If you are reading this on the East Coast, congratulations on the warmer weather you're finally getting this week. It was cold and snowy for a while there. Here in the West, we wish we'd been in your shoes. Spare a thought for the tens of millions of us who live on the other side of the continent, where a catastrophe is unfolding.
Avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE (Level 3 of 5) across Colorado's Northern and Central mountains, and is expected to remain elevated through the weekend. In many areas, backcountry travelers can easily trigger avalanches in new storm snow, and some avalanches may break into deeper buried weak layers. An additional round of snow Friday night will increase avalanche danger in the Southern Mountains as the holiday weekend continues.
BackcountryonX Backcountry has released a major expansion of Beacon Guidebooks content for the 2025-26 ski season, adding hundreds of newly curated backcountry ski routes across Colorado and Washington, the company announced on January 21. The update, now available in the onX Backcountry app, significantly expands access to vetted route information in complex mountain terrain, pairing Beacon Guidebooks' expert-authored ski descents with onX's navigation and avalanche safety tools.
It's no secret that the start of the 2025-26 ski season has been fairly lackluster across much of the American West. Colorado, in particular, has struggled mightily due to a lack of early-season snowfall. As of January 4, few resorts have more than 50% of their terrain open, with some failing to open even a quarter of their trails. Below is a breakdown of the number and percentage of trails currently open at 10 marquee Colorado resorts.
I have a lot of respect for Morgan, so was disappointed to hear him say this: Everyone I know who retired early has gone back to work. My experience has been almost the exact opposite of Morgan's. I know plenty early retirees and almost none have gone back to work. Those that have went back to work on interesting projects on their own terms. But also, I live in a bubble.
In a news release on Thursday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said that hikers reported seeing a mountain lion near a person lying on the ground on the Crosier Mountain trail in unincorporated Larimer county at around 12.15pm local time on Thursday. The hikers scared the lion from the area by throwing rocks at the animal according to officials, and then attended to the woman but were unable to find a pulse.
Brandon Olsen, 46, pleaded guilty in July to one count of arson, the website stated. The Denver district attorney's office said Olsen broke into the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center on Jan. 2, 2024. He stole the keys to the building from a security guard at gunpoint and then started a fire on the seventh floor, according to 9News.com.
Andrew Porter, 25, of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko, 25, of Salt Lake City, were reported missing when they failed to check in with family members on Sept. 12. An extensive search found the pair dead on Sept. 18 about two miles from the trailhead where their vehicle was parked, the Conejos County sheriff's office reported. In a preliminary statement, Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin said the men had no significant injuries, including burn marks.
Since the advent of the craft beer revolution, great breweries have popped up in every corner of the United States, with almost 10,000 breweries operating in the country as of 2023. That's up from only around 90 in the '70s, when macrobrews like Budweiser and Coors were at their most dominant. Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors still rule beer production in the country, with both brands controlling a little more than half of the U.S. market.
An apparent accident at a dairy in a rural farming community in Colorado involving exposure to gas killed six people, including a high school student, authorities said on Thursday. Investigators are looking into what kind of gases may have played a role in the deaths on Wednesday at Prospect Valley Dairy in Keenesburg, about 35 miles (55km) north-east of Denver. Crews recovered the bodies in a confined space at the dairy, the Southeast Weld fire protection district said.
According to data from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys, the average retired household spent approximately $5,000 per month on living expenses, including housing and health care.
Palisade, Colorado has become a haven for those seeking outdoor adventure and wine, offering a unique blend of natural beauty and over 30 wineries.
