Upcoming Events
Ladies Mountain Bike and Maintenance Night
Join us with Soul Dirt from Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance for a group ride on Berry Creek Trail followed by mountain bike maintenance and repair clinic at Kind Bikes and Skis in Edwards. Learn what gear you need to fix a flat tire on the trail, and basic maintenance skills, and meet other rad women to ride with!
We will break into two groups on the ride so that riders can go at a similar pace and feel comfortable in their group.
Space is limited and registration is required. Register here!
Making Waves in the Outdoors: a Women's Panel sponsored by Discover Vail
More Event info and tickets here!
Designed to raise the voices and experiences of women in the outdoor community, this night is one you don’t want to miss! Be inspired by a panel discussion with women who've made an impact in the outdoors. Hear stories of triumph and tribulation from various female perspectives; stories that may make us laugh, or may remind us why having a little grit is so important both in the outdoors and in the office. We’ll also have a social hour with refreshments inviting women-owned local and/or outdoor related businesses to showcase themselves in an expo.
This event will also feature an auction to help raise funds for GRGA to grow their programming. To donate to this auction, please reach out to Taylor@gorerangegravityalliance.com and cc amanda@gorerangegravityalliance.com.
If you would like to be one of the women-owned or women-run businesses showcased at this event, please email amanda@gorerangegravityalliance.com
Hike with Ellen Miller and Soul Dirt
More details to come, but save the date for a hike with Ellen Miller and Soul Dirt! Likely near East Vail, and we’re planning for a snacks and social after!
Ladies' Uphill Meetup
Join us for our last uphill meetup of the winter season! Apres location is TBD but we’ll be buying some pizza or snacks after to celebrate a great winter.
Meet at Gondola 1 at 6pm, ready to skin at 6:15. We’ll skin up the uphill route together, ski down, and then go get snacks/drinks after and get to chat without all the huffing and puffing. Bring layers, water, and a headlamp!
These uphills are a great way to meet new people, chat about gear, and get those legs and lungs conditioned for backcountry adventure.
These events are not to be considered guided tours and by joining you are doing so at your own risk. We will call the uphill hotline and head up the mountain together. This is a go at your own pace meetup, but we will do our best to keep the group somewhat together. The women who come to these are welcoming and happy to help with gear challenges as they can, but we recommend stopping by a shop like Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon to make sure you have a good understanding of how your gear works before getting on snow the first time.
AIARE 1 Women's GRGA Pod with Colorado Adventure Guides
The Gore Range Gravity Alliance is teaming up with Colorado Adventure Guides to offer a women's pod in an AIARE 1 course. The first day will be in a mixed classroom, and 2 out of the 3 instructors are women. The following two days are in the field, and our GRGA pod of women/non-binary folks will be grouped together with one of the rad lady instructors each day!
This class will be based out of CAG's basecamp in Silverthorne, Colorado. AIARE level 1 is a 3-day introduction to managing avalanche hazard where you will learn a repeatable process to manage your risk and learn from your experiences in the backcountry. Students will also practice preparing for and carrying out a backcountry trip, keeping track of conditions, communicating, making decisions about hazards while in the backcountry, and learning rescue techniques if an avalanche occurs and someone is caught. Our Level 1 course will include 24 hours of course work at a minimum. We want to make sure that you get the education that you need and don’t cut corners in delivering the best product so that we can maximize your commitment!
Meet Your Instructors:
Katie MacKnight:
Katie got her start learning to ski in Crested Butte, CO along with her first backcountry hut trip to the nearby 10th Mountain Division Friend‘s Hut. Upon returning to Fort Collins to complete a degree in Restoration Ecology and graduate studies in Forestry/Fire Science, she began familiarizing herself with the Medicine Bow and Never Summer Ranges. She is certified as an EMT-B and then Wilderness First Responder since 2008, Katie has safely enjoyed a decade and a half of navigating Colorado’s big backyard by way of mountain bike, cataraft, and skis and enjoys sharing that passion with others.
Kristen Buckland :
The first week after moving to Colorado from the flat Midwest, Kristen was walking in the Garden of the Gods, saw people rock climbing and thought, “I don’t know what that is, but I need to do it.” Kristen then immersed herself in everything outdoors related, spending the last 10+ years learning all she can about climbing, mountaineering, and skiing. She has climbed and skied all across the United States and internationally, with many climbing adventures to the North Cascades. Kristen is a supporter of avalanche education, teaching many students over the winter season. She enjoys the educational side of guiding and loves sharing knowledge with her clients. Kristen is WFR certified, an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, and an AIARE Avalanche Instructor.
Nicholas Bollen:
Nicholas has been lucky enough to call the Rocky Mountains home for his entire life. Whether it be backcountry skiing, rock climbing, bike-packing, or simply walking in the woods, Nicholas has always been drawn to a life outdoors. For the warmer months of the year, Nicholas works as an Outdoor Education Instructor leading extended wilderness trips across the western United States and in Alaska. During the winter months, Nicholas lives in Summit County and is excited to join the Colorado Adventure Guides team as an AIARE Avalanche Education Course Instructor. Nicholas holds Pro 1, AMGA SPI, AIARE Instructor, and Wilderness First Responder certifications.
Ladies' Uphill Meetup
Meet at Centennial Chair in Beaver Creek at 6:00pm. (Parking is Free under 3 hours at Ford Hall Parking) We’ll skin up the uphill route together, ski down, and then apres with wine and n/a bevs at Alpine Kind after and get to chat without all the huffing and puffing. Bring layers, water, and a headlamp!
Please Register Here
These uphills are a great way to meet new people, chat about gear, and get those legs and lungs conditioned for backcountry adventure.
**reminder dogs are not allowed while skinning at Vail Resorts cocations.
These events are not to be considered guided tours and by joining you are doing so at your own risk. We will call the uphill hotline and head up the mountain together. This is a go at your own pace meetup, but we will do our best to keep the group somewhat together. The women who come to these are welcoming and happy to help with gear challenges as they can, but we recommend stopping by a shop like Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon to make sure you have a good understanding of how your gear works before getting on snow the first time.
Ladies' Uphill Meetup at Breck
TBD, but we're meeting at either F Lot or East Sawmill Lot and taking either the orange route or red route up. We'll skin for roughly an hour, then ski down!
Then at about 7:30pm we'll meet up at a local bar or restaurant (TBD) for drinks (n/a or whatever) and/or food to socialize and get to know one another without the heavy breathing!
Reminder: This is not a professionally guided event, we're just a bunch of ladies who love skiing/riding and and socializing and are doing what we can to connect the community. Riding is at your own risk.
Bring headlamps, layers, and water!
Ladies' Uphill Meetup
Special uphill with the ladies of Vail Ski Patrol!
Meet at 5:30 at Gondola 1. 7:30pm (ish) for the social after at Two Arrows with drink specials. We’ll skin up the uphill route together, ski down, and then go get snacks/drinks after and get to chat without all the huffing and puffing. Bring layers, water, and a headlamp!
These uphills are a great way to meet new people, chat about gear, and get those legs and lungs conditioned for backcountry adventure.
Discounted gear rentals for our group at Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon. Mention you’re with us and plan a little ahead.
These events are not to be considered guided tours and by joining you are doing so at your own risk. We will call the uphill hotline and head up the mountain together. This is a go at your own pace meetup, but we will do our best to keep the group somewhat together. The women who come to these are welcoming and happy to help with gear challenges as they can, but we recommend stopping by a shop like Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon to make sure you have a good understanding of how your gear works before getting on snow the first time.
Ladies Uphill @ Grouse Creek Trail
Come join for a skin at Grouse Creek Trail followed by an apres ski hosted by Sunrise Minturn. Alpine Kind has sponsored the USFS permit for professional photography.
Sign ups required for permitting purposes.
Our Ambassador Sally January will be the point of contact for this event. Please note this is a meetup with no professional guiding, and done at the user's risk. We ask that you leave doggos at home, as this event garners a large turnout and we want to make sure everyone (including doggos) are safe and the focus is on all of you!
Mapping 201; Fine tune your mapping skills with tips and tricks from the Queen of Cal Topo!
Do you know the basics of mapping and navigation but want some nitty gritty details, expert secrets, and how to use more layers in Cal Topo? Come learn from Meg Twohig on how to go from basic to baller when it comes to digital mapping and backcountry route planning.
Women’s Wilderness First Aid Course
We’re hosting a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course with Desert Mountain Medicine in Leadville, CO. Whether you like ski-touring in the backcountry, backpacking in the wilderness, rafting/kayaking, or biking in remote areas, this course is for you! We’re looking forward to a class full of inspired women ready to take their backcountry education to the next level.
This Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course is designed for the outdoor enthusiast, trip leader, raft guide, or land agency field staff who want more than what an urban first aid course provides. The WFA is a great introduction to wilderness medicine and basic life support skills. This training focuses on prevention, assessment, and treatment of environmental illnesses, recognizing and stabilizing life threats caused by trauma, and calling for a rescue in the event of a wilderness emergency.
If there is enough interest, we can look into getting an airbnb for anyone wanting to stay the night in Leadville together!
Advice for Girls Showing with Colorado Snowsports Museum
The Colorado Snowsports Museum is hosting another showing of the all-women’s ski film, “Advice for Girls” and has invited us to join! If you haven’t seen this film yet, you don’t want to miss it.
For info and tickets, click here
Single’s Uphill Meetup
Single? Skip spending Valentine's Day alone and come ski uphill with the guys and gals of Cripple Creek Backcountry and the Gore Range Gravity Alliance. We'll Start at Gondola 1 at 6pm and uphill for about 45min to 1hr 15min. Groups will naturally form based on different speeds, but ambassadors from GRGA and CCBC will make sure no one is left behind!
Then we'll get together from some Apres at Two Arrow Coffee Bar after (about 8pm) with drink specials and a DJ starting at 9pm.
This is meant to be a fun social uphill to celebrate those who are single on a day usually dedicated to those who are not. This isn't meant to push anyone into awkward dating moments, just a laid back evening with friends, no pressure.
Reminder: This is not a professionally guided event, we're just a bunch of folks who love skiing/riding and socializing and are doing what we can to connect the community. Riding is at your own risk.
Bring headlamps, layers, and water!
These events are not to be considered guided tours and by joining you are doing so at your own risk. We will call the uphill hotline and head up the mountain together. This is a go at your own pace meetup, but we will do our best to keep the group somewhat together. The women who come to these are welcoming and happy to help with gear challenges as they can, but we recommend stopping by a shop like Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon to make sure you have a good understanding of how your gear works before getting on snow the first time.
Ladies' Uphill Meetup
Meet at 5:30 @ Arrowhead, then tailgate Apres with Montucky Cold Snacks Beers OR Best Day Brewing N/A Beers.
We’ll skin up the uphill route together, ski down, and then go get snacks/drinks after and get to chat without all the huffing and puffing. Bring layers, water, and a headlamp!
These uphills are a great way to meet new people, chat about gear, and get those legs and lungs conditioned for backcountry adventure.
These events are not to be considered guided tours and by joining you are doing so at your own risk. We will call the uphill hotline and head up the mountain together. This is a go at your own pace meetup, but we will do our best to keep the group somewhat together. The women who come to these are welcoming and happy to help with gear challenges as they can, but we recommend stopping by a shop like Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon to make sure you have a good understanding of how your gear works before getting on snow the first time.
3rd Annual Beacon Hunt at Meadow Mountain
Come learn, practice, and brush up on avalanche rescue! We’ll have great prizes and giveaways, beer, and more.
Advice for Girls Film w/ Beaver Creek Patagonia
Beaver Creek Patagonia is hosting the ‘Advice for Girls’ film and has invited us to be a part of it.
The event is FREE
Doors @ 5:30pm
We’ll have a table set up at the event, be sure to say Hi!
Ladies Uphill @ Grouse Creek Trail
Come join for a skin at Grouse Creek Trail followed by an apres ski hosted by Sunrise Minturn. Alpine Kind has sponsored the USFS permit for professional photography.
Sign ups required for permitting purposes.
Our Ambassador Sally January will be the point of contact for this event. Please note this is a meetup with no professional guiding, and done at the user's risk. We ask that you leave doggos at home, as this event garners a large turnout and we want to make sure everyone (including doggos) are safe and the focus is on all of you!
Mapping and Route Planning 101
Come learn the basics from your fellow female backcountry adventurers on how they use digital mapping software to plan and follow their routes in the backcountry!
This is also a great place to meet other fellow lady skiers and riders, and maybe even get some discounted goodies from our favorite backcountry ski shop, Cripple Creek Backcountry.
Ladies’ Uphill Meetup
Meet at 5:30 at Gondola 1. 7:30pm (ish) social at 10th Mountain Whiskey with 20% off drinks for us!
We’ll skin up the uphill route together, ski down, and then go get snacks/drinks after and get to chat without all the huffing and puffing. Bring layers, water, and a headlamp!
These uphills are a great way to meet new people, chat about gear, and get those legs and lungs conditioned for backcountry adventure.
These events are not to be considered guided tours and by joining you are doing so at your own risk. We will call the uphill hotline and head up the mountain together. This is a go at your own pace meetup, but we will do our best to keep the group somewhat together. The women who come to these are welcoming and happy to help with gear challenges as they can, but we recommend stopping by a shop like Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon to make sure you have a good understanding of how your gear works before getting on snow the first time.
Ladies’ Uphill Meetup
Location of SKI and SOCIAL TBD but plan to meet at 5:30. We’ll skin up the uphill route together, ski down, and then go get snacks/drinks after and get to chat without all the huffing and puffing.
These uphills are a great way to meet new people, chat about gear, and get those legs and lungs conditioned for backcountry adventure.
These events are not to be considered guided tours and by joining you are doing so at your own risk. We will call the uphill hotline and head up the mountain together. This is a go at your own pace meetup, but we will do our best to keep the group somewhat together. The women who come to these are welcoming and happy to help with gear challenges as they can, but we recommend stopping by a shop like Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon to make sure you have a good understanding of how your gear works before getting on snow the first time.
First Uphill Meetup of the 23/24 Season!
Winter is HERE! Let’s get together and ski about it.
Details coming soon, but plan to meet at Vail OR Lionshead Gondola (TBD) at 5:30. We’ll skin up the uphill route together, ski down, and then go get snacks/drinks after and get to chat without all the huffing and puffing.
These uphills are a great way to meet new people, chat about gear, and get those legs and lungs conditioned for backcountry adventure.
These events are not to be considered guided tours and by joining you are doing so at your own risk. We will call the uphill hotline and head up the mountain together. This is a go at your own pace meetup, but we will do our best to keep the group somewhat together. The women who come to these are welcoming and happy to help with gear challenges as they can, but we recommend stopping by a shop like Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon to make sure you have a good understanding of how your gear works before getting on snow the first time.
The Backcountry Ball
Dust off your dancing shoes, don your fancy pants (or dress!) and come celebrate with us while raising funds to grow our non profit! DJ P-Rock will set the tone with the tunes, we’ll have Vail Photo Booth in the house to make sure your take home memories, we’ll have a big giveaway with free drinks and food to boot!
Ladies Avy Awareness Night with Vail Ski Patrol
Save the date! Come meet the rad ladies of Vail Ski Patrol who will being dropping knowledge bombs on avalanche awareness and safety.
We’re working on free pizza or beverages for the event
Please register so we can plan for food or bevs!
Ladies' Safety Social
Come learn from the women of Vail Mountain Rescue on backcountry preparedness and safety. Meet likeminded ladies and share stories of adventure (and perhaps mis-adventure?!) We’re working on getting pizza or other snacks donated, and Cripple Creek Backcountry will have beverages for purchase. Perfect time of year to start thinking about winter pack preparations, we can’t wait to start the season with you all!
Please register ($5 donation) so we know who’s coming. These donations help continue GRGA programming and create new events for the women of the Vail Valley.
Ladies' Uphill Meet-Up with the Women of Vail Ski Patrol
We're excited to skin up Vail with you all and the awesome women of Vail Ski Patrol! Thanks to Cripple Creek Backcountry Avon for offering women of this group a special 50% off on gear rental for this eve's get-together. We'll meet at Gondola 1 at 5:30 and head up the mountain from there. All levels welcome, and will be a social pace. Some will go faster than others and some may also go farther. This is why we like to meet up after to get to know each other without all the huffing and puffing up hill! We'll head straight to one of our favorites; Two Arrows (Also welcome to join us there if you can't make the skin). As a reminder, these are not guided meetups and you're responsible for your own choices, but know there will be other experienced women happy to share tips, experience, etc.
Women’s Hut Trip, Point Breeze and Continental Divide Huts
All Women’s Hut Trip! Email amanda@gorerangegravityalliance.com for details
Ladies Uphill Meetup
Join us on our next uphill meetup at Grouse Creek Trailhead in Minturn, CO. We will meet in the parking lot at 9 and head up the hill together. This is NOT a guided skin, but rather an opportunity to meet other women who like skiing uphill and/or in the backcountry and a great chance to learn from other women, It is a go at your own pace event but we do our best to stick together more or less! After we ski we’ll head to Sunrise Minturn for a coffee on the house thanks to Sally Barton-January who will be hosting this uphill. It’s always nice to have a social after the ski so we can get to know one another without all the huffing and puffing. We can’t wait to see you there!
2nd Annual Beacon Hunt at Meadow Mountain
Put your safety and beacon skills to the test! Enjoy a coffee thanks to Vail Mountain Coffee or a beer from Vail Brewing Co and compete amongst friends while brushing up on avalanche rescue techniques. Free gear demos thanks to Weston Backcountry! Great prizes thanks to our generous sponsors. Event starts at 12pm with an info piece from Vail Ski Patrol then we’ll kick off the timed trials. We’ll also have Friends of the CAIC there to talk about how to check the avy forecast, and potentially a team member from Vail Mountain Rescue as well. The digging competition will be in teams of three starting after the beacon hunt wraps around 2:30 or so. Lots of fun to participate OR watch!
If you don’t have rescue gear yet, dont fret! We’ll not only have the gear there for you to use but people to show you how to use it.
Navigation Night with Meg Twohig of Cal Topo
Brush up on or learn new mapping skills, bring your laptops for hands-on learning. We'll talk about how to plan your route before you leave the door, and then how to use your maps while you're on your adventure. We'd love to see another conversational style event, so bring tips and pointers you've used to share with the others!
Please register even though the event is free :)
Nexus Ski Film Showing
Come watch Vail Valley’s premiere of Nexus; an award-winning ski film produced and directed entirely by women! It even showcases two amazing women from our valley, Ingrid Stensvaag and Lucy Sackbauer. We will have a social hour before the movie starts where you can grab drinks and snacks from Vail Mountain Coffee and Tea and chat gear and other good stuff with local ski shops and related businesses. From the reviews we’ve hear so far, you do NOT want to miss this!
Women's Uphill Meetup
Meet at Elk Lot in Avon to skin up Bachelor Gulch with May Jackson. Please note, this is NOT a guided event. It is a go-at-your-own pace, self-guided get together with other women who enjoy uphilling. All experience levels and speeds welcome. Please bring a headlamp and leave the pups at home (per Vail Resorts rules).
The Backcountry Ball
Doors open at Shakedown Bar in Vail at 8pm! Music from 8pm-12am, Giveaways around 10pm. Dress to Impress! (seriously-no flannels allowed )
Let's boogy and look good while we're doing it! Get that dress out of the closet or bust out your favorite tie and dust off those dancing shoes. Come eat, drink, and dance all in the spirit of raising money to support educational and community building events by the Gore Range Gravity Alliance! We'll have awesome giveaways, music, food prepared by Taylor Made Chef CO, and drinks to keep the party going.
The funds raised from this event (beyond the cost of the event itself) could help the following: fund the 2nd Annual Beacon Hunt, pay for our 2023 website fee, cover marketing costs like flyer printing, paying photographers for various events to help spread the word about what we do, and helping pay back the non-profit registration fees.
Winter Safety Social
Join the Gore Range Gravity Alliance and Vail Mountain Rescue to brush up on some safety skills and learn what to keep in your pack for backcountry winter travel. Beverages for purchase from CCBC who will also be discounting some goods for us that night!