Alta Backcountry: Living and Exporing in Wild Places

  • Mud season

    Mud season in the Rockies is not often publicized by the Chamber of Commerce. Which is perhaps why it's one of my favorite times of year. The town has cleared out of skiers, Frozen Dead Guy Day revellers and snowshoers,… Continue reading

  • Birthday

    Today is my birthday. It is a day of celebration, because it's a day that I am alive. But it extends far beyond that. I feel like, for maybe the first time in my life, I'm living life the way… Continue reading

  • Elaine’s Ski Building Class: Day 2

    Day Two Ski Building Class The second day started off, and while it took me a bit to get back into the groove of handling the tools, it took much less long, and by the time lunch rolled around, I… Continue reading

  • Images of early April

    Spring brings fog. Elaine and I embark on a hike around the local trails to see what's dry, and what's not. Biking season's a bit off in these parts still. Fog shrouds Mud Lake. This is one of our very… Continue reading

  • Truth

    It's a gray day over the Nederland valley. Fog hangs low, shrouding the world and amplifying the sounds. If every day of summer was like today, I would have no qualms with it. I morning walk with Elaine, enjoying the… Continue reading

  • Cruising the Flatirons

    After the morning ski we decided to mix it up and go for a hike before a writing session down in the flats. Fun to get out there on the rocks, without skis on, and enjoy the foothills. Hiking in… Continue reading

  • And with spring…

    …comes new opportunities. Working at Neptune, it's tough to avoid the climbing bug. So when 75-year old bad ass Mike Michaels invited Elaine and I on a climbing day at Eldo, well, I won't say I exactly leaped at the… Continue reading

  • Day 100

    I hit day 100 on skis for the winter this morning. It was a loose goal that I set back in October that gained steam as the year progressed. As I have elaborated earlier, it's not that big of a… Continue reading

  • Spring dream

    The forest is still buried under a canopy of a foot-plus of snow. It's lightly flurrying out, and if my body feels a little better today, I may try to embark on a very mellow ski, as the fever is… Continue reading