Want to run like the Buffaloes? I interviewed my fellow  members to find out about their favorite Boulder trails. 

Betasso Preserve

Starting with my personal favorite, Betasso Preserve has two loops that can be combined into a perfect eight-mile run. A serene winding trail through shaded woods, interspaced with steeper sections ascending to stunning foothill views, the Canyon Loop and Benjamin Trail Loop will satisfy any trail runner's heart. Consider visiting on a Wednesday or Saturday when mountain bikers are not permitted.

“I like the Mesa Trail because you can hop on at many points in town as it runs seven miles east-west along the base of the Flatirons and Bear Peak. It’s also less steep than many of the other trail runs in Boulder which makes it more approachable.” — Katelyn Singh (��dz��賧����’22)

“Nice and fairly wide trails in South Boulder that give runners a steady climb toward Eldorado Canyon State Park. There are plenty of different routes to take so the distance is up to each runner. Very good views while in the canyon — bonus if going at sunset to see the canyon lit up in golden light.” — Michael Miller (������Ƿ��Բ���’23)

“My favorite thing to do is connecting the Shanahan Ridge Trail with the Mesa Trail and Lower Big Bluestem Trail to make a big loop. You’ll run through open forest, over twisting streams and down a beautiful meadow teeming with wildflowers!” — Theodore Johnson Mencimer (���Ա��ٱ��’23)

"Tenderfoot is a newly reconstructed trail that is connected to Flagstaff Road, the Ute Trail and Chapman Drive. It has very healthy Douglas fir trees and views of Arapahoe National Forest and Indian Peaks." — Natalie Hyde (������’23)

“Since I run mostly before classes in the morning, I have to run on trails easily accessible from right within the city. I like Bobolink for long runs because of its flat dirt trails, Flatiron views and — my favorite — frequent cow sightings.” — Mary Miller (���Ա��ٱ��’25)

“It’s a nice dirt and gravel trail with great views of the mountains. Frequent dog sightings combined with minimal altitude gain make it a perfect trail for recovery days.” — Hannah Teed (���Ա����Բ���’22)

“It’s a gradual incline and the trail is very easy to run making it the perfect workout. Getting to the summit is so satisfying and you are rewarded with a great view of Boulder from the top of Mount Sanitas” — Abigail White (�Ѱ�ٲ�’22)

“A cool route behind Chautauqua that has some fun inclines and plenty of branching paths to explore. It also connects to the Woods Quarry Loop Trail that has some couches made of rock placed to overlook a really nice view.” — Jacob Lawrence (�ѱ𳦳󷡲Բ���’22)

“Connecting Realization Point with Green Mountain West Ridge, this quiet narrow trail has shallow grades for a peaceful run beneath the thick tree canopy. And keep a look out for the wild turkey which can often be seen from the trail!” — Chris Wyburn-Powell (�Ѵ��ٳ��Dz�’22)

Photo by Chris Wyburn-Powell

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Are you in the Boulder area for the summer? Check out these ideas to explore and spice up your summer!

1. Visit Boulder Creek

Take a dip or a ride down Boulder Creek to cool off from the summer sun. The average temperature in Boulder Creek is . Be sure to check the before tubing down the creek. 

2. Spend the day at Chautauqua

Open from 5 a.m. – 11 p.m., Chautauqua Park is open throughout the day for an adventure. The is a fan favorite with a beautiful landscape view and incredible rock formations. A total of 3.1 miles round trip, the hike is rated moderate to difficult. For a more relaxing activity, hang a hammock and spend time enjoying the area’s natural beauty. 

3. Shop at the Boulder Farmers Market

Open on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on 13th Street between Arapahoe Ave. and Canyon Blvd., the offers fresh produce, baked goods, hand-crafted products and more. Support local farmers and entrepreneurs and, during the second week of each month, see live music and artisan shows. 

4. Enjoy the Chautauqua Summer Series

Check out one of the concerts at the Chautauqua Auditorium. Featuring a variety of artists including the Gipsy Kings, Jesse Cook, Kenny G and more, this series offers a variety of genres. Tickets are available on .

5. Visit the Pearl Street Mall

Walk along Boulder’s to grab a bite to eat, shop or people watch. 

6. See a show at Red Rocks Amphitheater

Visit this amid the rock formations to see a show, do yoga or see a film “on the rocks.” This summer Glass Animals, Zeds Dead, Halsey and many other artists will perform. See the schedule at . 

7. Explore Rocky Mountain National Park

Take a drive up to Estes Park to visit . At the park, you can hike, drive the scenic routes and view the wildlife. You will need a to enter the park and buy a park entrance pass for your car and the people in it. 

8. Listen to Bands on the Bricks on Pearl Street

Each Wednesday from June 15 through Aug. 3 on the 1300th block of Pearl Street, see an . The beer garden will open at 5:30 p.m., openers perform at 6 p.m. and the headliners play from 7– 9 p.m. 

9. Dine outside in Boulder

Soak up the sun on one of . At West End Tavern and Rosetta Hall, enjoy rooftop dining as you sit above Pearl Street. Relax at Japango or on Oak at 14th’s patio. Visit the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse to sit outside in the courtyard and enjoy afternoon tea or dinner. 

10. Traverse the Boulder Creek Path

Take a walk, run or bike down the 5.5 mile . The path parallels downtown, east of town and west towards the mountains. Cool off with a dip in the creek.

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Mountain goat on Torrey's Peak

A goal of many Coloradans, little tops the challenge, satisfaction and stellar views of summiting one of our state's massive peaks. All within three hours of Boulder, consider adding one of these 14ers to your next summer’s bucket list. Plus, there’s nothing like shouting “Sko Buffs” at 14,000 feet.

1. Mt. Evans ‒ 14,264 ft.
2. Mt. Bierstadt ‒ 14,060 ft.
3. Mt. Sherman ‒ 14,036 ft.
4. Quandary Peak ‒ 14,265 ft.
5. Huron Peak ‒ 14,003 ft.
6. Gray’s Peak ‒ 14,270 ft.
7. Torrey’s Peak ‒ 14,267 ft.
8. Mt. Democrat ‒ 14,148 ft.
9. Mt. Bross ‒ 14,172 ft.
10. Mt. Lincoln ‒ 14,286 ft.

Photo by Alexx McMillan

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​

                                   Old Main

10 of CU Boulder's Oldest Buildings

1) Old Main, 1876

2) Koenig Alumni Center, 1884

3) Gates Woodruff Women's Studies Cottage, 1885

4) Woodbury Arts & Sciences Building, 1890

5) Hale Science Building, 1894

6) Temporary Building No. 1 at Clare Small, 1898

7) , 1903

8) University Theatre, 1904

9) Guggenheim Geography, 1908

10) Macky Auditorium, 1922

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Where'd My 14er Go?
A new way of measuring elevation in the U.S. will yield the most accurate results yet — but might cost Colorado a couple 14ers.

@Last: How Google Came to Boulder
It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time when there was no Google in Boulder.

Life after Death on the Internet
As our lives go digital, Jed Brubaker is studying what happens to all that data after we die.

Of Mind and Matter
Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk is the second most viewed of all time — and just a taste of what she has to say.

From Free Throws to F-35s
Tucker Hamilton and Aaron Frey are test pilots for the U.S. military’s most sophisticated fighter jets ever. Their journey together started in middle school.

The Sharkive
Bud and Barbara Shark helped CU acquire a major trove of modern art.

Ramen King
Japan went crazy for Ivan Orkin's ramen. Now America has the fever.

Blade Runners
CU’s Alena Grabowski is helping a new generation of amputee athletes reimagine what’s possible.

The Gold Life, Post-Bronze
Snowboarder Arielle Gold won a medal at the Olympics in February 2018. This summer, you might have seen her around campus.

The Flipside of Happiness
We stock our shelves with books and pills intended to make us happy, but CU psychologist June Gruber warns that too much of a good thing can backfire.

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Unlearning Pain
Can chronic pain patients think themselves into wellness?

The Oldest Apples in Boulder
CU ecologists are tracking down the surviving trees of the Front Range’s all but vanished apple orchards.

Pulling Stunts with The Arthurs
Actors play characters; Heather (Bus’03) and Jonathan Arthur (Bus’03) play actors. They’re stuntmen.

Engineering a Better Football Helmet
You could say Chris Yakacki is making serious headway in the effort to develop a safer football helmet.

Actor Christopher Meloni
It’s no surprise that People magazine named the long-time star of television’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit one of its Sexiest Men Alive in 2006.

CU's Star Placekicker
Australian James Stefanou (Jour’21), a 31-year-old former soccer pro who is the Buffs’ star placekicker, is the oldest active player in big-time college football.

Robert Redford, Our Man
After spending a lifetime in film as an actor, director and producer, Robert Redford (A&S ex’58, HonDocHum’87) braved the sea and starred as the sole character in the film All Is Lost.

Workplace Bias
Business professor Stefanie Johnson talks strategies for mitigating bias, her White House appearance and a joint project with her biologist husband.  

Origins: Post-It Note Adhesive
In 1968 Spencer Silver (PhDA&S’66), a senior chemist at 3M’s Central Research Labs, developed a peculiar adhesive.

Long Distance Commuter
Jim Voss (MAero’74; HonPhD’00) has been to space five times. He can handle the Houston-to-Boulder commute.

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1. 10 Uniquely Boulder Activities
   Have you done them all?

2. Of Mind and Matter
   Amy Cuddy's TED Talk is the second most viewed of all time — and just a taste of what she has to say.

3. Engineering a Better Football Helmet
   A CU Boulder alumnus puts on his thinking cap.

4. Brainy Buffs
   Year after year, two of CU Boulder’s most successful sports teams also perform best in the classroom. How does that happen?

5. Klauder's Champion
   From 1918 to 1938, notable CU architect Charles Z. Klauder designed 15 buildings around campus. If he visited today, what might he say?

6. Look - Inscriptions
   We often see without noticing, especially when we’ve crossed paths with a thing a thousand times or we’re running late or we’re preoccupied with the future.

7. A Boulder Legend
   Virginia Wheeler Patterson's persistence and vision are two of the driving forces that have made Pearl Street the vibrant street scene it is today.

8. 10 Sculptures Around CU
   Here are a few of CU's most iconic sculptures around campus.

9. Superfast Marathon
   CU Boulder scientists show the way to a sub-2-hour finish.

10. Sports QA: James Stefanou
    Australian James Stefanou, a 31-year-old former soccer pro who is the Buffs’ star placekicker, is the oldest active player in big-time college football.

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Top 10 home states of CU Boulder students (besides No. 1 Colorado)

1. California 

2. Illinois

3. Texas

4. New Jersey

5. New York

6. Massachusetts

7. Pennsylvania

8. Washington

9. Florida

10. Maryland

Information courtesy of the CU Boulder Institutional Research area in the Office of Data Analytics
Photos courtesy: Wikipedia, Pixabay, and Flickr

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10 Unusual CU Course Titles

1)  -  Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology 4202

2)  - Religious Studies 1800

3)  - French 1880

4)  - Classics 1140

5)  - Humanities/Italian 4150

6)  - Art History 4139

7)  - Art History 1509

8)  - Astronomy 2030

9)  - Anthropolgy 4770

10) - Russian 2231

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10 Books Set In/Mentioning Boulder

1) The Stand, Steven King, 1978

2) Rules of Attraction, Simon Elkeles, 2010

3) Openly Straight, Bill Konigsberg, 2013

4) Boundary Crossed, Melissa F. Olson, 2015

5) Good Girls Don't, Victoria Dahl, 2011

6) The Last Lie, Stephen White, 2010

7) In Your Room, Jordanna Fraiberg, 2008

8) Bass Ackwards and Belly Up, Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, 2006

9) Vote for Larry, Janet Tashjian, 2004

10) Bellwether, Connie Willis, 1996

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