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860 Copper Rd, Copper Mountain
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WELCOME TO ISSUE 8 of Mountain Women Magazine! We are so glad you are here to read and discover some amazing women, people and places.
A little bit of history as we stoke the flameas you get ready to turn the pages. Back in 2014, I was flipping through our kin publication, Mountain Town Magazine, and I noticed that almost every article we published was about a man. Honestly, it was a bit unsettling. Not that we do not love men, we most certainly do, but women do not get enough recognition in mountain town/ski and ride media. I looked around and saw so many badass women. Women athletes, entrepreneurs, artists, philanthropists, chefs, educators, musicians, mothers, and even those rocking the world with their skills in the grandma arts (you know, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint…). We decided right then to change that and introduced Mountain Town Magazine’s first issue of Women Who Rock the Rockies in 2015. We asked friends and friends of friends to nominate women they thought deserved that accolade and the responses were fantastic!
That edition and subsequent issues each year continued to celebrate women in our mountain towns who are significant in their contributions to their communities, have achieved personal successes in their field, and are recognized with stories that featured their talents. As we were preparing our 5th Annual Women Who Rock the Rockies edition I had an epiphany. Why not resurrect Mountain Women Magazine? It was a title I had created in 2003 but shelved so we could focus on making Mountain Town Magazine successful while in its infancy.
The desire to launch Mountain Women was so strong and felt so good that I went for it and now after a lot of hard work you are reading it! We are really excited and cannot wait to continue sharing the hard hours and good work women are putting in to help others and better themselves.
Mountain Women Magazine and our website: mountainwomenmagazine.com have been live the whole time discussing favorite things, bits of news, food, the outdoors, our homes, travel, life, kids, growing up, and growing old. Being a mountain woman does not necessarily mean that you have to live in the mountains to belong, it is more of having the spirit of the mountain in you. As John Muir said, “you are not in the mountains, the mountains are in you.”
A quick but very sincere shout-out to the people who helped make this magazine a reality. Kristen Lummis, aka The Brave Ski Mom. We met when we were both starting our blogs. She has been a continued source of inspiration and great editorial content for many years now. She has always been my cheerleader. Colin Bane, for his incredible writing skills and as a side note, is one of the best dads
I know. Anna Sitton, a great writer, mom, and believer in this magazine and our stories. She’s a Buena Viking who can make a mean burger and shred the gnar like a gnarly girl! W....and you, we Thank You for reading this! Please be sure to share with your friends and family. Let people know about us, and we will keep inspiring you with our incredible stories about wonderful women.
We are Girls, Mothers, Ladies, Lassies, Lovers, Babes, and Bad Asses! We are a magazine for women filled with a passion for living life in the mountains in the Colorado Rockies and beyond.
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Holly GoSpritely Media communications
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Shauna Farnell, Holly Resignolo, Lisa Blake, Shauna Farnell, Mike Messeroff
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Lisa Blake, Noelle Resignolo, Linda Rokos Watts
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2019 Mountain Women Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion may be duplicated, in whole or in part, without the written consent of its publishers. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. The publisher assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information or omissions from the material provided. Mountain Women Magazine cannot be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services rendered by the advertisers published in this magazine.
Spinster Sisters is a consciously crafted skincare brand on a mission to be plasticfree and make the best products for you and our planet. Their line of skin, hair, and bath products are made with only natural, clean ingredients, and their Microsoapery in Golden is powered by wind + solar. Check out theie Free From innovation, a line of solid, water-free bars for face, body, and hair in plastic-free packaging.
www.spinstersistersco.com
Alex Fitzgerald designs unique, superior-quality jewelry that lasts for generations while utilizing a transparent and honest supply chain. She sources from suppliers that care about what they do, the people involved, and the environment. Alex Fitz jewelry is made of recycled 18k gold, and precious stones sourced from companies that have complete confidence in their products being conflict-free. Alex produces her brilliant jewelry pieces out of her home and custom creates dream rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more. Alex also recycles heirloom pieces into something new and modern too. www.alexfitz.com
Lacey Von Riedel picked up her first pair of knitting needles in 2018. After lessons from her lifelong knitting mother and a year of trial and error, Nitto Mountain Knits was born.
Driven by her newfound love and inspired by nature’s brilliant hues and patterns, Von Riedel, 36, creates warm cozy winter beanies known for their incredibly detailed stitching. Nitto (the Japanese noun for “knit”) hats are composed of 100% merino wool and acrylic yarns and faux fur poms, all ethically sourced and hand dyed. Look for her popular custom matching hats for the whole family and a new line of mittens and handsewn home goods launching in 2022.
www.nittomountainknits.com
The questions in this edition will have you celebrating your friendships. You’ll appreciate your connection to each other and you’ll be reminded of all the things that made you “besties” in the first place.
You’ll also enjoy the tips and quotes we’ve included. They’re all about friendships—how to make them, how to keep them, and how to strengthen them.
www.tabletopics.com
Red Ants Pants in Montana is crating exceptional work wear for woman young and old curve, straight narrow and wide. This company makes everything in the USA. That will never change. We don’t just assemble here, we start with fabric, trims, thread, buttons and zippers, cut the patterns and make the pants. The entire production happens on our soil.
www.redantpants.com
We love this woman-owned company producing delicious teas. The company is dedicated to the health of the consumer and was crafted after a cancer diagnosis that the owner created to help cure herself.
www.theteaspot.com
by Holly GoSpritely
Sedona is one of the places I have wanted to visit for years now; well known for its abundance of hiking and breathtaking scenery. Sedona is only 100 miles north of Phoenix, Arizona. So, after two days of sightseeing in the Grand Canyon, I drove down from Flagstaff. Sedona attracts nature lovers, foodies, art lovers, adventure seekers, and spiritual and curious travelers worldwide. Just drive down the Red Rock Scenic Byway (Route 179), and you will immediately know why Sedona is called a hiker’s paradise. There are scenic hiking trails everywhere. The iconic mountains are formed from sandstone layers in various shapes and colors. Many people wholeheartedly believe that the red rocks of Sedona are spiritual.
I finally fulfilled one of the most wished travel bucket lists by spending two days in Sedona, Arizona. Of course, I was traveling solo, so it was easy for me to do a little bit of everything on a short trip. However, while strolling through the city center, I did realize that a fabulous place like Sedona is perfect for a family trip. There is something for everyone great restaurants on both sides of the main road, a Pink Jeep trip for fun, and an unbelievable view of red rock mountains surrounding the city.
The Grand Canyon to Sedona road trip is so scenic that I couldn’t stop pulling over to enjoy the picturesque view and photo ops. Usually, covering 136 miles (218 km) should not take more than 2 hours of nonstop driving, but it took me way more than
that. You will definitely end up making multiple stops on the way. Honestly, I wish I had more time in Sedona; 2 days was not enough for me. However, especially when you have hiking as one of your favorite hobbies, as there are plenty of hiking trails that are very much popular among locals and visitors alike. If you plan to visit Arizona, I would definitely recommend Sedona. I am absolutely positive that Sedona’s scenic beauty will also amaze you.
Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge in northern Arizona between Flagstaff and Sedona on Route 89A. The scenic drive is a breathtaking experience. I have ranked among the top 5 most scenic drive charts. If you are a photographer, it’s a must-do trip in
Red Rock State Park is a state park in Arizona featuring a red sandstone canyon outside the city of Sedona. This day-use park’s main mission is to preserve the riparian habitat along Oak Creek. This State Park maintains a 5-mile network of interconnecting trails along scenic Oak Creek. You can experience the vista at the top of Eagle’s Nest (300’ climb).
Slide Rock State Park is a state park in Arizona, located in Oak Creek Canyon, only 7 miles north of Sedona on Route 89A. It is known as one of America’s top swimming holes. This natural waterslide is formed by the
slippery bed of Oak Creek. The slide rock is 80 feet long and 2.5 to 4 feet wide, with a 7% decline from top to bottom.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic chapel and a favorite tourist attraction for many who visit Sedona. It is located just off Route 179 at the end of Chapel Road. It is open from 9 AM to 5 PM daily. The Chapel is nestled beautifully into a red rock; from the top, it has an incredible view of the majestic Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, and much of the eastern rim of Sedona.
Cathedral Rock is a famous landmark in Sedona and can be seen from the distance. It is one of the most photographed sights in Arizona. There is
Cathedral Rock is a famous landmark in Sedona and can be seen from the distance. It is one of the most photographed sights in Arizona. There is a short 0.7-mile trail that quickly rises 608 feet in elevation. The middle part of the trail has a near-vertical segment that requires climbing. This is an excellent place for hikers and those not afraid of heights.
Bell Rock is one of the famous tourist attractions located north of the Village of Oak Creek, AZ, south of Sedona in Yavapai County. The elevation of its summit is about 4,919 feet. It did not take much effort to track down the location of this church bell shape rock from a distance. Even an early morning or evening drive to the Rock along the beautiful Red
The Honanki Heritage Site is 15 miles west of present-day Sedona. Great place to experience the cliff dwelling and rock art site that was last inhabited between 1400 and 1875 by Yavapai and Apache people. Perfect place to stretch your legs and breathe in the fresh air; the site has two trails for self-guided tours to explore the ruins as well as the surrounding forest. One of the best ways to get there is by Pink Jeep Tour or self-driven car.
Biking in Sedona often involve breathtaking red rock scenery, challenging technical trails like the famous HiLine, epic descents with “sick shoots,” and the thrill of navigating flowy but difficult terrain for all
skill levels, from beginner paths to advanced routes, making it a mountain biking mecca with unique stories of conquering climbs and achieving clean runs amidst stunning vistas.
As a hot spot for mountain bikers, Sedona has a world-renowned trail network. Sedona’s biking trails frequently rank at the top of the list both nationally and globally. We want to share some of our favorite off-thebeaten path trails to get you out and exploring some of Sedona’s most scenic trails during your next visit to Sedona.
Resources: www.visitsedona.com www.
“Dream Threads II”
BY BRYCE WIDOM
aka ‘venture as in Adventure!
by Marcia Brownlee
VNTRbirds (ven-ture birds) encourage women through outdoor education and adventure. Women-run and based in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, VNTRbirds brings women to the outdoors through mountain biking, backcountry skiing and splitboarding and community meet ups. Their main mission is to bring women together to grow the community and get them exploring with confidence, proper knowledge and self-reliance. Founded and owned by the Wren sisters, Leanne and Kelley have watched this company grow from small clinics in Breckenridge to large courses and workshops throughout the state of Colorado and beyond.
When Kelley first started VNTRbirds in 2011, she highlighted women in the outdoors by blogging about their experiences to show that there were women to look up to. Then, in 2020, Leanne joined the team and together they changed direction to not just show women in the outdoors, but to create a safer envi-
ronment for more women to gain experience in the outdoors themselves. Knowing that some of these activities are a financial burden, VNTRbirds wants to make their courses more affordable and therefore more inclusive by building a scholarship fund. For every VNTRbirds course you sign up for, you receive an automatic $30 off, plus VNTRbirds keep their ride days and workshops free so all women can learn with them.
Other scholarship opportunities include one of three aid grants that are chosen twice a year:
1. Intro to Outdoor Education: Receive a free VNTRbirds backcountry or mountain bike course
2. Mentorship to Guiding: Come shadow a VNTRbirds backcountry or mountain bike course, then receive a stipend to further your outdoor education for a Wilderness First Responder course, AIARE level 1 or 2 or BICP certification. This will encourage more women into guiding and coaching roles.
3. BIPOC Intro to Outdoor Education: Receive a free VNTRbirds backcountry or mountain bike course. Reserved for Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color to have more representation in the outdoors. Everyone belongs out here.
www.vntrbirds.com
VNTR BIRDS Co Founder Kelly thinks, “it is amazing what a community of women can accomplish together and how encouraging it can be to learn with and from one another. Especially now with our nation so divided I want women to know they can be self-powered and help find their voice through the influence of the outdoors”.
by Bill Goldstein
I’ve known Christina Holbrook for well over 40 years, but really just for the last three. Chris and I are high school classmates who barely knew each other in school and then bonded at our class reunion (a union, in this case, more than a re-union) over our mutual activity of writing. Only unlike me, she’s the real deal. After a corporate career in publishing, Chris wrote an intriguing, often very personal, long-running column, “Lark Ascending,” in the Summit Daily in Frisco, Colorado; explored winemakers and vineyards growing grapes at the highest elevation in the northern hemisphere in “Winelands of Colorado”; and has had her short fiction, essays, and travel reviews appear in numerous publications, literary journals, and anthologies. And this month, with the publication of “All the Flowers of the Mountain,” Chris checks off the biggest writing hurdle yet: novelist. Early reviews are already heaping praise – “A haunting, evocative exploration of the enduring power of love, replete with the poignancy of Nicholas Sparks and the gritty authenticity of Delia Owens,” reads one by Emily Colin, author of the NYT bestseller The Memory Thief. And I’m not the least bit surprised. Chris is a deep thinker who has the unusual ability to translate those reflections into compelling writing and relatable, engrossing stories. I can’t wait to read it.
So where do I come in on this? Chris, now familiar with this blog site as well as my frequent presentations of themed playlists, particularly those centered in and around the music of the 1970’s, was nice enough to ask me to collaborate with her on what she hoped could serve as companion listening to her book. A short collection of songs that might connect some of the throughlines of “All the Flowers of the Mountain” –what Chris described to me for guidance as “a sort of romantic, melancholy
vibe” – as well as evoking a sense of nostalgia for the music of the times, the ‘70’s, in which her story is set. “Many scenes in the novel were inspired by folk music,” said Chris, “and in particular how that music was interpreted by artists in the 1970’s.” We each picked some songs, we tossed a couple and added some others, Chris put together the final sequencing, and here it is: 24 memorable songs of love and longing from the 1970’s, by artists including Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Marshall Tucker Band, Loggins & Messina, Joan Baez, Simon & Garfunkel, Pure Prairie League, Seals & Crofts, and more.¹ One tune, “Wild Mountain Thyme,” has particular resonance within the plot of the story, and so appears here – not by accident – three times; an opening instrumental by Mark Knopfler, a gorgeous interpretation by James Taylor in the middle, and a traditional Irish version by The Chieftains to close the list out.
I’m quite touched and extremely honored that Chris chose to have me help out with this little project, and to play even a minuscule part in her book launch through the creation of our collaborative companion playlist. I hope you’ll enjoy some reminiscing through a little musical melancholia, and most importantly, I hope you’ll grab Chris’s book “All the Flowers of the Mountain,” which is available now in hardcover, paperback, and ebook, in bookstores, or through ever-popular on-line booksellers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble:
Happy listening and reading. And I recommend going to your school reunions; you never know what friendships you might rekindle, or just plain kindle.
Listen Here:
by Lisa Blake
I remember my little pink diary fondly. It lived under my mattress and held all of my 10-year-old self’s dreams, crushes and curiosities, a microscopic golden key keeping its pages of rainbow inked (questionably legible) cursive protected from prying eyes.
It was around this time that I fell in love with the art of writing to myself. A practice I now covet and share through monthly Journaling for Clarity Workshops (visit thriveyogasummit.com to join).
When I was 10, it was 1990 and our brains weren’t being pulled in 200 different electronic-driven directions. There were no cell phones, no social media, no digital distractions. The little pink diary was composed from tween daydreams and fifth grade recess shenanigans.
As a professional writer and author, I call on the tool of journaling as a sort of therapy. A way to pull up what needs to be put down on paper, brought into reality and manifest from sparks of intuition that show up during meditations or daily walks by the river.
Journaling is about giving ourselves the time and the sacred, soft, slowed down space that our brains and bodies need. I think of it as a big expressive exhale.
Journaling has been shown to:
Reduce stress and anxiety
Improve emotional regulation
Boost self-awareness
Enhance memory
Improve sleep quality
Reduce blood pressure
Promote mental and emotional health
I’m a big fan of stream of consciousness journaling or writing down thoughts as they happen, without lifting my pen from the page, without making sense or editing myself—the inner critic and editor is something I like to unpack in my workshops.
There’s real healing power in writing thoughts, fears, ideas and feelings down. Our thoughts and emotions have to go somewhere. When we push the hard ones down and hold them in, they don’t stay dormant—they cause things like stomach stress, heartburn, migraines and anxiety.
Journaling doesn’t always have to be about the heavy or the negative. It can be an exercise in love, too. A gratitude practice is a beautiful way to nurture a journaling routine. Try this: Find five or ten minutes in the morning, over coffee when it’s quiet before anyone gets up, and write down five things you’re grateful for. As you write, really feel these gratitudes in your heart.
Remember, if you can think a thought and feel an emotion, and you can bring that from your heart down to paper, then you can journal. Don’t overthink it.
Need a platform or a shiny new piece of inspiration? I published a journal titled Rooted: A Journaling Space for Growth + Reflection that’s filled with mindful prompts and promotes a deeper connection with nature and self.
Find Rooted at Next Page Books in Frisco or order directly from the author on Instagram @ lisananblake.
By Ren Hoskin, MS
We breathe approximately 20,000 times each day, yet most of us never consciously engage with this fundamental act. Breathwork—the deliberate pacing of breathing patterns—offers a bridge to our autonomic nervous system yet with voluntary control, a rare opportunity to influence states we typically can’t access.
The science is compelling. Slow, deep breathing activates the vagus nerve, shifting us from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance. Studies using heart rate variability measures show that controlled breathing at 5-6 breaths per minute optimizes “respiratory sinus arrhythmia”, the natural variation in heart rate that occurs with breathing. This isn’t merely relaxation—it’s measurable down regulation of the nervous system. For many of us who live in a state of high cortisol or stress, this practice can be incredibly beneficial.
There are many traditions of Breathwork. Some techniques like Holotropic, Wim Hof breathing or the Elemental Rhythm Breathwork Experience use controlled hyperventilation to temporarily reduce CO₂ in the arteries, creating respiratory alkalosis. This triggers vasoconstriction in the brain while paradoxically delivering more oxygen to the tissues of the body through the Bohr effect. The result: altered states of consciousness, increased stress resilience, and potential immune modulation. Research shows these practices can reduce inflammatory markers and enhance stress response.
The traditions differ meaningfully in mechanism and intention. Pranayama, rooted in yoga philosophy, emphasizes subtle energy cultivation through varied breath ratios—often extending exhales to promote calm or retentions to build capacity. It’s systematic, precise, and energetically oriented.
Holotropic breathwork, developed by Stanislav Grof, uses sustained hyperventilation to access non-ordinary states for psychological integration. It’s cathartic, traumainformed, and therapeutically very intense.
The Wim Hof Method combines controlled hyperventilation with breath retention and cold exposure, focusing on physiological adaptation and stress resilience. It’s accessible, scientifically investigated, and performance-oriented.
Box breathing and coherent breathing sit at the more pragmatic end—tools for acute stress management backed by military and clinical research. They’re simple and immediately applicable in almost any circumstance.
Choosing a practice requires honest self-assessment. What draws a person to a Breathwork practice—nervous system regulation, emotional processing, spiritual exploration, or performance enhancement? The answer matters be-
cause these practices, while sharing breath as their medium, serve different masters.
Trauma history suggests gentler approaches initially— coherent breathing or therapeutic pranayama with skilled guidance. Athletes and those seeking resilience might gravitate toward Wim Hof protocols. Those on a contemplative path may find pranayama’s subtlety compelling. Those seeking an emotional release, memory exploration, or rewiring belief systems might find the Elemental Rhythm transition more well suited.
The contraindications are real: pregnancy, cardiovascular conditions, severe untreated psychiatric disorders, and epilepsy require medical clearance for intensive practices. This isn’t wellness theater—clients are deliberately altering blood chemistry and nervous system function.
Start simply. Five minutes of 4-7-8 breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8) before sleep has measurable effects on sleep latency and anxiety. Build capacity before intensity. It is beneficial to find qualified teachers and facilitators who understand both the science and the subtlety, who can hold space for what emerges when we finally pay attention to what has sustained us since our first moment of birth.
The breath is always here, always accessible, asking nothing but our attention. In a world of complex interventions and expensive protocols, there’s something profoundly democratic about a practice requiring only the willingness to breathe differently. The science validates what contemplatives have known for millennia: the breath is a doorway, and we hold the key.
Ren Hoskin is a Nutritionist, Board Certified Health Coach and Certified Breathwork Facilitator based in Crested Butte, CO.
READ THE AVALANCHE FORECAST BEFORE SNOWSHOEING SNOWMOBILING HIKING A WINTER 14er
BACKCOUNTRY SKIING SPLITBOARDING ICE CLIMBING
CHECK THE FREE DAILY DANGER RATING AT COLORADO GOV/AVALANCHE OR SEARCH “CAIC” ON YOUR PHONE’S APP STORE
Alaska’s Premier Luxury Heli-Ski Resort, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, Kicks Off 20th Anniversary Season with a Brand-New Wellness Center and Weeklong Women’s Heli-Ski Experience with Legendary Guides
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge 20th season begins on February 20, 2026, and this year, they have two major new offerings that will take their renowned, bespoke guest experience to the next level with a brand-new, state-of-the-art wellness center and first-ever luxury women’s heli-ski camp.
“We are honored to celebrate 20 years of sharing pure Alaskan adventure and unforgettable memories with our guests, and we hope to continue for decades to come,” said Mike Overcast, co-owner of Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. “As we welcome new generations of heli-skiers, we are embracing what they value – intention, connection, and wellbeing – through new offerings designed to elevate the Alaskan backcountry experience like never before.”
Surrounded by more than one million acres of Alaskan skiing terrain that receives 600 inches of snow each winter, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge offers some of the most exciting heli-skiing and boarding in Alaska. The resort itself also boasts on-site experiences to round out a true luxury vacation, from a lakeside après on the decks with mountain views and daily gourmet meals prepared to order by the lodge’s private chef, to daily yoga and guided stretching, rejuvenating massages and wellappointed accommodations for rest and relaxation between adventures.
Guests can also enjoy a number of winter activities like snowshoeing or Nordic skiing on the property’s 20KM of groomed trails or the ancient-tradition-turned-wellness-trend – a cold plunge in frozen Judd Lake, followed swiftly by a warm-up in the resort’s lakeside, wood-fired sauna.
Below are more details about Tordrillo Mountain Lodge’s winter 2026 offerings. For additional information or to book a stay, visit www.tordrillomountainlodge.com
Couloirs & Cashmere: A Women’s Luxury Heli-Ski Camp
This upcoming season, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge will launch the first-ever women’s luxury heli-ski camp, February 28-March 7, 2026. The weeklong experience is intended for heli-skiers – from those who are interested in heli-skiing but have not tried it yet, all the way to experts who have dropped in many times. Led by women, for women, guests will enjoy epic heli-skiing, untracked powder, professional and highly expe-
rienced guides, luxury lodging, gourmet cuisine and fine wine, and wellness and recovery activities. Legendary athletes, Jess McMillan, Jamie MacIntosh, and Lel Tone will host the unforgettable week of deep powder, high altitude luxury, and soul nourishing experiences.
The new wellness center, opening in February 2026, will augment Tordrillo Mountain Lodge’s exclusive Alaskan backcountry offerings. In the new space, guests will be able to prepare for a day of adventure or relax and rejuvenate lakeside.
Designed by Skylab Architecture and Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, the 2,400 square-foot structure will feature two massage therapy rooms, outfitted with luxury touches including traditional shou sugi ban walls – a centuries-old Japanese artisan technique of charring cedar. It will offer a juice bar, with made-to-order juices, smoothies, and snacks, as well as lockers and communal space. A yoga studio will accommodate up to 15 guests, a gym with premier cardio and strength equipment and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the resort’s private lake will give the impression of a natural infinity pool.
In addition to the new wellness center, the resort’s existing wellness space has been expanded by 100 square feet to feature a fully rebuilt sauna with a new stove and all new surfaces. The new sauna is made to accommodate 1215 people – more than twice the capacity of the previous space. The remainder of the existing building will serve as a new surf shop, housing gear used for summer activities on Judd Lake including Stand-Up Paddleboards, wetsuits, and more; as well as a brand-new retail space to allow guests even more access to Tordrillo Mountain Lodge’s partnerships with top outdoor brands like Stio, YETI, and Simms, among others.
All winter packages are seven-day, seven-night stays and include heli adventures, safety equipment and ski/snowboard demos, three gourmet meals daily, exclusive access to Judd Lake and all lodge-based activities, transportation from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, one double-occupancy room at Hotel Captain Cook the evening prior to Tordrillo Mountain Lodge reservation, and a private, round-trip flight between Anchorage and Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. Winter packages start at $18,500 per person.
By Lisa Blake
Lying on Myra Jansky’s warm, velvety massage table, every cell in my body has exhaled. I’m the consistency of melted candle wax, but my post-massage energetic centers are buzzing, eager to remove my eyemask and see what the mystic massage therapist and tarot designer’s cards have revealed.
This is the transcendent scene of a 90-minute Massage + Message session and, just like the time before this, I’m basking in Myra’s integrative hands-on healing style. The intuitive mix of myofascial release, craniosacral holds and deep tissue massage has released knots and tension I hadn’t known existed. I’m thankful for the dreamy, flowing state of consciousness that continues into the second half of the appointment, after I’ve dressed and positioned myself on the edge of the table to sit across from Myra as she calmly explains the messages she sees in the cards that jumped from her hands onto the table moments earlier.
The cards’ revelation—one that matches my own desires for creativity, childlike play, family connection and a fresh career chapter—is partly my own subconscious communicating with me, Myra explains.
“Through working the physical body, we’re working the energetic body, and it can allow your own subconscious to speak more clearly,” Myra says. “The nervous system is allowed to relax, let go and get quiet. The cards are helping you communicate with yourself.”
Myra dug into the world of tarot readings after a deck called to her from a Goodwill game aisle in 2016. Today, the 27-year-old is still surprised at how vivid or intense some readings are. The cards can be loud and, when combined with Myra’s massage techniques, clients have described the experience as psychedelic and similar to a chiropractic release.
Since pain in the body is made manifest in the mind and pain in the mind is made manifest in the body, Myra says her goal is to work with both. She’s currently employed at Alchemy Wellness in Frisco and at Keystone Lodge and Spa as a massage therapist while taking online University of Colorado Denver classes to become a psychotherapist.
“I became a massage therapist because I am passionate about helping relieve suffering,” she says. “It’s for this same reason that I’m back in university.”
The dream is to build a center that allows clients to retreat from the world for a day, a weekend or a month, while receiving healing body work, psychedelic-assisted therapy and somatic therapies.
For Massage & Message clients, Myra offers house visits, along with sliding scale pricing, so that healing assistance can be accessible for more people.
“I have spent the last ten years studying mystical wisdom, a wide range of philosophy and wisdom traditions, and archetypal psychology,” she says. “This knowledge, paired with a touch of intuition and a sprinkle of faith, informs my ability to translate the cards.”
Looking for a unique gift? Book sessions and check out Myra’s self-published watercolor and ink tarot deck, The Skeletal Tarot, at www.myrrhsea.com.
by Mountain Town Magazine
Steamboat Springs winters are not always beautiful bluebird skies, sun and sparkling, powdery, champagne snow. This town knows winter and the kids who live here are a hardy bunch who understand what works best to enjoy a day out skiing, snowboarding or just building a snowman. That is the genius behind Robin Hall’s company, her “KID-sumer” consultants, aka the kids who advise her on the best way to craft Town Hall Outdoor CO gear for them.
As a mother she wanted to create a product that met the needs of her children and other youngsters. Both she, her company founders and the kids she meets up with agreed that in addition to product performance, sustainability is a top goal. From the use of recycled fabrics, and grow with me seams that expand the size of the garment as your young one gets older Town Hall Outdoor CO is making sure they leave this planet a better place for the next generation.
This year’s product line of outerwear includes the Down Town puffy, Around Town cold weather jacket and the Mountain Town winter jacket. These jack-
ets come in a variety of sizes and color combinations. The Mountain Town Winter Pants match up with the jacket colors and all offer sizes from youth XS to XL. Enhancing the outerwear’s warmth and protection from the elements are useful magnetic closures, zipper pulls for little hands, easy access pocket placement, pocket size and more. Check out their T-Shirts, Hats and the cutest Young Artist Collection Neck Gaiter too. You adults reading this might find something you like as well in their adult section.
Growing up also equals Hand Me Ups. We love the tag inside each jacket and pant that lets each kid “Hand Up” their jacket and pants to someone else once they have outgrown their outdoor gear. The company is also working on a trade up deal as well.
www.townhallco.com
by Lisa Blake
On October 4, 2024, Dr. Tracee Metcalfe became the first U.S. woman to scale all of the world’s 8,000-meter (that’s 26,200 feet plus) peaks—a huge prize in alpine climbing.
At age 50, her fourteenth and final 8,000-meter summit climb brought her to the top of Tibet’s Shishapangma, the same peak that took the lives of two American women and two sherpa guides almost exactly one year prior.
From her home in Vail, Metcalfe is still digesting this feat, feeling the shock of ticking off a goal set more than a decade ago, playing a mental highlight reel of skiing off a glacier in Denali, swabbing climbers for Covid on the side of the seventh highest mountain in the world; and climbing precariously along a two-foot path beneath the giant serac on K2’s Bottleneck Couloir.
Along the way, Metcalfe navigated a hip and knee replacement, subsequent addiction to Percocet, and a career path that took her from internal medicine to top-of-the-world expedition doctor to, just this past summer, founding Vail’s newest proactive health and performance clinic.
Beneath it all lies a pursuit of excellence and a deep commitment to helping others thrive on the slopes, in the clinic, and in everyday life.
Eighteen-year-old Tracee Metcalfe found her people when she dropped freshman year at UCLA for a ski bum season in Breckenridge.
The self-described unathletic and introverted Southern California girl worked at A&W and delivered pizzas at night so she could ski all day.
Summers were all about climbing 14ers, a hobby that hooked her after
summiting Mt. Democrat her first season in Colorado. Metcalfe set a goal of climbing all 58 of the state’s 14,000foot peaks, a vision accomplished methodically across the next 20 years while juggling medical school at CU Denver, residency in Seattle, and a successful hospitalist position at Vail Health for 15 years.
“It gave me a roadmap,” she says. “I would take vacations to the San Juans and knock out five there. I worked my way up to technical mountains, went down to Peru and got guidance on glacier climbing and moved from that to big mountains.”
When an opportunity to work with the Denali volunteer ranger program came around, Metcalfe jumped at the chance to intertwine her two loves: medicine and mountains.
This was the young doctor’s first foray into expedition medicine and it was thrilling.
“I realized I really like combining medicine and mountains,” she says. “The park service needed a medical person, so I was working with rope specialists and rangers.”
Then came the spark to go to the Himalayas, so she applied to work in the emergency room on Everest—a coveted position that takes years to work up to. Instead, Himalayan Experience hired her to be their expedition basecamp doctor in 2014. Metcalfe juggled her work as a hospitalist in Vail with Nepal’s spring and fall climbing seasons, working a ton of winter Vail shifts to afford her 45-day expedition trips where she handled altitude illness, colds, frostbite and sherpa health. Eventually, her skills landed her a different Everest doc spot and she was able to summit the 29,028-foot goddess.
The time came, in 2019, for the doctor to stop exchanging her services for guided climbs and to go all in on the quest to conquer all 14 eight-thousanders.
“I’d had a few experiences where I wasn’t able to summit because people got sick and I needed to do my job,” Metcalfe says. “I’m training all year for these climbs and I realized that, if I was going to go, I wanted to be a paying client and summit.”
After Everest, Metcalfe began checking off Nepalese peaks, joining friends for climbs and tackling breathtaking and daunting Annapurna in 2021. The following year, she summited Dhaulagiri and Kanchenjunga and then went to Pakistan in 2023 for the first time and completed the rest of her summits.
Today, back in Eagle County, Metcalfe is leaning into ski mountaineering (ski-mo) races and climbing 13ers. She’s looking forward to returning to Nepal in 2026 as an ambassador and volunteering at a rural clinic in 2027.
“It’s time for a shift from my personal climbing to giving back to a country that has given me so much,” she says. “Will I ever do another 8,000-meter peak? I don’t know.”*
Through all of the personal highs and lows, the surgeries and struggles, the peaks and the perils, Metcalfe has stayed true to high-altitude medicine.
In June 2025, with more than two decades of clinical practice under her belt, Metcalfe opened The Synergy Clinic. Built on Medicine 3.0—proactive, personalized and participatory care—the Avon clinic works to blend functional, traditional and lifestyle medicine.
“Conventional care often focuses on managing illness after it appears,” she says. “Here, we focus on prevention, early detection, and empowering you to take an active role in your health.”
Currently a one-woman show, Metcalfe is serving around 40 patients and loves helping women through perimenopause and menopause.
“I went through menopause early, in my 40s, and it was a challenge finding a doctor that would listen to me,” she says. “It doesn’t need to be a scary thing. It’s part of aging, going through it with education can make a huge difference.”
Whether it’s prescribing hormone replacement therapies, bone density scans, or partnering with a nutritionist and acupuncturist, the goal is to empower patients.
Learn about the Synergy Clinic and book a consultation with Metcalfe at www.thesynergy.clinic
by Kristen Lummis
Meet the Founder of TheSkiDiva.com, the largest online ski community for women.
What inspired you to start TheSkiDiva.com and what makes you proudest?
The idea for the site came to me back in 2006. I remember waiting for the gondola at Steamboat, the only woman in a long line of men, feeling very much alone and thinking, ‘I can’t be the only woman who likes to ski.’
At the time I didn’t have any women friends who skied. And when I looked at ski magazines or went to one of the online ski communities, I didn’t see many women there, either. Women were perceived either as beginners or as being interested only in ski fashions or hanging out in the lodge. Women’s equipment or needs were barely discussed. And there was a lot of sexual objectification, too. I found it all pretty dismaying.
So I decided to put together a place where women skiers could come together to talk about skiing in a way that made them feel comfortable. Today, TheSkiDiva.com is the leading online community for women skiers. It’s fun, informative, and a great place to hang out. I’ve learned so much from the women on the site, and I’ve made tons of ski friends, too.
You’ve been a trailblazer for women’s skiing. I’ve always admired how you promote women within the ski
industry, from competitors to mountain managers.
Who are some of the most interesting women you’ve met through your website?
Wow, there are so many! The women who join TheSkiDiva come from such diverse backgrounds and have such varied life experiences. I’m completely inspired by their accomplishments, as well as their ability to juggle work and family and still make skiing a part of their lives. There’s everyone from doctors to attorneys to police investigators on the site. This makes for some interesting conversations. I’ve also had the pleasure of interviewing such champion skiers as Suzy Chaffee and Donna Weinbrecht and trailblazers like Jeannie Thoren. There’ve been women who’ve climbed mountains and started ski companies, held high positions in resort management, worked as patrollers, founded non-profits, and fought the good fight against climate change.
Where I really find community on your site is the forum. It’s an incredible community. Please share some more about it.
The forum is really the heart and soul of the website. Right now we have over 7,200 registered members from all over the world. And we get thousands of visitors each week.
There’s everyone from beginners to the highest levels of experts; from
women who know very little about equipment and technique to those with vast stores of expertise. We talk about anything and everything skirelated — gear, technique, resorts, and more. There are loads of firsthand gear reviews and discussions about various ski destinations. And there’s a lot of great advice, like what to do when you think your skiing has plateaued or how to handle fear or even why more women aren’t skiing.
I am by the women in TheSkiDiva community. They are supportive, friendly, good-natured, and respectful. It makes participating on the site an absolute pleasure.
The annual Ski Diva ski gatherings sound so fun. Tell us more please!
I started having SkiDiva get-togethers to get to know the people behind the user names. Plus there’s something freeing about skiing with a group of girlfriends. You laugh a lot. You have great conversations on the lifts. You’re free of the label of girlfriend, mother, wife, caregiver. It’s just you, the mountains, the snow, and TheSkiDivas. What could be better?
We generally have two events a year: one in the west and one in the east. The trips are open to members of the forum and their families. Women come from all over. And even if we’ve never met in person, it’s like getting together with old friends. The whole thing is a testament to the feeling of
community that pervades the site.
When did you begin skiing?
I grew up on the Jersey Shore and didn’t start skiing til I was 13 and we went on a family trip to the Catskills in New York. At first I absolutely hated it — I fell a lot, and the rope tow up the beginners’ slope was a nightmare. But I kept at it, mainly to get better at it than my sister.
I actually didn’t ski all that much — maybe 10 times a year — and stopped entirely in my early twenties. Life just got in the way. Fifteen years went by, and one morning my husband asked me if I wanted to go skiing. To put it in his words, it was like handing a crack pipe to an addict.
Now I live in Vermont and ski about 90 days a year. Most of my skiing is at Okemo, though I also manage to hit a lot of places throughout New England and go out west once or twice a year. Amazingly enough, my daughter didn’t ski when she was a kid. I’m a firm believer that you can’t force your passions on your children. It just creates problems. Now that my daughter is an adult, she’s begun skiing.
Looking at skiing as a whole, where do you see the sport headed?
I’m concerned about the consolidations that have taken place in recent years. I know ski areas are expensive to run, but I think the mergers make getting into skiing extremely difficult.. Sure, season pass prices are cheap. But day ticket prices are through the roof, so it’s really hard for people who might want to ski just a few days a year or try out a new resort. And since the larger companies can set ticket prices to whatever they want, I think they’re pricing out the smaller places where many people learn to ski and that act as feeder hills for the larger resorts. All this makes the pathway into skiing really anemic.
Do you have any advice for the younger generation of women rip-
ping it up on the mountain?
Just keep at it. Find other girls who like to ski, too. That makes it a lot more fun. And don’t let guys talk down to you or treat you like you’re less of a skier than they are. Skiing like a girl is not an insult.
Finally, what puts the Diva in a Ski Diva?
That’s a good question. Diva has
come to have a negative connotation: it can mean someone who’s temperamental and kind of a pain in the butt. But the original Latin meaning of Diva is Goddess, and I like to think that all women who love to ski are ski goddesses in their own right.
There are very few people that you meet in your life that leave an everlasting mark. When I was living in Evergreen CO, I had the chance to meet and befriend an extraordinary woman. I knew from the second I met Megan Mitchell that she was on a mission to make the world a better place, so when the opportunity came to let other people know about her, I jumped at the chance. Megan defines what Mountain Woman Magazine is based on. She “Rocks the Rockies” and has climbed mountains, maybe not literally, but will always turn around to make sure that others are ascending with her, because that is who Megan is. She is a selfless, giving, all around good human and I am honored to let you know why.
Megan Mitchell was raised in Kansas City and moved to evergreen in 1998. She met her husband Gery Mitchell while working as a bartender at Cactus Jacks in Evergreen Co. In 2001, they had an opportunity to buy Cactus Jacks and jumped at the chance. Gary and Megan got married in 2004. They went through good times and bad at Cactus Jacks. There was a 100-year flood in 2013, which flooded the building, and while Gary got injured trying to repair the building, Megan stepped in, became sober (and still is), and helped get Cactus Jacks back on its feet.
Megan’s goal for Cactus Jack’s and in her personal life is inclusivity. She said, “it breaks her heart when people feel excluded”. She always wants Cactus’s Jacks to be a restaurant where people can feel safe. They have hosted many events there to promote inclusivity including many drag shows where all types of people can come, get together, and have fun.
Megan is the president of the Evergreen Downtown Business Association, where she puts her efforts into making and keeping Evergreen the strong, close-knit community that it is, planning events, and helping the local businesses whenever they need it. But her accolades don’t stop there.
Megan has traveled to Africa twice, not on vacation, but to help Uganda with a water project. She is raising money as I write this so that a village in Uganda can have clean water without traveling over a mile on foot up steep hills to get it. She is working closely with The Ugandan Water Project out in New York, and when the money is raised, they will go and build the well. This will provide agriculture, income for families and safety from erosion. She funded the trips herself and will continue to help the villages of Uganda. But Megan didn’t stop there.
Megan has been recycling at Cactus Jacks since 2016, and in 2025, she purchased a recycling center in Evergreen to improve compost and recycling. She hopes to turn it into a nonprofit at some point. Foothills recycling is her way of making Evergreen more eco- conscious and environmentally friendly.
I think we can all use a little “Megan” in our lives. Do good, pay it forward, and embody the term “good human”. That’s about as woman as it gets. Thank you, Megan Mitchell, for showing us that ambition, determination and always thinking of others is something we can all strive for and for and achieve.
Amanda Marchiani, Founder of Gore Range Gravity Alliance
by Lisa Blake
What’s a girl gotta do to get some female skiing buddies? Turns out, you just have to ask.
Anyone want to meet up for a beer and chat about backcountry skiing? Amanda Marchiani threw the question up on Facebook and 65 women responded with interest. It was right before the pandemic hit in 2020 and Marchiani had just moved back to Vail after a stint in Denver. She was craving some time on the mountain that didn’t involve the dude crew intimidation or dominance factor.
“When a guy asks you to go on a backcountry tour, there’s a curious question in your mind…are they trying to get outside with me or trying to date me?” Marchiani says.
The women that showed up that night eventually got together for a hut trip, kept spitballing ideas, and hosted the first Gore Range Gravity Alliance (GRGA) event—a Wax and Wine night in Avon—in January 2022.
Since then, the grassroots organization has snowballed (pun intended) into a volunteer-operated Eagle and Summit County nonprofit on a mission to create spaces where women—regardless of age, background or experience—have opportunities to explore the outdoors and grow in confidence to become a leader of her own adventures.
Last year, in its third year of operation, GRGA held 26 meetups and educational events with more than 380 attendees. Women gathered for free hands-on avalanche safety education, relaxed-pace uphill skins and apres connection, and an annual Backcountry Ball fundraising event that invites women to swap ski boots and snowpants for heels and sequins.
“Winter in the mountains can be isolating,” Marchiani says. “There’s a lack of connection going on. For women to take that first step and get out to a meetup like this makes such a difference. That’s what leads to happiness.”
GRGA founder and part-time executive director, 36-yearold Marchiani says some days she has to pinch herself.
“I feel so grateful that this is part of my life,” she says. “I’ll often look at the women in the room, whether they’re putting on touring skis for the first time or volunteering to help GRGA grow, and I just feel really lucky.”
The Canon City native and Colorado State University alum is a contract events organizer, piecing together infrastructure for high-adrenaline competitions like X Games and Red Bull
Rampage. The end goal, she says, is to hang up the events job and focus full time on GRGA, working to reach broader female audiences and weave together more intergenerational connections.
“When you have a 20-year-old skinning next to a 60-yearold, that relationship is so special,” Marchiani says. “We really want to be able to create more of that.”
GRGA recently brought on three new board members (17 applied for the trio of positions) and fundraising is the central focus as the organization works to hire a full-time staff person and eventually launch youth programming for young women.
“People are always looking for a place to belong and I think it’s really cool to give women an opportunity to feel that,” says Marchiani. “We have empty nesters getting back into the thing they love. Moms with little ones, making time for themselves and 22-year-olds who just moved to the mountains. They’re all getting outside and connecting.”
www.gorerangegravityalliance.com
By Lisa Blake
For many repeat visitors to Breckenridge, a trip to Joy of Sox tops their must-do list. The playful, gift-filled boutique draws shoppers in from Main Street with its walls of buttery soft, hilariously clever and adorably giveworthy keepsake socks along with a slew of souvenirs and other cozy accoutrements. If visitors are lucky, the store’s owner Annie Evans will be in, offering her caring smile and help navigating the ever-changing inventory.
Joy of Sox has been a Breckenridge retail staple for more than 30 years and Evans works hard to ensure her thriving business stays interesting. In addition to any type of sock one might need, she stocks racks and shelves with colorful bags, scarves, jewelry, gag gifts, games, and family goodies for every generation.
Evans and her husband Rick Asher, who owns locally loved ski tuning stop Pup’s Glide Shop, have raised two snow-loving kids in Breckenridge—both Levi and Geneva spent time as competitive skiers—and say the key to long-term mountain living is finding that delicate work-play balance.
“We have a group of friends who meet every Thursday on the mountain,” Evans says. “This group is still skiing and still playing. After all these years, we haven’t lost our love for it.”
Nodding to her small staff of dedicated locals, Evans is able to work from home a couple of days a week, work in the shop a couple of days and play the remaining days. “It’s hard to find people who are sticking around and can afford to live here year round. I’m so grateful for them.”
Evans and her family and staff work diligently to “keep Breckenridge Breckenridge,” encouraging shopping local and keeping sales tax dollars circulating within the community. She’s a part of the Shop Breck retail group, a collection of small businesses promoting each other and staying mindful about keeping dollars local.
“Our sales tax dollars help support things that locals love — the rec center and the parks, Breck Create and all the great things that make Breck Breck,” she says. “We do what we can to maintain that small town resort feel.”
The circle of resort community life has gotten a little more challenging to maintain over recent years with the rise of one-click online and big box shopping. But, Evans says, it’s what makes up the fabric of our community and there’s a certain slice of pride that comes from a Main Street lined with locally owned stores.
S. Main Street Breckenridge, CO 80424 www.joyofsox.com
By Shauna Farnell
By Shauna Farnell
Annelise Lovelie of Icelantic Skis celebrates 20 years
The Colorado brand has set itself apart in sustainability, vivid artwork, and winter concerts
Growing up in Evergreen and going to school in Idaho Springs, Annelise Lovelie, Ben Anderson and Travis Parr became friends as preteens through ski racing. One time they were watching a 1990s surf film – In God’s Hands – when a lightbulb went off.
“The movie is about friends creating their own life,” Loevlie recalls. “That moment shifted everything.”
Anderson started talking about starting his own ski company. He graduated from high school early and got an internship with a small ski maker in Boulder called Journey, learning to press skis.
It wasn’t long before he took his newly learned skills to his family’s garage, gathering materials and crafting his own prototypes. Joining forces with Parr, an artist who provided the graphics and Lovelie, who stepped in to help with marketing, his creation became Icelantic Skis. They launched in 2005 with a handmade wood core and overall “bombproof” design. The initial ski was called The Scout, measuring just 143 cm. It would eventually elongate to become The Nomad, which, 20 years later, is still Icelantic’s best-selling ski.
“Our bread-and-butter skis have remained similar,” Loevlie says. “We’ve just gotten more focused and intentional.”
Part of the focus has involved manufacturing out of Never Summer Industries. A snowboard maker since 1991, Never Summer took on Icelantic’s processing 18 years ago.
Another major component of Icelantic’s mission has been to “leave the world better than we found it.” True to that, in 2022, the brand’s sustainability practices earned it a B Corp certification, the second ski company ever (after Faction) to earn the honor.
Operating out of its headquarters in Golden, Anderson continues on as Icelantic’s visionary product creator, whose next wave of innovation includes an all-mountain lineup of skis integrating carbon and various ultra-lightweight materials. Parr is still the artist, his masterpieces over the years ranging from lifelike wildlife to landscapes to vibrant, abstract shapes. Lovelie has worn just about every hat in the company. These days, she’s officially the head honcho, Chief Executive Officer.
“The general experience, especially in a leadership role, has been a refiner’s fire, defining my own power and voice,” she says. “For a long time, it was me and an opinionated, strong, alpha, all-men, creative team. I’ve had to work hard on myself. The opportunity has been a huge highlight.”
Icelantic has also been a major player in ramping up hype for the outdoors off the slopes. The company did, after all, spearhead and continue to organize the incredibly popular Winter on the Rocks, the 14th edition of which will land at Red Rocks this February.
“Standing on the stage looking out at 10,000 people, those moments have been so cool,” Loevlie says. “Also, continuing to do business with friends, watching the evolution of all of us, having families, having kids, getting to meet and ski with amazing people all over the country and world, that’s been one of the biggest highlights.”
Winter on the Rocks 2026 featuring BigXthaPlug, Smino, Mike Jenkins and PawPaw Rod hits Red Rocks Feb. 7. Also, Icelantic’s Spring Bash lands at Loveland on March 21 with demos, costumes and live music.
by Amy Schweim
Have you ever been on a ride or hiking with a group of friends and found yourself at the back of the pack suffering, struggling, and beating yourself up the whole time because your mind was telling you how much you suck?! Or maybe you don’t even go on group rides or hikes because you are afraid you won’t be able to keep up. Do you ever feel like your mind is against you sometimes?
I humbly admit, this sums up my early years of mountain biking when I first learned to ride in Crested Butte 20+ years ago and how I went through life off my bike from time to time as well; as though my mind was my worst enemy.
I’ll never forget the first time I rode clipless pedals with a former boyfriend who took me to Horse Thief Bench outside of Grand Junction, to learn. I’m not sure why he chose to take me to the most technical trail to torture me on, but nonetheless, my mind was pretty harsh with me that day as I struggled to keep up with him and stay on my bike! Many times, I found myself stuck in my pedals, tipped over on a pile of rocks with a trail of blood, sweat and mind full of defeat.
To try and salvage my pride, I tried to laugh it off and crack jokes through the sufferfest. I battled my mind all day long, justifying, arguing, and cursing myself. All the while trying to psych myself up after each fall and keep my attitude positive as I humbly slung my leg back over the saddle each time picking myself back up. I felt psychotic trying to maintain the happy face and claim how fun it was to my boyfriend while battling the gremlins of my mind. Mentally and physically exhausted, I survived. But sadly, I didn’t truly enjoy it because I let my mind negatively control my experience.
I spent the next ten years mountain biking the Gunnison Valley throughout my 20’s, battling my mind to some degree or another. Not only
on the bike, but off my bike too. I was a perfectionist and overly critical of myself in any endeavor I pursued.
Until I moved to South America….
After years of living in the land of extreme sports and enduro athletes, I picked up and moved myself to the Caribbean Coast of Colombia to teach internationally for two years. I went from a land of certain to the absolute unknown and uncertain. I moved from a small mountain town where I felt aligned, proud and falsely identified to the masculine energy side of my being. Upon moving, I found myself thousands of miles away from that masculine energy to the exact polar opposite vibe of the Caribbean embodied with feminine energy, the sea, and a subtle sense of ‘softness’ where I was able to tap into a more gentle way of ‘being’ by mixing up my recreation with mountain biking, surfing, yoga, and Latin dancing!
There weren’t many female riders and in the beginning, I rode alone a lot. What shifted the most for me was re-discovering why I loved mountain biking once I was out of the environment where I felt an invisible ‘pressure’ to perform. I was able to just enjoy the ride and stop fighting with the gremlins of my mind. I fell in love with mountain biking for the pure joy of it again. I let go of the feeling that I had to prove something on my bike, and also in life. I let myself simply be, in the flow state, happily experiencing joy!
It was like going back to being a kid in a way and learning again. Everything around me was new and I was beginning again: learning a new language, culture, country, singletrack and school system. Not even conscious of it at the time, I see that I had shifted from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset and was open to the process of learning, discovery, and the pure joy and bliss of the experiences! From that time in my life on, I really
embarked on a path of self re-discovery, healing, and embraced living life with a growth mindset; excited to learn, develop, and evolve into my full potential both on and off the bike.
Carol Dweck helps explain the difference between a fixed mindset and growth mindset:
“IN A FIXED MINDSET, PEOPLE BELIEVE THEIR BASIC QUALITIES, LIKE THEIR INTELLIGENCE OR TALENT, ARE SIMPLY FIXED TRAITS… THEY BELIEVE THAT TALENT ALONE CREATES SUCCESS–WITHOUT EFFORT. IN A GROWTH MINDSET, PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THEIR MOST BASIC ABILITIES CAN BE DEVELOPED THROUGH DEDICATION AND HARD WORK.”
For so many years, I beat myself up feeling like I was never ‘good enough’ and didn’t have the talent on the bike, and in life, to succeed and reach my goals. Once I shifted to a growth mindset, I was able to accept where I was and recognize what I needed to do to continue to develop myself. I focused more on my inner qualities and the way I perceived my experiences, my focus, values, beliefs, and thoughts about what I set out to do. I allowed myself to develop my skills (on the mountain bike and in life) rather than hold myself to an unrealistic expectation to be perfect and attain my goals without effort and struggle.
In all honesty, I went through some serious rock bottoms in my personal life that really brought me to the realization that I needed to shift my mindset, because it turns out, I was my own worst enemy and the biggest barrier in my way. I’ll admit, heartbreak was the catalyst that dropped me to my knees where I hit one of my first rock bottoms and the story isn’t pretty how I initially dealt with it. But the silver lining was discovering how to deeply love my own self, heal, forgive and then set out years later to inspire and empower other women
seeking to do the same through adventure travel, yoga, and mountain biking!
It kind of felt like a global ‘rock bottom’ in some ways from the effects of COVID-19, eh? But again, it depends on how you look at it! I think one of the greatest silver linings of this pandemic was taking advantage of the time we have had to connect, turn inward, and reflect on how we are showing up at life. Do you see through a lens half full or half empty? Rose or brown shaded? Here are a few tips to start to explore your mindset and move towards one of growth!
Understand the connection between thoughts and feelings – they create the reality of your experiences!
Start to build awareness around your thoughts and feelings. Pay attention to what you are telling yourself! Pay attention to how you feel! If you are beating yourself up STOP ALREADY! Take five deep breaths. Focus on your breath, change the story you are telling yourself to something softer and more loving! “You’ve got this! It’s not about the destination, it’s about enjoying the journey.”
Notice the beauty around you; the flowers, the trees, the beautiful sky, people you love. Then pay attention to how you feel after you shift your thoughts. It’s a really simple practice,
but it takes your awareness and practice.
YOU are in control of your mind; YOU are a powerful conscious creator!
Everyday, start your day by planting the seeds you want to watch grow in your life. You choose: will you grow flowers or weeds? Intentionally create affirmations to tell yourself every morning. Choose a mantra or word or whatever it is you will tell yourself every morning before your feet hit the floor that you can bring with you into your day for when challenges arise in life or on your bike. You have to take control of your mind rather than be at the mercy of your subconscious mind! If you learn from the experience, you are a WINNER every time!
Even if you come in dead last, miss a deadline or you don’t finish what you started, you are winning as long as you learn from your experience. Every mistake you make is progress IF you take a valuable lesson away and apply it.
Choose Progress & Growth over Perfection!
Perfection is driven by the ego. Let it go! Remember that life (and mountain biking!) is about enjoying the journey – it’s not about the destination. Strive for progress, growth, and developing yourself along the way rather than doing everything perfectly. You will have lots more fun along the way!
My international experience living, working, and mountain biking abroad changed me on many levels, but the biggest shift was that it sparked and ignited my calling towards a bigger purpose and passion in my life. Two years after returning to the United States, I started my company Womens Radical Pursuits in order to help other women tired of the daily grind, seeking to break free from their comfort zones in order to discover ridiculous fun, connection, and adventure through transformational international mountain bike and yoga trips.
I built Womens Radical Pursuits with the intention to help build deep, meaningful and lasting connections; to oneself, to other like-minded women, and to cultures and people beyond borders and into the world. As human beings, we are wired for connection.
Many other woman have discovered their passions are their biggest turn on and have crafted something new from their discovery and turned them into something bigger than the initial pursuit.
Amy Schweim is the owner of Womens Radical Pursuits. She is a Breathwork Practitioner, Integration Coach, Goddess Yoga Teacher & Ignite Your Passions & Purpose Facilitator for Sedona Soul Adventures ~Transforming Lives One Soul At A Time. Learn morewww.womensradicalpursuits.com
story by Suzi Mitchell photos by Regan Beroni
Restaurateur Bettina Neset cares nothing for the limelight. She is happy to be the hidden half in a husband-and-wife team, who have built up Rex’s Family of Restaurants in Steamboat Springs over the last two decades. However, if there is one thing that reflects her true colors, it is the interior design within each of their seven restaurants.
Despite being a self-confessed magazine junkie with a passion for Pinterest, Bettina chose to partner with Lindsey Jamison and her team at Rumor Design + ReDesign, a Steamboat-based interiors firm for a series of remodels. Their latest collaboration is a testament to the duo’s playful appetite for color and texture.
“In the restaurant business you want to be bold, and Lindsey is bolder than I,” Bettina shares, laughing. It’s clear the pair align. At the outset of the design plan for expanding Salt & Lime, the group’s Mexican-inspired eatery, Bettina presented a brightly hued, multiloop chandelier made of recycled soda pop bottles and basket covers as inspiration. The fixture serves as a talking point in the glass-walled private dining room, where a strip of Spanish tile packs a fun punch on the inside darkened walls.
venue, The Laundry Kitchen & Cocktails emanates an urban vibe, which was met with trepidation initially by longtime locals. “Steamboat is changing, and we have definitely seen an influx of people moving here who want what we
Playful wallpaper wraps the site’s elongated walls, where booths mingle with oversized scalloped chairs and quirky covered seating nooks. Mixed media artwork by Denverbased Dolan Geiman provides a talking point, no more so than Rita, the recently named Burro sculpture who takes center stage at the bar.
Despite Steamboat’s rural locale, Salt & Lime, like its sister
offer with the cocktail bar experience, small plates and great food in fun settings.”
Lindsey echoes the sentiment which provided the impetus for her and business partner Valerie Stafford to open a larger homeware boutique, cafe and design studio downtown in 2021. “COVID had us all holding our breath, but people wanted to renovate, and our business just keeps growing,” Lindsey says. The business won a Designer of the
“I like being able to be the eyes and ears, and nothing makes me smile more than seeing our customers enjoying the spaces we worked so hard to create.
~ Bettina Neset
Steamboat maintains its ranching heritage and so far, the cosmopolitan injection over recent years has only added to the town’s allure. “We’ve definitely kept some of our restaurants more traditional such as Mazzola’s Italian, which has a large family following,” Bettina says. At The Laundry, Lindsey and Bettina opted to celebrate the rich history of the historic building, which once served as a laundromat. Fun imagery and the rust brick walls hint at the location’s past, which was paramount to Lindsey, a Midwestern transplant with a penchant for historic buildings.
Lindsey relishes the diversity of working on residential and commercial projects. “Commercial definitely allows more playfulness with color, funky lighting and taking risks,” she says. Both women believe customer service is the driving force behind their successful relationship, and their individual businesses. “If something isn’t right, I can call Lindsey and she will fix it, you can’t get that online,” Bettina says.
Customers want to experience a personal connection. “Many of our diners don’t know who I am when I walk into any of our restaurants,” Bettina continues. She is the behind-the-scenes visionary who found her style match in Rumor. “I like being able to be the eyes and ears, and nothing makes me smile more than seeing our customers enjoying the spaces we worked so hard to create.”
Salt & Lime, top left and lower right
Laundry, top right
Rooted in the Rockies, reimagined for today. Unwind at the base of Peak 9, breathe in the crisp mountain air, and embark on authentic mountain adventures in Breckenridge.
Join us at Breckenridge’s gathering place for exceptional dining. Enjoy unique, open-fire pizzas and creative dishes celebrating local history. Savor modern mountain dining with us.
Edwin is more than just a restaurant, it’s a gathering place, perfect for those seeking an exceptional dining experience in Breckenridge.
Find our secret entrance and step into an exclusive lounge where skilled mixologists craft daring cocktails. Immerse yourself in intimate ambiance and engaging conversation for an unforgettable escape.
Hidden within the walls of Hotel AlpenRock in Breckenridge the Canary Speakeasy offers the only true speakeasy experience in Summit County.
by Lisa Blake
Suzanne Nance, Lead Brewer at Breckenridge Brewery
A Story Shaped by Mountains, Rivers and Beer. As told to Lisa Blake by Suzanne Nance
Some people spend their lives following a plan. Suzanne Nance followed a river. The suburban Chicago native grew up with a healthy dose of stability and support—she’ll tell you it’s the kind of upbringing that bolsters the confidence required to dream big. And so she did.
Fresh out of Denison University with a degree in economics, Nance set aside her quest to land the perfect downtown Chicago consulting job and said yes to a spot on a friend’s Grand Canyon-bound raft.
“What I thought was just a break became the beginning of the end of the life I thought I wanted,” Nance says.
Here, Nance shares her journey from the Midwest to the mountains to motherhood:
Surrounded by the sounds of waves echoing off the canyon walls and sleeping under a blanket of stars, something in me shifted. The rhythm of camp life, the heat of the sun, the challenge of the whitewater—it chipped away at the polished version of who I thought I was supposed to be. I found a strength and sense of peace and contentment in myself I had never known.
I came home, took a deep breath, and made the boldest decision of my life. I moved to Breckenridge with no job, no plan, and a three-month deadline: find work, make friends, carve out a life or head back to Chicago. Twentyfour years later, I’m still here.
My first job was at a ski shop, where I quickly moved through the ranks, leaning on my college education and strong work ethic. That job introduced me to a kind, wildhearted tight-knit crew who would become some of my closest friends. Summers were spent paddle guiding raft trips. Then came a part-time hosting job at the Breckenridge Brewery, a small side gig meant to help pay off credit card debt. I had no idea it would change the trajectory of my entire career.
I settled into brewery life quickly, picking up shifts and moving from server to bartender—a position not easily earned. The more I immersed myself in brewery culture, the more curious I became about what was happening
behind the scenes. I started paying attention to the brewers, their process, and the hard work, both physically and artistically, that went into making beer. I believed in the company. I believed in the product. And I wanted to be a bigger part of it.
At first, nothing made sense. Brewing was a whole new world of science, precision, and terminology I had never encountered. But I had an appetite to learn and a drive for detail—things that align with making good beer. For the next six years, I continued bartending while taking on the role of part-time assistant brewer, throwing myself into the work.
I knew going into the brewing industry that, as a woman, I would face some hurdles, stereotypes to overcome, and big personalities to navigate. What I did not expect was how many allies I would find. From the start, our head brewer and assistant brewer poured their knowledge, energy, and trust into me. The local brewing community welcomed me in, and while the “boy’s club” vibe was definitely present, it softened into something that felt more like big brothers. After all, I was the first and, at that time, the only female brewer in Summit County.
Six years into my role as part-time assistant brewer, the fulltime lead brewer position opened, just as I announced my pregnancy. But the leadership at the Breckenridge Brewery did not hesitate. They saw my potential clearly, even when I was still squinting to see it myself. They offered me the job without pause.
Three years later, I am still the lead brewer and I am proud to say I have made it my own. I have overseen the production of award-winning beers, led national collaborations, and helped build a culture grounded in quality, hard work, innovation, and inclusion. I have learned to trust my instincts, raise my voice, and own my seat at the table, even on the hard days.
My advice for women looking to enter this field? Do not let fear of being underestimated hold you back. Ask questions. Listen deeply. And don’t shrink yourself to fit into someone else’s version of what a brewer should look like.
This work has room for your voice, your style, and your presence.
It’s often said necessity breeds creativity. For Erica Davis, a 2020 breast cancer diagnosis was the motivator that shifted diligent book research into a hands-on strategy for healing.
“There’s nothing like seeing your life flash before your eyes to light a fire under you,” says the Wild Food Girl blogger and foraging hike guide. “I threw out all the processed food in my house and began to shop only in the produce and dry bulk food sections.”
Choosing to undergo radiation and bypass chemotherapy, Davis became a “healthy vegan,” consuming only vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, fruits and whole grains in their purest forms. Within four months, she dropped 25 pounds, ditched the rescue inhaler she’d been using her entire life, and felt more ease on daily trail runs near her home in Fairplay at 10,000 feet.
“I feel like a new person, better than I have my whole life,” says Davis, who has been cancer-free since September 2025. This new way of living and eating was the fuel Davis needed to go all in on what she’s dubbed wild food foraging for the soul.
Originally from Connecticut, Davis spent her formative years chasing plants in the eastern woodlands before moving to Colorado in 2008. She taught snowboarding at Breckenridge Ski Resort for a decade, nurturing her passion for plants on the side. The Wild Food Girl blog was born in 2010 and spawned the monthly magazine Wild Edible Notebook. Davis is deep into penning a book about edible plants in the western United States, educating readers on how to forage in the most sustainable and legal manner.
Today, Davis’ May through October plant walks and hands-on wild food experiences take groups of 12 around the state, plucking salsify (an excellent cooked vegetable with an artichoke flavor), cow parsnip, dandelions, mushrooms, pine nuts, field pennycress (great for making mustard) and more. Hikers trek for around five hours, moving intentionally, looking closely at plants, and gathering goods to bring back to the trailhead to cook.
Davis’ new WFG Learn membership program includes detailed instructional videos on plant and mushroom ID and foraging, while her Healthy & Wild program dispenses plant-based food recipes and culinary techniques.
“This is an invitation to look more closely and explore
nature deeply,” Davis says. “My hope is that people walk away with a curiosity to explore the natural world around them in new ways.”
Visit www.wildfoodgirl.com to sign up for digital and in-person classes and follow Erica’s foraging adventures @wild.food.girl on Instagram.
Dandelion Soup
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 carrot
1 onion
1 tomato
1 stalk celery
1 potato
2 big salad bowls full of dandelion greens
Olive oil (optional)
Tip: Serve vegans and meat-eaters at the same table with optional Italian sausage and hard Italian cheese or vegan Parmesan soup toppings.
Instructions:
Cook vegetables and broth: Chop and boil vegetables with 1 Tbsp olive oil and water or broth to cover, until the potatoes are done. Add herbs or bouillon if desired.
Cook sausage: Open casing and brown sausage.
Cook dandelions: Set a big pot of water to boil. Wash and rough-chop dandelion greens. Boil a couple of minutes until desired softness.
Compose soup: Strain and place a mound of dandelions in a bowl. Pour veggies and broth over top and sprinkle with sausage and grated cheese.
This recipe feeds meat-eaters and vegans at the same table if you serve the sausage and cheese on the side. I like it with vegan Parmesan cheese, a simple version of which can be made from nutritional yeast blended with almonds.
We always ask other women in the Food & Beverage industry to tell us about their favorite female-owned and led companies as well as notable women who work in the food service industry both in the kitchen and front of the house. Time and again Chef Laura PosiakTrider, aka Laura the Butcher, was mentioned. Hannah Hopkins who we featured in our last issue was especially enthusiastic about this rising star. Then Covid hit and time has since skewed how long-ago things have taken place. By the time I was preparing to meet Laura, she went ahead and opened up her own establishment in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Our Italian family has always coveted exceptional meats and cheeses. I also earned a Culinary degree that included a full class in butchering. I found the class fascinating. I was absolutely delighted to discover Laura and experience her lovely new restaurant, MEATBAR, offering exceptional charcuterie selections in her European-inspired eatery.
Laura is reviving a lost art here in Colorado, Butchery, and she is promoting the ethical side of animal husbandry along the way. In addition to MEATBAR, she also runs Laura the Butcher, a charcuterie catering company and private butchery, as well as MEATSKOOL, offering hands-on classes and workshops for kids and teens.
Food inside and outside of the kitchen, Chef PosiakTrider has always been attracted to the F&B Industry. After attending culinary school and working in San Francisco restaurants, she traveled the world to work on various organic vegetable farms.
In Italy, at a bed and breakfast she worked at, the owners had raised two pigs. A local butcher came and stayed at the house to process the pig’s meat, crafting beautiful charcuterie. Every part of the animal was used, something she had not experienced before. That was an eye-opening and philosophychanging moment.
Upon her return to the states, she started curing meats at home and took a job at a whole-animal butcher shop and a deli to learn as much as she could about locally farmed meats. In addition, she discovered a passion for education while teaching butchery at a culinary school in Maine, Laura and her husband, Dustin, began searching for a new place to call home. They’d heard about Steamboat Springs, threw caution to the wind, and moved to the Colorado mountain town. Here she began creating custom, upscale meat, cheese, and fruit boards for home delivery.
In 2020 she launched her new restaurant, MEATBAR, a women-owned and led eatery, which became an overnight hit. Laura’s establishment is not a butchery but rather a place where she showcases salted and preserved meats. She still provides learning experiences that feature whole animal breakdowns and these events are open to the public. MEATBAR is now offering classes in pasta making, chocolate crafts, and more.
This wonderful new addition to Steamboat Springs can be experienced by reservation or as take-out. You must try the Spanish Cured Jamon along with her small plates and dessert selections.
1009 Lincoln Avenue, Steamboat Springs www. steamboatmeatbar.com
The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) along with supporting partners Rab, Mammut, and the GORE-TEX brand, has launched the second season AIARE’s Women’s Mentorship Program. The program aims to welcome women across all levels of experience in the industry, build networks, and provide a mentorship framework for participants to replicate in future peer and mentor relationships. Women make up a disproportionately small number of avalanche educators in the U.S. and many women in the field find it difficult to grow and sustain their careers. The financial, sociological, and other barriers faced by everyone in the industry are often exacerbated for women. And those barriers can be even further ampli-
fied for women who are racialized, disabled, trans, mothers, poor/working class, and women who hold other historically marginalized identities. This season, AIARE aims to connect 40 mentees with 8 mentors who have deep experience in the avalanche industry. AIARE and its partners strive to create a program flexible enough to accommodate a wide variety of women—and lay a strong foundation for a robust mentorship lifecycle for women avalanche educators, from those embarking on their careers to those with decades of experience. Mentor applications are open now through August 15; mentee applications will be open from August 1 through September 1. In addition to running the Women’s Mentorship Program and offering women’s
affinity courses to train instructors and aspiring avalanche professionals this season, AIARE and its supporting partners will host four public networking events across the country this fall. These events will be facilitated by women in the avalanche industry and are open to anyone interested in learning more, building their network, or taking the next step in their career.
These events will be hosted in Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Jackson Hole. For additional information about the Women’s Mentorship Program or opportunities that AIARE offers to support women’s advancement, visit:
www.avtraining.org/womens-mentorship/.
Winter and Spring in the mountains offers a variety of seasonal temperatures. Fierce Winds, Sunshine, Below Freezing Temperatures and Snow melt. We can ski, hike, bike, fish and enjoy all of our favorite sports if you watch the weather. Here are some women tested and approved products to keep you outside - wind, sleet, rain, snow and sun.
by Noelle Resignolo
We are XTRATUF fans! This boot company is for more than just fishermen and women. All of their boots are perfect for mountain town romps and stomps, sunshine, rain, or snow. Just pair them up with the right sock thickness for the weather and you’re set to go. They look great with a skirt too.
www.xtratuf.com
Tecnica Footwear’s – Tecnica Magma Mid S GTX hiking boots are love at first wear but the relationship gets better as you get them out. These boots are the ultimate trekking shoe great on slippery talus, cobblestone streets, or jungle: concrete or tropical. Read the full review on our website or buy them here:
www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en
Compression socks help keep the pressure on whether you’re an athlete or someone needing everyday compression. CEP has a fantastic array of socks to meet your body’s needs and make a difference in your training, performance, and recovery.
www.cepcompression.com
Costa Salina Sunglasses
These are the greatest glasses for fishing and bright light outings. The filtering of reflective glare while casting for a fish is essential and these polarized sunglasses make you feel a little sexy too.
www.costadelmar.com
Packing for an adventure can be stressful, creating checklists and preparing what gear will best fit your journey can heavily impact your experience. My latest travel was a postgrad, two-month study and backpacking trip through Europe and Iceland. After returning there are two products that I would recommend, The Osprey Fairview 55 Travel Pack and the Technica Boots, on page 68.
The Osprey Fairview 55 Travel Pack is more than just a backpack, it’s two packs in one. The backpack is designed to provide a 15 L removable day pack that zips on and off the larger pack. The day pack easily connects with a thick zipper and can be sinched down to downsize in a snap.
The smaller 15 Liter pack has one large section with a laptop nook and a small pocket where I stored sunglasses, power banks, snacks, and anything I needed easy access to. The smaller pack was slim enough for walking around cities, hikes, and running. The straps of the pack sat comfortably on my hips and had a secondary strap across the chest for traditional weight distribution.
I often wore the day pack on the front of my chest to carry personal items and stored my 40 Liter pack in the overhead cabin while in transit on planes and trains. Anyone who has traveled with a backpack as a carry-on knows the struggle of shoving loose straps into the compartment only for a strand to fall loose and get shut in the door. Osprey sought a solution, the backpack can transform into a duffle bag by unrolling a flap that is tucked into a small slot at the base of the pack and zipping it. No more loose straps. The 40 Liter pack has one large compartment
Here is a brand that has classic mountain looks, keeps you warm, and stands up to both the elements and time. We have been wearing Dope Snow’s Adept W Snowboard Jacket and Pants for the past two years. This is an all-mountain product with plenty of pockets, a spacious hood for your helmet, a snow skirt, wrist gaiters, a snuggly fleece chin guard, and cinch drawstring waist to adjust for layers. This Swedish company is doing it right. We love the soft, silent fabric they are using along with a superb fit. The prices are right too. Check them out
www.dopesnow.com
Montec has been rapidly growing in popularity on mountains around the United States. We thoroughly tested some of their Women’s Doom Ski Jacket, Fawk Ski Pants, and Scope Ski Goggles. You can read the whole review on this fabulous brand on our website. If you are looking for high-performance and stylish gear at an affordable price point, Montec has what you’re looking for. www.montecwear.com
We found one of the most versatile pieces of outwear you could own. Who knew a jacket so simple could bring such joy to the owner and wearer. This Black Crows Freebird Polartec Jacket is made of a Polartec/ Pertex blend that combines warmth, thermo-regulation, and lightness. We have worn this jacket on its own on cool summer days, fall hikes and under our ski and snowboard wear as a layer. Lightweight and thin it packs up easily. It’s great for camping too. The trims detailing makes it feel fashionable too.
www.black-crows.com
Amy Schweim is the owner of Womens Radical Pursuits. She is an Adventure Guide, Inspirational Leader, Goddess Yoga Teacher, Somatic Breathwork Facilitator, Embodiment Coach & Founder of Project Bike Love Lachatao.
Her mission is to help women connect to their true authentic sacred & sensual power, their passions & purpose and rise together stronger through Somatic Experience modalities of healing & International TravelAdventures that bring 2 wheel change to the communities they adventure to and through.
Could the Omega Man be the next rung up on the evolutionary ladder?
An indescribable peace is shattered. Lovely silence replaced by that familiar, intrusive voice: It’s fucking cold.
I know the insanity of complaining about the weather, so I laugh at the scene: one hundred or so layered up locals; yoga mats unfurled.
And me, on this wet field in Breckenridge, Colorado… covered head to toe in socks, thermals, sweatpants, a tank top, sweatshirt, and hat. Summer in the Rockies.
Within moments we will begin moving and the sun will fiercely warm this August day. Class begins. I take a few deep breaths. Silence. And then, just for a moment… I lose myself.
Whoa.
Lost in the scintillating sounds of the harp and the warm words of our cheerful yogi: “This time is yours”. As if floodgates surrounding my heart burst open, a rapturous wave beats throughout my body with undulating ripples, blasts through my lips as a joyous smile, and begins to emerge through my eyes…But I stop it.
Why the hell are you getting so emotional right now? I choke back tears but cannot suppress this grin. “Alpha Mike” could never feel something this beautiful.
That side knows that emotions, vulnerability, and, Godforbid, shedding a tear in public, are signs of weakness and must be avoided at all costs.
But, this man no longer flies with that flock… At least, not always.
A stranger catches my eye; golden-haired and graceful. Who is she?
Who cares!? Watch that body bend…twist…arch.
Oh, you primitive, reactive mind. I consciously return to the flow. But not without another glance in her direction. Perhaps I’ll introduce myself later.
Still a man. But not Alpha; the typically aggressive, often superficial, dick-measuring ‘macho man’. Nor am I a Beta; the scared suck-up.
Flowing now. I feel joy, peace, and…something crawling on my arm?
A formidable, fat-headed Daddy Long Legs appears. Squash the pest…the insignificant insect! No remorse! Kill it!
Today, thankfully, saner heads prevail. Calmly, I look at the culprit of my lightly-petted appendage; a beautiful being stopping by and saying hi with its own, quirky form of yoga.
I gently lower my forearm towards the grass, allowing the visitor to peacefully walk away. I smile as my new friend, and those eight, long legs, disappear into the dewy blades. A life is spared.
Shit.
There it is again.
The feeling that “real” men are not supposed to feel, or share. I choke it back.
Could there be another choice?
Could I be an Omega Man?
But the Omega, as many claim, is the Anti-Alpha; a testosterone-depleted outcast. Others, however, believe the Omega is Alpha 2.0; a man who leads without recognition, prefers cooperation over competition, and does not care what others think.
Perhaps, the Omega Man simply represents choice.
Imagine.
A world filled with men who can slow down; Who stop to smell the flowers.
Men who enjoy time alone, Perhaps writing poetry for hours.
Men who don’t pride themselves, On pounds of pork ingested. Would rather travel a quiet path, Without the herd; noisy and congested.
Men who don’t rely, On others’ good opinions.
Warriors leading by example, Instead of following the minions.
Present men, connected; Inspirational, free, untamed.
Men guided by their emotions; And who can shed a tear, unashamed.
Back in class, an affirmation is offered: “I Am Worthy”. Too late…no going back. A tear falls. A salty symptom of sentiment escapes and splashes onto the mat below. Here stands this teary-eyed tower of a man…unashamed.
Class ends. Amidst a sea of hugs, I remember…the blonde!
Just like my new spider friend; gone. No worries. If it’s meant to be, our paths will cross again. I roll up my mat and it becomes clear: I don’t need to choose.
The Omega Man isn’t about right or wrong, or even choice. The Omega Man represents the ability NOT to choose; to not conform to this label or that.
To me, that feels like progress and, in a word…freedom. But that’s just my perspective, and whether you agree or not, I don’t care...Too much.
Mike Messeroff is a Personal Freedom Coach, Writer, Speaker, World-Traveler, and Polyamorous Poet, sharing stories that inspire others to slow down, enjoy life, and follow their own intuition. Enjoy more of Mike’s writing on Instagram (@mikemesseroff) and learn about working with Mike at MikeMesseroff.com
When you find a piece of land that speaks to you, you want to start enjoying it as soon as possible. Financing for a bare land loan isn’t easy to find but as the leader in rural lending, we’ve got you covered. We’ll work to find a term and down payment that are right for you. Regardless of if it’s open land, timbered land, or a combination of both, we’ll help you secure a loan so you can start enjoying your dream. Speak to one of our rural lending experts today. Visit Rural1st.com or call 1-844-GO-RURAL to get started.
Kimberly Hanna
Senior Rural 1st Loan Officer
970.819.3971 NMLS 1155253
kimberly.hanna@rural1st.com