Everything Is Epic
byAt a grocery store last week, the cover of Cosmopolitan‘s January issue caught my eye with the headline “EPIC SEX.” Immediately, in my head,…
OUTDOORS
Make Plans, Not Resolutions
byIn a scene in the spaghetti western The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, the One-Armed Bounty Hunter finds Tuco Ramirez in a vulnerable…
The Importance Of Being A Lifelong Beginner
byWhen you dismount a mountain bike going uphill, you end up doing a sort of bow. As you step off and swing a leg…
My Pal Mick, 1958-2012
byMy friend Mick’s heart stopped working last Sunday. He died at the age of 54, not knowing that the night before, I had sat…
Happy Thanksgiving
byI haven’t had a “proper” Thanksgiving dinner since 2002, somehow managing to be anywhere but watching football and eating an oven-cooked turkey. When people…
The New (Not-Quite-So-Masculine) Mountain Man
byI was trying to start a campfire a couple weekends back and grabbed a fat piece of wood with a crack at one end,…
The Customer Is Always Right
byMaybe you’ve heard this one: Ski resort patron approaches lift ticket kiosk on Powder Day of the Century and demands a refund for his/her…
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…
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,…
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,…
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…
The Rules For Dating A Dirtbag
byIt’s a singular feeling when you’re 33 and talking to your mother and she says, “You know what I think you should try? Match.com.”…
I Don’t Like It, But I Love It: The Long Day
byI’m hanging sideways from the rope going through my belay device, body completely parallel to the ground, one Chacoed foot pushing on a knob…
Why Road Trips Are Still Important
byI asked my friend Nick to drive from Denver to Seattle with me a couple weekends ago, since we hadn’t spent several hours alone…
The Toughest Thing
byOne of the things about telling stories is you think you should always know where the story begins and ends, and I hope I…
Please Don’t Stick Your Hand Into My Bag Of Trail Mix
byHere’s a little tip to curb the spread of disease, illness and other microbial things when you’re in the backcountry with friends: -Brendan
Help Me Help You Spell Mountain Hardwear
by-Brendan
Hey Coffee, I Love You
byWhen you go on a climbing or backpacking trip and someone says, “I’ll bring the coffee,” do you secretly bring your own stash to…
Beware The Urine-Drinking Mountain Goats
byFor years, I have known to pee on rocks at high altitudes because mountain goats crave salt, and if you pee on plants,…
A Very Special Christmas Climb
by“So I was thinking,” I said to Dustin in front of his house in Phoenix, “you can be either Santa or the elf, but…
Dude, Is It OK If I Call You Dude?
by“Do you have a Barnes & Noble membership, boss?” I have noticed lately that baristas, waitstaff, and on Monday, a clerk at a Barnes…
5 Steps to More Fun in Your Outdoor Photos
byRemember that time you took that photo of you and your friend(s) standing on the summit of something and it was the most exciting…