Head Down Hill

I do not rush things, I plan them out. I don't just choose a piece of gear because it looks cool, I do my homework before buying. When preparing for an outing into the mountains I lay everything out that I think I will need, then go back over it and refine my list so I don't carry extra weight.

My last ski trip added a new lens to look through when I gaze upon the mountains.

I have been in the game long enough to have acquired my own collection of gear, and have at least one layer to choose from, my goal is to choose the right layers and take nothing else. That day I was spot on with a synthetic shirt, Outdoor Research's Transfer Hoody, The North Face Paramount Peak II's, military grade Gore-Tex pants, and Black Diamond's Dirt Bag Glove. Nailed it. That was the good part, but I did also bring in my pack OR's Furio, and Himalayan Hoodie, as well as assorted hats and gloves just in case.

After lunch Scott and I took the unused gear back to the car.

During lunch we discussed the first few runs of the day, they weren't stellar. Turns out, gravity and physics still work despite how hard we fight them. We eventually we decided that going faster would actually make our lives easier.

Why?

Because it just made sense.

There are so many choices that we make at any given point in time that so often we over think what it is we are doing, even though we tend to get it right the first time. After lunch the skiing was better because we just went with the flow, the flow of what felt right.

We stopped fighting the mountain, and started to enjoy it.

That has been the overall theme that I have been pondering. Just because I could push harder, go faster, climb at a higher level doesn't always mean I should. My first time out skiing the guy I was with started to laugh at me three runs in, and said something along the lines of "if you simply enjoyed the mountain skiing would be easy". I shortened that to "enjoy the mountain."

I'd bet anyone who says they enjoy spending time in the mountains would also say that it's a relationship. All the rules apply, all the joy, the heartbreak, the comfort, the rejection, it's all there. Every part as important as the last, and the next. The gear, the mentality, the lessons learned, from that person's experiences the mountains will mean different things to different people.

But it dawned on me today that sometimes, most times the right decision is the one that hits us first. I knew when I first looked at the weather what I should wear, but I didn't just go with it like I should have. I stumbled down a blue today, when I should have just pointed my skis down the hill and enjoyed the mountains.

Here's what I mean.

In case you need another distraction on this Monday,
Another Distraction. Love is patient, love is kind...

K

Lessons From the NFL

• Thanksgiving is a wonderful time with friends and family, at least that is how it is advertised. About halfway through the day however, some of us will be looking out the window and wishing we were in the mountains. But alas, we will go to the living room and watch a football game, because that is what good Americans do. Here you are reading this blog hoping for some sort of distraction. That is what I hope to provide you.

Ever notice how sharply dressed the announcers are for NFL games? Suits, vests, ties or bow ties. They always look sharp and professional, and how they dress lends them credibility. That is where we in the outdoor world can learn a thing or two.

The equipment we wear lends us credibility. That is the door to sharing our passion with others.

We in the outdoor community need to know what it is that we are wearing and be able to tell people about what we have on and why we have it. People will be curious about what we wear, especially if it is oddly colored or 'cool' looking. It is best to tell a story that the piece played a part in, or a memory that is dear to you, don't be a sales person, be a story teller.

It amazes me how many questions people have about what I wear. Each time someone asks about a piece I have, it opens the door  for me to share about my passion, and I love sharing my passion. Many people don't realize that they don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get high quality gear. That is where we can have the biggest impact, simply by giving the people the knowledge of good gear and where to get it. That is more valuable then anything else we have to offer. All because we had the credibility and done our homework on what we wear to share our knowledge with others.

I hope you have been pleasantly distracted.

Feel free to get another piece of pie.

K

The Story Behind the Name

The name of this blog was inspired by a poem that I had wrote this year.

Enjoy.

The Bird, The Bauer, The Bum

Poetry hides amongst the grinder

Of dirt and souls.

Pitches off the ground

From a firm handshake,

To a blank, barely passable, face.

It hides in the dusty chalk,

And burning sweat filled eyes.

It hides in the elegance of

A dynamic leap of faith.

Camelot uncovers

The hidden,

As the wild country calls us

Ever higher.

The ancient bird, Mr. Bauer, and

The ski Bum billionaires provide

The tools to find the hidden, the hidden path up the

North face of the mountain.

The Italians providing helping hands and feet,

The Swiss remind us that

Time is of the essence.

Every member taking turns

With the sharp end of the rope.

To go where others are afraid to venture.

To find the hidden gem

In the cold alpine snow

The prompt was to describe where poetry hides. While poetry can be anywhere, I tend to stumble over it most often when I am in the mountains. The poem is laced with mountaineering lore about both the mountains and the pioneers of some of the gear and equipment that we have come to love. References to trad climbing gear and outdoor companies can be found within the poem; Camelot, the ancient bird, and Mr Bauer, just to name a few. See how many references you can find, there are 8 total.

For a while now I have wanted to share my experiences that I have while in the mountains and poetry wasn't cutting it. I felt that people couldn’t access my work. I also know that when I click on an article the title is normally a good indication as to the quality of the site, so it was essential to get it right.

With this blog I hope to share my thoughts, feelings, emotions, frustrations, and overall learning journey that I am on as my time in the hills increases. It would be a great pleasure for me to share that with you.

To do that I will have a new post for you each Monday, either about a recent trip, or a piece of my gear that I would like to review for you.

I would also be willing to answer your outdoor questions to the best of my abilities, I will be most helpful when it comes to gear and layering. Please feel free to ask about a specific post or give feedback on the blog itself.

If there is an outdoor topic that you would like me to address please do not hesitate to make that request.

The mountains are where I find peace, and I love when I can share what I have learned with others.

I hope I can provide you a pleasant distraction sometime during your Monday.

Another Distraction if you need one.

K

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Ugly Guide Orange

Ever since I can remember I have always wanted to have the coolest looking gear out there. Then I grew up and realized that looking good is the least of your concerns when it comes to outdoor gear. There is such a diverse market of almost every piece of gear out there that getting the right piece for you can seem overwhelming.

My addiction started with the small things, hats, gloves, but they slowly became more and more expensive, now I'm into climbing shoes and boots. Then I began to drown in the overwhelming world of choosing my hardshell jacket. A hardshell jacket is a jacket that is water and wind proof, but that's where the black and white are no longer. Do you want Gore-Tex, or the company's three layer fabric. Do you want a rainshell or alpine jacket? Is it parka length of a coat, harness compatible, you get the picture. After many hours on eBay and Craigslist I settled with OR's Furio hardshell for $180ish new with tags (see the link for specks). A goretex/goretex pro garment that was designed to be light and durable. The downside, it was bright orange, I called it my construction jacket and the first few times I wore it it preformed well but I was disappointed with how dirty it became. I even looked at OR's website to see if I could trade it for a darker color.

Today Dennis and I, Dennis the man responsible for getting me addicted to being outside and gear, went up to Saint Mary's glacier with the hopes of summiting James Peak. With a high of 24 degrees Fahrenheit and 'slight' wind for Empire, CO, we gathered our gear and up we headed.

Slight must mean different things to different people.

When we got to the glacier we had put on both Gore pants and Gore jackets as the wind howled so hard and fast that the skiers got to the slope, looked at the wind, and turned around. After talking to a gentlemen who was well versed in avalanche safety we decided to not climb the glacier but to enjoy the day and just play around in the snow.

Got some cool pic's of the wind and both of us decked out in our Gore, it was sweet.

On the way down we had lunch, and there we sat bundled in gear enjoying the relative calm that is found below treeline, and it is there that my mind was changed on my orange jacket.

"I love this jacket, but I hate this color," I said, "because it gets dirty so easily"

"That is what makes the jacket come to life, is that it is dirty. A new shiny jacket that has never been used has no stories, but a dirty, beat up coat, has many tales to tell." responded Dennis.

That's not exactly what he said, but that is what it boiled down to.

I thought about it, and I liked that idea, in fact I already had my first story for it. On the back is a discolored spot where I leaned against a rock before finishing Kelso Ridge. I was already imagining the stories that had yet to happen in this jacket.

My entire attitude flipped, something that I had taken and looked at as a hindrance became the record of this chapter of my life in the mountains.

It made me stop and think, What else have I been thinking was a hindrance that could become a good thing? That is what the mountains taught me today, just because something is different doesn't mean it should be judged or thrown away, maybe its you who needs to change.

From now on I will look for gear that is as bright as possible, orange if possible, so that I can make as many memories as possible and have a one of a kind record.

K

So What?

Welcome to something new, well new for me. Chances are that you have read more blog posts, seen more updates, and liked more pictures then I ever will. Why do a blog? For me, its something new, and a free way to express ideas and feelings for those who want to listen.

A little background on me: I love being in the mountains and sharing my experiences and thoughts about them with the poor soul that can't experience them for themselves. I hope you enjoy this blog, I will update every time I go out to the hills. I am open to voicing my thoughts on being in the mountains and what crossed my mind that day. I will also take a a stab at whatever outdoor questions you may have, even though sometimes my answer may be "I don't know".

Enjoy, and feel free to laugh at me whenever.

K