Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) climbers ended the winter competition season on a high note. At the American Scholastic Climbing League state championships on Feb. 22, the CRMS varsity boys team took first place, with three athletes in the top 10 scores. Junior Fritz Simmons took 4th, senior Devin Bush 7th, and junior Arthur Williams […]
Annalise Grueter
Posted inEnvironment
March begins with snowpack only slightly below average
Weather cycles have made the past few months feel unseasonable in the Roaring Fork Valley. Strong storm cycles have dropped a foot or more of snow at a time, but these have been interspersed with warmer-than-typical high pressure systems that felt like false springs. Sunny days and temperatures in the 40s and 50s melt snow […]
Posted inEnvironment
Naturalist Nights speaker discusses ecological impacts of recreation
On Feb. 19-20, Wilderness Workshop and the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) hosted the fourth of five speakers for the annual Naturalist Nights free lecture series. Dr. Christopher Monz is a professor at Utah State University, and teaches classes in recreation ecology and management. He presented to the audience remotely, offering insights on the […]
Posted inSports
Aspen Skiers prove their namesake with double State Championships wins at home
Thursday and Friday, Feb. 20-21, saw a triumphant end to this winter’s Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) downhill skiing race season for Aspen High School (AHS). The Aspen teams hosted this year’s championships for the first time in nine years. The final races also marked a major shift: every prior year, the Skiing State […]
Posted inLocal Government
RFSD Report: Budget and strategic plan updates, recognition of Black History Month
A notable section of the month’s first Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) board of education meeting on Feb. 12 was Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole’s report. Her presentation focused on the district budget, with analysis of internal factors, external challenges, the revised current-year budget and the draft budget for the next school year. Internal identified factors […]
Posted inEnvironment
New ‘Muddy Meter’ aims to mitigate erosion of Red Hill trails
The Red Hill trail system, just off of the Highway 82 and 133 intersection, is one of the most popular and convenient recreation areas in the Valley. How popular? Well, the trailhead receives around 75,000 visitors each year. That is about three-times as many hikers annually compared to the state’s most popular 14,000-feet peaks. It […]
Posted inLocal Government
RFTA Report: BRT Glenwood extension planning still a ways out
This month’s RFTA board meeting was hosted in Glenwood Springs, a deviation from the usual Carbondale Town Hall venue. Many members of the public chose to attend this session, and public comment saw more engagement than usual. Public commentsRobbi O’Meara of Glenwood Springs started out the public comment period. She stated that she was attending […]
Posted inNoticias
El descenso en la matrícula escolar del valle es parte de una tendencia más generalizada; los distritos planean mitigación
Las escuelas de educación secundaria están experimentando un efecto de globo: la deflación. La matrícula no ha aumentado drásticamente en los últimos años, pero las cifras crecían lentamente.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Kevin Fedarko compels audience to get involved with outdoor stewardship
The second 2025 Aspen Winter Words event sold out weeks in advance, and it wasn’t a surprise. The Feb. 5 event at The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW) featured outdoor writer Kevin Fedarko. His second narrative about the Grand Canyon, “A Walk in the Park,” came out in May 2024 and, just a few weeks […]
Posted inEnvironment
Wildfire preparedness top of mind in Colorado emergency management
Western Colorado communities are working to establish proactive emergency management plans conducive with the arid landscape. In recent years, significant wildfires have changed the conversation around both forest management and the risk fires pose to communities. In-town residents have seen fire breaks cut into the brush and forests on hillsides near their neighborhoods. Emergency managers […]