Horsetooth Hang

Horsetooth Reservoir is definitely one of Fort Collins' most popular attractions. Visitors from all over the state and the region come each summer to boat, camp, bike, hike and climb in the park. While the weather may already be too cold to get out on the water again this year, climbing enthusiasts are hoping it stays sunny this Saturday for the 17th annual Horsetooth Hang.

The climbing festival, hosted by Neptune Mountaineering, will kick off Saturday at 8 a.m at Rotary Park. Climbers of all abilities are encouraged to participate as climbing is offered all day for any who register. A formal climbing competition will also be held for those wanting to test their skills, and a reward will even be offered for conquering a particularly difficult route.

For those looking to brush up on their safety skills, a great clinic will be offered by AMGA certified Craig Luebben. The half-day class will teach you how to self rescue should something render you partner incapable of doing so. The class will be $55 and is recommended for anyone who ever ties into a rope.

If you're not sure you want to get out on the rock yourself, come anyway just to spectate. Vendor booths, gear demos, prize raffles and art displays will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. And when the climbing stops at 4 p.m., the party continues at Hodi's Half Note. Dinner from Uncle's Pizzeria and beer from New Belgium along with awards, a slideshow from Paul Robinson and live music will keep the party pumping past midnight.

Full day registration for climbers will be $30 on site, but you can save $5 by pre-registering online.

Deep Deals

If you haven't noticed, the days are getting shorter and the weather's getting colder. Both are signs that winter is approaching. For those of you that enjoy winter sports like skiing, snowboarding or mountaineering, it's time to take a look at your gear and make sure you have what you need for the coming season.

If you're like me and happen to be strapped for cash, don't fret.

Several discount websites have been formed by online retailers to sell their overstocked items. For those interested in outdoor gear, Steep and Cheap and Whiskey Militia offer a great selection of the best deals around.

Each site works a little differently, but both sell one item at a time at a drastically reduced rate until it sells out. And when I say drastically reduced, I don't mean your typical 20%- 30% off. To give you a better idea of the savings, currently on Whiskey Militia is a pair of Spy Lebaron Sunglasses normally sold for $104.90, on sale for $28.89!

Another site, Gear Engine, offers deals on merchandise that has been returned to stores or listed by other users as in "good as new" or "gently used" condition. This site commonly offers more than 70% off, but buyers must act quickly because each item "expires" after only a few minutes.

So whether you've been hunting for a good deal on a certain item for months, or are just looking for a place to spend some extra cash, these websites will make sure you get double your money's worth.

Bike Parade

New Belgium brewery's seventh annual Tour de Fat will be parading through Fort Collins this weekend and its an event you won't want to miss.

The festivities begin this Saturday at 11 a.m. with the famous costume bike parade. Participants traditionally come dressed in their craziest attire, from mismatched outfits to full Halloween-style costumes. Bikers often display unusual bike designs as well, and attach buggies and sidecars to their rides.

After the parade of bikes, riders will head to the Mothership where the festival kicks off. Starting at noon the kegs will be tapped and several bands and performers will entertain the crowd until 6 p.m.

Of course, aside from providing circus-style entertainment, the event does have a purpose. Tour de Fat challenges concerned citizens to become less dependent on cars and fossil fuels by committing to riding their bikes as an alternative. Admission to the festival is free, but all profits from beer sales will go to Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol and Bike Fort Collins.

Whether you've been working on your costume since last year or just want to laugh at the crazy people in costumes, Tour de Fat is a must-see this weekend.

The Best In The West

This post is dedicated to filling you in on the best deals in skiing and snowboarding this year.

As far as mountains go, everyone has his or her own preference, or loyalty as some may consider it. In Colorado, the options for season passes have made skiers and riders choose between the Vail resorts, also known as Keystone, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, Vail and Beaver Creek, and the IntraWest resorts, which include Copper Mountain, Winter Park and Steamboat(new this year).

Loyalties aside, as a college student I have always made my decision based on cost. The mountains that offer me the best deal win my loyalty.

The two passes I'm primarily comparing are the Colorado Pass and the Super Pass. The Colorado Pass offers unlimited days at Keystone, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin, while the Super Pass offers unlimited days at Copper and Winter Park. In recent years, there has been a significant difference in cost between the two, but this year their adult passes are both offered for $399.

This would have caused me quite a problem if I didn't already know about the best deal in the west.

For years Wells Fargo Bank has offered 2-for-1 Super Pass vouchers when you open a College Combo Account. Although this offer is meant to bring in new customers, those of you that already have a Wells Fargo account, and somehow haven't heard of the voucher deal, need not fret.

You can obtain a voucher by adding a savings account, credit card, or by signing up for online banking. The only requirement is that you make use of four banking products.

To use the voucher, you must purchase your pass between Sept. 1 and Nov. 18. Passes can be purchased at Christy Sports anytime between those dates, or at the Passwagon, which will be making its way to Fort Collins this weekend.

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Passwagon will be parked outside of Outpost Sunsport. You will need your Wells Fargo voucher and student ID to get your season pass.

Happy pass-buying!

And just to get you pumped up, here's a sweet video from last season.

Live Green

This weekend New Belgium Brewery is hosting an event that may not get your adrenaline pumping, but will definitely kick your conservation efforts into high gear! The 8th annual Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair is happening Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Each day the fair will feature several keynote speakers, exhibits from many local and national companies, hands-on workshops, an organic food market, entertainment and more. The entire event is family friendly and designed to educate all ages.

The Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association describes the fair saying that it aims to provide "enlightening solutions that sustain our lifestyles while sustaining our environment." Topics will include sustainable living practices, renewable energy, green building, alternative vehicles and more.

This fair should be a top priority for anyone with an interest in outdoor adventure sports. If we want to keep our environment beautiful, we need to stop ignoring environmental issues and work hard to reverse the damage that has already been done.

Climb Your Heart Out

Everyone knows Colorado is home to the Rocky Mountains. In fact, I suspect that if I interviewed 10 random Americans and asked them to say the first three things that came to mind when they thought of Colorado, at least seven of them would mention the mountains. In my mind, there is no better way to experience the mountains than to go rock climbing.

I have to admit that I am certainly no rock climbing expert. To be honest, aside from the occasional bouldering while on a hike, I have never climbed outdoors. Even so, my passion for climbing has been ignited over the past two weeks as my husband and I have begun climbing indoors at Miramont gym.

I have always been interested in climbing, but the price tags on most of the gear and the costly gym memberships have always put it out of reach. Those misconceptions ended last week when I discovered REI's membership discounts, and Miramont's student membership special.

For a one time fee of $15, you can buy a lifetime REI membership that scores you coupons for 15% or more, and lets you participate in member garage sales where you can purchase gently used gear at deep discounts. I also got a sweet deal on climbing shoes that were on sale. (They might still be available if you hurry!) The bottom line is you need about $150 to $200 to get your gear, which is significantly less than I was expecting.

The Miramont membership was also a pleasant surprise. Although their climbing wall membership is normally $40 a month, they are currently running a student gym membership special that gets you access to the entire facility, including group classes, for $35 a month. They do require a nine-month commitment, but you can "freeze" your membership as many times as you want and instead of paying for January when you might be away on break, extend it to June.

Just to give you an idea of how sweet this deal is, I compared Miramont's rates to its rival, Inner Strength's. Inner Strength offers a six-month membership for $45 a month, and thats just for the climbing wall.

I guess what I'm trying to say is if you've ever considered getting into climbing, now is the time. Getting started this fall will be the perfect way to stay in shape during the winter, and by the time spring hits, you'll be a pro out on the real stuff.

Abra Cadabra

This weekend, Fort Collins is hosting an event that anyone with a sense of curiosity won't want to miss. The 14th annual Magic in the Rockies convention is coming to town, and it promises to entertain all ages.

Even if you have become a skeptic, you can probably remember a time during your childhood when magic fascinated you. Personally, my fondest magic memory is of watching in awe as a man from my church pulled silver dollars from my ear during coffee hour when I was 10. Looking back, magic in church was probably quite contoversial, and now that I think about it I don't remember seeing him around once I hit middle school.

Whether magic has a special place in your heart or has yet to amaze you, it wouldn't hurt to head down to Old Town and stop by the free magic show before you work some magic of your own at the bars. The excitement starts Wednesday night at 5 p.m. in Old Town Square, and the main act, Sir Mark Logsdon, will be recreating Houdini's "Milk Can Escape" at 6 p.m.

If you happen to miss it, be sure to check out the main performance on Saturday, at 7:30p.m. at the Lincoln Center. According to the Collegian, five internationally acclaimed magicians will be performing alongside mimes and martial arts experts. Sweet. Tickets start at $10 a seat and the show is expected to sell out.

Would you go if I told you Harry Potter will be there?