How Mount Sanitas Became Our Boardroom

I couldn’t help but wonder: when did hiking become business strategy?

Every Sunday morning at 7am, a group of us started meeting at the Mount Sanitas trailhead. We told ourselves it was about fitness, staying active, getting out of our heads and into the mountains. But somewhere between the first switchback and the summit view of Boulder spread out below us like a promise, something shifted.

We started talking.

Not the polite “how’s work” small talk you’d make at a networking event, but real conversations. The kind where someone says something half-crazy and instead of dismissing it, someone else builds on it. Where ideas don’t get shut down: they get examined, turned over, questioned, refined.

“What if we actually did this?” became our trail mantra.

The “this” in question? Creating something new for Boulder. Something that serves everyone: not just tourists passing through, not just property owners looking for quick income, but our entire community. When Sundance announced they were coming to Boulder, we didn’t see it as an opportunity to cash in. We saw it as a responsibility to get it right.

Because here’s the thing about Boulder: we’re protective. We love this town fiercely. The last thing any of us wanted was some corporate rental platform parachuting in, treating our neighborhoods like inventory, and leaving when the festival ends. We wanted something built by people who actually live here, who understand what makes Boulder special, who’ll still be here in 2028 and 2038.

So we kept hiking. And talking. And slowly, the team assembled itself.

Someone with hospitality expertise who knew how to make guests feel genuinely cared for. Someone with operations experience who could make complex logistics look effortless. Someone who understood property owners because they are one. People who believe collaboration beats competition every single time.

The Boulder Home Collection wasn’t born in a conference room. It was born on a trail, at altitude, with our legs burning and our minds clear and Boulder spread out below us reminding us why we care so much.

We’re building this with integrity because that’s the only way we know how. We’re protecting properties like they’re our own because many of them belong to our neighbors. We’re screening guests carefully because we’re not just filling rooms: we’re inviting people into our community. We’re partnering with local businesses because when Sundance brings the world to Boulder, everyone should benefit.

And we’re doing it together. Because the best ideas don’t come from one person at the top: they come from diverse perspectives hiking the same trail, chasing the same summit, committed to the same values.

Next Sunday, we’ll be back at Sanitas. Planning, dreaming, refining. Building something that makes Boulder proud.

Want to join us? The trail’s open to everyone.