Elevation Outdoors March 2019

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BEST of THE ROCKIES —2019 WINNERS—

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THE LIVING ROOM

EO readers named Buena Vista Best Mountain Town in our annual poll. It’s time to take in that beauty of a view.

SEE PAGE 18

in this issue

photo by SETH K. HUGHES

MARCH 2019

DEPARTMENTS 7 EDITOR’S LETTER What I learned about people (and alphorns) when I hiked the five Nordic high points.

9 QUICK HITS Snowboarding slickrock, three state parks you need to visit, Colorado’s best food trucks, how the CORE Act will protect 400,000 acres of public land and more...

14 FLASHPOINT With climate change a constant reality, wildfires keep getting worse in the West. Here’s what you need to know about a future that includes more charred forest.

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16 HOT SPOT Deep in the Canadian Rockies, the mountain resort town of Banff and the surrounding national park lure adventure-minded travelers with world-class ice climbing, skiing and snowboarding—and affordable hot springs.

17 STRAIGHT TALK Erin Parisi wants to change perceptions by becoming the first trans woman to climb all of the Seven Summits.

31 HEAR THIS New music from bands who are headed to Colorado this spring.

32 THE ROAD Katie Arnold did not set out to win the Leadville Trail 100 last summer.

She simply wanted to experience the Zen of it.

34 ELWAYVILLE Peter Kray expounds on how lucky he is to be a “nature trust-funder.”

30 GEAR: FIVE TRAVEL ESSENTIALS Headed to far-off locales this spring? You will want to pack along this snazzy new gear.

ON THE COVER John and Coleen Graybill of Mountain Spirit Photography captured this stunning “Evening Commute” with the help of the staff of CKS on Main Street in Buena Vista. “We live in the mountains and near the Arkansas River for a reason, right?” says Coleen. “Kayaking down the river is the perfect mode of transportation after a long day at the store.”

by Mountain Spirit Photography/ mtnspritphoto.com

FEATURES 18 THE 2019 BEST OF THE ROCKIES WINNERS Our readers voted for the very best businesses, people, destinations; events, food, drink and relaxation in the region.

It’s time to announce and celebrate their favorites.

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C O N T R IB U T O R S | 03 .1 9 WHAT BIG TRIP DO YOU HAVE PLANNED THIS YEAR?

E DI TOR-I N -CHI E F

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

doug@elevationoutdoors.com PRE SI DE N T

BLAKE DEMASO

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CASEY VANDENOEVER

casey@elevationoutdoors.com CRE AT I VE DI RE CTOR

LAUREN WORTH

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CAMERON MARTINDELL

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YOUR BASECAMP FOR

SE N I OR E DI TOR

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WINTER ADVENTURE

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The 34th Annual Ride The Rockies (RTR) Bicycle Tour will be a loop traveling up and over some of Colorado’s most iconic passes and locations such as Independence Pass. Starting in Crested Butte and ending on Mt. Crested Butte, riders will cover multiple mountain passes, traverse through the likes of the Black Canyon and meander through both the Gunnison and Roaring Fork Valleys.

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PUBLISHING

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

I’m headed to Paris this month with my whole family including my mom, who first traveled there in 1957. And I’m angling for a big summer adventure with mountains and deep blue waters.

casey vandenoever

My family and five other families are going to the Colorado Sand Dunes for some camping, dune riding and trail discovery.

conor sedmak

I’m planning on heading back to Hokkaido, Japan, for great sushi, gorgeous views and bottomless pow.

TRACY ROSS

Pipeline in Hawaii to write a story about pro surfers mentoring younger ones. Kinda terrified. Working on a Nepal trip for my oldest’s high school graduation. And then, this summer, a big river trip, just not sure which one yet.

CAMERON MARTINDELL

There's a chance we might head to Switzerland as a family.

katie arnold

I am running in the CCC, a 101K ultra marathon from Courmayeur, Italy, to Chamonix, France, in August.

morgan tilton

Paddling isle-to-isle on a self-supported nautical SUP expedition near Vancouver Island.

sonya pevzner

I'm heading to Prague and Cyprus with my beloved grandparents in April—their treat—to discover our Jewish heritage in the Czech Republic and defrost on the beaches after a long Russian winter.

Aaron Bible

Racing in the Dirty Kanza, boxing with Haymakers for Hope, paddling the Grand Canyon, and finally checking Alaska off my list—much overdue!

peter kray

I’m going to ski Bulgaria. Can't wait!

E D I T O R'S L E T T E R | 03 .1 9

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END OF SEASON THE NORDIC HIGH FIVE

T H E M OS T A M A ZI N G T H I N G A B O U T H I K I N G S C A N D I N AV I A’ S FI V E H I G H P O I N T S I S T H E P E O P L E YO U M EE T O N T H EM .

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

L

ast fall, I stood atop the highest point in Denmark and blew into an alphorn. It was a joyous moment.

It did not matter to me that this mighty mountain, Møllehøj, the apex of a proud Scandinavian country, measures just 560.6 feet above sea level (nor that the corrugated roof of the cow barn just behind it is probably five feet higher).

No, my friend Matthias and I stood on the old stone millstone that marks the spot as if we were Norgay and Hillary and took turns making sounds that rivaled flatulent elephants from our perch. We had completed the Nordic High Five, hiking to the top of Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and now conquering the Danish highlands.

The idea of the Nordic High Five as an offical accomplishment was the brainchild of Matthias, a German, educated in Canada (who rode a motorcycle across the American West) living in Sweden with a Finnish wife. He also was once the member of a sort of German 1950s revival boy band, and supposeddly fans have named their cars and maybe even their children after him. We bonded singing Frank Sinatra tunes in the wide expanses of Finnish Lapland together.

Matthias, who has fallen in love with not just the people, but also the lands of Northern Europe, created the Scandinavian Summits project (scandinaviansummits.com) as a way for Nordic and European (and, hey, even the rogue American) to connect to their landscape. Sure, you come to hike the high points, but it’s what you discover along the way, the people, cultures, food and other outdoor attractions of

SOUND OF THE MOUNTAINS SCHNITZSPAHN AND CREW CARRIED AN ALPHORN UP THE NORDIC HIGH POINTS. photo by ANDREA HITZEMANN/ENECCO OUTDOORS

these wild spots that really make you a more enlightened traveler.

Since Iceland and Finland are not technically Scandinavia, hiking the five summits is called the Nordic High Five. Tick off just Norway, Sweden and Denmark and you have completed the Scandinavian Crown. While the other peaks may be more mountainous than Møllehøj, none of them are particulalry difficult. They are a lot of fun: Iceland’s 6,920-foot Hvannadalshnúkur is the most difficult, requiring technical gear and training (or hiring Iceland's outstanding guides) since its glaciated.

Sweden’s 6,881.6-foot Kebnekaise and Norway’s 8,100-foot Galdhøpiggen, the highest mountain in Northern Europe, are day-long scrambles with small glaciers that require some mountaineering skills. And Finland’s 4,334-foot high point on Halti (the actual summit of the peak sits barely over the border in Norway) requires a worldclass 70 mile trek to reach. The point for all of them, however, is that they are immersed in the surrounding cultures: Sami people herd reindeer near Halti, hordes of Swedes come to summit their mountain, Norwegian school kids climb Galdhøpiggen as part of their cirriculum.

It’s for the people, that Matthias decided to bring the alphorn along, to blow the traditional 15-foot long Swiss instrument (we carried a seven-piece and, later, a three-piece travelling version on our hikes) from the top of each nation as a symbol of how the culture of the mountains knows no boundaries. Its a song that, at least the way we have played it, makes you both laugh and feel sweeping joy. And it works. On each of the summits, we met people from across the globe. And we got them to sound the alphorn, too. And then we gave high fives all around.

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SHREDDING SLICKROCK

WHEN THE SNOW GODS DELIVER ON THE WESTERN SLOPE, THIS MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE BECOMES A SNOWBOARD PARK.

THE RIBBON IS ONE OF THE VERY BEST mountain bike rides in the West. Just outside of Grand Junction on the border with Colorado National Monument, it’s not so much of a trail as a romp down 1,500 feet of wide-open slickrock with a sweeping view of the surrounding mesas. In January, it became Colorado’s most uniquely scenic backcountry snowboarding run, too, thanks to a winter that has dumped above average white stuff on the desert. “The idea of snowboarding slickrock is certainly nothing new if you live in or around Grand Junction,” says local photographer Devon Balet. “But when the snow god Ullr made his presence known here in the Grand Valley, we had the chance to make a few fluffy turns on one of the of the Southwest’s iconic mountain bike trails.” —Doug Schnitzspahn

SEASONAL ATTRACTION WITH COLORADO’S GRAND VALLEY SPREAD OUT IN FRONT OF HIM, ROBBIE DRAKE ENJOYS FRESH LINES ON WHAT’S USUALLY BARE ROCK ON THE RIBBON. photo by DEVON BALET

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STATE PARKS RULE! SK I P T H E H E A DAC H E S AT T H E B I G , N AT I O N A L AT T R AC T I O N S A N D H E A D F O R T H E SE T H R EE J US T-A S- I M P R E S S I V E SP OT S .

NATIONAL PARKS ARE WONDERFUL

places, but they can also be inundated with visitors. In 2017, the National Park Service reported more than 330 million visitors, with 42 out of 385 parks experiencing record-breaking visitation. In the last two years, some of the country’s most popular national parks, including Zion and Yellowstone, have experienced epic traffic jams, maxed-out septic systems and multiple days when visitors were simply turned away because the parks had reached capacity.

If incredible outdoor experiences, awe-inspiring scenery and solitude away from those headaches are what you seek, head for a state park. While many of them have also seen an uptick in visitors, especially as national parks suffered in the wake of the partial government shutdown, they remain committed to preserving unique landscapes, wildlife and recreation a bit under the radar. Start with these three stunning “local” parks.

Eldorado Canyon State Park, Colorado For Those Who Love: The long tradition of technical rock climbing at Zion or Yosemite national parks Why Visit? Eldorado Canyon, located just outside of Boulder, Colorado, is a hidden gem known among rock climbers as a playground full of challenging, technical trad routes.

Eldorado boasts sheer walls of reddish granite and sandstone conglomerate that are fun to climb, hike and see. The climbs tend toward the advanced, but they also hold fun beginner routes.

Not a climber? Picnic by the river and watch the climbing action, or

take a hike. Rattlesnake Gulch Trail offers elevation gain, views of the canyon and surrounding plains, and a chance to explore the ruins of the Crag Hotel, which burned in 1912.

Goblin Valley State Park, Utah For Those Who Love: The whimsical red rock towers of Bryce Canyon National Park Why Visit? The San Rafael Swell is a singularly unique geological feature made of hundreds of red buttes, canyons and mesas that thrust up from the desert landscape. Goblin Valley State Park sits at the Swell’s southern end, known for its Marslike landscape littered with narrow, eroded towers up to 50 feet tall known as hoodoos.

You can camp in this unearthly terrain (or rent a yurt), hike amongst the towers, mountain bike, access a slot canyon, ATV and even play disc golf on a nine-hole course. The park provides a good example of the expanded recreational opportunities state parks can offer. “We often say that national parks are meant to go and see, while state parks are meant to go and do,” says Eugene Swalberg, public information officer for Utah State Parks. “That’s certainly the case at Goblin Valley.”

Sinks Canyon State Park, Wyoming For Those Who Love: The geological features at Yellowstone National Park

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BEHOLD THE MYSTERY NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHY WYOMING'S SINKS DISAPPEARS INTO THIS CAVE TO BUBBLE UP IN A NEARBY SPRING. photo by SCOTT COPELAND

Why Visit? Just south of Lander, Wyoming, and butting up against the Wind River Mountains, Sinks Canyon State Park is somewhat of a local secret that impresses lucky visitors who stumble across its charms. Its main attraction is the Sinks, where a rushing river roars into a cave, disappears, and bubbles back up into a gentle spring a few hundred feet farther on.

“It’s called the sink and the rise, and we still don’t really know where the water goes. It’s a geological wonder,” says Casey Adams of the Wind River Visitors Council.

Depending on time of year and water level, at times the river covers the mouth of the cave, while other times you can venture into the chasm. For the adventurous, the park also offers guided caving expeditions into larger caves. From the park, you can day hike, backpack into the rugged, peaceful Wind River Range, rock climb and mountain bike. Combine Sinks Canyon with a visit to Hot Springs State Park one-and-a-half hours north in Thermopolis, where you can soak in the free state-operated hot springs.

—Melanie Wong

FINDING THE PERFECT FIT HOW A N UNLIK ELY A LLI A NCE LED TO ONE OF THE MOS T SUCCE SSFUL SK I PRODUCTS TH AT DY N A FIT H A S E V ER SOLD. PROFESSIONAL SKIER ERIC “HOJI”

Hjorleifson tightly weaves between enormous Engelmann spruce that dwarf him by 100 feet, bounding through waist-deep powder as he porpoises along. He’s testing his Hoji Pro Tour Ski Touring Boot, which features a lever that locks the upper and shell into one coherent piece, making the boot feel malleable on climbs yet supportive on big descents like this one.

Hoji moves at bullet speed. His eyes dart ahead. He spots a waterfall drop, and launches the cliff. He drops the height of a three-story building and absorbs the landing with bent knees—and feels a snap underfoot. An unnerving vibration rattles his ankle back-and-forth as he continues to charge ahead at full-speed. He tries to ignore the broken ski boot, a task that requires a deep concentration that’s taken him 15 years as a big-mountain athlete to hone.

Hoji manages to reach his film crew at the bottom of the descent.

He exhales a deep breath to bury his frustration. It’s March 2014 and he’s finally skiing in his home province of

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Heather “Anish” Anderson has set numerous longdistance trail records. Thirst delves into the mindset that led her to set the fastest known time (FTK) on the Pacific Crest Trail. She’ll be speaking at Boulder’s Neptune Mountaineering on June 18 at 7 p.m. $18 |

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British Columbia after spending a month hand-building the dream prototype. The one that’s now broken on his foot. After less than 48 hours in the field, the debut iteration of the Hoji Pro Tour Ski Touring Boot has snapped in half. Defeated, he calls his engineering mentor Fritz Barthel, an Austrian product developer who invented Dynafit’s first-ever ski tour bindings, four decades ago—and radically shifted the entire ski industry.

“That’s perfect,” Barthel tells Hoji when he hears about the shattered boot. “Now we can do calculations and improve upon our initial attempt. You should return to the dungeon.” The dungeon is Barthel’s 12- by 24-foot home gear lab in Bad Häring, Austria, a former mining village that is more than 5,000 miles from Hoji’s condo in Whistler.

A month earlier, the duo had met at on a skin track at a Dynafit get-together in Switzerland. They bonded over their shared passion for tinkering and product creation. From 1986 to 1990, before Dynafit agreed to partner with Barthel, he hand-created and independently sold his aforementioned streamlined ski tour binding. He’d stock up on the brand’s boots to sell alongside his innovative bindings. At any given time, 1,200 pairs filled every room in his house, from the basement to the attic.

As Hoji talked about his quest to actualize the perfect ski boot, Barthel recognized tenacity and a spark of excitement similar to his own. On the spot, Barthel invited Hoji to stay with him in Austria to become his first-ever protégé so he could help guide the manufacturing process of the Hoji Pro Tour, including the milling, grinding, cutting and sketching.

“Hoji is a sponge. He absorbs

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TWO LIKEMINDED SKI-TECH GEEKS CREATED THE HOJI PRO TOUR, WHICH WON AN EO PEAK GEAR AWARD. photo courtesy DYNAFIT

information about mechanical properties, math and materials. He has no engineering background—he’s just really talented and focused,” says Barthel.

And, after many sacrificed ski days, countless all-nighters, four self-funded ski boot iterations and hundreds of hours of product testing (including that disastrous first 48 hours), Hoji finally struck gold. The perfect model survived Hoji’s merciless pounding on snow and also convinced Dynafit’s in-house designers to invest in a mold in 2017.

When it hit the market in 2018, several of Dynafit’s retailers promptly soldout of the Hoji boot by October, and requested reorders. According to Dynafit spokesperson Eric Henderson, the boot is trending to be the most successful piece of gear that Dynafit has introduced since the subsidiary launched in North America in 2007.

Don’t expect a design team driven by perfectionism to stop at a single product launch, however. “This is just the platform. We’ve built a good foundation and from here we can improve,” says Hoji: “There’s more work ahead. We’re not done yet.”

Indeed, in January Dynafit announced the Hoji Free for next season, which will better serve the needs of hard-charging freeskiers with a 130 flex, lower volume and smaller last than the original Tour. Better yet, the cramponcompatible Free will fit other touring bindings such as Salomon’s Shift.

—Morgan Tilton

EAT Pro tip: Scarf all of the Icelandic seafood you can get your hands on! The island nation is awash with locally-sourced fish served up in comforting, delicious dishes often paired with a cold Viking beer at quaint pubs and restaurants.

We suggest you find the small Mönsvagninn fish and chips stand in Arnarstapi. Or enjoy the fresh fishforward menus in the picture-perfect Naustið (facebook.com/naustid) in Husavik. If you really want a unique dining experience, post up in Reykjavík. The country’s capital city is home to a vibrant nightlife, but most importantly, The Lebowski Bar (lebowskibar.is), dedicated to El Duderino himself: It boasts a rug that really ties the room together and an extensive White Russian menu.

Sleep The #vanlife movement is alive and well in Iceland, and there are several van and adventure vehicle rental companies, like Happy Campers (happycampers.is), conveniently based at the Keflavik International Airport. Whether you’re traveling in cold-weather months, or during the busy summer season, these tricked out, rugged vans have everything you need—from sleeping bags to WiFi to heaters to GPS and cookware.

And campsites with well-maintained facilities exist in just about every town and city on the island. #Vanlifeing it in this country is a great way to keep your itinerary flexible, and to have the freedom to veer off of the standard Ring Road route. Iceland is also home to a welcoming bed-andbreakfast community, so plan ahead and scatter a few stays in idyllic farmhouses and inviting cottages along the way.

Play It seems like everywhere you turn in Iceland, an epic outdoor adventure slaps you in the face. But if you really want to hone in on some fun, head to Vatnajökull National Park (vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is) in the southern region of Iceland.

The massive 3.5-million-acre park (the second largest in Europe) is home to the Vatnajökull ice cap and it’s brimming with scenic glaciers, waterfalls and mountain peaks, including Hvannadalshnúkur, the highest summit in Iceland at 6,920 feet. The park also borders the

SKY WALKING COVERED BY CREVASSE-RIDDLED GLACIERS, ICELAND’S HIGH POINT IS A TECHNICAL ASCENT ABOVE THE CLOUDS. photo by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

deep, iceberg-strewn waters of the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. You can embark on a snowmobile exploration of the glacier in the winter, or kayak through the glacial lagoons in the summer. You’ll also find hiking trails for all abilities and designated campgrounds throughout the park.

The drive back to Reykjavík along the coast is stacked with ultimate roadside attractions, such as the mighty Skógafoss waterfall and Vik, a charming southern coastal town known for its black-pebble beaches and picturesque cliffs that are prime for puffin sightings.

—Tyra Sutak

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BEYOND THE CRASH HEANEY TAPS HER COUNSELING EXPERIENCE TO HELP BIG HEART BIG HANDS, WHICH PROVIDES FREE COUNSELING TO SURVIVORS OF BACKCOUNTRY ACCIDENTS. photo by JESSE STAR

LOCAL HERO: JESSICA HEANEY

T H I S VA I L VA L L E Y R E S C U ER I S H EL P I N G V I C T I M S O F B AC KCO U N T RY M I SH A P S R E COV ER FRO M T R AU M A I N T H E W I L D. WHEN BACKCOUNTRY ACCIDENTS AND

rescues occur, emotional trauma can persist with lasting impacts on victims and their families. Jessica Heaney, founder of Vail Relationship

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Institute (vailrelationshipinstitute.com) and a certified emotionally focused therapist, works with non-profit organization Big Heart Big Hands to offer free counseling to those impacted by backcountry rescue.

Before she began working with Big Heart Big Hands, Heaney heard brutal stories from her husband, who was a volunteer with Vail Mountain Rescue Group. “I started learning about some of the circumstances of these backcountry rescue missions,” she says. “And I started to wonder what happens after—what happens after these folks are rescued? What support is there for them as well as

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those doing the rescuing?”

Those interested in the free support can fill out a brief application on bigheartbighands.org. Support for the family of a victim or first responder is also available. Heaney says it’s essential for the outdoor community not to dismiss the psychological recovery process after experiencing trauma from a backcountry incident.

“That emotional impact is the longest lasting impact,” Heaney says.

“We focus on physical trauma, but we need to start talking more about what being in such a fearful situation can do to us on the inside.”

—Kim Fuller

MOBILE EATS SEEK O U T O U R FAVO R I T E F O O D T RU C K S I N CO LO R A D O. FOOD TRUCKS SERVE THE NEEDS OF

outdoor go-getters by providing grub that’s quick, cheap and tasty, but sometimes they can be unreliable and

overly greasy. These three Colorado standouts serve far more than standard fried fare year-round. Just check their Facebook pages for exact locations and hours before you go.

Melt With the recent addition of Belgian waffles to its repertoire of gooey sandwiches and saucy pastas, Leadville’s Melt is a rare all-day, yearround food truck. Its picnic tables fill daily from 2 to 4 p.m., when locals score 15 percent off, and on race days with athletes craving carbs. facebook.com/MELTbyPeakPasta/ 99 Thai Food This roving outpost in Montrose— just 13 miles from Black Canyon of the Gunnison—serves platefuls of noodles and curries for just $7. It’s open daily from 11 a.m. until they sell out, except in January and February when the owner takes an annual trip to Thailand—that’s legit. facebook.com/99thaifood/ QuickE’s Tacos Many food trucks shutter when the temps drop, but QuickE’s whips out piping-hot tacos for breakfast and lunch year-round in Tabernash, one of the coldest town in America. Get two tacos—including healthy options like salmon avocado with spinach—plus a side for $12. facebook.com/QuickEZ/ —Katie Hearsum

WILD AMBITIONS

W I T H T H E P RO P OSED CO R E AC T, SEN . B EN N E T A N D R EP. N E G USE H O P E TO P ROT E C T 4 0 0,0 0 0 AC R E S O F P U B L I C L A N D I N CO LO R A D O A N D B U I L D A LO N G - L A S T I N G SUS TA I N A B L E E CO N O M Y.

IN 2017, THE OUTDOOR RETAILER TRADE

show made the decision to leave its longtime home in Salt Lake City, Utah, and move to Denver. The reason was simple: The governor, state politicians, and Utah’s national congressional delegation all continued to devalue and threaten public land. The outdoor community sent a clear message: Wild places, conservation, public lands, and outdoor recreation all add up to create a sustainable economy.

In January, Colorado’s Democratic Sen., Michael Bennett, and Colorado 2nd District Rep., Joe Neguse, introduced a bill that proves just how committed this state is to outdoor recreation and wilderness. The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act would protect 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado, including the creation of 73,000 acres of wilderness. But the bill goes deeper than just wilderness protection, which prohibits motorized use and mountain biking, to coalesce

SEN. MICHAEL BENNET photo by Carlo Nasisse

support from a big tent of stakeholders.

It would also designate 80,000 acres of new, non-wilderness recereation and conservation management areas in Colorado that would allow for existing uses, such as mountain biking. The Act would also preserve Camp Hale, where the 10th Mountain Division trained before fighting in Europe during World War II. Furthermore, the bill stops oil and gas development on lands that are key to local ranchers. That attempt

to appeal to everyone has rallied up broad support, with organizations ranging from county commissioners to Icelantic skis to Backcountry Hunters and Anglers to The Wilderness Society getting behind the bill.

For the lawmakers, the most important aspect of the CORE Act is that it’s a grassroots bill. It brings together the efforts of local on-theground conservation groups across the state, from Summit County to the San Juans, merging four previously introduced bills: the Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness and Camp Hale Legacy Act; the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act; the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act; and the Curecanti National Recreation Area Boundary Establishment Act. “It represents the work of people for over a decade in their communities,” says Bennet. “This is not a bill that was written in Washington.

It is a bill that has been written throughout communities all across the state of Colorado, and I think people who have been working on separate pieces of legislation had a mutual interest in combining them together. So we were happy to lead it, and when we pass it, the act will preserve the legacy of their work.”

At the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver in January, a bevy of Colorado outdoor athletes, including legendary climber Tommy Caldwell and ultra-running champ and activist Clare

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Gallagher, made a point to speak up for the CORE Act. “Colorado needs to protect and preserve as much wilderness and as many recreation management areas as possible,” says Gallagher. “It’s in these places that I trail run, bolster my physical and mental health, and connect with nature. The economics behind protecting public lands are clear: towns near wilderness areas have increased tourism. I want to see a Colorado 100 years from now that is sustained by sustainable industries like outdoor recreation.”

The lawmakers also stress that the bill envisions conseravtion and the protection of public lands as a measure that supports an economy fueled by outdoor recreation and a healthy quality of life, rather than boom-andbust extractive industries.

“If passed, the CORE Act would be the largest public lands bill in a quarter century in Colorado,” says Bennet.

“The title of this bill, which is called the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act, says it all. We don’t believe in Colorado that you have to choose between economic growth and protecting the places you love. And in fact we have discovered that protecting the places you love generates economic growth. That’s pretty awesome.”

Read the full text of the bill at: bit.ly/2SFjhuR —Doug Schnitzspahn

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F L A S HP O IN T | 03 .1 9

IN THE BLACK W I L D FI R E S AC ROS S T H E U. S . A R E B L A ZI N G B I G G ER A N D H OT T ER T H A N E V ER I N R E CO R D ED H I S TO RY. H OW C A N M O U N TA I N W E S T CO M M U N I T I E S P R EPA R E F O R T H E I N E V I TA B I L I T Y O F A FU T U R E W I T H M O R E FI R E S ?

by MORGAN TILTON

T

hree backcountry skiers glide quickly across untouched snow, the chorus of their climbing skins scratching along in unison. Up in front, professional ski mountaineer Teague Holmes pulls out his iPhone.

He moves up the mellow slope in a linear formation with his backcountry ski partners Jason Kilgore and Chris Baldwin, and begins to film. As I watch their morning ski via Instagram, I’m most captivated by the striking canvas.

A grid of obsidian-coated pines stands abruptly against the white snow—a forest left charred and branch-less after the 2018 Buffalo Mountain Fire, an incident that started just two miles west of Silverthorne, Colorado.

Holmes knows this terrain all too well. Aside from his ski-video skills, he is a professional arborist with a focus in wildfire mitigation. Two decades ago, he graduated with a degree in Wilderness Recreation Leadership and Environmental Education and moved to Breckenridge. After dabbling in carpentry and painting, he launched TSH Tree Service, a full-service, lowimpact tree removal company that’s now 14 years old.

“Wildfire can totally change a landscape for the positive,” Holmes tells me during a phone call the next morning. “From the long-term forest perspective, fire is crucial. If fire opens up the land’s space for new recreational commerce—with mixed glades for skiing, views, trails and so on—you get lucky. The problem is, wildfire is wildfire. You can’t actually control where it’s going to go.”

Residents and recreationists of the West walk a fine line with wildfires, but there are some steps they can take that can make a difference. To do that, they need to better understand the process of wildfires, as well as climate change and continuing human encroachment, which are making them worse. We talked with Teague and other wildfire experts to determine how we can learn to endure and make the best of a world where wildfire is a sad inevitability.

Scorched Earth

Burned areas are taking over the Mountain West. Back in the 1990s, an average of 78,600 wildfires occurred

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photo by AMY CORETZ

annually in the U.S.. After the new millennium, the number of wildfires across the country dipped to 73,200 per year. Yet the average amount of land burned by those fires doubled to 6.9 million acres. In 2017, we saw that paradigm persist: Fewer wildfires swept over the nation—a total of 71,500—but that year, 10 million acres burned, the the second-highest figure on record, according to the 2018 Wildfire Statistics report issued by Congressional Research Service. With more and more people building closer to public lands and seeking outdoor recreation, the ripple effects of big fires continue to intensify.

“A huge part of my world is managing the wildfire versus suburban-urban interface, and trying to help people balance their goals and needs,” Holmes says. His work entails defensible space consultation and hazard fuel reduction with the aim of “helping clients manage their properties and values in a wild mountain environment, reducing wildfire danger, and maintaining that forest—what they moved there for in the first place,” he explains.

By the time Holmes started his business, the mountain pine beetle epidemic had produced a tremendous number of standing dead trees in the West. Municipalities, private landowners, forest-based outfitters and tree service companies like TSH met a huge demand to remove the beetle-killed forest in their region

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of north-central Colorado. The work paid off: For instance, the fuel breaks that were put in place after the beetle-kill outbreak prevented the 2018 Buffalo Fire from infiltrating Silverthorne’s Wildernest and Mesa Cortina neighborhoods. “My approach to wildfire management focuses on accepting a certain level of risk of living with a wildland-urban interface. I try to provide education about wildfire protection while not steering people to take down more trees than they intend to,” Holmes says.

Fuel reduction, including the removal of select trees, is a significant method for mitigating fire risk across the Centennial State. Close to 70 wildfire sightings per year are noted in Summit County alone, according to Holmes. Last year, 5,730 reported fire incidents transpired statewide followed by a subsequent financial loss of $46.2 million, according to the state’s most recent fire data, published September 2018. Nationwide, 53 large wildfires burned by mid-summer including the Spring Creek Fire, which consumed more than 107,000 acres and was the second single-largest fire in Colorado’s history.

Cough, cough

Based on the current forecast, Coloradans will face another challenging year of wildfires in 2019.

“We’ve certainly had more active wildfire seasons throughout the western U.S. in the past couple of

summers, and we’re anticipating another active wildfire season,” says Scott Landes, the meteorology and prescribed fire supervisor for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Across the western United States, we’ve had widespread drought. We’re anticipating above average temperatures and below average precipitation. When you put those conditions together, you see more wildfires."

The greatest public health concern is the fine particulate matter of wildfire smoke, Landes explains. This type of inhalable pollution is at least 30 times smaller than the average diameter of human hair, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Many Coloradans like to spend time outside doing outdoor activities…and fine particulates are not visible to the naked eye,” says Landes.

During a wildfire smoke episode, the safest time to go outside and exercise is during the afternoon, which is counterintuitive to an alpine start that helps adventurers avoid afternoon thunderstorms or increased avalanche danger in the Rocky Mountains.

“By afternoon, the atmosphere heats up, and smoke isn’t as concentrated near the earth’s surface.

The worst time to go outside is during the early morning, right after sunrise, when an inversion is in place. Air, including smoke, is trapped and dense near the ground level,” explains Landes.

He also provides a few guidelines:

Climate reality

It’s also essential to stay in tune with the local or national policies that influence wildfire management or climate change.

Global warming is one of the driving factors of wildfire growth, says Michael Kodas, a wildfire expert and the deputy director at the center for environmental journalism at the University of Colorado.

Last spring, congress voted to add a $2 billion budget that will support the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire response, starting in 2020. The bill was backed due to public advocacy including the support of outdoor industry brands and the Outdoor Industry Association, says Erin Gaines, advocacy manager of KEEN. “The wildfire funding fix was successful because people made calls and sent emails saying why and how this issue impacts us: [Wildfires] impact employees, recreationists, outdoors people, local communities, and economies. It can’t be overstated how important it is to make your voice heard,” Gaines says.

Past the red tape, in order for wildfire management to be most effective, the public’s negative connotations of wildfire need to shift. Today, the federal government spends $3 billion per year fighting

fires, compared to $300 million spent annually in the ‘90s, says Kodas. In 2017, the professor published his latest book, Megafire: The Race to Extinguish a Deadly Epidemic of Flame, which dissects the complicated web of economic, social, cultural, and political variables of wildfires worldwide. Kodas even joined a state-operated firefighting crew, in 2002, in order to understand wildfires from the front lines. Then he traveled and observed devastating wildfires all over the globe.

“In most countries, the public responds to wildfire as if it’s a natural disaster. In reality, fire is a natural process for forests. Most landscapes in the world need wildfire to be healthy.

We’re going to have to quit a zerotolerance policy toward wildfires,” says Kodas, who concludes that a militaristic approach exacerbates wildfires. In the near future, the U.S. won’t have enough resources to fight all fires. Forest Service scientists estimate that number of acres that will burn each year will double by mid-century, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And the duration of the wildfire season—which has been extended by climate change— is now 80 days longer than in 1970.

“We’ll need to focus on [fighting] the fires near our values: homes, watersheds, and infrastructures. Natural fires that are away from our most imperative resources? We’re going to have to let those burn,” says Kodas.

As outdoor adventurers navigate

singed ecosystems, we need to consider the full picture. Burns are ultimately a causeway to healthier forests. Fire removes low-growth underbrush, forest floor debris, invasive species, and pests; it nourishes soil; and it enables sunlight to reach a woodland’s interior. The ecological effects of a wildfire—such as the increased sediment or nutrient levels in streams—are often severe yet short-lived, according to University of Idaho research. Furthermore, a diverse forest is a healthy forest, says Holmes.

Monoculture species thrive due to wildfire suppression. A burned area has incredible new opportunity for heterogenous growth.

Organic thinning of a forest can even enhance recreation opportunities— especially ski touring. Holmes captured this in his 2018 documentary, The Fire That Saved Sun Valley. Beyond the science and politics, a blackened landscape embodies an unspoken enchantment. Holmes tells me about a special old burn area on Spanish Fork Peak, in Utah: “When the snow reaches all the way to valley floor, it’s one of the most incredible ski runs. As you ski through the old trees knowing that the fire did what it was supposed to do for that landscape, you feel really connected to nature. It’s dark and sad for the loss of life. But it’s exciting, beautiful and magical, because it gives new life to the forest.” The complete life cycle is amazing to witness.

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KENNETH J. HAMILTON

Visible smoke indicates that there’s a high concentration of particles in the atmosphere. If you can still see landmarks that are 5 miles away, then you can assume it’s safe to continue with your normal outdoor activity.

Locals can also follow real-time air quality metrics, which are collected via monitor sites scattered around the state, online at colorado.gov/airquality.

Ozone pollution is also exacerbated by wildfire smoke. “Ozone is a very complex issue with many ingredients, and it surfaces near areas with high car emissions, power plants, factories, refineries, etc.,” says Landes.

Colorado’s ozone mostly appears on the Front Range in Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins, whereas, the state’s rural areas are only impacted by the fine particulates of wildfire smoke.

Regardless of location, if the air quality is poor, try to exercise or practice your outdoor hobbies inside, like at a local climbing gym or cycling studio. Choose a facility that recirculates the air, rather than one that pulls contaminated air in from outside.

Keep windows and doors closed.

And visit a health care specialist if you suffer from any symptoms of a respiratory illness.

LIGHTWEIGHT • PACKABLE • COMFORTABLE

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EXPLORE BANFF

I TC H I N G TO T R AV EL? M A K E T H E Q U I C K H O P N O RT H TO T H E EP I C EN T ER O F C A N A D I A N A DV EN T U R E, W H ER E YO U C A N C L I M B C L A S S I C I C E, SH R ED T H R EE R E S O RT S O N O N E L I F T T I C K E T, O R S OA K I N H OT, H E A L I N G WAT ER S .

by CHRIS KASSAR

S

urrounded by the sharp, rugged peaks of the Canadian Rockies and host to the most important adventure film festival on the planet, the mountain resort town of Banff draws everyone from world-class ice climbers to family skiers to slackers with no particular agenda. Maybe it’s all the adventure nearby or just that famed Canadian politeness, but everyone in this place always seems to be smiling. And while Banff may be adventure central, there’s no need to rough it: After you play, relax at the hot springs, spoil yourself at the spa, or enjoy the lively après scene in the the happening hamlets downtown.

SKI

With three easily accessible worldclass resorts, consistent snow, views that will grow your Instagram following, a long season (midNovember to late May), and extensive backcountry options, the Banff area

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is a must-visit for snow lovers of all levels. Boasting 8,000 acres of skiing, 26 chairlifts, two gondolas, and terrain ranging from steep chutes to family friendly cruisers, Mt Norquay (banffnorquay.com), Lake Louise Ski Resort (skilouise.com) and Sunshine Village (skibanff.com) get hammered with an average of more than 30 feet (that’s nine meters, eh) of fluffy powder each year. Experts will especially enjoy the exceptional freeride terrain like the famed Delirium Dive at Sunshine Village and The Back Bowls of Lake Louise Ski Resort. And, one tri-area lift ticket will get you into all three resorts!

Countless cross-country trails offer options for those looking for a Nordic experience while the wide, wild backcountry beckons those with the right gear and avalanche education.

If you want to break open your piggy bank, the helicopter-accessed terrain here guarantees fresh tracks, thousands of vertical feet, and nights at remote luxury lodges. Check out CMH Heli-Skiing (cmhheli.com) and R.K. Heli-Skiing (rkheliski.com) if you want to explore the steepest and deepest of the Rockies (and consider carbon offsets).

HIKE

Discover a winter wonderland with a must-do jaunt through Johnston Canyon, a chasm peppered with frozen waterfalls. The tranquil snowcovered forest and all that ice make the place feel like Narnia. Those short on time can hit the local’s favorite jaunt: Tunnel Mountain, a quick

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leg and lung buster that reaches a mountain summit and delivers stellar views of town, the Bow and Spray River valleys, and Mount Rundle.

Other great hikes to check out are the strenuous Sulphur Mountain, which follows a series of switchbacks to the top of the gondola, where astounding panoramas await. Though most can tackle these winter hikes on their own, many operators, including Discover Banff Tours (banfftours. com), White Mountain Adventures (whitemountainadventures.com) and Banff Adventures (banffadventures. com) offer guided hikes to the area’s best spots.

CLIMB

With dozens of pristine ice routes— many with easy access—Canada’s oldest national park is a playground for climbers. Banff National Park’s classic climbing areas include the Stanley Headwall, Mount Rundle, Cascade Mountain and Lake Louise, each with a slightly different vibe and conditions. Whether you seek long, challenging multi-pitch routes like Trophy Wall with tick-list climbs including Terminator (V, WI 6), Sea of Vapors (V, WI 6) and the Auger Sanction (V, WI 6), or more popular routes like Cascade Falls (III, WI 3) and Johnston Canyon (WI 3-5), Banff is sure to please. If you’ve got the skills, get out there on your own (just check and respect avalanche conditions since many of the climbs are precariously placed). If you want to up your game, many outfitters offer classes, longer courses and guided

INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN LOCATED WITHIN BANFF NATIONAL PARK, LAKE LOUISE RESORT ACCESSES BACKBOWL TERRAIN THAT FEELS LIKE IT’S DEEP IN THE BACKCOUNTRY. photo by REUBEN KRABBE

excursions: Check out the options from Canadian Rockies Alpine Guides (cdnalpine.com), Yamanuska Mountain Adventures (yamnuska. com), or Banff Mountain Guides (banffmountainguides.com).

SOAK

Adventure is the mantra in this mountain hub of the Canadian Rockies, but ther are also plenty of opportunities to relax, recover and rejuvenate here. Visit the Banff Upper Hot Springs (hotspringsca/ banff-upper-hot-springs) and watch snow fall on surrounding peaks while soaking your bones in steamy, soothing water. With a large pool, a café and swimsuits, towels and lockers available for rent (and a price tag of less than $7 U.S.!), these springs make you feel pampered on a skibum budget. If you’re looking for an upscale experience, visit the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel (fairmont.com/ banff-springs/willow-stream), the castle-like landmark that lords over town. Pulsating waterfalls, mineral pools, a steam room, sauna and a host of treatments are sure to heal anything that ails you. Insider tip: Non-hotel guests pay $79 per visit, but after 7 p.m. between Monday and Thursday and all this luxury costs only $35.

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ERIN PARISI

T H E FI R S T O P EN LY T R A N S G EN D ER WO M A N TO AT T EM P T T H E SE V EN SU M M I T S TA L K S TO EO A B O U T C L I M B I N G P H Y S I C A L A N D M E TA P H O R I C A L M O U N TA I N S A N D A N E W N O N P RO FI T T H AT W I L L H EL P P E O P L E L I K E H ER .

by SONYA PEVZNER

E

rin Parisi began life pronounced male, but she came out, letting the world know she was female.

She then decided to change her body.

She lost her wife and some friends. An operation to change her voice left her temporarily unable to speak—but in that silence, she realized her calling.

After a lifetime of bouncing between failed cures for gender dysphoria, she understood that nothing was wrong with her. No longer consumed with hiding from and fearing herself, she found an expanded community and professional support. She was ready to travel the world, reigniting her passion for outdoor sports. She applied for a new passport under her changed name, and in 2018 began a bid for the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent. In February 2019, she climbed Argentina’s Aconcagua. Now she just has Denali, Antarctica’s Vinson Massif and Everest to go.

YOU’RE AIMING TO BECOME THE FIRST OPENLY TRANSGENDER WOMAN TO CLIMB THE SEVEN SUMMITS. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS OBJECTIVE?

Outdoor adventures and traveling have always provided me fulfillment. Before I transitioned, my greatest fear holding me back was that I’d have to sacrifice my passions to live an authentic life. I weighed the risks and couldn’t imagine another day living my old life, and committed to my survival and transition. Once I began transitioning, I found that I might have been wrong, and slowly my confidence grew and I knew it was possible. I never want another trans person to face isolation for fear they will need to sacrifice in order to come out. Everyone should be free to be themselves without fear.

I hope to prove that’s possible. I want to prove that you can stand proudly on the highest point anywhere and let the world know who you are. No one should have to live in the shadows, and these peaks represent the one place where no shadows remain.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF THIS RECORD-SETTING ATTEMPT?

The hardest part was coming out. Now that I live knowing I’ve pursued the truth of my heart and soul, with support of my family and friends, my life has been much easier. Life is bigger than

consuming yourself by running and hiding—but having the confidence to move forward is no small endeavor.

THE WORLD HAS A LOT OF JUDGMENTS ABOUT TRANSGENDER PEOPLE, AND TRANSGENDER ATHLETES SPECIFICALLY. WHAT DO YOU WISH THE WORLD KNEW ABOUT TRANS WOMEN ATHLETES?

The world of athletics has come a long way in the last 10 years: After extensive study most sports governance committees have determined that through common-sense regulation we can ensure equitable inclusion of trans athletes in their proper gender fields, while equally protecting the rights of other participants. Trans athletes who excel on the field of play do so while adhering to rigorous guidelines and only after hard work like any other athlete. I hope the world realizes that sports are a much-needed avenue of growth for the trans community.

Through trans inclusion in sport we will reduce suicide, violence, substance abuse and poverty in an historically marginalized population.

FAVORITE SUMMIT SO FAR?

I love my home Rocky Mountains.

My favorite summits are right here in Colorado—though it’s hard to name a single mountain, and they are all so different depending on how and when you climb them.

HARDEST SUMMIT SO FAR?

The hardest summit as far as the Seven Summits are concerned has been Mt Elbrus. The summit day is long, and the peak is downright cold. But it was the social conditions I faced while in Russia that made it uniquely difficult for me.

Chechnya and the Caucasus Region in Russia are not tolerant cultures for the LGBTQ+ community. Much of the violence is thought to be government sanctioned. I can prepare technically for a mountain, and physically for the demands of a climb, but there is little I can do to prevent the threat of violence against me that the entire LGBTQ+ community faces in that part of the world.

YOU WENT FROM BEING A RECREATIONAL CLIMBER TO BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL MOUNTAINEER WHO IS PUSHING THE ENVELOPE FOR DIVERSITY. WHAT HAS THE TRAINING PROCESS FOR THAT LOOKED LIKE, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY? I train six days a week. For a long-term goal like the Seven Summits, patience, pacing and an understanding of your body are all are important parts of getting through long workouts. I use high-intensity intervals for indoor workouts, and some days I’m in the gym for several hours, completing these organized workouts. It’s the outdoor workouts that I really look forward to. I love mountain biking, skiing and hiking with my dogs. Mentally, the best prep has been the support of family and friends. Knowing I’m not alone is the best therapy.

YOU HAVE COMPLETED FOUR OF THE SEVEN SUMMITS SO FAR, WITH DENALI PLANNED FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRIDE IN JUNE. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DENALI ASCENT?

Fifty years ago, the LGBTQ+ community lived secretly and in fear. The Stonewall riots of 1969 were in direct retaliation to the enforcement of laws that were designed to suppress the LGBTQ+ community and force us into lives of stigma and marginalization. Stonewall started a unified movement that earned several basic human rights and dignities that were long denied to the community. Now 50 years later, many people might take the victories of the past for granted. I want an opportunity to stand high above North America on the 50th anniversary of Pride to celebrate the strides our society has made, and bring awareness to the fights we have ahead.

YOU ALSO CLIMB FOR TRANSENDING. WHAT WORK DOES THIS NONPROFIT DO? TranSending.org is the non-profit initiative I climb for, and our Seven Summits journey is the inaugural mission for the organization. The

OUT OF THE SHADOWS ERIN PARISI STANDS ATOP THE AFRICAN CONTINENT ON 19,341-FOOT MOUNT KILIMANJARO. SHE SAYS COMING OUT WAS TOUGHER THAN ANY SUMMIT BID. photo courtesy ERIN PARISI

organization strives to improve inclusion of transgender athletes in all fields of competition, but we focus on outdoor sports. Currently, we are recruiting trans athletes for visibility projects that highlight our potential as athletes. We also commit to educational and speaking engagements that can help all stakeholders in athletics understand the benefits of diverse fields of play.

ANY GOALS SET FOR AFTER YOU FINISH THE SEVEN SUMMITS?

My goal is to live a wholesome and satisfying life that is free of looking back with regret or wondering “whatif?” That’s a goal I started before I began the Seven Summits, and one I hope to continue now that I’ve allowed myself the freedom to do so. There’s a lifetime of adventure ahead!

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BEST OF THE ROCKIES 2019

EVERY YEAR WE ASK OUR READERS TO NOMINATE THEIR CHOICES FOR THE VERY BEST BUSINESSES, PEOPLE, DESTINATIONS AND EVENTS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION. THEN THEY VOTE FOR THE WINNERS. THE RESULT IS A LISTING OF THE PERSONALITIES AND PLACES THAT MAKE THE OUTDOORS PUMP. READ ON TO FIND OUT WHO TOOK TOP HONORS AND PLAN TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR HEROES AND GO-TO SPOTS NEXT YEAR.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

BUSINESSES

National Park to climbing Kilimanjaro?

Landing a job as one of its guides.

OUTDOOR GEAR BRAND

CLIMBING GYM

• The Steamboat, Colorado-based outdoor gear manufacturer won this category for the second year in a row (and third time in four years) because it has built such a strong following here in the Rockies, both for its combination of ultralight and family friendly gear and for the way it treats it’s employees. Big Agnes even sent employees hiking on the Continental Divide Trail last summer.

• Earth Treks opened the largest climbing gym in the world in the former Sports Authority headquarters in Englewood, Colorado in 2018, but the gym won here because it cultivates a true community spirit.

BIG AGNES

RUNNER UP: LOKI GEAR

OUTDOOR INNOVATOR

SMARTWOOL

• Smartwool made merino wool a household word, but the brand has not rested on its laurels: It has continued to develop smart new ways to use the wondrous natural fabric.

RUNNER UP: VOORMI

OUTDOOR-RELATED COMPANY TO WORK FOR

COLORADO WILDERNESS RIDES AND GUIDES • What’s the only thing better than heading out on a trip with this multisport outfiitter that offers trips ranging from snowshoeing in Rocky Mountain

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RUNNER UP: BACKBONE MEDIA

EARTH TREKS, CO

RUNNER UP: MOVEMENT

OUTDOOR RETAIL SHOP

THE TRAILHEAD, BUENA VISTA, CO

This independent shop, which includes the yummy plates of Simple Eatery, is a must-visit location in Buena Vista, Colorado, no matter if you want to buy a new tee, get your skis tuned or head out with Buena Vista Mountain Adventures.

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RUNNING RETAIL SHOP

BOULDER RUNNING COMPANY, CO

• Boulder is gaga about running— and no one serves that community better.

BIKE RETAIL SHOP

OVER THE EDGE SPORTS, FRUITA, CO • This iconic bike shop, which offers everything from demos to directions helped pioneer the bike culture and built-by-riders-for-riders trail system that has made the town of Fruita an international cycling destination RUNNER UP: FULL CYCLE, BOULDER, COLORADO

CLIMBING/HIKING GUIDE COMPANY

COLORADO MOUNTAIN SCHOOL, CO

• Colorado Mountain School employs more AMGA-certified guides than any other guide service in the state and offers clients everything from firsttime top-rope excursions to training you for an expedition in the Himalaya.

ZACH PICKETT CASTS HIS VOTE FOR CRESTED BUTTE AS BEST RESORT. photo by DAVE KOZLOWSKI/CBMR

BIKE GUIDE COMPANY

BEER & BIKE TOURS, FORT COLLINS, CO

• Hop in the saddle with Fort Collins’ Beer and Bike Tours—which has won this category three years in a row— and pedal to suds anywhere from Colorado to Japan.

RUNNER UP: COLORADO BACKCOUNTRY BIKER, FRUITA, COLORADO

YOGA STUDIO

THE YOGA TONIC, SALIDA, CO

RUNNER UP: JACKSON MOUNTAIN GUIDES, WYOMING

• No gym with Ganesha trappings, this community yoga center offers classes that range from Anusara to dance.

WHITEWATER GUIDE COMPANY

RUNNER UP: COREPOWER YOGA, COLORADO AND UTAH

RIVER RUNNERS, CO

• Founded in 1972, these paddling pros will keep you safe and smiling anywhere from a spash-filled run down Royal Gorge to a three-day trip in Browns Canyon National Monument.

RUNNER UP: WHITEWATER ATTAINMENT, BUENA VISTA, COLORADO

RUNNER UP: RUNNERS ROOST, COLORADO

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A BUTTE OF A LINE

2019

OUTDOOR NON PROFIT

WOMEN’S WILDERNESS

• Through a range of programs, Women’s Wilderness empowers a diverse and inclusive community of women and girls by getting them out in the wild.

RUNNER UP: SOS OUTREACH

OUTDOOR PEOPLE INSTAGRAMMER

@DRAWING FROMNATURE

• Artist and educator Andrea Slusarski’s illustration work offers a beautiful break from all those clinkingglass Boomerangs and bathing-suit selfies. She’s not just fishing for likes and follows either—Slusarski collaborates with everyone from Osprey packs to the Feral Mountain Co. retail shop to Westfax Brewing.

BLOGGER

SEMI RAD

• Blogging now for eight years, Brendan Leonard, the author of The Art of Getting Lost and Sixty Meters to Anywhere has created a new medium Semi-Rad.com: the flow chart illustration that both makes you laugh and makes a deeper point about the silliness and joy of outdoor culture.

THE TRAILHEAD

RUNNER UP: JUST A COLORADO GAL

PHOTOGRAPHER

LIAM DORAN

• With stunning cover images on magazines from Powder to Eleavtion Outdoors (his work has appeared on our cover more than any other photographer), the Breckenridgebased adventure shooter has proved that he has not just an eye for action in big landscapes, but also that he understands how to capture an image that makes your heart beat faster.

RUNNER UP: CLAUDIA LOPEZ

WRITER

JASON BLEVINS

• The longtime outdoor reporter for The Denver Post and one of the current journalistic giants behind the new, independent Colorado Sun, Jason Blevins has reported on everything from the expansion of the Ikon Pass to a guy who lives in a cave in Moab, gaining a reputation along the way as a top-flight reporter as well as a person who cares about the craft of writing and the world he covers.

RUNNER UP: TRACY ROSS

GUIDE

DUSTIN HARCOURT • Longtime Glenwood Springs flyfishing guide Dustin Harcourt beat out a bevy of young-gun climbers to win this competitive category. Credit that voter support to a huge base of dedicated clients who have trusted the man to get them into fish.

RUNNER UP: TOMMY GRAM

MIKAELA SHIFFRIN

ASA FIRESTONE POLITICIAN

outdoor retail shop and community gathering space that he founded in 1972. In fact, he still works there, curating his mountaineering museum which includeds everything from a signed Edmund Hillary boot to Malcolm Daly’s blackened toe.

JARED POLIS

• Jared Polis made history last November when he became Colorado's first openly gay governor, but he won the job because he has been an outspoken and committed champion of progressive and environmental causes in Congress.

SMILES EVERYONE, SMILES THE TRAILHEAD SELLS STOKE, MIKAELA SHIFFRIN WON HER FOURTH CONSECUTIVE SLALOM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, ASA FIRESTONE REMODLED THE A-LODGE. photos (clockwise) courtesy THE TRAILHEAD, STEVEN EARL, ANDREW BYDLON/CAVEMAN COLLECTIVE

RUNNER UP: TOMMY CALDWELL

ATHLETE

RUNNER UP: P.T. WOOD

MIKAELA SHIFFRIN

ADVOCATE

JULIE MACH

• The Salida-based conservation director for the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) has dedicated her life to improving land stewardhsip and the lives of other people, working in the trenches for Southwest Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps before bringing her skills and passion to CMC in 2013.

RUNNER UP: LUIS BENITEZ

• Ho hum. Mikaela Shiffrin won her fourth consecutive World Cup this winter. The current most impressive athlete in the U.S. can add that feather to a stunning cap that includes three Olympic medals (two gold), two overall World Cup titles (and a likely third) and 56 World Cup wins (with 78 podiums) so far... Maybe someday her agent will want to put her on the cover of Elevation Outdoors?

RUNNERS UP: DANIEL AND ELAINE VARDAMIS

LEGEND

GARY NEPTUNE

DIRTBAG

• Gary Neptune will always be associated with the iconic Boulder, Colorado

CEDAR WRIGHT

• We like that this honor

2019

is going to a man who will cherish it.

A pro climber and filmmaker who is sponsored by The North Face, Mr. Wright has done everything from freeclimbed El Cap in a day to honing his dirt-bag credentials along with Alex Honnold in the film The Sufferfest.

RUNNER UP: SAGE CATTABRIGA-ALOSA

ENTREPRENEUR

ASA FIRESTONE

• The co-founder of Boulder’s Adventure Lodge—a lovingly remodeled low-key hotel and resort that caters to outdoor-minded visitors and hosts events including film nights with live music—Asa Firestone likes to describe himself as “a washed up explorer turned hotelier.” We see him as the type of visonary you want to share a beer with.

RUNNER UP: KRISTIN CARPENTER-OGDEN

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DESTINATIONS MOUNTAIN TOWN

BUENA VISTA, CO

• Buena Vista­won this category by a huge margin (and many businesses in town won other categories). We think that’s because the welcoming town of 2,806 acitive souls situated on the banks of the Arkansas River has fully embraced the promise of outdoor recreation as the backbone of a thriving, sustainable mountain town economy. From the new Surf Hotel, built by former pro kayaker Jed Selby who oversaw the paddling-oriented development of the South Main neighborhood, to the inclusive vibes of gatherings like 14er Fest and CKS Paddlefest, this is a town where life revolves around fun.

RUNNER UP: EAGLE, COLORADO

TRAIL

THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL • Stretching 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada across the backbone of the Rockies, The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) is more than just a long walk. Thanks to the efforts of dedicated land managers and non profits like the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, it has become the poster child for how humans can respect their time trekking in nature.

RUNNER UP: HANGING LAKE TRAIL, COLORADO

MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE

HORSETHIEF BENCH, FRUITA, CO

• This 7.8-mile loop, which is a sidetrail off the outstanding Mary's Loop, dishes out everything from fun slickrock that anyone can handle to technical problems that will help up your game to a section that most mortals will choose to walk—and it’s tough to beat the sweeping view of the Colorado River.

RUNNER UP: VITAMIN B, BUENA VISTA, COLORADO

ROAD BIKE RIDE

DURANGO TO SILVERTON, CO

• The 50-mile, 5,700- vertical foot ride up the Million Dollar Highway from Durango to Silverton will definitely up your heart rate as you spin into the heart of the San Juans. But do it as part of the Iron Horse Classic (May 24-26), when the road shuts down to traffic and erstwhile racers try to outpace the train to the top.

RUNNER UP: MAROON BELLS, ASPEN, COLORADO

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BUENA VISTA, COLORADO RIVER TRIP

BROWN’S CANYON, CO

• Created by President Obama in February 2015, Colorado’s newest national monument encompasses over 21,500 acres of river, canyons and forest. The best way to experience it?

Get wet and run the Arkansas River through raucous class II-III+ rapids.

RUNNER UP: ANIMAS RIVER, COLORADO

CLIMBING AREA

ELDORADO CANYON, CO

• Sweet sandstone draws climbers here from across the planet. The state park appeals to a wide range of climbers with easier classics like The Yellow Spur (5.9), but there’s plenty of challenge here, too, with testpieces like The Naked Edge (5.11b).

RUNNER UP: SHELF ROAD, COLORADO

CAMPGROUND

SADDLEHORN, COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT, CO

• Drive four miles up the switchbacks into the red-rock cliffs of the national monument and pitch a tent at these stunning sites on the edge of the mesa. You are just a short drive from world-class mountain bike rides or just stay up here and explore the canyons.

RUNNER UP: FRUITA CAMPGROUND IN CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

SKI/SNOWBOARD RESORT

CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN RESORT, CO

• Crested Butte may be a resort but, at heart, it has always been able to hold on to its authentic vibe.

RESORT-ACCESSED BACKCOUNTRY SKI/SNOWBOARD TERRAIN

CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN RESORT, CO

• A big part of why Crested Butte Mountain Resort continues to draw creative skiers and snowboarders and aspiring rippers is the terrain.

Tucked away from the tourists on the back side of the mountain, the Teocalli Bowls are where aspiring and grizzled skiers and riders test their skills on drops, chutes and steep shots.

RUNNER UP: JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

SUP SPOT

BUENA VISTA RIVER PARK, CO

• Winning this award for the third year in a row, Buena Vista River Park offers SUP-friendly tame and challenging rapids with five in-stream recreational features—all open to the public.

RUNNER UP: UPPER COLORADO RIVER, COLORADO

BUENA VISTA COUNTS ON OUTDOOR RECREATION TO DRIVE ITS ECONOMY. photo by SETH K. HUGHES

KID-FRIENDLY OUTDOOR DESTINATION

BUENA VISTA, CO

• BV is an ideal destination for your squirming groms, thanks in big part to numerous local programs that get kids out in the water and on the trails.

RUNNER UP: VAIL ADVENTURE RIDGE, COLORADO

DOG-FRIENDLY OUTDOOR DESTINATION

BRECKENRIDGE, CO

• It seems that everyone in Breckenriege owns a pup. Maybe that’s why the place is so empathetic to canine concerns. You can bring your best friend up in the gondola and most trails and many restaurant decks won’t bark if you enjoy them with Fido here.

FLY FISHING RIVER

RUNNER UP: SNOWMASS VILLAGE, COLORADO

• Aspen’s famed trout stream delivers when it comes to hooking rainbows and browns. Find a secluded spot to wade in away from the crowds, and be sure to bring mysis patterns to hit the famed Toilet Bowl section on the dam tailwaters on the Frying Pan.

PLACE FOR OUTDOOR SINGLES TO LIVE

FRYING PAN, CO

RUNNER UP: TAYLOR FORK, COLORADO

WILDERNESS AREA

MAROON-BELLSSNOWMASS, CO

• No view is more poscard-worthy than the stark pyramids of the Bells. But get out of your car and hit the 100 miles of trails that traverse the 181,535 acres in this special spot.

RUNNER UP: TELLURIDE, COLORADO

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THE MOUNTAIN TOWN IDYLL

RUNNER UP: WEMINUCHE, COLORADO

2019

BOULDER, CO

• You love the outdoors, yoga, music, craft beer, progressive causes, Patagonia, kombucha and college football? Your perfect match is here.

RUNNER UP: DURANGO, COLORADO

ADVENTURE PARK (ZIP LINES, ETC.)

GLENWOOD CAVERNS ADVENTURE PARK, CO • Thrill rides accessed by a gondola alongside cave tours? Sign us up.

RUNNER UP: AVA RAFTING & ZIPLINE, COLORADO

THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

OURAY ICE FESTIVAL MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE

EVENTS RUNNING RACE

LEADVILLE TRAIL 100

• The annual “Race across the Sky” has become the holy grail of ultra runners from around the planet.

Racers tackle 100 miles of brutal terrain—from elevations of 9,200 to 12,600 feet. If you compete on behalf of one of the race’s official charities, you get guaranteed entry into the race. This year, it takes place on August 17, 2019. Read about how Katie Arnold won the 2018 race on page 32.

RUNNER UP: HARDROCK 100

ROAD BIKE RACE

TRIPLE BYPASS

• This road-ride classic traverses 120 miles and 10,000 vertical feet of Colorado’s high country from Evergreen to Avon. You can also sign up for the 30-mile Single Bypass or 75-mile Double Bypass. It will take place on July 13, 2019.

RUNNER UP: OLD MAN WINTER RALLY

COLORADO STATE HIGH SCHOOL MTB CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Forget football, track and glee club, teenagers in Colorado get out and hit the singletrack. Held in bikecrazy Durango this year, the event determines the best of this dedicated bunch with over 1,000 participants taking on the course on October 19-20.

RUNNER UP: GRAND JUNCTION OFF-ROAD

PADDLING EVENT

THE GOLDEN GAMES, GOLDEN, CO • For eight years this celebration of water and paddling ethos has rocked a town better known for beer. The water park takes center stage with fan friendly kayak and SUP comps. It has won this award every year we have run the poll. May 17-19, 2019.

RUNNER UP: FIBARK, SALIDA, COLORADO

OVER THE EDGE SPORTS points has set the standard for how a town can embrace an outdoor sport community. Don’t be scared off: You can watch the best of the best but also have a chance to give ice climbing a try if you have never dared to scale frozen water. Date for 2020 is still TBD.

OURAY ICE FESTIVAL, OURAY, CO

2019

photos by (clockwise) XANDER BIANCHI, DEVON BALET, DEVON BALET

TOUGHEST RACE

TRIATHLON

• Yes, you will suffer. That’s sort of the point of our reader’s favorite race, right?

IRONMAN, BOULDER, CO

LEADVILLE TRAIL 100 RUNNER UP: HARDROCK 100

RUNNER UP: 2019 XTERRA INDIAN PEAKS, ELDORA, COLORADO

• Founded by the legendary Jeff Lowe, this celebration of picks and front

THE WINNERS DESERVE YOUR PRAISE.

RUNNER UP: INTERNATIONAL CLIMBERS FESTIVAL, LANDER, WYOMING

Boulder, Colorado prides itself on tight pants and people who can hammer you while Snapchatting and selling green tech stocks. Show them up at this the true test of who is the best at exercise. June 9, 2019.

CLIMBING EVENT

GETTING AFTER IT

MUSIC FESTIVAL

TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS, TELLURIDE, CO

• The crisp vibes of fall, craft beer and a killer lineup make this one a winner.

RUNNER UP: CAMP OUT FOR THE CAUSE, BUENA VISTA, COLORADO

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MULTISPORT FESTIVAL

14ER FEST, BUENA VISTA CO

• This homegrown Buena Vista fest brings together all disciplines of outdoor play: off-roading, mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing and trail running. Add in trail events, clinics, camping, live music and local libations and you have the premier event celebrating life among the peaks. Be here September 27-29 for the fun.

RUNNER UP: GOPRO MOUNTAIN GAMES, VAIL, COLORADO

BEER FESTIVAL

TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS, TELLURIDE, CO

• Telluride’s other big music event is steadily becoming the premier ticket in town. Credit that popularity to a lineup that has included giants like Bonnie Raitt, ZZ Top, Taj Mahal, Peter Frampton and the Violent Femmes. Oh and the beer? Sip on 170 styles of sudes from 56 craft breweries. The big event will take place September 13-15, 2019.

RUNNER UP: SAN JUAN BREWFEST, DURANGO, COLORADO

FOOD, DRINK AND RELAXATION BREWERY

EDDYLINE, BUENA VISTA, CO

• Ever since 2009, when owners Mic and Molley Heynekamp first opened the doors, Eddyline has anchored the social scene and growing outdoorcentric ethos in Buena Vista. Here you can hobnob with river rats and backcountry skiers while you sip on a treat like the Innerglow Red Chile Porter or Raspberry Wheat.

RUNNER UP: SKA, DURANGO, COLORADO

DISTILLERY

DEERHAMMER, BUENA VISTA, CO

• In 2010 Amy and Lenny Eckstein founded Deerhammer distillery with a tasting room right on Buena Vista’s Main Street with a focus on making independent artisan whiskey. Stop by to check out how the process works and sip on the Straight Bourbon.

RUNNER UP: PEACH STREET DISTILLERS, PALISADE, COLORADO

WINERY

VINO SALIDA, PONCHA SPRINGS, CO

SEMI RAD impressive wines with grapes from Colorado’s Western Slope. But don’t stop there: Try the outstanding vermouth and honey meade, too.

RUNNER UP: WINES OF THE SAN JUAN, BLANCO, NEW MEXICO

CIDERY

STEM CIDERS, DENVER, CO

• Stem Ciders opened in 2014 in Denver’s RiNo district in the midst of the once-blighted and now-trendy area’s revival. With a space that’s easy to enjoy and a wide selection of ciders on tap—including special releases such as a killer whiskey barrel-aged apricot cider—it’s no wonder the place is leading the charge when it comes to putting cider on top.

HOUSE ROCK KITCHEN

RUNNER UP: NEW MEXICO HARD CIDER, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

RESTAURANT

COFFEE SHOP

• Our readers have proven time and time again in these polls that they appreciate a taste of the good things in life after a big outdoor session—but they don’t want pretentious meals.

Case in point, House Rock where you can enjoy a delicious chiplote burger on the patio with likeminded souls.

• More than just an outstanding coffee house with baristas who create perfect crema and single-origin beans from around the planet, Bestslope is where Fruita locals go to share beta and stories from the trail.

RUNNER UP: HOT TOMATO, FRUITA, COLORADO

FOOD TRUCK

BAR

• BV locals Anna Sitton and Evan Winger serve up comfort food just outside Deerhammer distillery.

BESTSLOPE COFFEE, FRUITA, CO

HOUSE ROCK KITCHEN, BUENA VISTA, CO

RUNNER UP: SALTO COFFEE WORKS, NEDERLAND, COLORADO

BUENA VIKING

THE LARIAT, BUENA VISTA, CO • This classy standby is the place to be in BV, whether you are palling around with hundreds of friends at CKS Paddledfest or just down from a solo Collegiate Peaks scramble.

RUNNER UP: THE MANGY MOOSE, JACKSON, WYOMING

• Right by the shuttle for the Monarch Crest Trail, Steve Flynn crafts

22

EARTH TREKS & WOMEN'S WILDERNESS

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / M A R C H 2 01 9

RUNNER UP: BIG MIKE'S PORK N WINGS

KOMBUCHA

HAPPY LEAF

• Happy Leaf first began selling its magic beverage at the Cherry Creek Farmers Market in 2013. The brand remains

2019

ROCKING THE ROCKIES BRENDAN LEONARD HAS BEEN BLOGGING AND MAKING US LAUGH FOR EIGHT YEARS, EARTH TREKS HOSTS WOMEN'S WILDERNESS' GIRLS LEAD FOR LIFE PROGRAM, GET HUNGRY FOR HOUSE ROCK. photos courtesy (clockwise) BRENDAN LEONARD, KRISTE PEOPLES, BUENA VISTA

committed to organic, locally sourced ingredients in concotions such as the palate-pleasing cranberry lavender.

RUNNER UP: HIGH COUNTRY

DISPENSARY

TENDERFOOT HEALTH COLLECTIVE (THC), SALIDA, CO

• Providing leaf, edibles and tinctures, Tenderfoot cultivates 100 percent of its signature Craft Cannabis in Colorado’s Boulder County, using zero pesticides.

But the caring, engaged staff are the real difference-maker here.

RUNNER UP: NATIVE ROOTS, COLORADO

What makes Gary Neptune a legend…

He created a “museum” of historical skiing, climbing and mountaineering artifacts - still in the store today.

He built an iconic mountain shop that became the hub of the outdoor community hosting presentations given by adventurers from all over the world.

He lived his passions exploring mountains in Antarctica the Himalaya, Europe and throughout Colorado.

He mastered the art of hand-building wood touring skis, which he demonstrates and teaches every year.

Still An Avid Ski Maker And Teacher of the Craft

He Was Neptune’s Original Boot Fitter

He can often be found at Neptune padding around barefoot, whatever the season, rain or shine.

Here’s to Gary– living and breathing the spirit of outdoor adventure!

We’re proud to carry on Gary’s legacy.

CLIMB HIKE CAMP SKI

Gary Sporting The Latest In Ski Fashion

Find Gary In The Store Today Curating His Museum

Located in Boulder in the Table Mesa Shopping Center 303.499.8866 | NeptuneMountaineering.com

FLOWER

EDIBLES

TINCTURES AND TOPICALS

CONCENTRATES

Tenderfoot Health Collective is a retail dispensary providing safe and discreet access to quality retail marijuanna. Voted “Best Dispensary” in the Rocky Mountains!

M A R C H 2 019 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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COLORADO t r ave l g u i d e

FI ND YO U R C O L O R A DO The r e’s on e probl em w i t h t his s ta te. I t’s j u st so bi g a nd s o r a d, th at i t ’s h ard t o d e ci d e ex a c tly w h ere y ou wa n t to go f or adv en t u re w h e n i t’s ti me t o roam .

D o n’ t f r e t. T h i s t rav el gu i de will ge t y o u poi n t ed i n t h e r ig h t di r e c ti o n an d m ake t ha t oh - s o- d i f f i cu l t deci si on o f ju s t w h e r e t o get ou t si de a n d pl a y i n t h i s m i n db lo w i n g s ta te m u ch easi er.

PHOTO BY DIGITALARTCO.COM

bUEna v is t a

Thank you, Colorado, for voting us “Best Mountain Town” The Boulder Adventure Lodge (A-Lodge for short) in Elevation Outdoors magazine’s reader poll. BV is the is located along Fourmile Creek, five minutes from place to be! Explore twelve mountains over 14,000 Feet, downtown Boulder. With easy access to Boulder’s rock the world-famous Arkansas River, public lands (80 percent climbing, fly fishing, trail running and mountain biking, of Chaffee County), two natural hot springs, Browns the A-Lodge is situated in an adventure enthusiast’s Canyon National Monument and our great downtown dream. Updated linens, a slackline park, new paint, food and music scene. Download your free Buena Vista Jeremy Collins’ art and a brand new lobby with a two Guide at www.buenavistacolorado.org. It includes all the story fireplace, beers on tap and a meeting room are just adventures to be explored here, maps, links, shopping, some of the key updated amenities at the lodge. Make dining, music, lodging, history and more. the A-Lodge the gateway to your Colorado adventure.

BUENAVISTACOLORADO.ORG 24

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / M A R C H 2 01 9

b oulder a lodge

A-LODGE.COM | 303.444.0882

travel guide

S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N

PHOTO BY HANK BLUM

d e lt a c o u nt y

ke ys t one f e s t ival s

kristi mtn sports

Five small, eclectic communities with small-town charm and a big outdoor playground make up engaging and adventurous Delta County. Here, you can be a big kid. The Gunnnison Gorge NCA offers breathtaking,camera-ready views around every turn.

The Grand Mesa is the largest lake-strewn, flat-topped mountain in the world, making it a massive playground for Nordic skiing, fishing and biking. And there’s no comparison to the North Rim of the Black Canyon, the narrowest, steepest canyon in North America.

Keystone’s Summer Festival schedule has something for everyone—from the young to the young at heart. You’ll find mountain festival experiences for the entire family at thes festivals set in the River Run Village at Keystone Resort. Explore miles of hiking and biking trails and you’ll discover yourself in a Colorado setting like no other. Book mountain accommodations that are steps from the event village and be sure to take advantage of the Kidtopia Kids Zone, fun for the entire family.

Outdoor adventure in Southern Colorado starts with us—surrounded by multiple fourteeners, incredible hiking and mountain biking trails, climbing crags, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and much more!

While planning your getaway, make sure to save a day to sandboard the tallest sand dunes in North America. Kristi Mountain Sports in Alamosa rents specially designed boards and sleds that offer an exhilarating and unique sliding experience for the entire family. Call to reserve yours today!

DELTACOUNTYCOLORADO.COM

KEYSTONEFESTIVALS.COM

KRISTIMOUNTAINSPORTS.COM 719.589.9759

lyo n s

p al is ade

vetta mtn guides

Lyons is an active outdoor wonderland with music and year-round fun. Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the small town is full of character with something for everyone: art, music, history, outdoors and unparalleled charm.

The Saint Vrain River runs through town, inviting kayakers and tubers to drop in. It’s perfect for both novice boaters and more seasoned paddlers. Kids of all ages should visit the splash pad to cool off when summer temps rise.

Life tastes good here all year long: Palisade is home to blooming orchards, outdoor adventures and year-round wine tours. Enjoy a relaxing bike journey along the Fruit and Wine Byway, visit roadside farm stands, or sample Colorado wines from over 25 local wineries. Nestled in the heart of the Grand Valley, Palisade offers various lodging options and is just a 30-minute drive away from Grand Mesa National Forest and Colorado National Monument.

We come to Colorado for the mountains, so whom better to experience the state with ... than a mountain guide? Vetta Mountain Guides deliver memorable adventures on rock, ice and snow, year-round in the Colorado Rockies. All Vetta guides earn certification through the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA)—but more importantly, they partner with you to create fulfilling days focused on your goals. Come climb a cliff, improve your climbing, dive into backcountry skiing or summit a 14er, with a professional and friendly mountain guide. You’re invited!

love,

Lyons LYONSCOLORADO.COM

VISITPALISADE.COM

VETTAMOUNTAINGUIDES.COM 303.444.0882

Sali d a, col o r a do

hiking & biking

t he art s c e ne

whitewater Park

Salida was recently named in the Top 5 Mountain Biking Destinations in Colorado by the editors of Singletracks biking blog. Think of Salida as the center hub, with spokes flaring out in all directions leading to some of the best singletrack in Colorado. Ride the 23 connecting miles of dirt trails in the Salida Mountain Trails and Arkansas Hills Trail systems. The terrain is scrubby and desert-like here, so it’s ideal when the high mountain trails are snow-packed or muddy.

Unpretentious and eclectic, Salida’s art scene encompasses visual arts, performing arts, literary and publishing, design, film and even a local circus. Because art is meant to be shared, Salida’s cultural groups and artistic organizations provide ample opportunities for pure enjoyment in this special Creative Arts District.

The whitewater park in Salida, Colorado runs right through the historic downtown. Here, visitors will find retail shopping, art galleries, riverside dining options, the river trail and access to a historic boutique hotel.

Climbing rocks and a park area are also available.

Live bands are a popular attraction at The Riverside Park, an outdoor entertainment venue. The world’s oldest whitewater festival FIBArk is held Fathers Day weekend in Salida, Colorado.

hiking & biking

t he m us ic s c e ne

whitewater Park

There are three things you’ll never run out of here: trails, views and adventure. And hiking and mountain biking trails aren’t always found way “out there.” The Barbara Whipple Trail System and the Midland Trail System are both right at the end of east Main Street in Buena Vista. Cross the footbridge over the Arkansas River and let miles of adventures begin. Showcasing the most stunning views of both Collegiate Peaks and the Arkansas River, these well-maintained dirt trails offer a variety of grades, trail lengths and circular routes.

Buena Vista is gaining a reputation for consistently great live music year-round, The Lariat always rocks. Ivy Ballroom is in the new Surf Hotel along the Arkansas River. In the summer, THE BEACH offers free weekend night concerts. Keep an eye out for the Seven Peaks Music Festival Labor Day Weekend. Last year, it featured Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Brothers Osborne and more.

Or join the tribe at the Campout for the Cause and enjoy live music nightly, yoga classes, cool workshops and camping amidst stunning scenery.

The Buena Vista Whitewater Park is the largest whitewater park in Colorado. It stretches along the Arkansas River from the Buena Vista River Park to the South Main retail and residential area.

Downriver, the Salida Whitewater park is flanked by restaurants and offers great surf waves for kayakers and stand-up paddle boarders. River tubing is also gaining popularity here and rentals are available in town. To kick off the whitewater season, the annual CKS Paddlefest in Buena Vista takes place on Memorial Day weekend each year.

bU En a v i st a , c o l o r a do

BUENA VISTA & SALIDA

COLORADO

CHAFFEE COUNTY VISITORS BUREAU

CO LO R F ULC O LO R A DO. C O M

travel guide

S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N

o u tdo o r r e c r e a t i o n

a rk a n s a s r i ve r

brow ns c anyon

OHV Friendly

With over 102 miles of gold medal water, the Arkansas River has a thriving trout population. One of the strengths of the river’s fishery is its aquatic insect population, which provides many different “hatch” events when fish focus their attention on the surface of the river and rise for imitations of adult insects. These hatches have made the Arkansas River Colorado’s most popular fishing destination.

Browns Canyon National Monument was designated February 19, 2015. Most who visit it go whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River. More than 200,000 people take guided or private rafting trips through this exciting stretch every summer, making it the most popular whitewater rafting river in North America. Amidst aweinspiring scenery, rafters enjoy thrilling rapids with memorable names like Pin Ball and Zoom Flume.

Buena Vista and Salida welcome all users and offer hundreds of miles of off-road trails— from graded roads to 4WD trails on up to very difficult 4X4 challenges—for everyone to enjoy. Many of the mountain passes in the area are the tallest mountains passable in the United States and they cross the continental Divide at an elevation of over 12,000 feet.

colo rad o ’ s b e s t h o t s p r ings

co t to nwo o d

m ount princ e t on

salida aquatic center

This historic resort, located about five miles from Buena Vista along Cottonwood Creek, first opened in 1878. Surrounded by the San Isabel Forest and the Collegiate Peaks, it’s a magical, woodsy and restful setting. Steam rises from the four gravity-fed hot mineral pools and snow often covers the surrounding rocks. Each pool is kept at a different temperature for the perfect soak. The water has exceptional mineral qualities, with 15 different minerals from arsenic to zinc.

The hot springs in Chalk Creek allow for a unique and completely natural experience. Recline on the shallow, sandy edges of the creek and let the relaxation flow.

The resort’s main section features a historic bathhouse dating back to 1867 that leads to a pair of man-made pools (one for soaking, one for exercise) heated by the natural springs. The Upper Pool area, perfect for active families, offers two additional pools, a lazy river and a 400-foot long waterslide.

One of the largest indoor hot springs pools in the country, the Salida Aquatic Center is also the only publicly operated aquatic facility within 100 miles.

Part of the City of Salida’s Parks and Recreation Department, this family-friendly environment features two hot springs pools filled with mineral-rich water. The water is piped directly to the pools from underground springs eight miles away, as it has been for about 80 years.

BUENA VISTA & SALIDA

COLORADO

CHAFFEE COUNTY VISITORS BUREAU

C O LO R F ULC O LO R A DO. C O M

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

UTAH TRAVEL GUIDE

Escalante

is your destination

From the iconic sights of its five big national parks to rarely seen slot canyons, the Beehive State is a place where you can find any adventure that suits you. There’s deep snow in the Wasatch, backpacking in wilderness areas like the Uintas and the red rock expanses of the Colorado Plateau, singletrack and trout streams everywhere and the chance to get off the grid on back roads and at secluded camp spots. But that’s not all: Utah’s a gathering place for those who love the outdoor lifestyle. So when it’s time to relax you are never too far from world-class food and beverages, accommodations and the company of likeminded souls. Read on to find out how to maximize your next Utah adventure in some of our favorite spots in the state.

by Melissa McGibbon

Ride your bike to cruise famous scenic hwy 12 Bring your climbing gear & play utah’s slots...canyons, that is Pack your backpack to explore the forests and deserts www.escalanteut.com

LOGAN

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Surrounded by outdoor adventure, this Utah town puts on an impressive show, too.

Nestled in Cache Valley in the northeastern region of the state, Logan, Utah, has garnered a well-earned reputation as as an outdoor hot spot for mountain maniacs who bask in its abundant recreational paradise.

A visit to Logan will make you appreciate its unbelievable proximity to so many outdoor adventures. A quick 10-minute drive will take you from historic downtown Logan to the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway serves up 43 miles of uncrowded terrain and stunning scenery featuring dramatic limestone cliffs, colorful fields of wildflowers and the Logan River.

This unspoiled land offers a wealth of outdoor activities such as climbing, biking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, boating and snowsports adventures.

There are several hundred rock climbing sport routes, mountain biking trails and a seemingly endless array of hiking trails with impossibly beautiful views.

Need a break from recreating? Take in a show. Logan is known as Utah’s “Heart of Arts,” so it’s a great place to catch a live performance. During the summer the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre hosts over 140 performances and events. These highcaliber shows bring in talent from New York City for productions like Newsies, Mary Poppins, and The Marriage of Figaro. The Logan Tabernacle holds free concerts every Monday through Friday at noon from Memorial Day through mid-August.

Logan also has an array of unique and affordable locally owned restaurants, including Angie’s Restaurant. A local’s favorite, Angie’s makes everything from scratch. Try the Kitchen Sink—a banana split on steroids. If you finish it, you’ll get a bumper sticker that says so and bragging rights. Want something fancier? Don’t miss Le Nonne. This Italian restaurant features an executive chef who was actually born and raised in Tuscany and each bite proves it.

1-800-882-4433 | ExploreLogan.com

What’s YOUR Rush?

Linger Longer Where

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Performing Arts

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83 miles north of salt lake city 261 miles from yellowstone

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G E A R | 03 .1 9

Trying to reach active outdoor enthusiasts, adventure seekers, and gear junkies?

FIVE TRAVEL ESSENTIALS H I T T I N G T H E ROA D F O R T H AT B I G T R I P S O O N ? H ER E’ S T H E G E A R YO U W I L L M OS T WA N T TO PAC K A LO N G .

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Pants FJALLRAVEN KEB TOURING TROUSERS

“OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE CONSUMER IS READING EO—IT’S THE PLACE FOR COLORADO OUTDOOR NEWS AND HAPPENINGS.” GARETT MARIANO, BIG AGNES FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PRINT OR DIGITAL ADVERTISING CONTACT: CASEY VANDENOEVER | CASEY@ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM CONOR SEDMAK | CONOR@ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM OR VISIT ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM/CONTACT

The one basic piece you should pack around when you are preparing for a big adventure: pants.

These stretchy Swedish touring trousers can take a beating out on the trail and work as ski pants, too, with hems that adjust to accommodate ski boots and zipper venting for when you work up some steam. That type of versatility is just the ticket when you are looking to save pack space. Plus, they’re made from enviro-friendly recylced polyester and organic cotton. Available in men’s and women’s. $250; fjallraven.us

Watch ONE ELEVEN SWII You can rely on this solar-powered wrist watch to keep you on schedule, whether you’re out in the wild or running through an international airport. Made from stainless steel and plastic from recycled bottles, the rugged timepiece is mandatory gear when we are off the grid. $75; 111watches.com

Headphones PHIATON BOLT BT 700 What’s even better than wireless earbuds when you want to enter your own private sound bath on a long flight? How about a travel case that charges them with up to five hours of listening time? Even better, that case is also a mini speaker that will light up the scene when you’re out at a backcountry cabin or kicking back in the hotel bath. $139; phiaton.com

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Shirt RECOVER SPORT POLO Choose your travel shirt wisely: You’ll want it to look the part whether you are chilling at a European cafe or hiking up into the hills.

Made entirely from recycled materials, this sporty polo wicks moisture and dries in a hurry, meaning it can withstand the travails of travel. $40; recoverbrands.com

Roller Bag GREGORY QUADRO HARDCASE ROLLER 30” Big and burly but weighing in at a reasonable 11.8 pounds, this voluminous roller can suck up a ton of gear—and includes an odor-killing compartment for nasty laundry and muddy shoes. The high-impact polycarbonate outer shell can withstand even the most surly baggage handlers, and the wheels pivot on a dime. Go on, run it over Roman cobblestones or up a rocky trail. $220; gregorypacks.com

HE A R T HI S | 03 .1 9

FROM STUDIO TO STAGE

N AV I G AT I N G T H E L I V E M US I C O P T I O N S I N CO LO R A D O C A N B E DAU N T I N G . EO I S H ER E TO H EL P. C H E C K O U T T H E SE FI V E AC T S W I T H N E W A L B U M S W H O W I L L B E CO M I N G TO T H E FRO N T R A N G E T H I S SP R I N G .

by JEDD FERRIS

Mandolin Orange NEW ALBUM: TIDES OF A TEARDROP PLAYING: MARCH 15 AT THE BOULDER THEATER AND MARCH 16 AT THE OGDEN THEATRE IN DENVER

Last month, the acoustic-based duo of Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz returned with Tides of a Teardrop, their latest set of introspective Americana tunes. Now rounded out by a full backing band, the group’s sound is widening from its bluegrass and folk roots to include a broader country-rock edge. Lyrically, though, they’re still focused on examining life’s personal trials, from facing fears (“The Wolves”) to grappling with loss (“Golden Embers).

While writing the record, Marlin was reflecting on the loss of his mother, who died when he was 18. “I think her passing was almost the genesis of my writing,” he said in a statement on the album. “That was when I really began to find refuge in writing songs. I feel like I tried to find a voice around that time, just because I needed the outlet.”

Better Oblivion Community Center NEW ALBUM: BETTER OBLIVION COMMUNITY CENTER PLAYING: MARCH 20 AT THE BLUEBIRD THEATER IN DENVER

One of the best surprises in music to happen so far in 2019, Better Oblivion Community Center is the collaborative side project of Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers. Without notice, the singer-songwriters dropped a joint album under the new name in late January, releasing a concise, 10-song set of alt-folk and synth-hued garage pop with lyrics that mingle personal revelations and political frustrations.

Throughout, it’s immensely refreshing to hear Oberst’s aching vocals uplifted in harmony with Bridgers’ sweet, yet attimes intense, lilt. Another surprise was the group announcing an extensive tour that crosses the country this spring. It’s hard to predict how long this project will last, so grab a ticket to the Bluebird show if you can.

Ryan Bingham NEW ALBUM: AMERICAN LOVE SONG PLAYING: APRIL 2 AT THE OGDEN THEATRE

On February 15 the outlaw troubadour released his first studio album since

2015’s Fear and Saturday Night.

Bingham may be best known for the dusty ballad “The Weary Kind,” which earned him an Academy Award for its placement in the Jeff Bridges’ film Crazy Heart, but his latest finds the gritty-voiced tunesmith getting back to his roadhouse roots. A standout is the dance-ready blues stomper “Jingle and Go,” which was directly inspired by the time Bingham spent cutting his teeth playing in East Texas bars.

ended a decade-plus relationship and left her native Los Angeles to move to New York, at age 40. Despite the circumstances and some pointed revelations, the album doesn’t wallow in gloom. Lead single “Red Bull & Hennessy” is a fiery, Fleetwood Mac-style rocker with Lewis exuding plenty of passion while exorcising the hardships of change. On the record, she gets help from a killer cast of friends, including Beck and Ringo Starr.

Jenny Lewis

The Infamous stringdusters

NEW ALBUM: ON THE LINE PLAYING: MAY 16 AT THE OGDEN THEATRE AND MAY 17 AT MISHAWAKA AMPHITHEATRE

Back with her first new effort since 2014’s The Voyager, Lewis found fuel in the emotions of big life changes when making her latest album, On the Line, which comes out March 22.

The songs came together after Lewis

NEW ALBUM: RISE SUN PLAYING: MAY 29 AT RED ROCKS WITH PHIL LESH AND THE TERRAPIN FAMILY BAND

Fresh off an energetic New Year’s run at Denver’s Ogden Theatre, The Infamous Stringdusters will return to the Front Range this spring to play Red Rocks with Grateful Dead

bassist Phil Lesh and his Terrapin Family Band. The boundary-pushing bluegrass crew will be adding new tunes to the arsenal of its dynamic live show, after the release of the upcoming album Rise Sun. The new effort offers a well-needed dose of optimism in these divisive times: The title track in particular charges forward with positive momentum, led by celebratory handclaps and driving banjo rolls.

“Rise Sun was sparked by the feeling of wanting something better for the world—more love, more awareness and more compassion,” says dobro player Andy Hall about the record that comes out on April 5. “It’s a message of taking care of each other, our planet and ourselves.

Sometimes a message of hope is less popular than one of despair, but it’s much-needed nevertheless.”

MAAPRRCIH L 2 019 017 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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T HE R O A D | 03 .1 9

ZEN AND THE ART OF WINNING LEADVILLE T WO Y E A R S A F T ER B R E A K I N G H ER L E G A N D A D O C TO R T EL L I N G H ER SH E H A D TO Q U I T RU N N I N G , T H I S ZEN RU N N ER TO O K FI R S T P L AC E IN ONE OF THE HARDEST EN D U R A N C E R AC E S O N T H E P L A N E T. A L L I T TO O K WA S A L I T T L E B I T O F W H I T E SN A K E A N D A N U N D ER S TA N D I N G T H AT W I N N I N G I S N OT H I N G M O R E T H A N T H E R I V ER B EN E AT H YO U R FEE T.

by KATIE ARNOLD

T

photo courtesy KATIE ARNOLD

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he day before the start of the Leadville Trail 100 Run, I was walking down the mining town’s main drag when I passed a dilapidated white Victorian. It had peeling gingerbread trim and two sun-faded whitewater kayaks beached on the front-porch railing. The front door looked fused shut, as if it hadn’t been opened in years. Painted above a window was a sign that read “Cosmology Energy Museum.” And above that “Divine Spirit Over Matter.”

I stopped in my tracks. In less than 24 hours, I’d toe the line of my first 100-mile race. I had no idea what lay ahead, but I understood that in order to make it through the mountains to the finish, I’d need more than physical stamina and sheer willpower. I’d need heart and humility, a little bit of luck and a lot of grace.

I’d need divine spirit over matter.

Two years earlier, I’d broken my left leg in a whitewater rafting accident.

My orthopedist had advised me never to run again. “Find a new hobby,” he said dismissively. He put in a piece of metal the shape of a baking spatula just below my knee that you could see through my skin. I was 46 years old. The farthest I’d ever run before was 62 miles. I didn’t have a coach or a training plan. All I had were the Sangre de Cristo Mountains out my back door and a copy of the book Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, written in 1971 by the Japanese Zen master Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. My friend, the wellknown Zen writer Natalie Goldberg, had given it to me—with a caveat.

“It’s a classic,” she told me, “but you might not understand it.” Buddhism, by definition, is beyond definition, sometimes even explanation.

The minute I started reading, though, I understood everything.

Not with my brain, but in my body.

I understood Zen Mind because I understood running. Suzuki Roshi was writing about sitting, but I realized that if I replaced “sitting” with running, he and I were speaking the same language. After all, the tenets of Zen—form, repetition, stamina and suffering—aren’t so different from the principles of ultra running. If I could apply his teachings to my running, maybe I could train my mind and spirit to be as strong as my body. Maybe even stronger.

I had no idea how to do this, of course. I’d been a runner my whole life, but I was a rookie when it came to Buddhism. It was refreshing to be so clueless. “If your mind is empty,” Suzuki Roshi writes, “it is already ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind, there are few.” There was so much about running 100 miles I didn’t know: Could I tolerate the distance and impact? Did I still have the drive to run so far? I’d run and won races at every distance from 5K to 100K; I’d set course records. But now I was a beginner all over again.

My Leadville training was unconventional. I didn’t tabulate my weekly mileage or worry about speed work. I focused just as much on sitting still as on running fast. Most mornings before I left for the trails, I tried to meditate outside in our garden. I didn’t have much stamina—the most I could manage before getting antsy was five to eight minutes, or if I was feeling really motivated, 10. I almost always read a few pages of Zen Mind first, hoping the teaching would soak into my subconscious as I sat and become part of my muscle memory as I ran.

One of the central ideas in Zen Mind is to sit without trying to achieve results, without what Suzuki Roshi calls “gaining idea.”

This one was harder to practice. I’m a competitive runner and competitive athletes by nature have a gaining idea: to win. I run because I love to move through the mountains on my own two feet, to feel free and alive and to feel stories move through me as I run. But winning is addictive. It feeds the ego. I’d have to re-learn how to run without trying to win, for the pure joy of it.

In June, I went to Leadville for a three-day training camp. The first day on the trail, I was in a hurry. I kept looking at my watch, trying to figure out how many miles I’d run and how many still remained. I was running out in front of myself, not in my body but ahead of my restless mind, and the 26 miles felt more like 50.

The second day, I vowed to let go of time and try to let the mountains carry me up and over 12,600-foot

Hope Pass twice. I felt light and free, exhilaratingly happy, completely present. Later, at the finish, a man with a handlebar mustache whom I’d passed on the climb, came over to me and asked incredulously, “Where’s your motor?”

Without thinking, I answered, “In the river beneath my feet.” He looked at me strangely, and smiled, the sort of half-hearted, quizzical smile you give someone when you have no idea what they’re talking about.

But I knew what I meant in my body, if not my brain. That the mountains, like water, have a flow, an energy; they are older and wiser and they can carry me, just as rivers have always carried me, even on the day I broke my leg. There is a current, and you can fight it or you can go with it and ride it. The 13th-century Zen master Dogen explained it as being in time. This was how I wanted to run the Leadville 100. I knew if I pushed against time or tried to race it, I would create more resistance and suffering for myself. But if I could tap into the way it naturally flows, and ride that current, then it would carry me along and do some of the hard work for me.

S

ix weeks later, I drove back to Leadville for the race. As I came into town, I was so overcome by the 14,000-foot peaks that I had to pull over on the side of the road, suffused with gratitude just to be there at the start of a 100-mile race—healthy, after everything I’d been through. I felt then that whatever happened, good, bad or ugly, finish or drop, would be icing on the cake. Leadville would be a celebration of the journey I’d traveled to get there. I was open to whatever the race would teach me.

At 3 a.m. before the start, I woke in the dark and wolfed down two bowls of instant oatmeal and wrote two words in black Sharpie on the back of my hand: smile and flow. I wanted to move with the mountains the way I had in June, and to remember the joy that I’d always felt when I ran, that was the reason why I ran.

I can tell you what happened next. The gun went off, and I ran into the still-black night with nearly 800 other people, determined not to go out too fast. In front of me, in the first light of morning, a male runner with a John Denver bob and a fanny pack screamed Lead-FUCKING-ville! and I screamed it back, spontaneous rallying cry and war whoop and pure glee all rolled into one. It rained and the sun came out. I ate GU and drank Coke and sang Men at Work songs with my husband, Steve, as he paced me over Hope Pass. I caught up with the first-place woman and passed her.

I saw the most gorgeous enormous llamas and my daughters wearing whoopie cushion costumes and complete strangers cheering my name and old friends I’d known for years and others I’d just met but felt like I’d known forever. I ran through a river in wet sneakers and cranked White Snake’s “Here I Go Again” in my ear buds and watched the sun set. And the more I smiled, the more I flowed, and the more I flowed, the more I smiled—a perfect feedback loop.

None of this, though, accounts for what really happened.

Flow with the river of time, I told myself as I ran. And I did, for 100 miles and nearly 20 hours. It was almost midnight and drizzling as I approached the finish line, but with 50 yards to

THE MIDDLE WAY ARNOLD WON THE RACE EO READERS NAMED BEST AND HARDEST IN THE ROCKIES. photo by GLEN DELMAN

go, the clouds drifted apart and a shooting star streaked through the opening, a brief white flashing in the black night—a kind of magic, here and then gone.

In Zen there’s an idea called “no gap,” in which there’s no longer any distinction between who you think you are and who you are, between you and all the different parts of yourself, between you and the world. “When this happens, all of life gets behind you,” Natalie once told me, “the trees and the dirt and the mountains and people. Everything.”

All the parts of my life—writing and mothering, running and Zen—had converged in Leadville. I’d tapped into something bigger than myself and had ridden it to an outcome I never could have imagined. Like Zen, it defied explanation, replication. You couldn’t understand it with your brain. You had to touch it with another part of your consciousness.

As I broke the tape, I felt as though I’d been floating all day and that I could just keep going and going—like time itself. For a little while at least, I’d closed the gap. It wasn’t beginner’s luck that had helped me win Leadville.

It was beginner’s mind.

KATIE ARNOLD IS A CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AT OUTSIDE AND THE AUTHOR OF RUNNING HOME: A MEMOIR, PUBLISHED THIS MONTH

BY RANDOM HOUSE. THE 2018 LEADVILLE 100 WOMEN’S CHAMPION, SHE LIVES IN SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, WITH HER HUSBAND AND TWO DAUGHTERS. M A R C H 2 019 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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LIFE IS THE DREAM I T ’ S T I M E TO T H I N K B I G G ER , O R N OT AT A L L .

by PETER KRAY

I

like to call myself a “nature trustfunder.” My parents’ Colorado dream and their love of hiking and mountains got me where I am.

The same way people are born into money, artistic talent, athletic prowess or effortless coolness, I was given the love of the great outdoors.

It’s the simplest gift to give. All you have to do is put someone at the head of a trail. Which is easier said than done, as many of us know.

Despite the fact that I can be riding the chair at one of my favorite ski hills barely 40 minutes after leaving my house, even on storm days I often find something else to do—like walking the dogs through the powder, or having a late lunch with my wife downtown. I am lucky: There are plenty of people in this country who don’t have the ability to access even these simple pleasures.

When I do spend the day on the mountain, I come home feeling like I am smack in the middle of enjoying one of the best days in the world.

Skiing is good for the soul. Which is why one of my dreams for this year is to keep on arcing turns until what I hope is a slow-starting spring has melted all the snow.

Of course, as the ethos we’ve been raised to embrace as The American Dream continues to be edited by a rapidly changing climate, a battered democracy and what I hope is only a momentary lapse of empathy and compassion, I’ve been putting together a couple of longerterm plans in the dream department.

Here are some of my rules. #1) It’s Only a Dream if it’s Bigger than You You hear a lot of people in Colorado say they are, “Living the dream,” especially if they just got a job on the ski hill, leading bike tours, fermenting micro-brews, or working as a “budtender” two weeks after moving here from New England. And what they say is real, because what they do for work is making other people happy, too.

Which is the point of dreams, I think, that they benefit others while also resulting in a sense of accomplishment and personal fulfillment for you. That’s because unlike winning the lottery—which is pure dumb luck—real dreams take a plan, lots of passion, and the help of family and good friends who believe in your dream as well.

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Illustration by Kevin Howdeshell / THEBRAVEUNION.COM

So whether you’re out there planting trees this spring, creating the ultimate app for social awareness, or perfecting Colorado’s next perfect golden lager (quick beer prediction, lagers are going to be huge this year!), if you can find a way to share your dream with others, you may be surprised to find yourself helping to make many dreams come true. #2) To Thine Own Self Be True My dad liked to say, “Do whatever you want, just do it well.” And he loved to see the diversity of Rocky Mountain people—Harley heads, Front Range cowpokes, cross-country skiing barkeaters—completely embracing whatever sport, profession, or pastime they had committed to. As a passionate skier, high lake sailor, lawyer, cyclist, father and husband, going all in, on everything, was what he liked to do.

People can tell when you’re faking

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / M A R C H 2 01 9

it. And even worse, when you’re pretending to be someone you aren’t—you know it deep down in the core of your soul. As someone who briefly wanted to be an East Coast prepster, and who flirted with the thought of being an attorney like my dad (and older brother), I always knew that wasn’t the real me I was talking to.

Making a career as a writer, ski bum, dog-loving dude in the Rockies was and always has been the first dream. It hasn’t made me rich or famous. But it has made me very happy, and so far, it’s paid the bills. #3) Know When the Dream is Real The most important rule about dreaming—and especially about dreaming big—is to be able to recognize when your dreams really are coming true. Like when you wake up beside a person you love, with shiny, smiling retrievers at the foot of the bed, and good coffee in the kitchen, and

remember to think, or even say, “This is really freakin’ cool.”

Too often, even after we find someone who really gets us, and friends who care about us, and take a job we’re actually kind of good at, and walk into nature right out our back door, we still spend all our time worrying about one million things we can’t control.

Life is the dream, and by living it as well and honestly as you can, while reminding yourself of the real Golden Rule—“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”—you’re likely to realize how much you’ve already accomplished. You’re more than ready to take on some other really big dreams. The kind that scare you, and also make you smile.

The only time is now.

—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? BUY IT HERE AND READ IT NOW: AMZN.TO/2LMZPVN

YO U C A ME F OR TH E W IN TE R .

S TAY F OR TH E

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