Nitecore’s new ultralight power bank, the NB 10000 Gen4, comes with some heavy-hitting features usually found on larger and heavier models: high speed recharging, high speed charging, dual device charging, pass through charging – and what may be most interesting to travelers and battery-maximizers: Eco Mode. But is it worth your money to buy or Continue reading…
The Northern Sangres Traverse Loop starts/finishes at the Rainbow Trail Trailhead on the road up Methodist Mountain outside of Salida, CO. Start by hiking 20 miles southeast on the Rainbow Trail to Hayden Pass Road, then hike up the 5 miles and many thousands of feet of elevation gain to the top of Hayden Pass. Continue reading…
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.
Starting and finishing a summit of Mount Massive adds 26 miles to the 14 1/2 miles East Slopes route of Mount Massive, a perfect challenge for THE LONG RANGER – and in Winter to boot! No traffic once on the trail made the going a tough, slow: slog!
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!
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…
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…
Episode 6 finishes the line up summiting La Plata, Elbert and finally Massive, then descending into the Leadville Fish Hatchery.
If you’re interested in running Nolan’s 14, one of the best way to preview the line is to fastpack it! You’ll get a taste of what it’s like to link up big parts of the route, without having to backtrack, and the load makes for good training. Episode 5 starts up the Missouri Gulch Trailhead Continue reading…
A new version of my Slowlans guide is out! New to this version is a website under my new guise, Long May You Range, revised routes, new maps, PDF downloads, and revised segment narratives to name but a few major changes. What’s Slowlans? Slowlans is a guide to for backpacking the Nolan’s 14 line where Continue reading…
Justin and Drew Bob embark on their ultralight backpack/fastpack of the Sawatch 14ers on the Nolan’s 14 route. Episode 1
Nutrition is a difficult subject for me to broach, as I don’t feel as if I’m an expert on the subject to give advice to others. But, I can share the strategies that I personally take when doing my projects, and invite you to use it as a model for your own experiments. What I Continue reading…