Episode V

Welcome to the weekly blog that reports my adventures throughout the general area of the Vail Valley.  I am recently new to Vail and have a passion for exploring the beautiful nature while also informing anyone planning to visit the Valley, or even current locals, of the incredible activities the Valley has to offer.  Every week I plan on going somewhere remote to experience the Rocky Mountains by participating in activities including hiking, mountain biking, fishing, rock climbing, kayaking, rafting, tubing, cliff diving, and whatever else I can think of.  During these activities I will be capturing the nature around me with my camera to produce breathtaking photos and informative videos if possible.

Over the last few weeks, I finally obtained a vehicle after four months without transportation.  Sadly my previous vehicle, a 2004 Ford Focus was totaled by someone I do not know and will never know because they fled the scene.  I thank you stranger, not that I don’t miss my Focus, but now I am a proud owner of a Jeep Cherokee!  The excitement that went through my body when I purchased this beauty was off the charts.  Having a jeep in the Rocky Mountains will be a blessing when the snow finally gets here, but for now it’s just extra fun!

There were a few things that needed to be fixed, such as my rusty shocks, so I brought my new friend to get a check up and get her roadworthy.  The next day when Emmi (yes, I named my Jeep) was feeling healthy, I couldn’t say no to my building temptation to take her on some dirt roads.  My roommate and I took her to Edwards to tackle Berry Creek Road.  This road is located off the Edwards exit; take a right once off the exit then another right at Moon Ridge Road.  Berry Creek Road will be an immediate left onto a dirt road, and you’re there!

This road is ideal for mountain bikes, dirt bikes, or any other motorized toys because there are a lot of smaller trails that become quite precipitous.  Berry Creek starts out as an easy climb with a lot of rocks gradually starting to appear on the ground. I listened to Emmi’s tires rip through the dirt was proud she climbed the rocks with no problem.

“When should we stop?” my roommate asked.

“When we can’t go any further,” I replied, joking at the time.

When we got about six miles into Berry Creek Road, the road rapidly became steeper.  Emmi was doing better than I thought she would, until we got to a part in the road that made all three of us very skeptical.  We pulled the E-brake and stared at the road as if it was a dragon we needed to slay, but unfortunately the dragon won this round.  The road was way too steep and too many gigantic rocks lay in the way and I was afraid of breaking Emmi.

We knew we lost the battle so we had to turn around.  This turned out not to be an easy process, but after about twenty minutes of great driving skills and communication between my roommate and I, we finally got Emmi facing down the mountain.  The entire time down Berry Creek Road, I had my breaks slammed to the floor; not a fun experience for me.  We made it back to the paved road before it got dark, and headed home with no injuries!

This road was tons of fun, but gets intense after the fifth mile, so only certain vehicles will be able to continue forward. If you’re planning to conquer this road in your sedan, as a friendly, knowledgeable local, I highly discourage the idea.  Call 1-888-866-2305 to book your trip through Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals if you are planning on visiting the Vail area .  Who knows, I might even let you borrow my jeep!

I have had the pleasure of attending all but one of the Hot Summer Nights Free Concert Series on Tuesdays at the Ford Amphitheatre.  This has to be the best deal going in the High Rockies.  The Vail Valley Foundation, with the help of their sponsor Bud Light, has done a fantastic job recruiting bands that is appeasing to the eardrums of all listeners in attendance.

It is enthralling to see little tykes with their parents and extended families parked on a checkered picnic blanket, enjoying tasty beats from the lush green lawn seating.  It certainly takes the edge off of the work hangover from Mondays.  In my opinion, there is not a bad seat in the house.  The acoustics are astonishing, and the seating offers a 180° view of the stage.

Each set is broken up into two parts, lasting about an hour and a half per side, dependant on the bands desired participation level.  So far each band that I have seen was a certain crowd pleaser, showing their appreciation of Vailites by playing until dusk.  By the end of the first set each week, the sun has stumbled just beyond the rolling mountains in Avon, and likely Edwards.  It leaves a most incredible canvas painted with fluffy, luminescent clouds and an impalpable array of lush orange, blues, purples, and yellows.

True to form, the second set typically hits the ground running and is capable of luring most eyes away from natural wonder, directing back towards the man-made stage ahead.  I couldn’t imagine leaving the amphitheatre on Tuesday nights with a feeling of melancholy.

So far we have seen Soulive, The Aggrolites, The Killdares, and Jonathon Tyler and the Northern Lights.  A bit of advice to those who plan on attending: make sure you are parked in the parking garage by 6:10 or so.  Not only is parking a royal pain after this time, but you will also miss the start of the show.

To those interested, there is another performance tonight by a group called Hoots & Hellmouth, who define their style as a blend of alt-country, rock, and gospel, filled with endless amounts of “attitude and energy”.  If you have no plans, and are within driving distance of Vail Valley, you have no excuses.

For more information about local events and activities please visit our website at www.rockymountainvacationrentals.com.

We are: Friendly.  Knowledgeable.  Locals.

…It’s kind of our thing.

Our last Vail Teva Mountain Games update was all about general event information, an overview and the schedule of the first day- June 3 with the Bud Light Lime Steep and Creek Competition and the free concert in the Vail Valley.

Today we will tell you more about the IFSC Bouldering World Cup which is scheduled as of today for Friday June 4^th with the women and men qualifiers, and then with the semifinals and finals scheduled for Saturday June 5^th. The IFSC Bouldering World Cup will be presented by Pyramide and will take place at the Mtn. Plaza at the Vista Bahn Lawn.

Bouldering is a kind of rock climbing. But in contrast to rock climbing, bouldering is usually without a rope, not very high up, rarely higher than 3-5 meters, more vertically along the rock or boulder.  Bouldering is practiced on large natural boulders, rock faces, and artificial boulders, in gyms or even on buildings or public architectures. Unlike traditional climbing that requires a lot of endurance and longer stretches, bouldering focuses on short term power, strength and dynamics. There are three main disciplines in bouldering- lead, boulder and speed.

IFSC stands for “International Federation of Sport Climbing”.  The IFSC World Cup Serious 2010 consists of about 16 competitions all around the world. The world cup started off at the last weekend of April in Trento- Italy. The next bouldering world cup competition will be next weekend, May 14^th in Greifensee- Switzerland. The third IFSC World Cup will take place in Wien- Austria. After three weekends in Europe, the bouldering competitors will come to the US- to Vail where they will compete during the Teve Mountain Games from June 3^rd till June 4^th. After that they will go to Moscow, Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Sheffield- Great Britain, Chaarmonix- France, Daone- Italy, Munich- Germany, and then in August in Xining- China, Chuncheon- Korea, in September back to Europe to Imst- Austria, Puurs- Belgian, at the end of October to Huaiji- China and then for the last bouldering competition one more time to Europe to Kranj in Slovenia.

This is going to be an amazing event. Only the very best boulder competitors from all around the world will give their very best. Come out and watch it. In case you need a place to stay check out Lodging Deals provided by Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals!

See you all !!!!

Growing up in Colorado I was lucky enough to wake up every morning to the Rocky Mountains. It wasn’t until I spent four years living in the Sonoran desert of Arizona that I really learned to appreciate the serenity that the mountains offer. Below are some recommendations for finding your own release from the chaos of life.

Plan a hut retreat in one of the 29 backcountry huts of the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association and honor the 10th Division of the U.S. Army who trained at Camp Hale during World War II. Space is limited for these adventures and if you plan on embarking you must have leadership, avalanche awareness, survival skills, and know how to navigate. But the experience of being one with the wild is not soon forgotten.

Spend a day at Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon. About an hour outside of Vail you can find peace at Hanging Lake with it’s turquoise waters, trout filled waters . Read a book, take some pictures and importantly sort out your thoughts.

Attend a yoga workshop at a local health club. People who swear by yoga aren’t lying to you. Continual practice has proved to reduce stress, increase flexibility, improve sleep patterns, and improve one’s overall quality of life.

Take a ride on the gondola to the top of the mountain and breath in the fresh air. Many ski resorts offer free gondola rides at certain times during the year, specifically during the summer. Once at the top whether it be the summer or the winter, there are lodges to relax at, or benches outside where you can people watch or just gaze into the distance.

It’s all about balance in life. Escaping from the everyday is sometimes just what we need to find peace within ourselves. So make it a point to take time for yourself each day; you’ll be glad you did.

The Teva Mountain Games are the nation’s largest mountain sport event. Celebrating mountain lifestyle, outdoor competitions and events and music concerts- the 2010 Teva Mountain Games hosted form June 3 to June 6 in the Vail Valley are gone be an incredible event you should not miss.

Top professional and also amateur athletes from all around the world will compete in eight different sports in overall 24 different disciplines for over $ 100,000 in prize money. The eight sports are biking, climbing, dogs competing, running, fishing, kayaking, rafting and stand up paddling.

As of today, the 2010 Teva Mountain Games will start off on Thursday June 3 at 10am with the Bud Light Lime Steep Creek Championship which will be presented by Thule at the Homestake Creek, Red Cliff. Homestake Creek is dropping 480 feet per mile which makes this competition one of the most popular and interesting not only to race but also to watch. If you want to compete in the quarter mile creek race register fast- there is only a limited number of starter places for the first round- so make sure you get in there! The ten fastest female and the ten fastest male will then compete in a second round and the fastest time will determine the winners.

Registration for the race on race day opens at 8am at the Homestake Creek – Red Cliff. At 8.30am there will be the possibility to practice in the Steep Creek. At 9.30am the time trail will start. So if you are only there to watch the challenging race- try to make it there by 9.30am to see all competitors. And then at 10am the Steep Creek Championship will kick off. Check regularly the Teva Mountain Games website to see if there were any changes in the schedule!

The Steep Creek Championship is gone be a popular and promising competition since there will be professional athletes from all around the world to win the $ 2000 Price money for the first man and for the first woman. The second man and woman can each win $ 1000 and the third will get $ 500. The 2009 winners of the Steep Creek championship are Mike Dawson from New Zealand and Nikki Kelly.

To round the first day and the first competition of the 2010 Teva mountain games up- there will be a free concert in the heart of Vail Village. Starting at 7pm at Checkpoint Charlie there is gone be the first half of the Bud Light Mountains of Music show where DJs and Band will rock the village.

Try to make it to Vail to the first great day of the 2010 Teva Mountain Games. If you need some great lodging deal to stay for the whole games check this out!

Like every year, Vail will pull of one of its biggest and most fun events at the very end of the season-  SPRING BACK TO VAIL from April 12 to April 18 in Vail and on the mountain at Vail. SPRING BACK TO VAIL is Vail’s huge end-of-the-season bash with free concerts from national headliners, on-snow events and crazy fun street parties. The most famous event is the well known greatest spectacle of all – the World Pond Skimming Championships.

You have never heard of pond skimming- then the best thing is to come up to Vail and check it out- you will have a blast….Here a short explanation: Pond Skimming is a competition anyone can enter, sometimes in a costume or even in a bathing suit. The goal is to get enough speed going down the mountain so you can skim the pond which is set up at the bottom of the mountain and get to the other side without ending up in the pond. The faster you ski, the better chance you’ll have of making it to the other side of the pond

Friday, April 16
Free Movie and Concert
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-stars documentary
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-stars concert
Location: Checkpoint Charlie in Vail Village
Time: 6pm-10pm

Saturday, April 17
Free Concert with Wyclef Jean presented by Bud Light
Opening: Very Special Guest Robert Earl Keen
Location: Ford Park
Time: Robert Earl Keen at 5pm; Wyclef Jean at 7pm

Sunday, April 18
Rockstar World Pond Skimming Championships
Location: Golden Peak on Vail Mountain

Time: 2:30pm-4:30pm  ****Free BBQ****
Guster
Free Concert
Location: Checkpoint Charlie in Vail Village
Time: 4:30pm immediately following Pond Skimming

Most people stay Thursday till late Sunday or even early Monday –

Check out special lodging deal here !!!!!

Aspen Snowmass will kick off their 20th Anniversary season of June Jazz Festival with some of the biggest names in jazz, pop and world music.

A new addition to the last year program is jazz pianist/vocalist Harry Connick, Jr.
Making his first ever JAS appearance jazz pianist and vocalist Harry Connick, Jr. and his Orchestra have been new to the June Festival lineup being o stage in Aspen Snowmass at the Benedict Music Tent on Friday, June 25.

On Saturday, June 26 at the Benedict Tent JAS will present JAS @ 20!, a special evening of performances in a Grammy-like format of multiple guests artists backed by a crack Big Band. Directed by JAS Distinguished Artist in Residence Christian McBride, the show will also feature jazz legends Dianne Reeves, Patti Austin, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Terence Blanchard, John Clayton and more.

On Sunday, June 27, Pink Martini will perform at the Benedict Music Tent. Having twelve musicians, Pink Martini’s repertoire is wildly diverse. Says bandleader and pianist Thomas Lauderdale, “at one moment you feel like you’re in the middle of a samba parade in Rio de Janeiro, and in the next moment, you’re in a French music hall of the 1930s or palazzo in Napoli. It’s a bit like an urban musical travelogue.”

The closing night of the JAS 20th June Festival on Saturday, July 3, will take place featuring Natalie Cole with Big Band and Musicians from the AMFS. Cole, who had to cancel an appearance with JAS last July due to a kidney transplant last May, is already back on stage feeling “healthy, whole, fit and 100% back again.” Her last release called the Still Unforgettable, earned her two Grammy Awards in 2009, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Cole was also the recipient of the NAACP Award for Best Jazz Artist in 2009.

During the whole event starting on June 24 and lasting till July 3, the JAS Academy Summer Sessions with Christian McBride, will be in residence. JAS’ flagship music education program, the Academy is the nation’s only all-scholarship jazz residency program, uniting the finest young jazz artists with the world’s “jazz legends.” JAS has contributed $5 million dollars to music education since 1996.
Additional special concerts and events will take place throughout the June 24-July 3 Festival including free performances at the Cooper Mall Stage, Jazz performances downstairs at the Little Nell, special events featuring students from the JAS Academy and JAS After Dark shows.

Program Overview:

06/25/2010      HARRY CONNICK, JR. = Benedict Music Tent= 8:30pm

06/26/2010      JAS @ 20! FEATURING CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE, PATTI AUSTIN, DIANNE REEVES, FRED WESLEY & MORE = Benedict Music Tent = 8:30pm

06/27/2010      PINK MARTINI = Benedict Music Tent = 8:30pm

07/03/2010      NATALIE COLE & ORCHESTRA W/AMFS MUSICIANS = Benedict Music Tent =  8:30pm

Tickets for this amazing event are already on sale since February!!! (For Tickets Click here)

As I read through the Community Service Projects compiled by high school students around Colorado, I am proud to remember my own experiences as a Future Business Leaders of America member, officer, and competition winner. I can honestly say that FBLA had a positive impact not only on my future, but also as a recovery resource for me in high school. Today, my sister Lisa would have been 27 years old, but she never made it past 18.

My junior year of high school, my sister died in a car accident on a back road near our home. The shock, depression, and uncertainty settled in and I searched for something, anything to help me find my way now that life was a reality, with the possibility of death being confirmation. Lucky for me, I had a caring FBLA advisor and teacher, who helped me get back into action. My advisor and FBLA helped me by appealing to my competitive edge, need for success, and desire for a challenge. That year I realized that not only can I go to college, but I can live my life to the fullest not only for my sister, but more importantly for myself.

Future Business Leaders of America not only gives back to the community, but the organization inspires youth, including some who need it more than others. It is with fond memories and a humble heart that I request any local community members who see FBLA students during their annual visit April 18-20 to give them encouragement, help them find their way, and most of all let them know you are honored to have them in Vail.

Hats off to Future Business Leaders of America, and good luck to every competitor!

NCAA Championship Skiing

Steamboat Springs March 10- 13, 2010

The championship from another perspective…

The last three years I was part of the NCAA ski team from the University of Denver and the years before I was racing in Europe. This is the first winter for 20 years in which I am not racing in any competitions… But since the NCAA Championship ski races where in Steamboat Springs I wanted to take advantage of the close location and see my old team and cheer for them.

The NCAA championship is the highlight of the ski season. Starting at the very beginning of January College teams have to qualify their racers for the NCAA races at the end of the season.  The US is split into several regions so that the College teams do not have too much travel each weekend. Colorado College teams race with teams from Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Alaska and Wyoming. The goal for each team is to qualify three women and three men in Nordic skiing as well as alpine skiing so that the College can move to the NCAA with a full team of six alpine racers and six Nordic ski racers. That is not as easy as it sounds- the NCAA Championship Competition has only a certain amount of starter places which is around 50 racers per competition. That means that each region in the US can qualify only about 15 skiers. In order to qualify for the NCAA an athlete has to be in the top 15 overall in its region as well as in the best 3 of its College team…So after about 6 weekends racing with always two competition for Nordic skiers as well as two races in alpine the list is set and the College teams have their qualified athletes for the NCAA Championship competitions. For a team which does have the full 12 athletes, it is difficult to win since they do not have the full amount of athletes who can score points.

This year the championship started off on Wednesday night with the first alpine race. Eva Huckova from the University of Utah won the Lady’s Giant Slalom and Leif Haugen from my old College Team the University of Denver won the Men’s Giant slalom. Leif qualified for the Olympics and raced in Whistler earlier this season for his home country Norway.  The on Thursday the Nordic skiers had their first race. The women went first for the 5 km individual classic race. One of my friends I grew up with skiing, Antje Maemple from Germany, won the women classic race for the University of Denver. On the men’s side Matt Gelso from the University of Colorado Boulder won the 10 km individual men Nordic race. After the first round of completion in Alpine as well as in Nordic skiing the University of Denver was leading. But there were two more days to go and the University of Colorado Boulder and New Mexico was very close.

Then on Friday night the Alpine racer had their second competition, a night slalom which was very exciting for people watching the race. Andreas Adde from the University of Anchorage Alaska won the men’s Slalom race and Malin Hemmingsson from the University of New Mexico won the lady’s race which lasted almost until 11PM at night. Then on Saturday morning was the final completion day. The mass start in Nordic skiing which is always very exciting- 50 racer start all at the same time and fight about 40 min until the finish sprint. The men went first for their 20 km race. A big group of about 15 racers stayed together until the very end and at the finish line the German Franz Bernstein who is racing for the University of Vermont won in a very exciting sprint final. The women race was not quite as exciting, the ladies spread up way faster than the men and at the end there were only two women in front fighting for the winning place. One more time Antje Maemple from the University of Denver won the race.

With these results there were no doubt that the University of Denver won their 21 NCAA Championship Title which is the third in row, winning also last year and two years ago. Second place goes to the University of Colorado Boulder followed from the University of New Mexico.

Congratulations to my old ski team and thanks for amazing exciting fun competitions. Enjoy all your spring break and some days off without practicing!!!

20th Annual Taste of Vail

From Thursday April 8, 2010 until Saturday April 10, 2010

Vail is gone have its 20th food and wine festival. The annual three-day event is held at several venues throughout Vail Village. Participants at the Taste of Vail will enjoy the best wines from over 50 of the country’s most noted vintners. In addition, visitors will dine at Vail Valley’s world-class restaurants, fine wine poured by winemakers and winery owners from top wineries around the globe, participate in interactive seminars, auctions and dance. As well as going to the Colorado Lamb Cook Off, après ski tasting and the popular mountaintop picnic sensory extravaganza at the top of Vail Mountain. The event will start of on Thursday morning with Celebrities on Snow, the Belgian Beer Lunch and the 5^th Annual Colorado Lamb Cook- Off and après ski tasting. Then on Friday there will be again Celebrities on Snow, a seminar, mountain top picnic, and live auction chef showcase and at night a cigar seminar. Saturday will start off with the aphrodisiac foods army reiley, and the Josh Wesson Seminar. In the afternoon, the Taste of Vail Festival will finish   off with a Pinot Noir Speed Dating Style Seminar and the Great Tasting and Dinner Dance.
In the past years, Vail could welcome more than 5,000 people for the Taste of Vail Festival.

So mark the date- be part of the event and enjoy amazing days in Vail during the Taste of  Vail.

Click here, here and here to see some fun videos from the past Taste of Vail Events !!!

One of the greatest things about living in Colorado is the shared excitement in watching the snow fall report.  When I was a student at The University of Kansas, snow meant torn up streets, messy sidewalks, and bone chilling winds that shook you to the core. Here in Vail, its a totally different story. We got 32 inches of fresh powder this week, making the valley sparkle and the mountain gleam. Conditions have not been this great all year. Snowboarders and skiers unite with delight at the fresh powder which has increased the base to a whopping 55 inches! What’s more, the dedicated city of Vail makes sure that the village roads and highway are always clear and safe for travel. The Vail/Beaver Creek area is a virtual paradise, attracting visitors from all over the world to come ride, shred, annihilate, take no prisoners, and hot-rod on the mountain! Maybe it has something to do with the Olympics, but I have seen more people just tearing it up and having a blast than ever before. Sure beats that old dreaded Kansas cold!

Speaking of Kansas, March Madness is quickly approaching. Being a die-hard Jayhawk fan myself, I was delighted to find a vast array of local game watching spots. Can you imagine anything better…After a long day of skiing, you unwind and relax with your buddies, drinking beer, watching the game, and laughing about the head-first plunge you took on the mountain! If this sounds in any way appealing, I’m telling you, now is the time to get out here and make it happen!  And when you’re looking for a great place to watch the big game, I recommend the Tap Room or Garfinkles (Both boasting a plethora of TV’s for the sports connoisseur who likes variety). However, if you prefer staying in the comfort of your own home, Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals can definitely set you up in something spectacular. You can watch the shot clock wind-down from the couch without any distractions!

February 14-19 is Carnivail! I’ve noticed signs around town and can’t be more excited! After their Super Bowl win- I think all of America is pumped for Mardi Gras, and this is Vail’s own version! If you can’t make it to New Orleans, then what better way to spend it than in the mountains? Our stars alone are better than the fireworks, and the people know here know how to celebrate!

After finishing our own great event- Vail Gay Ski Week- we are rested and ready to participate in this once a year event in Vail! Come see our friends, the Frogs Gone Fishin’, at the Fat Tuesday Parade (free!)! We love these guys, and they are local favorites!

Missing that dirty south great cookin? Not a problem- join us in becoming fat kids again with the “World’s Highest Low Country Crawfish Boil” at Eagle’s Nest. Go skiing or riding afterward to burn those calories! Here’s the menu Vail has planned:

1 lb. Crawfish, Andouille Sausage, Corn, New Potatoes, Garlic Bread – $14.95

Bowl of Gumbo – $7.95

Crawfish Etouffee- $8.95

King Cake – $3.50

I will also be hitting up my favorite places in Vail- Sweet Basil, Samana, the Tap Room, and more. Email me if you want to plan meeting up!

janyce.brandon@vailgayskiweek.com

Hey Twitterfriends!

Or are you?

Being an avid facebooker (come on, I know you are too), when I first heard about twitter, I thought it was the most senseless social media site on the web. I mean, really, who cares what I’m doing at 6:30 in the morning in <140 characters? And just status updates? What about actual information! But secretly, I gave in; then, after a while, I noticed some of my friends joining in too. And what I came to realize with Twitter is that the cliche saying is true: less is more.

Some of you are still thinking to yourselves that you couldn’t care less what random people are doing throughout the day, but I’m here to teach you about a different aspect of Twitter. How to use it as an informational tool; okay, that doesn’t sound any more exciting, let me just explain…

Many companies use Twitter accounts to network and I have noticed this to be an awesome tool to connect with people as well as other companies, not to mention a great way of fun, easy, and free advertising!

Let’s start with our twitter here: rkymtnvacrental [http://twitter.com/rkymtnvacrental]

On ours, we update to let you know when fresh powder hits vail, sweet events that we are hosting, and awesome deals that we are currently offering on housing. It’s an great “home base” for surfing the web because we also add links in a lot of our status updates so that you can easily connect to exactly what we are discussing. From here, you can jump to other people we are “following”.  So let’s jump to VailinfoCenter [http://twitter.com/Vailinfocenter] Like the name implies, this twitter gives out inside info about all the specials going on each day in Vail; apres ski specials, rental deals, where to go to check out the best events, as well as some Valentine’s Day specials:). I make sure to check this site daily; I mean, I wouldn’t want to forget about unlimited wing night at the Tap Room! After that, you’ve got to check out the twitter from my side of the company: rmvrMedia [http://twitter.com/rmvrMedia]. A new tweeter, with many website geniuses behind it, I’m excited to see all the info that we will be sharing with you through this site!

So now that you have Vail insider information, I want to share 5 Tweeters outside of the High Rockies that you must start out with when you get your account!!

Who loves cupcakes? Um everyone. FOLLOW SprinklesBakery [http://twitter.com/sprinkles]. They give away usually 50 free cupcakes daily if you know the secret twitter word to whisper!

Want some free gogs or shades? FOLLOW Electric Visual [http://twitter.com/electricvisual]. Each week, usually monday, they have a trivia question open to everyone for an awesome prize! I’ve already won a pair of their sunglasses, so yes it is possible!

We’re from Vail and we love Winter Sports! FOLLOW the upcoming Winter Olympics [http://twitter.com/van2010games]. There’s even a link on theirs to win tickets to the Closing Ceremonies. Yup, I already entered.

For anyone into creating on the computer, it’s always good to have a place to find some vectors or ideas in general. FOLLOW Chris Spooner [http://twitter.com/chrisspooner] I’m not really down with following random people, but someone giving out awesome free tutorials and tips is hard to pass up!

And last, if you really want to up your friend count, FOLLOW Me [http://twitter.com/heyheyyhaley]. Check out my adventures around the mountains, living in Avon and working in Vail! I also like to retweet good deals that I find, so it’s a good idea to check my links!

Alright! Now it’s time for you to get a twitter account and add us! (But we might make you want to move to Vail when you see all the fun we have all day!)