Sunshine Week, the Endangered Species Act, & More Oil and Gas

Sunshine Week is here in America. This initiative celebrates a transparent government and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) put in place in 1967. Sunshine Week is an annual week of recognition around National Freedom of Information Act Day (March 16) that aims to educate Americans about their rights to request information from any federal...

The Kelly Lake Trip – A Mandatory Autumn Retreat

A group of friends from Cincinnati moved out to Fort Collins, CO about ten years ago. Since then, they've made it up to Kelly Lake every year around September-October as a last chance to backpack before the weather turns. As they continue to make new friendships in Colorado, the hiking party continues to grow. This...

This Thing We Call “The Wild”

I recently read a social media post written by an old friend of mine. She wrote about this experience she had where she was hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, and passed a family where the two daughters were about ten feet behind the parents on their hike. One of the girls fell into the...

Indian Creek & All the Things I Want to do to You

Crack climbing is one of those things that provokes a lot of "that's what she said" jokes no matter who you're with. They all come out, and everyone's true colors shine ever so brightly. Crack climbing is different everywhere you go. The rock is different everywhere you climb. Indian Creek is probably the truest test...

Hiking Bierstadt & Evans in a Day

For those of you who don't know this already, hiking '14-ers' in Colorado is THE thing to do. Well I had never hiked one for the first four years of living in Colorado because asthma and altitude don't really mix well. But this friend I knew from Germany (my best friend throughout middle school, whom...

Playing in the Garden

"If you learned to climb in the Garden, you can climb anywhere in the world." -saying I've heard climbing in the Garden   Garden of the Gods is one of those climbing locations with a ton of history and awesome tradition. Many underestimate the climbing in the Garden since it is right in the middle...

That Time I Invited Myself. -Episode 1

I was asked if I could help with a couple trips we had running back-to-back in Moab one weekend. It would mean I'd have to miss two days of school, one of those days included a mid-term in my Geology lab. Oh the irony. Naturally, I didn't hesitate to say yes and begin packing. It...

Along for the Climb. Episode 2

We arrived at the base of Ancient Art. The steep sandstone tower right in front of us, blocking out the spectacular view of Castle Valley below. It was all we could see. In this giant corridor made of sandstone, we could only look up. And that was where were headed...was up. We were actually going...

Along for the Climb. Episode 1

Awestruck doesn't even fit what I was experiencing, I don't even know what it was. I was awestruck, excited, in disbelief that this was reality. I didn't even remember falling asleep on the couch. I'm horrible at taking naps and would have never even laid down on a normal day. This day was different. I...

Something About the Desert

There is something about the desert that I just can't put my finger on. No words I come up with can accurately describe the uniqueness of the Western Slope/Utah desert. You're faced with giant sandstone cliffs etched with gorgeous features created by the past, or in strange looking formations like inspiring towers or arches. In...