May signals the beginning of summer here on the Front Range.  Up in the mountains, however, it's prime snow climbing season.  For a short period of time, temperatures up high consistently rise above freezing during the day and drop below freezing at night.  This causes snow that has been deposited in shallow gulleys or couloirs to repeatedly freeze, thaw, and freeze again.  This in turn stabilizes the snow and makes it safe - and fun - to ascend, provided you have the proper gear.  Often…

I kind of have a love/hate relationship with the Garden of the Gods.  Before I had ever set foot in the great state of Colorado, I knew the following about Colorado Springs.

1. Pikes Peak is the most extreme mountain in the continental United States. Cliffhanger may have…

So there I was, just putting one foot in front of the other, minding my own business on some trail when BAM it hits me - THE MOST AMAZING THOUGHT EVER.  Suddenly, life made sense.  Or at least, whatever it was I was trying to figure out suddenly made sense.  So, I put the thought just behind the forefront of my other thoughts, cataloged for later use.

Whaddyaknow...up and over and around a few more bends, hills, nooks, crannies, and suddenly I have yet ANOTHER revelation.  I'M…

Like about 2,000 other people out there in crazyland, I hope to complete the Pikes Peak Ascent on August 16th.  If things go well, I also hope to do the Pikes Peak Marathon the next morning.  Nothing unique there - there are 159 of us signed up for…