Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/910378
asked if he'd do a dogsledding presentation at their winter festival. A hundred and y people showed up. "It was crazy popular," he says. e program grew and grew. Peterson's dogs get excellent food and veterinary care, he says, plus "they get loved on by thousands of people a year." He considers his 16 sled dogs part of the family. " ey come in the house and sleep with us. We have a really strong bond with them." eir urge to run and pull is genetic. " ey're so passionate about it. If people say that animals don't need purpose, I disagree." When I got my chance to ride the dog sled, Liv Kohnen, a Saint Louis native, was the musher. I stood behind her, tightly holding the handles. e nine-dog team burst down the trail, tearing through the gleaming snow. As a wipeout seemed imminent, I concentrated on my balance. Clearly the dogs were in control. I was just along for the ride. Eco Elegance at Devil's umb Ranch Eight miles from the family-centered YMCA, Devil's umb Ranch of- fers an eco-luxe retreat. is is the kind of place couples or small groups can spend an entire week getting away from it all. Summer o ers SUP yoga, a zipline course, and mountain biking on 125 miles of trails. Snow- shoers and Nordic skiers take over in winter. ere's a ski waxing yurt, spa, wine cellar, game room with billiards, and a cushy movie theater. e lodge rooms have specially made trough bathtubs. For owners Bob and Suzanne Fanch, environmental concerns were paramount from the get-go. ey've chosen only to develop 10 percent of their land, and have found innovative ways to recycle. ey've turned lodgepole pines decimated by the 1996 mountain pine beetle outbreak into interior walls and ceiling beams in the lodges and the spa. ey also relocated two Civil War-era barns from the Midwest to use as event spaces. Visitors can see the axe marks where an Indiana builder cut into the beams two centuries ago. e resort has the state's largest private- ly-owned solar panel system, and its ltration system breaks down bac- teria in the wastewater. Tip for wannabe visitors: April is budget season. Eating Veg in Grand County Grand County pleasantly surprised me with its many vege- tarian options. A few standouts: • Heck's Tavern at Devil's umb o ers a quinoa dish with Brussels sprouts and curried cashews. Plus, they make their own red and green chili sauces. • e Stillwater Grill in Grand Lake, owned by French chef Jean- Claude Cavalera, serves a vegetables napoleon with a he y chunk of baked tofu surrounded by kale, red cabbage, spaghetti squash, mushrooms, and quinoa with a balsamic drizzle. • Weekend Brunch at Grand Lake's Fat Cat Café features owner Sal- ly Ho man's scones and pies. Vegans should ask for Sally's mush — a big plate of fresh lettuce mix topped with crumbled black bean patties and walnuts. Sally cooks everything herself, and bans alcohol, margarine, and iceberg lettuce from the premises. • e Vertical Bistro at Winter Park Resort o ers a veg burger, as does the old-fashioned Sloopy's in Grand Lake. • An order of veg nachos at the Sagebrush Café in Grand Lake feeds three people. If You Go Many airlines operate direct ights between LAX and Denver. Expect your ight to take about 2 hours and 20 minutes. From Denver, rent a car or take the Home James shuttle to Grand County. e shuttle is a good option if you're planning to spend all your time at Devil's umb, Winter Park, or the YMCA, and won't need to drive during your visit. Winter highlights include Christmas events like Grand Lake's tree lighting, Win- ter Park's Torchlight Parade and the Festival of Trees, and the Grand Lake Annual Winter Carnival in February. Photo Bottom: Carl Frey, Photos Middle and Top: Teresa Bergen asked if he'd do a dogsledding presentation at their winter festival. A hundred and y people showed up. "It was crazy popular," he says. e program grew and grew. Peterson's dogs get excellent food and veterinary care, he says, plus "they get loved on by thousands of people a year." He considers his 16 sled dogs part of the family. " ey come in the house and sleep with us. We have a really strong bond with them." eir urge to run and pull is genetic. " ey're so passionate about it. If people say that animals don't need purpose, I disagree." When I got my chance to ride the dog sled, Liv Kohnen, a Saint Louis native, was the musher. I stood behind her, tightly holding the handles. e nine-dog team burst down the trail, tearing through the gleaming snow. As a wipeout seemed imminent, I concentrated on my balance. Clearly the dogs were in control. I was just along for the ride. Eco Elegance at Devil's umb Ranch Eight miles from the family-centered YMCA, Devil's umb Ranch of- fers an eco-luxe retreat. is is the kind of place couples or small groups can spend an entire week getting away from it all. Summer o ers SUP yoga, a zipline course, and mountain biking on 125 miles of trails. Snow- shoers and Nordic skiers take over in winter. ere's a ski waxing yurt, spa, wine cellar, game room with billiards, and a cushy movie theater. e lodge rooms have specially made trough bathtubs. For owners Bob and Suzanne Fanch, environmental concerns were paramount from the get-go. ey've chosen only to develop 10 percent of their land, and have found innovative ways to recycle. ey've turned lodgepole pines decimated by the 1996 mountain pine beetle outbreak into interior walls and ceiling beams in the lodges and the spa. ey also relocated two Civil War-era barns from the Midwest to use as event spaces. Visitors can see the axe marks where an Indiana builder cut into the beams two centuries ago. e resort has the state's largest private- ly-owned solar panel system, and its ltration system breaks down bac- teria in the wastewater. Tip for wannabe visitors: April is budget season. Eating Veg in Grand County Grand County pleasantly surprised me with its many vege- tarian options. A few standouts: • Heck's Tavern at Devil's umb o ers a quinoa dish with Brussels sprouts and curried cashews. Plus, they make their own red and green chili sauces. ly Ho man's scones and pies. Vegans should ask for Sally's mush — a big plate of fresh lettuce mix topped with crumbled black bean patties and walnuts. Sally cooks everything herself, and bans alcohol, margarine, and iceberg lettuce from the premises. • e Vertical Bistro at Winter Park Resort o ers a veg burger, as does the old-fashioned Sloopy's in Grand Lake. • An order of veg nachos at the Sagebrush Café in Grand Lake feeds three people. If You Go Many airlines operate direct ights between LAX and Denver. Expect your ight to take about 2 hours and 20 minutes. From Denver, rent a car or take the Home James shuttle to Grand County. e shuttle is a good option if you're planning to spend all your time at Devil's umb, Winter Park, or the YMCA, and won't need to drive during your visit. Winter highlights include Christmas events like Grand Lake's tree lighting, Win- ter Park's Torchlight Parade and the Festival of Trees, and the Grand Lake Annual Winter Carnival in February. Photo Bottom: Carl Frey, Photos Middle and Top: Teresa Bergen December/January 2018 25