Category Archives: Fourteeners

Kicking Things Off in the Southern Mountains

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Brian, Rick, and I decided to load up the car with gear and drive down to the San Juans this past weekend. We were not entirely sure what we’d find in terms of snow stability and coverage, but we managed to talk ourselves into taking the plunge. Tracking the CAIC reports and weather the week prior to our departure helped somewhat, but it’s nearly impossible to drive 350 miles to go ski steep terrain in March and feel totally confident about your decision. That said, we did have some reliable local beta that seemed to be giving us a green light. Keep reading…

Falling For Holy Cross

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Winter is coming. As the last leaves have fallen and the days grow short, our thoughts collectively turn to colder temperatures, skiing, snowshoes, and that coveted little blue snowflake. Yes, the first traces of snow on the ground and the icy breeze signal the approach of a winter soon to follow. But not quite yet. Keep reading…

Lake Fork Loop: Emerald, Iowa, and Missouri

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This weekend before last the wife and I got out to the Sawatch for a little camping and peak bagging combo. A few of Anna-Lisa’s coworkers, Mike and Michelle (+1 canine, Rogan), decided to join, along with a mutual friend of ours, Eli, for whom hiking a Colorado peak would be a new experience. Originally we intending to head to Ice Lakes Basin in the San Juans. For a long time now I’ve been particularly excited to check out the Vermillion Group scrambles. Keep reading…

Insights into the Pacific Northwest: Good Snow and Bad Weather

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Six of us pulled into the Paradise parking lot on June 2nd, eager to gear up and approach Mount Rainier for a ski attempt on the 3rd. The previous night we had sat on the porch of the Whittaker Bunk House contemplating our future as rain pelted the roof over our heads for hours on end. Skeptical moods were only reinforced when we arrived at a socked in Rainier Rainier Ranger Station and received reports of heavy weather/precipitation over the previous week. Read more…