OUT THERE GIFT GUIDE 2013
Sure, this holiday season you could ask for practical gifts, things you need for work or the house.
But come on, who wants practical? Colorado is an outdoors lover’s paradise, and if you want to play in winter, you need gear. So here are some gift ideas, from the absurdly expensive and extravagant to stocking stuffers, for the snow lover on your list.
Dream on gift
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Helicopter skiing in Silverton
There’s skiing in Colorado, and then there’s Silverton Mountain.
In the San Juan Mountains, where snowfall is measured with a yardstick when other ski areas are measuring with rulers, you’ll find the purest powder experience in Colorado.
The rustic ski area has one chair lift that takes skiers into a wild, ungroomed playground of snow, so gnarly every skier must wear an avalanche beacon. But to really experience what Silverton is all about, go on a day of helicopter skiing. The ski area operates on a stunning 22,000 acres of mountain terrain, and the chopper will take you high among the peaks and drop you off for the best ski run of your live.
Why settle for one run, which will cost you $159 plus the price of a lift ticket? Since we’re shooting for the stars, book an all-day private helicopter trip for you and seven of your friends. They’ll even fly to your town to pick you up for several thousand dollars more. New this year, they’ll even fly you to a camp high in the mountains so you’re right there to get an early start the next day.
Cost: $8,000 for the day of skiing, another $10,000 or more for the helicopter to come pick you up in your town,
Buy: silvertonmountain.com
Hope hope? gifts
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– A snowmobile
Colorado’s winter backcountry is a rugged, desolate and unforgiving place, with bone-chilling temperatures and snow so deep some pioneers and early explorers were forced to resort to cannibalism.
They didn’t have snowmobiles.
Forget about the old clunky and unreliable machines of yesterday. Modern snowmobiles, also known as sleds, are light and fast, and many models are designed specifically for the untracked powder of the West.
The gold standard is the Polaris 800 Pro-RMK, which Snowgoer magazine says is “still alone on top of the mountains as the best deep-snow sled.” The machine is light enough to float on the powder with suspension to flatten the bumps., and the magazine calls it “a recipe for crazy fun out West.”
For the “cost-conscious mountain shredder,” the magazine recommends the Ski-Doo Summit Sport snowmobile series, cheaper but with enough power to get you where you need to be: high in the Rockies.
Cost: $11,399-$12,599 for the Polaris, $8,000-$9,000 for the Ski-Doo
Buy: polaris.com or Pikes Peak Polaris, 300 West U.S. Highway 24 in Woodland Park; ski-doo.com
– Ski Logik skis
Want to turn some heads while you make turns at your favorite ski area? Breckenridge’s Ski Logik makes some of the prettiest skis out there, with an all-wood design that eats up any kind of snow. Every pair of skis has a unique design. Try Ullr’s Chariot, their best all-mountain ski.
Cost: $750 (bindings not included)
Buy: skilogik.com
List it gifts
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– America The Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass
The West is home to the nation’s finest national parks, and this pass will encourage the hiker on your list to get out there and explore many of them. It’s good for unlimited access for one year to national parks and other federal lands that charge recreation fees.
Cost: $80
Buy: nps.gov/passes or at any national park or monument
– Kahtoola MICROspikes Traction System
Everyone knows that person who hikes the Manitou Incline no matter what kind of icy death trap it is. Help them stay alive with these spikes that easily strap onto hiking boots for traction.
Cost: $59-$64.95
Buy: kahtoola.com, Mountain Chalet, 226 N. Tejon St.; REI, 1376 E. Woodmen Road
– Little Hotties adhesive toe warmers
These adhesive packets keep toes warm, whether skiing or or sleeping. They’re air-activated and last for five hours.
Cost: $1.50 for a pair or $18 to $21 for a box of 10
Buy: Mountain Chalet and most other outdoors gear shops
No, we’re not suggesting elk as a gift. But if you get someone the national parks pass they can experience views like this, of Rocky Mountain National Park, for free.
In the mountains around Silverton, a helicopter will take you up to powder skier heaven. Photo courtesy of Silverton Mountain
In the mountains around Silverton, a helicopter can take you up to powder skier heaven. Photo courtesy of Silverton Mountain.
Skilogik sales representative Jeb Marsh takes some turns on his company’s skis below 6 Chair at Breckenridge Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010.(The Gazette, Christian Murdock)