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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You Ain’t Scared, Are Ya?
When you tell the story later, you are a little less descriptive of the moment…
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A Guest Appearance On The Enormocast
I’ve been a fan of Chris Kalous’ still fairly-new and incredibly rad podcast, The Enormocast,…
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Is Mountaineering Sexy?
I think there’s nothing that feels more rad than picking your way up a ridgeline,…
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Bears: Awesomest Animals In The Universe
Maybe you haven’t spent much time lately thinking about how awesome bears are. That’s OK,…
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What Is ‘Trail Magic’?
My friend Jesse was about five miles east of Dighton, Kansas, a little over 200…
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New: Pre-Stickered Water Bottles, $29.99
Staying hydrated is important. Perhaps equally important is subtly communicating your identity by decorating your…
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Make It Count. Or Just Do It.
When did you visit Japan? Someone at the table asked Mike during our late dinner…
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The Things That Make Us
In the weeks leading up to my wedding in 2007, my hair was a little…
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Girly Girls And Manly Men
In a conversation a few weeks ago, a climber friend of mine described herself as…
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Rappelling: Have More Fun
Climbing is fun. But at the top of a route, everybody gets all serious. Which…
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The Importance Of Big Dreams
I have a copy of this children’s book that I take everywhere I go. It’s…
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Gear of the Year 2012
There’s nothing better than some shit-hot new gear to spend your hard-earned dollars on, is…
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