Tag: hiking
-
Ridgetop Rambling – The Taos Traverse
The mountains around Taos Ski Valley, NM form an enticing cirque of moderately rugged peaks. This includes the state high point, Wheeler Peak 13,161′, and half a dozen other peaks in the high 12,000 to low 13,000 foot range. Maggie and I had attempted to traverse the ridge line in 2020, but we had to…
-
I’m a Hoodoo Child – Bryce Canyon National Park
Working for the National Park Service seems to be a bit of a tradition for Maggie and her mom, Heidi. While Maggie was working on the archeology team at Colorado National Monument summer of 2025, Heidi landed an Interpretation Ranger position at Bryce Canyon National Park. Everything aligned for us to visit Heidi in the…
-
Aloha to the PCT – The Crystal Range Traverse
When I had a conference to attend in South Lake Tahoe, I made sure to book my flight so I could stay through the weekend and romp around the Sierra Nevada. In addition to business clothes in my suitcase, I packed a 70L duffel bag full of camping and adventure gear (I’ll let you guess…
-
Capitol Peak – The Harder Way
Capitol Peak is widely regarded as Colorado’s hardest 14er. After summiting this beautiful and horrifying mountain and coming safely back to earth, I finally see why it holds that superlative. I wish this was a simple tale of taking the standard route, “only” a Class 4 scramble, but my friend Ryan and I chose to…
-
A Taste of Van Life: Climbing, Hiking, and a Desert Wedding
July kicked off with a bang! Three commitments lined up for an adventurous and fun filled week: a pair of friends were celebrating birthdays with a local climbing trip, our PCT friends were coming to Colorado to backpack, and a couple was getting married in the New Mexico desert. There was quite a bit of…
-
Baby’s First Alpine Climb: Wiskey Ridge, Sandia Mountains, NM
A few weeks after our little climbing adventure in Spain, Maggie and I had a free weekend. The psych was still high, so when Maggie asked me what we should do, I said, “Well I was thinking about this ridge traverse in the Sandias.” I showed Maggie the route and she was instantly stoked to…
-
Big Days with the Boys – Mt. Massive, Jicarita, and Bandelier
I’m not going to lie, Maggie’s knee injury was a major bummer. More so for her than me, but it put a damper on all the things we love doing together outside. I had big dreams for summer 2024, which largely disintegrated along with Maggie’s ACL. I stayed by Maggie’s side as much as possible,…
-
From the PCT to NM – The Pecos Wilderness and Beyond
On our first day of the Pacific Crest Trail, Maggie and I briefly met another couple, Bennett and Gina. We ended up leap-frogging each other all the way to Crater Lake, hanging out together in a handful of trail towns, and building a budding friendship. They even hosted us in Chicago when Maggie and I…
-
Rim to Rim to Rim – The Grand Canyon
A seemingly insurmountable geographic barrier, The Grand Canyon is surrounded by as much lore as the canyon is deep. Traversing from rim to rim and back is a popular test piece for endurance athletes, especially now that the National Park Service has well maintained trails and water stations at several points along the way. When…
-
Settling In on a Small Rollercoaster – Santa Fe, NM
This post is a bit more personal. It’s not particularly easy to share, but it’s an essential part of our story. As time has passed, the pain and embarrassment have faded to a distant memory of the tribulations that come with transition. Back in Santa Fe, Maggie and I were settling in to our casita,…