September 2014

North America’s top handlers and their canny sheepdogs will square off against wily, wild Colorado range sheep on Sept. 9-14 at Strang Ranch on Missouri Heights for the 2014 National Sheepdog championship title.
The national finals are a partnership between the U.S. Border Collie Handlers’ Association, Aspen Valley Land Trust and Strang Ranch, according to a press release. It showcases not only a premier herding competition, but the Strang family’s commitment to land conservation and support of the Aspen Valley Land Trust.
“It’s about our western heritage. That’s what’s important to me,” said event organizer Bridget Strang.
For Alasdair MacRae, the 2011 winner — the last year the finals were held at Strang Ranch — the finals are a challenging test of “the dogs’ patience, perseverance, stamina and skill. It’s a very exciting spectacle.”

Imagine riding a bike down the length of the entire United States through deep-forested woods and wide open-mountain valleys, to desert mesas and alpine meadows. Montana Miller did just that on a mountain bike. Miller recently raced in the Tour Divide, the ultimate endurance mountain bike race.
Did I mention he completed the race on a single-speed bicycle? To give the non-bicycler some perspective, riding mountain passes on a single speed bicycle is comparable to well, nothing because it’s pretty difficult.
Miller grew up in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. As a kid he spent his time playing in the woods, so when the opportunity to move to the mountains arose, the outdoor lifestyle of Colorado felt familiar to him. His fiancée, Colleen O’Neil, got an internship at Trail Runner magazine (based out of Carbondale) so the two made the move.