Note: these sunglasses were generously supplied to me by Vallon. At a Glance The Watchtowers are Vallon’s entry into cycling sunglasses, which they’ve specifically designed for gravel/adventure-type riding – which is why they tapped me to give them some test rides and see what I think of them. I took these shades on what I Continue reading…
In April of 2023 I set up to walk the Continental Divide ridge from Loveland Pass to the next paved road 40 miles away at Hoosier Pass. I thought it would be an easy walk in the mountains. Turned out to be anything but!
A righteous time in the Sangre de Cristos. It’s no secret that this is one of my favorite ranges, but I’ve never visited in Winter – time to ameliorate that! Not the easiest location to get to car-free, but there is a bus that arrives at Alamosa at 7pm. I figured I could ride the Continue reading…
Head on over to OutdoorGearLab’s updated Ultralight Tent review roundup, where I go over some of the best ultralight tents available and help you pick out the best tent for you!
With Winter coming, I wanted to take a fast trip up something big before Christmas. Once there’s snow on the ground and the days get short, dependable and safe access just to get to the trailhead without a car can be a little dicey. I thought of Pikes Peak, just outside of Colorado Springs: there’s Continue reading…
I’ve added a page to help flesh out what the Sawatch Continental Divide Ridge Traverse is all about. For now, this is an open project – one that I may myself revisit in the future.
At long last! I’ve compiled my footage from this audacious attempt to cross the Sawatch Range on foot and unsupported via the Continental Divide.
Monday Spin Bike, 1hr Tuesday Bouldering @ Movement, 1 hr Worked on a V7, but only mild progression. Later did a set of 12 pullups, which probably matches my all-time best. Happy with that, strangely. Spin Bike, 1hr Wednesday Backpack into Boreas Pass Time to tie up loose ends! The Loveland to Hoosier Pass Traverse Continue reading…
At first blush, the La Sportiva Karacal and Jackal II look like very similar shoes, the only difference seemingly being the upper design. But that’s not true. What are the differences and why would you pick one over the other? What’s the Same? There are similarities between the Karacal and the Jackal II: the outsole Continue reading…
My favorite La Sportiva mountain running shoe is the Mutant, but for my last FKT attempt of the Colorado Trail, I picked the Jackal II. Why? Here are six reasons: Lower Weight The Mutant coming in at 320 grams (in size EU 42/US 9) is not a heavy shoe, but the Jackal II is only Continue reading…
The gear you bring for an adventure like the Sangre de Cristo Range Traverse can be critical to the success of the trip itself. The momentously mountainous route asks much from you to be ready for anything. With a low point of 7,073′, a high point of 14,304′ and an average elevation of 11,857′, temperature Continue reading…
The dream of completing the Sangre de Cristo Range Traverse just didn’t seem like something I could put down even after my first successful tour in 2019 going South to North. I made it then my mission to do the traverse from the opposite direction, starting in Salida and ending at Lake Como Road. This Continue reading…
Join Justin Simoni as: THE LONG RANGER as he attempts to tackle the Sangre de Cristo Range Traverse North to South. Thinks don’t always go to plan…
A good time on Longs Peak, as always. After the NW Gully, I wanted a chiller summit, so I picked Iron Gates, which stays relatively snow-free most of the year for whatever reason – as opposed to the Loft, which looked pretty fat with snow (I also want to keep the Loft for a future Continue reading…
My thanks to Ryan Maguire for an excellent time in Morrison, CO as we recorded in his pretty luxe home podcast studio. The 50 mile ride from Boulder was a good way to wake up pre-recording! Give this episode a listen, and subscribe to Ryan’s podcast, Who the WYLD Things Are. Listen on Spotify: Listen Continue reading…
Life has become busy, so I haven’t compiled my weekly workout journal in a few weeks – happens. Follow me on Strava for the highlights. Sunday, I did go up to Longs Peak in an attempt to get an April tick. Somewhat obligatory, as I have a March tick – and I like to see Continue reading…
Monday Rest! Tuesday Bouldering @ Movement, 1 hr Spin Bike, 1hr Wednesday Bouldering @ Movement, 1 hr Spin Bike, 1hr Thursday Green Mountain Quick bop Friday Bouldering @ Movement, 2 hours Better than the session before. Spin Bike, 1hr Saturday Climbing @ Movement On a rope even. Having been beaten to a pulp from my Continue reading…
A tough week, as I was trying to recover from the sub 48 hour trip up Keplinger’s Couloir on Longs Peak (riding a bike there and back, of course), while also trying to maintain and if at all possible, build upon my fitness for my Loveland/Hoosier Pass Traverse trip I want to be ready to Continue reading…
I delayed my traverse trip, as weather looked a little iffy, so instead I decided to stay a little closer to home, and test out some new gear and systems on an sub 48 bikepacking overnighter – and in the process, tick a summit of Longs Peak in Winter, before winter was over. I decided Continue reading…
Presented here is episode 1 through 6 of the Slowlans series for your viewing convenience and enjoyment. When I started editing all this, I had no idea it would be such a large project, coming to almost an hour of runtime that took two+ months to finish. Enjoy.
It’s high time to start dreamin’ of high adventures! Winter is coming to a close and before it does, I plan to eek out a grand adventure out there: a ridge traverse! Loveland Pass and Hooiser Pass are ~42 miles away from each other if you follow the Continental Divide ridgeline that separates them. In Continue reading…
Pretty busy week, excuse the brevity. Monday Bouldering @ Movement, 1 hr Spin Bike, 1hr Tuesday Bouldering @ Movement, 1 hr Green Mountain Wednesday Rest! Thursday Bouldering @ Movement, 2 hours Spin Bike, 1 hr Friday Green Mountain Quick bop up and down, quite snowy. Saturday Bouldering @ Movement, 2 hours Tried yet again on Continue reading…
Episode 6 finishes the line up summiting La Plata, Elbert and finally Massive, then descending into the Leadville Fish Hatchery.