Peaks Twenty-Four Through Twenty-Eight

Even though I wanted to get out of Colorado for so long and finally did with my new nomad life, I had to come back for a month in the summer to reach the summit of more 14ers. My target was the San Juan Mountains, nearly the most beautiful mountains on earth. So I booked … Continue reading Peaks Twenty-Four Through Twenty-Eight →

And I Would Hike 500 More

When I started tracking my unique hikes a few years ago, Trotsky and I took 107 weeks to do 100 of them. This time, we really put ourselves to the task and crushed the goal in 91 weeks. And that's despite a six-month period when we did almost none. I reached a kind of hiking … Continue reading And I Would Hike 500 More →

Mountains, Mountains, Mountains!

July has been a mountainous month for me. Colorado is a popular state in any season and mountain rentals are expensive, so when friends have one, you don't pass up the opportunity. After coming back from Glacier, I spent three weekends in a row rallying down to the geographical center of this state for all … Continue reading Mountains, Mountains, Mountains! →

Wild, Wild West, How I Love You

Although I've been saying I want to move back to the east coast for about five years now, and although I now have a full time remote job that enables me to pack up and move back tomorrow if I want to, I'm quite glad to have been in Colorado through the Covid-19 shutdowns. And … Continue reading Wild, Wild West, How I Love You →

The 14,000 Foot Summits of 2019

Despite the late start to 14er season this year, due to the massive amounts of snow over the winter, my friends and I managed to get in just as many peaks as in other years. Dedication to the cause! Not that I ever plan to hike them all—Class 4s with full climbing gear are definitely … Continue reading The 14,000 Foot Summits of 2019 →

Well I Would Hike 500 Miles

My two year unofficial hiking project is complete. Yeah, I missed my mark by a few weeks (February 19, 2017 to March 9, 2019) but close enough. In just about two years, I've completed 100 distinct hikes. I use word "hike" loosely in this context to mean anything from a two mile stroll up a … Continue reading Well I Would Hike 500 Miles →

Conceding to Mother Nature

Summer may be perfect time to play in the Rocky Mountains, but there's so much happening that time of year that I sometimes have a hard time getting out of town. So while I did some camping and hiking 14ers in July and August, when fall officially arrived, I suddenly panicked that I didn't get out … Continue reading Conceding to Mother Nature →

When Things Aren’t Quite Like They Should Be

The second half to the title of this post is: ...roll with it! ...who cares! ...they're even better! The impetus for this post is the four days I spent in southwestern Colorado last weekend. Several friends and I went to run another half marathon (something I swore I would do only once), spend time enjoying … Continue reading When Things Aren’t Quite Like They Should Be →

Am I a “Runner”?

In 2013, I griped when my then-partner wanted us to run the mile to the gym and back for our workouts rather than drive. In 2014, I participated in my first 5k. I brought my dog, who is not built for running, so I'd have an excuse for stopping frequently as he pooped, sniffed, and … Continue reading Am I a “Runner”? →

The Point of Travel

Travel used to have a purpose - to find trading partners, to cure disease, to scout out fertile land to homestead on. According to my favorite modern philosopher, it still should. Travel should be about more than gaining social media followers and checking items off a clichéd bucket list. It should feed your soul and … Continue reading The Point of Travel →