In this episode of Backpacker Radio, Justin Simoni discusses his extensive hiking and biking adventures including traversing Colorado’s highest peaks and creating unique routes. The conversation covers his car-free lifestyle, his gear preferences, and the physical challenges faced during his expeditions.
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.
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…
Hannah Green’s incredible persistence of finishing the Sangre de Cristo Range Traverse can be read in her article at iRunFar, I was quite happy to see that Laura Kaplan and her partner went for Nolans 14, and stuck it out well past the 60 cutoff to complete the line in one big push – something Continue reading…
As soon as the bus pulls into Salida, I’m out the front door, heading down to the old school motel – the one at the outskirts of town with the larger than life flamingo statues, classic cars decorating the front, and rock-bottom room prices. I check in, throw my pack on the bed, then I’m Continue reading…
I’ve been planning my future Sawatch adventure and the more I looked at it, the more I realize that the reputation of the Sawatch being full of gentle heaps of talus hills and nothing else is only true if you decide to ignore some nightmare ridges just off to the side from the more popular Continue reading…
I love drawing lines on maps and dreaming of sufferfests to do. I seem to squeeze out the most enjoyment from long ridge runs. I love being up high, teetering on top of a knife edge between two drainages, without the need of a trail to follow, yet having an obvious route in front of Continue reading…
Update #1: Trip Narrative is up Update #2 Project Pages are up The mountains along the Continental Divide provide the backdrop to the city I live in: Boulder, CO. From town, nothing can be seen beyond their sheer, rocky, glacier-choked east faces and the ridgeline itself invites one to come explore their craggy features, beacoup Continue reading…
previously, and previously Time to tally up all the successes (and failures) from this year’s (mis)adventures:
By around 5:00pm, Peter and I had made our way to Tomato Rock via an overgrown mining road that used to end at a nearby (now closed) quarry. My feet feel as if I’ve been walking on glass for the last 13 hours. My hands, filleted.
2011 (scratch near Silver City), 2012 finish in ~23 days The Tour Divide was a seminal trip for me. Officially, it was my first (then second) mountain bike race. I thought nothing of buying my first mountain bike a few months before the race, and lining up in Banff, Alberta, Canada, pointing the bike South Continue reading…
Winter is a time where I regroup, starting training in earnest, and sketch out goals I want to do for the summer (’cause I don’t ski). Below is my list of things I’d like to take on: Currently Ongoing Self-Powered Longs Peak Project (SPLPP!) The Challenge: Summit Longs Peak once a month by a different Continue reading…
I’m currently writing some notes about my 2017 Tour of the Highest Hundred, where I bikepacked to the trailheads of all 105 Colorado Centennials, and then summited them by foot. This is a work in progress and the notes are currently spread in the post archives of this site: GPX Files/Caltopo Map Found here. Talk Continue reading…
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My long-form trip report of my Mosquito-Tenmile Traverse is up on the Ultimate Direction blog. Grab a coffee and have a read: http://blog.ultimatedirection.com/knowing-when-to-just-go-for-it-the-mosquito-tenmile-range-traverse/
Learn more about the complete Mosquito/Tenmile Range Traverse The Mosquito/Tenmile range in Colorado runs south to north between Buena Vista and Frisco, CO. Inspired by Peter Bakwin’s nearly futuristic vision and attempts to traverse the entire ridgeline from Weston Pass (outside of Leadville, CO) to the Mount Royal trailhead, I awoke early Saturday morning from Continue reading…
Sometimes it’s seems that it’s hard to follow up something like the Tour of the Highest Hundred with the next project. It took years to get myself physically and mentally ready to take something like that on – save nothing for the financial burden of taking so much time off work and the burden of Continue reading…
Centennials Summited (11): Mount of the Holy Cross Holy Cross Ridge Mt. Oklahoma Mt. Massive Mt. Elbert French Mountain Casco Peak Lackawanna Peak Capitol Peak Snowmass Peak Hagerman Peak Total Mileage: By foot: 76.9 miles, 31,821′ elevation gained By bike: 200.1 miles, 15,165′ elevation gained
This was most likely the largest week in the entire tour, in terms of number of peaks summited. Access in the Sawatch is generally easy, resupply is plenty, and most of the peaks don’t pose too much technical problems. Centennials Summited (19): Cronin Peak Mt. Antero Mt. Shavano Tabeguache Peak Mt. Princeton Mt. Harvard Mt. Continue reading…
Centennials Summited (6): Dallas Peak Teakettle Peak Mt. Sneffels Wetterhorn Peak Uncompahgre Peak Mt. Ouray Total Mileage: By foot: 41.1 miles, 17,815′ elevation gain By bike: 249.1 miles, 27,561′ elevation gain
Centennials Summited (13): Pigeon Peak Turret Peak Jupiter Mountain Windom Peak Sunlight Peak North Eolus Eolus Peak Jagged Mountain Vestal Peak Wilson Peak Gladstone Peak Mt. Wilson El Diente Total Mileage: On foot: 98.1 miles, 42,073′ elevation gain On bike: 42.7 miles, 5,342′ elevation gain