The French snowbikes could lure winter travelers with a quieter, more sustainable option for scooting over snow. They’re a new challenge for land managers handling next-gen motorized travel.
Vail Pass
Posted inOutdoors
As Colorado backcountry use soars, Vail Pass’ fee model could be a way to manage the crush
VAIL PASS — Four women on backcountry skis, packs strapped to their backs, glided single file down a powdery path out of the woods after a night at Walter’s Cabin, a hut on Shrine Mountain. Their peaceful trek into the backcountry of Vail Pass this week included pausing to scope out tracks left by a […]
Posted inEnvironment, Outdoors
A Colorado avalanche instructor’s survey of backcountry skiers’ preparedness had “shocking” results
Imagine you are pushing your raft into whitewater at the start of a remote river trip and you turn to the person next to you and ask them a question about basic river safety, says Vail backcountry ski guide and avalanche safety instructor Kelli Rohrig. “And you find out that person doesn’t know how to […]
Posted inEnvironment, Growth, News, Transportation
Preserving Frank Lloyd Wright’s light touch on Vail Pass
The Colorado Department of Transportation project on Vail Pass seems simple enough: enhance and repair seven retaining walls on the west side of the pass. The task took about a week as crews focused on slowing the deterioration of walls built in 1975, part of a game-changing decade that carved I-70 through the mountains west […]