The mile high mecca
Photo of The North Face Booth by Jerilee Bennett
Coloradans are feeling pretty cool these days. The mass migration of VF Corp employees to a building in Denver’s revitalized LoDo neighborhood is just the latest in a string of outdoor lifestyle companies making the move. In January, the economic powerhouse of Outdoor Retailer crossed the border from Utah to bring their good tidings to a state that offers more protection to public lands. And the small but competitive tech company, Strava, announced their move from San Francisco as well this January, further solidifying Denver as a mecca for players in the outdoor space.
Avalanche season propagates
Not even the armed forces can stop a thundering release of snow from striking, but at least their leader accepts blame. Meanwhile, the Ski Safety Act, which protects ski resorts from taking responsibility for inbound incidents, is holding strong after two lawsuits against Vail concerning a deadly inbound avalanche are raising questions about Vail’s liability. A crack may have opened in the resort’s legal protection though, when a district court judge disagreed with a prior ruling that the behemoth resort isn’t responsible for the death of the inbounds skier because, the judge wrote in his ruling, the resort should have closed any at-risk routes. Who’s excited for ski season?
Photo from Gear Patrol by Ortovox
Playtime gets complicated
A large cohort of scientists, conservationists and stewards convened in Big Sky, Montana to determine the forecast of human impacts on Yellowstone National Park. 2017 was the busiest year on record for the park, and the swollen human footprint is certainly creating some complications for management of these protected places. Similarly, in Colorado, Vail Valley sees over 12 million visitors a year and federal funds for the Forest Service are severely lacking. Nearby towns that benefit from the recreational tourism of national forests are searching their own pockets to cover costs, but with wildfires requiring more attention than expected, town pockets will have to be mighty deep to keep the playgrounds open.
Tommy Caldwell in The Dawn Wall
Bonus:
If you missed the sold-out premier of The Dawn Wall, you’re probably not trying hard enough.
Under the Flatirons 2018 