💰 273 million dollar bike trail!

Good morning, Stoke Crew. Spring's finally showing up in the high country, and with it comes fresh trail reports, event updates, and the stories keeping the outdoor community buzzing.

In today's report:

• A 273 million dollar bike trail
• A bad winter for Colorado
• Redefining what's possible in motherhood

Today’s Stoke Story

Mom Wins Ultra While Breastfeeding and It's Absolutely Epic!

The Report: At 43 and six months postpartum, Stephanie Case wasn't racing the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 100K to win, she was just trying to rediscover her love of running after a heartbreaking three-year journey through infertility, miscarriages, and IVF treatments. But sometimes the mountains have other plans, and holy smokes did they deliver! Stephanie, a human rights lawyer and accomplished ultrarunner from Canada, started in the third wave 30 minutes behind the leaders and methodically worked her way through the field while stopping at aid stations to breastfeed her six-month-old daughter Pepper at the 20K, 50K, and 80K marks. Talk about multi-tasking! The photos of Stephanie nursing Pepper while casually eating watermelon between feeds went absolutely viral, and for good reason. She ended up winning the women's race in 16 hours and 53 minutes all while having zero clue she was even leading! Her crew was obsessively tracking her progress and knew she was absolutely crushing it, but Stephanie specifically asked them not to tell her because she didn't want to get competitive and rush through the precious moments with Pepper. That's some next-level priorities right there!

Why It Matters: Stephanie’s story isn't about setting impossible standards for new moms , it's about expanding what's possible and creating more space for big adventures in motherhood. As she puts it perfectly "I'm not extraordinary. I had a baby, I ran a race. It should be a totally normal thing." Her victory is a powerful reminder that there's room for both nurturing and crushing goals, and that sometimes the most meaningful wins come when we're just trying to rediscover who we are rather than chasing podiums!

The Details:

• 64 miles!
• 21,325 feet of elevation gain!
• About 16 minute per mile pace!

Local Stokelight

🚲 New Bike Path + X Games Returns

Colorado's long-dreamed Peaks to Plains Trail just hit what officials are calling "a colossal construction milestone" and honestly, it's about time! Jefferson County Open Space just finished installing new bridges and a massive 70-foot box culvert through Clear Creek Canyon, all part of the ambitious three-mile Huntsman segment that's been in the works since 2022. This isn't just any trail either, we're talking about a 65-mile beast that'll connect Denver metro all the way to the Continental Divide on Loveland Pass!

The coolest part? These aren't your typical hiking bridges. We're talking elevated viaduct-style structures that'll have you above everything, giving riders and hikers a totally unique perspective of the rugged canyon terrain. Think Glenwood Canyon vibes but for your bike or boots! Stoke levels are high to have a bike path from Denver to Loveland Pass, which can then connect you to Vail Pass and beyond! This project is expensive. Like, really expensive. The three-mile Huntsman segment alone is running about $80 million, with the entire 65-mile trail system estimated at $273 million total.

The Winter X Games just made it official, they're returning to Aspen for the 25th consecutive year, January 23-25, 2026! This milestone marks a quarter-century of absolutely unreal competition since X Games first landed in Aspen back in 2002, with athletes consistently pushing the boundaries of what's possible on snow. At the 2025 event, Hiroto Ogiwara and Miro Tabanelli absolutely blew minds by landing the first-ever 2340s (that's 6.5 rotations!) in competition history for their respective disciplines, setting the bar insanely high for 2026. The partnership between X Games and Aspen has created something special, a global winter tradition that combines world-class competition with live music, jaw-dropping tricks, and the unique energy that only Aspen can deliver!

Why It Matters: X Games isn't just about sick tricks and gnarly competition, it's a massive economic engine for Colorado's mountain communities. The event draws tens of thousands of visitors from around the world, pumping millions into the local economy through hotel bookings, restaurant visits, gear purchases, and lift tickets. Beyond the immediate cash injection, X Games puts Colorado on the global stage as the ultimate winter sports destination, attracting year-round tourism and inspiring the next generation of snow sports athletes. For Aspen specifically, hosting X Games for 25 straight years has cemented its reputation as the epicenter of action sports culture, creating lasting economic benefits that extend far beyond the three-day event and helping maintain Colorado's dominance in the winter sports industry.

Mountain Briefing

❄️ Colorado's Brutal Winter Reality Check

Colorado just wrapped one of the most disappointing winters in recent memory with snowpack levels ranking as the fourth lowest in nearly 40 years. What started as a promising winter with 95% of average snowpack in mid-January quickly turned south, with multiple dry spells hammering the mountains through spring. Colorado finished with just 7.8 inches of snow water equivalent, which shows how much liquid water would be released if all the snow in the state melted. This barely beat the terrible 2018 levels by only 0.1 inches.

The ski industry took a hard hit. Only six resorts managed to crack 300 inches of snow for the season, when that number usually sits around 10 or more. The six resorts were Winter Park, Copper, Vail, Breckenridge, Loveland, and Steamboat. The real gut punch? Wolf Creek, Colorado's legendary powder magnet that typically sees 430+ inches, limped to just 228 inches. Even worse, Hesperus Ski Area never opened at all due to mechanical issues and lack of snow. Talk about a reality check for anyone banking on consistent winter stoke!

Why It Matters: This isn't just about shorter ski seasons or fewer powder days (though that stings). Low snowpack means serious water supply concerns, impacting everything from municipal water supplies to agricultural irrigation to recreational opportunities across the western slope. This winter was a reality check that climate trends are real and impacting the places we love most. While we can still get epic snow years (hello, 2019 and 2023!), the bad years are starting to outnumber the good ones. Time to appreciate every powder day and support efforts to protect our winter playgrounds!

Events

☀️ Outside Festival This Weekend!

Denver's Outside Festival is coming back bigger and better for 2025, with organizers expecting 25,000 outdoor enthusiasts to take over Civic Center Park this weekend and it's shaping up to be absolutely epic! The festival's loaded with sick new experiences, including Outside Ignite (a startup pitch competition with $100,000 in prizes!), Camp Colorado showcasing the best outdoor businesses from across the state, and legendary appearances from "Free Solo" icon Alex Honnold on Saturday and cycling queen Rebecca Rusch on Sunday. The music lineup is dialed too, with Lord Huron and Trampled By Turtles bringing the vibes on Sunday!

Whether you're there for the gear demos, the inspiring talks, or just soaking up that outdoor community energy, this festival is the perfect celebration of everything we love about Colorado's adventure lifestyle! Get tickets here!

Trailhead Trivia

Wolf Creek Ski Area holds Colorado's record for most snowfall in a single season, how much snow fell during the 1978-1979 season?

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Answer!

807 inches!!! That's 67 feet of snowfall. Talk about some deep powder days!