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.
AVALANCHE AWARENESS
Friday-Sunday; Feb. 24-26; March 3-5
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; Friday, 7-9:30 p.m., all day Saturday and Sunday; $195; February classes at Estes Park, March class at Winter Park. cmsschool.com/home.asp
Thursday-Sunday; March 16-19
Avalanche 2 class; topics include avalanche formation and release mechanisms, snowpack formation and metamorphism; prerequisites: completion of Alpine World Ascents Avalanche 1 course or equivalent, strong intermediate skiing/riding skills, and the ability to travel in the winter backcountry for at least six hours; $350; Thursday-Sunday class at Boulder/Berthoud Pass, March class at Boulder/Rocky Mountain National Park. alpineworldascents.com
Saturday; March 18
Avalanche Assessment Mentoring Tour; full-day skill tours devoted to slope and snow stability assessment; $120; at Rocky Mountain National Park. cmsschool.com
Saturday; March 25
Avalanche Refresher class; a review of the avalanche phenomena at the Level 1 standard and further deepens skills, knowledge and confidence in decision making when traveling in avalanche terrain; prerequisites: completion of Alpine World Ascents Avalanche 1 course or equivalent, strong intermediate skiing/riding skills and the ability to travel in the winter backcountry for at least four hours; $110; at Rocky Mountain National Park. alpineworldascents.com
Sunday
Avalanche Rescue class; learn or refresh rescue skills to prepare for an avalanche accident; fine-tune the use of beacon, shovel probe and optimize organization of your group; $55; Nederland. alpineworldascents.com
Feb. 24-26; March 10-12
Avalanche 1 class; topics include recognizing avalanche terrain go/no-go decision-making and rescue techniques; for those new to travel in avalanche terrain or those in need of a skills tuneup; skills required are intermediate skiing/riding skills, or travel on snowshoes, and the ability to travel in the winter backcountry for at least four hours; $220; February class at Boulder/Rocky Mountain National Park, March class at Boulder/ Berthoud Pass. alpineworldascents.com
March 3-6
Level II Avalanche Course; four-day course emphasizes field observations and documentation; covers snow stability analysis and the forecasting process; formal snow-pit observations and recording guidelines emphasized; primarily field based, with some classroom sessions; for ski and mountain guides, ski patrollers and serious backcountry enthusiasts; $410; prerequisite CMS Level I Avalanche Course; Estes Park. cmsschool.com
March 7
Avalanche awareness class; with national ski patrol experts; learn to recognize and avoid avalanche conditions; at Denver REI store; 7 p.m. rei.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
Road ride each Saturday morning led by the staff of Bicycle Pedal’r bike shops in Highlands Ranch; 20 to 30 miles; weather permitting; open to all intermediate and advanced riders. bicyclepedalr.com.
March 2
Bike maintenance for women clinic; learn how to keep a bike in good condition with basic bike maintenance and roadside repair; at REI store in Colorado Springs, 7 p.m. rei.com
March 3-6
Moab Skinny Tire Festival; a fundraiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation; in its sixth year; a four-day festival built around daily bicycle tours; professionally guided group rides through Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River corridor. 435-259-2698, skinnytirefestival.com or LAF.org
March 21
Spring cycling for women clinic; with Kerry Barnholt of Peak Form Physical Therapy and a former professional mountain cyclist; a 90-minute informative clinic about cycling, training, performance, injury prevention and proper bike fit; 7 p.m.; free. outdoordivas.com
HIKING
April 18
Wilderness Trekking School; Colorado Mountain Club’s beginner hiking school; learn basics of mountaineering and hiking; begins April 18, includes five weekly lectures and five Saturday or Sunday field days; $80, 7 p.m.; at American Mountaineering Center, in Golden. 303-279-3080 or cmc.org/wts
KAYAKING
Ongoing
Kayak roll sessions; practice rolling a kayak and making flatwater moves; with gear and lessions also available; $6; hosted by The Mountain Shop, Sundays at Mulberry Pool in Fort Collins; 5:30-7 p.m. themountainshop.com or 970-493-5720
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
Do Your Heart Some Good/Sweetheart 5K run/walk; 10:30 a.m.; $12 to $17; Fruita Civic Center, 325 East Aspen. fruita.org or 970-858-0360
Feb. 25
Snowman Stampede 10- and 20-mile races; the third race in the Winter Distance Series; series consists of progressively longer races to help runners maintain fitness through winter; 10 a.m.; $30 to $40; Cherry Creek State Park, Aurora. coloradorunnermag.com
March 4
Canyonlands Tuneup 10K; a flat, paved road run; at Fruita Civic Center, in Fruita; $5 to $10; 10 a.m. 970-260-4612 or 970-245-4243
March 12
18th annual Runnin’ of the Green 7K; also a 2-mile walk; course through LoDo and the Platte Valley; start at McCormick’s Fish House and Bar, 17th Street and Wazee Street, in Denver; also a block party with bagpipers, live music, step dancers and food. 303-694-2030 or bkbltd.com
March 25
Dialysis Dash 5K run/walk; at 2748 Crossroads Blvd., in Grand Junction; $15 to $20; 9 a.m. 970-434-3376
Nov. 11
Mesa State 37K Rimrock Run; gate-to-gate through Colorado National Monument; starts at the park’s east entrance, in Grand Junction; 8 a.m.; limited to 400 entries. rimrockrun.org or 970-243-4055
SAILING
Feb. 25
Iceberg Cup Sailing Regatta; hosted by Cherry Creek Marina and Yacht Club; ice- and weather-dependent; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; at Cherry Creek Reservoir. cherrycreekmarina.com or toddbrophy@ricochet.com
March 8
Winter Racing Seminar at Brooklyn’s; program to be announced; free; 7-9 p.m.; at 2644 W. Colfax Ave., in Denver. rmsail.org/educatio.htm or simpson@cattle-fax.org
March 11
Junior Chalk-Talk, for young sailors interested in racing; 1-3 p.m.; free; location and program to be announced. rmsail.org/educatio.htm or rtaylor@informationtools.com
March 18
Race Management Seminar; “SailWave” computer scoring discussion with Tom Downing and Joe Beierl; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; at Cherry Creek Yacht Club, in Greenwood Village. rmsail.org/educatio.htm or tmdata@comcast.net
SKIING/SNOWBOARDING
Ongoing
Over the Hill Gang guided skiing days; through April; for intermediate or better downhill skiers and riders 50 years and older; at various locations throughout the week with designated meeting times; $50 membership. othgi.com or 719-389-0022
Friday-Sunday
Butte Bi-Ski Rally; all abilities welcome, including those who never have bi-skied before; hosted by the Adaptive Sports Center for people with disabilities; includes individual instruction, video analysis, lift tickets, equipment, lunch and transportation; at Crested Butte base area. adaptivesports.org
SNOWSHOEING/CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
Ongoing
Steamboat Ski Touring Center Masters Program, Wednesdays through Feb. 22; 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; at Steamboat Ski Touring Center, Steamboat Ski Resort. steamboat.com or 970-879-8180
Guided snowshoe tours through the forest and meadows of Granby Ranch; weekends; hike duration and endurance varies based on participant interest and ability. granbyranch.com or 888-850-4615
Today, Feb. 24; March 4, 15
Snowshoe and cross country ski outing; transportation, lesson, rental and trail pass package from the Frisco Nordic Center; 12-year-olds and older; meet at the Carson Nature Center in Littleton; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $19 to $44. ssprd.org/nature, 303-730-1022 or 303-347-5999
Saturday
Butch Cassidy Ski Chase; 15K freestyle, 5K novice and 3K kids race; on the trails at Faraway Ranch; 9 a.m.; at Faraway Ranch, in Telluride. telluridetrails.org
Feb. 21
Free ski waxing clinic with Ed Crothers; learn proper base preparation for nordic skiing; 7 p.m.; free at the Mountain Shop, 632 South Mason, Fort Collins. themountainshop.com or 970-493-5720
Feb. 25
Second annual Full Circle Family Fun nordic ski races; 2.5K children, 5K and 10K open; all races on groomed trails at Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, near Ski Cooper, 8 miles north of Leadville; giveaways and silent auction; benefits Full Circle of Lake County Youth and Family Services; 10 a.m.; $8 to $20. mineralbelttrail.com or 719-486-2400
The Devil’s Thumb Ranch Creek Chase 15K/30K freestyle; race and tour divisions; costumes welcome; 10 a.m.; all levels from elite to families; $10 to $30. devilsthumbranch.com, 970-726-5632 or 800-933-4339
Gould Ski Scramble and Snowshoe Shuffle; at Gould Community Center; features groomed 10K skate, 5K open, 10K classic, 5K snowshoe, and a kids race; $7 to $18; at Gould Community Center on Colorado 14, west of Cameron Pass; 11:45 a.m. themountainshop.com or 970-493-5720
Feb. 26
Meadow Mountain Snowshoe Hike; by the Indian Peaks Group and the Sierra Club; a six-hour, 7-mile snowshoe climb to the summit of Meadow Mountain (11,632 feet), with a 3,000-foot elevation gain; south of Allenspark; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 720-837-0074 or bill.campbell@rmc.sierraclub.org
Third annual Leadville Loppet; 22K and 44K skate and classic nordic races on Mineral Belt Trail, through historic Leadville Mining District; 10 a.m.; start at Colorado Mountain College soccer field; $25 to $50. mineralbelttrail.com or active.com
March 1-2
PSIA clinic with video tape analysis; classic, skate and hill skills; level I, II and III; PSIA membership required; $148; 10 a.m.; at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash. psia-rm.org
March 5
Jeremy Wright North American Snowshoe Championships; a 5K run/walk and a 10K competitive event; 11 a.m.; $20 to $25; at McCoy Park in Beaver Creek. bcsnowshoe.com
March 11
Guided Backcountry Ski Tour and Skijoring clinic; learn how to cross country ski with your dog; 10 a.m.; $25 to $75 includes clinic, trail pass and setup; at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash. devilsthumbranch.com, 970-726-5632 or 800-933-4339
SKYDIVING
Ongoing
Mile-Hi Skydiving Center; open for all skydiving operations, Friday through Sunday from 8 a.m. through sunset; tandem jump prices, $189; accelerated free-fall, $279; experienced skydives jump prices, $23 up to 12,500 feet, and $16 to 4,000 feet. 303-702-9911 or info@milehiskydiving.com
TRIATHLON/DUATHLON/BIATHLON
Feb. 25
Gold Run High Alpine Triathlon; a bike ride on snow, a snowshoe run and a ski race; 10 a.m.; at the Gold Run Nordic Center, 200 Clubhouse Drive, Breckenridge. 970-547-7889
March 14
DIVAS triathlon clinic; with Wendy Ingraham, the 1997 Hawaiian Ironman winner; focus on the ability to perform at a high level, with tips and techniques for all ages and abilities; 7 p.m.; free. outdoordivas.com
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
Thursday
Deep water soloing adventure in Malta media presentation; with climber Sonnie Trotter; featuring Katie Brown, Matt Maddaloni and Nels Rosassen; from a trip last year; $7; 5 p.m. at The Mountain Ship, 632 South Mason, Fort Collins. themountainshop.com or 970-493-5720
MISCELLANEOUS
Feb. 28; March 1, 4
Best of Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour; movies on mountain sports, mountain culture and environment; 7-10 p.m.; at Boulder Theatre on Feb. 28 and March 1; at Paramount Theatre, 1631 Glenarm Place, Denver, on March 4; $15. rei.com
