On Thursday Brian, Rick, and I got a 4am start from the Camp Bird gate closure, intent on giving the Snake Couloir on Mt. Sneffels a go. Any hope of getting a reasonable amount of sleep was dashed when we tried to plow through a snow bank blocking access to Angel Creek Campground a few hours prior, resulting in a high centered vehicle and a ninety minute effort to free it. With a day like the Snake ahead of us we knew we could’t afford to push back our start time, so we did our best to suck it up and began the long zombie walk up the dry road on schedule. Read more…
Many of us in the hiking and climbing community knew of and/or shared a day in the hills with the late Jim DiNapoli (aka “Dancesatmoonrise”) during his time here on Earth. You could say he really made the rounds when it came to pursuing friendships forged from time in the mountains. Among many things, Jim was known for his uniquely colorful photos and creative articulation in documenting his mountain adventures. Keep reading…
We bring it on ourselves. Primarily resulting from the activities we partake in and the way we go about pursuing those activities. The idea was simple. Climb capitol in a day from the car going as light and fast as possible. Now I’m not talking Andrew Hamilton fast, but deliberate fast. At the last “first Friday” block party in Golden I mentioned this idea to Carl and he agreed it sounded like a fun day. The last time he climbed capitol without skis was like 8 years ago and he wanted to revisit the peak, he was in. We chose a couple weekends with some weather flexibility and a plan was set. Keep reading…
This final week of the 14/15 winter season in Colorado brought record heat, sun, and temps across the Rockies. Combine this with an average to below-average snow pack, and it just felt right to go after one final peak.
I had been itching to take a day off and get up something for the past few weeks. Josh is currently focused on prepping for an expedition up Denali this spring. So, the chance to stretch out the legs up high was a welcome opportunity for him as he was eager to test both his gear and his fitness. With open schedules aligning at the last minute, a 5:00 meeting in Denver saw us happily on our way to the Silver Pick Trailhead just south of Georgetown. Keep reading…
