In a world where graphics, video and pictures have gotten sharper than our eyes can perceive, one photographer dares to ask: what if we didn’t do that?

Bentley Zylstra has spent the better part of the past year learning the ropes of magazine publication, to bring us Revelry Collection — now available in print by clicking here.

"Our Memories aren’t Crystal Clear or Perfect; it’s Kinda Similar to the way film is. Maybe that’s why We find so much Meaning with it."

This magazine has an interesting hook: everything in it was shot on film. Bentley explains that this is to make the reading experience feel more raw and natural, like you were actually there yourself.

Interview Notes

0:52 — Why work in print?
1:45 — Getting started in photography
3:05 — Deciding to go analogue-only
4:38 — On “Photographic Overkill” (earlier article referenced)
5:50 — Replicating the feel of memories
7:00 — The struggles of starting a magazine
10:00 — Low effort filler content
12:15 — Fighting for clicks in the “attention economy”
15:00 — Zoom tries to censor the cover of Issue 001.
16:52 — The Red Bullification of outdoor media
19:20 — How to get your copy of Revelry Collection
20:09 — Getting your copy

---

A problem plaguing many magazines is a clear struggle to scrape together enough filler content to keep the ad volume tolerable. As a reader, it’s painfully obvious when you’re being fed watered down writing.

Bentley says he’s had the opposite problem, describing the decision on what makes it into the magazine one of his biggest challenges in the process.

If you’re intrigued by this project, make sure you pay his site a visit.

And if you enjoyed the podcast, please consider sharing it. We rely on organic growth and word of mouth to find new listeners, so hitting that share button is extremely helpful.

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Original music for the Trail Talk podcast is produced by Ty Ellenbogen.

Show Notes:

1:15 — Hannah’s outdoor background
5:00 — The basics: predicting your unpredictable weather
9:00 — Seeing from the rescuer’s point of view
12:15 — Surviving with the ten essentials
14:00 — How you can crowd rescue
16:00 — Wilderness survival skills for children
23:00 — Dressing kids for hiking trips
27:45 — The benefits of learning safety skills young
31:00 — Why you should take your kids hiking
38:00 — The enormous value in staying calm

Resources We Referenced:

“The Ten Essentials” Packing List

If you’ve just come upon this post, welcome to Cole’s Climb! There’s a written resource guide in the article below. But first, I’m curious:

8-year-old Nante Niemi has quite the survival story to share. After getting separated from his family while gathering firewood, the boy survived two cold nights alone in an area rescuers described as “rough terrain.”

Rescuers found him about two miles away from his family’s campsite.

The second grader says the experience won’t stop him from going camping again in the future.

This kid clearly had some great coaching from his parents on what to do in an emergency. But how do you teach a child about something this serious without scaring the pants off them, dooming them to stay indoors on an iPad for the rest of their days?

To get answers, I brought in an expert:

Hannah Gallagher is the Vice President of Lake County Search and Rescue, and mother of two young children. She’s joining me to give you a crash course in summer hiking safety — especially for parents bringing their kids into the great outdoors.

This advice is also applicable to those of you who are crew leaders, or perhaps more casually bringing your friends along for their first summit.

“Maybe just also have in Your back Pocket, some real Respect for what You’re Doing.”

I mentioned in an extremely early essay on Cole’s Climb — too early for most of you to have even read it — that I received a sobering warning about venturing into the outdoors, early in my career: The mountains are beautiful. But they’ll kill you if you let them.

Nature is so tangible, especially in places like the Rockies. But we shouldn’t confuse proximity or accessibility with ease. Hannah hits at the heart of this perception problem:

This is something I’m sure most of you know by now. But if you’re the leader of a group — or an adult responsible for a child — the respect, care, and planning you need to have become far more important. You’re not just planning for yourself. You’re planning for the group (or family) members who are less experienced, and less knowledgeable about what to bring and how to proceed.

“I’d Stop and I’d Find a Tree, and I’d Scream as loud as I could.”

This is the response Hannah has trained with her own kids ahead of their wilderness adventures. Maybe you found this article on a web search and don’t have time to listen to the full discussion before heading out. First off: welcome! I hope if you find this information useful, you’ll consider subscribing for more resources like it.

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Second: I’ve distilled Hannah’s advice into three big skills and lessons that are reasonable to go over with a young child. They aren’t liable to scare them out of enjoying their time outside, and they’re simple enough that they can be recalled in an emergency.

1: Staying Put

One of the most important rules of survival: when in doubt, stay put. One of the only real missteps the boy made in his ordeal, was continuing to wander. According to the reporting I’ve seen: rescuers found him more than two miles from camp, which is quite a distance for a child.

He was also found in an area they had already searched, meaning he could have been rescued much earlier. Luckily, he was still okay. But the point stands.

2: Develop Situational Awareness, and Sense of Direction

This can be done by stopping on your trips often to ask your child: how did we get here? How would you get back? This doesn’t just apply in the woods. You can do this while running errands around town, too.

By the way, this isn’t just a tip for children. Adults can also get a lot out of this exercise. We’ve gotten quite comfortable with constant access to GPS technology. But in a crisis in a dead zone, or with a dead battery, it pays to have a general idea of where you are.

3: Dressing for Success (and Survival)

Obviously as a parent to a young child, you will be the ultimate arbiter of what they wear into the great outdoors. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be involved in the process, and thinking ahead about the weather.

Involving them in the packing process teaches a range of different lessons, largely dependent on their age. A younger child will start to understand the basics about regulating their own comfort. Older ones will start to grasp the importance of considering weather conditions, and eventually, the finer points of advanced layering.

Bonus Point for You to Consider

Whether you’re leading a child, or a less experienced friend, that other person is putting their trust in you. Good decision making becomes even more important. There are more scenarios that can cause things to spiral out of control for your group.

All of this isn’t to say you should leave the kids at home. After all, there is serious value in getting them accustomed to the outdoors from a young age. And if your end goal is to raise a child who has a profound love and respect for the outdoors, it really can’t be avoided.

You just need to plan with realistic expectations for what the members of your group can accomplish, and celebrate the little wins. You may find yourself having a greater appreciation for tiny details along your journey.

“We have a Mantra in our Household, where we say: "‘We can do Hard Things.’”

At the end of the day, it’s not bad for your children — or your friends — to experience a little adversity. Overcoming something tough to stand on top of a mountain can be an extremely rewarding experience that builds their confidence.

You have to take on extra responsibility, but when done right, you’re inspiring others to love and respect the outdoors the way you do.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Trail Talk. If you’re new here and you aren’t signed up yet, consider supporting my work in the outdoors by subscribing!

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If you enjoyed the episode, sharing with others does a lot to help me out. And you could wind up sharing really useful advice with a parent planning a family trip!

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Also: I’m currently conducting a survey for an upcoming story called “Grass Stain Conspiracy.” It’s about how children spending less time outside is actually negatively impacting the economy.

If that sounds interesting, take a moment to fill out this survey!

Take the Survey

Trail Talk has always been about shining light on those who are doing great things in the outdoor community.

With “Colorado Gives Day,” coming up: I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to speak with a handful of groups who working to bring those positive changes, and could use your support.

You don’t need to be in Colorado to contribute. And even if donating is not something you are able to do right now: the conversation offers an interesting look at the future of the outdoor community, and why the fight for conservation and access is changing.

If you do feel inclined to make a contribution: you can do so at these links:

• Colorado Fourteeners Initiative

• Panadero Ski Corporation

• Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project

I’ll also include donation buttons inside each organization’s story below, so you don’t need to scroll back up.

Colorado Fourteeners Initiative [1:09 — 27:55]

Lloyd Athearn, Executive Director

If you’ve watched my documentary, The Alpine Amusement Park, you may already be familiar with CFI’s work. Since the 90’s, this organization has been tasked with the difficult duty of building up and preserving trails that were never quite meant to exist.

Almost all of the 14ers were unplanned bushwhacks. The routes themselves are oftentimes steep and unstable, and originate in tiny trailhead parking lots that can no longer meet demand.

Much of CFI’s work involves restoration and trail hardening, as pictured above.

But more recently: projects are getting more complicated. Lloyd explains that future trail access will involve sorting through messy landholding issues, where some trails run across private land claims.

Future projects CFI is looking at:

• Mt. Elbert: both the Northeast and Black Cloud routes

• Mt. Shavano: a complicated operation involving buying mining claims, possible helicopter lifts

• Expanding Sustainable Trail Inventories: a program that surveys routes, foot-by-foot to help plan future restoration work

• Education Initiatives: work to show the public how fragile the alpine ecosystem is, and how it can be protected

If you are interested in contributing to these plans, you can donate by clicking the button below:

Donate to CFI

Panadero Ski Corp. [28:58 — 51:14]

Will Pirkey, Board Member

Don’t let the “corp.,” fool you; this group is a 501c3 non-profit. I’ve followed their efforts closely, as they work to restore lift-served skiing to the long-abandoned Cuchara Mountain Park. In case you missed it, here’s my earlier Trail Talk episode cataloguing their work.

Cuchara Mountain Park is a fascinating cause to contribute to, because as Will explains: the project is helping the community on multiple levels.

The park has potential to bring tourism revenue to one of the poorest counties in Colorado. It will also provide access to recreation to a community that does not currently have it. And on the most macro level: it helps preserve the dying breed of affordable, local ski hills.

Mega-passes are convenient for die-hard riders who clock dozens of days on the slopes each year. But they’ve led to a huge frontloading of costs that keep snow sports out of reach for many newcomers — particularly large families.

As is the case with the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, Panadero Ski Corp. is also securing more public land. When Cuchara’s old owners abandoned the place, they kept their private property holdings. This strip of land around the base area acted as a buffer wall, keeping locals from accessing the expansive Forest Service land beyond.

By purchasing that land from the county, the Cuchara Foundation (which later spawned the offshoot Panadero Ski Corp) removed that barrier to public access.

Future projects Panadero is looking at:

• Lift 4: the main focus remains getting lift 4 certified and operational

• Expanded services: when lift-served skiing returns, a great deal of infrastructure such as ski schools and rental services will need to be built out

• Bike/hiking trails: providing more year-round recreation opportunities on site

If you are interested in contributing to these plans, you can donate by clicking the button below:

Donate to Panadero Ski Corp.

Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project [51:55— 1:12:03]

Chris Anthony, Founder

As I have previously covered on the Base Camp News section of Cole’s Climb: Chris Anthony has actually entered into a partnership with Panadero Ski Corp., to help get more children in southern Colorado on skis.

Aside from being a world-class skier and filmmaker, Colorado legend Chris Anthony also runs his “Youth Initiative Project.” This foundation works to provide children in underserved communities with the opportunity to try snow sports.

While skiing is certainly front and center, the Youth Initiative Project works to bring kids other enrichment opportunities too, such as field trips and other projects. In our interview, Chris discusses one class that is working together to build their own skate park.

A big function of this project helps kids find a strong purpose that can help guide them through life — an especially important goal at a time when young people in America are feeling more directionless than ever before.

There is also a downstream impact to introducing more young people to the outdoors: people who experience, understand, and love nature are far more likely to respect and protect it. This initiative has a similar mission to my own: growing the responsible outdoor community.

Donate to the Youth Initiative Project

There are a great many charities and causes worthy of your support this holiday season. Of course — I can only highlight a select few that I believe are making a unique impact on the outdoor community.

Wherever your interests lie, I do hope you will consider making some kind of charitable donation in the spirit of the holiday season.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to listen, and read! If you’d like to hear more about the incredible people affecting change in the outdoor community, consider a free subscription to Cole’s Climb, to get content like this in your inbox weekly.

Subscribe now

Original theme music for the Trail Talk Podcast is produced by Ty Ellenbogen.

I’m running a ski season survey to better understand how riders plan their trips. It’s part of an upcoming story about the impact of crowd-fighting measures at popular ski areas.

You can participate by clicking the link here.

NEDERLAND, CO — November 10, 2022

Eldora Ski Area will open for its 60th anniversary season a full week earlier than expected: November 11th, 2022. There are significant changes this year that you’ll need to know about before driving up the canyon. I’ll break those down in just a moment.

First: we’re checking in with the team that is making opening day possible — Justin Denning, with the snowmaking crew.

You can listen to the full interview by clicking the play-head above. It’s pretty short, so I’m going to forgo the usual “show notes” with time stamps, and just include the pertinent info here.

Justin and the rest of the team have been hard at work to secure this opening day run, highlighted in green:

Repeat riders will recognize it as the pretty standard, Hornblower-into-International route. It’s a pretty solid opening day run, but it’s not one I’d recommend for beginners. If you are just starting off — honestly, wait a few weeks until more terrain is open. Things will be less hectic and stressful for you.

First chair will be at Alpenglow six-pack lift, at 9:00 a.m..

Parking on Powder Days

A huge change this year is coming to Eldora’s parking system. The lot has been a tight squeeze for years, with late arrivals occasionally having to wait down in Nederland to get the green light that spaces have opened up.

For this season, Eldora says it has expanded its parking area by roughly 50%. There will also be a designated electric vehicle lot, with 15 charging stations.

When it’s Crowded:

After holding off for the past two seasons, Eldora will now start enforcing its carpool policy. On weekends and holidays:

• If you’re driving by yourself, you’ll have to pay $10 extra to park.

• If you’re driving with one other person, parking is free

• If you’re driving with two or more other people, you get rock star parking1.

Parking is still free for everyone on non-weekend, non holidays, unless…

During Big Dumps:

…Eldora gets ten inches of snow, or more. On these days, if you come alone, you’ll be charged that extra fee. As of right now, I’m waiting to hear back from Eldora on how these fees will be collected, and when and how they will notify visitors the fee will be in effect.

In fairness to Eldora: I don’t actually know how many days out of the season this will even matter. 10 inch powder dumps aren’t exactly common on the front range. Eldora is also offering free RTD and shuttle tickets on weekends, and certain other days.

Preventing Crowding

At a certain point, all ski areas can reach a level of crowding I actually consider dangerous. Different mountains are choosing to handle this in different ways; which I plan to make the topic of a future story.

To do that, I need to get a better idea of how everyone gets to the mountain. If you have a moment, consider completing this quick survey:

Take the Survey

I really appreciate you taking the time to read, and respond. I’m excited to share the results of this new story with you as soon as it’s finished.

Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you on the slopes!

Trail Talk Turns 1🎉

One year ago, released the first ever episode of Trail Talk. I spoke with Ranger Cheryl Spencer at Katmai National Park in Alaska about Fat Bear Week. The audio quality was rough, but not rough enough to hide how nervous I was.

I’ve grown a lot in the past year both in terms of my abilities as a presenter, and the show’s production value. But the constant throughout has always been fun conversations with incredible members of our outdoor community, who are each doing really cool things. I’ve talked to a storm chaser, map maker, meteorologist, world class climbers and skiers, ultra-runners… the list goes on. I’m proud of all our guests, the great insight they’ve shared, and their contributions to the outdoor community.

I hope to continue bringing you more of these conversations in our second year together.

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14 days. 17 hours. 33 minutes.

This summer, Dan Hobbs broke an unusual and difficult record that had stood for more than two decades: the fastest self-supported summit of every Colorado 14er.

The “self-supported” part of the record is important, because it means Dan crossed the finish line by himself. In addition to climbing, he had to drive between every peak, handle his own food, and somehow shoehorn in time for sleep.

“For my Mountaineering Experience, a lot has been Trial by Fire. I don’t Recommend that Approach to Anyone.”

Dan’s mountaineering journey started in his mid 20’s, during a trip to Colorado. But he didn’t fully take the plunge until 2013. He struggled with crippling depression following his divorce. Dan says some days he would lay in bed for 20 hours.

He needed something to climb out of that hole, and wound up feeling inspired to climb.

“I woke up one day in my apartment in downtown Minneapolis and just blurted out — ‘I’m gonna hike all the fourteeners. This summer,’” Dan said. “I needed something — needed to feel alive, I needed to feel accomplishment. When I started I had no idea how long it was gonna take. I just put my max effort in every day.”

Dan bought a truck, printed out some route maps from 14ers.com, and hit the trail with no real plan. A little less than one month later, he descended from the mountains with a newfound outlook, and experience.

Interview Notes

0:30 — Trail Talk turns 1
1:30 — How Dan started climbing
5:40 — Setting sights on the self-supported record
8:00 — “The Beast,” Dan’s record-breaking vehicle
10:00 — Developing a dairy allergy along the trip.
13:00 — The highs and lows of the trip
14:45 — Advice from the previous record holder
17:15 — A scary situation on the Maroon Bells traverse
19:00 — Dealing with sleep deprivation
20:00 — An anti-climactic finish
23:30 — Climbing out of mental health issues
25:45 — Entering “The God Zone”
31:20 — Coming back to the real world
35:35 — Finding the next challenge to tackle
37:00 — Meeting the previous record-holder, Peter Jones

“Setting the Record was the Exact Opposite of the First Time I did the 14ers. Nothing was by Chance. I Spent two Years of my Life Planning Every Second of the Entire Thing.”

Dan decided he wanted to return to the 14ers to approach the hikes stronger, and with more focus. He dropped everything to begin preparing for the challenge. Every aspect of his itinerary was meticulously crafted.

He even did a test drive of one section of the route nine times, just to shave off an hour and a half of travel time. These savings would allow him to summit an extra peak that day, making the record possible.

“The Efficiency of the Logistics is more Important than the Hiking Efficiency on a Record like this,” Dan explained.

He completed the record in a souped-up van, named “The Beast.” He carried all the supplies and provisions for the entire trip. The passenger seat was stripped out and replaced with a microwave, so that he could eat without having to stop.

“I had no plans for stopping for anything other than gas. It was hike, drive, sleep, hike drive, sleep,” Dan said. But this portion of the plan would quickly fall apart.

“Dan, You Just have to Go. You have to Do this.”

Dan began the trip feeling unwell. It took days for him to isolate the ingredient in his pre-made meals making him sick. He had developed a dairy allergy, and wound up needing to take a detour to buy more food.

As it turned out, the entire adventure came with some unexpected challenges and struggles.

“I thought the whole thing was going to be fun going into it. Like, just, ‘ this is gonna be awesome, I’ve got two weeks in the mountains,’” Dan said.

“I talked to the prior record holder before I left, and he was like, ‘No man, this isn’t going to be fun. This is going to be like, the hardest thing. It’s gonna be terrible from day one.’ And I was thinking, ‘Man this guy is a real downer. I’m thinking this is gonna be awesome.’ Turns out he was totally right.”

Sleep deprivation became a hazard, as did a few difficult realities many climbers never face. When under time constraint, turning back from the summit can mean forfeiting your record attempt. There also isn’t much room to wait out poor weather conditions.

That’s how Dan wound up pushing through snow, hail, and even a close brush with a thunderstorm on the Maroon Bells traverse.

“Right as I was getting to the summit of south Maroon, a storm just hit hard. It was hailing and snowing and raining. The whole mountain went electric. My clothes were zapping me, the rocks were shaking.”

“I was hiding under a rock to stay out of the weather. And I finally just internally said, ‘Dan you just have to go. You have to do this.’ And I was so scared, because it was so slippery, and the electricity, and the thunder and lightning — it was really hard. Mentally it was terrible for me, it shook me up bad.”

“Man I’m just so Tired. I’m Done with this.”

Dan says most days, he woke up and just did not feel like climbing the mountain. But thoughts of his victory kept him going. But actually crossing the finish line didn’t feel the way Dan expected.

“This isn’t a happy way to describe it, but honestly, I was just so tired. The whole time going into it, I was dreaming about that finish line and how incredible it was going to be. I cried thinking about it in advance. And then when I got there, I was just like, ‘man I’m just so tired. I’m done with this.’”

It took a while for the true weight of the accomplishment to set in.

A difficult part of any trip like this one, is the return to normalcy that follows the constant rush of adrenaline. It’s something I discussed during my interview with Jim Davidson, following his two expeditions to Everest: after you’ve achieved your highest goal, how do you carry on with the monotony of your daily existence?

Cole's Climb

Podcast #16: Surviving the Deadliest Day on Everest with Jim Davidson

Listen now (57 min) | The 2015 Gorka Earthquake killed 8,790 people — including 19 on Mt. Everest — and left more than 22,000 others injured. The quake hit just before noon, Nepal Standard Time; shortly after Jim Davidson reached Camp One on the world’s highest peak. The…

Read more

4 years ago · 12 likes · 6 comments · Cole Noble

Jim had an answer to this problem in our discussion: the Buddhist phrase, “After Enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.” You return to your life an improved person, with a different understanding to apply to your routine.

“There is Something really Beautiful about Survival; it’s Fulfilling.”

With all the intense challenges of life on the trail, it’s fair to wonder how these situations can be beneficial to mental health. I have a theory, which Dan subscribes to was well:

The farther removed you become from your own survival, the more your brain looks to create new and increasingly complex problems to busy itself. For most of us, shelter, food, and water are not dire needs. Being away from civilization and fending for yourself allows you to satisfy a long-neglected primal kind of satisfaction.

“When you’re in a place where your life is on the line, and you have no control over how that happens, you know the weather and the mountains are in 100 percent control of you…. it’s just a totally different space than our every day lives.”

“You are at the mercy of something way more powerful than you. When you’re in that, day after day, storms, and middle of the night, you need to find a mental space of comfort with yourself.”

Dan explains that being isolated also offers a kind of liberation from social expectations we’re often constrained by.

“One of the things I love about the mountains is that they’re fair. You know what they are going into it. And you’re subject to that. It’s not going to change on you. It’s not going to do anything against you. They’re not picky. They don’t discriminate. And you have to find yourself and how to survive in that.”

“You’re away from humanity, and you become a whole different person. Because you get to be who you are, not who other people want you to be.”

Where to Find Dan

Dan shares many of his adventures over on Instagram. He’s had quite an active summer, even beyond his extremely busy record-breaking journey. You can follow him here.

I Want to Hear from You

Does spending time in the outdoors help raise your spirits? Do you think our mental health is being impacted by our modern conveniences?

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And if you’re not already, consider subscribing to Cole’s Climb. This weekly publication features everything you’d want in outdoor media: great stories and views, interviews with real people working to improve our ecosystem, and news that actually impacts you.

Subscribe now

Many of you in the climbing community have probably seen Jeremy Ashcroft’s work — even if you don’t know who he is. Jeremy started work as technical illustrator, doing precision drawings of complicated equipment. These are the kinds of illustrations Jeremy was originally working on:

“I Certainly Enjoy Doing big Faces, big Walls and Crags. So, the Climbing Terrain, I really find that Quite Challenging. That’s the sort of Place I want to be, so I Enjoy Drawing it.”

Jeremy was working on drawings for nuclear submarines when he had the idea to approach mountains with the same precision, capturing incredible detail in ways that conventional maps or drawings simply can’t.

“I was pretty bored with what I was doing and I thought, I could apply the same sort of stuff to mountains — I mean, as a mountaineer I was obsessed with that as well — And I thought, oh, if I can draw a complicated thing like a nuclear submarine, I can surely do the same for a mountain.”

“It Gelled with People. They Could see Familiar Locations. They Could see it from a High Viewpoint, but it was still Recognizable to Them on the Ground.”

Jeremy got his start climbing in the Alps of Europe, visiting Colorado after completing his degree. While in the United States, he was struck by how accessible the 14ers are.

“I was used to big mountains in the alps. but to be confronted by so easily-accessible mountains, I thought it really appealing. 30 odd years later, I thought ‘well why hasn’t somebody illustrated these peaks because they’re such beautiful mountains.’”

Cole's Climb

This publication for adventurers features stories, news, and interviews about climbing, mountaineering, and the outdoors.

By Cole Noble

Interview Notes

0:45 — Earliest memories art
2:00 — What is a technical illustrator?
4:30 — From nuclear submarines to mountains
6:00 — Jeremy’s time in the United States
8:35 — How Colorado 14ers differ from other mountains around the world
13:30 — The evolution of climbing resources
16:00 — Working for Trail Magazine
18:50 — How Jeremy picks his peaks to draw
22:00 — Finishing the 14ers project
23:00 — How to draw things you’ve never seen

“To Summit Most of Those, You’ve Really — Unless You’re Crazy — You’ve Really got to Rope up and use Alpine Techniques to do that.”

There are also big differences to how climbers on this side of the pond approach popular peaks.

To be blunt: we’re spoiled in Colorado. In the Alps, Jeremy says climbing is very technical. Climbers must contend with glacier conditions. Ropes are necessary. Summit attempts are multi-day expeditions. The idea of trailheads within spitting distance from the summit are unheard of.

“In the alps, a lot of people come to them as climbers. Where as in Colorado and perhaps in California as well, people can come to them as hikers and they can summit relatively easily. It’s not a light undertaking. I don’t dismiss them easily because they’re serious mountains, but it’s more accessible.”

Jeremy found climbers in Colorado to be more tolerant of risk; skirting across high-exposure sections that European climbers would absolutely use roped protection to traverse.

“It’s Almost like a Three Dimensional Chess Game. I want to try to Visually Unlock the way Ahead.”

We have a lot of resources available to us these days, as climbers. Topographical maps and GPS are nice. But sometimes the best way to understand a route is to see how it looks in real space. That’s why the beta on guide sites like 14ers.com include descriptions and pictures along with maps.

“You’re looking for the sort of slightest indication of someone being there before. If there’s wear on a foothold, if there’s missing bit of greenery or scrub — you can tell when a route’s got traffic. And I apply that sort of logic to the route finding with these illustrations as well. I try to put enough detail in there that people can pick out key features.”

Jeremy’s illustrations meld all of these features into one easy-to view image, that could appear in a guidebook just as easily as a gallery. In fact: Jeremy’s work has culminated in four books, and a two decade stint as Mountaineering Editor for Trail Magazine.

If you’d like to check out Jeremy’s work: he sells prints of his drawings, you can see more of his work by clicking the button below. You can also follow his work on Instagram or Twitter.

More of Jeremy's Maps

I Want to Hear from You

What do you think of Jeremy’s maps? At the end of our interview, he explained that he’s always looking for feedback to improve his renderings of the various routes and peaks that line our horizon.

Do you think these are a helpful resource in planning trips?

Leave a comment

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The 2015 Gorka Earthquake killed 8,790 people — including 19 on Mt. Everest — and left more than 22,000 others injured. The quake hit just before noon, Nepal Standard Time; shortly after Jim Davidson reached Camp One on the world’s highest peak.

The resulting avalanches pulverized basecamp. The necessary ropes and ladders between basecamp and C1 were swallowed by crevasses or pulverized by gargantuan chunks of ice and debris in the Khumbu Icefall.

Climbers in C1 and C2 were uninjured but trapped. The expedition lacked necessary equipment to rebuild the route through the Icefall. After a long wait: they opted to try a risky high altitude helicopter evacuation.

After a successful emergency airlift, Jim and his fellow climbers began the long journey home, working to help the Nepali people suffering the impacts of the earthquake along the way.

Jim Davidson documents this survival story, journey home, and eventual return in his book: The Next Everest.

Buy "The Next Everest"

Interview Notes

1:00 — The proper process for Everest
5:00 — Shoring up against threats to your expedition
7:15 — What it means to be an “eyes open traveler”
10:40 — The Everest packing list
12:00 — High altitude = less brain power
16:00 — The day of the Gorka Quake
22:30 — Frantic moments in an emergency
26:00 — How to survive for the sake of your family
28:30 — The agony of waiting during a crisis
32:00 — Choosing what matters, and what to leave behind
34:30 — Turning from “never again,” to “going back.”
38:00 — Post traumatic growth: prepping better the second time
40:45 — A close call near the summit
44:00 — How the expedition withers your body
50:00 — The key takeaways from the book
53:00 — What to do after accomplishing your biggest goal

“You Need to Make Dozens of Mistakes on Dozens of Climbs, so You Don’t Make that Mistake up High.”

Preparing for Everest takes years — even decades before you begin physically training for the goal. One of the most important stages of prep work involves making errors on other adventures, when the stakes are lower. This lets you refine your packing process, learn your weaknesses, and figure out how you can better prepare in the future.

I’m sure you can relate to this process of trial and error, even if it wasn’t on the mountain: what’s something you got wrong, that helped you better prepare for a future situation?

Leave a comment

Of course — a simple mistake on Everest can bring potentially life-threatening consequences. As Jim points out in our discussion: something as simple as forgetting sunscreen can be extremely dangerous.

“Nothing New on Race Day”

Speaking of packing: in an environment when tiny details could be the difference between life and death, you need to be extremely well acquainted with your gear.

• How do your socks fit in your boots when your feet swell?

• Do your gloves feel awkward when adjusting your straps and jacket?

• Are your pants getting caught on your climbing harness?

These are questions you must be able to answer before your expedition.

“It’s okay to learn the hard way on smaller races, and smaller climbs. but when you get to the Olympics final, or when you get to Everest, you don’t want to make those mistakes. So, make them elsewhere and bring that knowledge and good gear with you.”

“The Higher You go; the Dumber You get.”

There also needs to be a great degree of familiarity with how your equipment functions. These things should be muscle-memory by the time you reach Everest. When you are in a low oxygen environment, your cognitive capabilities take a big hit.

Things that seem simple at sea level become difficult to grasp when you’re in the Death Zone.1 In those moments, being comfortable clipping into a safety line or correctly adjusting your equipment could save your life.

The Day of the Quake

After two consecutive avalanches hit, lifting their tent off the ground, Jim and his tentmate realized they were in an earthquake. The Next Everest describes a constant trade-off on the mountains between safety and speed: lingering too long in a questionable spot can be dangerous. But so can proceeding without proper protective gear.

In the initial shaking, Jim was concerned the tent could be swept off the mountain. He thought his best chance of staying on top of the avalanche would be outside. So, Jim ran out of the tent with an avalanche beacon — but no shoes.

“I ran out into the snow in my socks! Now, that doesn’t sound like somebody who has been climbing for 34 years. But that’s because I thought about how long it was going to take me and said, ‘heck with this.’ I’m not sure going outside without boots on was a very good long-term decision. But at the moment, I couldn’t justify the time.”

The hours and days that followed would involve a lot of waiting: for an escape plan, for the rescue chopper, for the airport backlog to be cleared, and for a flight home. The journey would also involve moving from a place of relative, temporary safety, through areas the earthquake hit with increasing intensity.

At each step of the journey, Jim and his fellow climbers tried to fill this time by pitching in to help the local community.

“By helping others, you’re helping others yourself as well. That kind of hardship forges heartiness.”

“The Turning from that ‘Never Wanting to go There’ to Actually Wanting to go back — it was a Slow, Handwringing, Almost Reluctant Process.”

Jim explained he felt awful being safe at home while Nepal struggled. He spent time speaking, raising money, and encouraging others to visit the country to help the economy once the recovery was underway.

This process of raising awareness gradually changed Jim’s mind. He still dreamed of summiting Everest, and after encouraging others to visit Nepal, Jim decided to lead by example.

“It was a big pill to swallow. But I also knew that by taking on big challenges — that’s what allows me to refine myself into a better version of me. I think that’s the advantage of taking on any big challenge.”

Living through the 2015 disaster also changed the way Jim prepared for his return trip. For example: after borrowing a satellite phone2 to contact his family members while marooned at Camp One, Jim upgraded his communication setup.

But there was also a lot of fear to overcome. In his book: Jim describes the unease that followed the quake. He went so far as to try and sleep while wearing his boots, beacon, and helmet in the event another avalanche struck at night. In our discussion, Jim described moving past these worries as “post traumatic growth.”

“You’re Leaving a Piece of Yourself — Mentally and Physically — on the Mountain.”

During his second trip, Jim was on the mountain much longer, and explains the challenges of life in camp. Because of the lack of high-protein food, climbers burn through pounds of muscle3, wasting away for the weeks they spend on the mountain.

Jim also endured solemn, and scary moments on his final push to the summit: passing the remains of two deceased climbers, while having a gear malfunction that caused him to lose feeling in his foot.

“You see them passed away and you have to start asking yourself some very hard questions. Did something minor happen to their equipment? Should they have taken the hint?”

While ultimately able to fix his technical problem: Jim also writes about the additional considerations that come with being a climber with a family back home. It’s something that also came up in our discussion as well:

“Your friends and family — they don’t really care if you summited the mountain or not. They want you to achieve your dream and they’re happy if you reach that. But frankly they just want you to come again, safe and sound.

Ultimately, I had to as the question I’m sure you’re wondering about Everest: how was the view?

“It was like being an astronaut looking down on the earth; it was a magical moment for sure.”

“After Enlightenment, Then Chop Wood.”

After standing at the highest point in the world, you have to come down. Jim tells me that he was up there for about 15 minutes out of the entire 6-week expedition. As a high-altitude climber, where do you go from here?

Jim describes this challenge with the Buddhist saying: After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. Your goal is not your final destination. Afterward, you go back to your normal life, routine, and chores. But you return an improved person, with a different understanding to apply to that routine.

Then, you set your sights on something new.

“I think that’s the real beauty, is to pick a big challenge. A challenge that makes you nervous, that scares you. Because you’re going to have to do more, and you’re going to have to become more. And that’s where the magic lies.”

And of course — as we’ve discussed many times before here on Cole’s Climb — the goal itself isn’t what changes you. As Jim beautifully puts it: change comes in the process of becoming the person who can achieve that goal.

One more time: if you’d like to check out Jim’s book, you can get “The Next Everest,” here. It’s well-worth your time.

Original music for the Trail Talk podcast is composed and produced by Ty Ellenbogen.

If you like what you listened to, please do consider subscribing. I’d love to have you in the responsible outdoor community. I promise to never spam your inbox, and only share the best interviews, stories, and reporting on the outdoor community.

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“I Think we all just Have to Find what Fills our Cups, as Individuals.”

For Matt, music was an important creative outlet for dealing with difficulties. He didn’t play as a child, learning guitar later in his teenage years and eventually striving to pick up every instrument he could.

“There’s a Beauty in Being Able to just make Something that Wasn’t there Before. For Me it’s Calming, and Meditative.”

There’s something satisfying and relaxing about the creative process. When I paint, I find the minutes melt away along with external worries and concerns. For Matt, that serenity comes from “meditations” — his name for the monthly songs he sends out to his listeners.

It’s been a while since this particular one came out. But it happens to be one of my favorites, because of how deeply rooted it is in nature.

Fog Chaser

Meditation | 006

Watch now (3 min) | Thank you for being here for the sixth installment of this newsletter. Thanks for reading and listening! Subscribe for free to receive a new song every month. I just got back from a very special creative residency at Smith Creek Village, a collection of cabins tucked away in an old-growth, temperate rainforest in Silver Falls State Park in Oregon…

Read more

4 years ago · 25 likes · 36 comments · FogChaser

Matt says the name “meditation,” applies more to his end of the process, and that he hopes listeners aren’t expecting a guided meditation. But I disagreed with him a little on this topic; I think they evoke the same feeling from listeners.

Our culture seems to take great pride in meditation. But its accepted definition has expanded to include a lot of what I call active noise. Many meditation apps and podcasts demand quite a bit of your attention. I find it hard to clear my mind while someone is telling me what to think. In this regard: many of these tools wind up simply adding another layer to the ambient noise level.

Interview Notes:

0:45 — Introducing Matt
1:45 — Getting into to music
3:15 — Turning to music to cope with adversity
6:20 — Matt’s “meditations”
10:30 — Three minutes of calm
12:10 — Struggling with sensory overload
14:30 — Offering an oasis from chaos
18:00 — Matt’s creative residency
23:00 — How to make others feel what you’re feeling
26:00 — Where visuals and music mix, with Sturgill Simpson
30:00 — Finding an audience, and connecting directly
32:00 — How to break out of a creative funk
35:10 — Go touch grass.
36:45 — Searching for a single square inch of silence on Earth
43:00 — The difficulties of noise and distraction

“I’ve Started to Get Really Obsessed with Silent Places in our World. I Think that’s Where the Nature Aspect Comes in; the Desire for Spaces Free of Human Noise.”

The cool part about quiet spaces is they’re not actually quiet — not completely. Even in the podcast you’re listening to right now. There’s an almost imperceptible noise floor; the sum of all the ambient sound in the rooms where Matt and I recorded our interview. If I edited it out, you’d notice.

A lot of things that make up our urban or suburban ambiance are quite loud: traffic, air conditioning units, appliances, etc. Out in nature, we are able to focus on more subtle sounds.

I’ve written before about my love of walking through pine forests because of the very specific creaking sound the trees make when they twist in the wind. Matt sometimes goes out hunting for sounds like this one. Later, he incorporates the sounds into the songs themselves.

I love the idea of literally chasing these noises, like some kind of elusive animal. The process requires us to shed the distractions and immerse ourselves in a kind of quiet that many of us are uncomfortable with.

Matt’s work inspired me to write more about this phenomenon. I’m quite proud of it and it seemed to resonate with a lot of you. If you missed it: I break down an interesting scientific fact that explains why recordings of nature don’t have the same impact on your body as the real thing.

Cole's Climb

The Natural Noise We've been Drowning Out

Subscribe to Cole’s Climb for news, stories, and interviews about outdoor adventures My family home had no air conditioning. It had something better: a perch above the Long Island Sound, and a cool offshore breeze. On hot summer nights, we couldn’t’ve slept without it…

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4 years ago · 19 likes · 13 comments · Cole Noble

“I Wanted Folks to see what I’m Seeing in the Music.”

Still, Matt does a great job making you feel like you’re right there with him, watching the steam rise off the leaves and creeks.

Part of the reason I enjoy Fog Chaser so much, is because it pops up in my inbox — a very busy place in my life — and promises me a little oasis from chaos. I don’t need to engage. It’s not about another dopamine hit. I can just let my mind try to find calm

“I Thought it Would be Really Cool to be Able to E-mail a Song to Somebody, that has a Play Button.”

Fog Chaser wasn’t Matt’s first big musical endeavor. He’s also part of a band called Reddening West. But the conventional music industry can be difficult, and often requires you to be more of a social media influencer, than an artist.

“In the world of music… you’re playing shows, and the album release cycle is anti-climactic. It’s very stressful. It’s de-motivating sometimes because you want people to listen, but nobody is really listening.”

Part of his reason for creating the Fog Chaser publication was to develop direct relationships with his listeners. He’s also working to help others better connect to the natural world, unplug from chaos, and focus on the present.

“The relief of that; to feel untethered, and to feel just connected to what’s right in front of you — whether that’s the campfire, or your partner, or your pet, or the birds, or your friends — that’s a feeling I’m chasing now.”

More about Matt

Matt is part of a band called Reddening West. You can check out their music here. You can also receive monthly music meditations by subscribing to Fog Chaser. For more frequent updates about his creative process, you can check him out on Instagram, or Twitter.

I’m doing something a little different this week. Matt and I will be holding a joint discussion thread. This Saturday at 8:08 a.m. MST., we’ll be talking about finding inspiration in nature, and outdoor escapes from sensory overload. You’ll also be able to ask Matt more about his music.

If you’re not subscribed yet: now’s a great time to sign up to make sure you’re not missing out!

Subscribe now

And of course, if you’re already signed up: thank you so much for your continued support. I cherish the community we’re building here and love your feedback!

“You Really don’t Know what You’re Getting into, Until You get there.”

Rachel always had a fascination with travel, taking her first real trip to New Zealand on summer break from college, doing work-for-accommodation to pay for her journey.

Years later: remote work gave Rachel the opportunity to take her life to the road, exploring far beyond the reaches of civilization. She’s been documenting her adventures and embracing her love for photography and self-portraiture ever since.

“More People Should Flirt with the Idea of not Buying the Idea of the White Picket Fence and the Golden Retriever, and the ‘American Dream…’ I Think it’s Important to Stray from the Sidewalk a Little bit more.”

This journey has taken Rachel to some truly breathtaking places. The type of travel she does is called boondocking — which is a bit of a happy-medium between primitive camping and staying in RV parks.

Boondocking involves temporary stays, usually on Forest Service land. The maximum time you can stay in a spot is two weeks, but trips are usually cut shorter than that for resource reasons. I’ll get to that in a minute…

Interview Notes:

1:00 — Catching the travel bug
3:15 — The daily routine
4:00 — The hidden research side of #vanlife
6:05 — Challenges and limitations of boondocking
7:40 — Overlapping difficulties: remote cabins, and life on the road
8:40 — Making Amazon Prime work while on the road
9:45 — You’ve got mail
10:30 — Getting help in the middle of nowhere
12:00 — Map hacks that will save you money
13:10 — Judging towns by their Laundromats
16:51 — Storm chasing on the road: getting interested in weather
20:00 — Capturing lightning
21:20 — Waiting for the right storm to roll in
23:00 — Looking for extras to help your picture stand out
24:00 — Making your photography unique
25:30 — Worrying about lightning
27:00 — Our close brushes with death
28:30 — The Haboobs roll in
30:00 — Finding cloud-to-cloud lightning
32:00 — Harsh lessons in the outdoors
33:00 — An exit strategy for life on the road?
36:30 — Learning not to lose your life to overthinking
38:00 — Letting go of material attachments during a crisis
41:00 — Getting used to packing light
42:30 — How to get started down this road

“Whatever comes out of you, needs to come out of your RV”

The biggest complication, Rachel says, has been water management. When your freshwater tank is empty, your trip is over.

When your blackwater tank is full, your trip is over.

The shortage of water also means that some other modern comforts — like a washer and drier — are out-boarded too. Doing the laundry means trips into the nearest town, which can become its own kind of adventure.

“You never know what you’re gonna get at a laundromat. I have met some of the more interesting people of my life in laundromats. And it’s crazy right: because sometimes you can get almost like a Zen garden feel; you get the heavenly aroma of the jasmine, the lavender fabric softener. Other times, it’s just a chaotic mess — you have people fighting over driers — it’s just a fun place to see a little bit of the community.”

Boondocking — or van life if you take that route, Rachel explains the different benefits and drawbacks in our discussion — also complicates other tasks like collecting the mail. Rachel still uses Prime, but has deliveries shipped to Amazon lockers near her temporary location. It’s still feasible; just requires more planning.

Listeners and readers may be surprised to learn how much advance prep-work goes into this lifestyle. As much as — on the outside — things appear carefree and spontaneous, you can’t fly blind without running into trouble.

“Mother Nature is Epic”

Boondocking has also allowed Rachel to pursue another passion: storm photography. Getting shots like these does involve some watching and waiting. But again: you don’t catch lightning without a bit of forethought.

“If I see something cool, I’ll drop a pin. Now I have dozens and dozens of pins and coordinates. And then I overlay that with the radar. So now, if there’s a storm crossing that old barn I passed a while back, I can go ahead and set up. I already know there’s a cool foreground there, so I’ll just wait for the right storm to roll in.”

One of the teachers I learned photography from had an interesting philosophy. When he went to tourist destinations and popular spots, it was always his goal to take a unique picture; something no one else had thought of. That could come from unusual angles, different lighting settings or focal lengths.

What I love about Rachel’s approach to storm photography is that she is creating photos that no one else could replicate, even if they wanted to: layering an eye-catching foreground over a wild, dangerous subject that exists only for that instant.

“I want to Know more, but not too much more if that Makes Sense. Because I love the Mystery of it. I Think that’s the Beauty of it too: I don’t want to know it all.”

Rachel has always been interested in meteorology and went into news production in the hopes she could see weather in the field as a photographer. In the end, this path may have been for the best — not wanting to pull back the curtain completely and demystify the experience.

“I want to make Sure that my 80-year-old Self, and my 8-year-old Self, in the end, are Happy.”

I asked Rachel if there’s an endgame or an exit strategy for her life on the road. After all: she does still have a storage locker somewhere full of worldly possessions.

For now, though: there’s no end in sight. Just exploration, and a wide-open world to experience.

Seeing more of Rachel’s Work

Most of Rachel’s content is available on Instagram. She also keeps a travel log of her adventures over on her website, where you can also support her journey by purchasing her photographs.

Follow Rachel on Instagram

Support Rachel’s Photography

I Want to Hear from You

Have you ever considered life on the road? Is there a favorite place or landmark you’d like to see? Do you enjoy watching thunderstorms as much as I do?

Leave a comment

Last time I asked you all to share your favorite pictures of incredible views, you didn’t disappoint. If you have any of your own cloud, storm, or lightning pictures, I’d love to see them! As always, you can e-mail me at colenobleclimbs@gmail.com.

More Great Reads

In today’s episode, I mention an earlier interview with Kelton Wright. She writes a fantastic publication called Shangrilogs — all about living in a remote mountain town.

There’s a fascinating amount of overlap between living the RV life and living in a tiny cabin. If today’s episode interested you, go check out Kelton’s recent interview with a retired smokejumper. It’s absolutely fascinating!

Shangrilogs

Smokejumpers and the state of wildfire - #43

Wildfire season doesn’t exist anymore. It is now all year — as evidenced by the Marshall Fire in Boulder County this past December that destroyed over 1000 buildings, caused over $500m in damages, and burned over 6,000 acres. My dad, Clay, is a retired smokejumper, and he’s been sending me fire reports for over a decade as the places I’ve called home ha…

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4 years ago · 20 likes · 13 comments · Kelton Wright

Almost Forgot…

I mention map-making in the podcast discussion. To save money, I use sites like Topo Zone to generate local maps and print them for free. Then I stick them in a plastic bag so they’re safe from the elements.

Make a Map

Click the button above to generate your own map. All you need is the name of the area, trailhead, or landmark you’re exploring.

If you enjoy the Trail Talk theme song, it was composed and produced specially by the very talented Ty Ellenbogen. Check out his other music here:

Going Back in Time

In the back half of 1981, lifts started spinning at “Panadero.” Over the years, the property changed names and hands, opening and closing many times before finally shuttering operations for good in 2000.

The base area — dozens of acres of private property — effectively walled off access to the skiing terrain on the forest service land beyond.

In 2017, the Cuchara Foundation helped purchase that land for Huerfano County with the goal of creating year-round outdoor access and recreation opportunities. The foundation donated $25,000 to the county for the down payment on the land, then later worked to raise the remaining $125,000 to give to the county to pay for it in full.

Will Pirkey is a board member with the Panadero Ski Corporation. It’s a non-profit that spun off of the Cuchara Foundation in 2019. Its mission: restore the old Lift 4 and revive the lower part of the abandoned ski area.

Quick side note for readers and listeners:

I’m aware that many of you discovered Cole’s Climb after clicking over from The Storm Skiing Journal. By coincidence, this week’s content somewhat straddles the worlds of ski area operations and expanding outdoor access.

Visit The Storm Skiing Journal

I’m glad to have you here, as well as all the other new subscribers who have recently signed up. And of course, if you haven’t checked out the Storm Skiing Journal, I highly recommend you do so.

Interview Notes:

1:30 — History of the Old Resort
3:30 — How the public lost access to the land
4:15 — The creation of the park
6:00 — Access to the outdoors, year-round
6:45 — Plans for the future
8:45 — The next milestone: opening the lift
11:15 — When will guests be welcomed in?
14:30 — Keeping skiing affordable
16:45 — Filling the need in a ski resort desert
20:00 — Finding an affordable option for recreation
26:00 — How you can get involved
28:00 — Backcountry access

“One of the Challenges was to Find Schematics for an old Riblet Chair… They’re no Longer in Business, so We had to Find Some Schematics to Actually Find out: Here’s how We Wire this Correctly.”

The Panadero Ski Corporation has approached this project the way one would restore a cool artifact of history: carefully inspecting and x-raying the chair lift components to ensure everything is in safe, working condition.

After quite a bit of work, Pirkey tells me the project is near the finish line. The next step will be getting the lift certified so they can purchase insurance, and welcome guests.

Best case scenario: this will be done in time for their upcoming Summer Celebration and fundraiser on July 2nd.

“It is Part of our Mission to Make Skiing and Riding Affordable and Accessible to Everyone.”

Pirkey says selling lift tickets will be necessary to cover operations cost. But the goal is to make the place one of the most affordable places to ride in Colorado.

Cuchara Mountain Park is located in a region relatively far from other big mountains and resorts. Having lift-served terrain would offer an amenity to nearby communities that would otherwise need to drive hours to a resort.

“We’re not looking to make any money. We’re just looking to break even, cover our expenses, and if we get a little bit extra: to grow the experience and enhance the experience.”

“I Think we have a Niche that Needs to be Filled in the Ski Industry as a Whole. And that is: People who Haven’t Gotten into the Sport and who face Financial Barriers to do so. It’s a lot of Money to put up Front to See, ‘Do I even like this?’”

An issue I’ve noticed in recent years is the inherent problem with the growing ski pass model: unlimited access passes are great for experienced skiers and snowboarders. But it also front-loads the cost for beginners.

Day tickets in Colorado have surged close to the $200 mark for many resorts. That’s a lot of money for a first timer to spend on something they’re not sure about.

Pirkey also points out that for a family of four: you can easily pay $500 for a single day. That’s going to drastically limit how often you can come to the mountain and impede progress in learning how to ride.

“The Vision for the Mountain is to Provide Year-Round Recreation”

While the Panadero Ski Corporation is focused on the lift operations, the goal of Cuchara Mountain Park is to be a gateway to year-round outdoor activities.

Pirkey mentioned access for mountain biking could be coming down the road as well.

“I Think we do have a Cool Story, and the More People Learn About it, the More Power in numbers to help us Fund this and get it up and Rolling.”

The Panadero Ski Corporation is in a fundraising push to gather enough money to have their lift inspected. Will says this is one of their last hurdles to clear before the park can start sending guests up the hill and taking in money from low-cost lift tickets.

Right now, they are looking for donations or volunteer help — especially if you have specialized knowledge in the ski industry. To pitch in, click the button below to learn more!

Learn More

Did You Like the New Music?

Quick little end note: long-time listeners may have noticed the intro/outro music for trail talk has changed. The last episode on the crazy sport of Ski Joring didn’t have any.

Most of the prior ones — including this fascinating conversation on what it takes to live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere — actually use a tune that now appears in CarMax commercials.

It was getting expensive to maintain the rights, and it didn’t quite suit the vibe I was looking for. So instead, I commissioned the highly talented Ty Ellenbogen to create a new song.

You can check out more of his work on Spotify, or his website, here!

During these interviews, I share stories from members of the outdoor community. Our discussions range from wild adventures to survival skills, conservation, and current events.

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Look Familiar?

If you missed my earlier piece about Ski Joring — a thrilling cross between rodeo and winter sports — I highly recommend you check it out.

One of my favorite pictures from the event featured a skier launching through the air, towed behind a galloping horse, about to land on one ski. That skier is 17-year-old senior Yakov Foley, competing in the event for the first time.

From my layman’s perspective: the execution of this jump was so flawless, I assumed Foley did this on purpose to show off his skills. In this interview, I learned how wrong I was.

“My Left Ski got Caught in a Rut. It Popped off, and I Thought I was Done. I just Remember Looking Down and Realizing I was Still Going.”

Foley tells me he raced professionally for Vail before his official ski joring debut. Part of his practice routine involved one-ski drills. He never quite cared for them, but that training helped prepare for the moment pictured above.

“You have to be there. It takes Many Years of Failing and Falling Down.”

One of the toughest aspects of the sport is the lack of opportunities to actually train. Foley prepares by getting in backcountry turns or getting towed by an ATV or snowmobile.

But finding a course to practice jumps and ring gathering is a whole other matter. The skier in line behind him evidently only rides a handful of times per year, always in competition.

This atmosphere makes ski joring a real game-time sport, where the best way to progress is registering for more competitions in the circuit.

“It’s kind of just in the moment, you figure it out, and every year you get a little bit better,” Foley said.

Interview Notes

1:30 — Preparing for the sport
3:45 — Making the run on one ski
4:15 — Professional ski racing career
5:30 — Fortune favors the prepared
6:00 — A finish-line crash
7:30 — Getting up after a bad fall
8:50 — Saving the sport for the next generation
10:40 — Introducing others to the sport
11:15 — The hardest part about training a horse for ski joring

“It’s just that Culture of Bringing a Rodeo Sport and a Skiing Event Together. We can talk about how Physically Different it is, but that Vibe, that Arena is just a Different Experience.”

The energy at these competitions is something you need to experience in order to truly understand. It all happens so quickly. But the crowd is genuinely supportive and invested in each run.

If you missed my original story about the event and would like to learn more about the sport: you can read about the rules — as well as how you can see it in person: check out this post.

“This is the Most Amazing 17 Seconds of Your Life — You need to come down here and try it.”

This was the first year Foley was eligible to compete in the horse events — younger riders are eligible to practice being towed through the course by snowmobile. But Foley says he’s part of a much older crowd.

“In both the sport and open division, I was the youngest competitor there. It’s a little bit sad to watch as the sport is slowly falling out. There’s not young guys like me going into the sport anymore. It’s mostly guys that have been doing it for years and years. I’m really hoping that I can talk to my friends and inspire people. Like, ‘hey this is the most amazing 17 seconds of your life, you need to come down here and try it.’”

Foley says he’s trying to get more of his friends, and younger members of the community interested in the sport. Without an influx of riders to take the reigns, the 74-year-old sport faces an expiration date as older competitors retire.

“I’m actually in the process with a group of my friends to try and put together a ski joring team to go around through the circuits,” Foley said. The young skier says he also recently purchased a colt, which he plans to raise and train for the sport.

“When you have Five Thousand People in a Channel Running at them, that’s Where they get a bit Nervous.”

The process of training a horse for the sport though, is quite a bit different from what you might expect. One of the most important steps is simple socialization. It’s not unlike the way you’d train a puppy to get used to people:

“Horses get very easily spooked. The only thing you can do is take them to parades; take them to other events,” Foley explained. “We’d ride our horses up to the event and let people touch them and get them used to being around that many people.”

At the end of the day though, there’s only so much preparation that can be done. Regular readers known risk assessment is something I write about often. Ski joring is no different.

“You have to go into ski joring with the mindset that someone could get hurt,” Foley said. “It’s not easy to do, but we train, and we practice everything we can to be as safe as possible.”

I Want to Hear from You

If you enjoyed this interview, please consider leaving a like, or weighing in with a comment. I love your feedback, but this quick action also tells the email sorting system that this is good, real content. It helps me out a lot.

Thanks!

EP 11: Asha Sanaker, Exploring Faith and Presence in Outdoor Spaces

Asha grew up attending a Quaker-operated summer camp, every year. Even after re-locating several states away, Asha sent her children to the same place as well.

As it turns out: the wild chaos of the outdoors is a great way to learn about community, responsibility, and integrity.

“If you can Carry Everything You Need to Survive on Your Back, for Five Days in a Row, that just Changes Your Perception of what You Need Globally in Your Life.”

An important idea I’ve often discussed here, is the beautiful simplicity of routine. When I interviewed Taylor Radigan — a member of the trail crew working to preserve the Grays and Torreys Trail — she laid out the simple steps for life on the mountain:

1. Wake

2. Hike

3. Work

4. Prep for tomorrow

5. Sleep

There aren’t a lot of frills. There also aren’t a lot of things to worry about.

This conversation happened in an extremely early episode. I imagine most of you haven’t had the chance to watch it. If you have a few minutes, it’s linked here:

Cole's Climb

Thru-Hiking, Trail Building, and Life on the Mountain, with Taylor Radigan

Listen now (22 min) | Welcome back for the second episode. For your convenience, this show is now also distributed on most major podcasting platforms. Links are below the show notes and guest bio. Enjoy! EP 02: Taylor Radigan, CFI Trail Crew Welcome to the second episode of Trail Talk. This week, I’m taking you to base camp beneath the towering Grays and Torreys peaks. The lea…

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4 years ago · 5 likes · 2 comments · Cole Noble

Asha takes this idea a step farther, connecting this focus with the idea of being engaged in the moment.

“Embodiment is really important. Being physically present to what’s actually happening in front of me has been incredibly important to my health,” Asha said. “It’s also incredibly important to my kids.”

“Even when it’s Hard: even when it’s Raining, even when it’s Humid as Hell, even when Your Feet Hurt ‘cause You’ve got Blisters, it Still can be Joyful.”

In a recent piece, called “Home is… Damp,” Asha draws an interesting distinction between physical and spiritual comfort. Being present sometimes means enduring discomfort.

Let Your Life Speak

Home is...Damp

I spent the last week on my home ground, or as near to a home ground as I’ve got. Despite more years in Upstate New York than anywhere else, my soul will always be most at home in the foothills of the Appalachians in Middle Virginia. It’s where I spent every summer of my life from nine years old until I was twenty-two— hi…

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5 years ago · 3 likes · Asha Sanaker

You may not have all the amenities you’re used to. But the experience brings you closer with the people who are there with you. I liken this feeling satisfyingly sore after a hard workout.

Interview Notes

1:20 — “Loud, chaotic, and people-y”
2:10 — Growing up as a Quaker
6:00 — Learning to be happy without material possessions
9:30 — Getting out of the “Infinite Opium Den”
10:30 — The satisfaction of sore
11:30 — The storm that sent us back to the Dark Ages
14:00 — Physical vs. Emotional discomfort
15:30 — Holding back the darkness
17:00 — Learning how to sit with yourself and self-reflect
19:30 — Applying physical challenges to emotional ones
25:00 — Untangling unhelpful connotations with Integrity
27:20 — How society lets us coast
32:00 — Where to find Asha

A Bit of Literal Learning

Asha describes a fascinating part of the camp experience at the end of each summer:

“They’ll roam around camp finding random bits of wood… they’ll take it to the fire circle and attach it together in some kind of crazy wonky sculpture,” she explained.

The kids are each given tiny candles, which they light and add to the wooden structure. The end result is something magical.

“The voice of this 10-year-old boy emerges out of the darkness behind me, and he says, ‘the thing I love about camp is that everyone’s individual lights are so small. But when we all put them together, they hold back the darkness.’”

I would argue this child wasn’t being poetic or looking for metaphors. I’d imagine he was being quite literal in his observations about the ceremony.

The cool thing about learning lessons in the outdoors is that physical experiences are simple and easy to grasp, yet broadly applicable to our lives back in civilization.

You may have noticed: this type of discovery and reflection is at the heart of almost all the stories you’ll read here on Cole’s Climb.

“You’re Never Done with the Work You have to do to Move Your Life Forward.”

Modern society is like driving a car along a highway: coasting is comfortable and easy. Taking your foot off the gas once in a while isn’t a problem when you have inertia to keep carrying you forward.

Many of us could — if we wanted to — coast in our responsibilities, putting in the minimum effort required to collect a paycheck. In fact, most of us could probably do nothing today without putting our survival in peril. Your access to food, water, and shelter wouldn’t be challenged until your next credit card or utility bill comes due.

There’s no pressing need to push harder. This makes it easy to fall into the hypnotic state that is the comfort zone.

Survival and self-improvement are both a primal climb up an infinite mountain. As Asha points out: you can’t stop. There is no inertia to coast on. If you want to move forward, then you need to keep pushing yourself forward.

I like the idea that Asha proposes: the chaos of the outdoors is the crucible that helps us develop attributes that the comforts of civilization inhibit:

• Comfort in solitude

• Quiet self-reflection

• Discernment

• Presence

• Learning from failure

That last one is key. I’ll end with an idea Asha summed up nicely:

“And so, You get up the Next Morning, and You Try Again.

Not every day was great. some days were hard. some days we didn’t make the miles we thought we were going to make in order to reach a certain point on the trail we thought we were going to make.

Some days we were canoeing and we capsized in a rapid, and dumped all our stuff.

That doesn’t mean it’s over.”

About Asha

Asha Sanaker is a freelance writer and mother of two currently living in Upstate New York. She publishes a Substack email newsletter, Let Your Life Speak, on rediscovering the lost art of integrity. She is currently also writing a book on soulmates.

Let Your Life Speak

Rediscovering the lost art of integrity

By Asha Sanaker

Asha has been published by Countable, Friends Journal, and The Ithaca Times. When she's not sitting somewhere writing, she loves hiking, gardening, her kids, and her old, weird cat.

You can follow Asha on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and of course here on Substack.

During these interview podcast posts, I share stories from other members of the outdoor community. Range from wild adventures to survival skills, conservation, and current events.

Look for episodes in your mailbox every other Thursday morning at 9 a.m., MST. The stories you’re used to seeing will arrive on the alternating weeks.

If you’re a new subscriber, please mark this address as “not spam.”

For Gmail users: newsletters can sometimes get buried in the promotions tab — particularly when I write gear guides and trip plans that include a lot of links. You can ensure you don’t miss any emails by right clicking, selecting “move to tab…” then “primary” from the drop-down menu.

You can also follow Cole’s Climb on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, where I post regular updates every time a new post is released!

EP 10: Sarah Lavender Smith, Ultramarathon Running

Despite growing up in an outdoor-oriented lifestyle, Sarah tells me her dive into running didn’t take place until the second half of her life. Now, she’s participated in some of the continent’s most grueling races and helps coach others to do the same.

“I Want to have my Senior Years, 30 Years from now, Healthy and with Mental Acuity and Still Getting out in the Mountains.”

In her recent piece, A Stash from the Past, Sarah discusses the fear of losing mobility as we age. On a personal note, this is something I find myself worrying about too.

I view the ability to tear down the mountain on a snowboard or mountain bike, scale rock faces, and venture miles from civilization to be incredible gifts. I also have come to associate them with my identity as a person. The prospect of losing any one of them is devastating.

Colorado Mountain Running & Living

A Stash from the Past

It was so cold last Saturday that I decided to postpone my traditional New Year’s Day long run until temps warmed up to the teens the following day. On January 2, I drove 45 minutes to Ridgway to run 21 miles, and in the process, to reflect on the past and dream about the year ahead…

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4 years ago · 3 likes · 2 comments · Sarah Lavender Smith

“I gained a lot of success and ego gratification from kinda crushing the competition and getting really excited about the drama of the race or trying to get a podium spot,” Sarah said. “As you age and slow down — which is somewhat inevitable — you have to reshape that relationship for it to be satisfying.”

In our discussion, Sarah describes how this can be accomplished.

Interview Notes

1:30 — A nomadic traveling lifestyle
3:00 — Avoiding the “Growing old sucks,” mindset
6:10 — Reshaping a relationship with running
8:00 — Escaping our fixation with numbers
10:20 — Letting our minds wander
12:10 — Climbing vs. running; an exercise in hyper-focus
15:00 — Empowering ways to push through skill-ceilings
16:30 — New activities are new ways to explore
19:30 — The time-efficiency of running
22:40 — Grounding yourself in the mile you’re in
24:05 — “Flow like a river, don’t be flexible like a tree”
26:40 — A 36-hour race; how??
29:15 — Slaying the sleep monster

“That’s one of the most Satisfying things about Unplugging from My Devices and Getting on the Trail: that’s when I do some of my best Thinking”

Of course, running isn’t just a competitive sport, or a way to stay mobile and healthy. It’s also an incredible vehicle for exploration.

In our discussion about a recent ice climbing trip, Sarah explains how a key factor that nudged her to conquer her fear and pick up the ice axes was a desire to explore a gorgeous region of Colorado.

As an interesting tangent, I learned to lead climb for the exact same reason. There’s a spot in Colorado I’m desperate to see. But you need to complete a trad multi-pitch climb to get there.

“Take what the Trail Gives You, Adapt to the Circumstances. Make the Best of it.”

One of my favorite parting thoughts from this discussion is that success does not come from raw power and strength alone.

In our discussion about ultramarathons, Sarah puts it like this: “It’s not necessarily the person who’s the most physically fit who does the best. There’s so much mental and logistical strategy involved.”

Being adaptable, strategic, and keeping a good outlook are just as important when it comes to reaching your goal — be it the finish line, or an important life milestone.

About Sarah

Sarah Lavender Smith is a running coach, writer and mother of two who lives near Telluride, Colorado. She has raced more than 100 ultramarathons and marathons since she took up running as a graduate student in the mid-1990s, including some of North America’s most challenging 100-milers.

When she turned 50 in 2019, she won the Grand to Grand Ultra 170-mile self-supported stage race, considered one of the world’s toughest ultras.

She is a columnist for UltraRunning magazine and the author of The Trail Runner’s Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras. She publishes a weekly journal, “Colorado Mountain Running & Living,” at sarahrunning.substack.com.

Sarah also is a lifelong horsewoman and has served on several nonprofit boards for schools and community service organizations.

You can also follow Sarah on Instagram or pick up The Trail Runner’s Companion in bookstores or on Amazon.

More from Trail Talk

If you’re interested in finding out more about tackling ultramarathons: check out this episode with Ethan McNaghten. He started as a non-runner and set his sights on the Never Summer Ultra.

Cole's Climb

Acclimation, Ultra-Marathons, and Long-Term Goals with Ethan McNaghten

Listen now (29 min) | Welcome Back to Trail Talk During these interview podcast posts, I share stories from other members of the outdoor community. Range from wild adventures, to survival skills, conservation, and current events. Look for episodes in your mailbox Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., MST. The stories you’re used to seeing will still arrive at the usual time, Thursday mor…

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4 years ago · 11 likes · 4 comments · Cole Noble

Announcing: The Summit Squad

This week, I’ve decided to start offering something new to for my most devoted readers. These more personal letters will go out to those who are actively opening, reading, and engaging with Cole’s Climb in a meaningful way.

Members of the Summit Squad will get a peek behind the curtain with exclusive photos from adventures I don’t write about, as well as a teaser ahead to future projects I have in the works.

While I may use the word “members,” this is not a paid fixture of the newsletter. It’s a token of my appreciation for your valuable time and attention.

Those of you who already got one — you know who you are, and I appreciate your kind responses.

During these interview podcast posts, I share stories from other members of the outdoor community. Range from wild adventures to survival skills, conservation, and current events.

Look for episodes in your mailbox Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., MST. The stories you’re used to seeing will still arrive at the usual time, Thursday mornings.

EP 09: Kelton Wright, High Altitude Living

Growing up in an outdoorsy family, Kelton lived the outdoor life long before moving to her current location: a remote cabin in a tiny town, high in the mountains.

She has been featured in Bicycling Magazine, Runner’s World, Peloton Magazine, Outside Magazine, and more.

Roughly six months ago, Kelton and her husband made a lifechanging move — and she’s been sharing her experience on Substack ever since.

Now, she writes “Shangri-Logs,” sharing the details, challenges, and excitement that comes with cabin life.

“It Alleviates my Nonsensical Anxiety to have Real Things to take care of.”

I’ve long theorized our brains wrestle with profound boredom when our base needs are being met. For many of us: food, water, warmth, and shelter are constantly within convenient reach.

Sometimes I wonder if we worry about insignificant things, because there are fewer significant worries to fixate on.

There’s something about removing the barriers between ourselves, and the procurement of our necessities that reconnects the mind to a primal sense of peace.

That’s part of the reason I’ve always loved the outdoors so much: a routine built around survival, and the deeply restful sleep that can only come from a hard day’s work.

Interview Notes

2:00 — House hunting for a rustic cabin
4:30 — Putting ourselves closer to our daily needs
6:15 — “Purposely living the hardest life they can”
8:00 — The challenges with living in a cabin
9:20 — What’s needed to keep the house going
11:00 — The Sisyphean task of snow shoveling
12:30 — Becoming avalanche aware
17:00 — Picking a place where you’ll fit in
19:45 — Pandemic problems for small towns
21:00 — Tips for meeting the townsfolk as an introvert
22:30 — Uncovering cool stories in unexpected places
24:00 — Sharing your gifts and skills with the town
27:00 — How do you start the road to cabin living?
30:30 — Spending time in the place you want to call home
32:00 — The crushing anxiety of clutter
36:00 — Embracing the challenges and difficulties
38:00 — Where to follow

“Sometimes when it Snows Inside, it’s Magical”

In a recent post, Kelton talks about insulation, indoor snow, and the effort required to keep the cabin up and running. When the wind really gets to howling, sometimes the outside comes inside — blowing through tiny gaps in the cabin.

Shangri-Logs

Is this safe? - #19

Shoveling out three bodies in under 12 minutes isn’t bad, but there’s room to improve. After all, shoveling has been the hobby du jour lately. And it’s almost entirely the wind’s fault. We’ll get to the bodies in a minute, but we have to start with the wind…

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4 years ago · 36 likes · 14 comments · Kelton Wright

Despite this, Kelton says there’s a certain satisfaction from digging out your driveway and keeping the fire alive. A satisfaction you just can’t get by simply turning up the thermostat.

There’s also the feeling that this practical exercise becomes a sort of natural fitness routine, even getting the body ready for emergencies that we discuss in the interview.

“Can I just live in my House with the Things that I have, and be Prepared?”

Could you live in your home for a week without ordering anything? Can you get by without your Amazon Prime subscription? Do you know how to cook?

These are all questions Kelton says ought to be weighed carefully before you move to the mountains.

Another important idea arises from this: the crushing anxiety of clutter. The ability to order anything you want on demand is useful, but not without its drawbacks.

Sometimes, having to actually go to a store to pick something out, forces you to weigh whether you really need something. Seriously — how many impulse buys do you have, crowding your home and collecting dust?

Try Before You Buy

Before moving to the new home, Kelton and her husband went through an extensive road trip and tour process. She wanted to see potential homes in multiple seasons and get a feel for the community.

You might be surprised by the things you’ll have to do for yourself.

Jumping in without understanding what you’re getting into could sink your entire move.

Where to Follow Kelton Wright

You can follow Kelton’s tales and updates here on Substack.

Here’s her most recent newsletter — a great piece about working to fit into small town life:

Shangri-Logs

Is this making friends? - #20

If we’re ranking mental health salves, enchantment is as close to a natural benzodiazepine that I’ve found. I spent the first five months here talking to trees, sharing giggles with squirrels and apologizing to surprised porcupines like we bumped into each other coming and going from our local coffee haunt. Oop! Sorry, you go! No, no, you go! Ooh, oops…

Read more

4 years ago · 52 likes · 11 comments · Kelton Wright

You can also follow @Shangrilogs on Instagram for updates on the cabin, and renovations, or @Keltonwrites for more high-altitude adventures.

You can also follow Trail Talk on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, to make listening on the go that much easier.

During these interview podcast posts, I share stories from other members of the outdoor community. Range from wild adventures, to survival skills, conservation, and current events.

Look for episodes in your mailbox Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., MST. The stories you’re used to seeing will still arrive at the usual time, Thursday mornings.

EP 08: Chris Tomer, Meteorologist

Most of the Colorado outdoor community has already heard of Chris; a trusted name not just in our state’s weather forecasting, but for those attempting some of the most extreme and technically challenging peaks on the planet.

“I always wanted to know why. What was the reason? What was the science? What was the Math?”

Chris has been fascinated by the “why” questions from a young age. Understanding the way mechanics that make up our weather systems was a passion that guided Chris through high school, college, and his further pursuits.

The desire to experience and explore the high peaks was also instilled from a young age, over the course of many Colorado ski trips.

Interview Notes

1:00 — Early interest in weather
4:00 — Getting comfortable with the peaks
5:00 — The importance of a specialized forecast
6:45 — Understanding risk management
8:45 — Knowing when to turn back
9:10 — The trips when you can’t turn back
10:20 — How you can learn to spot changing weather
11:15 — An honest assessment of your skills
13:45 — What did the weather do the night before?
15:00 — Building a rapport with climbing partners
18:00 — Reflection on “speed climbing” the fourteeners
20:15 — How to explore for yourself
21:45 — “Sleeping on the Summits,” project
23:30 — Colorado as an amusement park
25:20 — Preventing degradation and overuse
27:00 — Only two fourteeners were planned trails
30:00 — Shift from prep-heavy to casual hiking
32:00 — Offering specific forecasts for fourteeners
33:10 — Finding an outdoor mentor

“With Modern Conveniences, People Just Run out the Door.”

The outdoor community is in a bit of an odd spot right now: we’ve never had more resources at our fingertips to prep for trips. From guidebooks to complete video walk-throughs of the routes, there are great resources all around us.

While Chris argues it is possible to over prepare for a trip, putting in the due diligence and taking honest inventory of your abilities will probably make for a more fun, and less stressful outcome.

“Whatever the forecast is — and it’s fine, it gives you a great idea how to pack your bag — never, ever bet your life on it.”

Chris also points out there’s a big difference between knowing what the forecast is expected to do, and knowing how to spot changes in the weather. Throughout your hike it’s always a good idea to keep the conditions you’re seeing in context.

Don’t ignore ominous-looking storm clouds on an August afternoon because the weather is supposed to be clear.

As Chris also explains, more time and skill with weather and the mountains will allow you to get a better read on situations like this. But if you don’t have that knowledge, it’s best to play it safe.

“Leave Your Pride at the Car”

Part of playing it safe is having a team you can trust. That trust is rooted in your team dynamic, and communication. You need to feel comfortable vocalizing your concerns with your climbing partner, or partners. And you need to be able to respect the concerns that they raise.

If your partner, or teammate raises a fuss or complains about you wanting to turn back, Chris says you probably don’t want to go climbing with that person again — and I’d be inclined to agree.

Some Skills Can’t Be Learned from a Book

Despite that wealth of available information that we discussed earlier — in books, websites, and videos — some skills need to be learned in practice. This is done most safely and effectively under the watchful eye of a skilled teacher; an almost master-and-apprentice style relationship.

I credit much of my success so far in the outdoors to the willingness of others to offer mentorship and guidance. Near the end of the interview, Chris and I talk about some great ways you can find a mentor, and if you’re skilled, the benefits you bring to the community by mentoring someone.

Reaching out to Chris

Chris is also always there if you have any outdoor questions. There are a lot of ways you can follow his forecasts, and get in touch:

• His blog

• His YouTube Channel

• Or on Facebook

Thanks for reading all the way through! If you enjoyed this interview, the absolute best way you can help me out is by sharing this post with someone else who loves the outdoors.

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Here’s a surprise picture of a falcon for scrolling all the way down.

Earlier this week: I had an unexpected special edition for Eldora’s opening day.

This time though, we’re back to our regular programing: more long-form interviews where I share stories from other members of the outdoor community. They range from wild adventures, to survival skills, conservation, and current events.

Look for episodes in your mailbox Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., MST. The stories you’re used to seeing arrive at the usual time, Thursday mornings.

EP 07: Casey Whalen, Florida Man, and Director of Ecology

This week we head to the wild swamps of South Florida to talk with an old friend. Back when I lived in South Florida, Casey and I had quite a few hiking and biking adventures through the state.

We’re breaking down what went wrong on one of my most spectacular trail failures: accidentally turning a five mile hike into 15.

Casey and I began our ill-fated hike from gate 2, and followed the orange dotted line. We missed the turn for loop 2, and wound up taking the turn for loop 3, adding roughly five miles to the trip.

On the return, a downed marker near the intersection with yellow trail C caused us to drop the orange hiking trail and pick up a horse trail instead. The trail crossed a long, wide-open field for a long while. By the time we saw the next marker, we realized we had gone off trail.

Back-tracking cost us another mile.

Interview Notes

1:00 — Florida is actually pretty nice
2:00 — The “Accidentally Way Longer” hike
6:15 — Seeing the forest for the trees
7:30 — Why it rains iguanas in Florida
8:45 — “Uh oh,” or: how things go off the rails quickly
15:30 — Losing the trail
18:00 — Why you wear good hiking shoes
19:00 — No really, buy good gear.
20:00 — Wading through the swamp with Rocket the racoon
24:30 — Rescuing animals as director of ecology
26:00 — Turtles all the way down (the river)
31:00 — Hiking Devil’s Head in Colorado
34:00 — Outdoor rock climbing
40:00 — Avoiding a lightning strike
43:15 — Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should
46:00 — All the Florida things that want to kill you
47:45 — Always be prepared
50:00 — 500 nights of camping
51:30 — “At the end of a day, it makes a great story.”

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Florida isn’t Crazy, it just has Character

The sunshine state has a reputation for being a little off the rails. The truth is, it’s just hard to get a good overhead perspective.

This is a look at one of the highest points in South Florida: A watchtower perched atop a glorified sand dune in the palm scrubs.

The view is still beautiful. But you won’t exactly be seeing the curvature of the earth. Not being able to catch the sweeping landscape views actually inspires something a little different.

Most of the joy associated with Florida hiking comes from appreciating individual up-close moments, like this one:

“You Don’t Have to Look Down at Things to Appreciate Them”

While I love the soaring peaks of Colorado, Florida has always felt more wild. There are no bucket list photo ops for social media. Anyone crazy enough to be out in the Florida woodlands really wants to be there.

The state also has a ton of hidden gems tucked away. Being a part of the outdoor community feels like a tighter-knit family.

Knowledge itself is not a Shield

After I moved to Colorado, Casey was the first person to pay me a visit. His brother and cousins joined as well, with all the gear needed for some fantastic rock climbing.

We headed up to the top of Devil’s Head lookout, and took in some awe-inspiring early morning views.

Even after climbing for more than an hour, we were out of the area, and back at the cars before 9:00 a.m.

Hours later: lightning struck the exact area we’d been climbing, injuring eight people — one critically. Thanks to a multi-agency rescue effort and more than 30 volunteers, the injured climber made a full recovery.

Some of the other hikers suffered burns, and were temporarily left with tingling sensations, but were all able to walk back to the trailhead, according to a write-up from AccuWeather.

This event will forever remain in my mind as an example of the raw power and unpredictability of nature, and the importance of being prepared.

This brief podcast features everything you need to know for Eldora’s opening day, including what the weather looks like, to which trails will be open.

Throw your board and boots in the car, press play, and let’s get going!

Eldora Ski Area Opening Day

Quick Forecast:

Expect dry and windy conditions. But winds will be strong, with gusts up to 50 mph in the morning. 1-3 inches of snow is possible Saturday.

Opening Day Runs:

Lift: Alpenglow
Horn Blower —> International
1Windmill —> International (maybe?)

No beginner terrain — intermediate only!

“Put on your Safety Heads”

Sam advises everyone exercise caution when returning to the mountain. Due to early season conditions, you should expect the opening runs will naturally be a bit more crowded.

• Brush up on the skier code

• Take it slow

• Remember: you’re not the same rider you were last season. It’ll take a while for you to re-gain your strength and control

  

Key Policy Changes for 2021-2022

A few things may have changed since your last visit. These are the updates Eldora has provided:

• Masks are no longer required in lift lines, on the chair, or in any outdoor spaces

• Spaced chair loading will no longer be required

• Strict capacity limits have been removed from lodges

• Boulder’s rules do require indoor masking

• No more parking reservations

• Shuttles return: starting November 20th, free shuttles will run from the Boulder County Justice Center to the Mountain on weekends and holidays.

• Free round-trip RTD bus tickets: available to guests without bus passes, starting December 18th.

• SOV fees: also starting December 18th, single occupant vehicles will be charged a $10 fee on weekends, and select Holiday weekdays

  ---

Share with a friend who’s starting the season, and looking to hit the slopes!

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That’s about it! Have a great time out there. Enjoy yourself, and be safe!

Also a big thanks to Chris Tomer, who was kind enough to provide the forecast info, for anyone heading up to Eldora.

Weather apps just aren’t as accurate — there’s nothing quite like getting the information directly from someone well-versed in mountain weather.

If you head up into the mountains often, I definitely recommend following his blog to stay one step ahead of mountain storms.

During these interview podcast posts, I share stories from other members of the outdoor community. Range from wild adventures, to survival skills, conservation, and current events.

Look for episodes in your mailbox Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., MST. The stories you’re used to seeing will still arrive at the usual time, Thursday mornings.

EP 05: Eddie Taylor, Teacher and Mountaineer

Ever since Eddie’s friend convinced him to try climbing, he’s been hooked. Now, he’s part of a skilled team setting out to inspire others.

Of the thousands of climbers to reach the world’s highest peak, only a handful were Black. Eddie, and the other members of Full Circle Everest endeavor to change that.

Support independent writing, and ensure you never miss an edition — all for just a click

Subscribe now

Establishing a Community Connection

Most of us take for granted how we got started in the outdoors. I come from an outdoor family: my grandfather brought Cub Scout sign up forms to the hospital the day I was born, and I took my first backpacking trip at 9 years old.

Not everyone has a friend or family member introduce them to the outdoor community. As Eddie explains: someone’s spark of interest can be quickly extinguished if they feel they don’t belong.

“If you don’t have that family connection, and then you don’t have that community connection by looking further… you don’t see anyone who looks like you doing those things, so then that obviously isn’t a place for you — I think that’s what a lot of people end up feeling.”

Eddie hopes this trip could be that point of inspiration that helps other Black hikers feel more welcome on the mountains, trails, and crags.

Interview Notes

0:45 — Eddie’s first climbing trip
1:45 — The cycle of inspiring others
2:45 — Becoming immersed in the climbing community
4:10 — Full Circle Everest: how the team formed
7:00 — Growing as a team throughout the training process
9:00 — The full trip in context: setting your goals.
10:00 — Telling the story for the next generation of climbers
13:30 — Creating a welcoming community connection
15:45 — Getting into the outdoors from scratch
17:00 — Having healthy and productive hobbies
18:45 — Fighting back against “locals only” culture
23:00 — Helping the community with crag etiquette
24:00 — Welcoming people into your spaces
26:00 — Being friendly by being normal
29:00 — Supporting the expedition

Know someone who would love this interview? Consider sharing with them!

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Growing the Community Sustainably

One of the enormous challenges of an ever-growing outdoor community is a proportionately-increasing impact on open spaces. I’ve written extensively about the issue at places like Maroon Bells, Quandary, and Steven’s Gulch.

The reaction to this has largely been a rise in a gatekeeping “locals only” culture.

Eddie makes a few great points about this:

1. Discovering a cool spot doesn’t give you ownership of it

2. If the landscape really is that fragile, no one should be going there

3. Community building is the best tool for spreading “leave no trace” principles

“I don’t think people are trying to act to be destructive,” Eddie said. “Sometimes it’s just lack of knowledge.”

Not everyone has access to the same outdoor training, or upbringing. Being friendly is the first step in getting people excited to come back, adventure, and in turn, learn more.

That said, there’s a fine line between friendly and off-putting.

In our discussion, Eddie explains despite being a regular at a popular crag, other climbers still ask if he's brand new.

“Someone will see me, and be like: ‘oh are you here straight from the gym? Are you here for this diversity initiative?’”

Having a general and genuine welcoming attitude — without making assumptions about other climbers and hikers — is key.

“The Summit is a Bonus”

Everest is quite literally a lofty goal. But as we’ve discussed repeatedly here on Trail Talk: putting all the emphasis on that final step is misguided.

For Eddie, this expedition is about ten accomplished climbers coming together and telling a story to inspire the next generation of climbers.

Like many others, I’m eagerly awaiting what the next chapter in that story holds.

During these interview podcast posts, I share stories from other members of the outdoor community. Range from wild adventures, to survival skills, conservation, and current events.

Look for episodes in your mailbox Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., MST. The stories you’re used to seeing will still arrive at the usual time, Thursday mornings.

EP 04: Ty Ellenbogen, Eagle Scout and Musician

This week, we head to the Sangre De Cristo mountains of New Mexico to bask in the intimidating shadow of Baldy Mountain. Here, after months of careful planning and training, Ty completed an impressive 12-day trek.

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What he learned on that mountain changed his life, and altered his perception about his future pursuits in music.

“If you spend your whole life chasing goals, you’re gonna realize how empty you feel after you achieve it.”

The night before their final push to the summit, Ty and his crew wrestled with a gnawing, uncomfortable question: what would come next?

Cole's Climb

The Highs and Lows of Life and Mountaineering

The following is a guest post written by Ty Ellenbogen, reflecting on the moments that follow a crowning achievement. All Quiet at First Light The glow of my headlamp illuminated the patch of ground in front of me. The circle of light faded the farther I peered up at the trail, winding into the darkness…

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4 years ago · 4 likes · Cole Noble and Ty Ellenbogen

Achievements have their way of leaving a void behind once they come to pass. How could they not?

Some endeavor to fill the void by dotting the horizon with further goals, creating an endless chase to set your sights on. To some extent this is a necessary part of life. But in our interview, Ty addresses why this mentality will only ever bring fleeting fulfillment.

Show Notes

0:30 — What is Philmont, what is Baldy?
1:30 — Baldy is a metaphor for itself
3:00 — Deciding you want the goal for yourself
4:45 — Friends are great at holding you accountable
8:00 — Hitting the trail
9:20 — “The Burro Boy;” caring for your pack animal
13:30 — Stripping away what you don’t need; how do you decide?
16:30 — The beautiful simplicity of the trekking routine
19:00 — Satisfaction in exhaustion and chores
20:55 — The morning of the final approach
22:00 — Where do we go from our defining moments?
24:20 — The Summit loses meaning without context
27:00 — Demystifying the far-off mountains
29:30 — Answering the question, “What Next?”
31:20 — Giving up on chasing goals for their own sake — giving up on 14’ers
33:45 — The hardest question we’ve ever been asked
36:50 — Life-changing advice from Herb McGrail, the man who made 1,000 Eagles
38:00 — Achievements are about how much you’ve grown
39:00 — Re-evaluating our relationship with social media
41:00 — This post bombed, I got sad, but I shouldn’t’ve

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“Who is the real content creator? Is it you, who’s doing what you love? Or is it the audience that’s defining what you put out?”

A little more than a year ago, I took a long break from social media to re-evaluate my relationship with these apps and sites. I felt myself fretting on hikes and outings, needing to take good enough pictures for Instagram.

I allowed an irrational desire to impress others dictate my experiences.

Ty points out that in a similar vein, artists face a similar dilemma. Do you shoot for mass appeal and chase a fickle audience, or do what you love and hope to attract a group who truly enjoys the soul you put into your work?

This requires you think carefully about your definitions of success and achievement.

“In the end, the only one who knows whether you really earned it is you.”

To date, the best advice I’ve been given on achievement comes from Herb McGrail — though he has sadly since passed away.

The man was a brilliant engineer, a notorious stickler, and at the time: both gatekeeper and guide to the young men hoping to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

He once explained to me that the point of earning such a lofty achievement was not in the rank or honor itself. Rather, it was a deeply personal challenge designed to test one’s leadership, resolve, and ultimately push the seeker to become the best possible version of themselves.

This framing of achievement takes things beyond an award, ceremony, or summit.

“In the end,” Herb said, “The only one who knows whether you really earned it is you.”

It’s advice Ty and I encourage all of you to take.

About Our Guest

Ty Ellenbogen is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer based in Nashville, TN.

You can follow Ty on Instagram, his website, Spotify, or wherever you stream music. He’s working to release a new single in the next month or so — but already has an impressive catalogue of music for you to listen to.

While you’re over there on Spotify, do yourself a favor a follow this show as well.

It makes getting the show on the go easy and convenient!

During these interview podcast posts, I share stories from other members of the outdoor community. Range from wild adventures, to survival skills, conservation, and current events.

Look for episodes in your mailbox Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., MST. The stories you’re used to seeing will still arrive at the usual time, Thursday mornings.

EP 03: Ethan McNaghten, Ultra-Marathon Runner

In this installment, I’m bringing you to the shores of a remote alpine lake at the end of a long mountain valley. I wrote about the trek in, and shared more pictures during my previous post — Hiking Through the Seasons — if you want to read about that trip in greater detail.

To get a better feel: I also put together this gorgeous time-lapse

Ethan McNaghten has been living in Colorado for a few short months; about the same amount of time he’s been seriously running.

In that period, he managed to acclimate to the high altitude, build up endurance, and — perhaps most importantly — hone the mental fortitude needed to stay focused on the task.

Support independent writing, and ensure you never miss an edition — all for just a click

Subscribe now

Our discussion about his 60k race covered quite a bit of ground. These are some of the moments that stood out to me:

Show notes

1:00 — Eagle vs. fish
2:00 — Why?
2:45 — The training process
4:45 — Weather dangers while training for long races
6:50 — The energy at the starting line
9:00 — Occupying your mind, raging against boredom
10:30 — Hiking through the seasons
13:45 — “All of a sudden” running 16 miles
16:00 — Setting your own goals, not someone else’s
18:10 — Race day: the highs and lows
21:30 — Pushing through the brutal moments
22:20 — Why you don’t run the race, before you run the race
22:45 — Pickle Juice?!?
25:45 — Keeping your focus through boredom
27:00 — The weather politely asks us to leave
27:30 — Try it, you might like it
28:30 — Picking your first race

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Enjoying the Journey

If you only get one takeaway from this interview, it’s that the destination can’t be the only pleasure you derive from an experience, for a couple reasons.

• Important goals take time to accomplish

• You’ll burn out if you’re not enjoying yourself along the way.

• Focusing solely on the destination puts too much pressure on that final step you take to get there.

Ethan shared this with me: one of the most beautiful views of the race.

It’s a good reminder to look for enjoyment along the way; you might be surprised by what you find.

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I Want to Hear from You

Here’s a license to humble-brag: tell me about something cool you’re really proud of!

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Next Time on Cole’s Climb

An unknown creature — we assumed it was one — moved gracefully with quiet padding paces. But the occasional twig, leaf or rustle in the foliage gave it away in the still night air.

During my first backpacking trip in Colorado, something stalked my hiking party to our campsite. What followed remains one of my most terrifying moments in the outdoors: trekking at dusk through mountain lion territory.

The same kind of thinking that got us into that mess, pervades our day-to-day lives. That’s what I aim to address in next week’s edition, “Picking off the Stragglers.”