Author Archives: Craig
Check Out Our Winter Contest! »
Posted on June 21, 2011Instead of guessing the location, check out our special winter contest found on the home page. We hope you will contribute and become entered to win a $250 REI Gift Card!
A Fly Fishing Adventure! »
Posted on June 18, 2011While my father liked the idea of fly fishing, he never really had the patience or fine motor skills to become a proficient fly fisherman. Subsequently, I learned mostly on my own. Though I’m decent at it, I’ve never known the techniques or secrets to becoming a great fly fisherman, let alone, know how to teach them to my son.
That all changed this past fall when we hired a guide, Steve Brown, for the first time. While not inexpensive, it was well worth the money and taught both of us some lessons which we have continued to apply. In addition, the excitement of seeing my son catch the Colorado trifecta (Rainbow, Cut Throat and Brooke), as well as, share in the fun of male jocularity with Steve and his many great stories of life and fishing was a great bonding experience for us.
We hope you enjoy this clip of fishing off Lizard Head Pass just outside of Telluride, Colorado. We never did catch a Brown trout but caught a whole lot of fun and excitement. As for Steve, guess who got him into the love of fly fishing? His dad of course!
Volunteer Adentures »
Posted on May 24, 2011One of the advantages of my career choice is being able to watch various trends rise and fall with each generation. Over the past 15 years, I’ve loved observing an increase in social action among high school and college students. In addition to the Green movement, many high schools are requiring community service as part of their students’ commitment to National Honor Society.
Recently, I had the privilege of joining Alex and three of his friends from the National Honor Society for a day of seed planting and raking in a burn area outside of Boulder, CO. Along with a whole lot of fun and laughter, we all walked away with sore muscles and a profound appreciation for the power of fire. The scale of devastation was only matched by the stories of loss from the homeowners we met. For the four young men, it’s a memory that will last a long time and one that will guide their outdoor choices (this fire was started by man) and desire to help those who have suffered loss.
Doing volunteer work with your kids no matter what age is one of the greatest adventures you can have and one that will pay off for years to come. You are experiencing great times together and planting values that will grow for generations. On this trip, we got to meet Senator Mark Udall of Colorado. He spoke with the boys about America’s history of volunteerism and how charitable action is the backbone of our Country. Enjoy the film, get involved and have a whole lot of fun!
Homer, Alaska! »
Posted on June 18, 2011Thanks for the correct answer JP. You are the winner! We had a 8 mile hike up the pictured valley where we reached the Grewingk Glacier. The water off the glacier was crystal clear and much welcomed after the long journey. Thanks for playing!
AdventureDad in Colorado Parent Magazine! »
Posted on May 17, 2011Colorado Parent Magazine (ColoradoParent.com) ran a feature on AdventureDad in their June issue. What made me particularly happy was seeing their accompanying articles about The Family Volunteer Program and the National Get Outdoors Day which took place on the 11th of June. I believe we are all on the right track!
My Father’s Lessons »
Posted on June 18, 2011“Not every successful man is a good father. But every good father is a successful man.” Robert Duvall
Shortly before my father’s death five years ago, I was able to share with him a list of things which he had taught me. While unable to speak following his stroke, he managed to squeeze my hand lightly and crack the smallest smile in showing his appreciation. It is a moment that will live with me for the rest of my life and has helped me grieve his loss, knowing that I got to say everything I wanted to say to him before he passed.
I hope this will stimulate your thinking about what your dad taught you and what you hope to teach your son or daughter someday. I would love to hear from you and post your reflections on our site! Happy Father’s Day.
My Father’s Lessons
“If you are going to do a job, don’t do it half-assed!”
“There are two ways to do things, the right way and the wrong way.”
“I wish I had spent more time with you kids.”
When coming home with my first D in 3rd grade: “Don’t worry about it, no one can read my handwriting either, someday you will hire a secretary to do it for you.”
When not complaining after being grounded for curfew: “You’ve handled it like a real man, here’s your keys back.”
“@#$%” (After my first car accident. The only time I ever heard him cuss.)
“I wasn’t going to spank you for biting your brother, but I will for lying to me!”
“That’s the end of our first lesson!” (After running into our other car on my first driving lesson.)
“Never cuss when you make a bad shot in golf. Guys won’t want to play with you because you are trying to make yourself out to be better than you are. If you were better, you wouldn’t have made that shot!”
“Just try your best.”
“My parents had a loveless marriage. I didn’t want that.”
“We didn’t have religion.”
My dad’s favorite little song: “Let’s have another cup of coffee, and another piece of pie.”
“How you treat your body in your 30’s and 40’s is how it will be in your 50’s and 60’s.”
“I’m real proud of you. You are a hell of a man.”
“We have to get out early if we are going to get them (rabbits, fish).” (Of course, we never did!)
“We use to just throw cans and bottles out the car window.”
“Someday you wake up and realize you are tired of going out for another Bud and want to settle down.”
“You have to be careful. Some girls will try and get you to get them pregnant so you’ll have to marry them.” (During my facts of life talk on my 18th b-day.)
“They look like a bunch of girls!” (Referring to The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show.)
“You can’t soar like an eagle in the morning if you are going to hoot like an owl the night before.”
“Now get up and get a job!” (The morning after returning from 6 months abroad.)
After graduating from high school: “You have three choices: go to college, come home in the summer, follow my rules and I’ll pay for it; go get a job, pay rent, live at home and follow my rules; leave.”
“What kind of mileage does it get?”
Following stories of volunteering for pilot training at the start of World War II and then being sent back home because of his birth marks and seizure disorder: “I was humiliated to go back home and then be one of the few men back at college. Three hundred men left from our class that day, only thirty came back home.”
When discussing how he tried to hide his birth-marked hand on the first day of freshman orientation at Washington University in St. Louis: “The football coach said to me: Son, take your hand out of your pocket. Look around you, everyone in this room has something they are self-conscious about and they are too busy worrying about their own problems to really care about yours!”
“Everyone loves to be helpful. Just ask them a question!”
“Everyone loves to talk about themselves.”
Shortly after his first stroke: “I’m still going! I can’t wait to get out on the course again.”
“I’m so proud of Alex and all my grandchildren.”
When asked what his favorite color was: “Blond!”
When touching a woman’s sleeve: “Is this felt? It is now.”
“He had Russian hands and Roman fingers!”
“How was your mileage?”
A month before his death: “We can’t afford it!”
On the phone, a week before his death: “Mom and I are having just a great time.”
When the hospice nurse came for the first time: “We all have to die sometime.”
His final words to me: “I Love You”
“In Grace and Dignity, you taught us to live. It was in Grace and Dignity that you taught us to die”.
Love, Your Son
A Snow Shelter Adventure »
Posted on May 22, 2011For years, Alex and I have watched a variety of survival shows demonstrating how to make and sleep under your own shelter. This winter, we decided to try it out for ourselves and see if we could get a warm and comfy night’s sleep like the men in the shows.
We tried out a couple of different styles, of which mine, got the most laughs. Fortunately, we had a test of snow late in the afternoon that demonstrated how inadequate my shelter was for snow protection. We both took extra time to bulk them up knowing that 4 – 6 inches was predicted for the night.
Even with the extra cover, it’s amazing how snow can trickle down. Most importantly, you don’t dare touch the roof above your head and stimulate a cascade of snow down upon you. Even with tight quarters, we both had a good night’s sleep and a whole lot of laughs. Watching Alex encased in his sleeping bag, sliding out of his hut when trying to change some clothes is a great memory, as is, our dog Utah laying down in his shelter as if she was the happiest dog on the planet.
Spring Hut Adventures »
Posted on May 17, 2011When I first took Alex to the Grass Creek hut, in the Colorado State Forest, he was just 16 months old. He looked pretty snug in his car seat that fit perfectly into our backcountry sled.
This past spring, we had a chance to go back to that same hut and remember many of the adventures we’ve had over the years. From his first snowshoeing, to starting fires, to chopping wood, our memories are chronicled in my journal, as well as, in the notebooks at the hut that are kept for visitors to write and draw. At 17, he’s now doing the muscle work and embracing the adventure as a young man.
This year’s hut trip served as a base for our second adventure of the weekend, which was to sleep out in our own shelters. Snowshoeing helped us navigate the spring snow where one missed step could send you down 3 – 4 feet. The simple solution to spring conditions is to figure out where other travelers have gone before you and then follow their footsteps. You can also go early in the morning after thenighttime temperatures have frozen the snow’s surface. While we love the warmth and sun of spring, it can make for difficult snow travel.
We hope you enjoy,
Alex and Craig (AKA: Mack and Bob)
Yurts! »
Posted on May 15, 2011Here in Colorado, we are fortunate to have several recreational areas with rentable yurts (a tent like structure which is canvas over a deck and wooden frame). While not as luxurious as a cabin or the well-known 10th Mountain Hut System near Vail, the advantage of the smaller yurts is that you can rent them just for your own family or group. While sharing a large cabin with strangers can be very fun, it’s not always the best when traveling with younger children who need to go to bed at a reasonable hour or who may disturb the group with preschool mood swings. They are also great structures for having outdoor experiences while still enjoying the comfort of a mattress. We hope you enjoy.
A Winter 14’er »
Posted on April 4, 2011Last month, Alex and his friend took us on a family adventure to practice winter 14ing. While Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks are hard enough to climb in the winter, they become even more challenging when they are snow packed. As you’ll see on the video, this day’s climb was made even more challenging by the wind!
While snowshoeing the two miles to the base of the final ascent was a fairly standard activity for us, the climb up packed snow and ice was a completely different experience and required some on the mountain lessons with the new equipment we were using. Having done it before, Alex taught the rest of us how to put on and climb with crampons (a basic set of razor sharp claws which strap onto your boots) and how to handle the ice ax for going up and for glissading down. He also carried a couple of emergency harnesses, rope and some specialty tools for stabilizing holds in the snow.
While the techniques are fairly straightforward, the on the mountain gearing up in the wind and the actual implementation the techniques was a bit challenging. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to poke a hole in your bibs with the crampon claws! It was also a challenge to get use to the angle of the mountain and the pull of gravity on your body when standing up as demonstrated by the short length of the video, a near backwards head over heal filming incident was the end of my recording for the day! I also managed to blow out a crampon and decided to take shelter under a rock as I recorded the others heading on.
To be honest, the constant wind and the unknown of coming down, were a bit too much for this adventuredad. It was with great pride however, that I watched my son, his friend and my wife tackle the steepest slope. Glissading down, it turns out, was a lot of fun and much easier than I thought. It’s amazing what a little force and a six inch pick can do for you in snow. As spring has begun, I’ll be looking forward to trying again next year!