The Colorado Sun scored 29 awards, including 13 first-place finishes in categories ranging from hard news to features to cartoons, graphics and photography, in the annual Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism competition that judges work from across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Additionally, politics reporter Sandra Fish was named journalist of the year, an honor given to “journalists who have produced extraordinary work in the last calendar year, embodying the SPJ Code of Ethics to seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently; and be accountable and transparent.” Fish shared the honor with longtime political journalist Fred Brown.

The winners were announced Saturday by the Colorado Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, which administered the annual contest. The Sun was the most-awarded news outlet in Colorado and the region in its extra-large division.

“We’re so proud to see our work recognized by peers across the West, but these awards really belong to the thousands of Colorado Sun members who make this work possible through their support,” said Sun Editor Larry Ryckman. “Good journalism requires curiosity, persistence and courage, and Sandra Fish deserves this honor for embodying all of those qualities and more. Her watchdog reporting is exactly the kind of accountability journalism envisioned when the founding fathers adopted the First Amendment.”

Sun writer Jennifer Brown took an individual first in mental health news for her look at the efforts of a park ranger and mental health worker to help people living on the street, while Tracy Ross won in ag and environment news for her story on rising human-moose conflicts in Colorado. 

Tamara Chuang claimed top honors for her business feature explaining why recycled mattresses end up in landfills and John Ingold won in health news for his look at how lawmakers targeted hospital facility fees. Sun freelancers Robert Davis (breaking news) and Dan England (science and technology news) also took first place honors in the reporting and writing competition.

The Sun’s three-part look at the state of local journalism, “Final Edition: Saving Local News” by Brown and Kevin Simpson, took top honors in the business news category. Simpson and Ingold joined freelancers Nick Groke and Margaret Jackson to win first place in sports features for their four-part series “What the hell is wrong with the Rockies?” that looked at the baseball team’s extended stretch of futility.

Brown added a first for her contribution to “Last Resort,” a multi-outlet collaboration that looked at the problems plaguing schools that serve students with special needs.

The Sun also scored first place finishes in visual arts categories. Photographer Hugh Carey was honored for spot news photography for his photo of the Air Force Academy graduation, while Sun freelancer Dean Krakel won for climate photography with his shots of the researchers who study snow in remote Colorado mountains.

For the second straight year, Sun cartoonists R. Alan Brooks and Cori Redford received top honors for their weekly strip, “What’d I Miss?” that examines social issues through the lens of its unique characters, while freelancer Gabriella Trujillo won first place for her striking illustration that ran with writer Tatiana Flowers’ story on solitary confinement in Colorado prisons.

Contestants are judged against news outlets based on the size of their newsrooms — small, medium, large or extra-large. The Sun competes in the extra-large division, which includes newsrooms of 15 or more full-time journalists. This year’s submissions were judged by the greater Los Angeles chapter of the SPJ.

The Sun added 11 second-place finishes and five third-place awards to reach its total of 29 for work during the 2023 calendar year. Its overall total, as well as the number of top finishers, was the best in its extra-large newsroom class in Colorado and the four-state region. Among others of that size, the Salt Lake Tribune collected 27 awards (10 firsts) while the Albuquerque Journal (nine firsts) finished with 24 and Deseret News (six firsts) totaled 23 honors.

The Colorado Springs Gazette, which also competes in the extra-large division, totaled 13 awards (three firsts), while Colorado Public Radio won nine (three firsts). In the “large” newsroom class, the Denver Gazette scored 25 honors (12 firsts).

Other Colorado Sun journalism recognized:

Second place 

A&E and Food: News or Feature: Tracy Ross for “An arts oasis on Colorado’s high plains is reckoning with changing climates of all kinds.” Best Solutions Journalism: John Ingold for “Turning semi-automatics into mattocks: How faith communities in Colorado are fighting gun violence.” Breaking News Story: Jason Blevins for “What it looked like as Colorado wildlife officials released 5 Oregon wolves in Grand County.” Business News: Jason Blevins for “After 50 years, the owner of Beau Jo’s is selling his famous Colorado pizza shop — to his employees.” Enterprise Reporting: Jesse Paul for “HOA foreclosures.” Feature Photography/Videography: William Woody for “Colorado onion harvesting races against freezing weather.”

Feature: Long Form: Jennifer Brown for “Wild ice draws skaters to the Colorado alpine. One woman is trying to make sure they survive.” Information Graphic: Danika Worthington, Eric Lubbers, Jennifer Brown for “The cost of 5 common grocery items has gone up 35% in Colorado in 5 years. Here’s the breakdown.” News Column, collection: Trish Zornio. Science and Technology Feature: Shannon Mullane for “Scientists are using lasers to uncover the secrets of Colorado’s snowpack. So what does it mean for your water supply?” Social Justice Reporting: Tatiana Flowers for “Colorado mothers speak out against OB-GYN racism to try to reverse decades-long trend of dangerous care.”

Third place

Climate Reporting: Olivia Prentzel for “Volunteers are on the hunt for one of Colorado’s most adorable animals before climate change erases them.” Editorial Cartoons, collection: Jim Morrissey. Education Feature: Erica Breunlin for “At Colorado forest schools, nature is both the classroom and the teacher.” Health Feature: Dan England for “Colorado’s thin air carries health risks for people with hypoxia. These hikers say the views are worth it.” Multimedia Story: Jesse Paul, Sandra Fish, Elliott Wenzler, Danika Worthington for “‘Welcome to Denver’: Meet the 17 mayoral candidates through their airport train greeting.”

The four-state Top of the Rockies journalism contest honored The Colorado Sun with 23 awards Saturday night, including 13 first-place citations in categories ranging from health and the environment to social justice, opinion and editorial cartooning — by far the most among  Colorado news organizations.

The contest, sponsored by the Colorado Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and open to news organizations in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming, drew more than 1,750 entries from over 100 outlets and freelancers that were judged by journalists from Illinois and Ohio. The contest accepts entries from small, medium, large and extra-large newsrooms, based on staff size. 

The Sun, despite its relatively smaller staff, competed in the extra-large newsroom division along with The Gazette from Colorado Springs, Colorado Public Radio and The Denver Post. The Gazette was recognized with four first places, CPR had three first places and The Denver Post had one first place in the extra-large category and was recognized with three firsts in the medium-sized newsroom category for stories and a photo co-published with ProPublica. 

“I’m so proud of the recognition that Sun journalists received from our peers across the West,” said Sun editor Larry Ryckman. “But we do this important work for our readers, not for awards. These are just a reflection of the support from the thousands of Coloradans who turn to us as their trusted news source every day.”

The Sun’s Jennifer Brown led the way with three individual first-place awards for her coverage of a national medical ethics debate, Medicaid issues within the state’s mental health system and Colorado’s controversial wolf reintroduction program. 

John Ingold took a pair of top prizes for a story that deconstructed marijuana legalization and another that chronicled efforts to improve vaccination rates among the state’s Latino population. Reporter Shannon Najmabadi also scored two firsts for her stories on wind turbines and a school sexting scandal.

Michael Booth, who covers the environment, climate change and related issues for The Sun, was recognized with a first place award for beat coverage. A collection of stories by reporters Tatiana Flowers, Tamara Chuang and Brammhi Balarajan took top honors for social justice reporting, while a collaborative project looking at the century-old Colorado River Compact, led by The Sun’s Chris Outcalt, took first in the “extended coverage” category.

Flowers also contributed to a project by the Colorado News Collaborative, a consortium of news organizations across the state, called “Chasing Progress,” which judges called a “compelling collaboration about real people pursuing the American dream.” It took first place for enterprise reporting.

Sun contributor Mark Jaffe, often recognized for his coverage of the energy industry, showed his versatility by winning first place in the arts and entertainment category with his look at the precarious economics of opera.

Sun contributors took two of the top three spots in editorial cartooning. The weekly comic strip “What’d I Miss?”, written by R. Alan Brooks and drawn by Cori Redford, took first for addressing social issues through the lens of its unique characters, while Sun contributor Drew Litton took third. Sun columnists also dominated their category, with Trish Zornio winning the top prize and Mike Littwin taking second for collections of their work.

Second-place finishes were awarded to Erica Breunlin in education writing for her stories on Colorado’s teacher housing crisis, and Eric Lubbers for his informational graphic that crunched census data to show population migration in Colorado.

The Sun landed eight third-place awards, including separate public service honors in two divisions. The project “Colorado’s Failed Adoptions” by Brown, Najmabadi and Olivia Prentzel took third among extra-large newsrooms. Brown also contributed to the Colorado News Collaborative’s third-place finish for  “On Edge: Mental Health In Colorado.” 

Other Sun third-place finishes: Lubbers and Danika Worthington in feature page design for their Colorado Sunday cover “Where are all the salmon?”, photographer Hugh Carey (sports photography), Jason Blevins (business), Nancy Lofholm (education), Kevin Simpson (climate reporting) and Najmabadi (politics).

“Smooth talking lothario found tongue tied.”

With that crisp and evocative turn of phrase, Sue Hinkin captured overall  top honors in the The Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America chapter’s 6-word mystery contest Thursday night.

Winners of the RMMWA contest receive cash, gift cards and publication in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, The Colorado Sun and the RMMWA website and its newsletter, Deadlines. Finalists in each of five categories also earned an invitation to the chapter’s virtual Mystery & Mistletoe Holiday Party.

Entries were judged by a panel that includes Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Editor Linda Landrigan; New York Times best-selling author Anne Hillerman; award-winning author, lawyer and activist Manuel Ramos; BookBar Denver store owner Nicole Sullivan; and literary agent Terrie Wolf.

Judges earlier had narrowed the field to five finalists in each category, and then the RMMWA membership determined the winners.

The contest attracted 317 total entries from 85 individuals. Contestants came from 22 states literally from coast to coast and as far away as Australia, Canada, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

This year The Colorado Sun also urged readers to submit their 6-word mysteries for a parallel contest. Those results in our just-for-fun contest are listed below, with the winners earning some Sun swag.

* Category winner

** Overall winner

Police Procedural

Dispatch balked: no backup during zombiepocalypse.  (Benjamin Hiller)  

Exhumed the casket; found it empty.  (Nana Herron) 

Genealogist discovered dead in cemetery.  (Charlene Dietz)

Hipster solution to overpriced hitmen: DIY. (Jeffrey Lockwood) 

* “Tattoo Killer” fingered for signature crimes.  (Rita Popp)  

Romance & Lust

Honeymoon Chasm yawned. The bridegroom didn’t.  (Jennie MacDonald)

Royal wedding day last known citing. (Renata Waldrop)  

She–the killer–was my ex-husband.  (Cabby Cabison)

* ** Smooth talking lothario found tongue tied.  (Sue Hinkin)

So gorgeous I almost believed her.  (Matthew Porter)

Thriller

* “Grandma, you’ve gotta stop killing people!”  (David Bart)

Dear Judge, I know your address…  (Jeffrey Lockwood)

House ablaze, husband watched, now single.  (Vy Kava)

Ritalin helped Chuckie. Until it didn’t.  (Richelle Elberg)

Scratching sounds inside coffin busted mortician.  (Theodore Iliff)

Cozy

Cake was baked, faked, stomachache, wake.  (Richard Boersma)

* Chef killed; charges are wonton cruelty.  (AJ Hartson)

Embezzling manicurist nailed by digital detectives.  (Rita Popp)

Gardener has knack for bleeding hearts.  (K.R. Hindman)

Wore rose-colored glasses, missed red flags.  (Kristin Horton)

Noir/Hardboiled

Another murder, barkeep…must solve whiskey.  (Lee O’Brien)

* “Are you ok?” Gunshots. “Better now.”  (Vaibhav Hassija)

Hunted, she hid. Cheap perfume lingers.  (Daniel Ginsberg)

Jameson, neat. Rocky affair. Nightcapped nark.  (Andrea Stout)

Vinnie’s black sedan careened into oblivion.  (Mary Burgess)

The Colorado Sun contest

We lumped all entries into a single category:

Wake up! We must escape now! (Joanne Terry)

Instantaneously, the alien became its host.

No ammo; worsening scurvy. Fleet lost.

Murder wasn’t suggested; it was mandated. ( 3rd place)

A disembodied foot. Never postmating again.

(Multiple entries from Sean, whose last name remains a mystery)

What happened was he fell downstairs. (Ross Morgan)

Bitter almond flavored salad dressing served.

Footprints from fireplace to spouse’s bed.

Cookie jar empty. Who took them?

Cheese stolen from mousetrap overnight, alas.

Lipstick stains collar; husband doubts story.

Death by Chocolate slaughters dessert competition.

Dame claims patsy private investigator maims.

(Multiple entries from Seth Lederer)

Her solitude, he proved, was illusory. (Sam Stookesberry)

An ocean view. Watch out. Oops. (1st place)

Here’s you ‘chute. Enjoy your jump.

Who is this? Hello? Hello? Hello?

(Multiple entries from Craig Sirkin)

For sale: Covid mask, never worn. (Chris Romer)

Second wife. Bloody knife. Tahiti life. (2nd place) (Carol McKinley)

Covid or convenient excuse for murder? (Deb Whittaker)

I am. Or not. It seems. (Gerald Monge)

Clues encrypted, cipher cracked, jury convicted. (Reed Morris)

Covid or not, the strong survive. (James Hanzelka)

The finalists have been selected and the jury is out.

But while the membership of the Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America mulls the best selections from its 6-word mystery contest, Colorado Sun readers can help select the “Readers’ Choice” winners. We’ll announce all the winners on Dec. 11: the official RMMWA contest, the Sun readers’ choices and the Sun’s own just-for-fun 6-word mystery submissions.

So, Sun readers, pick a winner and runner up from each category and send them to mystery@coloradosun.com. 

Then write your own 6-word mysteries — no limit, and we’ll lump them all into a single category — and send it to the same address. Entries must be submitted by Dec. 1. There’s no cash prize (unlike the RMMWA contest), but there could be some cool Sun swag.

Here are the finalists for the RMWWA 2020 6-Word Mystery Contest:

Police Procedural

Dispatch balked: no backup during zombiepocalypse.  

Exhumed the casket; found it empty.  

Genealogist discovered dead in cemetery. 

Hipster solution to overpriced hitmen: DIY.  

“Tattoo Killer” fingered for signature crimes.  

Romance & Lust

Honeymoon Chasm yawned. The bridegroom didn’t.  

Royal wedding day last known citing.   

She — the killer — was my ex-husband.

Smooth talking lothatrio found tongue tied.  

So gorgeous I almost believed her.   

Thriller

“Grandma, you’ve gotta stop killing people!”

Dear Judge, I know your address…

House ablaze, husband watched, now single.

Ritalin helped Chuckie. Until it didn’t.

Scratching sounds inside coffin busted mortician.

Cozy

Cake was baked, faked, stomachache, wake.

Chef killed; charges are wonton cruelty.

Embezzling manicurist nailed by digital detectives.

Gardener has knack for bleeding hearts.

Wore rose-colored glasses, missed red flags.

Noir/Hardboiled

Another murder, barkeep…must solve whiskey. 

“Are you OK?” Gunshots. “Better now.”

Hunted, she hid. Cheap perfume lingers.

Jameson, neat. Rocky affair. Nightcapped nark.

Vinnie’s black sedan careened into oblivion.

Compiled by Eric Lubbers, eric@coloradosun.com
CTO/Newsletter Wrangler, @brofax

Time is flying now that we only get about 10 hours of sunshine a day. It’s already the Monday before the Monday before Thanksgiving, and we all know how time basically turns into a slip-and-slide once we cross that holiday threshold.

We’ve got some fun events planned between now and the end of the year, including book club gatherings with Colorado authors (more on that below) and staff mixers all around the state, so keep an eye on this newsletter for the latest happenings in the Sun community.

But for now, we’ve got news to get to.

Let’s toast this bagel already, shall we?

The Latest from The Sun

Coloradans keep rejecting statewide tax questions to fund transportation. Democrats are now eyeing a regional approach.

“If the same ideological opposition gathers to any new transportation revenue, we’re running out of ways to tell local communities they can’t act on their own.”

—State Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield

The multibillion-dollar backlog for upkeep and expansion of Colorado’s roads isn’t going away. But with Coloradans rejecting statewide tax questions to address it in back-to-back years, some Democratic state lawmakers are saying it might be time to go to Plan B: the creation of regional or hyper-local taxing districts to pay for transportation.

STORY: Jesse Paul looks at what Democrats are proposing, why Republicans are skeptical and how this could all shake out.

• Colorado Springs is cited as a model for a regional transportation authority in the story above. But regional transportation systems have their limits, as this story from Patricia Cameron highlighted last December.

Denver’s Rose Medical Center, celebrating 70 years, created a culture that countered post-war racial discrimination

Dr. Edmond Noel shown in his private practice office at 2800 Race St. in Denver. He was the first African American doctor to receive hospital privileges when he began practicing at General Rose Memorial Hospital, now HealthOne Rose Medical Center, in the 1950s. (Courtesy of the Noel family)

How often do you see a name slapped on an old building or a local institution and really think about where it came from? In the case of Denver’s Rose Medical Center, the history of WWII hero Gen. Maurice Rose was just the beginning of a story that changed the racial dynamics of health care in Colorado and around the country. Find some time to really read this one, folks.

STORY AND PHOTOS: Kevin Simpson has a gripping account of how Rose helped pioneering doctors like Edmond Noel, the first black doctor to be given privileges at a city hospital, to break through barriers of class and race from just off Colorado Boulevard. 

Colorado officials have finalized their proposal for a public health insurance option. Here’s what we still don’t know about it.

I’m going to steal the deck from this John Ingold story: “Short answer: There’s a lot for lawmakers to fight over, from hospital and insurance company participation to an application for federal approval.”

ANALYSIS: Read this and prepare yourself for what promises to be the biggest health care fight under the gold dome next year.

More from The Sun

• The lucrative world of the outdoor retail show was shaken up last week when Snowsports Industries America — the founder of the Snow Show that is part of the massive Outdoor Retailer winter trade show in Denver — bought the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Expo in a bid to have more connection directly with consumers. Jason Blevins explains it all here.
• The market for black-market pot in other states is fueling illegal grows on public lands in Colorado and California that are leaving “toxic garbage dumps” in sensitive ecosystems. 

Want some real news in your news feed? Follow The Colorado Sun on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

A lineup of unique vintage Shelby race cars, including the Shelby Factory Team Cobra CSX 2345 FIA Roadster at front, in the Shelby American Collection in Boulder. (Andy Colwell, Special to the Colorado Sun)

From the Opinion Page

• Columnist Diane Carman on finding inspiration in a bleak media landscape: “If it weren’t for Megan Rapinoe, we’d be up ‘Schitt’s Creek’”
• Columnist (and former Guiliani presidential campaign staffer) Mario Nicolais: “How Rudy Giuliani broke my heart”
• Health tech CEO Shepard Nevel on the passing of a Denver legend: “The life and legacy of Marie Greenwood, an extraordinary woman”
• DU Prof. Deborah Avant: “Let’s try to be civil enough to keep arguing”5th District prosecutor
• Jake Lilly: “Justice means we must believe sexual assault survivors first”

CORNER-TO-CORNER

RED FLAG ON “60 MINUTES:” The flagship CBS news magazine had a 15-minute segment on the Colorado sheriffs who say they will not enforce Colorado’s red flag gun laws when they go into effect in just a few weeks (here is The Sun’s coverage of the law for context and our in-depth profile of Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock). // 60 Minutes, The Colorado Sun

DANIELS FUND QUESTIONS: Does being a good student or a good American require that you are pro-business and unquestioningly patriotic? A new set of politically loaded questions for Daniels Fund scholars has sparked a social media outcry. // Chalkbeat Colorado

“IT’S COMING FROM THE FOREST” You’ve probably heard cello music before. But have you heard it … from the top of a tree? // KDVR

MLB TARGETS COLORADO CLUBS: Minor league baseball players are one of the most exploited labor groups in the country — the average salary tops out at $15,000 a year and players are often expected to buy their own equipment. But a proposal from MLB to cut ties with 42 clubs — including the Grand Junction Rockies and the recently minted Rocky Mountain Vibes in Colorado Springs — in order to increase player pay would wipe out leagues that have existed for decades. // PennLive, The New York Times ? 

UNEASINESS IN NEDERLAND: “It’s us against them, and I’m not even sure who the ‘us’ is and who the ‘them’ is.” Charlie Brennan has a deep look at a divide over a changing town in Nederland. // Daily Camera ?

TALK RADIO DRAMA: Talk-show host Craig Silverman’s show on KNUS was cut off as he discussed support for the impeachment of President Trump. Silverman claimed he was fired for not toeing the party line but as of this morning, KNUS says that despite his show being removed from the station’s website, he was not fired and his show was interrupted because he was promoting appearances on a rival radio station. // The Denver Post ? 

HEMP TECH: It’s been decades since hemp was a commercially farmed crop, and because of that, technologies to improve the act of harvesting hemp are far behind other crops. But on the Western Slope, two farmers have developed what they are literally calling a “Revolutionary Hemp Harvester” (patent pending). // Grand Junction Sentinel

FOOD BACKPACKS: Students have access to nutritious food during the school week, but to help combat hunger over the weekend, Las Animas School District launched a backpack food program. // Bent County Democrat

ALL THAT GLITTERS: Get ready for some outrage: Quartz published a major investigation into a scam that used Facebook ads to target older Fox News watchers for an aggressive scheme that used conspiracy theories and other scare tactics to steal their savings by selling them overvalued gold and silver coins. // Quartz

SPEAKING OF MONEY: Here are three stories I read over the weekend you might find interesting:

• “Billionaires Keep Benefiting From a Tax Break to Help the Poor. Now, Congress Wants to Investigate.” // ProPublica
• In 2017, FedEx owed $1.5 billion in taxes. After lobbying hard for President Trump’s corporate tax cuts, in 2018 it owed $0. And that so-called “renaissance of capital investment” that CEOs promised would come from the tax cuts? Nowhere to be seen. There’s a lot more in this story.  // The New York Times ? 
• Here’s a quick stat for the next time you see someone equate the stock market to the financial health of Americans: 84% of all stocks are owned by the wealthiest 10% of families — and that includes everyone’s stakes in pensions, 401(k)s and other forms of retirement plans. // The New York Times ? 

Today’s Thing

The Thing: The Laundromat (Netflix), The Panama Papers (Hulu)

Why You Might Like It: So as you might be able to tell, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about money and power and the way they intersect with society and government. I finally watched the Steven Soderbergh movie “The Laundromat” last night and while it isn’t exactly a great movie it’s worth watching if you think of it as a 90-minute episode of a podcast explaining step-by-step how rich people (including Soderbergh himself, as he admits in the script) use off-shore shell companies to avoid paying taxes — that also happens to star Meryl Streep, Antonio Banderas and Gary Oldman.

If you’re looking for a less flashy, more substantive look at the Panama Papers, over on Hulu, Alex Winters (yes, that Alex Winters, aka the other guy from “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures”) has grown into a talented documentarian and made one of the most concise, understandable walk throughs of the major scandal I’ve encountered. 

What’s your thing? If you have something that you just can’t stop raving about that you’d like to share, send us an email at things@coloradosun.com and you could be published in a future Sunriser! 

As we close out The Sunriser for today, we want to remind you that you can always reach us at newsroom@coloradosun.com or tips@coloradosun.com with topics you want us to dig into or just questions and comments about our stories. We love hearing from our readers. 

Some of our most impactful articles began with an idea from you, the public. 

Hope to see some of you out at BookBar tonight!

See you back here on Wednesday. 

— Eric

Good morning, readers! We’re smack in the middle of two important seasons: holiday and ski.

So to celebrate both, we’re going to have a little drawing.

Starting right now through noon on Sunday, Dec. 23, every new membership (including gift memberships) to The Colorado Sun will be eligible to win two passes to Aspen Snowmass’ four world-class mountains (a nearly $400 value).

Yes, Aspen (seen here).

• Memberships start at just $5/month and every single dollar goes directly to supporting the journalism at The Colorado Sun.
• Interested in Politics? Our Politics Plus membership level and above gets you The Unaffiliated, our weekly Colorado politics newsletter featuring exclusive reporting for insiders and the casual politics observer alike.

Get a membership for yourself here.

Get a gift membership here.

More details:

• A special option for the winner: If used any weekend in February, you have the option of a tour of the resort’s best runs from our own reporter Jesse Paul. He knows the mountains inside and out.
• Already a member? You can buy a gift membership for the journalism-minded person in your life (and you’ll be eligible for the passes!)
• There is no purchase necessary to enter this drawing. To enter without buying a membership (or if you’re already a member) send us a note at contests@coloradosun.com with your email address.

We truly appreciate every single person who supports our journalism — and those who read and share the work we’re doing for Colorado. So thanks and happy holidays!

Note: If you have any issues with your membership, please email support@coloradosun.com

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