Soaring on the retreat of winter, the flight of the sandhill crane is but one of its many dances. More than 20,000 cranes descend on Colorado’s San Luis Valley at the end of each winter, like the ones pictured in this photo essay, featuring work from photographers Guy Schmickle, Bob Karcz and more.

Their names are used as shorthand for the iconic archetypes of the American frontier: Kit Carson, the dauntless mountain man; Doc Holliday, the stylish gambler and gunslinger; Buffalo Bill Cody, the embodiment of cowboys-and-Indians mythology. Mention one of these names and most people think: “Old West.” They probably don’t immediately think: “Colorado.” But perhaps they should.

The town of Niwot is halfway between Boulder and Longmont. Actually, it’s halfway between a lot of things.

Just beyond the cliffs of Black Canyon lies historic Montrose, agricultural hub and hidden gem of art and adventure.

Imagine having a childhood that includes a cherished memory of the time you got up close and personal with a national icon: the real live Smokey Bear. That’s the case for Pat Ewen.

Exploring Colorado by snowshoe is easy – just strap them on and start walking.

When war loomed between whites and Utes, Chief Ouray and his wife, Chipeta, waged a desperate campaign to stave off bloodshed on the Western Slope.

The Devil's Backbone may look - and sound - intimidating, but this unusual stretch of craggy rock offers Coloradans a heavenly time on the outskirts of Loveland.

This issue, we visited Castle Rock and explored life in a place that maintains it's small town feel despite a population crawling past 50,000. Check out these additional photos of murals around the town, painted by volunteers of the "Art Around the Rock" community program.

From small-town restaurant to burgeoning brewing empire, Oskar Blues is a true-blue family establishment known for serving up down-home southern food, music, and brews

A supersized ant eats an apple core taller than a human. A man shoots from a cannon. A glittering giant bison guards a bank. A sinuous nude graces the concrete. Sculpted surprises continue around every corner as one walks the streets of downtown Grand Junction through the public sculpture exhibit Art on the Corner.

Brothers Clyde and Checkers Smaldone used their north Denver family restaurant, Gaetano’s, as the headquarters from which they built a mob empire. The Smaldone underworld enterprise died out, but Gaetano’s remains.