Yet, if you take your life goals and put them before you, that can get overwhelming. As with any goal, it’s better to chunk it into smaller pieces – hence why I decided to go the annual bucket list route. So, in 2020, my annual bucket list takes into account some of those things that I’ve talked about doing for years, but haven’t actually done, and put them on my list.

Revisiting my 2019 Bucket List

Last year I had 10 goals, six of which I achieved, two are ongoing, and two remain unfinished. Let’s take a look at these.

1) Ski 135 days or more – I rounded out the season with 146 ski days, with my last one on July 2nd. When I was hurt on July 6th, I was about to get 147 days. My modified goal was to ski every month of the year. I was striving for two more days in July, day 149 in August, and day 150 in September. Obviously the injury kept me from this, but I achieved my original goal.

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Friends weave in and out of your life. New friends suddenly become old friends, old friends disappear, and new friends are made. I was happy to have a new old friend weave back into my life today, with a fun pre-4th of July celebration ski! Thanks Kim for letting me drag you out for another fantastic day in the mountains! Always fun times together #skiday146 – @smithoptics @lekiusa @backcountryfuel – #4thofjuly #ski #skiing #skithe14ers #14erskiers #14erskiing #backcountryskiing #backcountry #summer #summerskiing #turnsallyear #earnyourturns #mountcameron

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2) Stay a night in a hut and ski before working the next day – I never got around to doing this. I can make excuses, like we spent 2 weeks in Europe and then by the time we got back the avy danger was too high… and after that, work just got too busy. Part of that is true. Part of it is maybe I just didn’t want it enough.

3) Ski at least one new peak in five different mountain ranges in Colorado – This was kind of a goal I forgot about but I ended up achieving anyway. I skied:
*Guyot – Front Range
*Clinton – Tenmile Range – Actually, half the peak is in the Tenmile Range and the other half in to Mosquito Range.
*Cronin, Aetna, Independence Mountain – Sawatch Range
*Powell, Demming – Gore Range
*Richmond – Elks
*Cameron – Mosquito Range

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Ski day #144 put a smile on my face. Lines are melting out, but there's still plenty of snow to be had! @smithoptics @blizzardskis @tecnica_sports @lasportivana @blackdiamond_snow #ski #skiing #backcountryskiing #earnyourturns #summerskiing #summer #skimountaineering

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I also did more repeats this year than I probably ever have. Some of the more memorable ones include Wilson Peak, South Maroon, Quandary, Jenkins, Golden Tops & Cassi.

4) Ski either the Skillet on Mt. Moran (Wyoming) or Mt. Jefferson in Oregon – In early May, I was able to ski Mount Moran in a long one-day push from String Lake.

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And just like that, I checked off another objective that has been on my list for 15 years. We pulled off the Skillet yesterday in a hard one day push from String Lake – 17 miles, 6200 total vert, 14.5 hours – avoiding a canoe or skate across Jackson Lake and bypassing all willow hell. The Skillet serves up 5700 vertical feet of skiing and is worth the voyage to the Tetons. What a great #skiday122! All photos courtesy of @lawrencefontaine. #ski #skiing #tetons #theskillet @lekiusa @smithoptics @blackdiamond_snow #backcountryskiing #backcountry

A post shared by Brittany Walker Konsella (@brittanykonsella) on May 6, 2019 at 10:22am PDT

5) Ski in a foreign country, in a place where I haven’t skied before – In late February and early March, Frank and I headed to Europe to ski in Tyrol. We also skied a little in Italy but had much better conditions in Austria.

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#skiday74 Hit up this sweet couloir on Gamsspitze on our way from Jamtalhutte to Weisbadenerhutte! @lekiusa @smithoptics @blackdiamond @tecnica_sports #europe #ski #skiing #backcountryskiing #skitouring

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6) Complete a pole, pedal, paddle event – I actually won the CB3P women’s “fun” category in April.

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Well, I did it. I finished the Crested Butte Pole Pedal Paddle race in one piece. Waking up to pouring rain/snow mix was unmotivating for sure. But coffee, eggs, and bacon got me going. Riding 2/3 of the way to Gunnison in the rain was the worst part, but I made sure to dress for the occasion. Amazingly enough, I didn't go for a swim in the Gunnison. And even better, I somehow managed to stand on the top of the podium of the women's solo "fun" division. And what fun it was, for sure. CB3P, you will see me back . Thanks to @crested_butte_is_home for documenting the day, to @alexriedman for inspiring me to do it in the first place, and to all the other racers to persevered during horrible weather, and still had a blast . Also thanks to @crestedbuttesports for giving my skis a good tune and to @rocknrollsports for making sure my bike actually shifted! #skiday118 @lekiusa @smithoptics @crestedbutte3p #cb3p #crestedbutte #polepedalpaddle #cbpolepedalpaddle #crestedbuttepolepedalpaddle #ski #bike #ducky #gunnison @skicrestedbutte

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7) Bike-hike five new peaks – This is left unfinished. I pretty much missed the entire bike season due to my injury.

8) Complete the last 100 km of the Camino de Santiago – When I got hurt, I put this goal by the wayside. But this little voice in my head kept telling me that I could do it if I wanted. For numerous reasons, Frank and I had basically decided to cancel the trip with my parents. But, then we realized how much of it was basically not refundable. I decided we should make it happen…. because, when will we ever do it again? In late August, I was able to start hiking so I knew hiking some of the Camino was possible. How much of it, I didn’t know. Even as we hopped on the plan in October to head to Spain, I still had my doubts. Almost 80 miles over the course of 5 days back to back would be hard on my body. And the longest day was 20 miles, right in the middle. But the Camino is also non-threatening. It’s not a wilderness experience by any means, which is perfect for someone who is in partial recovery mode like I was. Every few miles, there were opportunities to grab a taxi to take you to your destination for the evening, if needed. I thought for sure I’d need one of those taxis on that middle day, as it poured rain down on us all day long, and it was the longest day of our hike. But, I got half way, and felt good enough to keep going. No doubt, those last few miles were a real push. But, I did it. So, goal accomplished.

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Today was hard. What was supposed to be an 18 mile hike turned into a 21 mile hike – partially because we got off route for 3/4 mile and also because the routes are always longer than they say. And it rained… The.. Whole… Day… And not just the misty kind of rain either. We started from Palas de Rei in the dark, as dawn doesn't break until 8:15 am because we are so far west in the time zone. And we finished like drowned rats, soaked through and through 9 hours later, in Arzua. I'll admit, it was mentally tough, and physically too. I set out the day with the goal of making it half way, stopping in the town of Melide, with plans to take a taking a taxi the rest of the way. But Melide came, and I felt okay to go on. We skipped lunch, but I stayed fed on cookies and made sure to drink lots of water, and took a picture of the octopus we were supposed to enjoy for lunch. Admittedly, the last 3 miles dragged on, and I was sore, tired, and drenched to the bone… and wondering why I didn't just take that taxi. But as I sit by the fire in the historic manor (built in the 1500's) turned B & B where we are staying, I am glad to have prevailed and thankful my family encouraged me the whole way. This is the Camino, afterall, a place where miracles happen! @lekiusa @smithoptics @lasportivana @blackdiamond #palasderei #arzua #camino #caminodesantiago #traumarecovery #traumasurvivor #3monthsposttrauma #PostCervicalSpinalFusion #PostFemurFracture

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9) Educate people about our public lands, their importance, and why maintaining our access to them is essential – Can a goal like this ever really be accomplished? Yeah, I did it. But, it continues to be ongoing. This is something I will keep doing for the rest of my life.

10) Inspire someone new to live an outdoor lifestyle – Same as goal #9, I this continues to be an ongoing goal. I probably best achieved this through my social media posts, aiming to inspire others to follow an outdoor lifestyle balanced around other parts of life like work. But, I also wanted to reach out to some “never-evers” – take someone on their first ski or first hike or first bike ride. In a town like Crested Butte, those people are hard to find. So, I can’t say I achieved what I wanted to out of this goal. So, it too remains ongoing.

My 2020 Bucket List

My 2020 Bucket List evolves from my list created in 2019. Some of the list contains modified versions of my unfinished goals in 2019. Some of it involves new things that I have created. And a couple of others are things I’ve talked about doing for a long time, but haven’t actually done them. Some of these goals are harder to achieve than others. Some of them I just needed to put on a list so I actually do them.

My 2020 Bucket List is can be chunked into three categories:

Things that I’ve talked about doing for a long time,but haven’t gotten around to it:
1) Alley Loop – This is a cross-country ski race. And while XC skiing is far from my first or second love, I still appreciate it for what it is and the Alley Loop is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. The race involves several different lengths – a 1 K, 3 K, 5 K, 10 K, 21 K, 42 K -some “freestyle” and others dedicated classic or skate. People who enter are of varying abilities and seriousness. For me, I plan on getting decked out in costume for either the 5 K or 10 K events. The race is on February 1st.

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Today was hard. What was supposed to be an 18 mile hike turned into a 21 mile hike – partially because we got off route for 3/4 mile and also because the routes are always longer than they say. And it rained… The.. Whole… Day… And not just the misty kind of rain either. We started from Palas de Rei in the dark, as dawn doesn't break until 8:15 am because we are so far west in the time zone. And we finished like drowned rats, soaked through and through 9 hours later, in Arzua. I'll admit, it was mentally tough, and physically too. I set out the day with the goal of making it half way, stopping in the town of Melide, with plans to take a taking a taxi the rest of the way. But Melide came, and I felt okay to go on. We skipped lunch, but I stayed fed on cookies and made sure to drink lots of water, and took a picture of the octopus we were supposed to enjoy for lunch. Admittedly, the last 3 miles dragged on, and I was sore, tired, and drenched to the bone… and wondering why I didn't just take that taxi. But as I sit by the fire in the historic manor (built in the 1500's) turned B & B where we are staying, I am glad to have prevailed and thankful my family encouraged me the whole way. This is the Camino, afterall, a place where miracles happen! @lekiusa @smithoptics @lasportivana @blackdiamond #palasderei #arzua #camino #caminodesantiago #traumarecovery #traumasurvivor #3monthsposttrauma #PostCervicalSpinalFusion #PostFemurFracture

A post shared by Brittany Walker Konsella (@brittanykonsella) on Oct 19, 2019 at 12:52pm PDT

2) Magic Meadows Dinner – Cross country skiing is something I can do this early part of winter while I wait until I can actually start downhill skiing again. The Crested Butte Nordic Center is known for their Magic Meadows Yurt Dinners. You XC ski out to the Magic Meadows Yurt on the Slate River, and enjoy a feast from a top-end chef. Of course, it’s not exactly cheap. But, I feel like since we live in Crested Butte, it’s something we should just do. So, this February we have reservations to finally do a Magic Meadows Yurt Dinner.

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I can't downhill ski but I still find ways to play in the snow that I love! Enjoyed some more nordorking this afternoon. Though town is crowded, the trails are not. But Clark's Market is whole other story… @lekiusa @smithoptics @blackdiamond #nordork #nordic #nordicskiing #traumarecovery #imgonnabestrong #brokenneck #PostCervicalSpinalFusion #PostFemurFracture

A post shared by Brittany Walker Konsella (@brittanykonsella) on Dec 28, 2019 at 7:33pm PST

Unfinished goals from 2019:
3) Stay a night in a hut and ski before working the next day – As mentioned above, I never accomplished this goal last year and it’s still something I want to do. Though, this year, this goal will likely evolve to include cross-country skiing. Also, this goal may be a bit difficult for me as carrying a heavy backpack is difficult while I recover from my broken neck.

4) Bike or hike five new peaks – Last year, this goal was more focused on the bike, meaning using a bike to access a peak and possibly even biking from the summit if that is allowed. Due to the extent of my injuries, I am not sure how my bike season will go. Biking may be something that hurts my neck for awhile. That’s why I’ve modified this goal a bit. If I can only hike to the summit of these peaks, then so-be-it. But, the goal is to get to the top of five new peaks either way.

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Today I got to stand above 14,000 feet again – a goal that I had internally set for myself to accomplish this fall as I sat in the hospital less than 3 months ago (with doctors telling me I'd need to go to a rehab center upon discharge and I said no way!). Better yet, we reached the summit of Colorado's highest 14er in just 3.5 hours, despite howling winds. – Admittedly, I was uncertain how the altitude would make me feel given that I am on a double dose of blood thinners and still have an occluded vertebral artery, impacting blood flow to my brain. But I barely was short of breath even as I approached the summit. Maybe it was because I was smiling so much – This is the time of year I usually summit Mt. Elbert with a bike, but that will have to wait until next year… For now, this is just another day of #winning and #crushingrecovery. – Thanks to @snow_alien for hiking the whole way with me and to @crested_butte_is_home who did the biking I could not do This day was the BEST day-after-birthday ever! – @lekiusa @lasportivana @smithoptics #mtelbert ##12weeksposttrauma #traumarecovery #traumasurvivor #PostCervicalSpinalFusion #PostFemurFracture

A post shared by Brittany Walker Konsella (@brittanykonsella) on Sep 30, 2019 at 8:16pm PDT

New goals
5) 100 new miles toward TrailQuest – Many of you who follow this blog most be familiar with TrailQuest. As I recovered from my ACL injury in 2017 the local tourism association created TrailQuest, which was a challenge to ride 750 unique miles of trails surrounding Crested Butte and Gunnison. The rules of the game evolved, including what trails counted and what didn’t. And in the end, it turns out there’s more like 800 miles of biking trails. This year, “Wilderness TrailQuest” was created, which included all of the non-bikeable trails. In other words, these trails must be done on foot, or possibly a horse. I don’t have a horse, so I’ll be going the foot route. In 2018, I became the first person to bike all 750 unique miles of trails. But, there are still trails that remain to be ridden for me. This fall, as I was able to start hiking again, I put some serious damage into Wilderness TrailQuest, hiking over 60 unique miles. While I hope to be able to do some significant rides next year, I also want to keep moving forward on Wilderness TrailQuest. So my goal is to achieve 100 new unique miles, either by bike or by foot.

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Today I got to stand above 14,000 feet again – a goal that I had internally set for myself to accomplish this fall as I sat in the hospital less than 3 months ago (with doctors telling me I'd need to go to a rehab center upon discharge and I said no way!). Better yet, we reached the summit of Colorado's highest 14er in just 3.5 hours, despite howling winds. – Admittedly, I was uncertain how the altitude would make me feel given that I am on a double dose of blood thinners and still have an occluded vertebral artery, impacting blood flow to my brain. But I barely was short of breath even as I approached the summit. Maybe it was because I was smiling so much – This is the time of year I usually summit Mt. Elbert with a bike, but that will have to wait until next year… For now, this is just another day of #winning and #crushingrecovery. – Thanks to @snow_alien for hiking the whole way with me and to @crested_butte_is_home who did the biking I could not do This day was the BEST day-after-birthday ever! – @lekiusa @lasportivana @smithoptics #mtelbert ##12weeksposttrauma #traumarecovery #traumasurvivor #PostCervicalSpinalFusion #PostFemurFracture

A post shared by Brittany Walker Konsella (@brittanykonsella) on Sep 30, 2019 at 8:16pm PDT

6) Connect with other trauma survivors and help them – This will likely be one of those goals that remains ongoing. While I am still not sure what form this will take, I do know that the few connections that I have made with other trauma survivors have been meaningful. Some have reached out to me and have helped me, and others I have helped too. I think this goal will evolve more through the year and I am interested to see where it takes me.

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Well, who knew that getting run over by my own car would be what it took to get on the front page of a newspaper? Thanks, @shoemaker.will of the Gunnison Country Times, for the interview and article. And, for what it's worth, I would recommend that others do some other extraordinary feat that doesn't involve mangling your own body to make the front page https://www.gunnisontimes.com/content/making-short-work-road-recovery-0 PS. The car in the background is not Voldemort, just a look-alike. #trauma #traumasurvivor #traumawarrior #brokenneck #postcervicalspinefusion #postfemurfracture #imgonnabestrong

A post shared by Brittany Walker Konsella (@brittanykonsella) on Dec 29, 2019 at 7:57pm PST

Ongoing
These goals remain ongoing and much of that I discussed above. Perhaps it’s good to have goals that you’re never really finished with, although admittedly, adding these goals can make this list seem overwhelming in my head.
7) Educate people about our public lands, their importance, and why maintaining our access to them is essential

8) Inspire someone new to live an outdoor lifestyle

The Wrap
What things are propelling you into 2020? What goals do you want to achieve? I have found putting goals in a list helps me to actually work toward achieving them. Making them public, even more so. What will you strive for in 2020?

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With the incoming of 2020, it's ingrained in our culture to flush away all that was wrong with the year, and look at is at time to start anew. I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about engaging in some form of cleansing rituals that many friends have suggested. But then I realized that's not what I need. I need to embrace the good with the bad, and 2019 had extremes on both ends of the spectrum. – While I wouldn't want to go through getting run over by a car, having 3 surgeries, and spending 2 weeks of July in the hospital again, I also don't want to trade that experience. Had it not happened, I would have never realized the deep inner strength that lies in my core that can only shine with adversity, or how many friends and family can rise to the occasion when I most need them. I don't want to push away this tragedy. Rather, I want to embrace it. But, I don't want it to define me either. Instead, I want it become a part of me, woven into the vast and complex tapestry of what makes me who I am. "I am not my scars, but my scars will always be a part of me," – that's my mantra. – So on this eve of 2020, I challenge you to face the adversity you encountered in this last year. Instead of pushing them away, carry what you have gained from those experiences into the new year. These are the things that make you grow, make you resilient, and make you strong. These make you the warrior of life. – Enjoy the tapestry of photos that highlight my year of extremes. Here's to a great 2020. May your year be full of strength @lekiusa @smithoptics @blackdiamond_snow @lasportivana #traumarecovery #traumasurvivor #brokenfemur #brokenneck #traumawarrior #imnotmyscars #imgonnabestrong #newyear #2020 #backcountryskiing #backcountry #ski #skiing #skiingislife

A post shared by Brittany Walker Konsella (@brittanykonsella) on Dec 31, 2019 at 9:17am PST

The post My 2020 Bucket List appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

So, here’s my plan. The meaning of words can evolve over time, and I want “bucket list” to be redefined as a list of goals can that can imply a shorter amount of time as well as a lifetime. So, I have created my 2019 Bucket List – a list of things I wish to accomplish during 2019. Some of the goals are things I have done in the past, but want to continue doing. Some are completely new. Some I’m already kind of doing. Others, I just have been wanting to do, but making a list like this public will hold me accountable.

As I put these goals into writing, no one is aware of their existence – not even my own husband. They are solely mine. Of course, Frank is usually game for most of the adventures I come up with. I’m lucky to have a husband like that.

After some careful thinking and soul-digging, here’s my 2019 Bucket List, in no particular order of importance.

1) Ski 135 days or more
While living in the Boulder area, my ski days hovered in the 80 to 90 range. Since moving to Crested Butte in 2008, my average ski days are in the high 120’s, pushing into the 130’s a few times. During the 2013-14 season, I reached my highest number of ski days ever at 134. In 2015-16, I was on track to finish at 135, but then a knee injury took me down for the remainder of the season, and all of the following season too. Last season, I came back strong, but the lackluster snowfall and other personal life events took a toll on my ski days, reaching only 108 for the season. I’ve been trying to cross over the 135-day mark for years now, and this year I’m more determined than ever to make it happen

What does a ski day look like? This can mean different things to different people. At a New Year’s Eve party someone asked me if I counted my cross-country skiing as ski days. The answer is no. A ski day counts when I make some legitimate turns, whether they are made with the help of a lift, snowmobile, or purely human-powered. Sometimes this means that I skin up Crested Butte Mountain resort and then ski back down – as a working person, sometimes that’s all I can do. Most agree that this “counts”. Frank, however, is adamant that it should not count. I disagree

2) Stay a night in a hut and ski before working the next day

Have you heard of “microadventures“? I was first introduced to this idea a handful of years ago through a podcast that interviewed Alistair Humphreys. In his words, and overnight adventure “that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding.” I was drawn to this concept because the word “adventure” usually implies going big, or traveling far. But, here we have Mr. Humphreys redefining the word “adventure”. Adventures can happen anywhere doing just about anything.

I’ve always liked going to huts and Crested Butte has a handful of good ones surrounding our area. But, I’m ashamed to admit that I have yet to partake in hut adventures in my own backyard. This year, I want to change that. And how exhilarating will that be to ski from a hut and go to work? Sounds like the perfect microadventure to me!

3) Ski at least one new peak in five different mountain ranges in Colorado

I’m an explorer. I thrive on experiencing the unknown. While I love skiing the Crested Butte backcountry, it’s also fun to explore other areas. Colorado is full of some great mountain ranges that offer heaps of fantastic backcountry skiing. We’ve explored some things previously unknown to us in these ranges during our 14er-skiing and guidebook research. But, there are thousands more peaks to explore. This year, I hope continue exploring other mountain ranges through this goal.

4) Ski either the Skillet on Mt. Moran (Wyoming) or Mt. Jefferson in Oregon.

To some of you, this may seem like a random goal. But, I know many backcountry skiers understand how a certain peak or line can fester in your brain, so much that you can sometimes be obsessed with them. I’ve had a few of these in my past – Pyramid Peak, Capitol Peak, and Shasta were among them. Mount Rainer, which I skied last May, was also another. But the Skillet is something I have drooled on before I even had my eyes on any of the aforementioned peaks. Unfortunately, Frank ended up skiing it while I was sidelined with my ACL injury in 2008. And Mount Jefferson is a peak I fell in love with during my first trip to Bend in 2013 and was turned around part way up the mountain last May. We will see if timing between work, life, and all my other adventures permits me to ski either one of these peaks!

5) Ski in a foreign country, in a place where I haven’t skied before

Our original 14er-skiing goals and then our guidebook research made traveling to ski outside of Colorado difficult for us, let alone international adventures. An international ski vacation has been on our list for quite some time and this year, we’ve set our minds to get it done. While we are still waiting to see how winter shapes up through the world, we have our eyes set on Europe. Skiing the Dolomites or La Grave would be on the top of my list!

6) Complete a pole, pedal, paddle event
Pole, pedal, paddle events have been evolving over the last decade to attract tourism to mountain towns during “off-season” – mainly spring. In these events, competitors skin up something and then ski down, bike somewhere, and kayak (or some other form of water transport, but in CO it’s typically kayak). Competitors often do all three, or depending on the event, can enter as a team to split up the activities. I would like to complete one of these events. The CB3P would be the most obvious one for me to do, considering it held right here in Crested Butte and Gunnison. On April 28th, this race will take people for a 4 mile ski up and down Crested Butte Mountain Resort, then on a 27 mile road ride to Gunnison, followed by a 4.5 mile paddle down the Taylor River. If for some reason this date doesn’t work for me, I can also do the 3P Salida in mid-April.

7) Bike-hike five new peaks

Bike-hike? What does that mean? It means I want to take my bike as high as I can go on a mountain and then ride down it. Some peaks like Mount Elbert, are rideable from the summit. Others, like Mount Antero and Lenawee, require a hike for the final summit push, but most of the descent can be done on a bike. The goal will be to find a handful of these peaks worth the bike-hike, likely within Colorado.

8) Complete the last 100 km of the Camino de Santiago

There are certain walks that must be done. Hiking for days through the Andes to reach Machu Picchu on the solstice was an unbelievable experience. The Camino de Santiago, in Spain, is another one of those walks whose journey is more than just the destination. We are planning to hike from Sarria to Santiago del Compostela this October on a family and friend trip with my dad.

9) Educate people about our public lands, their importance, and why maintaining our access to them is essential
I’m an advocate for preserving our public lands. But, I’m also an advocate for maintaining our access to them. In fact, I helped start a non-profit based on this concept, called Share the Slate, of which I am now President. I also participate on the board of Backcountry United, which has a similar agenda. My countless hours of volunteer work dedicated to these organizations on behalf of preserving access to our public lands will help to achieve this goal.

10) Inspire someone new to live an outdoor lifestyle
Our public lands are essential to our world, our health, and our life. However, the importance of preserving them is not realized if you don’t have a connection to them. The best way to connect with our public lands is to experience them through outdoor adventures. That’s one of the reasons why I think living an outdoor lifestyle is essential to our future and I want to inspire others to do that too. How this will take form is yet to be determined. But, I would love to take someone with limited outdoor experience on their first hike, mountain bike ride, or ski!

So, there’s my 2019 Bucket List. Admittedly, it will be hard to check all ten of these items off the list in just a year. But, it’s a challenge I’m going to try to rise to the top of.

The post My 2019 Bucket List appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

Sure, winter has been slow to arrive. Snow is sparse in a lot of places, especially in Central and Southern Colorado. But the northern half of the state is holding relatively strong. And there’s pretty darn good skiing up there. We even had a chance to enjoy it!

The truth is, we’ve been busy. We’ve been busy on our many book tour events, having fun socializing with our friends and fans. We have been busy selling and shipping our new guidebook. We’ve been busy moving into our new condo. And we’ve been busy enjoying time with family. We are always pretty darn busy. But, in case you didn’t get it, we’ve been busier than normal. And something had to give for a while. What happened to be sacrificed was our website.

But just for a bit! With our book tour events winding down for the season, and winter winding up, we have adventures to share. We also have loads of reviews to do from all of our research during Outdoor Retailer / SIA. So, don’t worry. We’re not going away! We are here to stay!

Before we move on and return to all of our normal sort of things, we wanted to reach out to all of you and thank you. Our sales for our new guidebook have been amazing. So amazing, in fact, that Mountaineers books is in the process of doing a second printing. And the truth is, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all of your support! So whether your friend, the fan, or family, thank you for all you have done to support us!

Here’s to winter! And let’s hope that we get more snow soon. Because we still have a lot of playing to do for the season!

The post It’s been a long time appeared first on 14erskiers.com.

In 2012, I suffered another injury – 2 herniated discs in my lower back. I spent the summer of 2012 focusing on healing and making my body whole again, and I was able to evade surgery. Through the healing process, I had to take a step back from the bike as it was painful for my lower back. But, hiking was not. And so I hiked.

I hiked for a few miles at first. But, by the end of the summer, it was normal for me to rack up hikes that were 14 to 18 miles in length.

Although injuries suck, I’ve always said that good things can come of injuries as well. For one, that was the year I started our Crested Butte Hiking Guide. It’s also the year that I really started to tackle learning about the wildflowers in our area. It turns out that when you slow down, you notice a lot more. With hiking, I was forced to slow down compared to biking, and I started to observe much more about our lovely Crested Butte wildflowers.

That has evolved over time. The last two years, we have been posting photos of wildflowers on Wednesdays through our social media accounts under #wildflowerwednesday. Now, it’s time to do something with those posts. Hence, the birth of our guide to Crested Butte Wildflowers.

For now, we only have photos we have already published under #wildflowerwednesday – and although there’s a lot of flowers, it’s still just a small sample of the flowers that color Crested Butte. But, don’t worry, we have a backlog of photos that we’ll be publishing this summer, and for many more wildflower seasons to come. It turns out, there’s a whole lot of kinds of wildflowers in Crested Butte!

Be sure to check out our guide to Crested Butte Wildflowers, and follow our #wildflowerwednesday posts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

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I love rafting. During my previous years teaching at Standley Lake High School in Westminster I was always a chaperone for a geology science field trip that involved 3 days through the Ruby Horsethief Canyon of the Colorado River from Loma to the take out just before Westwater. Since I left my teaching position there 10 years ago, I don’t think I have been on a raft. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like it any less. So, when Larry offered to take me rafting sometime, I was happy to go.

Last August, this stretch of the Upper Colorado was still running pretty strong due to a dam release. So, even though it was late in the season, the rafting was fun. Others knew it too, and this section was quite crowded.

It was a good time for me to go rafting, because I was just 2 weeks out of my first of a 2 stage knee surgery. I was still recovering and could only ride easy singletrack. I needed another week or so of recovery before I could return to more difficult trails. So, rafting seemed like a pretty good idea.

We put in at Pumphouse and took out at Radium, all just up river from State Bridge.

Similar to the Ruby Horsethief segment of the Colorado River, rafting Little Gore Canyon is pretty much a float trip.

We saw numerous rafts on the river.

Interesting cave….

Did I mention that people who raft like to party?

A little bit more floating and then it was time to take out at Radium.

It was a fun float rafting Little Gore Canyon of the Upper Colorado River and interesting to check out another section of this mighty river. I’ve often thought about getting rafting gear and taking up that sport more seriously, but then I realize it would take too much time away from skiing and biking in the spring/summer. Still, rafting is fun, and I’m looking forward to exploring more places through the water again someday!

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In Will’s case, and with several other similar instances, the first people on the scene were other athletes. If you came upon this type of situation, would YOU know what to do?

After years of both skiing and mountain biking in the backcountry, Frank and I can without a doubt say that we have encountered far more accident scenes on our mountain bikes than on skis. You would think that with the added risk of avalanches, that events like this would be more common with backcountry skiing. But, in our case, we have come upon or been involved with many more severe injuries on our bikes than on skis.

Even just last fall I was riding in Fruita with my friend Natalie and came upon a woman with her 12 year old son. She had fallen and taken an impact of the end of a handlebar into her abdomen. It took us an hour and a half to get her roughly a mile back to the parking lot. And we were lucky here, as we weren’t really actually in the backcountry.

For some reason, many people feel that mountain biking is a relatively safe activity, especially compared to backcountry skiing. And perhaps it is. But, accidents on mountain bikes happen. A lot. And the injuries can be a lot more serious than people realize sometimes. When you are miles deep in the backcountry in a place where cell phones won’t work, will you know what to do to help a fallen friend and riders?

That’s where Backcountry Lifeline comes in – first aid for mountain bikers, by mountain bikers.

These last couple of months, I caught up with Bonnie McDonald and Flynn George, two of the founders of Backcountry Lifeline to get their story. Here’s what they shared.

1) Backcountry Life Line was inspired by the passing of Will Olson in 2015. Describe how you developed the concept for BCLL from that tragedy as well as others.

Will’s death was hugely impactful to all of us, in different ways. Flynn and Heidi were at the race: Flynn was one of the riders who tried to help with resuscitation efforts, while Heidi ended up with a race radio in hand. On the other side of the country, at my mother’s house, I was waiting for Will to call me after the race, as he said he would when we spoke that morning.

You’d be an ass (and publicly shamed), if you went out backcountry skiing without a beacon, shovel, probe, skins that work, etc. It puts everyone in danger. The same should be true with mountain biking. If you’re going out on the trails with your friends, you have an obligation – to both them and yourself – to be prepared: to have the right equipment, in good working order; to know trail etiquette and be a good steward; and to know what to do in the event you, your friend, or another rider has a crash. We are all we’ve got out there. Anything less is irresponsible.

How it started….
Heidi and Flynn, along with another rider, EMT Matt Hightower, started talking about starting some sort effort following the incident. The were going to call it “The Will Power Initiative,” and began drafting some plans for it.

In the weeks following the accident, Will’s dad, Gary, and I, had started having a similar conversation. There was some money left over from a “Go Fund Me” campaign that one of the riders had graciously started to help us with expenses, and we wanted to put it good use – in a way that would support the sport that Will loved so much.

Heidi soon reached out to me via Pinkbike, where I had created an account (“WillsGirl”) to thank the countless people who had shared their kind words and support. We all met for the first time at the final Big Mountain Enduro race of the season, where Will was honored. (Despite the tragedy, and missing the last race, he still would have podiumed, it was announced – the other racers in his class drank a shot on the podium for him.)

As Heidi, Flynn and I continued to talk, we learned that Will was only one of a number of deaths/serious injuries that occurred that summer. It felt like it was the right time – and there was a real need – to bring conversation and awareness about safety, accidents, and emergency preparedness to the forefront of the mountain bike community. It seemed like as a community/industry, we were behind other sports in this regard (for example, backcountry skiing), where the appropriate training and tools are barriers of entry – the minimum requirements – needed, in order to play.

This is how and why Backcountry Lifeline was born. We launched our website in Feb 2015, and held our first training two months later.

2) Tell us more about your course offerings.

We offer two basic courses: our single-day First Aid for Mountain BikersTM course, and our three-day Wilderness First Aid for Mountain BikersTM camp. Other times, we might provide free basic CPR training at events, and/or provide consultation on medical coverage or incident action plans.

While our schedule continues to evolve, here are some of the courses and events we will be hosting/attending:

• Wilderness First Aid camp w/Big Mountain Enduro, Curt Gowdy State Park WY, April 21-23
• Wilderness First Aid camp w/ Trailhead Athletics, Bellingham WA, May 5-7
• First Aid for Mountain Bikers w/the Sacred Cycle, Carbondale CO, May 20
• Big Mountain Enduro race, Santa Fe NM, May 27
• First Aid for Mountain Bikers w/NICA, Georgia, June 3-4
• Wilderness First Aid camp, Salem OR, June 9-11
• First Aid for Mountain Bikers w/Yeti Cycles, June 20
• First Aid for Mountain Bikers w/Vail Rec District, June 21
• Big Mountain Enduro race, Keystone, June 24
• First Aid for Mountain Bikers w/Crested Butte Devo Team, Crested Butte CO, July 1-2
• Big Mountain Enduro race, Winter Park, July 8
• Yeti Tribe Gathering, Crested Butte CO, July 21-23
• Big Mountain Enduro/EWS race, Aspen Snowmass, July 29-30
• Breck Epic, Breckenridge CO, Aug 14-18
• Big Mountain Enduro, Crested Butte CO, Aug 19-20
• TBD: Date to train Yeti staff

3) Do you typically do courses only at events? If a group wanted to hire you privately, could they? Are all your offerings in Colorado?

So far for 2017, we have had/will have trainings in Wyoming, Georgia, Washington, and Oregon, in addition to Colorado.

4) Are there other organizations that you know of similar to yours offering courses like yours in other parts of the country? If someone is interested in creating a branch of your organization in a different area, could they contact you?

There are certainly groups hosting CPR, First Aid and Wilderness First Aid trainings throughout the world. What sets ours apart is that it is taught for mountain bikers, by mountain bikers. We keep the information super relevant to mountain biking and the types of accidents/injuries we’re likely to see, teach people what to carry, and train folks how to use what they already have on them.

We’ve received a lot of interest from folks looking to join our team, or bring our program to other parts of the country. We love this! We are currently working on a training program for BCLL instructors, and hope to have that launched for 2018. If anyone is interested, please reach out–we’re collecting names!

5) How many people have taken each of your different course offerings?

At the time of this interview, BCLL has trained about 300 riders–50 of these attended our Wilderness First Aid for Mountain Bikers camp, while about 250 took our one-day course focusing on basic First Aid and CPR for Mountain Bikers. Additionally, we have taught many others CPR only at events. At these events, we bring our mannequins with us, and invite people to stop by to learn the basics for free.

6) What roles do each of you play in the life of BCLL? How many people work/volunteer for your organization?

7) What fundraising events, if any, do you have coming up?

We’ll be doing TWO Giveaways this year! We did one last year, and it was a huge success. Prizing will include products from Maxxis, Specialized, Smith, Shimano, Yeti, Osprey and Muc-Off. Folks definitely won’t want to miss it – there are TWO bikes for the taking this year!

8) How has Backcountry Lifeline been received by the industry and mountain bike community?”

In all honesty, the response has been sensational.

As a team, we’re incredibly grateful. In founding BCLL, our goal was–and continues to be–to make a positive difference in the mountain bike community. I believe that we have already been successful in planting the seed that we wanted to… Just bringing the conversation – a mindfulness towards emergency preparedness – to the forefront of mountain biking. It may take some time for it to really become fully ingrained and completely adopted, but it’s a super strong start, and we’ve made some incredible headway. I don’t know that we could have asked for anything more.

9) Anything else I am missing? Is there something else you have coming up that’s interesting/new/cool?

We are also working on a training program for INSTRUCTORS, so that more people can teach our program around the country. We hope to officially launch this program next year.

There you have it. Now its time for mountain bikers to get the training they need to help the fellow riders. It’s a responsibility to keep this community thriving and happy and enjoying a sport we love. So, sign up for a Backcountry Lifeline course, or other Wilderness First Aid training. And even if you’ve had this training in the past, it’s always good to take another course to refresh your memory and keep your knowledge current.

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But there are certain things that beginner backcountry skiers should know that will help make their transition into the sport a little easier. Here’s a list of five things I’d wished I’d known before I started backcountry skiing:

1) You can never fully master avalanche terrain.

Most beginner backcountry skiers have heard the spiel about needing avalanche training along with a beacon, shovel and probe. They may have even taken an avalanche awareness or Avalanche 1 training course. But, what they aren’t often told is that avalanche training and awareness doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years to get a grip on the complexities of avalanche terrain – to understand exact line choice as you weave your tracks down the mountain through various convexities and concavities. And, just when you think you’ve finally gotten this whole avalanche thing dialed, something happens that humbles you. And suddenly, you realize, you don’t know a goddamn thing. The more you know about avalanche terrain, the more you understand what you don’t know. And sure, you can know a hell of a lot – but what does that really mean? Not much. If you venture in terrain that is steeper than the 25 to 28-degree range, you’re putting yourself at risk. The fact is, as much as we try to rationalize them, avalanches can never be 100% understood. All we can do is mitigate our risk by skiing steeper lines in a safer spring snowpack or by remaining in terrain that is not steep enough to slide.

2) Refine your gear over time.

Backcountry skiing can be an expensive sport to start. Purchasing a top-notch beacon should be the priority of beginner backcountry skiers as that beacon will likely last them a decade or more. But, shelling out full price for the rest of the gear at the beginning is not necessary. Chances are, if you buy those expensive new skis or new bindings, you’ll realize in a year or so that this set-up is not actually what you want. You’ll learn more about your gear preferences over time. To get started, I recommend buying used gear – used demos are even better. As you get more involved in the sport, try some actual demos of boots, skis, and bindings. You’ll begin to get an idea of the gear that you actually like. Then you can spend top dollar for the products you love. Until then, don’t empty your wallet striving for that perfect set-up that you don’t even know for sure you’ll like. At first, get gear that’s functional and fits. Keep in mind, that the lightest gear may not always be the best gear.

Along those lines is what to carry in your pack. You’ll learn this over time too. I personally carry three gloves/mittens on almost every tour that I do, and there are many times I’ll use all three. I need one pair for approach, one for descent, and another pair for when either of those just gets too wet to be functional anymore. At the same time, I carry an entire roll of duct tape with me in my pack too. Many people have mocked me about this, pondering how I could carry something so heavy in my pack. But, when they try to fix a broken pole or binding (or administer first aid) with the 3 inches of duct tape they’ve wrapped around the shaft of their ski poles, they have me and my roll of duct tape to thank for saving the day. Carry the gear you need and develop the system to use it over time. You don’t need to do what everyone else is doing. Do what’s right for you.

3) Find a mentor, but ski with other people too.

Finding a mentor is a key component for beginner backcountry skiers beginning to inch their way into touring. Mentors can be great role models when it comes to gear choices, ethics, decision-making, and avalanche awareness. At the same time, you need to develop your own mindset over time. This is where skiing with other people comes in. When you ski with other partners you learn something from them too and eventually you’ll settle into your own habits and be more comfortable with your risk factor. Don’t be afraid to ask your partners questions – mentors included. That’s how you learn. Even experienced backcountry skiers can continue to benefit from discussions with partners.

4) You’ll make some of your best friends through backcountry skiing.

5) Backcountry skiing can change you.

So, there’s my list of things I’d wished I’d known before I started backcountry skiing. If you’re an experienced backcountry skier, what are some things you wished you had known before you immersed yourself in this new sport?

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