USDA Forest Service

Mark McCarron ID'd as victim in Vail avalanche, anger over marijuana mention

On Friday, we reported about the tragic death of a snowboarder in an avalanche near Vail Pass; see our original coverage below. The victim has now been identified as Mark McCarron, 38, of Westminster. As part of its original release, the Eagle Police Department noted that McCarron and friends accom ... More >>

Michael Maher, fake firefighter: Looking for skanks, blasting Journey

In June, we shared the story of alleged fake firefighter Michael Maher, who managed to pose with Governor John Hickenlooper amid the ultra-destructive High Park Fire; see photos below. Now, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office has released a huge incident report on the case, containing lots of oddbal ... More >>

Five biggest fakers in recent Colorado history

Former stolen valor arrestee Rick Strandlof has been many people in his life...two of whom were completely fabricated. But he has never been formally charged with profiting from his personalities -- nor is he the only person to have spun tall tales to change his life. Click through for stories from ... More >>

Waldo Canyon fire update: 90 percent contained, rains expected tomorrow

The Fourth of July brought some good news for Colorado Springs, where the Waldo Canyon fire has been blazing for more than ten days: The firefighters have now reached 90 percent containment of the fire, and expect to have it completely contained by tomorrow.

John Hickenlooper: Winter Olympics 2022 bid could bring Colorado together

Bringing the 2022 Winter Olympics to Denver has the potential to bring people together in a way that nothing else can, Governor John Hickenlooper said today, expressing serious interest in a possible bid. The governor chatted with Westword this morning about what the Olympics could mean for Colora ... More >>

Why Colorado's forests are bugging out with beetles

Slide show: Meet the beetles: How Colorado's forests are bugging out

Photos: Did Michael Maher play dress-up at both High Park and Lower North Fork Fire?

Update: In our original post about Michael Maher, who's accused of impersonating a firefighter tackling the ultra-destructive High Park blaze (see our earlier coverage below), we noted that his alleged impersonation suggested that he'd been trying something new in comparison with his previous crimin ... More >>

Timothy Egan writes about dust and fire: Worst comes to worst

Why are the choices for the ninth One Book, One Denver so much better than the previous eight rounds? That's the question I asked Kristin Rust, spokeswoman for Denver Arts & Venues. She pointed to the commitment of Mayor Michael Hancock, as well as a hard-working committee that came up with the thre ... More >>

Visit Denver's Denver Dares are pretty tame

Lower North Fork Fire started by prescribed burn, Forest Service apologizes

The U.S. Forest Service is now admitting that the Lower North Fork Fire near Conifer, which appears to have led to at least two casualties (one woman is still missing), was started by a prescribed burn that got out of control. Meanwhile, Governor John Hickenlooper has suspended such burns until aft ... More >>

Fire bans in Boulder and Golden as Lower North Fork Fire blazes out of control

The Lower North Fork Fire has already resulted in two fatalities and remains uncontained at this writing -- and the conditions that have fueled it are clearly not lost on officials in other communities. Below, see information about newly announced fire bans in Boulder and Golden, as well as a releas ... More >>

Reader: The service at New Saigon isn't great, but the food is fantastic

On Aspen Mountain, visiting memorial shrines is a tradition

Ken Salazar's move to restrict drilling rejected by federal judge

Ken Salazar.​Since his appointment as Secretary of the Interior in 2009, Ken Salazar has been the point man for the Obama administration's efforts to put the brakes on the drill-baby-drill energy policy of the Bush years, often facing stiff opposition from congressional leaders and the oil and ... More >>

Mount Evans Scenic Byway: If you stop to enjoy the view, you'll have to pay

​"The Clear Creek Ranger District invites you to drive the highest road in North America!" says the U.S. Forest Service web page on Mount Evans. The drive offers views of "the Continental Divide, mountain goat and bighorn sheep herds, wildflowers and Bristlecone Pine trees." But stopping to lo ... More >>

A metered view? Tips to avoid paying an entry fee to Mount Evans

Don't fear the meter.​In one of the more ridiculous recent examples of asinine government nitpickery, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday upheld a ruling of a lower court in a case alleging that the U.S. Forest Service was charging people $10 to drive up the Mount Evans Scenic Byw ... More >>

Maxwell fire in Lefthand Canyon started by campfire, investigation underway (VIDEOS)

Videos below.​Update: There's good news about the Maxwell fire near Boulder. The blaze has only consumed sixty acres, not the 100 acres originally estimated -- and high humidity helped firefighters bump the containment up from 25 percent to 40 percent. But even as the fight goes on, authoriti ... More >>

Medical marijuana, 4/20 and Earth Day: How green is your green?

​Get your marijuana-infused celebrating done on 4/20 tomorrow, since two days later, on Earth Day, there apparently won't be much to light up about. According to new research, indoor marijuana cultivation -- i.e., the kind that accounts for the vast majority of medical marijuana sold in Color ... More >>

Pinon Canyon controversy: Tim Wirth blasts "bankrupt" defense policy

Tim Wirth​Former Senator Tim Wirth, a formidable opponent in the 1980s of the U.S. Army's big plans for its training site in southeastern Colorado, views possible expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site as possibly a greater threat to the area's environment and economy today than it was th ... More >>

Leaked documents show Army's bold plan to acquire 10,000 square miles of Colorado

​Artillery ranges and tank maneuvers on fragile grasslands. Depopulated farm towns, suitable for urban warfare exercises for thousands of troops. A military installation the size of Massachusetts, sprawling across southern Colorado from Trinidad to the Kansas border. If you're going to plan, p ... More >>

Marijuana grow bust in Boulder County: 3,000 plants worth estimated $500,000 seized

2009 Sugarloaf Mountain bust.​Breaking news: Boulder is recognized the world over as a marijuana-friendly town. But apparently the weed smoked by thousands of attendees at the annual 4/20 orgasm of cannabis consumption at CU is largely grown elsewhere. As evidence, note that this week's bust ... More >>

Human poop in the woods: Weekend conference in Golden aims to wipe out growing problem

A Flickr photoNot okay.​ You know what's gross? Poop. You know what's even grosser? Poop in your water. How to prevent that from happening will be the subject of an outdoorsy conference at the American Alpine Club in Golden this weekend. The conference is cleverly titled Exit Strategies -- as ... More >>

Driving up Mount Evans should be free. So why do so many pay a fee?

Chef and Tell with Sergio Romero from Argyll Gastropub

Lori Midson ​"My goal," says Sergio Romero, "is to be on a wait as often as possible, to have people love our food and eat it up, and to provide an experience that's a little different from everything else in Denver." And the exec chef of Argyll Gastropub fiercely believes that the Cherry Cree ... More >>

Loved to Death

Besieged by crowds and Front Range pollution, Colorado's premier national park is a vanishing wilderness.

Consumed

Cooking With Gas

Going to Extremes

Forget those lazy days of summer. Coloradans like to push themselves -- right to the top.

Slide Rules

An avalanche buried their friend -- and a Denver trio is still digging out.

The 2002 Hall of Shame

Let the blame game begin!

Hot Spots

The media play catch-up on the state's largest-ever blaze.

Winter Park Grows Up

After years as a family-themed ski resort, Denver's mountain tries super-sizing.

Enemy Mine

Old mines are polluting the water, but this mountain town doesn't want to get shafted by the EPA.

Get Rail

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum

KBPI Wrecks the Rockies

The station says it's sorry about all the messes it's made. But it keeps making more.

Letters to the Editor

From the week of August 3

A Failure to Communicate

How confusion and chaos led to a reporter's arrest -- and a First Amendment court test.

Weed Kills?

How harmful is Russian knapweed? Park volunteers are told to keep hands off.

Off Limits

Shadow of a Trout

A Missouri millionaire's fishing resort darkens the day for residents of Pitkin County's Fryingpan Valley.

Artsbeat

Trees' Company

Environmentalists gang up with--gasp!--loggers to attack the Forest Service.

Strange but True

Forest Bumps

Environmentalists warn that the Forest Service's new Colorado mogul could be dangerous.

Uphill Battle

The speed merchants who risk their lives on the Pikes Peak Highway hope to put the brakes on a road-paving project.

Off Limits

THE WHEEL THING

IS NOTHING SACRED? AN UNPRECEDENTED GATHERING OF THE TRIBES IN BOULDER TRIES TO DECIDE.

GET OFF MY CLOUD

PLANS TO PUT A "LEARNING CENTER" ON MT. EVANS LEAVE SOME FUMING.

TOP OF THEIR GAME

TAKE A PEEK AT WHO'S BEEN SWIPING THE REGISTERS ATOP THE FOURTEENERS.

MT. PAPERWORK

ADAM'S RIB SKI-AREA DEVELOPER BLANKETS POLITICIANS WITH A BUREAUCRATIC BLIZZARD.

OFF LIMITS