Elevation Outdoors January-February 2018

BACKCOUNTRY GEAR | SKI TOURING QUEBEC | INDIE SONGWRITERS JAN-FEB 2018

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Discover the beauty in what hasn’t changed in Colorado’s original playground.

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CONTENTS JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018 TINATION

COLORADO’S DES

OP H S Y R T N U O C K C BA R OVER 20 YEARS FO

EXTENSIVE SELECTION SKI TUNES & REPAIRS RENTALS & DEMOS AVALANCHE SAFETY EQUIPMENT

POWER COUPLE ELAINE AND DAN VARDAMIS ADDED A SKI-TOUR LEG TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL. SEE PAGE 20. photo by DAVID CLIFFORD

DEPARTMENTS

7 EDITOR’S LETTER The anger over Bears Ears.

8 QUICK HITS

Dry-tooling takes hold, Buena Vista adventure, sandhill cranes and more...

11 FLASHPOINT

Will Outdoor Retailer's move to Colorado bring more business to the state?

FEATURES

20 BADASSES: THE TOP COLORADO ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2017

Colorado is chock full of type-A personalities when it comes to ticking off epic athletic achievements in the outdoors, but this inspiring group took it to another level last year—and they managed to hold down their day jobs.

23 TOUR TREMBLANT

13 HOT SPOT

Looking for low-stress, safe ski and split-board touring? Brush up on your French and book a ticket to Quebec.

15 THE TRAIL

25 THE BEST GEAR FOR THE BACKCOUNTRY

Four top outdoor athletes share beta on their favorite big, fun winter adventures.

Tour to turns at a 10th Mountain Hut.

17 NUMEROLOGY

Whether you plan on uphill resort laps, working up a sweat in a skimo race or wilderness touring, we have your gear.

Weird and wonderful Olympic stats.

19 STRAIGHT TALK

AY AW LL A C A IS E IC V D A ED C N IE EXPER

877.236.8428

U.S. Freeski Halfpipe coach Andrew Woods prognosticates on PyeongChang.

31 HEAR THIS

Indie singer songwriters play the BIFF.

32 THE ROAD

This is the story of how the 10th Mountain Division returned to its Colorado roots.

34 ELWAYVILLE

Legends and high hopes for U.S. skiing.

R: CHECK BENTGATE.COM/EVEUNNTTRSY FO 101 SESSIONS

E | BACKCO SKI DEMOS | BEACON PRACTICTA RE! ATHLETE PRESEN TIONS AND MO 4

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 01 8

Want more?

Catch up on past issues, your favorite bloggers and daily online content at ElevationOutdoors.com ON THE COVER: COLORADO CRUSHERS (LEFT TO RIGHT) ANDREW HAMILTON, ANDREA SANSONE, ELAINE VARDAMIS AND DAN VARDAMIS STAND ATOP LOVELAND PASS (SEE PAGE 20).

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID CLIFFORD / DAVIDCLIFFORDPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

WE’RE ON THE S N I A T N U O M E H T F O E D I S R E H T O traffic, We’re on I-70 with no , powder goes unpacked No lift lines and fresh ro dirt year-round, he ve ha ls ai tr ke bi r ou No off season, cks. our spectacular red ro at t gh si in se el e on And, no

It’s time to explore the other side.

Get your passport of deals at www.OutdoorCapitalCO.com in partnership with

CONTRIBUTORS

ElevationOutdoors.com

01. 18

WHAT'S YOUR BIG OUTDOOR OBJECTIVE FOR 2018?

EDITORIAL ED ITOR -IN -CH IEF

Ski Ski Ski

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

doug@elevationoutdoors.com MAN AG IN G ED ITOR

Colorado’s Colorado’s Colorado’s

CAMERON MARTINDELL

cameron@elevationoutdoors.com

Wine Wine Wine Country Country Country

SEN IOR ED ITOR

CHRIS KASSAR

chris@elevationoutdoors.com

Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy

CON TRIBUTIN G ED ITORS

AARON BIBLE, ADAM CHASE, ROB COPPOLILLO, LIAM DORAN, JAMES DZIEZYNSKI, HUDSON LINDENBERGER, SONYA LOONEY, JAYME MOYE, CHRIS VAN LEUVEN

Family Family Family Fun Fun Fun

at atat Family Family Family Value Value Value

C OPY ASSASSIN

TRACY ROSS

ED ITOR -AT-LARG E

Visit Visit Visit

PETER KRAY

C ON TRIBUTIN G WRITERS

Powderhorn Powderhorn Powderhorn

JEFF BLUMENFELD, PATTY MALESH, ELIZABETH MILLER, MIKE ROGGE, TOM WINTER

Moutnain Moutnain Moutnain Resort Resort Resort

ART + PRODUCTION A RT D IREC TOR

LAUREN WORTH

lauren@elevationoutdoors.com

Learn Learn Learn more more more at atat powderhorn.com powderhorn.com powderhorn.com

ASSOC IATE C R EATIVE D IREC TOR

MEGAN JORDAN

megan@elevationoutdoors.com

ADVERTISING + BUSINESS PRESID EN T

BLAKE DEMASO

blake@elevationoutdoors.com PU BLISH ER

ELIZABETH O’CONNELL

elizabeth@elevationoutdoors.com

FUEL FOR EVERY DAY

BEFORE. DURING. AFTER.

SEN IOR AC C OU N T EXECUTIVE

MARTHA EVANS

martha@elevationoutdoors.com AC C OU N T EXECUTIVE

CONOR SEDMAK

conor@elevationoutdoors.com BU SIN ESS MAN AG ER

MELISSA GESSLER

melissa@elevationoutdoors.com C IRC U LATION MA N AG ER

Photo: Noah Wetzel

HANNAH COOPER

hcooper@elevationoutdoors.com

DIGITAL MEDIA ON LIN E D IR EC TOR

CRAIG SNODGRASS

craig@elevationoutdoors.com D IG ITAL MA N AG ER

TYRA SUTAK

tyra@elevationoutdoors.com E L EVATION OU T D O OR S M AGAZ I N E

2510 47th Street Unit 202 Boulder, Colorado 80301 (303) 449-1560 PU B L I SH ED BY

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Norway’s high point, Galdhøpiggen, with the Scandinavian Summits project (scandinaviansummits.com).

ELIZABETH O'CONNELL

Climb a mountain for Big City Mountaineers’ Summit for Someone program (bigcitymountaineers.org).

CONOR SEDMAK

Up my backcountry skiing experience and practice crucial skills I learned in my AIARE Level I course.

CAMERON MARTINDELL

I hope to instill my kids with a love for the outdoors so that they will become guardians of it all.

CHRIS KASSAR

Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak and the second highest in North America.

TRACY ROSS

The Alley Loop with my son and high school Nordic kids. Because we're dorky like that!

TOM WINTER

My wife and I just acquired a 400-year old medieval house in Italy’s Val di Susa and the terrain just above it looks amazing for ski mountaineering and touring.

CHRIS VAN LEUVEN

To lead the massive, 115-foot Rigid Designator pillar in Vail.

ELIZABETH MILLER

Up-all-night hikes through northern Arizona, searching for black-footed ferrets.

PETER KRAY

Last year I really got the birding bug!

©2018 Summit Publishing, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

SUMMIT

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PUBLISHING

AARON BIBLE Japow!

LOCAL CONTROL

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

I

have worked for environmental causes and advocated for wild places most of my life and there’s one constant in every debate about how to best make use of public lands. The politicians who want to take these wild places away from you are rarely straightforward. When they want to open up land to say a Canadian mining corporation or a private developer they won’t just come out and say it. Instead, they couch the argument in platitudes about freedom, access and sovereignity—all the while limiting them. By and large, conservationists are open about what they want: better protection of these wild places for their own sake, smart use, recreation and the enjoyment of future generations. Those who oppose conservation are very good at convincing locals who are wary of the federal government that their land is being stolen, while they put up the fences, drills and no trespassing signs.

That frustrating double-talk came to a head when President Trump announced he would drastically shrink Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments by an unprecedented two million acres last month. No surprise, the administration crowed that the move was meant to return local control. The NRA immediately praised the cut, claiming that Trump was returning access to public lands in Utah and letting hunters and other good old Americans back on their lands.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

National monuments prioritize the protection of cultural and scientific resources within their borders. They allow hunting, grazing, mountain biking and a host of other recreational and traditional uses as long as they don’t impact those resources. So you can still shoot chukars in a national monument; you just might not be allowed to drive your ATV over a Native American sacred site to do so. No, the real reason the administration and some local politicians want to shrink the monument is not to better protect those sacred sites or to improve the hunting. It’s mining.

The areas of Bears Ears that have been cut out of the monument correspond to mineral deposits. The Washington Post even reported that Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of a Canadian firm, lobbied the administration to cut the monument so it could dig up uranium.

The section cut out of Grand Staircase holds coal deposits, along with invaluable fossils.

There are plenty of valid reasons to listen to locals who live around the monument. But again, the politicians opposing conservation have been disingenious. Some of the most important conservationists in the U.S. are Utah locals. Think vocal authors and native Utahans Terry Tempest Williams and Brooke Williams or Protect Our

Winters amabassador WHOSE LAND IS IT? Caroline Gleich who MEMBERS OF THE FIVE TRIBES INVOLVED IN THE testified in favor of the OF BEARS EARS monument. There’s Blake CREATION NATIONAL MONUMENT Spalding who owns Hell’s PROTESTED TRUMP'S Backbone Grill in Boulder, SHRINKAGE OF IT AT THE UTAH STATE CAPITOL. Utah, on the border of photo by TYRA SUTAK Grand Staircase. And Utah photographer Dan Ransom, who has spent more time deep in many of these canyons than most who would mine it and call it their birthright. Most importantly, five Native American tribes, the people who make up the majority of local residents with ancestral claims here, came together to create Bears Ears in a process that included overwhelming public support. Maybe we should listen to the locals.

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QUICK HITS

01.18

NO ICE, NO PROBLEM Once a bizarre niche sport, dry-tooling— using ice tools on nothing but bare rock— is gaining in popularity.

I was looking west toward the mountains from the top of Eldora Ski Resort.

The view encompassed nothing but brown hilltops with specs of green.

The warm conditions meant ice hadn’t yet formed at many of the easily accessed spots in RMNP or above Vail, but the warm weather can’t stop a handful of die-hards from taking their ice axes out anyway, to climb ice-free rock.

Welcome to dry-tooling.

“For me, ice climbing is relatively straightforward—

ON THE FIRST OF DECEMBER,

swing left hand, swing right hand, kick left foot, kick right foot,” says Carbondale-based pro climber Beth Goralski. “And generally, ice will only grow to vertical. Dry-tooling and mixed climbing is the next step up, and takes it from 90 to 180 degrees. It’s so much fun!”

Unlike ice climbing, where picks punch into frozen water sometimes the consistency of Styrofoam, drytooling moves are often insecure.

A subtle shift in the hips can cause the tip of a pick to slip off an edge in a violent explosion, causing the climber to fall. That makes for a surreal scene—some climbers end up upside-down on roofs and radically overhanging features, their sharp points scraping down the rock until they catch on an edge. The sound of razor-sharp steel sliding over soft limestone sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard.

In mid-December, after cutting through the cottonwoods and zigzagging up a muddy approach

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with the assistance of guidelines tied between trees, Beth, her partner David Roetzel, and I reached the Designator Amphitheater above Vail. This is where legendary alpinist Jeff Lowe established the first mixed (rock and ice) route in the U.S., back in 1994, called Octopussy. To do the climb, Lowe linked several discontinuous sections of ice together by ascending the rock in between. For the finale, he pulled off several inverted moves out a roof to reach a curtain of ice at the finish.

Since Lowe conceived of mixed routes and dry-tooling 25 years ago, the sport has developed with lighter, easier-to-use gear, drawing ever more athletes to it. These days, dozens of routes surround Octopussy, with most of them bolted as safely as sport climbs. Today, just like back then, most dry-tooling routes in Vail finish on ice.

While dry-tooling is popular in Europe and Asia, there are few spots to practice here in the

PICK IT UP CHRIS VAN LEUVEN PUTS HIS ICE AXES TO THE TEST IN VAIL'S DESIGNATOR AMPHITHEATER WHERE JEFF LOWE PUT UP THE MIXED ROUTE "OCTOPUSSY" IN 1994. BE SURE TO PRACTICE DRY-TOOLING IN AREAS WHERE YOU WON’T DAMAGE THE ROCK. PERUSE MOUNTAINPROJECT.COM TO FIND BETA ON ROUTES AT YOUR LOCAL CRAG. photo by BETH GORALSKI

TAKE A SEAT WHERE MOST OF US SEE OLD, SLOW LIFT CHAIRS AND GONDOLA CABINS PUT OUT TO PASTURE, ZACH FINGER SEES ART: THE BOULDER RESIDENT REPURPOSES RESORT GARBAGE INTO CLASSY FURNITURE. photo by TOM WINTER

U.S. However, “it’s growing in popularity and there’s a younger generation doing it,” Beth explains.

That next generation may even get a chance to compete in dry-tooling in the Olympics, as the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation wants to include it in the 2022 Summer Games in China.

—Chris Van Leuven

GEAR WE LOVE Pavepara Canyon Wren Drape-neck Tank Merino-wool-clothing creator Chance Poe gathers inspiration for her supersoft yet technical baselayer pieces from birds. When you don her Canyon Wren Drape-neck Tank you do feel more feathered than in less carefully considered outdoor clothing. It’s perfect as a first layer for a high-output skate ski followed by cocktails at the swankest bar. $88 | PAVEPARA.COM

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BOOKS Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Routes: Colorado Written by an experienced duo who’ve carved turns on every Colorado 14er, this comprehensive guide’s detailed descriptions of 102-plus adventures that showcase the incredible diversity of our state’s terrain will inspire powder seekers of all levels. $22 | 14ERSKIERS.COM

LIFT REBIRTH A Colorado company is saving the history of skiing, one retired lift chair at a time.

ZACK FINGER IS GETTING EXCITED. He’s

talking about old number 80, the derelict shell of a gondola cabin that he pulled out of the woods from someone’s backyard in Leadville this past summer.

“It was a nightmare, full of beer cans, a toilet and a bunch of other trash,” he says. But when it comes to skiing’s history, it was also a massive find.

The cabin is part of the only gondola ever constructed by the now-defunct ski lift manufacturing company Yann. It hauled skiers up Keystone from 1982 to 1984 and it’s likely one of only a handful of Yann gondola cabins left on the planet.

Finger has big plans for it—as he does for every old lift he comes across. As the founder and sole employee of Last Chair Customs, he’s in love with the rusty, neglected detritus of skiing.

Finger never planned to pursue this obsession as a career, but as a machinist by trade the lifelong skier/snowboarder finally got sick of working in fabrication shops.

His plan, born during an evening of partying and bullshitting with friends, was simple: He’d find old chairs and repurpose them

for residential use. The Keystone gondola cabin is his latest project.

“I’m going to turn it into a wet bar,” he says. “Can you see this hanging in someone’s nice ski home in the mountains? It would be a showpiece.”

As the founder and sole employee of Last Chair Customs, he’s in love with the rusty, neglected detritus of skiing.

Finger repurposes chairs from defunct lifts across the country.

They not only make great benches or porch swings but there are plenty to choose from, as evidenced by the loot in his East Boulder shop. His antiques include old wood-slat doubles from several East Coast resorts, one of Beaver Creek’s original Larkspur chairs and an ancient double from Aspen Mountain.

Despite this eclectic collection, Finger isn’t satisfied. “I love dragging old lifts out of fields,” he admits with a laugh.

—Tom Winter LEARN MORE AT LASTCHAIRCUSTOMS.COM AND SEE ZACH’S WORK AT @LASTCHAIRCUSTOMS ON INSTAGRAM.

BUENA VISTA, COLORADO Small town charm oozes from the top of Mount Princeton to the banks of the Arkansas River.

EAT Down a breakfast burrito and stock up on beans at Buena Vista Roastery Cafe (bvroasterycafe. com). Each delicious small-batch bag is roasted just down the street.Grab a seat in the dining room (or on the sunny patio) at the House Rock Kitchen (houserockkitchen.com) and order one of the house bowls that are packed with all of the healthy grains, veggies and protein that you need to sustain that big outdoor adventure. When you’re done, pay a visit to Deer Hammer Distillery (deerhammer.com) and savor a glass of the distillery’s sought-after American Single Malt Whiskey or a delicious handcrafted cocktail.

SLEEP Wake up to a warm-water soak at Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort (mtprinceton.com).

Tucked into the accessible backcountry beauty of Chaffee County, the cozy lodge and cabins here give you access to the historic bath house, hot springs and a wellness facility. Looking for

INDEPENDENT STUDY THE COLLEGIATE PEAKS HOLD COLD, DRY POW FOR THOSE WHO TOUR OUT INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE RANGE. THE FOLKS AT BUENA VISTA MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES WILL BOTH GUIDE YOU OUT INTO THE GOODS AND TEACH YOU HOW TO STAY SAFE WHEN YOU VENTURE OUT THERE. photo by ANNA SEES PHOTOGRAPHY (left), LOGAN MYERS (right)

something closer to town? Check out the paddler friendly Surf Chateau (surfchateau.com), with Arkansas riverfront access and a short walk (and stumble home) from the vibrant dining and shopping scene of downtown Buena Vista.

PLAY Most people know BV as a summer destination, thanks to its worldclass River Park (southmainco. com) and hiking and climbing along the Continental Divide. But in the winter, the powder-filled glades, bowls and chutes of the Collegiate Peaks provide backcountry fun far out in the wild. Buena Vista Mountain Adventures (bvmountainadventures.com) ferries skiers and split-boarders out into the action via short snowmobile rides and guided tours for all ability levels. They also offer backcountry ski and splitboard clinics, as well AIARE Level I and II and companion rescue courses to up your avalanche knowledge (check the calendar page on BVMA’s website for dates and to sign up).

Not a big skier or rider? You can sign up for snowshoe and crosscountry ski tours here, too.

—Tyra Sutak

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LOCAL HERO: AMY PURDY

FULLY ADAPTED AMY PURDY NOT ONLY TOOK HOME BRONZE AT THE 2014 PARALYMPICS AND LOOKS TO MEDAL THIS YEAR, SHE ALSO FOUNDED ADAPTIVE ACTION SPORTS (AAS) TO HELP OTHERS ELEVATE THEIR GAME.

This Paralympic champ helps disabled kids dream gold.

SHE’S BEEN TO OPRAH’S HOUSE FOR BRUNCH, appeared in a Madonna

music video, won second place in “Dancing with the Stars” in 2014, and is currently training to compete in the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games on March 9-18. Yet athlete/model/author/ motivational speaker Amy Purdy still finds time in her busy schedule to help direct Adaptive Action Sports (AAS), which she co-founded in 2005 along with her husband, Daniel Gale.

Based at Copper Mountain, AAS allows disabled children, young adults and wounded veterans to compete in action sports, including snowboarding and skateboarding.

Its core principle is that action sports encourage individuality and creativity in participants, while building independence and selfconfidence. The organization trains athletes ages 18 to 35, including wounded veterans, many of whom

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photo courtesy AMY PURDY

hope to compete for a spot on the U.S. National Parasnowboard Team.

Born in Las Vegas, 38-year-old Purdy was the bronze medalist in snowboarding in the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

She’s now training in Europe and competing in Paralympic trials.

She’ll learn in mid-February whether she qualifies for the Paralympic Games.

After losing both legs below the knee to bacterial meningitis, the para-athlete began to snowboard seven months after receiving prosthetics at the age of 19.

“My impetus for starting AAS was to give others the chance to see

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the path I followed to get here: from my hospital bed, to the Paralympics medal podium, to ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” says Purdy. “If someone who has been born with a congenital abnormality, lost a leg, or suffered a brain injury succeeds at snowboarding or skateboarding, they will believe they have the ability to conquer other challenges and truly be ready to live beyond their limits.”

Purdy continues, “For me it was all about focusing on my abilities.

If challenged, I tell people to get creative, work hard, and the possibilities are endless. You never know when your detour will lead you to your destiny.” adacs.org —Jeff Blumenfeld

MIRACLE MIGRATION Take a front row seat at one of the planet’s greatest wildlife shows.

EVERY SPRING, BEGINNING IN LATE FEBRUARY AND EXTENDING INTO EARLY

April, more than 80 percent of the world’s sandhill crane population descends on central Nebraska for a little rest and refuel during their journey north. To witness this sublime experience, book a VIP excursion at the Crane Trust (cranetrust. org)—a nature and visitor center situated along the Big Bend Region of the Platte River. Enjoy onsite lodging, meals and a choice of guided excursions like kayaking, fat biking or a photo and birdwatching tour. Better yet, book a stay in an overnight photo blind at the Rowe Sanctuary (rowe. audubon.org) where you can take in thousands of cranes each evening, often landing and taking off just a few feet from the blind. As the sun sets and rises on a sea of bluish-gray feathers, you’ll have the opportunity to snap some of the best wildlife photos of your life.

—Tyra Sutak

FLASHPOINT

01.18

THE BIG SHOW The Outdoor Retailer trade show will bring a big economic boost to Denver and the state of Colorado. But can it bring even more business to the state? Can it create the political might to have a say when it comes to America’s public lands?

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

I

n February 2017, the outdoor industry was in crisis. During the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, Utah, in January, Black Diamond founder Peter Metcalf, always an outspoken voice for conservation in the industry, dropped a bomb. He wrote an editorial in the Salt Lake Tribune calling for the show, which is owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, to leave the state that it had called home since 1996 unless Utah lawmakers repented on their holy war against America’s public lands in general and the new Bears Ears National Monument in particular. He reasoned that if the state’s politicians did not value the estimated $50 million that the show brought to Utah each year, not to mention the $12 billion outdoor recreation it brings to the state, it did not deserve to host the show.

“Political officials neglect the critical role public lands play in boosting Utah’s economy, making the state a great place to live, work, and play,” wrote Metcalf who also sits on Utah’s Federal Reserve board.

“By our industry’s twice-annual trade show remaining in Utah, we are actually complicit collaborators in our own demise. It’s time for the industry to again find its voice, speak truth and power to power while making it clear to the governor and the state’s political leadership that this trade show will depart with the expiration of the current contract in 2018 unless the leadership ceases its assault on America’s best idea.”

Following suit, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard expressed similar sentiments in a blog post on his brand’s website. Then Patagonia made good on the promise, declaring a boycott on the Outdoor Retailer show, which had actually already begun taking bids from other cities, including Salt Lake, to move OR when Utah’s contract expired. All hell broke loose as the industry

took sides. Arc’teryx, Polartec and a handful of other brands soon pulled out of Outdoor Retailer. The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), REI, The North Face and other brands argued the show needed to stay and the industry should fight for Utah in Utah rather than abandon the state and its 35 million acres of public land.

That internal argument became moot, however, when Outdoor Retailer, OIA and a number of outdoor bigwigs discussed the show and the state’s stance on public lands with Utah Governor Gary Herbert, asking him to rethink policies calling for rescinding Bears Ears and the state taking control of 31.2 million acres of its federal land, which it does not have the budget to manage.

Herbet flatly refused. There was an awkward pause. The conversation was over. Outdoor Retailer was leaving Utah.

SWEET HOME, COLORADO

Herbert’s intransigence created a new problem. Where exactly would the show move? While outdoor-loving states from Montana to Vermont made solid cases when it came to their authenticity and commitment to conservation ethics as compared to Utah, the Outdoor Retailer show, which takes place twice annually and plans on three shows in 2018, is a massive undertaking requiring floor space for 1,000 exhibitors and lodging for 28,000–30,000 attendees.

Sadly, the city of Salt Lake had continually worked to accommodate the show, expanding floor space in the Salt Palace Convention Center

and adding hotel rooms. Plus, booking a big trade show often takes planning years in advance to secure hotel room blocks and convention center space, not to mention the logistics of actually getting attendees from across the globe to the venue.

And while they insisted they could no longer go to Utah, OR attendees also pooh-poohed big cities with the infrastructure to support a show the size of OR: Houton, Orlando, Chicago, Las Vegas.

It’s one thing to celebrate the size of our economy, it’s another thing to learn how to wield its political power.

Denver became the hot option, because it could, just barely, support the size needs of the show, but most of all because the state made a committed effort behind Governor John Hickenlooper to land it. Colorado had already created a department of Outdoor Recreation (a concept that ironically first came to light in Utah) and the state embraces outdoor recreation not just as an industry but part of the quality of life that has fueled an economic boom of companies including Google wanting to base operations in it. Both political

parties see HEY, HEY, BYE BYE that potential: OUTDOOR RETAILER SPENT 12 YEARS IN Colorado’s SALT LAKE CITY, BUT Republican UTAH POLITICIANS senator Cory MADE NO EFFORT TO KEEP THE SHOW, Gardner, who WHICH BROUGHT IN votes lockstep $50 MILLION TO THE with his party CITY EVERY YEAR AND HELPED ENCOURAGE on tax and OUTDOOR BRANDS TO health care SET UP SHOP IN THE issues, was a BEEHIVE STATE. co-sponsor, photo by TIM MCMANUS / along with New HEDHI MEDIA Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of the Rec Act, which will officially quantify the value of the outdoor recreation industry, which OIA calculates at worth $887 billion annually in the U.S., larger than even the pharmaceutical industry.

One small wrinkle was that Denver already hosted the Snowsports Industry Association’s annual trade show, which takes place around the same time as the winter OR show. Emerald Expositions, which owns Outdoor Retailer, ended up buying SIA’s trade show, however, and on July 6, Denver prevailed.

The Outdoor Retailer show, which will include SIA, will take place at the Denver Convention Center on January 25-28, July 23-26 and November 8-11 in 2018, bringing an estimated 85,000 attendees and $110 million with it. But the larger long-term benefits for the state, Coloradans and even public lands and the environment could end up being much larger.

“I think hosting the shows gives us an opportunity to showcase the

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PRESENTS

LANDING THE OUTDOOR RETAILER TRADE SHOW IS A BIG WIN FOR the state of Colorado. The three seasonal shows in 2018 will bring an expected 85,000 visitors and $110 million of annual revenue into the state. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

When Denver won the bid to host the massive gathering of outdoor retailers, manufacturers, athletes, non profits, artists and other innovators, the state cemented its spot at the center of the outdoor conversation in the U.S. Colorado will host Outdoor Retailer, which will take place from January 25–28 at the Denver Convention Center, because it embraces the possibilites of the $887-billion outdoor recreation economy and it values protecting the resources that fuel this ecomonic powerhouse.

“The outdoor industry in Colorado is incredibly strong thanks to the hard work, dedication and passion of the people that support it,” says Outdoor Retailer show director Marisa Nicholson. “We hope people stay, explore, support the local businesses, learn about how the government and industry can work together and be inspired by what’s happening here.”

Elevation Outdoors has been an outspoken voice for this industry and this state since 2008, so we thought it was time to celebrate Colorado and the businesses that make the state so vibrant and forward-thinking with a big party. We want to welcome OR and likeminded folks from across the nation and the world to our home. We banded together with influential Colorado companies who share this vision: Upslope Brewing Company, Nite Ize, Osprey Packs, OtterBox, Boa Technologies, Haibike, Lems Shoes, Native Eyewear, Copper Mountain, Grand Junction Economic Partnership, Chocolove, Backpacker’s Pantry, Deuter, Ascent 360 and Lewis, Roca, Rothgerber and Christie Law Firm. The result is going to be a party at Denver’s Ogden Theatre on Friday, January 26, headlined by fan-favorite Colorado band The Motet and benefitting key Colorado non profit Big City Mountaineers.

“It’s an opportunity for us to show off our state and highlight all the incredible mountain-made brands that are doing business right here in Colorado,” says Jan Greenspan of Nite Ize. While this will be an invite-only party for Outdoor Retailer attendees, we also want to open it up to everyone in Colorado’s outdoor community. To that end, a few Elevation Outdoors readers will have a unique chance to be our guests here. Keep an eye on ElevationOutdoors.com and our social media feeds for ways to win tickets to this exclusive event!

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innovation and leadership that Colorado has within the ORec Industry,” says Luis Benitez, director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Office. “This brings the conversation to us, which is an exciting prospect.”

In particular, Benitez thinks the show can create a ripple effect that buoys smaller communities in Colorado, as evidenced by booming towns in the state including Eagle, Fruita and Buena Vista, which have latched themselves to the outdoor recreation economy, and proved true in Utah in communities like Ogden, which grew from an afterthought railway town to the base of operations for brands like Salomon.

Amy Roberts executive director of Boulder-based OIA, which represents outdoor business in the political arena agrees. “The history of the show’s 20-year stay in Utah tells the story,” she says. “Companies visited the state during the show, became familiar with Utah and, as a result, many companies located headquarters, stores, sales offices and distribution centers in the state during that time. The same opportunity now moves to Colorado and I have no doubt we will see the already significant footprint of the industry expand in the state over the next several years.”

For their part, Colorado outdoor businesspeople themselves are feeling very optimistic.

“I’m already seeing growth as a small business owner,” says longtime industry vet Eric Henderson, who founded Meteorite, a PR and marketing shop with a focus on Colorado and Rocky Mountain brands in Boulder in 2017. “Media and retailers are excited about attending OR and spending time in the state before and after the show.

Currently, I have a mix of 26 media and retailers attending a pre-show event in Boulder. I’m confident the mix of progressive thought, techsavvy business and world class recreation the OR show offers is only going to grow here.”

Others are waiting to see how the show itself will impact their business. “I see a lot of risk on the horizon for independent shops and brands that already call Colorado home,” says Jimmy Funkhouser, who opened hip retail shop Feral Mountain Co. in Denver in 2016.

“There will be winners and losers, and there will definitely be some local companies counted among the losers. But there’s no doubt it’s a net win for Colorado as a whole, and we couldn’t be more excited about that.”

THE REAL VALUE

While the show will undoubtedly fill local coffers and encourage longterm investment, can it speak to the original reason for picking up and moving in the first place? Can the show, the state of Colorado and the outdoor industry in general really have an influence when pitted against politicians dead set on getting rid of federal land and the extractive industries who bankroll them? To succeed, the industry may have to rethink the way it positions itself in the national conversation.

While moving the show and boycotting Utah may have made the outdoor industry feel as if was throwing its weight around. It did little to save Bears Ears or budge Utah’s conservative politicians. The industry does not want to come off as toothless.

“What’s happening in Utah is a direct threat to our industry,” says Don Bushey, who owns Denver’s Wilderness Exchange. “It was disheartening to see that, despite the monetized value our industry brought to the state of Utah, the extractive industries still hold so much greater power over the legislature and policy.”

“It’s one thing to celebrate the size of our economy, it’s another thing to learn how to wield its political power,” says Benetiz.

Funkhouser agrees. “I think the industry is whiffing on the tremendous opportunity that we have right now to frame the conversation on public lands the right way. The battleground is not on the congressional floor, it’s in the community. We have a tremendous opportunity as an industry to connect people with the intrinsic reasons why we should protect public lands. Those are the things that truly resonate with people. We need to reframe the ‘why’ if we want people outside of the industry to truly go to battle with us.”

This is the big opportunity of Outoor Retailer in Colorado, but it will depend on how the industry can reframe the debate. How it can come together and work to enact actual change rather than just make gear and declare boycotts?

“I think it’s time to create something we haven’t seen yet, a multi-state, bi-partisan effort towards a collective vision and political platform for our ORec industry.

Colorado has an opportunity to help create an appropriate landscape to foster a conversation like this,” says Benitez. “Stay tuned, we’re just getting started.”

HOT SPOT

01. 18

ATHLETE-INSPIRED ADVENTURES

Looking to up your game this winter? We asked some of Colorado’s top mountain athletes about their favorite big outdoor undertakings.

Now you can follow in their paths.

by CHRIS KASSAR

MIXED CLIMBING | STEVE HOUSE

ALPINIST, SPEAKER, WRITER, COACH AND MOUNTAIN GUIDE

HOME BASE: Ridgway, Colorado FAVORITE ADVENTURE: Climb Bird Brain Boulevard (BBB) above Ouray DETAILS: Access this seven-pitch mixed climb (WI5, M5+) by driving to the parking area/winter dead-end of Camp Bird Road and hiking south towards an obvious wall for approximately 30 minutes. There are no bolted anchors anywhere on the route, so those going it alone must be competent trad leaders with experience in ice and, especially, mixed climbing.

WHY HE LOVES IT: Ice climbing allows House to really discover and experience himself. Thus, he thoroughly enjoys BBB—a mini-alpine climb just 15 minutes from home. “It’s never extreme, but feels like I’m on a big mountain doing a technical alpine route, which is my favorite type of climbing,” says House. And, though it’s best for advanced climbers, those with solid intermediate skills can follow a guide or more experienced partner on the route.

MUST-HAVE GEAR: Bring a headlamp—people underestimate the time required to climb and descend this route. Rappelling with a phone in your teeth counts as “negative bragging rights,” says to House.

MAKE IT HAPPEN: You can go guided with House himself (skywardmountaineering.com/privateguiding). And be sure to strengthen up before you go. Check out the program here: uphillathlete.com/ ice-and-mixed-climbing-strength-plan-8-weeksbeginner-to-advanced-intermediate/.

SNOW AND ROCK | KELLY CORDES CLIMBER AND WRITER

HOME BASE: Estes Park, Colorado FAVORITE ADVENTURE: Ski Rocky Mountain National Park’s Hidden Valley in the morning and rock climb Lumpy Ridge in the afternoon.

DETAILS: A 10- to 15-minute drive from Estes Park, the former ski resort known as Hidden Valley is the most reliable, safe spot for ski touring in Rocky Mountain National Park. The lifts may be long gone, but those willing to skin reap the rewards with runs for all levels and a 2,000-foot drop. Afterward, test your climbing skills on Lumpy Ridge’s The Book, a sunny complex of spires and walls where the best all-trad, mostly multi-pitch routes range from 5.7 to 5.11. You can customize your adventure based on skill and energy.

WHY HE LOVES IT: The combination of skiing and climbing linked by a mere 20 minutes of driving between them fill Cordes with joy. “With the crucial prerequisites—mountain skiing skills and trad climbing expertise—it’s impossible not to smile on a day full of fun human-powered skiing, gorgeous views, and sunny granite crack climbing.

That’s hard to beat,” he says.

MUST-HAVE GEAR: All your avalanche safety gear (beacon, shovel, probe) and the training and judgement that go with them; Hidden Valley may have once been a resort but it’s backcountry now.

MAKE IT HAPPEN: You can go DIY with info from the park (nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/ winter_activities.htm). Or sign up with a guide service such as Colorado Mountain School (coloradomountainschool.com). Grab postadventure Mexican food and a margarita at Ed’s Cantina (edscantina.com) in Estes.

BACKCOUNTRY SKIING | DANIKA GILBERT

CLIMBER, SKIER, GUIDE AND LIFE DREAM FULFILLMENT ASSISTANT HOME BASE: Ridgway, Colorado FAVORITE ADVENTURE: Skiing Red Mountain #3’s Champion Bowl, between Silverton and Ouray DETAILS: To top out on this 12,890-foot peak in the heart of the San Juans, skin for three to five hours from Red Mountain Pass following whichever route avalanche conditions dictate: Take the southwestern side for low danger, southeastern at moderate and skip it altogether at high danger. Drop off the summit’s northwest side and cruise the sweet open basin that starts steep (about 40 degrees), but mellows out quickly.

Traverse out to the west. Arrange a shuttle, or hitch back to your car.

WHY SHE LOVES IT: This relatively short tour has it all: stunning vistas, stellar turns, a ton of skiing for the amount of skinning required and safe options if you top out and conditions look sketchy.

“Heading into the heart of our mountains, you climb one of the higher, yet easily accessible peaks,” says Gilbert. “Awesome snow means once you drop in, you can just let it go for a phenomenal ride.”

TOP TRACKS MUST-HAVE GEAR: A recently tuned and WITH FAIRLY EASY ACCESS AND 1,800 FEET checked avalanche OF WIDE-OPEN TURNS beacon, probe and shovel, TO CHERISH ON THE and a thermos of hot tea. WAY DOWN, CHAMPION BOWL ON 12,890-FOOT MAKE IT HAPPEN: Go RED MOUNTAIN #3 IS AN guided with Gilbert or ADVENTURE THAT MAKES other stellar guides at ATHLETES OF ALL LEVELS Peak Guides (peakguides. FEEL LIKE WINNERS. com) in Ouray. If you are photo courtesy DANIKA GILBERT doing it alone be sure to call a local guiding company or check CAIC (avalanche.state.co.us) for avy and weather forecasts.

EAT IT UP | SARI ANDERSON CHAMPION MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE AND MOM

HOME BASE: Carbondale, Colorado FAVORITE ADVENTURE: Ski to Tennessee Pass Cookhouse near Leadville/Vail or Pine Creek Cookhouse just outside of Aspen.

DETAILS: You need only ski or snowshoe one mile, with 300 feet of gain, to reach the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse where you’ll savor a delectable four-course meal. Pine Creek Cookhouse, where you’ll dine on locally sourced, responsibly raised meat, fish and veggie options, requires a fun 1.5-mile ski (or horse-drawn sleigh ride) through bare aspens and quiet meadows.

WHY SHE LOVES IT: Delicious food plus exercise is an irresistible combination for Anderson. And, unlike so many of Colorado’s amazing huts, these elegant backcountry settings are accessible to all of her friends and family, no matter their experience. “It’s a quintessential Colorado winter experience for just about anyone,” says Anderson.

“Plus, there’s something really nostalgic about Nordic skiing to dinner.”

MUST-HAVE GEAR: Her Black Diamond headlamp and Stio Hometown Down Jacket, for light and warmth on the ski out.

MAKE IT HAPPEN: Be sure to make reservations at either destination and check the weather: tennesseepass.com/the-cookhouse; pinecreekcookhouse.com.

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POWDER! Looking for the perfect spot to get outdoors this winter? Rio Grande Country in Southwestern Colorado has you covered in POWDER and fun!

Wolf Creek Ski Area averages over 460 inches of snow a year, more than any other ski area in Colorado.

South Fork: closest town to the ski area. Del Norte: great brew pub and places to stay. Monte Vista: centrallylocated within the San Luis Valley.

Visit www.riograndecountry.com to learn about all the great festivals and events this winter.

Book your next great adventure today!

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POWERED BY

THE TRAIL

01.18

GET THE FREE APP

AND FOLLOW THIS ROUTE ON IPHONE, APPLE WATCH, IPAD AND ANDROID DEVICES.

BACKCOUNTRY SKI HOMESTAKE PEAK

Download the free ViewRanger app and follow this route to reach the top of a Colorado winter summit and spend the night in a 10th Mountain Hut.

VIEWRANGER.COM

GET TRIP INFO

SEE MORE ROUTE DETAILS, GPS DATA & PRINT MAPS. VIEWRANGER.COM/eleout

by CHRIS KASSAR

N

ot every winter climb has to be an epic. Homestake Peak, a 13,209-foot summit straddling the Continental Divide at the far northern edge of the Sawatch Range, delivers a relatively accessible ski route with minimal avalanche danger and potential for powder.

You can crank out this 13-mile roundtrip tour in a day, but we highly recommend making a weekend of it. Book early and spend the night at the cozy 10th Mountain Hut conveniently located in Homestake’s shadow. Multiple summer and winter routes lead to the hut and peak, but our description begins from the Crane Park Trailhead and follows Wurts Ditch and Slide Lake Roads, which we consider to be the most straightforward approach to the hut.

1. CRANE PARK TRAILHEAD

To reach the trailhead, travel south on Highway 24 from Leadville, Colorado.

Drive past the summit of Tennessee Pass for 1.6 miles and turn right (west) off the highway onto a dirt road marked with a sign for Webster’s Sand and Gravel. Park here and start to ski or hike depending on conditions.

Climb west gradually for just under one mile west along a main road until you reach an intersection with the Wurts Ditch Road.

BRING THE COLD MANNA WE HIT “PERFECT” WEATHER ON OUR WAY IN TO THE 10TH MOUNTAIN HUT. photo by CHRIS KASSAR

2. WURTS DITCH JUNCTION

Head northwest (right) up the road for approximately .25 miles to reach another junction.

rugged ridge runs. If you’re spending the night, get comfy inside and then explore the surroundings. Homestake Peak, which is the highest point in the basin, lies due west.

3. COLORADO TRAIL JUNCTION

7. SKI SOUTH AWAY FROM SLIDE LAKE

At this signed intersection, the Colorado Trail comes in from the northeast (right), crosses the road and continues southwest (left). To follow our route, stay straight (north) and continue ascending ever so gradually on the Wurts Ditch Road.

4. SLIDE LAKE ROAD INTERSECTION

After another .5 miles, turn left at an intersection with Slide Lake Road (#145). (Depending on conditions and time of year, you may be able to drive all the way to this intersection and begin your ski tour from here.)

5. EAST TO THE HUT

You can follow the road to the hut, but if it hasn’t snowed recently, a well-worn skin/snowshoe track typically strikes out from the road here, veering west (left) to guide you through the woods east of the hut.

6. 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION HUT

After weaving your way in and out of the trees, you arrive at a welcoming log shelter perched high on a hillside near timberline. This inviting, rustic cabin rests at 11,370 feet and accesses unmatched terrain ranging from mellow glades to open bowls and

From the hut, head north toward Slide Lake, curving west with the contour of the road. As the road nears Slide Lake, turn sharply left to continue southwest. For about a half-mile, work your way over mild, rolling, low-angled terrain hugging the basin bottom. (Note: The standard summer route for Homestake climbs behind the cabin to Slide Lake and then continues directly up a steep east-facing slope—dangerous and avalanche prone in winter—to reach an oftcorniced ridge north of Homestake.

Follow our winter route to minimize these objective dangers.)

8. CRUISE THE RIDGE

After following a gently sloping shoulder, you’ll reach the base of the east ridge. From here, the route, which climbs 1,400 more feet, is obvious. Leaving the trees behind, cruise along the ridge. It’s gradual enough to skin, though the last 200 feet may be too steep and icy, requiring a 10-minute boot pack.

9. HOMESTAKE SUMMIT

From the cone-shaped summit at 13,209 feet, take in the views and plan your descent (hopefully full of pow turns). Retracing your ascent

route is safest, but in spring and/or corn-snow conditions, fabulous ski lines starting from 12,400 feet on the north face of the east ridge may be safe.

TRAIL GEAR FITS Light Ski Sock Happy feet make for better adventures. Falling just below the knee, this moisture-wicking merino sock keeps your toes warm and dry. Plus, an innovative toe cup and heel lock mean they fit without slipping or causing blisters when you hit the skin track. $25 | FITSSOCK.COM

Aventura Medallion Night Shirt Perfect for sleeping in a mountain hut, this luxuriously soft, eco-friendly women’s nighty made from cotton and bamboo keeps you warm on winter nights. It provides coverage all the way to mid-thigh, so you can feel comfortable wearing it with or without bottoms no matter who else is staying at the hut. $47 | AVENTURA.COM —C.K.

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EST.

N

2003

Mountain Dresscode

Mountain Khakis Flagship Store 1412 Larimer Square Denver, CO

(303) 505-1566 MountainKhakis.com

NUMEROLOGY

01.18

MEDAL COUNT We sought out these odd and interesting facts and figures about the Winter Olympics and Colorado in preparation for this year’s games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

150,000

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Cubic feet of snow the Austrian army had to transport to the slopes during the 1964 Olympics in Innsbruck. At the 2014 Olympics in unreliable Sochi, Russia, organizers cached 16-million cubic feet of snow in reservoirs to ensure that there would be winter on the balmy slopes.

102

Total number of events athletes from 88 countries (with Russian athletes participating under the IOC flag) will compete in when South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics for the first time. The opening ceremonies kick off on February 9 and the games run until February 25.

57.2

Average number of snow days per year in PyeongChang, South Korea. That amounts to about eight feet of snow each year, approximately the same annual total as Mount Sunapee, New Hampshire.

8

The number of stones each team uses in curling. Reminder: Curling is hot!

78

Lindsey Vonn’s victory count in World Cup competition as of December 2017. That makes her the winningest American skier ever (male or female) and the top international female ski racer of all time. It also puts her just eight victories behind all-time champ Ingemar Stenmark.

She holds four overall world titles and won Olympic gold at the 2010 games.

1976

Year that Austrian Franz Klammer won the Olympic downhill in Innsbruck, wearing Dynafit alpine boots.

The brand, now famed for its AT boots made its first touring model in 1980.

282

Total number of Winter Olympic medals won by the U.S.A. in the history of the games. That’s good for second place all-time, trailing only Norway’s 329.

151

TED LIGETY WON GOLD AT THE OLYMPICS IN 2006 AND 2014 AND HE HOPES TO STAND ON THE PODIUM IN KOREA. photo courtesy U.S. SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING

Number of appearances athletes from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, have made in the winter games. They have represented 12 different countries and participated in 19 games. The town’s first Olympian, John Steele, placed 15th in Nordic jumping in the 1932 games.

0

Number of medals the U.S. has won in biathlon, which combines skiing and rifle shooting. The big hope this year rests as usual with four-time Olympian Tim Burke, 35, who was the first U.S. biathlete to lead the sport’s World Cup in 2009.

TWO

Gold medals won by Denver native Eddie Egan. He stood atop the podium in boxing in 1920 in Antwerp, and in bobsled in 1932 at Lake Placid, making him the only person to achieve the feat at both the summer and winter games.

259

GETTIN' LIGETY

The total number of medals made in preparation for the PyeongChang games. A computer program created by entertainment and data company Gracenote predicts that Norway will take home 40 of those medals, Germany 34 and the U.S. 32.

$1.1 Million

Amount the Denver Olympic Organizing Committee (DOOC) spent in 1972 in a failed bid to host the 1976 Winter Olympics.

That cost came without even building any infrastructure in preparation for the games, which Denver claimed it could put on for $30 million, despite the 1972 games costing Japan $70 million. In 2017, Colorado and city of Denver formed a committee to explore the possibility of hosting future games.

2

Number of skimo events, a vertical and individual race, that will be on exhibition at the PyeongChang games with the hope of landing the sport an official spot in China in 2022.

3

Number of times figure skating was included in the Summer Olympics before it moved to the Winter Olympics in 1924.

FIVE HUNDRED

The number of athletes and coaches the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center can accommodate with housing, dining, training facilities, recreational facilities and other services at one time. The U.S. Olympic Committee also makes its headquarters in the Springs.

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Fo r m o re i n fo rm a t i o n o n ro o f rac ks an d a cce s so r i e s, p le a s e vi s i t r h i n o ra c k . co m North American HQ: Denver, CO

18

877.744.6622 | 303.706.9700

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STRAIGHT TALK

01.18

ANDREW WOODS

The head coach of the U.S. Freeski Halfpipe Team tells us what to watch in the Olympics and how resorts can grow the often misunderstood sport.

by MIKE ROGGE

B

ack in 2000, in the nascent days of halfpipe skiing, Andrew Woods landed five 1260s in a row to win the big air comp at the U.S. Open. Now age 36, he has transferred that competitive heart into his role as the head coach for the United States Freeski Halfpipe Team, which he has managed since its inception in 2011.

Under his watch, United States skiers David Wise and Maddie Bowman took home gold in the men and women’s competition, respectively in Sochi in 2014. And Woods hopes to see his team stand atop more podiums at the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

But as the sport that rose to prominence in America becomes more global, the number of halfpipes is declining in U.S. In response, Woods suggests resorts go back to the roots of the sport and build halfpipes that are smaller and more approachable for the average skier or rider than the regulation 22-foot size. He sat down with Elevation Outdoors following the Winter Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado, in December.

AMERICA IS A DOMINANT WORLD POWER IN THE HALFPIPE. HOW DO YOU FEEL GOING INTO SOUTH KOREA VERSUS HOW YOU FELT GOING INTO THE LAST OLYMPICS IN SOCHI? ?

Dominant for me is a strong word, but I think we’re pretty good at what we do. There are other countries that also have high-level competitors that we have to work against. It makes it harder.

Going into Sochi in 2014, we had a ton of success in the Olympic qualifiers. We were sweeping podiums and overall we took something like 75 percent of the podiums in the qualifiers. And then at the Olympics, we were stoked—we got two gold medals—but realistically it would have been nice to get more medals.

We’re hoping to peak in February this year.

We’re pacing the runs to do that so we can take a larger share of the medals home. I hesitate to say we’re more confident, but we’re comfortable in our depth and talent this year.

WHAT’S CHANGED OVER THE LAST YEAR IN HALFPIPE SKIING AS FAR AS RUNS ARE CONCERNED? ?

It’s not about having giant amplitude and three PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AT 19 YEARS OLD, WOODS TOOK THE FREESKIING WORLD

BY STORM BACK IN 2000. NOW, HE'S LEADING YOUNG OLYMPIANS INTO A NEW ERA IN THE HALFPIPE. photo courtesy TOM ZIKAS/U.S. SKI AND SNOWBOARD

“I’m excited the athletes are being rewarded for being more creative. The judges are appreciating the nuances of halfpipe skiing more than ever.”

to four double flips. Judges are looking for more variety in the tricks and grabs skiers are performing. We haven’t hit the spot for someone to do five doubles in a halfpipe. To me, if every hit is a double it’s not going to be as interesting. I’m excited the athletes are being rewarded for being more creative. The judges are appreciating the nuances of halfpipe skiing more than ever.

PIPE SKIING CAN BE INTIMIDATING FOR THE EVERYDAY SKIER TO TRY. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO GIVE IT A WHIRL? ?

The number of halfpipes in the world has declined so the participation is declining as well. When I was skiing halfpipe forever ago, if you were a slope skier you were also a halfpipe skier. That’s the farthest thing from what’s happening right now. There are maybe 10 halfpipes in North America. We got to a point where resorts felt if you were going to have a pipe then it needed to be a 22-foot competition sized halfpipe. The first halfpipe that I skied in was probably a 14-foot walled pipe in Sugarbush, Vermont. Now, that wasn’t exactly a great halfpipe, but it was fun to ski in. My number one pitch to resorts now is not to build the big, X-Games halfpipe. Build a miniramp-style small pipe so that people have more

fun.

My most important advice about trying halfpipe is to go slow and try to go straight up the wall. The important part of learning something new is to build comfort. A lot of people use a halfpipe as berm-type feature rather than a wall which you can jump out of.

ON THE WOMEN’S SIDE, IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN BEAT DEFENDING GOLD MEDALIST MADDIE BOWMAN IN PYEONGCHANG IN FEBRUARY? ?

Absolutely. That’s not a slight to Maddie Bowman. As she demonstrated in Breckenridge earlier this winter, she is a really good podiumlevel skier. But that’s the big difference between Sochi and now: A lot of good female skiers in the U.S. and around the world have come out. Maddie has had some injuries the last couple years, and on the women’s side it’s more of a world game now.

FOLLOW THE UNITED STATES HALFPIPE TEAM ON ITS ROAD TO THE WINTER OLYMPICS ON ANDY WOOD’S PODCAST, “PIPE HALF FULL,” COMING TO ITUNES IN JANUARY 2018. DON’T MISS THESE BIG DATES FOR U.S. HALFPIPERS GOING FOR GOLD IN PYEONGCHANG: WOMEN’S QUALIFICATION, FEBRUARY 19, 2018; WOMEN’S FINALS, FEBRUARY 20, 2018; MEN’S QUALIFICATION FEBRUARY 20, 2018; MEN’S FINALS FEBRUARY 22, 2018.

CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS TO CATCH THEM LIVE.

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ELAINE AND DAN VARDAMIS

ALYSON KIRK

COURTNEY DAUWALTER

ANDREW HAMILTON

JUSTIN SIMONI

ANDREA SANSONE

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COLORADO BADASSES

01.18

REACHING T

THESE GRITTY, DETERMINED COLORADO ATHLETES RAISED THE BAR FOR EVERYONE OVER THE LAST YEAR. BUT IT WAS NOT JUST PHYSICAL FEATS THAT GOT OUR ATTENTION. READ ON TO SEE WHAT IT TAKES TO PULL OFF THE TOP ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE STATE AND BE NAMED TO ELEVATION OUTDOORS' ROSTER OF BIGGEST BADASSES OUT THERE.

he state of Colorado is chock full of outdoor-oriented badasses, but some overachievers truly impressed us in 2017. Here’s our list of the six mountain athletes who not only made some significant strides when it came to getting after it in the high peaks, but also found ways to prove that you don’t need big sponsorships or lots of social media attention to turn heads or follow your dreams. Live like them.

joy I ever experienced getting to a summit.

I’ll never forget the feeling of accomplishing something I once thought was impossible!”

FAVORITE COLORADO ADVENTURE: The Never Summer 100K, a 64 mile-run that summits two peaks and gains 14,000 feet. Kirk has won it three years running and holds the course record.

UP NEXT: Kirk and hubby plan to tick off as many peaks over 12,000 feet as possible in Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming and California.

ALYSON KIRK

ANDREA SANSONE

ANDREW HAMILTON

AGE: 34 BASECAMP: Morrison DAY JOB: Entrepreneur, Self-Employed IN A NUTSHELL: On September 17, Kirk became

AGE: 29 BASECAMP: Arvada DAY JOB: NICU nurse IN A NUTSHELL: This summer Sansone became

AGE: 42 BASECAMP: Arvada DAY JOB: Seeking a software job...

IN A NUTSHELL: Holding a host of records,

the youngest person, and second woman to climb all 1,313 Colorado peaks over 12,000 feet. This impressive achievement—676 12ers, 584 13ers, and 53 14ers—took roughly 10 years ...including a femur break seven years ago. Kirk fueled her Herculean effort with “a true, pure passion and love for climbing mountains, summiting peaks, adventure, being outdoors and seeing a goal through until the end,” she says. “I learned that anything is possible with the right mindset, passion, hard work and determination.”

WHAT IT TOOK: The ability to suffer, to adapt to adverse conditions and circumstances and to function without sleep as well as the skills and strength to complete extremely challenging peak combinations year-round.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Summiting the extremely dangerous Turret Ridge (12,260 feet)—an undertaking that gave Kirk nightmares for months before she did it. “It was tough to reach the top, yet reaching it induced the most

the first woman to complete all 15 California 14ers in one push and joined the select club of those to top out on all 74 14ers in the lower 48.

With help from her “other half and greatest encouragement,” Andrew Hamilton (see below), she also smashed Jacqueline Florine’s 2006 California peaks record (nine days, 12 hours and 17 minutes) by finishing in seven days, 11 hours and 22 minutes. Sansone’s main drivers were “Andrew, friends and family following and encouraging me, and the desire to be an inspiration for others because the mountains have so much to offer.”

WHAT IT TOOK: Sansone attributes her success to “knowing this was in reach and not letting the mental aspect take me down. If you dedicate yourself mentally, physically and emotionally to any task, so much is possible beyond what we really believe to be possible.”

WHAT IT MEANT: “This meant the world to me, not only the accomplishment but also the process and the whole experience. Andrew and I climbed over 150 mountains together. We bonded in a way that I have never experienced before. He was my rock through it all.”

FAVORITE COLORADO ADVENTURE: South Maroon Peak because of its technicality and because she met Hamilton there in 2012.

UP NEXT: Finishing the Centennials. Becoming the first woman to traverse all 14ers and Centennials in the Elk Range nonstop on foot.

INSPIRATION NATION KIRK TRAVERSES TWIN PEAKS; THE VARDAMISES BEGIN THE CDT IN GLACEIR NATIONAL PARK; COURTNEY DAUWALTER BEATING THE BOYS IN MOAB; JUSTIN SIMONI AT THE FINISH LINE AFTER BAGGING COLORADO’S 100 HIGHEST PEAKS IN 60 DAYS; ANDREA SANSONE CRUSHING THE CALIFORNIA PEAKS RECORD; FOURTEENER-RECORDHOLDER ANDREW HAMILTON ATOP MOUNT ELBERT. photos (clockwise from top left) courtesy ALYSON KIRK, ELAINE AND DAN VARDAMIS, SCOTT ROKIS, DAVID BROWN, ANDREA SANSONE, ANDREW HAMILTON

by CHRIS KASSAR

including the fastest time for Colorado 14ers (nine days 21 hours 51 minutes) and for an unsupported Nolan’s 14 run (a choose-your-route challenge to link 14 14ers in the Sawatch Range in under 60 hours), Hamilton raised the bar this year by setting a FKT (53 hour 42 minutes) for a north-south traverse of Nolan’s. He made this accomplishment even more incredible by adding Mount of the Holy Cross to become the first person to complete the “Holy Nolan’s.” “My specialty is suffering,” he says.

“The pull of the finish line and fear of failure kept me going.”

WHAT IT TOOK: Good weather; a great, dialed, dedicated crew; endless motion.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: “Completely losing my wits on the last night” says Hamilton. At sunrise, his drive to finish in less than 72 hours led to “quite possibly the fastest downhill sprint of my life.”

ON ADDING HOLY CROSS: Completing the entire range of these 14ers seemed like an obvious extension of the already grueling route. Focused on finishing the Holy Nolan’s in under 72 hours, Hamilton says, “I had no idea I was setting the Nolan’s north-to-south record and really no idea I was within minutes of my 2015 time.”

UP NEXT: Setting the Centennial record next summer. He’s also contemplating doing the Nolan’s 14 in winter and spring (he has already has completed it in summer and fall). “Winter would be ridiculously tough and dangerous though.”

COURTNEY DAUWALTER AGE: 32 BASECAMP: Golden DAY JOB: She recently left her role as an 8th grade

science teacher to invest all time and energy into ultra-running.

IN A NUTSHELL: In October, Dauwalter crossed the Moab 240 Endurance Run finish line almost 10 hours ahead of the second place—and first male— finisher. She crushed the race; maintaining a pace of 4.5 m.p.h. to finish in 2 days, 9 hours, and 59 minutes on only 20 minutes of sleep and a little more than four hours at aid stations. “Even when our bodies hurt and physically it feels impossible, our brains can help us overcome barriers to keep going,” says Dauwalter. “Knowing this and trying to capitalize on that mental aspect kept me pushing forward, no matter what it felt like for my feet and legs. Completing the Moab 240 has me wondering “what else is possible?” and that’s exciting.”

WHAT IT TOOK: Lots of training miles, never making excuses to slow or stop and amazing support from her husband and crew.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Dauwalter will never forget taking the time to enjoy it—soaking in sweeping views of red rock canyons and the La Sal mountain range, sharing miles with other runners during the grueling Moab 240.

FAVORITE COLORADO ADVENTURE: Dauwalter holds a special place in her heart for the trails around Steamboat Springs and Buena Vista.

UP NEXT: Pushing to run farther and faster. Many races including Taiwan’s 24-Hour Ultra Marathon, December 2017.

JUSTIN SIMONI AGE: 36 BASECAMP: Boulder DAY JOB: Intern at a web startup, which,

incidentally was also his job at 18.

IN A NUTSHELL: On September 16, Simoni, aka “The Long Ranger,” finished The Highest Hundred Tour, an unsupported, self-powered push to summit all the Centennials (Colorado’s 100 highest peaks). In roughly 60 days and 15 hours, Simoni covered 624 miles by foot, 1,720 miles by bike and ascended a total of 384,184 feet. “Unless I injured myself, I was most certainly going to keep going, no matter how difficult it got. Proving that you can count on yourself is empowering.”

WHAT IT TOOK: Training like a beast until he could hike Boulder’s Green Mountain 13 times in a row in 24 hours, ride over 100 miles on a fully loaded fat bike across the Continental Divide, and climb 5.12.

WHAT IT MEANT: “Trips like these are practices in self-discovery, as you also explore the terrain around you. It’s a moving meditation. You develop a relationship with the landscape itself as you grow internally as a person.”

DRIVING FORCE: Simoni set out to test the limits of his own human endurance. He also sees projects like this as a type of performance art in self discovery. “I don’t actually have all the answers on what I’m doing or why, but I’m going to find out in the only way I know how,” he says.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Finding a window of sunshine to summit Jagged Mountain and Vestal Peak—some of the most intense scrambling of the whole trip—in one day.

FAVORITE COLORADO ADVENTURE: Longs Peak, which he has summited more times and by more different routes than any other peak. “It’s just on another level when it comes to what a beautiful mountain is supposed to look like.”

UP NEXT: Training, growing, and progressing.

Simoni also plans to start writing a guidebook which will serve as a starting point for others who want to complete a similar trip.

ELAINE AND DAN VARDAMIS AGES: 27, 43 respectively BASECAMP: Eldora DAY JOBS: Both work at Larry’s Bootfitting and

Boulder Nordic Sport IN A NUTSHELL: In spring 2017, this power couple placed second in the co-ed division of The Expedition Amundsen, an annual 100-kilometer cross-country skiing race in Norway. In summer, they hiked the CDT from Canada to Mexico, a journey made more unique with the addition of a San Juan ski traverse, something never done before as part of a completed thru hike. “There are many days you just want to quit,” says Dan. “You need to fight through those moments. Walking through the vast, amazing West is a fantastic way to meet and engage people completely different from yourself. That’s important in this day and age.”

WHAT IT TOOK: Both credit time, persistence, stubbornness, flexibility and adaptability. Also, they honestly wanted to be there doing it. “Even when everything hurt and I was frustrated, angry or afraid, there was honestly nowhere else I really wanted to be,” says Elaine.

WHAT IT MEANT: The couple set out to complete the hike with integrity, while enjoying every moment.

They agree they pushed their limits and discovered their potential while achieving this goal.

ON EXPEDITION AMUNDSEN: Going to Norway, where skiing is part of the heritage, was intimidating. “We had no expectations other than not wanting to embarrass ourselves,” says Dan. Thus, doing well was especially rewarding.

“It was a humbling and gratifying experience to earn the respect of Norwegians in a sport that is unequivocally theirs,” says Elaine.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: The couple of hours they led the pack through a completely treeless expanse on the unmarked course of Expedition Amundsen. The pair traded off tasks: one breaking trail, the other navigating. “There was no wind, it was bitter cold and the northern lights were dancing overhead. It felt like we were the only human beings on the planet,” says Dan. FAVORITE COLORADO ADVENTURE: The Indian Peaks in their backyard: Elaine loves Mt. Toll and Mt. Audubon’s Crooked Couloir while Apache Couloir ranks among Dan’s favorite climb/skis.

UP NEXT: A ski traverse across the Greenland Icecap and a thru hike of the Great Divide Trail (a continuation of the CDT from the Canadian Border to the Yukon).

MORE BADASSERY IT WAS CLOSE TO IMPOSSIBLE TO NARROW THIS LIST DOWN TO JUST THE SIX ATHLETES ABOVE. THESE COLORADO-BASED BADASSES ALSO DID PLENTY TO IMPRESS US IN 2017 AND WE WILL BE WATCHING THEM FOR MORE INSPIRATION IN 2018.

CLARE GALLAGHER

After a DNF at Western States 100 in June due to an injury, the 25-year-old Gallagher came back to win the UTMB CCC Ultra 100 in France by 13 minutes—an accomplishment many deemed an upset.

JOSEPH GRAY

The Colorado Springs resident, and hot pepper connoisseur, was named USATF Mountain Runner of the Year for the 8th time while recording an undefeated season in the U.S. in 2017 including a big win at the Xterra Trail Run World Championships in Hawaii (the third time he took the title).

MARGO HAYES

In February, 19-year old Hayes became the first woman to send 5.15a with her ascent of La Rambla in Siurana, Spain. She hit that high note again in September with the first female ascent of 5.15a Realization/Biographie in Céüse, France.

CAT BRADLEY

Twenty-five-year-old Bradley crushed the Fastest Known Time on the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim. Her 7:52:20 mark bested the previous women’s record set

by Bethany Lewis in 2011 by more than 20 minutes.

DARCY PICEU

The 42-year-old Boulder resident set a new Fastest Known Time on the John Muir Trail at 3 days, 4 hours and 12 minutes besting the previous FKT by over 11 hours.

ERIC LARSEN

The Boulder-based polar explorer led a 600-mile, human-powered, multi-sport ColoradATHON, bringing his three-person team from the state’s eastern border to western border in a mere 12 days. The team rode bikes, hiked and rafted along the way.

TRAVEL

01. 18

WANT A WINTER ESCAPE WITH ZERO AVALANCHE DANGER AND A FAVORABLE EXCHANGE RATE? POINT YOUR TIPS TO QUEBEC AND THE CHILL BACKCOUNTRY OF MONT TREMBLANT.

by AARON H. BIBLE

S

O, WHERE ARE YOU FROM?” the friendly Canadian says, staring

inquisitively at my telemark equipment.

“Colorado,” I say.

“So…what brings you to Tremblant then?” he asks with a chuckle.

“Avoiding avalanches,” I say. Having spent the last 20 years of my ski bum career planning my days around avalanche safety, I’d come to Quebec because I could tour here without worrying about the dangers of Colorado's big open bowls and terrain traps. It was refreshing to know none of the slopes around me would slide—my biggest worry here in Quebec was whether or not I would freeze to death. So I just kept skinning.

A

rriving in the small, tailored resort village of Mont Tremblant almost felt as if I had pulled up in Vail. But no, this is very much Canada, replete with ice skating rinks, sled dogs and world-class Nordic skiing. Long a favorite summer training ground and competition site for U.S. triathletes, Mont Tremblant, nestled in the sprawling winter oasis of the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec, is now making a reputation for itself as an uphill skiing mecca.

That should not sound so odd: The resort’s founders fancied themselves uphill skiers—a tradition that dates back to 1938, when Joseph Bondurant Ryan, a wealthy Philadelphian, and his radio personality pal Lowell Thomas, climbed to the summit of 2,871-foot Mont Tremblant using wooden skis and seal-fur skins.

Legend has it that Ryan was so smitten with the views and the golden glow of the sun hitting the mountainside, he decided it was more valuable than the gold ore that lured him to the region, and he vowed to open a ski area with a Euro-style mountain village. A year later, he installed a single-chair lift and broke ground on what would become the first large-scale ski lodge in the area. Apparently having a radio journalist as a ski buddy paid off, as news of the resort spread quickly.

The low-key vibe and good nature of the Canadian tourists and locals who call Mont Tremblant home take the sting out of the fact that the place feels a little bit like a company town, owned and operated by Intrawest with a highend, car-less village. At least the French signage lends a European flavor to a tiny town featuring high-end hotels, retail and a casino that are only a quarter century old.

My biggest worry here in Quebec was whether or not I would freeze to death. So I just kept skinning.

THE QUÉBÉCOIS SHUFFLE LOOKING FOR A PLACE THAT REALLY EMBRACES UPHILL SKIING? BRUSH UP ON YOUR FRENCH AND HEAD EAST. photo courtesy TREMBLANT RESORT ASSOCIATION

Today, the ski hill itself, which is also the highest peak in the Laurentians, boasts 96 groomed trails and 14 lifts spread across 665 acres with 2,100 vert. And while these stats may not sound overwhelming by big-Westernresort standards, the smaller scale makes the resort ideal for touring. The area embraces uphill skiing: Well-marked AT routes wind through the trees around the mountain, and due to the slope angle, the low elevation, and the fact that they get consistent—but not massive—dumps of snow, it stays entirely avalanche free.

The mountain has capitalized on these favorable conditions, gorgeous woodlands, and the growing skimo trend to attract more uphill skiers from the States and beyond.

Tremblant’s annual Festival Rando Alpine (Alpine Touring Festival) celebrates the high-cardio-output pursuit with three days of organized tours, clinics, races and more. On my visit, we toured up to the rustic Refuge de Trappeurs cabin in the Versant Soleil area of the mountain for an authentic fireside fondue dinner and headlamp descent.

“Tremblant’s first intention was

to support and regulate the sport, which has steadily been gaining in popularity on-mountain,” said Jean-Francois Gour, marketing director of Station Mont Tremblant.

“Supporting the practice of alpine touring has in fact drawn a number of new and passionate skiers to Tremblant and led to the creation of the Alpine Touring Festival, which this February will be celebrating its fourth edition.”

N

eed more convincing? An uphill day pass only costs $10 bucks CDN, and once you reach the top, you are welcome to ski down any of the groomed runs and off-piste trees. I recommend heading for the top of the Edge Lift and hitting the gladed and less-skied Sensation Haut routes back down.

Under a backdrop of some of the most breathtaking mountainscapes and alpenglow you’ll experience anywhere in the world, the freezing temps also keep the snow in a perpetual, crystalized state, ideal for both up- and down-hill laps. And, as I discovered, it pays to leave your Colorado backcountry snobbery behind and head east to one of the great up-and-coming ski touring destinations in North America.

FOR MORE INFO ON UPHILL SKIING AT MONT TREMBLANT HEAD TO TREMBLANT.CA/THINGS-TO-DO/ ACTIVITIES/ALPINE-TOURING.

J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

23

From the boot bench to the Summit.

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24

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 01 8

GEAR

Safety: Backcountry Access Avalanche Rescue Package

01. 18

BEST OF THE BACKCOUNTRY

Whether you’re tagging uphill laps at your local resort or touring deep into the wild, this new, lightweight gear will get you far and away—and back home again.

BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS AVALANCHE RESCUE PACKAGE

Don’t even think about heading into the backcountry without the proper safety gear. This reasonably-priced package will help, since it combines BCA’s reliable Tracker 3 beacon; a 10.9-ounce, eight-foot-10-inch Stealth 270 probe and a light (600 gram) B-1 EXT aluminum rescue shovel. None of that gear matters if you do not know how to use it though, when assessing conditions in the wild. Fine-tune those essential skills on an AIARE course or refresher this winter (avtraining.org). $420 | backcountryaccess.com

Pack: Backcountry Access Float 27 Speed Avalanche Bag One surprising knock on avalanche airbags—a piece of gear that could very well save your life in a slide—is that they are “too heavy.” BCA addressed that complaint in this svelte, three-pound pack system. It features the smaller 2.0 cylinder which releases a 150 liter airbag that can not only pull you from the impending grave of a slide but also protect your neck and head from trauma. Is it a guarantee? No. But it can certainly make the difference between staying on top of a slide and burial. $630 | backcountryaccess.com

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

UPHILL

DYNAFIT PDG FACTION PRIME 2.0

Ski: Dynafit PDG The perfect weapon for the uphill grind, the one pound, 10.4-ounce PDG boogies on the skin trail and carves snappy turns back down the course. Credit its turnability to a vibration-damping shovelconstruction tip. It’s a go-to training and race ski. $700 | dynafit.com

Poles: Black Diamond Razor Carbon Pro BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS FLOAT 27 SPEED AVALANCHE BAG

Binding: Dynafit TLT Speedfit

BLACK DIAMOND RAZOR CARBON PRO

With a 5-10 DIN range, minimal design and steel-built strength, this baby transfers ample turning power to your ski while weighing in at just 10.9 ounces. $450 | dynafit.com

Weighing in at just one pound, five ounces per pair and consisting of a durable aluminum upper and light carbon lower sections, these poles switch lengths in a hurry thanks to an easy-to-operate FlickLock Pro system you can use without removing your gloves. $140 | blackdiamondequipment.com

Race Boot: La Sportiva Sytron Speed freaks rejoice. The 800-gram (size 27 mondo) Sytron stays stable and comfy while you sashay uphill then summon guts for bigmountain descents. It rails turns at speed thanks to a carbon-reinforced polymer construction that’s superlight yet strong, and a solid strap system that holds the foot completely snug. $749 | sportiva.com

TOURING

Ski: Faction Prime 2.0

LA SPORTIVA SYTRON

We took the Prime deep into the Alps on a tour out of Verbier, Switzerland. Stable and lively at 98mm underfoot, the do-it-all ski crushed everything from chunder to fluff and instilled confidence on scary steeps and bumpy sastrugi. $1,099 | us.factionskis.com

Jacket and Pants: Ortovox 3L Ortler

ORTOVOX 3L ORTLER

Incorporating merino wool with a fully weatherproof, waterproof/breathable face fabric, this skimo kit provides everything you want for trips deep in the backcountry or just up the local slopes. The jacket and pants each tip the scales at just 15 ounces, but they keep out the elements and include roomy pit and leg zips. $490 jacket, $400 pants | ortovox.com

Binding: G3 Ion 12 A tech binding you can rely on in the backcountry, the Ion 12 slips easily between tour and ski modes and maneuvers big skis with brawn. $579 | genuineguidegear.com

Quick Energy: Honey Stinger Gluten-free Waffles

DYNAFIT TLT SPEEDFIT

G3 ION 12

Sweet, full of energy and easy to chew even when it’s freezing cold, these gluten-free goodies sate your hunger on the skin track. They come HONEY STINGER in tasty flavors like Chocolate Mint, GLUTEN-FREE Cinnamon, Wildflower Honey, Vanilla and WAFFLES our favorite, Salted Caramel. $24 box of 16 | honeystinger.com J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 01 8 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

25

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

& Rise & Shine Rando Series

JANUARY 9 AND JANUARY 23, 2018 Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, CO Head to A-Basin for a four-part series of uphill challenges two Tuesday mornings in January. Challenge yourself to all four or pick and choose which morning works the best for you and your workout schedule. Starting at the base area at 10,780 feet and finishing near the Summit at 12,474 feet, the early morning Rise and Shine Rando Races are a fun and challenging way to start your day! arapahoebasin.com

Fat Bike World Championships

JANUARY 24-28, 2018 Crested Butte, CO This new classic features epic Fat Bike venues, a Demo Day, Vendor Showcase, discounted ski lift tickets, free beer, branded burgers, tons of swag, prizes and live music. cbchamber.com/events/fat-bike

Alley Loop Nordic Race

FEBRUARY 3, 2018 Crested Butte, CO This annual nordic race runs through the heart of Crested Butte and its environs. Choose from events that run from 1.5K to 42K and don’t forget to wear your goofiest costume. cbnordic.org/alley-loop-nordic-marathon

Ski Santa Fe Fireball Rando Race

FEBRUARY 2-3, 2018 Ski Santa Fe, NM The course for this skiing and climbing event serves up singletrack kick turns, skinning, groomer downhill, challenging tree skiing and a stunning technical bootpack up Big Rocks. cosmicski.com/event/santafe18

Abominable Winter Adventure Run

FEBRUARY 3, 2018 Como, CO This winter obstacle race is not for the timid.

Bring your friends and get “yeti.” abominablerun.com

Old Man Winter Bike Rally & Run

FEBRUARY 11, 2018 Lyons, CO Bundle up and get ready to run and/or ride Colorado’s best mixed terrain. Riders can choose 50km or 100km of dirt, snow, sweat and beer rolling through Boulder County. Runners can crush the 5.4-mile course, a fast, flat “Best of Lyons” tour, that integrates singletrack trails, red rock canyons and gravel paths. Everybody enjoys luxury aid stations with real food and hydration, as well as a hot meal and a cold beer at the finish line, and a killer post-ride party with great music, a fire pit and a massive raffle. oldmanwinterrally.com

Moose Chase Nordic Marathon

FEBRUARY 17, 2018 Jackson Hole, WY The Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club is proud to present the 26th Annual Moose Chase Nordic ski race at the Trail Creek Nordic Center.

This premier Nordic race includes a 30k (that skis like a 50k), a 15k, 5k, 3k, and a free 1/2k. jhskiclub.org/moosechase

Moab Spring Trail Run

MARCH 4, 2018 Moab, UT Make tracks where the Dinosaurs made tracks 150 million years ago! This race takes place on the Klondike Bluffs Trails, north of Moab. It is a super fun course featuring classic Moab singletrack including slickrock, red-dirt Trails, and scenic views of Arches National Park. trainingrx.com

Town Downhill A.K.A. “Mini Hahnenkamm”

MARCH 9, 2018 Jackson Hole, WY This race features the heart-throbbing Mini-Hahnenkamm course on Snow King with divisions for Pro, Recreation, Telemark, Junior, Fat and Baggy and Snowboard. It’s the club’s way of recognizing that skiing—and ski racing— are truly lifetime sports. jhskiclub.org/towndownhill

GUIDE Moab Thaw Mountain Bike Festival

MARCH 9-11, 2018 Moab, UT Thaw out with rides, demos, games and food. moabthaw.com

17th Annual Frozen Dead Guy Days Coffin Races

MARCH 9-11, 2018 Nederland, CO Six pallbearers carry, push, pull or drag their adorned coffin, rider in tow, through a course of snow, mud and challenging obstacles. The top four time teams will race in quarter finals, top two from each heat will race for 1st and 2nd place. Trophies and cash prizes for best costume, most spirited and placement. frozendeadguydays.org

Grand Traverse

MARCH 23-24, 2018 Crested Butte, CO North America’s Extraordinary Backcountry Ski Race is now one of three big events in the Grand Traverse Triple Crown. thegrandtraverse.org

Karen Oatey Pole Pedal

MARCH 24, 2018 Jackson Hole, WY The five-leg race starts at the top of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and finishes at Astoria Hot Springs Park in Snake River Canyon. It consists of an alpine ski/snowboard leg, a short running leg, a cross-country ski leg, a bicycle leg and a boating leg. jhskiclub.org/polepedalpaddle

18th Annual Cardboard Box Derby

APRIL 7, 2018 Grand Targhee Resort, WY It’s all about creativity, engineering, and physics. Grab your team and build your cardboard craft for the 18th Annual Grand Targhee Cardboard Box Derby. The rules to building your craft are simple: Built it solely of cardboard, paper, glue, tape and string.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Sponsors’ names must be printed somewhere on the craft. Complete rules and a release form are available on the race website. The event costs $10 to enter; all entry fees go toward prize money for best craft in both juniors and adults. grandtarghee.com/event/annual-cardboardbox-derby/

Horsetooth Half Marathon, Relay & 5k

APRIL 15, 2018 Fort Collins, CO Enjoy Fort Collins and these three spring runs. horsetooth-half.com

CB Pole Pedal Paddle

APRIL 29, 2018 Crested Butte, CO The CB3P is a multi-sport endurance race that spans the length of the Gunnison Valley, starting in Mt. Crested Butte and finishing in Gunnison. Including an uphill/downhill ski leg, road bike leg and kayak leg, the CB3P takes participants and spectators on an exciting tour that follows the valley’s spring runoff path. crestedbutte3p.com

SCOTT Enduro Cup

MAY 5, 2018 Moab, UT Moab is an iconic mountain biking destination that boasts endless desert riding, incredible mountain vistas and technical slickrock terrain.

Round one of the 2017 SCOTT Enduro Cup is a human powered single-day season kickoff where the strongest, and, as history tells, most seasoned riders tend to take home the win. endurocupmtb.com/moab-ut-may-5

Epic Rides Grand Junction Off-Road

MAY 18-20, 2018 Grand Junction, CO Climb out of downtown Grand Junction onto the Uncompahgre Plateau (the world’s largest mesa), while connecting some of the area’s favorite technically challenging singletrack, doubletrack, gravel roads and the occasional paved segment on the world-famous Lunch Loops trail system and beyond. epicrides.com/events/grand-junction-off-road/ event-guide/

Vail Recreation District’s La Sportiva Boneyard Boogie

MAY 19. 2018 Eagle, CO The La Sportiva Boneyard Boogie kicks off the Vail Recreation District’s 2018 La Sportiva Vail Trail Running Series (a seven-race summer series) with an 11K scamper through pinyon grooves and juniper shrubs. The race course features an elevation gain of 1,448 feet, reaching a maximum elevation of 7,650 feet. vailrec.com/sports-activities/vail-race/trailrunning-racing/boneyard-boogie-vail-trail-run

Colfax Marathon

MAY 19-20, 2018 Denver, CO Run through the heart of Denver in this classic Centennial State marathon. runcolfax.org

The Original Growler

MAY 26-27, 2018 Gunnison, CO The 64-mile Original Growler and 32-mile Half Growler both take in breathtaking scenery, sage brush and giant smiles. originalgrowler.com

Bolder Boulder

MAY 28, 2018 Boulder, CO This Memorial Day tradition follows a 10K route through the heart of downtown Boulder. bolderboulder.com

Dirty Girl Mud Run

TBD JUNE, 2018 Copper Mountain, CO The Dirty Girl Mud Run is a 3.1-mile, 14-obstacle muddy event built to inspire fabulous females to run, walk, climb, jump and laugh their way, hand-in-muddy-hand, to an unabashed sense of accomplishment. godirtygirl.com

Resurrect your spirit

FROZEN DEAD GUY DAYS

COFFIN RACES • MARCH 10TH • NEDERLAND

, YOU LL NEED:

1 decorated coffin 1 alive rider 6 costumed pallbearers ✓ Will to live big while outside the box

frozendeadguydays.org

HOMEGROWN

Harvest Ne

derland,co

JAN 19

Maw Band at the Trap Bar

JAN 20

Fat Bike Night Race #2

JAN 20

Canyon Kids at the Trap Bar

JAN 26 - 28

“Knowledge is Powder” Off Trail Camp

JAN 26 - 28

IFSA College Freeskiing Competition

JAN 26

Nate Robinson at the Trap Bar

FEB 2

Clusterpluck at the Trap Bar

FEB 3 -4

IFSA Junior Freeskiing Intermountain Cup

FEB 3

Chanman Roots Band at the Trap Bar

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

TAHOE RIM TRAIL, CARSON CITY OFF-ROAD

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Grand Teton Half Marathon

JUNE 2, 2018 Jackson Hole, WY Who wants to run the Tetons? grandtetonhalfmarathon.com

Ragnar Trail Snowmass

JUNE 8-9, 2018 Snowmass Resort, CO Teams of eight will find the perfect fusion of trail running, high-country camping and Rocky Mountain beauty in the Ragnar Trail Snowmass. runragnar.com

Ride the Rockies

JUNE 9-15, 2018 Colorado Four-hundred-and-fifty miles of riding with over 30,000 feet of elevation gain over seven days. ridetherockies.com

SCOTT Enduro Cup

JUNE 9-10, 2018 Angel Fire, NM Angel Fire Bike Park offers over 60 miles of new and improved trails for riders of all abilities on one of the largest lift-accessed mountains in North America. Drop in at 10,667 feet for 2,000 feet of Southern Rockies altitude adjustment.

Sweet berms, flowy lines and monster jumps— they’re all here. Round two of the SCOTT Enduro Cup presented by Vittoria in Angel Fire, New

Mexico, runs June 9-10. The Angel Fire round is now part of the 2018 National Enduro Series. endurocupmtb.com/angel-fire-nm-june-9-10

Bighorn Mountain Wild & Scenic Trail Run

JUNE 14-16, 2018 Sheridan, WY This wild and scenic event features 100-mile, 52-mile, 32-mile and 18-mile trail runs held every year the third weekend in June. bighorntrailrun.com

Epic Rides Carson City Off-Road

JUNE 15-17, 2018 Carson City, NV Climb your way into the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada, take in huge views of Lake Tahoe, Washoe Valley and Carson Valley while connecting some of the area’s favorite (and most challenging) pieces of singletrack, doubletrack, gravel roads and the occasional pavement. epicrides.com/events/carson-city-off-road/ event-guide/

Leadville Trail Marathon & Heavy Half

JUNE 16, 2016 Leadville, CO Run through the historic mining district’s challenging old mining roads and trails, and hit a high of 13,185 feet at Mosquito Pass during the Leadville Trail Marathon or Heavy Half

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Aug. 25 la sportiva 5K & 10k @ 10,000 Feet Sept. 15 la sportiva MeadowGold Colorado's most iconic trail races, the La Sportiva r mark you ! vail Trail Running Series is r a calend a seven-race summer series taking runners up mountains, through forests and over streams in and around Vail. *Dates subject to change

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Marathon. The views will leave you breathless, if you’re not already. The gritty marathon will mark its 17th year running in 2018, while the Heavy Half will mark its 13th. leadvilleraceseries.com

Bear Bait 8

JUNE 23, 2018 Casper, WY These eight-hour and four-hour endurance races take place on Casper Mountain in Wyoming. The races begin and end at the Skunk Hollow area. They feature 85-percent beautiful singletrack through the forest on the mountain and 15-percent on doubletrack. You’ll be sure to find the course a challenge with a burly 610-feet of elevation gain on each lap. travelwyoming.com

Angel Fire Adventure Marathon, Half Marathon, 5k

JULY 1, 2018 Angel Fire, NM Join the adventure this summer for the fourth Angel Fire Adventure Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K and Happy Feet Kids Run! Enjoy breathtaking mountain scenery with a run through picturesque Angel Fire, New Mexico.

The rolling course is great for beginning runners, but it poses just enough of a challenge for those looking to test their endurance. angelfireadventure.com

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Vail Recreation District’s La Sportiva Vail HillClimb

JULY 7, 2018 Vail, CO Named the best trail race by Colorado Runner magazine in 2006 and 2011, the HillClimb tests local, regional and national runners with a 7.7-mile climb up Vail Mountain.

Race participants will follow the historic gravel doubletrack route ascending over 2,200 vertical feet that has made the HillClimb a favorite among trail running enthusiasts. vailrec.com

Leadville Stage Race

JULY 27-29, 2018 Leadville, CO Buckle up! The Leadville Stage Race takes the course of the historic Leadville Trail 100 MTB and spreads it over three exciting days.

Riders get the chance to win daily prizes. leadvilleraceseries.com

SCOTT Enduro Cup

JULY 28, 2018 Powderhorn, CO Round four of the 2018 Enduro Cup season rolls to the Grand Mesa of Western Colorado for a single-day race at one of the newest downhill bike parks in the state. Lift-served trails with big jumps, technical rock gardens and high speeds through forests of aspen will test even the best riders at Powderhorn resort. endurocupmtb.com/powderhorn-co-july

Continental Divide Trail Run

August 25, 2018 Steamboat Springs, CO Beautiful and challenging 16-mile and 50K options follow gorgeous and rugged Fish Creek. You will run through aspen trees and by two waterfalls as you head up to the divide.

Both races feature quite a bit of climbing in the beginning and roll to downhill trail. Finish at the top of the gondola after running down the gorgeous Sunshine Trail at the ski area. runningseries.com

Spring Creek Memorial & Fun Run

Giddyup Golden Mtn Bike Race

TBD SEPTEMBER, 2018 Golden, CO This mountain bike festival in Golden is part ride, part race... and all fun. goldengiddyup.com

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

RUNNING

10K, 5K AND FUN RUN /

st, Saturday MAY May2120 SPIRIT CHALLENGE 10KSTEAMBOAT &COG 5K RUN MARATHON HAYDEN

Pedal the Plains

SEPTEMBER 14-16, 2018 Keenesburg, CO There’s no better way to experience the rolling hills, majestic bluffs and native grasslands of the Eastern Plains than from a bicycle. Pedal on through Weld and Morgan counties, passing by some of Colorado’s proud landmarks including The Wild Animal Sanctuary. pedaltheplains.com

Epic Rides Oz Trails Off-Road

OCTOBER 5-7, 2018 Bentonville, AR Enjoy a roll out from downtown Bentonville into the foothills of the Ozark mountains, where participants will connect a selection of Northwest Arkansas’ (NWA) finest singletrack, occasional doubletrack and pavement. epicrides.com/events/oz-trails-off-road/eventguide/

STEAMBOAT STINGER AUGUST th, Saturday FULL AND HALF14 TRAIL STEAMBOAT STINGER MARATHONS / FULL13& HALF TRAIL MARATHON Aug

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HAYDEN COG RUN

MAY th, Saturday 8.4M7AND 5K / May 6 HAYDEN COG RUN 8MSPIRIT & 5K CHALLENGE

September 8, 2018 Nederland, CO Voted “Best of the Rockies” for the past two years, the Ned Ned race features 5K, 10K or Half Marathon races and supports TEENS, INC., celebrating 20 years of serving Colorado youth.

Now part of The Colorado Mountain Half Series! comtnhalf.com | nednedrun.com | teensinc.org

SERIES

July 28, 2018 Steamboat Springs, CO Enjoy beautiful 9.5-mile and 5K races on one of Steamboat’s premier trails, featuring aspens, a beautiful creek, wildflowers and awesome singletrack. The 9.5M also runs on a beautiful private property section only used in the race. runningseries.com

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AUGUST 20th , Saturday CONTINENTAL DIVIDE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL RUN 15.0M AND 50K 15M26& 50K / Aug

FULL,5KHALF, 10K5 AND FUN RUN / 8.4M AND / May SEPTEMBER 4th, Sunday JUNE 5th 10K AT 10,000 FEET June 4 , Sunday SPIRIT CHALLENGE MARATHON SPRING CREEK MEMORIAL & 10K AT 10,000 STEAMBOAT 10K AND 5K TRAIL / SeptFEET 3 10K, 5K AND FUN RUN / FUN RUN HOWELSEN HILL 10K & 5K TRAIL FULL, May 19 HALF & 10K 9M AND 5K TRAIL / July 28 TRAIL RUN

OAK CREEK NO FUN RUN

STEAMBOAT MARATHON STEAMBOAT STINGER , Saturday JUNE 18th 6KSEPTEMBER ROAD AND TRAIL 16/17 / Septth4 8M AND 4M TRAIL / FULL, HALF, 10K AND FUN FULL AND HALF TRAIL RUN RABBIT RUN HOWELSEN 8 MILER RUN /June June 17 3 MARATHONS / Aug 12 RUN RUN RABBIT

100 & 50 M TRAIL ULTRAEMERALD MTN 8MMOUNTAIN & 4MHILL TRAIL HOWELSEN TRAIL RUN CONTINENTAL TRAIL/RUN 100 & 50DIVIDE MILE ULTRA MADNESS TRAIL RUN 8M AND 4M TRAIL / June 16 15.0M AND 50K / Aug 25 SEPTEMBER 24th, Saturday Saturday JULY 2nd Sept 8-9 13.1M AND, 10K / July1 12K, 5K AND FUN MOUNTAIN MADNESS 10K AT 10,000 FEET RUN TRAIL / Sept 22 EMERALD MOUNTAIN RUN MOUNTAIN MADNESS10K ANDEMERALD SPRING 13.1M AND 10K /CREEK July 1 5K TRAIL / MTN Sept 2 FOUNDRY 12K TRAIL 13.1M & 10K TRAIL RUN MEMORIAL HAHNS PEAK HILL CLIMB RUN RABBIT RUN HALLOWEEN RUN 7.3M TRAIL / rd July 7Saturday 100 & 5012K, MILE / Sept 5K ULTRA AND FUN RUN 14-15 TRAIL / 5K / Oct 29 9M 23 AND 5K, TRAIL / JULY July 29CREEK MEMORIAL Sept 23 SPRING 9M & 5K TRAIL

INFORMATION & REGISTRATION

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SSRS is an equal opportunity service provider and SSRS is an authorized permittee of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests.

Ned Ned * Race

to Benefit TEENS, Inc. 5k / 10k / Half Marathon

Saturday, September 8

A 30+ Year Race in the cool mountain air West of Boulder in Nederland, Colorado

REGISTER: www.nednedrun.com

HEAR THIS

01.18

CELLULOID HEROES The Boulder International Film Festival pairs up-and-coming singer songwriters with talented young directors, making it an ideal venue for listening to new music.

by PATTY MALESH

I

n 2013, the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) introduced a new concept: a SingerSongwriter Showcase. The hope was that it would introduce talented Colorado musicians, both label-signed and unsigned, to the international array of filmmakers who attend and showcase their films at the festival. And vice versa. This year, in partnership with the Music District, a nonprofit based in Fort Collins, BIFF will also host a workshop for musicians and filmmakers that will feature industry-specific tricks and resources. All of this is great news for local music lovers.

Independent films and undiscovered musicians are the peanut butter and chocolate of cinema.

Consider Colorado-based Devotchka, who found national acclaim and a Grammy nod for best compilation soundtrack when first-time directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris tapped the band for their 2006 hit “Little Miss Sunshine.” At the time, Devotchka was unsigned with a major label, a rarity for Grammy nominees. “We kind of fell into it. It's a hard gig to land, but in this case, the directors found us,” Devotchka lead singer Nick Urata confessed in a pre-grammy show interview with The FADER magazine.

For decades, happenstance was the rule for such pairings, but the corporatization of both the music and film industries has diminished such opportunities and hurt unsigned artists in the process. Big indie film events, like Sundance and Toronto IFF, have long aimed to turn the coincidences that pair fresh directors and musicians into more reliable networking opportunities. At Sundance, however, these events are put on by membership non-profits ASCAP and BMI who only showcase their artists. Smaller festivals like BIFF give up-and-coming artists a better shot to work with like-minded directors.

Local singer-songwriter and BIFF music director Lisa Bell has run the music aspect of the festival since its inception. Backed by festival directors Robin and Kathy Beeck, Bell produces a two-night singer-songwriter showcase as well as pre-film screening of live music at the festival’s Boulder Theater venue.

“We have a plethora of talent in Boulder and throughout Colorado and we are trying to highlight those original music artists who are undiscovered,” she says. In turn, that drives momentum for musicians with local ties who already have film/TV credits and who draw larger crowds.

In 2016, Miguel Dakota performed at BIFF’s showcase after his 2014 run on “America’s Got

Talent.” At the 2017 festival, then 18-year-old Boulder native and “The Voice” contestant Halle Tomlinson performed a set of original songs for the first time. This year, sets have been compressed from 45 minutes to 15 minutes to offer more homestate talent the opportunity to get their sound heard by filmmakers and festival attendees.

This year, sets have been compressed from 45 minutes to 15 minutes to offer more home-state talent the opportunity to get their sound heard by filmmakers and festival attendees.

Showcase artists and pre-film screening acts are both carefully curated by the selection committee.

Since BIFF often shows numerous documentaries as well as feature length films about musicians—a highlight of the festival—pre-screening live acts are synced with film flavor and content. This move boosts both the musicians and the films that follow them on stage.

Colorado transplant and self-described Native

FOUND A HOME American Gypsy Rocker Melissa Ivey performed DENVER SINGER before “Rumble: The Indians SONGWRITER MELISSA BROUGHT HER Who Rocked the World” in IVEY CAPTIVATING GYPSY 2017, and this year 1970s ROCK SOUND TO THE 2017 FESTIVAL TO folk rock band Magic INTRODUCE A FILM Music will be hosting an ABOUT HOW NATIVE interactive talkback after the AMERICANS HAVE screening of a documentary INFLUENCED MUSIC. about their life and times in photo by W.W. PHOTOGRPAHY Boulder during the town’s renowned hippie heyday.

The BIFF singer-songwriter showcase is free and open to the public as well filmmakers and festival attendees. As of January 2018, confirmed acts for this year’s showcase include Colorado native now-LA-transplant Nina Storey, whose music has already been featured in numerous films, TV shows and commercials; Gasoline Lollipops singer Clay Rose; spiritual reggae songster Corey McCauley; teen piano prodigy and vocalist Dafna Margalit and Boulder’s own Glam Cowboy Ted Thacker. So if you attend BIFF this year, head to the Singer Songwriter’s showcase. Support local musicians looking for that big break.

BIFF’S SINGER-SONGWRITER SHOWCASE WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23 AND SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24 FROM 6:30–8:30 P.M. FOR MORE DETAILS ON THIS YEAR’S SHOWCASE, CHECK OUT HTTPS://BIFF1.COM/MUSIC.

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THE ROAD

01.18

THE BIG REBOOT The 10th Mountain Division’s return to Colorado aims to renew the deep ties between soldiers and skiers.

O

by ELIZABETH MILLER

n a crisp morning last November, roughly 90 soldiers hiked out of the Colorado National Guard Readiness Center in Grand Junction. Before the sun had emerged over the flattopped blue profile of Grand Mesa, the troopers had stuffed rucksacks with winter gear and laced up their boots. After walking four miles from the base, the soldiers dropped their bags and ran back to the readiness center, where they prepped ropes, practiced setting up tents and rehearsed other skills for surviving in and traveling through an alpine winter. Their shoulders displayed badges with red bayonets crossed in the Roman numeral X over a blue powder keg overlayed with the the word “mountain.” The 10th Mountain Division was home.

For 70 years, the Division’s presence in Colorado has been largely limited to its legacy, laying the base for the ski industry—10th Mountain vet Pete Siebert founded Vail—and a beloved eponymous hut system. Yet, its tangible relics are few: white camouflage uniforms and skis in museums and the scraped and empty foundations at Camp Hale near Leadville, which once housed 11,000 soldiers. But in late 2016, the 10th Mountain put boots back in Colorado for the first time since the winter warfare division stood down in 1945. A “reflagging” ceremony at Camp Hale even saw World War II veterans returning to their training grounds and swapping stories with this next generation from the Colorado National Guard.

T

here’s an important reversal underway amid these new ranks. During World War II, the Army recruited skiers and mountaineers and trained them to be soldiers. Now, it’s teaching soldiers to be skiers and mountaineers. “The average infantryman often fails in high32

altitude environment—they don’t understand the basic tenets of how to operate in it,” says Sergeant First Class Chuck Johnson, lead ski instructor for the Colorado National Guard’s unit of the Division. A look at recent conflicts in Afghanistan’s high peaks reiterates the need for those skillsets.

“We don’t have to go back much further than 2002 and chasing Osama Bin Laden around Tora Bora and the Pakistani border—there are some very serious high-alpine environments,” Johnson says. “And there will always have to be a guy with a rifle in his hand to finish what drone and air strikes cannot do.”

Training still focuses on basic infantry tasks—travel, communication and combat— but in the mountains, which means soldiers also must learn to rock climb, snowshoe and ski.

But learning to survive in the mountains rather than become 5.14 climbers or extreme skiers is the end goal. So they also study wicking baselayers, knots and, most importantly, self reliance.

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“There’s a certain mental toughness that comes with being a skilled athlete and outdoorsman— those people know they can always put one foot in front of the other,” says Johnson. “That can do nothing but enhance your ability as a soldier.”

A

fter observing mountaintrained German forces succeding in the Balkans, and poorly prepared Italian troops freezing to death during World War II, a U.S. report concluded, “An army which may have to fight anywhere in the world must have units specially organized, trained, and equipped for fighting in the mountains and in winter.” National Ski Patrol President Charles Minot Dole was ready: Having anticipated the need for such soldiers, he’d already begun recruiting and training skiers and mountaineers.

Among the 10th Mountain Division’s first tests in combat was an assault on the 1,500-foot cliffs at Riva Ridge in the North Apennine Mountains in Italy. They ascended a route Germans had deemed

impassable, MOUNTAIN WARRIORS and their THE 3RD PLATOON OF CHARLIE COMPANY OF surprise THE 1-157TH INFANTRY attack FROM GRAND JUNCTION, gained COLORADO, POSES IN ground for FRONT OF MT. MANSFIELD AT VERMONT'S CAMP the Allied ETHAN ALLEN, WHERE advance IT TRAINED IN WINTER SURVIVAL, MOBILITY AND into AMBUSH OPERATIONS Europe.

WITH ALPHA COMPANY Upon OF THE 3-172ND INFANTRY FROM JERICO, VERMONT. returning photo courtesy VERMONT home, NATIONAL GUARD veterans started gear companies and ski resorts, Vail, Ski Cooper, Steamboat Springs and Aspen among them. In the 1980s, the 10th Mountain Division Huts were constructed in the soldiers’ honor. Five of the initial 30 huts were built with donations from family and friends of soldiers who died during World War II. The “10th Division” continued as a light infantry unit based at Fort Drum, New York. For decades, it lost the “mountain” from its name and much of the mountaineering from its practices. That focus has changed.

In 2016, two infantry brigades merged, bringing an existing Colorado National Guard unit in under the 10th Mountain Division.

Their weekend training sessions began to include navigating through the woods on snowshoes to remote classrooms, strapping on skis and camping at altitude in the snow. There’s a one-word consensus on what their first nights camping at elevation amid the snow banks on Grand Mesa were like: cold.

Temperatures dropped below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, with snow and wind blowing all night.

“There’s also the shared misery factor when we’re up there at 10,200 feet, living in snow caves,” Johnson says, and with it, a certain “esprit de corps.”: “It means a whole lot to know that we’re doing things that the average infantry person is not doing.”

Soldiers have offered to reenlist... if they can train to join this battalion.

A

bout 30 guardsmen went to a training session on ice climbing, skiing, and skinning in Vermont in 2017.

For his first experience on skis, Sergeant First Class Brandon Paup strapped into vintage canvas and rubber-soled boots that bore more

THE AVERAGE INFANTRYMAN OFTEN FAILS IN A HIGH-ALTITUDE ENVIRONMENT— THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND THE BASIC TENETS OF HOW TO OPERATE IN IT. resemblance to hikers than to a rig even the oldest of old school tele skiers would ride. While he’s proud of the 10th’s history, the setup was a little more of a link to their World War II experiences than he quite needed, he says now. But weeks later, he clicked into modern ski gear at Colorado’s Powderhorn Ski Resort, and that, he says, was “probably the funnest thing I’ve done in my life.”

Specialist Pantelis Geralis came at it from the other direction.

Geralis initially aimed his military career for the Air Force, but contact lenses voided his chances of becoming a pilot. After switching

to the National Guard, he worked for five years refueling vehicles.

Then he heard about the mountain unit, where his experience as a ski instructor and a mountaineer would be a part of his job.

He attended mountain warfare school, a two-week program in Vermont that focuses on basic climbing and mountaineering skills.

Improperly dressing a figure-8 knot or falling behind on a hike constitutes failing the course and being sent home. Students often spend their evenings rehearsing knots and anchor systems, tying bunkbeds together. Geralis graduated top of his class, and landed a full-time job developing standard operating procedures for the battalion.

“It’s cool to learn how to rock climb, ski, all this stuff, but what we’re addressing is the issue of how to do it in a tactical manner,” he says. “So we’re taking the principles of mountaineering and the principles of infantry and putting them together to see how it works out.”

That plan has required a lot of gear testing, reading historic manuals on military maneuvers and arctic survival and attending climbing workshops in Moab, Utah, and, Shelf Road, Colorado.

Geralis is part of a team of five who strategize details such as balancing the demands of leading a technical rock climb while staying safe in a combat zone, supporting a machine gun platform on snow, re-supplying soldiers in the field and preventing weapons from freezing.

When Dole campaigned to create military mountaineers for World War II, he first had to determine how best to train them. The 10th Mountain reboot is doing the same.

“We are using all the histories, lessons and experiences they went through,” Geralis says. “We’re not just starting from scratch. We’re using some of the backbone.”

The hope, he says, is that when soldiers learn how to ski or rock climb, they’ll get out and practice those skills on the weekends.

“That’s originally what the 10th Mountain did—they had a huge cultural impact and that’s how it contributed to the outdoor industry of Colorado,” Geralis says.

The new 10th Mountain Division also hopes that as they show up at crags and on slopes as soldiers in-training, they will remind Colorado that the division isn’t a thing of the past. It’s a piece of history still being written.

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ELWAYVILLE

01.18

THIS GOLDEN MOMENT

The U.S. ski team has become a powerhouse and a favorite to bring home a full haul of medals from Korea. But a roster of legendary skiers got us here.

by PETER KRAY

I

t’s incredible to think of all the great U.S. alpine ski racers our country is sending to the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, in a little more than a month. We have had one of the strongest ski teams in the world over the past eight years, racking up the kind of medal count the European countries who once dominated us used to expect to bring home.

For the upcoming Games, there are high hopes that alpine icons like Lindsey Vonn, one of the greatest racers to ever step into a binding (and who was barely slowed down by a back injury in December), Ted Ligety (who already has two gold medals) and, of course, Mikaela Shiffrin, perhaps the most talented ski racer in the world right now (who at the 2014 Games became the youngest Olympic slalom champion ever at the age of 18) will continue to add to the podium count. The U.S. will be also a dominant player in figure skating and snowboarding—a sport we invented—as well as in women’s hockey and even men’s hockey since professional players have been allowed to fill out the roster, and Russia won’t be there due to a doping scandal. All of which will make for games worth watching and thinking back on just how we got here.

L

ook back over the history of international ski racing and you can find page-long lists of heroes from countries like Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France. But for the U.S. there are only cult figures, whose histories mirror the biographies of one-hit wonder rock bands, despite their deep contributions to the sport.

That list starts with skiers like Washington State’s Gretchen Fraser who first won gold in slalom in 1948 and Andrea Mead Lawrence, a Vermont native who in the 1950s was the first American to win two Olympic medals at the age of 19 before moving to California where she became a leading conservationist. It includes Aspen legend Dick Durrance, one of the first Americans to ever compete against the Euros, who you have certainly seen in black and white photos swooping through the powder in a forward leaning tuck with no goggles or hat. And it includes Picabo Street, Tommy Moe, Billy Kidd and Steamboat’s own Buddy Werner, who for

Illustration by Kevin Howdeshell / THEBRAVEUNION.COM

34

decades was the We’ve had one only American of the strongest to ever win ski teams in Austria’s famed the world over Hahnenkamm, until the past eight Daron Rahlves won years, racking it in 2003 on a fogshortened course. up the kind of I remember medal count watching twin the European brothers Phil and countries who Steve Mahre racing once dominated down the steep, icy us used to slopes of Whiteface (also known as expect to bring “Iceface”) at the home.

1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.

That was during the famed “Miracle On Ice” games where the U.S. Hockey Team, a ragtag group of college kids, won gold after finding a way to beat the Soviet juggernaut.

But only Phil Mahre would medal for the U.S. in alpine skiing, earning silver behind Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark, who, with 86 World Cup wins in slalom and giant slalom, is still internationally regarded as the greatest skier who ever lived.

I

n the lean years that followed, our country’s only highlight, and only certifiable star, was Bill Johnson, a charismatic, risk-taking loudmouth from Los Angeles who became the first American male to win gold when he took the downhill in the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, after weeks of telling everyone he would.

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 01 8

Johnson, who died in 2016 at the far too early age of 55, set the tone for the mix of independence, swagger and reverence for the growing influence on the sport of ski racing that we have now—inspiring the trademark risk-it-all style of Bode Miller (my personal favorite racer of all time), Rahlves, Vonn, Ligety and Shiffrin, and whoever comes next.

As a journalist, I covered the Utah, Italy and Whistler Olympics, and I watched Bode win two silvers in Salt Lake, wash out in Sestriere (where Ligety won his first gold in combined), and finally win gold in the combined in British Columbia. But my favorite ski racing memory came when I was a young ski bum in Jackson Hole and a U.S. divisional qualifier came to town, with a downhill race on Après Vous, the mountain’s south-facing slope.

At the chairlift, I found myself in the singles’ line, waiting to ride the double chair with any number of people in helmets wearing race bibs across their skintight suits. When the guy I got on with noticed me reading his name, B. Johnson, written in black marker on his Atomic downhill skis, he gave me such a sweet, “so what?” smile and said, “I’m just trying to figure this race out.”

There were clouds obscuring parts of the course, which Bill Johnson tried to peer through as we rode the lift. I was too in awe to say much of anything. But at the top of the hill, he smiled again and said, “It’s pretty simple. You just go fast.”

And then he skied off.

—ELEVATION OUTDOORS EDITOR-AT-LARGE PETER KRAY IS THE AUTHOR OF THE GOD OF SKIING. THE BOOK HAS BEEN CALLED “THE GREATEST SKI NOVEL OF ALL TIME.” DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE? YOU CAN BUY IT HERE: BIT.LY/GODOFSKIING

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