO R A D O H I G H S C H O O L C YC L I N G L E AG U E H A S B EEN B R I N G I N G K I DS I N TO T H E SP O RT O F M O U N TA I N B I K I N G I N A WAY T H AT M A K E S I T ACC E S S I B L E A N D FU N , B U T S T I L L CO M P E T I T I V E. H ER E A R E T H E N U M B ER S B EH I N D T H AT U N P R E C ED EN T ED SU CC E S S .

by TRACY ROSS

C

elebrating a decade of racing this year, the Colorado High School Cycling League has succeeded in its mission to get #morekidsonbikes in the state. In 2009, the league launched with 20 teams in 17 school districts. The next year, it grew to 75 teams in 51 school districts. Now in 2019, high school mountain bike team participation rivals high school football participation (and mountain biking includes women), with some schools ending their football programs altogether. And thanks to the Colorado League, an affiliate of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, and leagues in states across the country, high school kids now have a non-traditional sporting outlet that delivers all the scientifically proven benefits of exercising outdoors—plus it’s a fun way to score a sports scholarship to college. Here’s the stats on the league’s success.

194 Number of kids who participated in Colorado High School Cycling League teams in 2010. That number jumped to 323 in 2011 (a 65 percent increase) and 866 five years later. The total number of riders in 2018 is the most staggering, though. A whopping 1,383 kids—a 10 percent gain on the 1,262 in 2017—rode bikes on trails in races across our state last year.

180 Number of Colorado schools currently represented, including regional homeschoolers.

1,048 Average participants, per race weekend, in 2018.

32 Percentage of girls who raced in the 2018 Colorado League championships, held in Durango, Colorado.

5 Number of league races each year, with a culminating state championships held roughly on the third weekend in October, when the temperatures can be quite chilly.

30-ish Morning temperature, for example, in Eagle, Colorado, where the state championships were held in 2016.

2,000 Number of spectators and participants who braved all kinds of weather conditions—from blazing sun to frosty mornings—to watch kids race in 2017. $1,277,000 Estimated direct economic impact (i.e. aggregate attendee spending) for 2017’s five races. According to the Colorado League, funding support provided by the host towns and organizations was estimated at about $37,000 (including in-kind contributions), resulting in an an economic impact ratio of $34.24. Put another way, each dollar of funding was estimated to generate about $34 in positive economic impact, according to RRC Associates, who conducted the survey.

25 Estimated percentage of families who camp during Colorado League events.

658 Number of coaches volunteering for the Colorado League this past season.

20 Approximate number of coaches who have coached every year since 2010. $130 Donation amount from an anonymous Colorado League parent who wrote that this amount equaled what he or she would have paid for his or her son’s therapy session “when he struggled with debilitating OCD.” He beat OCD with counseling and the help of The Castle Rock Crankers his sophomore year of high school, the

parent wrote. “Now a student at CMU in Grand Junction, he’s riding every day, works in the Outdoor Program fixing bikes and is leading student rides, besides studying.”

6.1 Miles of new singletrack trail that the town of Eagle, Colorado, built specifically for the State Championships in 2013. The trail is now open to and enjoyed by the public.

7.1 Miles of new trail Durango, Colorado, built for the 2018 Championships—it’s not open to the public yet but will be.

844 Hours of volunteer trail work performed

by Colorado League teams in 2017.

10 Number of times Colorado League kids have spoken at public hearings and meetings about the importance of mountain bike-related issues.

“I don’t count.

Fortunately, I don’t have to fill out a time sheet.”

Kate Rau’s response to how many hours she puts in each year as executive director of the Colorado High School Cycling League.

150 Number of volunteers (“Plus race crew and production staff of 25,” says Rau) needed to put on each race.

FOLLOW THE LEADER RACERS HIT THE 2018 DURANGO COURSE. photo by LINDA GUERRETTE

to practice but came back saying he couldn’t wait until the next practice.

Uncountable but important “More outdoor healthy opportunities for kids and families,” says Rau. 65 Percentage of respondents to a 2017 survey who said they were “extremely likely” or (very close) to recommending high school mountain biking to a friend or family, according to RRC Associates.

100 Percent of respondents in a 2017 survey who said they were planning to ride again in 2018.

3.1 million Number of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who reported a major depressive episode (lasting two weeks or longer), according to the National Institute of Mental Health in 2016.

7 Hours a day the average American kid spends indoors in front of a screen (versus four to seven minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play).

6-7 Projected percentage growth over the next five years of Colorado League riders, should current trends continue.

8 Rough average of hours per week, between training, weekend rides, and races during the season that Colorado High School Cycling League kids spend engaged in outdoor activity.

4 Number of times my own Colorado League rider said he didn’t want to go

“Priceless:” The value Rau puts on her 10-year involvement in the Colorado League.

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Photo by Whit Richardson

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DEL NORTE… Colorado’s next great mountain biking destination.

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Visit us for gear, maps, and info before hitting the trail!

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They say that the third time’s a charm and we tend to agree! This year we’re back for our third season as your Live Outside and Play Road Team.

We’ve decided to shake things up this season and we couldn’t be more excited to get things underway. This season we have decided to focus more on community. That means spending more time with you! We’ll be attending some of the same great festivals, adding in a few new festivals, and we’ll be hosting 20 community style meetups. We’ll be spreading love across the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains all the way to the craggy peaks of the Colorado Rockies. Each year our tour is brought to you buy some of the best brands in the outdoor industry and this year is no exception. Big Agnes, LEKI, Lowe Alpine, Mountain House, Roofnest, Sea To Summit, Stio, and the town of Franklin, Virginia will be joining along the way. We’ll release a full list of our 2019 events and meetups very soon.

Make sure to like and follow along at @liveoutsideandplay, @elevationout, and @blueridgeoutdoors. See you soon!

S T R A I G H T TA L K | 0 4.1 9

CHRISTOPHER WIEGAND A DA P T I V E A DV EN T U R E S’ PA D D L I N G A N D C YC L I N G M A N AG ER I S C H A N G I N G L I V E S A N D FI N D I N G R E A L M OT I VAT I O N I N T H E I N C R ED I B L E H U M A N S H E I N T ER AC T S W I T H E V ERY DAY. M EE T O U R “ U LT I M AT E CO LO R A D O B A DA S S .”

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

I

n the last issue of Elevation Outdoors, we announced the winners in nine categories of our Colorado Resident Badass reader poll.

We asked readers to vote again for an Ultimate Badass out of that group.

The winner, Christopher Wiegand, is currently the National Paddlesports and Cycling Manager at Adaptive Adventures. But he has a long list of life accomplishments, from establishing a top international youth kayaking club in Colorado and earning recognition as the 2005 Olympic Development Coach of the Year to taking part in paddling and cycling expeditions on mountains and rivers around the world. After experiencing a traumatic brain injury, he shifted his passion for coaching, competition and problem-solving to help other survivors of trauma. He talked to us between sessions of getting disabled people out on bikes.

WHAT’S THE MOST BADASS THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE?

Honestly, I can't even answer that question with one single thing. I did a solo circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in 2009. But that wasn't really bad ass. It was more about spending lots of time alone in a kayak, camping on beaches, just really relaxing and paddling. I took a group of kids from Iran, Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. to Kenya to spread the Olympic spirit in kayaks just after the 2008 political uprising. I’ve gotten Iranian women in kayaks to prove that women can be strong, passionate leaders.

HOW HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE YOUR INJURY?

It almost makes you want to give up when simple tasks become nearly impossible. You try to wake up, find your routine, go to work, go to bed, see a family—there are points when daily living just goes away. You forget where you are, sometimes almost who you are. Just trying to find the motivation to want to get out of bed some days has been the greatest challenge. Pain can just sometimes lock me up or I have hydrocephalus where my head swells and I get debilitating headaches. So you have to find motivations. And my

amazing wife just doesn’t leave my side some days because things aren't going well for me.

Other times, I realize, “Wow, I really can push myself and there are no limits that other people can put on me.” But what I love at the end of the day now is being able to coach. I really just enjoy having that community of people with a common goal of trying to accomplish something. And I’ve always always said we're strongest in a village. I had worked with people with disabilities prior to my injury, but when I became the demographic that I served, it allowed me to really dig deep and find ways to connect to people differently.

I can now relate to them with a compassion that drives them instead of just being a high-level athlete or coach who can’t quite understand what gets in the way of success.

WHAT IS THE KEY TO ADAPTIVE ADVENTURE'S SUCCESS?

We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary this year. Throughout the years, we have been able to make outdoor adventure portable. We can take the great things that we do everywhere from the Rocky Mountains to El Paso, Texas. We have people who tell us, “You know, I'm overweight.” “I have an addiction issue.” “I’m missing both of my legs.” “I'm blind.” “I'm a paraplegic.”

“I can't get to Colorado to do this stuff.”

Outdoor adventure is a fantasy world to them. So we bring the sport to them, to their local parks, to their hospitals, and we say, “Hey, you can do this right here in your backyard.”

HOW DO YOU REACH PEOPLE THROUGH YOUR WORK?

When you become a disabled person, you push away from everything and everyone. I get that now. I want to say my brain injury is a gift because it’s allowed me to really realize how people have self-limiting beliefs that get in the way of their own success. It always sucks to be disabled, so you have to find these nuggets of goodness. It means everything to help other people come out of their depths and find something so simple as riding a bike or paddling a kayak, to find out that is better than laying on a pillow feeling sorry for yourself.

WHO MOTIVATES YOU?

I am so inspired by the people I work with—some of them are people without arms and legs. And I’m like, wow, this is life. I can't hand you a tougher nugget than missing body parts and then to do all these things like kayaking a whitewater river with no arms—who the hell does that!—or hiking the Grand Canyon blind. It’s these people who have to overcome such personal pain to be able to shut the door on

PLAYING IT FORWARD AS THE CYCLING MANAGER FOR ADAPTIVE ADVENTURES, WIEGAND GETS DISABLED PEOPLE OUT AND ON THE ROADS. YOU CAN VOLUNTEER TO HELP HIM. photo courtesy ADAPTIVE ADVENTURES

it and realize adventure. And I think the sports industry is chasing people away because it’s the people on top of Mount Everest or running the world's biggest waterfall or hucking the big flip that are the golden nuggets of success in the outdoors. It really doesn’t need to be that difficult. It’s just about finding that smile in everybody who has reached the level they want to push to—but they shouldn’t be so scared that it pushes them away.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?

My personal goal is using adaptive cycling to level the playing field and get more people biking around the planet. It’s a mode of transportation.

It’s a mode of adventure. So my goal is to spread what I have been able to do in 30-plus states and motivate people to just take a chance and get outside.

ADAPTIVE ADVENTURES IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS TO HELP SPREAD ITS MISSION OF GETTING MORE PEOPLE OUTDOORS. ADAPTIVEADVENTURES.ORG

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NE W F R O N T IE R S | 0 4.1 9

Trinidad’s Dirty Revival THE SLEEPY BORDER TOWN—ONCE KNOWN MORE FOR SEX CHANGES THAN BIKE RIDES—HAS A PLAN TO BECOME COLORADO’S HOT, NEW GRAVEL-GRINDING DESTINATION. HERE’S HOW ONE DEDICATED LOCAL IS PROVING THIS PLACE HAS REAL CYCLING SOUL.

by BETSY WELCH

fter 24 hours in Trinidad, I still haven’t seen another bike.

Instead I see a Main Street lined with original buildings from the late 1800s, tin-ceilings and gilded borders intact. Pick-up trucks with dog and driver bounce down streets paved in rusty red brick. A bronzed statue of a canary in a coal mine, and a few Italian restaurants let you know where the miners came from. In early March, it’s sunny and breezy, and a shimmery coat of snow sticks to the north-facing aspect of Raton Mesa above town. I’ve been told there are some 1,500 miles of dirt roads nearby that wind through scrubby grasslands, along canyon rims and up to where the forest meets the plains. A gravel riding paradise. So— where are all the bikes?

At the Mountain Ventures Summit in Mammoth Lakes, California, last month, Juan De la Roca found himself trying to explain Trindad.

“I’d be telling people I was from this beautiful place with great gravel riding that had no outdoor recreation industry yet and was also super affordable to live in, and they’d say, ‘Wow, that sounds amazing, where is it?’”

In Colorado, where cities along the Front Range and the ski towns nestled in the mountainous center of the state are experiencing tremendous growth and becoming cost prohibitive for many people, De la Roca’s advertisement for Trinidad sounds like a tip that’s too good to be true. The problem is, no one has ever heard of it.

But Trinidad’s relative obscurity doesn’t bother De La Roca. In fact, it’s one of the reasons he was drawn to it in the first place, and it’s definitely why he’s committed himself to bringing the place into the light.

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he city of 9,100 people on the banks of the Purgatorie River in southeastern Colorado has always attracted the

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is a priority for Colorado,” she says. adventurous type. From Mexican “The CTO offers several competitive and Spanish explorers sussing out grant and promotional opportunities the Santa Fe Trail to the coal miners through our Colorado Rural Academy and ranchers reaping the riches of for Tourism (CRAFT) program, which the land, Trinidad was founded by provides an array of training resources people who realized its potential. aimed at helping communities The 60s and 70s lured people to Las advance tourism-related strategies to Animas County for reasons unique drive economic development.” to the time—notably the experiment A few years ago, as a new Trinidadin counterculture communal living transplant (who’d logged professional called Drop City, or the work of Dr. career time in Denver and Austin, Stanley Biber, a Korean War veteran Texas), De la Roca began to stitch who’d come to Trinidad to serve as together his own rural economic the town surgeon (but his career path development plan. Indebted to his took a sharp left turn and resulted in a marketing background and with nickname—“The Sex Change Capital an inherent curiosity about his of the World”—that just won’t go surroundings it dawned on him. away).

“I’d gone around and looked at the But lately, life hasn’t been easy roads, noticed where here. Despite private property its rich history, “The objective is to ended and public modern Trinidad get people pulling off began,” he says has been plagued I-25 to ride their bike, “Cycling is obviously with the same but we want to see big in Colorado, and I problems many knew that the gravel downtown spending, rural areas trend was coming. face: substance lodging tax revenue, Having lived on the abuse, a lack and the attraction of Front Range and of sustainable small businesses. The used the RTD bus economic gravel bike destination and light rail system opportunities and concept is designed to to get to the start of a subsequent achieve these goals.” a ride, I realized we “brain drain.”

—JUAN DE LA ROCA could do the same “This has been with the Southwest a problematic Chief [Amtrak] train.” part of the state for a long time,” says In October of 2018, De la Roca De la Roca, who owns and operates submitted a proposal to the CTO, Backshop Bicycle Travel Supply. hopeful they would agree with his vision However, the town’s challenges of using gravel riding—under the bigger have put Trinidad at the forefront of a umbrella of outdoor recreation—to very important conversation: how to foster interest in Trinidad. His “Explore address the widening gap between Las Animas Dirt Series” was selected by urban and rural. Fortunately, it’s a the grant committee, and beginning this conversation that people want to May and continuing through September, jump into. According to Abby Leeper, a series of curated group rides will roll communications manager for the out from the old train depot in town.

Colorado Tourism Office (CTO), the Colorado can claim a fair share of state is very interested in the town. mountain-bike destination success “Supporting rural economic stories, from Fruita to Fort Collins development across the entire state

INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN WHILE TRINIDAD AND SURROUNDING LAS ANIMAS COUNTY MAY NOT YET HAVE A REPUTATION FOR BIKES, THEY DO HAVE MILES AND MILES OF GRAVEL TO EXPLORE. photo by HENRY MONROE

but there were two reasons De la Roca chose gravel. One, the roads were there. “The blueprint is in place to make mountain biking in Trinidad awesome,” he says, “but we can do gravel right now.”

Furthermore—and I can attest this is true—the gravel in Las Animas County is top-notch. For the summer series, De la Roca created seven routes that lead riders out of the city and into a landscape that’s as varied physically as it is culturally. While infrastructure is limited (sorry, no mid-ride espresso), riders will stumble upon the remnants of mining towns, sprawling ranches and even prehistoric archeological sites (please be respectful).

“These roads go through legit backcountry,” De la Roca says. “Your bike has to be in good order and supplied, and you need to know your limits. The riding is challenging. ‘Las animas’ means the soul. The riding here is about digging in deep and enjoying the challenge.”

De la Roca’s other incentive to stick to the gravel roads centers around history. Land ownership in Las Animas County remains largely private, dating back to the Mexican land grants of the 1800s. Easy access to recreation on public lands is limited. However, this too shows signs of changing, especially with the state now committed to outdoor recreation here. arly this year, the Trust for Public Land and the Nature Conservancy (with financial support from Great Outdoors Colorado and Colorado Parks & Wildlife) purchased the

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More Adventure.

More Durango.

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A WHOLE NEW WORLD FINDING A RIDE IN TRINIDAD IS AS EASY AS LOOKING AT A MAP AND TRACING A ROUTE. photo by HENRY MONROE

privately-held Crazy French Ranch, 30 square miles of wildlife habitat, critical ecosystem, and access to the signature geographic feature of the area, 9,633foot Fisher’s Peak. Although it will take at least two years of careful planning, Fisher’s Peak Ranch, as it’s now called, will eventually open up a level of public access to nature that residents of Las Animas County have never seen before.

De la Roca views the Fisher’s Peak Ranch acquisition as a catalyst to draw more cyclists and hikers to the Trinidad area. With so many people participating in the gig economy, he says, it’s only a matter of time before people see Trinidad as a nice, quiet place to live and work. This vision is at the core of the Explore Las Animas Dirt Series, as well.

“I want to create awareness for the whole Trinidad-Las Animas experience,” says De la Roca. “The objective is to get people pulling off I-25 to ride their bike, but we want to see downtown spending, lodging tax revenue and the attraction of small businesses.”

Although the Explore Las Animas

Dirt Series had not yet kicked off when I traveled to Trinidad, I pretended like it had. I grabbed a cup of coffee in town and parked at the old train depot (where riders can camp and use the facilities during the ride series). I loaded up a suggested ride, the ‘Rocky Mountain Canary’ route on my phone and pedaled out of town along the Purgatorie River.

After a few miles of pavement, I crossed the railroad tracks and hung a right onto dirt. The Spanish Peaks bloomed behind me. There were more cattle guards than cars. The dirt road bisected a ranch and felt so intimate I had to make sure I wasn’t trespassing.

When I got back to town, I walked to over to Nana and Nano Monteleone’s Italian Deli and Pasta House for a homemade marinara lunch (served with a side of local Al-Capone-in-Trinidad folklore). I snapped photos of the oldest synagogue in the state and imagined putting a brewery in the old Chronicle-News building. Next time I’m here, I thought, I’ll definitely see more bikes.

elevation gain.

Grind Time If big-sky bike rides on rarely-trafficked gravel roads are your thing, point it to Trinidad.

From the Explore Las Animas adventure ride series (explorelasanimas. com) to the Pony Xpress 160 (coloradogravelgrinderchampionship. com/pony-xpress) and Branson Hi Lo Country Gravel Grinder (Facebook.com/ pg/BransonHiLoGravelGrinder) events, bike rides are giving town hall meetings a run for their money here. Here are a few of the rides we’re most excited for.

MAY 4 Sunflower Valley Tour / Explore Las Animas Dirt Series and Southwest Chief Bicycle and Comedy Festival. 73 miles, +2,517 feet elevation gain.

MAY 18 Pony Xpress 160 / Colorado Gravel Grinder Championships. 160 kilometers, +7,000 feet elevation gain.

JUNE 8 Super Trinidad Rodeo / Explore Las Animas Dirt Series. 95 miles, +7,354 elevation gain.

AUGUST 3 Pancho and Lefty’s Loop / Explore Las Animas Dirt Series. 78 miles, +4,086

SEPT 21 Branson Hi Lo Country Gravel Grinder.

50 miles, +2,477 elevation gain. 27 miles, +951 elevation gain.

in town You’d be remiss to ride in Trinidad and not spend some time exploring the city’s odd, intriguing attractions.

First, go way back in time at the Louden-Henritze Archeology Museum to view prehistoric artifacts and trace the area’s geologic timeline. Then, saddle up to the A.R. Mitchell Cowboy Museum, one of the country’s finest collections of Western art and collectibles, Native American art and artifacts, and Hispanic traditional and religious art. When you’re thirsty, Moose’s Social Club and Martini Bar is just what a small town bar should be: according to their website, “nothing fussy.” And for the carbo-load you need for the next day’s ride, reserve a table at Rino’s Italian Restaurant and Steakhouse, where the Trinidadnative and Las Vegas-famous Cordova family will serenade you with song while you enjoy the spaghetti.

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V O I C E S | 0 4.1 9

TH E CO RE AC T CO U LD PRE S E RV E 4 0 0,0 0 0 ACRE S O F PU B LI C L A N D I N CO LO R A DO. H E RE’ S W H Y I A M PUT TI N G M Y FU LL SU PP O RT B E H I N D IT. A N D W H Y YO U S H O U LD, TOO.

CORE Memories

by CLARE GALLAGHER

Y

ou know those moments when you feel most alive?

How those memories sear themselves onto the back of your brain like sticker residue that never comes off?

When it comes to outdoor adventures, isn’t it weird how we often actualize these “most alive feelings” in hindsight, weeks after the adventure happened? Those epic memories that grow in our minds into positively infectious obsessions? “No, it’s not that fun to be stuck on a ridgeline beneath looming thunderclouds, but the day was absolutely incredible!”

The suffering and discomfort involved with being outside add to the appeal of so many adventures in wilderness and in public lands. We’re not attached to technology, we have to look our friends in the eyes, and we have to ask and answer questions (“Where next, pal?”). Wilderness and laughter are practically synonymous in my mind.

There’s one particular collection of memories that gives me that spine-tingling feeling of being most alive.

These memories are connected by their shared place: Eagles Nest Wilderness. Just a stone’s throw from I-70, Eagles Nest Wilderness is like other wilderness areas: quiet, breathtakingly gorgeous in its diverse seasons. Unlike many wilderness areas though, it’s extremely accessible, a 90-minute drive from Denver, mere minutes from homes in Silverthorne. You can even take the free bus, the Summit Stage, up to one of the trailheads on Buffalo Mountain to start your adventure.

It’s where I first learned what trail running was.

Growing up, I’d watch my dad run from my grandparents’ back door in the Wildernest neighborhood. “Where are you going?” I’d ask, as he shot past me.

“Up to the cabin!” He’d run straight into Eagles Nest Wilderness up the main drag on the face of Buffalo Mountain. He’d stop near treeline, around 10,500 feet, where there’s a pile of planks, remnants of an old cabin.

Then, he’d turn around and drop 1,000 feet back to the house. Coming in, he’d be sweaty, no matter the season, panting and smiling. I wanted some of that.

One summer morning—curious about running up there—I followed my dad. We lived in the suburbs of Denver, so this was not an everyday opportunity.

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blanketed in snow for the first time.

This was when I truly fell in love with trail running. I communed with the trees, my giant, stoic friends. Their branches were heavy, overloaded with wet, dense snow that glistened if the sun hit them just right. They gave me that weighted-blanket feeling of immense comfort.

Well above 10,000 feet, my heart raced. I pushed my limits while being witness to the beauty of pristine winter forest—there’s no better feeling in the entire world. I now had run this trail in the summer and winter. The combination of these two experiences, visceral and deep, cemented my love for trail running, but also for this magnificent place, this wilderness.

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A VOICE FOR THE WILDERNESS ULTRA-RUNNING CHAMP AND PATAGONIA AMBASSADOR, CLARE GALLAGHER WANTS WILD PLACES TO ENDURE. photo by CARLO NASISSE

I passed him, going my own pace and immediately understood the appeal. Winding around lodgepole pines and aspens, I worked harder than I ever did running the roads or track—I inhaled dirt, roots, rocks, fallen trees, wildflowers. I encountered so many different variations of light as I covered the trail, some of it in partial shade, some exposed. It was like a kaleidoscope. This was my first true taste of mountain singletrack. In the past, I’d only hiked it. I hate hiking.

Running is so much more exhilarating and efficient.

I covered the ground to treeline, heartbeat racing.

I took in the sweeping view of Lake Dillon and then spun back down, legs flying. If uphill trail running is predictable, hard fun, then downhill trail running is the illicit, guttural holy-shit kind of fun. At the time, I was training for high school cross country, and technical trail running is not standard procedure. I wouldn’t return to this trail save for vacations home from college over the next few years.

One winter break while home, I ran the cabin trail

s the years have passed and I’ve done a lot more mountain running, I still head to Eagles Nest to make memories for the long haul. I have skied my first backcountry couloir down Buffalo Mountain one spring.

I have run down an exhilarating line from the top in the dog days of summer with three skilled trail-runner friends. We barely stopped—we were pushing so hard, whooping with joy as we dodged boulders, avoided loose scree, rounded switchbacks and sweated our faces silly.

It’s practically guaranteed one of my friends will epic when we circumnavigate Buffalo: They will run out of water, bonk so hard they have a tantrum, jump into one of the mountain lakes fully clothed. Once my boyfriend and I fought about something insignificant and I felt as if I had committed sacrilege—no one should fight in their church.

Eagles Nest is my personal cathedral. We all have such places, and feel alive in them, and yearn to explore new ones. But wilderness doesn’t come for free. We have to actively work to protect the places that give us our most cherished memories. We have to engage with our lawmakers to tell them how much these places mean to us so that they will in turn work to protect our public lands.

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mazingly, in Colorado, we have lawmakers who are listening. Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Joe Neguse (District 2) have introduced a bill to protect these places. If passed, the CORE Act (Colorado Outdoor Recreation Economy Act) would protect 400,000 acres (78,000 of them as wilderness), and add new recreation management areas (RMAs) that allow for activities that wilderness designation doesn’t, including mountain biking and ATV use. And yes, one area in the bill that would be expanded: Eagles Nest Wilderness Do you have your own story from a place that could be protected by the CORE Act? Read about the specific spots that will be protected and tell us your story at ElevationOutdoors.com/COREAct! And be sure to urge your Colorado Congressional Rep and Senator Cory Gardner to support the act. Let’s support this bill and work to ensure that 500 years from now, future generations have the same opportunities to feel so fully alive and create cherished memories.

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With 300+ days of sunshine a year, there’s always outdoor adventure in Artesia. Grab a walking tour at Artesia Visitors Center and see 11 larger-than-life bronze statues. Stroll through Heritage Walkway which depicts the history of Artesia through murals and tile work.

Cheer on the Artesia High Bulldogs at the World Famous Bulldog Bowl. With over 180 acres Jaycee Park is home to sports fields, tennis courts, a track, picnic tables and playground equipment. The popular Eagle DraW park stretches 3.2 miles through town. The free Red Dirt Black Gold Festival and Balloons and Tunes Festival draw families from far and wide. Plus you’ll find great indoor stops such as Artesia Historical Museum and Art Center, Ocotillo Performing Arts Center, Artesia Public Library (named New Mexico’s Most Beautiful Library) and many eateries. Add it all up for the perfect adventure in the heart of the Pecos Valley.

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HOKA ONE ONE SPEEDGOAT 3

ROCK ON HOKA ONE ONE’S SPEEDGOAT 3 (PICTURED) WON PRAISE FROM OUR TESTERS WHO THOUGHT IT FELT SPRY ON TREACHEROUS TERRAIN. photo courtesy HOKA ONE ONE

ALTRA TIMP 1.5

A TRAILRUNNER FOR EVERY PERSONALITY CHECK OUT FOUR NEW TRAIL SHOES WE ARE SLIPPING INTO THIS SPRING TO START TRAINING FOR BIG SUMMER GOALS.

by GARETT GRAUBINS

W

e put away the calipers, microscopes and scientific doo-hickeys, and instead put in some old-fashioned, sweaty, gritty miles for this trail shoe test. Because isn’t that what you do in the early months of the year, when your actual fitness level is a few steps behind your goals? The results of our testing is these four shoes that’ll get you ready to race, whether it’s a brutal mountain ultra or a street sprint.

Technical Trails HOKA ONE ONE SPEEDGOAT 3 BEST FOR: Long or short distance over

tech terrain (rocks, roots and other trail surprises) THE LOWDOWN: How fitting that this shoe is named for Karl Meltzer, who has won more 100-mile trail races than...anybody. Weighting in at a svelte 10.3 ounces ( in a men’s size 9), the Speedgoat is designed with the mantra, “go anywhere, run everything.” It runs well straight out of the box, according to one tester.

A wide platform, spacious toe box,

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robust support and an aggressive, luggy Vibram outsole all add up to create a shoe that’s up to any task – even hiking, if that’s your thing. The reinforced upper withstands miles, as will HOKA’s trademark, ultra-durable mega-cushioning, which proved resilient over the long haul. $140; hokaoneone.com

Altra Racing ALTRA TIMP 1.5 BEST FOR: Long days off road when you

want to cover a ton of ground fast THE LOWDOWN: The Altra story starts with natural running. And the brand’s zero-drop philosophy means that the height from the heel to the toe is—you got it—zero. This encourages a mid-foot plant, as opposed to the heel-to-toe roll that we’ve gotten used to. A shorter stride equals faster leg turnover and, the story goes, better trail times.

Jam-packed with off-road features like a trail-gaiterfriendly

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design and flexible lugs, the 10.5-ounce Timp will be a favorite on the trail ultrarunning circuit this year.

It fits like a slipper–the tongue, for example, is skinny and not overbuilt, allowing it to conform comfortably to your foot.

The flexible outsole and cavernous toe box BROOKS GLYCERIN 7 let your forefoot splay out and grab rocks, especially on the uphills. $130; altrarunning. com

Dirt and Pavement SALOMON PREDICT RA BEST FOR: Anything you want to do THE LOWDOWN: The Predict RA hit the

trail with flash this season, thanks to an innovative new design. It features a de-coupled, highly cushioned bottom package that’s soft without sacrificing stability. Weighing in SALOMON PREDICT RA

at a feathery 9.1 ounces, the Predict RA allows the foot to move more naturally, similar to a minimalist shoe design, but with more cushioning.

Its unique upper stretches and conforms to the foot’s contours. It’s a trail stalwart that can compete in the paved world. $160; salomon.com

Road Training BROOKS GLYCERIN 17 BEST FOR: Road runners wanting to

comfortably increase their mileage THE LOWDOWN: If you’re ramping up the miles for a spring

road marathon and need some new moccasins, look no further than the Glycerin 17, made with a singular focus on cushioned comfort. But too many shoes give up responsiveness or staying power if they go too soft. Not this 10.6-ounce pavement pounder. The upper delivers nearly as many amenities as the midsole, with breathable, plush mesh and a cuff that’s flat-out spongy. Who says that logging sidewalk miles requires suffering? Maybe that’s why 2018 Boston Marathon champ Des Linden picks these babies for her title runs. $150; brooksrunning.com

B E S T G E A R — B IK E S | 0 4.1 9

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Men’s Mountain DIAMONDBACK RELEASE 29 3 WHY WE WANT IT: We are always

conscious about finding the right balance between price and performance in a mountain bike. The sport should not be prohibitive to your wallet, but cheap trail bikes just don’t cut it on the trail. Diamondback came in at a very nice price here for a trusty aluminum bike that rides like more expensive models. It’s a charger you can take to Moab or Monarch Crest (or even blue trails at the Keystone Bike Park) without ever feeling overmatched.

WHAT IT OFFERS: Cushy 29-inch wheels and a 130mm travel Level Link suspension platform smooth out the ride and suck up hits. The outstanding componentry package includes a reliable 140mm travel Fox 34 Performance fork, Shimano XT drivetrain, Race Face cranks, a Fox Performance Float DPX2 rear shock and Shimano XT brakes $3,299; diamondback.com

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BOMBTRACK HOOK ADV

Women’s Mountain YETI SB 100 BETI GX WHY WE WANT IT: It’s a mountain

bike for women who want to drop the mansplainers. This carbon-frame machine does it all: It engages with power for big climbs, hops around technical problems and absolutely rails on open downhills. With all that yang, it’s still built for the yin of the female frame. Plus, Yeti is a brand with authentic Colorado cred and a big commitment to the local cycling community in Golden.

WHAT IT OFFERS: The reasonable GX kit weighs 27.4 pounds and rings in just under the cost of a beatup Subaru. It also includes a Fox Performance 34/120mm fork and Fox Performance Beti DPS 190mm x 37.5mm rear shock. Add in SRAM GX Eagle shifting and SRAM Guide R breaks and you are ready for singletrack adventure. $4,999; yeticycles.com

Electric HAIBIKE SDURO FULLSEVEN 7.0 WHY WE WANT IT: We have come

around when it comes to e-bikes.

They are not the death of the sport, if properly managed on the trail (and they are an outstanding commuter

GIANT CONTEND 3

option). In fact, they get more people out riding, which is a very good thing.

Oh, this bike is a hell of a lot of fun.

The pedal assist opens up the ability to do much longer rides that include long stretches of dirt (or pavement) roads to interlink trails or to get a visiting friend out on rides they could never have the lungs for otherwise.

WHAT IT OFFERS: To start, a dreamy full-suspension. Plus, the Internal Battery Concept (IBC) frame cuts down on weight so you don’t feel as if you are on a moped. Plus, a Suntour Aion 35 LO-R fork and RockShox Monarch RT shock dish out 120mm of travel. Bosch’s Performance CX 250W motor and 500Wh battery keep things humming. $4,699; haibikeusa.com

Gravel BOMBTRACK HOOK ADV

Road GIANT CONTEND 3

WHY WE WANT IT: Is it a mountain

WHY WE WANT IT: This is the type

bike? Is it a gravel grinder? Yes.No. Maybe. It all depends on how you want to handle this hybrid German ride that’s ideal for rugged dirt roads and hot dashes of singletrack. It’s an adventure bike that won’t crap out when you are lost on mining roads deep in the Sawatch. Older riders will hop on and locate that muscle memory of first banging singletrack back in the 1980s.

WHAT IT OFFERS: Cushy riding thanks to an MRP Baxter fork with 40mm of travel and a KSE 30i seat dropper that helps with the transition from nice smooth road to shite-show. $4,000; bombtrack.com

of bike that can get new people into a sport that all too often feels cost-prohibitive. You won’t find a better road bike for the price tag if you just want to get out and spin on weekends, if you just want to test out the cycling waters or if you just don’t have the lucre to shell out for bikes that cost more than cars. It doesn’t ride cheap, however: Responsive and comfortable, this aluminum-frame steed can handle long miles.

WHAT IT OFFERS: Don’t expect highend componentry at this price point, but the Shimano Claris shifting and Tektro brakes get the job done. $650; giant-bicycles.com

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ENDURANCE ESSENTIALS T H E SE S I X G E A R G O DSEN DS W I L L M A K E YO U R L I FE B E T T ER ON THE TRAIL.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Helmet SWEET PROTECTION DISSENTER MIPS Lightweight at just 11.6 ounces and airy but built with enough tech (including concussion-preventing MIPS) to keep you safe in case the worst happens, this brain bucket won’t cramp your style on a long, hot ride. $150; sweetprotection.com

Shoes TIME OSMOS 10 Back in the shoe biz for the first time since 2013, Italian pedal-crafter Time has created a sleek cycling shoe with a composite sole and simple BOA system that’s supple yet provides enough rigidity to give you pedalling confidence when you dig in for a big climb. $250; time-sport.com

Jacket COLUMBIA MONTRAIL F.K.T. WIND JACKET Light and tough enough to be race-

kit legal, this wispy shell is a lifesaver when the weather changes on a bike ride or a trail run. Don’t be fooled by its airiness: While the windbreaker can’t endure a downpour, it’s just protective enough to keep out a stiff, wet breeze. $99; columbia.com

Shirt FLYLOW NASH Our favorite dirtbag friends at Flylow told us that this shirt won’t stink thanks to bacteria-killing Polygiene incorporated into the stretchy, quickdrying polyester fabric. It’s worked for us, at least, and become our go-to for rides, runs, dog walks and even après dates afterwards. $55; flylowgear.com

Shorts STIO OPR With options for men and women, this technical bike short from Jackson Wyoming-based Stio gives us all we want out on the trail: stretch, some ventilation and a tad of padding. But it’s not so techy that we won’t wear it around town. $139; stio.com

Socks DARN TOUGH CHAIN MICRO CREW ULTRA-LIGHT Socks complete the mountain-biking kit package and this light merino wool women’s model feels comfy when you are out churning. Plus, it’s got just enough style to make luvahs stare at you calfward. $19; darntough.com

FLOWER

EDIBLES

TINCTURES AND TOPICALS

CONCENTRATES

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HE A R T HI S | 0 4.1 9

CAMPFIRE JAMS

M US I C A LWAY S S O U N DS B E T T ER W H EN YO U P L AY O U T I N T H E G R E AT W I D E O P EN . T H E SE A FF O R DA B L E, P O RTA B L E I N S T RU M EN T S M A K E I T E A S Y TO S T R I K E A C H O R D W H EN YO U ’ R E S I T T I N G A RO U N D T H E C A M P FI R E O R O U T O N A M O U N TA I N TO P.

by KENJI HAROUTUNIAN AND ERIC STEELE

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here’s something special about making music around a campfire— everyone gets a front row seat at a concert in the woods, it’s a great way to meet other campers, and there’s no cost of admission. What you do need, though, are instruments that can handle the situation. The following ukuleles, guitars and drums are built for travel and outdoor use and perfect for the occasion.

UKULELE HEYDAY

To say that ukuleles are trending would be an understatement. Extremely portable and durable, they’re on the rise for good reason: They are easy to learn (with some practice, anyone can play an Eddie Vedder tune). A good camping ukulele needs to stay in tune and resist warping and bowing from temperature or humidity fluctuations. Also, it should be affordable. It’s going to get left outside, dropped on rocks, and who knows what else, so don’t go crazy with the price.

KALA: Ukuleles by California brand

Kala can be found at most high-end music stores. They’re surprisingly quite affordable—the traditional Satin Mahogany Ukulele starts at $88—and durable. The company’s website also offers a wide selection of the traditonal Hawaiian instrument in all shapes, sizes and prices. kalabrand.co GOLD TONE BANJOLELE: The eccentirc,

four-stinged banjolele combines a banjo body and a fretted neck. Banjoleles are portable and durable. And they bring a unique blend of bluegrass and surf sound to a campfire ensemble. The banjolele is friendly to both airplane travel and unplugged outdoor jamming. goldtonemusicgroup.com/goldtone/ instruments/banjolele CORDOBA UKULELES: With roots firmly

planted in the Spanish flamenco and classical guitar styles, Cordoba ukuleles sound as beautiful as they look (and they’re gorgeous—with mahogany wood and satin finish). Taking the same approach to construction and craftsmanship as with its top-end guitars, Cordoba creates ukuleles

TRAILSIDE TROUBADOUR TRAVELER GUITAR BUILDS PORTABLE, SHORT-SCALE INSTRUMENTS LIKE THE SWEET-SOUNDING CL-3E ($399) SPECIFICALLY FOR OUTDOOR-MINDED MUSICIANS. photo courtesy TRAVELER GUITAR

that sound wistful and deep. These are not the toys you start kids on, but concert-worthy instruments that require a little more care than most ukuleles. cordobaguitars.com/ukuleles/ MITSUBA UKULELES: Targeting the

true ukulele aficionado, Mitsuba is a boutique ukulele builder based in Hawaii that earns extra points for authenticity. Mitsuba Ukuleles are lovely, made from Koa wood harvested locally on Oahu, and give that distinctive sound of the instrument’s home. They are hard to find, however. mitsubagakkihawaii.wordpress.com

GUITAR HEROES

Guitars are the quintessential travel instrument. Whether you are strumming Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” or Jack Johnson’s “Banana Pancakes,” the acoustic guitar is the anchor of any campground jam. And guitars are perfect for travel: durable ( plywood rules over sensitive single-ply special wood tops), surprisingly affordable (a new entry-level Fender FA-100 costs just $180) and they can be quite portable (each of the following guitars is either miniature in size or breaks down and can be worn as a backpack).

FURCH GUITARS: The Little Jane ($1,499)

features a folding neck that fits into a case the size of a backpack. It’s crafted as a high-end instrument in every way, staying in tune even after it has been broken down and reassembled. furchguitars.com TRAVELER GUITAR: Traveler Guitar

has made a name for itself in the portable guitar scene with a truly durable build, full-scale neck and onboard electronics for easy tuning and tone-dialing (as well as headphone listening). travelerguitar.com ORTEGA GUITARS: Launched several

years ago, these instruments with silicone strings were a novelty product that few took seriously. The Lizzy BS-GB shows what a 30-year-old company can do with a four-string ukebass. The tone of the strings is deep and full and the silicone is easy on the fingers, meaning long jam sessions are a little less punishing. ortegaguitars.com TONEWOOD AMPLIFIER: This gizmo

($249) mounts to the back of a guitar (leaving no residue and requiring no mounting strips or hardware) and takes advantage of the natural acoustic resonance of the guitar body to amplify music. It would be especially useful with an acoustic bass guitar, which can

have a tough time matching the volume of a six-string around the campfire. tonewoodamp.com

BEAT IT

All too often overlooked in camping and travel kits, percussion instruments truly bring the vibe of sharing to any gathering around a campfire or cabin. Not everyone can play a string instrument, but just about anyone can tap along on a small drumhead or keep time with a tambourine. The same rules for travel-ability apply here: Metal or plywood constructions are best for durability, while synthetic heads and materials minimize the impact of the heat and humidity instruments can encounter outdoors.

HAPI DRUM: The steel-tongue Hapi

Drum is beautifully resonant—think Buddhist Bronze Bowl meets Kalimba thumb piano. These drums are almost indestructible and come in a variety of sizes and keys. hapidrum.co REMO: Remo’s Sound Shapes Shape

Packs can get five people (kids included) jamming along with the most accomplished of musicians. The five different drum heads are quite literally made to take a beating. remo.com

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THE ARKANSAS VALLEY RAMBLE W H AT ’ S T H E B E S T WAY TO G E T TO K N OW YO U R N E W O U T D O O R N EI G H B O R H O O D? H OW A B O U T A T H R EE - DAY A DV EN T U R E T H AT CO M B I N E S S I N G L E T R AC K , S C R EE FI EL DS , D R I F T B OAT S A N D LOT S O F S O G GY SM I L E S .

by ZACH WHITE

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one of us completely cracked, but the squiggly line we’d nonchalantly pointed to from kitchen table comfort the night before turned out to be less squiggly than we’d hoped. The reality was a steep, loose dirt road that essentially climbed straight up the base of Mt. Etna, with barely a switchback to ease the neverending incline.

At what appeared to be the highest point of the day’s route, and with an obvious chunk of our daylight hours omitted thanks to both a slower pace than anticipated, and photo/

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video sessions, we looked at the map again in hopes of finding a plan-B. Plan-A was a psychological middle finger, as we began to realize we’d essentially climbed an extra 1,500 feet of elevation, only to descend back down to a point of losing almost all of our vertical gain, then climb back up another slope to the elevation of our current quagmire.

From the once-again unfolded map, it looked like our route hair-pinned down valley, then back up to within a few hundred lateral yards of our current location. With a “what if…” we defaulted to technology. The satellite imagery showed a hint of a trail pointing in the direction we needed to go, but it definitely didn’t appear to continue through. It was going to take commitment to stray one drainage over from the original route, but we decided to go for it. It was to be a painful lesson in misreading both topography, and the physical abilities

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of our crew.

“It” turned into a massive, steep scree field that must’ve been a half-mile deep from the rim we were standing atop, a vantage point offering the faintest hint of double-track in the box canyon below. Eric wasn’t really into straying off trail, but Ross and I were tired enough to take the chance, so we all shouldered our 50-pound bikes and began descending into the stuff ankles have nightmares about. It was slow, sketchy, and we all lost our footing on more than one occasion. But, we all made it down in one piece, and got lucky with the double-track as it led straight to the original route, albeit well past sunset for the last mile or so.

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oving to Salida brought with it a new area to explore by bike, and by boat. I’d already ticked off most of the popular mountain bike rides in the county before I decided to relocate here from the Front Range,

THIS IS BIKEPACKING, BABY! MAYBE IT LOOKS LIKE A TRAIL ON A MAP, BUT IT’S A BIG PILE OF ROCKS IN REALITY. photo by ROSS DOWNARD

but a relatively new relationship with bikepacking had changed the way I was looking at maps of the area: The Great Divide route bisects town. The Colorado and Continental Divide trails pass nearby, and a myriad of similar options point out from town in every direction between. I started daydreaming about multi-day loops I could access from my new front door.

With a handful of routes already brewing in the back of my mind, I ran into my buddy, Eric Porter, at an event in his home state of Utah.

Unbeknownst to me, he’d spent quite a bit of time in Salida visiting his wife’s grandparents, who had unfortunately recently passed away. We’d done a few trips together over the years, and usually discuss foreign lands when it comes to our next adventure. But as soon as Eric learned of my recent move, he suggested we do something right here in Salida.

We allocated three full days for our trip, and decided on a route I’d suggested after all that gazing at the map. I was familiar with the first 15-miles of the route as well

as a segment I’d ski toured the winter before, but otherwise all reconnaisance was left to eyeballing various dotted and solid lines on a map. To make things even more interesting, we opted to skip our usual mountain bikes, and ride glorified cyclocross bikes—what marketing types call “adventure bikes”—instead.

We also decided to wrap up our three days of bikepacking with a river float back into town, which would be an exception to our otherwise self-supported trip. Photographer/ videographer, Ross Downard, signed in as our official documentation crew, which would relieve my back of the usual extra pounds of camera gear.

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fter our day one misadventure, a much more manageable second day dealt out less than half of the elevation gain, and most of that came on railroad-grade Forest Service road that was much friendlier to gear-laden bikes than the widowmaker-style climbing we’d suffered on the day before. As a bonus, we hopped on a newly opened and notably more bike-friendly(read: rideable grade) singletrack section of Colorado Trail. We dumped back onto the same Forest Service road, which now appeared to be less traveled thana few miles back. Our uncertainty about the upcoming Chalk Creek Pass was slowly playing out with the fading road ending at a Colorado Trail sign.

Singletrack it was—but not the bike-friendly version we’d ridden earlier. Steep, tight and technical hiking trail wound its way up.

Ascending it required an even split of hike-a-bike and riding, until the trail faded into a sprawling scree field.

Cairns marked the way through the rocks and up toward the pass, where once bluebird skies were quickly shifitng to something more sinister.

By the time we’d hike-a-biked our way to the pass, thunder was echoing through a giant, scree-filled valley on the other side. Up here, massive booms all but shook each individual

RIVER AND ROCK THIS BACKYARD STRETCHES FROM THE SAWATCH (LEFT) TO THE ARKANSAS (TOP). photos by ROSS DOWNARD

rock in the scree fields, making clear our insignificance in this world. We quickly scurried down from the pass to a low spot to wait it out.

Luckily, the storm was all bark.

White, wispy clouds and slivers of blue returned to the sky above, allowing a happy, hasty retreat off the pass. Our singletrack exit zigzagged down a rugged slope that looked unrideable from above, and slalomed between turquoise lakes in the valley below.

The fun ended too soon, leaving us with nothing but dirt and paved roads from here on out, at least if we wanted to reach the hot springs that night.

Whizzing by abandoned mines and through aspen groves tunneling overhead, we assumed the toughest thing left to do that day would be to get the blobs of our bodies from the soaking pools to our sleeping bags.

This daydream was abruptly squashed upon arrival. The hot springs and surrounding area is void of camping options—admittedly my mistake.

Discussion spanned from sleeping in a nearby ditch, to pitching in on a ridiculously expensive resort room, before agreeing to climb several miles back up the now-dark road for a proper campsite.

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he following morning dawned with tent-door views of a glowing Mt. Princeton, erasing the aggravation of arriving here the night before—at least in my mind. A quick dip in the hot springs helped buffer the transition from the mountainous solitude of the previous days to getting sandblasted by truck traffic on an unavoidable section of U.S. 285. It was a short, necessary evil that brought us to the boat ramp, where Emma was waiting to exchange our bikes for burritos, and Domonique would hand over her boat for the final 18-mile

stretch home down the river.

The next few hours were all business, as Eric’s determination to avoid getting skunked on another float trip kept the conversation limited to what pockets I needed to stall the boat in or aim towards as he fired off semi-automatic casts from the bow.

Emma tossed the first “catch” of the day—a six pack—into the boat as we floated past my house, which was also the technical endpoint of our loop.

Luckily for Eric, our destination, the boat ramp, was still a few miles downriver. On this stretch, he finally landed a little brown. That trout reset the mood: We celebrated with a round of can-cheers and hand-slaps, even as the skies let loose on us all the way to the boat ramp where Dominique was waiting for us. Our soggy smiles felt like an appropriate ending to this great adventure that was riddled with enough lows to make highs more poignant. I can only hope for more of the same this summer.

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the rain-bringing old man, is because I haven’t taken the time to learn enough Spanish.

Spanish is the language they speak in heaven, or so I have heard. And if I am going to write about a weather deity, I should certainly be fluent in the language that he would use.

There might be another reason, though: When I first started writing Emil, I immediately divulged the entire plot to a friendly mountain girl with blonde hair and a wide, goofy smile.

She was dating a friend of mine, which I think made it easy for us to laugh and joke and share secrets without thinking it might lead anywhere.

When she killed herself, it was the first time I realized how when someone kind and gentle leaves the world, it feels like part of your own future died as well.

BELIEVE!

WATC H FR EE SO LO, R E A D P O E T RY A N D K N OW T H AT I T TA K E S FA I T H TO M A K E I T T H RO U G H —A N Y T H I N G .

by PETER KRAY

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ne spring day in Vail, years ago, my brother and I woke to Easter baskets filled with chocolate and a card signed by the Easter Bunny himself. The evidence was in his signature—the brown muddy stamp of a paw.

We ran out on the deck of the Tyrolean-styled chalet, the home of my parents’ best friends, and looked for the magic rabbit, hoping to see him highkicking his way through the first green grass of the season, which was already being covered in a fresh spring snow.

I was always ready to believe in these things.

The magic. The mystery.

Wondering if said bunny might even be tricked-out in a suit with tails. It was the same on Christmas Eve, when I would watch up over the rooftops and power lines for a glimpse of flying reindeer. Or how even now when I go to bed I get on my knees to say thanks, and imagine away and above in the stars about who or what might care.

That might be the best part of living, I think, embracing the everchanging line between what you think and what you feel.

You Solo One of the cool things I have noticed about Free Solo, the Academy Award-winning documentary of Alex Honnold’s no-rope climb of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, is how even though we all know he succeeds, your palms still get sweaty watching it, wondering if, even now, he might fall.

According to 19th century poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge (author of such works as “Kubla Khan” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”), the suspension

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of disbelief is key to enjoying good fiction, especially now in regards to epic fantasies, like The Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars.

That’s what is so ironic about watching Free Solo. Namely, we can convince ourselves something tragic might yet happen, even as we are watching a remarkable individual believe so much in his own talent and skill that he singlehandedly raises the bar for one of the most dangerous, demanding sports in the world.

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The Joy of Sorrow Of course I still wonder about how I might have helped her. About what I didn’t see, or what sadness she hid inside that I never knew. I also wonder how it will feel to finally finish writing that book—even if it’s only for myself—if I might find a little sense of peace the next time I remember that sweet smile.

Of course, anyone who has read Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet knows that, “When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” Or to put it more simply, joy and Illustration by KEVIN HOWDESHELL / THEBRAVEUNION.COM sorrow are inseparable.

And I believe that is true.

I believe that the occasional thorns and bruises and broken hearts If we can believe so strongly we all suffer along the way are also in a false, negative outcome, then what makes it possible for us to find shouldn’t we also be able to imagine so much happiness and pleasure in a beautiful happy ever after for this world. You know, the way the rain everything else that we dream and do? brings the flowers and the long rays of light that shine like heaven through The Last Rain the clouds.

I’ve been working on a novel about I certainly believe I am a better climate change for more than 20 person for having known her, and years. It takes place in New Mexico, every one of you. I also believe that I and includes a character who calls am going to go to my refrigerator for in the clouds, an idealistic young an ice-cold beer and then sit on my man who every spring helps clear patio with my dogs and start working his community’s acequias (irrigation again on that book right now. ditches) and a very smart young lady with dark eyes and black hair.

Since I started writing it, I have published three books. And hopefully, this fall, I will publish one more. The reason I can’t finish writing this book, tentatively titled Emil after

—ELEVATION OUTDOORS EDITOR-AT-LARGE PETER KRAY IS THE AUTHOR OF THE GOD OF SKIING. THE BOOK HAS BEEN CALLED “THE GREATEST SKI NOVEL OF ALL TIME.” DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE? BUY IT HERE AND READ IT NOW: AMZN.TO/2LMZPVN

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