The 40th Parallel

I'm getting to like Boulder quite a bit.When first I arrived the snow was abundant,blanketing most of the area,especially the hills and trails.

Now it's a little like spring with temps in the mid to high 60's.

A much more temperate climate than Steamboat,not as bitterly cold.

Boulder lies in a wide basin beneath Flagstaff Mountain just a few miles east of the continental divide and about 30 miles NW of Denver.

The 40th parallel(40 degrees north latitude) runs through Boulder and can be easily recognized as Basline Road today.

World class rock climbing abounds here,especially in Eldorado Canyon.

Boulder itself is surrounded by over 36,000 acres of recreational space.

The Boulder International Film Festival is held in February,along with the SHoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival,in which flimmakers are challenged to make a short film within 24 hours using in-camera editing techniques only.

The shootout is just one of those things that keep Boulder cool....

...and speaking of cool,or in this case Kuhl,...

...this Kuhl Kore sweater now is one of the best items I own.

I originally got a pair of their Rebel Jeans,which turned out to be the best pair of pants I have bought.

They're practically indestructible.

But on a visit to the Kuhl HQ in Salt Lake City,brothers Kevin and Tim gave me one of their Kore sweaters to try.

It's a thermal wrap is what it really is.I love it.For a 6:30 am 40º hike,it keeps the heat inside and the cold out.

On the way down when the sun has warmed everything up,sling it on a pack,it's so light you won't even know it's there.

It's a great wind stopper for riding on the bike also.Should be part of every long distance riders gear IMHO.

Chief Niwot,a tribal leader of the Arapho,lived at the site of Boulder,where in 1858 he uttered his legendry curse,"People seeing the beauty of this valley will want to stay,and their staying will be the undoing of the beauty".

Murph