Sick, Brah: The Ineloquence Of Talking About The Outdoors
byYou, outdoor recreator, are quite probably quite educated: Bachelor’s degree, possibly a master’s degree or Ph.D. You wore a cap and gown and were…
My Friend Lee: A Story About Mentors
byFive summers ago, I met this guy named Lee Smith while climbing with a big group of people at Castlewood Canyon. At the end…
The Best Shoes In Life Are Not Shoes
byI walked onto the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder last Friday and a Denver Voice vendor looked down at my sandals, laughed and said,…
The Three Bumper Stickers
by“You know, I was just thinking that three bumper stickers changed my life,” Dan said as we tromped down the trail a couple weeks…
Don’t Sandbag Me, Bro
byI always get sandbagged by guys in gear shops. I will stop in somewhere to pick up a cordelette, or a stuff sack, or…
What’s Better: Watching Or Doing?
byAs the USA Pro Cycling Challenge was working its way around Colorado and into the Front Range in August, I saw this Facebook status…
Do You Have The Stoke?
by2:39 a.m., August 11, 2012: Packs packed, Chris and I are about to shut the tailgate on my van and start walking the Garnet…
The Rise And Fall Of Macaroni And Cheese
bySometimes I like to fantasize that I have some sort of backcountry suaveness and culinary instinct, and that I will someday take a special…
You Don’t Really Need To ‘Get Away’
byEver fantasized about being a fire lookout, or living in a cabin high in the mountains, or deep in the wilderness somewhere? It’s romantic,…
You Ain’t Scared, Are Ya?
byWhen you tell the story later, you are a little less descriptive of the moment you experience pure dread and barely-controllable fear. You say…
A Guest Appearance On The Enormocast
byI’ve been a fan of Chris Kalous’ still fairly-new and incredibly rad podcast, The Enormocast, ever since my friend Josh gushed about the interview…
Is Mountaineering Sexy?
byI think there’s nothing that feels more rad than picking your way up a ridgeline, trailing a rope, pulling your hood over your helmet…
Bears: Awesomest Animals In The Universe
byMaybe you haven’t spent much time lately thinking about how awesome bears are. That’s OK, if that’s the way you want to live your…
What Is ‘Trail Magic’?
byMy friend Jesse was about five miles east of Dighton, Kansas, a little over 200 miles from the start of his 500-mile bike ride…
New: Pre-Stickered Water Bottles, $29.99
byStaying hydrated is important. Perhaps equally important is subtly communicating your identity by decorating your favorite water bottle with the proper stickers to project…
Make It Count. Or Just Do It.
byWhen did you visit Japan? Someone at the table asked Mike during our late dinner after bouldering in Central Park last Friday. It’s funny,…
The Things That Make Us
byIn the weeks leading up to my wedding in 2007, my hair was a little long for my parents’ taste. I stood fast against…
Girly Girls And Manly Men
byIn a conversation a few weeks ago, a climber friend of mine described herself as “not super-girly.” Her expanded definition of that was: I…
Rappelling: Have More Fun
byClimbing is fun. But at the top of a route, everybody gets all serious. Which is good, because lots of accidents happen while rappelling….
The Importance Of Big Dreams
byI have a copy of this children’s book that I take everywhere I go. It’s called An Awesome Book, and everyone I know who’s…
Gear of the Year 2012
byThere’s nothing better than some shit-hot new gear to spend your hard-earned dollars on, is there? Technological advances in apparel and outdoor hardgoods are…
The Year of Buying Nothing New
byYou have approximately one million different travel mugs at home. I know this because I have previously owned approximately one million travel mugs. You…
First Ascent Of The Nose, Suicide Rock
by“A man does not climb a mountain without bringing some of it away with him and leaving something of himself upon it.” —Martin Conway…
Tough Mudder Is Ridiculous. But So Is …
byYou have to crawl through 50 feet of mud. You have to jump over a flaming car. You have to slither under electric wires…
Dude, It’s OK To Hug Your Bro
byGet over here. Come on in and let the big bear get his paws on you. Sometimes men are afraid to hug each other,…
Moms Who Crush
byI showed up to meet my friend Becca at the bouldering gym in Seattle on a Monday afternoon. When we discussed what time to…
In Defense Of Denver
byA handful of Saturday mornings, I have driven out of Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood juggling a bowl of granola on my lap, trying to…