Our staff pick videos from some favorite adventures and what you should give them try :
Hit the sand
Sandboarding in Alamosa, Colorado, was one of the most unique experiences we had this year. It was also more of a workout than we anticipated.
It’s like snowboarding, but more difficult.
“The main difference here is there is no lift,” said Enrique Salcedo of Kristi Mountain Sports in Alamosa, Colorado. “You’re going to have to work for it.”
Challenge yourself this year and give sandboarding a whirl.
Paddle on
Stand up paddle boarding – SUP – is one of the fastest-growing activities in the world.
Started on the coast, it’s now working its way inland through rivers and streams, to lakes and ponds. And it’s everywhere – SUPers are ripping whitewater rivers, touring glossy lakes and floating for yoga sessions.
SUP is here to stay.
Try it out this summer and see if it’s right for you.
Get high
Autumn’s hues are intoxicating, especially in the mountains.
Hours are magical. Moments are fleeting. And the colors change with every second. It’s a time unlike any other throughout the year. The light shifts. The air is crisp, the sun rich.
And it’s the perfect time to head to the high country and ride your bike through pristine mountain areas.
Grab your gear this fall and head to the mountains where peaceful tracks and rustling leaves provide the perfect setting for a biking adventure.
Float on by
Floating for miles on the river, making stops to explore side canyons, cooking meals among the coyote willows and basking in the early morning light: This is a trip on the San Juan River.
Grab some of your closest friends, prepare accordingly and hit the river to float to a nirvana of your own making.
View Utah from this unique perspective and share this one-of-a-kind experience with those closest to you.
Find your comfy spot
Once home to the Brothers of Pentinence, a religious sect persecuted for reenacting the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, Penitente Canyon is now home to a different kind of disciple: One dedicated to fighting natural forces: Gravity, inertia, strength.
The sheer, blank walls of Penitente Canyon bring out your hardcore athlete as climbers edge their way up faces, vertical and beyond.
“It’s really beautiful climbing,” said Jared Slota, a Colorado climber of 10 years who seems to have a devout skill for the nature of the routes at Penitente. “The rock is beautiful. It’s unique climbing.”
Ski the pristine
Silverton Mountain is America’s only lift-served extreme ski area. Nestled deep in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, this area is raw Rocky Mountain skiing.
Most of the prime season is guided only, where seasoned staffers find a custom tailored mountain experience for small groups
If this spot isn’t on your bucket list add it immediately.
Climb a 14-er
There are 58 mountains over 14,000 feet in Colorado. Most are difficult to reach, but Handies Peak, at 14,048 feet, is perhaps one of the most alluring mountaintops in the Rockies. Surrounded by wilderness, its vistas are uninterrupted: Nothing but mountains for miles.
If you want to give your first 14-er a whirl, Handies, which can be done in a day, is the place for you.
Get out there.
