☀️ Leadville 100

Good morning, Stoke Crew. Long days and endless trails! It's like the mountains are trying to spoil us, and we're not complaining.

In today's report

• UCI MTB World Series Coming to Utah
• Leadville 100
• Peak Fall Colors Forecast

Mountain Briefing

What's Been Happening?

Colorado's tourism industry delivered another strong performance in 2024 with 95.4 million visitors generating $28.5 billion in spending, representing a 2.3% increase in visitors and a $100 million boost in traveler spending compared to the previous year! The growth was primarily driven by day visitors flocking to everything from ski resorts and national parks to downtown business conferences, while overnight visitors gravitated toward outdoor activities, entertainment, cultural events, and sporting activities. The industry also added more than 4,000 jobs to Colorado's economy, supporting a total of over 188,000 jobs statewide and reinforcing tourism as a vital economic engine for communities across the state. However, the Colorado Tourism Office warned that 2025 is presenting new challenges, with preliminary data through June showing hotel occupancy down 2%, hotel revenues dropping 2.7%, and short-term rental occupancy plummeting 10% in the first quarter.

The UCI Mountain Bike World Series just announced a game-changing expansion that brings World Cup racing to completely new territories with stops in PyeongChang, South Korea, and Soldier Hollow, Utah, representing historic firsts for both continents! Soldier Hollow marks a significant milestone as the first World Cup mountain bike event in the Western United States since Angel Fire, New Mexico way back in 2005, featuring cross-country and short-track racing. The additions help transform what has been a predominantly European series into a global competition that could span four continents if South American stops continue in 2026.

After nearly a year of renewed planning efforts, the Vail Town Council is set to review major changes to the 13-acre West Lionshead site, following a partnership agreement between the town, Vail Resorts, and East West Partners. The revised plan envisions a modern base village featuring a new gondola, ski-back trail, 100-120 room hotel, 12,000-square-foot event space with a "ski beach" plaza, pedestrian bridges over Gore Creek, and deed-restricted employee housing units. The redevelopment would relocate existing mountain operations like snowmaking storage and maintenance to other locations while improving circulation and transit options to reduce pressure on the main Lionshead Parking Structure. The Town Council is expected to take public input on the proposal at Tuesday's meeting after the planning and environmental commission recommended approval in July.

Events

☀️ Leadville 100

Colorado's Leadville hosts two of America's most iconic endurance challenges just a week apart in August, with the 100 mile MTB (August 9) and 100 mile Run (August 16) both delivering 100+ miles of high-altitude punishment that separate the determined from everyone else!

MTB 100 Details

• 105.3 miles
• 12,304 feet of gain
• 2024 winner was Keegan Swenson who finished the course in 5 hours and 49 minutes averaging a 18.04 MPH pace!

Run 100 Details

• 99.7 miles
• 15,492 feet of gain
• 2024 winner was David Roche who finished the course in 15 hours and 26 minutes averaging a 9:16 pace!

Quick Look: Seth's Weather Report

🍂 Peak Fall Colors Forecast

Leave it to Seth to get us thinking about golden aspen groves while we're still dealing with August heat, but his preliminary fall colors forecast is already generating excitement for Colorado's most spectacular season! Seth's calling for peak colors between September 25th and October 15th across most of the state, with some regional variations based on this year's precipitation patterns - drier areas may change colors slightly earlier while spots that received more moisture could peak on the later side of average. He's been tracking an interesting trend where Colorado's peak colors have gradually shifted about a week later over recent years, now typically hitting the end of September and early October rather than the traditional mid-September timing. Seth emphasizes that elevation beats latitude every time in Colorado, so high mountain passes will turn before lower elevations whether they're north or south.

I'm sure many of you are familiar with Seth's weather report. Seth has grown a Facebook page of 68,000 followers. He covers all things related to weather in Colorado. Check out more of the fall report in detail here.

Name That Nature

🔍 How to Identify Red Clover

Welcome to Name That Nature section! I share a photo of a wildflower spotted in Colorado and we learn its name and how to identify it. I took this photo during a bike ride in Cressted Butte.

Today's Flower: Red Clover

🌸 Flowers

• Color: Pink to purplish (sometimes deep rose)
• Shape: Rounded cluster, made up of many tiny tubular flowers

📏 Plant Size

• Flower Size: 1 inch wide
• Plant Height: Typically 6-24 inches tall

🏞️ Grows in

• meadows, roadsides, and open fields

Trailhead Trivia

When was the first Leadville 100 race?

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Answer!

1983!! Ken Chlouber, a local miner and businessman who was determined to put Leadville back on the map had an idea. He thought that tourism would be the key to Leadville’s revival, and he knew that visitors needed to stay overnight to have an economic impact. In 1983, Chlouber partnered with Merilee Maupin, and founded the Leadville Trail 100 Run, a grueling 100-mile ultramarathon that would take runners through the rugged mountain terrain surrounding the town. If they were going to run 100 miles, they sure would stay overnight! The race was an immediate success, attracting ultrarunners from around the world and bringing much-needed attention to Leadville.