I think Ben and I changed plans 4 times for this trip, because of the vagaries of mountain weather forecasting, and barely finalized our itinerary before it was time to start it. This was the right weekend to visit Crested Butte – after wildflower season, after Labor Day, and before Leaf Peepery. Riding with me from Denver to meet Ben in Crested Butte was my adopted son, Carmine, who had turned 16 in the last couple of weeks.
The approach began very easily, as we proceeded up the excellent Copper Creek trail. After an hour, however, we had to find the place to leave it and nothing looked great – we just found a way up the steep forested slopes that overhung there road to get up to Queen’s Basin. After the trees thinned, we followed a dry watercourse to the alpine grassland of upper Queen’s Basin. Here it is from Ben’s view looking back and then mine a bit further up, scanning the way to White Rock Mountain. Keep reading…
At least once a summer for the past few years I’ve made an effort to head over to the Roaring Fork Valley and run something cool around Aspen. The Four Pass Loop might just represent the pinnacle of wilderness trail running in the entire state of Colorado, if not beyond. It’s just such an aesthetic, logical, flowing loop that takes on, as the name suggests, four unique passes and five or six different drainages (depending on how you count them) along the way. The scenery is top notch and the trails are high quality. Keep reading…
We’re deep into winter now up here in the Colorado high country. It’s been a cold one this season and coming off the tail end of another round of storms, spring still feels a long ways off. One of the best ways to break up the grind a little bit, other than escaping to the desert or booking a tropical getaway of course, is to go on a hut trip. There’s just something refreshing about rounding up some friends, skiing to a cozy backcountry cabin miles from civilization, cranking up the furnace and enjoying a feast, games and conversation late into the night. It’s always a good time. Read more…
For our first hut trip of the season Anna-Lisa and I headed over to Aspen and skinned up to the Tagert Hut from Ashcroft. We had the place all to ourselves for one night so we made the most of it by staying up late, cooking a nice dinner, drinking some whiskey and doing our best to fill the place with holiday cheer. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Read more…
