Sports & Recreation

Nestled into a strip of Barnum Park running along the north side of the Sixth Avenue highway is the Trestle Bike Skills Course — a series of bumps, berms and jumps made just for bicycles. BMX, mountain-bike and downhill cyclists of all abilities are welcome on this circuit, with man-made dirt hills and wooden ridges created to challenge both first-timers and experienced risk-takers. Maintained by the city and dedicated volunteers, this specialty bike course is like no other in the nation — plus it’s part of the Parks and Recreation system, so it’s free to use. A treat for both riders and onlookers, the Trestle Bike Skills Course entertains drivers along the congested freeway and allows high-flying cyclists to get air while exercising.

You’d think being the best Rockie wouldn’t be that tough, given how bad the team was last year. But Arenado would have been the top player on plenty of other, much better squads, too. He hits for power, slugging a team-leading 42 home runs in 2015. But he’s also a great situational batter, which explains how he managed to average a very solid .287 even as he racked up an impressive 177 hits and drove in 130 runs. Moreover, his fielding is outstanding, as he demonstrated during a flipping, back-twisting grab last April against the San Francisco Giants that was one of the most frequently replayed defensive highlights of the year.

Readers’ choice: Nolan Arenado

When dogs want to watch the big game, they head to the Ugly Dog, which not only has a fenced-in outdoor dog area — complete with fire hydrants and doghouses for them and picnic tables for people — but also allows Fido inside to relax on the floor and check out the score. The employees (all women sporting sleeveless referee shirts, by the way) at this north Denver eatery are generous with the dog treats, too.

It’s like the swimming-pool version of dogs playing poker, and quite the sight to behold: Dogs of every size and breed jumping in and hauling themselves out of the Scheitler rec center’s outdoor pool, chasing balls and Frisbees, swimming laps and, yes, even sunbathing along the edge. On the last day of the season every year, Scheitler opens the pool for a pooches-only Pawpalooza (though a few brave people jump in, too). The cost is $5 per dog, and proceeds go to local animal shelters and kids’ programs. Bonus: The rec center is located next door to the Berkeley Lake Dog Park, which has plenty of room for the pups to shake off the excess.

Six years ago, the owners of the doggie daycare and grooming spot Woof in Boots decided to start a painting class for dog lovers that would allow them to mingle with like-minded pet people and their pets while raising money for a local animal-related charity. And thus Paw Prints & Cocktails was born. It has since grown into more than just a First Friday event: Several times a month, Woof in Boots hosts people and their pups for a sometimes raucous mixer that involves a local host artist, live music, beer and wine (for an extra fee), and snacks for all involved. And you’ll walk away with a piece of art of your own making — probably of your favorite pooch.

Denver is generously apportioned with dog parks and pet-friendly green spaces, but for smaller breeds who become understandably skittish when faced with a creature ten times their body weight, the options are slimmer. Fortunately, the Berkeley Lake Dog Park, at Sheridan and 46th, features a separate fenced area specifically designed for dogs under 25 pounds, creating an opportunity for off-leash socialization with other pups while keeping their Napoleonic egos intact. Regular visitors are steadfast in their efforts to ensure clean gravel and fresh water for your little corporals. Scenic and easily accessible from downtown, the park is never lovelier than on summer evenings, when the lights of nearby Lakeside Amusement Park ripple across the surface of Berkeley Lake and the merry sounds of roller coasters echo through the night.

Even if we were dogs — no, wait, especially if we were dogs — Cherry Creek State Park’s Dog Off-Leash Area would be our pick for the perfect park. Referred to as “Disney for dogs” by its many fans, the 107-acre, fenced-in doggie dreamland features everything a canine would put on a fantasy must-have list. First of all, Cherry Creek runs through it, so there’s plenty of water to slurp, swim and splash in. There’s also a wide gravel trail that’s easy to follow, and the endless spurs from it wind through acres of brush and small stands of trees, and across the open plains — all ideal for a good, long, fast run or for wrestling with other dogs. And besides other dogs, there are often small critters that need to be investigated. Adults will appreciate the clean restrooms and abundance of bags and receptacles; the level area is accessible and easily navigated year-round; and sunrise and sunset are usually spectacular — though sunrise is generally far less crowded than at the peak times of mid-morning and after humans get off work. At off-peak times, though, it often feels as though you and your pooches are on your own for a great hike. There’s a fee — if you plan to go often, it makes sense to buy a state parks pass — but it’s well worth the price if it means your dog will snooze for the rest of the day.

Readers’ choice: Chatfield State Park

Lowry and Stapleton contain a range of green spaces that get a workout from families, dog walkers, cyclists and just about everybody else who’s moved to the city’s quasi-new-urban ‘burbs. While modest, the reading garden has a bit more of a community feel than most of these oases. It’s not just the choice of seating areas and contemplative nooks, but also the growing collection of book “spines” along a low wall that give the place a personal touch: Locals donate the titles in memory of loved ones, and the dedications, which often describe the dearly departed’s relationship to a particular book, make for interesting reading in their own right.

The Cranmer Park sundial has been through a lot in its life. Added to the park in the ’40s, the sandstone timepiece was destroyed by vandals in 1965. Replaced with a larger version that still stands today, the sundial has come to be a defining piece of the Hilltop neighborhood’s history. But its future is still shaky: The flagstone plaza on which the clock rests — built in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration — is in need of serious repairs. Neighbors motivated to advocate for their special landmark created a local organization, Save Our Sundial, and have organized park parties to raise money. The Cranmer Park sundial is a great example of the pieces of Denver history that can be found tucked away in plain sight in the city’s parks.

Plopped down right in the middle of the bustling cityscape, Cheesman Park is Capitol Hill’s outdoor refuge and picnic destination for all types of city dwellers. While the gardens and meadows are stately, it’s the park’s walking trail and driving loop that make this grassy esplanade a people-watcher’s paradise. Hard-core marathoners whiz past stroller moms, while professional dog-walkers take the dirt trail and dudes on inline skates cruise by occupied cars parked bumper-to-bumper along the asphalt circle. Cheesman’s unique marble pavilion provides a pop-up stage for social theatrics as punks, parents and business-casual types take full advantage of the free performance space. Grab some popcorn, pull up a lawn chair and watch your fellow citizens in action.

Keystone Resort enjoys a reputation for being a solid family mountain in winter, a laid-back place where many of Colorado’s kids learn how to ski. But come mid-June, Keystone turns into a pretty hard-core mountain-biking mecca. With 55 trails comprising 100 miles’ worth of lift-served and famously technical singletrack — complete with rock gardens, natural and man-made obstacles and plenty of places to get air — Keystone features some terrain that gives even the most gnarly mountain biker pause, all for $42 for a day pass (multi-day and season passes are available, too). The black and double-black runs offer serious speed, and the newer TNT section, an old logging road turned into a berms-and-jumps ride, has been revamped with sheer drop-offs in the smoother sections and “The Yacht,” a wooden structure that gives you one last big move at the end. There’s also a skills park that allows riders to practice on jump trails with rollers, logs and rocks at less-steep pitches than in the main park, as well as the Drop Zone, a series of ridgelines perfect for free falls from five to fourteen feet. There are a few beginner- and intermediate-level trails here, but for the most part, it’s experts-only — and while you don’t have to wear body armor, you’ll probably want to.

Denver is well known for its views of the Rockies, but turn the other direction and we’ve got a skyline that’s well worth gazing at, too. Barnum Park, named after developer P.T. Barnum (yes, that P.T.), takes the cake when it comes to the perfect glimpse of our rapidly growing downtown. Perched high above the madness that is the Sixth Avenue/I-25 interchange, this simple park sits unhindered — no cranes or new development can get in its way — and gives park visitors a full panorama of the Mile High City. What’s more, the surrounding highway and Federal Boulevard thoroughfare have created an immovable transit moat around this fortress of green space, making Barnum’s look at the city safe from future obstruction. In Denver, any place free from the optical hindrance of towering construction projects is priceless; lucky for us, Barnum Park — and its view — is always free.

We loved Von Miller before loving Von Miller was cool: He first won his Best Bronco award in 2012, when he was a rookie, and we’ve been on the bandwagon ever since. This year, though, he took his Von-ness to a new level. His hilarious sack dances — including the Key & Peele-inspired routine that earned him a fine from the NFL — prefigured his naming as a contestant on the next edition of Dancing With the Stars; he’s a master when it comes to Instagram and Snapchat; and his interviews (about, among other things, his obsession with raising chickens) are consistently bizarre and hilarious. Oh, yeah: He was also the Most Valuable Player during Super Bowl 50 in every way imaginable. No wonder we love Miller time.

Readers’ choice: Von Miller

If you want a quick pickup game or some easy 3-on-3, it’s tough to beat one of the dozens of indoor gyms in Denver or popular parks like Sloan’s Lake and Washington Park — but when it comes to working on your long-range skills, it’s time to try rooftop shooting at 1125 17th Street. You might have to befriend a resident of the adjacent apartment building that owns the court (or find a way to sneak up there, which we would never tell you to do), but after you hit a few 3s in solitude while downtown Denver conducts its business twenty feet below, you’ll be on top of the world — or at least the 5280.

No private gym can compare with the affordability and accessibility of a Denver Parks and Recreation membership, with its dozens of recreation centers and indoor and outdoor pools in the metro area to choose from. Starting at one dollar for a single visit and topping out at $369 for a year’s worth of unlimited access to every center, the city’s prices are hard to beat. Financial assistance is available, too, along with discounts for seniors and persons with disabilities, and the city’s My Denver card gives free memberships to kids ages five to eighteen. In addition, many classes — from boxing fitness to circuit training — are free once you’re a member. The best part? You don’t even have to purchase a membership to take advantage of Denver’s parks system: Workouts in any of the city’s dozens of green spaces are free, year-round.

denvergov.org

The 20th Street Gym isn’t fancy — which is all the more reason to take advantage of this rec center in the city. All of the average gym amenities are here — indoor pool, weight room, cardio equipment — and are paired with a schedule packed with pickleball games, pottery classes and Pilates. Almost as historic as the building itself is the gym’s boxing program, offering kids and adults of all skill levels a chance to be trained by professionals and compete in the ring. The soaring windows and wooden rails of the grand staircase are reminders of the gym’s antiquity, but it’s the no-BS workouts and knowledgeable staff of teachers and trainers that bring the 20th Street Gym into the 21st century.

When Xyla DuVal opened Hyperspace in June 2014, it featured mostly vintage arcade consoles, including a functioning Space War machine, the first stand-up video game. Through the summer of 2015, the arcade was open only for special events, including electronic dance nights and live experimental-music shows — and then it went on a long hiatus. Now Hyperspace is back, though, with a regular schedule and a $10 all-you-can-play fee. No charge for the classic combo of geek-tech culture and weird music in a layout reminiscent of early-’80s strip-mall arcades.

Just three bucks gets you through the gates at Lakeside Amusement Park, which is all the money needed to enjoy a late summer night’s stroll through its gorgeous grounds. Drop a few more dollars and get your thrills from the historic wooden Cyclone roller coaster, the daring dips of the Spider or the most famous of the landmark’s jittery delights, the Wild Chipmunk. Kids get a miniature version of the amusement park all to themselves, complete with a baby coaster and tethered kiddie motorboats. End the night with a calming ride around the lake on a scaled-down but fully functional steam train, and catch a glimpse of the park’s neon at night — a lovely reminder of a simpler time. Being in business for more than a century proves that Lakeside Amusement Park knows how to make fun affordable for everyone.

Anyone who’s seen the Mile High Tumblers perform at events like Denver Nuggets games can testify to the thrilling nature of their aerial stunts: crazy twists and turns executed with and without the aid of mini-trampolines. But even better is the concept behind the spectacle. Thanks to founder Ozell Williams, who first made his name locally as a cheerleader for the University of Colorado Boulder and an Olympic athlete specializing in the rings, MHT serves as a youth program in which college-agers act as mentors for students in the early years of high school. Their goal: to reinforce positivity and build life skills while defying gravity. Williams is changing Colorado for the better, one flip at a time.

Colorado has its share of costumed mascots — men or women inside animal ensembles that would fit in nicely at the next Furries convention. But the state is also blessed with quite a few real animal mascots: Ralphie the buffalo at CU Boulder, Cam the ram at CSU, and Thunder, the Arabian horse that celebrates scores and more for the Denver Broncos. The team is actually on its third Thunder at this point, and seeing the magnificent creature pound across the gridiron is among the greatest thrills involved with being a Broncos fan. Thunder got nearly as big a reaction at the post-Super Bowl 50 victory parade as did Peyton Manning or Von Miller, and appropriately so.

Readers’ choice: Rockie

The Drive is among the most addictive sports-talk shows in town, and chemistry is the reason. At least once a show (and often more than that), Darren “D-Mac” McKee will say something that will make you smack your forehead — but his willingness to offer bold proclamations plenty of others would keep to themselves is key to his oddball charm. Former Bronco Alfred “Big Al” Williams is equally opinionated, and his takes on the Broncos, the CU Buffs and plenty of other outfits and athletes on the current scene are informed by his deep knowledge and a zest for life that’s second to none. Together, they make a helluva team.

Readers’ choice: The Drive

For years, Lombardi was a mainstay on CBS4, and his departure from the station was a dispiriting sign of the times. Fortunately, though, he hasn’t disappeared from the Denver sports landscape. By jumping to Altitude, the network home of the Nuggets and the Avalanche, he’s found a more wide-open forum for his quick wit and strong opinions — qualities that make him a must-follow on Twitter, too. And while he lost his radio gig on 104.3/The Fan in December, we have a feeling it won’t be long before he returns to that medium, too.

Readers’ choice: Drew Soicher

Plenty of local media observers were shocked when KOA pink-slipped Roach last year. But he’s more than landed on his feet — and his spectacular vocal cords are the reason. His Twitter bio describes his gigs with becoming modesty; it notes that he is “heard at Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, DIA trains, Rio Olympics or anywhere with a script and $50.” That apparently includes this year’s NFL Pro Bowl and the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony — just two of the national events that have been enhanced by his bottomless tones.

Readers’ choice: Dave Logan

Since the Broncos triumphed in Super Bowl 50 earlier this year, a lot of things have happened, many of them troubling. Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan and David Bruton, key role players on the defensive squad that was primarily responsible for the victory, have been lured away by big free-agent bucks, and with Peyton Manning’s retirement and the mutiny of Brock Osweiler — the heir-apparent signal caller who wasn’t — the quarterback situation is uncertain at best. Yet the team’s core talent remains — and remains hungry. Give the brain trust a year to put the pieces back together, then get ready for another run for glory.

Readers’ choice: 2020

Plainly put: If you’re buying lift tickets at full price at the window, you’re a sucker, and it’s probably costing you damn near $200 a day. But if you plan ahead, skiing and snowboarding in Colorado can actually be kinda-sorta affordable, especially as multi-mountain collectives continue to band together to compete for season-pass sales. For the 2016-2017 season, our favorite is the Rocky Mountain SuperPass Plus, a $499 unlimited season pass to Copper Mountain, Winter Park and Eldora Mountain Resort that also includes six days at Steamboat, three at Crested Butte, and three at Alaska’s Alyeska Resort, plus seven (restricted) days each at five international ski areas. Better yet, each adult pass comes with one Kids Ski Free pass good at all of the same destinations for kids twelve and under. Prices go up after April 5. Pro tip: Use all six of those Steamboat days (window ticket price for the 2015/2016 season was $149) to get your money’s worth.

In the past, this award has always gone to a head coach. But while Broncos boss Gary Kubiak deserves credit for helping his charges navigate a season filled with more than its share of melodrama, the real hero was defensive coach Phillips, who took a group of players that had been good in the past and transformed them into planet-toppers by way of an aggressive philosophy that unleashed their inner beasts. From game one, the D was terrific, which only makes its steady improvement through the regular season and into the playoffs that much more astonishing. Phillips’s previous stints with the Broncos, including his two seasons as head coach during the early ’90s, hardly prepared us for the majesty he would produce: gridiron brilliance that led directly to a win in Super Bowl 50. And as a bonus, he got to see Lady Gaga!

Readers’ choice: Gary Kubiak

The shift to the Pac-12 hasn’t been pretty for the CU Buffs football team, which would have to improve measurably to be considered mediocre. But the school’s basketballers have become consistently strong performers, regularly besting ranked opponents and challenging for the opportunity to take part in March Madness. And while the outfit is anchored by senior Josh Scott, a mix of promising sophomores and juniors — including George King, Josh Fortune and Dominique Collier — provides hope that the Buffs will continue to get better and better as time goes on.

Readers’ choice: DU Hockey

You were expecting us to pick someone else? Commentators continue to refer to the 2015-2016 season as a roller coaster, but it came close to being a trainwreck, with Peyton Manning throwing more interceptions than touchdowns as he aged before our eyes. But the defense helped the team win games it should have lost, with a late-season assist from the now-departed Brock Osweiler, who stepped in when Manning’s poor play and assorted injuries made benching him a necessity. Then Manning returned in heroic fashion just in time for a march through a killer playoff schedule, capped by the best sort of victory in Super Bowl 50 — one that was both unexpected in many quarters and richly satisfying. Aren’t you glad you were there to see it?

Readers’ choice: Denver Broncos

Let the games begin! Since 2003, Blake Street Tavern has been scoring big with sports-bar fans, and the best got better when it moved down the block to a much bigger space on 23rd Street. That space came with a huge basement that posed a quandary for the bar, but when owner Chris Fuselier finally decided to turn it into Underground Social, he came up with a winning solution. The spot has its own bar, jukebox, photo booth, games — everything from giant Jenga to shuffleboard to darts — and big-screen TVs, and it’s a great place to get away from the crowds upstairs, where there are even more games, TVs and sports fans.

Readers’ choice: The 1up

A select few in the metro area brave the early hours of weekend mornings to watch their favorite sports team streamed live from across the world. The Three Lions pub will open as early as 5:30 a.m. for English Premier League soccer matches, and plenty of coffee and tea will be poured prior to 7 a.m., when alcohol service begins. Also available: $4.50 Bloody Marys and mimosas, and a proper English breakfast. After the morning rush of diehard fans, the pub will make way for more sports watching throughout the day, including American football games, rugby, Formula One racing and other international soccer games. The full menu includes the standard comfort food of English pubs, with shepherd’s pie, fish and chips and England’s favorite dish: curry. Of course, all of your favorite pints are offered, and with its many loyal supporters, the pub is always filled with the kind of good cheer, warmth and camaraderie that only a popular neighborhood spot can provide.

Readers’ choice: Stoney’s Bar & Grill

The backdrop of the sleek, U-shaped bar at WTF features four large screens that are visible from the elevated booths across the room, which makes for some serious sports watching — a focus here anytime something of athletic importance occurs. But this retro-feel bar in Prospect Park also gets points for offering more than 100 whiskeys — served with a little housemade salted caramel. And if you crave a classic while watching your team, it’s hard to beat the burger, the fried chicken or the shrimp and grits here. Go, team!

Readers’ choice: Highland Tap & Burger

The stand-up paddle-boarding (SUP) craze has officially swept the state, from downtown spots along the South Platte River to raging whitewater in the mountains. When you’re ready to give it a try, start slow and scenic — and at the source — by renting an inflatable board from Steamboat Springs’s Hala Gear and taking it out on Steamboat Lake. The learning curve is pretty shallow when you’re out there standing on the lake on flat water, and the views are so spectacular that you’ll be hooked from the get-go. When you’re ready for an extra shot of adrenaline — and a few servings of humble pie — try some of your favorite yoga poses or running some rapids. For a few pro tips, sign up with an outfitter like Steamboat Paddleboard Adventures for lessons on the Yampa River. Buying a board will set you back about $1,500, but they’re portable enough to not require a roof rack, and some models include a StompBox retractable-fin design that you’ll appreciate when the river gets shallow.

Matt Duchene comes in for plenty of criticism, in part because he was foreseen to be a truly transcendent player, and thus far he’s been only a very good one for a team that seems ready to take the next step quality-wise but hasn’t been consistent enough to do it. Still, Duchene is typically the Avs’ biggest goal-scorer and points-generator, as well as the one player that opponents must account for whenever he’s on the ice. Moreover, he’s still a mere 25, meaning that he’s got plenty of time to become the difference-maker so many prognosticators envisioned.

Readers’ choice: Matt Duchene

High Society Freeride designs and tests its snowboards in Aspen and Snowmass, then has them manufactured in Denver at the Never Summer Industries factory, making them some of the very few boards manufactured in the U.S., much less in Colorado. The keep-it-local protocol appears to be paying off: In 2016, the Temerity All-Mountain Freeride board took Outside magazine’s coveted Gear of the Year award. Available in five different lengths, from 151cm to 162cm, the directional board holds up under abuse in terrain parks and is stiff enough to maintain control at high speed while remaining flexible enough to stay playful. HSF claims it’s “meant for riders so bold they are almost foolish.” Sounds like just about every snowboarder we know.

Denver-based Icelantic Skis celebrated its tenth anniversary during the 2015-2016 season and added some new planks to the line to help mark the occasion. The all-mountain Pioneer is the first in Icelantic’s collection to feature its new lightweight Bi-Axe construction, and it has a rocker/camber hybrid with early rise on the tip and tail to help float in the powder that Colorado got plenty of — if a bit sporadically — over the winter. Skiing magazine gave the Pioneer a “Hot Gear” nod at the SIA Snow Show, dubbing the $599 ski “a true all-mountain daily-driver ski at a price designed to make it one of Icelantic’s best values ever,” but Icey had us at the Travis Parr artwork. A new version of the same ski with more abstract Parr art will be a staple of the 2016-2017 line.

Denver-based director Josh Berman teamed up with co-director Freedle Coty for the annual installment of Level 1’s ongoing project to document the best skiing in the world. Small World won Film of the Year and Best Female Short (for Tatum Monod) at the 2015 iF3 International Freeski Film Festival in December, following its world premiere at City Hall nightclub in September. Other iF3 nominations included Best Female Freeride Performance (also for Tatum Monod), Best Crash, Best Shot and Best Editing. Sami Ortleib and Mitchell Brower were each nominated for Rookie of the Year honors at the iF3 for their roles in the film, and Brower took the nod for Best Jib at the annual Powder Video Awards, also in December. If the iTunes version won’t cut it for your permanent collection, stop by the storefront at the Level 1 Productions headquarters in RiNo to pick up a copy on DVD or Blu-ray.

Keystone’s Independence Bowl, Erickson Bowl and Bergman Bowl are all technically inbounds, and may all be served by chairlifts in the distant future. For now, though, you can either hike to them or splurge for a ride — and a guide — with an all-day trip from Keystone Adventure Tours. The tours run from January through April, but only when the snow is good; you’ll actually get your money back if the guides don’t think they can get you into the fresh tracks on expert terrain you’ve been dreaming of. The tours run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., cost $275, and include powder-ski demos in case you need them (you will), a gourmet lunch served in a cozy yurt on Independence Bowl, and a lift ticket in case your legs still have enough left in them for some chairlift laps after playing in all that snow (they won’t). Afterward, raise a toast to your guides and your eleven new best friends. For a cheaper taste of snowcat chauffeur life, try the Outback Shuttle, a $10 ride to Keystone’s Outback Bowls from the top of the Outback chairlift, which gives you a perfect view of what you’re missing across the way.

Before Boyle’s arrival, CU basketball had experienced some great moments (a lot of them related to Chauncey Billups’s time on the squad), but hadn’t become the kind of program that was strong year in and year out. But after turning around the Northern Colorado Bears, he’s done the same at CU, where his teams have won more than twenty games — a major-conference mark of excellence — for five of his six years at the helm. No wonder students at the Boulder campus pack every home game. In Tad they trust — as well they should.

Readers’ choice: Tad Boyle

The biggest shot fired in the season-pass wars for the 2015-2016 ski and snowboard season was the news that Vail Resorts would be offering the Epic Schoolkids Colorado Pack, free passes to all elementary-school students in Colorado in grades K-5, expanding on the School of Shred hook-them-while-they’re-young program previously offered to fifth- and sixth-graders. The Epic Schoolkids pass is good for four days each at Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Vail and Keystone, with restrictions around the holidays, and includes a free rental and first-timer lesson package for one-time use. Registration for the 2016-2017 Epic Schoolkids passes began on March 28; be sure to sign up before the season gets under way, because it’s a limited-time offer.

Some of the biggest airs in the history of snowboarding were launched from the 22-foot halfpipe in Vail’s Golden Peak Terrain Park in March, when the Burton US Open rolled through. In the men’s contest, Shaun White actually soared above the 25-foot measuring stick, executing a lofty backside air that managed to be as impressive as any of the more technical spins farther down in his winning run. In the women’s contest, fifteen-year-old Chloe Kim sent her own massive backside air far down the pipe, gathering speed for back-to-back 1080s. Vail’s pipe crew kept it in top form for weekend warriors all season, grooming the walls to competition specs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Not quite ready to send your own tricks fifty feet above the flat bottom? Try warming up on the smaller pipe — also on Golden Peak, but featuring less-imposing thirteen-foot walls — to build up some confidence.

For a just-barely inbounds experience, obsess over Opensnow.com forecasts to get yourself to Steamboat on a powder day, then make your way ASAP to the Morningside lift from the back side of the resort. Look for the radio tower to your right as you unload. Take a deep breath — you’ll be well above 10,000 feet of elevation by this point — and then point for the tower. Ride down to the gate for Christmas Tree Bowl (drop in here if it’s untracked and save the walk for later), then unbuckle and start the brief hike to the summit. From there you’ll have several options, all of them down steep and lightly gladed chutes punctuated by several cliff-drop line options, and all on terrain that you won’t believe is an actual run. No Names, North St. Pat’s and East Face are all excellent — and essentially all the same run — but No Names has the best name and is the easiest to return from once you’re out of the steeps and in danger of getting bogged down in the flats. Alternately, keep hiking for a few more yards and take a selfie for your mom by the skull-and-crossbones side-country warnings.

Readers’ choice: Drunken Frenchman, Winter Park

It was another lost season for the Nuggets, who often looked confused, disinterested or some combination thereof. But Barton was a big exception. When he came to Denver in a 2015 trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, he was a little-known quantity in these parts. But he soon made a name for himself off the bench, bringing much-needed energy, offensive creativity and hops so impressive that he was invited to take part in this year’s NBA All-Star slam-dunk competition. And even though he frequently comes off the bench, he’s the team’s second-leading scorer, behind only the oft-injured Danilo Gallinari. In a unit that has underachieved, Barton’s done the opposite.

Readers’ choice: Kenneth Faried

Colorado can’t get enough of its warm-water mountain retreats, and last year Glenwood Springs was graced with a new, unique getaway: Iron Mountain Hot Springs. This sixteen-pool oasis gives soakers a spectrum of multi-temperature relaxing options, with naturally heated waters ranging from 99 to 108 degrees. Cool off with a swim in the large freshwater pool, or continue the tranquil journey in the bubbling whirlpool. A trip to this geothermal wonder can easily be an all-day affair, with the on-site Sopris Cafe offering sandwiches, pizza and frozen yogurt along with a full-service bar (you can have drinks delivered to a pool) and plenty of patio seating so you never have to leave. Whether it’s the middle of winter or a warm summer evening, Iron Mountain Hot Springs is a mini-resort made for unwinding year-round.

Team Pain’s concrete crew was at it again this year, adding a field-trip-worthy 15,000-square-foot skate park at Loveland’s new Mehaffey Park to a Colorado portfolio that now includes thirteen of the state’s finest skate spots. The City of Loveland Parks and Recreation Department started consulting with local skaters on the design three full years before the official August 2015 grand opening, and collaborated with Fort Collins-based landscape architecture and environmental planning firm Logan Simpson to integrate it into the 64-acre, $13.6 million park. The skate park itself is a beauty, with a large flow section, a street course with several innovative rails and ledges, a self-contained bowl with stairs in the shallow end and pool coping all around, and a very cool snake run winding around a feature designed to look like a giant tree stump.

Readers’ choice: Denver Skate Park

Estes Park is a charming backdrop for a rodeo that does feature professional competitions but in reality retains far more of its small-town feel than not. The 89-year-old event runs July 6-11 this year, and in addition to the usual bareback bronc riding, team roping and barrel racing — and, of course, mutton bustin’ for the young’uns, along with a “cash catch” where kids have to grab $5 off sheeps’ butts — the Rooftop Rodeo runs a parade complete with royalty, trick riders and clowns, as well as prizes for the best float and marching band, and a real hoedown dance to live music, which may result in some participants needing to stop in at Cowboy Church on the final day. In addition, the rodeo offers an up-close look at the animals, the competitors, and a lot of manure during a Behind the Chutes tour, an add-on to the regular rodeo ticket that’s worth it just to chat with the cowboys and cowgirls. Yeehaw!

A permanent nine-hole disc-golf park in Longmont, Loomiller is mostly flat, surrounded by trees, and features a lake and a pond that make for some fun challenges on several holes. The pin placements can be tough, too, but for the most part, this is a beginner’s course with a variety of lines on the holes, and the tee pads are concrete. There’s a picnic area near one of the ponds, but one of the best reasons for working up a thirst here is that you can hop, bike or skip onto Hover Street and hit Oskar Blues for “homemade liquids and solids,” or take a short drive down U.S. 287 to the inviting patio at Pumphouse Brewery and toast your victory — or drown your sorrows over losing a disc to the lake.

It takes only about a minute of holding hands at the 25-foot-high waterfall in pretty Forsythe Canyon to realize that there’s no one else around — and that there are a lot of big, shady trees everywhere…and that the gentle burbling of the water makes for some convenient background noise. The mild-to-moderate hike — no need to get all sweaty before you’re ready — is partially shaded along the way by fir and spruce that make it easy to duck off the path at nearly any point, and as soon as the foliage starts growing, the wildflowers make for a nice thank-you bouquet.

Slightly more than a mile off I-70 sits the trailhead for the hidden gem called Beaver Brook, actually a well-shaded trail system with several options, from easy to strenuous. The Braille Nature Center Trail is a short, informative walk with interpretive signs that share information on the flora and fauna in the area, while the Gudy Gaskill Loop takes hikers above Clear Creek and the Robert Chavez Trail follows right along the water. You could do a twelve-mile out-and-back here if you have the time, but even doing a few miles both ways will still give you a backcountry feel while on a nearby trail.

You do love your bike, don’t you? It cost more than your car, and you talk about it in the kind of reverential tones normally associated with family or dear, longtime friends. Adventure Cycling understands. Owner Erik Swanson — a transplant from Denmark who never saw a road ride he didn’t need to check out immediately — gives his patient and extremely knowledgeable employees enough time and leeway to make sure your bike is exactly what you want it to be. A mix of road cyclists and mountain bikers (and a few who are both), the staffers are as passionate about the right fit and the right components as you are, and the smallness of the shop — which sports a repair space in the back, along with a fit studio — makes for exceptionally focused one-on-one service. If you buy your bike here — the featured brands are Yeti and Specialized, no surprise — Adventure will spend as much time as needed to ensure that everything is perfect, and if you need something done to your existing bike, it will be in good hands. Ride on.

On the block for more than eighty years, Collins’ Bicycles landed a dream rebirth recently when Scott and Malissa Spero (owners of the neighboring Hooked on Colfax coffee shop) took over the store. Retaining the quaint, old-school vibe of its previous life, Two-Wheel Feel is a bright and airy remake of the quintessential small-town bicycle shop. New and used bikes line the walls, and a knowledgeable staff is always on hand to help riders find the perfect fit. Need a new inner tube or some handlebar tape? This centrally located bike shop’s got it all. Along with its retail space, Two-Wheel Feel offers on-site repairs done in an open workshop at the back of the store. Continuing in the spirit of the Collins family legacy, the Speros’ Two-Wheel Feel is a welcome addition to a city learning to embrace its growing bicycle culture.