Buena Vista

Buena Vista is an historic town in Central Colorado located in the Upper Arkansas River Valley. The Arkansas River and the Collegiate Peaks with numerous fourteeners dominate the region. Mining, railroading, and ranching are the major historical influences. Today outdoor recreation activities such as whitewater kayaking,rafting,mountain biking, road cycling,trail running, climbing, bouldering, hiking, and much more dominate the local scene. In winter, Alpine, Nordic, and backcountry skiing & snowboarding and snowshoeing are available. The Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail transit the area, and there are many, many miles of other trails. The area is am outdoor enthusiasts' dream, and it's still pretty cheap. The vibe is really laid back and unpretentious. People wear Tevas, Chaco, Keens, Patagonia, The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Royal Robbns, Marmot, etc. - to court or church. Buena Vista is home to one of the original independent outdoor shops, The Trailhead and Trailhead Cycle & Ski. They are small but very good and still one of the best outdoor shops - bar none - in the world. The Trailhead is the best place to go for any information on outdoor activities, places to go, and anything you need from outdoor gear, clothes, stove fuel, bike parts, footwear, travel items (you name it) while you're in the area. Locals and visitors all go there. They can handle everything and everybody from hard-core dirtbag hikers and climbers to trustafarians to MountainSexuals to a trip to Europe.
Kim - "What are you doing this summer?"

Joan - "I'm going to be a raft guide in Colorado on the Upper Ark. I hear it's a wonderful area and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll be living in Buena Vista, about halfway between Leadville and Salida."

Kim - "Wow, that's great. Go to The Trailhead in Buena Vista when you get there. They're great folks and they'll take great care of you. They'll make you feel really welcome."
by da Chetster April 05, 2009
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Denver sandwich

A Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb (preferred) and a Snickers bar. Generally munched after catching a major cannabis buzz.
"Man, that J hit the spot, now I'm jonesing for a Denver sandwich."

"Okay, I'll whip in to this 7-11 and you can score one."
by da Chetster March 08, 2009
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Keens

Collective term for Hybrid footwear by Keen Footwear. Keen's HybridLife message is "Create. Play. Care." Their initial range, consisting primarily of river sandals and the rubber Yogi, debuted only in 2004 but met with such success the line rapidly expanded to encompass outdoor performance, rugged, and lifestyle footwear.

Keens are a bit more stylish and upscale than their assumed rivals, Chaco and Teva. However, Keen's lifestyle footwear in particular the Market Street and Boulevard collections, embrace the concept of urbaneering. Keens are probably the closest thing today to the "rich hippy" aesthetic of the late 1960s and 1970s but are very today. They could be described as Outside magazine meets Wallpaper magazine but are rugged and functional enough for hardcore dirtbags. Consequently, Keens are often worn by male and female MountainSexuals.

In laid-back areas such as the Arkansas River Valley of Colorado and in mountain towns such as Buena Vista Colorado, some models of Keens are actually considered very dressy. This makes Keen perhaps the most comprehensive outdoors footwear line available - the possible exceptions being Patagonia footwear and Merrell.

Keen now offers a line of sleek and functional backpacks and bags. These are very useful for travel and urbaneering.

Keen footwear and bags and packs are available only in better outdoor specialty stores such as The Trailhead in Buena Vista, Colorado.
She - "Those are some really nice looking shoes, but what's up with that toe?"

He - "They're Keens - the 'Targhee' light hiking boots. They are waterproof, breathable, and very comfortable. The toe adds to the rugged durability."

She - "Oh, I've heard of Keen. A friend of mine got one of their packs from The Trailhead in Buena Vista. But it was very stylish - it looked great for a long flight. I didn't know they did shoes, but they look as cool as her pack."

He - "They did shoes before the packs. They make a great full line. You should go to The Trailhead and check them out. You'll love them."
by da Chetster April 09, 2009
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The Trailhead

The Trailhead (and Trailhead Cycle & Ski) is a legendary outdoor specialty shop located in Buena Vista, Colorado. The Trailhead/Trailhead Cycle & Ski is one of the original outdoor specialty shops, dating to 1972 and the early days of the specialty outdoor industry. They offer clothing, footwear, gear, and accessories for backpacking, bouldering, hiking, climbing, cycling, Nordic skiing & snowshoeing, trail running, and adventure travel. Their clothing and footwear ranges include lifestyle and technical models. Brands have come and gone over the years, but they always have the best available values.

The Trailhead is literally world renowned. Located in Buena Vista, Colorado the heart of Colorado's "Fourteener" region and is known as "the" shop for everything Fourteener and the Fourteener culture. Buena Vista is also the heart of the Upper Arkansas River Valley, so the region is a Mecca for whitewater kayaking and rafting. The Colorado Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and numerous other trails transit the area so people come from all points of the compass to enjoy the outdoor activities. The area has strong mining, ranching, and railroad histories, thus Chaffee County's tourism slogan "Now THIS is Colorado!" The Trailhead's owners have always worked to honor those traditions, and one of their tag lines is "Real. Genuine. Colorado."

The staff know the area extremely well and can help you out with first-person knowledge about places to go and things to do. They also have an excellent selection of maps and books.

The Trailhead and Trailhead Cycle & Ski don't just sell - they service, rent, and coordinate warranty issues. The full-service bike shop rents bikes, repairs bikes, and will even tear down, pack up, and ship bikes.

The Trailhead and Trailhead Cycle & Ski have wonderful customer service and consequently have a cult following. They also have an online store, blog, Facebook fanpage, and Twitter account. Their strategy is to extend their remarkable in-store experience to the Internet. You can shop them 24/7 online, do in-store pickups, etc.

Current brands offered in store and/or online include Patagonia, The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, Columbia, Royal Robbins, Kuhl, Mountain Khakis, Ibex, Keen, Chaco, Teva, Trek, Fischer, Salomon, Black Diamond, and many others. Their style philosophy is "just because you play like a dirtbag doesn't mean you should look or smell like one." Consequently, many male and female MountainSexuals, woodsy hipters, trustafarians, and granola preppies shop at The Trailhead. The staff however is unpretentious, laid back, extremely helpful, and wants you to enjoy your visit and shopping experience. The atmosphere is relaxed and slightly upscale bohemian.

The owners have a strong community and environmental ethic. They are very involved in the community and support the community in many ways. The Trailhead and Trailhead Cycle & Ski have won several community support and environmental stewardship awards over the years.

For more information, visit their website. Just Google "trailhead buena vista colorado
Leah - "We're going to Colorado this summer - the Upper Arkansas Valley area."

Mark - "You have to go to The Trailhead in Buena Vista. It's a great independent outdoor shop. In fact, you can shop with them online now. Just Google Trailhead Buena Vista Colorado."

Sven - "We are visiting the US to hike some Fourteeners."

Bjorn - "Visit the Trailhead shop in Buena Vista. They are a great store."
by da Chetster September 10, 2009
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dryer surprise

When you open the dryer to put wet laundry in only to discover "someone" left it full of clothes.
I'll just put these clothes into the - uh-OH - WTF! - dryer surprise!
by da Chetster July 22, 2010
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Royal Robbins

1. Authentic, quality, stylish outdoor and travel apparel brand. Known for legitimacy, strong environmental ethic, comfort, and wearability. Often worn by male and female mountainsexuals. When you see someone in Royal Robbins, you know they're legitimate outdoors people and adventure travelers who like to look good, be comfortable, and not stink. Wearers are often said to be "Loyal Royal." Definitely not for poseurs. Usually found in outdoor specialty shops like The Trailhead in Buena Vista, Colorado.

2. Legendary Yosemite hardman climber and adventurer, founder and namesake of the company that bears his name.
Steve - "Who was the climber who did a lot first ascents in Yosemite, then started a clothing company - the first guy to do that?"

Keith - "That was Royal Robbins. Great climber. His company pre-dates most of the others like Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Kuhl, even Marmot. Yeah, Royal is a legend."
by da Chetster March 07, 2009
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Kuhl

Formerly known as Alfwear after one of the founders. Kuhl a superb line of functional and stylish clothing for mountain living. Designed by skiers and climbers, Kuhl clothing works well and looks good in a refreshingly different way so it's often worn by MountainSexual men and women. The look is decidedly Euro and generally available only through outdoor specialty shops like The Trailhead in Buena Vista, Colorado. Definitely not poseur wear.
Mark - "That's a great looking fleece top. But is it any good outdoors?"

Stan - "Yes, it's by Kuhl. I can wear it cross-country skiing or out drinking without looking like a lab rat."
by da Chetster March 02, 2009
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