R. Scott Rappold

There are plenty of campsites near Bear Lake in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. You can fish from the shores of Bear and Blue lakes as well as along Cuchara Creek. (Photo by R. Scott Rappold/Special to The Denver Post)

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Outdoors |
Discover the wonder of this lesser-known Colorado region with camping, hiking and scenic views

August 1, 2023 at 3:31 p.m.

Two distinctive mountains that tower over the prairie of southern Colorado have gone by many names.

Holy Cross City near Mount of the Holy Cross once was home to about 300 people. It's reachable on foot via two trail or road (about 4 miles), but the road is only passable in a four-wheel-drive or off-road vehicle. (Photo by R. Scott Rappold/Special to The Denver Post)

Travel |
These 9 abandoned Colorado ghost towns will give you the chills

June 21, 2023 at 6:00 a.m.

In 1858, prospectors struck gold on Cherry Creek, and in an instant a generation of Americans and fortune seekers from abroad was bound for what would become Colorado. It worked...

From natural, frigid alpine lakes to slightly-less-frigid valley reservoirs to a couple of places where you can even swim comfortably, Colorado has some 4,000 bodies of water to choose from.

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Outdoors |
16 Colorado lakes and reservoirs for a dreamy summer day

June 6, 2023 at 6:03 a.m.

From natural, frigid alpine lakes to slightly-less-frigid valley reservoirs to a couple of places where you can even swim comfortably, Colorado has some 4,000 bodies of water to choose from.

Untracked powder at ski resorts - it's become as elusive as the $5 lunch, the $50 lift ticket or free
parking right by the chairlift. Blame crowds, high-speed quad chairs and climate change.
But there's one guaranteed way to experience the pure joy of skiing virgin snow, making effortless turns
in snow so soft and light it flies in your face with every move: a snowcat tour.
As ski and snowboard gear has evolved to make skiing powder a pleasure instead of a chore, numerous
companies have emerged, obtaining special permits to use these vehicles to take skiers deep into the
backcountry for a bucket-list skiing experience. In many cases, the guiding company has exclusive
access to the area, so untouched snow is guaranteed.
A snowcat is a tracked vehicle with an enclosed cab, typically seating 10 to 14 people. To step out of one
high on a mountainside into a sea of untracked powder, click or strap in, then plunge down primevil
terrain is a sublime experience.
A few ski areas offer short, free snowcat rides with a lift ticket to save skiers a bit of hiking to off-piste
terrain. Wolf Creek has a snowcat to Horseshoe Bowl. Loveland offers the Ridge Snowcat to access
some of its more remote terrain. And Aspen Highlands has a snowcat to take some of the pain off hiking
to Highlands Bowl. But these operate sporadically based on weather and snow conditions.
For that guaranteed powder, you'll need to shell out some big bucks. But think of it this way: You could
spend $200 on a lift ticket and maybe find some untracked snow on the side of a run or pay two or three
times that and have one of the best ski days of your life.
This is your guide.
Aspen Powder Tours
Leave behind the famed slopes of Aspen for a wilderness experience in the gorgeous Elk Mountains. A
typical day averages 10,000 vertical feet in a playground of open bowls, meadows and glades.
A day up here is often so in-demand a lottery is sometimes used for reservations.
Price: $625 per person or $5,800 for the entire snowcat
More information: https://www.aspensnowmass.com/visit/activities/winter/aspen-powder-tours
Chicago Ridge Snowcat
Ski area Cooper is a small, family-friendly place, with mostly gentle terrain. Then there's Chicago Ridge.
Towering above the Arkansas Valley, it's a wonderland of bowls, chutes and meadows, all well above
timberline. One used to have to pay for a full day on a snowcat to play here, but last winter the ski area
began a unique deal: $59 for two runs.
The snowcat operates Friday-Sunday, weather and snow conditions permitting. For first dibs after a
storm, you'll want to be on the chair right at 9 a.m. then race to the bottom of the Piney Basin chair, as it's
first-come, first-served.
Price: $59 for two runs with a lift ticket or pass
More information: https://www.skicooper.com/snowcat-skiing/
Irwin Guides
There's something special about Irwin, an alpine basin near the famed ski town of Crested Butte.
Something about its location means it gets huge dumps, often three times what the Crested Butte ski
area gets in average snowfall.
Most of the runs begin high on a ridge with amazing views of the Elk Mountains. But you'll be too busy
laughing and choking on powder.

Outdoors |
Enjoy skiing backcountry Colorado on a snowcat trip

January 24, 2023 at 11:13 a.m.

Untracked powder at ski resorts - it's become as elusive as the $5 lunch, the $50 lift ticket or free parking right by the chairlift. Blame crowds, high-speed quad chairs...

Travel |
Explore the desert ruins of Colorado’s southwest, from Mesa Verde to Hovenweep and beyond

August 23, 2022 at 9:50 a.m.

Though a long drive from the Front Range, visiting these ancient ruins should be on every Coloradan's bucket list.

Hikers Tara Eisenhour, in front, and ...

Travel |
How to spend a long weekend in the San Luis Valley

August 10, 2022 at 6:00 a.m.

The San Luis Valley in southern Colorado, hemmed in on three sides by mountains and the Taos Plateau to the south, was once so remote early settlers developed a unique...

13,070 feet Gunnison National Forest Distance: ...

Outdoors |
10 great Colorado summit hikes for summer

July 15, 2022 at 7:27 p.m.

If your summer hobby is climbing Colorado's fourteeners, solitude can be elusive. We’ve put together a list of 10 slightly shorter peaks (thirteeners) that are worthy of a visit, arranged...

Friends from Iowa State University, from ...

Outdoors |
10 of our favorite Colorado campgrounds to try this summer

June 8, 2022 at 6:00 a.m.

Colorado has literally tens of thousands of campsites scattered across 8.3 million acres of public land. But anyone who has spent time traversing our mountains knows that all campgrounds are...

Outdoors |
Looking for powder? You may want to hike to find fresh runs

February 2, 2022 at 6:00 a.m.

There is nothing quite like floating down a mountainside on a blanket of deep powder.

Save the hot toddy, a hot tub is the perfect apres ski activity

Outdoors |
Top off a day on the slopes with a soak at these natural hot springs

January 5, 2022 at 6:00 a.m.

Save the hot toddy, a hot tub is the perfect apres ski activity

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