Having spent most of my life in Colorado and the better part of 30 years in the mountains, I often feel more at home under a canopy of yellowing aspens than I do in my own bed. I realize it may be a bit presumptuous of me (or anyone) to call themselves a “mountain man,” but I do.
And I understand it’s an easy accusation especially when that term, ‘Mountain Man’ calls forth images of Jeremiah Johnson, Grizzly Adams, Hugh Glass or any pelt-wearing, bearded man who endured far more with much less.
But it’s not that situations have changed. What’s different now, is we have better clothing, better information, better nutrition and a better support network from days of yore. Animals can still be dangerous. The weather is still just as unpredictable and despite our best intentions, accidents still happen.
In 30+ years, I have run the gamut from scared newbie who wore cotton (late 1980’s) to soloing winter climbs in the dead of January. I have lost friends in the mountains due to climbing accidents, tried my hand at running my own guiding business and have survived an overnight, open-air bivy in February at 12,900’. I’ve assisted in several SAR missions in Rocky Mountain National Park and spontaneously led a successful SAR mission in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas). So it’s by no small measure that I label myself as a ‘Mountain Man.’
Below, you’ll find reports (experiences) of places I have been, mountains I have hiked & climbed and some random landscape photography that I’m rather proud of. Oh, and some links to off-site articles I rather enjoyed & short articles I have written over the years.
I hope you enjoy the scenery!
Total US Peak Count: 1377
State Highpoints: 17
Countries explored: 9
Complete USGS Quadrangles: 95
This is by no means all-inclusive. But here, you’ll find a healthy assortment of ‘trip reports’ I have written of my experiences over the years. Some are mere hikes & easy strolls and some are more serious.
What you’ll find here is a ‘slush fund’ of random images and photographs that don’t really fit into the reports section above.
Some of these come from prior reports not posted here and some of these come from trips where no diction was necessary. They are in no particular order.
The images contained therein come from all over the place.
This section contains my thoughts on everything outdoor and wilderness-related.
There are pieces I have written and links to other websites with some pretty cool, informative and entertaining writings.