Publisher’s Letter: Where’s the Snow?

As I write this month’s message, I’m sitting here in a rented VRBO in Estes Park. My extended family is here, and we had hoped to spend the weekend enjoying fresh snow, soul food, a crackling fire, games, spirits and good company. Although we live just an hour away, we did not realize that just over the ridge, in the middle of January, there was absolutely no snow. We had planned to snowmobile, but instead spent the day four-wheeling near Allen’s Park, where there were just a few snowy patches and mud pits. We’re expecting nine inches of snow tonight into Monday morning. I sure hope so, as the shops along Elkhorn Avenue are quiet and the restaurants could use a few more patrons.

Before we head back down the mountain, we hope to make a visit to Elkins Distilling Co. and the Dancing Pines Distillery, two local distilleries we’re featuring in this issue (see page 16). These operations create unique liquor in small batches—a natural evolution of the craft brewery movement.

We’re also featuring three local ski areas in this issue (see page 22). The slopes are just a short drive from Northern Colorado and offer short lines and family-friendly amenities for all abilities. For those who yearn for the “olden days” of skiing, these three ski areas may evoke a little nostalgia.

In last month’s column, I mentioned five hefty goals for 2018 and I’m pleased to share that we’re already accomplishing our number-one goal by delivering NOCO Style directly to more homes in Timnath, Windsor, Berthoud, Greeley and Fort Collins. Please go online to confirm that you want to continue to receive each issue by subscribing for free at www.nocostyle.com/subscribe.

We’d like to hear from our new and seasoned readers about the changes we introduced in the January issue. Did you notice the updates to our cover? We love to hear from our readers, so please reach out to give us your feedback. Email letters@nocostyle.com or comment on our Facebook page.