To get an event listed in the calendar, send your information 14-21 days in advance to: OEcalendar@denverpost.com or fax 303-866-9004. Be sure to include a contact number. Items will run on a per-space basis.
AVALANCHE AWARENESS
Dec. 7
Avalanche Awareness clinic; hosted by the Colorado Mountain School; a free introduction on how avalanches are created, what they look like, and how to avoid them; at Bass Pro Shops, 7970 E. 49th Ave., in Denver; 7 p.m. 720-385-3600 or behix@basspro.com
Dec. 8-10
Level I Avalanche Course; in Rocky Mountain National Park; by the Colorado Mountain School; in Estes Park; two-day, one-evening course; introduction and review of avalanche phenomena, travel techniques, decision-making strategies and avalanche rescue; both classroom- and mountain-based sessions; $195. cmschool.com
KAYAKING
Friday
Save the Poudre Party; book release party for “Pulse of the River: Colorado Writers Speak for the Endangered Cache La Poudre;” also a short documentary about the Poudre with live music; 7-9 p.m.; at the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins; free. savethepoudre.org or pulseoftheriver.org
RUNNING
Saturday
Every Girl Runs Half-Marathon Training Group; meets Tuesday and Saturday mornings with triathlon coach Rainey Wikstrom; prepares for the Moab Half-Marathon Race in March; $325-$645 for 15 weeks. 303-750-1191 or lmwikstrom@msn.com
Run For The Ages 15K; rolling course of bike paths and dirt trails; at Chatfield State Park; $25 to $29; 9 a.m. 303-674-5446
Rock Canyon Half Marathon; at Pueblo City Park in Pueblo; $20 to $30; 9 a.m. socorunners.org
Fort Collins Jingle Bell 5K; 5K run/walk, 5K doggy fun run and healthy kids’ series fun run; at the Colorado State University Oval, in Fort Collins; $20; 10 a.m. runnersroostftcollins.com
Sunday
Colder Bolder 5K; at the University of Colorado campus in Boulder; invitational at 8 a.m.; open race at 10 a.m.; also a pancake breakfast; $23 to $28. bolderboulder.com/colderbolder.cfm
Dec. 10
Jingle Bell 5K Run for Arthritis; at Washington Park in Denver; 10 a.m. 303-694-2030
Dec. 16
Rudolph’s Revenge 5K/10K; at Chatfield State Park, in Littleton; the first race in the Winter Distance Series; $20 to $30; 10 a.m. winterdistanceseries.com
Aurora Police D.A.R.E. 5K Run/Walk; at Aurora Municipal Court, in Aurora; $15 to $25; seniors free; 10 a.m. 303-877-8534
Dec. 17
Christmas Classic 4-Mile; kids free; also, a Santa Chase kids’ fun run twice around a 200-meter loop; at Harmony Market Place in Fort Collins; 9 a.m. 970-377-8005
Steve’s Rudolph Ramble 5K and 100 Meter Junior Dash; part of the BKB Holiday Race Series; $15 to $23; at Washington Park in Denver; 9 a.m. bkbltd.com
Dec. 30
Kwanzaa 5K Run/Walk; in Aurora; $5 to $25; 10 a.m. 303-877-8534
Dec. 31
22nd annual Wells Fargo Resolution 5K Run and Walk; to benefit the Family Resource Center Association; at Washington Park in Denver; 6 p.m. 303-635-2815, emgmh@emgcolorado.com or emgcolorado.com
Fort Collins Resolution Run; 5K evening race; both a competitive run and a family event with a kids’ run; prizes for costumes; on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins; $13 to $22; 5:30 p.m. krfcfm.org
SKIING/SNOWBOARDING
Friday
36 Hours of Keystone; at Keystone Resort in Keystone; $36 each, solo or teams of two to four people; complete 12 laps in 12 hours, one per hour; ski or ride; includes the 36 Hours Express and the 36 Hours Team Challenge; 9 a.m. keystone36.com
Sunlight Mountain Resort opening day. sunlightmtn.com
Saturday
Howelsen Hill opening day. steamboatsprings.net
Sunday
Steamboat Telemark Demo Tour; with Crispi, Karhu, Rossignol, Babes in the Backcountry, Fischer, Bishop Performance Telemak Binding, Atomic, Garmount, Black Diamond, Scarpa, G3 Genuine Gear Guide, Volkl, Totem, 22 Designs, Diamir Fritschi-Swiss and K2 Telemark; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. steamboat.com
Dec. 7
Powderhorn opening day. powderhorn.com
Dec. 8
Venture Snowboards Demo Day at Eldora; with Venture Snowboards, from Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. eldora.com or venturesnowboards.com
Dec. 9
Aspen Highlands opening day. aspensnowmass.com
Buttermilk opening day. aspensnowmass.com
Christy Sports Demo Day at Eldora. eldora.com
Dec. 9-10
Roxy Women’s Learn to Ski and Ride Camp; Saturday, 9 a.m., through Sunday, 3 p.m.; at Breckenridge Ski Resort. breckenridge.snow.com
Dec. 10
Burton Demo Day at Eldora. eldora.com
Dec. 13
SolVista opening day. solvista.com
Dec. 13-16
U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix at Breckenridge; including Winter X Games champion Steve Fisher and some of the world’s other best riders; also, a night-time exhibition in town under the lights. ussnowboarding.com/grandprix or breckenridge.snow.com
SNOWSHOEING/CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
Dec. 9
Fischer Go-Nordic Cruising Event; at Devil’s Thumb Ranch, in Tabernash; free lessons: skate and classic; all levels welcome; free waxing clinic at 11:45 a.m. devilsthumbranch.com
Luna Chase Snowshoe Race; at Keystone Resort, in Keystone; on Keystone’s Peak to Peak Trail; walk, jog or run the 5K course, above treeline at 11,000-foot elevation; for intermediate to advanced abilities; $28; 6:30 p.m. keystoneresort.com
Dec. 10
Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure Series; with an East West 5K Quest, a 10K competitive run, Kids K, and a Dash for Cash; followed by a postrace celebration on the B.C. Village Plaza; at Beaver Creek Nordic Sports Center, in Vail; 11 a.m. bcsnowshoe.com
Dec. 16
Salomon Ranch Creek Opener; 15K classic, 15K skate, 1K kids fun race; free waxing clinic; 10 a.m. devilsthumbranch.com
Dec. 20
Steamboat Nordic Challenge Series Howelsen Hill Relays; at the Steamboat Springs Nordic Center in Steamboat Springs; both recreational and competitive skiers; races for cross country skate ski and cross country classic ski; with a youth course of 1 to 3 kilometers, a short course of 3 to 5 kilometers and a long course of 10 kilometers; $14 to $16; 6:30 p.m. steamboatxcski.org
TRIATHLON/DUATHLON
Dec. 9
Chilly Cheeks Duathlon, Race No. 1; a 4-mile road and dirt trail run and a 10-mile paved bike ride; at Cherry Creek State Park, in Denver; $20; 10 a.m. racingunderground.com/chillycheeks.html
Jan. 14
National Championship Tune-Up Winter Triathlon; at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Winter Park/Fraser Valley; 5K run, 10K mountain bike and 8K ski; 9:30 a.m.;
5430sports.com or 303-442-0041
WINTER ACTIVITIES
Today-Monday
Birds of Prey World Cup Week at Beaver Creek; watch the American team face off against the world’s best in the FIS men’s tour; featuring a new event, the super combined, with racers completing one downhill run and one slalom run on the same day; also with apres parties, athlete autograph sessions and more. beavercreek.snow.com
Sunday-Dec. 9
Hartford Ski Spectacular; “The nation’s largest winter sports festival for people with physical disabilities;” a week-long event; includes learn-to-ski and race programs, youth development camps, sanctioned USSA races and a celebrity fun race; by Disabled Sports USA, a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee. breckenridge.snow.com
Monday-Dec. 17
Country Vail Snow Daze; a celebration of early-season snow and mountain lifestyle; with a concert Dec. 9 at Ford Park; also, on-snow events and street parties. vailsnowdaze.com
SKYDIVING
Ongoing
Mile-Hi Skydiving Center; full jumping operations; weekdays 9 a.m. to sunset, weekends 8 a.m. to sunset. 303-702-9911 or mile-hi-skydiving.com
LECTURES/CLASSES
Ongoing
Maps, Compasses and Orienteering class; a U.S. Geological Survey-hosted class; free; 1 p.m. first and third Fridays of the month at REI Denver flagship store, 1416 Platte St. rei.com
Outdoor discussion with Altitude Adventures staff; topics include high-altitude sicknesses, trip planning and compass reading and what to do in emergency situations. altitudeadventures.com or 303-499-1100
MISCELLANEOUS
Friday
An evening of nature photography with John Fielder; presented by the Regional Institute for Health and Environmental Leadership; includes a slide presentation of Fielder’s “Then and Now II” series and a photo contest; at Turnhalle at the Tivoli Student Union, University of Colorado Denver, Auraria Campus; seating is limited. rli.uchsc.edu/rli or lehnertz.christine@epa.gov
Dec. 8
Book release party and lecture for “Black and Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places;” book by Dudley Edmondson; with a discussion of the contributions of people-of-color in outdoor recreation and conservation efforts; at the Denver REI flagship store; 7 p.m. beckwourthmountainclub.org or rei.com
