Review time again! I wanted/needed a new jacket (It’s funny how my gear seems to wear out at the same time). The primary intended use of said jacket would be winter backcountry skiing and spring tours on the peaks. I didn’t know quite what I wanted in a jacket in terms of a soft or hard shell (definitely wasn’t looking for an insulating piece). Both types of shell construction have their advantages and disadvantages when you start talking breathability, durability, wind/water proofing, etc. I spied the new line of apparel from Black Diamond at last year’s SIA show and all the pieces looked fairly well thought out (would you expect anything less from the crew at black diamond, honestly?). After more carefully scrutinizing the BD product line, the dawn patrol hybrid shell stood out above all the other pieces. The “hybrid” in the name means they use a hard shell (waterproof/windproof – breathable?) fabric on the front, shoulders, top of the arms and the hood, with a stretchy and very breathable soft shell fabric everywhere else… Read more…
With spring in full bloom and a decent weather forecast, we decided to head out and search for corn on a pair of local classics this past Saturday. 13,220 foot Hagar Mountain sits at the head of Dry Gulch, which can be accessed from the north side of I-70 just east of the Eisenhower tunnel. Mike, Brian, Dillon, and I started up the drainage at 5am, but not before stashing a vehicle at the Herman Gulch trailhead down the road. Keep reading…
Something has been missing from my life in 2014. My mountain pursuits have been tabled since a solo trip up Lady Washington and a weekend at Barr Camp with my oldest and her friends in January. For the past few months, stress has been ever-present and while I’ve had plenty of support from family and friends, a spur-of-the-moment move (which did little to restore my faith in my fellow man) and drastic spike in my workload has had me reeling as of late. Keep reading…
Ben and I had stumbled upon the SW Couloir route on East Partner while searching around the internet. The Gores are one of those ranges with a ton of great lines and not a ton of advertisement, but we were fortunate enough to find some brief, but sufficient enough info on this gem. One of the nicest aspects of skiing in the Gores, which also could serve as one of the biggest deterrents, is the options you have once you haul up in to these deep drainages. Read more…
