Colorado's Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs - Book Review

Colorado’s Fourteeners by Gerry Roach is a must have guidebook for anyone seeking to climb Colorado’s highest peaks. I recently received a copy of the Third Edition: From Hikes to Climbs, from Fulcrum Publishing and have been thoroughly impressed with the attention to detail. As the subtitle suggests, the book describes everything from summit hikes to technical climbs for more then 31 of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks. Each peak is described from multiple routes ranging from the most popular to the most challenging. Each route is mapped on a color, GPS compatible, map. At a glace you can see the standard route, a alternate route, a variation, and “extra credit.” Each route is color coded according to class. Each peak has one or more color photos. Many of the photos show available routes from the climbers point of view. This summer I have plans to summit a Colorado fourteener. Though I haven’t decided which one… I expect Colorado’s Fourteeners to be my go to source before and during the hike. The quality, detail, and information in Roach's Colorado's Fourteeners is beyond compare. Check out the photos below to see the quality of detail given in the book:

Map of Castle Peak. Notice the different routes with color coded class ratings

Castle Peak with routes 2 and 6 shown

Capitol Peak's Knife Edge. Colorado's fourteenths gives a lot of attention to detail

If you have spent any time in the mountains it is likely you have heard the call of our nations 14,000 foot peaks. If you would like to own your very own copy of Colorado’s Fourteeners now is your opportunity. Fulcrum Publishing is currently holding a contest where one lucky winner will receive a free copy of the Third Edition. To enter the contest, come up with your best Colorado Fourteener story—whether it’s a tidbit about your favorite fourteener, your scariest incident on a fourteener, a funny fourteener story, or any memory you may have. Fulcrum Publishing will pick their favorite story from the bunch and send them a free copy of Colorado’s Fourteeners. Go comment on their blog or email brynn@fulcrumbooks.com by March 3rd!


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Week in Review - February 27th, 2011

Mike Leggett Drives 900 miles across Texas (Recommended Read)

Grizzly shares some amazing photos.

Grizzly's view from the Pioneer Yurt

Jason is giving away a Gobspark Armageddon firesteel

Kelly has some interesting thoughts on Big Rocks

I Review, Interview and Giveaway Francis Tapon's book: Hike Your Own Hike. Click here and enter to win!

Steven shares some old Vittorio Sella photographs

An old Vittorio Sella photo

Jim shares the contents of his first aid kit

Ron helps us entertain the little ones while camping

David hits the nail on the head...I want to move to the mountains.

Brian and Ashley summit Los Pinos Peak

Fell Faller has some of the most intriguing color I have seen in a while.

I love these colors in Fell Faller's photo

Mark and Tim & Robin share some blog love! Thanks Guys!

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Book Giveaway - Francis Tapon's Hike Your Own Hike

After yesterday's book review and interview with Francis Tapon I am excited to giveaway a hardcover copy of Hike Your Own Hike. Be sure to go read the Book Review and Interview and then enter below:

This will be a completely random drawing using Random.org. You have the ability to earn multiple entries by completing more then one of the criteria below. Here are the basic rules for the giveaway:

* One Entry: Be a follower of MyLifeOutdoors and submit a comment below on this blog post. Only comments on this post count (in other words, comments that you left on my blog a few years back don’t count)
* Two Entries: Put a link on your blog or website (if you have one) to this giveaway post. Or add your Twitter account as a follower of MyLifeOutdoors and re-tweet the original contest giveaway announcement. By simply spreading the word, you get an extra entry. (If you’re already a follower of my tweets, simply re-tweet and you'll get credit). Be sure and comment below letting me know you have done so.
* Three Entries: Like MyLifeOutdoors on Facebook and share the giveaway post on your Facebook page. Again comment below letting me know you have done so.

That's it. Be sure and leave a separate comment for each entry. The contest winner will be selected by randomly selecting one of the comments on this post. The giveaway will be open until midnight (central time) Wednesday March 10th. The winner will be announced on Thursday March 11th. Limit three entries per person. Good luck to everyone who enters!

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Hike Your Own Hike - Book Review and Interview with Author Francis Tapon

I recently had the pleasure of reading Francis Tapon’s book: Hike Your Own Hike. In 2001 Tapon thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail allowing his experiences to teach him lessons about life along the way. Hike your Own Hike details seven basic life lessons Tapon discovered on his 2,181 mile journey from Maine to Georgia.

Click here for a chance to win a copy of Hike Your Own Hike 

In a nutshell, Hike Your Own Hike encourages everyone to approach life in a way that makes themselves happy. Imagine life as one big long-distance trail. Along that trail different people are going to find different ways they like to hike and ways they don’t like to hike. In the same way everyone has their own way of living life. People may give you advice along the way, and Tapon will tell you it is important to listen to that advice, but in the end you have to hike your own hike. You have to live life in a way that makes you happy.

Tapon does his fair share of giving advice. Each of the seven principles outlined in the book offer guidance on ways to hike your own hike in life. Tapon gives advice on finances, employment, health, charity, taking life too seriously, and even gives advice on listening to advice.

Toward the end of the book Tapon admits not everyone will agree with his advice. He says: “If you’d rather just grab the ideas you like and toss the rest of the book into the campfire” then so be it…”that’s your way of hiking your own hike.” While I’m not going to toss the book into the campfire, there certainly were chapters I didn’t agree with. Most of the criticisms I have Tapon, himself address at the end of each chapter, he even address some criticisms I didn’t think of. He warns that it is possible to follow each principle to the extreme, and that each chapter has to be balanced by the others. When your done reading the book and consider everything Tapon has to say…it all balances out to be pretty good advice. Like him I warn against listening to any one principle without considering the others. At the same time, I believe the world would be a better place if everyone tried to follow Tapon’s advice.

To wrap up my review of the book I conducted an interview with Tapon. Below you will find his answers to various questions I asked. In addition to these questions Tapon answers a number of other FAQ’s on his website:

Francis Tapon

What long distance trails have you hiked? Which one was your favorite?

I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail southbound. And I yo-yoed (did a round-trip) the Continental Divide Trail. Only a handful of people have done the Triple Crown southbound. I recommend it. My favorite was CDT because it’s so wild and unstructured, but most hikers would put the PCT in first place.

Where did you get the idea to write this book?

From thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Did you set out on the AT expecting to discover life lessons on the trail?

Yes, I figured the AT would give me profound lessons. I just didn’t know what they would be!

Did you have any pre-existing ideas of the type of lessons you would learn while hiking the AT?

Yes, I had three principles in mind before I set off, but I reworded them in my book. Those principles would become chapters 1, 3, and 7. Therefore, you could say that the AT confirmed those three principles that I had a vague idea about before setting off. The other 4 principles I discovered on the journey.

Do you have a family of your own?

No. On the CDT (which I soloed), I thought I should add an 8th Principle: Don’t Hike Alone. In other words, don’t go through life alone. Form a community or a family. I don’t have a family, but I have community.

The chapter “Hike with a Passion” suggests that we should all be doing what we love. Do you think this is practical for everyone?

No, but most people overestimate how hard it is to do. We’re scared of the unknown, but pursuing your passion is surprisingly accessible for most people. So I devote the chapter explaining how to find out what your passion is and how to pursue it.

The book has a lot of religious references. Are you religious and if so what faith?

I’m agnostic, but my college degree is in Religion. I used to be Christian, but after studying so many faiths, I threw up my arms and became agnostic. I make religious references because religions hold profound wisdom.

I’m sure there are people reading this that dream of hiking the AT someday (myself included). In the book you almost discourage people for doing so. What advice would you give to someone dreaming of hiking the AT or other long-distance trail?

Be realistic. You’re right that at the end of the book, I half-jokingly discourage people to do the AT mainly because I don’t think most people would enjoy a thru-hike, even avid backpackers. The numbers prove it: the vast majority drop out (and it’s rarely injury-related). The problem, as I explain in the book, is that there’s a big difference between backpacking for a weekend and thru-hiking. It’s apples and oranges. The best way to prepare is to pretend you’re a thru-hiker. That means hiking more than 10 miles a day with a fully-loaded backpack, not showering, and eating the same food for several days. Then imagine doing that nonstop for six months. If it seems like fun, then you’re well prepared.

Do you write and promote your books full time, or do you work in addition to your writing?

Full-time: it’s my only job and source of income since 2006.

As part of your wander learn plan you hope to visit every country in the world…how is that going for you?

I’ve been to 80 out of 192 countries, about 40% of the planet. I’ll make big progress when I go to Africa in 2012-2015. With 55 African countries, once that trip is done, I’ll have been to 80% of the world’s countries.

How do you fund your traveling?

I have savings from my time in Silicon Valley and Microsoft. My books, videos, and coaching also help. It’s little, but the great thing about being an experienced thru-hiker is that you’re an expert at traveling frugally.

How do you get sponsors for your trips?

I wrote about how to get sponsors. Basically, you have to explain why your hike is interesting and how you will help promote the sponsor’s products.

With all you’re traveling…how do you find time to write?

I have to take breaks and write. For example, I’ve spent months in Slovenia, Croatia, and Estonia just writing my second book, The Hidden Europe. I paused my travel in those countries. Otherwise, it’s impossible to write a book on the road—too many distractions. In my current place, I have no radio, TV, phone, or Internet: PERFECT!

If there was one campsite you could go back to…or even build a house on…which one would it be?

Ugh. Too many options! OK, I’ll take a spot where I did the most dangerous and extreme backpacking of my life: near Mt. Triglav in the Julian Alps of Slovenia in Europe.

Click here for a chance to win a copy of Francis Tapon's Hike Your Own Hike.

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Nature Conservancy's Independence Creek Preserve - Open Weekend March 18-20

The Nature Conservancy’s Independence Creek Preserve is hosting an open preserve weekend March 18-20th. "The public is invited to camp, swim in the lakes, hike, picnic, catch-and-release fishing, explore the creek, bird watch and other activities at their leisure. Go and enjoy the onset of spring amid the beauty of a natural oasis in the wilds of West Texas.

Independence Creek

 Independence Creek is a major tributary of the Pecos river. Fed by the Caroline Spring the creek flows through the Nature Conservancy’s 20,000-acre Independence Creek Preserve. The preserve was set up to  conserve the creek and spring, as well as habitat for a great variety of animals and plants native to the region. The Independence Creek area was once home to a variety of archaic people and more recently by the Apaches. The region exhibits large concentrations of rock art and other culturally significant sites.

Caroline Spring

The preserve will be open from 5 p.m. Friday, March 18, to noon Sunday, March 20, 2011. Guests will be required to sign in upon arrival at the pavilion within the preserve headquarters. Overnight camping space in designated areas will be available for guests who make reservations by March 11th.

Visitors should bring their own food and drinks for the weekend and plan to take their trash home with them. Visitors also should bring towels and swimwear, binoculars, sunscreen, a hat and plenty of water to drink. Anglers must bring their own fishing gear. Artificial lures or worms must be used; live bait will not be permitted. Native American or other historic artifacts may be examined and appreciated but may not be removed.

Independence Creek Preserve

Independence Creek Preserve is located 22 miles south of Sheffield on Highway 349. To register and get directions, call Corbin Neill or Lisa Wrinkle at (432) 345-6773, or e-mail cneill@tnc.org or lwrinkle@tnc.org.

For additional information on Independence Creek and other Texas lands protected by The Nature Conservancy, visit nature.org/texas.

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K2 Charger Skis - Review

Recently I had the opportunity to ski on the new for 2011 K2 charger skis. I spent 3 days at ski Purgatory skiing in a variety of conditions and I believe I got a good feel for these amazing skis. The Chargers I used measure in at 174 CM long, with tip, waist, and tail measuring 122-74-106. This season rocker is all the rage and all of K2’s new AMP series (including the Charger) has some degree of rocker. The Chargers feature K2’s Speed Rocker and, according to K2’s website, have a 10% rocker on the front end (or “early rise” as it is sometimes called ).

K2 Charger

K2 Charger

K2 Charger Measurements

Curious about the rocker I laid the skis out on the kitchen table and went about trying to measure the amount of rocker. I put a little bit of weight on the ski and slid a sheet of paper under the tip until it touched the front contact point. I then marked the front of the ski on the paper and measured out how much of the ski was raised off the surface. I measured 20.75cm from the tip to the ski to the beginning of the rocker which comes out to about 11.9% of the ski. Rocker, among other things, is supposed to give you better maneuverability, better control in choppy snow, better float in powder, and more forgiveness all around. Having never skied with rocker before I was curious to see how they would perform.

K2 Charger contact point

8 1/8 inches (or 20.75cm) from the tip to the contact point

K2 Speed Rocker

The first two days were spent on piste with packed powder/ groomed slopes. The skis performed beautifully on the groomers and were super fast. During this time I became a carve-aholic finding the skis easy to carve and a ton of fun. The rocker helped punch through the choppy stuff making me less likely to catch an edge when encountering less then desirable conditions. I stayed out of the moguls most of the time because I found the skis to be too long with no added (rocker) maneuverability in the bumps. When on groomed slopes the skis were very stable possibly due to the metal and wood laminate core. The third day we woke up to about six inches of powder and where making first tracks all day. The rocker did a great job keeping my tips above the surface but would not be my first choice in off-piste conditions.

K2 Charger Metal Laminate

 The Chargers were paired with the Marker MX 12.0 binding set to a DIN level of 7. The bindings did their job and released both skis when an 11 year old kid came barreling into me at high speed sending me sliding 40 or more yards down the mountain.

All and all I found the skis to be a good advanced ski with lots of room to grow as your ability improves. Officially in the all-mountain category the chargers perform best on groomed slopes at high speeds. If you like going fast as you carve up the mountain you will love this ski.

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Week in Review - February 20, 2011

Steve Smith visits Ethan Pond and Mt. Willey

Robert went snowshoeing at Big Sky Resort, MT 

Jeff comments on federal budget cuts effecting trails.

Hiking Lady tries out that funky KT tape

Zack reviews the Black Diamond Bullet and Arc’teryx Silo 18

Mike goes for a long walk

Mike's view on the moors

Georgia ponders our hiking and backpacking responsibility

Mungo teaches us how to build a coke can stove

Mary ski walks the "Hill of Death"

Jason explores Newfields Wildlife Management Area

Mary breaks Trail

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Kelty Sale at LeftLane Sports - Plus Free $10 Credit

LeftLane Sports has begun a Kelty sale today with up to 55% off Kelty tents, packs, and sleeping bags. If you sign up using the link below you can earn $10 credit toward your first purchase. Be sure and read my LeftLane Sports review before buying.

Earn $10 credit when you sign up using this link.

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Proposed Budget Cuts Effecting Trails in Texas and Nationwide.

Not a real image...but will we see something like this in 2012?

The other day I read about Fedural budget cuts that will have a profound effect on trails. The U.S. House budget proposal would reduce funding for trails, parks, and land conservation by 90% out of the Land and Water Conservation Fund - virtually eliminating funds that are appropriated to states. Other proposed cuts will limit funds for construction, maintenance, and other supporting programs on federal public lands such as National Forests, National Parks and more. (Thank you Smokey Mountain Hiking Blog for warning us.)

While the House considers these proposals Texas State Government is having its own budget crisis. Initial budget bills from the Texas House and Senate would cut TPWD's biennial budget by about 25 percent, approximately $160-$165 million lower then 2010-11 levels. This is likely to close or greatly reduce operations at some state parks; suspend repairs and maintenance at state parks and wildlife management areas, allow no spending for new equipment or land acquisition and eliminate 300 TPWD job.

The House suggests TPWD close two state parks division regional offices and close or transfer seven state parks to local cities or counties. It is unlikely that local communities will want to take on any parks leaving them closed until funds improve.

What will this mean for Texas recreation if seven state parks are lost. What does it mean for the newly acquired Devils River Ranch? Will the state have funds to open the park within its two year master plan's schedule? I guess only time will tell.

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Winner of the Liftopia $50 Gift Credit.

I want to start by saying thank you to Liftopia.com for their generous donation of the $50 gift card. Since starting the contest last week we have had over 100 visits to the Liftopia contest post. Last night I closed the the comments and looked to Random.org to decide a winner. Random.org picked the 7th comment which belongs to Leilani over at Ski Like a Girl. Because Leilani decided to follow Liftopa on Twitter she is now the proud recipient of $50 good for lift-tickets all across North America.

Congratulations Leilani, please e-mail me at steven.outdoors (AT) gmail (Dot) Com and I will send you a link to the gift credit. Be sure and replace the (AT) with @ and the (Dot) with a . I hope you enjoy your $50 credit.

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The Best Internship on Earth - Travel the Country Hiking and Rafting with the Sierra Club

"Do you know a current student or recent graduate who loves the outdoors & travel, has a sense of adventure, is creative - and who would be a good spokesperson?" The Sierra Club is now accepting applications for their Youth Ambassador internship this summer. Qualifying applicants have the opportunity to spend the summer hiking, rafting, and exploring the country with Sierra Club's youth programs.



The lucky intern will make a video blog of their experiences and help raise awareness across the country of the critical work the Sierra Club does introducing youth to the outdoors.The internship offers a $2,500 stipend, $2,000 worth of gear from The North Face and Planet Explore, and the chance to work in the beautiful outdoors. The deadline to apply is March 16, 2011. You must be at least 18 years old to apply, and currently enrolled in high school, college, or university, or be a recent graduate.

Oh to be young again!

Below is one of the video's made by the 2010 intern (Other video's here). Maybe the 2011 intern can teach the children to not curse!



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Week in Review - February 13, 2011

Sylvia shares a foggy Colorado Sunris

Sylvia shares a foggy Colorado sunrise

Brian is giving away a Kupilka 21 cup

Ian teaches us how we can be good at skiing (Recommended Read)

Tim and Robin explore Maude's Crack (Not as bad as it sounds)

Tim and Robin Exploring Maude's Crack

Georgie helps us choose the right hiking boots

Chris teaches me something about Inversion Layers

Hendrik shares some new Gear with us


I Reviewed Liftopia.com and am trying to giveaway one of their gift cards


Ryan has to deal with some large fallen trees on the PCT

Ryan's view of the Suiattle River

Billkeith shares some lost pictures from Big Bend


Mary tells us about her love for Aluco





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Kupilka 21 Cup Giveaway at Brian's Backpacking Blog

Brian over at Brian's Backpacking Blog is giving away a Kupilka 21 Cup. Kupilka products are made of a Thermoplastic Natural Fiber Composite Biomaterial. They are made up of 50% pine fiber (wood) and 50% plastic.

According to Kupilka's website:

If you compare it to plastic, the benefits of Natural Fiber Composites are a better heat endurance and a higher durability thanks to the stiff structure.... Natural Fiber Composites don't require maintenance, don't "absorb" and all Kupilka products are dishwasher safe.

Brian's giveaway is very similar to my Liftopia giveaway. (which ends this Tuesday) I like it when people publisize my giveaways so I am doing the same for Brian. And, who knows, maybe I'll win for writing this post.

Go enter to win the Kupilka Cup.

and Then go enter to win the Liftopia $50 gift card.


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Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest - West Texas Mountainbike Festival

The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) has designated the Fresno/Sauceda Loop in the Big Bend Ranch State Park as an EPIC trail. To celebrate this designation Desert Sports Outfitter (based outside of Big Bend National Park) is hosting The Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest, an EPIC mountainbiking festival in its own right.

Mountainbiking boys and girls of all ages are invited to come out to far west Texas and Ride, Dance, Dine, and take in the stars. The festival will be held starting Thursday, February 17, 2011 and run through Saturday, February 19, 2011. The festival will be based in Lajitas from the Maverick Ranch RV Park. There’s lots of room for trailers and tents. There’s hot showers and bathrooms and even a pool! For more information about fees, availability and to reserve your space contact Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa. Biking will be all over the area: the State Park, the National Park, Lajitas and more!

Scheduled Rides include:

Thursday Feb 17
Big Bend National Park: 18 miles from McKinney Springs and back (Starts at 10 am)
Big Bend National Park: 30 miles from the North end of Old Ore Road to teh Hot Springs (Starts at 10 am)

Friday Feb 18
Lajitas Trail System: 15-20 miles starting at Maverick Ranch RV Park (10 am)
Lajitas Trail System: 25+ miles starting at Maverick Ranch RV Park (10 am)
Lajitas Trail System: 7-10 mile Kid's Ride starting Airport Trailhead (2 pm)
Big Bend Ranch State Park: 20 miles starting from Barton Warnock Center (9:30 am)
Big Bend Ranch State Park: 12 miles starting from Barton Warnock Center (10 am)

Saturday Feb 19
Big Bend ranch State park: 50 mile IMBA EPIC RIDE starting from Barton Warnock Center (8 am)
Big Bend Ranch State Park: 30 miles starting from Barton Warnock Center (9:30 am)
Big Bend Ranch State Park: 25 miles starting from Barton Warnock Center (10 am)
Big Bend Ranch State Park: 7 mile Kid's Ride starting from Barton Warnock Center (10 am)

These rides are scheduled for the folks who are registered for the Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest. Rides are presented in conjunction with Desert Sports, the Big Bend Trails Alliance, the Big Bend Ranch State Park and Lajitas Golf Resort. Helmets are mandatory. Every minor should bring their own adult. Go Here for more info.

A one day Festival pass is $20
Two day pass is $40
All Three days is $50

See below for more info:

Full schedule of Festival Events
Dirt Fest FAQ's
Directions and Logistics
Pre-Registration Form

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Liftopia $50 Gift Card Giveaway

Planning a ski trip in the near future? Want $50 to help buy lift-tickets or rentals? Have we got a deal for you? After posting yesterday's Liftopia Review I e-mailed the company to see if they would be willing to sponsor a Liftopia gift card giveaway. They responded with a generous $50 gift card to Liftopia.com. Go read my review on Liftopia and then enter below:

Here's how to enter (there are several)

• Be a follower of MyLifeOutdoors.
• Follow MyLifeOutdoors on Facebook.
• Follow MyLifeOutdoors on Twitter.
• Retweet, FB this, link on your blog, and/or write a glowing review of MyLifeOutdoors on your site
• Like Liftopia on Facebook.
• Follow Liftopia on Twitter.
• Money Talks. $50 and the gift card is yours.

Leave a separate comment for each thing that you do. Each entry you complete multiplies your chances of winning! You have one week to enter and 8 possible ways to win. Contest will run through Tuesday, February 15, 2011, winner will be chosen using random.org and posted on Wednesday February 16, 2011. Tell your friends and Good Luck!

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Liftopia.com - Discount Lift Ticket Site - Review

Last week as I was preparing for a ski trip in Durango, CO. I came across a great little discount site. I was trying to save some money and was searching the internet for some discount lift ticket coupons. What I found was Liftopia.com.

The best way I can describe Liftopia is through comparison. I'm sure you have all heard of and even used discount hotel/flight sites like Priceline and Travelocity. Liftopia is similar to those sites in that they sell discount lift tickets at 30% to 90% off the ticket window price. Liftopia is able to get the discounts they do by "giving alpine resorts the ability to sell advance-purchase, date-specific tickets, rentals, lessons and more, while still maintaining complete control over both the price and the quantity of items available for any given day." For us this means we can lock in some great prices if we are willing to purchase non-refundable, date-specific tickets.

Preparing for my Purgatory ski trip I bought a 2-day adult lift ticket for $95 on Liftopia. By doing this I saved close to $40 under ticket window prices. Liftopia sent me a e-mail with my confirmation info. I was instructed to print off the e-mail and present it (with my ID) at the will call window on the first day of skiing. I arrived at Purgatory's will call window early Saturday morning. As I approached the lady behind the desk asked "Liftopia? What is your name?" I told her my name and she handed me my ticket (without asking to check my ID). I really couldn't believe it was that easy. I was ecstatic to receive the price I did and pleased that it was actually less hassle then buying a ticket at the window.

Liftopia currently sells lift tickets, rentals, lessons and more at over 150 alpine resorts across North America and even some resorts in Europe, Australia, and South America. They are constantly trying to expand the number of resorts they service. It is easy to search for tickets by region, state, or resort name.

Next time you are planning a ski-trip and are willing to jump through some minor hoops. Give Liftopia a try...I doubt you will be disappointed.

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Week In Review - February 6th, 2011

Grant did a 7 mile overnight on the Black Pond trail.

PTC* reviews the Lowe Alpine Lightflite 28

Brain discusses the effectiveness of Bear Bags

BestHike introduces an expensive Bear Taser

Greg hikes along the beach at Kitty Miller Bay

John's view of Turtlehead Peak

John and Juggy hike toward Turtlehead Peak

I went skiing in Durango and did a review of LeftLane Sports

Sylvia snowshoes 4 miles along North Ten Mile Creek

Sylvia's view along North Ten Mile Creek

Free Outdoors compiled a lot of info about Glacier National Park. (I am going to be checking this out in preperation for my upcoming Glacier Trip)

Jeff talks about controversial mobility devices invading our trails

Mac E pitches a tarp with Paddles

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Ski Purgatory - Durango Mountain Resort

Last weekend some friends and I headed up to Durango, Colorado to ski at Purgatory, also known as Durango Mountain Resort. I was excited for the chance to ski and demo some new K2 skis (Read K2 Charger Review Here). We arrived in Durango around 5:00 pm Friday afternoon. We stayed in the Edelweiss condos which had true ski in ski out accessibility. We spent the rest of the weekend getting to know a great mountain.

Durango Mountain Resort

Durango Mountain Resort

Purgatory is a good size with a large variety of terrain but without being too big. Most of the terrain is intermediate which is what I like. It has some great runs with good steeps that get groomed regularly to keep down the moguls (moguls have their place…and I like them to stay there.)

Ski Purgatory

Looking down on Ray's Ridge

Purgatory is divided into two sides; the front side and the back side. The front side has two open lifts and about 33% of the terrain. The back side features three lifts and about 66% of the terrain. Getting from one side to the other can sometimes prove difficult. Getting from front to back is easy, especially from the Twilight lift. But if you want to get back to the front side from the number 8 lift on the far north end of the resort you have to take BD & M Expressway. BD & M Expressway is mostly flat and necessitates a lot of walking. Even from the number 3 lift it is difficult to find a way to the front side without walking up hill short distances. An intricate knowledge of the mountain is needed to get from back to front without wearing yourself out.

See the dashed line dividing the front side from the back side

Checking the Map

One of the things I like about Purgatory is the abundant views from anywhere on the mountain. On the front side you have constant views of stunning Twilight Peak(13,158 feet). Cross over to the backside and you get a whole new range of views including: Engineer Mountain (12,927 feet), Greyrock Peak (7,536 feet), Blackhawk (12,648 feet) and Whitecap Mountain (12,369 feet). The whole time I was there I was constantly being surprised and captured by amazing views of the surrounding mountains.

Twilight Peak (13,158 feet)

Engineer Mountain (12,927 feet)

Greyrock Peak (7,536 feet)

 Whitecap Mountain (12,369 feet) on the left, and Blackhawk (12,648 feet)

During my two and a half days at Purgatory I was able to ski most of the mountain. A intermediate run called "Where" proved to be my favorite. "Where" is narrower then many of the other runs with drop after drop through groups of trees. I consistency found myself wanting to ski "Where" over and over again. For a good idea of what "Where" is like watch the second run on the video below.

First Tracks on "Where"

The last day we were there we woke up to about six inches of fresh powder. We got ready early and skied down to lift to be first in line. We got to make first tracks on nearly every run we skied till 11:00 that day. After that the snow became very choppy I was catching my edge a lot. By 11:30 it started snowing pretty hard making it hard to see the terrain. Snow was accumulating on my beard and making me very cold. We had a long drive back to Texas that day and so we decided to call it quits. Purgatory allowed us to turn our tickets in early (by 12:30) for a partial refund (the cost of a half day ticket).

Powder Day! First ones on the lift

We got to make first tracks on nearly every run we skied.

The last day it started snowing pretty hard.

Snow was collecting in my beard.

All and all we had a great weekend skiing one of my favorite mountains.

If you come to Durango Mountain Resort in the summer time there is still plenty to see and do there. I had the opportunity to go this last summer and spent a lot of time on the Alpine Slide. The Alpine Slide is a toboggan like slide that uses small wheeled sleds with a lever break. To use the slide you ride the Twilight lift half way up to the top of the slide....grab a sled and head down. I'm not sure how fast the sleds actually go...but it was fast enough to get my heart pumping. Needless to say the Alpine Slide is tons of fun.



Other summer activities include Lift assisted mountain biking, Mountain scooters, lift assisted hiking, and more.

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