Outdoor Links of the Week

Giving Veterans Some Fresh Air

Outdoor lovers already know how important fresh air and dirt trails leading to epic views can be for the soul. Now veterans may be getting encouragement to spend time outside recovering from the stress and trauma of war. A new bipartisan bill has been introduced that would allow veterans to access the outdoors as a form of medical care. Breaking down barriers to access public lands and outdoor programs is a step in the right direction. Perhaps we can encourage Congress to take a good long hike. 

Outdoor Links of the Week

Master Plan in the Making

Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado is an alluring place for locals and visitors alike. It’s the mother of all trailheads, leading into an array of trails and classic climbs, and in the winter, offering a gently sloping sledding hill for the kiddos. As this special place draws more crowds thanks to the increasing population here, neighbors of the park have called on Open Space Mountain Preserve to fix their woes. These multi-million dollar home owners are sick of congested street parking and traffic, leading to a new paid parking and shuttle system initiated last year. Beyond that, OSMP is developing a plan to “manage recreation” which some are worried will heavily regulate the climbing access in the park. There have been community meetings about the new master plan, and there is one more this year if you want to speak out.

Your Vote is Safe in Colorado, We Think

Ballot worker flattening and stacking before sending them off to the machine for tallying. Photo by Jenna Sampson

Colorado’s midterm election is a hot, and not cheap, date. Election officials, however, are confident the expense will ensure the state gets Mr. and Mrs. Right in office.

Businesses rally their troops for midterms

Audio Script

Ambient sound:  Yelling and sneering from a crowd…

Reporter: Thanks in part to cuts to federal funding of public lands, outdoor enthusiasts and the companies that serve them are becoming increasingly political. Recently, 100 businesses throughout Colorado petitioned congress to continue the Land and Water Conservation Fund which lapsed in September. VO: The fund took a cut of taxes from offshore drilling and applied it to managing and developing public spaces.

Links of the week: Public lands edition

Gregory “Slobirdr” Smith / CC Flickr

Zinke strikes again

85 percent of the country’s national preserves are in Alaska. A preserve is different from a national park because certain natural resource extraction activities, such as fishing and oil drilling, are allowed. But of course there are rules. And what do you know, Dir. of the Interior Ryan Zinke wants to mangle them. Specifically, he wants to undo a 2015 act by the Alaska Park Service to protect predators – Wolverines, bears, wolves – from unethical killing and bating. Public comment is happening hastily, but is open until November 5. Too bad the 98 percent of our country’s brown bears who live in the state can’t comment.

Outdoor Links of the Week

If you build it, they will ride

The ongoing public process to campaign for a new mountain bike friendly connector trail from Eldorado Canyon to Walker Ranch has been extended. Three city agencies – Boulder County, the City of Boulder and Colorado Parks and Wildlife – announced they will wait until March to make a decision to move forward based on public feedback and a feasibility study. This connector would help complete the final vision of a trail that goes from Boulder to Winter Park, which organizers are calling the Indian Peaks Traverse.

Outdoor Links of the Week

It’s hard to pick just one

Quint Friesell via National Wildfire Coordinating Group

It seems like the news cycle just swings from one season of natural disasters to another. With all of this torment it seems like there’s not a lot we can do to save us from ourselves. But Popular science has broken down the most important science policy issues by state to help you focus on the fight that matters most to your community. In Colorado, after a season of wildfires that broke records, it seems that’s the major cause for concern. Luckily, NCAR and Centennial State are working together to figure out a prediction system. Read more here.

Links of the week: Winter edition

Snow falls and lifts open early in Colorado

After last winter folks have been sarcastically optimistic about the forecast for this season. But alas, the snow arrived early and in just the second week of October Wolf Creek Ski Area is firing up the lifts for their second earliest opening of all time. 30 inches of snow reportedly blessed the Colorado resort this week and on Saturday it will become the first ski area in the nation to open. Let the track-making begin!

The Uphill Economy

Make way for uphill traffic. As ski mountaineering climbs its way to the 2026 Olympics, the niche industry gains steam and some Colorado resorts are taking small steps toward including the sport in their economic prospects.

Links of the Week

#TeamOtis

And you thought bears were starving. This week is Fat Bear Week at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. According to the Anchorage Daily News, you can watch the brown bears feast all summer via the park’s 24/7 webcam and then vote on the one you think gained the most chub before hibernation. Reigning champ Otis has some tough competition this year, which you can see for yourself on the park’s Facebook page. The before and after shots of these creatures are astounding. What a great way to get into the stuff-your-face holiday spirit!