The Big Deal—Easily spotted in colorful team kit, this agro amateur racer has usually just upgraded to Category III. The Big Deal lives for training, racing and talking about training and racing. He also won’t deign to acknowledge you on the road. Occasionally, even teammates get snubbed. The Big Deal’s cycling dreams and cycling ego are dashed after a few seasons racing sandbaggers.

The Warrior—Nothing wrong with being a weekend rider unless you’re oblivious to your surroundings. The Warrior is typically ill-attired—shorts and jersey when it’s 40 degrees, tights and jacket when it’s 75. And some force of the universe holds the Warrior back from acknowledging you. He doesn’t realize cycling can be social even between passing strangers. The Warrior needs a mentor.

Smuggie—One of the most experienced cyclists on the road, Smuggie knows better. But Smuggie thinks too highly of himself (or herself) to acknowledge a fellow cyclist. Smuggie’s bike is expensive; his kit is understated (unless he’s a master’s racer) but of the highest quality. And don’t expect idle chitchat or even a return “hello” at a red light, let alone a passing wave. Smuggie is beyond all that. And that’s just too bad.

The Goggler—As common as the prairie dog, The Goggler flashes a penetrating Secret Service glare when you wave—no nod, no smile, no indication of life beneath the shades. The eerie ogle of The Goggler gives you an uncomfortable feeling like he’s gawking at a large hole in your shorts. Try making a goofy face at The Goggler. If he continues his gaze, he’s legit. If he turns away quickly, he’s an evolving Warrior and just needs some guidance.

The Situation—It’s all about The Situation—the coldest, loneliest, windiest, snowiest, nastiest ride imaginable—and a big fat snub. As you pass The Situation you’re so excited to see another human on this harshest of rides, you add a “Hey man!” to your wave. The Situation keeps on going. You can only shake your head, ridding yourself of the stinging offense.

You can be all these things when you stay at the YMCA.

The Y’s 5,000 acres rest in the Fraser River Valley with eastern views of Winter Park’s runs, which dribble down like white icing on the side of a green cake. Reminders of the valley’s past remain, undisturbed by newer owners. In 1885, the Just family homesteaded the area next to where the Legett Craft Shop now sits. The smoky scent from the nearby Nordic Center fire breathes even more historic life into the area. There’s also the well-preserved Rowley homestead, on the southwestern edge with its log cabin, cellar and smokehouse.

You can sleep in a cabin—albeit a modern version—with grand views of the valley that reinforce the remoteness. Out the front door of the cabin is the Nine Mile Mt. trailhead and out back, down the hill, is the Old Lynch ski trail. The Y has 52 cabins and three lodges, including Indian Peaks, which has a cozy A-frame lobby, comfy furniture and fireplace.

You can explore 60 miles of undulating, groomed trails through conifer forests on skinny skis or snowshoes—just beware of the moose and elk that may cross your path. If you’re new to classic skis or just need to untie some bad habits, the Nordic Center offers lessons. If you’re a guest, ski and snowshoe rentals are free.

“Act like you’re jogging in place,” my instructor said as we stood on the practice trail. “Good. Now let the skis do the work.” After a few hours scouting out the trails, it was nice to relax on the couch by the fire.

Next to the Nordic Center is the Pavilion with ice rink and tow-roped sledding hill. If you’re ready for something warmer, head over to the Kiva Center with its climbing wall, roller skating, basketball and volleyball. Keep your heart rate down and get your hands dirty at the Legett Craft Shop where you may work with copper, clay or tie-dye. Learn about winter survival and the pine beetle. Swim at the pool. Now pull on your boots, hop up on a horse and let a wrangler guide you around the valley. The Sombrero Ranch also offers wagon and sleigh rides. And if you need an adrenaline fix, there’s always nearby Winter Park and Sol Vista. The Y has a ski rental shop and daily mountain transportation.

Finally, you may just be too tired to do anything. That’s when a trip to the library helps. Pick a book and sit by the fire. And think about what you want to be after the snow melts and your playground transforms into summer—you’ll be back.

[Gear]
+ Marco Polo Didn’t Go There: Stories and Revelations from One Decade as a Post-modern Travel Writer, $10, REI.

[Tips]
+ Weekends can be crowded. Make reservations for the week and you’ll have the place to yourself. Pack boots for snowshoeing and horseback riding as well as trainers for inside sports. Bring your own beverages and groceries. Though the Y offers dining options, you’ll want special meals and goodies. ymcarockies.org

[Getting There] Hwy 70 W to exit 232 (Hwy 40). Go 12 miles past Winter Park, in between Tabernash and Granby.
The entrance is well-marked on the left.

After the war, Pete Seibert, seriously wounded by a mortar blast in Italy, founded Vail, and veteran Friedl Pfeifer helped develop Aspen. In fact, the 10th Mountain left their influence on nearly every resort in the state. While the ski industry exploded with resorts growing ever bigger and more extravagant, Cooper Hill, renamed Ski Cooper, remained a little backyard mountain. And that’s its charm.

Ski Cooper is not a resort. You won’t find condos, world-class restaurants or even snowmaking guns (the snow’s all natural); it’s simply a ski mountain. The gravel parking lot backs right up to the base of the mountain. A short walk and you’re at the lodge and the 10th Mountain lift where if there’s a line, it’s a busy day. “You don’t have to worry about the crowds,” says Maggie Dishman, children’s ski school director. “You don’t feel like you’re gonna get run over coming down the hill.”

Rolling blues like Trail’s End and Blackpowder make up the front side. At the 11,700-foot summit, take in views of the continental divide and the Sawatch and Mosquito Ranges. Tenth Mountain soldiers camped here for weeks at a time, sleeping in snow caves and tents at 30-below zero, sometimes subsisting only on Pemmican.

Looking down the mountain to the left is a handful of black runs. You’ll likely discover fresh snow or corduroy sections.

“Three days after a big storm you can still find powder in the trees,” Dishman says. Head down Nightmare and imagine wearing 7-foot hickory planks that remained fixed to your feet, even if you tumbled down the mountain. Some soldiers broke legs this way. Others reveled in the 65-mph speed they could go on these things.

If you visit Cooper on Feb. 19, maybe you’ll get a chance to ski alongside one of the old vets at their annual WWII reunion. They can show you how it was done nearly 70 years ago.

[Gear]
+ Oakley A-Frame Shaun White Goggles. Maximum visibility. $130

+ Ski Cooper Adult lift ticket $42, child (6-14) $23. Expert skiers can try backcountry snowcat tours. skicooper.com

[Tips for enjoying cooper]
+ Exploring around Ski Cooper Tennessee Pass Nordic Center offers challenging groomed cross country skiing. A mile up the Cooper Loop trail sits the Cookhouse. But don’t let the yurt fool you. The Cookhouse serves delicious lunches and gourmet dinners. Reservations recommended. tennesseepass.com

[Directions]
+ I-70 W to CO-91 (Copper Mt. exit) to Leadville. Right on US 24 for 9 miles to Tennessee Pass. Right at the pass down a dirt road to Ski Cooper.

Goldenrod: Helen Mirren
These robust, bright-yellow perennials live as far east as Massachusetts and as far northwest as British Columbia. The genus Solidago means to make whole because of the many medicinal roles it plays, from fighting kidney stones, digestive problems and colds to relief from eczema and arthritis. And it won’t cause your nose to run and your eyes to itch; that’s ragweed. But it does combat the seeding of weeds like Keanu.

Dotted Gayfeather: Meryl Streep
Aka, Blazing Star, this lavender flower packs attractive but serious qualities into dense flowered spikes shooting straight up from a thick stem. They feed sheep, deer and antelope. And they have been used medicinally for sore throats, snake bites and bladder problems.

Oxeye Daisy: Lindsay Lohan
A pretty perennial that might be mistaken for its more sophisticated, innocent cousins, this white flower resides on Colorado’s “B” list of noxious weeds. It looks great in gardens and Malibu parties but it’s a train wreck waiting to derail the growth of other native flowers. The Oxeye’s acrid smell—like stale sweat—attracts pollinating flies. Often found invading pasturelands, meadows and roadsides.

Perennial Sweet Pea: Jennifer Aniston
The comely, fragrant and some say “old-fashioned” Sweet Pea is full of nutrients and can remain viable for long periods. While it attracts bees, butterflies and birds, it also beckons snails and slugs who consume leaves and devour seedlings. The Sweat Pea’s bonny appearance belies its true nature as a pesky weed. Look for it in the meadows of Chautauqua.

Blue Gentian: Katharine Hepburn
A graceful, deep-blue flower with strong maroon stems found in moist, open or wooded sites along the Front Range. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies as pollinators and ants as residents. Gentian root extracts are found in the old and still produced Moxie Cola as well as some European aperitifs like the French Suze.

[Basic Tips]
+ Get out and look at flowers wherever you are.

+ Don’t worry about species; get familiar with general groupings first.

+ Bring along someone who can point out different flowers.

[Additional resources]
+ For plant education, conservation and organized wildflower hikes, try
the Colorado Native Plant Society. conps.com.

+ Pick up a book like Guide to Colorado Wildflowers (Vol. 1), by G.K. Guennel. Or try out National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflower—Western Region.

[To Go] For August wildflower viewing, check out Marshall Mesa in South Boulder. From Superior, go west on Marshall Drive and look for the trailhead on the south side. Other trailheads found off Hwy 93. bouldercolorado.gov

But if you get “buzzed” on a lonely county road, as happened to me recently, there probably won’t be any witnesses. And unless you’re Steve Austin, forget about seeing their tag number. Then there’s the enforcement issue but that’s for another article. What the law obviously can’t do is legislate a driver’s attitude. That’s where you, we, come in. Every time we hop on our bikes, we’re ambassadors for the sport whether we want the gig or not. And we can immediately impact drivers’ perceptions on our next ride.

First, we should recognize some potential distinctions. Some drivers may not like the way a guy (it’s way easier for ladies to pull off) looks in spandex. I know, how dare they? But unless they grew up on Headbangers Ball, a man in tights may seem an oddity. Others haven’t even ridden a bike since Kennedy was president and don’t understand why anyone would when there are cars to drive. Some don’t think we should even be on the road. And the minority of cyclists who regularly break the law make our ride that much tougher. Hard cases, yes, but slowly and individually, we can alter perceptions with our behavior, one driver at a time.

Some Written and Unwritten Rules of the Road—Take Notes
• Don’t run red lights. If you want respect on the road, follow the rules.
• Probably the biggest driver complaint I’ve seen in articles about the new law: don’t run stop signs. If a car’s already there and isn’t going to let you go first, just stop completely. It takes you another five seconds to clip out. If a car was there first and lets you go, give a nod of thanks.
• If a driver screams at you for any reason—just wave. Screaming back, as I’ve found, only ruins your ride and may get you into more trouble. Sometimes they’re only looking for a response. Sometimes they just don’t like your spandex.
• If a driver exercises patience instead of pulling out in front of you, give a nod of thanks.
• If a driver waits to pass you safely on a narrow road—wave thanks.
• If you see a police officer stop and ask them if they’re aware of the new law.
• Acknowledge pedestrians on less traveled multi-use paths. They’re drivers too. I stopped the other week to warn a lady about a large snake on the path ahead.
• Put aside any feelings of entitlement. It’s not healthy for the rest of us who are considerate and obey the law.

[Tips]
Here are some provisions of the new bike safety law:

+ Allow the cyclist at least a three-foot separation between the right side of the driver’s vehicle, including all mirrors and other projections, and the left side of the bicyclist at all times.

+ Cyclists may ride two abreast as long as they do not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.

+ Drivers will not, “in a careless and imprudent manner,” drive gratuitously close to a bicyclist.

[Additional resources]
+ For a full copy of the new law and other Colorado cycling tips, go to Bicyclecolo.org.

Thirty years later and I still vividly remember that outing. In fact, I remember all my camping trips because they were so different from normal routine. Camping is one of the only ways we have to truly unplug and unwind. No email, no TV, no Facebook.

Before deciding on a destination, figure out what you’re looking for. Hiking? Fishing? Relaxing? Once you’ve decided where and when you want to camp, go online or call to learn about services like bathrooms and pet rules. Look at a map to see how the campground is laid out. If there’s a stream and the sound of running water makes you crazy, that’s good to know. Make a reservation as campgrounds can fill up fast.

Write a checklist of everything you’ll need. The more organized you are, the more elaborately (think cooking spices not CD collection) you can pack. Then inspect your gear. Unfold your tent and look for holes or tears—make sure all poles and stakes are there. After 15 years of use, my tent stakes are now U-shaped. If you have kids, make sure they haven’t outgrown their Sponge Bob sleeping bags. Check all batteries, propane and be sure your cooking set doesn’t have last year’s spaghetti remnants. The night before you leave, stage all your gear in one area and check it off.

Arrive at the campground well before sundown to allow time for set-up. If you didn’t make reservations, ask if you can see the available sites before you decide on one. Locate the bathrooms then buy a couple bundles of firewood. Set up your tent first. Place a large folded tarp on the ground to protect the tent’s fabric. Stow away your sleeping bags, pads, books and anything you’ll need for the night. And always zip up the tent to keep bugs and critters out.

Unless you’re cooking right away, don’t haul out the stove and food. Unfold your chairs, crack open a beverage and enjoy the sights and sounds. Look for local camp critters like pika, squirrels and chipmunks. After sundown, tell tall tales around the campfire. Listen for the hoots of owls. And think, you’re not always there, so be there. You’ll remember it forever.

[Gear]
+ Eureka! Mountain Pass
2-person tent ($180)
I should be able to get another 15 years out of my Eureka! Campmor.com.

+ Princeton Tec Quad Headlamp ($35)
If I could have only one source of light while camping, this would be it. Backcountry.com.

+ GSI Javapress Frenchpress ($30)
Camping without coffee is like, well, camping without coffee. Campmor.com.

[Tips]
+ A good place to start for campgrounds, checklists, tips and everything outdoors is gorp.away.com
+ No gear? No problem. Borrow what you need. Buy the best you can afford. A small initial investment will pay you back for years.

“There’s an owl just off the highway. She can’t fly. What do you recommend?” I said.

“Oh, just pick her up and bring her to us as soon as you can,” the bird lady said.

“Just pick her up?”

“Yeah, watch her feet. They have sharp talons.” I felt like Napoleon Dynamite in the chicken coup.

The crows moved closer. I grabbed a blanket out of my trunk and scooped the hissing bird into a box and on to the rescue center. She seemed relieved; I was hooked: birds, birding, anything feathered.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one to sit in the bushes for hours, with pith helmet and binoculars bigger than my head, waiting for the elusive yellow-bellied sapsucker to pop out. I own a small pair of Nikons and a handful of birding books, but I don’t obsessively record every bird I see. But I am more aware of this community around us. Birds give me—and you, if you choose to accept this assignment—something to look at and think about on walks, runs, drives. You just need to be aware. They’re dependable—they’re always out there. They don’t demand anything from you.

Think of birding like your car. Say you bought a PT Cruiser but never noticed them on the road until you scored yours. Now it seems they’re everywhere. Well, noticing birds is like that except every car on the road is now a PT Cruiser. That’s a little frightening, but you get the idea. When you’re aware, you see birds everywhere: a pair of mallard ducks shooting across the horizon, magpies skirting along a cattle fence, pelicans diving in a pond for fish. The Front Range is rich for bird viewing in general and raptors in particular. In fact, the best way to start is to look for the larger birds like hawks and great blue herons.
Just look up.

That’s what Firestone birder Brian Wheeler recommends. Wheeler, author of Raptors of Western North America, says to look for the big birds because, well, they’re easier to spot. And because Colorado is home to so many.

“It’s a melting pot,” Wheeler said. “The eastern half of Colorado is one of the best places in the country for raptors.”

You don’t have to go far to see what he means. Look along any stretch of telephone poles and you’ll see a red-tail hawk eyeing its next meal. And right now, thousands of Swainson’s hawks are flying in from Argentina to summer in Colorado. Look for the huge great blue heron flying like a graceful flapping hang glider. Once you notice these biggies, you’ll be aware of all the birds out there. You’ll know—like I do—that great horned owls are fierce predators, preying on crows and just about any other bird. So any time you see crows mobbing, chances are there’s an owl nearby.

[Gear]
+ Eagle Optics Triumph 8×25 Porro Prism $79.99 Get up close and personal with your new feathered friends. The Triumph Porro Prism is an eight-power binocular. It’s lightweight and focuses close or far.

+ Guide to Birds of North America CD-ROM $79.95 When the weather is not prime for bird watching or you just feel like staying in, turn on your Dell and experience nature through this bird-watching software. This guide includes 900 birds, 2,788 top-quality photos, 707 songs, 90 videos and 926 range maps.

[Wheeler’s Tips for Birders]
+ Put a bird feeder out
+ Plant a conifer like a Blue Spruce as a bird habitat
+ Look on telephone poles/wires for hawks and kestrels
+ Get out in the country and listen to their sounds
+ Buy an illustrated guidebook

How lucky we have it living on the Front Range: a spider web of multi-use paths right out our back door, nearly year-round riding weather, civil dogs and thousands of two-wheelers to make you feel guilty when you’re not riding. And nothing is more important than your health and your mental well-being. It’s like the financial adage to pay yourself first.

I’ve found a little forethought can go a long way in getting you back in the saddle.

First, inspect your sled. Make sure the tires aren’t dry-rotted, worn or cut. If you’re replacing them, spend some coin on a tire with a Kevlar belt for protection against goat heads. Take it to a shop for a tune-up. If you haven’t given it any love since Phish last played Red Rocks you’ll probably need to invest in at least a new chain and cassette.

Take stock of your gear. Is it time to upgrade the spandex? Bib shorts fit like a glove and won’t sag. Buy the best you can afford. Unless your helmet is only a few years old, buy a new one. Always wear quality sunglasses. An oft over-looked accessory—like a fanny pack—is chamois cream. Your Herman Miller pampered bum will certainly appreciate its cooling effects even during that lunch-hour ride.

Get off the main roads and onto the bike trails, paved paths and dirt roads. Your road bike can easily handle the terrain. And you’ll develop good control skills. If riding by yourself gets old, hook up with your local shop for a group ride or enlist a partner. If you don’t have a partner and no one wants to ride with you, just enjoy being on the ride. Listen to the prairie dogs barking. Watch a red-tail hawk soaring above the prairie dogs or a coyote slinking across the plains avoiding development.

No wonder our state motto is Nil sine numine. It is God’s country. Ride it.

[gear]
+ Milram Bib Shorts ($150.00)
Have you worn the same shorts since Lance’s first Tour win? Slide into these pro-quality bib shorts—like traditional riding shorts sans waistband—making the ride a bit more comfortable and ensuring that breathing is not restricted.

+ Assos Chamois Cream ($21.95) Let’s just be honest, chaffing is not cool. Don’t get rubbed the wrong way: This all-natural wonder lotion reduces friction and keeps you in the saddle.

[rides]
+ Get routes, rights and heaps of cycling info at bicyclecolo.org.

+ Louisville Velo Club rides six days a week leaving from Louisville Cyclery. Tuesdays are Ladies’ Rides. Get the schedule at louisvillecyclery.com.

+ Beginner and intermediate ladies, check out the Venus de Miles Women’s Bike Club. fullcycle.com.

Atop Vail Pass lies endless acres of uncharted backcountry territory—the $5 to access the land in White River National Forest helps pay for the rangers who update avalanche conditions, offer advice and maintain trails.

If you are on the more adventurous side, bring your ski gear, a towrope and friends to enjoy a day of backcountry skiing without the hassle of having to trek up mountains by foot.

Most of the peaks in this wilderness area are accessible by snowmobile, sometimes reaching 12,000 feet. The driver simply drags their friends up to the top and leaves them to enjoy dozens of turns that haven’t been touched.

At the bottom of the run, you meet back up with the snowmobile and get towed to another untouched peak.
It’s never hard to find one person to volunteer to shuttle—it’s just as much fun driving. And while a little skill is required to maximize the terrain available to the powerful machines, relative novices can keep on the groomed paths and still get a complete rush out of cruising the snowpack at a blistering pace. The same can be said of the skiing—with a seemingly infinite expanse of terrain available, both intermediate and expert slopes can be found to suit the needs of most riders.

Just remember to be safe. The rest will take care of itself.

Info: www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver
Rentals: www.novaguides.com
Avalanche info: www.backcountryalliance.org

Winter Sports Guide 2008 

You’ve also likely dismissed those dreams as unreachable adventure.

Luckily, you don’t have to head up to Alaska for that experience. Nor do you need to own a half-dozen dogs. Virtually any Colorado resort offers an outfit that can bring out the Jack London in you.

In Breckenridge, for example, Goodtimes Adventures will let you go dog wild behind their teams of pups. Literally. When you’re being introduced to the basics of being a musher, your guide asks you a simple question: How fast do you want to go? Say fast, and the guide will let you know how to open up the “throttle.” There’s a good chance you’ll tip over during a tight turn.

It’s more fun than it sounds. Seriously.

The dogs, if left to decide, will keep running and running and running. And fast. Once you get going, the team of eight canines can pull you at speeds of close to 30 miles an hour. It feels faster than it sounds, and dogs don’t do corners well.

Beyond bundling up in loads of ski gear, we highly recommend wearing a ski helmet. You know, just in case the dogs win.

As you’re struggling to control the beasts (OK, they look more like the ideal Colorado lap dog, with a little more muscle), your guide follows closely in a snowmobile ready to catch the team if you get tossed. Which is a pretty common, and fun, occurrence since you get thrown into this adventure with little more than a 10-minute tutorial of how to direct your team. The break that controls the sled can keep the speed down considerably if you want to bring a small child along and enjoy a mellower ride.

But that’s no fun.

Added Bonus: When you’re finished with your hour tour in the woods, have your guide take you up to the corral where the dogs live when they are not pulling around tourists. You’ll get a glimpse into the lives of rough and tough dogs. And playing with the six-week old puppies in their pen almost matches the coolness of being pulled by the adults.

Our Favorite Summit County eats:
Big Country BBQ, Keystone: Inside The Goat, a classic dive bar on the outskirts of the village, is a southern barbecue kitchen that serves up incredible brisket.

Blue River Bistro, Breckenridge: Affordable fine dining that includes nightly seafood specials such as Cajun-spiced scallops.

Downstairs At Eric’s, Breckenridge: This has been a local and tourist favorite for years. A classic sports bar with great nachos and big burgers.

Farley’s Chop House, Frisco: The best steaks in the mountains. Period.

Winter Sports Guide 2008