Trip Report: Salida Honeymoon

Posted on by mrsoltys
Courtney and I wanted to check out some new Colorado spot that we hadn't explored before for our Honeymoon.  Somehow, we chose Salida, CO and it was a most Excelent choice. We arrived at our hotel, the Salida Palace Hotel, on sunday.  Our room was a cute suite with an awesome kingsize bed, a small kitchen adn bathroom.  It had...Read More

Trip Report: South Arapaho (Or: Lessons Learned From a Day of Digging...)

Posted on by mrsoltys
With one of my best friends from college in town, we were anxious to do some hiking in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, just a short drive from Boulder. Ignoring the many suggestions that it was too early to climb South Arapaho Peak, we figured we were burly, and with snowshoes and enough time we could climb the peak no problem....Read More

Trip Report: Fruita Mountain Biking, Spring 2012

Posted on by mrsoltys
Well, Spring break is over.  I had to work most of the week, but thursday night I set out with 20 of my closest friends for a weekend of camping and mountain biking at Fruita, CO.  This was  my third trip out to Fruita, and I really love the area: it offers really amazing scenery and super unique terrain, and...Read More

Trip Report: Brighton Ski Resort

Posted on by mrsoltys
As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm in Salt Lake City, UT for the 2012 ocean sciences conference.  Today I thought i'd take a break from the morning sessions and ski, getting back in time for one of my lab-mate's poster sessions in the afternoon. The road to Alta and Snowbird was closed due to an avalanche in the canyon,  so I decided to...Read More

Trip Report: Carl's Cabin and New York Mountain Backcountry

Posted on by mrsoltys
UPDATE: If you're looking for more current trip reports, current avi conditions, other backcountry ski areas, or backcountry ski weather, please check out my new website (which is under construction) at www.PowProject.com [caption id="attachment_619" align="alignright" width="300" caption="At the Trailhead. Photo Credit Lora Homeyer"][/caption] This past weekend I did my first ever 10th mtn hut trip.  It was totally dope. We...Read More

Trip Report: Short 2 Night Boulder Bike Tour

Posted on by mrsoltys
I've been really excited about taking a weekend off for the sole purpose of riding my bike for a while now.  This weekend the opportunity finally came around and 7 friends and I rolled out from boulder for a pretty awesome weekend. The route was to spend day 1 leaving from east campus, up past carter lake to camp in the Big...Read More

Tool of the Week: Topo Maps

Posted on by mrsoltys
[caption id="attachment_425" align="alignright" width="320" caption="TopoMaps near one of my favorite mountain biking spots: Walker ranch"][/caption] There is no substitute for a good topo map and old fashioned compass.  Knowing how to use them is a basic skill for any outdoors person.  With that said, nothing beats being able to bust out your smart phone and immediately know your place on...Read More

Trip Report: Kalalau Trail

Posted on by mrsoltys
[caption id="attachment_380" align="aligncenter" width="1024" caption="The view at Kalalau. Our campsite is in the hole in the trees to the left, and the beach is on the right."] [/caption] The kalalau trail was one of the most magnificent trails I've ever hiked. Every turn offered breath-taking views of magnificent cliffs, huge jagged mountains, and 1000 ft waterfalls. The trail is lined...Read More

Trip Report: Mount Rainier

Posted on by mrsoltys
As with most of the things on my bucket list, I don't know why I wanted to climb Mount Rainier, other than the fact that its majestic (if you've ever been to seattle, you know what I'm talking about) and there's the challenge of it: I've done a few 14ers, but Mt. Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the lower 48,...Read More

Trip Report: Mt Shasta

Posted on by mrsoltys
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="720" caption="View of Shasta from Bunny Flats"][/caption] Mt Shasta was my first 14er ever.  In fact, before I climbed Shasta, I had never even heard of a 14er.  The idea got in my head when my uncle Larry suggested I come out and climb it with him, and the resulting road trip was some of the best...Read More