If you know your triple salchow from a hole in the ground or if you think an open axel is found on a dilapidated pickup (we’re the latter), you should join us for another must-do NoCo activity: Ice skating in Old Town! After a five mile hike up a rock, for some NoCo50 Challenge #2 seems like a piece of cake. But we are lacking in grace, any notable athletic ability and are gravity-challenged.

Meet us at the Old Town rink Saturday at 11:00 a.m. We’ll be the ones with pillows strapped to our behinds. Want to complete the challenge, but can’t make our time? Take a few photos and make a few notes about your perfectly landed lutz and post your photo journal at www.Facebook.com/NoCo50 by Jan. 25.  We’re still loving your suggestions regarding additional NoCo50 challenges. Keep them coming to the Facebook page or email your tips to Scott@BigCountry979.com.

There’s a Fort Collins road named after it. A liquor store, a bed and breakfast, and a reservoir all bear its name. It’s easily NoCo’s most recognizable landmark. NoCo50 Challenge #1 is Horsetooth Mountain.

At 7,259 feet in elevation, the mountain derives its name from the distinctive appearance of the large rock formation at its summit. We know what it looks like, but were shocked to discover the outdoorsy types we hope to become covet the 1,400 feet elevation change this rock offers as a hike!

We invited you, fellow 50’ers (we’ve already given those accepting our NoCo50 challenges a collective nick-name), to join us on MLK Day at 10:00 a.m. Our spirits sank when we saw Saturday and Sunday hikers enjoy temperatures in the high 50s while we watched Monday’s forecast offer highs in the 30s with snow.

It was overcast and cold when we drove past the lake at 9:45. I knew that, with the exception of the hardy members of the Coloradoan staff vowing to make the trek with us, we would be alone on the trail. Imagine our surprise when we were joined by at least thirty hikers, layered up and ready to tackle NoCo50 Challenge #1.

The five-mile roundtrip trail showed me just how out of shape I am. With the exception of the final few hundred yards, the trail is not that “technical.” A few icy spots presented some challenges (and a pretty good bruise on my right hip) and the summit introduced me to the term “bouldering (previously thought to be an activity practiced by CU students).” Other than a sturdy pair of shoes, no special gear is required. It’s just the steep parts got to me. I needed several breaks to catch my wind. These “air sucking stops” provided great opportunities to chat with fellow hikers.

I was thankful for David, an experienced hiker who impressed me with his ability to converse and climb at the same time. I couldn’t do that! Vern had hiking poles, little spikes to put on his shoes so he wouldn’t bite it on the ice, and pleasing trail banter. Gary Buffington, the Director of Larimer County Natural Resources, the county department who oversees the operation of Horsetooth Park, delightfully made the trek with us. He provided insight on the mountain, generous handfuls of his wife’s homemade trail mix, and an accurate answer to the question, “how much farther?”

It was good to see a few fellow taters off the couch and inspired by NoCo50. Eli Hoyt of LaSalle decided to celebrate her 45th birthday by accepting our challenge. She made the journey with her daughter and found several new friends along the way. She says she looks forward to the next 49 adventures. We look forward to seeing her.

My broadcast partner, Sadie, had the line of the day, “I’ve never walked this far without knowing there was a Burger King at the other end.” Sadie completed the journey in 40-minutes less time than I did. She’s young and she wanted to get out of the cold. I made the round trip in three hours and forty five minutes.

The view from the top was spectacular. Yes, it made the trip “worth it.” Do I feel a sense of accomplishment? Yes. Do I feel more like a local? Yes. Did I appreciate a jetted tub and my bed that night? Darn right. NoCo50 Challenge #1 was a fitting kickoff to what is going to be an adventurous year. Are we ready? I think so, but please let us know if you see a sale on ibuprofen. We need to stock up.

Check out all the pics from NoCo50 Challenge #1 HERE.

There’s a Fort Collins road named after it. A liquor store, a bed and breakfast, an apartment complex, a production company, and a reservoir all bear its name. Even a hot sauce. It’s easily the most recognizable landmark in NoCo. It is both a rock and a mountain, it’s Horsetooth.

At 7,259 feet in elevation, the mountain derives its name from the distinctive appearance of the large rock formation at its summit. We know what it looks like, but were shocked to discover the outdoorsy types we hope to become covet this rock as a hike!

NoCo50 Challenge #1 is quintessentially and fundamentally Fort Fun: Hike Horsetooth Mountain. To the top. Without aid of helicopter or pack mule. Want to come? Meet us at 10:00 a.m. at the entrance to Horsetooth Mountain Park on MLK Day Monday January 16. We’ll be the ones looking scared. Want to complete the challenge, but can’t make our time? Take a few photos and make a few notes about your trek and post your photo journal at Facebook.com/NoCo50 by January 18.

Remember, we’re rookies. Couch potatoes looking to make a 2012 change. So you experienced, outdoorsy types should feel free to offer your suggestions regarding our first challenge at Facebook.com/NoCo50 or email your tips to Scott@BigCountry979.com. We’ll chronicle our adventure next Thursday. If we survive.

Pretty much word for word, this is the article that will appear in The Coloradoan on 1/12/2012. As things progress with NoCo50, we'll post extended versions of articles plus our on-going thoughts about the challenge that is NoCo50 here.

Look around, they’re everywhere. Outdoor lovin’, 14’er climbing, Horsetooth hikin’, bike ridin’ fresh-air breathers clad in North Face gear and a ski goggle sun tan. Active Coloradans. Google that phrase and the result yields hundreds of offerings about Colorado’s activities, great outdoors, dining and entertainment establishments and the lean, healthy, fit Coloradans who enjoy them.

You know the type. You may be the type. But unfortunately, we’re not it. Our mother state is somewhat embarrassed by us. We’re natives and an utter betrayal to our official state stereotype. An introduction is needed. I’m Scott James. A native of LaSalle, a resident of Johnstown, a husband to Julie, a father to five year old Jack and a fixture on Northern Colorado’s radio airwaves. I’ll turn 50 this year and mortality is suddenly a motivator. I have goals. Things I want to do and places I want to see before the half century mark strikes December 9th.

My on-air partner and best friend is 28 year old Sadie Koehler. A native of Wellington and a resident of Fort Collins, Sadie is mother to six year old Sophie and four year old Cooper. Sadie desires to get active while she’s still in her twenties. And before she gets old. Like me.

Collectively, we’re Scott and Sadie in the Morning on Big Country 97.9 FM. We love our kids, our families and our couch. Honestly, we’re taters; more apt to tackle a Hoarders marathon on TV than a half-marathon in Old Town.

That changes here and now. With the help of the Coloradoan, we’re mutually resolving in 2012 to start living like Coloradans. The assignment from our new Editor is NoCo50; the fifty must-do activities in Northern Colorado. Beginning next week, we’ll experience those activities at the rate of one a week until we complete all fifty before 2012 lapses. We’ll chronicle our adventures here and online at Coloradoan.com. We’ll post pictures, audio and video and we’ll invite you to join us in living Colorado-style.

That’s the goal, but we need your input. What are the Northern Colorado activities that must be experienced? Signature events and activities, both indoors and out, that exemplify life in NoCo. Please let us know so we can flesh out the NoCo50. Kindly submit suggestions to us at Coloradoan.com, at Facebook.com/NoCo50 or via email to Scott@BigCountry979.com.

NoCo50 is the perfect opportunity for you NoCo Newbies to join us in discovering the lifestyle of your recently adopted state and for you fellow taters to extract yourself from your sofa and bask in that brilliant orb in the sky known as the Colorado sun. Oh yes, and for you already active Colorado stereotypes to do that voodoo that you do so well. Now let’s go! I’m not getting any younger and there’s a state to explore!