If you’re traveling from Denver to Durango, you’ve got a few options at your disposal. I-70 through Summit County and along the Colorado River is a solid choice. As is 285 southwest out of Denver. Or you could take 115 from Colorado Springs past Pikes Peak and into Salida. They’re all beautiful. Andrew and I were sitting in a coffee shop in Colorado Springs. It … Continue reading Great Sand Dunes National Park and The Joy of Detours
If you’re sitting in Minneapolis as I write this, the ground is bare. Grass is brown and covered in ice. The past few storms missed us to the south, dropping over a foot of snow on St. Louis and another foot on Des Moines. It was also -2F when I woke up this morning. Pair this with the icy grass, and you’ve got a good … Continue reading Chasing Minnesota Snow
Sometimes it takes a change of plans to get us to slow down. My recent trip to the Baptism River is as far back as I need to look for an example. The plan was to drive up on a Tuesday morning with my fishing gear, spend the day on the water, stay with some friends in Duluth, then spend Wednesday fishing, before driving back … Continue reading Baptism River in Late November
This has become somewhat of a tradition for us. Christmas tree hunting the weekend of Thanksgiving. Every year has brought different weather. The first year was snowy and frigid. Last year was just a bunch of mud. It was cold, but the mud was inescapable. This year is warm. The trusty car thermometer said 49 degrees. Sunshine through high thin clouds produced a hazy warmth. … Continue reading It’s Beginning To Look Nothing Like Christmas
It’s better to spend the day outside than it is spend it packed into a store fighting over deals. That’s how REI feels and a lot of people agree. They had this idea in 2015 to encourage their co-op members to choose nature over consumerism on Black Friday. It was a big thing when they announced it. Many other stores and outdoor brands quickly followed … Continue reading #OptOutside
At a certain point, I lost count of the times something didn’t go right. Navigating three feet of powder on a mountain side with cross-country skis strapped to numb feet seven miles from the nearest road; losing footing while trying to cross a river in waist-deep, snowmelt raging water; finishing your last water bottle in 104F heat 17 miles from the car on a bike. You … Continue reading Get Uncomfortable
Trips can go according to plan. Most often, they don’t (and that’s what makes them fun), but sometimes they do. This was one of those times. On a trip to Tettegouche State Park last summer, I was greeted by a fog rolling off the water. Lake Superior is a frigid, frigid being. It’s rare that the water is warmer than the air this time of … Continue reading A Little Bit Foggier Now
Bent Paddle Brewing Company is caught in the middle between a mining company (which I won’t give them the pleasure of mentioning), the mining community of Silver Bay, Minn. and 10% of the world’s freshwater (which happens to be Bent Paddle’s source of water in their beer). The town of Silver Bay voted to prohibit Bent Paddle from being sold in the town’s liquor store … Continue reading Drink More Bent Paddle
Fountain Paint Pots is a cluster of geothermal features on the west side of Yellowstone National Park. As we were approaching a pool of boiling water, our guide shared a story about a dog that jumped in and its owner who jumped in to save it. The water was 202 degrees F. Both died. The incident was detailed in a book called ‘Death in Yellowstone.’ … Continue reading Yellowstone Winter
Minnehaha Falls is a popular park in south Minneapolis. Springtime finds prom couples taking photos, summertime means crowds at the park restaurant and fall makes for colorful picnics and piles of oak leaves. The real attraction shows itself when the crowds disperse and the temperature drops. The water of Minnehaha Creek falls 53 feet from a limestone ledge to the pool below. If you follow … Continue reading Explore Before the Thaw
Birch & Flannel 