Outdoors

In the fall, weekends go quickly. There are errands to run, and people to see. The fridge is empty, and the house needs cleaning. But all everyone really wants to do is get outside and soak up the last few days of summer before winter...

The funny thing about Telluride is that after you accomplish your personal, most challenging, athletic feat, there is always someone to tell you a story about those who are way harder core than you. You raced the Iron Horse Bike Classic from Durango to Silverton; they...

It might seem strange to vacation in Crested Butte when you’re coming from Telluride. After all, the two seem quite similar. Both are small mining/turned ski towns nestled in remote places in the Colorado Rockies. And both have exceptional outdoor activities close by an exceptional...

I’m always surprised if I get lost when I’m hiking. But the friends who hike with me never are. They expect it. Perhaps it’s semantics rooted in a difference of definitions. Often I’m headed in the right direction, but just may not be on the...

[caption id="attachment_33886" align="alignright" width="150"] View from the Lodge proch[/caption] Enchanting rumors have long surrounded Dunton Hot Springs, the restored ghost town-turned-luxury resort. As of June, 2013, there is something substantive and new to talk about. On a recent summer day, we set out for lunch at Cresto...

[caption id="attachment_33681" align="alignright" width="224"] Sandy in Deep Creek[/caption] This is Sandy. She is a 75-pound Pyrenees/Lab mix who has never met a leash she couldn’t chew through or a command she couldn’t ignore. She chases small animals and cars, but couldn’t care less about a bear...

It’s not easy to come up with an original Christmas gift for your dad when he’s in his 70s. After all, you’ve given him countless ties, books, and woodworking projects he doesn’t want. So when my husband Andy gave his dad Bob a backpacking trip...

[caption id="attachment_32893" align="alignleft" width="224"] Ballard Summit[/caption] Ever noticed? The too-familiar tends to be ignored. I've lived in Telluride since 1985, and for the past eight years Ballard Mountain is the most prominent point just out my office window. I hike nearly every day in the Summer,...