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REI Dividends? Yes, please. We need legit gear.

/ DenverSpeax
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Our Full Price Buy – Marmot Scandium bags. Click on the pic and check out these sleeping bags we picked up from REI tonight.

There’s something to say about a company that gives money back to you because you believe in their vision, products, and services. REI has been really helpful in getting us involved more with the outdoors here in CO. Don’t get it wrong – it’s not that we don’t support local stores. That’s not it at all. We are happy to shop local, and support local businesses and often do, but really appreciate the knowledgable, friendly staff at REI.

With a $35.55 dividend, a 20% off 1 Outlet item, and a 20% of 1 Full-Priced Store/Online item, we walked away today with one new tent and two sleeping bags. You guys may remember last year that we camped before tackling Mt. Democrat for the Colorado 54. I’m not sure if we mentioned that we got about 2 hours of sleep before freezing our asses off and needing to head back to the car for another hour or so of sleep before hiking.

This goes to show how important it is to have properly rated equipment – have to have the right temperature rating for bags and tents, and a pad to keep you off of the cold ground. Camping in Michigan always meant a gathering of some sort of bedding, using someone’s tent, and bringing a few pillows… well, at least in the summer and first part of fall. Colorado is so different because of the different elevations and climates the different vertical feet present; camping at sea level is a lot different than camping at 12,000 vertical feet. Try starting a camp fire at Kite Lake in August before hiking Democrat! Good luck, rookies. 🙂

How do you get REI dividends? Pay a one-time, $20 membership fee & collect percentages of your purchases back over the year. They’ll mail you your dividend coupon with other coupons to use on sweet stuff. Again, the fee isn’t yearly – you just pay it once. Pretty sweet deal! Membership has given us discounts on classes (avalanche safety, snowshoeing, etc…)

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Having a great start on the right gear, we’re totally pumped for some epic camping in 2015. Again, huge thanks REI for giving back to their customers. They’re a company we can rely on and has always treated us right with their extensive knowledge and awesome gear.

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Our Outlet Buy – a sweet, 3 person REI tent. Click on the pic to check out the specs on the tent.

If you’re in Denver this weekend, check out the Garage Sale happening on Saturday! For more details on the lottery system they use for entrance and what the garage sale is, check out REI.

For more DenverSpeax adventures, check us out on Twitter or Facebook.

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Snowshoe Adventures on Squaw Pass

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Hiking Squaw Mountain. Click on the picture to check us out on Facebook. Make sure to hit that Like Button! Photo Credit: Denverspeax, 2015.

Once again, we rented a few pairs of snowshoes from REI (roughly $25 bucks per pair for the weekend) and made the run from Denver to Squaw Pass.

These are the same directions for heading to Echo Lake, however we stopped about 12 miles early at a parking area off of the Pass in front of a large, open grassy area.

We parked, got our gear on, (visit our first Snowshoeing Adventure post to learn what gear will keep you warm and happy!) and headed across the Pass from where we were parked, and picked up a trail in between the cabins that lie a little off of the pass (you can see them from the road).  Continue reading →

Congratulations – the Skiboard Season has Begun

/ DenverSpeax

We’ve only been out twice this season, but both times have been awesome!

Our first time out, we headed to Breckenridge to teach our friend, Jeff, how to snowboard. An avid skier, Jeff was ready to change it up. Luckily for us, he was going doing the hill by the end of the day! If you’re thinking of teaching a friend, bring ’em to Breck – their beginner’s area is top notch, easy to get to, and not super crowded.

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Jeff learning how to snowboard. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Dec 2014.

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Kat smiling for the camera while we head back down to the parking lot in the gondola. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Dec 2014.

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Learning how to snowboard can be rough, but Jeff learned how to fall with grace. Left: Steve, Right: Jeff. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Dec 2014.

Yesterday, we headed to Keystone, which was pretty good. Great weather, that’s for sure! Unfortunately, the snow felt pretty packed like we’re used to back in Michigan, which called for some sketchy areas. We’re excited to head back after this upcoming Tuesday when it looks like there will be more snow.

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Riding up the Peru Express. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Dec 2014.

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Enjoying our second day out of the season at Keystone. Top Left: Kirsten. Top Right: Steve. Below, looking part of the way down the 3.5 mile long run of Schoolmarm. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Dec 2014.

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Keystone wasn’t too terribly busy, which was great! Stopping for lunch wasn’t rushed or crowded. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Dec 2014.

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Beautiful Keystone. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Dec 2014.

Steve hit Beaver Creek last Thursday and it was all powder with no one there. Just a reminder – try to use your Epic Pass during the week when the traffic is at a minimum both on the roads and the slopes!

Happy 2014 – 2015 Skiboard season to all of our friends, near and far. Can’t wait to see all of your shredding pictures.

Denver She Devils Head to Minneapolis

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Today, the Denver She Devils (including myself, Kirsten) start making our way to Minneapolis for the annual Babes in Bikeland race. It’ll be great to see old friends, make new, and have a blast during this race! Follow the Denver She Devils on Facebook to keep up to date on what’s happening in Minneapolis!

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Ladies, if you’re looking for a great way to get back into riding or just looking for a new group of gals to ride with, please come join the She Devils for a weekly ride, or contact the She Devils through Facebook. Continue reading →

Quick Colfax Pub Crawl: Three Lions, Sancho’s Broken Arrow, and Cheeky Monk

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With the nice weather coming, we feel it’s important to create fun and safe Bicycle Pub Crawls. Yesterday, Jeff and I (Kirsten) set out to visit a few pubs on Colfax, and ended up riding 7 miles round trip while visiting. Check out the highlights of our three stops!

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Jeff representing Detroit underneath the Detroit street sign; first stop was Three Lions on Colfax. Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Mar 2014

Stop #1: The Three Lions: A World Football Pub

We’ve been hooked on this Football (or, soccer) pub since last summer when we experienced a bus trip from the place to see The Colorado Rapids.

Three Lions is all things Football, have a variety of great beers, and some killer appetizers. Bonus, their patio out front sports a few fantastic picnic tables so you can enjoy the sun and your brew simultaneously!

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Stop #2: Sancho’s Broken Arrow on Colfax. Pictured: Jeff & Kirsten (above). Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Mar 2014

Stop #2: Sancho’s Broken Arrow – A Thinking Place

Sancho’s is another place we really enjoy – who can’t with all of the Grateful Dead parafanalia, pool tables, and ridiculous specials. 2 for $3 Coors Light drafts yesterday? Don’t mind if we do! We also made a friend from Wisconsin who had stopped in before going to finish up some errands. There are always friendly people at Sancho’s with interesting stories to tell. Stop in and say hi.

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Jeff introduced me to Kwak at The Cheeky Monk! Pictured: Jeff, Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Mar 2014

Stop #3: The Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe

Yesterday was my first time at the Cheeky Monk. Jeff introduced me to a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Pauwel Kwak. A heavily fruity beer, there was a brief banana after-taste – something new! Try it out – it gets great ratings, and is served all fancy-like. In addition to the Kwak, we also had some tasty frites (fries) served with a garlic aioli as well as delicious pretzel bites served with a spicy mustard. Specific appetizers were half off while we visited – check out the Cheeky Monk online to see when they host happy hour and other specials.

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Delicious garlic frites with a garlic aioli on the side. Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Mar 2014

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Pretzel bites – delicious! Credit: Kirsten Ebey, Mar 2014

There you have it – a mini pub crawl on Colfax Ave with 3 great locations. We look forward to planning more of these epic excursions to explore more brews and good eats around the city.

Where should we go next? Let us know in the comments below, or on our Facebook page!

Travel: National Forest map app now available for Android, iOS devices

/ DenverSpeax

FINALLY! Can’t wait to check this out for iPhone today.

Summit County Citizens Voice

New app puts national forest info at your fingertips

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Along with the many mapping apps already available for smartphones and tablets, the U.S. Forest Service is also putting its popular national forest maps online for Android and iOS devices.

“This mobile app makes it easier than ever to plan your visit to a national forest or grassland,” U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said in a press release. “By putting important forest information right at your fingertips, it will encourage more Americans to get outside and explore their forests.”

The PDF Maps Mobile App, developed by Avenza Systems Inc., is available as a free download from iTunes and the Android Play Store. The app provides access to Forest Service maps, such as motor-vehicle-use maps, which are free while pages from national forest atlases are 99 cents and forest visitor maps are $4.99. Prices are…

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