For most of the individuals I write about and photograph, hiking alone in a remote canyon, even if it involved a couple of rappels, wouldn’t give them a second thought. The level of perceived risk for these folks, even traveling solo and without leaving an itinerary, is negligible.

While less than 1.5 hours from Boulder, the area feels remote, far from the hoards that ply Interstate 70 en route to lift-served skiing and the crowded party ski scene of resorts like Copper Mountain and Vail. But the sense of solitude is deceiving.

The first thing you notice are the mountains. They’re rough and jagged, and they stand tall against the rising sun, etching patterns in the sky. The second thing you notice, because it sits right in front of you, is the helicopter. A bird, waiting to take fight, with you safely tucked into its belly.

When it comes to winter sports, Olympic athletes tend to get all the attention. But Colorado athlete Griffin Post has been quietly toiling away as a big-mountain competitor on the Freeride World Tour for the past two years. This tour — which features four showcase events held at Sochi, Russia; Chamonix, France; Squaw Valley, Calif.; and Verbier, Switzerland (along with 13 qualifying events) — is the ultimate test of man against mountain.

The Lange Legacy: Innovative boot design and innovative advertising were the hallmarks of this former Boulder company.

Ever since Icarus launched his illadvised flight to doom, man has attempted to fly. It is one of the most primal of all instincts. Fortunately, it’s one that every skier and snowboarder can indulge in frequently here in Colorado. And, with an abundance of soft, snowy landings, we don’t have to pull an Icarus on the re-entry.

One of the great mysteries of Colorado skiing is how a ski area that racked up more snow than anywhere else in the state, was an hour and 15 minutes from downtown Denver and which had some of the steepest terrain in the country managed to go out of business.

What makes his smile at the bottom so large isn't just one of the best days he's ever experienced in his life, or the fact that an expensive overseas trip is paying off, or even that he can eat Swiss chocolate for breakfast. It's the skis he happens to be riding.