hiking
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Endless Summer on Skis
This year has been a little bit of a wash in terms of outdoor adventures. In March my wife tore her knee, and the ensuing instability, surgery (which made it stable again) and rehab made a planned multi-month trip in… Continue reading
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Found Some Raspberries on the Mountain
I decided to sneak out this morning and do a local walk with a lot of vertical in a fairly short distance, avoiding people as much as possible, getting a little climbing fitness in and seeing some stuff. On the… Continue reading
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Went Searching for Signs of Autumn
At 8,800 feet above sea level, autumn comes early. While true autumn – the crisp nights and vibrant aspens – are still a ways off, the first signs of the new season start popping every year around this time. In… Continue reading
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June 17-19, 2024 – Day 10-12 – Caches, bears and terra incognita
On our way to the cache we had our first bear encounter of the trip. A large, male grizzly was feeding along a small creek bed directly in our path of travel, unaware of our presence. We debated trying to… Continue reading
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June 16, 2024 – Day 9 – Into the Kaleidoscope
Today we left the desert Southwest and entered Iceland. Verdant, wild green kaleidoscope mountains capped with gray tops and snow surround our campsite this evening. Dark rain clouds move up the valley, dousing us briefly, and then disappearing as the… Continue reading
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June 15, 2024 – Day 8 – The Arctic Meets the Desert Southwest
Today we entered the desert-southwest portion of the Brooks Range, with dry canyons, arroyos and the sweetest sage I’ve smelled north of the Wind Rivers. People often compare the Arctic to the desert. Both are dry and give similar sensations… Continue reading
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Brooks Range Journals – June 10, 2023 – Snow!
I woke up around 2 am this morning, the shelter bright as day, to the sound of something pitter-pattering on the walls. It wasn’t the sound of rain, but a more glancing, lighter blow. I crawled out of my sleeping… Continue reading
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Brooks Range Journals: June 9, 2023 – Drop off day
Today is drop in day for this year’s Brooks Range excursion. After driving 3,000 miles from Colorado to Alaska and sifting through gear in a dillapidated AirBNB in Fairbanks, spending hours in line getting Alaska plates so our car is… Continue reading
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Brooks Range Traverse Gear List
This is a list of the gear we used on our hike/paddle across the Brooks Range. This was roughly 600 miles of hiking and 400 miles of paddling. Gear is super personal; what works for some people doesn’t for others… Continue reading
Alta Backcountry 