The Final Days

Yes, I know that summer technically ends September 22, but considering that it already snowed in Boulder yesterday, I'm going to say we're well into the final days. And that wasn't even the first time I got snowed on during this summer. This obscenely early snowstorm, coupled with the record-setting storm we had in April … Continue reading The Final Days →

The Road to Gold Ridge

I'm pleased to announce that I've published another short story, this time in the Metaworker. I submitted this story to five magazines back in January and didn't get any acceptances. But I did get one personalized bit of feedback (thank you, Novel Noctule editors!) that included the following: The writing was solid, but we felt … Continue reading The Road to Gold Ridge →

Do All The Things

I've been reflecting back on my trip to China lately for a couple of reasons. The clean Colorado air. I've done a lot of hiking since I got back, starting at over 6,000 feet elevation and increasing 1,000 or more through the course of the hike. I hike fast and require huge gulps of air … Continue reading Do All The Things →

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 →

Enchanting Rainforest Hideaway in Pāhoa, Hawaii (February, 2013)

While You Are There: Relax! Not all trips are about what you can go see and do. If you went all the way to Big Island only to rent this place and never step foot outside it except to go to and from the airport, it would be worthwhile. This place is magical. That said, Big … Continue reading Enchanting Rainforest Hideaway in Pāhoa, Hawaii (February, 2013) →

441 Days in Mountains: The (Long and Winding) Road

No, this post has nothing to do with Cormac McCarthy or the Beatles. It has to do with the impending winter and the requirements of living on a private, barely legal road. If you, like most of the sane and rational population of the United States, live on a paved road that is cleaned, plowed, and maintained by your … Continue reading 441 Days in Mountains: The (Long and Winding) Road →

Six Months in the Mountains: Snowpocalypse

Today marks our six month anniversary at The Sanctuary, and Mother Nature has chosen to celebrate by dumping 18 inches of snow on us since Sunday afternoon. After the stereotypically warm and sunny Front Range January, winter is back. The pure gravel road that I walked down on Saturday to meet my friends coming up … Continue reading Six Months in the Mountains: Snowpocalypse →

Fifteen and a Half Weeks in the Mountains: What Makes a House a Home?

I’ve lived in a lot of housing units in my life. 31 now, to be exact, if you count living somewhere as a stay of at least one month. Even if you think the threshold should be three months, I’m still at 26. And all but two of those were after high school. So it’s … Continue reading Fifteen and a Half Weeks in the Mountains: What Makes a House a Home? →

Two Days Shy of 13 Weeks In the Mountains: The Dead Season

Skeletons and carcasses surround us. No, not the spandex, rubber, and cake makeup kinds. Real ones. The dead season is here and while as a city-dweller I was largely insulated from it, I can’t help but pay attention out here. The flies staked out the entryways the last few weeks, desperate to get into the … Continue reading Two Days Shy of 13 Weeks In the Mountains: The Dead Season →