Assigned by Men’s Journal to cover the full opening of the Palisade Plunge—32 miles and 6,500 feet of mountain-bike descent—I teamed up with a local writer and Palisade Cycle & Shuttle to take on the ride. From the moment I rolled into town, Palisade’s character was clear: a small Colorado community shaped by agriculture, grit, and the famed “million-dollar breeze” behind its standout peaches and wines.

Beyond the feature’s MTB story, I built a broader visual collection capturing the town’s tourism and hospitality heartbeat—its vineyards, cafés, landscapes, and everyday rhythms. The assignment became more than a three-page editorial; it turned into a full sense-of-place portrait of Palisade.