I recently moved to Denver, Colorado and I want to start going /out/ more. I go on hikes and go shooting in the mountains, but I want to get into camping, bushcraft, and shit.

However, it seems a bit more challenging than other parts of the country. We don't have an abundance of materials to work with. For example, if I want to build a lean-to, I don't have any grass/ferns/tree branches to use as thatching. Basically we have pine trees(whose branches often start higher than I am tall), some aspen and then... sandy dirt and rocks.

All the cool bushcraft and survival shit I see on the Intertubes mostly takes place in lush, green places. Any resources/advice would be great!