Active Pursuits

The variety and sheer number of active sports and recreational activities Colorado has to offer is staggering. It's a place where you can easily arrange a weeklong, hard-core mountaineering expedition, but it's also a place where you can just as easily take one of the most scenic 2-hour bike rides of your life right in downtown Boulder -- not to mention the superb winter activities, from skiing to snowshoeing to snowmobiling. This section outlines your choices and offers a few tips for planning everything from a guided, multisport vacation to an afternoon's outing.

Lightning -- A Potential Killer -- Colorado is a wonderful place to explore the great outdoors, with some of America's most spectacular scenery and rugged terrain. But like most other places, outdoor activities here are not without risk. The National Weather Service says that although the number of deaths from lightning is not high -- an average of 67 each year in the U.S. -- lightning does kill more people than either tornadoes or hurricanes, and injures hundreds more. The agency says that most people struck by lightning are not in the rain, and that lightning can travel sideways for up to 10 miles. It recommends that whenever people hear thunder they should immediately seek shelter in a building, cave, or hard-topped vehicle; if trapped by a thunderstorm, people should go to the lowest point in the area, stay out of the water, and avoid metal by dropping metal-frame backpacks and not leaning against cars. Of course, lightning is not the only outdoor hazard in Colorado.

Preparing for Your Active Vacation

Once you've picked the sport or activities you want to pursue, ask yourself a few questions: How physically fit am I really? How much skill in this particular activity do I have? How dangerous is this activity? How much money am I willing to spend? Answering these questions honestly can make the difference between a successful vacation and an unmitigated disaster. Some activities, such as cattle drives, require an outfitter, while others, such as biking, camping, or hiking, you can do on your own. If you're attempting a dangerous sport in which you're inexperienced, such as rock or ice climbing, it's imperative to go with someone who (literally) knows the ropes.

If cost is an issue, prearranged escorted tour packages that include virtually everything can sometimes save you money. On the other hand, you'll be with a group, with limited freedom and flexibility to strike out on your own. Some people enjoy the company of their fellow tour members and the convenience of having everything arranged; others can't stand it. It's your choice.

The best outfitters run well-organized trips and are willing to answer any and all questions, promptly and fully. They should have well-maintained equipment, possess appropriate land-use permits, and be fully insured. If you have any doubts, ask for the name and phone number of a satisfied former customer, and call that person and ask about their experience.

Several government agencies and other organizations provide maps and information that can be extremely useful for a variety of activities. These include Colorado State Parks (for state park, boating, RV, and snowmobile regulations), 1313 Sherman St., no. 618, Denver, CO 80203 (tel. 303/866-3437; www.parks.state.co.us); the Colorado Outfitters Association (for a list of licensed guides and outfitters in the state), P.O. Box 849, Craig, CO 81626 (tel. 970/824-2468; www.colorado-outfitters.com); the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (for topographical maps and information on activities on the vast amount of BLM land in the state), 2850 Youngfield St., Lakewood, CO 80215 (tel. 303/239-3600; www.co.blm.gov); the U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region (for maps and information about activities and facilities in national forests), 740 Simms St., Golden, CO 80401 (tel. 303/275-5350; www.fs.fed.us/r2); and the National Park Service, Intermountain Region (for information on national parks, monuments, historic sites, and recreation areas), 12795 Alameda Pkwy., Denver, CO 80225 (tel. 303/969-2500; www.nps.gov). Another good online government source for information on outdoor recreation opportunities is www.recreation.gov.

Of the hundreds of commercial outdoor recreation sites on the Internet, we usually like GORP (Great Outdoor Recreation Page), www.gorp.com, or you can go right to the Colorado section at www.gorp.com/gorp/location/co/co.htm, which provides detailed information about hiking trails, fishing, watersports, and other activities on Colorado's public lands. Lately, however, that site has been getting a bit too cluttered and too commercial for us, so we've been checking out the very informative and user-friendly Public Lands Information Center website, www.publiclands.org.

The Denver Post, the state's major daily newspaper, has an especially good website (www.denverpost.com) with quite a bit of outdoor recreation information.

Those looking to buy or rent equipment will find shops practically everywhere in the state, particularly in resort towns. A convenient, statewide resource is Sports Authority (formerly Gart Brothers), the state's largest sporting-goods chain. For the location of the store nearest you, check the web -- www.sportsauthority.com -- or visit the chain's flagship store at 1000 Broadway in Denver (tel. 303/863-2260).