Out There http://outthere.freedomblogging.com Colorado Springs' path to the outdoors Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:20:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en-us hourly 1 Aaron Ralston, the movie http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/06/aaron-ralston-the-movie/6437/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/06/aaron-ralston-the-movie/6437/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:18:55 +0000 Dave Philipps http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/?p=6437

I guess we all knew it was coming. According to Variety, Danny Boyle, the director of Slumdog Millionaire, plans to make  “127 Hours,” a film that tells the story of  Aron Ralston, a former software engineer and outdoor enthusiast who turned motivational speaker after his right forearm got pinned for nearly five days under a boulder during a hike in Utah in May, 2003, and Ralston used a dull knife tocut it off.

My question is this: Yes, it is a facinating and allegorical predicament Ralston got into, but it lacks a lot of action, and people already know what happened, so how do you fill 90 minutes of film?

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Keystone and A Basin now “top to bottom” http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/06/keystone-and-a-basin-now-top-to-bottom/6431/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/06/keystone-and-a-basin-now-top-to-bottom/6431/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:46:26 +0000 Dave Philipps http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/?p=6431

Sure, the route  is likely crowded, and slightly icy, but hey, not bad considering t’s freaking 70 degrees in C. Springs.

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Bear spray… soon to be required in all but 49 states http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/05/bear-spray-soon-to-be-required-in-all-but-49-states/6425/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/05/bear-spray-soon-to-be-required-in-all-but-49-states/6425/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:40:29 +0000 Dave Philipps http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/?p=6425

The Wyoming legislature may consider a bill that would require require permitted backcountry users in grizzly country to carry bear spray.

The guy pushing the bill said conflicts increasing at a “nearly exponential rate,”  but also human deaths caused by grizzly bears. While only 44 people have died from grizzly attacks since the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of those attacks have occurred in the last 20 years.

I guess that is better than the unofficial Alaskan law that you just have to carry a big bad gun. At least if you shoot yourself with pepper spray the sting wears off after a while.

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Out There fail http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/05/out-there-fail/6419/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/05/out-there-fail/6419/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:55:31 +0000 Andrew Wineke http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/?p=6419 stratton

Let’s see… record temperatures today and sunny through the weekend. Probably not the best time to run a story on how tough it is to get outside in November.

It seemed like a funny idea while I was shivering next to the furnace a week ago… when my story on fall mountain biking ran.

I won’t complain about the injustice of Mother Nature to those with early deadlines. I’m just going to enjoy it while it lasts.

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Keystone moves up opening day http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/keystone-moves-up-opening-day/6415/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/keystone-moves-up-opening-day/6415/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:40:52 +0000 Dave Philipps http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/?p=6415

Thanks to help from Mother Nature last week, Keystone Resort announced it will open earlier than planned, on Thursday, November 5. The resort will open with top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding served by the River Run Gondola with the Spring Dipper and River Run trails as well as the beginner skier learning area at the Gondola mid-station.

Keystone will also open  one jump and more than 20 features at A51 Terrain Park, the No. 2 ranked park in North America by Transworld Snowboarding Magazine.

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Soy boards and water-ski technology — what’s new on the snow http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/soy-boards-and-water-ski-technology-whats-new-on-the-snow/6411/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/soy-boards-and-water-ski-technology-whats-new-on-the-snow/6411/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:13:22 +0000 Dave Philipps http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/?p=6411

This year, it’s all about the curves.

When it comes to the season’s latest skis, the curves can be found at the tips and tails of the latest rocker skis. Slowly introduced over the last few seasons, rocker skis feature a higher rise at both the tips and tails, giving them a slightly bowed profile and, combined with broader width, make them ideal for powder skiing.

Green snowboards are also increasingly hot. Read more here.

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And the big surprise of the day… http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/and-the-big-surprise-of-the-day/6409/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/and-the-big-surprise-of-the-day/6409/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:29:47 +0000 Dave Philipps http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/and-the-big-surprise-of-the-day/6409/ AP - Breckenridge has voted overwhelmingly to legalize marijuana.

Early returns Tuesday night showed the proposal winning with 72 percent of the vote. The measure would allow adults over 21 to have up to 1 ounce of marijuana.

The measure is largely symbolic because pot possession remains a state crime for people without medical clearance. But supporters said they wanted to send a message to local law enforcement.

That message? Dude, do you want to watch re-runs of Family Guy with us?

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Property tax provision fails — expect cuts to parks and open space. http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/property-tax-provision-fails-expect-cuts-to-parks-and-open-space/6401/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/04/property-tax-provision-fails-expect-cuts-to-parks-and-open-space/6401/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:11:44 +0000 Dave Philipps http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/?p=6401

Colorado Springs’s parks department has seen its share of the city budget shrink  from $6.9 million to $5 million in the last few years. At the same time, irrigation costs have gone up by over 40 percent. In response, the department has cut back services and watering. The city hoped a new poperty tax could be a shot in the arm for anemic departments like parks, but that tax was solidly defeated by C. Springs voters last night.

So what now?  Well, some park budget lines won’t change. Parks relies on the Trails Open Space and Parks (TOPS) tax for some funding, and that tax can never be spent on anything else. The department also gets some money every year from the Colorado Lottery. But money will be increasingly scarce for maintenance of existing parks.  We’ll know more soon.

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Colbert Nation - now on its way to becoming a real nation http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/03/colbert-nation-now-on-its-way-to-becoming-a-real-nation/6389/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/03/colbert-nation-now-on-its-way-to-becoming-a-real-nation/6389/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:49 +0000 Andrew Wineke http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/?p=6389 colbert

At least if having its own Olympic team is any indication: Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert took over as lead sponsor of the US Speedskating team.

Technically, he took over as sponsor on behalf of his loyal fans in the Colbert Nation - he won’t be fronting any money himself. But the Colbert Nation logo really will, apparently, be plastered on Apolo Anton Ohno and company in Vancouver next year. Which is just weird enough to be awesome.

Ohno, by the way, says he’s a fan and thinks it’s a great idea (but he has to say that now that Stephen is his boss).

If you’re moved by the ridiculousness of the stunt, you can donate here. Or you can watch the episode here.

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Dress up the ski condo… or man cave http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/03/dress-up-the-ski-condo-or-man-cave/6383/ http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/03/dress-up-the-ski-condo-or-man-cave/6383/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:29:48 +0000 Dave Philipps http://outthere.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/03/dress-up-the-ski-condo-or-man-cave/6383/

You can now get light switch plates decorated with vintage ski posters. That’s right up there in classic alpine schlock with the ski boot lamp.

Kristen Anderson, maker of these neato light switch covers said  “I started making switch plates with my own art. One day, I was admiring a vintage ski poster that I have, and saw that the dimensions were perfect for a switch plate… a light bulb went off over my head!”

Get it, light bulb?

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