Outdoors & Rec

A climber dangling in Red Rocks, courtesy of lastbeats’ Flickr page. To have your photos featured in Morning Dew, send them to edge@westword.com or post them to the Westword Flickr pool…

We live in a cartoon paradise. It snowed two feet along the front range this week, and it might hit 60 degrees over the weekend. Still, make your backcountry plans with caution. The month of October has already seen an unusually high number of avalanches: five triggered by skiers and…

We get it. You’re in a hurry. You want your exercise. And ripping down the narrow-gauge trails at Matthews Winters at 30 miles an hour is just fun. But get this: Next time you come screaming around the corner and expect me and my dog to jump out of the…

And that’s why you didn’t…

They say that all racks are created equal, but it’s simply not true. You can go low-profile, high-rise, low-fi or high-tech, depending on how much you want to spend and how much patience you have to install the sucker. Back in the day, we’d strap a ski rack onto our…

A climber on Boulder’s second Flat Iron, courtesy of Chad Podoski’s Flickr pool. To have your photos featured in Morning Dew, send them to edge@westword.com or post them to the Westword Flickr pool…

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Three to Ski, where we recommend the, umm, three best hills for you to hit up this weekend, by ski or snowboard. This week, by default: 1. Wolf Creek: We’re getting some snow this week (had you noticed?), but Wolf Creek is getting absolutely…

Sniagrab’s basically a bust since Sports Authority took over the castle. But it’s going on until November 18, so you may still be able to snake some decent ski deals, including some of Volkl’s best offerings for the season. I stopped by about a month ago to take a look…

From proforged’s Flickr feed: A look at what Vail will look like soon, thanks to dumpage like yesterday. To have your photos featured in Morning Dew, send them to edge@westword.com or post them to the Westword Flickr pool…

“This is pure snow! Do you have any idea what the street value of this mountain is?”– Charles De Mar, Better Off Dead (1985) The chase for Colorado’s white gold gets more serious when there’s pure powder to be had, but after taking the summer off Colorado’s core addicts will…

Send video of your own outdoor exploits to edge@westword.com…

With all eyes on the ski season, heading out for a desert-duster trip to Moab may seem like a pipe dream, something for next year’s calendar. But while you might get a little snow in your camp, you can still take advantage of plenty of great cool-weather hiking and biking…

Courtesy of garycolet’s Flickr feed: A reminder to squeeze in those fall rides before scenes like this — at trail 401 in Crested Butte — are covered in snow. To have your photos featured in Morning Dew, send them to edge@westword.com or post them to the Westword Flickr pool…

As you can see, 300 people spelled out “Save Snow” on the base of Aspen’s mountain on October 24 as part of 350.org’s “International Day of Climate Action.” They were one of 5,248 participating rallies worldwide. “Welcome to the revolution. Expect only more street protests like this as we as…

Hours before the storm blew into Denver on Sunday evening, the snow was falling (and blowing) 35 miles west at Echo Mountain. With a 700-foot vertical drop, it may not boast the longest runs in Colorado, but what Echo Mountain lacks in treachery in makes up for in convenience: It’s…

The late rock-climbing phenom Dan Osman. I’d say RIP, but wherever he is, I suspect there’s not a lot of resting going on…

Saturday was a beautiful day — one of those bluebird shiners that makes Colorado feel like the center of the universe. And nowhere was that more evident than Elk Meadow, home to a kick-ass local hike and an equally solid dog park…

Colorado’s southernmost ski resort, Wolf Creek, will open on Halloween this year. Don’t get too excited — it’s just the bunny hill for now. Still, lift tickets are only $20, and if your dreams of turning your tyke into a booze-free Bode Miller turn out to be a bust, at…

The leaves are falling in Denver, the Broncos are 6-0, and the lifts are turning at both A-Basin and Loveland. It’s going to be a wonderful winter. At least, that’s what we’re hoping — and wishing.Last year I got about five days of backcountry skiing in, a hut trip, loads…

You might not be the least bit surprised by the lengths some local shredders, industry reps, lifties, and ski instructors will go to prove their love of female breasts. Still, as Blair Young, Outreach Director for Boarding for Breast Cancer points out, “It’s not every day that you get to…

A skiier flying through A-Basin, courtesy of weiglen’s Flickr pool. To see your photos On the Edge, email them to edge@westword.com or join the Westword Flickr group…