Consider the Marmots of the Rock

Marmots most closely resemble aquatic mammals. They lay on rocks in the sun, their fat cascading so far forward and shading their faces, it’s a wonder they can still see. And what do they consider? The endless beauty of the mountain valley below them?  The fresh...

Thousand Yard Stair

During a recent foray up Mount Harvard in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness I heard a fellow peak-bagger on his way down lamenting the fact that every time he climbed a fourteener he felt as though he had spent all day climbing stairs. This comment, its intent in...

Endemic Species

Most of us don’t think of endemics or even know what the word endemic means. The basic definition, provided by dictionary.com is, “1. Natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place; native; indigenous; 2. Belonging exclusively or confined to a particular...

Appreciations

The difference between a fairy tale and a cowboy story is that one starts with once upon a time in a land that’s far-far away and the other starts with this is some real s**t. This really happened! This is some of the first information I gathered at the Rocky Mountain...

Adopt-a-Peak, Adopt-a-Crew. You Must Be, Adapt-a-You.

When I decide to ponder about how working with the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative has changed my views on trail work and the future of what that means to me, I often reflect on this job I have taken: Many places, many people and sides of rock faces. Different paths...