Sports & Recreation

Talk about a no-win situation: Steve Fairchild was hired to replace Sonny Lubick, arguably the most beloved coach in Colorado State University history, and the man for whom the university’s football field in Fort Collins is named. But while Fairchild is a CSU alum, he’s had tremendous experience at the highest levels, having served as an assistant for the Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams — and he called on every bit of it this past season. To put it mildly, the cupboard was bare when Fairchild took charge. Against all odds, however, the Rams won just enough games to merit an invite to the New Mexico Bowl, where they beat favored Fresno State. Just imagine what Fairchild will be able to do after a couple more recruiting classes.

Red Rocks is one. So are Winter Park and Genesee Park (where the city’s buffalo roam), Echo Lake, at the foot of Mount Evans, and Lookout Mountain, home to the Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave. In fact, the Denver Mountain Parks system, created in 1912, includes 47 unusual properties totaling 14,000 acres. Because of their location outside the city, however, the parks have been underfunded. But that’s changing, two quarters at a time. Beginning this year, the parks will get 50 cents from every Red Rocks ticket sold and use the money to create trail maps and make much-needed upgrades. The best part: Most of the parks are free. So get out of town and enjoy Denver!

The 1.4-mile Trading Post Trail at Red Rocks is the perfect length and difficulty — short, easy and at a relatively low altitude — for anyone seeking a nature-y afternoon respite from the bustling streets of Denver. Plus, the gorgeous red rocks and the adrenaline-inducing rattlesnake warning signs are sure to impress out-of-town guests. The trail starts and ends at the Trading Post, where you can grab a snack or make a pit stop before you start hiking. And the hike itself, near the coolest concert venue in the country, is as photogenic as all get-out, so don’t forget your camera.

Whether your closet looks like a Patagonia outlet store or you view hiking as a prelude to a coma-inducing brunch, Boulder’s Flatirons should satisfy your hiking needs. The rocky Boulder foothills are easily accessible from busy Chautauqua Park, and a variety of trails offer challenges for experts and beginners alike, but each features access to the same winding terrain and sweeping vistas of Boulder. One of our favorites? The 3.5-mile Royal Arch trail, a moderately strenuous but totally doable climb that peaks at an impressive rock arch, from which you can see practically to Kansas. No matter which trail you choose, though, the area’s opening salvo alone — a slow, steep climb out of the open park and into the denser hiking areas — will burn enough calories to make it through that brunch guilt-free.

In all actuality, the Colorado Birding Trail is more a conglomeration of key birding sites throughout the state than a physical trail. But the concept — sponsored by the Colorado Department of Wildlife, Colorado State Parks and a flock of birding organizations — has an interactive home on the Internet, where nature lovers can piece together an itinerary that will take them to the best places on the eastern plains to view plovers and prairie chickens or figure out where in the Rockies they might be able to find MacGillivray’s Warblers or Flammulated Owls. An ongoing project-in-progress, the website will eventually grow to include avian hot spots all over the state, from the Comanche Trail in southeastern Colorado to Grand Junction. Train your binoculars on the trail.

Okay, seriously, it’s time to get off your ass. But the gym is annoying, running is boring, and drinking heavily does not, sadly, qualify as exercise under today’s far-too-stringent norms. So embrace your inner fifth-grader and log on to denver.playcoed.com, where you’ll find scores of leagues in sports ranging from the more serious flag football and softball to the free-spirited kickball and dodgeball. And if your friends are too lazy to form a team, you can sign up as a free agent, and a team with similarly lazy friends will add you to its roster. The leagues range in cost but are generally affordable; flag football, for example, costs $300 per team and $35 per individual — plus the cost of all the booze you’ll buy after your games. Happy recreating!

With the death of the Rocky Mountain News, fiending Broncos fans will need new dealers to get their full fix of Broncos talk. Mile High Report is just the blog for the job. It’s consistently populated with detailed, thorough and mostly rational analysis on subjects interesting and mundane, from Brandon Marshall’s off-the-field issues to the cover skills of the Raiders’ secondary. It’s a lively forum for Broncos fans to sound off in, but it’s slightly more sane than the rambling in other Broncos forums. And on top of its own analysis, the blog skillfully wrangles coverage of the team from all corners of the country, making it a one-stop shop for all things Broncos.

Being newspaper people, we’re big supporters of the freedom-of-speech thing — unless it costs our team fifteen yards. That’s why we salute Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley for his brave shushing of fellow WR Brandon Marshall, who after a November touchdown against the Cleveland Browns whipped a glove from his crotch and tried to put it on, in an apparent tribute to Barack Obama, Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos and, perhaps, Michael Jackson. The problem: The display would have cost the Broncos fifteen yards, and possibly the game. That’s when Stokley stepped in, pushing the glove out of sight and explaining to Marshall why he should save his politics for the locker room. It worked, the Broncos won the game, and Stokley won our hearts.

When wild-dunking, shot-blocking forward Chris Andersen disappeared from the NBA in 2006 because he tested positive for banned substances, NBA fans surely believed they’d seen the last of the man they called “Birdman.” But after two years of banishment, Andersen returned to the league, and last off-season, he wound up back in Denver. Heavily tattooed, overly gelled and apparently substance-free, he’s won back the hearts of Nuggets fan with his steady if sometimes spastic play, logging an average of six rebounds, six points and two blocks per game, and filling in a Nuggets puzzle that’s close to complete.

At NBA games, the best seats in the house are on the floor, which means the rich and the gaudy are front and center rather than tucked away in skyboxes. Check out the enormous bodybuilder guys in silk shirts and the buxom babes squeezed into zany zebra stripes. Take a gander at the old guys with rings on every finger, ponytails and berets, or chance a guess at which synthetically boobed and tanned women are wives, which are trophy wives and which are mistresses. You’ll see playas, big shots, CEOs, homies and hotties all dressed to the nines. The Nuggets are exciting, but some of the best action is definitely off the court.

Frankly, we’re a little bored of giving the Nuggets’ most valuable non-player the nod again. We’d happily reward some other costumed critter — if Rocky wasn’t so friggin’ amazing. He’s a sleek, four-pawed entertainment machine who doesn’t have to dress in skimpy outfits to be our favorite cheerleader, and his gags constantly thrill whether they’re large-scale or small. After one game this season, he hurled T-shirts at departing fans from the Pepsi Center roof — but he was just as funny when he walked off with a toddler’s toy without causing the little one to cry (yes, he gave it back). Cats don’t get any cooler.

The casual hockey watcher knows Haynes best for his epic freakouts following game-winning Avalanche goals — happy events that have been in short supply this season. But despite his reputation, he’s far from a one-trick screamer. His knowledge of the game is as wide as it is deep, and he’s got an impeccable sense of pace and dynamics. He understands when to speed up, when to slow down, when to shift into overdrive, and when to put it in park, and this aptitude continues to serve him well as the team he’s paid to watch plays out the string. The Avs have struggled through their worst season, but Haynes has quietly had his finest.

All right, so Pat Bowlen isn’t a GM. But no personnel move will make a bigger impact — and, we believe, a more positive impact — on the Denver sporting landscape then Bowlen’s dispatching of Mike Shanahan, Bowlen’s close friend and a Denver legend. Although new coach Josh McDaniels hasn’t exactly endeared himself to Denver fans so far by pissing off QB Jay Cutler, firing Shanny was still a much-needed move that took serious stones. Shanahan’s recent draft choices were questionable, his defense was dreadful and things were getting stale. We’re hoping that changes soon.

It takes a lot to admit you’re wrong, but that’s what Nuggets GM Mark Warkentien did when he wisely shipped career chemistry-killer Allen Iverson to Detroit in exchange for Denver native Chauncey Billups. Iverson, whom Warkentien brought to the team in December 2006, has helped sink the Pistons. Billups — calm, accurate, and willing to play defense and pass — has helped make the Nuggets relevant. That move, and that move alone, makes Warkentien the best of Denver’s sports suits.

There’s no boardwalk, no waves, no surfers and almost no sand, but the tiny riverfront stretch down the hill from Commons Park is a peaceful way to grab a little serenity in the midst of a busy city. Close your eyes and listen to the Platte River as it trickles (or rushes after a rainfall) over the rocks and concrete at the base of the pedestrian bridge. Sit back and check out the dog lovers as they let their pooches swim around in the muck, or the tai chi types while they show off their moves. You can even chill a couple cans of your favorite beverage in the water. If you don’t mind the grime, pick up a piece of driftwood, a little shell or a rock and skip it across to the other side. Oh, and don’t forget the sunblock; after all, Denver beaches are a mile closer to the sun.

The decision by Denver Nuggets management to deal Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons early in the season could have resulted in catastrophe — especially considering that defensive leader Marcus Camby had previously been jettisoned in a salary dump. But thanks to a big assist from Chauncey Billups, who’s proved to be the real answer for the team, coach George Karl managed to fuse the players at his disposal into a unit far more cohesive than the one that chalked up fifty wins the year before. Later in the season, when Carmelo Anthony refused to come out of a game, Karl didn’t throw a fit; he simply benched him for the next one. He should get an award for that alone.

The Falcons make more out of less than any college football team in the country. Still, they seemed en route to a disappointing 2008 season until around the midway point, when coach Troy Calhoun handed over the offense to super-frosh Tim Jefferson, whose running and passing abilities regularly left defenses looking rubber-legged. Under Jefferson’s leadership, the Falcons went 5-2 — and while they narrowly lost to Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl, they have no reason to feel dejected. After all, Jefferson, who was named the Mountain West freshman of the year by Sporting News, is just getting started.

True, we’d feel better about praising the Nuggets if the NBA season ended at the halfway point. That way, we could focus on the glorious addition of Chauncey Billups, the belated blossoming of Nene, the return of Kenyon Martin to his pre-Nugs form, the unexpected contributions from players such as Chris “Birdman” Andersen, and so on. After the All-Star break, though, the crew temporarily slipped back to its old ways — especially the ultra-talented Carmelo Anthony, whose game seems to be regressing. The squad remains the cream of Denver’s pro-sports franchises — but they should be even creamier.

Like Chauncey Billups, Conor Casey is a local hero who’s getting a chance to prove that you can go home again. He excelled for South High School before heading off to get his kicks beyond state lines, first at the University of Portland and then for a number of European squads, including Germany’s Borussia Dortmund. By the time he was picked up by the Rapids in 2007, he seemed to be rounding into a journeyman — and a subsequent ACL injury didn’t bode well. But despite missing part of the 2008 season, he led the team in scoring. Looks like Colorado agrees with him.

On some teams, the designation of captain is the equivalent of a lifetime-achievement award — an acknowledgement of past accomplishments as opposed to current ones. Not so with the Colorado Mammoth, whose honorary leader is also among its most productive players. In 2008, Gavin Prout finished tied for second in the National Lacrosse League in scoring and led all players in assists. Indeed, he accounted for a higher percentage of his team’s scores than any other NLL athlete, and he’s a big reason that fellow Mammoth Brian Langtry is racking up goals at such an impressive pace. He more than deserves his “C.”

It’s been a lost season for the Avs — the rebuilding year that the team’s brain trust has been trying to avoid for quite a while now. But all hope is not lost, thanks to a core group of young players boasting an enormous amount of upside, with Wolski chief among them. He’s big, durable and prolific — as good at scoring goals as he is at assisting his fellow skaters. He’s kept company with veterans Ryan Smith and Milan Hejduk among team points leaders throughout 2008-2009, and he’s honed his skills to a fine edge in tie games, earning the nickname “King of the Shootout.” May he keep finding the back of the net for a long time to come.

Basketball isn’t an individual game — or at least not at its best. But the addition of a single player can make an enormous difference, as Chauncey Billups proved when he joined the Nuggets early this season. In a matter of days, the Nugs were defending better, sharing the ball more often, passing up contested shots to get their teammates better ones, demonstrating discipline rather than a lack thereof, and generally playing like a team. Granted, he’s not a miracle worker, as a late-season skid has demonstrated. But he’s improved the Nuggets more by his own excellent example than even the biggest fans in his home town might have dreamed.

At first blush, the Rockies’ decision to give Garrett Atkins the equivalent of a $3 million raise for the 2009 season seems screwy, given that his RBI production and batting average are down from their levels during the previous two campaigns. But his digits remain solid — he drove in 99 runs and hit .286 in 2008 — and he’s capable of spraying the ball all over the field (and often beyond the wall). Just as important, he’s a defensive stalwart and a steady presence in a lineup in which stability is key. With Matt Holliday gone and a pitching staff with far more question marks than exclamation points, the team needs Atkins now more than ever.

It seemed like a desperation move: After every other Denver Broncos running back went down with injuries, the team moved Peyton Hillis, a hardheaded rookie fullback, to tailback. Some said he was too slow, others said he was too big. But wouldn’t you know it? Hillis ended up being too damn good for defenders to bring down — at least until he went down with an injury himself, proving that the 2008 Broncos were paying for some untold karmic mistake (drafting Maurice Clarett, perhaps?). But Hillis also proved that wherever he contributes in 2009, he’ll be a deserved fan favorite.

A left tackle? Are we serious? Hell, yes, we are. Every football expert worth his jock strap knows how important the job is and identifies Ryan Clady as one of the Broncos’ three top offensive building blocks, along with quarterback Jay Cutler (unless he gets traded) and receiver Brandon Marshall. But unlike the latter pair, the former Boise State standout hasn’t staged any public pouts or produced a rap sheet gaudier than his on-field stats. He only garners positive headlines, as when he finished third in the voting for the 2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award — an astonishing achievement for a lineman. And if he stays healthy, Clady’s got the talent to anchor the squad and receive Pro Bowl honors for a decade-plus. Top that, Jay and Brandon.

Former coach Mike Shanahan took the Broncos to their first Super Bowl victory in his third season with the team. Riding the skills of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and Pro Bowl running back Terrell Davis, it was a quick start for a football Mastermind. New coach Josh McDaniels may be as smart and as driven as Shanahan, but instead of Elway and Davis, he has Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, two talented players with some, uh, issues. Oh, and a disastrous defense. If McDaniels can get his offensive stars in line and figure out a way to revamp the D, it will take him as least as long as Shanny to get back to the big dance. We’ll give him one extra year. Good luck, coach.

Expensive boot camps and pricey gyms are great for staying in shape. So are skiing, kayaking and cycling — if you can afford all the gear that goes along with those sports. But if you want a real workout — one that tasks even the fittest of the fit — try running, jumping or climbing the 69 rows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, or the stairs next to them. The place is gorgeous, and free, and you’ll find people just as crazy as you, sometimes in large, organized groups, there year-round on just about any day when there isn’t a scheduled concert or event. Right now the city allows anyone or any group to use the stairs, as long as they are considerate of others and respect the quiet beauty of the place.

More lounge than lanes, Lucky Strike at the Denver Pavilions isn’t exactly your father’s bowling alley. You won’t find a soulless, big-box complex swarming with greasy-haired ’50s Neanderthals, all hooting at women. Instead you’ll find an intimate, plush, club-style room filled with the kind of sophisticated, trendy, urban young men used in cigarette ads. They’ll be hooting at women, too, only with a pinkie ring and a martini, not a league button-down. A word of caution: You get what you pay for. Lucky Strike isn’t for the budget-minded bowler — but if you can pick up that 7-10 split with Big Lebowski swank and swagger, then you want to roll here.

It must be tough being international snowboard superstar Shaun White. After several years of completely dominating the sport in half-pipe and slopestyle riding, it’s been difficult for the 22-year-old known for his shock of tomato-colored hair to get on a chairlift without being completely mobbed by admirers. So when rumors began earlier this year about a huge half-pipe built secretly somewhere high in the Colorado backcountry, White’s name was floated as the only boarder big enough to afford such a luxury. The rumor was confirmed in February, when someone snapped a long-distance photo of a super-duper-pipe on the back of Silverton Mountain, accessible only by snowmobile and helicopter. Apparently, Red Bull and Burton Snowboards built the $500,000, 22-foot-tall half-pipe for White to train on for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Must be tough.

Terrain parks seem to get bigger and badder with each passing season as ski resorts try to find new ways to attract the snow-bro crowd to their lift lines. Colorado certainly has no shortage of Olympic-sized Superpipes, big air jumps and rainbow rails for the young and the reckless to choose from. But sometimes girls and guys just wanna have fun, which is why Keystone’s A51 takes the cake. Voted among the top in the nation by both Transworld Snowboarding and Freeskier magazines, A51 balances the heart-pounding mega-features against an assortment of smaller offerings such as wall rides, spine-ramp boxes and culvert tubes. The layout maximizes flow, giving riders more bang (and fun) for their buck.

For wide open, empty blue groomers, Breckenridge’s Peak 7 used to be the place to go because it took a little work traversing cat tracks to get there, thus deterring big crowds. That all changed this season with the opening of a new Peak 7 base development — Breck’s first since 1971. Peak 7 is now the first stop on the BreckConnect gondola, which means lift lines. But what’s bad for Peak 7 has been great for Peak 10. A lot of the skiers who start their day at Peak 7 won’t ever make it past Peak 8, let alone to Peak 10. Even on Presidents’ Day weekend — one of the busiest resort holidays — the Falcon SuperChair serving some of the best groomed blue-black steeps Breck has to offer was loading skiers into chairs before they had time to loosen their boots or pull out their maps.

Though it might sound like the creation of a clever marketing pro, Revelation is actually the longtime name of this bowl overlooking the Bear Creek Basin. Above treeline, wide open and situated on a northeastern aspect so that it gathers huge amounts of snow from Telluride’s predominantly westerly storms, Revelation Bowl sits directly off the back side of the famous Gold Hill and Chair 14. It’s long been the envy of skiers standing atop the mountain, looking for a less traveled path. Now, with the addition of the Revelation quad lift, the resort has opened up 52 new acres of variable terrain. Ridgelines in either direction offer steep pitches and rock features, while the center has rolling advanced terrain and even a groomed cruising path. But it’s the breathtaking scenery — views of La Junta Peak, Wasatch Mountain, the San Joaquin Ridge and the San Sophia Range, which looks down on the town of Telluride — that gave Revelation Bowl its name and makes it a place worth celebrating.

Let’s face it: Except for those elite few who hike for fresh tracks, most of us skiers and riders who prefer to stay in the lift-served inbounds can be a pretty lazy bunch. That’s why we’ve chosen a sport that lets us ride up the hill while sitting in a chair and then coast downhill. The most physically taxing part of the day is the walk from the parking lot to the first chair and back. And this season, Keystone made that walk a little easier. Its gondola used to require a hike over the bridge and up a short hill before loading, but not anymore. The new eight-passenger River Run Gondola uses the same footprint, except that it stretches a little bit farther so that skiers can load in the village, right across from where lift tickets are sold. Not only is the new gondola faster, but it encourages people to download at the end of the day rather than ski down River Run, where the entire resort used to funnel out in one massive 4 p.m. traffic jam. Now those who want to get in that last, crunchy run don’t have to weave through an obstacle course of stalled beginners.

The 700-acre Big Burn area is one of the most popular spots at Snowmass for its combination of rolling intermediate cruisers and expert glades. But for years, most of the traffic has been concentrated on the west side, served by the Big Burn high speed quad, while the east side has been underutilized because skiers were reluctant to hop on the unbearably slow Sheer Bliss two-seater built in 1975. The lift was so unpopular — especially in cold and windy weather — that the resort only ran it on weekends and busy days. That all changed in November with the opening of the $7 million Sheer Bliss detachable quad. The new, re-aligned lift takes skiers up 2,212 vertical feet — 155 higher than it used to in nine minutes instead of sixteen — and it can carry 2,000 people in an hour, twice as many as before, thus easing congestion on the west side and introducing the east side to a whole new audience of riders.

Since this winter’s unseasonably warm weather never gave Denver’s free Ruby Hill Rail Yard a chance to open, the next best thing to free is Echo Mountain. Even if you missed out on the pre-season sale of $129 season passes, a lift ticket at Echo still won’t put you back too much: It’s $43 — or $29 if you just want to catch a few late afternoon and evening runs. That’s less than half what the Summit County resorts charge, and you’ll save a lot on gas and traffic time, too, since Echo is only 35 miles outside of Denver. Yes, it does cater to a core audience of sick riders, but it’s also got some excellent groomers — now accessed by a new magic carpet — for kids and transplants to learn on, terrain made even more attractive by the fact that beginner-only lift tickets sell for just $19

Outdoor Divas prides itself on catering specifically to sporty women and the understanding that what works for the gander isn’t always good for the goose. That’s why these women’s gear shops now feature women-specific snowboards from Colorado’s Never Summer Industries and other major manufacturers. Aside from just being pretty, these boards sport features designed to increase flexibility and accommodate a better fit for smaller feet. Just the thing for cunning carvers.

Cyclists in the know understand that Salvagetti is like the People’s bike shop: low-key, attitude-free and street-level. The folks there fix bikes, talk bikes and simply love bikes, and they see no reason to take the fun out of buying and riding bikes. Most important, at Salvagetti, biking is community, and that’s why it organizes all manner of group bike treks and bikerly events, from bike-in movie screenings in the alley to hands-on demo rides where you can try on the merchandise for size. But its sweetest cycling gathering is a morning pleasure jaunt on selected Sundays, beginning in spring and continuing through the deepest fall, with a restaurant destination where riders can fill up on pancakes and good coffee and then ride it all off again.

There are plenty of quality miles to pedal on the Front Range, but you didn’t buy that trick, free-riding dual suspension just to ride the foothills. The Monarch Crest trail is one of the finest rides on the planet; starting at over 11,000 feet in elevation and running along some jaw-dropping sections of the Continental Divide, it’s not your average Sunday ride, so true that wheel, fill up your hydration pack, and make sure you’ve been doing your cardio for the past two months. You’ll experience above-treeline grandeur, killer switchbacks that laser through dense alpine forests, and a descent that offers nearly 7,000 feet of now-would-be-an-excellent-time-to-adjust-my-brakes singletrack. There are even a number of shuttle-for-hire options outside of Poncha Springs that will do the driving for you, so you can spend more of your day feeling like a god with a handlebar, not some lost, citified touron in a Subaru. Just make sure you pack oxygen if you haven’t been hitting the StairMaster, because this is a mile high times two.

Dare we call the new Colorado Springs skatepark the best in Colorado? That’s quite an assertion in a state considered to have one of the highest concentrations of quality skate parks in the nation. But skaters, bladers and BMXers have been voting with their wheels since the spot opened in January, and the consensus seems to be “Hell, yeah!” The Springs government did everything right by choosing a great location in the centralized Memorial Park and handing the design and construction to Florida-based builders Team Pain. What they ended up with was a 40,000-square-foot, $1 million outdoor masterpiece packed full of perfectly formed bowls, stairs, rails and wacky little features no one thought of before. Finally, a reason to go to Colorado Springs.

Trying to find a great place to ride without leaving the city can be a challenge. That’s why we love this long stretch of 32nd Avenue. Meet your friends in the Highland neighborhood and then head west. You’ll pass through some of Denver’s oldest, most picturesque neighborhoods before crossing into Wheat Ridge and zipping by Crown Hill Regional Park. From there, 32nd takes you into Golden, where you end up on the back side of the sprawling Coors brewery and at the base of Colorado’s lovely foothills. Let’s ride!

Artist-designed lift tickets in Aspen aren’t a new thing, but they are an enduring one. This is, in fact, the fourth year for the program, which is a collaboration between the edgy Aspen Art Museum and the folks who run the mountain, and it’s usually accompanied by a full-blown museum exhibition by the assigned ticket designer that gives people something interesting to do when they’re not on the slopes. Besides, the 2008-2009 text-based graphic ticket design by conceptual artist Jim Hodges, “Give More Than You Take,” gives them something deeper to ponder as they ride up the hill for a schuss.

You can keep your sandy beaches and squeaky hard courts; for our money, the best volleyball is played on grass — shirtless and shoeless, in the sun — where you’re still able to run and jump (unlike on the beach, where even decently athletic players are rendered virtual invalids). There are plenty of places to play, but none is more convenient or idyllic than Washington Park. On nice days, the park’s grass becomes a sea of fluorescent nets and flying bodies, with several matches going at once. And for those who like structure, there’s some method to the madness: Games are often organized beforehand, at http://volleyball.meetup.com.

Broomfield’s swanky Paul Derda Recreation Center has the answer to all those crummy winter days when the little ones are going stir-crazy — courtesy of its indoor playground. We’re not talking about some lousy jungle gym. Think a McDonald’s PlayPlace on steroids: a multi-story climbing structure, a labyrinth of rope ladders and fun-house tunnels, even tandem super-long slides. Best of all, you don’t need to throw down for a Happy Meal, because the whole thing is free for families. And since it’s all swathed in safety padding, the only tears you’ll see are the ones that start when you tell them it’s time to go home.

Wouldn’t the world be oh-so-much sweeter if we all lived in one big bouncy castle? While such a paradise only exists in our dreams, we’re one step closer to it thanks to Jump-Street, a gigantic family fun center where a trampoline covers almost every surface. Somersault across the floor, pinball off the walls — anything’s possible (as YouTube clips of Jump-Street regulars attest). There’s even trampoline dodgeball — quite possibly the greatest concept since the ham sandwich.Best Year-Round

Sometimes we need the added pressure of a financial investment to force a good workout. The threat of public humiliation doesn’t hurt, either, and boot camp just sounds cooler than aerobics class. At Genesis, the pain doesn’t come cheap, but the instructors are experts at kicking your butt. The POWER Boot Camp is four weeks of daily (you get your weekends off at least) heart-pumping, muscle throbbing hour-long circuit workouts. No two days are ever alike, as the instructors rotate. Our personal favorite is the classic-rock-loving Iraq veteran Jon, who refuses to open the door or turn on a fan during class, as if fresh air had calories. Walk into his gym and you’re likely to embark on the impossibly tough “1200.” That’s 400 sit-ups, 400 squats and 400 push-ups divided into 20 sets of 20. Miss a class and you’ll start the next one with 25 push-ups. Sound easy? How about running suicides after you’ve run up the hill at Riverfront Park holding a medicine ball over your head? Or sprinting uphill on a treadmill without tripping and flying off the back? Jillian Michaels has got nothing on these guys.

You know your gym? It’s pretty big, right? Has everything you need? Well imagine your gym was three times the size, had four times as much equipment to make you sweat, plus racquetball courts, two pools, eight basketball hoops, and locker rooms fit for Carmelo. That pretty much describes the new 24-Hour Fitness in Aurora, a fitness maven’s Taj Mahal near the corner of Parker and Arapahoe roads. At 90,000 square feet, it’s the largest 24-Hour Fitness in Colorado — and among the biggest in the country. It’s busy but never packed, clean but not stuffy, and it’s got a juice bar. Go forth and get sweaty.

This is not just a game. Some of these guys have been coming to the downtown YMCA at lunchtime every Monday, Wednesday and Friday since the 1980s. There are lawyers, businessmen, laborers and former college players, and they range in age from mid-twenties to mid-sixties. What they have in common is a love of basketball — and trash talk. They only play to seven points, but there’s always a fight over the score, and fouls, of course. If you want to get in with this crew, be prepared to play and talk fast — and not question the rules that have evolved over the past twenty years of pick-up games. Oh, and get your name on the chalkboard early: First round starts at 11 a.m.

If you’re going to survive either of our two best golf courses, you’ll need to do what every weekend golfer despises: practice. And while there are plenty of great driving ranges in the area, none is more convenient for downtown workers than City Park’s small but functional practice areas — a matted range, plus chipping and putting greens to hone your short game. And it’s a mere five-minute drive from downtown, so you can squeeze in a small bucket of balls, a putting contest with your cube-mate, three hot dogs and plenty of cursing of your wretched slice before the boss even knows you’re gone. Just don’t forget to take off your spikes before that 2:30 staff meeting.

Aqua Golf fell into ruins in recent years, an abandoned driving range on a sad little pond at the edge of Santa Fe Drive, where weeds grew tall as traffic roared by. Then the City of Denver stepped in and took a gigantic paintbrush to the eyesore, installing two miniature golf courses decked out with diminutive sand traps and water hazards, as well as a refurbished driving range, fountains and a clubhouse. All of it opened to the public last fall. Plus, there’s a series of whimsical mechanical sculptures dotting the pond. Created by Patrick Hollis, who was inspired by the area’s industrial presence, the sculptures feature train wheels balanced on topsy-turvy water tower structures. Now part of the city’s Overland Golf Course complex, Aqua Golf is open most days, weather permitting, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; for various fee packages, you can putt-putt, practice drives or try both.

The opening hole of Fossil Trace Golf Course sums things up: Rising from the middle of the fairway, about halfway through the beastly par-five, a strange rock formation juts from the earth. It looks like a middle finger, and it’s a warning of what’s to come: a unique, sometimes harrowing but always rewarding test of golf. The test continues for 6,800 yards (from the back tees), through the equally challenging par-five 18th, which hugs a lake all the way to the clubhouse. But while the course may take a big chunk of your confidence, it won’t take too much from your wallet: Weekend, peak-season greens fees are less than $80 with a cart. And with the Great Depression Part Deux upon us, expect to find some discounts this season.

Stapleton may not have too many shade trees, but it has three public pools (the Aviator, the Puddle Jumper and the F-15) where overheated new-urbanists can cool off during the summer. Although all three can get crowded on the weekends, there are usually plenty of chairs and sufficient space to stretch out. The pools themselves are new and clean, and the areas around them feature grassy areas, barbecues and picnic tables. While Stapletonians get in free with a neighborhood resident card, the rest of city can enjoy the pools, too, at $3 for kids and $7 for adults. Oh, and you can bring in canned beer (no bottles, please), and they kick the kids out of the water every 45 minutes for adult swim time.

Tucked away on the other side of the Continental Divide, on the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River about seven miles above Aspen, lies one of the state’s singular treasures: the Devil’s Punch Bowl. It’s not just a swimming hole; it’s Nirvana with a river running through it. Imagine a cool, refreshing stream (okay, it’s Ice Station Zebra cold), a glorious, in-the-raw alpine setting (um, would it be too much to ask for a bathroom?) and numerous launching sites for flinging your body into the abyss of a watery embrace (as long as you’re not afraid of dizzying heights). Best of all, this mountain-stream madness is but a Frisbee throw from Highway 82 — just close enough to run back, naked and screeching, when Mr. Bear comes stumbling out of the woods looking for an easy meal.

Whitewater kayaking is not just about having the right gear, though Confluence Kayaks sells it. It’s not just about scoring the right price, though you’ll find that here, too. And it’s definitely not about a staff that simply regurgitates a sales brochure. What the folks at Confluence Kayaks give you is the confidence that comes with having poked the Grim Reaper with a stick and quickly run away. Not only has owner John Kahn been the man to see when it comes to buying boats in Denver for nearly fifteen years, but he and his staff have been there: staring into the bottom of the s-turn hole on the Arkansas, dropping Skull Rapid on the Westwater stretch of the Colorado, braving the rude waters of Gore Canyon every spring. Translation: Kahn and company know how to float your boat because they’re half fish, and they’ve got the gills and the guts to take you along for the ride.