Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to living in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Apply today!
Editor’s Choice
Top local outdoor store
Mountainsmith
Although Mountainsmith has been designing durable backcountry gear in Golden for 43 years, CEO Jonathan McFarland still encounters locals who don’t know the brand, which is mostly sold through retailers, is based in Colorado. The company’s new headquarters and showroom near Washington Avenue, the main street in the foothills of the city, is likely to change that when it opens this summer. Passers-by can peer through the historic building’s windows and see developers working on prototypes, drop in to check out the latest releases and drop off Mountainsmith gear in need of repair, which is free as part of Forged for Life’s warranty. But Mountainsmith’s community ties go far beyond bricks and mortar. The people and places of the Centennial State have influenced its products for decades. —Jessica LaRusso
Golden garage
Slingback chair25 dollars
After finding a discontinued ’80s version of the brand’s country-backed ultralight chair at a garage sale in 2015, a fan brought the item back to the company’s old headquarters. Product developers were inspired to recreate the original design. Revived in 2017, the rollable five-ounce nylon sheet needs only two trekking poles to deploy.
Colorado Haute Route
Tour lumbar pack80 dollars
In 1982, Mountainsmith founder Patrick Smith was nearly caught in an avalanche while backcountry skiing on the high route from Vail to Winter Park. The experience inspired Smith (who has since left to start Kifara, a Colorado-based hunting gear brand) to create some kind of pack that could comfortably hold a shovel. Now the brand’s best-selling item, the pack is popular with hikers and anglers who appreciate the way it leaves their upper body unrestricted and distributes weight on their hips.
A true mountain viking
Zerk 40 backpack220 dollars
Ex-Marine turned pro hiker and Lakewood resident Thomas Guttman—who describes himself as “half Viking, half thrill-seeker, and two-thirds beard”—co-designed this pack to be lightweight yet sturdy enough for weeks of use. track. The result of two years and more than 5,000 miles of testing, the Zerk 40 features a roll-top closure, straps with easily accessible snack and cell phone pouches, and weighs just 29 ounces.
Local craft breweries
Seeker cooler35 dollars
Peruse the shelves at Golden’s Cannonball Creek Brewing Company, Odell Brewing Company’s Fort Collins and Denver locations, or Longmont’s Left Hand Brewing Company, and you’ll see Mountainsmith soft coolers emblazoned with each brewery’s logo. Based on feedback from brewers, Mountainsmith has increased the size of the Seeker (which also sells empty) to fit six bottles, 12 cans or two necks.
Veterinarian from Denver (Vhose The name is lost to time)
K9 dog pack79 dollars
In 2019, Mountainsmith hired a veterinarian to help update its decades-old pack of dogs. The doctor’s knowledge of canine anatomy informed features such as an adjustable chest strap and foam padding in areas prone to chafing. The vet also suggested storage compartments that weren’t so big that owners could easily overload their four-legged friends.
Top ski area
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
With Colorado’s ski hills in an arms race to install lifts and open new terrain to better accommodate their ever-growing hordes, only Arapahoe Basin has implemented the nuclear option — limiting the number of visitors on its mountain — to improve the skiing experience. It started in the winter of 2019 when, to reduce crowds, A-Basin took advantage of Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass, which gave customers unlimited days at the resort. Then, in March 2021, the mountain announced it would limit the number of lift tickets sold each day and reduce the amount of unlimited season passes by 10 percent for the following year. It was successful. By last February, the resort had 38 percent fewer ski days than at that point in 2019, according to a post on A-Basin’s website by Chief Operating Officer Alan Henzeroth. To put that in perspective: The resort’s parking lots reached their maximum capacity once last season, for about 30 minutes. In fact, the mountain is introducing wallet-friendly three-packs ($99) and passes ($279) this fall to attract more skiers when the mountain is too empty. Lift tickets and season passes ($599) will still be limited, but those who land on the latter will get days at Monarch Mountains in Colorado, Silverton Mountain Ski Area and Bluebird Backcountry, plus Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico and the ski area’s new addition Bridger Bowl in Montana. That sounds pretty epic to us. —Nicholas Hunt
Top Bike Shop
Wheat Ridge Cyclers
When the Kiefel family announced they were selling the beloved independent shop they had operated for nearly half a century, Front Range drivers braced themselves for the worst. Would a new owner change things? Short answer: Yes, but only for the better. New bike boss David Dentry, who bought Wheat Ridge Cyclery in April 2021, immediately boosted the store’s online presence to allow customers to shop its inventory from the couch, a useful innovation during the pandemic. But Dentry has kept most of the rest the same, including the staff, a wise decision given his industry acumen. For example, in May 2020, longtime CEO Steve Hill predicted that the pandemic would cause bike shortages and acted quickly to secure several large shipments of two-wheelers and parts from manufacturers such as Trek, Specialized, Yeti and Santa Cruz. So while supply chain delays continue to block offerings at other metro stores, Wheat Ridge Cyclery remains well-stocked and well-run. —Fiona Murphy
Reader’s Choice
Fitness studio/gym
High driving cycle
1711 Sheridan Blvd., Suite A, Edgewater, 303-477-0793
2145 E. 120th Ave., Unit H, Northglenn, 720-638-8104
Outdoor winter equipment
D-Curve Optics Ski Goggles
3440 Youngfield St., Suite 239, Wheat Ridge, 800-854-2072
Summer equipment for outdoor use
D-Curve Optics Mountain Iris Sunglasses
3440 Youngfield St., Suite 239, Wheat Ridge, 800-854-2072
Pilates Studio
Kinesis Pilates
2501 Dallas St., Suite 258 (inside Stanley Marketplace), Aurora, 303-921-7017
Camp
Golden Gate Canyon State Park
92 Crawford Gulch Road, Golden, 800-244-5613
Ski resort
Winter Park Resort
85 Parsenn Road, Winter Park, 970-726-5514
Yoga Studio
Better Buzz Yoga
2714 V. 44th Ave., 303-495-6996
Walk within 90 minutes of Denver
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater
18300 V. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, 720-865-2494
Local outdoor equipment store
Gone wild
3936 Tennison St., 303-903-8584
1630 Miner St., Idaho Springs, 303-829-5681