The following animals are available for adoption at the Summit County Animal Shelter. Call the shelter at 970-668-3230 with questions. The most recent list of animals available for adoption can be found on the shelter’s website. Cats Angel, 7 years, domestic shorthair, tab calico and brown tabby, spayed female Bashful, 9 years, Maine coon mix, black tabby, spayed female Cheshire, 7 years, Maine coon, brown tabby and white, spayed female Jasmine, 5 years, Birman, seal point, spayed female Jim, 2 years, domestic shorthair, brown tabby, neutered male Judias, 1 year, Burmese mix, gray tab and ..read more

Whether sprinting down the mountain to assist ski patrol, searching for buried skiers or becoming best friends with ski school students, Zuma the avalanche dog has been a fixture of the Loveland Ski Patrol team for the better part of a decade. Longtime Loveland Ski Area patroller Mary Lorch originally got Zuma when he was just a puppy and immediately had aspirations of shaping him into a certified avalanche dog. “We got him when he was 7.5 weeks old,” Lorch said. “I had a previous dog that I thought that I wanted to have as an avalanche dog. Well, he wasn’t appropriate. This guy came along, an ..read more

The Youth Forest Stewards program, hosted by the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, is accepting applications. Youth Forest Stewards is a program that empowers young individuals ages 14-18 to become stewards of our environment, according to a news release from the nonprofit organization. The stewards will participate in up to seven forest stewardship volunteer projects from June to September. These projects could range from new trail construction to tree thinning, fish surveys, wildlife habitat restoration and more.  The projects dates this summer include a trail maintenance project o ..read more

The dog lovers of Summit County have spoken. The combination of convenience and affordability at the A&A Pet Supply and Feed’s dog wash proved to be a winning one since the business was voted Best Dog Wash in the 2023 Best of Summit contest. “We like to say all you need to bring is the dirty dog,” owner Sarah Terrill said. “We provide everything else: shampoo, towels, blow dryers, combs.” The self-service wash at A&A is intended to be uncomplicated and accessible. Staff will help every dog owner learn to use the equipment and customize the wash to their dog’s needs.  “We’re here t ..read more

Living in the Colorado high country is pure joy. Baking in it isn’t. High altitude makes cookies spread in the pan, cakes fall and few baked goods turn out as they do at sea level. This column presents recipes and tips to make baking in the mountains successful. Have your way with these pleasing little shortbreads. Their tender, sandy texture and buttery, nutty taste make them highly adaptable. Unadorned or tricked out with a filling or topping (these are sandwiched with Nutella and drizzled with dark chocolate), they’ll be good any way you serve them. The nutty flavor comes from hazelnut flou ..read more

We have not seen a lot of new Volkswagen product in the Colorado media test fleet as late – not as big a pause as Audi, which has all but disappeared, as Porsche did long ago – but the recent appearance of a significantly upgraded Atlas SUV gave me a rare burst of joy. My previous experiences with the full sized, North America-only, three-row SUV had been more along the lines of the ID.4, suggesting Atlas was a good idea on paper but hadn’t been fully thought out, especially for our higher-altitude usage. That message seems to have gotten back to VW and its newly-unionized employees at the Ten ..read more

Keystone Resort has partnered with a local youth development nonprofit, SOS Outreach, to connect teens and young adults to jobs in the ski industry. SOS Outreach connects young people to positive adult mentors and delivers a progressive multi-year curriculum using a combination of skiing/riding and off-hill skill building workshops. SOS Outreach participants get to enjoy five ride days at Keystone Resort and Breckenridge Ski Resort. During one of those days, older participants engage in what SOS Outreach coins as an “Industry Day,” which is where participants get a behind the scenes tour aroun ..read more

Groundbreaking is the word that Jason Aronson, one of the founders of Zirkel Optics, likes to use when describing the new eyewear company, rooted in sustainability and cutting-edge technology, that will soon call Steamboat Springs home. Next month, Zirkel Optics team members Aronson, Dominik Spuller and Justin Reiter will make it official when they open a new office on Captain Jack Drive on May 1. The new eyewear company will use 3D Selective Laser Sintering printers to create sports performance eyewear using plant-based material. “The common thing that brings all three of us to ..read more

A bill brought by a Western Slope Democrat aimed at decreasing gun thefts from vehicles is the source of an embittered battle at the state Capitol this week.  House Bill 1348, sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs, would create a fine of up to $500 for leaving an unsecured firearm in an unattended vehicle.  Gun owners would be required to store their firearms in a “locked, hard-sided container” under the bill. It would exempt people whose vehicles are being used for ranch operations, peace officers, someone who is hunting or teaching hunting courses and members of t ..read more

Just a few hours after U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologists confirmed that one of the 10 gray wolves transplanted to Colorado in December was found dead in Larimer County, the state’s top wildlife official told ranchers he will not kill a wolf blamed for the death of four cows in Grand County because it is likely the mate to a wolf that appears to be denning. Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis on Tuesday said GPS points from the female wolf’s collar indicate that she is likely in a den. In early April, GPS points stopped uploading and very recently those points began to upload again ..read more