Posts by Andrew Skurka
Review: Gore Wear H5 Gore-Tex Shakedry Jacket || The holy grail?
Nearly four years ago we first heard about Shakedry, a new “permanently beading” waterproof/breathable membrane technology from Gore-Tex that eliminated the need for a DWR-treated face fabric and that purportedly wouldn’t wet-out. If true, that’d be a big deal, because it would solve one source of failure of modern rain shells. The North Face was…
Review: Salomon X Alpine Pro || For high mountain runs + high routes
For years I’ve been an enthusiastic user of Salomon trail running shoes, with my all-time favorites coming from the Sense family — the Sense Pro, Sense Pro 2, and SLAB Sense Ultra. But Salomon has never broadly or successfully extended the winning features of its trail running shoes — notably, the glove-like fit, reliable outsole…
Clean water on-the-run || Review: Katadyn BeFree Collapsible Filter Bottle
Motivated by the impending arrival of winter, last month and earlier this month I undertook five of the most fun and most adventurous trail runs of my life. Natural water sources were abundant during these 5- to 11-hour efforts, but I was skeptical of their quality. By late-summer in Rocky Mountain National Park and the…
Current food storage regulations for Rocky Mountain National Park
For the 2019 season, Rocky Mountain National Park made a significant revision to its wilderness food storage regulations, giving backpackers a new option that is lighter and more user-friendly than the hard-sided canisters that have been required since 2014. To date, the park has not consistently or widely communicated this policy change on its website…
2020 guiding program: Tentative schedule
This weekend I received four inquiries about the 2020 guiding program. Normally I would not be prepared to discuss it until December, but I’m ahead of my usual schedule and can share a few things now. Schedule A tentative 2020 schedule has been posted. In coming weeks I’ll confirm some additional details, notably guide assignments…
Tell me: Who’s your guiding dream team in 2020?
Tomorrow morning I drive up to Grand Lake, Colo., to greet the Adventure 2A and 2B groups as they exit from their respective 5-day outings. They’re our final set of trips this year, both in Rocky Mountain National Park and for the season. For the first time since I launched trips under my own company…
How to navigate || Part 5: Skills + knowledge checklist
Within a few days of starting my Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2002, I learned dead-reckon navigation using my watch and the datasheet. With surprising accuracy, I could now monitor my hiking pace, pinpoint my location between known landmarks, and predict my arrival time at upcoming points of interest like water sources and shelters. On an…
How to navigate || Part 4: Navigator’s Mindset & “staying found”
With just a credit card and reliable internet connection, an aspiring navigator can acquire the proper maps, resources, and equipment. The final two steps to navigational proficiency require more intention, self-study, perhaps an evening or weekend course, and most importantly field practice. In other words, the process is more time-intensive, but also more fun. These…
How to navigate || Part 3: Watch, compass, altimeter & GPS device
Using just a topographic map, I can competently navigate in areas like the High Sierra and Colorado Rockies, which generally have distinct landforms and open views. Even so, for added accuracy and unusual circumstances, I also carry select navigational tools, personally a GPS watch, magnetic compass, and smartphone with GPS app. These instruments become more…
How to navigate || Part 2: Maps & resources
For my earliest hikes, I utilized whatever resources were conveniently available and that seemed sufficient. Before thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2002, for example, I purchased the ATC Data Book and downloaded the ALDHA Thru-Hikers Companion. And to explore Colorado’s Front Range the following summer, I bought a few National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps that…