Fruita Monument’s Donald Thornhill, #5, leaps up to take a shot over Durango’s Nick Hamlin, #32, and Isiah Mayberry as Ty Elliott, #11, watches during the first half of Saturday’s game at Fruita Monument High School.

Colorado Mesa University’s Bruna Deichmann goes up for a layup after taking the ball down the court during Saturday’s game against Western State Colorado University at Brownson Arena.

Colorado University’s Mike Melillo, #32 in white,  jumps between Western State Colorado University’s Joseph Charles, left, and George Berling during Saturday’s game at Brownson Arena.

450-foot-high Independence Monument in Colorado National Monument with the Grand Valley and Mount Garfield in the photograph.

Palisade’s Jenna Brown , #33, takes a shot over Glenwood’s Kenzie Nelson-Buehler, #22, during the second half of Friday’s game at Palisade High School.

Central’s Michael Price, with ball, finds himself wedged between Durango defenders Isiah Mayberry, left, and Nick Hamlin as he tries to work his way to the basket during Friday’s game at Central High School. A foul was called on the play.

Three basketball coaches live side by side on the same North Grand Junction street. From left to right are and retired Mesa State College mens coach Bud Smock, Central High School girls coach Mary Doane, and Grand Junction High School girls coach Sam Provenza.

Grand Junction High School’s Kohlby Wells, top, glances up as he wrestles Central’s Dominic Quintana in the 113-pound match during Thursday’s dual at Central. Wells won the match.

A cold prairie dog digs out of the snow at the Walter Walker Sate Wildlife Area near Railhead Circle and I-70 Thursday afternoon.

Former Fruita Monument High School head coach Shawn Marsh, far left, directs his players from the sidelines. Central High School has hired Marsh as its new head football coach, Warriors athletic director Randy Powell announced on Friday.

Football coach Shawn Marsh shakes hands at Mile High for the Grand Junction High School State Championship game on Dec. 4th ,2005. Central High School has hired Marsh as its new head football coach, Warriors athletic director Randy Powell announced on Friday.

Tamara Newland at diving practice at El Pomar.

Colorado Mesa University’s Hanna Bowden, No. 23, eyes the basket as she prepares to take a shot during a recent game against Colorado Christian University.

Spencer Fair from Fruita Monument High School Boys basketball team playing Rifle.

Rifle High School RB Ryan Moeller (pictured here), GJ’s Kyler Rose, and Conner Beard of Hotchkiss) are among 11 Colorado high school football players honored by the National Football Foundation.

Clay Kame puts up a shot while at practice with the CMU Men basketball team.

No. 30, Lauren LaBonde from Fruita HS is fouled by No. 23, Tawni Middleton from Olathe HS. LaBonde made the shot.

No. 24, Matt Story from FMHS hits the running jumper against Olathe HS.

Savanna Green, 7, reaches for a dollar bill as her mom Ciji teaches her figure skating student to skate backwards at the Ice Skating Inc. rink at 1130 North 3rd Street Sunday.

Wildlife photographer and birder Jackson Trappett of Grand Junction photographed this Yellow-Shafted Northern Flicker sharing a bird feeder with several Gold finches near Mesa. Yellow-Shafted Northern Flickers are more-common east of the Rockies. Jackson Trappet/Special to the Sentinel

Common redpolls normally are birds of the north but this winter the birds are being seen throughout the Wstern Slope after irrupting (migrated searching for food) as far south as Colorado. This feeder near Mesa has attracted a redpoll (hanging on the left side) accompanied by two American Goldfinches. Jackson Trappett/Special the Sentinel

Colorado lives on a complex system of water law called the doctrine of prior appropriation, which alone is enough to make eyes mist over. A series of seminars on water management is set for February at the Water Center at CMU.

Caleb Miller lines up a shot during a recent practice with his recurve bow at Defy Gravity Youth Center. Miller, 17, is at the Junior Dream Team training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center this week in Colorado Springs.

Archer Caleb Miller has his arrows ready.

Archer Caleb Miller retrieves his arrows from target practice at Defy Grafity.

An eagle stares down at the photographer on a trail at Connected Lakes State Park just underneath the raptor’s perch. Birds in general fluff their feathers to provide more insulation in cold weather.

No matter the weather, the football game must be played as these guys do every Sunday at Stocker Stadium.

Garrett Sullivan, left, and Nika Novinsky ski across the ninth green as they head out on a cross-country ski trip around the Lincoln Park golf course.

John Hall, multi-colored jacket, and Perry Moyle cross-country ski recently on Colorado National Monument. Offering splendid views, and with plenty of snow thanks to the cold and the lingering inversion, the monument can be a great place for a quick escape from home.