Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i 5280 Magazine

CASE CLOSED The zipper has provided convenient access to people’s, um, stuff since its debut at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. In fact, the only knock we can assign to that original design (besides the occasional snag) is that it’s not great at blocking water. Earlier this year, though, Boulder’s Nite Ize unveiled an invention that could revolutionize the way people clasp things together. Named Tru Zip, the product features smooth rails made of flexible wires covered by a tough, rubber exterior; a standard, pull-to-close slider seals the rails together. The company claims it’s the first toothless, waterproof zipper, and the fastener makes packs considerably easier to access than roll-top dry bags. You may eventually see Tru Zip on everything from jackets to backpacks, but for now, Nite Ize…

1 EAGLE RIVER PARK Opened Memorial Day weekend; free Until recently, the river running through downtown Eagle was merely scenery. No longer: The city government transformed the 3,000-foot stretch into a white-water playground. The first two sections cater to expert kayakers capable of somersaulting through waves. (If you’re not ready for 18-inch drops, a channel to the left skirts these bigger rapids.) The final two segments, which opened this past summer, provide gentle ripples perfect for tubers and beginners learning to kayak the currents. APRÈS-SPLASH: Once your adrenaline wanes, head to Bonfire Brewing, a five-minute walk down Grand Avenue, to reminisce about the day’s epic tricks and hilarious fails. 2 SOPRIS SPLASH ZONE Slated to open this month; free with Glenwood Hot Springs Resort entry (starting at $18) Glenwood Hot…

KILLER DESIGN If you want to create an atmosphere that’s both creepy and comfortable, referencing the right murderers is paramount. Just ask Adam Zimmerli, owner of the Monarch, an 1899 property he’s transformed into a boutique hotel. Zimmerli drew inspiration from Elizabeth Báthory, a 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman who purportedly butchered hundreds, and H.H. Holmes, who in the 1890s ran the “Murder Castle” in Chicago—outwardly sophisticated icons with chilling secrets, like the Monarch itself. Located in Victor, a small town southwest of Colorado Springs, the two-story structure was originally home to a casino, saloon, and brothel. Rumor has it the building is haunted, too. In 2018, Zimmerli, a Denver hotel developer, saw its dark potential: Preserved Victorian Gothic elements, such as oak staircases with carved railings, provided ghoulish bones, and Zimmerli…

1 EARLY DAY EATS Ivy on 7th Capitol Hill It’s time to kill the fatted calf. After more than a decade spent cooking in New York City and the Hudson Valley, Chopped winner Rebecca Weitzman—who launched her career at Mizuna, Luca d’Italia, and the now-shuttered Cafe Star—has returned to Denver to lead the kitchen at Ivy on 7th. The three-month-old breakfast/brunch/lunch spot, owned by the team behind Carboy Winery and Angelo’s Taverna, is a bright daytime destination anchored by Weitzman’s from-scratch menu. Espresso drinks, salads, pastries, sandwiches, toasts, and brunch plates feature local ingredients, and many items are gluten-free. Try the house-made pork sausage paired with runny poached eggs and soft polenta. Add a Pablo’s cold brew, a glass of Carboy wine, or even an Earl Grey whiskey sour, and it’s…

Weather’s fickle nature is something farmers must endure and Anne Cure has survived plenty of storms since she planted her first crops in 2005 on a piece of land just northeast of Boulder. The area around her acreage at Cure Organic Farm is largely open space, farms, and ranches with plenty of windrows, fields, and grassland. The views of the Rockies come standard, too, and on most summer afternoons, she can watch clouds gather above the mountains. Not just the sweet, docile cumulus type—the fluffy ones in which you found boat or bunny shapes as a child—but the cumulonimbus variety, otherwise known as thunderstorm clouds. These behemoths can stack several miles high, and instead of white, they turn shades of gunmetal, slate, and ash. Inside, they carry the potential for…

If you’re not certain just what the Central 70 Project is, you’re not alone. Many Denverites aren’t intimately acquainted with the 10-mile section of I-70 between I-25 and Chambers Road, perhaps traversing it most often for airport runs. But for the 200,000 drivers who use this stretch of concrete, asphalt, and reflective paint daily, the $1.3 billion Central 70 Project—which will expand the highway from six lanes to eight, send a portion of the freeway below grade, and cover part of it with a park—is a very big deal. It’s an even bigger one for the roughly 11,000 people who live in the neighborhoods bordering the interstate and the massive construction zone it has become. The project was born out of the need to address Central 70 congestion and replace…

EIGHT LANES OF INTERSTATE Beginning at I-25, (A) express lanes will be added in each direction, extending to Chambers Road, just before the DIA exit. (This will bring the total number of lanes to eight: three regular lanes and one express lane in each direction. CDOT is also leaving enough room to add a second express lane in each direction from Brighton Boulevard to Quebec Street at a later date.) Like their cousins on I-25 and on I-70 in the mountains, these lanes will be HOV 3, meaning if you have three or more people in the car, you can use them for free (yes, babies and kids count; dogs do not). RTD buses will also use the HOV lanes. Toll rates will most likely be set annually by the…

What’s the best route to DIA? Save yourself frustration and maybe parking costs by riding RTD’s A Line. If that’s not an option and you’re on the northwest side of I-25, consider taking I-76 to E-470. It might cost you some cash, but it’s likely to save you oodles of irritation if I-70 is slowed down. Coming from down south? Opt for I-225, which should be relatively unaffected by construction. If I-70 remains the most direct route for you, stay on the interstate; trying to leapfrog traffic by getting off on local streets will not only cost you time, but you’ll also aggravate residents who already have increased traffic through their neighborhoods. What if I need to travel in the neighborhood? Only a few north-south streets are permanently closed along…

WORKNOW As a condition of getting the Central 70 contract, Kiewit is required to hire 20 percent of its workforce from the surrounding neighborhoods. The company is at more than 18 percent but hopes to increase that number with help from WorkNow, a free state recruitment and training program that teaches everything from carpentry and electrical skills to administrative and payroll know-how. CDOT allocated $400,000 to the program to support local hiring efforts. SWANSEA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Shifting I-70 north moves it right next to Swansea Elementary School. CDOT offered to relocate the building, but neighborhood residents expressed concern because the school was the heart of the community. So CDOT has spent $18.5 million making improvements instead, among them a new HVAC system, two new early childhood education classrooms, and a…

PITKIN COUNTY SHERIFF JOE DISALVO had absolutely had it. He picked up the phone, dialed the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District, and asked for district ranger Karen Schroyer. He wanted to talk about 14,130-foot Capitol Peak; more specifically, he needed to discuss the five lives the mountain had claimed during summer 2017. “Joe was concerned about what he was seeing,” Schroyer says today. “He said, ‘Look, if this were a highway, I’d close the highway.’ He wanted to know how we fix this.” By “this,” DiSalvo meant inexperienced peak baggers being underprepared for the rigors associated with climbing Elk Mountains fourteeners—and losing their lives as a consequence. DiSalvo and Schroyer knew there was no easy solution, but their initial conversations set in motion a local movement that ultimately became the Elk Range…

HERE’S WHY THAT MATTERS There are several reasons why outdoor experts plead with recreationists to begin their exploits early in the day. The first is summer monsoonal rain showers that, almost every afternoon, can lead to slick rock, slippery trails, and damp socks (hello, blisters!). The second is lightning—thunderstorms often begin around lunchtime—which can be a serious threat when you’re on an exposed ridgeline. (This is not hyperbole: Colorado ranks third in the country for lightning-related deaths.) Perhaps the most critical argument, though, for having your après drink in hand by 2 p.m. is not getting caught by darkness. “Human beings are basically tropical animals. The survivors on Gilligan’s Island were lucky,” says John Lindner, who runs the wilderness survival school at Colorado Mountain Club. “Colorado is not a tropical…

The CORSAR (Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue) card won’t send distress signals, and it isn’t an insurance card, but buying one might be the most effective measure you can take to encourage timely help in the backcountry. The 61 search and rescue organizations that execute missions in Colorado don’t charge to extricate you from the backcountry (nor do county sheriffs). So how do they fund their efforts? In part, with fees from the CORSAR card, a vital source of cash that helps ensure these teams have the resources to pluck your shivering body off a rocky ledge. If you visit the backcountry, this donation is a smart investment. $3/one year, $12/five years; colorado.gov…

5280: As a former SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, and escape) instructor for the U.S. Air Force, you know what it means to be prepared. Which group of recreationists worry you most in that regard? Jessie Krebs: Dayhikers, no question. They’re in the most dangerous spot because they don’t have the equipment with them. They’re “just going out for a few hours”—until they aren’t. What do most of us get wrong about dressing for Colorado adventuring? We don’t wear big enough clothing to allow for dead air space. You want room between your layers; it keeps you warm. Plus, you can stuff leaves in there for insulation if you have to. Women are particularly guilty of this. We want formfitting clothing so we can look cutesy. Trust me: Being an alive…

SPECIAL EVENTS JULY 3 Independence Eve If one night of fireworks just isn’t enough, get a double dose before the Fourth at the city’s largest free light and pyrotechnics display. Multicolored lasers will light up the Denver City Council building before peonies, silver dragons, and spirals burst overhead. In addition to the midair explosions and excited shrieks from the crowd, the evening’s soundtrack will be provided by performers like the Colorado Symphony and nationally acclaimed funk band Chris Daniels and the Kings. Wed 4-9:30 p.m. Civic Center Park, 101 W. 14th Ave., 303-861-4633, civiccenterconservancy.org. Free. JULY 12 Tube to Work Day Biking and carpooling are both good ways to reduce your carbon footprint, but this playful parody sets the bar for sustainable commuting. Whether your office is along Boulder Creek…

Nite Ize employees attend 100-plus trade shows across the country every year. At each stop, browsers of Nite Ize’s booth easily recognize the more than 500 products the company hawks—the retractable dog leashes, the bendable gear ties. They just don’t know where the gadgets come from. “They often think we’re a distributor,” founder Rick Case (pictured) says. “And we get to say, No, actually, we make all of these.” Don’t feel too bad for Case. Producing such an array of gear hasn’t resulted in name recognition for the firm he founded 30 years ago, but his penchant for dreaming up small, innovative adventure tools has turned Nite Ize into one of Boulder’s biggest outdoor brands: The company has 250 employees, and according to many unofficial estimates, generates more than $100…

WHAT WE’RE EXPLORING THIS MONTH Yampa River Core Trail DRIVE FROM DENVER About 150 miles DISTANCE 7.5 miles, one way WHY WE LOVE IT You’ll find no quad-busting inclines here. Rather, the call of this trail—which follows the Yampa River as it weaves through Steamboat Springs—is art. Check out more than a dozen works (most are located near downtown) as you walk or bike along the paved path and past the Yampa River Botanic Park. Look for the brandnew “Yampa Is Wild” mural on the Ambulance Barn building. A collaborative piece the community helped paint, the installation depicts the entire route of the river.…

When the String Cheese Incident formed in Crested Butte in 1994, its members were just ski bums trying to make enough money to pay for the next day’s lift ticket. In the 25 years since, the group’s genre-bending bluegrass sound has helped it build a die-hard fan base and climb as high as the main stage at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. More important, String Cheese—along with outfits like Leftover Salmon and Big Head Todd and the Monsters—established the Centennial State as an epicenter for jam bands. Before the six-man ensemble celebrates its silver anniversary with three nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (July 19 to 21), we asked String Cheese’s Colorado contemporaries to reflect on the band’s lasting legacy. “In 1995, String Cheese was playing in Telluride at…

JULY 5–28 LIVING ART Patrons of museums and galleries rarely have the opportunity to see the painstaking work that goes into the beautiful creations on display. But at the Broadmoor Art Experience, visitors will get a free look into the process behind the masterpieces when more than 50 world-renowned painters, sculptors, and other artists turn the grounds of the famed Colorado Springs hotel and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo into their personal studios. Each weekend in July, watch makers—including Native American sculptor Doug Hyde, whose work has appeared in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and revered Colorado Springs painter Thomas Blackshear—as they craft works inspired in part by the soaring peaks, lush gardens, and animals around them. Guests can also chat with them about their backgrounds and methods, so when you buy…

Colorado is said to boast more than 300 days of sunshine each year. Whether that’s fact or urban legend, there’s no question that the sunshine here is intense. And there’s nothing like a cool refreshment from the Breckenridge Distillery to quell the summer heat. After a day of classic Colorado adventure—hiking, biking, paddling, you name it—mix up a cocktail and toast to a day in the sun. MOUNTAIN BIKING + BRECK BOURBON ON THE ROCKS 1 With seemingly endless miles of trails, Colorado’s famed single-track draws mountain bikers for afternoon rides, week-long excursions and everything in between. When the ride is done—and it doesn’t matter how long you go—reach for Breckenridge Bourbon on the rocks. It’s a cold kick that goes down smooth, no matter your mountain bike skill level.…

DOUGHNUT EDITORS’ CHOICE The Donut House The display cases at this local father-and-son-owned chain (nine locations between Denver and Castle Rock) teem with choices, from Cro Holes to cinnamon-and-sugar twists. The handmade yeast dough that serves as the base for the raised doughnuts bakes up so fluffy that any selection is gratifying. Something special you’ll rarely find in the cases are the Legend Donuts—which are big, extravagant, and most easily procured by ordering online. One version, the Fruity Spread, is topped with strawberries, blueberries, and a signature cream. Or, if you’d prefer something even sweeter, go for the crème brûlée version—a vanilla-custard beauty with caramelized sugar, packed with one of nine filling flavors. Multiple locations, thedonuthouse.com READERS’ CHOICE Glazed and Confused Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora, 303-524-9637, gcdonuts.com FOR…

FALL 2019 The work on Dahlia, Holly, and Monaco streets (where each crosses I-70) should be finished by the time winter weather arrives. Improvements to Stapleton Drive will continue this fall but are not slated to be complete until the end of 2020. SUMMER 2020 It’s the inside lanes’ turn for revamping on I-70 between Colorado Boulevard and Quebec Street. Watch for orange cones here summer through fall. BEYOND Once the viaduct comes down, work will commence on what will be the new eastbound I-70 lanes and 46th South Avenue (46th North Avenue, on the other side of the interstate, should have been wrapped up in mid-2020). When this is finished—hopefully by mid-2022—construction can start on the four-acre cover park between Columbine and Clayton streets. The completion of the park…

1 Sign up for CDOT’s Know Before You Go program to get either weekly emails or texts (in English or Spanish) about street closures, restrictions, and detours. Or you can visit the website, c70.codot.gov, to see traffic updates. You can also call 833-C70-INFO to hear a recorded message about weekly traffic restrictions and changes in English or Spanish. 2 The Know Before You Go updates don’t include information about projects other than Central 70, but the NDCC’s Navigate North Denver map does. The map aggregates information from all of the construction projects in North Denver—National Western Center, Central 70, and private and city projects—into a single place, so you can see what lanes are open, closed, or restricted. 3 For up-to-the-minute information about lane closures and detours and a user-friendly…

HERE’S WHY THAT MATTERS The explanations for why someone got left behind are myriad, but search and rescue volunteers say there are recurring themes. She said she needed to rest for a minute and we should keep going. He just popped off-trail for a second to pee. He was having symptoms of altitude sickness, so he was going to head back to the car. “In our team’s experience,” says Nancy Anderson, a recently retired member of Chaffee County Search and Rescue–North, “the primary reason we are out there on missions is because groups split up.” Drew Hildner, a member of Boulder’s Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, agrees that party separation is a serious no-no. “When search and rescue goes looking for someone who went missing from a party,” he says, “we…

HERE’S WHY THAT MATTERS As the director of Colorado Mountain Club’s wilderness survival school, John Lindner believes it’s his job to prepare his students for what he calls “the what-ifs.” And in Colorado’s backcountry, the what-ifs are practically infinite. “What if you sprain an ankle? What if you fall in a creek?” Lindner says. “What if you get altitude sickness? What if a snowstorm rolls in? What if you get lost?” In each of these scenarios, the 66-year-old Colorado native explains, survival is 80 percent about a positive attitude and 20 percent about gear (see “Pack It In,” page 116)—both knowing how to use it and keeping it with you at all times. Lindner knows his classes are controlled environments, so he tries to reiterate that an emergency is not…

We all get off-trail now and again. And we all know that feeling—the oh-my-God-I’m-lost-and-I’m-going-to-die-out-here frenzy. “Not knowing where you are creates panic, a chemical change in the brain,” Colorado Mountain Club’s Art Hogling says, “and people get crazy.” Instead of descending into madness, Hogling suggests stopping and marking the spot where you are. That could mean wrapping your highlighter green shirt around a tree. Then, using a hub-and-spoke concept, scout for the trail in multiple directions and count your steps, always returning to your hub before moving to the next line. “If you just popped off the trail for a look at something or to use the facilities and got turned around,” Hogling says, “this is a great way to find your way back.”…

HERE’S WHY THAT MATTERS Everyone gets greedy from time to time. It’s a normal human emotion. In the wilderness, though, rapacity can quickly turn into remorse. Wanting to make it to the lake before dark, ignoring the looming thunderheads to reach the summit, deciding to make backcountry turns even though that cornice looks unstable—these are all SAR missions in the making. “Too often we find that people are here in Colorado on vacation,” says Mountain Rescue Aspen’s Justin Hood, “or a resident took a day off from work and they felt like they must do whatever adventure it was that they had planned.” To outdoor veterans like Hood, this avarice obscures what should be the joy of being in nature. “If you don’t reach the summit, is the day a…

SYMBOL KEY NEW Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened). 25 BEST Indicates inclusion in our annual list of Denver’s best restaurants, released each October. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change. PRICE KEY (Average Entrée) $ under $10 $$ $11 to $15 $$$ $16 to $25 $$$$ $26 and higher COOL BEANS Virginia Vale’s four-month-old Unravel Coffee does things differently: roasting beans in-house; eschewing paper cups in favor of to-go glass jars; and serving simple yet nourishing grain bowls, salads, smoothies, and toasts. Try the prosciutto version with creamy ricotta, tomatoes, and balsamic alongside an Australian flat white and you’ll taste the distinction. These listings are in no way related…

While searching for a new headquarters for their fly-fishing company in 2014, David Dragoo and his father, Doug, kept returning to undeveloped farmland on the north end of Montrose. The pair, whose business, Mayfly Outdoors, was then based in Colorado Springs, had toured sites in Arizona and California but knew Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy was booming and that a growing number of the state’s residents were looking to work where they played. The 164-acre parcel of land along the Uncompahgre River, they believed, would allow them to take advantage of both trends to develop an outdoors mecca—part business park, part playground—that could attract other adventure companies to the Western Slope town. That vision came to fruition this past month when Mayfly became the first resident of the $200 million Colorado…

For years, car companies have vied for position in a race to find a battery that can provide a longer charge for electric vehicles. Being the first to discover this holy grail—a power supply with enough range to make fully electric automobiles a practical option for average car shoppers—would potentially be worth billions. In 2018 alone, investors such as Toyota and Nissan sunk more than $500 million into battery-focused startups. This month, Colorado’s Solid Power is set to zoom to the front of the pack. Elon Musk has already pushed the boundaries of what’s possible for eco-friendly cars. Teslas’ potentials are limited, though, because they have lithium-ion batteries under their hoods. Decades of innovation have made these energy sources—which also power most electronic accessories, including smartphones—efficient and easy to mass-produce.…

Claire Sunderland always found packing cubes—soft-sided cases that keep gear and clothes from becoming a jumble in backpacks—incredibly useful. She also found them flawed. Typically constructed of polyester or thin nylon, existing brands often ripped, leaked, or were too bulky. So, along with friends Erika Aldeborgh and Nicole Kennedy (and with $15,000 raised via Kickstarter), Sunderland is launching Pika Products this summer. The Denver startup produces cubes built of water-resistant, heavy-duty nylon cloth. Moreover, the bags—which range in size from a toiletry holder ($25) to a small backpack ($45)—have clips that keep them in tight rolls when empty, so they’re as easy to store when they’re not in use as when they are.…

Long before Alexander Fleming’s petri dish brimmed with mold, humans used plants to treat what ailed them. While nature’s bounty may not be able to vanquish an infection with penicillin’s ruthlessness, our ancestors weren’t totally clueless: Much of the flora available during July, a prime foraging month, contains medicinal properties. Below, three plants found on the Front Range and how to use them—plus some local apothecaries’ offerings for those who don’t want to play pharmacist. 1. GARLIC Find It: Allium sativum can be grown in the garden or purchased at a farmer’s market. Health Benefits: Some small studies have shown that people taking garlic supplements caught fewer or less severe colds than those ingesting a placebo, and accounts of its antimicrobial and antifungal properties are legion. DIY: Chop one clove…

NEW’ CUE Say what you will about Texas transplants, but we welcome any Lone Star State pitmaster who brings his or her from-the-heart goodness to the Mile High City. That includes Christopher Nicki, owner of five-month-old Hank’s Texas Barbecue on East Colfax Avenue, who hails from Spring, north of Houston. A former cook at Old Major in LoHi, Nicki opened his temple of smoke and meat in the space that was occupied by Solera until longtime Denver chef Goose Sorensen shuttered it in 2018. Now, Hank’s is an airy fast-casual joint where you can watch Nicki and his team carve their glistening fare—everything from dry-rubbed brisket to smoked turkey breast to hot links and sausages from local River Bear American Meats—and pile trays high with protein by the pound, loaded…

Most green thumbs get a thrill from growing a perfect heirloom tomato or an ultrafresh bunch of kale. Not Mark DeRespinis. As the owner of year-old, 1.5-acre Esoterra Culinary Garden in Longmont, he reserves his excitement for lesser-seen edibles—like “celtuce,” which offers notes of buttered popcorn; “salad burnet,” a leafy herb that tastes like cucumbers; or “oxalis,” the delicate pink flowers he likens to nature’s Sour Patch Kids. For now, DeRespinis only sells his colorful fruits, vegetables, and herbs wholesale to 20-some local restaurants, but diners in the know can spot them in seasonal dishes from Denver to Boulder and beyond. SWEET ALYSSUM Lobularia maritima These clusters of tiny, usually white flowers, which attract pollinators in the garden, remind DeRespinis of shooting stars. Arun Moghe, chef de cuisine at Blackbelly…

HAIR SALON EDITORS’ CHOICE Fox & Jane With its sleek, stark white interior and Instagrammable entrance (an accent wall of faux vines), Fox & Jane boasts a New York City vibe. Indeed, its first location opened on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 2011. Founders Lorean Cairns and Billy Canu are native Coloradans, however, and Cairns partnered with Brittany Jones, from Durango, to open this Jefferson Park spot in 2018. But Fox & Jane is so inviting and stylish we wouldn’t care if it were a true transplant. Unlike other salons, Fox & Jane does not tier its stylists, ensuring every service is carried out with the same expertise. Its genderless menu charges by length of hair and time of service, keeping prices fair. And the atmosphere is fun and amiable.…

PRODIGY COFFEEHOUSE DRINK ▶ An Americano. Or a latte. Or anything that lets the flavor of the Allegro beans and talents of the staff—young adults from the surrounding area who have faced challenges—shine. PANADERIA JUANITA’S EAT ▶ Pretty much anything in the glass case. Owners Antonio and Lilia Uribe have been making cookies, “orejas” (cinnamony pastries), “conchas” (sweet rolls with a cookielike layer on top), and more here daily for over 20 years. TACOS EL HUEQUITO EAT ▶ Chile rellenos two ways—fried and soft. The spicy, gooey mess isn’t always available from Huequito’s food truck, but it’s a staple at the year-old brick-and-mortar shop in the Josephine Shopping Center. TAQUERIA SANCHEZ EAT ▶ Breakfast. You’ll come initially for lunch or dinnertime tortas and tacos. You’ll come back for the steaming,…

HERE’S WHY THAT MATTERS This slipup often puts the “search” in “search and rescue.” Although this is one of the easiest tenets of backcountry travel to execute, far too many people forget to do it. And it can be a serious oversight: If something goes wrong and you haven’t left a trailhead name or an expected return time, it could be days before anyone misses you (and even then, they won’t know where to look). Jessie Krebs, head instructor for Colorado’s SERE Training School for outdoor survival, doubles down on the rule, saying those venturing into the wild should not only tell someone where they’re going and when they’ll be back but that they should also text a picture of their gear, explain their signaling capabilities (“I have a whistle”),…

If you would happen to encounter a crisis on your next backcountry adventure, being able to alert the cavalry is a handy capability. Fortunately, a relatively new roster of devices aims to assure you that you’re never truly alone out there. These gadgets, gizmos, and apps won’t make up for insufficient planning or poor preparation—and they won’t necessarily lead to a speedy rescue—but being able to notify someone of your, or someone else’s, plight can be a literal lifesaver. Experts caution that these tools should only be used during real life-and-limb emergencies. And, no, a stubbed toe doesn’t qualify.…

MICAH TICE’S SWEATSHIRT, sweatpants, and sneakers weren’t going to protect him from the rapidly deteriorating conditions. At least, that’s what others along the Longs Peak Trail (pictured) say they told the 20-year-old Air Force cadet candidate when they saw him on the morning of November 24, 2018. They also say they discouraged him from continuing his hike. He didn’t listen, and the decision likely cost him his life. Despite an extensive search and rescue effort through savage winter weather, Tice hasn’t been seen since and is presumed dead inside Rocky Mountain National Park. Park spokesperson Kyle Patterson wishes Tice’s case were an anomaly. In the past 12 months, however, five recreationists have died (two, including Tice, were still missing at press time) within Rocky’s boundaries; more generally, the park is…

IT’S AN ODD DICHOTOMY that people who want to spend between five and 15 hours climbing a potentially treacherous 14,000-foot peak don’t have the attention span to read a guidebook about exactly how to do so. But such is life in our 280-character reality, so Lloyd Athearn has wisely decided to cater to it. As the executive director of the land stewardship nonprofit Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI), Athearn and his team spent an inordinate amount of time in 2018 filming interviews with outdoor experts and editing them down into videos abbreviated enough even for avid Snapchatters. CFI released its first 10 shorts—focusing on acute mountain sickness and required gear—on its site in late 2018. Athearn expects to debut 10 more films this summer. We suggest you take a look at…

EARLY THIS PAST WINTER, FLATBED trailers hauled bulldozers and backhoes into Sun Valley, a neighborhood mostly made up of affordable housing projects that stands in the shadow of downtown Denver. Passersby watched from behind a wall of chain-link fence as the massive machines rumbled toward a row of homes. Many of the men and women there that morning had spent much of their adult lives within the roughly half a square mile that comprises the neighborhood, a semi-industrial zone between Federal Boulevard and the South Platte River that includes Broncos Stadium at Mile High. A backhoe cut into the corner of a midcentury public housing unit—one of dozens of homes to fall that day—the wall of brick and stucco crumbling onto a concrete slab. With each sweep of the metal bucket,…

5280 Top of the Town JULY 25 Larimer Square. Join 5280 at the most exclusive event of the summer! Enjoy Denver’s best restaurants, cocktails, and live entertainment—plus specialty lounges and patio experiences. Tickets are limited and available at 5280scene.com. Presented by BRAVO! VAIL SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL NOW–AUGUST 4 Vail. Bravo! Vail enriches people’s lives through the power of music. This summer, embark on a voyage of the finest performances by the greatest artists from four world class orchestras, including an outdoor production of Puccini’s Tosca. Information and tickets at bravovail.org. Keystone Wine & Jazz Festival JULY 13–14 Keystone. Keystone Wine and Jazz Festival brings more than 300 varieties of wine—red, white, bubbly and everything in between as part of the festival’s Village Grand Tasting event. Top it off with wine…