New Gold Mountain Via Ferrata climbs through Memphis Mine above Ouray
Morgan Tilton climbing with Basecamp Ouray guide Jacob Raab on the Gold Mountain Via Ferrata in Ouray, ColoradoPhoto Morgan Tilton. Colorado’s newest via ferrata recently debuted in the San Juan Mountains above Ouray.
Read full storyCampfire Ranch campground makes camping easy and luxurious
Founder Sam Degenhard greets campers at the Campfire Ranch central headquarters along the Taylor RiverPhoto provided by Morgan Tilton. On the southerly side of a bend in the Taylor River sits a well-manicured campground with hints of luxury called Campfire Ranch, 189 miles southwest of Denver.
Read full storyU.S. avalanche fatalities report shows motorized riders need more safety education
A backcountry snowmobilerPhoto provided by David Clifford Photography and Backbone Media. Lack of on-snow snowmobile safety training is one of the leading factors that contribute to motorized avalanche accidents according to the 2022 U.S. Motorized Avalanche Fatalities Report released by avalanche safety educator Mike Duffy.
Read full storyColorado's Vail Resorts launches new mobile phone lift tickets
Lift operations at a Vail Resorts partners ski areaPhoto by Vail Resorts. Paper lift tickets and plastic ski passes will soon become relics of the past. Headquartered in Broomfield, Vail Resorts will launch new technology that allows skiers and snowboarders to complete a digital scan using their phones at the company’s ski resorts.
Read full storyColorado-based First Ascent instant coffee fuels an astronaut adventure in outer space
First Ascent offers three varieties of handcrafted instant coffeePhoto by First Ascent. A four-member NASA astronaut crew blasted skyward from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida last week—with a special taste of Colorado in their cargo.
Read full storyColorado off-width athlete climbs cracks to support sober youth programs
Mike Largent crack climbing in Indian Creek in May 2021Photo by Travis Perkins. Durango-based professional off-width instructor and actor Mike Largent dedicated October to climb two miles of vertical cracks in Indian Creek and Moab, Utah, to raise money to support sober activities for local youth.
Read full story10 tips to help you prepare for riding the Palisade Plunge
Mountain biker Eric Phillips a bit more than halfway through the 32-mile Palisade Plunge routePhoto by Morgan Tilton. The Palisade Plunge is a 32-mile endurance mountain bike ride in Palisade, Colorado.
Read full storyWhat is the Palisade Plunge and why is it a big deal?
Author and mountain biker Morgan Tilton looks down on Palisade from a high point on the Palisade PlungePhoto by Eric Phillips. One of the country’s newest and lengthiest mountain bike trails recently opened on Colorado’s Western Slope in Palisade, which is well known for harvesting state-grown wine and fruit.
Read full storyWhat to expect on the Palisade Plunge mountain bike route
Mountain biker Eric Phillips navigates follows through tight switchbacks on the lower-third of the Palisade Plunge route.Photo by Morgan Tilton. The Palisade Plunge is one of the country’s newest, lengthiest mountain bike trails, which recently opened on Colorado’s Western Slope.
Read full storyWhere to stay when you ride the Palisade Plunge
The lobby and in-house bar of the Spoke and Vine Motel in Palisade, ColoradoPhoto by Morgan Tilton. We enjoy camping and looked into the camping options when we planned our trip to mountain bike the 32-mile Palisade Plunge, but it didn’t seem to complement our needs this go-around.
Read full storyWhere to eat when you ride the Palisade Plunge
Mountain biker Eric Phillips enjoys homemade peach ice cream at Mclean Farms in Palisade, ColoradoPhoto by Morgan Tilton. Fueling up before a big adventure and replenishing afterward is one of the most enjoyable, best, and important parts of mountain bike endurance rides.
Read full storyArapahoe Basin Ski Area launches mountain bike trails
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area builds a mountain bike trail systemPhoto provided by Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. The first mountain bike trail system at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area is under construction on the front of the mountain. The trails will be finished and open to the public in summer 2023.
Read full storyNew Crested Butte avalanche beacon training park supports snow safety
Participants practice a beacon search next to the beacon park in Crested Butte.Photo by Crested Butte Avalanche Center. New Crested Butte avalanche beacon training park supports snow safety.
Read full storyWhat basic gear do you need to hike a Colorado 14er?
Raised and still living in Colorado’s high-altitude hamlets, I first started hiking the state’s 14,000-foot peaks when I was a college student more than a decade ago. Today, I’ve climbed more than 40 of the 58 fourteeners that I aim to ascend on foot including official and unofficial peaks.
Read full storyHow to hike your first Colorado 14er
Descending the North Ridge of Ellingwood Point.Photo by Morgan Tilton. Colorado 14ers are the highest peaks in the nation and reach 14,000 feet above sea level or more. Across the state, there are 58 officially named 14,000-foot peaks that are clustered together in seven different subranges of the Rocky Mountains.
Read full storyWhat are Colorado 14ers? And why are they a big deal?
Author Morgan Tilton on the summit of Castle Peak.Photo provided by Morgan Tilton. A smattering of the country’s highest-reaching peaks decorates each quadrant of Colorado and stands 14,000 feet or more above sea level. Those summits are colloquially known as fourteeners or 14ers.
Read full storyWhere to enjoy via ferrata routes in Colorado
Writer Morgan Tilton climbing the Ouray Via Ferrata.Photo by photographer, videographer, drone pilot and digital (NFT) artist Eric Phillips. Colorado is home to more than half of the country’s official via ferrata routes.
Read full storyBest ways to see Colorado's fall colors from up high
Travelers enjoy helicopter flights with West Elk Air during Colorado's fall foliage.Photo provided by West Elk Air. The monochrome aspens that blanket Colorado's steep peaks will soon shift from lime to an abstract painting of amber, saffron, and marmalade.
Read full storyWhy the leaves change in Colorado each fall and where to expect peak autumn colors
The Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake during fall foliage in Colorado.Photo by Scott Mecum. From September to early October, the flying aspen colors take off at higher elevations and in northern Colorado.
Read full storyBest places to stand-up paddleboard near Denver
SUPing on Carter Lake 54 miles north of Downtown Denver.(Photo by Visit Loveland.) Stand-up paddleboarding remains one of the most increasingly popular outdoor sports nationwide -- and Colorado is speckled with picturesque lakes and rivers that boast jaw-dropping mountain views: a perfect pairing for the sport.
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