Ever run a marathon? Those silvery sheets they cover you with to keep you warm post-run is the same technology Columbia incorporates into their Omni-Heat products. Trust us. Those little silver dots keep you darned warm.

So we’ve heard a lot about Omni-Heat lately. At least I have. And it looks like their marketing is working, because the technology even made the Today Show. The nice part is that the jacket I have lives up to the talk.

After a pretty warm (mid-upper 30s) December, Summit County and much of Colorado got hit with some mighty cold weather. Highs didn’t even make it into the double digits and combined with the wind atop the chairlifts, it was pretty brutal. I get antsy if I stay indoors too long, so I’m a fan of combating cold with good gear. My new jacket came just in time. [Read more →]

Anyone who travels in the backcountry should think about attending the CAIC Benefit Bash on Saturday, Nov. 13 at the Breckenridge Riverwalk Center.

What: CAIC Benefit Bash
When: Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010
Where: Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge, Colorado
Cost: $25/person includes entry, food, two drink tickets and a door prize ticket

Just last Friday, the Summit Daily News ran a photo of a longtime local catching early season turns on Loveland Pass. It’s a slim start to what becomes an extremely popular backcountry spot, one that’s several times slid enough to cover Highway 6. Once the snow really flies, backcountry junkies begin hiking Summit County’s big peaks in search of powder.

Colorado and Summit County see large numbers of winter backcountry users and according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), avalanche deaths in our state account for one-third of all avalanche deaths in the United States. The CAIC began as an avalanche forecast and warning center and today they focus on “minimizing the economic and human impact of snow avalanches on recreation, tourism, commerce, industry and the citizens of Colorado.”

In addition to working to keep roads open and providing backcountry forecasts and observations, the CAIC offers educational seminars, classes and workshops. Nonprofit organization Friends of the CAIC produces events and initiatives to support the CAIC’s backcountry program and overall avalanche awareness and education. The end result? Friends of the CAIC Benefit Bash. It’s a great party for a great cause. http://friendsofcaic.org

Loving A-Basin so much we took engagement photos there. Photo Courtesy David Watson, see below for link to watsonphoto.com

I enjoy skiing and snowboarding at A-Basin so much I bought a hat. So it’s no surprise that on an early-season weeknight, bored out of my mind, I would cruise arapahoebasin.com searching for any info on when new terrain will open.

Knowing full well that winter needs to really arrive in order for more of Arapahoe Basin to open, I piddled around and instead came across information on the Black Mountain Lodge Full Moon Snowshoe Dinner Series. [Read more →]

Summit County, Colorado: Skiing and Snowboarding in Montezuma Bowl, Arapahoe Basin

“Just turn!” says boyfriend.

Tears well up in girlfriend’s eyes.

“Just turn … like this,” says boyfriend, who proceeds to demo the move.

Anyone who skis or snowboards in Summit County (or anywhere in Colorado) has probably witnessed this scenario more than a few times. They’ve watched the scene explode into tears, yelling and possibly a call to ski patrol. Maybe they’ve even been part of it. [Read more →]