To get an event listed in the weekly calendar, send your information to OEcalendar@denverpost.com or fax 303-866-9004 (attention Outdoor Extremes). Please be sure to include a contact number for verification.
CLIMBING
Today
DIVAS Move class; women-specific climbing technique class; 6:30.9 p.m.; $55; indoors; at the Spot Bouldering Gym, in Boulder. 303-449-DIVA or outdoordivas.com
Saturday-Sunday
Intro to Ice Climbing class; designed for people with no previous ice climbing experience and also for those who wish to review and improve techniques; $386; Rocky Mountain National Park. cmsschool.com/home.asp
Dec. 17
Vertical Ice course; learn how to steal rests from marginal stems, draft by hooking in old placements, clean pro quickly and cleanly and improve your movement skills by borrowing from rock climbing; multipitch climbing is an option on this course; primary focus is climbing movement (prerequisite: CMS Intro to Ice Climbing course or equivalent); $170; Rocky Mountain National Park. cmsschool.com/home.asp
Dec. 18
Mixed mastery seminar; mixed climbing requires the application of rock-climbing skills and techniques to climbs that are both rock and ice and to climbing rock using crampons and tools; (pre-requisite: Intro to ice climbing course or equivalent); $170; Rocky Mountain National Park. cmsschool.com
CYCLING
Mountain and road
Ongoing
Road rides each weekend in south metro area hosted by the Highlands Ranch Cycling Club; intermediate to advanced; two to five hours; helmet required; free. highlandsranchcycling.com
Gunnison Valley Mountain Biking instruction and tours; private, groups, ladies only, half day, full day or custom; fees vary; Gunnison/Crested Butte. 970-275-0485
RUNNING
Ongoing
Niketown Running Club, meets in front of downtown Denver store Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., year-round rain or shine. Includes stretches and runs or walks from 3 to 7 miles. Your choice, your pace. 303-623-6453 or nikerunning.com
Saturday
Rock Canyon Half Marathon 2005; 2-mile course through City Park then down the Arkansas River Trail, 5.5 miles to the Pueblo Dam and back; 9 a.m.; $20 to $30; Pueblo City Park, 800 Goodnight Ave., Pueblo. socorunners.org
Dec. 17
Strider 5-mile time trail; 11 a.m.; at River Trail at Albertson’s, Redlands area of Grand Junction; paved pedestrian trail. 970-243-3721
Dec. 31
21st annual Wells Fargo Resolution 5K Run & Walk; $18 to $25; Washington Park. emgcolorado.com or 303-635-2815
Jan. 14
Appleton Freezer; 11 a.m.; 4 miles on paved roads, mostly flat; $3 if not a Mesa Monument Striders member; Appleton School, 2358 H Road, Grand Junction. 970-243-3721 or mmstriders.org
Feb. 11
Valentine’s Massacre 3-mile Beverage Prediction run; 10 a.m.; entry fee is two cans or bottles of something to drink – redistributed to prediction winners; at bottom of Little Park area of Grand Junction. 970-256-9000
Feb. 18
Do Your Heart Some Good/Sweetheart 5K run/walk; 10:30 a.m.; $12 to $17; Fruita Civic Center, 325 E. Aspen. fruita.org or 970-858-0360
SNOW SPORTS
ski, boarding, snowshoeing, dog sledding
Ongoing
Steamboat Ski Touring Center Masters Program, Wednesdays through Feb. 22; at Steamboat Ski Touring Center, Steamboat Ski Resort; sessions focus on training, technique, ski prep, nutrition, fluid intake, goal setting and tips; Silver Master Program, $60; Gold Master Program for $200; 5:30-7 p.m. steamboat.com, nordicski.net or 970-879-8180
Today-Friday
United States Ski Association Chevy Truck NorAm Super Series; women’s first slalom event on the NorAm circuit; top national and regional juniors race against the elite women; Winter Park. skiwinterpark.com or 970-726-1590
Thursday-Sunday
Visa Birds of Prey World Cup Week at Beaver Creek; FIS men’s tour; an Olympic preview, the Birds of Prey course will host four events – the only venue to do so between now and the Olympics, athlete autograph sessions; Beaver Creek. beavercreek.snow.com
Saturday-Sunday
USSA Smartwool Series; at Loveland Ski Area; 9 a.m.; top female racers start season-long series with GS on Saturday and slalom Sunday; by Loveland Racing Club. skiloveland.com or 303-571-5580, ext. 169
Dec. 9
Friday Night Rail Jams; at Steamboat’s Gondola Square, 6 p.m.; a three-event series and fusion of music, action sports, top-ranked athletes, sponsor demos and prize giveaways; competition portion of the jib jams are invitation-only athletes (skiers and snowboarders). steamboat.com
Dec. 9-11
FIS women’s alpine World Cup races; at Aspen Mountain; Olympic favorites and hopefuls; fastest women in the world compete for three days in giant slalom, super-G and slalom before the Winter Olympics in Italy in February; televised by NBC and OLN; includes an outdoor concert downtown with fireworks. aspensnowmass.com
Dec. 10
Beaver Creek Snowshoe Series; 11 a.m.; at Beaver Creek Mountain; from beginners to pros; all ages and abilities; features the East West 5K Quest, a 10K competitive run, Kids K and the Dash for Cash. beavercreek.snow.com
Love Park Rail Jam; 9 a.m.; at Loveland Ski Area; skiers and riders of all ages and abilities invited for a Rail Jam-style competition. skiloveland.com
Seventh annual WinterFall Luna Chase Snowshoe Race; at River Run Village, Keystone Resort; 6:30 p.m.; travel the Peak to Peak Trail, more than 2 miles above sea level; for snowshoe masters and those who just race for fun; apres Hawaiian Luau and ceremony following. keystone.snow.com
Gold Run Classic; a 5K, 10K and Citizen’s Classic Technique Race; 10 a.m.; at Breckenridge Resort, 200 Clubhouse Drive. breckenridge.snow.com or 970-547-7889
Wolf Creek Ski Area hosts a number of fun races throughout the ski season, beginning Dec. 10; open to skiers of all ages and abilities; free for both men and women, boys and girls, (with purchase of a lift ticket); 12 age brackets, age 3 to 65 and over; registration at 9:30 a.m.; in the Prospector; races at 11 a.m.; course in a dual format. wolfcreekski.com
Dec. 10-11
Rocky Mountain Masters; at Loveland Ski Area; 9 a.m.; Rocky Mountain Masters offer age-class racing on FIS homologated courses for men and women 21 years of age and older for the opening weekend giant slalom. skiloveland.com or 303-285-9222
Dec. 11
Copper Mountain Snowboard Series GS/Slalom; at Copper Mountain; longest-running amateur snowboard series in North America and the largest series in the nation; home of the 2005 USASA Nationals; bib pick up at Jack’s Slopeside Grill & Bar day of event. copperseries.com
Dec. 12-14
NASTAR Race Camps in Steamboat; qualifying for the NASTAR National Finals in Steamboat; also several NASTAR race camps with coaching and training; $199, single day; $597, three days. steamboat.com
Dec. 13-17
Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix; first stop of the USSA-sanctioned snowboard series; includes superpipe competition and night exhibition; Peak 8, Breckenridge. breckenridge.snow.com
Dec. 15
Twilight Nordic Series; at Breckenridge Resort, on Peak 8; cross country ski time trials by torchlight, individual and relay events; 5-7 p.m. at the Breckenridge
Nordic Center, 1200 Ski Hill Road. breckenridge.snow.com or 970-453-6685
Dec. 17
Storm the Stars Uphill Race; the only night-time endurance event in the Aspen/Snowmass area; starts at the base of Aspen Mountain and climbs more than 3,000 vertical feet to the Rock the Stars Party at the top. aspensnowmass.com
Steamboat Springs/Copper Mountain Snowboard Series GS/Slalom; longest-running amateur snowboard series in North America and the largest series in the nation; home of the 2005 USASA nationals; note: the Dec. 17 competition will be held in conjunction with Howelson Hill in Steamboat Springs; all events located in Steamboat; hosted by Howelson Hill. copperseries.com
Dec. 19
Qualifying event for the Sports Illustrated For Kids Next Snow Search; at Keystone Resort; find the neXtreme generation of skiers and snowboarders; the first all-mountain, all-equipment, all-person snowsports competition; one class, everyone competes together; boys and girls, skiers and snowboarders and adaptive athletes; must be 9-13 years old to compete. keystone.snow.com
WINTER ACTIVITIES
Today
Avalanche Awareness class; experts from National Ski Patrol, Alpine Rescue, Diamond Patrol/Ortovox Rep or the Crested Butte Mountain Guides offer instruction on how to recognize and avoid avalanche conditions; 7 p.m.; at REI Denver flagship store, 1416 Platte St., and Lakewood REI. rei.com
Today-Wednesday; Saturday
Atlas Explore Winter women’s snowshoe workshop; 7 p.m.; topics include how to choose the right snowshoe to what to wear to how to safely plan your trip; all ages; at various REI stores (today, Colorado Springs; Wednesday, Fort Collins; Saturday, Lakewood). rei.com
Thursday
Winter Camping Basics; class covering winter camping essentials, including
selecting proper clothing, the right footwear and understanding the basic gear you will need; 7 p.m.; at REI stores in Colorado Springs, Denver, Englewood and Fort Collins. rei.com
Thursday; Dec. 6
Atlas Explore Winter – Women’s Snowshoe Workshop; workshop created by adventure racing legend Cathy Sassin teaches how to choose the right snowshoe, what to wear and how to safely plan your trip; all ages; 7 p.m.; at REI stores in Lakewood and Denver. rei.com
Friday-Sunday; Dec. 9-11
Bootpacking at Silverton Mountain; as seen in Powder and Ski magazines; stomp down the snow in the avalanche starting zones and ski the aprons, while earning free skiing in December or April; one day of volunteer bootpacking earns a day of unguided skiing in April; two days of bootpacking earns a free day of guided skiing in December or April or two days of unguided skiing in April; must have an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe to participate; must be able to ski or snowboard advanced/expert terrain comfortably; 8:45 a.m. silvertonmountain.com
Saturday
EMS Telemark Demo Day; at Loveland Ski Area; try out the new 2005-06 telemark and AT skis and boots; demos from K2, Atomic Skis, Black Diamond, Scarpa and Garmont; at northwest corner of the Basin parking lot; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. skiloveland.com
Saturday-Sunday
WinterFall Test Drive; at Mountain House, Keystone Resort; a weekend of demos; experiment with this season’s newest ski and ride equipment. keystone.snow.com
Monday-Dec. 11
Hartford Ski Spectacular; at Breckenridge Resort, on Peak 9; the nation’s largest winter sports festival for people with physical disabilities; a week-long event in its 17th year; includes learn-to-ski and race programs, youth development camps, sanctioned USSA races and a celebrity fun race; conducted by Disabled Sports USA, a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee. 970-453-5000 or breckenridge.snow.com
Dec. 6-8
Avalanche Awareness class; basics of avalanche awareness and mountain travel, taught by Diamond Patrol/Ortovox, El Paso Search and Rescue and National Ski Patrol experts; 7 p.m.; at REI stores in Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Denver and at University of Colorado Student Recreation Center. rei.com
Dec. 7-8
Ski Touring Essentials class examining the fundamental differences among backcountry, telemarking and touring ski styles, as well as proper clothing and potential hazards in the backcountry; 7 p.m.; at REI stores in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Englewood and Denver. rei.com
Dec. 9-11
Level I avalanche course; two-day, one-evening course; introduction and review of avalanche phenomena, travel techniques, decision-making strategies and avalanche rescue; classroom and mountain-based sessions; Dec. 9 7-9:30 p.m.; all day Dec. 10 and 11; $195; Estes Park. cmsschool.com/home.asp
LECTURES, CLASSES
Ongoing
Maps, Compasses, & Orienteering class; a U.S. Geological Survey-hosted map, compass and orienteering class; expert instruction for orienteering skills; free; 1 p.m. Friday at REI Denver flagship store, 1416 Platte St. rei.com
Sunday
Map and Compass – Essential Navigation; learn and work with map, compass, altimeter and GPS; $210, Colorado Mountain School, Estes Park. cmsschool.com/home.asp
MISCELLANEOUS
Ongoing
DIVAS give; through the month of December, Outdoor DIVAS will be sponsoring a Giving Tree to benefit Big City Mountaineers Colorado girls programs; BCM serves underprivileged and at-risk teens in the Denver area and across the United States; products from the outdoor DIVAS Giving Tree are raised specifically for the Colorado girls courses at Big City Mountaineers. 303-449-DIVA or outdoordivas.com
Wednesdays through Dec. 21
Streetbeat Concert Series; free; 6 p.m.; Check Point Charlie in Vail Village. vail.snow.com
Friday
25th anniversary & World Cup Concert; Poppa Chubby, blues guitarist; Beaver Creek. beavercreek.snow.com
