- 5. Gimp Monkeys
- 5. Gimp Monkeys
Climbing Yosemite’s El Capitan is hard with four limbs. But as “Gimp Monkeys” shows, a missing arm or leg is little more than a speed bump for climbers with a solid attitude (and an oversized set of cajones).
Fitz Cahill’s “Gimp Monkeys” follows climbers Craig DeMartino, Jarem Frye, and Pete Davis on the first all-handicapped ascent of El Capitan. The eight-minute film is a powerful testament to the strength of human will, and a sure-fire motivator for any climber who’s been glued to the couch.
- 4. The Burn
- 4. The Burn
Released after the second-worst wildfire season in U.S. history, “The Burn” is not just a potent dose of ski porn. It’s also a welcome reminder of the healing power of wild places.
Part of Salomon’s amazing Freeski TV series, “The Burn” blends burnt-out tree skiing in British Columbia with wildfire imagery, psychedelic rock, and a touch of CGI into a six-minute tour de force.
- 3. Strong
- 3. Strong
Risk is an essential part of adventure. But when an avalanche put skier Roger Strong in a wheelchair (and nearly took his life), he took a new perspective on the dangers of backcountry play.
Another one by Fitz Cahill, “Strong” profiles Roger a year after his accident. His meditations on climbing, skiing and family are bound to resonate with anyone who has wondered -“is this worth the risk?”
- 2. Paper Shredder
- 2. Paper Shredder
Proof that great things come in small packages. This 3-minute stop-motion gem follows a miniature snowboarder on a park run through what we imagine is the creators’ messy apartment.
The video is the brainchild of brothers Paul and Stephen Gemignani, who took a total of 713 photos and 246 hours to produce it. From our perspective, that’s time well spent.
- 1. CASCADA
- 1. CASCADA
Equal parts kayak porn, adventure film, and visual poem, CASCADA is the rare eight-minute internet video we actually watched all the way to the end.
Produced by the Carbondale-based Forge Motion Pictures, CASCADA follows a group of world-class kayakers through the jungles of Mexico, where they battle heat, humidity, and swarms of man-eating bugs in search of the perfect huck.
recent inspiration
Trailhead Tip: Staunton State Park
We usually avoid ribbon cuttings - mostly because of a bad childhood experience with a pair of jumbo scissors. But when the event opens a new 3,828-acre playground for hikers, bikers, and climbers, we’re willing to make an exception.
This weekend (May 18-19), the state will drop the ropes at Staunton State Park, a swath of once-private land just southwest of Evergreen. The grand opening celebration will take two days, and will include music, guided nature hikes, children’s activities, and more.
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Colorado’s less-traveled paths
Sometimes taking a hike means more than stretching your legs and enjoying the local scenery – sometimes what you really need is to get away. For those of you seeking a change of scenery, let us suggest some of Colorado’s less-visited (but totally spectacular) hiking destinations.
The Paint Mines
Everyone likes the hiking photos you keep posting to Facebook. Really – we do. But maybe… just maybe… it’s time to add some photos with a little something different in them? Something other than trees and the hindparts of mule deer?
Canned beer, outdoor sports in Lyons
We’re only certain of two things - life is better outside, and beer tastes better from a can. And if its anywhere near as fun as it was last year, we’re pretty sure the second annual Lyons Outdoor Games will be the best way to kick off a summer of sun and suds.
The festival is scheduled for May 31-June 2 in Lyons’ Bohn Park, where tent camping is virtually limitless and completely free. That means it’s easy to (responsibly) indulge at Saturday’s Oskar Blues Burning Can - a beer party that brings together 35 craft breweries to celebrate aluminum-encased booze.
A race for all seasons
We’re experiencing an identity crisis. Not the Bootprints team, mind you – the state we live and play in is having a hard time making up her mind about just what time of year it is.
But mother nature’s mood swings won’t have much bearing on the CB3P, a sort of mountain town triathlon race coming to Crested Butte Sunday, April 28.
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Colorado volunteer projects
We love to volunteer - and not just because it gives us something to lord over snooty Cheryl from the co-op board. Building or maintaining our region’s best trails brings like-minded people together in the great outdoors. And that’s exactly what we’re all about.
The Colorado Trail
The 576-mile Colorado Trail is easily the state’s greatest hiking adventure. But not everyone has the blister tolerance or the vacation time to make the full trek from Denver to Durango.
The Colorado Trail Foundation’s Volunteer Trail Crews offer the everyman a taste of the trail, and offer a healthy dose of fresh-air and hard (physical) work to the office-bound.
Weeklong trail crews cost $60 to join, weekend crews just $30. This includes group food and other amenities, and goes to benefit the trail. A schedule of projects is available online.
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Trailhead tip: Betasso Preserve
Unfortunately, you won’t be the only one on the trail this weekend. So we’re starting Trailhead Tips: a semi-regular feature of lesser-visited hiking destinations on and near Colorado’s Front Range.
We’ll kick things off with the Betasso Preserve: A Boulder County Parks & Open Space project that provides a rare opportunity for crowd-free hiking just a few minutes from downtown Boulder.
Save on May mud runs
How do we know you want to try a mud run? We don’t. But we’ve been in a couple, and they’re awesome. So we decided to give the reluctant among you an extra reason to try out one of Colorado’s May mud runs by scoring you some exclusive discounts.
May 11 – Rugged Maniac 5k
Not every mud run is reserved for hardcore enduro-athletes. The Rugged Maniac 5k uses obstacles (and quantities of mud) similar to those seen in longer races, but spaces them over a manageable 3.2-mile course.
This race sucks
We know some of you love to run. We also know others won’t up the pace beyond a brisk powerwalk unless you are being chased. It hasn’t been easy, but we think we’ve finally found a race that will get all of you moving.
The April 26 Vampire 5k in Denver is designed to bring the thrill of the chase back into running. The race pits vampires against mortals, so participants are engaged not just in a competition for the fastest time, but in a battle for their precious bodily fluids.
