Smile! It’s springtime in the Rockies, when snow is deep, temperatures are mild, days last longer and sun shines stronger. Best of all, you can sleep in while the snow softens to a cushy carpet and ski or ride later into the afternoon. Colorado resorts celebrate spring with an alpine version of the backyard party. … Read more
I’ve driven this road a hundred times, but it doesn’t matter. I still strain my neck trying to take in the scenic view as my car climbs the foothills out of Denver and heads into the heart of the Rockies. I rise above the city, now just a tiny speck in my rearview mirror, and … Read more
Steven Sherer and his wife Pat moved to Colorado’s Western Slope from Hawaii in 2008 with the intention of buying a small acreage in the Palisade area so they could have a few horses. Instead, they bought a peach orchard, and now operate a nine-acre orchard with 3,600 trees. Palisade, with its favorable 182-day growing … Read more
Its breathtaking setting certainly deserves the title, but Estes Park is not really a park ? At least not in the typical sense of the word. In geologic lingo, “park” describes a glacially cut, level valley between mountain ranges. And this is exactly where this picturesque hamlet is located. Estes Park, Colorado, is nestled in … Read more
I had been lucky. On five previous rafting trips through Brown’s Canyon on the Arkansas River, most other members of the group took tumbles into the frigid waters. But, throughout the years, I’d always been able to maintain position on the topside of the raft. I didn’t have that same sense of calm this year, … Read more
A big black dog, a tent and a fishing pole are the sine qua non of Colorado living and, over the years, I’ve had a number of all three. Fishing, I enjoy, and scratching the ears of a big goofy mutt is a great relaxing sedative, but it stops right there because I’ve always hated … Read more
“Cancer, it’s just a word.” That’s a favorite saying of Vail resident Allan Goldberg, First Descents executive director and 27-year cancer survivor. He likes the phrase so much so that he had it printed on t-shirts. “It is a scary word and it deserves its reputation,” said Goldberg. “But I always thought if you went … Read more
With its 5,000 acres of terrain and legendary Back Bowls, Vail Mountain is the crème de la crème of Colorado ski resorts. It’s known for its wide ski runs, a wealth of intermediate and expert runs, and a comprehensive ski school. But Vail Mountain isn’t just for swishing down the slopes. There are plenty other … Read more
A rich blue sky envelops me. Sun streams onto my face. The air holds still and clear. Nothing invades my space — no trees, no structures and no people — just the sky and pristine snow, soft under my ski boots and thick on mountains as far as I can see. I’m on top of … Read more
Stuck between a rock and a hard place? Not even close. Climbing guide Eric Zerowin sets anchors high above the shores of Lake Dillon as his two guests absorb the views. The late-morning sun shines brightly in the blue sky, and it’s too early in the day for summer’s afternoon showers to begin rolling in. … Read more