Think you’re in pretty good shape for skiing after a winter on the slopes? Want to really prove what you’ve got? Try shredding the expert runs off the Pali chair at Arapahoe Basin on April 14, competing in the 21st annual Enduro Race. In the Enduro, teams of two compete…
What do two Olympic medals and a third consecutive World Cup crown garner you? In the case of Vail resident Lindsey Vonn, quite the homecoming shindig, and the opportunity for people who come out to the festivities to win an Epic 7-Pack pass for 2010-2011. Anyone who rides on the…
It seems like the ski season started just yesterday, but already, some resorts will be having their last days of the season on Sunday, April 4, so get out while you still can. Some of this weekend’s closures include big resorts. Events will be in full swing Easter weekend at…
It’s not quite the Al Johnson Uphill/Downhill Race in terms of color, but it is a fun day with a great chance to see how ski fashions have changed. Go digging in your closet, find those old neon one-piece suits and skinny skis and go up to Eldora this Saturday,…
Given that Subaru is the unofficial car of Colorado (shouldn’t we make official now), it only makes sense that the vehicle so many people use to get to the slopes would partner with a ski area to promote safe skiing. This year, that lucky area is Loveland, which will host…
When driving through Colorado, you’ll always see random strange stuff in the mountains, whether it’s rocks on the road, steam rising from a not-quite-frozen creek on a super cold day, or a simple scene that defies easy explanation. Such is the case with this weird little scene in the mountains…
After hosting the 14th annual Telemark Freeskiing Championships on Friday and Saturday, Crested Butte held the 36th annual Al Johnson Uphill/Downhill race on Sunday. The Al Johnson commemorates a mail carrier in the late 1800s who delivered mail on skis in the mining communities around Crested Butte, skiing with bags…
On two days that could not have been more different, the 14th annual U.S. Telemark Extreme Freeskiing Championships were held in Crested Butte on Friday and Saturday. There were 62 skiers competing in six divisions, with cash prizes and gear given out to the winners. The vibe of the event…
Today and Saturday, Crested Butte hosts the 14th annual U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Championships. A total of 65 competitors in six divisions signed up for the event, which drew skiers from Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, California, British Columbia, and a large contingent from around Colorado. …
Front Range skiers looking to start doing extreme skiing have an excellent challenge an hour from Denver in the Dead Dog Couloir on Torreys Peak. Chris Davenport, in his Ski the 14ers project, descended the Dead Dog in late February in an unusually stable winter snow cycle. Most people trying…
On the way to Crested Butte to cover this week’s Telemark Extremes Competition, I stopped at Monarch to get some turns in. After all, it’s on the way, and how can you resist stopping for a driving break for some turns on a perfect bluebird day. Pulling into the parking…
Starting today and running through Saturday, March 20 at Winter Park, the next generation of U.S. ski racers will be competing in the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association TD Bank J4 Junior Olympics. The event is by-qualification-only, with races in super G, giant slalom and slalom. The competition, now in…
In the category of “so strange it has to be true,” Vodka 14 has opened an ice bar at Vail Cascade Resort, a ski-in, ski-out resort at Chair 20 on the far west side of Vail. The ice bar is sculpted from actual ice and positioned with views of Chair…
On Wednesday, Colorado suffered its fourth avalanche fatality of 2010 when a snowboarder riding in backcountry terrain was caught in a slide and carried down Steep Gully #1. None of the riders in the party carried avalanche rescue gear. However, while having rescue gear is important, ultimately, education is the…
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Confluence Kayaks in Denver and the various classes in kayaking the store offers. When I interviewed Jonathan Kahn, the owner and founder, I’d mentioned that I had tried kayaking several times, but could never really get comfortable with the roll and flipping…
While deep powder lines beckon many skiers in Colorado, when venturing into the backcountry, those lines have the potential to be exceptionally dangerous to the unaware. The unfortunate truth is that avalanche hazard is highest on slopes that are most attractive to skiers, in terms of the steepness. However, there…
Have you ever wished you could convince your friends and family to buy you a lift ticket and not come off like a dirtball in the process? Now’s your chance: Not only can you get a free lift ticket, but a free lunch and other free schwag like a $25…
After four years of skiing an average of 30 days a season, my poor ski boots were becoming looser and looser on my feet, as the liner boot was completely packed out. This required me to buckle the boots tighter and tighter to maintain some level of control while skiing…
Back in January, I wrote about how on three separate occasions in December, a personal locator beacon was triggered in the vicinity of Berthoud Pass. These false positives came from the same ACR PLB-300 Microfix (RescueFix) beacon. After the three at Berthoud, the same unit was triggered again twice near…
On Wednesday, I wrote about Her Day, a night riding event at Echo Mountain on the first Thursday of every month. Her Day is designed to introduce women to playing on features in the terrain park in an encouraging and relaxed atmosphere.Though I’ve skied on and off for 30 years,…
Built in 1994, Francie’s Cabin is an excellent hut for backcountry ski trips and summer hiking and mountain biking. Francie’s Cabin was named in honor of Frances Lockwood Bailey. Francie’s is at an elevation of 11,264 feet, and is a 4.1 mile skin or snowshoe trip from the Burro Trailhead…
Gals, if you’ve ever skied or boarded past a terrain park and seen people throwing down jumps and tricks on the rails and wondered if you could do it too, Echo Mountain has a solution. This Thursday, March 4, is the second Echo Her Day. The event runs from 6…
