Elk Mountains

Jordan White backcountry skied all the Colorado 14,000 foot peaks in three years. He is the latest of a handful of ski mountaineers to climb and ski back down all 54 of the fourteeners. He began with Quandary Peak on May 4th 2006, finishing with Snowmass Mountain this past May 3rd, 2009.

Our adventure lifestyle is sometimes an extension of our father’s. I couldn’t have been more than 4 years old. Not only was my father quite the outdoorsman back then, but he loved gardening and had quite the green thumb. He also loved hiking and exploring.

After yesterday’s partly cloudy skies, and thus cutting the last of the day’s goals, we, of course, picked roast bluebird off the Day 4 fantasy menu. And yes, next morning our dreams became reality: perfect azure skies, hundreds of square…

Whew, that was a whirlwind Spring Break with the family. Ended up skiing five days in a row, rest day yesterday, perhaps a few pow turns later today. Leaving for Europe and Silvretta traverse all too soon, so I’ve been…

Mount Sopris is the quintessential peak, white capped, riven by couloirs, crowned with twin summits rising 7,000 vertical feet above our quaint village like a Jules Vern fantasy. Less informed locals sometimes think the mountain is a volcano, as from most angles it appears to stand alone, apart from any parent massif. That’s not the case. Sopris is indeed lofty, but just behind the alp are its parental units: 14,000 foot Snowmass and Capitol peaks. The area is big alpine, always good for a special day.

I’ve been riding and modifying “Mr. Tippy” lately. That’s the nickname I tend to use for our Yamaha Nytro snowmobile; a high-tech low-pollution 4-stroke machine that works well for ski access, but nonetheless is a bit on the heavy side…