Elevation Outdoors June 2019

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GEAR UP AT

7 EDITOR’S LETTER How to cope with our commodified outdoors.

9 QUICK HITS Colorado’s new whitewater parks, fees for Hanging Lake, Nebraska tanking, what to do when lightning strikes and more...

14 FLASHPOINT Stripped of a Tour de France victory, in chronic pain and under investigation, Floyd Landis was at the bottom.

CBD put him back on top.

17 HOT SPOT Pack a picnic lunch and head off on Colorado’s best waterfall hikes—from Rocky Mountain National Park to the San Juans.

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19 NUMEROLOGY Dig into the numbers on the rising cost of wildfires (and climate change) to the West, and what we spend trying to manage the damage.

20 STRAIGHT TALK We talked—in Spanish and English—to Latino Outdoors Colorado leaders about inclusivity.

27 JOSEPH GRAY The six-time mountain running world champ discusses how to overcome injury.

43 HEAR THIS Red Rocks season is in full swing. These are the bands you will want to be sure to see at the iconic outdoor venue.

37 THE 2019 SUMMER PEAK GEAR AWARDS EO contributors praise the stuff they wanted most when hiking, biking, climbing, running and camping in the wild.

44 THE ROAD Author Heather Hansman decided to paddle all 730 miles of the Green River by herself to better understand what its water means to the 33 million people who rely on it.

46 ELWAYVILLE Summer is here. Don’t waste a moment of it.

41 HIKING GEAR These essentials will up your game on the trail.

ON THE COVER A hiker strikes a pose at Sky Pond in Rocky Mountain National Park.

by Christin Healey/@ christinhealey

FEATURES 23 MUST-DO HIKES With a whole summer spread out in front of you, it’s time to tick off these bucket-list rambles and scrambles from the Great Sand Dunes to the Grand Tetons.

WANT MORE? CATCH UP ON PAST ISSUES, YOUR FAVORITE BLOGGERS AND DAILY ONLINE CONTENT AT ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM

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C O N T R IB U T O R S | 0 6 .1 9 WHAT BIG PLANS DO YOU HAVE TO GET OUT IN THE WILD THIS SUMMER?

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

E DI TOR-I N -CHI E F

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SUMMIT

PUBLISHING

I’m dreaming of long days backpacking deep in the backcountry, hiking to isolated peaks and catching trout in alpine lakes.

conor sedmak

Trying my luck with some Colorado browns, warm days on the paddleboard, and keeping the ski season going up in the high alpine.

CAMERON MARTINDELL

It's all about getting the kiddos to love being outdoors: car camping, lake time, wildflower hikes and maybe some river time.

CHRIS KASSAR

I have decided to explore my Salida backyard more and enjoy summer all over Colorado…and I want to ski at least once every month of the year.

Joseph Gray

This summer will be all about chasing fast times in races and watching my son take his first steps in the mountains. I want him to conquer his first fourteener soon.

Heather Hansman

I'm going to be on the road this summer with bike, boat and skis, talking about my new book, Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West.

Donna Stewart

I’m embracing my Tennessee backcountry roots of off-trail clambering, teaching my 11-year-old daughter how to bushwhack with a topo map and compass.

Brian Metzler

I plan to crew friends running the Leadville 100 and promote my new book Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes.

aaron bible

Finally checking off that gaping hole on my travel resume: Alaska.

peter kray

Lots of hikes and some lake time with two very large dogs. They are asking me for a new stand-up paddleboard. Woof!

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SERVING DENVER’S OUTDOOR COMMUNITY SINCE 2000

COMMODIFICATION BLUES

FREAKS OWN THE STREETS THE CHAINLESS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS KEEPS CRESTED BUTTE WEIRD. photo by DEVON BALET

W E N EED TO T EM P ER T H E O U T D O O R R E C R E AT I O N E CO N O M Y W I T H W EI R D OS .

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

I

saw Florence and the Machine last month at Red Rocks and Florence Welch made us partake in a radical act. She asked the entire amphitheater to put our cell phones away, to simply enjoy the moment, not to record it. It made me remember those days when you had to be engaged and there were still secrets and hidden corners and real punk rock in this world where our every act and thought is commodified and broadcast.

Earlier that day, I read (I know, on social media) the thoughtful public resignation statement from Crested Butte town council member Jackson Petito, a local’s local who moved back to his hometown after college and works at independent radio station KBUT. He decided to raise his family in Crested Butte and tried to keep the town he loves a place where families can prosper. He didn’t step down because he wanted to, but because the ongoing gentrification of Colorado’s last real ski town forces him and his family to move outside city limits, rendering him no longer eligible to serve on the council. But before leaving, Petito made clear the dangers that commodification pose not just to Crested Butte but all mountain towns across the West, too.

“As big money does what it can, all we can do up here is drag our heels as much as possible, and keep thinking of new solutions. As fewer and fewer poor

people can afford to live in town, this body will be less and less representative of the people that make this town what it is,” he wrote.

We praise outdoor recreation for its $887-billion impact on local economies for good reason. The sustainable, clean promise of making a living off recreation rather than destructive, dead-end extractive industries like mining represents a chance to save the wild places and diversity of life beyond humans that is all too swiftly disappearing from this Earth. But that’s not to say that any industry, including recreation, does not come with its own dangers and challenges.

Mountain towns need to be fucking weird. We need soul seekers who ski powder and find sexuality in the murmur of creeks like the late Dolores LaChapelle, a founder of the deep ecology movement, who made Silverton her home for years. We need a Crested Butte and a Breckenridge where social rejects wash up and find a place where they can thrive as weirdos.

If our mountain towns become nothing more than glorified playgrounds for tech entrepreneurs, we have lost.

Smart phones are incredible tools that can further social justice; they are also toxic addictions that keep us from real experiences. Mountain towns booming off recreation are taking a path towards a better future; they are also unwittingly pricing out diverse communities, families and weirdos. And that is no way to move forward.

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It’s our job to conserve more than 12,000 miles of rivers, 2,500 lakes and hundreds of crystal-clear streams.

Come on in, the water’s fine.

© DUSTIN DOSKOCIL/CPW

Liquid assets

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PLAY ALL DAY THE NEWLY OPENED WHITEWATER PARK IN EAGLE, COLORADO, INCLUDES FOUR WAVE FEATURES BUILT WITH ADJUSTABLE RAPID BLOCKS. / PHOTO BY LINDA GUERRETTE

Wave Rave

G E T I N T H E FLOW AT T H E SE T H R EE N E W W H I T E WAT ER PA R K S O P EN I N G I N CO LO R A D O T H I S SU M M ER .

GREAT FLOWS AREN’T ALL LOCAL PADDLERS CAN EXPECT TO SPICE UP THE STELLAR SEASON IN STORE THIS BIG-WATER YEAR. Three new whitewater parks are opening up on area rivers, beefing up water play for kayakers, SUPers and other users. The new parks include the Poudre Whitewater Park in downtown Fort Collins, a new park on the Arkansas River in Cañon City, and, across the Divide, the heralded Eagle Whitewater Park just off Interstate 70. All three were designed by Olympian and three-time World Cup slalom champion Scott Shipley of Lyons, Colorado’s S20 Design (Shipley also restored his hometown St. Vrain River after the catastrophic 2013 flood). “They’re a game-changer for the Front Range,” says Shipley, whose patented RapidBlocs make two of the Eagle and Cañon City parks’ features adjustable. “They’re all within easy driving distance of Denver and within walking distance of their respective downtowns,” he says. “Surf’s definitely up this year in Colorado.” Don’t believe us? Pro stand-up paddleboarder and kayaker Ken Hoeve isn't shy about praising his new hometown Eagle park: “It’s going to have a huge impact on Eagle and our other river corridor communities,” he says. “Its features are perfect for surfing, SUPing and kayaking and will introduce tons of new people to whitewater.” Just don't knock him off the wave. —Eugene Buchanan J U N E 2 019 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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LIGHTNING STRIKES A F T ER N O O N T H U N D ER S TO R M S C A N CO M E O U T O F N OW H ER E I N A H U R RY I N T H E RO C K Y M O U N TA I N S—S O B E P R EPA R ED TO M A K E G O O D C H O I C E S W H EN YO U G O H I K I N G I N T H E H I G H CO U N T RY.

photo by TOBIAS VAN DER ELST/ WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

WHEN THE MOUNTAINS CALLED, THEY

didn’t mention anything about getting struck by lightning. Instead, they beckoned and I got my boots on. I headed for the Bear Peak trailhead, only to find it swathed in heavy gray clouds.

I had second thoughts, but they were fleeting. Colorado averages 500,000 ground strikes a year, most of those in June, July and August.

Since I was hiking in October, I thought it would be fine. Besides, at 8,500 feet, Bear Peak is relatively just a wee mountain and, though I’m not usually one to follow the crowd. I saw plenty of people who looked like they knew what they were doing heading out. So I lemminged right after them.

Once I hit the peak, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I immediately turned to go. Within five minutes the storm unleashed a terrifying assault of sleet, hail, thunder and lightning.

That’s when I realized my mistakes.

For one, I’d hiked, on purpose, to the second highest point in the Boulder Mountain Park when it was completely socked in. Though I hadn’t witnessed any lightning or thunder up to that point, as weather.gov points out, the first lightning strike is just as deadly as any other.

Plus, we all know how much lightning loves high points. Second, once the storm let loose, jabbing lightning fingers all over the mountain, I had no idea what to do. I knew I couldn’t hide under a tree, but what about a boulder? Should I just run?

I ended up just running, which Runner’s World magazine recommends—if you can do it without plummeting off a cliff.

When I later asked Patrick Kerscher, operations manager for El Paso Search and Rescue, about the best choices in a lightning storm, without hesitation he said, “Be aware and avoid the situation to begin with. Climb early to avoid the afternoon storms. Get out of the situation as quickly and safely as possible. If you’re in a group, spread out so a strike won’t take everyone out and there will be someone who can go for help or perform CPR.” If you must get out during stormy weather, check the forecast. Dave Christenson of Rocky Mountain Rescue told me, “The weather service does a good job of predicting lightning.”

Once lightning is present, its behavior is almost impossible to predict. It can strike from clouds 10 miles away or travel along the ground far from the original strike. NOAA, weather. gov, and several other sources state (usually with an exclamation point at the end), “There is NO safe place outside during a thunderstorm!” So there’s that.

A study by the National Weather Service on lightning fatalities between 2006 to 2017 found that most people who got struck had shelter nearby, but waited too long to seek it. Trees, dugouts or picnic awnings aren’t shelter, they’re lightning rods. For true safety, nothing beats a car or building.

Check out weather.com for more lightning information.

In the end, I made it off the

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ELECTRICITY AND FLOW LIGHTNING FORKS THE NIGHT SKY (ABOVE).

FLOATING RUBY-HORSETHIEF (RIGHT).

mountain that October day only breaking my phone, but according to the National Park Service, “On average, 11 people die from lightning each year in Colorado,” and Colorado has ranked fourth in the nation for lightning fatalities since 1959. Last year was one for the record books, in a good way: Colorado had zero fatalities in 2018. Let’s all play smart to maintain our winning streak.

—Donna Stewart

DIY WHITEWATER RAFTING RE A DY TO BR AV E TH AT RI V ER TRIP S A NS GUIDE ? PAY HEED TO THE SE TIP S FOR FIRS T-TIME BOAT C A PTA INS. ACCORDING TO THE LATEST REPORT

from the Colorado River Outfitters Association (croa.org), over half a million people go down Colorado rivers using a commercial operation each season. But an increasing number are also choosing to go it alone.

Renting rafts or buying one to captain with friends has several benefits.

Aside from a flexible schedule that can accommodate optimal flow, the ability

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photo by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

to go on longer, overnight trips with a guest list you’ve created yourself is a big motivator. “What got me into it was the ability to do what I wanted with the people I wanted to do it with,” says Ron Shaw, who’s been self-guiding raft trips since 2003.

There’s a big jump from paddling with a guided tour to captaining your own DIY trip, though. Here are a few tips to consider for self-guided rafting.

EXPERIENCE IS CRITICAL

“Knowing how to read the river, and to have respect for it is important,” emphasizes Shaw. This means being on the water for a few seasons and getting to know how it moves and what to watch out for. Go with commercial outfitters or tag along with other DIY trips to get a better sense of how to control a boat. Use forums and social media to find trips that need extra hands on deck. Joining up on a multiday trip with a few crusty river rats who’ll let you take the oars during flat parts is a great way to gain confidence.

BOOKS BASE CAMP DENVER: 101 HIKES IN COLORADO’S FRONT RANGE There’s no need to venture far from the Front Range to find a good hike, and author Pete KJ has made it easy to choose amongst 101 of them. The book includes the history, geology, flora and fauna on each hike, which season to go, available facilities and even recommendations for kids and dogs. $25 | IMBRIFEX.COM

APRÈS DAY photo by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

S TA R T S M A LL

Coloradans benefit from many different rivers with sections and flow rates that are perfect for practice. Choose a float trip with Class I-II rapids, such as Pumphouse Canyon or RubyHorsethief Canyon on the Colorado River, or Lower Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River. Be sure to check current flow rates online and learn about each run using a guidebook like Colorado Rivers and Creeks, by Banks and Eckhardt, considered the Bible of Colorado rivers.

K N OW YO U R G E A R

When choosing a raft, you have a lot of different options, such as size and rigging. A paddle boat versus an oar rig or cataraft will depend on the type of trips you like to take and the rivers that you choose. There are several different places to rent boats around the state, which will allow you to try out different set-ups. Compared to the time you’ll spend on the water, you’ll also spend a considerable amount of time off the water running shuttles and hauling gear from put-in to take-out.

Logistics can be a frustrating learning process until you get it dialed in, but once you push off and out into the current, it will all be worth it.

—Heather Ridge

EAT SLEEP PLAY: SNOWY RANGE, WYOMING THIS LIT TLE GEM OF A MOUNTA IN R A NGE JUS T NORTH OF THE COLOR A DO BORDER M A K E S FOR A N IDE A L SUMMER LONG W EEK END GE TAWAY. THE SNOWY RANGE SCENIC BYWAY

cuts across the Snowy Range Mountains of southeastern Wyoming in a spectacular feat of engineering.

Originally a wagon road constructed in the 1870s, the byway creeps up from the sub-alpine town of Centennial to 10,847 feet at its highest point.

Although the road is impressive, the scenery and opportunities for recreation steal the show.

ALPINE DAYDREAM THE HIGH REACHES OF WYOMING’S SNOWY RANGE ARE EASY TO ACCESS IN SUMMER.

Eat Centennial, on the eastern end of the byway, is the type of place where you can’t help but saddle up at the bar. Do this at the Century Saloon (housed inside the Friendly Store, friendlystorewyo.com), open since 1940. If you’re hungry, slide over to the Beartree Tavern (beartreetavernandcafe.com), where hearty fare like lasagne, nachos and green chili comes piping hot and in big portions from the kitchen. In Saratoga, 15 Church (15churchrestaurant.com) offers ‘fancier’ fare in a beautifully restored historic building.

Sleep If you like to sleep outside, the Snowies are for you. There are over 20 USFS campgrounds (fs.usda.gov/ main/mbr/home) between Centennial and Saratoga, offering starlit sites from primitive to full hook-up. If you need a roof over your head, the Old Corral (oldcorral.com) has rustic rooms for rent in the heart of Centennial.

Accommodations are more plentiful in Saratoga: Try the homey CopperLine Lodge (copperlinelodge.com) for a quiet bed and breakfast experience, or the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort (saratogahotspringsresort.com), which boasts its own mineral pools, public golf course, and is the home of the Snowy Mountain Brewery (snowymountainbrewery.com).

Play When the plows clear the byway, the road becomes a cyclist’s paradise.

For a classic 50-mile road ride, start in Centennial and ride to Saratoga—if you start in Laramie, you add another 25 miles. Mountain bikers, the 12mile Rock Creek Trail is a rip-roaring descent down 3,000 feet of tight singletrack. Hikers should hit the fourmile hike to the 12,013-foot summit of Medicine Bow Peak. And everyone loves the 85-plus sub-alpine lakes that dot the range like diamonds. Some, like Lake Marie and Silver Lake, are right off the byway while others, like the Shelf Lakes, require a hike in.

—Betsy Welch

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photo by DEAN JACOBS

GET TANKED H OW CO R N H USK ER S FLOAT T H EI R R I V ER S .

NORTHWESTERN NEBRASKA IS A LITTLE

pocket where you can escape the tech boom and Instagram frenzy of Colorado’s Front Range. Go hike the trails at Chadron State Park or grind the gravel on The Spotted Tail Trail and you will feel transported back in time to when the West was quiet.

But if you want to truly do the full Nebraska thing, go tanking. This DIY form of paddling consists of hopping in a stock tank— what cows drink out of on the range—and using it like a massive bathtub boat to float the slow meanders of the North Platte (contact Dusty Trails outfitters, dustytrailsbiz.squarespace.com ), Niobrara (Little Outlaw, outlawcanoe. com), or Middle Loup (Glidden Canoe Rental, sandhillsmotel.com) rivers. A typical tank fits a family of four pretty comfortably or it can be a sort-of romantic variation of rollin’ in the hay for two.

—Doug Schnitzspahn

LOCAL HERO: CHERYL JENSEN T H I S L I FE T I M E SK I ER G E T S I N S T RU C TO R U N I F O R M S TO T H OSE I N N EED. IT WAS AN INGENIOUS IDEA FOR

repurposing old ski instructor and liftie uniforms: Collect, clean and fumigate them, then donate each to the underprivileged in cold weather countries. In the process of establishing Sharing Warmth Around the Globe (SWAG) in 2000, and then partnering with the National Ski Areas Association a few years later, Sacramento native Cheryl Jensen, 58, struck upon another way to make a positive impact on the world. So far SWAG has shipped approximately 300,000 winter garments from 89 ski resorts to 26 countries worldwide.

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A SUMMER OF SMIILES WHO NEEDS A FANCY DRIFT BOAT WHEN YOU HAVE A METAL STOCK TANK? SWAG FOUNDER CHERYL JENSEN POSES WITH RETIRED ARMY STAFF SERGEANT MICHAEL SMITH DURING V VP’S SUMMER FAMILY PROGRAM. A STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDER ENJOYS A FLOAT DOWN THE NORTH FORK OF THE GUNNISON.

During a 2003 meeting at the Pentagon, the current Vail resident and avid skier realized she could also use the healing power of the mountains to help badly injured Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

In 2004, Jensen’s newly-formed Vail Veterans Program (VVP) flew seven wounded veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to Eagle County Regional Airport, then taught them to ski, snowboard or monoski—all expenses paid. One veteran went on to compete in the Vancouver and Sochi Paralympics, encouraging Jensen to expand the program. Today VVP has provided physical and emotional healing for approximately 3,000 severely injured veterans as well as their families and caregivers, hosting 450 participants per year in both summer and winter programs.

Jensen’s circuitous journey to becoming founder and board chair of VVP included a stint out of high school working as a tour guide for Coors in Golden; then sales gigs at Squaw Valley Resort and Northstar California Resort for seventeen years.

She is married to Bill Jensen, CEO and partner of Telluride Ski Resort, and recent inductee into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame.

“Thanks to the resiliency of the human spirit, and the healing power of the mountains, we can focus on what these wounded veterans can do, not what they can’t,” Jensen says of VVP’s work. “We want to keep educating them off the slopes, assist in reconnecting families, and give them the tools they need to thrive.” vailveteransprogram.org —Jeff Blumenfeld

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 9

photo courtesy CHERYL JENSEN

LIQUID GOLD CO LO R A D O’ S N O RT H F O R K VA L L E Y I S T R A N S I T I O N I N G FRO M COA L M I N I N G TO O U T D O O R R E C R E AT I O N —A N D T H E LO C A L CO M M U N I T Y I S R E A P I N G T H E B EN EFI T S .

AS SNOW MELTS OFF THE WEST ELK

photo by DANIEL ROMAN

Mountains, something new is happening at their feet in the North Fork Valley. Western Slope SUP, the river outfitting service I started two years ago, is preparing to offer its first guided whitewater rafting tour on the North Fork of the Gunnison River, cradled between the Grand Mesa and the West Elk Mountains. In the town of Somerset, the river quietly passes the remains of 100-year-old coal mines. These abandoned mines used to support the people of the North Fork Valley, but in 2016, two of the three mines shut down, causing great economic hardship. Lifelong neighbors moved out of the valley in search of

work while remaining businesses have had to work a little harder to survive.

I came to the North Fork at the peak of economic collapse. My sevenyear river guiding career had taken me around the world, but this valley captured my attention. It appeared to me as a post-apocalyptic wonderland.

Vacant buildings crowd the main streets, but there were also blooming cherry trees, a 12,000-foot skyline and three rivers full of potential.

The North Fork of the Gunnison is fed by Anthracite Creek, and confluences with the Gunnison River at its terminus. Fun class II and III waters course through the upper valley, and calmly cut a deep canyon downstream in the Gunnison Gorge. Since I was the only boat on the water day after day, the idea of starting a river guiding service here made sense to me.

Western Slope SUP was a sign of change for the Valley. Amid the collapse of the mining industry, our local outdoor industry is emerging.

This year, a geology and wine tour service is starting up in Paonia alongisde a cyclery offering tours and rentals. A fishing outfitter guides the gold medal waters of the Gunnison River. The countryside is dotted with orchards and wineries. The North Fork Valley has long been overlooked as an outdoor adventure destination, but things are slowly changing.

—Daniel Roman

PAY TO PLAY FAC ED W I T H T H E S A D I M PAC T S O F TO O M A N Y H I K ER S , T H E U. S . F O R E S T SER V I C E I M P L EM EN T S A FEE - B A SED R E SER VAT I O N P RO G R A M F O R H A N G I N G L A K E. PLANNING TO HIKE HANGING LAKE IN

Glenwood Canyon? Take a number, and break out your wallet.

That’s the storyline behind one of Colorado’s most popular hikes, as April 30 marked the last day of being able to hike to Hanging Lake for free.

To alleviate crowds, starting May 1 a new reservation system is in place, with a $12 fee (May 1-Oct. 31; $10 November 1-April 30) now required to make this iconic trek. Parking is no longer available at the customary trailhead, instead visitors must take a short shuttle from Glenwood Springs included in the price.

Formed by a geologic fault causing its bed to drop away from the valley floor above, the lake, hemmed in by dissolved carbonates, is fed by water cascading from Bridal Veil Falls. Hanging Lake—whose 1.2-mile trail gains 1,000 feet in elevation along Deadhorse Creek Canyon—is a national natural landmark in the White River National Forest.

The decision to implement the fee system was caused by crowds—visitors were often turned away at the parking

lot during peak summer months—as well as vandalism and other violations.

The change will limit the number of daily hikers allowed on the trail, reducing impact.

The permit fee covers the cost of the shuttle service, reservation system, and on-site maintenance, says Visit Glenwood Springs’ Lisa Langer. “It will allow for improved trail management and ensure compliance with the 615 hiker-per-day cap put in place by the Forest Service,” she says.

“It will enhance the hiking experience and also follows the Forest Service’s Management Plan to preserve this natural landmark.”

Still, it has some users up in arms about a place they remember as

MORE MONEY, FEWER PROBLEMS? HANGING ALKE WAS JUST TOO POPULAR. TO VISIT, YOU WILL NOW HAVE TO PAY $12 AND TAKE A SHUTTLE, BUT YOU STILL WON'T BE ALONE WITH A 615-HIKERS PER DAY LIMIT. / PHOTO BY KEN HOEVE

one as easy to exercise the legs. “I realize this has been done at national parks and state land attractions for generations, but seeing it happen on a trail like this is unfortunate,” says nearby Gypsum resident Ken Hoeve, who recorded one of the last “free” hikes on the trail on April 30.

To book reservations, visit visitglenwood.com/hanginglake or call 970-384-6309.

—Eugene Buchanan

YOU CAN’T DO THIS IN THE MOUNTAINS. Sure you could go rafting or tubing.

The rivers are fast, cold, and full of rocks.

Do you really want to take the kids?

Kids need adventures.

Families need adventures.

So go tanking.

Bring everyone, the kids, the dog, everyone.

Go for a float.

Down a peaceful spring-fed river.

Let the kids splash and play.

Enjoy the sun.

Enjoy the outdoors.

Find your next adventure.

Come to Western Nebraska.

TankWestNebraska.com

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F L A S HP O IN T | 0 6 .1 9

Back in the Saddle FLOYD L ANDIS DISCOVERED THE BENEFITS OF CBD WHILE HIS PRO CYCLING CAREER WAS FALLING APART. NOW, THE ONCE-DISGRACED RACER IS IN THE MIDST OF A WELLDESERVED REVIVAL, SPREADING THE GOSPEL OF CANNABIDIOL, SPONSORING YOUNG RACERS AND RIGHTING WRONGS.

F

by BRIAN METZLER

loyd Landis laughs sarcastically when asked if he had any idea what he was going to do when his bike racing career abruptly ended.

Once one of the top cyclists on the planet, the hero’s career went into a tailspin when he tested positive for performance-enhancing drug use and became embroiled in a tempest of doping allegations that exposed other athletes (including, most notably, Lance Armstrong) and left him facing federal fraud charges. That he would eventually emerge six years later as one of the country’s leading cannabidiol (CBD) barons with his Colorado-based Floyd’s of Leadville brand, as well as the owner of successful marijuana dispensaries in Leadville and Portland, Oregon, seems oddly like poetic justice.

“I didn’t have any idea about what else to do and didn’t know what the hell to do with my life,” the 43-year-old Landis says, chuckling. “I had never done anything else and didn’t have a college education.”

Briefly the 2006 Tour de France champion, Landis was notoriously stripped of the title after it was discovered his urine sample tested positive for an unusually high ratio of the hormone testosterone to the hormone epitestosterone (T/E ratio) in stage 17 of the Tour.

Although he initially maintained his innocence, he was banned from pro cycling for two years. That began a whirlwind that included an unsuccessful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, hip replacement surgery, an unceremonious return to riding in 2010-2011, losing a good friend to suicide, admitting his own performanceenhancing drug use and famously making

While Landis’ cycling career was crashing and burning, he was relying heavily on opioid pills to deal with chronic pain and escape chronic depression.

14

NEW LIFE LANDIS' LIFE BECAME A NIGHTMARE AFTER LOSING THE TOUR TITLE, SUFFERING PAIN AND DEALING WITH A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION. CBD WAS A BIG RELIEF. / PHOTO BY SCOTT THOMPSON

doping allegations about other riders and filing a whistleblower lawsuit against Armstrong that was eventually backed by the U.S. Department of Justice.

In 2012, Landis was charged with committing wire and mail fraud while he was raising his legal defense fund in 2007. Although the fraud charges were dropped, he was ordered to pay $487,000 in restitution. The whistleblower suit was eventually settled last April when Armstrong agreed to pay the government $5 million.

That settlement netted Landis about $1 million, but he says it was never about the money. He was hoping his involvement in the suit would lead to the sport being cleaned up, but it doesn’t appear to be the case.

“Lawsuits are never good and it was generally negative for both sides and it went on way too long,” Landis says. “To me the sad part is that it didn’t really have an effect on anything. For a short period, I thought the best path was to pretend it never happened. Then I thought, OK, fine, if they’re going to take the ability for me

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 9

to race my bike away, then maybe they’re serious and they’ll go fix the problem. But nothing has changed. It’s as least as bad as it was when the Postal Service was winning races.”

It was in the midst of his life turbulence that Landis learned the benefits of cannabidiol first hand. As a resident of Colorado, he says he discovered the benefits of hemp-derived CBD oil as a means to manage pain and take control of his life again. While his cycling career was crashing and burning, he was relying heavily on opioid pills to mitigate chronic pain and cope with the chronic depression. He emerged painfree, happy and ambitious.

Back in Business In mid-April, Landis could be found manning a Floyd’s of Leadville booth at the Boston Marathon expo inside the the Hub’s Hynes Convention Center.

Dozens of runners registered in the marathon approached the booth, heard Landis talk about the benefits of CBD

and purchased 35mg CBD gummies or Transdermal Sports Cream that supplies 12mg of CBD per pump. Few seemed to know Landis was a former cycling great or that he sponsored a pro bike racing team, but they appreciated his genuine conversation and information.

Quite frankly, business is booming.

Landis’s positive CBD experience led him to starting Floyd’s of Leadville, a company he founded in 2016, initially with the intent to sell recreational marijuana.

But the business quickly transformed into selling non-psychoactive CBD products to athletes and health-conscious adults as the bigger part of the business.

With the passage of the 2018 Federal Farm Bill legalizing hemp, American farmers are quickly turning to hemp to as a more profitable crop than corn or dairy. As numerous states have legalized products made from CBD oil, the industry has skyrocketed. Pegged as a $600 million industry in 2018, some analysts believe it will grow as big as $10-$20 billion by 2022.

“The CBD business is really good,” Landis says. “It’s growing pretty fast, but there’s a lot to learn, too. All the press CBD has been getting is good for the most part—but there’s is a lot of confusing information out there.”

Although Floyd’s of Leadville and other CBD brands are prohibited by the Food and Drug Administration from making specific health claims, studies have shown that CBD can treat chronic pain, lessen anxiety and depression, reduce inflammation and even help speed recovery.

Floyd’s of Leadville consists of two distinct business: four dispensaries, which sell Floyd's-branded recreational marijuana and products from other brands, and the division that sells soft gets, tinctures, gummies, creams and powdered drink mixes containing Isolate CBD but not the psychoactive THC found in pot. (Floyd’s also sells Full-Spectrum CBD products that contain trace amounts of THC to maximize the benefits of CBD.) The CBD products are also sold at bike shops, running stores and some other marijuana dispensaries in Colorado and are distributed nationally at shops and shipped to all 50 states via U.S. mail.

Righting the Wrongs Last fall, Landis agreed to become the title sponsor of the team formerly known as Silber Pro Cycling, a Canadian developmental team directed by respected former pro Gord Fraser, a former teammate on the Mercury Cycling squad in the late 1990s. It wasn’t an attempt by Landis to get back into the cycling game, more a way to put a lot of the money he received from the Armstrong suit to a good use without profiting from it. Plus, the team’s management company is licensed in Canada, meaning he could avoid reviving his ugly history with USA Cycling.

Landis says he doesn’t care what people think of him getting back into bike racing, even if there have been some

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disgruntled social media posts about backing a team with a company that also sells marijuana.

“Honestly, I've gotten a lot more positive comments than negative,” Travis McCabe, a 29-year-old Floyd’s rider from Tucson, Arizona, told ESPN. “If people are trying to right their wrongs, and they still care about cycling, this is their way of contributing back to us. And I'm grateful for it.”

So far, Floyd's Pro Cycling—a team of 12 riders with varying levels of experience—has been tearing it up.

The team opened its season with an overall win at the Tucson Bicycle Classic, followed by a win at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, where Noah Granigan took a stage and Alec Cowan finished fifth overall with two podiums.

At the Tour de Taiwan, Floyd’s rider Johnny Clarke won Stage 2 and took the overall lead. He lost the yellow jersey on Stage 3 but took it back with a decisive hilltop finish on Stage 4. Stage 5 saw the team successfully defend the jersey securing Clarke’s victory in the 2019 Tour de Taiwan.

“It’s great to see their results, but it’s not stressful at all for me because I don’t have any management role,” says Landis, who rides recreationally when he has time. “I just gave them the funding and said ‘Go try to making something positive for these guys.’ Cycling is in a rough spot at the moment. There aren’t as many big races that there used to be, which is too bad, but there are just enough races for

these guys to learn how to be pro riders.”

Floyd’s of Leadville also sponsors about 60 events organized by Lifetime Fitness including the entire Leadville series, the Chequamegon MTB Festival in Minnesota and numerous other running races, mountain bike events and triathlons around the country.

The Best Thing

THE CANNABIDIOL CABINET FLOYD’S OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF CBD PRODUCTS— INCLUDING BALMS, GUMMIES, PROTEIN POWDERS AND CREAMS—FOCUSED ON THE NEEDS OF ENDURANCE ATHLETES.

In June, Landis will open a combination bike, coffee and hemp product shop near his boyhood home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Floyd’s of Lancaster Café will serve coffee and small plates as well as the full range of Floyd’s of Leadville CBD products. It will alos sell Van Dessel bikes, including the new Panasonicpowered eBike model.

Landis says he’d like to open another Colorado marijuana dispensary, perhaps with a bike theme like his three pot shops in Portland. But the Front Range market is competitive and oversaturated, so he might consider a location in a mountain town where product margins are better.

In hindsight, Landis says his rocky ride out of cycling has been a huge positive.

“Getting kicked out of cycling at a young enough age to start another career was probably the best thing that ever could have happened to me,” Landis says.

“It didn’t feel that way at the time, and felt unfair and objectively speaking, it still is unfair. At the end of the day, though, I’m better off for it.”

We believe in visionaries who can turn skyscrapers into mountains. Early risers who would rather cast a line than wait in one. Optimists who are only overbooked when they’ve packed too much to read.

We don’t believe in tourists.

We believe in explorers.

Explorers welcome.

VisitCOS.com

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H O T S P O T | 0 6 .1 9

Colorado’s Best Cascades D O G O C H A S I N ’ WAT ER FA L L S .

A SU M M ER H I K E TO T H E SE B E AU T I FU L SP OT S I S SU R E TO G I V E YO U A B I G D OSE O F N AT U R E’ S B E S T T LC .

C

by CHRIS KASSAR

olorado is boasting a near-record snowpack in 2019. That means the state’s creeks, rivers and waterfalls will be raging with even more force than usual this summer. Get a front row seat to the big spill show by getting out and hiking to a few of our favorite cascades.

BEAR CREEK FALLS TELLURIDE

START/END: Right in town at the Bear

Creek Trailhead on the end of Telluride’s South Pine Street (8,780 feet).

THE HIKE: Enjoy an easy but steady

1,000-vertical-foot climb through a serene canyon surrounded by rugged rock walls to reach this mighty cataract.

A favorite among locals and visitors alike, this forested, flower-filled 5.4mile out-and-back is the perfect start to any summer day. Keep your eyes peeled for breaks in the trees and outstanding views of the rocky pinnacles on the canyon’s eastern wall.

Flanked by 13,000-foot peaks that tower dramatically on either side of this narrow canyon, the 100-foot Bear Creek Falls, full of power and splash, cascades down the mountain at the top of the trail. Take care exploring the slippery terrain near the falls. As you retrace your steps back down the canyon, take in the spectacular vistas of the San Juans rising to the north of Telluride. This is a great jaunt for youngsters or as an acclimatization hike if you have just arrived to the mountains.

OUZE L FA LL S TR A I L ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

START/END: Wild Basin Trailhead (8,520

feet) THE HIKE: This 5.4-mile out-and-back

hike through the park’s lush Wild Basin follows a brook to visit three waterfalls of varying power and size. Well-worn (and crowded on weekends), the moderate trail, which is steep, rocky and rough in spots, rewards adventurers with an immersion into the wilds of Colorado’s crown jewel. Pause along the way to appreciate the precipitous rock ledges overhead and the pretty granite boulders lining the creek, as well as the varied, dazzling wildflower displays that light up this serene forest. As you climb, the lush, boulder-lined pathway steepens.

Calypso Cascades announces its existence with a thundering roar before

you arrive at three small bridges that carry you across. The increasingly rocky trail climbs even more steeply from here on out, and breaks in the trees, largely due to the Ouzel Fire of 1978, offer remarkable summit vistas. After hopping rocks to cross a few small trickles, the grade steepens and you enter a more shaded canopy of pines to reach the mighty Ouzel Falls. Enjoy a well-earned rest before heading back down the trail.

O H B E JOY FU L TR A I L CRESTED BUTTE

START/END: Oh Be Joyful Campground THE HIKE: Keep your sandals handy from

the start—soon after leaving the car, you’ll wade the Slate River to follow an old mining road that rises above the tumbling waters of Oh Be Joyful Creek.

Though it climbs steeply at first, frequent overlooks offer respite and opportunities for jaw-dropping glimpses of gnarly rapids and small falls along the way.

Less than a mile in, the trail mellows and rewards your efforts with a stellar vantage point overlooking the powerful waters of Oh Be Joyful Falls. Cross into the Raggeds Wilderness and continue west up the long valley if you want to add in dramatic mountain panoramas, hillsides blanketed with wildflowers, and the chance to spot some wildlife. You won’t run out of options on this 10-plusmile adventure. If you’re a day hiker, continue up the valley to the base of Daisy Pass or Blue Lake and return the way you came. If you want to extend the mileage or spend the night out, head to the top of Daisy Pass and descend into Pittsburg, an option that requires a shuttle to get back to the trailhead.

W I LLOW L A K E FA LL S CRESTONE

START/END: Willow Creek Trailhead THE HIKE: Packed with switchbacks

(sometimes they seem as if they will

FEEL THE ZEN CALYPSO CASCADE IS JUST ONE OF THE CLASSIC FALLS YOU'LL FIND TUCKED BACK IN WILD BASIN. / PHOTO BY CHRIS KASSAR

never end), world-class views, flowerfilled meadows and opportunities to see bighorn sheep, marmots and pika, this delightful 10-plus-mile journey follows a lush creek and climbs steadily up a forested valley to reach Willow Lake. The huge alpine body of water is nestled in a rocky, cliff-ringed basin that boasts plenty of serene, secluded campsites with the jagged peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains rising mightily overhead. It’s well worth the extra effort to push beyond the lake’s edge to reach the exquisite cascade that plunges into its east end. Not only is the waterfall magical, but views back down valley and across to Challenger Point, Kit Carson and Obstruction Peak improve with each step.

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The gentle flow of the river, the wind rustling the trees, the quiet murmur of nature. It’s amazing what $40 can buy you.

V i s it Va le n t i n e .o r g

MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE & MUSIC MECCA

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N U ME R O L O G Y | 0 6 .1 9

The Cost of Fire

C ATA S T RO P H I C W I L D FI R E S H AV E B E CO M E A FAC T O F L I FE I N T H E W E S T—A N D T H E Y T H R E AT EN N OT J US T T H E L I V E S A N D HOMES OF HUMANS, B U T T H E H E A LT H O F T H E P L A N E T. W E TA K E A D EEP D I V E I N TO T H E N U M B ER S B EH I N D W I L D FI R E A N D H OW TO M A N AG E I T.

Y

by TRACY ROSS es, Colorado may be boasting a near-record snowpack this season, but that doesn’t mean wildfires aren’t going to be a concern for our state, which historically dries out quickly during summer. Here’s the good news: According to the National Interagency Fire Center, which publishes the “National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook” report, large portions of Colorado will carry below normal fire potential at least until August. But as wildfire season approaches, it’s key to remember how devastating a blaze can be, especially along the wildlandurban interface, which in our state houses some 2.9 million residents. Here are the numbers on recent fires, fire destruction, and the federal government’s fiscal and physical commitment to fighting them. Read them with a little relief—and keep your fingers crossed for a safe summer—but withhold a steady dose of caution. Any fire could bloom into a big one, and in the wrong corridor in Colorado, that could be catastrophic.

400

Percent U.S. wildfires have increased since 1970 (according to The Balance, a US economy and investing website)

2 .5

Months longer, annually, that fire season lasts since that same year, according to WXshift.com, a website that tracks current, historical and predicted weather and climate change data.

250 M I LLI O N

Metric tons of carbon U.S.

forests sucked up in 2010. That’s important to know, because wildfires can turn forests from carbon sinks into sources of emissions by releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere.

According to WXshift, that’s already happening in California.

4.5 M I LLI O N

Number of U.S. homes, according to Verisk’s “2017 Wildfire Risk Analysis,” that were identified at high or or extreme risk of wildfire, with more than 2 million in California alone.

TO P 1 0 M OS T W I LDFI RE PRO N E S TATE S, 20 17 :

California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Washington, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah and Montana.

1 , 328

Number of wildfires in Colorado in 2018 (with 475,803 acres burned)

50

Percent increase of Coloradans living in areas consider at risk of wildland fire between 2012 and 2018, according to a 2018 Colorado State Forest Service report. In hard numbers, that’s an increase from 2 million to 2.9 million living in at-risk areas.

3 47, 259 A N D 51

Numbers, respectively, of houses burned by wildfire in Colorado’s 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire, 2012 High Park Fire and 2013 Black Forest Fire.

$ 85 M I LLI O N

Amount of damage caused to homes in the Black Forest Fire

90

Percent of wildfires caused by humans.

1 ,0 0 0

Times lightning strikes Earth every day.

1 0 TO 20

Percent of lightning strikes that can cause fire.

1 1 ,1 95

Number of wildfires across the U.S., January 1 to April 5, 2018, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. During the same period this year, the number fell dramatically to 7,091. About 432,420 acres were burned in the 2018 period compared to 171,207 in 2019.

1 0,625

Number of wildfires that have burned in the U.S. between January 1 and May 3, 2019

6 TI M E S

INTO THE INFERNO

Metric by which the average wildfire size is expected to grow by 2039 (the year my 7-year-old turns 27).

$2 B I LLI O N

CALIFORNIA FIRES WERE SO BAD IN 2018 THAT, AT PEAK, 14,000 FIREFIGHTERS FROM 17 STATES, AS WELL AS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND WERE ON THE GROUND BATTLING BLAZES. / PHOTO BY KARI GREER/USFS

Cost of wildland fire suppression in 2017.

Management in fiscal year 2020

$2 .4 B I LLI O N

10

Cost of the same in 2018 .

5.7 PE RCE NT

Amount by which Preseident Trump wants to cut U.S. Forest Service staff years (i.e. annual jobs). Thankfully, this does not include wildland fire personnel: the 67 Interagency Hotshot Crews, 7,940 other firefighters, 320 Smokejumpers, and 400 Fire Prevention Technicians who put out our nation’s wildland flames.

$11 8. 3 M I LLI O N O F 12 PE RCE NT

Amount President Trump wanted to cut from the Department of Interior’s discretionary department-wide Wildland Fire Management program, amounting to a total of $873.5 million in 2018.

$9 1 9

Amount the President proposed for DOI’s Wildland Fire

States from Alaska to Florida reporting “large” wildfires on May 3, 2019.

18

Wildfire incidents that required state responsibility in Colorado in 2018.

$ 4 0 M I LLI O N

Price tag for containing and cleaning up those 18 large fires.

72

Number of full-time firefighters the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control has ready to deploy at any moment .

0

Number of non-prescribed fires burning in Colorado on May 7, 2019.

0

Percent chance we can count on of not having a sizable fire this summer.

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C H A R L A D IR E C TA | 0 6 .1 9

¿Que es la aventura más difícil que han tenido en Colorado?

BIANCA GARCIA Y NATALIA OSPINA EN EL PARQUE NACIONAL DEL GRAND CANYON (IZQUIERDA).

GARCIA Y OSPINA EN EL PARQUE NACIONAL DE ROCKY MOUNTAIN CON NATIVE WOMENS WILDERNESS (DERECHA). / PHOTOS POR JANELLE PACIENCIA

Bianca Garcia y Natalia Ospina L AT I N O O U T D O O R S ( LO) E S U N M OV I M I EN TO L I D ER A D O P O R VO LU N TA R I A S Y VO LU N TA R I OS CO N P R E SEN C I A EN 1 9 C I U DA D E S D E LOS E S TA D OS U N I D OS .

CO N OZC A N A N ATA L I A Y B I A N C A , CO O R D I N A D O R A S PA R A EL E Q U I P O D E CO LO R A D O.

B

por JOSHUA BERMAN ianca Garcia, de 25 años, trabaja para la Ciudad de Denver y ha vivido en la ciudad desde que se mudó de la Ciudad de México a la edad de 7 años. Natalia, de 27 años, trabaja como educadora de salud en las Escuelas Públicas de Denver. Nació en Colombia y se mudó con su familia a Carolina del Norte a los 4 años. Ellas organizan encuentros mensuales y actividades que son generalmente fáciles y que no requieren de conocimiento técnico—el senderismo, paseos en bicicleta, observación de aves, cámping, salir a correr—para asegurar que sean aptas para familias, novatos y experimentados a la vez. LO motiva a la comunidad Latina a salir a pasar un buen rato en las montañas con el fin de promover la igualdad y la diversidad en el tema de la recreación al aire libre, ya que esto hace falta en muchos lugares. ¿Cómo encontraron a Latino Outdoors?

Bianca Garcia: Cuando acabé la universidad ya no tenía la coneccion o salida para ir al aire libre, entonces empecé a buscar gente que estaba interesada en las mismas cosas que yo.

Encontré a Latino Outdoors primero en Facebook, y luego participando en sus caminatas.

20

Natalia Ospina: Cuando llegué en Denver, empecé a escalar y empecé a notar que no había mucha gente que se parece a mí. Yo buscaba gente que era de mi misma cultura, que podían entender cosas como ser inmigrante, la lengua, hablar en inglés y también en español.

Empecé a buscar si había una comunidad para Latinos y encontré a Latino Outdoors y les mandé un correo.

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 9

¿Tienen alguna caminata favorita cerca de Denver?

BG: En enero, nos gusta ir a Red Rocks Park. Hacemos una caminata de invierno.

NO: Es importante mencionar que somos voluntarias con LO y por aparte tenemos nuestros empleos de tiempo completo, por tanto solo podemos organizar una caminata por mes.

BG: He ido en una caminata de 18 millas que iba a ser como 10. Empezamos muy tarde, como a las 11 de la mañana, y terminamos a como las 9 de la noche. Además, nos encontramos con un grupo que estaba perdido, un grupo de adolescentes. Ayudamos a los paramédicos a evacuarlos; ayudamos a llevar sus mochilas.

Para Uds., ¿qué significa ser ‘outdoorsy’?

NO: Pensamos que, especialmente en Colorado, que hay una definición que si estás afuera, tienes que estar haciendo fourteeners o tienes que ir al backcountry, pero de verdad, puedes estar en un parque cerca de tu casa, puedes caminar ... a veces pienso que la gente tiene como miedo porque piensan que hay solo una forma de ser ‘outdoorsy,’ pero en realidad hay muchas formas en que puedes estar conectada a la Tierra. Respirando el aire, trabajando en el jardín—hay muchas cosas que no tienen nada que hacer con las montañas. ¿Por qué es importante tener un club al aire libre para latinos?

BG: Para que haya gente que se parecen un poquito a ti, que se sienta cómodo uno, no solo en el idioma, pero también que tenga como una coneccion en cómo es la cultura. Pienso que a veces la gente no van afuera porque piensan que no puede, o que no tienen los recursos, o piensan que necesitan un carro de 4WD. Queremos dar la oportunidad a la gente, que el dinero no sea un obstáculo para que puedan hacer las cosas que de verdad quieren hacer.

NO: Como inmigrantes, muchos hemos tenido familia que han pasado por mucho para llegar aquí—no tener papeles, por ejemplo, pasar por el desierto caminando, o a través de agua. Entonces, obviamente, es difícil entender lo que hacemos [con LO] porque ellos han arriesgado mucho y tienen ese trauma.

Mi mamá me mira y me dice, ‘Natalia, por qué estás intentando hacer tu vida más difícil de lo que es?’ Pero para mí, no veo al aire libre así, yo lo veo como algo que me libera, que me sana, que me cura de todo … entonces es interesante. Nosotros pensamos mucho en eso, en cómo podemos crear un ambiente, un espacio, donde personas que han tenido trauma puedan disfrutar del aire libre.

Como latinas, ¿el mundo de recreación al aire libre en Colorado se siente exclusivo?

BG: Sí, se siente aislado estar rodeado de personas que no necesariamente saben de dónde vienes. Es por eso que empecé a buscar una nueva comunidad para salir al aire libre, personas que han compartido más de mis experiencias.

NO: Hay muchas cosas en la industria del aire libre que hacen que parezca que debes tener todas estas cosas, todo este equipo, pero al final, si quieres estar afuera, puedes estar afuera. ¿Algo más que quieren decir? ¡Que están invitados todos— que vengan a convivir con nosotros!

Para participar, encuentre Latino Outdoors Colorado en Facebook o envíe un correo electrónico a colorado@ latinooutdoors.org.

S T R A I G H T TA L K | 0 6 .1 9

What’s the most difficult outdoor experience you’ve had in Colorado?

BIANCA GARCIA (LEFT) AND NATALIA OSPINA (RIGHT) AT GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK DURING A LATINO OUTDOORS EVENT IN MAY. / PHOTOS

BY JANELLE PACIENCIA

Bianca Garcia and Natalia Ospina L AT I N O O U T D O O R S ( LO) I S A VO LU N T EER - D R I V EN M OV EM EN T W I T H C H A P T ER S I N 1 9 C I T I E S AC ROS S T H E U N I T ED S TAT E S . M EE T N ATA L I A A N D B I A N C A , P RO G R A M CO O R D I N ATO R S F O R T H E CO LO R A D O G RO U P.

B

by JOSHUA BERMAN ianca Garcia, 25, works for the City of Denver and has lived in the city since she moved from Mexico City at the age of 7. Natalia, 27, works as a health educator in Denver Public Schools. She was born in Colombia and moved with her family to North Carolina at age 4.

They help organize monthly meet-ups with, generally, simple, non-technical activities—hiking, backpacking, biking, birding, camping, running—meant to attract newbies, families, and old pros alike. By encouraging fellow Latinos to get out and play in the mountains, LO strives to advance equity and diversity in the outdoors, both of which are often lacking.

How did you find Latino Outdoors?

Bianca Garcia: After I finished college I no longer had the connections to friends who spent time outdoors, so I started looking for people who were interested in the same things as me. I found Latino Outdoors first on Facebook, and then participating in their hikes.

Natalia Ospina: When I arrived in Denver I started climbing, and I began to notice that there were not many people who looked like me. So I sought out people from my culture, who could understand things like being an immigrant, the language, and speaking in English as well as Spanish.

I found Latino Outdoors and sent them an email.

Do you have any favorite walks near Denver?

BG: In January, we like to go to Red Rocks Park. We do it as a winter hike.

NO: It’s important to note that we’re volunteers and most of us work 40 hours a week, so with LO, we usually can only do one hike per month.

BG: I went on an 18-mile walk that was going to be like 10, and we started very late, like 11 in the morning, and ended at about 9 at night. In addition, we found a group that was lost, a group of teenagers. We help the paramedics evacuate them; we carried some of their backpacks.

For you, what does it mean to be ‘outdoorsy’?

NO: We think, especially in Colorado, that there is a definition that if you're out, you have to be doing fourteeners or you have to go to the backcountry, but really, you can be in a park near your house, you can walk ... Sometimes I think people are afraid because they think there is only one way to be 'outdoorsy,' but in reality there are many ways you can be connected to Earth. Breathing the air, working in the garden— there are many things that have nothing to do with the mountains.

Why is it important to have an outdoors club for Latinos?

BG: So that there are people who look a little like you, so that you feel comfortable, not only in the language, but also in your connection to the culture. I think sometimes people don’t spend time outdoors because they think they can’t, that they don’t have the resources, or that they need a 4WD. We want to give people the opportunity, so that money isn’t an obstacle to do the things they really want to do.

NO: As immigrants, many of us have had family that have gone through a lot to get here—being undocumented, for example; walking through the desert; or traveling across open water. So, obviously, it is difficult for them to understand what we do [in LO] because they have risked so much and they have that trauma. My mom looks at me and says, 'Natalia, why are you trying to make your life more difficult than it is?' But I don’t see the outdoors like that. I see it as something that frees me, that heals me, that cures me of everything.

We think a lot about this, about how we can create an environment, a space, where people who have experienced trauma can enjoy the outdoors.

As Latinas, does the outdoor recreation world in Colorado feel exclusive?

BG: Yes, it feels isolating to be surrounded by people who don’t necessarily know where you come from. It’s why I started looking for a new community to go outdoors with, people who have shared more of my experiences.

NO: There’s a lot in the outdoor industry that makes it seem like you have to have all of these things, all this gear, and when it comes down to it, if you want to be outside, you can be outside.

Anything else you want to say?

Everyone is invited—please come have fun with us!

To get involved, find Latino Outdoors Colorado on Facebook or email colorado@ latinooutdoors.org.

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IN FULL SWING

JUNE 2019 We’re really getting into the swing of things now. With two months of our tour down—and some exciting events on the way—we’ve got an epic summer ahead. We’ve visited all our favorite spots in the Blue Ridge Mountains (and discovered some new ones). Later this month, we head to the craggy peaks of Colorado for some high elevation climbing, craft beer sipping, and maybe even snowboarding if the snow stays in the high country. Take a look at the gear that keeps us going through each new adventure.

G E A R W E ’ R E LO V I N G

SEA TO SUMMIT: SIGMA 2.2 COOKSET

When it comes to van-ready cookware, Sea To Summit’s Sigma 2.2 Cookset checks all of the boxes. It consists of two marine-grade stainless steel Sigma Pots, two Delta Light Bowls, and two Delta Insul Mugs that all nest neatly inside the largest pot to make the perfect lightweight and compact kitchen set. The Sigma series is Sea To Summit’s most durable cookware option, too, making it perfect for everyday use in the van. $100

BIG AGNES: SKYLINE UL STOOL

The Skyline UL Stool is the perfect companion for minimalist packers who want to roll extra light, or van-dwellers who want to save space. Weighing in at about one pound, this stool packs down so small it fits inside a large-mouth water bottle.

This is the smallest addition to the Big Agnes line of camp furniture and your butt will thank you for packing it when you don’t have to sit in the dirt after a long day on the trail. $80

LEKI: MICRO VARIO CARBON BLACK SERIES

In a way, using these trekking poles is like driving a sports car. They are made out of 100-percent carbon, making them some of the lightest and strongest poles on the market.

And at just seven ounces per pole, they are perfect for climbing, trail running, or small tours.

The folding poles pack down and expand in a second and are easy to stash in a crowded van or gear closet. $250

SCHEDULE

6/6 - 6/9

WANDERLUST SNOWSHOE, WV

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6/13 - 6/16

FRANKLIN, VA VISIT FRANKLIN VA

T HE B U C K E T L I S T | 0 6 .1 9

Rambles & Scrambles get out on these seven epic hikes this summer.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Chasm Lake

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado 8.5 MILES ROUNDTRIP, 2,500 VERTICAL FEET GAIN WHY YOU NEED TO DO IT: There’s no better up-close view of Longs Peak and its towering rock walls.

THE DETAILS: At 14,259 feet, Longs Peak is one of the most impressive summits on the Front Range, and its East Face draws rock jocks from across the planet looking for world-class big wall climbing. But you don’t have to summit the peak to enjoy it. The steep but rewarding jaunt to Chasm Lake, at the base of the famed Diamond wall on the East Face, is worth a trip on its own and gives you time to just sit back and enjoy the beauty of the peak.

DON’T FORGET: You can camp in the nearby Boulder field for a climb up Longs’ class 3 Keyhole Route the next day.

Mee Canyon

Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, Colorado

IN THE DEEP SITTING AT 11,803 FEET WITH THE SHEER WALL OF LONGS’ EAST FACE RISING ABOVE IT, CHASM LAKE IS THE BEST DAY HIKE IN COLORADO. / PHOTO BY CHRISTIN HEALEY

5.6 MILES, 2,149 VERTICAL FEET WHY YOU NEED TO DO IT: You need a little desert fix and want to clamber on some sandstone.

THE DETAILS: There are plenty of red rock canyon hikes on the Colorado Plateau that will get your heart rate up (and maybe your sphincter clenched). The appeal of Mee Canyon is that it delivers a little bit of everything—desert arches and alcoves, scary exposure and scrambling, living geologic history—in a hike that's close to Fruita and Grand Junction. It’s a serious endeavor but also the perfect first canyon for desert-hiking newbies.

DON’T FORGET: Bring plenty of water and be forewarned there’s lots of exposed rock.

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THE TETON CREST / PHOTO

BY GREG VON DOERSTEN

MOUNT ELBERT / PHOTO BY DEVON BALET

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Mount Elbert

even sandboard (Kristi Sports will rent you one) down from the top if you so wish. The best option is to take it leisurely and spend a night out under the stars.

DON’T FORGET: Plenty of water and shoes that can handle hot sand.

Colorado

9 MILES ROUNDTRIP, 4,700 VERTICAL FEET WHY YOU NEED TO DO IT: It’s the highest peak in Colorado, yo!

THE DETAILS: While 14,439-foot Elbert may be the top of the most mountainous state in the nation, it’s not a particularly hard hike as far as fourteeners go. That's not to say the hike won’t wind you as you ascend nearly a mile into the sky from the North Mt. Elbert Trailhead near Leadville—it’s just not technically difficult. And it’s all worth it for the sweeping view from the summit.

DON’T FORGET: You can still bike up the peak from the South Mount Elbert Trail if you really have it in your lungs.

The Teton Crest

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming 45 MILES, 9,681 VERTICAL FEET WHY YOU NEED TO DO IT: It’s the perfect multi-day backpacking trip with stunning views of the namesake peaks in your face and plenty of wildlife.

THE DETAILS: This world-class backpacking trip puts you in the deep reaches of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with everything from meadows bursting with wildflowers to a chance grizzly sighting along the way.

You can soak it all in over three to five days or run it in one grueling epic.

DON’T FORGET: Bear spray!

Knife Edge

Capitol Peak, Colorado 17 MILES ROUNDTRIP, 5,900 VERTICAL FEET, CLASS 4 CLIMBING REQUIRED WHY YOU NEED TO DO IT: It’s one hell of a thrill ride.

THE DETAILS: Looking for a classic traverse that will test your mountaineering mettle? The Knife Edge Ridge on 14,131-foot Capitol Peak is a committing, exposed class 4 traverse that requires skills and concentration, though you don’t have to be a 5.13 climber to do it.

DON’T FORGET: Far too many people have died on this hike in the past few years, including five hikers over just two months in 2017. Know what you are doing. Tell someone you are going. Have the proper skills and equipment.

The Continental Divide Trail Canada to Mexico

Star Dune

Great Sand Dunes National Park 3+ MILES, 750 VERTICAL FEET WHY YOU NEED TO DO IT: It’s a bit of the Sahara in Colorado.

THE DETAILS: The highest dune in the ever shifting 30-square miles of sand at the heart of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Star Dune is a fun objective in a unique landscape. There's no trail of course, just a ramble across the sand—and plenty of options to roll or

MEE CANYON / PHOTO BY DEVON BALET

3,100 MILES, 407,708 VERTICAL FEET WHY YOU NEED TO DO IT: It’s a life-list achievement, one of the big three—along with the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail—long thru hikes in the U.S. THE DETAILS: Established by Congress in 1978, The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST) stretches 3,100 miles across the backbone of the country from Canada to Mexico, visiting Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico along the way.

Colorado claims one of the trail's big highlights: the Weminuche Wilderness, as well as sections close to civilization in the Indian Peaks Wilderness.

DON’T FORGET: You don’t have to do the whole thing.

Colorado boasts easy to chomp-off sections of the CDT that you can hike in anywhere from a few weeks to a day depending on your summer schedule.

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MIND S E T | 0 6 .1 9

OVERCOMING MENTAL INJURIES

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by JOSEPH GRAY

he injury was nothing catastrophic. I simply stepped into a hole on a run down a mountain near my home in Colorado Springs last July. At first, there was pain in my groin and pubic area. Then, frustratingly, it just didn't go away, making me run awkwardly with each step.

If you are a runner, you are likely familiar with injuries like this, or worse. Running is great when it comes to adventure, challenging yourself and overall fitness, but, unfortunately, injuries come with the territory. You would be hard pressed to find a longterm elite or recreational runner who has not experienced a physical injury.

Those injuries have ripple effects. We fear them.

And that trepidation can cause us to make certain decisions when training, to avoid the possibility of future injuries. After you’ve been injured once, you become a little more cautious the next go-around.

Injuries stick with us.

While most running injuries can be diagnosed and rehabbed to get you back on the trail, some may require a long period of rest. That can be tough on an athlete. And while dealing with the physical effects of an injury is difficult, it’s the mental aspect that the running world often overlooks.

Many athletes take part in their sport instinctively on a daily basis without stopping to consider the psychological benefits. I wake up every day to run.

Most of the time I’m just out enjoying the beauty of my surroundings and randomly pondering things. When I finish, I’m on to the next task. Sometimes, I may even have a problem I’m dealing with in life, and after a good run, I realize whatever it was really isn’t worth my energy.

I would argue that an athlete is affected more mentally than they are physically. While recovering from an injury, and possibly post-injury, they may end up dealing with those mental issues they didn’t even realize they faced. I coin this “mental injury.” And I speak from experience.

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y mental injury came alongside the long layoff from running I had to take due to the injury I sustained when I stepped in that hole. The pain in my groin made it difficult to run at all—and without running, I felt depressed, lonely, as if I had lost something. These negative emotions can have long term effects if not acknowledged Mental injuries ruin your self-confidence. For years, I had thought that I did not need others to support me to attain my goals. Success takes nothing more than motivation, desire and a dedicated work ethic, I told myself. For the most part this is true—if you can stay completely healthy during your entire experience.

When things don’t go as planned and negative emotions crowd your mind, you have to rely on a support system.

Having a support system of close friends and family gives you a shoulder to lean on. My group consists of close friends and family, as well as my teammates.

When I was injured, my teammates cross-trained with me. Many times, I would feel depressed simply because I wasn’t able to run. But my teammates crosstraining with me kept my spirits up.

Simply having someone to talk to while rehabbing through an injury can be a big boost. My family, especially my father, was a big support. In my

ON THE MEND JOSEPH GRAY GOES ROCK HOPPING IN HIS BACKYARD PLAYGROUND IN THE FRONT RANGE. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH GRAY

depression, I had gotten to a point where I wanted to be alone, isolated, but he constantly gave me words of encouragement. He would call me almost every day.

He wouldn't allow me to sink further into sadness. In the moment, it annoyed me. Now, I know he saved me from a negative path.

When you take into account the notion of trust, a support system becomes even more vital. Sometimes an athlete may suffer from mental issues that they don’t feel comfortable sharing with someone they do not know. But it's important to express your emotions in order to deal with them. Having people you trust in your life is key to getting back athletic confidence and shedding those feelings of loneliness and depression.

It wasn’t until I came to the realization that I had lost faith in myself that I understood that I needed my support group. And I realized that the ones who have always been in your corner and supported you are the best folks to nurture you mentally.

The next time you have a friend going through a rough patch during injury, remember how important you are to their mental rehab. And may they return the favor.

Joseph Gray is a six-time World Champion mountain runner, a 16-time USA National Champion and a 28-time Team USA Member. He is the first Black American to win the USA National Mountain Running Championships. In January, Elevation Outdoors readers voted him Colorado’s Resident Endurance Badass in our annual reader poll. Follow him on Instagram: @joegeezi J U N E 2 019 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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Are you ready for your next

great adventure?

ATV-friendly South Fork serves as Your base camp to adventure!

Head into the San Juan Mountain Range for hiking, fishing, trail riding and skiing adventures.

Del Norte, 15 miles downstream, has been called the gateway to the San Juans and to the rich history of the San Luis Valley. Here, you will find new mountain bike trails, a brew pub and a charming downtown.

CAN YOU RUN WITH THE HORSES?

16th Annual Run with the Horses Marathon Saturday, August 17, 2019 10K | Half | Full Marathon Sponsored by:

Monte Vista, yet another 15 miles downstream and centrally located, is near Wildlife Refuges and home of Stampede Rodeo, oldest Pro Rodeo in Colorado.

Great food, lodging and golfing.

Summer events in Rio Grande County include rodeos, car shows, Independence Day fireworks on July 3 and 4, Logger Days, Ski-Hi Stampede, Covered Wagon Days, Rhythms on the Rio Music Festival, 12 Hours of Penitence Mountain Bike Race and much more! Check our web site for a complete list of all of this summer’s festivals and events for current dates and more information!

Isn’t it time for your next great adventure? www.riograndecounty.com

ou Wish y ere were h www.TourWyoming.com

runwiththehorsesmarathon.com | sign up on runnercard.com 28

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Photo credit for background, rock climber and Jeep: Tyler Garcia.

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Explore Flaming Gorge Country in Sweetwater County, Wyoming

WYOMING TRAVEL GUIDE

The Cowboy State may lie just a few hours north of Denver, but it feels like it’s a world away. That’s because Wyoming has held on to its authenticity. The state’s wide-open spaces still give you the feel of a West that you can explore without crowds of fun hogs and their Sprinter vans squeezing in on your space. Adventure here is rugged and real, sprinkled with towns and communities where you can wind it all down—and all of it is easy to access. To that end, we suggest you point the grill north this summer and discover a new beautiful place to find yourself.

ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM

Paddleboarding on Lake Flaming Gorge J U N E 2 019 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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SHERIDAN

DISCOVER THE JEWEL OF WYOMING.

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f you are looking to escape the maddening summer crowds and spend your time soaking up some of the best that the outdoors has to offer head to Sheridan, Wyoming. Sitting on the edge of the 1.1-million-acre Bighorn National Forest it is called “Wyoming’s Emerald Jewel” for good reason. With a population of only 18,000 people the town retains its cowboy frontier feel but there’s plenty of game here for the modern outdoor enthusiast.

Every stream, mountain, trail and peak features a new adventure, and there’s always a friendly local willing to point you in the right direction.

Bighorn Mountain Guides is the best choice for anyone looking to scale mountain summits through classes and guided excursions. If you are more of a water lover, don’t worry: Wyoming Adventure Ninja can lead you to the best fishing, SUP, and kayaking spots.

Mountain bikers should head to the Sheridan Bicycle Company for trail maps, gear and guided trips.

If working up a sweat is your style, check out the community’s slate of races this summer. The Dead Swede Hundo mountain bike race rolls on June 1st and the Bighorn Mountain Trail Run hits the dirt June 13-15. These competitive trail runs attract some of the top runners in the nation and features some of the most iconic destinations in the Bighorns. From August 10-11 Sheridan hosts Bike MS Wyoming, a 160-mile road ride that winds through beautiful mountain passes and valleys.

Downtown Sheirdan is fun any time of year. With three breweries, a distillery and a winery, the town has earned a reputation as Wyoming’s craft capital.

Craft culture extends to local artisans like King’s Saddlery, where legendary leather artists ply their trade, or the Red Bison Studio, where the pottery wheel spins a unique Western marvel every time. And the hot ticket this summer will be the Antelope Butte Summer Festival on July 19-21, a family friendly event with live music, games and more.

WAKE UP WHERE IT’S STILL WILD

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JACKSON HOLE

IT’S TIME TO EXPERIENCE THE VIA FERRATA.

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or a unique climbing exeprience, head to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and try its ever expanding via ferrata. Now in its third year of operation, it’s a safe way to sample the Teton’s world rock. Every ascent is led by a trained guide and includes all the gear you will need. You can choose from a variety of routes with varying degrees of difficulty. Each route has permanent iron rungs, pegs and steps to use as you climb, all while you are safely harnessed into a system of anchored steel cables that you clip into for protection. Anyone over 12 years old can participate.

Getting down is a blast, too, since you get to cross a 120-foot suspension bridge before hiking through meadows of wildflowers. Your experience wraps up at the Deck at Piste, where delicious drinks and food are await you alongside jaw-dropping views.

Or simply jump in Jackson Hole’s iconic Aerial Tram for a quick trip to the 10,450 foot summit of Rendezvous Mountain. Here, you can explore more hiking trails, or if you are looking for something more sedate, head over to Corbet’s Cabin where you can relax in style while the day slips away.

LARAMIE

THE GEM CITY OF THE PLAINS.

D

ue to the proximity of the nearby Snowy Range and Medicine Bow National Forest, the historic city of Laramie, Wyoming is the perfect spot for any outdoor enthusiast.

Phenomenal fly fishing, mountain biking trails, countless climbing routes and so much more are all easily accessible from this unspoiled gem.

For the history buff, the city and surrounding area offers a treasure trove of information with a plethora of museums, monuments and historic landmarks all nearby. A few highlights

include Butch Cassidy’s old home, the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site, the Women’s History House and the Laramie Plains Museum where you will learn about the Women’s Suffrage Movement that allowed Louisa Swain in 1870 to cast the first ever vote as a woman in a U.S. general election.

If stomping your feet and having a little fun is more your style, take in the Elevation Celebration on July 6 in Centennial or make it to Laramie Jubilee Days July 6-14 for rodeo and many other activities.

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CHEYENNE

THE LEGENDARY WEST LIVES ON.

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f you have not been to Cheyenne, Wyoming lately you really are missing out on a damn good time. Situated a quick 90-minute drive north up I-25 from Denver, the city is the perfect jumping off point for day or even a week of outdoor adventures.

singletrack, Curt Gowdy State Park with its 35-mile long IMBA Epic MTB trail system is just east of the city. This gem offers challenging climbs, bomber descents and enough scenic views that you will want to make sure your IPhone has plenty of memory free.

Some of the United States greatest natural treasures—including Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower and the Black Hills—are all less than a day’s drive from the city. But why deal with the summer crowds that descend upon those spots? There’s plenty of outdoor magic right around Cheyenne.

Climbers have long known that Wyoming is home to some of the best routes in the nation. The Vedauwoo National Recreation Area, is situated just outside of Curt Gowdy State Park and it’s a must hit if you are looking for some sticky granite to spend your hours ascending. There are bouldering, trad and sport climbing routes galore, plus spots to pitch a tent if you just don’t want to leave.

Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and it’s 2.2 million acres of wilderness is nearby and offers a plethora of hiking trails to roam, streams to wet your line in, bike trails to ride and numerous spots to pitch your tent. If you’re looking for some unforgettable

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Once you are done traipsing around in this outdoor paradise it’s time to head back to Cheyenne for some good old-fashioned fun. Hit downtown first—the place has been famous for

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good times from back in the days when dusty cowboys rode the street and wagon trains headed west. With three craft breweries located within blocks of each other you won’t have any trouble wetting your whistle. Freedom’s Edge Brewing has a cozy taproom with an excellent selection of beers on tap. Just a few blocks away stop into Accomplice Beer Company for some outstanding vittles and tasty brews.

Danielmark’s Brewery is also an ideal spot to sit and sip.

buds. If you are looking for something a little more laid back stop at one of the numerous food trucks scattered around town, especially on Friday nights in the summer when live music happens at Fridays on the Plaza.

The restaurant scene in town is really taking off these days with new spots opening all the time. Wyoming’s Rib & Chop House, located right by the Nelson Museum of the West, is known for its “Rocky Mountain Hospitality.” The Angus Beef steaks are thick and meaty and the ribs are to die for. Just in time for the summer, The Metropolitan and Napoli’s Italian Restaurant are two new places to check out to tame your taste

And don’t miss the world’s largest outdoor rodeo: Cheyenne Frontier Days, July 19-28. Besides drawing cowboys and cowgirls from across the country, it also plays host to some of the biggest acts in country music. This year Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw are just a few of the folks that will be on stage. Summer is here and Cheyenne is ready to have some fun.

Cheyenne is a bike friendly town, so getting around is a cinch. There are well marked bike lanes, spots to lock up, and best of all an expansive greenway with 37 miles of trails to navigate on two wheels (or two feet).

We Will We Will Rock You!

20 miles of IMBA-rated EPIC mountain bike trails, surrounded by reservoirs, boulders, wildlife, camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Just 100 miles north of Denver.

CHEYENNE.ORG 800-426-5009 J U N E 2 019 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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CARBON COUNTY

WHERE TO GO GET YOUR WEST ON.

P

icture the real West and you see everything from fly fishing wild rivers to bull riding. That image is alive an well in Carbon County, Wyoming, situated high on the nation’s Continental Divide. Boasting some of the best of the outdoors the state has to offer, this south-central Wyoming adventure-lover’s mecca sits right off Interstate 80 and it’s replete with wild spaces, cultural sites, 10 museums, two Scenic Byways, two reservoirs, hot springs, breathtaking scenery, wildlife and more. You’ll also encounter rodeos, performing arts festivals, concerts and family events along the way this summer in Carbon County.

If you want adrenaline, Carbon County is home to some of the wildest river running in the West. Both the Encampment River and the North Platte River—also renowned for their world-class fly fishing—offer some of the best technical kayaking runs in the U.S. And the North Platte appeals to all: Kayakers can get their fix in the famed nine-mile Northgate Canyon, but casual

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paddlers can also enjoy calm stretches and more than a dozen access points between Saratoga, Encampment and Riverside. No matter what you seek, dial in to one of Carbon County’s numerous guide services for more information on how to best get out on the water.

Thirst for adventure still not quenched?

There’s hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing or mountain biking.

Plus, Carbon County also draws bird watchers from around the world, as well as wildlife photographers seeking shots of pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, blue grouse, bald eagles, coyotes, foxes, moose, elk, black bear and mountain lions. Come back in the winter for some of Wyoming’s best Nordic skiing, dog sledding and snowmobiling. No matter the season, you’ll want to make a stop in historic Saratoga, and spend a day soaking in the Hobo Hot Springs, whose mineral hot springs and thermal waters attracted the first settlers into the fertile North Platte River Valley.

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SWEETWATER

ALL THE ADVENTURE YOU NEED.

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lanning a road trip this summer? Head to Sweetwater, the largest county in Wyoming. The towns of Rock Springs and Green River are home to summer festivals and fairs that pair perfectly with outdoor adventures. Between tapping your toes to live bands to enjoying the thrill of the rodeo, there is something happening here for the whole family.

FLAMING GORGE DAYS JUNE 27-29, 2019 Known as “Southwest Wyoming’s Weekend of Fun,” this outdoor festival is the perfect way to kick off the sunny days of summer. For three days, the town of Green River plays host to a lineup of events that is sure to please all.

There’s a parade, games, and nightly live performances on the main stage.

INTERNATIONAL DAY | JULY 13, 2019 Celebrate the mixing pot that is America with the town of Rock Springs, the “Home of 56 Nationalities.” The only ethnic festival in Wyoming features a diverse lineup of food, costumes, exhibits, and live entertainment.

1.800.FL.GORGE | 1.800.46.DUNES

tourwyoming.com

WYOMING’S BIG SHOW JULY 30 - AUGUST 3, 2019 This is the one event you can’t miss.

Packed with carnival rides, delicious food, rodeo, and evening concerts from Trace Adkins, Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, and Ratt, to name a few. It delivers smiles and fun times for all.

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FINALS RODEO | JULY 14 – 20, 2019 Every year over 1,700 contestants from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Australia compete to take home national titles, prizes, and college scholarships. The action is non-stop with two sessions of rodeo occurring each day.

RIVER FESTIVAL | AUGUST 16-17, 2019 The perfect way to wrap up your summer. For two days there will be tasty micro-brews pouring, a Cajun shrimp boil, a marathon to run, live music, and, best of all, fireworks.

For a full list of events happening in Rock Springs and Green River, visit TourWyoming.com/Calendar.

ADVENTURE ISN’T OUR ONLY HEADLINER ACT. With summer events like concerts, rodeos and festivals happening each day, even our outdoor adventure has to

THE BEST ROAD TRIP STOPOVER FOR INCREDIBLE SHOWSTOPPERS.

share top billing. Because, on your way to the National Parks, it’s not just about getting there. It’s about getting out.

Don’t just vacation. Explore.

Yellowstone National Park 235 MILES TO YELLOWSTONE

Grand Teton National Park 183 MILES TO GRAND TETON

Jackson Hole

191

80

186 MILES TO SALT LAKE CITY, UT

Green River

Rock Springs

337 MILES TO DENVER, CO

80

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SILVERTON SUMMER SOUNDS FREE MUSIC IN COLUMBINE PARK 3RD FRIDAYS, JUNE - SEPTEMBER @ 6 PM MIKE GERYAK STAGE - 1239 BLAIR STREET, SILVERTON CO

6.21 7.19 8.16 9.20

ROCK AMERICANA THE CONTENDERS &ROOTS J-CALVIN WHITEWATER RAMBLE EMINENCE ENSEMBLE NEO SOUL

HIGH OCTANE BLUEGRASS

FUNK FUSION

Karen Srebacic-Sites

QUARTZ MORTGAGE * SILVERTON HARLEY-DAVIDSON * THE TRAIN STORE

SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE. VISIT COPPER MOUNTAIN.

Located just 75 miles west of Denver, Copper isn’t just a winter ski resort. With summer activities both on and off the mountain, a full 18-hole golf course and plenty of events, it’s the ultimate playground in the Colorado Rockies. Take advantage of our Buy One Get One Summer Activity Pass deal, available all summer long. Visit CopperColorado.com for more information.

BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE ACTIVITY DAY PASS Offer must be redeemed same day of regular Activity Pass purchase. Offer only valid for Summer 2019 (June 14 - September 2) and late season operations (Sept 6-8, 13-15) excluding scenic chair. Offer not valid with any other discount or promotion.

Non-transferrable, and non-refundable.

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SUMMER PEAK GEAR 2019 MEET THE GEAR THAT MAKES US HAPPY.

CONTRIBUTORS: JOSHUA BERMAN, AARON BIBLE, JASON BLEVINS, BERNE BROUDY, ROB COPPOLILLO, ADAM CHASE, BEN DAWSON, ROXANNE HARBITTER, CHRIS KASSAR, LILY KRASS, RADHA MARCUM, CAMERON MARTINDELL, SASHA MCGHEE, TRACY ROSS, RYAN SCAVO, DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN, MORGAN TILTON, CHRIS VAN LEUVEN, ZACH WHITE

Twice each year we hand out these coveted Peak Gear Awards to the very best gear we put to the test in the field. How do we determine the winners? Simple. We ask our top contributors—who, we are proud to admit, spend far more time camping, hiking, backpacking, biking, climbing and paddling than they do “working”—to name the best gear they used over the past year. What gear can’t you live without? Which gear changed your life?

What products made your adventures better?

HOKA ONE ONE

Giant

Liv

$200; hokaoneone/arkali Why It Won: We’ve never worn a more stable hiking shoe. It’s formfitting, light, and excels in mixed trail conditions, thanks to straps that adjust around the ankle. No rubbing. No clunkiness. No wondering if it’s going to be OK on wet granite. Comfortable and functional, they’re the luxury vehicle of shoes.

Where We Took It: Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks trails and scrambling off-trail

$3,100; giant-bicycles.com Why It Won: The latest generation Trance delivers the perfect balance of weight, pedal efficiency, and trailsmoothing capability. The do-it-all weapon is the perfect trail bike for all but the gnarliest of Colorado's singletrack and fire roads.

Where We Took It: A dream list of Colorado singletrack, and a couple of days in Moab, too.

$8,400; liv-cycling.com Why It Won: This beast of a bike is stable and trustworthy, especially in high-speed flow-trail turns. But it also thrives in the tight trees and technical trails outside of Nederland. It’s an able climber, but the downhill is where it really excels. While we crept away from our partners on the uphill, we truly dusted them on muddy, rocklined singletrack.

Where We Took It: Mid Magnolia and West Magnolia in Boulder County outside of Nederland; Heil Ranch, Colorado; Carbondale, Colorado

SKY ARKALI

Deuter

GRAVITY MOTION SL

$75; deuter.com Why It Won: Meet our favorite crag companion. We love that this pack opens lengthwise, so we can use it as a rope bag (and also for travel). It has plenty of places to clip quickdraws and trad gear on the outside, but streamlined enough that we've never caught it on anything. Plus it comes in both a standard and women's fit.

Where We Took It: Multiple trips climbing, and simply traveling across Colorado, California and the Southwest

TRANCE 29 2

Patagonia

STRIDER PRO

$69; patagonia.com Why It Won: This running short offers the perfect combination of soft-yet-abrasion-proof fabric in a sleek cut, with a handy draw cord on the outside, and numerous well-thought-out pockets. Plus, we feel good supporting a B Corp like Patagonia with a mission to prioritize environmental and social causes in addition to profits.

Where We Took It: Boulder’s Mesa Trail and the first day of the Transalpine Run, a 44-kilometer race from Germany to Austria.

INTRIGUE ADV 0

Old Town

TOPWATER PDL ANGLER

$1,999; oldtowncanoe. johnsonoutdoors.com Why It Won: We were a bit apprehensive about kayaking in a paddle boat, but the PDL system allows for accurate navigation and power on demand—and, as advertised, it left both hands free to deal with our fly line and landing big fish, which can be an adventure in a kayak. Add in lots of gull space for storage and this is our new flat water

favorite, even when we aren’t casting.

Where We Took It: Boulder Reservoir and Gross Reservoir, Colorado

Salewa

WILDFIRE EDGE

$170; salewa.com Why It Won: The Wildfire Edge blends hiker and climbing shoe better than any approach shoe we have ever tested. That’s due in part to the innovative lacing system that ratchets down in the toe for the scary stuff and loosens up when you are rambling down the trail. Plus, it smears with confidence and edges with the ability of a technical shoe.

Where We Took It: Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks trails and canyoneering on Utah sandstone

Janji

RUNPACA TEE

$54; runjanji.com Why It Won: This lesser known brand deserves every runner’s attention for its progressive designs and performance styles. Along with the Chiller Running Shorts, the Runpaca Tee (available in short and long sleeve) is the pinnacle of comfort and thermoregulation in an all-purpose

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tee for travel and running. It’s made in Peru from a blend of soft pima cotton and sustainably sourced alpaca fleece.

The colors and designs of each Janji piece are inspired by the international communities where the brand gives back with clean water programs.

Where We Took It: Aspen Backcountry Marathon, Steamboat Stinger Half Marathon, Portugal, Patagonia

Edelrid

CANARY PRO DRY 8.6MM

$250; edelrid.de Why It Won: An 8.6mm triplerated rope (single, half and twin) is remarkable enough, but unlike any of the competition, the Edelrid Canary boasts a 47 percent sheath percentage. That means the Canary has approximately 10 percent more sheath than other cords, making it tougher than any rope in its class.

Where We Took It: Everywhere from 15-pitch routes in Red Rocks to shortroping in Eldo to ice climbs in Vail

Lander

CAIRN XL LANTERN

$100; lander.com Why It Won: This powerful lantern fills a tent (or a hotel room) up beautifully with multiple soft, colored light options. The charging bank lasts for days and you can control it all from your smartphone.

Where We Took It: Campsites and hotel rooms across Colorado and Wyoming

logged more than 1,250 miles over the past year, half of those on dirt roads, and trails.

Katabatic

FLEX 22°F

$295-$420; katabaticgear.com Why It Won: This adaptable sleeping bag won us over with its impressive weight-to-warmth ratio. Best of all, you can unzip it to make it a down quilt—ideal for sharing, snuggling or dumping heat easily when camping solo. Plus, the small Colorado business engages in responsible sourcing and uses traceable down.

Where We Took It: Hut trips, tree line camping, and car camping around Colorado

One Wheel XR

$1,799; onewheel.com Why It Won: This is the greatest toy ever made. Our exuberant tester says: “I have pretty much stopped walking anywhere. This is as close to Aladdin's flying carpet I've ever found.”

Where We Took It: Our tester

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ROVR

April and on supply runs from Crested Butte to Colorado Springs and Denver

$399; rovrproducts.com Why It Won: The durable, rolling cooler impressed us year-round with burly wheels that allow for easy transport (even through snow). The dividers inside help organize food, so you can access everything efficiently while camping and prevents the food from getting smushed. Our tester wrote paragraphs about her love for the Rover 60. To sum up: “This cooler is a lifechanger.”

Where We Took It: Several road trips from December to

Tecnica

60

PLASMA S GTX

$150; tecnicasports.com Why It Won: The first hiking shoe that thermomolds to your foot was a godsend to our contributors with hard-to-fit feet. The consensus was that the customizable low hiker with a Gore-Tex membrane is phenomenally comfortable, with a sole sticky enough to scramble and a burly TPU shank that provided plenty of protection when we tested it on tricky terrain.

Where We Took It: All over Colorado, backpacking in Vermont, trekking in Portugal

FiveTen

FREERIDER PRO

$150; adidasoutdoor.com Why It Won: Sleek, durable, comfortable and grippy, these bike shoes proved perfect for riding a wide swath of trails and terrain. The sturdy synthetic upper breathed like a champ and the Stealth rubber kept our feet locked on flat pedals. It even felt right on long cross-country rides where we otherwise would have used our clipless pedals.

Where We Took It: Desert riding in Fruita and Moab, singletrack around Jackson, downhill trails on Teton Pass

Rocky Mounts

BACKSTAGE SWING AWAY PLATFORM HITCH RACK

$600; rockymounts.com Why It Won: This smart hitch-mounted, swingaway bike rack allows us to access the back doors of our van with the bikes still attached to the rack. That’s more or less mandatory for the sanity of our van-life contributors.

Where We Took It: All over the U.S. It's attached to the Live Outside and Play van.

Gerber

FREESCAPE CAMP KITCHEN

$88; gerbergear.com Why It Won: This clever, compactible kit—a cutting board that stores a kitchen knife and paring knife—is safe around kids, easy to carry and even includes a built-in knife sharpener. We keep it in our vehicle at all times for camping trips, pot lucks and impromptu picnics.

Where We Took It: Road trips, car camping and picnics

Metolius

BRAVO II WIREGATE QUICKDRAW

Northwave

GHOST PRO

$399; northwave.com Why It Won: This shoe is the bomb when it comes to serious gravel riding, and is also ideal for Cyclocross and competitive XC riding as well.

It features an ultra-light, ultrastiff carbon construction using a proprietary “X-Frame” with double speed dials for an exact fit without pressure points. It’s also extremely abrasion resistant all the way down to the grippy Michelin rubber sole.

Where We Took It: Every forest service road we could find between Estes Park and Central City; up and down Magnolia Road; dirt tracks all around Boulder County.

$15 each, $70 five pack; metoliusclimbing.com Why It Won: These light (79g) draws rack neatly on your harness gear loops thanks to their 12mm slings and small wire-gate carabiners. The flared-nose profile on the carabiners reduces the risk of accidentally opening during falls and an internal band on the clipping-end of the sling keeps carabiners from cross loading. We’re willing to take multiple whippers on them.

Where We Took It: The Chapel Wall in Yosemite, a stout crag with cracks from 5.10 to 5.13, and lots of sport routes rated 5.12

Gore

H5 INFINIUM PANTS

$200; gorewear.com Why It Won: Sure, these women’s pants provide wind protection and keep out precipitation while remaining incredibly breathable. But the design actually takes women’s needs into consideration with plenty of pockets, comfortable waistbands, a place for your phone, a cut that’s flattering but not restrictive and reinforced knee fabric for scrambling. Says our tester, “I've been wearing them for three days straight.”

Where We Took It: Through multiple spring shower hikes on the East Coast and in Colorado

Yeti

BOOMER DOG BOWL

$50; yeti.com Why It Won: This dog bowl is so nice we would eat our own breakfast out of it. No vanlife photoshoot is complete without one of these bad boys. Featuring double-wall stainless steel construction with a powder coated finish, it’s extremely durable and easy to clean.

Where We Took It: Where didn’t we take it? From Wilmington Beach, North Carolina, to Joshua Tree National Park, California...it goes where we go.

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The Reel Deal

The CPW Fishing app can help you discover over 1,300 fishing locations, check conditions, regulations and more!

ARTS. PARKS. ADVENTURES.

DISCOVER LYONS

Lyons is a small mountain town packed with big character! From kayaking, fishing, and mountain biking, to soaking up tunes at the Sandstone Summer Concert Series, Lyons has a little bit of everything to experience Colorado’s great outdoors.

VISIT LYONSCOLORADO.COM

Search CPW Fishing on:

CPW Fishing

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B E S T G E A R | 0 6 .1 9

Pants 686 ANYTHING CARGO

HIKING ESSENTIALS

Comfy enough for anything from a rowdy hike to a long plane ride, these four-way-stretch drawstring cargos feel luxurious yet can handle a beating. The plentiful pockets work to hold valuables from phone to credit cards when you want to forgo a pack— but they don’t look too dorky off the trail. $110; 686.com

PREP FOR THE TRAIL WITH THESE NINE BASICS FOR WILDERNESS AND OPEN SPACE EXPLORATION.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Poles LEKI MICRO BLACK CARBON We used to think hiking poles were for folks who were over the hill. No more. At 7.3 ounces per pole, these easy-toassemble, carbon fiber trekkers are a godsend when the terrain gets tricky or you are burdened with a big pack. $250; leki.com

Pack GREGORY ZULU 35

First Aid CVS SURVIVAL PREP PACK It can be a pain to round up the emergency essentials you should always have in your pack. No fear: You get Adventure Medical Kits emergency blankets, whistle and more in this inexpensive, simple package you can grab at the chain pharmacy. $6.50; cvs.com

This roomy bag will carry all you need for a fourteener excursion, or when you need to pack along everything for the family—yet it never feels like overkill on your back. Credit that easy feel to the FreeFloat suspension system that shifts with your torso even when the pack is fully stuffed.

Extra points for the simple sunglass stow on the shoulder strap. $170; gregorypacks.com

Shoe OBOZ SAWTOOTH II LOW WATERPROOF The perfect do-it-all hiker, this 17.4-ounce (in a men’s 9) lowtop caters to the demands of thru hikers. Beefed up with a burly sole that can stick to rock and handle weeks of abuse, this waterproof kick is just the ticket on quick backpacking trips for those who don’t demand lots of ankle support. But with out-of-the-box comfort, it’s also a good choice for afternoon rambles. $140; obozfootwear.com

Sock WIGWAM ARBOR NXT MID CREW A top-quality sock is the oft overlooked key to smart hiking gear. With a blend of nylon, merino and spandex, these cushy socks prevent blisters by putting more protection in zones prone to hot spots. Plus, they are made in the U.S.A. $16; wigwam.com

Insulator OUTDOOR RESEARCH REFUGE HYBRID The perfect backpacker’s companion, this insulator will prove its worth when the temperatures drop at your wilderness camp in the bottom of a canyon. Tipping the scales at a scant 12 ounces, the jacket features water-resistant stretch fabric in arms and hood and just enough insulation in the core, making it comfy even when you are on the go with a pack on in chilly temps. $159; outdoorresearch.com

Shirt STIO EDDY SS If you’re the type who heads straight to the bar from the trailhead, this is your shirt. The breezy nylon-poly-blend short-sleeve can handle sweat and a bit of weather as well as an errant drink spilled on it. $99; stio.com

Wind Shell BACKCOUNTRY CANYONLANDS Most summer days in Colorado you can skip a full on rain shell, but when the wind picks up on an exposed ridge, you’ll be glad you stuffed this packable, crazy light (just 4 ounces!) jacket into your pack or even a pocket. $100; backcountry.com

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GEAR CHECK | FAST & LIGHT HYDRATION

Pocket Power Weight and ergonomics matter—whether on a oneday summit bid or a long weekend fastpacking loop.

These racking-up-miles-and-vertical missions are no

Katadyn BeFree Filtration System 0.6 L

place for water to be sloshing around a half-filled, heavy metal water bottle. Instead, maximize pocket space with a HydraPak flexible bottle—such as the SoftFlask 750 ml, which weighs in at a scant 2.3 ounces. Or the 500 ml Stow that tips the postal scales at 1.5 ounces and tucks away into its own handle when empty. And even with an in-line filter, the Katadyn BeFree 0.6 L, with HydraPak-made flexible bottle, is just 2.3 ounces. Flexible bottles have the benefit of shrinking around the remaining water as you drink it down, which eliminates sloshing in your pocket or pack. As the kicker, all three of these products from gram-shaving pioneer HydraPak are built from ultra-durable TPU material—essentially survival insurance if your drinking vessel takes a tumble from a high point. Now if only they could dehydrate water.

SpeedCup 200 ml

SoftFlask 750 ml

Stow 500 ml expanded and collapsed

HE A R T HI S | 0 6 .1 9

WHEELS OF SOUL

On the Rocks

SHOVELS AND ROPE WILL JOIN THE TEDESCHI TRUCKS TOUR. / PHOTO BY CURTIS MILLARD

B E SU R E TO G E T T I C K E T S F O R T H E SE S I X C A N ’ T- M I S S SH OW AT CO LO R A D O’ S M OS T P O P U L A R V EN U E.

Q

by JEDD FERRIS

uestion: Who isn’t playing Red Rocks this summer? At this point it’s hard to find a touring act missing from the venerable venue’s packed schedule. We’re not complaining.

The amphitheater is a magical place to see live music that’s become a nationally revered rite of passage for both bands and music fans alike. To help you wade through the options, here are EO’s top picks for acts taking the Morrison stage.

R AG E ROCK S FE ATU RI N G LE T TUCE JUNE 15 Funk explorers Lettuce have big plans in store for their annual Rage Rocks party.

This year, the band will play a full set of Jerry Garcia Band tunes, with help from longstanding JGB keyboardist Melvin Seals, as well as a set of their own material. In the latter, expect some fresh jams, as Lettuce will release their sixth studio album, “Elevate,” the day before the show. The multi-band bill will also feature opening performances from rock-fusion outfit Tauk and rowdy New Orleans brass band the Soul Rebels.

K ACE Y M USG R AV E S J U N E 26

Kacey Musgraves moved well beyond country with her colorfully expansive latest effort “Golden Hour,” which won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards back in February. Since the beginning of the year, she’s been digging into the record’s material on stage on her high-energy Oh, What a World Tour, moving between standouts like the mystical folk tune “Slow Burn” and the disco-laced “High Horse.”

Hopefully you already have tickets, because Musgraves hasn’t been leaving many, if any, seats empty at recent shows.

S TRI N G CH E E S E I N CI DE NT J U LY 1 9 -2 1

Chances are, if you live in Colorado, you’ve seen SCI a time or two at this point. But this year, the band is celebrating its 25th anniversary, visiting favorite old venues across the country and digging deep into its back catalog.

The milestone year wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Red Rocks, where the band will hold court for three nights in July. The run includes an impressive roster of special guests, including the Greyboy Allstars and bluegrass legend

CODE RED ROCKS COLORADO'S STRING CHEESE INCIDENT (LEFT) AND JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT (RIGHT) WILL DRAW THE FAITHFUL. / PHOTOS BY COURTESY SCI (LEFT), ERIKA GOLDRING (RIGHT)

Del McCoury, who turned 80 this year.

The July 20 show will feature support from Keller Williams, who will also join SCI for a full run through their 1999 collaborative album “Breathe.”

W H E E L S O F SOU L TOU R J U LY 26 -27

Grammy-winning blues singer Susan Tedeschi and her guitar wiz husband Derek Trucks carry the torch of experimental Southern-flavored rootsrock with the Tedeschi Trucks Band.

The 12-piece outfit tours relentlessly, delivering joyful shows that highlight Trucks’ blazing slide licks and Tedeschi’s deeply soulful vocals, backed by a powerful band that includes tight rhythm and horn sections. Earlier this year the band released the dynamic new studio album, “Signs,” which blends uplifting gospel-minded songcraft and greasy instrumental interplay. For the fifth straight year, the group is leading the Wheels of Soul Tour, a roots-driven, cross-country jaunt that will also feature Blackberry Smoke and Shovels & Rope.

JO H N PRI N E W ITH TH E CO LO R A DO S Y M PH O N Y J U LY 28

After the release of last year’s “The Tree of Forgiveness,” his first album of new material in 13 years, blue-collar bard John Prine is continuing his latecareer surge with a hearty batch of summer tour dates. One of his most interesting shows of the year will surely take place at Red Rocks, where he’s set to team up with the Colorado Symphony for a special performance.

Songs for the evening will be arranged

by Dave Cobb, the go-to Nashville producer who helmed Prine’s latest effort, as well as recently lauded projects from Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile and Chris Stapleton. Swells of strings should only intensify the wistful melodies in Prine classics like “Sam Stone” and “Paradise.” As a bonus, folk supergroup I’m With Her—featuring Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan—will open the show.

JA SO N IS B E LL A N D TH E 4 0 0 U N IT W ITH DAV I D CROS BY A N D FRI E N DS S E P TE M B E R 17

Last summer, David Crosby joined Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit for a special performance at the venerable Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island.

The collaboration yielded fiery reboots of two of Crosby’s heyday classics, “Wooden Ships” and “Ohio,” from his time in Crosby, Stills and Nash and CSNY, respectively. Hopefully the artists will feel like sharing stage time again in September when Crosby opens for Isbell and his band at Red Rocks. Isbell is still burning up the road behind his Grammy-winning 2017 album “The Nashville Sound” and last year’s live follow-up, “Live from the Ryman.” Crosby, now 77, has been on a run of releasing late-career solo albums, including last year’s “Here If You Listen” along with “Sky Trails,” which came out in 2017.

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T HE R O A D | 0 6 .1 9

Alone in the Flow A S O LO T R I P D OW N T H E G R EEN R I V ER T U R N S I N TO A B I G G A M B L E W H EN A WO M A N SEEK S TO N AV I G AT E R A P I DS A N D I M M ER SE H ER SEL F I N TO A D EEP ER U N D ER S TA N D I N G O F T H E I S SU E S O F WAT ER I N T H E D RY W E S T.

R

by HEATHER HANSMAN

ed Creek, the biggest rapid in the fish-choked section of the Green River that some folks call the rude, churning surprise around a bend in the river.

The blood-colored canyon bows and twists. The water roils, compressing into the corner. From above, all I can hear is the thunder of whitewater.

I knew this was coming—sort of.

The day before, I’d stopped at Trout Creek Flies, a fly shop in the dam-side town of Dutch John, on the way down to the boat ramp to get some beta about the river. Steve Habovstak, the manager, who looked like he’d just drifted in from Baja in his flip-flops and deeply unbuttoned shirt, told me that the river was up. A fishing guide had lost his boat in the rapid earlier that week. It caught an edge, swamped, and disappeared below the surface. A whole drift boat, gone. Habovstak said they figured they’d find it when the water went down, but until then there was nothing they could do.

I can’t shake that image of a boat being pinned and sucked under as I pull over on the river’s left side to scout.

Plenty of fishing boats run the mellower, seven-mile stretch just upstream of here, right below the Flaming Gorge Dam, because the cool, clear, dam-released flows are prime habitat for trout. But once you get farther downstream, the river’s natural silt starts to creep back in and the fishing tapers off. This morning on the boat ramp, there had been plenty of commercial trips launching, but they’d pulled off the river at the first takeout. I headed deeper into the canyon alone.

Now at the lip of the whitewater, I’m suddenly hyper-aware that no one really knows where I am, and I have no clue when the next boat might be coming through.

I

am alone of my own, potentially stupid, accord. I had decided to paddle the length of the Green River to try to better understand water, and the way we use it in the increasingly hotter, drier, more crowded West. Two weeks ago, I launched my pack raft from the Wind River Range’s Green River Lakes, in

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By looking at the river itself, and talking to water users along the way, I figured I could start to understand the state of scarcity and risk. Doing it alone felt like the clearest distillation of that mission.

Wyoming—bow pointed, eventually, toward Canyonlands, where the Green runs into the Colorado River.

I had decided that the best way to understand the risk of future supply and demand was the best way I know to figure out a lot of things—from the river.

By looking at the river itself, and talking to water users along the way, I figured I could start to understand the state of scarcity and risk. Doing it alone felt like the clearest distillation of that mission. But all of a sudden my metaphorical quest to figure out resource peril is palmsweatingly real. I’m so nervous I can’t take in a full breath.

There aren’t many slow-water eddies to catch because the river is raging up over its banks, and I can’t see anything downstream past the spray of white water, so I jam the boat into a sandbar above the tamarisk tangle, where warm,

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ochre-colored Red Creek runs into the river. I jump out quickly, dragging my packraft up the bank. The tamarisk, a knotty-rooted invasive, which is almost impossible to move through, makes it hard for me to scout. I stumble, sweating, through the bramble, trying to get a look at the rapid. Fine-grained sediment from the creek forms a sandy island between it and the shore.

Since I can’t get above the rapid, I try to get next to it—but when I try to cross over to the sandbar to get a look, I am immediately crotch-deep in moving water.

I grab at tamarisk stalks to try to keep vertical, very, very aware of the peril of foot entrapment. The first thing they teach you in baby raft guide training is, “Don’t stand up in the river,” and with that in mind, I flash through all the ways I could die here, sucked under, stupid and rash, knowing much better.

I shimmy myself back up the shore, but the banks are so thick that I can’t see anything without getting into places where I think I might get trapped. I don’t know what to do. I have no one to ask for advice. All I know is that there’s an unseeable rapid big enough to swamp a boat right there, and I have to get downstream. There is no other way out of the canyon.

I clamber back to the top of the bank, sweating and scratched up, and decide to portage around the rapid, despite the nettles and brush that choke the banks. It seems sloggier but safer. But, as I wallow back up, hot and frustrated, I secondguess myself, and change my mind.

READING THE WATER HANSMAN, PICTURED HERE SCOUTING RAPIDS IN DESOLATION CANYON, UNDERTOOK THE ENTIRE 730 MILES OF THE GREEN RIVER ON HER OWN.

I convince myself that I can sneak my boat through the narrow tamariskchoked channel between the island and the rapid. Yes, it looks like it might be skinnier than my boat in some places, but I’m exhausted and low on judgment, so I tell myself it will be less work than walking around, and less dangerous than running the un-scoutable gut of the rapid. No option feels good.

I push off and sneak through the boatwide gap next to the island, scraping the bottom of the river. It’s just as narrow as I feared, and the boat drags and catches.

The river picks up speed, pushing against the rail of the raft. It presses me into the tamarisk, making every movement frantic.

My paddle tangles in the reeds, yanking on my shoulder, spinning me off line.

I

’d like to say I thought about consequences, and worked through my decisions logically and carefully, but really I gambled. I tried to make the best choice I could with what little information I had. I tried not to second-guess myself, even though I knew my decision-making was full of holes. But I made it.

And that experience epitomizes the biggest thing I learned on my whole trip downriver: Almost everyone who

manages water, from ranchers to raft guides, is trying to make the best possible choices based on a sketchy, unseen, ever-changing future. And they are all trying to protect themselves against the potential of incoming disasters. Water management is like risk management, like river running. You can scout and try to predict where the water is going to push you, but you don’t know what’s actually going to happen until you’re in it. Fear can help, but it can cloud your decision making, too.

When I reach the end of Red Creek

I have to pull myself free from an arm of tamarisk, but then I’m flushed out, back in the main channel. I’m upright, paddle in hand, but by the time I catch my breath, the river has bent again. I can barely see the whitewater from downstream. I have no idea if my choices were good or not, but here I am, moving forward.

—HEATHER HANSMAN IS THE AUTHOR OF DOWNRIVER: INTO THE FUTURE OF WATER INTHE WEST, A CHRONICLE OF HER 730-MILE SOLO TRIP DOWN THE ENTIRETY OF THE GREEN RIVER AND THE PEOPLE SHE MEETS ALONG THE WAY WHO RELY ON ITS WATER.

THE STORY OF THE WEST ALONG ITS COURSE FROM WYOMING'S GLACIATED WIND RIVERS TO UTAH’S RED ROCK DESERT, THE GREEN RIVER SUPPLIES WATER TO 33 MILLION PEOPLE— HANSMAN WANTED TO IMMERSE HERSELF IN THE CULTURE OF THIS PRECIOUS BUT ENDANGERED RESOURCE.

TAKING TIME TO SMILE ON WATER OF FONTANELLE RE THE FLA T SERVOIR

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

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E LWAY V IL L E | 0 6 .1 9

Illustration by KEVIN HOWDESHELL / THEBRAVEUNION.COM

Summer of Success W H E T H ER YO U WA N T TO C L I M B T H E G R A N D T E TO N O R S I M P LY FA L L I N LOV E A N D T R A I P SE I N W I L D FLOW ER S , N OW I S T H E T I M E TO M A K E T H I S SU M M ER M AG I C .

W

by PETER KRAY

hat do you need to have happen to make this summer a success? Is it reaching a series of summits, or porpoising through the rapids in what is sure to be an all-time run-off thanks to the epic snowpack?

Do you need to fall in love— everyone should fall in love!—or throw the perfect backyard barbecue where the spotlight is on your supersecret hot-coal chicken sauce? Or maybe you just need an epic road trip to somewhere outside the lines of Colorado’s rectangular box.

You should go see the majesty of Wyoming’s Tetons or Montana’s pyramid-shaped Lone Peak. Or run like an unbridled pony at Oregon’s Cannon Beach with Haystack Rock as your backdrop. Or just take the short drive south to Santa Fe and get your mind blown at the immersive, experiential art installation of Meow Wolf.

Whatever it is that will make this summer as memorable as a cloud-free day in the personal highlight reel of your mind, now’s the time to plan it. Even if

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it’s as simple as making a garden grow, and catching a few choice shows at Red Rocks (see page 43).

Summer doesn’t last forever, you know. So as soon as you finish reading this, get outside and start soaking up some new experiences.

WA S TE D TI M E IS W H AT YOU M A K E O F IT

I’m telling you this, but I’m also telling myself.

You see, somewhere along the line, I let the magic of summer get away from me, and all my dreams of unfettered freedom became filled almost exclusively with visions of deep snow and cold powder.

I loved the hot days when I was kid, when June to August stretched away like three straight months of Saturdays, and the only thing my brother and I had to do was get up and ride our bikes to the YMCA every morning for swim team practice.

We had summer-long passes to the old Crest Theater on Kearney Street, where we must have seen 100 movies, including the original “Westworld” and “Planet of the Apes.” We ate popsicles by the thousands, played kick-the-can until the sun went down, and if two separate sets of cousins came to visit from New York, we got to go to Elitch’s twice—the ultimate summer success!

There were unforgettable trips to Twin Lakes, and an epic nosebleed watching a storm move in from the top of Electric Pass. And there was fishing in the mountains, canoeing in Canada,

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 9

and sailing with Dad on his Hobie Cat at Cherry Creek. But sometime around junior high school, summer became the season when I worked...at the concession stand of a movie theater on Colorado Boulevard, mowing lawns in Park Hill, washing dishes at Grande Giovanni’s pizza, bussing tables at Philippe’s (which I was horrible at).

In college, I spent four summers cutting trees for Swingle, the last so I could make enough money to move to Jackson Hole and buy a ski pass. Winter became my offseason, with the mud seasons of spring and fall my poorest months, and the long days of summer my one chance to put any money in my bank account.

All my closest friends were—and still are—ski bums as well. So much so that when an old-time landscaper asked a couple of us, “Do you guys ever think about taking the summer off instead?” we looked at him as if he had eight heads.

TA K I N G SU M M E R BACK

It was when my wife’s folks moved to Salida that I began to remember what summer is, and what for me it could be again. It was seeing how most of the lifties at Monarch were river rats less interested in powder days than they were in watching the mighty Arkansas River rise again. Or standing on Main Street watching the 4th of July parade when a woman behind me said, “You all

stand up for that flag now,” to a group of kids.

Most of all, it was taking the time to hold my lovely wife on a warm summer night while staring up at the fireworks.

I realized how, in summer, I didn’t spend enough time being lost in a moment. I’d been missing out on that far-reaching space-out where your mind wanders everywhere and nowhere on an afternoon hike. I’d forgotten what it’s like to grab an early cup of coffee at some mountain café and watch the day—and the world—come to life.

And writing it now, I suddenly remember how many friends have uttered the mantra, “I came for the winter and stayed for the summer,” to succinctly sum up what cemented their permanent move from East or South to the Rocky Mountain West.

Summer is the time when we all have the opportunity to reset our psychological clocks, go back into the sweet nostalgia of an extended period of nothingness, and let the heat of the sun seep into our souls like a lizard on a rock.

So yes, I am going to barbecue, and hike, and swim in the soft ripples of the Arkansas. I’ll go see Mark Knopfler fill the air with the smooth leads of electric guitar at Red Rocks. I am going to let summer work its sweet smile on me, and refill my mojo while doing it.

You go get some summer, too, and be good to yourself.

—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

THE THRILL OF EXPLORATION

NOW HAS LESS TO DO

WITH THE LIKELIHOOD OF SURVIVAL.

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