🏃🏻‍♂️ Attempting a new FKT on the Appalachian Trail

Good morning, Stoke Crew. Whether you're living the dream or just dreaming about living the dream, we've got the outdoor updates to fuel your Thursday. Yeew!

In today's report

• Attempting a new FKT for the Appalachian Trail
• 2 billion dollar ski resort upgrade
• Big artist comes to Red Rocks last minute

Today’s Stoke Story

🏃🏻‍♂️ The Man Running Two Marathons a Day!

The Report: Ultrarunning legend John Kelly is currently in the process of what he calls his "running dissertation" - a fully supported attempt at the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail starting May 25th from Springer Mountain in Georgia! John’s timing reflects a perfect life window - he's established enough in his career to take extended time off, his kids don't have major summer commitments, and he's still young enough to push his limits on the iconic trail that stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine!

My friend Cutler brought this story to my attention and it's been absolutely wild watching the miles John is putting up each day! I've been following John on Strava and he's now on day 17 straight. Consistently covering 50-60 miles daily with over 10,000 feet of elevation gain, which requires 14-16 hours of moving time! To put this into perspective, John is running more than two marathons every single day for over two weeks straight - that's just mental! He's currently at mile 960 of the 2,200-mile journey, which means he's crushed almost half the trail already. You can follow his Strava progress here if you want to feel terrible about your casual 3-mile after-work jog.

The Details

• 2,200 mile journey through 14 states from Georgia to Maine
• Fully supported attempt beginning May 25th, 2025
• Chasing Tara Dower's current record of 40 days, 18 hours, 5 minutes
• Covering 50-60 miles a day with 10,000-12,000 feet of elevation gain

Mountain Briefing

⛷️ 2 Billion Dollar Master Plan for Winter Park

Winter Park just made history by approving one of Colorado's most ambitious resort development projects, with the Town Council giving the green light to Alterra Mountain Company's $2 billion master plan that includes a revolutionary town-to-mountain gondola and 165 acres of mixed-use development!

The June 3rd approvals conclude a year of complex negotiations between the town and Alterra, setting the stage for Winter Park's transformation into a top-tier ski destination with 2,950 new residential units, 250,000 square feet of commercial space, plus extensive hotels, offices, trails, and open space. The game-changing gondola system will be financed by Alterra through a Regional Infrastructure Cooperation Agreement (RICA) that also involves Metro districts and may seek additional state funding, while also including a new ski-back trail to further enhance connectivity between town and resort. Recognizing community concerns, the council secured three designated parcels specifically for affordable workforce housing to ensure resort employees have access to local housing options!

Local Stokelight

Outside Festival Explodes in Year Two

The Outside Festival killed it in its 2nd year, nearly doubling attendance to 35,000 outdoor enthusiasts who descended on Denver's Civic Center Park from May 31 to June 1, up from 18,000 in the 2024 inaugural event! The massive four-day celebration of outdoor culture, backed by Capital One and REI, delivered an epic combination of 12 musical acts, film screenings, gear exhibitions, and serious industry networking that cemented Denver's position as a major outdoor lifestyle destination.

Events

🎸 Zach Bryan Drops Surprise Red Rocks Show

Country music star Zach Bryan just delivered a fun surprise by announcing an unplanned Red Rocks Amphitheatre show for August 10th with tickets capped at an incredibly fan-friendly $50 plus fees! The completely unexpected announcement hit Instagram on June 9th, with Bryan explaining that when a performance slot suddenly became available, he decided to use the opportunity for an affordable show rather than capitalizing on Red Rocks' premium pricing potential. The registration-based ticket system runs through June 13th at 5 PM on Bryan's website, creating a lottery-style approach to manage what's certain to be overwhelming demand for one of the most accessible major shows at the iconic venue!

Name That Nature

🔍 How to Identify Alpine Sunflower

🌸 Flowers

• 15–44 ray petals (outer), hundreds of tiny disc florets (center)
• Bright golden-yellow petals
• Flowers face east and do not follow the sun throughout the day

📏 Plant Size

• Short (3–12 inches tall), and covered in dense, woolly hairs
• Each plant often grows 1–10 single flower stalks directly from the base

🏞️ Grows in

• High alpine tundra and rocky slopes, often above 10,000 ft

Trailhead Trivia

When did Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre officially opened to the public?

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June 15, 1941