Elevation Outdoors October 2018

ICELAND ROCKS | LIVE THE SNOWBOARD DREAM | SKI ON A BUDGET OCTOBER 2018

FREE!

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

flip the

switch THE 2018 WINTER RESORT GUIDE HAS ARRIVED

+

WOMEN SHRED THE LA SALS

Seek i n g f e m a l e s t oke a n d b a ckco unt ry sn o w i n U t a h’s s e c r e t d e s e rt p e a ks

VOTE THE OUTDOORS TH E SEAS O N ’ S H OT T E ST N EW SKI S , B OA R D S , BO OTS A ND A P PA R E L

The Ghosts in Telluride’s Bars

IF YOU’RE NOT FUELING UP FOR THE MORNING, YOUR PRIORITIES ARE MISGUIDED. THE RUMBLE SOCK IS ALWAYS GOOD TO GO. – PHOTOGRAPHER PETER CIRILLI AND DARN TOUGH’S RALPH KUCHAREK MANAGED TO PUSH THROUGH…FOR THE SAKE OF SHOTS.

THE RUMBLE SOCK

2

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

B IBS

A R EN’T J UST F O R B ABIES

Š Grant Gunderson

Bibs have heaps of powder-slaying benefits. Like extra coverage. No snow down the pants. More pockets.

The Baker Bibs are a team favorite at Flylow, thanks to their stout three-layer hardshell fabric, spacious thigh vents, and chest pouch for storing whatever suits you.

FALL LINE

Hayden Z Price tastes a vertical flight in the Alta backcountry..

SEE PAGE 22 photo by JEFF CRICCO

CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 7 EDITOR’S LETTER It's time for men to step up and speak out.

R E T WINFF SALE

~

KICKO

9 QUICK HITS

Ski and sail in Norway, save money when you hit the slopes, take the kids to Keystone, Spy's new electronic goggles, AAC hostels and much more...

14 FLASHPOINT

A big election is coming in November and we have an outdoors-focused rundown of the ticket— from governor to Congress to ballot initiatives.

17 HOT SPOT

Colorado's independent ski and snowboard resrorts are thriving. Isn't it time you paid them a visit?

18 NUMEROLOGY

Teton Gravity Research (TGR) has grown into far more than an action sports film company.

Here's why.

ALEX H SH*T FOR BRAINS COULOIR | SUMMIT COUNTY, CO PHOTO MATT I

4

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

OCTOB ER 2018 21 STRAIGHT TALK

A Warren Miller star and a member of the AASI National Team, Brennan Metzler is living the snowboard dream life.

44 HEAR THIS

Iceland Airwaves is more than a music festival.

47 THE ROAD

.

27 EARTH TREKS

North America's biggest rock gym is now open.

28 LOSING BARBIE

How one child survived abuse and found skiing.

29 ADVENTURE CRITTERS

Readers' favorite pets.

Lily Krass and 11 female 40 friends head backcountry THE BEST OF skiing in Utah's high La RESORT GEAR Sals and adopt a mantra of All the hot new stuff you awesome avbove the desert. need to strut on the hill.

50 ELWAYVILLE

The ghosts in Telluride's mirrors are watching you.

FEATURES 22 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN WINTER RESORT HOT LIST

ON THE COVER Alta, Utah, local Hayden Z Price shows off his multidirectional-powderskiing skills at his home stomping grounds.

by Jeff Cricco / jeffcricco.com

Welcome back to our annual run down to the wacky and classic things we like to do best at our favorite ski and snowboard resorts across the West.

WANT MORE? CATCH UP ON PAST ISSUES, YOUR FAVORITE BLOGGERS AND DAILY ONLINE CONTENT AT ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM

TOTAL GRIP

U L T R A

T R A I N

2

LOVES TECHNICAL TERRAIN When you want to fully concentrate on your alpine training, you need footwear you can rely on. The Ultra Train 2 is the go-to lightweight, technical shoe for fast-moving activities and training in mountain terrain. Its MichelinÂŽ Ultra Train outsole with aggressive sculptures and longitudinal flex grooves provides enhanced traction and stability over compact and rocky ground. And the MichelinÂŽ Outdoor Compound Extreme rubber offers good adherence on wet and slippery surfaces.

SALEWA.COM

CO N T R I B U TO R S

Get Tic kets Now !

E DI TOR-I N -CHI E F

1 0.1 8

WHAT'S YOUR GO-TO APRÈS ROUTINE?

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

doug@elevationoutdoors.com PRE SI DE N T

BLAKE DEMASO

blake@elevationoutdoors.com PUBLI SHE R

CASEY VANDENOEVER

casey@elevationoutdoors.com ART DI RE CTOR

LAUREN WORTH

lauren@elevationoutdoors.com EDITORIAL + PRODUCTION M AN AG I N G E DI TOR

CAMERON MARTINDELL

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

CHRIS KASSAR

chris@elevationoutdoors.com G RAPHI C DE SI G N E R

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Nothing beats a cold IPA and a Broncos game with a roomful of freaks at the Rathskeller.

CASEY VANDENOEVER

A bowl of green chile and a tasty dark ale, followed by making chocolate chip cookies with the kiddos.

CONOR SEDMAK

Dust off the Lederhosen and proceed to Cloud 9.

AMELIA MCCONNELL

amelia@elevationoutdoors.com COPY ASSASSI N

TRACY ROSS

E DI TOR-AT-LARG E

PETER KRAY I N T E RN

SOPHIA ZAYAS 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

JENN FIELDS, KIM FULLER, KATIE HEARSUM, LILY KRASS, HEATHER RIDGE, MELANIE WONG ADVERTISING + BUSINESS

LA KE WO O D

FO RT CO LLI NS PARKE R

BUY TICKETS HERE

NOV. 14

CONOR SEDMAK

conor@elevationoutdoors.com BUSI N E SS M AN AG E R

CI RCULAT I ON M AN AG E R

KAITY VANCE

*LOV ELA N D & F O RT CO LLI N S

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

NOV. 15 - NOV. 17

LON E T R EE

ACCOUN T E XE CUT I VE

melissa@elevationoutdoors.com

NOV. 13

N O RT H G LENN

MARTHA EVANS

martha@elevationoutdoors.com

MELISSA GESSLER

NOV. 8 - NOV. 11

LOV E L A N D DE N V E R

NOV. 2

N OV. 7

BO UL D E R

SE N I OR ACCOUN T E XE CUT I VE

OC T. 3 0 - NOV. 1

*BO U LD ER

NOV. 19 - NOV. 2 1

CRAIG SNODGRASS

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

CA RRY ON T H E TRA D I TI ON!

P U B L I S H E D BY

CAMERON MARTINDELL

With two kids under five there’s only one option: hot cocoa with whipped cream for all and let the stories of the day begin.

JENN FIELDS

Grab a coffee before the the high of the exercise wears off.

Otherwise I'm heading straight for a nap.

LILY KRASS

Grab a beer, locate the nearest hotel hot tub, and do my best to look like a paying guest.

HUDSON LINDENBERGER

Cold beer, big burrito, hot shower and feet up in front of a roaring fire.

JEFF CRICCO

If I can, I try to double up every time: Cold deep beers after the cold deep powder.

PETER KRAY

I go Swedish style: "All in!"

AARON BIBLE SUMMIT

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

One beer. Laugh.

Shower. On a perfect day, write.

©2018 Summit Publishing, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WA R R e N M I l l e R. C o M

6

TRACY ROSS

PUBLISHING

Warming up by the fire with my daughter at Eldora.

E D I TO R ' S L E T T E R

1 0.1 8

STOP THE CYCLE The recent Safe Outside survey of sexual harassment and assault in climbing shows that men are both vicitimizers and sometimes victims. It’s time we accepted that men need to be proactive in making a big change in the industry.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

O

ver the summer, Elevation Outdoors took part in a smart, comprehensive, well-executed survey of sexual harassment and assault in climbing. Conducted by MIT-trained data scientist Charlie Lieu and University of Colorado-Denver professor and Department of Justice veteran Dr. Callie Rennison, the survey represented an unprecedented coming together of the community to determine the scope of the problem. With a media effort spearheaded by Alpinist editor Katie Ives, the survey went out through

partners including the American Alpine Club, Climbing, SNEWS, Adventure Journal, Outdoor Retailer magazine... all told, over 40 organizations and countless individuals around the world took part. It sent a message that we don't want anyone to be harassed or hurt when they are simply out living life to the fullest and enjoying the democratic beauty of the mountains, the rock and the wild. But it also sent out a message that we want to understand the problem.

The survey was a massive success.

Over 5,000 people responded, men and women. (Go to the Safe Outside page—americanalpineclub.org/ safeoutside—to learn more about the survey results.) But it was sad to find out that so many had been harassed and assaulted while climbing. Sad to learn that, for example, that 54 percent of women said they changed the way they climbed after experiencing sexual harassment and/or assault.

It was also important as a man to get this information. Too often men, and especially white men, react negatively to any informaton about the harassment women and minorities experience.

Worse, they shut off at times when faced with the facts. But the survey was done so thoughtfully and so scientifically that it was hard to ignore.

And the survey included men as victims

of sexual harassment and assault. Now, men should not pay more attention just because they are victims. But men need to know that women talking about instances of harassment and assault are not trying to attack them simply for being men. So many men, me included, simply need to stop and listen. And we need to change the way we act.

We need to remember that, most often, men are the perpetrators of sexaul harassment and assault. It's our problem. So if we don't want to get upset about being faced with these sad facts, we need to do something to stop them. We need to speak out if

MUTUAL RESPECT MEN HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO STAND UP AGAINST HARASSMENT AND WORK WITH WOMEN AT THE CRAG OR IN THE GYM. photo by ANDREW KORNYLAK

we see harassment taking place. We need to listen and rethink even small actions that may be hurtful such as dirty jokes or off-color climbing route names. We need to stand up and practice the strength of love.

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

7

QUICK HITS

1 0.1 8

ARCTIC DREAMS SAIL TO SKI IN NORWAY

SCANDINAVIAN SHUFFLE NORWAY'S LONG SPRING DAYS, CORN SNOW AND 63,000 CRAGGY MILES OF MOUNTAINOUS COASTLINE AND FJORDS PROVE IDEAL FOR SAIL-TO SKIING. photo by CAMERON MARTINDELL / OFFYONDER.COM

I HAVEN’T BEEN SAILING FOR A WHILE—THOUGH I USED TO DELIVER SAILBOATS ACROSS BASS STRAIT IN THE CARIBBEAN, AND race them in the San Francisco Bay. I loved it. I also love skiing. Since moving to Colorado, sailing opportunities have been few and far between, but skiing has been plenteous (most years). So when I got the chance to head to Norway with Helly Hansen and board a sailboat to hunt down backcountry ski lines, I was in heaven: This was a chance to combine two of my great loves in a way I had never thought possible before. We boarded the boat in the far northern village of Alta after an afternoon flight from Oslo. Then, we sailed into the late afternoon and began our first ski ascent that evening in the sunlight that shines late into the night during the Arctic spring. From there, the rhythm of sail, ski, sail, ski, brought us to Tromsø, still 190 miles above the Arctic Circle, where our trip ended and we bade the fjords farewell. —Cameron Martindell

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

9

Your Locally Owne Mountain Sh d op since 1973

No matter how you make your turns...

Neptune is your destination for backcountry gear.

Have you heard...

We’ve added a cafe serving espresso, burritos, beer, wine - heaven.

We’re hosting weekly in store events - clinics, movies, slideshows and more!

With Mountain Rewards you get 5% back in instantly redeemable loyalty points*

Neptune Mountaineering Located in Boulder in the Table Mesa Shopping Center 303.499.8866 | NeptuneMountaineering.com * On full-price purchases

CLIMB HIKE CAMP SKI

FUEL FOR EVERY DAY

BEFORE. DURING. AFTER.

10

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

QUICK HITS

1 0.1 8

STEAL THESE SKI DEALS Wallet feeling thin this winter?

These savvy bargains will get you out on the snow without breaking the billfold.

WHEN AIMEE ZISNER AND JUSTIN

Ziniel moved to Colorado last year, the couple wanted to explore all the state had to offer, including skiing the Rockies. However, they weren’t ready to commit to a pricey season pass. “We weren’t sure how much we’d ski, and I’m a beginner, so I wasn’t that concerned about going to the biggest resorts,” says Zisner.

“We were looking for something low commitment.”

Skiing’s high price tag and season pass obsession can be a major barrier to those who want to dip their toes in the powder, instead of jumping in boots first. Further, pricey day passes can be a deterrent for visitors on a budget. But Colorado skiing can be quite affordable, if you know where to look. Check out these ski deals to maximize your days on the slopes.

SPEND ON THE GEMS

Many of Colorado’s smaller resorts offer a charming experience without the crowds, expensive parking or high-ticket prices. Zisner discovered the $25 Colorado Gems Pass which offers two-for-one lift tickets or two 30-percent-off lift tickets at 11 Colorado resorts, including Arapahoe Basin and Loveland. “We ended up going to Echo Mountain and Loveland and we loved it,” Zisner says. “We’ll definitely get the pass again and try to visit more resorts next year.”

PICK UP A FOUR-PACK

Several resorts offer discounted four-ticket packages, perfect for a few days of skiing. Deals include Loveland Ski Resort’s unrestricted four-pack for $169 (skiloveland.

REHABBING SILVERTON-STYLE NO SPOT SCREAMS LOCAL AUTHENTOCTY LOUDER THAN SILVERTON MOUNTAIN WITH ITS ALL-EXPERT TERRAIN, $179 HELICOPTER DROPS AND SHUTTLE RIDES IN ITS CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SCHOOL BUS. photo by DAVID CLIFFORD

com), which is transferable between users. Also check out the nontransferable Elevation 4-Day Pass at Arapahoe Basin (arapahoebasin. com), with the option to upgrade to a season pass. And Copper Mountain (coppercolorado.com) sells a fourpack deal for REI members.

PURCHASE A LODGING AND LIFT TICKET PACKAGE

For a multi-day ski trip, get a lodgingand-lift-ticket package. Sunlight Mountain Resort (sunlightmtn.com) outside of Glenwood Springs offers the Ski, Swim, Stay Package starting at $100. Get lift tickets, entry passes to the Glenwood Hot Springs and a room for two at participating hotels.

TECHNOLOGY

EMBRACE SKI FREE DAYS

Yes, there is such a thing as a free ski day. Howelsen Ski Hill in Steamboat Springs (steamboatsprings.net) offers free skiing on select Sundays throughout the season for its 50 acres of terrain.

Got kids? Many resorts offer free lift tickets for younger children. Also, the 5th and 6th Grade Passports through Colorado Ski Country (coloradoski. com/passport) offers kids free and cheap ski days at 23 Colorado resorts thorught the season.

BUY AT THE PUMP OR AT A SKI SHOW

Get buy-one-get-one-free tickets to several Colorado resorts by buying at least 10 gallons of gas at participating Exxon, Mobil or Shell gas stations.

Participating King Soopers and City Markets also offer half-off lift tickets. If you do invest in a pass, several Front Range ski shows, such as the BEWI Ski Show in Denver (skisnowexpo. com/denver-expo) from Nov. 16-18, offer discount opportunities.

—Melanie Wong

GEAR WE LOVE

SIX WAYS TO SKI LIKE A LOCAL If you plan on skiing out of town this winter, these tips can help take the tourist out of your mountain-town game.

1. Mine Knowledge from MeetUp MeetUp.com is a site that lets you connect with others who like to do what you do, and not just in your own hometown. A few weeks before your trip, sign up or just explore the local ski groups. Even if you don’t want the company, you’ll gain important knowhow for locations that are a bit less traveled.

2. Utilize AirBnb Rather than renting a room at the resort, take advantage of what AirBnB has to offer. Booking a room through this rental-by-owner site can put you in touch with locals and their inside knowledge in a number of ways, either through messaging the

BOOKS

SPY ONE EC GOGGLES

THULE ROUNDTRIP ROLLER SKI BAG

TO THE EDGES OF THE EARTH

Photo-chromatic goggle lenses that darken as the light brightens are nothing new—but what if cloud cover or personal preference don’t jive with what the sun is doing? Enter Spy’s snazzy electro-chromatic lenses.

With the touch of a large button on the goggle strap, the lenses get darker or lighter instantly.

Traveling with skis can be unweildy, but Thule’s tidy roller bag puts it all under control. The S-shaped zipper on top provides easy access to the guts of the thing (we often pack more than just skis in there) and a reinforced underside prevents that horrible fold where the skis end. $120-$260 | THULE.COM

Last century’s Age of Exploration was a busy time for claiming geographical firsts. There were literally races to the edges of the Earth, sometimes called the three poles: the North Pole, the South Pole and the the Altitude Pole, a.k.a. Mount Everest.

Author Edward Larson puts it all in perspective in his impeccably researched and compelling new book. $30 | HARPERCOLLINS.COM

$275 | SPYOPTIC.COM

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

11

host about where to find powder or renting a private room in a house full of fellow skiers. If you’d still prefer to stay in a hotel, you can now also book “experiences” through AirBnB's website that are usually organized by local individuals who can deliver the inside scoop.

3. Read the Local Rag Even the smallest ski towns will most likely have a weekly paper or magazine on the stands or online.

These can be an incredible resource for everything from snow forecasts to the best après-ski deals. A local reporter is more likely to cover things a resort’s website won’t, like where the long lift lines are and any closures or construction issues.

Plus, being up to date on the latest scandals will give you plenty to chat about on the chairlift.

4. Download an App There are several different apps, like OpenSnow, Liftopia or Like a Local that can connect you with ski-specific weather information, discounts and the down-low of different ski towns. While not all areas are covered, the can be a good way to save money and time.

5. Book an Excursion Even if you normally prefer a more DIY-approach to an out-of-town trip, booking one guided adventure can give you a line on a vast array of local knowledge for the rest of the week. If your budget allows for a snowcat ride or short lesson, offset the price with plenty of Q-and-A time to find out what to hit on your own later.

6. Buy a Round There’s nothing like last call to loosen lips. Buy a couple of drinks for the regulars and see what it gets you. You might never learn the location of all the best powder stashes, but the local lore you glean could be the highlight of the trip.

—Heather Ridge

12

SKIN IN THE GAME YOU CAN CUT DOWN ON SKI-SEASON COSTS IF YOU TRAIN IN THE (FREE) BACKCOUNTRY. THEN BUY A FOUR PACK OR OTHER MULTIPLE-TICKET DEAL AND STRATEGICALLY HIT THE RESORT ON POWDER DAYS. photo courtesy RON SHAW

KEYSTONE, COLORADO

With as much to do off the slopes as on, Keystone demands a family visit this winter.

WHEN IT COMES TO A FAMILY

friendly resort vacation, Keystone rules the roost. Whether you and your brood channel the von Trapp family while hiking the trails on an autumn afternoon or hit laps on the gondola for an early morning of fresh powder, this place makes mountain adventures manageable. Here's how families with young children can make the most of it.

EAT

Keystone runs a bit under the radar when it comes to gastronomic delights, but the comfy village area dishes out some quality bites. For a quick breakfast burrito and a shot of caffeine to start the day, the convenience of Inxpot (inxpot.com) in the village will help get you on the lifts in a hurry.

For a more hearty breakfast, order the cheesy grits and elk sausage at Haywood Cafe (haywoodcafe.com).

Head back to the condo for lunch or grab a portable and delicious crepe at The Crepe Stand (think Nutella). Want to gather beta from ski patrollers and instructors? Head to the Snake River Saloon (snakeriversaloon.com) where late night musicians entertain guests multiple times a week. Finally, for stinky cheese and European ambiance, check out Der Fondue Chessel (keystoneresort.com) on the mountain.

Melted chocolate and cheese top just about everything here.

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

SLEEP

THE KEYSTONE TO SUCCESS

One of the benefits of Keystone Resort is that all of the lodging is convenient. Accessibility to the slopes is easy wherever you stay, making the gear schlep less of a chore. And the shuttle system ferries you in from lodgings on the outskirts.

And handy red wagons are prolific in the village area, making the toting of kids ski gear to the gondola a breeze. To snag a home away from home, check out River Run Condos (keystoneresort.com). The one- to five-bedroom condos can sleep anywhere from 1-14 people, so you can move in for a long weekend and take advantage of all of the amenities. That also means saving some cash on food since you will have a stocked kitchen. Or if you want to splurge and get a true ski-in ski-out experience, book at a Lone Eagle or Timbers properties.

WHILE IT DRAWS FAMILIES FOR GOOD REASON, KEYSTONE RESORT WILL ALSO PUT A SMILE ON THE FACES OF BIG KIDS, TOO, THANKS TO GLADES THAT HOLD POWDER AND PLENTY OF BIG, LONG RUNS.

PLAY

Book lodging through Keystone and you will get tons of perks for the kids. They ski free with a minimum of two nights booked and the following activities are also complementary: access to the ice rink, night skiing on the first day, yoga and fitness classes, access to the Nordic trails, and early-bird skiing. Furthermore Keystone's Kidtopia, free children’s programming, runs all year long, with parades, s’mores by the fire, family

photo courtesy KEYSTONE RESORT/ANDREW MAGUIRE

game nights, and even fireworks. Up on the hill, the three-and-a-half-milelong green run School Marm is the perfect place to start shredding.

—Jordan Martindell

LOCAL HERO: LUCAS RIVERA This Gypsum, Colorado, runner wants to help prevent suicide.

LUCAS RIVERA IS NOT JUST STANDING

up for suicide prevention and people struggling with depression, he’s running for the cause. Rivera has pledged to raise $100,000 for Speak up Reach Out, a suicide prevention group in Eagle County. He is combining the fundraising goal with running the Moab 240—238.3-mile trail run—on October 12, 2018.

“Last year, I had a family member who attempted suicide,” Rivera says. “Most people have no idea how to help. I went to a two-day Assist Suicide Prevention Training to get an outline of how to act and

UPCOMING EVENTS 2nd Annual Snow Stoke Social Thursday, November 1st @ 8:00 PM •

We’re throwing a party for our customers to kick off the 20182019 ski season and you are invited!!

•

There will be beer from Upslope Brewing Company, a panel discussion with local backcountry experts, and a meet and greet with all of our ski and splitboard industry reps!

•

THE FACE OF HOPE

HUGE raffle with awesome prizes from Icelantic, Black Diamond, Dynafit, Mammut, Jones, Ortovox, BCA, and more!

ULTRA RUNNER LUCAS RIVERA HAS COMMITED TO RAISING $100,000 FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION EFFORTS.

All proceeds will go to Friends of Berthoud Pass!

•

photo courtesy LUCAS RIVERA

Winter is coming- get stoked!

DIGS FOR SORE FOREARMS

the necessary steps to take when someone comes to you who is having suicidal thoughts.”

Rivera had been running ultra marathons since 2012, and he had noticed many fundraising efforts associated with the endurance events.

And he thought that he could do more than just raise money. Rivera believes he can make a difference if he spreads the word about how getting outside and exercising can help to improve mental health.

“I think all physical movement is completely linked to improving mental health,” he says.

To learn more about Rivera’s Moab 240 Endurance Run to benefit SpeakUp ReachOut, or to make a donation, visit coloradogives.org/ RunningforLife.

—Kim Fuller

HIGH SLUMMING Check into these two climbing basecamp bargains from the American Alpine Club (ACC).

IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL

resources and camaraderie to the climbing community, the American Alpine Club (americanalpineclub.org) operates a network of thrifty lodging options in some seriously epic outdoor destinations. These huts, hostels and B&Bs give backcountry enthusiasts a

CLIMB AT HUECO ROCK RANCH AND REST UP AT THE AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB’S HOSTEL.

wildernessx.com/blog/snow-stoke-2018

photo by EDWIN TERAN

place to crash after a day of exploring.

The facilities are open to the public, but the best rates are reserved for AAC members. Consider two of these special spots when planning your adventures this winter: Hueco Rock Ranch, El Paso, Texas Located on a historic ranch near Hueco Tanks State Park—one of the best bouldering sites in the country— this hostel feels like home, with a fully-equipped kitchen, spacious dining area and a cozy living room.

Dorm-style bunks with sheets and towels start at $17 per night.

Open November through March.

Reservations recommended.

Snowbird Hut, Anchorage, Alaska This remote hut can squeeze 12 people inside and it’s available for free—the only cost is the physical exertion and backcountry know-how required to reach it. Perched in the Talkeetna Mountains, the heated shelter is part of the popular Talkeetna Traverse trekking route and provides a hub for advanced mountaineers planning to ski, hike and climb the surrounding peaks. Open year-round on a first-come, first-serve, basis.

—Katie Hearsum

FREE Avalanche Awareness Clinics November 8th @ 8:00 PM December 6th @ 8:00 PM January 10th @ 8:00 PM - Ladies ONLY These are FREE Avalanche awareness classrooms put on by Friends of Berthoud Pass, covering topics such as identifying hazards, observing weather, terrain and snowfall, and self-rescue. This class is a perfect introduction for novices and also a great early season refresher for more experienced BC travelers. wildernessx.com/blog/avy-clinics-2018

2401 15th ST SUITE 100 • DENVER • 303.964.0708 • WILDERNESSX.COM

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

13

FLASHPOINT

1 0.1 8

THE 2018 OUTDOOR VOTERS GUIDE With political tempers running high and decisions on energy and public lands in the balance, the state of Colorado is keyed up for a pivotal election this November.

We give you information on the issues and the candidates across the state to help better navigate your ballot.

by JENN FIELDS

A

fter a huge voter turnout for Colorado’s primaries in June, the Centennial State’s November election promises to be a showdown to remember. Ballots will start going out Oct. 15, and Election Day is Nov. 6.

Here’s what you’ll be voting for this fall.

STATEWIDE BALLOT INITIATIVES FOR 2018: No matter where you live in the state, these measures—which will change either state statutes, the state constitution or both—will appear on your ballot.

AMENDMENT A: REMOVES SLAVERY LANGUAGE

Sound familiar? Two years ago, this same amendment to the state constitution was brought before voters.

The idea is simple: Remove archaic language that still allows slavery or indentured servitude. The language on the 2016 ballot was confusing, and voters rejected the initiative. Here’s an easy way to remember: Do you hate slavery? Yes, of course you do. Vote yes to remove it.

cannabis in 2012, they also enshrined rules for THC levels in industrial hemp into the constitution. In 2014, the Farm Bill opened the doors to hemp research and set the federal THC limit for the crop at 0.3 percent—identical to Colorado’s constitution. Now, with the next Farm Bill on the horizon, state legislators are worried farmers here will be left behind if the federal legal limit changes.

Amendment X would adopt the federal definition of hemp. Proponents hope this will give Colorado farmers—who produce half of the country’s hemp crop— flexibility if the federal rules change.

AMENDMENT Y: CREATES AN INDEPENDENT PANEL FOR CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING

Lawmakers and political appointees set Congressional districts and draw district boundaries every 10 years, after the Census. But, as a Colorado Springs Gazette story noted, politicians from both sides know partisan politics come into play in redistricting, though “neither side openly admits to gerrymandering.”

Enter Amendment Y, which establishes an independent panel—with equal numbers of members from the two largest political parties—and judicial review process for redistricting. Adding to the pressure for this measure: Colorado is projected to add a U.S. Rep after the next Census.

AMENDMENT Z: CREATES AN INDEPENDENT PANEL FOR STATE LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING

Amendment Z establishes an independent panel for redistricting for state legislators.

AMENDMENT 73: ESTABLISHES TAX BRACKETS AND RAISES FUNDS FOR EDUCATION

This amendment would raise $1.6 billion for public schools in Colorado by raising taxes on corporate income and individuals making more than $150,000 a year. The measure funds all-day kindergarten and some special-needs preschool programming. Opponents say this funds a system that doesn’t improve student achievement. Backers say this is the funding Colorado schools sorely need.

AMENDMENT 74: COMPENSATES PROPERTY OWNERS FOR REDUCTION IN MARKET VALUE

AMENDMENT V: LOWERS THE AGE QUALIFICATION FOR STATE LEGISLATURE TO 21

Currently, you must be 25 to serve as a legislator in Colorado’s General Assembly. This amendment would lower the minimum age for serving as a state senator or representative to 21.

AMENDMENT W: SHORTENS BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR JUDGES

This is a ballot format change for questions about retaining judges. If it passes, the judge’s name will appear below the question about retention, with a yes or no, instead of within the question.

AMENDMENT X: ADOPTS FEDERAL DEFINITION OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP

When Colorado voters legalized

14

This measure would give property owners the right to ask for compensation from the state, city or county if their property’s value was reduced because of state laws or regulations— say, for example, because of new oil and gas setbacks. Opponents say this would clog the courts and be a burden for taxpayers, and that the measure doesn’t define “fair market value.”

AMENDMENT 75: CHANGES RULES ON CAMPAIGN FINANCING

Known as the “Stop Buying Our Elections” initiative. If passed, this question would change campaign financing rules for candidates vying for state-level office, from governor to members of the state House and Senate.

The amendment targets those who have

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

contributed $1 million or more to their own campaigns, a category that includes both gubernatorial candidates.

YES, THE OUTDOORS IS POLITICAL OUTDOOR ATHLETES FROM PROTECT OUR WINTERS (POW) LOBBY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. photo courtesy PROTECT OUR WINTERS

PROPOSITION 109: AUTHORIZES BONDS FOR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS

Here’s what both sides seem to agree on: The state’s roads fall further into continued disrepair, with CDOT having to delay projects—despite the General Assembly wrestling with funding propositions. Here’s what no one seems to agree upon: How to fund the problem.

As Proposition 110, below, became a reality, some critics of the measure countered the proposed tax with this counter-initiative, which would authorize $6 billion in bonds for transportation. It would let CDOT take care of some highpriority projects but leaves the General Assembly to figure out how to pay back those bonds over 20 years.

PROPOSITION 110: INCREASES SALES TAX TO FUND TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS

This proposition seeks to fund those aforementioned transportation projects (beyond the ones marked as highpriority) with a 0.62 percentage-point tax increase to raise a projected $20 billion over the next 20 years. Critics think the tax is too high — it amounts to 62 cents on every $100 you spend starting in 2019. Backers say it’s the only way to fund the transportation backlog and plan for the future.

drinking water sources, public open space, irrigation canals, reservoirs, lakes, rivers and creeks. The current setback is 500 feet for homes and 1,000 feet for schools. A report from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission released earlier this summer concluded that the setbacks would take 54 percent of Colorado’s land and 85 percent of the state’s non-federal land off the table for new development. A spokesman for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association told the Denver Post the setbacks would cost more than 100,000 local jobs, and critics of the measure say oil and gas tax revenue is also major player in the state’s booming economy. Some proponents of the setbacks say they don’t go far enough to protect public health, citing studies that link wells and fracking to a variety of health concerns, and an explosion caused by a leaking flow line that killed two people in Firestone last year. Of note: Both gubernatorial candidates have said the measure would effectively kill the industry in the state; neither candidate supports the setbacks.

STATEWIDE ELECTED OFFICIALS: These candidates will be all ballots.

PROPOSITION 111: CAPS ANNUAL INTEREST RATES ON PAYDAY LOANS

GOVERNOR

This would limit annual interest rates on payday loans at 36 percent and eliminate other finance charges and fees lenders levy on these loans. The organization that brought the signatures for the initiative, Coloradans to Stop Predatory Payday Loans, told Westword that lenders sometimes charge as much as 200 percent to the working families who use them. The proposition has no registered opposition.

JARED POLIS, D | WALKER STAPLETON, R

PROPOSITION 112: INCREASES OIL AND GAS SETBACKS

If passed, this would require a minimum setback for oil and gas development at 2,500 feet from occupied structures and “vulnerable areas,” which include

As term-limited Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, leaves office, the whole country could be watching the showdown for the state’s top office on Election Day. Democrat Jared Polis, currently serving as District 2’s U.S. Representative, will face pro-business, Trump-aligned state Treasurer Walker Stapleton. Since this is EO, let’s look at their environmental records and policies: The League of Conservation Voters gives Polis their top score of 100 for his 2017 voting record, and Conservation Colorado and the Sierra Club have endorsed the Democrat from Boulder. Asked about renewable energy, Walker has called for an “all of the

above” approach to energy development that lets markets sort out what energy Coloradans use. The Durango Herald reported that at the Colorado Oil and Gas Association annual Energy Summit in late August, Stapleton said, “Without energy development we would not be able to build the storage we need to meet the needs of our growing population, to protect clean drinking water and do it in a way that protects our ecosystems around our streams, rivers and lakes.”

Both candidates say they’re opposed to increased oil and gas setbacks.

ATTORNEY GENERAL GEORGE BRAUCHLER, R | PHIL WEISER, D

Current AG Cynthia Coffman declined to run for office again to make a (failed) bid for the Governor’s office. In her wake is a robust race between Republican George Brauchler, the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District who was the prosecutor in the Aurora theater shooting trial, and Democrat Phil Weiser, who was a Justice Department official for the Clinton and Obama administrations and is a former dean of the University of Colorado Law School. At a recent debate in Grand Junction, Weiser served up many policy opinions, including telling the audience he wanted Colorado to be “a leader internationally on water management,” to which Brauchler replied that the AG’s role is not to be a legislator or policymaker.

SECRETARY OF STATE JENA GRISWOLD, D | WAYNE WILLIAMS, R

As Secretary of State, Republican Wayne Williams has established a nationally lauded risk-limiting audit system to ensure fair elections and instituted the system that automatically opts applicants for a driver’s license into the voter registration system, thus improving voter access, Westword reported. But his opponent, Democrat Jena Griswold, blames the incumbent for giving some Colorado voter data to a controversial White House commission on voter fraud — a move that caused thousands of voters to panic and cancel their registration.

TREASURER BRIAN WATSON, R | DAVE YOUNG, D

With current state treasurer Stapleton not seeking reelection to pursue the governorship, businessman Brian Watson, a Republican and the CEO of an investment firm in Denver, and Democratic state Representative from Greeley Dave Young will vie for the job. During his time in the state House, Young has had a seat on the Joint Budget Committee. Watson says he won’t accept a salary if he gets the job.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM COLORADO:

Depending upon where you live, one of these races will appear on your ballot.

DISTRICT 1 (DENVER) DIANA DEGETTE, D | CASPER STOCKHAM, R

DeGette, a Democrat, has held this seat for more than 20 years and, after a tough

primary, is considered a shoo-in for this seat. The incumbent faces Casper Stockham, an Air Force veteran who has run for the seat before. Independent Paul Daily will also be on the ballot.

DISTRICT 2 (NORTHERN COLORADO) JOE NEGUSE, D | PETER YU, R

Polis currently holds this seat—which opens the door for a new representative.

Joe Neguse, a Democrat, wants to fight climate change by investing more in renewable energy and supports a ban on fracking on federal public lands; he told the Vail Daily that climate change and protecting public lands are a big part of the reason he’s running for Congress. Yu told the Summit Daily that he supports the Restore Our Parks Act, a bipartisan effort to help the National Park Service tackle its maintenance backlogs. On energy, Yu told the Daily he’s a believer in natural gas: “It is abundant and affordable, and we should use it until renewable tech becomes affordable to average consumers.”

13TH ANNUAL FALL

GEAR

S A T U R D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 3 I N T H E P A R K I N G LOT B E H I N D WILDERNESS EXCHANGE

DISTRICT 3 (WESTERN COLORADO AND PUEBLO) DIANE MITSCH BUSH, D | SCOTT TIPTON, R

Incumbent Scott Tipton, a Republican, will face Democrat Diane Mitsch Bush in the race for the Third, a huge district that spans all of western Colorado and even Pueblo. Tipton and Mitsch Bush are both former members of Colorado’s General Assembly. Tipton has held the U.S. House seat since 2010, and odds are good he’ll retain his seat in this right-leaning district.

WANT TO SELL?

SET UP 9 AM-10 AM (tables provided)

WANT TO BUY?

DISTRICT 4 (EASTERN PLAINS) KEN BUCK, R | KAREN MCCORMICK, D

Republican Ken Buck is the incumbent in the race against Democrat Karen McCormick, a veterinarian from Longmont, in this deeply red district.

DISTRICT 5 (COLORADO SPRINGS AND WEST) DOUG LAMBORN, R | STEPHANY ROSE SPAULDING, D

Republican incumbent Doug Lamborn will face Democrat Stephany Rose Spaulding in a race following a crowded primary for both. Lamborn has held his seat in the Fifth since 2007; Spaulding is a political newcomer who is a professor of women’s and ethnic studies at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

SHOP 10 AM-4 PM (bring cash)

LOCAL REPS WILL BE ON HAND SELLING THEIR SAMPLES AT KILLER DEALS.

DISTRICT 6 (AURORA AND DENVER SUBURBS) MIKE COFFMAN, R | JASON CROW, D

Here’s the story out of District 6 the media tells every two years: Incumbent Mike Coffman is a Republican in a district with rapidly changing demographics — can he hang on to his seat? His opponent this time, attorney Jason Crow, a Democrat, seems to be posing a serious threat. He’s been neck-in-neck with Coffman this summer in polls.

DISTRICT 7 (LAKEWOOD AND DENVER SUBURBS) MARK BARRINGTON, R | ED PERLMUTTER, D

Democrat Ed Perlmutter has held his seat in District 7 for more than a decade. The popular incumbent will face Republican Mark Barrington, a salesman from Lakewood.

2401 15th ST SUITE 100 • DENVER • 303.964.0708 • WILDERNESSX.COM

20

% OFF ANY 1 ITEM

WITH THIS COUPON

VALID OCTOBER 12-21, 2018 • coupon excludes used items limit 1 per customer • limited to quantites on hand

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

15

H OT S P OT

1 0.1 8

COLORADO’S INDIE ROCKERS You can line up for the big—and ever expanding—corporate skis resorts.

Or head to these independently owned resorts that focus on keeping the soul in skiing and snowboarding.

by CHRIS KASSAR

W

ith over 25 resorts, and many of the largest in the nation, Colorado has a ton to offer skiers and riders looking for liftaccessed turns. However, sometimes the traffic, the waiting and the general hubbub of a big resort can turn what's supposed to be a relaxing outing into a stress fest. Luckily, our state is also home to smaller, independent areas that deliver big on all counts.

With stellar snow, ample space to shred, chill vibes, and affordable prices, these hidden gems offer a classic Colorado ski experience that makes you remember why you love skiing here.

POWDERHORN MOUNTAIN RESORT

THE DEAL: Above the desert on Grand Mesa, the world’s biggest flattop mountain, this understated resort near Grand Junction boasts stellar views, short lift lines, impeccable tree skiing, 250 inches of fluffy pow, and a family-friendly vibe.

DON’T MISS: With five lifts—including The Flat Top Flyer, a high-speed quad launched in 2015—serving 42 trails, two terrain parks, and loads of beginner and intermediate runs, Powderhorn is ideal for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels.

THE DEALS: All of this comes in a package that won’t break the bank. Committed to making skiing and snowboarding accessible to more people, this year Powderhorn has launched Mission: Affordable, a program offering season passes at reasonable rates (two adults and two kids 12 and under can ski all winter for the price of a single season pass from many other resorts) and the newly designed Learn to Ski Free program, a three-session series open to brand-new or beginner skiers & snowboarders ages five and up that includes free lessons, rental equipment, and EZ Rider lift ticket. powderhorn.com

SKI COOPER

THE DEAL: Perched on Tennessee Pass just 10 miles from Leadville near the former training site for the legendary World War II ski troops of the 10th Mountain Division, Ski Cooper delights those who venture here with plentiful, billowy, all-natural snow—not to mention short lift lines, lengthy runs, and spectacular views of the state’s highest peaks, including Mounts Massive and Elbert.

DON’T MISS: All the diverse terrain—think cruisers, bumps, trees and inviting backcountry—means that skiers of all stripes will find adventure and powder stashes at this resort nestled in the heart of the Rockies. For something a bit spicier, book a guided Chicago Ridge Snowcat Skiing excursion where you can spend the day enjoying serene, crowd-free turns in open bowls and glades through an area comparable in size, length, pitch and vertical drop to Vail's Back Bowls. Wrap up your experience with a visit to Cooper's new Mountaintop Yurt. Here you can soak up the never-ending views during the

day or head up in the evening for an unforgettable Moonlight Mountaintop Yurt dinner experience.

THE DEALS: With full-day adult lift tickets priced at just $56, Cooper is one of the most affordable ski resorts around. skicooper.com

SKI GRANBY RANCH

THE DEAL: Wide-open terrain, gentle slopes, constant trail grooming, exceptional service and convenient access make this family-owned resort a long-time favorite for diverse groups. The trails here run the gamut from beginner to advanced—including tight trees, open bowls and a terrain park—and they all start and end at the same point, so each member of a family or group can ski runs that match their skill level and still meet up at the bottom.

DON’T MISS: It’s the ideal place to learn in a safe environment, largely due to the fact that half of its runs are rated for beginners. The professional instructors at Granby Ranch Snow School bring skiers and riders through a unique progression that allows faster improvement, and they incorporate a gentle beginner hill with seven Progression Terrain Parks so students can connect turns and perfect jumps quickly.

THE DEALS: If you complete two ski or snowboarding lesson packages, you graduate with a Get On the Snow season pass to Granby Ranch. With so many other amenities, including a free sledding hill and snow play area for kids, night skiing, lift-served tubing on select Saturdays and a variety of across-country skiing and snowshoeing trails, Granby Ranch really does offer something for everyone. granbyranch.com

WOLF CREEK SKI AREA

THE FUTURE ON THE SAME HALLOWED

GROUND WHERE THE THE DEAL: Known for 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION getting the most snow in TRAINED AND BROUGHT state—the place averages THE SPORT OF SKIING TO a whopping 430 inches COLORADO, A WHOLE NEW of the fluffy stuff per GENERATION OF SKIERS (AND RIDERS) ARE FALLING year—this chill ski resort perched at 11,900 feet on IN LOVE WITH SKIING THE WAY IT USED TO BE UP AT the Continental Divide SKI COOPER, WHERE ALL makes dreams come THE SNOW IS ALL-NATURAL. true for powder hounds photo courtesy SKI COOPER seeking fun, challenging, uncrowded slopes.

DON’T MISS: With the addition of a 10th lift this season, a high-speed, detachable quad named the Charity Chairlift, skiers and riders will gain even more access to the trees, snow stashes and steeps characteristic of the 900-acre Alberta Area.

THE DEALS: This is an ideal place to up your skiing or snowboarding game: Adventurers looking to hone their skills will be stoked about Wolf Creek's new clinics for the 2018-19 season: The Current Affairs Series pairs a discounted lift ticket with a two-hour lesson highlighting techniques for the current conditions. Tuesday Turns pairs a discounted lift ticket with a two-hour morning lesson focusing on refining technique. And don’t miss the upgradeed Ms. Mondays (Ladies' Day) and Forever Young Ski and Board Clinic (Baby Boomers Clinic). wolfcreekski.com

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

17

N U M E R O LO GY

1 0.1 8

LEGENDARY SOUL STEVE JONES, TODD JONES AND DIRK COLLINS FOREVER CHANGED THE WORLD OF ACTION SPORTS MEDIA. photos courtesy TGR

MEET THE JONES Teton Gravity Research (TGR) began with every ski bum’s dream: Make movies, travel the world, never give up your life living wild on the mountain. It has evolved to become the most influential multimedia action sports brands on the planet. Here’s the hard data on how Jackson’s Jones brothers and Co. shook the world.

mission from the beginning to include female skiers and riders as equals in the sport. Key to that push to put women ripping on the screen is legendary snowboarder Julie Zell, who showed off her stuff in seminal TGR films including “Continuum,” “Harvest,” “Uprising,” and “The Big One.” Zell won three titles at the Valdez big mountain freeride competition The King and Queen of the Hill, from 1994-1996. More recently, TGR has followed the evolution of sport and women at the forefront by featuring Casey Brown launching Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s famed and feared Corbet’s Couloir on a mountain bike in the 2017 film “Rogue Elements.”

32

The year when Jackson, Wyoming-based brothers Steve and Todd Jones and Dirk Collins co-founded Teton Gravity Research with cash they had earned working classic mountain town/ski bum jobs like commercial fishing in Alaska and guiding. TGR’s first film the “Continuum,” dropped in 1996 and nabbed two awards at the International Ski and Snowboard Film Festival. Scenes included a huck fest at Grand Targhee Resort and a scene in Valdez, Alaska set to Metallica. The flick earned a spot in the Ski Hall of Fame for transcending the genre and appearing on shows like “Oprah”

Age of three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons when he died in a Texas hotel room en route home to Hawaii from a competition in Puerto Rico in 2010.

His cardiac arrest in bed was the sad end to a life of glory and laughs shot through by addictiion and mental illness. Irons is the subject of the latest TGR film “Kissed by God,” which attempts to understand a man filled with so much passion yet destroyed by so much internal pain. Surfer magazine wrote that somehow TGR “were able to unveil the complexities of Irons’ life without it feeling too exploitive.” Writing for The Inertia, Irons sometimes friend and nemesis Kelly Slater said “No matter what, it doesn’t make sense for someone so gifted and in touch on so many levels to die alone in an airport hotel room nowhere close to anything that mattered to him. But remembering someone can sometimes be about the toughest thing you ever had with them and feeling like your life is better for having experienced that with them. And if that can make you laugh or smile, you’re honoring their life and their legacy, I believe.”

The film is still in the midst of a world tour. Find dats and locations here: tetongravity.com/films/andyirons-kissed-by-god/tour

25

255

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

39

Number of films Teton Gravity Research has created.

It claims to be “the most decorated action sports brand in the world.” And it’s hard to argue with that title. tetongravity.com

1995

Female athletes TGR has highlighted in its films over the years. The company has made it their

18

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

Height in feet of the world record cliff jump at Targhee, Wyoming, that Jaimie Pierre launched

in the 2006 TGR film “Anomaly.” The record was broken a few years later (by accident), bu Pierre's legend lives on. Pierre died in an avalanche in Utah in 2011.

41

Number of people Teton Gravity Research employs year-round at its Wilson, Wyoming headquarters.

More than 100 people may be working for TGR on any given day in the winter season.

2007

Year that Steve and Todd Jones’ brother the legendary snowboarder Jeremy Jones founded Protect Our Winters (POW). “POW markets climate change to a young demographic,” says Jeremy.

“We use social media, op eds, PSAs, and other tactics to inspire our industry to act on climate and educate people on the hurdles that keep us from fully embracing the solutions. The last election was devastating. It undid years of work in a matter of hours. Since then, our work in climate change is my main priority. The stakes are too high and I am sick of losing.” Jeremy has starred in his own films , using s splitboard to access extreme terrain across the planet.

With the Eldora midweek season pass, the mountain is all yours.

Just 21 miles west of Boulder

SHOP NOW at Eldora.com

if you know, you know

Photo: Greg Balkin

“the peak of weight savings and livability” Backpacker Magazine, September 2018

Copper Spur HV UL3: 3.5lbs • 41 sq. ft. • 90” long The Mother of Comfort • bigagnes.com

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

19

®

S T R A I G H T TA L K

1 0.1 8

BRENNAN METZLER

The AASI Snowboard National Team instructor and Warren Miller star is surfing the mountain dream and he wants to bring you along for the ride.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

I

n “Face of Winter,” this season’s brand-new Warren Miller Entertainment production, you can watch Breckenridge-based snowboarder Brennan Metzler dropping off Chilean peaks like some sort of cosmic surfer carving a fresh face on the moon. As a worldwide teacher, powder poet and member of the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) National Team, it’s the latest step in his plan to share the worldwide stoke of riding. Here, he talks about the international language of winter, his top three Colorado highlights and why you—yes you!— should take a lesson.

How did a kid from Snow Creek, Missouri, end up on the AASI Snowboard National Team and living in Breckenridge, Colorado?

Great question. The ’94 Winter Olympic Downhill is to blame. I saw the competitors charging down the slopes and knew I had to ski. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen. A series of family ski trips to Colorado confirmed this, and, upon finishing school, I moved west. Once I was in the mountains, I made the choice to instruct, because it was the only obtainable way to get paid to ride every day.

Then I realized how awesome it is to share mountain experiences with people and knew I was a lifer.

For folks who don’t know what the AASI Snowboard Team is, can you provide a quick overview?

We are a seven-person team selected to represent, develop and promote American snowboard instruction. Our on-snow job is coaching and training instructors around the U.S. (and internationally). We travel from place to place, leading clinics, camps and certification clinics on all sorts of snowboardrelated topics. Off the snow, we help write new technical manuals and articles, interface with various media outlets, establish national standards and practices and brainstorm on how to keep evolving as an organization.

SPRAYING STOKE METZLER DIPS INTO THE UNTRACKED ON A BIG LINE IN THE ANDES FILMING FOR “FACE OF WINTER.” photo by PHILLIPE DE GELIS

There’s a lot of talk about China committing to creating millions of new snowsports participants.

What’s the riding and teaching experience like over there?

I want skiing and riding to thrive in the future.

Unfortunately, many of the major snowsports markets are experiencing participation stagnation or even declines. China, on the other hand, is booming. There are millions of people experiencing skiing and snowboarding for the first time, and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to that boom.

It's awesome to observe the excitement people experience when they are sliding on snow— in particular, when they achieve a new outcome or progress in their own riding. That transcends borders. In general, the Chinese sliding experience is groomer-centric, as many major resorts are limited by natural snowfall or terrain.

As such, Chinese riders love carving and flatground tricks— it's all they want to learn lately!

I’m always tinkering with new ways to move over the board, and how to take existing movements to new places. With skill and learning comes freedom.

The mountain rewards those pushing themselves.

The team has been sharing your teaching tips around the world—what are some of the most amazing places you’ve visited so far?

In 2015, I had the chance to attend Interski in Ushuaia, Argentina. This is a gathering of national instructional teams that happens every four years.

Riding around and talking shop with international professionals at the “Fin del Mundo,” was such a wild experience. And more recently, there has been a boom of work in China—the Chinese people can't get enough of skiing and riding. I'm looking forward to heading to Bulgaria this coming March for the next Interski.

You are featured in the new Warren Miller film “Face of Winter,” along with pro alpine instructor and big-mountain shredder Francesca Ace Pavillard-Cain. Got some highlights to share?

Absolutely. Filming with Warren Miller was flat-out inspiring. Conditions lined up for us to get into some pretty awesome zones in the highest part of the Andes, surrounded by 5,000- to 6,000-meter peaks.

Dropping into untracked faces, chutes and spines is what I dream about as a freerider. So yeah, getting to do that with a ripping skier like Fran for 10 days

was incredible. On another note, capturing quality videos and photos of skiing and snowboarding on the other side of the world takes a team—and we had an amazing one. It was a highlight to work with such talented and professional filmers, guides, pilots and staff. Everyone was super excited to be on snow in August. I’m still on Cloud Nine.

A lot of people think lessons are just for beginners, why would you recommend them for experts as well?

My personal narrative is that I’ve snowboarded over 2,000 days in the past decade. And, I’m still as in love with the sport as I was on day one. A huge piece to that continued love is the perpetual potential for progression. I’m always tinkering with new ways to move over the board, and how to take existing movements to new places. With skill and learning comes freedom. The mountain rewards those pushing themselves. So yes, while it’s important to set a solid fundamental foundation by taking lessons as a beginner, it’s also significant to keep pushing out to our own personal horizons as advanced and expert riders. When you take a lesson, you see the mountain in a new way.

And one last question—what are your top reasons to live and shred in Colorado?

No. 1: The access to year-round outdoor recreation is awesome. No matter the season, there are activities and communities pursuing fun and movement outside. No. 2: Springtime shredding. March through May is my favorite time to ride in Colorado. The crowds dissipate, the snow base is the deepest, and the high peaks offer cold snow long into spring. It’s the season to be here. No. 3: I hear the beer is good.

(But I'm gluten-free, so you'll have to ask someone else about that one.)

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

21

R E S O RT G U I D E

1 0.1 8

THE ULTIMATE ROCKY MOUNTAIN TOP 25 WANT TO MAKE IT A WINTER TO REMEMBER? TICK OFF THESE 25 MUSTDO ACTIVITIES AT OUR FAVORITE WINTER RESORTS ACROSS THE WEST.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

22

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

#1

Keep driving past Vail on a crazy busy powder day and enjoy Beaver Creek. It's an old local secret that there are far fewer people and the occassional free cookie in the lift lin

#2

Make full moon road laps on Loveland Pass.

(Bonus points for nudity and alcohol.) This is one of our long time favorites. Just be sure to have proper avalanche gear and training.

#3

Road trip to Targhee. When winter storms sweep through the idaho Plains and smash into the Tetons, Grand Targhee is the first ski area in the line of fire. As a result, this 2,602-acre gem situated in the shadow of the Grand Teton racks up snow totals north of 500 inches a year. While a certain neighboring high-profile resort gets loony on deep days, Targhee’s pace remains unrushed during big storms with empty lift lines, plenty of playful in-bounds and hike-to terrain and a heaping plate of Wydaho Nachos at the Trap Bar at the end of the day.

#4

Ride the Ridge Cat at Loveland. Or skin to the top. Just 53 miles west of Denver, Loveland boasts 1,800 acres of remarkable terrain, FREE snowcat skiing along the Continental Divide, an innovative lesson program and more snow than any Front Range or Summit County resort. Bonus points if you wear a Jake Plummer Broncos jersey.

#5

Shred Silverton Leave the big city behind and get your butt to Ouray. Check into the turn-ofthe-century Hotel Ouray right downtown on Main & 6th. Once there you can cannonball into the local hot springs, enjoy a supremely cold beer, and maybe you can even get an ice climb in on the ridiculously amazing city run ice park in the remaining light hours. (To make this plan fly, you better feel your stomach bug coming on mid-day so you can ditch work while there is still plenty of daylight). The other benefit of staying in Ouray is once you wake up (feeling groggy and “sick”) you can be assured you have cell service, unlike most of downtown Silverton, to call your boss to deliver the bad news, “I’m taking a sick day.” Critical for the plan.

#6

Camp in the parking lot at Berthoud Pass (to ski next day). The pass gets 500 inches of snow.

#7 #8

Buy weed AT High Country Healing in Alma and don’t make a big deal about it.

Hike Highlands Bowl. (Only counts if you do at least two laps.) The 782-foot slog to the top will get your endorphins firing and the ride down will blow your powder-loving mind.

#9 #10 #11

Mow down the Dos Locos Happy Hour in Keystone.

Drink Champagne Supernova in the in-bar hot tub at 39 Degrees in Sky Hotel, Aspen.

NAB fresh tracks on Forever at Vail when a pass closure has kept Front Range hordes away (a.k.a. a Country Club Day).

#12 #13 #14

Party with dirty telemarkers at the Ice Bar in Crested Butte.

Enjoy a Bacon Bloody at A-Basin and tailgate at The Beach.

Drop Jackon Hole Mountain Resort's famed Corbet's Couloir. or just visit when huckers

are flipping off into it during the Kings and Queens of Corbet's competition.

#15

Hike Tucker at Copper. Accessible by snowcat and hiking, Tucker is an earn-yourturns backcountry experience, in-bounds.

#16 #17 #18

Wiggle your butt in the bumps at Winter Park and Mary Jane.

Hit Wolf Creek on an early-season, mid-week powder day.

Pay tribute at to the ski god at Breckenridge’s Ullr Fest. According to the town, “Ulr Fest will celebrate 55 years January 9-13, 2019. The Town of Breckenridge invites snow lovers of all ages to join the party. During Ullr Fest in Breckenridge, don’t be surprised to see horned Viking hats adorning the heads of skiers and snowboarders, the biggest bonfire in town, and more than 12,000 Ullr enthusiasts filling the streets for the Ullr Parade with crazy float participants skiing off jumps on Main Street or gliding along town in a hot tub. Join us to rejoice with Ullr himself… he’s ready for a good party.”

#19 #20

Ski a 14er. Quandry Peak is a good place to start.

Enjoy margaritas in Minturn after you escape Vail via the ast backountry Minutrn Mile (and

THE REAL ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING MUST BE DONE WITH STYLE. THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE TO HELP. EVERY SEASON, WE ASK OUR CONTRIBUTORS WHAT THEY FEEL IS THE ULTIMATE ROCKY MOUNTAIN WINTER EXPERIENCE. THEN WE VOTE ON THEM. THIS ONGOING LIST CHANGES A BIT EVERY TIME WE RUN IT, BUT A FEW STANDBYS ALWAYS RISE TO THE TOP. photos by LIAM DORAN

have your car parked there waiting for you).

#21

Wait for an upslope STORM—and for I-70 to close—and bring your fatties to Eldora Mountain Resort. Or just head up with your laptop and work on th sly on the WiFi in the lodge while you sneak in runs.

#22

Ski Purgatory and mountain bike Phil’s World on the same day (and drink wine in sunny Cortez).

#23 #24 #25

Pay homage at the 10th Mountain monument and snowcat ski at Ski Cooper.

Brave the Baldy Chutes at Alta.

Tie the knot or renew your vows at the top of Loveland on Valentine’s day … then have your “reception” at the Rathskeller.

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

23

NEW Quad Lift

New Terrain 34

468 NEW Acres

NEW Runs

ARAPAHOEBASIN.COM

IS

KENNETH J. HAMILTON

24

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

LIGHTWEIGHT • PACKABLE • COMFORTABLE

EXCLUSIVELY AT REI

CLIMBING

1 0.1 8

BIG WALLS The new Earth Treks in Englewood, Colorado is North America’s Largest Climbing Gym. It’s huge— 53,000 square feet and 50 foot-tall walls—but that’s just the beginning.

by CHRIS VAN LEUVEN

O

f the 43 new gyms that popped up in the U.S. since last year, one stands above the rest: Earth Treks Climbing, Fitness and Yoga in Englewood located in the former Sports Authority building and a short walk from University of Denver, Denver Tech Center, and located half a mile from the light rail.

There, in a space near the size of a football field, at 1050 W Hampden Ave, is the latest Earth Treks gym, offering leading and toproping walls by Walltopia and designed by pro climber Jason Kehl—offering over 500 routes—and bouldering, plus a yoga studio, fitness and cardio facilities, and a fully stocked gear shop.

The shop is filled with the latest climbing shoes, chalk bags, harnesses, and belay devices for purchase and for rent. The shop carries La Sportiva, SCARPA, Tenaya and Evolv brand climbing shoes.

Additionally, the gym offers climbing classes for all abilities and onsite childcare ($5 per hour for members, $7 an hour for non-members. Childcare is capped at two hours). The Englewood location opened for business on August 31 the buzz is getting out fast.

“We offer hour-long belay lessons to get newer climbers up to speed but still climbing safely,” Alex Garcia, supervisor at Earth Treks, says.

Twenty-five professional route setters flew into Denver before the gym’s grand opening to

photo courtesy EARTH TREKS

put up routes of all levels. The climbs cover the full spectrum, with everything from big, easy to grip holds for those new to the sport all the way up to cryptic sequences small crimps and monstrous jugs, and volumes, set for climbers of the highest caliber. Holds come from Tension, SoIll, and Kilter and more. The gym is designed to improve climbing skills, make friends and build community.

“It has been awesome!,” Calvin Bond, a spokesperson for Earth Treks, told Elevation Outdoors. “People are thrilled to check out the new facility and there is great energy. We had been eyeing a second location somewhere in Denver and when this facility became available, we realized that it could be the perfect spot.”

T

he Englewood location is Earth Treks second in Colorado, with Earth Treks Golden opening in 2013. The gym offers terrain for all abilities and ages, and the on-site gear shop offers everything a climber needs to get into the sport both for both indoor and outdoor climbing. The shop carries an array of climbing gear, clothing, food, books, magazines, and more. Continues Bond, “also, our staff is extremely familiar with all of our products and gear, and we are here to help you choose the best tools for you.”

Earth Treks Englewood is located 20 minutes from South Denver and is open seven days a week. The gym is in the middle of a bustling area of businesses, restaurants and coffee shops including Nixon’s Coffee House and the Whiskey Biscuit.

The gym also offers space for parties and groups, and a unique service designed specifically for new climbers called Open Climb, which is available on weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. An Open Climb pass includes a harness rental and time with an Earth Treks instructor for three routes.

This is Earth Treks seventh gym location. There are five locations in Maryland and now two in Colorado. In addition to opening the Englewood location, Earth Treks, in partnered merged with Planet Granite at the start of 2018, which brings the gym tally to 10.

Garcia, like many members, climbs at the gym three to four days a week. Depending on his work schedule, he gets on the walls before his shift starts, or he winds down the day with a late evening session. “The walls are amazing, the routes the setters put up are stellar, and the features that we have are amazing—the main wall is overhanging for sixty feet. To be more specific, it’s 15 clips to the top.”

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

25

Stop wasting energy.

G3 UNIVERSITY

Skins that cover the entire base of your skis are overkill.

Most of your skin’s grip comes from just a few dozen centimetres under the binding while fabric on the tip and tail creates unnecessary drag. Exposed ski bases and alternative materials can significantly improve glide and efficiency without affecting that all-important grip.

The next evolution of our industry-leading climbing skins, the ALPINIST+, with an all-new adhesive is engineered to increase glide, decrease weight, keep snow from creeping under the skin, and break trail like a beauty—all while focusing your grip where you need it. Stop wasting energy with old skin technology and start moving forward.

Five models to provide the best experience for every backcountry skier: Universal, Grip, Glide, Speed, & Pow. Learn more at genuineguidegear.com/ALPINIST+

Remember, we’re Canadian.

26

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

THE LIFE

1 0.1 8

LOSING BARBIE Two cases of Coors and spring break at Sun Valley sound like paradise— unless they are the only salvation for a child growing up too fast.

by TRACY ROSS

T

he first and only time I got drunk enough to pee in my clothes was when my cousins Dirk and Wayne visited us in Idaho from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. It was March. They were on break. And they fancied themselves skiers. They came to my parents’ house in Twin Falls because they wanted to ski Sun Valley.

They were smart like that, knowing the riches of skiing lay in Ernest Hemingway’s mountain haunt.

They were also rich in alcohol—two cases of Coors, which, I don’t know, maybe they’d hauled all the way up from Colorado.

I was 12 and on spring break myself. Dirk and Wayne hadn’t invited me to go skiing yet, so I wasted the days skipping breakfast, waiting for my parents to leave for work, watching “The Price Is Right,” and hoping my neighbor, Chanelle Parker, would come and play, if play is what you still did in sixth grade. I think we did, but my mind was elsewhere. I may have just seen “Clan of the Cave Bear.” Whatever, every 12-year-old has started to think about sex. One of the reasons Barbies were invented was to act it out.

So when Chanelle did come over, we beelined for my unfinished basement, where I had every good Barbie thing you could have, from the Dreamhouse to the Dream Motorhome to the Dream Pool to the Dream Corvette. It was a cold, dank, semi-darkish scene but we made up for it by having our Barbies express their love in naked plastic entanglements in the pool. That gets old very quickly though when there’s a case of Coors sitting beside you and you already know, even at 12, that the liquid inside will make the unbearable boredom of your life somehow less boring.

It was completely and utterly, no-excuses-but-my-own-innocence my idea to try one. I can see my eyes light from within as I make the suggestion. I don’t even think I say anything. I just crawl in my nightgown across the hard cement floor and take one. I bring it back to Chanelle, Ken and Barbie in her hand, and pull the tab. It cracks open and foam fizzes out. I take a sip—it’s musky. I then pass it to

Chanelle, who also sips—at least she seems to. Later, I would come to believe she didn’t.

At first it would miff me, but I’d quickly stop caring. All I cared about was the cold mountain water pouring into a body that already knew it would need the cold, mountains and beer to survive the life that had been pressed onto it.

Chanelle and I drank one Coors, and I stored the unsmashed can in the Dream motorhome.

Then, lightheaded, we (or rather I) drank another, and dunked it in the pool water where it submerged like a Studebaker driven into a lake.

Then we went upstairs, into the kitchen, and pulled some of my mom’s cooking wine from the Lazy Susan. After we drank a little of that, I was drunk.

Laughing hysterically, I went outside, into the bright, cold, March-in-Idaho sun. That’s where I copped a squat in my nightie and watched my pee snake its way to the gutter.

M

y cousins were up trying their luck in the moguls on Exhibition at Sun Valley.

They hadn’t cracked their first Coors yet, or maybe they had, or maybe they were onto something different. As I recall, it was one of the most fun times they’d ever had skiing, because: spring, sun, Sun Valley and Idaho. I stayed drunk while my pee stained the driveway, and Chanelle went home to her mama. Not long after, my mom came home and, sensing I was drunk (I think) made me gear up to go to swim team. I confessed, bawling, only when I started throwing up in the car's front seat.

I might have blacked out after that, because I don’t remember her turning around, driving home, and putting me to bed. At some point my cousins returned, and everyone had a good laugh about my “accident.”

That had to have been what they thought, because I don’t recall any kind of punishment. Maybe the drunkenness was punishment in itself—yes, that had to be it. I remember lighthearted finger-wagging from my parents, a headshake of disbelief from my brother, a nod of oh, no, this one’s gonna be trouble from my cousins, and an invitation from them, followed by an

Illustration by KEVIN HOWDESHELL / THEBRAVEUNION.COM

allowance from my parents, for me to head up to Sun Valley and ski with them soon after.

I was all over it, and did everything right, from finding my skis and poles, to layering my waffle long-johns under my jeans, to stuffing my jeans into my boots, to squinting my eyes to block the sun, to loading the Exhibition Lift (or whatever it was called back then), to standing at the top of Exhibition, an expert run with head-high bumps that fell at a dizzying pitch below me. Yards away, my cousins yelled, “You’ve got this! Just do the stuff you know how to do!” I hadn’t told them I’d never gone to ski school. I also was not wearing sunscreen. The Coors still clung to my tastebuds. My cousins vanished.

My 80-pound body might have still been altered by my drinking. The high-altitude sun sent tiny, invisible but razor-sharp spears of radiation into my freckled, Scottish-fair cheeks. I had never stood atop anything remotely as steep, long, and difficult as Exhibition. But something inside me knew I had no other choice but to take it.

I planted a pole, assumed the hardest snowplow I could, and, from the apex of a bump, crashed into the trough beneath it. My skis in a tangle, I sat there for a second, contemplating my existence. I was 12 and I’d just gotten seriously, for-real drunk. There were things going on in my family and with me, dark ones, that spring. I was sad much of the time, especially when playing with my Barbies. In truth, I didn’t love seeing them naked, or smashing them together. This came from circumstances inflicted upon me, ones I wouldn’t escape for years. As time went on, to deal with them, I’d keep drinking. And just like at the top of Exhibition, I’d plant my poles and plunge down ski runs, only with far less tangling and a consistent feeling of you can't touch me.

EO contrbuting editor Tracy Ross is the author of the memoir The Source of All Things. (She notes that the names in this story have been changed.)

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

27

WARM WISHES

geAR! DeALS! fUN!

OCTOBER 2018

Colorado ConvenTion Fri: Noon-10p Sat: 10a-8p Sun: 10a-6p CenTer

nov 16-18

new To co? new To snow? GeT in here!

nreeTaiw ler!

BIggEsR! saving

SALE up To 70% Off MORE Gear, Apparel & Accessories!

STuff To see & do • Skyriders Trampoline Aerial Show presented by Crested Butte • ELITEAM Fitness Challenge • All-Season Mountain Activity Center featuring High Ropes Course, Zipline, & Slackline Demo • Loveland Kids Snow Park and Learning Center • Rocky Mountain Beer Garden • Visit our EXPANDED First Timers Center; Learn all about SnowSports in Colorado • More Resorts & More Destinations

geT TickeTs Online

SAvE $3 Use promo code EOMAG. Kids under 12 get in FREE!

geT deTails Online For more info & To purchase TickeTs go To

The chill in the air means we’ve got pumpkins on the dashboard and cider in our fridge. Over the past seven months we have been on the road, adventured in 10 states, and hiked thousands of miles. Our tour comes to an end next month, but we still have plenty of exploring left to do! Let’s pull on those headlamps, puff y jackets and gloves, there’s fun yet to be had out there.

2018 ROAD TOUR

F I N D U S AT T H E S E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S !

OCT 5-7

THE FESTY EXPERIENCE

A R R I N G TO N , VA

OCT 12-14

G O O U T S I D E F E S T I VA L

R OA N O K E , VA

OCT 20

B R I D G E DAY

FAY E T T E V I L L E , W V

G E A R W E ’ R E LO V I N G

SEA TO SUMMIT UTLRALIGHT INSULATED MATT This easy-to-pack pad has been an absolute workhorse for us for the past two years. Sea To Summit’s Air Sprung Cell technology keeps us warm and comfortable no matter what surface we’re sleeping on. We’ve used it on countless backpacking trips. It’s available in four sizes, to fit your specific needs. $119.95-$149.95 NITE IZE DUAL CAMJAM TIE DOWN SYSTEM Being able to secure things inside and outside the van is extremely important to us. Nite Ize created this complete tie down system that’s saved the day more times than we can count. It’s intuitiveand you can use the full length of the strap. We’ll never use a regular cam strap again. $20-$24

OLD TOWN CASTINE KAYAK We’ve been using our Castine for a little over seven months now and we’re still impressed. This day-touring-style kayak provides sunup to sundown comfort. It’s available in three sizes, so finding the right fit is easy.

The boat also provides plenty of storage—we’ve even used ours to paddle in to some our favorite campsites. $1,300-$1,400

WENZEL SHENANIGAN 8 This eight-person festival tent is light on the wallet, but it’s heavy hitter when it comes to durability and space. And, the simple one-pole setup means your whole family will be sleeping in style in no time. $159.85

One Year SubscripTion To SKI Magazine! + a $10 GifT Card from GET Ski TickeTs wiTh Paid Admission

Official Snow Report of the Expo

BEWI Productions, Inc. For exhibit info: 781.890.3234 • bewisports.com

28

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

EST. 71

GReaT Family FUn and ValUe

READER POLL

SPONSORED

BY BLUE MTN BREWERY

1 0.1 8

THE TOP ADVENTURE CRITTERS Meet the outdoorsy pets our online readers loved best.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

O

ur pets are our most faithful companions, especially in the outdoors, where they love to play and explore just as much as we do (if not more). But whose pet garners the most trailside oohs and ahhs? To determine that, we asked you to post photos of your pets in our Adventure Critters contest on the Blue Ridge Outdoors and Elevation Outdoors websites. We then asked our readers to vote for the winners. Of note: This year we opened the contest up to include more than dogs. And although a hedgehog made an impressive run and some cats meandered into the fray, dogs came out on the top of the pile.

Maybe next year an iguana will break into the big time, but for now, here are those outdoor canines you loved best.

WINNER CRAMER

CRAMER SAYS: “No way! This doesn't

mean I have to make a speech do I?” HUMAN JUSTIN POTTER SAYS: Cramer is my foster failure. He has always been scared of people and dogs, but I’ve slowly been getting him used to the outdoors and finally took him camping.

He loved it! Sharing my adventure with a dog who has had so many issues has given him purpose. Plus, he fits perfectly in my Nemo two-person tent.

FAVORITE ADVENTURES: Exploring the ridgeline above the Linville Gorge. He can’t get enough of looking over the edge and down to the river below.

WHY CRAMER’S A GREAT COMPANION:

Ever since I first adopted Cramer, we've shared a very special bond. I love taking him to my favorite places in the Blue Ridge Mountains and that I got to see the smile on his face the first time we went together.

UP NEXT? A trip up to the Roan Highlands along the Appalachian Trail.

FINALISTS DALLAS

DALLAS SAYS: “Thank you to everyone

who took the time to vote for me. I appreciate each and everyone of you!”

HUMAN COURTNEY ORR SAYS: Having

CRAMER MISSY

DALLAS a pet to go on adventures with is wonderful. Dallas enjoys hiking and adventuring just as much as his momma does. I have a job that can be stressful, so, on my days off, I’ll load Dallas up in my Jeep and we’ll go wherever the road takes us. When I’m outside with him, whether it be climbing a mountain or just going for a swim, he takes all my stress away. Just seeing those big hazel-green eyes look back up at me and watching his nub of a tail wagging melts my heart.

FAVORITE ADVENTURES: He loves splashing around in waterfalls.

WHY DALLAS IS A GREAT COMPANION:

When we’re out on a trail and he sees someone or another dog, he always says, “Hello!” So if you ever see us on a trail in the North Carolina mountains, don’t be afraid to say hello back. I know Dallas would love that!

UP NEXT? I’ve been planning a huge road trip out West.

MISSY

MISSY SAYS: “So maybe you’re not so

crazy for taking my picture all the time!”

HUMAN KELSEY LONG SAYS: Missy makes me feel safe, so that I can see the beauty nature has to offer. In the past, I was not an outdoors woman because I could only see the dangers in the wild, but she has shown me it’s all not bad.

MEADOW FAVORITE ADVENTURES: The adventure

in which this photo was taken at at Heavener Runestone Park in Oklahoma. We spent the week in a cabin on the lake in January. While I was freezing, she was in her element.

We spent hours on the trails, only limited by the amount of supplies I stuffed in my backpack.

WHY MISSY IS A GREAT COMPANION:

She's cute, obedient, loyal, smart, a good listener and loves the outdoors.

UP NEXT? Getting “lost” in the mountains in Tennessee.

BISCUIT a zest and love for life. She even has a built-in handle in her wheelchair so I can to assist her when she climbs up a mountain. She shows me and everyone else she comes in contact with that you can't let anything hold you back.

UP NEXT? Her main goal is to complete a section hike of the 77-mile long Foothills Trail in the Carolinas. We might even include an overnight or two.

BISCUIT

BISCUIT SAYS: “Let’s play Frisbee and

go on a run!”

HUMAN KELLY KOLSON SAYS: Biscuit

MEADOW

MEADOW SAYS: “Of course I'm in the top

five! I'm a special girl. Can’t you see?”

HUMAN HEATHER POWERS SAYS: Meadow is an eight-month-old Aussie shepherd found on the side of the road with a broken back, so she needs to walk in a wheelchair. There’s a companionship with a pet that's something you just can't get with another human. They have their own special way of “talking" to you, without saying a single word.

FAVORITE ADVENTURES: While Meadow is down for any adventure, she is thrilled when that adventure involves water—lake, river, pond, stream, heck even a puddle.

WHY MEADOW IS A GREAT COMPANION:

Nothing holds Meadow back. She has

is half Australian shepard and half Shetland sheepdog. Her eyes are multicolor—each one a swirl of brown and blue. She makes life better inside, outside and everywhere overall. Pets live in the moment and they are happy to be exploring or just chilling together.

FAVORITE ADVENTURES: Biscuit loves swimming along next to kayaks (sometimes deciding to climb onto the stern and capsize them), leading her family on hikes or cautiously exploring a local rock outcropping.

WHY WHY BISCUIT IS A GREAT COMPANION:

She likes to keep a watchful eye on everyone and launches into action to herd companions who get too far ahead.

UP NEXT? We plan to go everywhere and anywhere we can together.

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

29

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

BLUEGRASS AROUND THE CAMPFIRE Every Thursday, October, 2018 through November, 2018 A-lodge campfire, Boulder, Colorado An inspiring crew of Fourmile Canyon musicians has been swirling sweet bluegrass melodies around the A-lodge campfire on Thursday nights. Swing by, grab a refreshing beverage and join them. Bring your instrument or just your ears. Starts at 7 p.m. A-LODGE.COM

WILDERNESS EXCHANGE UNLIMITED FALL GEAR SWAP

THE PERFECT WINTER 2018

October 13 Denver, Colorado WildlyX’s gear swap is the place to get the best deals on the gear you need for all your outdoor adventures. The shop blocks off the parking lot behind the building and sets up tables where you can sell your old stuff and buy new goodies. WILDERNESSX.COM/BLOG/ FALL-2018-GEAR-SWAP

WILDERNESS EXCHANGE UNLIMITED SNOW STOKE SOCIAL! November 1 Denver, Colorado Come together with the Denver backcountry community and get excited about the upcoming season. This fun event raises awareness about winter backcountry recreation in Colorado, and it’s also a big fundraiser for WildlyX’s partners at Friends of Berthoud Pass. WILDERNESSX.COM/BLOG/ SNOW-STOKE-2018

UPSLOPE’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY November 3, 2018 Upslope Brewing, Boulder, Colorado Come celebrate 10 years of beers and cheers with Upslope on Saturday, November 3. Enjoy more than 30 Upslope beers, live music, food trucks and more! Free entry, come party with us! UPSLOPEBREWING.COM/EVENTS

BENTGATE MOUNTAINEERING BACKCOUNTRY 101 SESSIONS First Wednesday of the Month, November 2018 through March 2019 Golden, Colorado Starting on November 7, head to Bentgate for free Backcountry 101 clinics to introduce you to the gear and knowledge you’ll need to get into the backcountry! BENTGATE.COM

WILDERNESS EXCHANGE UNLIMITED AVALANCHE AWARNESS CLINICS

WINTER FESTIVAL SKIING SNOWBOARDING NORDIC SKIING FOOD BEER

BE SURE TO PUT THESE ROCKY MOUNTAIN EVENTS IN YOUR CALENDAR TO MAXIMIZE THE FUN THIS WINTER.

CLIMBING GEAR

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

SKISNOWEXPO.COM/DENVER-EXPO

CHRISTY SPORTS DEMO DAY November 17, 2018 Loveland Ski Area, Colorado Christy Sports visits the Loveland Basin parking lot to host an early season demo day with all the latest and greatest skis and snowboards for you to try before you buy. After the demos, an après party with drink specials and raffles will be held in the Rathskeller. LOVELANDSKIAREA.COM

DONATION DAY November 21, 2018 Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colorado Join CB for Donation Day! Discounted lift ticket proceeds benefit the Crested Butte Snowsports Foundation whose mission is to provide financial support for the youth in Crested Butte and Gunnison communities in their pursuit of sportsmanship, passion, excellence and discipline through snow sport experiences! SKICB.COM/EVENT/DONATION-DAY

KEGS FOR A CAUSE November 28 Upslope’s Flatiron Park Facility Boulder, Colorado Upslope Brewing Co’s. monthly Kegs for a Cause raffle will benefit Backcountry Hunters & Anglers in November. Prizes include a keg, two guided fly fishing trips, Danner boot, and more. Entry is $5 per ticket and available in either tap room. All proceeds go to BHA. UPSLOPEBREWING.COM/EVENTS

GRAND TARGHEE NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION December 31 Grand Targhee, Wyoming Celebrate New Year’s Eve with a multicourse meal at the Branding Iron Grill and the annual Torchlight Parade in Grand Targhee Plaza. Afterwards, head to the Trap Bar & Grill for the annual raging bash.

GRANDTARGHEE.COM

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION December 31 Powderhorn Mountain Resort, Colorado Ring in the new year at Powderhorn Mountain Resort. Join Powderhorn for a night of live music, games, and a torchlight parade to help welcome in 2019.

BLOG/AVY-CLINICS-2018

RISE AND SHINE RANDO SERIES

FAT BIKING

30

November 16-18, 2018 Denver, Colorado This gigantic ski and snowboard sale features discounts up to 70 percent off Sun & Ski Sports merchandise. Entertainment includes the new electronic longboard demo course, high ropes course, fitness challenge, trampoline exhibition and beer garden. Expo visitors can purchase pre-season pricing on season passes and lift ticket packages.

SNOW MOUNTAIN RANCH CLASSIC RACE

MUSIC

SNOW SAFETY

Denver, Colorado November 8, 2018; December 6, 2018; January 10, 2019 Wildlyx will host a series of free avalanche safety classrooms put on by Friends of Berthoud Pass and Colorado Mountain School, covering topics such as identifying hazards, observing weather, terrain and self-rescue. WILDERNESSX.COM/

27TH ANNUAL COLORADO SKI & SNOWBOARD EXPO

PHOTO COURTESY LOVELAND SKI AREA

November 13 and 27, 2018; December 4, 2018; and January 8 and 22, 2019 Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Colorado A-Basin’s early-morning randonee (uphill skiing) races will test your legs and lungs, with a beautiful sunrise as a reward. Get your sweat on before work with creative courses and fun prizes. ARAPAHOEBASIN.COM/EVENTS

January 5, 2019 Snow Mountain Ranch, Colorado The 19th annual Snow Mountain Classic features a 7.5K and a 15K classic-only race.

Come and experience the scenic beauty and challenging trails of Snow Mountain Ranch in this early-season, classic-only event. SNOWMOUNTAINRANCH.ORG/EVENT/SNOWMOUNTAIN-RANCH-CLASSIC-RACE-2/

PHOTO COURTESY LOVELAND SKI AREA

CANNONBALL RUN

current military carrying flags in a ski-down.

February 2, 2019 Powderhorn Mountain Resort, Colorado Rest your legs and prepare for the endurance event of the season. Sign up for the Powderhorn Cannonball Run where participants will compete to see who can get the most laps possible on in a single day down Cannonball Run. This is a local favorite event at Powderhorn. POWDERHORN.COM

SKICOOPER.COM

17TH ANNUAL BEACON BOWL AND APRÈS PARTY February 9, 2019 Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Colorado Test your beacon search skills for beer and bragging rights, demo the latest backcountry gear and learn about snow safety at the Beacon Bowl. Stick around after the on-mountain events for an après party featuring live music and a huge silent auction.

ARAPAHOEBASIN.COM/EVENT/BEACON-BOWL

KINGS AND QUEENS OF CORBET’S February 10-16, 2019 Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming Kings and Queens of Corbet’s is a new freeride event held at the most famed couloir in North America. Skiers and snowboarders will travel to JHMR to test their grit—at the end of the day, just one man and one woman will be crowned the King and Queen of Corbet’s. JACKSONHOLE. COM/KINGS-QUEENS-CORBETS.HTML

MOUNTAINTOP MATRIMONY February 14, 2019 Loveland Ski Area, Colorado The 28th Annual Valentine’s Day Mountaintop Matrimony ceremony and reception is a Loveland tradition where new couples are joined in matrimony and married couples renew their vows in a mass wedding at the Ptarmigan Roost Cabin, elevation 12,050 feet. Pre-registered couples get twofor-one lift tickets. LOVELANDSKIAREA.COM

VALDEZ ICE CLIMBING FEST February 15-18, 2019 Valdez, Alaska The world’s oldest ice climbing fest features small crowds and big waterfall ice. Clinics, guided adventures, demos and more feature gear and athletes from adidas, Five Ten, Black Diamond, Camp/Cassin, Petzl, The North Face, Julbo, Nikwax and more. VALDEZICEFEST.COM

10TH MOUNTAIN DAY March 1, 2019 Ski Cooper, Colorado Ski Cooper is the home of the 10th Mountain Division troops who first cut trails on Cooper Hill for training in the 1940’s. Join Ski Cooper in a military salute to its 10th Mountain Heritage with 10th Mountain soldiers and

SNOW MOUNTAIN RANCH STAMPEDE RACES March 9-10, 2019 Snow Mountain Ranch, Colorado Join Snow Mountain Ranch for the Snow Mountain Ranch Stampede featuring 10K, 25K and 50K classic and freestyle events.

Complete both 50K races and receive a 100K Ranch Boss belt buckle, or complete both 25K races and receive a 50 K Ranch Hand belt buckle. SNOWMOUNTAINRANCH.

Photo credit: Jennie Milton from "Blue," the film #DreamBlue #ValdezAdventure

your Remember free inner snow

Winter? angel

ORG/EVENT/STAMPEDE-RACES

JACKSON HOLE RENDEZVOUS

Ski-Bike-Ice Climb-Paddle all Winter in Valdez

March 14-17, 2019 Jackson Hole Mountain Resort / Town of Jackson, Wyoming The Jackson Hole Rendezvous is a four-day, spring lifestyle and music festival that provides the most iconic backdrops imaginable— historic downtown Jackson Town Square and the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort— for legendary music acts.

Valdez Ice Climbing Fest February 15-18

Chugach Fat Bike Bash April 5-7

BRING ALL THE TOYS! ValdezAdventureAlliance.com

JACKSONHOLE.COM/RENDEZVOUS.HTML

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARTY March 17, 2019 Ski Cooper, Colorado Get your Irish on at Cooper! There will be tasty Irish food and drink specials at Katie O’Rourke’s Irish Pub along with live Irish music including Colin McFee on the bagpipe at 2 p.m. SKICOOPER.COM

ONE OF THE PREMIER HELI-SKIING DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLD.

CLOSING DAY: SPRING BREAK AT GRAND TARGHEE March 2019 Grand Targhee, Wyoming Come enjoy a full month of endless good times for the whole family during Grand Targhee’s Annual Spring Break celebration.

There’s great skiing and riding on the mountain, live music every weekend through closing day, open mic nights, a throwback ‘80s sick trick competition with a DJ on deck, the Rubber Legs Banked Slalom Race, the annual Cardboard Box derby, the Sink or Swim 100-foot long Pond Skim and much more. GRANDTARGHEE.COM

CHUGACH FAT BIKE BASH April 5-7, 2019 Valdez, Alaska A celebration of winter and bike culture over the icebergs, through the glacier, around the harbor and down Thompson Pass. The fun includes the Ursa Major Harbor Race, Hoodoo Cross-Country Race, World Championship Fat Downhill, Poker Run and Parade. As seen in the film “Blue.”

CHUGACHFATBIKEBASH.COM

VALDEZ, ALASKA Tucked in a small inlet of Prince William Sound not far from the Gulf of Alaksa, the tiny, rocking hamlet of Valdez is the ultimate Alaskan adventure playground.

Credit some of that reputation to the ridiculous powder dumps that blanket the mountains ringing the town that draws skiers and riders from across the planet.

Known as one of the premier heli-skiing destinations in the world, Valdez also offers easy to access ski lines you can walk to, plentiful fat biking and year-round paddling. If you love ice and want to follow in the footsteps of climbers like Conrad Anker and the late Jeff Lowe there are untold numbers of first ascents awaiting ice climbers here. The town also hosts two raucous annual festivals sure to get the

y

PHOTO COURTESY VALDEZ ADVENTURE ALLIANCE

adrenaline flowing. The Valdez Ice Climbing Festival on February 15-18 attracts some of the top climbers in the world out to conquer multi-pitch routes in Keystone Canyon and otherworldly climbs on the numerous frozen waterfalls that surround the town. During the Chugach Fat Bike Bash on April 5-7, you can try something distinctly Alaskan, by downhill fat bike racing on slopes that have been used in the World Extreme Skiing Championships. But to truly try something different during the Fat Bike Bash you can join a cross country race that will take you over icebergs and weaving through icewalled alleys at the toe of Valdez Glacier.

When it comes to loding, you’ll find diverse options here from B&Bs to a Best Western to the newly reopened Totem Inn, which offers a refined spot to rest your head after a long, Alaskan day out.

VALDEZADVENTUREALLIANCE.COM

CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass has become a household name across the globe and offers access to some of the world’s top winter resorts. For the first time, dedicated skiers and boarders have an opportunity to embark on an epic Southwest Colorado road trip that connects two of the nation’s most authentic, historic and picturesque mountain ski towns: Crested Butte and Telluride.

New for the 2018-2019 Winter Season, Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) and Telluride Ski Resort have partnered with the Epic Pass, offering holders multiple days of skiing at each resort. Individually known for their historical western culture and legendary inbounds terrain, Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Telluride Ski Resort have both topped the wish lists of skiers and snowboarders for years. Located a quick three hour drive from one another, this season, plan your own Epic road trip that includes plenty of time to experience the wonders of both resorts.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort is a Colorado legend serving up steeps alongside a family-friendly vibe and authentic ski-town heritage. Here’s how to maximize your time when you visit.

BIG ADVENTURE

PHOTO BY DAVE KOZLOWSKI

y

SKICRESTEDBUTTE

Crested Butte Mountain Resort features 542 acres of world-renowned inbounds expertonly terrain known as the Extreme Limits.

Primarily accessible off of the High Lift and North Face T-bars, the Extreme Limits Terrain are notorious for the steep, technical chutes in Banana and Staircase, plus the wide open powder fields of Headwall and Hawks Nest.

If you truly feel that you’re ready to test your mettle, point it to the top of Rambo, North America’s steepest cut run that caps at a

SKICRESTEDBUTTE

SKICRESTEDBUTTE

puckering 55 degrees. After your first turns down the thrilling terrain at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, you’ll understand why some of the country’s first extreme skiing competitions were held here.

FAMILY FRIENDLY In addition to the Extreme Limits, CBMR offers skiing and riding suited to all ability levels.

In fact, over 83 percent of the mountain is comprised of beginner and intermediate terrain, catering to never-evers and families.

Whether cruising the beginner runs off of the Red Lady Express or the long intermediate runs around Paradise Bowl, there is something for everyone. For families looking for a little guidance, CBMR’s Ski & RIde School (skicb. com/lessons-rentals/ski-ride-school) offers programming for all levels. Beginning with the Cubs program, children ages three and older are encouraged to get out on the slopes to launch into a lifelong passion.

LOCATION CBMR is situated at the end of highway CRESTED BUTTE 135, surrounded by MOUNTAIN RESORT IS National Forest and A COLORADO LEGEND some of Colorado’s SERVING UP STEEPS most beautiful ALONGSIDE A FAMILYscenery. While FRIENDLY VIBE AND Crested Butte may AUTHENTIC SKI-TOWN be a little further HERITAGE. down the road, you won’t waste time in lift lines here. And once in Crested Butte, the convenient proximity of lodging properties, restaurants, activities and a vibrant downtown encourages guests to cache the car and immerse themselves in their vacation.

SKICB.COM

Photo: Rickers Film Production

POWDER NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE

Start Winter Off Right!

Best pricing on 4-PACK SKI LIFT

TICKETS and 20% OFF LODGING

when booked through November 16th!

powderhorn.com

GRANDTARGHEE.COM | 800-TARGHEE

THE RESORT HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE PREMIER SPOTS TO SKI IN THE WEST.

POWDERHORN MOUNTAIN RESORT All Coloradans should be able to ski and ride. That’s the philosophy at independently owned Powderhorn Mountain Resort. To help get Centennial State residents on the slopes the forward-thinking resort has launched its Mission: Affordable program.

First, Powderhorn cut the price of its season pass in half--when was the last time you heard of anyone cutting pass prices? Then it rolled out a free learn-to-ski program that equips beginners with free rentals, lessons and access to the beginner lift. If that isn’t enough, Powderhorn still offers one of the

y

SKIPOWDERHORN

POWDERHORN STILL OFFERS ONE OF THE STATE’S CHEAPEST DAY PASSES AT $71 PER DAY.

GRAND TARGHEE, WYOMING

PHOTO COURTESY POWDERHORN MOUNTAIN RESORT

state’s cheapest day passes at $71 per day.

Lording over the northern edge of Grand Mesa, Powderhorn offers stunning views of the entire Western Slope, over 1,600 acres of terrain and a healthy 250 inches of fresh powder each season. Plus, the glades here deliver the goods, with copious stashes of untracked hidden among the pines and aspens.

With its close proximity to amazing agriculture, Powderhorn sources most of its menu from local and regional products produced throughout Colorado, concentrating on the Western Slope.

From local beef to local beer, you can toss in visits to vineyards and choice distillers nearby and any visit is sure to be rewarding.. Oh, and don’t forget your mountain bike: Singletrack in Fruita and Grand Junction is just down the road.

POWDERHORN.COM

The snow that blankets Grand Targhee (more than 500 inches of Teton gold every year) is what draws most people to this resort that dishes out a lot of bang for your buck, but the culture and community keep locals and visitors returning for generations.

Fifty years after swinging its first chair, Grand Targhee stays true to its roots with incredible powder skiing in a low-key environment. Built by locals to highlight the western side of the Tetons, the resort has grown into one of the premier spots to ski in the West. It boasts 2,602-acres of terrain where you can spend

y

GRANDTARGHEE

PHOTO BY DAVID STUBBS

the day exploring away from the crush of crowds that flood other high-profile resorts.

There’s amazing, challenging hike-to terrain, and, best of all, endless lines brimming with secret stashes. Toss in powder skiing demos, untracked cat-skiing, and an expansive system of nordic, snowshoe and fatbike trails and you have the perfect winter escape. Best of all, Targhee offers numerous ski-and-stay deals to ensure that a visit does not leave you wondering where all your cash went. And if you are really looking to make a big splash on the slopes, book a trip for spring. The resort often gets walloped with deep late-season storms and in March it hosts the Teton Surf Classic, a surf-inspired, snowboard-only event that kicks off a calendar of spring events.

GRANDTARGHEE.COM

JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is skiing and snowboarding’s hallowed ground, the promised land for those who embody the mountain life. The diehards who know and love the place will rave about its dramatic drops into chillingly tight couloirs or the innumerable powder stashes they seek out like hidden Easter eggs.

With 450 annual inches of snow, it’s one of the most reliable gems of the American skiing scene, and the resort deserves all this praise it gets. But there’s more than legendary terrain here: Jackson’s also home to world-class facilities, programs and a wide range of onmountain amenities. And this is the real West: Nestled in the heart of Wyoming’s Teton Range, the resort sits in the heart of Cowboy country. The region’s down-home feeling is essential to Jackson Hole’s DNA—Stetson hats mingle alongside stocking caps. When it comes down to it, Jackson Hole is a bucket-list experience for any winter lover. Isn’t it about time you immersed yourself in this scene?

NEW THIS YEAR Accessible to those in ski school, the stateof-the-art Solitude Station Learning Center just opened in 2018. Located mid-mountain it allows professional instructors a spot to work with beginners away from the crowds at the base area, while giving more advanced folks a base camp when taking lessons. You can rent your gear here, eat in a private dining area or just relax while waiting for the kiddos.

LODGING There are a variety of lodges, hotels, and cabins to choose from in the Teton Village.

Plus, the town of Jackson Hole with its B&B’s

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT

JACKSONHOLE

@JHSKI

@JACKSONHOLE

and hotels is only a short shuttle bus ride away. Taking the family to Jackson Hole has never been easier hanks to the resort’s outstanding Kids Ski and Rent Free Program. If you rent a condo or home for four nights, you get 10 percent off lodging, and for,each paying adult, kids 14 and under ski free and pay nothing for their rental equipment.

GETTING THERE Fly into Jackson Hole on 12 non-stop flights arriving daily on three different airlines. If you book your airfare, lodging and lift tickets through the resort’s website, you can grab a $200 per person air credit per ticket.

APRÈS Between town and the resort village, you can run the IT’S A BUCKET-LIST gamut from tacos EXPERIENCE THAT ANY to Thai food to WINTER LOVER SHOULD local elk, trout VISIT AT LEAST ONCE IN and bison. At the THEIR LIFETIME resort base, the legendary Mangy Moose boasts spicy margaritas and live music on the weekends. The newest après addition, RPK3, is opening its doors right next to the iconic aerial tramway that ferries skiers and riders up 4,139 vertical feet. It features decks, a large menu and excellent craft beers on tap.

BACKCOUNTRY Venture out of Jackson’s inbounds bowls via numerous marked gates for access to steep chutes, untrammeled glades and colossal hucks. Just be sure you have your avalanche gear, proper training and obey all closures.

JACKSONHOLE.COM

MORE Ks... MORE DAYS Over 100K of groomed trails.

Winter comes earlier and stays longer.

Free trail passes are included with your stay!

Snow Mountain Ranch, Near Winter Park, CO | SnowMountainRanch.org/Nordic | 970.887.2152 just $50 (adults) or $40 (kids). If you want to explore the ranch with a guide, sign up for periodic free skiing and snowshoe excursions that will fulfill your adventure itch.

YMCA OF THE ROCKIES

SNOW MOUNTAIN RANCH, COLORADO This is not the YMCA gym and swim of your youth. Snow Mountain Ranch is one of the premiere family and fitness spots to visit this winter. The sprawling property offers over 100 kilometers of groomed trails for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking on 5,100-acres nestled in the mountains in the heart of Grand County.

While that should be enough to keep most folks busy, there’s still so much more here: Families can ice or roller skate, hit the indoor climbing wall, tour in a sleigh, frolic in the indoor pool and more.

FAMILY FRIENDLY A diversity of facilities and an impressive fleet of winter rental gear suited for any age (including tow-behind ski chariots for toddlers) make Snow Mountain Ranch the perfect place for sharing the beauty of the Colorado winter with the entire family.

Beyond the incredible snow sports, a day pass or a stay at Snow Mountain Ranch gives a family access to the indoor pool, the craft shop (crafts range $1-$25), the library and the Kiva recreation center (roller skating, volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, pool, ping pong, etc.).

LESSONS

PHOTO COURTESY YMCA OF THE ROCKIES

YMCAROCKIES

@SNOWMTNRANCH

Every day the ranch offers both group and family private nordic ski lessons to boost your time on the trails. If you are just starting out the learn-to-ski package gives you trail access, rental gear and a group lesson for

@SNOWMOUNTAINRANCH

PASS PROGRAMS Trail passes run $25 for adults (ages 13+), $10 for children (ages SNOW MOUNTAIN 6-12) and free RANCH IS ONE OF THE for children ages PREMIERE FAMILY AND 5 and under. If FITNESS SPOTS TO VISIT you’re staying THIS WINTER. overnight on Snow Mountain Ranch property, your trail passes are included with your stay! Or, purchase a multiple day Nordic trail pass. Snow Mountain Ranch also offers up a five-time punch pass for $85, and it can be shared between family members.

LODGING Snow Mountain Ranch offers a wide range of lodging options. There are three on-site lodges with multiple rooms, private cabins that can fit the whole family or rustic yurts that will give you the feel of wilderness (just make sure you bring an extra warm sleeping bag).

BACKCOUNTRY The gentle rolling terrain of Snow Mountain Ranch provides the ideal training ground for those interested in learning to backcountry ski. Intro to Backcountry A/T Skiing is offered throughout the winter and is an unintimidating experience for those who want to learn about skiing in the backcountry.

SNOWMOUNTAINRANCH.ORG

CO OLO LORADO’S BEST TICKET DEAL! 4 TICK CK KET E S, NO RESTRICTIONS.

K

S M

O .C

D N

A

L

E

V

O

IL

4-PAKS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH 11-18-18 AND ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE OR PICK UP AT ANY TICKET WINDOW.

LOVELAND SKI AREA

Just 53 miles from downtown Denver, Loveland Ski Area offers skiers and boarders the chance to shred the steeps with no hassles and no poseurs. Loveland is beholden to no one but the snow gods. Located just before (and above) the Eisenhower Tunnel, the fiercely independent ski area offers a nostalgic, homegrown vibe that fits better with Colorado’s venerable skiing history than crowded, corporate resorts. With an annual snowfall of 422 inches, 1,800 acres of terrain, free cat skiing and one of the best ski and ride schools in the state, it’s the perfect place for any level of enthusiast. Plus, nothing’s finer than ripping runs above the interminable I-70 traffic stacked up on the highway below you.

NEW THIS YEAR Big news—you can sneak off to fresh powder even faster this season with Chet’s Dream, Loveland’s first high-speed quad. Named for the area’s late patriarch, Chet Upham Jr., the new chair operates on the site of one of the first lifts in Colorado history. It will maximize your time here since you can now lap up runs on the 1,000 vertical feet from the top to the base in no time.

FAMILY FRIENDLY Nestled into its own separate nook, the Loveland Valley area offers families and beginners the perfect spot to master the skills needed to tackle the steeper slopes up mountain. It’s a quick shuttle bus ride from the base area and has its own parking area.

TICKETS Easy accessibility to the slopes means more that just a great location at Loveland: The independent resort also offers one of the most affordable tickets in the Front Range with a day pass costing $79. But, the real deal is the 4-Pak—just $169 online or $159 at fall

sales events. It offers you four transferable days of fun at less than $43 a day.

LESSONS

APRÈS

BIG ADVENTURE

No visit to Loveland would be complete without a stop in the world-famous Rathskeller. Here, you can sip cocktails and eight diffrent beers on tap, including Loveland’s very own (and very tasty) Pine Bough Pale Ale made in collaboration with the Tommyknocker Brewery located just down I-70 in Idaho Springs. It’s one of the best places in the state to watch a Broncos game with rabid fans.

If you are seeking untracked lines, make sure to sign a waiver at the ticket office for a free Cat Pass. Then head towards Gate 1 off Lift 9 where the Ridge Cat will pick you up.

From there, enjoy free snowcat skiing along the Continental Divide and explore some of Loveland’s most exhilarating terrain. Take in the amazing 360 degree views as you are whisked along the north side of The Ridge in the comfort of an 18 passenger snowcat.

Click in your bindings and you can enjoy the steeps and chutes at nearly 13,000 feet with access to big-mountain, often untracked lines on Field of Dreams, Velvet Hammer, Tickler, 13,010 and Marmot (when conditions permit). And remember, these expert shots can only be accessed via the RIdge Cat, not the lifts, which means they hold new snow longer. Ridge Cat access is provided on a first-come, first-served basis when conditions permit. Skiers and riders are required to have a valid season pass or lift ticket in addition to a Ridge Cat Pass. Want to earn your turns? Pick up a free Uphill Access Card, and you can skin two designated uphill routes on the mountain. Just remember, uphill access is not permitted during Lovelan’s operating hours (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

The best all-encompassing learn-to-ski-orride deal you’ll find, Loveland’s 3-Class Pass gives you three days of rental gear, three lessons, and a full season pass when you complete the A HOMEGROWN VIBE lesson. That’s ridiculous.

THAT FITS BETTER WITH Prices start at $399.

PASS PROGRAMS

The always affordable Loveland Sport Shop offers custom boot fitting and top-tier demo gear to try out on the mountain. The Hat Trick Package lets you check out three demos for one low price. And the Daytripper Package is perfect for visitors, including a lift ticket, gear and a complete clothing rental (pants, jacket, gloves, hat, and goggles) for a price far cheaper than a day ticket at the mega-resorts.

COLORADO’S VENERABLE SKIING HISTORY THAN CROWDED CORPORATE RESORTS.

In an effort to offer the best value to its loyal fans, Loveland has partnered with the Powder Alliance and several other areas.

All told, pass holders get a whopping 96 bonus days at other resorts including Monarch and Purgatory in Colorado and Grand Targhee, Wyoming. It also includes spots further afield, such as Marmot Basin in the Canadian Rockies and La Parva in Chile (where you can ski in the austral winter).

LOVELANDSKIAREA

RETAILERS

@LOVELANDSKIAREA

@LOVELANDSKIAREA

SKILOVELAND.COM

PERFECT WINTER

GIVEAWAY OVER $1,400 VALUE!

BIG AGNES 80L BIG JOE (VALUE $129.95) AND 45L ROAD TRIPPER (VALUE $79.95) LEARN MORE ABOUT BIG

AGNES LUGGAGE AT BIGAGNES.COM

FLYLOW QUANTUM JACKET (VALUE $400) G3 SEEKr 100 SKIS (VALUE $799) NEPTUNE MOUNTAINEERING $50 GIFTCARD

PHOTO COURTESY SKI COOPER

IT’S POSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY SKI OR SNOWBOARD ALONE ON A RUN HERE MID-DAY.

SKI COOPER Sitting on top of the Continental Divide, Ski Cooper came into existence as the training grounds for the historic 10th Mountain Division during World War II.

ENTER TO WIN ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM

With a base area topping out at 10,500 feet it’s easy to see why the ski area ended up here since the place gets blanketed with enough all-natural powder that Cooper has never needed to use snow-making machinery. The lift lines are non existent and it’s possible to actually ski or snowboard alone on a run here mid-day. For those wanting to get deeper,

y

the Chicago Ridge Snowcat will take you into 2,600 acres of backcountry for a day of guided adventure. Included in the excursion are powder skis, avalanche beacon, lunch, snacks and drinks from Katie O’Rourke’s Irish Pub at the end of the day. The views of Mount Elbert and Mount Massive from the Ridgeview Cafe and Mounaintop Yurt at the top of the resort are stunning. Once a month, you can even dine in the Mountain Top Yurt at night, when it’s accessible via snowcat transportation for a special reservation-only event. But, the best part of the resort is the fact that it has one of the cheapest lift tickets in the state—a full price adult lift ticket here is only $56, while kids aged 6-14 pay just $35.

SKICOOPERCHICAGORIDGE

SKICOOPER.COM

BOULDER ADVENTURE LODGE BOULDER, COLORADO

The Boulder Adventure Lodge, or A-Lodge for short, is Boulder’s home away from home for the adventure traveler. Pumped up with a beautiful, recently completed renovation of the historic lobby, the A-Lodge now serves craft beers on tap at the front desk, and offers the comfort of a fire pit in the beer garden as well as a meeting room to host your next retreat or holiday party. Located just five minutes away from downtown Pearl Street’s shops and restaurants, the A-Lodge serves up an easy, refreshing vacation. Founder Asa Firestone calls his creation a cross between an urban boutique hotel and climber’s hostel. What else would you expect from the brainchild of a National Geographic Young Explorer and a restaurant management aficionado? Voted one of the top ten hotels for under $150 by USA Today, the A-Lodge offers everything from luxury campsites to bunk rooms to suites with full kitchens. With a stunning location along Fourmile Creek, the lodge is minutes from hiking, biking, rock climbing, fly fishing and Eldora Mountain Resort. It’s also become a community hub, hosting outdoor adventure film nights on a giant 25-foot screen, yoga classes and more. It’s an ideal basecamp for the Front Range’s world-class outdoor experiences.

LODGING

PHOTO COURTESY BOULDER ADVENTURE LODGE

y

ADVENTURELODGE

@THEALODGE

The A-Lodge offers a wide range of accommadations that will appeal to all budgets and temperaments Start with Boulder’s only hostel room. Its sturdy, comfortable, rusticpine bunks sleep 12 youth travelers in three connecting rooms and a connecting common area. And climbers and mountain bikers get a 15-percent discount when booking it direct.

@ADVENTURE_LODGE

Just show your gear when checking in to receive the discount. Private rooms include standard and deluxe doubles and queens, a wheelchair-accessible queen and a deluxe queen suite. All have pet friendly (and petallergic) options and feature Jeremy Collins adventure artwork. Looking for romance? The Jacuzzi Queen Room is ideal for the Colorado adventure couple: It features a large in-room jacuzzi tub for two, a queen bed, private bathroom, mini-fridge, microwave and a front porch near the Fourmile Creek. Located on the second floor, The Adventure Suite provides the best view at the A-Lodge and features a private queen bedroom, a living room with a pull-out couch and a full kitchen—great for a small family or a group looking for a room to have as a central gathering place. Perfect for a for a large group or family, The Sunset Cabin includes three private bedrooms, a living room, a full kitchen and dining area, a private bathroom and a private yard with a grill. The lodge also hosts the only camping and #Vanlife site options within five minutes of LOCATED JUST FIVE downtown Boulder.

MINUTES AWAY FROM

BIG ADVENTURE

DOWNTOWN BOULLDEER. THE A-LODGE SERVES UP AN EASY, REFRESHING VACATION FROM THE BUSTLE OF THE CITY.

This is advenutre central: The front desk will book tours ranging from snowshoeing to backcountry skiing to fly fishing. During the winter, guests can purchase discounted lift tickets to nearby Eldora and hop a shuttle to the ski resort on weekends.

Like yoga and being outdoors? Come up to the A-Lodge Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for outdoor yoga by the Fourmile Creek!

A-LODGE.COM

BEST GEAR

1 0.1 8

THE WINTER RESORT NEEDS LIST

The snow guns are blowing overtime at Loveland and A-basin and a new ski and snowboard season is almost upon us. Are you ready? We have picked out the gear that we plan on bringing up to the hill this winter to up our game and keep us cozy while we chase those powder dreams.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

TWO SNOWBOARDS 1 . W E S TO N R I VA Founded in the funky town of Minturn with Vail as its testing grounds, this Colorado snowboard brand set out to make a women-specific ride with all the guts and pop of its mens' models.

The Riva does just that: The stiff directional board can hold a heelside on the steeps but still levitates in the pow, making it the ideal choice for women who want to ackle all that Colorado's big mountains can toss at them. $548; westonsnowboards.com

5 . B L AC K C R O W S O R B We are big fans of this Chamonix-based brand who buiilds skis for unabashed big lines. But at 91mm underfoot, the trusty Orb rails on the piste thanks to two long, thin sheets of titanal that give these sticks some serious power. $660; black-crows.com 6 . H E A D KO R E 9 9 Head's all-around-themountain slayer drives smooh and confident no matter the conditions. A lightweight Karuba wood core gives the ski lots of pop and you won't mind tossing it over your shoulder for short boo-tpack missions— or mount it as an AT ski and it can work as both resort ski and the occassional tour horse. $699; head.com

THREE BOOTS 7. S A LO M O N Q S T AC C E S S 9 0 This no-nonsense boot won’t smash you toes but it still can summon the power to drive big skis with precision or rail into groomer turns.

It’s an especially nice option for bros with bigger dogs. $350; salomon.com

2.

1.

2 . B U R TO N S K E LE TO N K E Y This men’s stick also melds camber and edge-hold abilty for a ride that can take on all the variety of big Colorado resorts—a bonafide quiver-of-one. $500; burton.com

FOUR SKIS 3 . VÖ L K L M5 MANTRA We traveled all the way to Solden, Austria last fall to hop on the latest iteration of the German brand’s steadfast freeride ripper. We were not disappointed. A wood core and two layers of titanal make the ski supple yet able to engage at will. It's an ideal weapon for day-to-day missions up in Summit County. $699; voelkl.com

17.

4 . D P S A LC H E M I S T U S C H I 8 7 The women’s vesrion of DPS’ frontside charger proves stiff and agile at speed but also has enough rocker and play

40

to it that its fun in soft stiff.

Obvioulsy, it excels seeking out stashes in tricky terrain. $1,300; dpsskis.com

8 . DY N A F I T H OJ I P R O TO U R Meet the ultimate touring machine.

Dynafit’s much heralded boot represents five years of work, research and testing by skier Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson and Low Tech inventor Fritz Barthel.

The result is a boot lock system that works with a single shell rather than two pieces.

It battens down like an alpine boot for descents but provides surprising, comfortable flex on the ups. $800; dynafit.com 9. B U R TO N P H OTO N S T E P O N B U N D LE Burton’s boot-to-binding system is all about ease and comfort. Ideal for riders who don’t want to futz with bindings, it still offers up plenty of stabilty when you step into the plate and head downhill. $400; burton.com

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

THREE JACKETS 1 0. A R C ’T E RY X WO M E N ’S S E N TI N E L LT This full three-layer Gore-Tex shell sports just enough style that it can pull double duty with after-ski cocktals and shopping. Inside, the Gore C-Knit backer fabric feels soft enough that you forget it can withstand full punishment on the lifts or skiing through a blowing storm. $649; arcteryx.com 1 1 . H E L LY H A N S E N A LP H A S H E LL JAC K E T The simple but effective shell is always a welcome layer up at the resort. This waerproof/breathable piece won’t overheat you while keeping out the worst of the elements. $475; hellyhansen.com

21.

1 2 . F LY LO W R O N A N Built with ultra-light 20D Stretch Taffeta and 80 grams of Polartec Power Fill, this

comfy midlayer is the jacket you will also end up wearing all the time when you are not up on the hill. It’s windproof and waterresistant and features a big front pocket.

Put all that together, and you have the perfect mountain companion, super-casual yet able to punch its weight when the weather get rough. $255; flylowgear com

TWO BIBS 1 3 . F LY LO W S P H I N X B I B Flylow’s female designers undrstand exactly what women want. Providing plenty fo protection up the chest and back, this wateproof/breathable bib is insulated enough to keep out the chill of a long winter day on the mountain, without overheating or making you look ridiculously puffed out. $50; flylowgear.com 14. OUTDOOR RESEARCH HEMISPHERES Bibs can be sexy. At least that’s how we feel about these technical coveralls

BOOT UP FOR FALL SHOP BRIDGER

3.

4.

built from GoreFabric with Stretch Technology. Translation: This fabric offers roughly four times the stretch of other waterproof pants. We could get into the science behind that claim, but let’s just skip to the chase: They provide all th bundling of bibs but can withstand instense athletic movement. $599; outdoorrseearch. com

16.

ONE HELMET 15. SWEET P R OTE C TI O N S W ITC H E R Norwegian brand Sweet Protection focuses on high-tech innovation. Case in point, The Switcher features a whopping 22 one-hand adjustable vents, so you can adjust your head temperature to that perfct mellow. When it comes to protcting that noggin, the Advanced Hybrid construction combines in-mold and hard-shell technologies to cut down the weight and a MIPS system helps prevent concussion should you crash. $220; sweetprotection.com

5.

6.

ONE PAIR OF GOGGLES 1 6 . Z E A L H ATC H E T No goggle we tested gave us as much full, wide open vision as Zeal’s optically tapered cylindrical lens. But it does not stop there. The brand’s new vertical Rail Lock System lets you slide those lenses up to swap them out (rather than mess with popping them out). You can even vent them halfway when you are on a hot and sweaty boot pack. $159; zealoptics.com

ONE PAIR OF GLOVES 1 7. O R TOVOX S W I S S WO O L F R E E R I D E G LOV E S Made with incredibly soft merino wool inside, these gloves not only keep your digits toasty, they also allow for better dexterity, so you don’t have to take them off to make adjustments on the mountain. $140; ortovox.com O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

41

ONE SET OF SKINS 1 8 . P O M O C A C LI M B P R O S - G LI D E Skins ate the resort? You ahd better believe it. Toss them in your pack for th chance to access stashes inbounds or out the gates. You can cout on these babies staying nice and sticky long enough for an extended hut trip—but they also feature a glide treatment that keeps them from slogging up when you are sliding forward. That all adds up to less time messing about on the skin track and more time beating your friends to the freshies. $200; pomoca.com

13.

8.

15.

TWO BAGS 1 9. S P O R T T U B E 6 0 L TOA S T E R E LI T E Let us introduce you to our new best buddy. We never thought much about a luxury like a heated boot bag—until we tried one. First, let's point out that this big cube can swallow up a lot of gear, so that we simply keep it stocked and ready to go in the ealry hours. But the real kicker comes when we plug it in, and those boots, gloves, mid-layers and other essential gear is nice and toasty warm on a frigid morning. $250; sporttube.com

10.

7.

20. O S P R E Y T R A N S P O R T E R W H E E LE D D U F F E L 1 2 0 Headed on a big trip? Here's the roller bag you will want to use to haul all of your stuff to powder heavens lik Targhee Jackson, or even Japan. This bag can take some serious abuse: The oversized wheeld will roll over anything from cobbles to dirt and the TPU-coated nylon ensures everytng inside stays dry. Add in excellent oragnization inside and you have the perfect bag for big adventures. $290; osprey.com

TWO VICES 21. WILLIE’S RESERVE VA P E C A R T R I D G E Why pack when someone will do it for you? These vape cartridges contain pure CO2 cannabis distillate with cannabis derived terpenes. Plus, the brand makes an art of cannabis—after all it's a company founded from the vision of good old cannabis-loving Willie Nlson himself. williesreserve.com 2 2 . U P S LO P E B LO O D O R A N G E SAISON Finally, when it's time to sit back and tell stories about that big day on the hill, we like to support our friendd at Uplsope brwing Not only do they live a lifestyle based on outdoor adventure as well as a love of brewing fine suds, they alos began this journey with us, founded almost 10 years ago here in Boulder, Colorado, at the same time as Elevation Outdoors magazine. The seasonal Blood Orange Siason adds some tropical warmth to our winter sipping routine. upslopebrewing.com

42

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

20.

18.

11.

22.

9.

FALL FOR THEM

14.

SHOP BRIDGER

12.

19.

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

43

HEAR THIS

1 0.1 8

SONG OF A LANDSCAPE

Iceland Airwaves is the best music festival on the planet, bringing a community of musicians and creators together in a nation that celebrates art and introversion and gives it a voice.

by RADHA MARCUM

W

e are packed tight in a side-room of Reykjavik’s only tiki bar, coats shrugged off, shuffling for a view among strangers in gray, black and blue, the understated fashion of Reykjavik and northern Europe. The crowd is serious in the Nordic sense, reserved and quietly intense— and from their still, anticipatory posture, clearly into the music.

The Swedish trio Hey Elbow—a guitarist/singer, trumpet player and drummer—starts into their set and then into the booming open chords of “Quest” from a just-released EP of that same title. I’d heard the song once, on a drive out along the dry grasses and foothills of Colorado. It was on Seattle’s KEXP’s Iceland Airwaves 2017 pre-mix. I immediately marked the band on our Iceland Airwaves app itinerary.

We have only a partial view of the stage. But it is this we traveled 3,586 miles to a tiny Nordic tiki bar for: The chords rise and pour and overtake.

They rush over our black, porous, rocky edges.

Tears start, but not tears. The song sears like blood coming back to numb fingers, but at the heart.

A

irwaves, Iceland’s annual fall music festival, started in an airport hanger in 1999. In its second decade, the festival now draws 7,000 fans to Reykjavik and other Icelandic venues to bathe in the soundscapes of over 220 solo artists, ensembles and bands from 30 different countries. Many are Icelandic, most Scandinavian, but artists from elsewhere in Europe, America and Australia are here, too.

I hoped we would regain perspective from Iceland’s contrast. Focus on absorbing art instead of producing it. We would trade the relentless work schedule and harsh light of home—the kind that delineates every stalk of dried grass—for subdued hues, icy rain and the long blue-black night.

There’s more light than I anticipated in November, at 66 degrees north. After checking into our hotel near the shipyard, we drop into a short “off venue” show at the Viking Brewery. A coarse, wet wind blows steadily under overcast skies. Inside the venue, two girls set up a keyboard, guitar and amps along a wall lit with a neon map of Iceland.

They look no older than 16.

“We are the band Between Mountains,” the girl with braces says as they start. They live in one of Iceland’s most extreme landscapes—the West Fjords. They are remarkably unselfconscious. They play straightforward songs that tap a clear musical sensibility passed down generation to generation— felt melodies—through Iceland’s centuries.

This is a music festival for introverts. For the

44

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

next three days, we will follow instinct from these small, “off venue” venues—where we listen with no more than a few dozen other fans in the lobbies of hotels or in breweries or warehouses—to the “official venue” halls of the Reykjavik Art Museum, small theaters, grimy punk and techno clubs, immaculate wooden churches, and the iridescent geometries of the waterside Harpa House.

A

t Reykjavik’s KEX hostel, the five guitars and one drummer of Gler Akur (translate: “Glass Field”) perform a symphonic cacophony, “The Mountains Are Beautiful Now,” introduced by KEXP’s Kevin Cole (KEXP broadcasts from this room every year). Raw notes tear through air. I think I want Kevin Cole to DJ my funeral.

Cole’s eclectic sets have carried me through long drives and workdays for years. In person, he’s nothing like his voice suggests. He’s tall, skinny, with a dark ponytail turned silvery-gray. He is from an era before smart phones and Youtube. DJing, like writing, is obscure, replaced by algorithms and playlists.

But Cole knows: Raw notes like these don’t travel. Music is not a standalone phenomenon.

It cannot be properly received without a ritual.

Music is like weather. Gler Akur’s long, layered symphonic composition reveals the psyche where it is. Music gathers the scattered parts back into place, recalibrates us as the speedy thought-stream ceases—for a moment, just ceases.

It’s said that everyone in Iceland has a job and “does” music. And yet Airwave’s music is as street-

savvy as it is earthy, as HOMETOWN REBELS pure pop and electronic LOCAL PUNK BAND TÓFA as it is emotional, PLAY THE HARD ROCK CAFE AT THE 2017 AIRWAVES distorted, and gritty.

FESTIVAL IN REYKJAVIK. We landed here in photo by FLORIAN TRYKOWSKI Keflavik in a rainstorm and another rainstorm delays our return. The airport, like Reykjavik, is on the edge of the North American tectonic plate, a black volcanic rock-scape in the North Atlantic Ocean, where forces are pulling the North American and Eurasian plates apart.

On our last night at Airwaves, the knife-glinting techno beats—the sharp heartbeat of the Hurra club—mirror the moment to moment, pulsing (almost imperceptible) rage against the routine and demand waiting at home. In Iceland, we are still out of range.

Icelanders are a small tribe. As the festival wanes the local Icelandic musicians—many of international fame—gather here, upstairs from Húrra in the grungy Gaukurinn: Hogni with long golden Viking hair but a voice like Cole Porter, face aglow with camaraderie and sweat from hot lights. There are the punk girls from the record shop—reticent without their props.

And Between Mountains approached by a young video blogger or producer of sorts. Here are the last remaining festival faces, quivering to the devastating lyrics and piercing voice of Solveig Mattildur.

Her voice liberates us from our roles: producers, DJs, journalists, fans, and artists. Just one girl and her synth. Her performance doesn’t need keeping or codifying. There are no selfies here, few phones held up to record. Her voice is simple and sublime. It is already complete.

Iceland Airwaves runs November 7-10, 2018. For information and lineups head to icelandairwaves.is.

Hear previews and live broadcasts from KEX Hostel in Reykjavik on Seattle’s KEXP (kexp.org).

NOT ALL ADVENTURES REQUIRE A HELMET. Sure there’s something to be said for shooting rapids.

There’s also something to be said for just paddling along.

To be in nature rather than battling nature.

For the opportunity to get a photo of a bald eagle high up in the trees, or a curious doe at the riverbank as you float by.

There’s something to be said for the peace and solitude of a gentle river.

If you’re an adrenaline junkie we get it.

If it’s not adventure without the rush and chance of bodily harm that’s fine.

But if adventure means new horizons and new experiences then come float, come paddle, take a trip.

For an afternoon, a weekend, or as long as you want.

Find your next adventure.

Come to Western Nebraska.

FloatWestNebraska.com

Built for the Mountain Life

Available at these authorized retailers: MK Flagship Store 1412 Larimer Square Denver, CO (303) 505-1566 Neptune Mountaineering Boulder, CO

Vital Outdoors Golden, CO

(303) 499-8866

(303) 215-1644

Jax Outdoor Gear Fort Collins (970) 221-0544 Loveland (970) 776-4540 Lafayette (720) 266-6160

T H E R OA D

1 0.1 8

BIG LADY LINES

When an all women’s group of 20 somethings seeks backcountry snow in an unlikely spot—the big mountain lines of Moab’s La Sals—they discover that sometimes being awesome just takes a little bit of encouragement (and a healthy dose of playful sarcasm). words by LILY KRASS photos by KELLYN WILSON

I

hear Catie call out above me: “I’m sooo sick!” I break out of the heavy trance of icy steps I’ve been following and look up.She’s is grinning from ear to ear as she plunges her ice axe into the crusty layer of snow above her, kicking her leg up into the “A” position not unlike Jim Whittaker’s famous pose when he first stood atop Mount Everest.

“No, really guys...look at us!” she

insists. “We’re awesome!”

We’re kicking steps up the steep north ridge to the top of Mount Tukuhnikivatz, the third tallest peak in the La Sal Mountain Range in Utah.

At 12,482 feet, Tuk looms 8,000 feet above the unforgiving sea of Moab’s desert, a lofty ceiling atop a mess of red rock.

I look up at her and Sophie, then across the mountain to our friends climbing from the other side—I can’t help but smile. Cruising to the top of a mountain with 11 of my best girlfriends and not another soul in sight overflows my heart with gratitude.

I kick a few steps of my own to catch up and carve out a seat in the snow to wait for our group. Perched on our icy lookout, I push the brim of my hat out of my eyes and let the vastness of our surroundings wash over me.

The hazy desert below us feels like a distant memory, but it wasn’t even 48 hours ago that we were mellowing around a dusty campfire and riding

bikes over slickrock. If I squint my eyes I’m pretty sure I can spot the trail we rode from camp.

A

ny skier who’s driven south on 191 into Moab to bike, hike or climb can surely relate to the unyielding allure of the La Sals in the distance. Getting dirty in the Moab desert almost always incorporates an element of multi-sporting, a serious undertaking for adrenaline junkies no matter your preferred mode of travel.

Adding skiing to the list is the next logical step.

The La Sals are the second highest range in Utah, and run right along the Colorado-Utah border. Although they’re a reasonable weekend drive from Salt Lake City or the Front Range, the La Sals see a fraction of the traffic of the Wasatch or Summit County. These peaks are as pristine as you can get these days without schlepping out to a remote heli-accessed glacier in Alaska.

Sophie made reservations for

TOP OF THE DESERT THE VIEW IS ALL REDROCK AND SMILES FROM THE TOP OF TUKUHNIKIVATZ.

mid-April at the Gold Basin Yurt in the La Sals and spread the word to our friends. Considering Utah’s dismal snowpack, it was a risky move, but excitement to ski in the desert burst any negative bubbles before they formed. Of course, six people quickly turned to eight, which inevitably turned to 10 and then a cozy 12 by the time spring rolled around.

Our plan was to gather in Moab on Friday night—friends would trickle in from Jackson, Aspen, Boulder and Fort Collins—drive up to the Geyser Pass Trailhead on Saturday, skin into the hut for two nights, and pack out on Monday. We would have a full day of skiing from the hut on Sunday and agreed that if conditions lined up, Mount Tukuhnikivatz would be a reasonable goal.

L

aura, Catie, Lucy, Molly and I arrived early on Thursday to stake out a camp spot and take advantage of the balmy springtime weather in Moab. Laura and I peeled off with our bikes, while Catie, Lucy and

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

47

Molly went to climb on Potash Road.

The waning sun cast a warm, fiery glow as we whooped and hollered along the trail. I scrambled to get my bike legs under me again as we glazed over slickrock, giving in to the familiar (and slightly terrifying) euphoria of flying across the earth on two wheels.

“It doesn’t look like there’s a whole lot of snow up there,” said Laura, pausing at the top of a hill to glance across the valley. She wasn’t wrong— although a dark, evening shadow blanketed most of what we could see, there was no denying that snow up there would be scarce.

“I’m sure it’s hiding up there somewhere,” I said, doing a terrible job at masking my skepticism. We agreed there was no use dwelling on it—we’d find out soon enough—and pedaled back to camp, still bubbling with excitement from our ride.

Not one to give up so easily, my sometimes cruel, overactive imagination kicked into overdrive. What if we’re hiking in the mud? What if there’s no snow at all? What if I’ve somehow offended the Snow Gods and I’ll never ski again? Should I move to Hawaii?

Although my mind was racing in (delusional) circles, we reached our campsite a few minutes later and were met with a rush of hugs and laughter from old friends. The negative thoughts swirling through my head released their grip in an instant, giving way to the childlike effervescence for adventure

48

that I knew all too well. Whatever happens, it sure as hell won’t be boring.

A

fter a violently windy night, we were all eager to rid ourselves of the thick layer of red sand that caked our tents, sleeping bags, coffee mugs...and somehow the inside of my mouth.

We packed up as efficiently as if there were a tornado approaching and caravanned into town to organize and distribute gear. The dirt road up to Geyser Pass abruptly rose from the valley floor, and 45 minutes later we pulled up to the trailhead, miraculously still hanging on to a skiable amount of snow.

The skin into the Gold Basin Yurt

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

took about 30 minutes—a ridiculous yet marvelously short approach— and an hour after we parked the car, we were indulging in a hard-earned spread of charcuterie and wine on the porch of our new home.

Mount Tukuhnikivatz barely poked through the smattering of aspen trees that surrounded the yurt, and we decided to take an evening tour to do some scouting. While most of us had our objective in mind, there certainly was no shortage of lines to ski from here. A quick skin from the yurt drops skiers in a valley flanked by big mountain giants. Mount Peale (12,721 feet) and Mount Mellenthin (12,645 feet) rub shoulders with Tukuhnikivatz, boasting west-facing lines that each

THE FEELING'S RIGHT WHEN 12 WOMEN DECIDE TO SPEND A FEW DAYS TOURING IN THE BACKCOUNTRY, THE VIBE COMBINES BIG LINES AND LAUGHS.

looked steeper and faster than the last.

We held a team meeting during dinner and talked through our options between bites of spicy Thai curry and chocolate chip cookies. The conditions we’d seen that afternoon were steep and firm. Due to the nature of the north-facing slope we had our sights on, the snow likely wouldn’t soften up much. We agreed that both routes to the summit would require comfort with exposure as well as crampons and an ice axe.

Although quite a few members of our group had never used crampons or an ice axe before, everyone was keen to learn and excited to push themselves a little as long as it felt safe. We agreed on a few decision points, spots where we could split up into smaller groups, and decided to leave the yurt at 7 a.m.

As we drifted off into sleep, Laura shared some wise words with us that have stuck with me ever since: The only emotion that overpowers fear is gratitude.

W

e followed the same familiar route up Gold Basin. The soft swooshing of skins gliding along the frozen creekbed lulled me into a comfortable pace as I let the first rays of sunlight embrace me in a warm, fuzzy hug.

About an hour later we broke through treeline, approaching our decision point on the valley floor. We split up into two parties—I rallied a group to climb the north ridge and Laura led a group up to the east

saddle. If everything went according to plan, our routes would meet at the summit. We high fived, passed around chocolate-covered espresso beans, and agreed on a few inappropriate radio names before parting ways.

Halfway up the ridge, Sophie, Catie, and I sit on our makeshift ice bench.

“This is probably the most awesome I’ve ever felt about myself,” Catie jokes.

Two-hundred vertical feet later, we reunite with the rest of our friends on the summit, giddy with appreciation for each other and the breathtaking scenery surrounding us.

Catie has a point. In the mountains, we’re taught to check our egos—for good reason— and remember that we are always at the mercy of the mountain. We are miniscule and powerless in comparison to our surroundings. But climbing a mountain with skis on your back is hard. And gathering a dozen women in their 20s to join you is definitely not the norm. Part of why we climb mountains is to prove to ourselves what we are capable of and we shouldn’t shy away

from celebrating that.

Catie is one of the most humble people I know, but when you climb a mountain with crampons, an ice axe, and your skis strapped to your backpack for the first time, you should give yourself a pat on the back.

When we dropped in from the summit, conditions had turned more favorable than we’d anticipated. Soft, creamy turns through perfect spring corn wound us down the ridge towards the saddle that Laura’s group had ascended.

We skied one at a time, taking turns whooping and hollering with joy as we flew towards our friends below.

After regrouping at the saddle, our north-facing line still clung to the hard shell of last night’s freeze. With Laura in the lead, we carefully bunny-hopped down the steep face, firm but edgeable, relaxing into wide, sweeping

Fall Merch Sale!

THE LONG WAY UP SKIING BIG, UNPREDICTABLE PEAKS TAKES CAREFUL PLANNING, GOOD MOUNTAIN JUDGEMENT AND A LOT OF AWESOME.

turns as we approached the bottom.

Yes, we are awesome. While it sounds a little ridiculous to say it—no shout it—out loud, Catie’s hilarious new mantra became a great reminder of how important it is to take pride in your accomplishments and the people that you get to share such a beautiful life with.

After all, how many times in your life do you get to stand on a huge, snowy summit, floating above a panorama of red desert, surrounded by 11 ripping ladies? And how else would you end such an extraordinary day than with a naked lap down to the valley floor?

USE CODE:

GIMMEDAT FOR 25% OFF

In We

D E N V E R O R I E N TA L T H E AT E R M O N D AY, O C T 1 5 TH T I C K E TS

A N D

I N FO

O N L I N E

S K I M OV I E .CO M

go to

shop.blueridgeoutdoors.com

B E T H E R E F O R Y O U R C H A N C E T O W I N AW E S O M E P R I Z E S !

I N C L U D I N G A 2 - D AY H E L I S K I T R I P F O R 2 I N R E V E L S T O K E B . C .

W I T H S E L K I R K TA N G I E R S H E L I S K I I N G

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

49

E LWAY V I L L E

1 0.1 8

THE MIRROR

October is the season of scares and new snow. What better setting than the old bars of Silverton for a ghost story?

by PETER KRAY

T

here's a large, wood-framed mirror behind what was once the Miner’s Tavern Bar in Silverton, Colorado. It has been there for more than 100 years, reflecting the faces of Europeans in search of silver, Ivy League poets living like drunk monks at the end of the road and ski bums who ride the double chairlift to hike the West Face ridge in search of powder just outside of town.

In 1918, the town stacked bodies in the bar when Spanish Influenza killed 10 percent of the local population. They rotted like infected cordwood.

Dozens of others had their whiskey or gin here and then went out to die from avalanche, mine collapse or hypothermia. A dance hall girl once caught a stray bullet, and was buried in the cemetery on the hill.

It gets so cold, and the snow so deep, up in the high San Juans, that the dead have to wait for summer until someone can dig a hole. Maybe that’s why people who work on the second floor sometimes hear music and loud voices coming up the stairs even when the bar is closed.

W

hat memories does a mirror hold? Bob Cross was an investor from Manhattan who went to the Miner’s Tavern for drinks with his old friend Lefty, a red-bearded childhood friend from Maine who became a ski patroller at Jackson Hole. Since college, they set aside a week to ski together every year.

Up at Silverton Mountain, Bob and Lefty enjoyed the deepest, steepest powder they had ever shared.

Dropping over a knoll, Bob found himself floating in chest-deep turns of such bottomless soft snow, he felt as if he were carving across a cloud.

“We didn’t even take a picture for Instagram,” he realized at the bar.

Lefty joked, “If a skier gets a faceshot, and no one takes a picture, did it really happen?”

They were both stoned on the legal weed and soft powder, and two tequilas and several beers without any food since noon. Bob was tired and dehydrated. He had put on weight and not trained for the annual ski adventure as he had in previous years.

He felt as if someone was watching him. Or wanted his beer.

When he glanced up, he saw two older skiers sitting directly across from them, and nodded to Lefty, “That’s us in 10 years.”

Lefty looked back at Bob and laughed, “That’s a mirror, asshole.”

Bob said, “Wow. Man. Maybe we should order some food.”

He was just 40, set for life from making Wall Street money, with a beautiful wife and two perfect kids back home. Except the guy glaring right back at Bob in the mirror was in his 50s for sure—and angry.

He slit his eyes in response to Bob’s broad smile.

It gave him a shiver, how every dead drunk in

50

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8

Illustration by Kevin Howdeshell / THEBRAVEUNION.COM

the world would suck out his soul for one more hour on that stool. And he tried to find other things to watch in the mirror: the people playing pool, country two-steppers or the drunk mewling along to Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Tuesday’s gone with the wind...” Yet every time he glanced back, he saw that dark version of himself with the stonefaced stare.

H

e remembered the first time he took mushrooms in high school, freaking out and grinning like a fool, when he said, “What’s happenin’?” to a passerby.

“What isn’t?” was the reply.

That stopped him cold. It made him think of lonely lakes, still streams and basement bathroom mirrors waiting for some reflection to hold. Of photographs frozen in time, with the past looking right into the eyes of the present, pinned against a bare white wall.

And when Bob looked up again, all hell had broken loose. The mirror was like an open window, a stretched glass bubble torn with the retching, mildewed faces and flesh-shorn arms of a hundred clawing ghosts. The smell stung his face like a century of thirsty skeletons cresting across the glass

of stagnant, brackish water, their mouths agape in Gore-Tex, wool and fur.

Bob Cross felt dizzy as he turned to Lefty and said, “Dude,” then slipped like whiskey being poured onto the floor.

W

hen he awoke, Bob found himself in a crowded corridor, filled with people waiting to use a bathroom down the hall.

Except the line never moved. No one said a word.

Everyone just stood there, looking at their shoes, waiting for that fleeting moment when they could glance back out at what was real.

The coroner said Bob Cross died of a heart attack, brought on by his lack of fitness, dehydration and the altitude. And when the airlines shipped his body back to the East Coast, his family sent a letter asking how he had aged so much on the return home.

Sometimes, after the lights are out at the old Miner’s Tavern, people say they hear a rising pitch that vibrates like a swarm of cicada under ice from behind the bar. It is the sound of Bob Cross, screaming from the other side of the mirror.

—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

GETS DIRTY. KEEPS RIVERS CLEAN. We donate 1% of all Upslope Craft Lager can sales to our local Trout Unlimited chapter. Because two of our favorite things in this world are beer and fishing.

And you can’t have either without clean water.

#cancountry

O C TO B E R 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

51

PROVIDING ESSENTIAL GEAR TO THE ADVENTUROUS.

Heuberger Motors offers all models and trim levels to power your personal love of adventure. Courtesy delivery anywhere in Colorado at no charge.

Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

2018 Crosstrek 2.0i Premium depicted. Visit us at www.BestBuySubaru.com for specific models and pricing or call 888.840.9024 today for your no hassle price. Heuberger Subaru is at 1080 Motor City Drive in Colorado Springs, Colorado

52

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / O C TO B E R 2 01 8