What we’re about
Western Slope Adventurers (WSA) meetup is a group of motivated outdoor enthusiasts who want to get together and meet other like-minded folks--to share hiking, backpacking, canyoneering, road and mountain cycling, skiing of all kinds, and water sports such as rafting, kayaking, paddleboarding, and more socially oriented outings like pot-luck or restaurant dining events, birding, dog walks, car camping, film festivals, photography, games nights, theater outings, lectures and field trips.
You are encouraged to BE ACTIVE in the group. The beauty of this and other Meetup groups is to connect online for "IRL" --IN REAL LIFE-- outings.
We are geographically centered in southwestern Colorado (including Montrose/Grand Junction all the way to Durango), and we welcome members, hosts and activities elsewhere. MeetUp.com allows for a principal 'Organizer' (and a number of Assistant or Event Organizers . If you have an event you’d like to host, we welcome your enthusiasm! The Organizer will grant the rights for you to create and post your event. It’s very easy.
Western Colorado is a great place to live and we will meetup up to share it and make it even better , for ourselves, our group and and larger community.
Meetup.com charges $365/yr, and the Organizer pays the hosting fee. The "Pledge" donation feature you will encounter on some of our pages is to reimburse these costs, and any surplus will be used for group events (such as venue rental for social events). Event costs (such as carpooling, camping fees, etc) are managed by the event organizer(s) and participants are expected to share these. To respect the wishes of our founder, the late Doug Van Etten, there are no dues nor subscription fees to be a member, and event costs are shared amongst event participants. The only requirements for entry are a willingness to participate, to contribute to the group, to respect other members, to be responsible for yourself and your guests, and to observe responsible outdoor safety and ethics practices.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Backcountry Ski-Red Mountain AreaNeeds location
Skiing is not over yet! Backcountry skiing at Red Mtn Pass was really good on 5/4. New snow is falling through Tuesday this week (6-12") with good weather forecast for 5/7. Join us for a springtime ski aiming for Mcmillan Glades near Red Mountain Pass above Ouray.
Bring your AT/Tele skiis (with skins), avy gear (pole, beacon, shovel), and a great lunch.
On RSVP you'll be asked to provide full name, email, cell and emergency contact...this info is REQUIRED. I'll be leaving Montrose around 8 aiming to be skiing around 9:30 or so. Meeting time/place TBD.
- Burnt Timber TrailNeeds location
Do not let the trail name scare you off. Burnt Timber is a gorgeous trail in the springtime. Flowing creeks (some years) and wildflowers. Perhaps a sheep or two (just kidding! used to be...). This was an old ranching trail. Plenty of artifacts from old camps along the way.
The trail is rated easy but feels moderate. 9.5 miles. Elevation gain of 2,500'. Begin at 8,500', top out at 11,000'. Will take about 6 hours to hike the loop. I have done this often in May. So be prepared for cold, wind (maybe rain...but doubtful), or warmth. Bring layers for all conditions.
We will meet at the trailhead, which is off of the TRANSFER PARK campground near Lemon Reservoir. Continue north past Lemon. Cross the Florida River. Turn left then follow the road to the campground. Plenty of parking. Meet there at 8:00 AM. This is early so we can complete the loop.
After the hike, I invite you to join me for refreshments at my home in Edgemont (it's on the way back to Durango). This is a good way to make new friends!
Burnt Timber Trail and Lime Mesa Loop, Colorado - 49 Reviews, Map | AllTrails
- Canyoneering Resources Cross-PostLink visible for attendees
Hello fellow canyoneers,
Wanted to let folks know about several canyoneering resources: Training, Ouray Canyon Festival and Events Calendar
IMPORTANT: This is a cross-post. If you are interested in any of these, you MUST use the links below in the description.
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- Training
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As a reminder, my training season is underway and I'll be teaching the spring in Grand Junction, summer in Boulder, and fall in Grand Junction again. My first L1 starts 4/18 and only has one spot left. All of my courses and more info can be found at https://www.meetup.com/canyoneeringco/events/ (Note: my courses are also listed at https://uberadventures.net/events which also has the other training locations - I'm the instructor for Colorado.)
To make it easy, here are my courses broken down by level and location (Grand Junction=GJ and Boulder), including a link to sign up:
L1: 4/18/25 GJ, 5/30/25 Boulder, 7/18/25 Boulder, 9/5/25 Boulder, 10/17/25 GJ
https://uberadventures.net/product/technical-canyoneering-course/
L2: 4/26/25 GJ, 6/7/25 Boulder, 9/13/25 Boulder, 10/25/25 GJ
https://uberadventures.net/product/advanced-canyoneering-course/
L3: 4/23/25 GJ, 6/14/25 Boulder
https://uberadventures.net/product/canyon-leader-course/
L4: 4/29/25 GJ,6/20/25 Boulder, 10/14/25 GJ
https://uberadventures.net/product/canyon-rescue-course/
In-Canyon Training: 5/2-5/6/25 Moab, 10/21-10/24/25 Moab
https://uberadventures.net/product/in-canyon-training/
Note: Other dates and locations by request - let's chat======================
2) Ouray Canyon Festival
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The Ouray Canyon Festival will run from Aug 6-10 this year. More info and sign up at:
https://www.ouraycanyonfestival.org/======================
3) Event Calendar
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For those of you who are looking for canyoneering events, festivals and rondys - I set up a new Google Calendar to provide a consolidated view. I added all of the events I knew about, and reached out to other event organizers as well. If you notice any events missing, please let me know (and please let me know who the contact is for the event if you know it.) Here's a link that you can use to just look at the calendar in a web browser:
https://tinyurl.com/SeeCanyonFestsNote: That link should also allow you to add the calendar (as a separate calendar) to your Google Account's Calendar (or copy an event to your personal calendar.) You can also use this URL to add the calendar: https://tinyurl.com/AddCanyonFests
If you are an event organizer, and want to add or maintain your own events - please reach out. I'm happy to add you as an editor, so you can add your event, and include any details you would like. You can also see what events are already planned, so event organizers can try to avoid overlapping with other events.
Feel free to comment with any questions, or PM me and I'll do what I can to help.
Take care,
A.J. - Training
