Know when you can make a snow cat/hip cat pun? The ’70s.

Via Visit Colorado’s YouTube channel comes this segment from Ski Scene, hosted by Johnny Morris. It’s basically a promo video for Steamboat from forty years ago. Highlights include: Cowboy hats, full body jumpsuits, harmony, more bad puns, some shockingly inane conversation and a mildly creepy ski commercial. Noticeably absent: Snowboards,…

Why won’t you open, Ruby Hill Rail Yard? Why?!

Here’s the best thing about living in Denver in the winter: Snowy and cold up in the mountains, sunny and warm down in the city. Snow/Sun … Wet/Dry … see how that works? Then, in 2007, Winter Park and the City of Denver’s parks department had to go and come…

Three to Ski: Now with options!

Each week, we’ll tell you which three resorts should win your weekend. Last week, it was also the only three running lifts. This week, however, we had to actually make a decision or two to bring you the choicest mountains. Spoiler alert: you’re looking at one of them. 1. Copper…

Secret stashes: A look at Colorado’s ‘lost’ resorts

Forget the traffic on I-70 and the hours-long liftlines at Keystone. Head out for a long weekend this winter to poach the secret stashes at Colorado’s small-time mom-and-pop resorts. There’s Cooper (not Copper!), Monarch, Sunlight, the bad-boys down by Telluride and more. Everybody would love to ski Aspen — there’s…

Tonight: Snowshoeing 101 at REI Denver

Snowshoeing allegedly has merits of its own — REI calls it “one of the fastest growing sports in Colorado” and my folks are nuts for it — but for me its real value has always been as a stepping stone.I grew up snowshoeing/snowboarding in the Colorado backcountry alongside a few…

Morning Dew: Get me out of this cubicle

A great shot of A-Basin, which is making the beige of Officeland even less palatable. Photo from Josh Gray’s Flickr. To have your photos featured in Morning Dew, send them to edge@westword.com or post them to the Westword Flickr pool…

Video: Red Bull unveils Shaun White’s private half-pipe

Judging by the video above, Shaun White woke up one day and said, “I would like a private, giant half-pipe in the San Juan Mountains, accessible only by helicopter.” And Red Bull said, “How giant would you like it?” More dramatic foreplay can be found on the Project X website…

At Keystone, one week and a foot of snow in 19 seconds

Keystone’s Dercum Mountain got 8 inches of snow in last week’s storm, and it’s been cold enough to get the snow machines cranking. Which means the resort will be opening on Thursday, November 5. You can preview the product above in this hyperactive clip from the summit, taken from October…

Hut Up: How (and why) to do a hut a trip this winter

Taking on a hut trip in Colorado’s backcountry is truly the adventure of a lifetime. Out there in the middle of nowhere, under Orion’s Belt by night and Colorado’s sheltering blue skies by day, you somehow get closer to the source. But you’d better come prepared, lest you end up…

Morning Dew: Black and white and Red Rocks

A climber dangling in Red Rocks, courtesy of lastbeats’ Flickr page. To have your photos featured in Morning Dew, send them to edge@westword.com or post them to the Westword Flickr pool…

The downside to early snow: Avalanches

We live in a cartoon paradise. It snowed two feet along the front range this week, and it might hit 60 degrees over the weekend. Still, make your backcountry plans with caution. The month of October has already seen an unusually high number of avalanches: five triggered by skiers and…

Man vs. Mountain Bike: A cautionary tale

We get it. You’re in a hurry. You want your exercise. And ripping down the narrow-gauge trails at Matthews Winters at 30 miles an hour is just fun. But get this: Next time you come screaming around the corner and expect me and my dog to jump out of the…

Gear: All ski racks are not created equal

They say that all racks are created equal, but it’s simply not true. You can go low-profile, high-rise, low-fi or high-tech, depending on how much you want to spend and how much patience you have to install the sucker. Back in the day, we’d strap a ski rack onto our…

Three to Ski: Where to break yourself in this weekend

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Three to Ski, where we recommend the, umm, three best hills for you to hit up this weekend, by ski or snowboard. This week, by default: 1. Wolf Creek: We’re getting some snow this week (had you noticed?), but Wolf Creek is getting absolutely…

Gear: Get to know Volkl’s hottest skis

Sniagrab’s basically a bust since Sports Authority took over the castle. But it’s going on until November 18, so you may still be able to snake some decent ski deals, including some of Volkl’s best offerings for the season. I stopped by about a month ago to take a look…

Morning Dew: Dumpage

From proforged’s Flickr feed: A look at what Vail will look like soon, thanks to dumpage like yesterday. To have your photos featured in Morning Dew, send them to edge@westword.com or post them to the Westword Flickr pool…