2013 in review:

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Sledding at Wanoga

On Saturday we met up with my old friend Justin and his son Yoshi at Wanoga Sno-Park. It's a great scene with tons of kids (and adults) barreling down the snow-packed hills. Here's some media from that trip:

I think this picture summarizes the day:

Pack Mule

I've grown accustomed to my role of pack mule on our family adventures. Here's some video of a recent trip to Virgina Meissner Sno Park.

Backpacking the Strawberry Wilderness

Aaron, Allison, and I recently finished a 20 mile loop in the Strawberry Wilderness. Among the many highlights were Slide Lake, High Lake, Strawberry Mountain, and Little Slide Lake. Check out the image gallery to see pictures I took of the trip. I also found this video, which my hiking partners are in (3:15).

Mt. Washington Climb

Last Sunday I had an amazing technical climb up Mt. Washington with a couple of guides from Timberline Mountain Guides. This was my first, true technical climb with multiple pitches of belayed and short-roped sections. It was a fantastic day and the summit views were outstanding. The total round-trip time was 9hrs with 1 hour on top. It was also nice to finally put some of my gear to real use:

North Fork Resevoir

Problem: Xander has never been camping.

Goal: Take Rochelle and Xander to a nice, friendly campground just far enough off the beaten path as to avoid the glow from a nearby city. The ideal campsite should include a picnic table, ample tent space, running water, and sanitary restrooms.

Reality: Campground FAIL

Our journey began on a warm Friday afternoon. I left work early so that we would have plenty of time to drive up into the Collegiate Peaks and setup camp. At this point I should mention my secondary goal: to bag a couple of 14ers during the trip (Mt. Princeton and Mt. Yale). We set off and made good time, arriving at the campground around 4PM. Driving up to the gate we notice a traffic cone stating "campground full". We would see this sign again many times before the day was over.

"No biggie" I said to the family as we had passed at least three campgrounds on the way up. We drove back down the road and started looking for a new campsite. As soon as we would enter a campground entrance, a wonderful "Campground FULL" would greet us. We repeated this process at no less than eight different campgrounds, ever so slowly pushing us farther away from the trail-head. Naivety would creep in and I would drive us through the campground convinced a vacancy would appear. It was then I noticed each site had a paper that proclaimed "RESERVED". In nowhere, Colorado - Really?

It was getting dark and we were beset with cranky dispositions. With seemingly all options exhausted, I scoured the map for a "/\" icon. "Here's one" I mentioned to Rochelle, "but it's pretty far out there". It was either going to be the North Fork Reservoir or the Motel 6 in Salida.

The pavement ended about three miles in and morphed into a steep, gnarly "road". Re-checking the map, I reassured everyone that there was only six miles to go. "It probably won't take us more than fifteen minutes to get there" I thought to myself. Roughly an hour later we roll into our dark and sparsely populated destination. As I drove around the campground circle, Rochelle recovered from contractions while Xander watched "Dora the Explorer" for the 10th straight time that evening. It was 11PM when we pulled up to the campspot and began unloading. An hour later we were in bed and trying to comfort with a cold, over-tired boy. It was a long, long night.

We spent the remainder of the weekend hanging out, fishing, and exploring the resevoir. Xander fell down a lot negotiating the rocks, tree limbs, and roots scattered around camp. We soaked up the raw alpine beauty and huddled in the "Hilton" during intense thunderstorms. We laughed and we cried. I think this picture sums up the trip best:



Check out our gallery for more pictures of the trip.

Holy Cross Wilderness

Last week I went on a four-day backpacking excursion into the Holy Cross Wilderness near Minturn, CO with my friends Dan and Nate. The highlight of the trip was summiting the 14,005 ft. Mount of the Holy Cross (my first 14er!). How cool was it that my first ascent was named after the Cross? Early settlers to region noticed the mountain's juxtaposed, intersecting snow-filled coloirs and thus aptly named it. I'm thankful that the Lord gave me the opportunity to experience His awesome creation. The scenery was absolutely amazing! Azure lakes set into massive cirques and high alpine meadows festooned with abudnant wildflowers were some of the trip's highlights.

Day 1
Leaving from the Fall Creek Trailhead, we hiked for about 5 miles towards our destination of Lake Constantine. The weather was pretty warm with spotty, overhead clouds. Upon arrival at the lake we pitched base-camp right as the first thunderstorm rolled in. Thankfully we managed to erect our tents and tarps before the massive deluge of water. The campsite we selected had a commanding view of the lake and rested upon large granite shelf with a few trees for cover. We spent the remainder of the day recovering from the hike and fishing from the shore. I caught my first native Colorado cutthroat trout that evening - the first of 18 I would eventually tally.



Day 2
Waking at 3AM, I arose to make preperations for our summit attempt. It didn't look promising as a storm had socked into the lower ridges. There was a slight drizzle and the group decided to postpone the trip for the next day. After arising again later that morning, we made breakfast and enjoyed some cofee taking in the beautiful scenery. We fished a little more and decided to hike up to the Tuhare Lakes. This would give us an idea about the approach and eliminate some near-dark routefinding on summit day. Also, the lakes had plentiful fish opportunities. We threw in some snacks and a couple of cold beers into our day-packs and headed out. The trek up to the first lake was steep and ardous with a couple of class 3 sections thrown in for fun. When we arrived at the lake, we assumed it was the Lower Tuhare, but actually turned out to be a high, alpine tarn. Observing some interesting rock formations, I trekked down to the lake dodging sunbathing marmots. The water was very clear and I could easily spot numerous troat swimming so we decided to hang out and fish the locations. After fishing and generally being lazy for a few hours, we were enouraged back to camp by a very dark and angry approaching thunderstorm. The storm eventually broke back at base-camp and we enjoyed a spectacular sunset dinner from our granite perch.



Day 3
The alarm went off promptly at 3Am and I arose with suprising eagerness. The temperature was in the lower 40s and the sky clear - which allowed for delightful stargazing. We ate a quick breakfast, hydrated, and threw on our day-packs. It was still very dark when we broke camp so headlamps were powered on and the hike commenced. We hiked for about 45 minutes and crested over a ridge that held a magnificent watefall. We continued along a small trail until forced onto a steep, rock-hard snowfield. The going was a bit dicey but our trekking poles gave us some aid. Eventually we traversed around the lower lake, up a steep embankment, and over a ridge that seperated the two lakes. After a long slog across another hard snowfield, we finnaly arrived at the main approach. Dan was having a rough time at this point and our slow pace began to worry me. During a short rest I used the GPS and map to gain our position and ascertain the next segment. I couldn't see the route from our position because a huge boulder filled hill abscured its view.

We pushed on and began tackling the boulder hill. The hill was very steep with unsettled boulders and scree which required moderate scrambling. About half way up, Dan was done. He had taken a nasty fall at base camp (retrieving a lure) and injured his ribs. The lower oxygen levels were really kicking his butt. Knowing the pace that we needed to maintain in order to safely summit, we agreed that he would stay here and await our return. Nate and I continued on and crested the hill which gave us an unabstructed view of our route - and it wasn't pretty. There was a small, snow-filled coloir that was the only opening in the cliff bands but it was hard and very slick. I spied a crevasse that edged the snowfield where the cliff and snow met. We entered the crevasse and shimmied upward about 70ft before we got jammed. I took off my day-pack and straddle-hopped the remaining 10 ft onto a narrow ledge.

The coloir continued upward at a rude angle among small ledges and chunks of tundra. It was slick and the footing was dodgy. I found a route through the mess and avoided the coloir as much as possible. Nate followed up and we rested at the beginnings of a giant talus field. Halo ridge was still a 1000 ft up. We rested and began the slog up the loose talus. Eventually we gained the ridge and had our first look at the amazing Mount of the Holy Cross. It was straight across from us, the direct approach guarded by the enormous Bowl of Tears. We summited Point 13,600 and began our traverse of the Halo Ridge. We boulder-hopped and scrambled around the traverse until finally resting at the base of Holy Cross. Nate was beggining to feel fatigued but I urged him onward noting how close we were to the summit. I banged out the remainder of the ascent which required frequent stopping to recover my breath. Finally I topped out and was on the summit of Mount of the Holy Cross. Woot!

While I waited for Nate, I talked with a couple of people on top and snapped a few pictures. It was around 9AM, roughly five hours of hard work. Nate emerged looking happy but knackered. We rested and rehydrated for no more than 10 minutes before my internal clock chimed. The clouds were small and seemingly innocuous. However, in the distance I noticed a couple of cumulus forming. I pointed out these, the time, and the re-wind of traverse to Nate and we began our descent. 45 minutes later we were back on the summit of Point 13,600 and looking down into the large cirque below Unammed Peak. Nate told me he had no desire to down-climb the nasty coloir so I plotted a new route down the enormous talus ridge into the cirque.

While the pitch down the ridge was moderate, the talus was unstable and testy. I was starting to feel the fatigue and my legs complained about the loose footing. I eventually stopped at a place where the talus ended and a large, snow-filled cirque began. I was so over the talus! I mentioned this to Nate when he finally reached me. The snow had softened up considerably and I proposed a glissade (another first). I collapsed my trekking poles and they became a make-shift rudder. With my butt firmly planted on the slope, I pushed off. I would guess the glissade was no more than 300-400ft, but man it was fun. Once we traversed around the cirque, we side-hilled more snowfields above Tuhare Lake. The snow was soft, but there was a decent pitch - one that would require a self-arrest if you were to fall. After navigating a few more boulder fields we eventually reunited with Dan. By this time we both were pretty spent and Nate looked like he was bonking. While it was almost noon by now, dark thunderstorms began forming above us. I did not like this because we were still way up above tree-line. With new-found energy (read adrenaline) I pushed the group onward at an accelerated clip. We eventually made it made it back to camp around 12:30, totally spent after 8 hours of climbing and thousands of feet in elevation gain.



Day 4
We slept in and arose to a sunny, warm morning. I made some oatmeal and washed it down with some coffee. After breakast we broke camp, repacked our backpacks, and left around noon. As we hiked out I could hear thunder moving in. Sure enough, about a half hour later it was hucking down massive hail. I took cover inside a thicket and put on my rain gear. It poured the remainder of the hike out and we emerged at the trailhead soaked, but content.

Pictures from the trip.

Cache La Poudre River

It's taken a year, but I finally managed to get in some backpacking!

Me and a couple friends took the Big South Trail 944 up the Cache La Poudre River. The trail follows the river as it climbs up to the border of RMNP. The scenery was beautiful and the fishing was pretty good as well. I managed to land four fish (2 browns, 2 cutthroats) during the couple days we were there.

DMNS

A couple weeks ago we took Xander to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The actual museum itself is rather large, taking up three stories and covering everything from space to natural history. I enjoyed all the exhibits, but with a 18 month old you tend to blast through everything. We managed to get Xander to sit through a black hole movie inside their sweet planetarium. I will definitely be going back again for a more thorough walk-through (and IMAX).

Eldorado Canyon

Yesterday we went hiking in Eldorado Canyon State Park, which is practically in our back yard. It's been awhile since I had Xander in the REI pack and was definitely feeling his weight! Anyhow, it was a perfect day and the scenery was amazing - it reminds me a lot of Smith Rock but on a much larger scale.

The angry moose at Long Lake

On Saturday we drove up into the Indian Peaks Wilderness to get in a fall day hike. The Aspen trees are now showing their varying autumn colors from bright yellow to deep orange. Rochelle was especially keen to check them out up close. We started at Brainard Lake and ascended via the trail to Long Lake. Xander was game and we made good time. Upon arrival, we pushed around the loop until we found a good access trail that led down to the water.

At the water we walked out onto a point and began scouting for a good fishing spot. After survyeing for a couple minutes Chelle informed me the trail died out and we'd have to back track. Not one for rewinding I decided to check it out myself... and that's when I noticed "it". I say "it" because I could not indentify what the mass of hair in the brush was. The animal's head and hind-quarters were obscured by thick foliage.

I reached for the camera in my backpack and just as I was pulling it out, the animal vanished into the brush. While I silently cursed the missed opportunity, the brush near us rustled and out came a moose... I kid you not (moose in Colorado?). He was young, probably a year or two old sporting a decent 3x4 rack and a mean disposition. He immediatley charged toward us on the shorline. Sadly I did not get this on video as I was too busy trying to get Chelle and Xander out of there! Anyhow, long story short, we vacated his space and watched from a distance. That's when we noticed his "big brother". Wow, this guy was a monster (glad he wasn't the one who bum-rushed us)! Fun times here in Colorado. =)

Pikes Peak

After visiting GoG, we took the train up to the top of Pikes Peak. That's a pretty cool way to catch all the scenery!

God's Garden

Today we drove down to Colorado Springs for some sight-seeing. Our first stop was Garden of the Gods. The weather was really great (mid 80's) and the park contained some outstanding rock formations. A few pics from GoG:

10 days on the John Day River

I just finished 10 days on the John Day River and man was it fun!

The first 6 days Rochelle, Xander, and I spent with our family doing day floats, camping, and hanging out in the very unpredictable weather. The river was pretty high, muddy, and fast, but we made the best of it and all had a good time. Here's Xander hanging out with his cousins:



For more pictures of the trip (including Cynthia catching a fish, and the Painted Hills), click here.

The last 4 days I spent with my buddies, who also do an annual float trip. The river started dropping and the weather improved. This definitely helped the fishing as you see below...



At the risk of drawing ire from those that fished with me this past week and a half, I won't post pictures of the other hogs I caught. Let's just say the numbers:

Fish 1 - 5.5 lbs.
Fish 2 - 6.5 lbs.
Fish 3 - 5.0 lbs.

It was a good week. =)

Mother's Day and fishing

What's synanamous with Mother's Day? Fishing, of course! My parent's we're camping out at Prineville Reservoir so we drove out there for the day. They had just upgraded their trailer and wanted to do a test-run. We enjoyed spending the day out there and I caught Xander his first fish (a small-mouth bass). How do you fish with 5 month old? Simple, strap 'em on!

Warming up

With the weather getting all warm (mid 60s) and sunny, we decided to head outdoors for some hiking. Our good friends Aaron and Russ had given us an awesome REI pack for Xander's birth, so we headed out for a test-run at Smith Rock State Park. The pack's manual states the intended ages of 6 months - 2 years. However, Xander is not you average sized 4 month old (in retrospect, we should have asked for 9-12 month aged clothes at the baby shower).

Since he's proven trail worthy on previous expeditions and doesn't resemble a bobble-head, we geared up and hit the trail. We decided on the "loop" which follows around the Crooked River and summits at Monkey Face figuring the skree slope would be better tackled on an ascending, rather than descending approach. (note for future trips: trekking poles are a God-send when packing 30 lbs. of child with a center of balance slightly above your head.)

Anyhow, the hike was a success if measured by getting from point "a" to point "b" without injury or loss of life. Realistically, we probably pushed him a little bit. On the descent via Misery Ridge (aptly named of course) he had a melt-down of Chernobyl proportions. This could have been caused by the heat, hunger, or time spent battened down by REI's overzealous 7-point harness. Anyhow, he was over it. Once past the technical section, we got him out and Chelle carried him the rest of the way while I followed with the child carrier sans child. Nice.

Back at the car Chelle noticed some serious hickeys on her shoulder. Turns out, Xander was teething again. Poor guy just gnawed on mom's shoulder for comfort. Sadly, I don't have any photographic evidence to post. Well, what can you say... we're learning. :) Here's some pics from the trip:

A January classic

Xander got a taste of what's to come in later life when we took him classic skiing out to Tumalo Falls. (Is 1 month to early to introduce winter sports? ;) Accompanying us on our trip were Deb, Aaron, and Allison. It was lightly snowing, no wind to speak of, and perfect snow conditions. Here's a shot of us next to the creek...



(In order to avoid a scenario where I crashed on the skis with baby Xander (read: newbie), Chelle had pack-mule duty. Baby Bjorn rocks!)