I told my friend Dan I was getting tired of having long hair, that I…
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The Sometimes Awkward Process Of Finding Your Flow
The Sunday night before my first day of fourth grade, I rolled my black-and-gold Huffy…
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Believe In The Magic Of The Burrito
Do you have a hard time eating at fancy restaurants where food is presented as…
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Are You Making The World Awesomer, Or Angrier?
In November, a video posted online showed an American climber visiting Sweden blowtorching holds on…
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Announcing A New Line Of Invisible Climbing Outerwear
Fact: Shirts are for suckers. They’re heavy, hot, and if you wear one when you’re…
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Your Best Vacation Is Someone’s Worst Nightmare
My friend Aaron is a pretty normal guy, by most standards: High school math teacher,…
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What’s The Cost-Per-Use Of Your Skis/Bike/Rack?
“I’ve been thinking about things on a cost-per-use basis lately,” my friend Nick said to…
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Everything Is Epic
At a grocery store last week, the cover of Cosmopolitan‘s January issue caught my eye…
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Make Plans, Not Resolutions
In a scene in the spaghetti western The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, the…
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A Handful Of Moments
My dad and I walked into Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 4, the…
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The Best Gifts Are Not Things You Ask For
“Send me a list of gift ideas for you.” Why do we do this around…
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The Importance Of Being A Lifelong Beginner
When you dismount a mountain bike going uphill, you end up doing a sort of…
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The Greatest Mountaineering Survival Story Never Told
A few years ago, I climbed Drift Peak near Leadville, Colorado, on Presidents Day with…
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My Pal Mick, 1958-2012
My friend Mick’s heart stopped working last Sunday. He died at the age of 54,…
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Happy Thanksgiving
I haven’t had a “proper” Thanksgiving dinner since 2002, somehow managing to be anywhere but…
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The New (Not-Quite-So-Masculine) Mountain Man
I was trying to start a campfire a couple weekends back and grabbed a fat…
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A Climbing Accident
When he hit the ledge, I was sure he was dead. He was a young…
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The Customer Is Always Right
Maybe you’ve heard this one: Ski resort patron approaches lift ticket kiosk on Powder Day…
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Sick, Brah: The Ineloquence Of Talking About The Outdoors
You, outdoor recreator, are quite probably quite educated: Bachelor’s degree, possibly a master’s degree or…
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My Friend Lee: A Story About Mentors
Five summers ago, I met this guy named Lee Smith while climbing with a big…
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The Best Shoes In Life Are Not Shoes
I walked onto the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder last Friday and a Denver Voice…
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The Three Bumper Stickers
“You know, I was just thinking that three bumper stickers changed my life,” Dan said…
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Don’t Sandbag Me, Bro
I always get sandbagged by guys in gear shops. I will stop in somewhere to…
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What’s Better: Watching Or Doing?
As the USA Pro Cycling Challenge was working its way around Colorado and into the…
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Do You Have The Stoke?
2:39 a.m., August 11, 2012: Packs packed, Chris and I are about to shut the…
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The Rise And Fall Of Macaroni And Cheese
Sometimes I like to fantasize that I have some sort of backcountry suaveness and culinary…
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You Don’t Really Need To ‘Get Away’
Ever fantasized about being a fire lookout, or living in a cabin high in the…
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