At the beginning of September, Kyle Knutson and I headed south for a four day peakbagging romp in the San Juans. Our plan – hit as many 13ers as we could, focusing on the mini-range to the west of Silverton and south of Ophir. We had spent a little bit of time in this range previously, both having climbed Vermillion and Golden Horn, but beyond that would be new terrain. This area of the San Juans is notorious for bad rock and loose scrambling. Throw in a handful of lesser traveled routes and we knew we were in for an interesting one. Read more…
The Swedish-born company perhaps best known for their automobile racks rolled out a line of hiking packs this year, and they’re pretty dang cool. The “Stir” line can be purchased in 15, 20, and 35 liter capacities. I got my hands on the 20L version and have been romping around with it all summer. Because it replaced my REI Flash 18 (which quite honestly needed to be replaced anyway), I was able to compare/contrast the two packs and my findings are as follows.
The Stir 20 is a versatile little beast. Though I primarily hike with it, I could see using it for anything from mountain biking to trail running. Even an everyday use rucksack for clothing and books and things. The most immediately noticeable aspect of the pack in my opinion is the durability of the material (210-denier elastin coated Robic nylon). It’s thick and maintains its rigidity as a result. Normal wear and tear from mountain ridge runs has barely phased the Stir 20 after a few months of use. Keep reading…
To cap off the month of July Steve and I motored down to the Cimarrons for a weekend of car camping and peakbagging poppycock. What can I say about the Cimarrons? While the Gores are rugged and quaint, and the Weminuche mythical and remote, there’s something that sets this area apart from the rest of the state. I’m not sure if it’s the lore present in the air, or the high rolling green tundra studded with craggy, Dr. Seussian towers, or simply the colors and unique rock common to the region. Regardless, ever since my first visit to the place, I had long awaited a return trip. Keep reading…
Wednesday, late-July. I wanted to take advantage of a perfect weather forecast and try for a big loop I had envisioned in the western-Sawatch. The loop, while eccentric, allowed me to nab a group of peaks that I had been eyeing for awhile but was reluctant to pull the trigger on because of access concerns. Most of the group (namely Middle Mountain, “Booby Prize”, and Prize Benchmark) are almost always accessed via McNasser Gulch, or at least I’ve never seen a report to the contrary. Keep reading…
