LOVE Archives - Semi-Rad.com

A Handful Of Moments

by brendan on December 27, 2012

My dad and I walked into Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 4, the…

My Pal Mick, 1958-2012

by brendan on November 29, 2012

My friend Mick’s heart stopped working last Sunday. He died at the age of 54,…

Happy Thanksgiving

by brendan on November 22, 2012

I haven’t had a “proper” Thanksgiving dinner since 2002, somehow managing to be anywhere but…

My Friend Lee: A Story About Mentors

by brendan on October 18, 2012

Five summers ago, I met this guy named Lee Smith while climbing with a big…

Is Mountaineering Sexy?

by brendan on August 16, 2012

I think there’s nothing that feels more rad than picking your way up a ridgeline,…

Bears: Awesomest Animals In The Universe

by brendan on August 9, 2012

Maybe you haven’t spent much time lately thinking about how awesome bears are. That’s OK,…

The Importance Of Big Dreams

by brendan on June 21, 2012

I have a copy of this children’s book that I take everywhere I go. It’s…

Dude, It’s OK To Hug Your Bro

by brendan on May 17, 2012

Get over here. Come on in and let the big bear get his paws on…

The Rules For Dating A Dirtbag

by brendan on April 12, 2012

It’s a singular feeling when you’re 33 and talking to your mother and she says,…

Why Road Trips Are Still Important

by brendan on March 29, 2012

I asked my friend Nick to drive from Denver to Seattle with me a couple…

The Toughest Thing

by brendan on March 1, 2012

One of the things about telling stories is you think you should always know where…

This Is How You Build A Bike Shop: On Love

by brendan on February 16, 2012

I remember flipping through 5280 Magazine‘s 2011 “Top of the Town” issue to the section…

Hey Coffee, I Love You

by brendan on January 26, 2012

When you go on a climbing or backpacking trip and someone says, “I’ll bring the…

Staying Young Is The New Growing ‘Old’

by brendan on January 19, 2012

Christmas Eve, 2011, I am going to throw up on a spin class bicycle.…

A Very Special Christmas Climb

by brendan on December 22, 2011

“So I was thinking,” I said to Dustin in front of his house in Phoenix,…

What’s Your Goal For 2012? Here’s Some Inspiration

by brendan on December 15, 2011

Every year, my pal Nick and I inevitably have a chat about our goals for…

5 Steps to More Fun in Your Outdoor Photos

by brendan on November 17, 2011

Remember that time you took that photo of you and your friend(s) standing on the…

Am I Hiking Too Fast For You?

by brendan on November 3, 2011

My friend Greg had hit the wall about four miles from the top of the…

Nick + His 1991 Trek 970, 4-Ever: A Love Story

by brendan on October 6, 2011

Not so long ago, my pal Nick made up his mind that he was going…

The Dirtbag Diaries: The Way of the Underdog

by brendan on September 29, 2011

This is my friend Jayson. When I’m telling people about him, a lot of times…

How much outside time do you need?

by brendan on September 22, 2011

One night a couple weeks ago, I ate dinner with my back to a 180-degree…

A Lesson On How To Live, From Climber Craig DeMartino

by brendan on September 8, 2011

I tried to pull around a corner on nothing, the crux moves of the third…

Can Bikram Yoga improve your rock climbing?

by brendan on September 1, 2011

It is 105 degrees in this room, 50 percent humidity. Seven of us are standing…

How to Talk Shit to Your Climbing Partner

by brendan on August 25, 2011

“Hey, can you take photos with your phone?” I yell down from the belay to…

One more pitch: How do you reset the stoke meter?

by brendan on August 11, 2011

Sometimes men grow boobs. This is just a fact of aging, or more accurately, the…

Make your road trip 40 percent better with FIST PUMP OUT THE WINDOW

by brendan on July 14, 2011

Remember your last road trip, the day you left town? Wherever it was, whenever —…

Inside the Smokey Bear Costume For a Day

by brendan on June 23, 2011

I have a drip of sweat on the end of my nose. It itches, hanging…