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Editor’s note: Welcome to the fifth installment of our 15-week series Colorado 150, marking 150 years of statehood with our favorite Colorado things.
Katharine Lee Bates was basking in the glow of Pikes Peak when she penned “purple mountain majesties” for her “America the Beautiful” poem. Countless other souls have swelled in the shadow of Colorado’s sky-scraping peaks.
Not all those soaring spirits yield national anthems, but our snow-capped Rocky Mountains inspire greatness at every turn.
Sometimes it just takes a glimpse of the radiating alpenglow. Other times the energy comes from adventures deep in the embrace of the wildest lands. But every time, the flashing wink of a sunlit peak leaves us better, filling our hearts with possibility and revelation.
That surge commands us to protect and honor things much greater than our flashing shadow. From water to wildlife to wilderness, the Rocky Mountains are America’s wellspring and here in Colorado, as to borrow a famous Frederick Bonfils phrase, “Tis a privilege” to steward that fountain of treasures.
Jason Blevins | Outdoors/Business Reporter
Silverton Mountain heli drops
A single drop from a helicopter for $99 and as little as $999 for a full day makes Silverton Mountain one of the most affordable places to get your face-frosting heli-skiing fix. Access to more than 29,000 acres in the remote San Juans makes it one of the best, with skiers getting a progression from easy meadows to rowdy couloirs. For big spenders, they’ll even come pick ya up in Aspen, Vail or Telluride, offering one of the best ski area commutes in the country.
Cañon City mountain biking
The local Bureau of Land Management designed and oversaw the construction of more than 10 miles of rocky single track at Oil Well Flats on BLM land about 7 miles north of the city. Ready for visitors by 2014, it turned a remote former four-wheel drive spot into the area’s first multiuse network open to hikers, cyclists and equestrians. Fremont Adventure Recreation helped land funding in 2016 for the South Cañon Trails network. The third network, and the masterstroke, began to materialize at Royal Gorge Park in 2016 — born from the ashes of a June 2013 wildfire that ravaged the city’s signature tourism draw. The town invested in a trail builder who was intentional about where to put trails in the area.
Monarch cat skiing
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Among the best cat-skiing operations in the state, Monarch Cat Skiing spans 1,700 acres of terrain on the edge of the ski area, with steep open bowls and glades. The roughly 2,000 acres of cat terrain includes slopes facing just about every direction, delivering untrammeled powder even weeks after a snowstorm. Partial ascents on the Monarch chairlifts reduces time in the cat too, making it possible to bang out as many as 14 runs, close to double the other operations around the state.
The Million Dollar Traverse
Skiing hut-to-hut in Colorado takes careful planning and often includes overly grueling ascents through sketchy avalanche terrain. Colorado’s nearly 75 backcountry huts are typically self-service, out-and-back journeys. But in the San Juans, the certified guides at San Juan Mountain Guides have linked together a five-night backcountry ski tour they are calling the Million Dollar Traverse. From the slopes around Ophir Pass and the OPUS Hut through Porphyry and Mineral basins to the plush Red Mountain Alpine Lodge and Senator Beck Basin to the Hayden Backcountry Lodge, the Euro-styled alpine traverse between Silverton and Ouray is a one-of-a-kind tour.
Telluride Via Ferrata
The free Telluride Via Ferrata, built by local legend Chuck Kroger, offers jaw-dropping exposure and all-time views of the box canyon town. It’s nearly five miles, with a steep trail approach and long sections of cabled traversing. The aerial alpine adventure, once a secret for locals, has grown more popular and now as many as 2,000 people a month make the 8,000-foot traverse along sheer cliffs beneath Ajax Peak. First timers should really hire a guide — try Mountain Trip and Telluride Mountain Guides. Also, make time to check out the three via ferratas in nearby Ouray.
Manitou Incline
Tucked on the side of Pikes Peak, “The Incline” as it’s known is not a casual hike. Starting at 6,530 feet just outside of Manitou Springs, the mile-long staircase ascends to 8,550 feet over the course of 2,768 stairs. And to bring home the point of this extreme trek, the average grade is 41% and at one point pitches at 65%. The way down is a bit easier on a 3-mile trail, but all told it takes the average person about 3 hours to complete the roundtrip. Reservations are required, and you might have reservations about trying it once you take those first few steps.
Palisade Plunge
Hawaii has Jaws. The Grand Valley has the Palisade Plunge. The big-wave destination of mountain biking is a 34-mile trail from the top of the Grand Mesa down to the Colorado River, dropping 6,000 vertical feet. Most of that descent comes in the final miles of daunting singletrack. The trail — built over the course of several years by a unique collaboration of pedalers, landowners, ranchers, three federal agencies and three municipalities — is a model for mountain biking trail-building and a testpiece for skilled pedalers.
Smokey Jack Observatory
The small observatory in Westcliffe is in Colorado’s first designated International Dark Sky Community. Opened in 2015 and home to one of the most powerful telescopes in Colorado, the observatory attracts stargazers from around the world to the Wet Mountain Valley. The 12-by-12 building is named in honor of Suzanne B. Jack, who was known as Smokey Jack and was the founder and first president of the Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley group. The observatory is only open to the public for certain events, so definitely check the website for best times to head that way. (Thanks to photographer Scott Dankoff for this incredible image.)
Unchained trail at Buena Vista
Farther up the Arkansas River Valley, biking communities are well-established in Buena Vista and Salida, including the Salida Trails network. But one that’s a good test for mountain-biking novices trying to up their game is the Unchained trail near BV. Considered one of the “rowdier” trails in the area, the 3.5-mile singletrack has a mix of flowy sections, technical rock moves and plenty of twists and turns to keep the blood pumping and the mind focused. Couple of notes: Not a good one for early beginners, and there is a seasonal closure during the winter.
Roaring Fork Valley/Snowmass mountain biking
The valley stretches more than 40 miles between Glenwood Springs and Aspen, and the paved Rio Grande trail parallels the Roaring Fork River connecting the towns. But off the well-maintained path are offshoots that challenge every level of mountain biker. The area is so diverse that in 2020 it was designated as an International Mountain Bicycling Association Gold-Level Ride Center. At the time, it was one of only seven locations in the world and the first in Colorado. The designation recognizes the more than 300 miles of singletrack and dozens of miles of additional mountain biking-friendly paths as one high-quality, all-encompassing destination.