Two NoCo contests lure lovers of rock – and rolls

Here’s your chance to gorge on some famous treats and then burn off those calories in the great outdoors, thanks to a pair of contests being run by two businesses that have become institutions in Northern Colorado.

One of our region’s favorite sugar rushes is an aromatic cinnamon roll from Johnson’s Corner. Most of us know the story of how the fluffy, sweet pastries first baked by Ida May Brunemeier in the 1950s captured the world’s attention in 1998 when Travel and Leisure magazine named the truck stop in Johnstown one of the top 10 breakfast places in the world, mostly for its “big, hot, sugary and cheap” cinnamon rolls.

But could you and your waistline – or, perhaps, your office – handle a half dozen of them every week for a year?

That’s the grand prize in a contest being run this month by the iconic eatery along Interstate 25 at exit 254, which hasn’t closed its doors since it opened in 1952. To enter, post a picture of yourself enjoying a Johnson’s Corner cinnamon roll on the Facebook page of either the truck stop or radio stations KXBG-FM “Big Country 97.9” or KPAW-FM “107.9 The Bear” before the Jan. 31 deadline. Best photo wins.

You’ll need those calories if you’re going to climb the painted desert walls at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park near Las Vegas on March 27-29. In honor of its Slow Ride Session IPA, Fort Collins-based New Belgium Brewing teamed up with Stay Wild Magazine to offer beer lovers an outdoor adventure that includes Red Rock Rendezvous festival passes and gear for two including a full camping setup and kit, a double hammock, two new Fat Tire cruiser mountain bikes and a Yakima rack to transport them.

The Rendezvous features a weekend of camping, workshops, gear demos, clinics, world-class climbing for all skill levels – and, of course, cold craft beer.

New Belgium Brewing will get the winners there and back, but first they must prove they’re up for the adventure by tagging their most epic travel photos on Twitter with #WestCoastSlowRide. Winners will be chosen Feb. 28.

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