Elevation Outdoors November 2016

LOCAL GEAR | WOODWARD FOR GROWN-UPS | ROAD RIDE MAYHEM NOVEMBER 2016

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COLORADO TOP ADVENTURE TOWNS:

FRUITA, LYONS BUENA VISTA WHERE TO HIKE, RUN, BIKE, PADDLE, DRINK BEER AND SOAK UP THE SCENE

WHITE KNUCKLES ON

GLENWOOD’S MUDWALL NEW AMERICANS IN NATIONAL PARKS

BREAKING THE FOURTEENER SPEED RECORD OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH

ESCAPES

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The mercury is dropping and Old Man Winter

is here. But, don’t worry, the new Drumroll APA is no fair-weather friend. When the seasons

change and the flannel blooms you’ve got a bold, citrus-inspired beverage to help you weather any storm.

It’s the go-to that goes with.

Please Drink Responsibly © 2016 Odell Brewing Co. Koozie is a registered trademark of BIC corporation

LDEN N AVE , GO .COM O T G IN H S TE 1313 WA 82 | BENTGA (303) 271 93

CONTENTS

November 2016 DICEY DEFINED: CHRIS VAN LEUVEN CHASES A COLORADO DREAM ON THE MUDWALL. SEE PG 26

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

7 EDITOR’S LETTER

23 TOP ADVENTURE TOWNS

When Spain feels like home

Carbondale vodka, Fort Collins beta, the Luminoodle and more...

Every year, we ask our readers to vote for the Colorado towns that best make both a big commitment to the outdoors and build sustainable communities. These are the winners.

12 FLASHPOINT

26 LAYTON KOR'S LEAD

It was a big year for naturalizing new U.S. citizens in the national parks.

Chris Van Leuven and Mike Schneiter set out to follow a Colorado climbing legend and set new routes on Glenwood's nasty Mudwall.

8 QUICK HITS

15 HOT SPOT Check out Colorado's hidden gems.

28 WOODWARD FOLLIES 17 THE TRAIL

ATION

STIN E D S ’ O D LORA

CO

P O H S Y R T CKCOUN EARS

BA

FOR OVER

20 Y

E C N E I R E P X E E M CO I SHOP

ULL SERVICE SK OOTB*EDS F * F USTOM BOOT FITSL&E STAFF * C * KNOWLEDGEAB * IC R P ING * Y * L N O E R O T -S IN L SPECIA

*

Download the ViewRanger app for a November hike in Fountain Valley.

We sent a grown-up with a glorious mustache to go and play with the kids at Copper's famed freestyle school.

19 NUMEROLOGY

36 COLORADO GEAR

Facts about the Centennial State.

These toys are all from companies based in our own backyard.

21 STRAIGHT TALK How Joe Grant crushed the humanpowered Fourteeners speed record.

photo above by JOHN LLOYD

39 HEAR THIS Community airwaves DJ Joel Davis talks playlists and dance parties.

40 THE ROAD Ryan Van Duzer learns how hard it is to bike from Boulder to Burning Man.

42 ELWAYVILLE Colorado keeps a changin'.

WANT MORE? CATC H

U P ON PAST ISSU ES, YOU R FAVORITE B LOG G E RS A N D DAILY ON LIN E-ON LY CON TEN T AT ElevationOutdoors.com ON TH E COV ER: FRU ITA WON TOP A DVEN TU R E TOW N TWO YEA RS IN A ROW. PH OTO BY: D EVON B A LET / D EVONB A LETM ED IA .C OM

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Estes Park, base camp for Rocky Mountain National Park, is home to festive events all winter long. Here are some highlights: Fall Back Beer Fest – November 5th Catch the Glow Christmas Parade & Festivities – Thanksgiving Weekend Dasher 5K & Tinsel Tavern Tour – December 10th Winter Festival & Winter Trails Day – January 14th & 15th Frost Giant 5K & 10K – January 29th Rails in the Rockies – February 18th & 19th Whiskey Warm-Up – March 11th Stanley Film Fest – April 27th -30th Base camp for Rocky Mountain National Park | VisitEstesPark.com/events

CONTRIBUTORS

ElevationOutdoors.com EDITORIAL ED ITOR-IN -CH IEF

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

doug@elevationoutdoors.com MA N AG IN G ED ITOR

CAMERON MARTINDELL

cameron@elevationoutdoors.com SEN IOR ED ITOR

CHRIS KASSAR

chris@elevationoutdoors.com IN TERN

EMILY GALLEGOS

play@elevationoutdoors.com C ON TRIBUTIN G ED ITORS

AARON BIBLE, ADAM CHASE, ROB COPPOLILLO, LIAM DORAN, JAMES DZIEZYNSKI, HUDSON LINDENBERGER, SONYA LOONEY, JAYME MOYE, CHRIS VAN LEUVEN ED ITOR-AT-LARG E

PETER KRAY

C ON TRIBUTIN G WRITERS

JEFF BLUMENFELD, KIM FULLER, PATTY MALESH, ELIZABETH MILLER, PADDY O'CONNELL, AVERY STONICH, RYAN VAN DUZER, ANDREW ZIMMERMAN ART + PRODUCTION MEGAN JORDAN

A RT D IREC TOR

megan@elevationoutdoors.com SEN IOR D ESIG N ER

LAUREN WALKER

lauren@elevationoutdoors.com G RA PH IC D ESIG N ER

PAIGELEE CHANCELLOR

paigelee@elevationoutdoors.com

ADVERTISING + BUSINESS BLAKE DEMASO

PR ESID EN T

blake@elevationoutdoors.com PU BLISH ER

ELIZABETH O’CONNELL

elizabeth@elevationoutdoors.com SEN IOR AC C OU N T EXECUTIVE

MARTHA EVANS

martha@elevationoutdoors.com AC C OU N T EXECUTIVE

BEN YOUNG

ben@elevationoutdoors.com

BU SIN ESS MAN AG ER

MELISSA GESSLER

melissa@elevationoutdoors.com CIRC U LATION MA N AG ER

HANNAH COOPER

hcooper@elevationoutdoors.com

DIGITAL MEDIA CRAIG SNODGRASS

ON LIN E D IR EC TOR

craig@elevationoutdoors.com D IG ITA L MA N AG ER

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH? DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN It starts in a sleeping bag, involves wilderness, some sort of minor misadventure, friends and family and ends much later than I thought it would.

ELIZABETH O'CONNELL I like to head up to a decent elevation for some hiking and alpine lake fishing—getting away from the hustle of Boulder makes for the ultimate natural high.

CAMERON MARTINDELL Earn it—one step at a time with skis on my feet and avy gear on my back. Then glide through and carve up the powdery goodness that is our sweet Colorado snow.

CHRIS VAN LEUVEN Sunrise climbing in Boulder Canyon; mountain biking after light rain at Heil Valley Ranch; watching bluegrass at Gold Hill Inn.

KIM FULLER Every Tuesday morning in Vail I run high intensity intervals up Vail Mountain on snow in the winter and on singletrack in the summer with outdoor endurance coach Ellen Miller.

ELIZABETH MILLER I’m not sure if I should say backpacking any trail that takes me into the alpine, or two java porters from the Southern Sun…

TYRA SUTAK

tyra@elevationoutdoors.com

E L E VAT I O N OU T D O O R S M AG A Z I N E

2510 47th Street Unit 202 Boulder, Colorado 80301 (303) 449-1560 PU B L I S H E D BY ©2016 Summit Publishing, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

SUMMIT

11. 16

PUBLISHING

PADDY O'CONNELL I brew kombucha and knit sweaters from hippie-navel-sourced wool. Just kiddin'. I walk up mountains and ski cool shit.

PETER KRAY First chair always gets me high.

PRINTED ON RECYCLED NEWSPRINT WITH 100% POST-CONSUMER CONTENT

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EDITOR’S LETTER

11.16

ON TOUR: POSING IN PALAU-SATOR. photo by ANA RAMIRO GONZALEZ

COLORADO EVERYWHERE Head to Girona, Spain, and things feel oddly like, well, Colorado. Blame it on all the butts in tight lycra. Much like Boulder or Colorado Springs, the town is a gathering point for cyclists from around the planet. It's such a hot spot that Lance Armstrong even once owned an apartment here and many American riders base themselves in Girona during the off season, so that they can train on the surrounding pavement (where drivers, even if they are crazy Euros behind the wheel, actually respect bikes) and head up into the big climbs of the Pyrenees. It's close to the big European stage races, too, so that they don't have to break their meager budgets flying back and forth across the pond. Of course, it's also a spot where cycling is king—and most unlike Colorado, there are warrens of medieval streets here that look the part so much that season six of Game of Thrones was filmed in Girona.

So I should not have been surprised to stumble upon La Fabrica. The coffee shop and eatery looks exactly like my home town of Boulder, complete with dudes in tight kits and bikes more expensive than cars parked out front. I was also greeted by a blackboard that advertised “avacado toast” and quinoa in plain English and inside there were stacks of energy bars and chai on the menu. I learn that the place is not exactly American, or Spanish. It's actually the brainchild of former pro racer Christian Meier and his wife Amber, who are Canadian. But it feels like home, and it makes me think about the best aspects of the global village we now live in. After all, the cycle culture that feels so normal to me came from Europe to begin with—and what's more American than avocado toast?

Earlier in the day, we headed out with the folks from Cicoloturisme for a road tour of the medieval villages in the surrounding countryside. Really, there's no better place to ride a road bike than Europe, where the narrow roads feel almost like singletrack and there's always some small, ancient town or spring around a corner or you can stop for an espresso or glass of wine pretty much anytime you want. After spinning through fields filled with the smell of sweet, fresh manure with the October air in our lungs, we ramble onto the cobblestones of charming Palau-Sator, where we are greeted by a gaggle of cyclists wearing Colorado jerseys. Typical. They chat with our guide for a bit in Spanish before one of them asks where I am from.

“Boulder.”

She laughs. “Of course. We're from Aspen.”

Of course. Colorado is everywhere. And to be honest, I am quite proud of that. Because, to me, being from Colorado means that you have enough of a sense of adventure to get out and see the world. That you play hard. That you are game for anything. When I look at the way towns like Fruita, Buena Vista and Lyons, the winners of our Top Adventure Towns readers' poll featured in this issue have grown, I see a lot of what I like so much about Europe in them. There are small independent businesses, food that was made with love, an attitude that getting outdoors and taking care of the environment are simply things you do because you feel so passionate about the place where you live. You feel connected.

Those are Colorado values and Spanish values, but more and more I feel like they are where we all meet. Colorado is everywhere and that is a good thing if we want to keep building a peaceful sustainable world.

The global village keeps getting smaller. Let's embrace it.

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QUICK HITS

TECHNOLOGY POWER PRACTICAL LUMINOODLE Van lifers, car campers and party people rejoice! This playful string of LED lights (which comes in five- or 10-foot ropes) does more than illuminate, it sets the mood. The Luminoodle includes loops, magnets and reusable ties so you can hang it anywhere. $20-$50; powerpractical.com

GEAR WE LOVE EAGLE CREEK CARGO HAULER Available in four sizes (45-120L) and five colors, these ultralight duffels, feature bomber zippers and huge comfortable handles. They convert to backpacks and even stow down into one of their own pockets. $90-$120; eaglecreek.com

BOOKS COMRADES ON THE COLCA Join Elevation Outdoors contributor Eugene Buchanan in his latest tale of travel and adventure, Comrades on the Colca, in which he tags along with a team of Polish explorers on a first descent down the Cruz del Condor section of Peru’s Colca Canyon, the deepest gorge in the world. $15; conundrum-press.com 8

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11.16

VODKA DONE RIGHT SIP HANDMADE SPIRITS AND SLEEP IT OFF UPSTAIRS AT THE MARBLE DISTILLING COMPANY IN CARBONDALE. Head to Carbondale, Colorado, and stay awhile. The Marble Distilling Company has the only known inn to be housed in a working distillery. One of the distillery’s founders and owners, Michelle Marlow, said they made The Distillery Inn, which opened a year and a half ago, to create a spot where people could overnight in Carbondale—so visitors wouldn’t have to go 30 minutes down the road to Aspen to eat, HARD ROCK CAFE: HAND-CRAFTED VODKA, COLORADO MEATS AND CHEESES AND play and stay.

SOFT BEDS—HEAVEN. photo by KIM FULLER; inset courtesy of MARBLE DISTILLING COMPANY “There’s so much to do right here in Carbondale,” says Marlow. “It’s such a great, cool town.”

“We are saving the planet, one bottle of vodka The inn is upscale, and it feels that way. Four at a time,” Baker says, smiling. of the five cozy-yet-spacious rooms sit above the Now for the details: The Marble Vodka is made tasting distillery, and one is garden level with its with an original blend of all-natural, non-GMO, own private courtyard. The one-bedroom suites Colorado soft white wheat and malted barley and each feature sleek, modern amenities. it's filtered through crushed Yule marble from the After guests sip spirit samples or handcrafted famous quarry just 26 miles up the Crystal Valley cocktails (don't miss the bloody Mary), and eat a in the town of Marble. The final product has a soft, delicious display of Colorado meats and cheeses creamy nose with a smooth, luxurious finish. in the tasting room, they can escape to their own To keep everything local, Marble Distilling Co. fireplace, a king-sized bed with smooth Italian uses coffee beans from Bonfire Coffee (just three linens, organic Colorado bath products and a miles from the distillery) to make the Moonlight private furnished balcony.

Expresso sipping liqueur, and uses Palisade-based Room rates are seasonal, and start at $225 per Peach Street Distillers bourbon barrels for the night. Hold on. That’s no doubt a “down valley” yummy Gingercello Reserve. savings compared to most Aspen pricing.

Next to the tasting room, a members-only Dog lover? Anyone who goes into the tasting barrel club lounge houses small, personal barrels, room will likely meet the owners’ pups, and they so anyone can be a part of the two-year-plus aging will spread the love to yours too. The Distillery process for what Marble Distilling Company will Inn is extremely Fido friendly, allowing dogs and be bottling next: whiskey. marbledistilling.com providing special amenities for them.

—Kim Fuller Sustainability is key here, too. Connie Baker, co-owner and head distiller for the company, boasts a method of “grain to glass to ground,” which returns spent grains back to the land.

WITH MOUNTAINCAREERS.COM YOU “Distilleries are big energy and water users,” CAN PLAY HARD AND FIND AREAL says Baker. “We knew we could do it differently, JOB IN YOUR MOUNTAIN TOWN. and be really green and sustainable.”

Marlow and Baker’s business concept was to MountainCareers.com is here to remedy the age-old make spirits that are “true craft,” without a lot of ski-bum's dilemma: How do I find a “real job” in a waste, and they have set out to make that happen on mountain town. To that end, a Vail-based recruiter a small, downtown lot. has launched a new concept in job-search websites.

LIVE THE DREAM

11 MILES IN...

M Y F E E T A R E S AY I N G THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Aryn Schlichting, founder and sole proprietor and a 14-year resident of the Vail Valley, has all of the credentials and experience required.

As a mountain recruiter, she’s seen this problem from both ends.

It’s a Catch-22: Employers pay big fees to post job ads in newspapers, while job seekers struggle, wading through a sea of middling seasonal and service-industry jobs that are all-to typical of mountain towns and resorts. So goes the cycle, and Schlichting has seen friends end up with no other choice than to move to the Front Range where professional jobs are more plentiful—but this move just further dilutes the chance for professional business to make it here. The talent is not lacking: 47.5 percent of Eagle-county residents have Bachelor’s Degrees or higher, compared to the 28.5 nationally.

In response, Aryn came up with the concept of the Mountain Careers.com professional job board. With support from a local investment group, 8150 High Altitude Entrepreneurs, along with a team of web developers her vision is now live and proving its worth. Employers pay $79 per job posting, per month, which is far more affordable than most other options. All positions posted to the board are thoroughly

SKI BUM FOREVER: AND HE MAY JUST GET FIRST CHAIR AND FACE SHOTS TOMORROW. photo by 8150 High Altitude Entrepreneurs

vetted, such that only professional opportunities and employers are published, which minimizes jobseekers' search times.

One employer who uses Mountain Careers said, “In the two latest positions I posted, 12 out of 14 applicants referenced that the job posting was from Mountain Careers.”

Furthermore, the user said, “I have used it to post for three separate positions. I was able to fill one position and am in the final stages of filling the other two. All through the Mountain Careers offering.”

To date, over 50 employers have posted over 200 year-round professional jobs in the Vail Valley, Summit County and Aspen areas, all since launch just a few weeks ago. Striving to break the age-old, stereotypical image of a ski-bum, Schlichting believes that you can have it all by living someplace with access to world-class outdoor activities all while pursuing a professional career track. She now plans to expand west into Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Park City, Utah.

Pack your laptop.

—Andrew Zimmerman

B R I D G E R M I D BDry / WOMEN’S RIO RED

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The Bridger Mid BDry, with Oboz’ BFit Deluxe insole, delivers exceptional support, fit and performance wherever your feet may wander.

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QUICK HITS

11.16

FORT COLLINS, COLORADO DON'T OVERLOOK THIS LAID-BACK CITY WHEN YOU ARE ON THE HUNT FOR ADVENTURE. IT'S FULL OF ACTION, GOOD EATS AND, OF COURSE, DAMN FINE LOCAL BEER. EAT Get sticky fingers indulging in a giant cinnamon roll at the Silver Grill Cafe (silvergrill.com), which has been serving breakfast and lunch in the same location since 1933. No doubt, you’ll roll out with a full tummy: The vast menu includes everything from omelets and benedicts to sandwiches, salads and chicken fried steak. If chicken and waffles are more your thing, head to The Waffle Lab (thewafflelab. com), which began as a food truck and opened a full restaurant this year. Or just stroll around Old Town and the recently renovated Old Town Square. Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar (jaxfishhouse.com/fort-collins) never disappoints, with a buzzing scene, creative cocktails and fish with a decidedly modern twist.

SLEEP The Armstrong Hotel (thearmstronghotel.com) is a class act with an art deco lobby, comfy rooms and hip underground lounge in the heart of Old Town. In 2004, the owners renovated the 1923 building, maintaining its historic charm but adding a modern touch.

For an artistic experience, inquire at The Artery (downtownartery.com), a vibrant art gallery and community space with three bed-and-breakfast rooms. Or, if you're working on a low 10

IN THE ZONE: OLD TOWN FORT COLLINS IS PRIME GROUND IF YOU WANT TO FILL YOUR BELLY AND HIT UP SOME WATERING HOLES AFTER A BIG DAY OF OUTDOOR PLAY. photo by JACK GILLIAM

budget, book a bedroom at one of the chain hotels near I-25’s exit 269.

PLAY Tucked along the foothills where the Rocky Mountains meet the plains, Fort Collins bursts at the seams with parks and open space. Most trails are accessible all winter (check nocotrailreport.org for conditions).

Head for the 9.6-mile Foothills Trail, which skirts the hogback west of town that connects Reservoir Ridge, Maxwell, and Pineridge—three of the city’s 46 natural areas (fcgov. com/naturalareas). Climbers can satisfy their itch by tackling problems at Pineridge’s Piano Boulders. Hardcore mountain bikers will find thrills on logs, jump, and other features along the Ginny Trail at Bobcat Ridge. Menawhile, Horsetooth Mountain Open Space (co.larimer. co.us/parks) serves up 29 miles of looping, multiuse trails you can piece together to suit your pace. Or hike to the top of 7,000-foot Arthur’s Rock at Lory State Park. Backcountry skiers can nab stashes at State Forest State Park (cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/ parks/StateForest) up the highway near Cameron Pass. To maximize turns, nestle into a Never Summer Nordic (neversummernordic.com) yurt. Cap your play day by sampling craft beers at Fort Collins’ over 20 breweries (visitftcollins.com/thingsto-do/tours/brewery-tours). Magic Bus Tours (themagicbustours.com) will be your designated driver.

—Avery Stonich

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LOCAL HERO: ULYANA N. HORODYSKYJ THIS YOUNG SCIENTIST IS NOT AFRAID TO GO WILD. She's only 30 years old, but Boulder explorer Ulyana N. Horodyskyj already earned a PhD in geological sciences, has tested spacesuits in a Falcon 20 “vomit comet” and was Maytagged in a human centrifuge at the National Aerospace Training and Research Center.

By the time you’re reading this she will have just wrapped up 30 days locked inside a three-story closed habitat on the grounds of the Johnson Space Center in Houston. She’s commander of a team of two men and two women studying the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body. There's no Internet, no email—just one 30-minute call per week to family as the team tosses back vitamin D pills to counteract the lack of sunlight. They will be monitored daily by a dozen researchers (sort of a NASA version of Big Brother).

IN THE LAB: HORODYSKYJ STUDIES CLIMATE CHANGE WHERE IT HURTS. photo courtesy TULYANA N. HORODYSKYJ

Horodyskyj is passionate about taking what she calls “citizen-scientists” on immersive international science expeditions to the Himalayan, South America and the Arctic. Early next year, her team will climb Argentina’s 22,841-foot Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside the Himalaya, to study how dark pollutants absorb more solar radiation, which in turn leads to increased snow melt.

“I’m trying to make science transparent to everyone,” she says, about her new company, ScienceintheWild.com. “We’ll study what’s happening now and what’s going to happen in the future in regards to climate change.”

“These are not tourist trips. There’s hard work to be done for researchers who will publish the work. It’s my passion to make science accessible, fun and interesting so people can sign on to join us.” After a month in isolation, she welcomes the company.

—Jeff Blumenfeld

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FLASHPOINT

11.16

BECOMING AMERICAN IN 2016, NATIONAL PARKS HOSTED MORE THAN 100 NATURALIZATION CEREMONIES AS PART OF THE NPS’S 100TH BIRTHDAY. AFTER ALL, THE PARKS ARE WHERE AMERICA HAPPENS.

by ELIZABETH MILLER

T

he crowds filed into an amphitheater in Rocky Mountain National Park with Longs Peak visible in the background last August as the National Park Service (NPS) officially celebrated its 100th birthday. Fourty-four people from 22 countries stood and raised their right hands to take the naturalization oath to become U.S. citizens. Being here in the park only made visible why Steven Phillips had decided to join these ranks.

“There's so much of the beauty of the country in the national parks,” he says. “We need to have more places like this, because there are so many people and so many cars. It's sort of overrun. But it’s an American want— to see the beauty of the outdoors, and to see beautiful places. There’s not enough of them.”

After more than two decades as a legal permanent resident, Phillips decided to apply to become a citizen this past January. He sees movements afoot to privatize public lands and an imminent need to address climate change as pressing issues. And having recently moved to the swing state of Colorado, he wanted to do what 12

he could to shape the future of the country he’s come to call home. Past years, he has not been a part of the process, but he says: “I want to vote this time.”

THE “OTHER” BEST IDEA

Luck of the draw landed Phillips in one of the roughly 115 naturalization ceremonies hosted in national parks in 2016. These events have taken place in parks since 2006, but this year, to mark the NPS Centennial, Immigration Services aimed to host 100 ceremonies in parks. They hit that mark on September 16, at Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

“National parks are part of

and in a chapel at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York.

The parks are among the rights and responsibilities inherited by new U.S. citizens, a manifestation of the country’s traditions—and a legacy they now have a say in how to preserve. As Rich Fedorchak, chief of interpretation and education for Rocky Mountain National Park, said during the ceremony: “These new citizens are now the public we speak of when we speak of public lands.”

BLAZING THE TRAIL

Each year, 38,000 people are sworn in as U.S. citizens. The road they must take to get there requires spending years—at least five, unless you marry

“But it’s an American want—to see the beauty of the outdoors, and to see beautiful places.

There’s not enough of them.” your American birthright, so it’s a real natural connection—what’s a thing I can do on my first day as an American?” says Jeffrey Olson, public affairs officer with the National Park Service.

New citizens were sworn in at Colorado's Great Sand Dunes, near the base of Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park in California

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a citizen or serve in the military—as a lawful permanent resident. The application includes an interview and exam, in which candidates must demonstrate a firm grasp of speaking, reading and writing English, as well as knowledge of U.S. history and the Constitution (some people use flash cards to memorize details). What's more, they must also show that they

MEET THE PUBLIC: ONE OF THE RIGHTS NEW CITIZENS GAIN IS HAVING A SAY IN HOW TO MANAGE AND MAINTAIN LANDS LIKE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK. photo courtesy STEVEN PHILLIPS

are of “good moral character.”

The ceremony is a parade of speakers and, when indoors and equipment allows, video messages showcasing America and passing along best wishes from the president.

There are rounds of the national anthem, and “America the Beautiful,” the master of ceremonies prompting new citizens when it’s “customary, though not required,” to put a hand over your heart and face the flag, and when to hold and wave the postcard-sized American flags in their welcome packet.

Then an official guides new citizens through their oath of allegiance (see sidebar for a full version), which begins with disavowing loyalties “to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty,” and promising to “defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic.”

They expressly declare they will bear arms on behalf of the country when required to, or perform noncombatant services as needed. This final step is over in less than two minutes, and once the oath is recited, candidates are considered citizens.

Even after 34 years with Immigration Services, Tracy L. Renaud, associate director, management directorate for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, still chokes up watching the range of emotions that fly across faces during these ceremonies. “We know how difficult it is for people, and the support system they need,” she says. “It’s a lot of studying. It’s a lot of preparation. It’s more than just paperwork.”

She draws from local details when she writes speeches for ceremonies in national parks, and, at Rocky Mountain, she mentioned the high peaks and the mountain streams as metaphors for the difficulties and the renewal citizenship candidates face.

“Just like the 359 miles of trails that are located here in the park, some of you may have journeyed long and blazed your own trail or path to citizenship,” she said.

Phillips left South Africa in the late 1980s, when it seemed that apartheid would rule until a bloody, chaotic end. Living there was unimaginable, he says. America provided opportunity—Stanford’s second-to-none computer science

program was followed by a job, and that job led to a green card. He has since bent his degree toward conservation, writing software scientists use to study and manage wildlife and endangered species.

“The generation that we are a part of is the one that’s going to decide how much of life on Earth will survive, because the mass extinction that we’re currently at the beginning of is taking place over the 100 years that we’re going to be alive,” he says. “It's kind of hard not being apocalyptic about it when you see how much is threatened and how little is being done about it, but we do what we do—which means voting.”

THE LONG VIEW

Others step back and take a wider view of the landscape, both for our parks and our nation. During a ceremony at Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico, surrounded by reddish-black mesas etched with more than 20,000 images from former inhabitants, superintendent Dennis Vasquez put his park in a larger context.

“In some parks, we tell stories of the earth’s history. We talk about

rocks that are billions of years old.

We preserve places that tell the stories of mountains and valleys and canyons and rivers and lakes that have been forming for so long that it’s difficult for us to grasp,” he said.

Vasquez went on to explain how parks can tell small stories as well, stories that resonate with new citizens—of the African American preacher’s son who grew up to be a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement or the Mexican American farmworker who led the campaign for better working conditions in California’s fields. These Americans made extraordinary choices in the face of difficult times.

“It is in these small stories that large truths are revealed, truths that inspire us or that make us pause and consider our own lives and our own contributions,” he said. “Today is a day of new beginning for you, and in fact, today and every day is a day of new beginning for all of us. Each of us, every day, is given another chance to live up to the principles and the values of this country: fairness, justice, equality, freedom and opportunity.

Each day, we are given another chance to recommit to these values.”

Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America: “I hereby declare an oath that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

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HOT SPOT

11. 16

HIDDEN GEMS TIRED OF CHECKING OUT THE SAME OLD “BEST SPOTS” IN COLORADO? IT’S TIME TO INVESTIGATE A FEW NEW HIDDEN GEMS.

by CHRIS KASSAR

Y

ou know the Colorado thing: Walk in the shadow of the Maroon Bells. Scale the Flatirons. Backpack through Rocky Mountain National Park. Ride the Monarch Crest Trail. Swoosh down the slopes of Telluride or Vail. It’s no wonder that iconic spots like these draw visitors from across the world to our spectacular state, but don't ever get tired of the same old outdoor jams? Live a little and explore these lesser-known quintessentially Colorado, but lesser-known spots.

You may just discover a few more reasons to love where we live.

STAUNTON STATE PARK

Nestled in verdant forest just a few miles from Conifer, Colorado’s newest state park offers something for everyone (and especially for anglers, climbers and hikers). In 1986, Frances Hornbrook Staunton, the daughter of a couple who homesteaded here, willed the 1,720-acre ranch to the state with the stipulation it be preserved it as a “natural wildernesstype park.” It took decades for her dream to come to fruition, but Staunton finally opened to the public in 2013. You'll find easy to moderate hiking, biking and horseback trails here that open up to brilliant vistas of the surrounding mountains, rugged crags and Davis Ponds, which are stocked with trout. History lovers will enjoy the preserved cabins on site that led Staunton Ranch to be designated a Rural Historic Landscape on the National Register of Historic Places.

Climbers and boulderers can test their abilities on the granite of Staunton Rocks, which boasts over 60 trad, mixed and sport routes ranging in difficulty from 5.3 to 5.12+. And what makes this area particularly unique is that opportunities still abound to score a first ascent on Elk Creek Spires and Lion's Head. cpw.state. co.us/placestogo/parks/staunton

PICKET WIRE CANYON Don’t just think mountains. It’s hard to beat the scenery along this gentle 11-plus-mile hiking and biking route through a circuitous, 350-footdeep chasm that runs through the southeastern plains. Head back in time when you follow the Purgatoire river past the ruins of an old Mexican mission, Native American rock art and an early 19th century homestead.

Then travel even further back: The exposed rock layers of prehistoric sea beds and ancient lakeshores contain the largest dinosaur track site in North America, containing over 1,300 prints in 100 separate trackways spread across a quartermile stretch of riverbank. It’s amazing to think that right here, 150 million years ago, the enormous brontosaurus and the smaller allosaurus wandered the muddy shoreline of a lake that vanished eons ago. This spot is so special that Picket Wire is the only portion of the entire National Forest System with a specific mandate

for the management and protection of fossil resources. Collecting or damaging artifacts is strictly prohibited. fs.usda.gov/psicc

AIKEN CANYON PRESERVE

Located 16 miles south of Colorado Springs on a parcel of land acquired

by The Nature Conservancy, this easy four-mile hiking-only loop meanders through the pinyon-juniper forest and prairie scrub oak, that define the lovely transition zone between the plains and mountains. You can learn a lot here: Interpretive signs highlight important features as you make your way through forest and expansive meadows and past dramatic red spires and outcrops. Aiken’s also home to a treasure trove of plant and animal communities—you can spy over 100 bird species throughout the year. It's open year-round, dawn to dusk on Saturday, Sunday and Monday only. bit.ly/2dcY0B7

ZAPATA FALLS

The next time you head to Great Sand

LOOK EAST: YOU'LL FIND STEEP TERRAIN AND DINOSAUR TRACKS OUT ON THE PLAINS AT PICKET WIRE CANYON. photo by CHRIS KASSAR

Dunes National Park, stop to check out this nearby wonder. The hike may not be a secret, but the half-mile hike to the secluded falls requires some wading and navigating slippery rocks.

That makes for a great adventure any time of year, but especially in summer when you’ll appreciate the cooling effects of the falls well before you reach them. In winter, the 30-foot-tall cascade morphs into any icy columnar sculpture. Though shimmering blue water flows just below the frozen surface, ice climbers have plenty to work with here. But the views from the trailhead alone make this journey worthwhile; look to the north and absorb the grandeur of the dunes set against the base of the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains, or peer west across the expansive San Luis Valley where you’ll see the jagged San Juan Mountains rising like a sheer wall from the valley floor. blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/slvfo.html

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11.16

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U

p in the foothills just outside of Denver, Roxborough State Park is an often-overlooked gem filled with soaring red red rock formations and peaceful meadows. A 2.5-mile lolipop, the Fountain Valley Trail takes in the best this rugged park has to offer: ecological diversity, scenic beauty and big, sweeping views. On the way, you'll pass through a wide range of biological communities—from hot, dry scrub oak to lush, wet meadows—and ramble under the shadow of those giant red rock fins. The route also offers the option for two worthwhile side trips to can’t-miss overlooks. It's a great hike any time of year and an ideal place to work off Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY TRAILHEAD

Start at the trailhead interpretive signs just southwest of the Roxborough State Park visitor center and follow the dirt road that climbs northwest through thickets of scrub oak.

JUNCTION

Almost immediately, you'll reach the junction with the Fountain Valley Overlook Trail. Turn west (left) for a quick detour to an overlook that offers a bird's-eye perspective on the area you are about to explore. It’s impossible not to be awed by the park’s unique geology from this spot: A band of sandstone pushed up here during the uplift that formed the Rocky Mountains and rises from the ground at a dramatic angle. Red fins, formed from the Fountain Formation (the same as in Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks parks), lord over the verdant valley below while further north (right) the yelloworange Lyons Formation forms a chunkier banded

ridge. The younger, more rugged Dakota Hogback dominates the eastern skyline.

LOOP

Continue along the main trail to reach the start of the lolipop's loop, which you can choose to hike in either direction.

4.

LYONS OVERLOOK

At the Lyons Overlook Trail junction, turn left to head southwest for a short, but worthy side trip that climbs at first and then winds downward to reach the Lyons Overlook, an observation deck that rewards you with vistas of the Fountain Formation’s otherworldly fins, Carpenter Peak and Longs Peak far in the distance. Meet the main trail and turn left to continue cruising downhill past a shaded bench that makes for a great rest spot.

5.

CABIN

Soon, a house known as Persee Place comes into view. In the early 1900s, Henry S. Persee built this as a summer home. He wanted to develop the land into a resort, which riled Denver mayor, R.W. Speer, who wrote, “The area should be owned by the city for the free use of the people.” It would be decades before his vision materialized, but in 1975, Colorado purchased the first 500 acres of Roxborough State Park, which now covers 3,300 acres. At the house, the trail curves west (left) to cross Little Willow Creek, an intermittent stream that acts as important water source for wildlife.

6.

FROGS?

Skirt this lush meadow to reach Signpost 15 (a stop that corresponds to the self-guided nature trail guide available at the visitor center). The frog picture alerts you to listen for striped chorus frogs, tiny amphibians with a big song in spring. Pause for a moment to look back at the quiet meadow set against these alien rock formations. After the meadow, climb slightly through a tranquil section

of juniper and ponderosa pine. Pause often to enjoy the fins as you work your way back to the end of the loop. Turn south (right) and retrace your steps along the “stick” portion of the lollipop to return back to the trailhead.

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Colorado-based Mountainsmith’s versatile, 30-liter pack moves seamlessly from airplane to trail, car to crag. A hidden laptop sleeve, an organization sleeve, a detachable interior travel bag and a wealth of on-trail features combine to make this spacious hauler perfect for any adventure. $140; mountainsmith.com —C.K.

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NUMEROLOGY

11.16

MOUNTAIN HIGHS While the grandeur of Colorado can never be measured, here are a few stats to whet your appetite. by CAMERON MARTINDELL

40

Percent of Colorado that is made up of the Eastern High Plains (before the Rocky Mountains take over)—a lot of flat for a mountain state.

830

43

Rough number of mountains in Colorado between 11,000 and 14,000 feet in elevation.

75

The rating of the easiest route up the 180-foot-high summit block of 13,809-foot Dallas Peak, the 100th highest summit in Colorado.

1

Number of rivers that flow into Colorado. The Green is the only one. And it doesn’t take long for it to flow out again after the much larger (nearly 10 times bigger) Yampa joins it. The Green eventually merges with the Colorado River in Utah to continue down into the Grand Canyon.

4

Number of major rivers that flow out of Colorado: the Rio Grande, the Arkansas, the Platte, and of course the state’s namesake river.

3,500

Rough number of different beers on tap at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

1

Number of U.S. women to win an Olympic medal in the steeplechase. Colorado’s Emma Coburn became the first ever in August when she took bronze in Rio.

30

Number of developed hot springs facilities scattered throughout the state.

$996.2 MILLION 104,094 The total legal sales of marijuana in Colorado in 2015, which raised $135 million in taxes and license fees.

Number of established breweries in the state, or 10 percent of all the craft brewers in the entire U.S.

Size of Colorado in square miles.

That comes to 269,837 km2 for the metrically inclined. That also makes it the eighth largest state in the union.

41º, 37º, 102º, 109º

The degrees of North latitude and West longitude, respectively, that define the state boundaries of Colorado. The Centennial State is one of only two states, along with Wyoming, that are perfectly rectangular (technically a latitude-longitude quadrangle since it’s on the surface of a sphere). Utah is the only other state, with Colorado and Wyoming, whose boundaries are completely defined by latitude and longitude.

1876

230

Estimated population of Colorado in 2015 by the US Census Bureau.

Getting bigger? Yup, recent years have averaged 8.5-percent growth in the state.

Number of Olympic athletes born in Colorado according to ranker.com. This does not mean they all earned medals or even competed for the U.S.A. Think there are more? Check out the list and add who you think is missing.

Percent of land above 10,000 feet in the entire United States that is in Colorado.

5.3

5,456,574

The year Colorado became a state, specifically on 18 August as the nation's 38th state.

With that came the Colorado Blue Columbine as the state flower and the Lark bunting as the state bird.

3,317

Lowest point of elevation in feet in Colorado, where the Arikaree River hits the Kansas border. It is, however, the highest low point of all the states. At 14,439 feet, Mount Elbert is Colorado's high point, while the mean elevation of The Centennial State is 6,800 feet.

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STRAIGHT TALK

11.16

JOE GRANT THE GOLD HILL-BASED ULTRARUNNER WHO BLEW AWAY THE SPEED RECORD FOR CLIMBING ALL OF COLORADO’S FOURTEENERS TELLS HOW HE FOUND THE MOTIVATION TO MAKE IT THROUGH TO THE END.

by CHRIS KASSAR

A

t 1:30 pm on August 26, ultrarunner and coach Joe Grant pedaled up his Gold Hill driveway after summiting Longs Peak around sunrise that same day.

He hadn’t slept in 36 hours and he’d been on the move for 31 days, eight hours and 33 minutes completing his self-designed “Tour de Fourteeners,” an unsupported, solo, self-powered link-up of 57 of Colorado’s 14,000foot peaks. Not only did Grant complete this impressive feat, which involved riding his bike between peaks and then running up and down as fast as he could, but he also recorded the fastest known time, smashing Justin Simoni’s previous record (34.5 days) by over three days.

Grant pedaled 1,100 miles, ran and hiked 400, climbed approximately 100,000 feet, touched the top of 57 peaks, carried very little gear, and wore the same t-shirt and shorts through all of it in an effort to keep things simple. The point? He wanted to inspire people to pursue local adventures under their own power.

We caught up with Grant, who has begun working on a film about his odyssey, to learn more.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS STYLE?

A couple years back, Justin Simoni did it in the same style. That resonated with me. By using the bike as a travel tool and running the peaks, I could leave from my doorstep, explore my backyard, carry a minimal, but reasonable amount of gear, and travel relatively quickly between peaks, while still going slow enough to enjoy the trip.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOTIVATION?

I live in Colorado. The Fourteeners are iconic. I’ve been considering linking them in some manner for years. With all the traveling I do,

I don’t get to explore Colorado as much as I want to, so committing to this was a good way to ensure that. I also wanted to promote self-powered local adventure and a different way of exploring your local environment.

WAS BEATING THE RECORD A PERSONAL GOAL FOR YOU?

Justin is a great athlete and artist and I connected to his approach. He gave me a reference, a starting point, and I enjoyed exploring my own capabilities, my physical and mental edges and the personal challenge of pushing my limits. I wasn’t focused on the record. I wanted to push myself because I like that raw state when you’re so tired and working so hard that you reach a new level of mental acuity.

WHAT WAS YOUR HIGH POINT?

There were so many it’s hard to pick one. Sometimes within one day, I’d experience the full range: I’d wake up to rain, but then pop out on the peak and it’d be sunny or I’d see a rainbow or goat, and a huge shift would occur.

I’m generally a pretty stoked guy, but when you’re working this hard, you’re so on edge that little things become much more notable. The lows can be intense, but so can the high for simple things … you gain a huge, new appreciation for things that are mundane. That’s why I seek out these opportunities to put myself in this position where I am raw, vulnerable and super open—no inhibition, no holding back, very intense.

LOW POINT?

Mount Antero, the trip’s halfway point. Something triggered a mental shift … I felt fatigue from the previous two weeks and started thinking about what was ahead. It’s not a hard peak, but I broke down.

I’m not exactly sure why …. Maybe

it was the familiarity? On the peaks I didn’t know, I was focused and on point, whereas I let my guard down on those I knew really well. I didn’t anticipate that. I thought the technical peaks would be the toughest, but it was the grind and the wear and tear of it all that caught up to me.

FEELING IT: GRANT ATOP 14,148-FOOT DEMOCRAT, WITH JUST SIX PEAKS TO GO photo by JOE GRANT

nothing extraordinary about it. It’s not a magical state, it’s a very simple adjustment of mindset.

WHY DO YOU COACH?

WHAT KEPT YOU GOING?

The weather on the trip was very chaotic, but even when it was snowing or pouring, I knew it would pass… everything passes. My process was a bit like that: Accept the situation, what the moment holds, and know it’s going to pass. There’s a sort of relaxation that comes from that. As much as I adapted to the rhythm of the weather, I also adapted to the rhythm of these highs and lows.

HOW DO YOU BRING THAT BACK FROM THE MOUNTAINS?

The profundity of it is the simplicity: You are in control if you want to be … you can change your outlook if you want to. But, it’s not like I’ve discovered something new. This is a tool that works and there’s

I like developing relationships and helping people become confident that they can do whatever they want.

There shouldn’t be a huge barrier to entry for ultras and I love giving people the tools and confidence to enjoy time on trails.

WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO FINALLY COME HOME?

I started and finished from home so I put the bike in the shed and it was sort of like I’d just been gone for a ride. Of course, I felt a huge sense of completion, but also a huge sense of relief when I realized I didn’t have to get up the next day and stay so focused. Just sitting on the couch and eating felt so good.

Learn more at alpine-works.com.

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READERS SPEAK

11.16

ADVENTURE TOWNS

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

THIS STATE IS PRIMED FOR OUTDOOR FUN, BUT WHAT TOWNS TRULY EMBODY THE SPIRIT OF WORK HARD, PLAY HARD, PARTY HARD THAT MAKES COLORADO ADVENTURE CENTRAL? WE PUT THAT QUESTION TO OUR READERS AND THE ONLINE BATTLE WAS ON TO DETERMINE YOUR FAVORITE HOT SPOTS. MEET THE WINNERS…

C

olorado just seems to keep getting better for those who like to go outside and play.

Over the past year we created a new Department of Outdoor Recreation that is seeking not just to bring more adventure brands and services into the state, but also to build sustainable communities based on that ethos. The result is that Colorado towns keep finding new ways to be better, to offer more to their residents, and to create economies based on enjoying the beauty around them, rather than exploiting it for short-term gain. Each year, we run an online reader poll to determine which towns in the state do this the best.

And here they are, the top adventure towns in the state of Colorado:

LARGE TOWN FRUITA Fruita, which won this category last year, too, is no secret: Nearly 600,000 people visit Colorado National Monument (nps. gov/colm) each year and the epic built-forand-by-mountain-bikers singletrack draws the fat-tire faithful here all year long. As it has drawn more and more funhogs, the once sleepy town keeps evolving.

WHERE TO FIND ADVENTURE: Start by

heading to one of the town's guide operations or local shops. Rim Rock Adventures (rradventures.com), located right on the Colorado River, offers up guides and rentals for rafting, stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking. Looking to spin your wheels? Colorado Backcountry Biker (backcountrybiker.com) provides repairs and local beta, and runs unique hut-to-hut trips that provide scenic cross-country rides that end up in a cozy cabin. Over the Edge Sports (otesports.com), which has been

an institution here for over two decades is a hub for everything mountain bike and hosts the Fruita Fat Tire Festival (fruitafattirefestival.com) and 18 Hours of Fruita (18hrsoffruita.com) each year.

Want more? Hike to Rattlesnake Arches via Pollock Bench (n.doi.gov/2e7MvNs). Or head to the Dinosaur Journey Museum, (museumofwesterncocom/dinosaur-journey) where you can even get out on active dinosaur digs in the summer.

WHERE TO KICK BACK: It’s hard not to end up

headed for New-freaking-Jersey-style pizza at the Hot Tomato Cafe (hottomatocafe. com), run by cyclists Jen Zeuner and Anne Keller. Thirsty? Kannah Creek Brewery West (kannahcreekbrewingco.com/kannahwest) just opened in Fruita.

ACT LIKE A LOCAL: Jen and Anne from the above mentioned Hot Tomato opened their second business Bestslope Coffee (bestslopecoffeeco.com). It's part of a whole new community of businesses they plan to open with the purchase of more land.

DON’T MISS: A lot will be new in Fruita in the coming year. Last month, work began on 6.5 miles of new singletrack in the Kokopelli Trail system, and a big, new trail will extend the Edge Loop Trail and connect to the east end of the Sarlacc Trail. A 4.5-mile paved trail with adjacent singletrack will also connect the town of Fruita to the Kokopelli Trailhead.

RUNNER UP: DURANGO Durango has it all: It's surrounded by the San Juans' fourteeners, wilderness and singletrack. It's blessed with the whitewater of the Animas running through town.

Powder turns at Purgatory and Silverton are just up the road. Add in craft-beer and you have a classic Colorado community.

MONUMENTAL FUN: FRUITA MAY BE BEST KNOWN FOR ITS SINGLETRACK, BUT THERE’S PLENTY OF HIKING IN THE RED ROCK HERE, TOO. photo by DEVON BALET

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photo courtesy WILDERNESS AWARE RAFTING

photo by SCOTT PETERSON

MEDIUM TOWN BUENA VISTA Buena Vista is hot. The town has always been a mecca for paddlers, with CKS Paddlefest (ckspaddlefest. com) and its prime location on the banks of the Arkansas River drawing core and curious boaters alike. But things have been moving fast recently here with the revamped South Main area bringing a rush of new energy to the town. Credit that surge to local paddler turned sustainable development sensei Jed Selby, who won a Wright Award (somethingindependent.com) last month for having the vision to develop the free whitewater park, trails, homes, shops and eats by the river, as well as launch the new Vertex festival (vertexfestival.com), which brought headliners like Trey Anastasio and Alabama Shakes to town over the summer. But don't miss the core of BV, either. Main Street is always hopping, and there's plenty of adventure with the river on one side and the Collegiate Peaks on the other.

WHERE TO FIND ADVENTURE: A whopping 83 percent of the land surrounding Buena Vista is public, so there's no shortage of places to play.

24

OFF THE SPRAY CHART: THE ARKANSAS RIVER, A FREE PLAY PARK AND BROWNS CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT MAKE BUENA VISTA GROUND ZERO FOR WHITEWATER (ABOVE). SOMETHING FISHY: AND WHILE THOSE BOATERS ARE OFF AND AWAY, SOME OF US CATCH TROUT (RIGHT).

The new Browns Canyon National Monument (brownscanyon.org) is a big draw for boaters. In town, Buena Vista has built new bike trails, a disc golf course, a new skateboard park, a boulder climbing park and the town is constantly tweaking the river kayak holes on the east edge of town.

WHERE TO KICK BACK: Saunter into Deerhammer Distillery (deerhammer.com) and order a High Roller (a specialty cocktail made with white whiskey, pineapple juice, coconut and almond). You'll find some of the best food in town on East Main at Simple Eatery (spoon-it-up.com)—don't miss the fresh-baked Bavarian pretzel bread.

There's no better place for relaxation than Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort (mtprinceton.com). Soak in the pools or dip in the natural springs right in the waters of Chalk Creek.

The roomy, clean cabins (soaking and spa privileges included) here make for the perfect family/friends retreat.

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ACT LIKE A LOCAL: If you are looking for fun at night, hit The Lariat at 206 E Main (thelariatbv.com), where you'll find live music. Brown Dog Coffee (browndogcoffee.com) roasts their own coffee. And, on a summer night, head to Comanche Drive In Theater (comanchedrivein.com). It's one of just a precious few remaining drive-ins left in the state. If you really want to sound like a local, pronounce the town name correctly. It's not from Spanish, but from settler Alsina Dearheimer who suggested the name for the town and said it should be pronounced ‘bew,’ as in beautiful.

DON’T MISS: You can still prospect

here: Some of the best aquamarine specimens in the U.S. come from the heights of nearby 14,275-foot Mount Antero (bit.ly/2dp4W17). Just make sure you are not claim jumping.

RUNNER UP: SILVERTHORNE Don't think it's all fast food and outlet stores. Well, they are here, but Silverthorne is a sneaky place to play, too. Show up early and you can catch trout right in front of the outlets, and, when spring hits, there are few better, and easier-accessed corn skis in the state than 12,777-foot Buffalo Peak.

SMALL TOWN LYONS The floods of 2013 absolutely devastated Lyons, but the town has experienced an amazing rebound thanks to the resilience of the locals who have doubled down on its ideal location for outdoor adventure.

Situated where the forks of the St. Vrain come rushing out of the Front Range, the town is also the home of festival heavy-hitter Planet Bluegrass, of Telluride Bluegrass fame, which produces Rockygrass and Folks Fest on its Lyons grounds every summer and where the main stage miraculously survived the 2013 disaster. Lyons is a magnet for small, funky, independent business, too, and it's amazing that a town of just 1,800 residents can house so many spots that complement outdoor adventure.

WHERE TO FIND ADVENTURE:

On September 9, 2016, (almost three years to the day after the flood), LaVern M. Johnson Park (previously Meadow Park) opened back up. The grounds are the home of the reconstructed Lyons Whitewater Park (townoflyons.com/349/LaVernM-Johnson-Park), which features eight whitewater structures on a quartermile stretch of the North St. Vrain River. It's a state-of-the-art location for kayaking, SUP, tubing and fishing.

Builders S2O Design also made it a model for increased flood resiliency and sustainable aquatic habitat.

WHERE TO KICK BACK:

There's good reason why hordes of Harleys, tourists and fun-seekers descend on Lyons. The gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park is the original home of the brewery that began the craft-beer-in-acan phenomenon, Oskar Blues (oskarblues.com), where the Dale’s Pale Ale flows like water—what's more the BBQ-and-beer joint is also the force behind Reeb Cycles (reebcycles.com). The legendary brewery features live music as well as special small and impromptu shows during Planet Bluegrass festivals. But there are plenty of other fine places to chow down here, too: Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ (smokindavesq.com) also serves up finger-lickin’-good fare, and Lyons Dairy Bar (lyonsdairybar. com) is a must-stop for burgers, fries and ice cream. Slinging coffee and food, The Stone Cup is certainly the most popular place in town,

especially when Planet Bluegrass festivals are in full swing. In the mood for tacos? Head to the new Ax & Oar (axandoarlyons.com). And you'll want to try the gin with juniper berries picked right in Lyons at Spirit Hound Distillers (spirithounds.com).

ACT LIKE A LOCAL: The whitewater

park also features a summer plaza area with a concession stand that doubles as a seasonal ice rink. The rink is designed for standard threeon-three hockey, with an outside lane around the perimeter open for free skating. Picnickers can stay warm year-round next to three gas fire pits or a historic wood-burning fireplace within the ground of the new park.

DON’T MISS: For a town so small, Lyons is a surprisingly big haven of specialty outdoor retail shops.

You can find handmade bamboo fly-fishing rods and reels at South Creek Ltd. (southcreekltd.com). At Redstone Cyclery (redstonecyclery. com), there's bikes, parts, repairs and local intelligence on mountain, road and ’cross rides on the surrounding singletrack, pavement, jeep roads and hard-to-find routes.

Red Fox Outdoor Equipment (us. redfoxoutdoor.com) sells climbing gear, technical apparel and other gear goodies. Then there's Carve Industries (carvesurfboards.com), designers of surfboards, stand-up paddleboards, paddles and longboards made out of renewable wood.

photo by EDWARD BRUDER

RUNNER UP: MEEKER Where's Meeker? That question is a big part of the draw to this real Colorado town near the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway. You won't find much attitude here; you will find plenty of play spots, however, with the White River and boundless wilderness surrounding town.

SHOPPING MALL? YOU’LL FIND MORE COOL, LITTLE BUSINESSES THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM A TOWN OF 1,800 IN LYONS (ABOVE). NEW LIFE: THE FLOODS OF 2013 ALMOST WIPED LYONS OFF THE MAP, BUT THEY ALSO OPENED UP MORE OF THE LAND AROUND THE RIVER FOR A NEW PARK AND WHITEWATER PLAY STRUCTURES (RIGHT).

photo by ARIELLE HODGSON

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NEW HEIGHTS

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TRAMPS IN

MUDWALL SEASON THIS SKETCHY WALL COULD HAVE BEEN LOST TO THE CRUMBLING BLOCKS OF HISTORY, BUT THE SHEER FACE BARELY VISIBLE FROM I-70 FOUND NEW LIFE WHEN LOCAL CLIMBERS PUT UP LINES IN THE NAME OF THE LEGENDARY LAYTON KOR.

by CHRIS VAN LEUVEN

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I

could feel something crackling under my fingers. Was it the edges of the rock crumbling or lichen crunching? I honestly didn’t know.

Up to this point I’d failed on this route, sometimes taking whippers through the open air for 40 feet or more. Once again, I was looking at that same kind of fall, the kind where your stomach rises into your throat.

Then numbness overcame rationality, and it felt like a glass wall lowered over my eyes. No longer caring about falling, or the crumbly rock I grabbed or stood up on. I climbed on and up this nasty route.

Such is life on the Mudwall.

T

he Mudwall, a.k.a. the Grizzly Creek Wall, is a broad cliff of Sawatch quartzite tucked far up Glenwood's Grizzly Creek Canyon and mostly hidden from passersby barrelling down I-70. The wall was first explored by Colorado climbing legend Layton Kor in the 1960s—I ended up here on my own path, but inspired by Kor's vision.

Called Behind the Curtain, this line has obsessed me ever since a group of friends and I bolted it several years prior. We set a high bar—runout, loose climbing with few bolts and sometimes sketchy gear—up a sustained overhanging line. It’s nasty: Sometimes the rock resembles kitty litter. It’s a line that addresses all my climbing fears and challenges, but it’s something I have to step up to time and again. Perhaps it’s all in my head, but isn’t that what climbing’s often about anyway?

It was the former editor of Climbing magazine Jeff Achey who first shared the secret of climbing on this long-forgotten wall. Achey has reportedly “established 100s of first ascents, from desert… to sport climbs on Colorado’s Western Slope [to]… running it out on dangerous first free ascents in Eldorado Canyon like Le Void (5.11d R) and Wendego (5.12a R),” DPM Climbing says.

Intrigued, I called Layton Kor in 2010 to find out more about his experiences climbing on this odd wall that had so inspired me. “If I devoted myself to that canyon, I could have done a lot routes,” he said. Although his vision and boldness continue to be celebrated after his death in 2013, no admiring climbers had ever stopped to follow Kor’s leads here.

Well, excpet Jeff Achey and

It also has big, cracked curtains of flaky pillars pasted to wall ready to break off at any moment. If you hit it with your fist it gongs.

HELPING HAND: BOULDER-BASED CLIMBER BRENT BUTLER BELAYED THE AUTHOR ON HIS FINAL (AND SUCCESSFUL) CLIMB UP THE 5.12A/B ROUTE BEHIND THE CURTAIN (ABOVE).

MUD WRESTLING: AUTHOR VAN LEUVEN TEMPTS FATE ON BEHIND THE CURTAIN (LEFT). photos by JOHN LLOYD

company, and a few random folks. It all started for me when, after a day of cragging in Glenwood Canyon in 2006. Back at Achey’s house, we were all a few cold ones deep and he broke out Kor’s classic 1983 book Beyond the Vertical. Jeff had his eyes set on completing Kor’s abandoned Grizzly Creek Canyon project and he was fishing for partners to go up there with him. He’d been to the wall a few times already. He had even completed one new route, and he shared tales of multi-hour leads, crumbling stone and devious route-finding. At the time, it sounded horrible.

Jeff talked about the first route established on the wall since Kor’s

visits to the area in the 1960s. The nebulous, 700-foot Mudflap Girl (5.10), is tame by Mudwall standards but it’s still a big adventure. “This is probably the most user-friendly route on the wall,” Achey later wrote in the 2008 American Alpine Journal.

A

few weeks after learning about the Mudwall from Achey, Glenwood local and self professed “choss connoisseur” Mike Schneiter invited me up there.

Mike’s a man who can move over loose terrain like a seasoned captain dodging his vessel through dangerous waters by feel. He’d also seen pictures of the wall in Beyond the Vertical,

but Layton Kor’s book was long out print and going for up to $1,000 online. “I used to always look at friend’s copies,” he said. It was finally reprinted in 2013 and Mike snatched it up. He soon convinced me to join him out for a jaunt up a low-angle gully on backside of the Mudwall, followed by a an inspection of the face via a rappel in from the top.

Approaching the wall the from this safer terrain, Mike and I could rappel in and check out the wall without the risk of pulling blocks down on us. This compromised method also allowed us the convenience of inspecting and cleaning out natural gear placements.

The Mudwall is not only blank and steep, but it’s covered in blocks teetering on the edges of ledges. It also has big, cracked curtains of flaky pillars pasted to wall ready to break off at any moment. If you hit it with your fist it gongs.

On that first day, we wore masks to keep the rock dust from filling our lungs as we trundled blocks and placed bolts for a new route. With the blocks gone and a few protection bolts in, our route was starting to look, well, decent. Maybe this was fun.

F

or the next few weekends, we returned to the route to scrub holds and work out the complex sequences required to climb the route free. The vast wall offered myriad options for first ascensionists willing to put in the work. To us, that meant crafting a steep continuous line with as few bolts as possible.

The Horse and Pony Show (5.11d) became our first new route on the wall.

Our second and more difficult line was Behind the Curtain (5.12a/b). It became my personal obsession, until I finally found that glass wall over my eyes and climbed it two years ago.

Meanwhile, Jeff Achey continues to climb more new routes here. In 2007, he even took Kor’s abandoned project—a truly horrifying line—to the top. Simply called The Mudwall (5.11), it still haunts me: I half want to do it and half never want to see it again because the thing is ready to fall to the ground.

A friend who later repeated the route, describes the first pitch as “a 100-foot towering pillar that I could put my head behind and see all the way to the ground.” Oddly enough, that description only makes me want to go back.

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WOODWARD COPPER AIN’T JUST FOR THE KIDDOS— GROWN-UPS CAN LEARN TO BECOME SUPERHEROES ON SKIS AND SNOWBOARDS AT THE RESORT’S FREESTYLE TRAINING CENTER, TOO.

by PADDY O'CONNELL

H

ere I am sweating like a chica de la noche in church on Christmas. My helmet, blue plaid button-down, and jeans are more waterlogged than the Titanic. It's July but I can’t blame the summer heat. The reason for my perspiration? I'm standing atop the drop-in of the big jump at Woodward Copper’s Barn, an indoor facility that is the snow/skate equivalent of a superhero-training warehouse. The place is the perfect combination of X-Games meets X-Men: There are ramps, tramps and even a viewing area from which spectators watch action-sports ninjas twisting, flipping, and launching themselves like human rocket ships into foam pits.

The only person looking my way, however, is an eight-year-old who 28

yells at me to “Go, already!” But I don't budge. I'm clicked into fourfoot skis that have skateboard wheels on the bottom. I’ve been nervously counting down from three for about five minutes now and I keep going.

Additional features like spring floors, a pump track, a street course, and a skate/bmx bowl make the Barn irresistible to a child—or really anyone who likes to have fun.

Colin is a 43-year-old father of three from Chicago. He tells me his oodward Copper is a yearwife issued him a hall pass to attend round mountain sports “Dad Camp.” Colin decided on training ground, the gem Woodward’s weeklong summer adult of which is The Barn—a nearly program because “I’ve plateaued, 20,000 square foot funhouse. In 2013, man. During the winter, I hang out at Copper sunk half a million dollars the terrain park with my daughters into improving the facilities and see the things the kids features here. Skatelite can do these days. I’m ramps mimic the feel like ‘I gotta try that!’”

He is, by far, of snow for skiers and He is by far the snowboarders and the most enthusiastic most enthusiastic also allow the use person I have ever person I have ever of bikes, scooters, seen literally land seen literally land on on his face. He has a skateboards, Roller Blades, or anything high-five and a smile his face. else with wheels. (My ready every time he request to try a rolling office picks himself up off of the chair was, however, unfortunately trampolines. We both laugh when denied ... some nonsense about we simultaneously say, “If you’re not setting a good example or something.) falling, you’re not trying.”

The trampolines are made from For Mike and Samantha, a couple Olympic-grade Flybed and, yes, the in their mid-twenties from Florida, 14-foot-by-14-foot super tramp will progression of their terrain park in fact launch you super, super high. skillset is only part of the reason for

W

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PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPELINE: WOODWARD MAY TRAIN SOME OF THE BEST UP-ANDCOMING ATHLETES ON THE PLANET, BUT IT'S ALSO THE IDEAL PLACE FOR JUST ABOUT ANYONE TO LEARN SOME SKILLS. photo by TRIPP FAY, COPPER MOUNTAIN RESORT

traveling all the way to Colorado.

“We don’t get a lot of summertime snow in Tampa,” Mike jokes. “We take one or two trips every winter.

This seemed like a great way to improve and not get too rusty.”

And their decision is paying off. Both are landing new tricks in The Barn before they test their mettle at Pipeline, the summertime terrain park—a 1,000-foot swath of manmade snow containing three large booters and a peppering of ride-on boxes, rails and wall-ride features. But more importantly, Mike and Samantha are comfortable. “It’s awesome here,” Samantha exclaims after I ask her how her time has been.

“Other camps are really intense and intimidating. Woodward is laid-back and the coaches are great.”

Woodward coaches are employed year-round, instructing everyone from little groms to adults of all ability levels. Summertime camps

run from June to August and focus on improving the skills and confidence of skiers, snowboarders, bikers (BMX and mountain), skaters and scooterers. There’s even a video production camp for the aspiring Warren Millertypes. During the winter, day lessons and multi-day freestyle programs are focused on the steps of progression, beginning in the morning with inair bodywork and muscle memory training at The Barn before heading to the mountain in the afternoon.

New to this winter is the all-access pass, which allows ma and pa unlimited skiing and riding at Copper Mountain and The Barn all season long for $559, the kiddies (ages 6-12) for $389, and those adorably overly emotional teenagers (13-17) for $469.

Silencing that little voice that tells you that you’re too old to be doing this is free of charge.

“N

o, man. You go ahead.

You got this,” the eight-year-old waiting on me and my sweaty nerves on top

ANIMAL FARM? INSIDE THE BARN, THE YOUNGSTERS SHOW OFF THEIR STUFF, WHILE THE OLD FOLKS SWEAT BULLETS.

Photo: Xavi Fane

photo by CHIP PROULX, WOODWARD COPPER

BIG AGNES

APPAREL is designed and tested in

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, so you can count on it when the snow’s chest deep, the sun sets on a chilly belay, or when temps are showing negative on the local bank sign in town.

Happy Winter. bigagnes.com

Outfitting Dirtbags Everywhere...

(Left) Women’s Shovelhead Jacket , (Right) Men’s Shovelhead Jacket,

Tents • Sleeping Bags • Pads • Apparel • Helinox

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of the drop-in retorts after I suggest he may want to go ahead. At first glance, many would not think me a graceful fellow. I tip the scales at well-over two bills and lumber at the height of most ceiling fans. But get me on a wedding reception dance floor or a pair of planks and I prove initial judgments wrong. I like to think I possess the grooves of Kevin Bacon in “Footloose” and the moves of Jerry Cramer from “Ski Patrol: The Movie.”

Right now, though, I am shaking

like a newborn deer trying to walk on a frozen puddle. I feel completely out of my element. I’m nervous I will lose my balance after dropping in, speed wobble in the flat, and slam into a bloody pulp on the metal ramp. But if this kid gives me any more words of encouragement, I’m going to have to unscrew my mustache and turn my certification back into the Manhood Office. Peer pressure, even from a tiny human (I mean, I own t-shirts older than this pipsqueak for crying

ROOMS

FROM $

78

PP PN

out loud), is a great motivator.

I drop in, glide smoothly at speed, pop off the lip of the ramp, and hit a cruising altitude somewhere between 20 feet and the stratosphere. If not for The Barn's ceiling, I would surely soar into space. As I fly through the air like a skiing Han Solo, exhilaration replaces apprehension. Before I land in a soft whoomp of blue foam blocks, I have decided that I want to launch off the ramp again—as much as possible.

photo by TRIPP FAY, COPPER MOUNTAIN RESORT

I am a skier, after all, which means I am really just a big kid looking for big grins. And Woodward Copper has my smile reaching behind my ears.

Paddy O'Connell is a freelance creator, focusing on storytelling and multimedia production. His mustache can only be described as out of this world.

EXPERIENCE ANOTHER WAY OF LIFE

CHALLENGE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

BACKPACK IN THE CARIBBEAN

Expedition Ayiti seeks to promote intercultural understanding by giving visitors an authentic experience of Haitian life and culture while bringing economic opportunities to rural Haitian communities.

- www.expeditionayiti.org 30

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

COLORADO BRANDED

What better place to build an outdoor brand than in the state that gets outside and plays more than any other? The people who work at these companies live the Colorado life—and that dedication to adventure shows in the gear they make.

MOUNTAIN STANDARD HOMETOWN Boulder, Colorado THE STORY Mountain Standard was born here in Boulder Colorado two years ago and we set out with a simple vision: to offer Premium Goods at an Honest price = more money for your adventures.

DESCRIBE YOUR COLORADO-NESS We don’t come from the coasts. We are Colorado natives. Living here with

all of our seasons, the climate and amazing instate destinations is truly unique. Things are different here than in California. We embrace this difference in everything we do—that includes disrupting the industry norms. The time has come for a brand that comes from this place, not one that just uses pictures from it.

as two pairs for $15! The other new product that was launched just days ago is our Camp Chair. Again, we are introducing a camping essential at a price, $59, that allows our community to buy two for the same price the industry sells one.

MOUNTAINSTANDARD.COM FOUNDED: 2014 303-449-5797

NEW PRODUCTS We are really excited about our Merino Socks launch this month. The industry typically sells socks of this quality for $20-$25, but we are able to bring them out N OV E M B E R 2 016 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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COLORADO BRANDED

GIVEAWAY!

OVER

$1000

OF GEAR

ENTER TO WIN ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM

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1. MEIER Quickdraw Skis 2. VOORMI Full Zip High-E Hoodie 3. MOUNTAIN STANDARD $100 gift card 4. FOUR POINTS BARS Variety Pack

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

COLORADO BRANDED

365 BOARDING GETAWAYS

MEIER SKIS HOMETOWN Denver, Colorado

HOMETOWN Denver, Colorado THE STORY 365 Boarding Getaways are all-inclusive adventure travel escapes for boarding enthusiasts. Each getaway includes ground transportation, lodging, meals, rentals and activities to domestic and international destinations. 365 focuses on the SNOW | SURF | KITE | SUP industries to promote the passion of travel and staying active. Join us on an upcoming getaway.

Explore. Escape. Connect.

DESCRIBE YOUR COLORADO-NESS Locally, 365 offers SUP yoga, whitewater SUP, heli snowboarding and more.

The 2016-2017 snow season has a lot in store including a four-day weekend avalanche awareness trip to Mt. Baker as well as a heli trip to Silverton.

FUN FACT Want something international? Join us for a week in Niseko, Japan. See you on the slopes!

365BOARDING.COM FOUNDED: 2011 859.628.8005

BIG AGNES HOMETOWN Steamboat Springs, Colorado THE STORY Our mission statement is pretty simple: We want to outfit people in the highest quality, most comfortable gear possible, and hopefully inspire them to camp in the first place. Most of all, we want them to find the same appreciation for the backcountry that we have.

DESCRIBE YOUR COLORADO-NESS Living and working in Steamboat Springs has meant everything to the inspiration and vitality of this brand. We partner with organizations that not only work to protect our wildlands, our rivers and peaks, but also look to bring up the next generation of outdoor lovers. We use

our backyard access to some of the most iconic mountains on the planet to inspire innovation, find solutions and go beyond the standard—but at the end of the day, we just love to sleep in the dirt.

NEW PRODUCTS We are excited to bring new color and aesthetic updates to our Fall/Winter 2016 Insulated Apparel Collection of both Downtek™ and synthetic insulated jackets, skirts, vests and scarves for men, women and kids.

THE STORY In 2009, Founder, Matt Cudmore was looking for a lightweight, highperformance ski that was fun in backcountry pow, trees, crud and resorts.

Giving up on name-brands, he engineered his own and Meier Skis was born.

DESCRIBE YOUR COLORADO-NESS Meier Skis strives to be the most eco-friendly, highperformance ski company in the world, and does so while providing jobs and boosting the local economy! Visit us at our new Factory—the first ski manufacturer where you can have a drink at our bar while watching your skis get pressed and your other pair get tuned up!

FUN FACT We try not to take ourselves too seriously. We are Big Agnes after all, named after a 12,000-foot peak north of Steamboat in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness.

FUN FACT Meier Skis are handcrafted in our Denver shop and our wood cores are made out of 100-percent locally harvested Colorado aspen and beetlekill pine that’s shown off via a clear topsheet.

BIGAGNES.COM FOUNDED: 2001

MEIERSKIS.COM FOUNDED: 2009

970.871.1480

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COLORADO BRANDED OSPREY PACKS HOMETOWN Cortez, Colorado COMPANY BIO We are Osprey Packs. We make high performing, durable, quality and innovative carrying equipment for any and every outdoor and travel activity. Born in the misty hills of Santa Cruz, we call Southwest Colorado home—Cortez to be exact.

A town you’ve probably never heard of. Sure, we could live in a shinier city, but we could never find a place more representative of who we are, what we love and why we exist. Bordered by the towering San Juan Mountains to the east, we simply turn our heads and craggy snow-covered hills

VOORMI HOMETOWN Pagosa Springs, Colorado THE STORY There was a time when people made things. A time when craftsmanship, local knowledge and personal pride resulted in something beautiful and enduring. At VOORMI, we don’t bother ourselves with trends.

We care about building 34

transition to pinon pines, junipers, sagebrush and desert sandstone.

DESCRIBE YOUR COLORADO-NESS We could live anywhere, but we choose to live here for limitless singletrack, desert climbing, frozen waterfalls, and wide-open spaces.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

headquarters. There are 86 of us in Cortez, we harken from locales throughout the U.S. and here we’ve found what unites us all: the spirit of adventure, and the

unwillingness to ever truly grow up.

DESCRIBE YOUR COLORADO-NESS VOORMI apparel is handcrafted for mountain professionals. This is more than a cliché slogan; it’s how we do business. We’ve set out to rebuild American manufacturing, making a stand right here in Colorado.

We’re designing the best wool garments you’ll ever experience and we’re doing it with sheep raised in Colorado’s mountains.

TESTIMONIAL “[VOORMI] apparel reflects the small-batch ethos that pervades the blossoming hand-crafted economy in the high country.” —Denver Post

OSPREYPACKS.COM FOUNDED: 1974 866-284-7830

NEW PRODUCTS This fall brings new 24/Seven packs, and, as the snow begins to fall, we look to our men’s Kamber and women’s specific Kresta ski and snowboard packs to help you on big climbs and epic one or two-planked winter descents.

FUN FACT When you think of Osprey you might imagine a big company and flashy

simply the best apparel for people who wake up every day in the mountains. We also believe that cuttingedge technology and local manufacturing aren’t mutually exclusive goals.

As we push the technical boundaries of what wool can accomplish, we also strive every day to support local economies and bring much needed jobs back to our mountain towns.

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FUN FACT One Rambouillet sheep produces enough wool for about five VOORMI garments!

VOORMI.COM FOUNDED: 2010 970-264-2724

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

COLORADO BRANDED

REPYOURWATER HOMETOWN Erie, Colorado

FOURPOINTS BAR HOMETOWN Denver, Colorado COMPANY BIO Our story started at 14,000 feet—founded by three Colorado natives born and raised on a steady diet of action sports and backcountry excursions. We combined our backgrounds in sports nutrition, fitness, exercise and culinary arts to develop a nutrition bar unlike any other.

DESCRIBE YOUR COLORADO-NESS We are the Colorado brand.

We know that in order to play hard the body needs the right nutrients at the right times. We created Fourpoints out of necessity for our own active/adventure lifestyle.

The result is a whole food nutrition bar that supports REAL long term energy.

Wherever you play®.

FUN FACT Come see us at Ski & Snowboard Expo November 4-6. Use promo code: ELEVATE25 for 25 percent off your first order.

FOURPOINTSBAR.COM FOUNDED: 2014 303-589-6848

ROMP SKIS HOMETOWN Crested Butte, Colorado THE STORY Romp hand crafts skis in downtown Crested Butte, Colorado, the ideal place for designing custom skis.

Product testing takes place just ten minutes away at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Countervail® allows Romp Skis to custom tailor the flex and damping of a ski to the specific needs of a customer, enabling an ease of turning on hard snow, increased edge hold, less fatigue, and a more enjoyable skiing experience.

DESCRIBE YOUR COLORADO-NESS From our factory, we access

over two-million acres of backcountry skiing. Which means that at Romp, we’re closed on powder days to have more fun skiing!

TESTIMONIAL “Romp built a ski that was exactly what I described, and exactly what I was looking for. I was extremely impressed and happy with the ski they built for me.”

—Julia Van Raalte

THE STORY RepYourWater was established in 2011 with the intention of giving anglers a way to represent the water they love to fish with designs based on different localities.

Colorado was the first. Five years later, RepYourWater provides uniquely designed, top-quality gear for anglers (and now hunters, too) while increasing support of local conservation and inspiring exploration.

DESCRIBE YOUR COLORADO-NESS Co-founders Garrison and Corinne Doctor are both Colorado natives. When they first established the company they formed a partnership with Colorado Trout Unlimited and donate at least one percent of sales of Colorado gear to CTU.

FUN FACT The 10th Special Forces Group, based at Fort Carson, Colorado selected Romp Skis for high mountain training and combat.

FUN FACT RepYourWater’s performance shirts are 100-percent madein the USA. The fabric is woven, UV-treated, dyed, sewn and printed all in the United States.

ROMPSKIS.COM FOUNDED: 2010

REPYOURWATER.COM FOUNDED: 2011

970-349-5353

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GEAR

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COLORADO

CRED

3

4

THE CENTENNIAL STATE KEEPS DRAWING IN MORE AND MORE OUTDOOR GEAR MANUFACTURERS. MEET SOME BRANDS WHO CRAFT GEAR THAT DOES THEIR HOME STOMPING GROUNDS PROUD.

5 7 6

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

1. BIG AGNES SHIELD 2

Big Agnes is the original Colorado success story. Founded by funhogs who simply wanted the right gear to play in the local hills, and currently employing likeminded folks even after so much success, the brand is an anchor in Steamboat Springs.

The Shield 2 typifies what Big Agnes does best—a small, lightweight twoperson tent that's up to the task of any adventure in the mountains or desert of this state. $390; bigagnes.com

BOULDER

2. REVELLION SUPERFINE MERINO BASELAYER The idea behind brand-new ultraruning-and-climbing-focused Revellion is that the finer the merino, the better it feels against your skin— and performs in the field. As our IFMGA-guide contributing editor Rob

36

Coppolillo told us, “It's like running in a cashmere baselayer while being serenaded by angels peeing ice-cold Chateau d'Yquem over your head on a hot day.” Sold. $108; revellion.com

DENVER

3. FLYLOW IRON EAGLE

Once upon a time, Dan Abrams, the founder of Flylow, wandered into our offices with a sturdy pair of pants he was going to bring to market for telemark skiers. The brand has grown to not just continue to build stylish, functional apparel, but, more so, to define the freestyle vibe. We wear the comfy, warm, casual Iron Eagle jacket almost every day around town in the winter. $150; flylowgear.com

PAGOSA SPRINGS

4. VOORMI INVERSION Forget Colorado, no brand on the planet is doing the same type of

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innovative things with wool that Voormi dreams up down in the San Juans. The locally sourced wool blended into the Inversion helps create a cozy fabric that feels sturdy and truly can hold up to heavy use on the ski hill, shucking off snow and breathing as well as other, artificial fabrics. $499; voormi.com

DENVER

BOULDER

6. WALLAROO SAVANNAH We were skeptical when we heard that this hat could be rolled up and packed.

But it held up through two cross-Atlantic flights. And it offers outstanding UV protection whether you’re on the beach or taking a sun-drenched foothills hike. $52; wallaroohats.com

5. MILE HIGH MOUNTAINEERING SULTAN

BOULDER

This smart backpack brand crafts packs that actually feel as if they have been tested up in the mountains. The new, roomy, 4.9-pound, 50-liter Sultan manifests that ethos. It allows easy access into the guts of the pack from any panel, or you can zip open the entire hauler flat to go through your gear. Plus, a built-in waterproof stuff sack holds stinky and wet clothes. $219; mhmgear.com

The founders of Mountain Standard have made their way in the outdoor industry designing some of the best gear for big-name companies. Their own brand is rooted here in Colorado and produces apparel without the attitude. Oh, and this, the best camp chair we ever plopped our butts down into. $140; mountainstandard.com

7. MOUNTAIN STANDARD CAMP CHAIR

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BOULDER/LITTLETON

8. OUTLAW YOGA LEGGINGS Forget what you know about yoga: The folks at Outlaw celebrate Harleys and hard rock along with their handstands— oh, and they like skulls. You can show off that soul-rebel mindset with these sexy, new four-way-stretch pants made from 75-percent recycled materials. $79; awakenline.com/product/ outlaw-yoga-pants

DENVER

9. MEIER SKIS QUICK DRAW Skiing is simply what you do when you live in Colorado, so Meier founder Matt Cudmore decided to turn his back on big, out-of-state brands and build skis (and snowboards) that would make the locals proud. At 88 mm underfoot, the stable Quick Draw is just the ticket for a day of “I-grew-up-skiing” carving

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and banging out power laps before you belly up to the bar to watch the Broncos. $695; meierskis.com

DENVER

10. RMU GRROWLER

Dogs are an essential part of being a Coloradoan. So it's not really a surprise that local ski and gear brand Rocky Mountian Underground would come up with the ultimate dog collar. If James Bond had a pup, he would want the Grrowler: This clever piece features a built-in water bowl, extra room for poop bags and a spare leash. That means you always have all you need to get your best bud outside. $39; rockymountainunderground.com

ASPEN

12. STRAFE RECON PANT

Touring, whether in the backcountry or out the resort gates has become the norm for Colorado rippers. Strafe's

founders, twin brothers John and Pete Gaston, created the brand simply because they loved to hike Highland Bowl and wanted gear that was up to the task of both uphill and downhill.

With a built-in belt and active fit, the light Recon pant is ideal for chasing hot laps. $185; strafeouterwear.com

BOULDER

12. AMRITA FLOWER OF LIFE BOTTLE Front Range yogi Cicily Carter wanted to make a difference in her world—and the planet. And so were born these bottles that hold the amount of water that the average individual should drink every day. Since they're made of recyclable glass, hand-etched with powerful designs, you won't worry about BPA and other toxins when you sip. $39; amritabottles.com

BOULDER

13. TENKARA USA SATO SET Boulder's Daniel Galhardo is the evangalist of this simple Japanese style of fly fishing that makes it quick and easy to catch trout without a reel. The Sato Package is ideal for beginners, including everything you need to get on the water with the adjustable, thus versatile, Sato rod. $259; tenkarausa.com

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

14. MOOTS MOUNTAINEER 27.5” YBB The people who work at Steamboatbased Moots make sure to get out and ride bikes like this beauty, designed specifically for the type of bikepacking and big adventures they love. It will put you out spinning in the Colorado wilds in a hurry. $3,999; moots.com

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HEAR THIS

11.16

OPEN THE CONDUIT

LONGTIME COLORADO COMMUNITY AIRWAVES DJ JOEL DAVIS IS ON A MISSION TO SHAKE UP STREAMING MUSIC AND OPEN UP DANCE PARTIES.

experience. I went to KGNU to get it by taking the radio training class (that I now teach). After a couple of weeks soaking up the vibe at KGNU, listening to the shows and getting lost in the massive music library there, I pretty much abandoned any thoughts of working in commercial radio. I’ve been on the air at KGNU ever since and I have DJed a variety of shows there over the years.

human music streaming service that came about through connections I’ve made at Dojo4. I’m the Minister of Music and Chief Creative Officer of Conduit, a project that’s really a dream come true for me. Conduit is a human-curated response to the inundation of algorithmic, focusgrouped, hyper-researched playlists and recommendations offered by the mainstream music services. We

by PATTY MALESH

F

SO WHEN DOES CONDUIT GO LIVE?

or nearly three decades, Joel Davis has been collecting and disseminating the very best independent and non-commercial sounds on Colorado community radio airwaves. The “minister of music” is the voice and mixmaster behind the global freeform mix show Terrasonic, which he created in 2002 at the University of Colorado's Radio 1190 and moved to KGNU in 2007. He's also one of the hosts on the Afternoon Sound Alternative, KGNU’s weekday freeform show that's “host driven, not data driven,” meaning it allows each host to play anything they want. Davis sat down with us last month to talk about his philosophy, his role as resident DJ at tech startup Dojo4 and his take on the 21st century, stream-ready, art of the playlist.

We’re in the Beta-testing stage right now so if folks want to be a part of the process of perfecting Conduit, they can go to conduitmusic.co and enter their email to get updates and a beta tester invite. It’s an exciting time. We are just about to launch!

CONDUIT ISN’T THE ONLY REASON YOU ARE THE RESIDENT DOJO4 DJ, THOUGH. YOU ALSO HOST AND DJ A MONTHLY DANCE PARTY, “GATEWAY (TO THE WEEKEND)” ON THE LAST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH THERE. HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?

FOLLOW THE LINKS CONDUITMUSIC.CO TERRASONIC.NET MIXCLOUD.COM/TERRASONIC MIXCLOUD.COM/BLACKSWANSOUNDS FACEBOOK.COM/TERRASONICRADIO TWITTER.COM/CONDUITMUSICCO BLOG.CONDUITMUSIC.CO.

WHAT CAN LISTENERS EXPECT FROM A JOEL DAVIS SET?

There are no hard and fast rules, but, in general, I look for music with rhythms and textures that “swing.”

This is hard to explain but, basically, it’s something in the music that moves the listener, physically, emotionally or both. Really, that “swing” feel can apply to anything, from dead slow ambient to 160 BPM techno. Mostly, I play songs and artists who are largely underheard, overlooked or not-yetdiscovered by the mainstream. That’s not to say I don’t drop a classic in here and there (I do), but my main intention is to “bring the new.”

YOU’VE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME, RIGHT? WHAT DREW YOU TO RADIO, AND TO COMMUNITY RADIO SPECIFICALLY?

When I was six or seven, I fell in love with the sound of NPR and Pacifica thanks to my grandmother who listened to them while making dinner. In 1990, I had an in at KBCO and interviewed for a DJ job there, but they said I needed more

Records, Black Swan Sounds) or Conduit is to turn people on to the music they didn't know they love.

There is a whole universe of music that receives little if any major commercial exposure. This “other” music is where the art is happening.

It's vital, it's creative, it's devoid of the corporate sheen that coats much of the entertainment that passes for culture these days. Conduit curators have their ears attuned to the underground and that’s what we are going to offer.

Gateway (To the Weekend) is a response to the question: Where is there to dance in Boulder without the drama of a scene? Just a casual place to get your freak on? (The answer: nowhere.) Christopher Seelie at BMOCA floated that question to Ara Howard, CTO at Dojo4, and me. Dojo4 generously offered the space and Chris and I took it from there. Our first night was in June. Our next one is November 17 (earlier due to Thanksgiving).

CAN YOU LEAVE US WITH ANY FINAL THOUGHTS ON GATEWAY?

photo courtesy PATTY MALESH

HEART SOUND: DAVIS, WHO SHUNNED CORPORATE RADIO EARLY ON, WANTS HIS NEW STREAMING SERVICE TO EXPOSE PEOPLE TO THE MUSIC “THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY LOVE.”

YOU ARE ALSO THE “RESIDENT DJ” AT DOJO4, ONE OF BOULDER’S TOP SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS TECH SPOTS. WHAT DOES A TECH STARTUP DO WITH A RESIDENT DJ?

I’ve wondered that as well. I get to test a lot of new music at Dojo4. I was introduced to the Dojo4 crew last fall and they invited me to work out of their office instead of my basement, to queue up some music on the inoffice sound system and generally be part of the team. Dojo4 is also where Conduit was born. Conduit is a new

want to offer an alternative to that—a streaming service where you can basically choose a channel, press play and tune into some sounds you probably haven’t heard before.

SO WHAT MAKES CONDUIT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER STREAMING SERVICES?

Conduit is an extension of my philosophy of music sharing in general. My philosophy, my mission rather, whether it's via my radio shows, the record labels I've managed or owned (Sounds True, White Swan

I’ve lived in Boulder a long time and think there’s a big gap in the nightlife offering if you’re not a student or a high dollar foodie looking to make the scene. We want Gateway to be the go-to place for unpretentious, friendly people to get down to some cool, funky music and have a good time. No fashion requirements, no “scene” to fit in with, no VIP rooms or hipster quotas. It’s not techno or house or classics or disco night. It really is a very different vibe than anything else happening around town.

Everybody’s welcome.

TerraSonic airs Saturdays, noon to 1:00 p.m.

Davis hosts the Afternoon Sound Alternative the second Thursday each month, noon to 3:00 p.m.

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THE ROAD

11.16

SOMETIMES IT BLOWS OR WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BIKE ADVENTURE FROM COLORADO TO BURNING MAN RUNS INTO THE REALITIES OF MILLIONS OF PEDAL STROKES AND FURIOUS WESTERN WEATHER.

by RYAN VAN DUZER

I

t was an unusually dark mid August morning. A blanket of grey clouds were hanging over the foothills, preventing the Colorado sun from breaking through. I awoke before the sunrise, restless. This is typical behavior: My pre-adventure nerves get worked up and prevent a sound sleep. My grandma once told ROAD WARRIORS: AT THE TIME, IT SEEMED LIKE A BRILLIANT IDEA TO BIKE 1,100 MILES me that rain is a sign of good luck.

THROUGH THE GREAT WIDE OPEN TO She was just trying to make me feel REACH THE PROMISE OF BLACK ROCK CITY WITHOUT USING ANY FOSSIL FUELS—AT better about crappy weather, but I’ve LEAST THERE WERE SMILES ALL AROUND. always held that saying to be true. photos courtesy RYAN VAN DUZER I sat at my kitchen counter, eating an apple while talking to my video also been training all summer for our camera. I excitedly proclaimed that little jaunt into the desert. I met him this would be the first time in my life through the adventure filmmaking that I’d be leaving from very own world and we’ve been on many local doorstep on a long distance bicycle adventures and even the Race Across tour. The inspiration came to me four America in 2014. Long distance years earlier, when I was waiting cycling is relatively new to him, but in a ten-hour traffic jam to enter anyone who has been up Everest Burning Man. I sat impatiently five times knows how to get in that monstrous line and things done. promised that I would As Dana so Dana’s wife Xanthe return on my bike so fought back tears that I could pass the eloquently put it, as she hugged us endless stream of “Mother Nature goodbye. “You take RVs. It was somewhat bitch slapped us into care of her Ryan.” I of a joke at the time, assured her I would. but this is how the Wyoming.”

It felt surreal. We best adventures come pedaled away from my together. house as if it were any other day The doorbell rang at 6:30 on the bike—but we were heading a.m. I ran down my stairs and greeted 1,100 miles into the desert with a one of my favorite people on the whole lotta Wyoming in our way. planet, Dana D! After a big hug and a high five, she excitedly said that this here really is no good way to was like Christmas morning. She’d get to Burning Man by bike. been training nonstop since June, By that, I mean there are when we committed to the plan over not many scenic byways. Our route a box of ridiculously huge Voodoo would take us the same way that a car Donuts. Most people make crazy would travel, and that meant going on plans over cocktails We don’t drink, dreaded I-80. however, so sugar fuels our silly We easily reached Fort Collins by decisions. lunchtime with smiles on our faces, Good friend and world-class wondering if everyday would be so mountaineer, Michael Brown, had

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leisurely. Dana said that this was by far the most relaxed ride she’d been on all summer. Michael was equally pumped. We had another 65 miles before stopping in Laramie, and we were full of confidence.

That was before the storm. As Dana so eloquently put it, “Mother Nature bitch slapped us into Wyoming.” The temperature dropped to freezing-ass-cold. Hail pelted us.

I would have put on a rain jacket, but in my infinite wisdom, I left it behind “to save weight.” Worse, I gave this same advice to Michael and Dana.

Thank God, (literally) we found refuge inside a roadside church on the border of Wyoming. We also found trash bags that worked as ponchos.

Dana even resorted to wearing newspaper bags on her feet to stay warm. We finished that first day shivering, but psyched. Our adventure

was officially under way.

I’m going to fast-forward through Wyoming, mainly because it sucked.

The winds kept us humble. Riding on the shoulder of I-80 was like navigating tire-popping landmines. At least there were a few humble bright spots along the way, like soft serve ice cream at the Little America truck stop (junk food is a lifesaver when you’re burning thousands of calories a day).

We covered over 500 miles in five days. To put this feat in perspective, Michael had only ridden one day in his life over 100 miles.

That may have been a mistake.

The mileage proved to be too much for him as his knees slowly deteriorated. By day five, he was in excruciating pain. It was hard for him to admit defeat; after all, the same knees had carried him to the top of the highest peaks on the planet.

Michael tried to make it work; resting two days in Salt Lake City and meeting us down the road. We had high hopes, but when we reunited in Wells, Nevada, the pain came back stronger than ever. I wanted so badly to help, but there was nothing that I could do. We slowly made our way to Carlin, Nevada, but this would be the end of Michael’s ride.

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n the morning of the ninth day, we parked Michael and his wounded knees in a hotel and continued on. We would see him again soon, though. Our plan was to reunite at Burning Man, and my mom and Xanthe were on their way to pick him up in our RV (hey, someone needed to carry all the costumes and food we would need on the Playa).

By this point in the ride, Dana and I were like brother and sister. And we had a system worked out to make the ride easier: My job was to sit in front and block the wind. Her job was to let me finish her meals.

We slept under the stars in the big expanse of Salt Flats (it was her first time camping in 20 years) and we made friends in every gas station along I-80. Dana is one of the most

loving, caring and thoughtful human beings on the planet. Riding beside her all day was a gift, like spending time with a guru.

We’d been warned about three big mountains coming out of Carlin, but our bodies felt stronger than ever and we were motivated by dreams of dancing in the desert. The temperature was perfect, there was no wind, and our legs were cranking.

The next thing I remember from that perfect morning wasn’t so perfect. We were splayed out on the side of the highway, Dana lay buckled over in pain while I scampered around to get our bikes off the road. I was a just little skinned up, but there was definitely something wrong with Dana. I pulled her away from the cars and cautiously looked at her shoulder.

What I saw made me wanna throw up, “Oh yeah,” I told her, “you broke your collarbone.”

The events that followed seemed to happen in turbo speed: I waived down a car, tossed our bikes in a truck, and off we went to the Battle Mountain Emergency Room. Dana stayed amazingly positive, charming everyone in the hospital while they managed to X-ray the wrong side of

her body, and totally misdiagnose the fracture. Did I mention that the doctor barely spoke English? It was pure comedy. We walked tenderly out of that hospital, still in shock but in high spirits at least, and went straight to a café to get milkshakes. Milkshakes cure everything.

Meanwhile, my mom and Xanthe had been alerted about the crash and were on their way with Michael. Despite the pain, Dana was surprisingly upbeat for someone with a shattered collarbone. Now the question was should I continue the 100 miles and finish what we started alone? Everyone was already shaken up, and I didn’t want to add to their worries. My initial thought was that it was over. I’d jump in the RV and drive in with everyone else. We had tallied 900 miles in nine days and had the time of our lives. For a brief moment, I had convinced myself that I was happy with that.

I

t was Dana, once again the wise mentor, who told me to keep going, that I had to do it for the team. I’d dreamed of this moment for years, and I was now only 100 miles away. Michael said that on Everest,

if one person from a team gets to the top, it’s a success. Their speeches were Hollywood caliber, and after some tears and hugs, I said goodbye. I headed down the highway, alone.

A rugged mining road with no services was the only obstacle that stood between me and Burning Man. I had been advised against taking it, due to the fact that it apparently eats tires. Turns out, it wasn't so bad, or maybe I was just extra motivated.

After 90 bumpy, washboard miles, I got to live out my dream.

I bypassed that huge line of traffic and rode straight into the backside of Black Rock City. I wanted so badly to share the excitement with Michael and Dana, it's the moment that we all wanted to experience together, but they were already inside, waiting for me with big, dusty hugs.

You know what? It was totally worth it.

Ryan Van Duzer is a proud Boulderite, a bicycle advocate (has never owned a car) and burrito lover. As a video journalist, his goal is to inspire people to get off their couches and enjoy this beautiful planet.

When he's not on a bike, he can be found running in the foothills in North Boulder.

Head to his YouTube channel to watch videos from this ride: youtube.com/duzertv

Vote for Colorado’s Best!

Voting begins November 28 elevationoutdoors.com

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ELWAYVILLE

11.16

CHANGE-ORADO OR HOW THIS GREAT STATE CONTINUES TO NOT BE LIKE IT USED TO BE … BUT SOMEHOW GETS BETTER.

by PETER KRAY

T

he storied Campus Lounge in Denver’s Bonnie Brae neighborhood closed at the end of September after 40 years in business. Famous for its Mexican food, burgers, battered pool tables and rabid Broncos fans, it’s also the place where I first fell in love with my beautiful wife. I have vivid memories of us drinking cold Coors at the bar, her late-fall tan framed by her long red hair, and her dazzling green eyes blazing with life. So, yes, I’m a little sad that the two of us can’t go and remake that memory any time we want. And also at the news that the great dive bar may be converted into an organic hipster restaurant (but it will still, at least, serve comfort food).

There's a lot of change occurring in Colorado right now, with neighborhood Italian and Mexican restaurants, friendly pet stores and entire blocks being bulldozed to make way for luxury apartments.

There's rampant fracking to feed our quenchless desire for dirty energy. And with the legalization of recreational marijuana—which I still think is awesome—there's a constant influx of weed tourists and overzealous ganja emigrants.

You know, like that asshole who shot up Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, the idiots from Alabama who set the Nederland fire in July and all the pot panhandlers hitting you up for bud when you’re simply trying to enjoy a giant slice from Anthony’s on 16th Street.

Sometimes, it can be enough to make you want to buy a fresh batch of “Native” stickers to let all your transplant buddies from California and Massachusetts know that you were here first.

That’s kid’s stuff. It's also ignorant. Because unless you can trace your lineage all the way back to pure Ute DNA, then like everyone else in Colorado, you’ve got roots llustration by KEVIN HOWDESHELL / kevincredible.com

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that lead to somewhere else.

Personally, I never would have been able to enjoy a Colorado childhood if my parents hadn’t been such mavericks, heading west in search of snow and open space while leaving all their extended family back in upstate New York.

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ver the years, it’s been a joy to see a few of those extended family members— and countless new friends—fall in love with Colorado themselves. Many of them assimilate to the point that they see their own best dreams come true here, and have more than likely become an even better version of their true selves than they could have been anywhere else.

I'm thinking of people like Chris Davenport, for instance, the New Hampshire-born ski mountaineer who recently earned his way into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in part for his successful mission to climb and ski from the summit of all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks before a year had passed.

Or Jason Blevins, the Texasbred Denver Post journalist whom I believe is the best outdoor reporter

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / N OV E M B E R 2 01 6

on the planet, seamlessly blending his love of the Rockies with the kind of hard-hitting reporting that has become far too rare of late.

And of course Doug Schnitzspahn, the editor of this magazine, a close friend and an original Jersey Boy who embraces the outdoors with his family as much or more than my dad did, and sees the poetry in every moment.

You look at people like them, as well as Colorado-inspired-andincubated brands like New Belgium, Backbone Media, Upslope Brewing, Wagner Custom Skis, Voormi, and Venture Snowboards (just to name a very few), and you see how the big CO can make it easier for anyone to find the right environment to help them create a map of what it will take to reach the next personal and professional peak.

A

s a writer, I realize that nostalgia is good business.

Especially if you can paint pictures in prose of magical times in memorable places that make your readers feel as if they were there, and wish they hadn’t missed out. But I’m getting more pragmatic about life

lately, and realize as some poets and country singers have said over the years, “There’s no future in the past.”

What I’m most in the now about is how quickly Colorado continues to reinvent itself. How issues like the rising public lands conflict between personal freedoms and private interest will define this generation of “Rado folks” like nothing else.

To be clear: No private individual—hunter, fisher, camper, rafter, skier, flower picker—who enjoys the freedom of the outdoors will ever benefit from their government being able to sell their public lands for private use. Very simply put, once public land becomes private, the public will be shut out.

There's one thing that never changes in this great state: enjoying Colorado’s mountains, rivers, sand dunes, lakes and wide plains— especially when you have someone you love to share it with, and a good Mexican food/dive bar where you can go to celebrate. Keep it that way.

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?

You can buy it here: bit.ly/godofskiing

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