The Colorado Sun — jason@coloradosun.com
Dam of questions breaks around hydropower plan for one-of-a-kind canyon in western Colorado
Creating Xcel’s renewable energy “battery” in Unaweep Canyon could put part of the rare two-mouthed canyon underwater
Colorado rafting outfitters had record traffic, revenue in 2021. Will it be enough to keep them afloat this summer?
Colorado outfitters hosted a record 620,000 rafters last summer. But a decimated snowpack promises low flows and fewer crowds in 2022. Still, the rafting industry is optimistic.
Wright Collegiate Challenge enlists Colorado students to solve outdoor business challenges
Colorado students from Western, Mesa and CMC forge plan with mountainFLOW to purge forever-chemical ski waxes
Colorado mountain towns feel more crowded than ever. But census data shows the population has barely changed.
Pitkin and Eagle counties could challenge the results of the 2020 census, worried that an undercount will slow the flow of federal money
Record number of skier days at American resorts this year despite so-so snowfall
U.S. ski areas report 61 million visits in 2021-22, marking an all-time high despite unremarkable snow
Residents, commissioners in Garfield and Eagle counties support Cottonwood Pass improvements — but not a new I-70
Federal goals at odds with state and local priorities for rural, unpaved Cottonwood Pass, which swells with traffic when I-70 closes through Glenwood Canyon
An automated factory that’d pump out modular homes in Grand Junction could help ease Colorado’s housing crisis
A group of investors has acquired 177 acres near a growing Grand Junction hospital, hoping to build hundreds of new apartments and a 237,000-square-foot plant capable of turning out 100 prefab apartment a month.
Vail Resorts promises to fight Town of Vail after council condemns parcel planned for affordable housing
Vail council blasted Vail Resorts for “dismal” negotiations as town pushed to relocate workforce housing away from a local bighorn sheep herd
Vail’s plan to condemn land eyed for affordable housing sets stage for legal battle over value
Legal experts predict the Town of Vail’s plan to condemn land where Vail Resorts plans workforce housing will lead to protracted legal battle over the value of the parcel
Colorado’s mountain resorts cut back their summer offerings as labor crisis persists
Labor crisis in Colorado high country forces outdoor companies like Vail Resorts to adjust labor-intensive offerings like ziplining
Colorado takes first step to strengthen search and rescue teams as they’re overwhelmed by a dramatic increase in calls
Legislation moves the Colorado Search and Rescue Fund from DOLA to Colorado Parks and Wildlife as part of a larger plan to better support that state’s 50 rescue teams
Town of Vail moves to condemn parcel where Vail Resorts plans affordable housing project
The Vail town council moved toward preventing any development on the acreage where Vail Resorts plans to spend $17 million on affordable housing, citing impacts to a herd of bighorn sheep
Colorado’s independent ski areas are thriving in the shadow of dueling, consolidating resort giants
Arapahoe Basin, Echo Mountain, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Ski Granby, Silverton Mountain and Wolf Creek all report record visits, revenues in last two seasons
Vail Resorts plans big investment in affordable housing. Town of Vail promises a fight.
Vail Resorts’ project in Vail joins several other proposals around the high country facing stiff opposition as communities balance density in rural settings with a need for workforce housing.
Colorado’s attorney general wades into murky river dispute that could upend access to rivers, streams
Attorney General Phil Weiser wants the Colorado Supreme Court to intervene in a river access case, warning of “monumental consequences.”
Record high calls for help are stressing Colorado’s mountain firefighters, emergency responders
Fire chiefs in 15 resort-region fire protection districts report record call volume in 2021 and 2022 as they struggle to hire firefighters, recruit volunteers due to high cost of living and housing prices
Colorado’s geographic renaming board begins process of scrubbing Native American slur from 28 sites
The flurry of approvals marked a rare moment of rapid decision making. The state board had officially recommended changing just two features since it began meeting in the fall of 2020
Glenwood Springs granted right to build whitewater parks after 9 years in water court
Approvals for in-river recreational water diversions have slowed to a trickle as conservationists call to reform the whole process
A few questions for Conor Hall, the new director of Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office
Hall takes over just as the office is beginning to handle a flood of federal grant money and as the Outdoor Retailer trade shows leave Denver
Colorado mountain towns can now use tourism tax revenue to deal with visitor hordes, housing shortage
House Bill 1117 was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Jared Polis after passing the Colorado legislature with bipartisan support
