Guides – Ice and Trail

The Winter 14ers “Game”: 2018-19 Kickoff

With true, honest-to-God calendar winter beginning today, Friday, Dec. 21, it’s the perfect time to give a brief rundown of what exactly counts as a winter 14er, strictly speaking, and why anyone even cares.

5 Winter 14ers for Beginners

I chose the following five winter 14ers based on access, minimal avalanche danger, ease of routefinding and general popularity. Many others are doable as relatively safe winter daytrips. These are simply the lowest-hanging fruit.

7 Ways to Hike with Your Dog Off Leash (and Not Be a Jerk)

I respect the right of everyone to spend a day in the mountains free from annoyance and fear, just like I enjoy the right to hike with my four-legged adventure buddy. So, how can the gun-toting dog hunters and Susie’s gaggle of mountaineer pugs coexist? Like most raging debates in the hiking community, it really doesn’t have to be that hard.

11 Tips for Hiking 14ers Like a Grown Up

1. THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE Don’t ask for information on Quandary’s East Ridge in August. There’s no faster way to rile up the masses. If you have a question about the 14ers, it’s already been posed and answered at least a dozen times. Invest energy in doing your own research. I promise, it’s moreContinue reading “11 Tips for Hiking 14ers Like a Grown Up”

Top 5 Colorado Mountain Towns (for Dirtbag Climbers)

One of the biggest perks of pursuing 14ers and 13ers is having an excuse to range far and wide across Colorado. Little towns that even natives haven’t heard of become favorite haunts, complete with their hole-in-the-wall restaurants, obscure festivals, historic sites, quirky attractions, sunny patios and small-batch breweries. When you exit ski country, you enterContinue reading “Top 5 Colorado Mountain Towns (for Dirtbag Climbers)”

10 Things You Need to Know for Hiking in the Snow

Most Coloradans consider “14er season” to be June through September, but such a viewpoint is severely restrictive. The fall, winter and spring months are often the most rewarding times of year in the high country. There’s nothing quite like having a popular summit such as Quandary Peak to yourself, looking out over a sea ofContinue reading “10 Things You Need to Know for Hiking in the Snow”