Mar 16th, 2013 at 1:00PM: Since moving back to Colorado last August, I've actively tried to gain more experience in backcountry pursuits. I've been a downhill skier all my life, but prohibitive costs and weekend warrior traffic are a drag. At this point in my life, I also find more enjoyment in the contemplative, peaceful nature of snowshoeing and nordic skiing.
My ultimate goal for the backcountry has always been to ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
RockyMountains posts
The 10th Mountain Division Huts: Colorado's Historic Legacy To Outdoor Lovers
Mar 16th, 2013 at 1:00PM: Since moving back to Colorado last August, I've actively tried to gain more experience in backcountry pursuits. I've been a downhill skier all my life, but prohibitive costs and weekend warrior traffic are a drag. At this point in my life, I also find more enjoyment in the contemplative, peaceful nature of snowshoeing and nordic skiing.
My ultimate goal for the backcountry has always been to ...Colorado Ski Resorts Offer Spring Break Deals, Special Events, Statewide
Mar 1st, 2013 at 2:00PM: Still mulling over where to spend spring break, be it solo, or with friends or family? Colorado Ski Country USA resorts make it easy, with a handy online guide promoting special deals and events statewide throughout March and part of April.
In addition to loads of concerts and fun and endurance ski races at most resorts, there's also the famed Elk Mountain Grand Traverse backcountry race from ...Adventure Guide 2013: Crested Butte
Feb 9th, 2013 at 11:00AM:
Crested Butte features incredible backcountry and extreme opportunities in a remote and captivating package. It's also got more lift-accessed extreme terrain than anywhere else in the nation. You may need to purchase a ski-pass, but it's all avalanche-controlled (what's known as sidecountry, rather than backcountry). Few are the powder hounds who miss the constant threat of imminent burial ...Adventure Guide 2013: Aspen
Feb 7th, 2013 at 11:00AM:
If you've ever yearned to visit Aspen, this is the time. Aspen is hot right now, fresh off the X Games, because it's just opened its first sidecountry terrain (see below). The revamped Limelight Hotel is also making headlines for having the coolest après ski spot in town. If you crave adventure and think Aspen is out of your budget, time to reconsider: the hardcore outdoor opps are ...Gunnison's Wanderlust Hostel Offers $35 Crested Butte Lift Tickets
Jan 10th, 2013 at 9:00AM: While I was enjoying a few days of Nordic (read: free) activities in Crested Butte last week, a local let me in on a secret. "You can get deals on lift tickets everywhere. You just need to know where to look." And then she passed on some intel to me.
In that spirit, I'd like to present to you what is perhaps the most insane ski deal I've ever come across. Gunnison's groovy Wanderlust Hostel is ...Ski Free In Aspen With Killer Hotel Deals
Dec 23rd, 2012 at 2:00PM: Think you can't afford Aspen? Think again. Two of the most elite hotels in town are offering can't-miss winter season packages that include free ski passes.
Did I stutter? Nope. It's part of a "ski free" promotion designed to draw visitors back to the Rockies after last year's notoriously dry winter. Happily, this year looks good, as I can attest from an Aspen visit earlier in the week, and the ...Ski Town Holidays: Not Just For Skiers
Dec 7th, 2012 at 2:00PM: It sounds crazy, but not all ski-town tourists are there to downhill ski. In fact, many don't even know how. I'll also let you in on a local's secret: not all permanent residents of ski towns know how to ski, and of those who do, many can't even afford a season pass.
The fact is, there are now more options than ever for non-skiers and those on a tight budget to engage in other winter sports, if ...Planning An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Dinner, Portlandia-Style
Oct 28th, 2012 at 2:30PM:
About four years ago, I wrote an Edible Aspen story on Brook LeVan, a farmer friend of mine who lives in western Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley. Brook and his wife, Rose (that's them, in the photo), raise heritage turkeys, among other things, and part of my assignment was to ask him how to celebrate a locally sourced, cold-climate Thanksgiving.
Brook, whom i've since dubbed "The Messiah of ...Roadside America: Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley
Oct 13th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
If you were to ask most Americans if they'd heard of the Roaring Fork Valley, you'd get a blank stare. Mention Aspen, however, and the light goes on, regardless of their social or economic standing (blame reality TV, our cultural obsession with celebrity, and 1970s/Reagan-era excess).
Aspen may be the St. Moritz of the U.S., but its location at the upper (southeast) end of the western ...Sunset Magazine's 'Westphoria' Blog Celebrates The Weirdness Of The Western States
Oct 1st, 2012 at 11:00AM: It's no secret that the 13 states comprising the Western U.S. are a bit unusual. Enter Westphoria, Sunset magazine's 4-month-old blog dedicated to celebrating all that's quirky, kick-ass, and distinct about the Left Coast, Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions. Think retrofitted teardrop campers, chicken "sitters," bike-powered farmers market smoothies, and, uh, hotel rooms designed to resemble ...Aspen's 'Revolutionary' New Restaurant: Is This The Future Of Fine Dining?
Sep 22nd, 2012 at 12:00PM: Aspen is well known for many things, some more savory (its restaurants) than others (Charlie Sheen arrests). There's also the world-class skiing, but a person's gotta eat, and Aspen definitely boasts some of Colorado's finest restaurants. In a ski town, that's saying a lot.
In June, Aspen's restaurant scene just grew a little bigger, better and more groundbreaking, with the opening of Chefs ...Aspen's Little Nell Hotel Offers Free Fly-Fishing And Biking Now Through October 15
Aug 15th, 2012 at 4:00PM: Colorado is a big state, and most of it remained unscathed during June's wildfires. The Aspen region in particular is known for its knockout scenery, which includes the twin peaks of the Maroon Bells, wildflower-festooned meadows, shimmering aspen groves and crystalline rivers.
With fall foliage (if you've never witnessed the turning of aspens, it's worth seeing) just around the corner, The ...Favorite Travel Destinations: Where's Your 'Happy Place?'
Jun 26th, 2012 at 11:00AM: Long ago, a friend of mine referred to Colorado as my "spiritual homeland." I frequently jest that I'm spiritually bankrupt except when it comes to the outdoors, and she was referring to my long-held love affair with the Centennial State.
My friend was right. There are parts of Colorado that are my "happy place," where I immediately feel I can breathe more deeply, shelve my neuroses and just ...Summer Challenge: Bag A '14er' In Rocky Mountain National Park
Jun 19th, 2012 at 9:00AM: For outdoor enthusiasts and adventure travelers, Rocky Mountain National Park happens to be 415 square miles of paradise. Featuring more than 350 miles of hiking trails, a half-dozen campsites, excellent fishing and miles of scenic cycling routes, the park is an alpine playground set in the Front Range of Colorado. It also happens to be home to one of the most well known and accessible "14ers" in ...Food & Wine Classic at Aspen celebrates 30 years, tickets going fast
Feb 23rd, 2012 at 12:00PM: Who would have guessed that 30 years ago, a high-altitude, fancy-pants gathering of some chefs, winemakers, and hungry and thirsty revelers would have evolved into the nation's preeminent food and wine festival?
This year, from June 15-17th, Food & Wine magazine will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the legendary Food & Wine Classic at Aspen. Join the nation's top chefs including ...A brief history of Telluride and its surrounding ghost towns
Sep 7th, 2011 at 1:00PM: Telluride. The name alone conjures a variety of associations, from the debaucherous (Glenn Frey's "Smuggler's Blues") to the elite (Tom Cruise is the other inevitable mention). But this isolated little town in Southwestern Colorado's craggy San Juan range has a truly wild past and a lot to offer. It's not the only mining-town-turned-ski-resort in the Rockies, but I think it's the most ...How to choose a great dude or guest ranch
Jul 19th, 2011 at 10:30AM: Hang on, I need to get something out of the way. "City Slickers." Okay, now that the inevitable has been mentioned, we can move on. Guest ranches--also known as dude ranches--are an excellent choice for a family vacation, regardless of season. Even if it's just two of you, many ranches cater to couples, ensuring you of an active and romantic holiday.
The guest ranch tradition was established in ...Top five bars to get a (great) drink in Telluride, Colorado
Jul 8th, 2011 at 10:00AM: To borrow a phrase, Telluride (and I mean this in the best possible way) is a little drinking town with a big ski problem. I've lived there off and on since 2005, and recently returned for a visit for the first time in two years.
Telluride--a former mining town--has never had a shortage of places to imbibe, but getting a well-made cocktail for under ten bucks is another story. Fortunately, ...One wild year in Banff National Park
Jul 7th, 2011 at 8:00AM: Banff National Park, located in the the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada, is a truly wild place. But I'm not sure anyone knew just exactly how wild it is, until the park launched its remote wildlife camera project last year. The project stationed a number of webcams throughout the park, allowing visitors to check in on the various sites from the comfort of their own homes.
Now, the park has ...Boulder's favorite outdoorsy chefs describe their perfect day in "Sliced and Diced" guide
Jun 22nd, 2011 at 4:30PM: Boulder, Colorado, is an anomaly when it comes to the complicated relationship between mountain towns and great food. Whether it's a slice of pizza or a charcuterie plate; a well-crafted cocktail, or just a damn good cup of coffee, it's generally hard to find quality ingredients and skilled artisans, chefs, and cooks to produce them in enticing high-altitude settings. Ski towns are a prime ...
