It wound up to be sort of a lean year for me on the spring ski objective front. A combination of life, work schedule, weather and snowpack made it so. But one of the half-dozen days I was able to get out and ski a new peak was certainly one to write about. In late-April Dave Bourassa and I realized a dream ski of ours after talking about it for years but never getting around to pulling the trigger until this year. Namely, a ski descent of the northernmost peak in the Gore Range, Eagles Nest A. We ended up picking a perfect day with everything falling into place, allowing us to ski two different lines off opposite sides of the peak.
In terms of skiing, Eagles Nest is about as obscure of a descent as they come in a range that’s already known for obscure descents. There’s not much that’s been previously written about this one, and neither of us know anyone else who has skied it either. That’s not to say it’s never been done, this is Colorado after all. But regardless we knew we were in for an adventure into the relative unknown. Keep Reading….
When Jason proposed a Zion National Park crossing via trail run late last year, it was (as usual) an easy sell. I had only spent a few fleeting hours in Zion years earlier. But even a few glimpses of the park from the tunnel and through the windows of the packed shuttles was more than enough to whet my appetite. Getting back into Zion to do it properly had been on my short list for a while. It would also make a nice sequel to our Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim running effort a few years prior. Keep Reading…
Over the past several years I’ve been slowly but surely ticking off the different huts of the 10th Mountain Division and Braun Hut systems, with the loose goal of eventually visiting them all. It’s a cool goal because for one, each hut is unique and offers up a different experience – whether it be the hut’s location, the access to ski terrain or peaks nearby, or the distinctive architecture of the hut itself. But beyond that, hut trips are always a great excuse to get different groups of people together, and the memories created over the years begin to stack up after awhile. Read more…
For about a decade now Anna-Lisa and I have been slowly ticking off each of the main four Hawaiian islands together. To us, Hawaii is the perfect place for a tropical getaway as relaxation and beach time are very much a priority, but unlike many other beach destinations, there are also active things to do. Thanks to Hawaii’s mountainous inland terrain, each island boasts anywhere from dozens to literally hundreds of hiking trails and trail running opportunities. We’ve done our best to explore them over the years, with Oahu being the last island we’d yet to visit. Read more…
