BY JOHN MEYER, JMEYER@DENVERPOST.COM

Heya, outdoors folks!

One of my favorite Front Range trail systems is located just west of the hogback and south of the Interstate 70 Morrison exit, combining Matthews/Winters Park (Jefferson County Open Space) and Red Rocks Park (Denver Mountain Parks). It's a beautiful, dramatic landscape, great for trail running and hiking. Now Jeffco has acquired another 347 acres for an expansion which ascends a 7,000-foot mountain, and I bushwhacked my way up for a story. It's going to be great after they build a trail. You can read about it in my story below.

Heads up

Mountain snowfall on Thursday and early Friday was expected to bring as much as 10 inches to many locations, according to the National Weather Service. The weekend will be dry in the mountains with temperatures in the 40s. Denver's high temps should be in the high 50s on Friday, 69 on Saturday and 74 Sunday.

A student at Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus flips over graduation day last year. The commencement day ski-down is a tradition at the school, which has a ski area operations program that prepares students for jobs in the ski industry. (Benjamin Suddendorf/Provided by Colorado Mountain College)

Your Weekly 5:

1. Last-minute snowmaking effort saves cap-and-gown ski-down graduation tradition on mountain campus
2. Breckenridge, Palisade rank high among the best small towns in the West
3. Colorado ER workers urge safety after rise in e-bike injuries
4. State Supreme Court hears case of snowboarder who sued Vail Resorts claiming he was struck by a snowmobile -- then bought another Epic Pass and signed a waiver
5. As racquet sports surge, tennis proves its staying power in Colorado

Worth Your Time

Justin Spring, of The Conservation Fund, left, and Hillary Merritt, of Jefferson County Parks and Open Space, hike along the Red Rocks Trail toward the 347-acre Braun Ranch property, which is being transferred to Jefferson County Parks and Open Space with funding support from the Conservation Fund on April 23, 2026, in Jefferson County. The land will be added to Matthews/Winters Park for wildlife habitat and recreational use. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Land acquisition expands popular Jeffco park adjacent to Red Rocks

Get Yourself Outdoors

As Thomas Keane and Monica Hall installed a storefront sign for their new mountain bike shop in Idaho Springs on Monday, a resident pulled up and enthusiastically welcomed them to the neighborhood. The couple has been getting that a lot. “It’s the small town vibes of this community,” Hall said. “It’s really special.” (John Meyer/The Denver Post)

Gondola, popular mountain bike park transform sleepy east end of Idaho Springs

Idaho Springs had no bike shops last summer. Soon it will have three. Restaurants and bars see increasing business, too.

MORE HEADLINES

• E-bikes are all over mountain trails. Some want them banned
• New Colorado law bans sales of cats, dogs in pet stores in bid to crack down on ‘puppy mills’
• Electric RV manufacturer boosting Broomfield facility, production
• Owens and Ritter: Colorado cannot afford a wildfire season ruled by ideology (Opinion)

DOG OF THE WEEK

If you want your pup featured, email a photo and short description to tfries@denverpost.com.