Cost-Counting and the Delusion of Free Car-Camping (Night 5)
“If we make that shift toward a life simple in means but rich in goals, we are not threatened by plans for saving the planet.” -Arne Naess After leaving the South San Juan Wilderness, my wife and I went north to backpack in a less monsoonal climate. When we arrived at Minturn, hoping to camp … Read more
Cowshit, Hail, and Grizzly Ghosts: Elk Creek of the South San Juan Wilderness (Days 1-4)
When the rare opportunity to have six days for wilderness exploration presents itself, the hurried shot-gun trips to nearby areas are put aside, and we set our sights on further, harder-to-get-to areas. This time we chose the South San Juan Wilderness. Planning a backpack trip that satisfies both my wife’s needs and my demands is … Read more
Lost Creek Wilderness
Access from Denver: Take Hwy 285 West to Bailey. In Bailey, access can be gained by taking Wellington Rd. south-east, where first access can be obtained at the Colorado Trail (CT) crossing, but further access can be achieved by following Wellington Rd. past the lake to FR 560 to Wigwam Park and Goose Creek trails, … Read more
Bloody Spandex: Grand Junction to Utah: 80 miles on a tandem: Bucolic Bufoonery at its miserable best
Click here to view Route When Garret proposed the two-day, hundred to eighty mile bike/camp trip, he couched it in terms like: “super fun”; “bro time”; “Really-super-fun-bro-time.” I then imagined myself on a bike, gliding through Big Sage plains beneath the serrated horizon of the Colorado National Monument, finally winding down to the Colorado River … Read more
Eagles Nest Wilderness: A Quest for Miserable Bliss
Surprisingly, the ever-so-close-to-Denver Eagles Nest Wilderness offers the same amount of solace that is found in a serious episode of binge drinking. After a handful of inconveniences in which me and my backpacking companion felt confined to either the Lost Creek Wilderness or to the Mount Evans Wilderness (for matters of geographic convenience in relation … Read more
Vasque Wasatch GTX Hiking Boots – Men’s
Raw Details Sizing: Feels true to size Vasque Wasatch GTX Hiking Boots – Men’s 4out of 5 Width: True to size Pros: Good Arch Support, Water Resistant, Ankle Support, Warm, Great Traction, Comfortable, Sturdy/Durable Cons: Long Break-in, Difficult Laces, Heavy Best Uses: Heavy Loads, Cold Weather, Long-Distance Hiking, Harsh Terrain, Day Hiking, Wet Conditions Arch … Read more









A Road Less Travelled: The Flat Tops Wilderness (Wagonwheel Trail-Days 6-7)
Posted by sainteterre on August 15, 2011 · 2 Comments
Everything in the world is beautiful, but Man only recognizes beauty if he sees it seldom or from afar.-Vladmir Nobokov from “Gods” We left the Holy Cross area by mid-morning. Car after car cut through the cakey dust, sending helical plumes into the still air over Homestake Creek and onto it’s riparian shoulders. We left … Read more
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