International Man of Mystery...

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I grew up in the Boston area and lived there until my junior year in high school when I attended the Mountain School, a semester program run by Milton Academy in Vershire, VT. I then attended Colby College in Waterville, ME. During my time at Colby I studied anthropology, spent a semester in Northeast India, and became fluent in Nepali. Before I became a guide I earned my black belt in kenpo karate and taught karate for 6 years. I began guiding in college on the rocky coast of ME with Acadia Mountain Guides and on ice at the International Mountain Climbing School in NH. After graduating I took to the highway and drove from ME to WA for the big mountains and glaciers. I spend my winters in lovely Ouray, CO guiding in the famous ice park. I am currently working towards becoming a certified guide through the American Mountain Guides Association. I live, work and play in the hills and on the rocks. On the rocks both literally and, well, with ice.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

From Mining to Climbing in Colorado's San Juans

Hannah and I did a climb called Goldrush the other day. So called because of the incredible gold color of the rotten rock that forms the right side of the climb. Goldrush gets a lot of sun so it is exciting to get to do it.

The name Goldrush got me thinking about Colorado's mining history. There are mining relics old and new everywhere in the Colorado high country. Towns like Ouray and Silverton were settled by folks working in the mines. The incredible road system built into the mountains makes getting to some great ice climbs like Goldrush a breeze. It is common to pass mining ruins on ski tours too.

Mining is no longer in the boom time around here though some mines are still active. Occasionally, while climbing, you can even here them blasting. However, towns like Silverton and Ouray now revolve more around outdoor recreation than mining.

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