Colorado has experienced a fine winter snow season this year. Along with the snow came the gaper. The gaper has managed to cause a multi-car pile up on I-70 between Morrison to Avon from Christmas through the middle of March, like clockwork, during rush hour. Whether that gaper is CDOT, some out of towner, some jackass with a 2wd vehicle with no snow tires or just the rapid growth of Colorado – I’m not exactly sure, but it’s a reality of skiing in Colorado in 2014. Keep reading…
Despite its small stature, Mt. Royal (10,502′) near the town of Frisco is home to several excellent climbing, hiking, and skiing routes. The “Royal Flush”, a local rock favorite overlooking I70, rises in 8 pitches from the floor of Ten Mile Canyon to the peak’s summit, providing an adventuresome sports climb for anyone looking to get some multi-pitch experience. There are also several hiking and snowshoe trails on the peak’s north side that can be accessed straight from town. Keep reading…
The Monarch Pass corridor is a zone we’ve been meaning to explore for many years now, but for whatever reason we just haven’t made it down there much prior to this season. Well this year, with I-70 being what it’s been seemingly every weekend (I’ll say no more), it’s seemed reasonable to head down 285 and avoid the mess altogether. As it happens Monarch has gotten great snow in the past month and a half, and so we figured why not try out the area again this past weekend? Read more…
I was in need of a new “3 season” bag as the synthetic bag I’ve used since I was 14 just doesn’t cut it anymore. I was looking for a down bag in the 15-20 degree range as that seems to be the best compromise between warmth, packability, and weight for a bag used primarily here in Colorado. Several options exist that fit those general criteria, but I ultimately chose a traditional mummy bag design in the Big Agnes Bellyache Mountain SL 17. Big Agnes is located in Steamboat Springs, CO and is known for several things – namely tents, sleeping pads and bags, but has also recently begun to dabble in the apparel market with a few down jacket offerings.Bellyache Mountain SL 17 Side View
The Bellyache Mountain fit a pretty good sweet spot in terms of down quality and fill weight – 700 fill, 21 oz fill weight and weights 2.3 lbs (measured) for the regular size. Big Agnes is one of a few manufacturers who offer down that has been chemically treated to repel water, thus maintaining loft and insulating properties when wet, and the Bellyache Mountain sports their DOWNTEK water repellant technology. The bag also has a nice draft collar around the neck as well as a draft tube down the length of the zipper. The draft tube has a strip of thicker nylon sewn into it to help prevent stuck zippers. Speaking of zippers, the bag is available in both right and left hand zipper configurations – which is nice as 2 bags can zip together for those fortunate guys with girlfriends/wives, or if you’re just one of those weird left handed folks. Read more…
