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Canyon waterfall offers rare desert ice climbing

I felt odd recently lumbering along No Thoroughfare Canyon trail in the Colorado National Monument, bundled up and weighed down with a heavy pack containing ice tools, crampons and other necessities to ward off the cold weather. Normally, I run this sandy wash as it winds through the sagebrush on the canyon floor bounded by towering sandstone walls. On this day, stiff-soled boots made footprints in the snow and running shorts were replaced with rugged clothing more fitting of the high ...

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Make your knees weak’ views on Moab bike trail come at physical challenge

I have oft wondered what it would be like to stand on the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. So when I found out that the Top of the World is not far away in the Himalayas, but is a mountain bike trail just this side of Moab, I decided it had to be climbed. Starting from the Entrada Bluffs Road it is a 5-mile grunt one way, rising 2,000 feet up a rocky four-wheel drive double-track. Wooed by the reportedly “killer” views that would “make your ...

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Mighty Colorado at peak provides fast raft passage

LOMA — The fanatical skier in me finally reconciled itself that the season for riding H2O in its solid state is about fully cooked and, therefore, I might as well get after it in its liquid form. The Colorado River is officially cranking as it takes our snowpack off to the west. Running just shy of 20,000 cubic feet per second , a speedy float of the mellow but beautiful Ruby Horsethief section seemed like a good way to spend Memorial Day. More often than not, this section of the ...

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OUT: Ann Driggers Column April 05, 2009

big adjective, big-ger, big-gest, 1. large, as in size, height, width or amount; 2. of major concern, gravity, importance or the like; 3. outstanding for a specified quality. Saturday, March 21, was a big day. My ski buddy Jack Brauer and I, along with friends Parker and Aimee, skied two big lines that added up to around 5,000 feet of vertical. The recent storm had refreshed the relatively consolidated snowpack with a foot of powder, allowing us to center punch north faces in fantastic ...

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Outdoor Junkie BLOG March 03, 2009

By Ann Driggers | Feb. 26 6:15 p.m. There is always something slightly surreal about starting the day surrounded by red rock canyons, and then recreating in nearby snowy mountains for the remainder. But that is part of the reason why I feel so fortunate to live in the high desert of the Colorado Plateau. Nowhere is the juxtaposition of rock and ice more apparent than when driving through Moab en route to the La Sal Mountains for a winter adventure. The massive white peaks are etched ...

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Best Blogs: Outdoor Junkie January 20, 2009

Posted by Ann Driggers on Sunday at 9:53 a.m. Ski. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. We just returned from a fantastic three days at the Fowler-Hilliard hut, located above Camp Hale. Owned and operated by the 10th Mountain Division, it is a cozy but spacious hut, and beautifully situated at 11,500 feet where excellent skiing and touring opportunities abound. Nothing beats a good hut trip for an extended dose of the high mountain experience while staying in relative comfort. Normally I would load ...

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Best Blogs: Outdoor Junkie January 06, 2009

Posted by Ann Driggers on Jan. 1, at 5:29 p.m. One of the best locations for skiing steep terrain in bounds with good snow, and the bonus of a high mountain experience, is Highlands Bowl at the Aspen Highlands ski area. Known simply as the ‘Bowl,’ it’s also a good workout. A mandatory 750-foot hike up the ridge to the summit of 12,381-foot Highland Peak is required to reach the top of the Bowl. The first day after yet another (yeah, go, Ullr!) big storm cleared out of ...

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Best Blog: Outdoor Junkie December 16, 2008

Posted by Ann Driggers, Sunday, Dec. 7 at 6:51 p.m. The San Juan mountain range in southwest Colorado is steeped in mining history. Roads, relics and structures dot the landscape, evidence of miners searching for gold and silver during the 19th century. Now, in the winter months, the area creates a fantastic backdrop for ski touring. This past weekend Pete Harris and I made a foray into the mountains around Red Mountain Pass, mining for our treasure of choice — snow. Early season ...

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Best Blogs: Outdoors Junkie November 25, 2008

Posted by Ann Driggers Saturday, Nov. 22 at 7:36 a.m. • Despite making what I thought was a very valiant and quite public plea to summon snow two weeks ago, absolutely diddly-squat has happened. Grand Mesa is reporting a not so grand snowpack somewhere between 3 and 4 inches and the web cam at Powderhorn is looking a little brown. Grass skiing anyone? (When running a spell and grammar check “grass skiing” results in “verb confusion — consider ...

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Best Blogs: Outdoor Junkie November 18, 2008

Posted by Ann Driggers | Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:34 p.m. The rope, more than any other piece of equipment, has played an integral role in my formative years as I developed into a full-fledged outdoor junkie. I first used a rope and learned how to climb at the Westway climbing wall in London, almost 20 years ago. With the A40, one of the largest motorways into London, as its roof, it was a far cry from the majesty of the mountains I was seeking. Desperate as I was to escape the rat race in ...

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Best Blogs: Outdoor Junkie November 04, 2008

Posted by Ann Driggers on Nov. 3 at 6:23 a.m. As the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop, late fall is a quiet time for outdoor pursuits. Inside is a different matter. With winter on its way, excitement is building, and the mind and home of a backcountry skier is a hive of activity. There is much to do in preparation as the first flakes fall and the mountains take on their mantle of snow. Building the log pile. Cutting, hauling and stacking wood for the stove is the major outdoor ...

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Best Blogs: Outdoor Junkie October 07, 2008

Posted by Ann Driggers, Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 9:05 p.m. After a long summer with a busy schedule of trail running, my body has recently reminded me it is time to ease off. And with the fall being so short, I knew this past weekend was likely one of the few opportunities to get a peek at the leaves changing at elevation. A high altitude hike was therefore in order. Our destination was an unnamed pass between Siberia Peak and Snowmass Mountain. Only one of several maps of the area showed a ...

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OUT: Outdoors Junkie Column September 21, 2008

A few weekends ago, with the dog days of summer upon us and respite from heat top of mind, I was searching for a nice rolling trail run at elevation. Perusing a guidebook, I fell upon the Hay Park trail running 10 miles from the Thomas Lakes trail head at the base of Mount Sopris to Snowmass Creek. With “jaw-dropping scenery,” “rollicking single-track” and “the most spectacular view of Capitol Peak,” it sounded just the ticket. Capitol Peak has long ...

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