-
Michigan Ditch Snowshoe
I woke up Saturday with the worst stiff neck I’ve ever had, and have been down all weekend with it. Luckily that didn’t stop Ann from heading up to Cameron Pass with Sean, Jason, and Sarada for some snowshoeing. And she took pictures for us! They hiked along the Michigan Ditch trail, and got pelted…
-
Retreat from the Ironclads
With promises of temperatures in the 60’s, we head up the South St. Vrain Canyon to try some climbing at the Ironclads. We make the hike in, and Sean learns how to set up a toprope and rappel. The warm temperatures, though, are overwhelmed by violent winds, which drive us off after a single, frozen-fingered,…
-
South Boulder Creek Trail Ski
My dad, Sarah, Adrian, Ann, and I head for the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel, a railroad tunnel that goes under the continental divide at Rollins Pass, to scout for cross country ski and snowshoe opportunities. The mountains looks stormy, and the parking lot is cold and windy enough to convince Ann and Adrian…
-
Devil & Empire Gulch Jeep Roads: Access Denied
Sean and I set off on the mountain bikes in high winds, hoping to find two jeep roads that appear on USGS quads to leave from a neighborhood near Lory State Park. These roads would offer access to the area west of the park and I think have great riding potential. Unfortunately both roads are…
-
Winter Climbing at North Table Mountain, Golden
My cousin Doug, his fianceé Liz, and Sean joined Ann and me to spend this balmy last day of the year climbing outside Golden. Ann has a hand injury she sustained in the gym, and is laying off climbing for awhile. We were fortunate to have her company, though, and she took some great pictures.…
-
Unsanctioned West Ridge Mountain Bike Loop
I take off on a beautiful afternoon to do a little exploring on the mountain bike, leaving from home and taking the Poudre River bike trail and back roads to Lory State Park. There I spot another mountain biker, and take the trail he disappears on. When it forks, of course I take the uphill…
-
Shelf Road / Cactus Cliff
We’re treated to another day of gorgeous sun, with just a little bite in the wind this time. We figure out the hike from the Bank campground to Cactus Cliff, a worthwhile outing in itself. There are more climbers on the rock today, but we still find things to climb. I try an onsight of…
-
Shelf Road / Cactus Cliffs
We don’t get on the rock at Cactus Cliff until the afternoon, but the perfect weather holds for us. The book we have makes it look like Shelf Road is dominated by 5.11 and 5.12 routes, but we find a couple of good easier climbs. It looks like a lot of newer routes have been…
-
Castlewood Canyon
The air is cold and the sky threatening, so we decide to head for a lower destination. Castlewood Canyon is southeast of Denver on Cherry Creek. We’re surprised at the amount of snow there, but it’s a pretty place and the sun comes out to warm us up. The rock cliffs in the canyon are…
-
Infirmary Slabs in South St. Vrain Canyon
We milk another day of climbing out of the season! It was actually pretty nice out, and we had this crag to ourselves. Ann confidently chose to lead Acts of Contrition, a dicey 5.8 slab, as her first climb of the day. It worked her, and she took her first lead fall, but I was…