Winter starts now! In the blink of an eye winter has evolved from sparse snowfall across the western states to an abundance of wonderful powder everywhere. Welcome to my annual reminder about Backcountry Avalanche Awareness. I am no expert on the subject, but my wife and I are aways eager to traverse wilderness terrain in … Continue reading Backcountry Avalanche Awareness 2021/2022
By Stella J. Raasch What comes to mind when you think of the great outdoors? Initially, you may think of the classic John Candy movie, "The Great Outdoors." Next, your thoughts will likely gravitate toward notions of open space, fresh air, beautiful surroundings…and trash! Since the advent of COVID, flocks of people have migrated to … Continue reading Responsible Outdoor Recreation: Leave No Trace
Summer Gear: Are You Ready? Grand County is anticipating another busy summer season. Last year, companies producing outdoor recreational gear/products experienced record-breaking sales, as people sought the outdoors as a respite from the COVID pandemic. This has resulted in near depletion of everything used for outdoor recreation, and the industry is working diligently to catch … Continue reading Summer Gear: Are You Ready?
How many times have you been on a hike, snowshoe or cross-country ski trek and have developed a heel blister? Heel blisters ruin everything! They are absolutely miserable, and can take several weeks to completely heal since most humans have to continue wearing shoes each day while the skin heals. I (Stella) can recall many … Continue reading KT Performance + Blister Prevention Tape
Lone Pine Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park Deep inside Rocky Mountain National Park you will find a series of lakes along the East Inlet Trail. Your first such encounter is Lone Pine Lake, the first lake you would happen upon as you trek east. My fellow adventurer Dave and I set out last October and … Continue reading POTW ~ Lone Pine Lake
https://vimeo.com/413833135 The Base Camp @ Grand Lake theme song set to photographs taken over the course of the past year. Including our overnight kayaking adventure, recent trip to Jackson Hole and our many travels into Rocky Mountain National Park. Enjoy the theme song crafted by Stella.
It had all started with an overnight kayaking adventure on Lake Granby (September 2019), where the need had arisen to purchase camping gear. For a sleeping bag, I wanted a lightweight and packable bag, with the ability to perform in the twenty-degree range. After visiting our local REI and slipping into a variety of sleeping … Continue reading Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 Sleeping Bag