The Colorado Sun — jason@coloradosun.com
Opponents urge federal board to reject revival of Tennessee Pass railroad along Arkansas, Eagle rivers
Shipping hazardous material through Arkansas River Valley is “unconscionable,” Chaffee County commissioners say, joining more than 50 residents, business and environmental groups raising opposition to returning trains to long-dormant lines.
Colorado sues Bureau of Land Management over Western Slope management plan from William Perry Pendley
The state’s argument that Pendley, the BLM’s “acting director,” did not have the authority to approve anything mirrors a federal case in Montana that overturned three resource-management plans.
Climbing coronavirus cases in Colorado’s high country aren’t tracking back to ski resorts
Health officials in eight counties have not traced positive tests back to lift lines, chairlifts or ski slopes.
Colorado appeals court agrees that ski pass waivers protect resorts from liability in chairlift injuries
The Colorado Court of Appeals ruling on lift ticket and season pass waivers -- which release ski areas from “any and all liability” -- could erase resort safety responsibilities outlined in laws like the Ski Safety Act and the Colorado Passenger Tramway Act
New plans for rail traffic over Colorado’s Tennessee Pass spark protest from grain-hauling competitor
Rio Grande Pacific Corp. inked a lease for the long-dormant rail line through Colorado's high country, floating the possibility of oil cars in Browns Canyon
Wrongful death lawsuit targets Silverton Avalanche School, backcountry guide and airbag maker
Peter Marshall was buried and killed in an avalanche during a safety class near Red Mountain Pass in 2019. His family says the school, guide and Backcountry Access violated a raft of laws that led to his death.
Coronavirus drives blistering sales of Colorado mountain homes, sets 2020 as historic high mark
Driven by high-end sales, real estate markets in Colorado’s resort communities have set records since July. Most resort towns saw sales through October surpass all sales in the record-setting 2019.
Colorado plans to ramp up messaging after avalanches kill three experienced skiers in two days
How to reach experienced backcountry travelers is an age-old debate. Veterans can grow complacent, especially in areas where they ski often.
Backcountry gear is scarce in Colorado as skiers hedge against another disrupted downhill season
Record-level purchases of alpine touring skis, splitboards and avalanche safety equipment leave gear makers wondering why they slashed their budgets last spring when the pandemic shutdown happened.
Up to 55 injured skiers and snowboarders arrive at Colorado emergency rooms each day, analysis shows
More than 4,100 skiers and snowboarders were transported to emergency rooms in ambulances or helicopters across 2018, 2019 and the first part of 2020, which is about 10 patients every day of the season.
Eager early-season crowds are helping Colorado ski resorts fine tune operations before the holiday crush
Ski areas are tweaking traffic flow, adjusting lift line mazes, revisiting uphill policies and repositioning workers as they adjust operating plans in the first few weeks of the strangest ski season ever
Vail Resorts losses continue as pandemic impacts stretch into ski season
North America’s largest resort operator posts 50% revenue decline but a record 1.4 million sales of its Epic Passes. Vail Resorts chief Rob Katz warns investors of “a very challenging season ahead.”
Colorado’s winter tourism ad dollars will serve a new purpose this year: backcountry avalanche education
As a busy backcountry season looms, a first-of-its-kind collaboration corrals tourism marketing, avalanche education, land managers and outdoor recreation businesses to push responsible recreation this winter
“Intentional discharge of an aimed firearm” leads to rare criminal charges in Colorado death of hunter
Suspect Harry Watkins was “horrified” after fatally shooting his hunting buddy, Simon Howell, in Grand County. “It was reasonable to fire,” Watkins’ attorney says.
Peace in powder as snowcat operator drops lawsuit targeting former guide’s book about Buffalo Pass
Beacon Guidebooks’ upcoming guide to Buffalo Pass will not include names of runs and locations created by Steamboat Powdercats, which argued the titles were “trade secrets.”
Coronavirus-wary Colorado skiers are willing to sit out this season, poll shows
A Magellan Strategies survey of Colorado skiers reveals apprehension over pandemic protocols, reservations and visitors. “I can go a year without skiing downhill,” one woman said.
Scouring soil, sowing seeds and spending millions for wildfire recovery in Glenwood Canyon
Glenwood Springs is spending more than $10 million on repairs and upgrades to water supply infrastructure following Grizzly Creek Fire.
Masks up! Colorado ski resorts are moving ahead as state, counties and businesses restrict access
Colorado requirement for isolation housing for ill guests challenged resort industry planning, but hotels and lodges will have rooms to quarantine people who fall ill on ski vacations
Backcountry.com mostly delivering on reparations one year after trademark bullying
The e-commerce giant is still working with brands and businesses targeted in lawsuits for using the word “backcountry,” including by supporting scholarships for avalanche education and guide training
Forest Service OKs access road to Eagle County community surrounded by public land. But not the one developers wanted.
Florida investors the behind a plan for Berlaimont Estates, 19 luxury homes on 680 acres, suggest they may sue if the Forest Service doesn’t change the approved road alignment.