Category Archives: Backpacking

Searchin’ for Serenity in the Grand Canyon: Escalante Route 2020

      6 Comments on Searchin’ for Serenity in the Grand Canyon: Escalante Route 2020

Scot, no stranger to well planned out adventures (he’ll be the first to admit they aren’t always well executed), sent out a feeler email earlier this year for a 4 day loop in the Grand Canyon. With the inevitable kid #2 on the way, I knew my chances of pulling a trip like this off in the near future wasn’t going to be as easy, so I bit. My buddy Jeff, an old friend of at least 30 years, had just moved to Denver (great timing) and was up for an adventure. Keep reading…

September in the Sangres: Music Pass Summits

      7 Comments on September in the Sangres: Music Pass Summits

Last weekend Rick, Kyle and I packed into Sand Lake in the Sangres and picked off nine thirteeners over a three day span. The linkups were long, the peaks were rugged, and the weather did its best to make things interesting. We ultimately left the area a bit humbled, but happy to have pulled it all off. Sandwiched between the Great Sand Dunes and the Crestone Group is a long, curving drainage known as Sand Creek. Best accessed from the Wet Mountain Valley over Music Pass… Read more…

A Night Out at Slate Lake: “Peak L”

      10 Comments on A Night Out at Slate Lake: “Peak L”

Last Friday Steve and I packed into upper-Slate Lake hoping to find some stereotypical September colors and weather. But after a cold front rolled through and dropped a few inches of snow overnight, the area was transformed into a scene more reminiscent of early-winter than late-summer. Though we decided to dial back our original plans and only stay for one night, we were blessed with some spectacular views and managed to nab a classic Gore Range summit in “Peak L” (aka “Necklace Peak”). Read more…

Laboring in the Weminuche: Rock Lake 13ers

      12 Comments on Laboring in the Weminuche: Rock Lake 13ers

It seems like no matter how many times I get into the Weminuche, I’m always excited to go back. Excited not only at the prospect of knocking off more peaks, but also getting to visit new areas. One such area that had long been on the radar was the Rock Creek drainage to the east of Vallecito Creek. Set apart from the bulk of the high peaks of the Weminuche to the west, this rugged area still holds plenty of good scrambling and great views, with arguably less people. Read more…