Category Archives: Thirteeners

Silverthorne to East Thorn

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Every now and then you have one of those days where just about everything goes perfect. It maybe happens only a few times a year, but when it does, it makes for a great day. One of those days where all your plans, schedules, weather, conditions, routes, partners and peaks come together in harmony. Or, to steal an old saying from Benners, the day is just totally “stress free” and you hit the car feeling “refreshed” instead of beat. Labor Day in the Gores was one of these days for Ben and I – easily one of the best days we have had in the hills this summer. Keep reading…

Purgatory to Ruby: Pigeon, Turret and the Animas Group

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Nate, Ray, Migz and Dana (who couldn’t make it due to “work”) currently call the east coast their homes. These boys get out quite frequently into the mountains in New England, but the east coast only affords them so much. Once a year they are usually looking to get a little wild and that’s when I’ll get the call. On their inaugural trip to Colorado 2 years ago we trekked through Wild Basin in RMNP en route to Alice and Chiefs Head via Lion Lakes and then followed it up the next day with a sunrise climb of Longs Peak. Each has his own temperaments and talents, but in the end it always seems to work out, even with Ray who has no qualms calling the Pigeon/Turret saddle a success and may still be referred to as “the Gatekeeper” of the Keyhole. Keep reading…

San Juan Summertime and the Livin’s Easy

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Ben and I have been on a bit of a tear this summer. Blitzkrieg is a word often used to describe a few of our trips and while they have been nothing but excellent, it makes you appreciate a trip in which you are afforded the ability to get to your destination early, snag 1st dibs on a campsite, and enjoy perfect weather all weekend. “Stress-free” was thrown around a lot this past weekend and we savored every minute of it. Keep reading…

Goodbye Mountain Snobbery, Hello Wonders of Quandary

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There’s a little gaper in almost all of us. Not many can pop out of the womb as a prefab Blaurock. I grew up in Colorado and “learned” to ski in Levi 501s. Now I hang out with people who ski routes worthy of films, scramble ridges with some legit badass mountain athletes, and laugh at my former self (I still ski horribly, but I at least ditched the Levis). So in the spirit of goodwill with gapers state-wide in hopes that they can similarly evolve, I offer this report. Keep reading…