Fountain of Booth

The morning air was brisk and the sounds…unusual. Typically, we want wilderness when we set out: going to great lengths to seek settings of solitude, pursuing peace and quiet. The unusual sounds? The thunder of cars and semis barreling along I-70. Never before had we started a hike so close to a major interstate, but […]

Pacific Bleat

The three of them approached cautiously: their chestnut-brown eyes assessing me, gauging if I were a threat. With quizzical expressions on their wooly faces, the mountain goats passed within reaching distance of me, now disregarding my presence. I moved slowly as not to frighten them. They grazed on the alpine grasses beneath their hooves, and […]

Hellfire and Brimstone

In our last trip to the Indian Peaks Wilderness, Ty and I trekked alongside the roaring Cascade Creek to find the remote Mirror Lake and Crater Lake, two bodies of water nestled at the foot of the Continental Divide’s western flank. The trail had started near Lake Granby, a hotspot for recreation, and the third-largest […]

Bluebird is the Word

Back in March, when snow still blanketed the ground in the mountains, I set out into the Wild Basin of Rocky Mountain National Park in an effort to find the sub-alpine Bluebird Lake. I trudged over five miles through the snowy landscape on a bleak, overcast day. After surpassing 10,000 feet in elevation, I began […]

Conquistador-able

West Spanish Peak—the United States’s easternmost 4,000-meter peak—enjoys prominence in elevation and notoriety in history. Standing at an imposing 13,626 feet, the mountain’s apex may not rise as high as many of the other peaks in Colorado, but still takes the rank as the state’s twelfth-most topographically prominent summit. Rising nearly 7,000′ over its north […]

Misadventure: Just Deserts

There is an ineffable allure to the desert, showcased in Utah’s town of Moab, where tourists from across the world come to see the strange and almost alien landscape that the desert offers. This landscape recounts a geological story that began millions of years ago and continues to present day, being carried on by weathering […]

Going Coastal

For me, I usually spend less time adventuring when snow begins to fall. This is not because I dislike snow, rather, I merely don’t have a lot of experience dealing with it. An REI gift card recently reminded me “adventure has no off season.” With this lovely adage in mind, I decided to try an […]

High Hopes on Talus Slopes

Mount Hope towers above the popular recreation area of Twin Lakes, Colorado. Despite its alluring contours and inviting slopes, it is often neglected; overshadowed by its slightly taller neighbors. Standing at an impressive 13,933′, Mount Hope is Colorado’s 64th tallest peak, and its proximity to larger and more popular summits in the Sawatch Range keep […]

Aurora Torreyalis

My car whined and groaned in pain as we drove up the county road toward the trailhead of the standard route up Grays and Torreys Peak. “It’s OK, lil’ Subaru,” I reassured the struggling automobile, “you’ve done this before.” Grays and Torreys, by way of their novice and popular standard route, were my fourth and […]

Through the Looking Glass

It was at the end of last year that the Overcast Adventurers and company donned their heaviest winter coats and set off to Rocky Mountain National Park to snowshoe up to a couple of frozen alpine and subalpine lakes. Back then, the crowds were thin, the air was brisk, and the landscape was an icebox […]

The Overcast Adventurers

A haven of adventure and exploration.

Author: Skyler