Being in nature no matter what, is an enjoyable experience for most people, but having the right items with you when you hike can make or break your outdoor experience. Here are the basic essential items every hiker should have with them. Water – Always bring more than enough water. The amount of water that you take will depend on the length of hike you plan to take and the amount of time it will take you to complete your hike. From personal experience, I would suggest a liter of water as the minimum of water to take, and would recommend for those who are serious hikers to invest in a backpack... Read More

Mt. Sanitas has always been one of my favorite hiking areas. I grew up near the Goat Trail, which is an alternative path that some people use to access Sanitas, but I decided to use the more widely-used trailhead on Mapleton Avenue when I went to visit last week. Sanitas is a gorgeous mountain. It’s the crème de la crème. It has sprawling grassy fields and jagged mountain peaks- all in one place! On one path, you can choose to go along the easygoing field trail, which requires little to no effort. Alternatively, there is also the steep incline up to the top of Mt. Sanitas, which requires... Read More

There’s something intensely satisfying about speeding down a snowy hill on a piece of oversized plastic. You call up your friends, scavenge some sleds from the garage, encase yourself in snow clothes, and embark on your journey towards an incredible sledding hill. Sometimes, however, it’s hard to find the right sledding hill. Much like Goldilocks in The Story of Three Bears, certain sledding hills are too short. Or maybe they’re not steep enough. Maybe they’re even too steep. That’s why I’ve organized a list of the very best sledding hills of Boulder,... Read More

Jeff’s favorite smoothie is filled with every kind of berry he can find in his kitchen. His most recent smoothie included strawberries, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, kale, spinach, chia seeds, and peanut butter. As a recent transplant from Minnesota, this dude is passionate about getting out there and talking to everybody we meet on the trail…for at least 10 minutes. We chatted to this one guy who is hiking the TMB (Trail du Mont Blanc) next month and another guy who flies glider planes in Colombia. Jeff can be seen hiking or running at Chautauqua or even climbing up the flatirons.  Read More

photo credit: Josh Hummel “My fastest time on this loop is 50 minutes,” proclaims Chase, an avid mountain biker in Boulder. He loves to time himself on the Walker Ranch loop which a 7 mile loop involving sections of the trail in which you must carry your bike. When I ran into Chase, he was carrying his bike over his shoulder up a section of rock stairs comparable to 2 flights of stairs. Chase has a great attitude towards being outside. We even proposed a friendly mountain biker vs trail runner race in the near future on this loop.  Read More

  For those of you who are already part of the Boulder mountain bike community, it may seem crazy that many people don’t know about the many opportunities for mountain biking around Boulder.  When I first came to CU, I had no idea there was a collegiate mountain bike team.  Of course I knew there was a team for road riding, but since all I ever read or saw in pictures was about the road team, I didn’t even think to look at CU Cycling’s website to see what other disciplines they participate in.  It wasn’t until the beginning of my second year that I happened to see... Read More

                        1.  Time First let me say that I enjoy skiing as much as the next guy, but we live in Boulder not Breckenridge.  To get up to the mountains it will take at least an hour and a half, and that’s with no traffic and dry roads.  Realistically it’s more like two to two and a half hours of driving time.  Thats four to five hours of sitting in the car round trip.  I come from a big city and I can’t stand traffic.  To me five hours of skiing is just not worth five hours of sitting in traffic.   2.... Read More

Symbols are an interesting phenomenon when you stop to think about them. And they’re everywhere. A road sign with the silhouette of children on a seesaw is a symbol, not warning of recreational equipment but of kids at play. Bills and coins are symbols of value, the tangible representation of economics. They take the form of icons, as well: a bluish bird for Twitter, a Polaroid-like camera for Instagram, and so on. Symbols evoke companies, stand-in for purchasing power, even encapsulate “slow down, drivers, kids are unpredictable and around the corner” in an instant. Simple or complex, they... Read More

Keith didn’t think he was going to make it to the summit of the flatirons. He’s from Pennsylvania, but made the trip out to Boulder so he could visit a friend. Keith was worried that hiking mountains that are already a mile high would prove to be difficult. He was especially worried about getting altitude sickness and suffering through horrible headaches – which have been a problem for him in the past. After hearing stories from friends and family that have visited, he was expecting to be out of breath and in need of oxygen almost immediately. But, on the contrary, he found it much easier... Read More

Hiking is a popular activity around the world. It’s a great way to get exercise while enjoying spectacular views, natural scenery, and observing wildlife. The incredibly beautiful country of New Zealand offers a huge selection of outstanding hiking trails. Before starting out on any hike, always ensure you are prepared. Hiking boots are essential, along with several layers of appropriate clothing and a hat. Take plenty of drinking water, emergency food supplies and a medical kit. Don’t forget that your skin can lose a lot of vital moisture during long hikes, so always bring a good moisturiser... Read More