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What’s so scary about Colorado? We live in a state known for its snow-capped mountains, sunny days, fantastic winter sports, and healthy inhabitants. So why is it also such a popular setting for stories of mystery and horror?
Students on this Winterim will investigate this question by visiting the cities where four mysterious stories take place: Mark Stevens’ Antler Dust, Cynthia Swanson’s “Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere,” Carter Wilson’s “Grave Mistake,” and Stephen King’s The Shining. While in these places, students will walk in the footsteps of the characters from these stories. They will explore whether the images of the settings that the books create in the mind’s eye match reality—and see if any of the “haunted” hotels we stay in really do have ghosts. Students will also create their own writing as the group works to compile an anthology of mysterious prose to be distributed at the end of Winterim.
During the week, students will have a conversation about writing spooky stories set in Colorado with at least one published author. Other activities will include exploring caves and experiencing unique thrill rides at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, swimming in the Glenwood Hot Springs pool, investigating the haunted history of historic graveyards and parks throughout Colorado, and touring the Stanley Hotel in search of ghosts.
Day 1
Day 1
Face Your Fears went all-in on our first day of Winterim, driving to Glenwood Springs so we could visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and tackle the terrifying Giant Canyon Swing, which launched members of the group nearly vertical at 50 mph over a 1,300-foot cliff edge above the Colorado River! We also had fun with claustrophobia while touring the historic Fairy Caves, raced down a mountain at high speeds on the Alpine Coaster, and competed in a rousing game of laser tag (congrats on your win, Ana!) before heading over to the (definitely haunted) Hotel Colorado for a fabulous dinner. We ended the day with a trip to the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool for some much-needed relaxation after already facing so many fears on Day 1!
Day 2
Day 2
We began our second day of Winterim at Linwood Cemetery in Glenwood Springs, where we visited the final resting places of famous gunslingers Doc Holliday and Kid Curry, as well as contributed to "Annie's Wishing Tree," a spot where people have for many years left mementos in honor of loved ones undergoing medical treatments or who have passed. This intersection of celebrating survival while acknowledging death and contemplating why certain people are remembered (even if they weren't the best humans) was fodder for some pretty interesting discussion. We then headed over to the Grizzly Creek rest area (where a scene from Mark Stevens' novel "Antler Dust" takes place) for a little reading and continued reflection time (or in Ana's case, for engaging in an epic sock rescue mission).
The afternoon brought a meeting with author Cynthia Swanson in Cheesman Park in Denver. Did you know that Cheesman used to be a cemetery with quite a scandalous past? Ms. Swanson discussed using it as the setting for multiple stories she has written (including her most recent novel, "Anyone But Her," winner of the 2025 Colorado Book Award in the thriller category), and she even gave us a preview of her newest book of short stories, coming out in May!
Finally, we arrived in Boulder, where we dined on sushi at Hapa (and where several of us worked on conquering our consecotaleophobia--fear of chopsticks) and were treated to a quirky tour of haunted Boulder locations (including, of course, our hotel, the beautiful Hotel Boulderado) led by a fellow who told us ghost stories while dressed as Luigi from Super Mario Brothers. (It was Mario day: Mar10!) Our brains are bursting with new knowledge, our legs are worn out from walking, and we're looking forward to having a lowkey day on Wednesday!
Day 3
Day 3
Day 4
Day 4
Day 5
Day 5
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