Outdoor Recreation

Win tickets to Wanderlust at Copper Mountain!

Despite today's weather, the season of wanderlust is on its way, and with summer comes the big-W Wanderlust festival at Copper Mountain. The annual event gathers yoga teachers and enthusiasts together with chefs, winemakers, musicians (including Moby) and, of course, the great outdoors for meditatio ... More >>

Rocky Mountain Greenway announcement today had a rocky buildup

At 2 p.m. today, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will join Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Governor John Hickenlooper to make a "major announcement" about the Rocky Mountain Greenway, and also celebrate the recent expansion that added 1,200 acres of wildlife habitate to Rocky Flats ... More >>

Reel Rock 7 Tour: Hottest ticket in town?

File under you know you're in Boulder when....Promoters of the Reel Rock Tour announced last night that tickets for the kickoff of their package tour of the year's best climbing films on Thursday at Chautauqua Auditorium have already sold out, and that there are only about 100 tickets left out of a ... More >>

Photos: Ten best Colorado hikes

We've now officially entered summer -- and while every season is a great one to enjoy Colorado, the warm weather is the perfect excuse to hit the trail. With that in mind, we've collected this list of the best Colorado hikes, with picks close to town or a drive away culled from our Best of Denver ar ... More >>

Whole Foods Market on Capitol Hill installs Dero Fixit bike stand

With bicycles increasingly popular around town, the Whole Foods in Capitol Hill now features a one-stop shop for basic bike problems: a Dero Fixit bike stand. Did your cruiser get a flat tire on your way to the bar? Stop here and pump it up. Do you have a loose bolt on your road bike's components? T ... More >>

Guess where I'm biking near the Capitol building and win a B-cycle season pass

Did you know Denver has more than 850 miles of paved off-road trails available to cyclists? This essentially means you don't need to drive a car, ever. What's better is that within our great city, Denver officials have declared certain roadways to be bike friendly -- you'll notice the bikes painted ... More >>

Guess where I'm biking near this light rail station and win a B-cycle season pass

Among the many B-cycle stations around Denver, there are so many other forms of transportation. From public buses to free mall rides to the light rail, getting around this city is pretty much simple, affordable and practical. Take all of those options and throw in some bike lanes, and you have popu ... More >>

Support the arts and have a beer at Start the Art benefit concert tonight

A ticket to tonight's Start the Art benefit concert buys more than just a night of good food, a cold beer and music by Westword Music Showcase nominee Josh Novak -- it buys a chance to support a brand-new initiative to ensure kids' access to arts education. Event organizers Chris Fabian and Sarah ... More >>

Andrew Skurka unpacks The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide

The greatest adventures are always more about the journey than the destination, but that truism can be easy to forget when you can't wait to get that heavy pack off your back. If the actual hiking isn't the most enjoyable part of your backpacking trips, then you just might be going about the whole t ... More >>

At Ale House at Amato's, don't worry, be hoppy

Photos: Brews and Unbeatable Views at Ale House at Amato's

Denver-based skydiver Nick Batsch wins third USPA Canopy Piloting Nationals

Photo by Dq Israd, courtesy J. Walcher CommunicationsNick Batsch coming in hot at the 2011 USPA National Skydiving Championships of Canopy Piloting​The mere thrill of jumping out of a plane wasn't enough for Denver-based skydiver Nick Batsch, who took up the sport of canopy piloting (where the ... More >>

I Made It: Celebrating the human-powered spirit of mountaineer Göran Kropp

​In 1996, adventurer Göran Kropp famously set out by bike from his home in Sweden, loaded with gear, and rode all the way to Nepal to climb Mount Everest. He made the summit on May 23 of that year, without bottled oxygen and without Sherpa support, then climbed down, got back on his bike, and ... More >>

Grand opening of Trestle Bike Park at Barnum Park North delayed to August 6

​Commuters passing Federal on 6th Avenue on their way into Denver may have noticed construction on what is shaping up to be an epic new mountain bike and BMX skills park, designed by Gravity Logic and pro rider John Cowan. The park will be operated by Winter Park's Trestle Bike Park crew in pa ... More >>

Bike to Work Day: The commuters came, mingled, declined to eat bananas

For the love of God, sir, eat a banana.​Aside from the weather being particularly fine, my bike commute on Bike to Work Day this morning was not a whole lot different that it usually is -- most of my trip is on side streets as opposed to paths, since I live on the west side and apparently poor ... More >>

Today in Stoke: Last chance to register for the Adventure Xstream Series

​Regular old marathons, triathlons and century rides not grueling enough for you? The Adventure Xstream Series comes to Colorado on May 14 for AXS Buena Vista, and registration ($135-$235 depending on the race option) is still open through May 11. The event will send competitors whitewater kay ... More >>

Today in Stoke: Lightweight backpacking clinic tonight with Andrew Skurka

Photo via AndrewSkurka.comAndrew Skurka descends a high pass into the Canning River, Brooks Range during his 2010 Alaska-Yukon Expedition​Boulder-based adventurer Andrew Skurka estimates he's hiked/skied/trekked at least 25,000 miles in the last decade, including a 4,700-mile Alaska-Yukon Expe ... More >>

Urban mountain bike course on track in Denver after discovery of illegal trail in Boulder

​ Parks rangers with Boulder County have shut down an illegal mountain bike trail built down a steep face on the north side of Flagstaff Mountain, after someone now identified as professional mountain biker Mike West was cited for using it. Luckily, extreme mountain bikers will soon have a new ... More >>

Treehouse Movies: The local answer to Redbox.

​The brick-and-mortar movie rental store is a dying breed, but that doesn't mean you can't rent local. Louisville's John Griffin has started a local kiosk movie business called Treehouse Movies. Right now he's got one kiosk in Denver, at the Sunflower Market at 2880 S. Colorado Blvd., and thre ... More >>

The Really Great Outdoors

Boulder County attack: With three recent incidents, should nature lovers be worried?

A Flickr photoPeak to Peak Highway.​On Thursday, we told you about the second recent attack on a nature lover in the Boulder County area this month. Now, a third: a man and a woman were reportedly kidnapped by a rifle-wielding man over the weekend, but managed to escape. How concerned should ... More >>

Brandon Gouin, CU football player, accused of supplying booze for wild Boulder High senior campout

Brandon Gouin may have fumbled.​On Friday, we told you about a Boulder High senior camping trip that led to three hospitalizations, trips to the county's alcohol-recovery center and a third-degree-assault arrest. According to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, Brandon Gouin, a 21-year-old C ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: Is Kenny Be the worst in the world?

​The Best and Worst of National News for July according to GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is out, and Kenny Be -- yes, Kenny Be,Westword's sensitive and insightful staff cartoonist -- is on the hit list. Here's the story from GLAAD's website: THE WORST The Denver Westw ... More >>

Hiking the Colorado Trail? Try it on Google Earth first

​If you're thinking of hiking the Colorado Trail, a 500-mile hiking trail that stretches from Denver to Durango and covers almost every type of terrain our fair state has to offer, the first step you take should be online. Thanks to the efforts of Jerry Brown of Bear Creek Survey Service, who ... More >>

From the week of June 25, 200

Kenny Be's Worst-Case Scenario: A Stapleton staycation sunset campfire with a skyline view

Don't let the recession stop your plans for a summer R.V. excursion. Instead of paying for numerous tanks of gas and countless campground fees, you can stay right here in Denver and vacation in the neighborhood that offers strip-mall camping and sunset marshmallow roasts. A staycation in the Staplet ... More >>

Let the Games Begin

Vail hosts a mountain of fun this weekend.

Today's Night & Day featured event: Chart your course for the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum

I'm a total map freak: I suppose that's been true since the very first time I ever spun my family's old globe of the world and let my chubby little finger fall on some far-flung nation. Later, my mother the hiker began bringing home those topographical state forest maps to study, as she sought to ... More >>

John McCain live on KOA this morning

Ultimate Rush

Durango hosts a competition for Frisbee fans.

Sports Go to Extremes

Sports Go to Extremes

Take a Hike!

Wheels Along the Water

Burn calories and enjoy Denver's scenery at Pedal the Platte.

Denver Radio Veteran Gus Mircos Dies

Letters to the Editor

From the week of June 2, 2005

Best Snowshoeing Getaway

'S No Wonder! Snowshoe Tours

Best Quickie Mountain Hike

Herman's Gulch

Day Trippers

The Go Fast Run rolls on and on in Boulder

Pipe Dreams

Elitch's is stoked about its gnarly new ride.

Winners Never Finish

In this race, the road goes on forever and ever.

Without a Paddle

Water You Afraid Of?

Take a splash at this kayaking bash

Best Appearance by Colorado in a National Magazine

Seven Lakes Lodge
Sports Illustrated

Best Hiking Companions

Canine Backpackers Association

The Bite

How biking and brewing benefit the body.

Best Way to See the Aspen Turn -- on Horseback

Aspen Lodge at Estes Park

Best sandwiches

TreeHouse Cafe

Best place to plan your campout

Colorado State Parks activities and facilities Web page www.coloradoparks.org

Best casual bike tours

Blazing Saddles

'Head of the Class