elevation outdoors magazine september 2012

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departments7 EDITOR’S LETTER Only as good as my staff.

8 QUICK HITS Hunter Weeks follows the Yellowstone, Ned bike shops rock, the velodrome opens.

11 FLASHPOINT Can wolves make it from the Northern Rockies to Colorado? Don’t ask a rancher. 14 HOT SPOT Rippin’ fall singletrack in Vail.

16 bUTTINg HEADS Hipsters versus cavemen: should you go veg or Paleo?

17 STRAIgHT TALKScott Jurek on the joys of long runs and the vegan diet.

30 THE ROAD Rob Coppolillo recalls the icy, dreadlocked days of ‘90s cycling.

32 CALENDAR Mud season is here. Time to register for cyclocross races.

34 READER PHOTOS Tattoos tell all.

ON THE COVER: RuN uP HIGH. bY DAVID CLIFFORD/DAVIDCLIFFORDPHOTOgRAPHY.COm

features19 THE bEST OF COLORADOWe aksed our readers to identify the best of everything in our charmed state—from singletrack to river trips to yoga teachers. Here’s your CO bucket list.

26 TOP gEARForget advertisers, marketing departments and reviews that make M. John Fayhee blush. We simply asked our staff to identify the best gear they used in the field over the past year.

29 TANDEm bASEEver wanted to jump off a cliff strapped to another human? Mario Richard and Steph Davis will make your dream come true.

33 ELWAYVILLEThere was a lot of smoke hanging around Colorado this summer. Peter Kray finds hope and despair in the air.

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con t r i b u t o r sWhat’s your best

personal best/PR?

j a ymemoyeI slept for 15 hours straight on a flight back from Africa, in the middle seat in economy class.

ch r i s k a s sa rSecretly carrying homemade cake—frosting, sprinkles, candles and all—to the top of Mt. Elbert on my guy’s

birthday in May. It remained intact and tasted amazing.

j amesm i l l sI once set my marathon pR of 3:23 by drinking two liters of water at the start and literally racing

26.2 miles to the bathroom.

me red i t hdemasoOne-hundred-and-seven licks into a tootsie-roll pop before I (it) cracked.

dougschn i tzspahnSeeing Idaho’s Owyhee Canyonlands preserved as wilderness 10 years after I

advocated for them to be saved.

b rendan l e ona rdI ate a 32-ounce jar of mayonnaise in 20 minutes to raise $1,000 for underprivileged kids.

r obcoppo l i l l oFathered healthy, smiling, maniacal twins (intentionally); married out of my league; beat

the rap; made it to 40. Having good luck, that’s my personal best.

cameronmart indel lpretty excited to have been on all seven continents. but am considering brendan’s jar of mayo...

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SEPTEMBER 2012 • ElevationOutdoors.com 7

Best Staff

All of us who work at this magazine put our hearts into it—and we are not getting rich off this work. we do it because we love the outdoor world and we relish the creativity and community it takes to bring this book together each month. I certainly couldn’t do it alone. I’m lucky enough to have an editorial staff who give this creature life. And since an editor’s letter is so often a big dose of narcissism, I wanted to take the opportunity to stop talking about me and what I think and call out some of the amazing people on our masthead. This is our “best Of” issue, after all.

Jayme Moye showed up at our office (at the time, the rental house of publisher Meredith DeMaso) on Spruce Street in boulder and told me simply that she wanted to be my intern—for free. who can refuse an offer like that? Jayme was leaving her job in the high tech industry and wanted to do what we were doing. That gamble sure paid off—Jayme has gone on to be one of the most prolific outdoor/adventure and food writers I have ever seen.

Now, she is the managing editor of this magazine—hounding writers (and most often me) to get everything in on time as well as editing Quick Hits and writing award-winning stories such as her piece on expansion at breckenridge Resort. She works hard and it has paid off with assignments from Men’s Journal and Outside as well. beyond that she has put her energies into promoting worthy advocacy projects including

empowering women through Mountain2Mountain (mountain2mountain.org) and helping Haiti promote its developing singletrack and mountain bike racing.

Senior editor Chris Kassar first came to us as the writer of a piece on Rios Libres, a group working to stop dams that will destroy Chilean patagonia. She founded Rios Libres at a kitchen table in Flagstaff, Arizona, along with photographer James Q. Martin before enlisting patagonia ambassador Timmy O’Neil and author Craig Childs to put their weight behind the project.

I was overjoyed when Chris moved to boulder and brought that intensity and vision to our staff (look for her piece next issue on how ski resorts are dealing with climate change). Rios Libres (rioslibres.org) has grown too, attracting the support of big sponsors like Keen Footwear and Osprey and throwing a party at the Outdoor Retailer show this summer. As someone who has slaved on environmental issues, I can’t express how impressed I am with that type of work.

Senior editor Cameron Martindell is no slouch either. when he’s not fixing our technology issues, he is getting kids outdoors through the boy Scouts and he created the EO presents Series of Speakers at REI. He doesn’t just write about these adventures, he brings them to others, which is the whole point isn’t it? His energy is contagious.

I would also like to thank our contributing editors: Aaron bible, who copy edits for the love of it; Adam Chase, who makes me want to run more; Rob Coppolillo, whose tireless blogging gives us dirtbag authenticity; James Dziezynski,

who is always out exploring and bringing back soulful essays on his travels; Sonya Looney, whose passion for bikes and being outside has grown her a legion of fans; and Chris Van Leuven, who gets me out climbing and away from this laptop. It is this community you hold in your hands. Join us.

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Filmmaker Hunter weeks just finished touring his third feature length documentary “where The yellowstone goes.” Like many documentary and independent filmmakers today, weeks did not go to film school. He suppressed his interest in film while in college to avoid being ridiculed as a hopeless dreamer, and for a short while ended up with a steady-eddy office-bound marketing job.

Where did you learn about filmmaking?I went to a small school called principia College where I was able to dabble with cameras in the Mass Comm department, and some friends asked me to do some camera work for them and had me act in their video projects. Then I found there was lots to learn online. when I got serious about making my first film, I partnered with my good friend Josh Caldwell who loved the technical side of things and figured all of that out. we were inspired by Morgan Spurlock who did “Supersize Me” and we figured ‘how hard can it be?’ I’ve realized, it’s hard and even after three films, I will always be learning.

Where did the idea for your first film, “10 mPH,” about riding a Segway scooter from Seattle to boston, come from? Another friend, John Keough, was talking to Josh on the phone one day and suggested it. Segways

were pretty new then and he argued every new kind of vehicle has to have some sort of trans-continental inauguration. Josh and I wanted to break free from our boring office jobs and had just given our notice with no idea what lay ahead. I thought the Segway idea was totally crazy at first, but then it grew on me and we decided to go for it. I think that’s what was most important. we wanted to do something fun and cool and making this film was it. we didn’t back down.

Which do you prefer more the filmmaking or the storytelling?I like the storytelling more. I don’t like getting caught up in the mechanics of filmmaking. I see the value of having good equipment, but in the end if you can find and capture the story, that’s what’s going to keep you going. There are a lot of filmmakers out there and I think the ones who will thrive are the ones who can tell the story.

What’s next? What are you working on now?I’m considering more river films based on the success of “where The yellowstone goes.” The great thing about taking this film on tour is that people have made some neat suggestions like the potomac out east and the Sheenjek in Alaska. Also, I’m doing a film on the world’s oldest people, including bessy Cooper who turns 116 this year. It’s so interesting to get a chance to talk to people who were born in the 1800’s and have seen all the changes of the 1900’s. I’m also working on a film about park rangers and the stories they have from their work in national parks and wilderness areas.

—Cameron Martindell

Where the Filmmaker GoesIntrepid Montana-based filmmaker Hunter Weeks talks about his path to success.

Shale is for sale. The bureau of Land Management (bLM) is revisiting a 2008 decision to allocate two million acres of public lands in Colorado, Utah and wyoming for potential oil shale development. The planning area under review in the Oil Shale and Tar Sands programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (OSTS pEIS) includes popular recreational tourist areas, such as the San Rafael Swell in Utah and sections of the white and yampa Rivers in Colorado and Utah.

Oil shale has yet to prove economically viable, as energy companies struggle to develop efficient technologies that can extract and refine the rock into a usable fuel. The current, experimental methods are energy and water intensive and emit large quantities of greenhouse gases.

Outdoor Alliance, a coalition of six national, member-based outdoor recreation organizations, voiced its concern to the bLM that oil shale development would damage air and water quality, as well as irreparably harm recreational opportunities. Active outdoor recreation contributes over $20 billion annually across the three states, according to a 2006 report by the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), but is often left out of the conversation. According to Jason Keith, policy Director at the Access Fund, a climbing access and conservation group and member of Outdoor Alliance, it’s easy to overlook the recreation resources and the sustainable recreation economy that are in the viewsheds, as well as the watersheds, of these potential lease sites.

The bLM isn’t considering outdoor recreation in this level of the planning process. “we’re looking at the potential impacts to recreation, but we’re not making recreation decisions in our plan,” says Sherri Thompson, bLM project Manager for the OSTS pEIS. Those decisions will be made in subsequent implementation and activity plans, and the bLM will make additional site-specific analyses prior to the issuing of any leases.

The bLM’s preferred alternative would reduce lands available for future development to approximately 462,000 acres and would limit leases to research, development and demonstration only. Conservation and recreation groups support a more conservative option, but as Keith puts it, “It’s still a huge improvement from 2008.” The Final OSTS pEIS will be published in October followed by a 30-day protest period. Contact your local recreation advocacy group to find out how to participate. outdooralliance.net

—Casey Flynn

Hot RocksOil shale development will muck up recreation in the West.

FISH TALES: FILMMAKER HuNTER WEEKS WILL FIND A STORY IN EVERYTHING FROM SEGWAYS TO BASS.

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NEW KID IN TOWN: THE TIN SHED IS READY TO ROLL.

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The riding in Nederalnd has gotten more and more popular—just try to find a spot for your bike on the 8:10 a.m. bus up from boulder. So this outpost of self-proclaimed oddness really did have a need for another bike shop. well, not just a bike shop. Tin Shed Sports is part of a hacienda-like complex that also includes Salto Coffee works, an espresso joint that’s meant not just to jack up riders, but also to foster a sense of community. The buzz is palpable.

The complex was the brainchild of Ned locals Marcus and Karina Luscher, the former editor of women’s Adventure magazine. Marcus has a “real job” in boulder so when it came to the bike shop, the pair hired local singletrack denizen Josh Harrod, who works as the membership director for the American Mountain guides Association, and gave him the title “The Management.”

“Our goal is to be the hub, the launch pad to amazing outdoor experiences,” says Harrod.

want to become part of the community? Tin Shed hosts a wednesday Road Ride every week (until darkness takes over). Just meet at 6 p.m. at the shop. Harrod is also passionate about the mountain biking. “beginners, kids or those looking for non-technical riding will enjoy Mud Lake,” he says. “For the more intermediate riders, the East Magnolia trails offer a little bit of everything. If you like rocks, head to Sourdough. One of my favorite areas is golden gate State park—miles of mapped trails and not very crowded.” Harrod is open to anyone who wants to start an mtb ride at the shop. tinshedsports.com/saltocoffeeworks.com

Tough ShedNew Tin Shed Sports bike and Salto coffee shop in Nederland puts outdoors vets behind the counter.

—Aron Ralston, speaking in behalf of a Greater Canyonlands National Monument at the Conservation

Alliance Breakfast at Outdoor Retailer (go suwa.org for more info)

From above, it looks like a wasteland, but we know it’s a beautiful place. The desert is the yin to the yang of the mountains. These canyons are intimate places that are the crevasses of the desert ... the storm sewers of the desert that open up into

cathedrals of light.

Worth the HurtMarathons, triathlons, bike racing, seems everyone’s a competitor these days. Funny thing happens when you start pushing your physical limits—you expand. That growth goes beyond the physical to include your mindset and your worldview, making endurance racers one of the most rapidly growing segments of charitable contributors in the U.S., leveraging their events to fundraise for their favorite causes.

This trend inspired the folks at the San Francisco Marathon to develop a groundbreaking fundraising web platform, called worth the Hurt. Athletes use the platform to create their own custom charity campaign, whether it’s running across the country to raise money for multiple sclerosis, climbing the highest peaks on the planet to advocate for clean water or trekking to the South pole for the blind.

At press time, worth the Hurt was in beta testing, with 64 open slots for athletes to test it out as a fundraising platform for the 52.4-mile San Francisco Ultra, a back-to-back running of the marathon course on July 29. The final version will enable athletes to choose any challenge and any charity, and even get reimbursed for their race expenses and training based on how much they raise. Learn more at worththehurt.net.

—Jayme Moye

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peak on waterskis and ushered in the rocker revolution. Check out the newest,

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This fall marks the soft opening for the boulder Valley Velodrome, the first Olympic standard track cycling race facility in boulder County. The brainchild of University bicycles founder Doug Emerson and business partner Frank banta, the velodrome has been eight years in the making, and the missing link in an otherwise robust bike racing community in boulder County. “Look out your window in any direction and you’ll see a cyclist,” Emerson says. “Track racing is the one discipline we still need.”

Construction for the boulder Valley Velodrome began this spring on a 4.2-acre site in Erie at the

Inside TrackAt long last, an Olympic standard velodrome comes to Boulder County.

intersection of County Line Road and bonnell Avenue. For those familiar with boulder Indoor Cycling, the 142-meter track inside a converted warehouse in boulder that closed in April, the bVV is in an entirely different league.

The outdoor track will meet the international standard length of 250 meters, with 12-degree inclines on the straightaways and 42-degree banking on the corners. Those are the same dimensions for the track at the London Olympics this summer. That should draw serious racers.

while Emerson envisions the velodrome becoming the de facto training facility for Olympic hopefuls, and hosting an elite race series, he’s easing in this fall with club racing. His founding members club includes 50 riders, plus ten regular clubs of 30 members each. These will be the only people riding in 2012 as his beta test group. As of

press time, there were still three clubs that were up for grabs.

Starting in spring of 2013, Emerson will expand his offerings to the general public including classes taught by members of his coaches’ coalition, including youth development programs, beginners’ classes and certification programs. There will also be licensed racing, in addition to club racing.

“we’re considering spring/summer 2013 to be our grand opening,” Emerson says. “And yeah, we’re anticipating throwing a little shindig to celebrate.”

Learn more and follow the velodrome’s progress at bouldervalleyvelodrome.com.

—J.M.

IF YOU bUILD IT, THEY WILL RACE: THE NEW VELODROME uNDER CONSTRuCTION IN ERIE.


Cry Wolf!Wolves are back in the Northern Rockies, but can they return to their ancestral range in our Colorado backyard? Conservationists are hopeful but the success of wolf packs in Wyoming may ironically keep them from reaching further south.By Jayme Moye

Colorado ranchers have long been suspicious of the gray wolf. Mandy wolfe, 45, grew up on the w Diamond Ranch in Kremmling, which she now operates with her brother. Her 91-year-old grandfather says that wolves were gone from the state by the time he was running the ranch, but remembers the stories his father (who homesteaded there) used to tell. “The wolves would run down the cows, eating their hindquarters and udders, not even bothering to kill them,” she says. “My grandfather’s dad would have to go out and shoot the cow to put her out of her misery.”

The rancher–wolf conflict dates back to the mid 1800’s, when livestock was first introduced to the prairielands. During that time, settlers nearly eradicated Colorado’s large game, including bison, elk and deer, for food and sport. In the absence of their natural prey, wolves began to consume livestock.

Experiences like that at w Diamond Ranch fueled a massive wolf extermination effort in the west in the late 1800’s, starting with county- and state-financed bounty hunting, and then a federal program (funded by tax dollars) in 1915 to destroy every last wolf. It took three decades, but in 1943, the last known wolf in Colorado, and likely the last known U.S.-born wolf in the entire west, was dead.

RESTORATIONwithout their main predator, elk and deer populations soared, damaging vegetation by overgrazing and overbrowsing. At the same time, Americans began to worry about the loss of native species across the continent. Congress passed the Endangered Species Act in 1973, which was signed into law by Republican president Richard Nixon, and the U.S. Fish and wildlife Service added the gray wolf to the protected list in 1974. It was almost too late—the only place wolves still existed in the Lower 48 was the northeastern corner of Minnesota.

In 1982, the Colorado wildlife Commission (now called the Colorado parks and wildlife Commission) passed a non-binding resolution against the Northern Rocky Mountain Recovery plan, a federal initiative to restore the gray wolf.

“There were too many conflicts with other activities that happen in the state of Colorado, particularly ranching,” says Eric Odell, Species Conservation program Manager for Carnivores with Colorado parks and wildlife. If wolves were to find their way back to Colorado on their own, they would be safe from hunters and ranchers due to their endangered species status, but the state wasn’t going to take any proactive steps to bring them back.

In the 1990s, the Feds didn’t push Colorado to restore wolves. They looked instead to wyoming and Idaho, specifically yellowstone National park and the wilderness areas of central Idaho, where there was ample natural prey, large swatches of land without roads and less potential for livestock conflicts. both states fought against the reintroduction—and lost. In the mid-nineties, the Northern Rocky Mountain Recovery plan introduced wolves from Canada into both locations, where they thrived. An estimated 1,700 wolves now live in the Northern Rockies as well

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as in parts of Oregon, washington and Utah.Since reintroduction up north, a few wolves

have found their way down to Colorado—but they haven’t stayed or didn’t survive. One was documented in 2004, a road kill on I-70, and the most recent, also a fatality, in northwestern Colorado in 2009.

“biologically, wolves do very well in the west, and keep the ecosystem in balance,” says Michael Robinson with the Center for biological Diversity, an organization that supports wolf restoration. “It’s natural for them to be here. The decision not to reintroduce them in Colorado wasn’t a biological decision, it was a political decision fueled by the livestock industry, just as the decision was to wipe the creatures off the face of the Earth back at the turn of the century.”

Conservationists like Robinson, the author of Predatory Bureaucracy: The Extermination of Wolves and the Transformation of the West, still hope the wolf will come back to Colorado. He cites research in yellowstone that’s proven the landscape has returned to a healthier, more natural state due to wolf restoration. An overabundance of elk was consuming cottonwood and alder saplings in the river valleys, causing deforestation and destabilization of the riverbanks. without shade from trees, the water temperature rose, damaging fish populations.

Once the wolves returned to yellowstone, the elk stopped grazing in some of the river valleys, the ones with high embankments that made it too dangerous for them to be there in the potential presence of predators. Those river valleys are once again full of trees, with less erosion because the roots stabilize the riverbeds. Fish are back to their normal levels. There are more songbirds and even beavers have returned because they don’t have to compete with elk for food anymore.

COmINg TO COLORADO? THE ONLY WOLVES FOuND IN COLORADO OVER THE PAST

DECADE HAVE SOON BECOME FATALITIES.


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“The reintroduction of wolves has precipitated this entire circle of life,” Robinson says. “Imagine that happening in Colorado—in places like the San Juans and the Indian peaks wilderness, where wolves belong. when it comes down to it, we really have no idea what that natural landscape is supposed to look like. we only know how it appears in the absence of wolves.”

REVENgE?Robinson’s river valley example is one of many documented ways that wolf restoration has helped increase biodiversity. Another strong positive is tourism. According to mammalogist Dave Armstrong, professor Emeritus at CU boulder, “The record in yellowstone is clear, wolves are great for tourism.” but for every conservationist celebrating the return of the

wolf, or tourist moved to tears at the sight of the majestic animal in yellowstone National park, there is probably a nearby rancher who fears it.

wolf recovery has been so strong in the Northern Rockies that the old rancher–wolf conflict has once again reared its ugly head. wolves kill hundreds of sheep, cattle, horses and dogs every year in wyoming, Montana and Idaho. And while federal and state wildlife programs compensate ranchers for their losses, as well as destroy wolves that interfere with ranch life (despite their endangered status), it doesn’t increase the gray wolf’s popularity in the livestock industry.

In 2008, wyoming, Montana and Idaho moved to strike the gray wolf from the endangered species list, stating the animal was successfully restored and no longer warranted protection. A

federal court overturned the delisting, as well as a second attempt in 2009. The gray wolf was officially removed from the endangered species list in 2011, in a controversial ruling that some wolf conservationists are still fighting. but it was enough for Montana and Idaho to reinstate wolf-hunting as early as 2009, drawing up wolf Management plans that were approved by the U.S. Fish and wildlife Service. Their plans dictated that wolves could be hunted, as long as populations stayed above 100 individuals and ten breeding pairs in each state (the numbers deemed necessary to avoid local species extinction).

That year, 206 wolves were killed, in addition to 270 that were killed for attacking livestock. Conservationists howled. Ranchers relaxed. “I can’t help but be unnerved by wolves,” says wolfe. “I’ve just heard too many stories from my father and grandfather about life on w Diamond when wolves still roamed Colorado. For ranchers, it’s just a really bad deal for their livestock.”

RELAPSEThe way it looks now, wolfe and other ranchers needn’t worry. Last fall, wyoming finalized its own wolf Management plan, which was approved by the U.S. Fish and wildlife Service, and is currently in a public comment period. If things go as expected, wolf hunting in wyoming (with the exception of yellowstone National park) could become legal as soon as this October.

For some conservationists in Colorado, it feels like the final blow. Although the Center for

LIVINg IN FEAR: WOLVES KEEP ELK HERDS FROM OVERPOPuLATING AND RuINING RIPARIAN AREAS.

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The abundant elk of Rocky Mountain National park—which graze the golf course and munch bark right off trees in the yards of Estes park residents—have to make you wonder. wouldn’t RMNp be an ideal spot for a wolf restoration in Colorado, to help balance out the elk population? No, says John Mack, the park’s branch Chief of Resource Stewardship. RMNp is only 12 percent the size of yellowstone, and deep snow further reduces the elk’s winter range to just 3,000 to 5,000 acres, too small a space to restore wolves, who could end up down in town. “wolves will follow their prey and don’t necessarily stay in the park,” Mack says. Instead, RMNp manages the elk population through culling; shooting more than a dozen elk every year to keep their numbers down. —J.M.

feed the wolves?

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biological Diversity, along with their allies, intends to challenge the wyoming wolf delisting in court, an open hunting season there this fall will decrease the population, leaving very little chance that a wolf, let alone a breeding pair, would ever find its way into Colorado again. besides killing any hopes for Colorado to have a pack of its own, removing the gray wolf from the endangered species list in wyoming and beyond brings up the larger question of humans coexisting with the natural world.

“I think people realized back when the

Endangered Species Act was created that we don’t want to live in a world that has a human thumbprint over every acre,” says Robinson. “we need wild places, places with the integrity and health that comes from having all those native species. we need the gray wolf.”

while some would argue that Colorado (or at least its livestock) is better off without wolves, no one can deny that our wild places continue to become less wild. would wolves change that? We may never know. •

For more info on wolves in the Rockies and what you can do about bringing them back to Colorado, go to the Center for biological Diversity at biologicaldiversity.com and HOwL howlcolorado.com.

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Back Bowled OverWhen the leaves start turning, it’s time to get up and taste the best of what Vail’s singletrack has to offer. But don’t just bring the bike. There’s enough up here to keep the whole family entertained. By Doug Schnitzspahn

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want to do Vail on a budget? Come in the summer or fall. you won’t face the crowds or high rates that make the place a scene in winter. you will find an escape from the Front Range heat and a lot that may surprise you.The passage last November of the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Act, which gives resorts more leeway for non-snow activities on public lands, is a big reason why Vail has been able to pump up its summer activities. The city and resort have been working hard to court off-season adventures. The centerpiece is the Eagle bahn gondola in Lion’s Head, which will whisk you up to an impressive menu of singletrack and downhill mountain biking as well as Adventure Ridge, a mélange of activities that make it an ideal spot for families looking to trade off parenting for rides.

THE gONDOLAOf course, you can walk or bike if you want, but it’s hard to pass up $25 ($30- with a bike, $5/$10 for kids under 12) for a day of 15-minute rides to

the top. The gondola runs Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from September 7 through 23.

THE TRAILSDOWNHILLTechnical, Red-bull-ish trails are the heart and soul of any lift-served mountain bike operation and Vail has the goods to keep the full-face crowd engaged. Magic Forest is a technical rocket-ride to the bottom, with big drop-offs that require big-travel bikes and a meat-hucking mentality.

FLOW TRAILSThe real shining stars of the bike system here are the “flow trails,” Big Mamba, which debuted last summer, and Radio Flyer, which just opened this spring. These are rides that anyone would enjoy—fast and twisty, they beg to be gunned, but even a slower pace offers some adrenaline. big Mamba switches back and forth under the gondola, while Radio Flyer sneaks off into the deep woods.

bACKCOUNTRY Of course, the real singletrack highlights are the trails that flow away form the gondola, off into the back bowls. They will, however, require some climbing. The 5-mile Grand Traverse heads out of Adventure Ridge into the open meadows of game Creek bowl for a perfect out-and-back where parents can switch off while splitting kid duty. And the burly Two Elk rockets down to Minturn (take the bike path back to the gondola,

count on several hours), chock-full of technical surprises.

ROAD pavement geeks are in luck here, too. you won’t need the gondola, but the 8.7-mile, 1,831-vert ride up the paved path to the top of Vail Pass (and blood-curdling descent) rivals mountain bike rides for adrenaline.

ADVENTURE RIDgEIt’s not often that you find a “family” destination that really works, but Adventure Ridge offers enough to keep everyone happy. There’s a frisbee golf course and stables with horseback rides across the mountain. There’s a nature center and slacklines. but expect to wait in line for the big bungee trampolines—they offer the chance to give four-year olds a taste of big air. The best thing is that uber-active parents can switch off here and still feel as if everyone in the family is truly enjoying themselves. vail.com/summer/activities/adventure-ridge

EATSThere are too many food options in Vail, and you can just stay at the top of the gondola and eat at the respectable Talons, but Terra Bistro (terrabistrovail.com) is one of the best dining experiences in the state. It manages to mix foodie trendiness (think kale chips) with classy service. Blue Moose Pizza (bluemoosepizza.com) right near the bottom of the gondola is simply the top crowd-pleaser in Vail, worth a stop even when you are passing through on a longer road trip.

STAY AND SPAAgain there are numerous options up here and all of them offer better rates than in the winter, but the Vail Mountain Lodge and Spa (vailmountainlodge.com) is a unique experience. Terra bistro is here, and breakfast is included, but even tastier is the guests get free access to the spa, including its indoor climbing wall and yoga classes as well as access to special seminars. •

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LET IT RIDE, bAbY RIDE: THE GONDOLA MAY CARRY YOu uP, BuT THE SINGLETRACK IS HuMAN-POWERED.

HORSE SENSE: SADDLE uP AT ADVENTuRE RIDGE.


WINNERS WILL RECEIVE:2 NIGHTS LODGING FOR 2 ADuLTS AT THE ALPINE HIDEAwAy IN OuRAY

2 PASSES TO THE OuRAY HOT SPrINGS POOL

½ DAY CLIMBING FOR 2 ADuLTS WITH PEAK MOUNTAIN GUIDES

2 PASSES TO THE OUrAy COUNTy MUSEUM

½ DAY JEEP TOuR FOR 2 ADuLTS WITH SwITzErLAND OF AMErICA, INC.

$100 DISCOuNTED BALLOON RIDE FOR TWO WITH SAN JUAN BALLOON ADvENTUrES

$85 2-HOuR SPA PACKAGE FROM ELEVATE DAY SPA INCLuDING 1 HOuR MASSAGE AND REVITALIzE EXPRESS FACIAL.

White house Mountain, Fall – Kane scheidegger

ENTER TO WIN ATElEvATIONOuTdOORs.cOm


hippy, hippy protein shakeI have a hard time giving anyone shit about their diet, after almost seven years of explaining mine to people. but vegetarianism is pretty simple: I don’t eat animals. Does it contain cow parts, pig parts, chicken parts or fish parts? OK, I’m not eating it. yes, there are some nuances—I am not vegan. I eat eggs (I’m pro-choice) and dairy (and pro-ben & Jerry’s); vegan folks do not. but I can’t eat Twinkies (they contain beef fat), Jell-O (gelatin = made from pig parts and cow parts). Other than that, it’s pretty straightforward. If it has a face, I don’t eat it. Including puppies.

The paleo diet, that’s quite a bit more complicated. After dining with friends who have adopted it, I have come to the conclusion that if you are paleo, we are pretty much never going to date. I feel like I need an iphone app to consult to figure out all the rules of the paleo diet—no potatoes, no peanuts, gasp—no corn tortillas? Or

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beer? I mean, I like a lot of things that came after the Neanderthal period, like burritos, chocolate soy milk, French toast and, you know, the wheel, the 40-hour work week and the decreased use of the club in interpersonal relations.

we are different. I eat no animals. you eat lots of animals. your dietary role model has a unibrow and is new to walking upright and using tools. My dietary role models are Steph Davis and Scott Jurek, who crush so hard it makes me wonder if I should just go all the way vegan like them. but you know, I feel their pain a little bit, when I think of what they probably deal with trying to order a restaurant meal, especially when I remember that there are many regions of our country where salmon is considered vegetarian, as are dishes that contain “just bacon.” I guess maybe we could hang out and make salads sometime. Or omelettes. which apparently we would have to cook in coconut oil or palm oil? Remind me.

Brendan Leonard is a climber and writer who completed a 3,000-mile bike tour without eating animals. His father has been in the meat cutting business for 37 years.

rock of agesbrendan and other vegetarians make dietary decisions based on the presence or absence of animal products, regardless of the food source or processing involved. They cite oral, political, and, unbelievably, nutritional reasons for being vegetarian, but what place do these modern-day thought processes have in the role of evolution? None when you look at the science. The paleo Diet is based on our hunter and gatherer ancestors who ate a variety of meats, non-starchy vegetables, wild fruits and nuts, and had no processed foods. It’s that simple!

Get ready for our next question, dear readers: Coffee v. beer—Which beverage is better for performance?

Let us know and butt heads at ElevationOutdoors.com

D E B AT E

ReadeR Response fRom the WebBecause in the world of anonymous online comments everyone has a say.

The resources for any substantial number of humans to eat the meat-heavy Paleo diet just do not exist. Already 40 percent of land area on earth is used for producing human food and products. So will we use 200 percent of the earth’s surface area to produce all that grass-fed beef? Meat production uses more land area, water, carbon emissions and soil fertility than growing plants. The world’s current consumption of meat and fish is already straining ecosystems to the breaking point. Everybody eating more meat for the Paleo fad will break those systems that much faster. Plus, recent archaeological evidence shows that ancient humans ate a lot less meat than Paleo, and they ate wild grasses (“grains”) too. And finally, a recent Ny Times article mentioned that C-reactive and other indications of cardiovascular inflammation skyrocketed after a short period on the Paleo diet. There is a reason that vegetarians live seven years longer than meat eaters on average.

—TommyVee

Primal Throwdown Food and nutrition are the buzzwords when it comes to outdoor athletes these days. Everyone has an idea on how you should eat. And some go to extremes. So we asked our readers which “extreme” diet was better—vegetarian/vegan or Paleo. The response was split 50/50, so we asked Bohemian heartthrob Brendan Leonard and paleo stud Andrew zimmerman to debate what they put in their mouths.

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Meat, available year-round, was the essential nutrient-dense food needed for the evolution of the human body. we know this because the essential amino acids and fatty acids that our bodies cannot create can only be found in animals and eggs. Additionally, many nutrients are only absorbed in the presence of animal fats and require near exact balances of these essential nutrients. The paleo Diet is in sync with the way our bodies were designed to metabolize food and store energy. It works and it doesn’t require dating brendan or eating puppies.

Vegetarianism is out of line with the human body. To digest cellulose, the main material in plant cell walls, a specialized digestive system is required. A cow, for example, has three stomachs and must regurgitate and re-chew its food all day to insure proper preparation for the fermentative bacterium that actually digest the cellulose.

The key is optimal human nutrition in line with our evolution. we are animals and it’s counterintuitive to drastically change our diet from how it evolved. Humans are meat-eaters who supplement our diet with some vegetables, fruits and nuts. On a vegetarian diet you’re forced to overcome massive nutritional limitations. The paleo Diet fuels the body for the way it was designed, the way we evolved.

Andrew Zimmerman is the strength and conditioning coach for the Denver Cutthroats Hockey Club.

ENLIgHTENED OR DE-EVOLVINg? LEONARD WON’T EAT ANIMALS; zIMMERMAN IS NOT IMPRESSED.


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Run Meat-Freeultrarunner Scott Jurek talks about his move to Colorado, and how writing his first book compares to competing in 100-mile races. By Jayme Moye

born and raised in Minnesota, Scott Jurek was a complete unknown in 1999, when, at the age of 25, he won the prestigious western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. He went on to win the race seven years in a row, setting a course record. Jurek would also cross the finish line first in the Hardrock 100 and the notorious 135-mile badwater Ultramarathon (twice). but the endurance running demi-god gets just as much recognition for his diet—he’s vegan—as for his athleticism. we talked with Jurek about his first book, Eat and Run, two days before his wedding in the foothills of boulder, his new hometown.

What brought you to Colorado?I’ve been racing and training for 18 years and boulder was the place where a bunch of my younger buddies were training. I came for the altitude and the access to the mountains and the community—being energized and motivated and

inspired by all these athletes here, from runners to triathletes to cyclists. I’m one of the older guys now at 38, and I find a lot of inspiration from those folks. What made you decide to write your first book, Eat and Run?I put it off for years because I knew how much work it would be, and I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I’d always admired and enjoyed Steve Friedman’s pieces throughout the years, and thankfully he accepted my offer to co-write the book. I wanted to do it as more of a memoir, as opposed to a cookbook or training guide, because I love to teach and thought maybe I could do that best by sharing my life story, combining the food and the running. How does writing a book compare to running an ultra?It’s really quite similar. Just like in an ultramarathon, there were times when I wondered, why am I doing this? And similar to a really hard stretch of trail, there were times when sections just didn’t feel right, or like the entire process was just never going to end. There were also lots of sleepless nights, much like ultra marathons. A lot of blood, sweat and tears go

into writing a book, same with running ultras. In the book, you reveal your strained relationship with your father and the impact your mother’s multiple Sclerosis had on you. What made you decide to get so personal?I really wanted to tell those stories because I felt like people assumed I’d always been an athlete, or came from this family that was super-gifted and athletics were part of my genes. I wanted people to know there was a struggle. because that’s where I’ve learned the most powerful lessons—be it puking my guts out lying face down in Death Valley or having a mother who couldn’t do things like my friends’ mothers could—because that’s real life. And in the end, you really grow from those experiences. It was difficult to share those things about myself, but also cathartic. Your book has a lot of information about veganism, but I’ve heard you don’t stick to the diet 100 percent of the time?yeah it happens. Usually when I’m someplace international, a remote place where maybe you just can’t eat vegan. Like the time I was snorkeling all day long on this guided trip, and decided I’m not just going to go hungry for days. Or if someone goes through the trouble of making me a special vegetarian lasagna, and it contains dairy, well, I’m going to eat it anyway. when that happens, people are like, oh no I’ve ruined my vegan streak. but really, it’s a pretty common occurrence, and not a big deal. you just go back to eating vegan when you again have the choice. you haven’t lost it. I try and keep my eye on the bigger picture. I don’t try to convince people to become totally vegan. Maybe they go meatless half the week. I’m more in the school of thought that we need to get people pointed in the right direction, and if they’re making progress, that’s my goal.

What’s beyond running for you right now?I just got back from Kenya, doing land conservation work with the Nature Conservancy. I’m interested in nonprofit work, whether that’s conserving natural resources, working with chronic disease and caregivers or working on health and wellness and the obesity epidemic we’re having in the western world. Running has been a vehicle for me to explore my own heath and my own potential, but it can be self-serving sometimes. So I’m looking forward to doing more outside myself, whether it’s writing more, speaking more, just getting people to take better care of their bodies on a larger scale and making that a priority.

The book ends with an epilogue about the 2010 World 24-Hour Championships, where you claimed silver. What’s your focus now?I still have a few mountain projects I want to do, what I call trail journey runs, where you’re going from point A to point b, not necessarily racing. And I want to race a few other 100-milers, but I really want to break the record for the 24 Hour. That race is really different than what I love to do in the mountains, but it strips me down to the core. That’s what running is all about. •

HERE’S THE bEEF: JuREK’S CHAMPIONSHIP BODY IS FuELED BY NOTHING BuT PLANT FOOD.

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There’s a lot to gush over in this state and there are plenty of secrets. But what’s on your life list? What are the things in Colorado you have to do before you die (or at least move

to Jackson)? We compiled our picks for the cream of the crop and we asked our readers to vote on their favorites.

Here are the combined results in our annual poll.

by Chris Kassar, Cameron martindell, matt samet and doug sChnitzspahn

Best ofColoradothe


RUNNERS UP: browns Canyon, The yampa, The Animas, The poudre

bEST SINgLETRACK rainbow TrailThis is a screamer of a ride. Most mountain bikers know it from a short six mile introductory stretch just outside of Salida that tops off the famed Monarch Crest, but the entire trail runs for 100 miles all the way down along the Sangre De Cristo Range. Admittedly, going the distance means you’ll hit a few stretches of double track, but the majority of the trip is delicious singletrack. Killer descents, stream crossings, grand views and a few pain-filled climbs make it truly epic. Arrange for some sort of a shuttle at various bail out points, try for a pro-level dirty century or double down for an unforgettable out and back ride bikepacking along the way.RUNNERS UP: The government Trail (Aspen), Monarch Crest (Salida), Two Elk (Vail), Reno/Flag/bear (Crested butte), Doctor’s park (Crested butte)

bEST THIRTEENERLizard Headwe figured you have heard enough about 14ers, and 13ers can be even better secrets. Lizard Head’s spire-like pinnacle begs to be climbed. One glimpse and you’ll definitely want to stand atop this impressive mountain. but, this ain’t a hike. you’ll need some skills and an adventurous spirit to tackle this unique peak nestled in the San Juans near Telluride. Despite being relatively small by Colorado standards (13,113 feet), Lizard Head has earned the illustrious honor of being “the most difficult peak in Colorado to climb.” Erosion has carved the top 500 feet into a spectacular vertical pillar known for its rotten and loose rock making the standard routes—which start at 5.8—challenging and fun to say the least. All the work is worth the effort. Lizard Head rewards intrepid climbers with astounding views of the surrounding wilderness and nearby 14ers. RUNNERS UP: Mount Owen, Vestal, Mount Ouray

bEST ROAD bIKE DESCENT Mount EvansThe best part of finishing a grueling 14.5 mile, 3500-foot climb up Mt. Evans—the highest paved road in the US? The cruise down, of course. If you’re brave

bEST bACKPACK TRIP The Maroon BellsThe best does not mean it’s unknown. Take the postcard-perfect Maroon bells. If you’re looking for solitude, the Four pass Loop through here probably isn’t for you. However, there’s a reason that this area draws so many people and that these two distinct 14ers are the most photographed spot in Colorado. The bells are truly breathtaking. Don’t let their popularity deter you—like many places in Colorado, if you walk more than a mile from the road, the crowds thin out. Luckily, it has been designated as wilderness which means that the unique character of the bells and surrounding area are sheltered from development and motorized noise.

The Four pass Loop (24-29 miles depending on your route) starts at 9,611 feet, never drops below that lung-busting elevation and carries you over four passes above 12,400 feet. This means you’ll soak in expansive vistas as you frolic across the tundra. Take some time to wander through glacier-sculpted basins. Slow down and explore this place of untrammeled natural beauty—this is a backpacking trip dammnit.

Along the way you’ll find countless alpine lakes including Maroon Lake (where most photos of the bells are shot). There’s the option to bag a peak by climbing Snowmass Mountain (14,092 feet) or simply chill in verdant valleys like the Fravert basin, which is awash in a sea of wildflowers. After a cumulative elevation gain of about 7,400 feet you will have earned whatever post hike meal back down in Aspen that you want. RUNNERS UP: The Colorado Trail, The Zirkel Circle, The Lost Creek wilderness

bEST mULTI-PITCH ROCK CLImbThe yellow SpurRubbing shoulders with boulder’s historical greats usually means trying a route that’s scary, hard, or scary-hard. Fortunately there’s the six-pitch 5.9+ yellow Spur, which beelines 530 feet up Tower One to its ethereal pyramidal summit. On this varied,

airy, yellow-lichen-speckled outing you’ll climb with Layton Kor and Dave Dornan (who nabbed the first ascent), and Royal Robbins and pat Ament (first free ascent) as you pick your way across tricky traverses, up thin dihedrals, out puzzling rooflets, and finally, spectacularly, up the sustained, crimpy 5.9+ piton ladder on wild pitch five. The final rope length mixes fear and elation: At 5.6 R (sparse gear), it rides a windswept blade of sandstone, the Indian peaks shimmering in the distance and Southboulder Creek roaring way beneath your feet. RUNNERS UP: The Obelisk on the Diamond, The Third Flatiron, Scenic Cruise in the black Canyon

bEST RIVER TRIPThe Dolores riverborn in the high peaks of the San Juans, the 200-mile Dolores, one of the last remaining unspoiled rivers in the west, flows north past Utah’s La Sal Mountains and through the heart of canyon country to merge with the Colorado River near Moab. It’s not all about heart-pumping adventure. because it passes through such varied terrain, the Dolores offers floaters a glimpse at unmatched biological diversity as it cruises through five major life zones and an array of landscapes including Rocky Mountain foothills, pine forests, red rock canyons and the Upper Sonoran desert.

A trip down the Dolores provides a unique opportunity to spend time in a place that is truly remote and pristine. because this river remains a relatively well-kept secret, you won’t have to fight crowds or worry about racing to camp spots here. The rapids are challenging, but quite do-able (ranging from class II to IV) and spectacular side-canyon hiking is worth some extra time.

perhaps what makes this river even more appealing is that it’s not always available. The bLM regulates flows to the Dolores from the Mcphee reservoir so its season is short. Depending on snowpack, the river is usually floatable from late April to early June. but in dry years—like 2012—there may be no runnable flows at all.

BEST TrAIN rIDE HIKEThere’s a certain thrill about starting and ending a backpacking trip from a train. Take the Durango/Silverton narrow gauge train to Elk park to begin this adventure (durangotrain.com). Jump on the Elk Creek/Colorado trail and hike three miles to beaver ponds to set up your base camp. pack your daypack the night before and don’t doddle the next morning to head south along the faint Vestal Creek Trail to then ascend the northeast face of Arrow peak (13,803 feet). Take care dropping into the saddle between Arrow peak and Vestal peak (13,864 feet), then tag your next summit. Continue east along the ridge for some good scrambling into the Trinity peaks. From East Trinity, drop into the saddle below peak Three, head west into the valley and follow the drainage back to camp. pack up camp and head back down the Elk Creek trail and hail the train home. —Cameron Martindell


A potpourri of useful miscellany from the highest parts of the highest state

The Double Shot of M. John Book Tour is Coming to the Front Range.

Featuring readings from both of the new books by the editor of the Mountain Gazette

= Sept. 19: REI Flagship Store, Downtown Denver. 6:30 p.m.

= Oct. 3: REI, Boulder CO. 6:30 p.m.

“Smoke Signals: Wayward Journeys Through the Old Heart of the New West” and “The Colorado Mountain Companion: A Potpourri of Useful miscellany from the Highest Parts of the Highest State”

More dates forthcoming. Go to mjohnfayhee.com to keep abreast.

(and a little crazy), you can reach speeds over 40 m.p.h. as you swish and swoosh along this steep, super swervy thoroughfare that dives from 14,127 to 10,750 feet. Since you’re pedaling above tree line for most of the ride, stunning views abound—that is if you are coordinated enough to look up and enjoy them without missing a turn or hitting a pothole and plummeting off the guardrail-less road. RUNNERS UP: Trail Ridge Road, Independence pass, Vail pass, Rabbit Ears pass, Cottonwood pass

bEST TRAIL RUNThe Government TrailThis cardio-pumping scenic cruise crosses Tiehack, buttermilk and Snowmass Ski Areas as it racks up 9.8 perfect miles of trail and an impressive 1,400 feet of elevation gain. It’s the ideal test piece for anyone who calls themselves a mountain runner.RUNNERS UP: Spring Creek (Steamboat), S Mountain (Salida), Lair o’ the bear (Morrison)

bEST WILDFLOWER HIKErustler GulchSeas of endless wildflowers, boasting up to 114 different species during the height of blooming season, make Rustler gulch the premier wildflower hike in a state full of exceptional options. Located in the mountains above Crested butte, this mellow 8-10 mile walk is diverse enough that it will dazzle nature lovers, flower geeks and even adventurous types alike. Flowers aren’t the only natural happening here—sweet rock formations, beautiful creeks and inspiring views all reward hikers. The big bonus? A waterfall rushes through a flower-filled meadow at the end of this scenic stroll.

RUNNERS UP: Alpine Tunnel (buena Vista), American Lakes (Colorado State Forest), blue Lakes Trail (Ouray), Columbine Lake (Tabernash)

bEST SUP SPOTGlenwood waveAfter getting comfortable SUping on flatwater lakes, take your game to the next level and start surfing. The glenwood Springs whitewater park (glenwoodwhitewaterpark.org) on the Colorado River offers a sweet (shall we say sick and gnarly, bra) standing wave good for surfing in a wide range of water conditions for all levels of SUpers.RUNNERS UP: Vail, Ruby Horsethief, boulder Res

bEST bOULDER PRObLEmGerm-Free AdolescenceA proper highball should combine equal measures of technicality, beauty and terror, all of which the striking red über-roof germ-Free Adolescence (V5) in Eldorado Canyon delivers in spades. good jugs lead all too quickly to the lip, a do-or-die crimp-thrutch mantel 15 feet over the sloping hillside—and yes, this boulder breaks ankles!RUNNERS UP: Monkey Traverse (Flagstaff Road)

bEST mEAT mARKETMovement Climbing GymScantily clad chicks moaning with each move. Shirtless guys dripping sweat and groaning with effort. Chalk dust flying across rock solid bods. Tight shoes that cause intense pain. Harnesses that accentuate key body parts and thwart even the noblest of efforts to look away. Sounds like an S&M scene, right? Actually, it’s just Movement Climbing

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SURFINg COLORADO: THE GLENWOOD WAVE IS THE PLACE TO GET SuP.


PACK IT IN PACK IT OUT

gym—not only a great place to hone your rock skills, but also a rockin’ place to pick up guys and gals if you’re on the prowl.

Endorphins are pumping, muscles are bulging and even though you’re supposed to focus on belaying your partner so she won’t plummet to the floor, it’s more likely you’re looking around examining all the incredible specimens working their way up Movement’s many pitches. And, who can blame you? Hotties abound and they definitely aren’t shy about strutting their stuff. plus, with so much talk of nuts, racks, jugs, cracks and flashing how can you be expected to think only about climbing? A trip to Movement is multi-tasking at its finest: get a workout, fine tune your wall-scaling skills and find your soul mate (or at least some company for the night). movementboulder.comRUNNERS UP: The Fritz (Salida), Rifle Mountain park, The First Flatiron, Adventure Film Festival

bEST WHITEWATER PARKBuena vistaThe Uptown wave was the first feature built here in 2002 and since then the park has matured and expanded downstream into the South Main Neighborhood with four main features and a number of eddy and trail improvements. In 2008, those features were updated and now the park offers a range of options for advanced and beginner paddlers. Those improvements have also helped broaden the features across a wide range of optimal flow rates. Even better, all of the main features are individually accessible and the shore offers good shady spots for spectators and boaters alike on

when I was twenty, I slept in a hammock for most of five months. It wasn’t the backyard kind: it had an asymmetrical base, a rain fly, and mosquito netting. It weighed less than a one man tent, and cost less, too—which was the main reason I made it my mobile home on the Colorado Trail. you entered and exited through a Velcro hole in its base, enacting a kind of weird, full-grown birth. And that’s basically what the long walk was: my emergence into manhood.

The hammock only needed two trees spaced twenty feet apart, and the trail was lousy with those. It took a while to get the hang of—I recall a miserable few nights in horizontal rain—but I eventually set it up on steep slopes where no tent could stand. yes, it resembled a bear piñata. but I hung happily off the ground, a young man floating in the mountains as only young people can.

when a friend asked for camping advice a few years later, as he prepared for an expedition in South America, I suggested a Hennessy Hammock like mine. Unfortunately, patagonia is not lousy with trees high up. It’s cold, too. when he got home months later, he wrote a funny story attacking his sadistic camping adviser, me. well, Alex, this is my apology. but come on, dude—a hammock in patagonia?

—Charles Bethea

BEST rELAxATION STOry


particularly hot days.RUNNERS UP: Salida, gunnison, Canon City

bEST SCRAmbLEEllingwood ridgeScramble is an understatement. Starting gently at 11,200 feet the terrain here soon shows its teeth and the goal, La plata peak comes and goes from view, initially not seeming any closer. you can find class 3 scrambles with good route finding, but take a rope and really enjoy what the terrain has to offer.RUNNERS UP: Keplinger Couloir on Longs peak, gladstone peak, Kit Carson peak

bEST RAPPELThe MaidenNinety-five feet of pure Rocky Mountain air—that’s what you get on the dizzying free-rappel off the famously overhanging Maiden in boulder’s Flatirons, to finish at a wee perch called the Crow’s Nest. Extra underpants advised.RUNNERS UP: Anything in The black Canyon

bEST YURT/HUTOpus HutSummer or winter, the San Juans offer a tremendous and quintessential Colorado mountain experience (they have certainly been prominent in our best of selections). The Opus hut is perfectly situated in paradise basin to take advantage of nearly everything the San Juans have to offer: views, ski runs, hiking and climbing along with incredibly comfortable and complete accommodations. opushut.comRUNNERS UP: Lost wonder Hut (Salida), James peak yurt (Rollinsville)

bEST RETREAT vagabond ranch HutsFirst, they allow dogs. Second, there’s a hot tub. Now this may not sound like your hardcore backcountry hut experience, but it is one fantastic spot to get together with a big group of friends and enjoy the unheralded singletrack in the summer and long backcountry ski runs in the winter. vrhuts.comRUNNERS UP: Devil’s Thumb, Shambhala

Mountain Center, Avalanche Ranch

bEST ZIP LINEDevil’s ThumbA zip line is no good unless it puckers you just a little bit—but you don’t want to scare off the tourists. The new zip line tour at Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort and Spa pleases all comers. you warm up on a series of four fun lines, connected by a smart trail system, in preparation for the gnarliest wire ride in the west—High Lonesome, a 1,600-foot long zip up to 80-feet off the ground that will get you up to speeds of 40 m.p.h. wash down the adrenaline with happy hour back at the ranch.RUNNERS UP: Zip Line Colorado Adventures (Vail)

bEST EARLY SEASON ROCK SKIINg Berthoud PassIt’s September, which means that it’s (fingers crossed) just about time to start skiing berthoud. Close to downtown Denver, blessed with snow, crawling with likeminded dirtbags and an easy spot to hitchhike up to the top. Just bring your snow safety gear and brain and grab those circa 1990 Coyote RDs instead of the new Rossi Super 7s.RUNNERS UP: Highlands bowl, Loveland pass

bEST COLORADO YOgA TEACHER(S) Steph and Stephen UvalleOlder practitioners may complain that high-intensity practices have sucked the soul out of yoga, but this boulder-based husband-and-wife team have cultivated the perfect balance between athletic exertion and spiritual enlightenment without laying it on too thick. Steph, a top finisher in the Leadville 100 who teaches at Corepower in boulder, often starts class with chanting and a harmonium before moving into asanas that challenge hardcore outdoor athletes. Stephen, who teaches at The Little yoga Studio and leads a weekly Zen warrior workout, vacillates between coach and guru as he guides students to push themselves. both teach a retreat in bali as well as hiking/running/mountain biking/yoga mindfulness session at Vagabond Ranch Huts (see above). mandalamonkey.comRUNNERS UP: Matt Kapinus (yoga pod, boulder), Olivia Hsu (The yoga workshop, boulder), Sara Darval (yoga for the peaceful, Crested butte), billy goldman (yoga pod/The yoga workshop, boulder)

bEST ADVENTURE COFFEE SHOPHappy TrailsNederland’s groovy little espresso shop/ski and bike store is the place to go if you want beta on local action or just to mellow out and read a copy of The Mountain Gazette. And if you stay too long, owner Randy Ruhle will most likely entice you to get off your butt and out for a ride or ski with him.RUNNERS UP: Salto (Nederland, see page 9), The blend (Carbondale), Camp 4 (Crested butte)

bEST bIKE COmmUNITYSalidawe know we will take endless flack for choosing just one Colorado town for this category but the tremendous effort by Absolute bikes and former mayor Chuck Rose to open new trails and foster an inclusive vibe put Salida over the top for us.RUNNERS UP: Steamboat, winter park, Fruita, breckenridge, Nederland, Denver


bEST COLORADO OUTDOOR PERSONALITY (WOmAN) Alison GannettAlison gannett is one rippin’ chick—she’s earned that title as a world Champion Extreme Free Skier, an accomplished mountain biker, surfer and inspirational speaker. but despite her huge success as an athlete, gannett decided early on to prioritize her work as a climate change activist. “I started working on solutions to climate change at University, went on to work in the trenches of energy efficiency and solar design, finally founding four non-profits, including Save Our Snow,” says gannett. “I’ve been fighting to make the world a better place twice as long as I have been a professional extreme skier.”

Amidst competitions, speaking engagements and running KEEN Rippin Chix camps, which empower women to tackle tough terrain, gannett works as a global cooling consultant helping companies and individuals find cost-effective, meaningful and measurable solutions to reduce climate change impacts. gannett is different because she doesn’t just talk about how to make a difference—she actually lives that way. Over the last few years, gannett has made some major life changes that reflect her commitment to saving the planet. She moved to a farm where she grows and raises almost all her own food and she has cut her own carbon footprint in half. She uses her fame as a champion skier to conduct research on glacial recession across the Earth, to draw attention to the fact that we can do things to begin global cooling and to educate and influence a wide range of people including Congress. HE

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what motivates this woman who was named Outside magazine’s “green All Star of the year,” SKI magazine’s “Ski Hero of the year” and most recently, “Homesteader of the year”, by Mother Earth News? “people are more inspired by their heroes if they are walking the talk,” says gannett. “It is important that I live an examined life, working to do less harm to the planet each year, like my mentor yvon Chouinard. while jumping off cliffs is super cool, inspiring people to make changes in their lives to save our snow and water for future generations is way cooler.” RUNNERS UP: Kim Havell, Nicole Druse Duke, Lindsey Vonn, Shannon galpin

bEST COLORADO OUTDOOR PERSONALITY (mAN)Timmy O’NeilTimmy O’Neil developed a well-deserved reputation as one funny climber dude. The patagonia

Ambassador definitely took climbing to the entertainment edge, whether he was stemming up CU dorms and asking unsuspecting co-eds if they had seen his dog or just forcing other climbers to take themselves a little less seriously while he pulled off free-solo ascents, big-wall climbs or expeditions. Lord knows, climbers need some levity. but Timmy has evolved into far more than the climbing comedian.

In the March 2012 issue of Elevation Outdoors he wrote about his work with Dr. geoff Tabin and the Himalayan Cataract project (curblindness.org). O’Neil has joined Tabin in Africa and Asia, helping to assist in operations that give sight back to poor people. And this year, O’Neil took over as executive director of paradox Sports (paradoxsports.org), an organization he founded with Army Captain DJ Skelton, who was wounded in Iraq. paradox gets

BEST FrIENDSI was bikepacking in the middle of nowhere in the Sawatch Range. Suddenly, I heard someone shout my name. It was my friends brian and Dave who were randomly car camping and saw me ride by. They handed me an Odell Cutthroat porter and an oatmeal cream pie. That was my dinner as I plopped my sleeping bag and bivy down on the ground for the night. It never tasted so good. —Sonya Looney

disabled folks out climbing, biking, surfing, paddling and enjoying life to the fullest. Anyone can climb mountains, few can move higher. Timmy has.RUNNERS UP: Renan Ozturk, Alan Arnette, Dave Weins, Andrew Skurka, Chris Davenport •


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by eo staFF

Best in the Field

1. Jetboil SumoCoffee in bed. These three words are why I love this tiny stove that never fails me. On a winter climb of Rainier, I quickly figured out that I could literally roll over, reach out to the vestibule, crank the Jetboil on and have coffee in four minutes. getting to stay toasty in my sleeping bag even when it was nuking out was huge. bonus: brewing trailside coffee on an epic winter descent of Mt. Olympus got us through to the trailhead. $130; jetboil.com —Chris Kassar

2. Osprey Daylite PackFor day trips of any sort—peak bagging, cycling, touring, whatever—this pack fits me perfectly. It sits high enough to stay clear of my camera belt and easily carries water, a rain jacket, a warm layer, lunch and the other electronics and gizmos I need and use. $49; ospreypacks.com

—Cameron Martindell

3. Aqua Vessel Insulated Filtration bottleDuring a recent trip to the Sierras, I brought only a single water bottle: the Aqua Vessel Insulated Filtration bottle (25 ounce). we weren’t hiking or climbing, just catching up with the old crew around various water sources. when I got thirsty, I’d simply dip the bottle into a stream or lake, then instantly sip out of the straw. The insulated bottle kept the water cold, and the filter kept me from getting sick. $39; aquavessel.com —Chris Van Leuven

4. Yeti big Top 29erRarely do I find a bike that truly reignites and even elevates my passion to ride trails. Then I met the big Top. It rips on descents, climbs like a beast and has an urgent need to speed. The only downside: I’ve done 50 rides on it in three months—I’m becoming downright antisocial! Starts at $2,800; yeticycles.com —James Dziezynski

5. Columbia Peakfreak Trail ShoeThis is one of my all-time favorite trail runners due to its light weight, lateral stability, stiff upper and sturdy traction. There are so many choices out there, but this shoe combines technical performance with the feel of a street runner, without a lot of bells and whistles. The geeky-tech-sounding stuff (Techlite fit, a bomber mesh upper, and Omni-grip rubber, lugged sole and rock guard) all actually work for my short steep morning runs as well as all-day Summit-county hikes. $120; columbia.com —Aaron Bible

6. SmartWool PhD Heavy Crew SockI used to think all socks were created equal. I mean,

they’re socks, how hard can it possibly be? but unfortunately, most socks, even merino wool ones, get dank and gummy after a full day on the trail. when I spent eight days on Kilimanjaro, I brought just two pairs of Smartwool’s phDs. One would have sufficed, but I packed two just in case. $23; smartwool.com —Jayme Moye

7. Rab Xenon Jacket what skinny guy (read: low enough body fat percentage that insulation is a must when temps drop below 50) named Adam wouldn’t love this primaloft-insulated jacket available in the color “apple?” It comes with a hood and has thermal

effectiveness even when wet, and it’s light enough (and packs into its own pocket) so that I you never have to leave home without it. $250; us.rab.uk.com

—Adam Chase

8. Skull Candy Ink’d 2 Earbuds I love music, especially a rocking bass line. Ergo, I love my Skull Candy Earbuds because they produce great sound quality and solid, pumping bass delivery. They get me up all the hills when I’m working hard on the bike, drown out noise on the plane and help me through the workday—without compromising music quality. plus, they’re a great value. $25; skullcandy.com —Sonya Looney

We thought the simplest way to do a best of gear review was to ask each member of our staff what gear they appreciated the most over the past year. so here it is, nothing to please advertisers or make curmudgeons

wince, just the best stuff we beat up out there.


gearguide

9. b2RThe first time I saw a presentation on barefoot/natural/minimal running I was skeptical—until I realized that this is exactly the way I learned to run as a sprinter in high school. As a flat devotee, I was excited to test the newest in the minimalist craze, the b2R, which features a separated big toe for better foot feel and was designed by Eric Orton, trainer to Born to Run author Chirs MacDougal. beyond a flat shoe, Orton aims to strengthen the entire foot, which as yogis and martial artists know, strengthens the entire body. After runs on the Mesa Trail and working with Orton’s DVD and strengthening platform, I’m sold. $100; born2run.com

—Doug Schnitzspahn

10. beal Diablo 9.8mm UnicoreTo me, climbing is a chance to get out, away from crowds and experience the stillness and solitude of wild places. A slinky, supple rope—like a wet noodle—may be great for cragging, but when it comes to harsh, crumbling towers, I prefer a beefier rope that will stand up to heavy abuse day after day. That’s why I love the beal Diablo 9.8mm Unicore. Designed for big wall, sport, trad and indoor, this line

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provides confidence in remote locales like Capitol Reef. Unicore means there is no sheath slippage, it’s hard to cut and it provides smooth handling. $260; diablo-revolution.com —C.V.L.

11. Pocket Shot I don’t drink that often, but I always get a hankering for some moonshine when sitting around a backcountry campfire. I’ve hauled in cans of beer, wine in a pouch and even tried a powered beer product, but they weren’t extremely practical for the long haul and the powered beer was just….well, it was powered beer. but, I recently found the perfect solution—the pocket Shot, a recyclable pouch that holds just enough of my fave elixirs. I’m convinced the hot toddies made with whiskey and spiced rum are the only reason I made it through many long, freezing nights winter mountaineering. $1.69 each; pocketshot.net —C.K.

12. Patagonia Footwear Drifter AC midI knew I was going to love these boots forever when I took them on their first trek and realized they required no breaking in—seven hours up and down a Fourteener with no blisters, rubbing or even a hotspot, and I was the fastest one on the talus thanks to their sure-footed grippiness. From Colorado to Kilimanjaro, they’ve since proven themselves on nearly every type of terrain. $185; patagonia.com —J.M.

13. Revo Headway SunglassesI’ve got a wide nose and sensitive eyes, but the

snug-fit Revo Headway makes wearing sunglasses so comfortable that I often forget I’ve got them on. The glass Crystal lens is super sharp and the word “glare” has suddenly been removed from my vocabulary. They go with me on every adventure. $209; revo.com —C.M.

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got a favorite piece of gear that got you through the season?

Add to this list at elevationoutdoors.com.

YUMA • WRAY • BURLINGTON

SEPTEMBER 21-23, 2012

Register today atPedalThePlains.com

3-DAY TOUR • FAMILY FUN RIDE

Proceeds to benefi t The Denver Post Community Foundation in support ofFuture Farmers of America, 4-H and Rural Solutions.

A celebration of cycling culture, this landmark event combines great rides,

delicious eats, and close friends.

YUMA • WRAY • BURLINGTONYUMA • WRAY • BURLINGTON

SEPTEMBER 21-23, 2012SEPTEMBER 21-23, 2012

SPONSORED BY

GRAN FONDO


by James edWard mills

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he sun rises quickly across the Utah desert. Early morning waves of radiant energy cast long shadows and warm the parched

red sand. At dawn near Canyonlands National park about 35 miles from Moab the air is calm on the rim of Mineral Canyon, a place the locals call “The Sweet Spot.”

Not so sweet was a low pressure system the day before that brought gusting winds. This made things “complicated,” according to our guides, the pro-athlete husband-and-wife team of Mario Richard and Steph Davis. but as luck would have it a window opened—from first light until about 9 a.m. the conditions turned perfect for bASE jumping.

Or so they tell me. with no training or

experience in hurling myself off a 900-foot cliff I leave details like weather up to the experts—through their business Moab b.A.S.E. Adventures (moabbaseadventures.com), Davis and Richard offer rank beginners, anyone with nothing more than cash and guts the chance to become a bASE jumper for a day. Strapped to one of the pair, of course. Using rigs perfected in the sport of skydiving the couple now offers tandem bASE jumping among a suite of truly big-air guide services for thrill seekers.

It’s hardly a leap of faith. when it comes to parachutes, Richard is one of the leading aerialists on the planet. And Davis, a world-class expedition rock climber and wing-suit pilot, has racked up 20 years of experience working high above the ground.

They are, however, the first compnay to offer complete novices the chance to jump off cliffs.

Typically it takes months or even years to make that first bASE jump, not to mention thousands of dollars in airplane rides and instruction. but for $399 an average person of moderate fitness can give it a try, jumping tandem. when it comes down to it, it doesn’t take much to jump off a cliff strapped to another human being.

“we’re going to move together to the cliff edge and then take one step and start falling,” Richard says. “we’re climbing over a 12-foot hurdle where you might need a certain physical capacity. If you can walk you can jump off a cliff.”

Three weeks away from her 25th birthday prudence Meunier meets Richard and Davis just off a dirt road leading into Canyonlands. Dressed in action causal she and a few friends make a long scramble over sand and scrub grass to the rim.

“I was just reading the local paper and I saw the picture,” said Meunier, a massage therapist from Colorado Springs. “people actually do this? I’ve got to try it!”

The Sweet Spot is a flat expanse of sheer exposure, an appropriately steep sandstone cliff high above the green River. It’s where many aspiring bASE jumpers with far more skydiving experience than Meunier take their first dive to the Earth. After signing a comprehensive liability waver Meunier straps on a helmet and then straps herself to Richard’s chest. After a few basic instructions and words of encouragement, she’s ready to go.

Tethered with a safety line Meunier and Richard shuffle slowly to the edge, a single step from oblivion. “you ready to jump?” he asks with a thumps-up. “Ready to jump,” she replies returning the gesture. Richards unclips the safety line. Rope and carabiner clank to the ground. Together they counted. “Three, two, one and jump!”

Their free-fall lasts only a quarter of a second. The parachute deploys with a report like a rifle blast. A bright yellow and red canopy unfurls as client and guide float slowly safely to the canyon floor. Another novice has taken the plunge.

There are some considerations. Richards does insist that his clients don’t exceed his own weight of 185 pounds. And he prefers to work with those who aren’t too much taller than he is. with a relatively short distance to fall It’s important to select a cliff that’s as steep as possible to avoid the unseemly possibility of hitting the wall on the way down.

“Something as simple as that can affect the safety of the jump,” Davis says. “There’s always risk but that’s one way to mitigate that risk.”

Once safely back to earth Meunier is giddy with delight, but she admits this is hardly the beginning of a long career as a bASE jumper.

“I do things once and that’s it,” she says. “It was a great experience. It takes your breath away.”

At its core that’s really what tandem bASE jumping is all about. It can either be an introduction to a new sport or a one-time opportunity to do something infinitely cool.

“The passenger is there to live something intense without having to go through all the prerequisites,” Richard says. “we put them in the fast lane and say ‘I’m going to take you for a ride’.”

James Edward Mills is a freelance journalist based in Madison, WI where he hosts the active lifestyle blog/podcast series The Joy Trip Project (joytripproject.com).

afraid of Base jumping? steph davis and mario richard will take you with them—as in strapped to them—when they leap off big cliffs in moab.

go ahead...

JUMP!t


B AC K YA R D A DV E NT u R E

back in the Clinton Era, on a cloudless, dead-cold day, four riders pedaled into the snow, towards the illegal “Canal Trail” north of boulder. A mountain biker, a triathlete, a roadie and a journalist: four points on the compass rose of professional cycling. The quartet rolled over snowpacked city streets, then powdery dirt roads and finally to a locked gate with a sign promising “Death, Injury and prosecution”—or some combination of the three.

Now that the statute of limitations has expired, I can tell our story. Dismounting in line, the first rider climbed over and each followed, handing over his bike, then hopping the fence, turning, taking the next bike until all four stood on untracked snow, six inches deep. Ahead snaked a frigid ribbon of earth, over which to float during a training ride while the others were lounging at home, or worse, watching bike porn while spinning on the stationary trainer.

ur crew exhibited an obvious symmetry—the four of us excelled in our individual disciplines and together we made a unit

even more ready to hop that fence. Road cycling was, naturally, the pinnacle, zero and 360 degrees simultaneously, where all things two-wheeled begin and end: And we had Chris wherry, a national champion, the hometown hero. Mountain biking was the funky offshoot, its own sub-culture: Enter Travis brown, Durango-born wunderkind, Olympian and top-ten finisher at worlds. Next came triathlon, that incomprehensible discipline populated by the obsessed, possessed, the over-the-top and driven: Meet Cameron widoff, Midwestern boy, collegiate swimmer and then-Nike model, dreadlocked

Ironman top-five finisher. And finally, the voyeur, the wanna-be cyclist, with few victories to his name, but stories to trade for cash: me. we were also just four guys riding the Canal Trail to the town of Lyons. beside the trail, the canal—murky water oozing along, every mile or so an unnavigable tunnel, which would spell certain death or perhaps guaranteed disfigurement should a hapless watergoer attempt a through-swim. The signs repeated that simple mantra: Death, Injury, prosecution.

why risk it? The Canal offers a car-free spin, a valuable commodity on a snowy day. we were willing to ignore the warning because the competition would surely stay at home, missing a day of training. Suffer through the ride and we’d be 24 hours ahead of the rest of them. That’s a lead even a guy like me could keep.

The training would pay off, too: widoff finished top-five in Kona that fall, Travis went to the Olympics, wherry stood on the podium at the Tour of Malaysia... and me? I got skinny and won a couple races in the spring.

It was always a privilege to pedal with the champions. we rode along in formation, brown and widoff ahead, wherry and me behind. I usually hid in the back the first hour when training with pros, so I wouldn’t melt down later and become a special-needs rider on the way home. Three of us rode mountain bikes, but widoff, ever the iconoclast, piloted an Ibis ‘cross bike.

“How them tires goin’ for ya, Cam?” wherry asked from behind.

Cameron stopped mid-sentence, turned and

smiled, “Aw man, no sweat, dude, no sweat, just ridin’ along, you gotta let it float, just don’t steer too much, it’ll be fine, man, awesome, awesome, but look at this day, dude!”

Cameron was born mid-sentence, lives mid-sentence, will die mid-sentence, and if he’s not mid-sentence, then he’s just catching his breath. He wakes up in the morning, begins speaking and it goes until bedtime. He talks through six-hour bike rides, two-hour trail runs, burrito dinners, massages, you name it. I’ve never swum laps with him, but I can imagine the muffled commentary as he flip-turns, crawls and kicks in his quest to find the podium in Hawaii.

I’ve only heard Cam go silent twice. The first time on a six-hour deathmarch to Horsetooth Reservoir… and the second time, well that was on this very bike ride.

we pedaled the Canal Trail, warm only when moving and getting ahead.

Along the trail we came to a wide, shallow creek. Ice had formed on both banks, leaving a 12-foot-wide strip of flowing water down the middle. Total distance, perhaps 30 feet of river to be

the true story of three champions and the dude who had the chance to roll with them back in the ’90s.

death, injury and

prosecution

by roB Coppolillo

o

theroad

I usually hid in the back the first hour when training with

pros, so I wouldn’t melt down later and become a special-

needs rider on the way home.

CAMERON WIDOFF: “...just so long as

you keep the momentum going, it’s fine.”


B AC K YA R D A DV E NT u R E

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crossed—ten or so feet of ice, flowing water, then another ten or so feet of ice and the far bank. Shin-deep at its center, the creek didn’t pose much threat of Death, Injury and prosecution, but it did pose a hazard on a 15-degree day. we halted to consider our options.

“whaddya think?” wherry asked.“well, the ice looks solid,” brown said, smiling.widoff was already inching forward, “No

worries, man! you can just roll it, no worries, you see, just roll right through, just so long as you keep the momentum going, it’s fine. Just roll through it. No worries. you see?”

If only the video-phone had been developed in the ‘90s. So many images we could’ve captured over a decade of racing and training. The parties, the races, the day Cam widoff tried to ride his Ibis across ice, then water, then ice and up snow-covered dirt.

“No worries man, I got it,” Cam announced… and pushed off.

Cam pedaled and neared the perilous drop from ice to water. It seemed, for a few, bluebird moments that Cam might make it. Over six feet tall, his blond dreads bristling downward and out of a stocking cap, I still see him at that last moment—cycling weightlessly, a muscular snapshot, heroic.

He stopped pedaling when his front wheel abruptly turned perpendicular to his path of travel. with just ice beneath the rubber of his tires, the bike did not deviate from its trajectory, as it normally would have. He simply slid along, suspended in space. And though he still moved over the earth, in a sense he was motionless—the bike oozed across the ice while Cam had gone still, awaiting his fate.

“Oh no!” wherry cried, in delight and anticipation.

The wheel left the ice and dropped nearly a foot into the rushing, icy waters. Hands on the brake hoods, Cam lurched gently forward when the wheel lodged in rocks on the bottom of the river. The weightless-slide portion of his tragedy had ended and now came the violent flop-over into the torrent.

He stayed suspended for a moment. Then he fell onto his side, feet still clipped into the bike. Of course, he lay with his head downstream—the worst possible scenario for him; perfection for us—feet attached to his pedals, right leg beneath his bike and the creek flowing up and over his torso, threatening to suffocate him in 40-degree water.

“Oh oh, no worries, baby! No worries!” I sang into the blue sky.

wherry howled. Travis smiled.Cam began gasping and arched his body to

keep his head above water. He thrashed out of the pedals. Feet liberated, he planted his hands on rocks and lifted himself out of the water. Silver tendrils drained from his body.

“Oh dude, oh no man!” he shouted.He stood rapidly and righted himself. Ankle-

deep, mid-river, Cam straddled his frigid Ibis and began running the bike towards the far shore. The wheels bounced over rocks and the bicycle bucked beneath him, up the far bank.

The cold had shocked him into a speechless, smiling pose. He looked down, feet in sodden booties, water snaking down his wiry, lean legs. Cameron widoff was speechless for a long moment… and no more.

“yeah, bro,” Cam replied. “Dude, I had it, man,

when I get moving.”And just like that he was back in the saddle. The

sub-nine-hour Ironman competitor, popsicle dreads on his head riding an ice-glazed Ibis—he was already pedaling. we three mounted and caught up, making tracks on the trail, snickering at Cam’s long legs, jerking the pedals in circles with his frozen feet, the commentary unending.

“Fucking derailleur’s frozen, man, I think, shit, can’t feel my hands,” he said, looking down. He turned towards Travis. “Man, look at my derailleur, is it shifting? I can’t feel my hands, so I don’t know if I’m shifting it or not, you know? Is that thing moving… now … how about now … you know, I almost had that, but the front wheel just went…” his head turned back to us, “…man, is that thing shifting, man, Robbie, man, you see that, is that thing shifting, bro, I can’t tell, that water and shit, it was coming up my chin, I’m lucky I got up…”

ess than two hours prior, we four riders had pedaled out of town and hopped the fence onto the Canal Trail, where one is guaranteed

Death, Injury and prosecution, or some combination of the three. we nearly lost a man while crossing a creek, a real champion, out training in the cold when the others were home, safe and sound on the couch, muscles atrophying, willpower dissolving, racers riding up the road, leaving them behind.

wherry and I shook our heads behind the triathlete and the mountain biker. we spun towards Lyons, under bluebird skies, the four of us points on the compass rose of professional cycling. Three champions … and me.

Elevation Outdoors’ contributing editor Rob Coppolillo raced road bikes for a decade, from 1991 until 1999, before starting the online mag, bike.com. His manuscript In the gutter: Stories Too True to Tell, chronicles his time racing and writing about cycling. His book, Holy Spokes: a biking bible for Everyone, is due out in January.

but the front wheel just got a little sideways, and then you know when I dropped into the water, man, there was no way, and that frickin’ water, man, that water, it was coming up my chin and shit!”

we laughed harder.“I mean,” he continued, “these gloves are

soaked and shit, man, the water went right in ‘em, I’m lucky I stood up, I could it feel it coming up under my jacket. Fuckin’-A man.”

Cam kept us abreast of his every sensation. we laughed. After a while of this, we realized the three of us would need to cross if we were to

continue our training ride, while Cam would need to come back if he was to return home. Stalemated momentarily, we surveyed the creek up and down.

wherry looked at us, “well, I’m goin’ for it.”Instead of riding, though, wherry dismounted,

ran the bike over the ice, then rock-hopped across the creek, leapt onto the ice and kept going. In less than seven seconds he was standing next to Cam, inspecting his feet and bike.

“well,” was all Travis said as he repeated wherry’s maneuver. I could do nothing but follow.

I smacked Cam on the back happily. “How was that for ya?!”

“Oh man, I had it, man, you know. I had it, but that front wheel, just that front wheel got frickin’ sideways and man, I nearly kept it up…”

we silenced Cam temporarily with more laughter. when we wanted to know, “you going home, or what?”

“Nah, man, I can make it, no fuckin’ way I’m going home, man. Those guys can stay at home, man, we’re ridin’ man, just a little wet, I’ll be fine

we nearly lost a man while crossing a creek, a real champion,

out training in the cold when the others were home, safe and

sound on the couch, muscles atrophying, willpower dissolving,

races riding up the road, leaving them behind.

TRAVILS BROWN? Coppolillo

is reaching so far back into

old photos and nostalgia, he’s

not even sure...

CHRIS WHERRY: national champion,

hometown hero, “Well, I’m goin’ for it.”

Rob Coppolillo will be talking about his days at bike.com (and promises to swear and maybe

get naked) at 7 p.m. at the boulder REI on October 26 as part of the Elevation Outdoors Presents slideshow series. be there. rei.com


cale

ndar ’Cross Your

CircuitsThe season is here for mud and pain. We point you to the best cyclocross races across the state.By Jayme Moye

Colorado may lack the extreme mud of belgium, the birthplace of cyclocross, but that doesn’t make our courses any less fun to race, or exciting to watch. There’s pretty much a race every weekend in the fall and winter, complete with an ample beer garden for the rowdiest two-wheeled spectating in the state. Here are some of the highlights on the schedule. See coloradocycling.org for a complete listing.

PIKES PEAK VELO SUPERCROSSSpetember 8 • Colorado SpringSSince 2001, this club has been putting on one of the best races in the state. we were not sure how they could possibly top last year’s course— the two-mile loop was the first bike race held at the historic Rock Ledge Ranch property in garden of the gods—but they surprised us when they announced that the race will cover the University of Colorado Springs campus. Supercross is also one of the only ’cross races in the state to include a category for brand newbies. pikespeakvelo.com

THE bACK TO bASICS CYCLOCROSS SERIESwEDNESDAyS, SEPTEMBEr 12 TO oCtober 17 • goldenAfter a successful debut last year, the back to basics series returns with an expanded schedule that includes three wednesday evenings in October. These weekly practice races take place at the Lookout Mountain youth Center and cost $15 each, or $65 for the six-race series. Choose to enter one of four loosely defined categories based on your gender, how hard you want to race, and whether you’re planning to ride a singlespeed or not. active.com/cycling/golden-co/back-to-basics-cyclocross-series-2012

bOULDER CYCLOCROSS SERIESSEPTEMBEr 16, 22, OCTOBEr 20, NOvEMBEr 17, DECEMBEr 8boulder Racing puts on some of the most classic bike races in the area including the Koppenberg Classic and the Morgul bismark Road Race, and pioneered chip timing for ’cross races back in 2009. Once again, its Cyclocross Series is back for 2012, with all your favorite venues including the Valmont bike park, Xilinx, Interlocken, westminster City park and the Louisville Rec Center. There will also be two additional races as part of the CycloX series, one November 10 at Sienna Lake and one December 1 at an all-new venue that’s yet to be announced. boulderracing.com

FRISCO CROSS September 29 • FriCSo The seventh annual Frisco Cross will be held

at the Frisco peninsula. This local favorite kicks off the first race in the Colorado Cross Cup (coloradocycling.org/bcr/about), a series created by the American Cycling Association, Colorado’s governing body of bike racing. Racers accrue points for placing and participation, earning bragging rights and trophies at the post-season party in February.townoffrisco.com/events/frisco-cylcocross

mONARCH HIgH CYCLOCROSSoCtober 7 • louiSville Now in its third year, this race just keeps on getting better. So much so that nearly 600 racers descended on the athletic fields surrounding Monarch High School last year to get a piece. Created by the very reputable DbC Events, this is a classic Colorado course with plenty of grass, ample 180-degree turns, a long sand section and barriers where you least want them (read: when you’re most blown out of your cardio mind). dbcevents.com

THE NEW bELgIUm CUPoCtober 13-14 • Fort CollinS part of the US grand prix of Cyclocross, the most prestigious series in the U.S., this race returns to Colorado for 2012. Superstar (and Fort Collins resident) georgia gould will be there, along with some of the top pros in the nation. Known for having a deceptively tough course (native grasses

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require more power to pedal over than you think), this race draws the strongest, fastest field this side of the Atlantic. usgpcyclocross.com

bOULDER CUPoCtober 28 • boulderThe boulder Cup turns seven this year, and hopes to keep its title of the largest ’cross race in the Rockies. In 2011, nearly 800 racers and 3,000 spectators showed up. The race even set a state record with almost 150 competitors under the age of 18. After a successful debut at the Valmont bike park last year, the race will take place at that same venue for 2012. The boulder Cup is an absolute must see, or even better, must race. dbcevents.com CROSS OF THE NORTHdeCember 15-16 • lovelandAfter a big inaugural year, the Cross of the North returns for 2012, this time as the venue for the State Cyclocross Championships. Hosted by the Echelon Energy (E2) Cycling Team at The Ranch events complex, this high-profile race boasts facilities that are just as memorable as the course, including indoor showers for both racers and their bikes. The course will change some from last year to improve the spectator experience, but it will still feature the infamous Royster Run-up. crossofthenorth.com

STAIRmASTERS: COMPETITORS IN THE BOuLDER CYCLOCROSS SERIES

DEAL WITH THE “TERRAIN.”


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couldn’t write until the rain came. with all of the fires that were burning and all the smoke in my brain, just the scratching of ink on

those little white sheets of notebook felt as if I was encouraging one more thing to burst into flames in this Rocky Mountain tinderbox. As if the very mention of crowning trees and black clouds of soot might make my words combust.

you could smell it first, before anyone even told you something was burning, like the black stench of some over-microwaved bag of popcorn, bitter and tired by the time it reached us. Then you could watch it come in like weather, blowing along on corpse-like clouds, as rotten and jaundiced as the evidence of burnt water that it is. The streets filled up with a kind of stinking fog you could touch, and everyone closed their windows and their doors, and disappeared inside the house. It was only when I was out in the dark in my yard that I was surprised to hear the sound of critters, of birds and fast claws across the chips, rutting and running and doing just about everything but taking flight. I felt like I was blind then, underground, listening to the subterranean diggings of hidden life.

we woke up with headaches every day. The kind that feel as if they came from a tightness in the back of your neck. Our eyes burned. Our throats. My wife wanted to put the dogs in the car and drive north. And because someone has always seen it worse, or actually lost something deeper than sleep, a friend from Montana said, “I can remember when we couldn’t see across the street.” It was just our turn, he said, as acre after acre was scorched into charcoal every night.

So I looked out the window like some kind of

10 miles further south, and he called to ask, “Can you see that?”

It turned into a fireworks display in the dark. The oranges, the reds and the way a place you weren’t even watching would suddenly erupt. It felt as if I were witnessing a riot, and I kept waiting for that moment when the entire ridge would burst.

I think I know where the fire stalled, because I got lost there once. There is a box canyon, there are probably several box canyons, and the fire just didn’t seem to have the energy to go over the top. which was how it burned for the rest of the week. It would be misting in that kind of fireplace haze in the morning, dramatically pluming in the afternoon with that same sense of impending disaster that started it, then pulsing into the night.

The fact that the ridge did not catch fire leaves me believing that some energy up there stopped it. There are forces far older than I will ever be that may have decided what to do next. It is an old place. I imagine if there were a meeting like that, there would be a lot of different languages spoken.

when the first rains did come, they all smelled like smoke. To celebrate, I went for a run. Just three cars that passed me, and from the window of one of them, the driver dropped a lit cigarette. I screamed at him and started sprinting. I have no idea what I thought I would do if I ever caught that car. No dog ever does. but still, I ran like I might.

Peter Kray is Elevation Outdoors’ editor-at-large and co-founder of gear review website The Gear Institute (gearinstitute.com).

summer-day invalid and wondered if the blossoms on the apple and the peach trees would taste like ash. I imagined it was all just a setting against which I could create some epic heartbreak of blazing love and adapted (i.e., stolen), indigenous art. I got out the tequila to oil the inspiration and wrote, “La Llorona will never weep in a town with no rain. The fires are so hot that they have dried and dispatched even her drowned, water-soaked children’s ghosts. There are only things here to burn now—the beetle-killed trees, the close-set cabins and crosses, and only liquor on which to drown. There is only the bottomless rasp from the deep dehydration of sand-bottomed arroyos, and the rattle of a world that looks like yellow paper in the light.”

“Sex is nature,” I wrote, and went off to tell my wife how happy I was to have written the same thing that I always write.

It was a Saturday so we danced on the tile with the dogs dancing around us, and as I looked out through the window I could see on the ridge that first detonation of new smoke.

“Oh shit.”In barely an hour it seemed as if the whole

world was at risk. I thought I would see the entire mountain burn by the time it was dark, and, helpless to stop it, got some beer to watch.

when my wife came out on the deck and asked me what I thought started it, I looked her right in the eyes and said, “It was probably a lightning strike.” And she looked back with a look that said, “Jackass.” but what she said instead was, “I haven’t seen a cloud in two months.”

From 25 miles away it was like watching flares the way the trees would ignite. A good friend was

by peter KraY

trying to find hope and meaning in the fire season from hell

smoked outi


big

shots

in memoriam, john bacharKuRT SMITH

PHOTO

OF THE

MONTH

R E A D E R P H OTO S

Downhill SuShi AARON BIBLE

Tattoo YouWe asked our readers to send us photos of their ink—and we received these pictures that tell 1,000 words.

leg of the tigerLuCKY SPOON

enDleSS winterMATT SELINGER

KnucKle Dropper ?JOSH MADSEN

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