Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2023 i 5280 Magazine

Gregory Alan Isakov has always had a green thumb, but it wasn’t until 2009 that the now 43-year-old singer-songwriter fully grasped the role farming plays in his creative process. Growing up in Philadelphia, the South African–born musician performed in local bands, but he moved to Boulder in 2000 to study horticulture at Naropa University, because a career as a touring musician felt unobtainable. “It was like playing Metroid and trying to beat the boss at the end,” he says. Even so, Isakov saw a chance to make a living off his music alone after his songs caught the ears of some veteran acts, earning him invitations on three separate tours supporting Brandi Carlile, Ani DiFranco, and the Indigo Girls. Saying yes to all three meant turning his attention away from…

Bergen Peak Trail, Evergreen This 10.3-mile round trip up 9,701-foot Bergen Peak near Evergreen will tax your lungs if you take things too quickly. Raccoon Trail, Golden Gate Canyon State Park It’s only a 3.5 mile-loop, but with some of the park’s best views you’ll have to stop for plenty of photos. Blue Lakes Trail, Breckenridge From mountain goats to looming Quandary Peak, there’s plenty to admire on this 2.8-mile, above-treeline trek.…

As Coloradans, we live life outside — and with that comes the responsibility for all of us to care for Colorado and keep it wild. New this year, Colorado residents will see a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass added to their annual vehicle registration through the Division of Motor Vehicles. This annual pass gives all Coloradans easy access to all state parks and the added benefit of supporting our great outdoors and wildlife in a meaningful way. Colorado is home to more than 960 species of wildlife and 23 million acres of public lands, ranging from wetlands to forests, canyon landscapes to mountain lakes. So it is no surprise that Coloradans cherish an outdoor lifestyle and want to protect the wild spaces and wildlife they treasure. The Keep Colorado Wild Pass…

Park Hill’s Lucina is an undeniably fun restaurant. Not like ordering-out-of-aclown’s-mouth fun or, ahem, watching-cliff-divers-plunge-off-a-waterfall fun. Instead, Lucina’s particular brand of amusement for diners is allowing them to try—and delight in—something they may have never eaten before. It’s a trust fall sort of fun, where you’re nervous and giddy because you don’t quite know what’s about to happen, but you have a hunch it will be exhilarating. Lucina’s namesake is chef-owner Erasmo (Ras) Casiano’s mother, who made sure that everyone who entered her home was well-fed. The lineup of shareable Latin and Caribbean small plates blends Casiano’s Mexican upbringing with chef-partner Diego Coconati’s South American and Caribbean childhood. Everything about the restaurant, from the bench seating and floral-wallpaper-adorned bar to the dishes that blend surprising combinations of flavors and textures,…

With a peg-letter board serving as the office directory and a pendulum clock marking time like a metronome, the entryway to the presidential offices at Colorado State University feels like the set of a stage play about campus life in the 1960s. Even the massive elm trees shading the lawn beyond the building’s stone pillars testify to decades past. Yet I’m here to meet an administrator who’s expected to put CSU on a decidedly forward-looking path: In the newly created role of assistant vice president of Indigenous and Native American affairs, Patrese Atine is charged with improving the university’s rapport with a demographic that hasn’t, historically, enjoyed much consideration at this or other institutions of higher education across the United States. CSU’s disconnect with Native Americans began with its creation,…

FIRST read up on what various bikes are intended for to find a match for your riding style—whether that’s smooth gravel or chunky singletrack. MOST BRANDS have sizing tools on their websites that use your inseam and height, but sizes can overlap, meaning a rider who’s five-foot-10 might technically fit on both a medium and a large. “That’s when you need to find a shop and have them help size you,” Allison says. DON’T PLAN on a perfect fit when you first hop on the bike. At a minimum, you’ll need to adjust the saddle and handlebars, but you may also need to swap out some parts (such as the stem, which connects the bars to your fork and can change your handlebar position drastically). “If you have pain in…

PUMP OR CO2 CANISTER Both will refill your tire, but we prefer a small hand pump (even though it takes a lot more work), because it can be used again and again for free. WIND AND RAIN PROTECTION Colorado’s weather, especially during prime riding season, is volatile. Any light shell will work, but we dig that the Summit Barrier jacket ($85) from Pearl Izumi can pack down to the size of an orange. MULTITOOL Bike-specific models include the most common hex wrench sizes and screwdrivers to keep things tight. Some can even mend broken chains. SPARE TUBE If your bike still uses tubes, you’ll need an extra one if you get a puncture. TIRE PLUGS There are some breaches even tubeless sealant goo can’t cork. Carrying a plug kit (or…

GROWING UP IN an Anglo-American household in rural Ohio, Andrea Murdoch found herself far, geographically and culturally, from her Indigenous roots. In fact, it wasn’t until she was around 28 years old that the Andean native of Venezuela, who was adopted and brought to the United States as a young child, embarked on a life-changing mission to explore Native heritages—both her own and those of other original inhabitants of the Americas. Already a chef trained in fine-dining techniques by the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Murdoch first turned to members of the Oneida Indian Nation to learn about Indigenous culinary traditions. Their ancestral homelands include the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area where she was living in 2015. “The generosity in sharing knowledge, their creation story, and so much…

Freelance Photographer Joshua W. Strong had been an avid cyclist and adventure photographer for years, but those passions hadn’t collided until summer 2020, when Strong brought a camera to a local bike race. Since then, Strong, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, has been involved in Colorado’s cycling scene, making them the perfect choice to capture images for “Holy Gravel!” (page 62), 5280’s guide to gravel biking. For Strong, though, one of the most important aspects of gravel biking is diversity. “There are many ways individuals have faced barriers in the sport, whether that be gender, race, financial background,” Strong says. “I think it is important that the community do work to welcome, engage, and enable people to enjoy this wonderful sport.” That desire for inclusivity extended to Strong’s photo shoot for…

Most kids fantasize about becoming movie stars or firefighters. But chef Carrie Baird, formerly of Bar Dough, and Michael Fox, owner of Dis Burrito (which makes freezer-friendly a.m. wraps for local grocers, coffeeshops, and catering gigs), both dreamed of opening breakfast restaurants as children. So when the two connected in 2021, it was as if the sunnyside-up eggs had aligned. The duo’s daytime LoHi eatery, Fox and the Hen, debuted in June with a grab-your-own-hotsauce wall and throwback neon signage. “I really love tapping into that American nostalgia,” says Baird, who filled the menu with cheeky takes on breakfast favorites, such as Le Big Mac Omelette. Served with fries, the French-style omelet is stuffed with ground beef, smothered in an American cheese hollandaise, and sprinkled with lettuce, diced onion, pickles,…

ALCAPURRIAS \ al-kuh-pur-ee-uhz These giant pockets—stuffed with spiced chicken and sofrito at the Park Hill eatery—are a popular fritter in Puerto Rico. They are battered in yucca, taro root, and achiote then deep-fried to crackling perfection. CONGRÍ \ kon-gree Tender black beans are cooked with fluffy rice and sofrito to produce congrí, which is often presented alongside plantains. The classic Cuban side dish is a satisfying addition to plates such as the churrasco y papas (chimichurriglazed hanger steak with potatoes). MADUROS \ mah-doo-rohs Maduros are ripe plantains that are gently fried to caramelize the sugars (think: the best banana you’ve ever had). Ask for the side dish, devoured throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, with the mojo pork chop. MOFONGO \ moh-fone-goh This Puerto Rican specialty features mashed, fried plantains mixed with garlic and…

KEY Paved Road Paved Multiuse Trail Soft-Surface Multiuse Trail Gravel Road Singletrack And/Or Doubletrack Trail CHERRY CREEK STATE PARK Difficulty: Easy Accessible via: Surface streets, greenways, vehicle, public transit As cliché as it sounds, this Aurora green space is an urban oasis, and the tangle of gravel roads and singletrack on the park’s southeast side won’t let you forget it. In rainy years, the prairie grasses and wild-flowers can reach your handlebars, and you’re sure to spot eastern cottontail rabbits and prairie dogs—just watch out for the latter’s burrows, which they often build in the middle of the trail. It’s possible to make a 10-plus-mile-long loop of gravel and protected bike paths that more or less hugs the park’s perimeter, but with the 40-mile-long, multiuse Cherry Creek Trail bisecting the…

CONVERTED ROADIES These recovering racers aren’t ready to give up the form-fitting jerseys and bibs that decrease wind resistance and show off the quads they’ve spent years building. PRO MESH JERSEY Cycling apparel giant Pearl Izumi, whose U.S. headquarters are in Louisville, combined gravel cycling’s all-terrain aesthetic with the slippy speed of aerodynamic road tops to create this limited-edition version of its staple Pro Mesh Jersey. Men’s and women’s; $150 CARGO POCKET BIB SHORTS Boulder-based Panache took its road cycling bib—basically, padded cycling shorts with shoulder straps that keep them firmly in place—and added two pockets on the back and a pouch on each leg for stashing cell phones, snacks, and other essentials. Men’s and women’s; $209 FAT-TIRE FANATICS The loose garments worn by converted mountain bikers might make them…

BEST FOR Changemakers Marcus Robinson’s nonprofit, Ride for Racial Justice, works to make everyone feel safe on a bicycle through an athlete program that funds the participation of cyclists of color in races and community rides across the country, including one in Colorado Springs this month (date TBD). BEST FOR Digital Natives With more than 5,500 Facebook members, Colorado Gravel Grinders is a great place to find IRL riding partners and group outings online, as well as to swap routes, trail conditions, photos, and advice. BEST FOR Cube Dwellers The only dress code when riding with Boulder-based Thank Gravel It’s Friday—which hosts Wednesday after-work women’s outings, Friday gravel spins, and monthly full moon cruises—is to wear a T-shirt. BEST FOR Gravel Newbies The 10-to 25-mile gravel rides put on by…

LUIS BENITEZ LEARNED TO MIX A HIGHBALL WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG BOY. Not for himself, of course. From a tender age, Benitez was in close proximity to power brokers—and, in this case, he was mixing drinks for men with last names like Ashcroft and Busch and Danforth. It was the late 1970s and early ’80s, and after school was over, Benitez would head to his maternal grandfather’s suburban St. Louis store, Kelly’s Sporting Goods. Bill Kelly hadn’t always been the proprietor of a retail business. He’d first made his name as a hunting and fishing guide who helped his clients achieve their goals on rivers or in duck blinds, from Missouri’s Ozarks to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula and most everywhere in between. Some of those clients were men of considerable…

• Next to that Colorful Colorado sign (selfie!)• After you hucked that backy off a cornice• Around the campfire• After anyone starts struggling emotionally• Before anyone starts struggling emotionally• In line for tickets at the big game (go local sports!)• Between the opening act and the headliner• The front seat of a pickup on your way to work• The tailgate of a pickup after youʼre done with work• The gun range (of course)• The gun store (of course)• The gun show (OK we get it)• In the checkout line at the organic grocer• After that meeting that couldʼve been an email• While youʼre mucking the stalls• The trailhead (Colorado has more than 1,400 of 'em!)• While youʼre setting up a ground blind• During potlucks at your house of worship• When…

It wasn’t the moose blocking the path that stopped me. It was my husband—when I walked straight into his back. At least 10 minutes had passed since I’d last seen the flash of his blue shirt amid the pine and fir trees in Rocky Mountain National Park. That wasn’t unusual: Our hikes often turned into solo missions. His six-foot-two frame and singular focus on our destination (be it a lake, summit, or cascade) regularly outpaced my it’s-about-the-journey hiking style. I was so surprised to crash into him—and to see a moose 50 yards in front of me—that I didn’t even glower at him for leaving me behind. Our speed disparity had irked me for years. It was an incompatibility I couldn’t square with the rest of our relationship. What was…

Mojo Filter “I don’t follow trends. I set trends,” Sanders told GQ. So maybe we have Prime to thank for the revival of the oversize, full-frame shades he’s worn for decades, like these from Boulder-based Optic Nerve. $30 Broken Fisherman Turtleneck You won’t catch Coach Prime wearing his signature bandana on the sidelines anymore, but he’ll still rock a rib-knit turtleneck. Grab a similar version (for what we imagine is a similar price) designed by Italy’s Marni at Boulder boutique Canoe Club. $1,195 1996 Retro Nuptse Jacket Sanders was famously fined for shirking NFL-licensed garb on the sideline in favor of a puffy black ski coat. “We didn’t have nothing that big and thick that kept me warm,” he told GQ. You can still snag that ’90s look with this…

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Colorado bees are in trouble. Due to pesticide use, drought, and climate change, the Centennial State’s population of hive dwellers has declined 72 percent in the past 25 years—one of the steepest drops in the nation. That’s a problem, because these pollinators play a crucial role in our ecosystem and are responsible for one in every three bites of food we consume. In sweeter news, however, state lawmakers recently passed a bill limiting the use of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides in the state, and there are several fiercely dedicated local beekeepers, including these three, caring for their colonies and producing award-winning products in the process. BEE SQUARED APIARIES Berthoud beekeeper Beth Conrey boasts three prestigious Good Food Awards for her products, including a floral, rose-petal-infused…

1 BACHELOR LOOP HIS-TORIC TOUR, CREEDE At just 17 miles, this relatively short—but steep—gravel route winds through Mineral County’s ghost towns and bristlecone forests. Ride the loop counterclockwise and, after suffering through around four miles of climbing, you’ll be able to cruise the rest of the way. 2 PHANTOM CANYON, CAÑON CITY Expect a steady climb from Cañon City through rock tunnels and along trickling Eightmile Creek to Cripple Creek on this former railroad bed turned gravel legend. To make a 65-mile loop, take Shelf Road, which snakes down a neighboring canyon, back to town. 3 PONCHO & LEFTY’S LOOP, TRINIDAD Stephen Beneski, co-founder of the Coloradobased publisher behind Gravel Adventure Field Guide, curated this 71-mile ride—which runs along the northern base of 9,633-foot Fishers Peak—for the company’s Trinidad/Las Animas County pocket guide…

GRAVELBIKEADVENTURES.COM Although it’s focused on Colorado and the Front Range, this website features a comprehensive collection of trail descriptions and GPS files for routes across the country. THEDIRTYROADS.COM This Steamboat Springs–based website has curated a list of monumental gravel rides across the state—and better yet, it includes GPS files for more than 50 of them and a handful of in-depth route descriptions. GRAVEL ADVENTURE FIELD GUIDE Visiting Mesa, Pueblo, or Las Animas counties or the San Luis Valley? Snag one of these free Colorado-made pocket guides at various bike shops in each area or order them online for a small fee.…

PRICE KEY Average Entrée $ under $15 $$ $16 to $20 $$$ $21 to $30 $$$$ $31 and higher SYMBOL KEY Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened). Indicates inclusion in 5280’s 2022 list of Denver’s best restaurants. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change. A5 STEAKHOUSE $$$$ LoDo / Steak House The team behind Forget Me Not and Tap and Burger offers a refreshing chophouse experience in a hip, delightfully funky bar and dining room. Reservations accepted. 1600 15th St., 303-623-0534. Dinner AFRICAN GRILL & BAR $$$ Lakewood / African Head to this cheery restaurant for rich stews, fried fish, rice dishes, and friendly service. Get the chakalaka, a traditional vegetarian South African stew.…