Heaving myself through the living room window, I prayed the neighbors wouldn’t call the police… My keys were laying somewhere in the city park after falling out of a running belt that didn’t have a key clip. Not a successful end to a short run. “Such are the hazards of gear testing,” I mused. I also promised to return …
What to Expect at the Alta Lodge
I’m always on the prowl for hangouts with local flavor. Even though Steve and I ski at Alta most of the winter, I had yet to visit a single business other than the on mountain cafes. Finally a few folks got wise to my single-minded visits (powder skiing) and invited me to spend the night. Of course I accepted, but …
Sun Dog: A moving and inspiring ski film (VIDEO)
Sun Dog, a short film produced by DPS Cinematic, is easily the best short bit of adventure cinema I’ve seen in an exceptionally long time. It had me all misty eyed at the premiere and I’ve watched twice since. Now that it has been publicly released, I’m excited to share it with you! Take five minutes and enjoy! In the …
Finding strength on Lone Peak
Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses. – Marilyn vos Savant Utah’s Lone Peak tops at out 11,263’ and is considered the most difficult 11,000+ peak in the Wasatch Rage due to the mileage and vertical gain. It is an imposing peak, visible from Salt Lake City to Provo. With an average grade less than …
14 ski resort events delivering holiday cheer
Here is a fun piece I wrote for Liftopia.com on holiday events. ~ Enjoy! ‘Tis the season for skiing powder! Oh, and the holidays are upon us as well. I’d rather bury my head in the snow than deal with shopping and, luckily, there are some festive ski resort events taking place across the U.S. and the Canadian Rockies. …
Gear Review: Osprey Variant 37
My old climbing pack finally retired this year; worn thin and never really all that comfortable, I might still use it for abrasive slot canyons where getting another hole in it won’t bother me. This summer I started looking around for a pack that would be good throughout the year – on ice, rock, or light mountaineering. While there are …
Podcast: Solo adventure tips and safety
After a bit of a break, I’m back up and recording on the podcast. My break is not without cause. Let me share… For the last month, I’ve been eyeballs deep in building my business, Active Explorer Media. Actually, it’s more like formalizing something I’ve been doing for years. In addition to writing, I’m expanding my social media coaching services. …
Unexpected beauty: Rummana Camp, Jordan
Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. ~ Mary Ritter Beard Opening my eyes inside the canvas tent, it took me a moment to recollect where I was. It was a disorienting feeling brought on by a combination of deep sleep, a nine …
Announcing The Active Explorer Podcast
For the first time in a while, I have a big announcement to make. No, I’m not moving again… But I am adding a new way to explore and learn about outdoor adventure and fitness, The Active Explorer Podcast. I’ve been in the “thinking about it” mode for over a year and figured I’d just dive in. Is that I’ll …
The Edge of Time, Estes Park
This rock is located in Jurassic Park, a popular climbing area near Estes Park, Colorado. I hiked to the area several years ago with my dad. If you look closely, you can see a top rope rigged. On the day I took this picture, there were about a dozen climbers on the various rocks. Back then I hadn’t learned to …