Sweat out all of the poisons you consumed last night with a Bikram yoga class at Bikram on Broadway. This style of yoga comprises a series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises and is done in a 105-degree room. "It'a great detoxification,&" says studio owner Tim Johnson. "We squeeze your organs like a sponge." Classes are at noon and 4 p.m. on New Year's Day.
Looking for something a little bit cooler but no less rigorous? Hit the slopes. "I would classify [New Year's Day] as one of the best-kept secrets of the ski season," says Joan Christensen, a spokeswoman for Winter Park Resort. "Due to high levels of celebration the night before, there are usually very few people out on New Year's Day, especially in the morning. From a local's perspective, it's always one of the best days to ski".
For those who are feeling adventurous, take it to the extreme. Denver Skydivers, in Frederick, will be flying high on New Year's Day, dropping people off at 13,500 feet. "What could be a more special way to start out the New Year than with 55 seconds of freefall and then a five-minute parachute ride, all to gorgeous views?" asks owner Randy Fortner. Get the full experience with special New Year's Day champagne breakfast or sunset packages. "And don't worry about being hung over," says Fortner. "The adrenaline will take care of that pretty quick. You'll feel great."
If all this stretching and schussing and swooshing sounds a bit too strenuous, a Mountain Musher Dog Sled Tour will let you feel the wind in your hair without ever having to stand up. A dozen huskies pull two-person sleds on two-hour backcountry tours of Cordillera -- with a pit stop for hot chocolate and cookies. "It can be a nice, easygoing ride if you're not feeling too well," says Mountain Musher's Denise Glass. Then again, she remembers, "We had one guy who clocked the dogs going thirty miles per hour downhill."
Indoor types can chill out in Capitol Hill Books during the store's anniversary party. The shop, which opened New Year's Day 23 years ago, will have ten homemade soups, tarot-card readers, masseurs, book discounts and a Celtic guitarist as part of the celebration. "It's really a customer appreciation party," says proprietor Valerie Abney. "We do the same thing every year." And it's not a bad time to start Capitol Hill's 10 percent discount program: Buy $100 worth of books and get 10 percent off all purchases for the rest of the year.
New Year's Day Events
Bikram on Broadway, 277 Broadway, classes at noon and 4 p.m., $12, 303-733-8040.
Denver Skydivers, 30055 Highway 34, Brush, $169 for tandem jump, reservations required, 303-833-2000.
Mountain Musher Dog Sled Tours, west of Beaver Creek, $300 for two people, reservations required, 1-970-653-7877.
Capitol Hill Books anniversary celebration, 300 East Colfax Avenue, free to the public, 1 to 4 p.m., 303-837-0700.