Robert Tann

Two hikers climb up Buckskin Pass while completing the Four Pass Loop, a popular backpacking route near Aspen, on Sept. 28, 2022. Backcountry camping permits and fees were implemented in 2023 for overnight stays in popular parts of Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, such as the Four Pass Loop.

Community

As Colorado’s tourism economy booms, recreation leaders ask: Are current trends sustainable?

Robert Tann

A new state report shows a continued increase in visitation and spending in the Rocky Mountain region. Public land stewards say the economic benefits aren’t without trade-offs.

Clouds hang in the valley below Peak 1 on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Meteorologists are saying the El Nino weather pattern that has been affecting conditions this winter is shifting to a La Nina pattern, which could make for a warm and dry summer.

Environment

El Nino is winding down. Here’s what the winter season looked like for Colorado’s mountains — and what comes next.

Robert Tann

The seasonal pattern is transitioning to its opposite heading into the summer, bringing with it a change in the jet stream

Laura James stands at the main entrance to her two-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Breckenridge on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Dubbed "The Cabin," the home was built by James's parents in the mid-1970s, the first property of what could become the Peak 7 neighborhood. After buying it from her parents, James and her husband have short-term rented the home in order to pay for their mortgage and other expenses in a bid to keep the home in their family. But faced with new Summit County regulations on short-term rentals, James said that prospect is becoming much harder.

Community

Months into new regulations, short-term rental owners say they may need to sell their properties in Summit County

Robert Tann

Second-home owners fear losing their foothold in the mountain community amid rules aimed at balancing the tourism economy with a need for more workforce housing