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Innovation, Location, and Elections in Boulder County

The Boulder County Business Report hosted their 7th Annual IQ Awards this evening at the Stadium Club at Folsom Field. "I" stands for Innovation, and the event was intended to be a public acknowledgment of innovative businesses in Boulder County. I usually find myself hovering around the fringes of events like these. The stories are always better and the air always fresher (ironically) at the bar or with the embarrassed smokers huddled by the back door. Fortunately, the event was structured such and held in a place that eased some of the discomfort that I often feel in business gatherings like this. The BCBR did a laudable job of pacing the evening. We laughed at the emcee's jokes, applauded the BCBR's role in the event and in the community, congratulated the winners, had a beer or two, and still managed desert by 7:45! Secondly, the view from the Club Room was enthralling. The red Italian buildings of the CU campus popped out from the lush trees on campus and across Broadway and made me think for a moment that I was in Tuscany. And then there was the sunset! [more]

I'm a big fan of DVDs. I thoroughly enjoy most of the special features that give special insight into the brains of the writers, directors, and actors. One of the best I've seen is on the disc of Wim Wenders' Don't Come Knocking. New West writer Seonaid Campbell reviewed the movie back in March, but given the film's limited distribution, most of had to patiently wait out our Netflix queue to draw our own opinions. Mine? I loved the it! True to form, Wim and his team created a smart, visually stunning, and emotional movie. [more]

Monday Morning Boulder Business Update

Westminster resident Paul Wasicka walked out of Vegas' World Series of Poker final $6.1M richer. He thanked God and his sponsors and attributed his success to 2 1/2 years of playing 3000-7000 hands per day.
Another big Colorado player, Mercury Interactive, walked away from the table with a $4.5B pot after calling HP's play for Mercury's testing and system management products, the latter of which includes former Boulder company Freshwater Software and their Sitescope product line. Industry opinion about the deal has generally been positive, [more]

Weekend Event Showcases Green Living in North Boulder

NoBo (North Boulder) has become a showcase for the latest New Urban trends. With the exception of the neighborhood name (do we need another X-Bo? Is a mountain home now in MoBo? Is West Boulder Webo? Do Webo's wobble? Do they fall down?,) I'm a big fan of Boulder's New Urban developments. Contrast the color of Holiday or NoBo with the cardboard cutouts that line 36 between Denver and Boulder, take into account the public spaces, the efficient use of land, the green building principles,the permanently affordable options, and the mix of commercial and residential offerings, and I think you'll be as refreshed by NoBo goings-on as I am.

Tomorrow, a NoBo developer, Porchfront Homes, will join a number of green businesses in NoBo and showcase green design, benefits of green living, and food/entertainment offerings in their neighborhood. There will apparently be several hybrid cars on display and green-living experts will test their wits for a chance at a free cruiser bicycle. Details here. [more]

The birds are out in force in Boulder. They're singing loud enough that I don't need to set my alarm. The windows have been open all night and it's warm enough at 6AM to enjoy the sunrise without shivering. This morning's light offered a rainbow between me and the Flatirons. And I'm shedding the first layer of the season's first sunburn.
Spring comes early this year in Boulder, or rather, there still seems like there's plenty winter to enjoy, especially after this winter.
Several resorts closed last week, and with a few exceptions, most will stop the lifts and wish the Ski Patrol well after this weekend. [more]

On Liftlines and Legacies with Mark Phillips

Every time I've driven to Vail, I've passed the sign to Leadville and Ski Cooper. I'd heard about Leadville's long and storied history and its Victorian charm, and I had heard good things about Ski Cooper (Oscar's ski team raced there, but for some reason, we'd never been). I imagined a quaint mountain town and a solid family hill (or Hausberg) just over the rise from Copper. Mapquest tells me it's only 23 miles, but after dark on Friday night it felt much longer. The moon was nearly full, the sky clear, and with several inches of fresh snow, seemingly treeless hills, and snowplowed banks that dwarfed my car, the landscape had an eerie Shining-esque quality. Oscar's friend Kyle joined us that weekend, so backseat hilarity offset any serious horror-movie fears of the driver.

What two joyous fifth graders couldn't offset was the actual chill in that kept my Jetta's heater maxed for the duration of the drive.

Click here to see the video from the trip to Ski Cooper. [more]

On Lift Lines and Legacies with Mark Phillips

Last week I mistakenly posted an old version of Sol Vista's trail map. Here's the correct one. Go get 'em!

This week looks to bring more spring conditions, so don't forget your sunscreen and get a spring wax for your boards! [more]

On Liftlines and Legacies with Mark Phillips

It's been several weeks since we visited Sol Vista, but Oscar and I are still talking about the trip.

Sol Vista had several family activities happening Saturday night, so we took it easy and avoided the early Saturday morning rush. The sun was out, the sky was clear, and a nice storm had passed through on Friday night. We crossed Berthoud Pass at about 11AM and found the pull-offs crowded with excited "back-country"* skiers thrilled by the conditions.

Mary Jane's parking lots were so full that attendants waved latecomers to distant overflow lots, and a large line of cars waited to turn into Winter Park's main lot. Oscar and I tried not to gloat as we sped past the crowds for the final 15 miles to Sol Vista. [more]

On Lift Lines and Legacies with Mark Phillips

Colorado Ski Country (full disclosure: sponsor of New West's Snow Blog) hosted the Blogger Business Summit's Bloggy Mountain High. The group of well-known (there's now an A-list!) bloggers gathered in Summit County last week to discuss the value of blogging as compared to traditional marketing and PR business initiatives. I had intended to spend a rare mid-week day on the slopes with the group, but after two runs down hard, icy slopes, I packed it in and worked from the Keystone Village Starbucks (which has free wi-fi, btw!).

As I worked, I thought about how to write about a bad snow day in a column that celebrates snow days. Of course, it wasn't a bad snow day for everyone. Steve Broback said it was the best day of skiing he'd had in ten years. And Robert Scoble wished he had skied instead of snowmobiling.

And then I remembered something. [more]

On Lift Lines and Legacies with Mark Phillips

I'm a bit behind on my column. I had a chance to play in Park City during the Sundance Festival and the Outdoor Retailer show at the end of January and haven't caught up since. Rest assured, dear reader, Oscar and I have been busily uncovering unsung runs and deals and I'll be caught up a few days hence.

Coming Up:

Sol Vista: Spring snow, night snow, and a question of rule-breaking
Ski Cooper: Two boys, two degrees, and one run; warming up to the terrain park
Cross Country: Eldora's Nordic Center's beginner program
Park City, UT Canyons: Several firsts explored
Keystone: To leave or not to leave; a question of bad snow [more]

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