Author Archives: John

This is a photo of me beating a hasty retreat from South Lake Tahoe. It seems counterintuitive to depart in the midst of the best snow they’ve had all year. But the decision was not mine to make; it was … Continued

The sun Shone brightly on Grady is he descended from campsite 19 after a beautiful star-filled evening. The shimmering austerity of the Appalachians in winter is something to be bathed within. I’m guessing it got down into the lower twenties … Continued

Winter has retained a full grip on the backcountry of the Smokies. But in spite of  the horrible weather that we’ve had it was time to get out for a weekend. Curt and Brian invited us to come join them … Continued

Our team makes the final steps to the summit of North and South America’s highest peak. 22,800 feet. Nothing like a little mountain modeling to get us started. But do not forget this is a serious mountain with  significant altitude … Continued

We had a great climb today to 11,000 feet and the Confluencia camp. Our team is solid and the logistics are incredible.  It took about 3.5 hours for us. Tomorrow is in an acclimatization hike and we will be back … Continued

Howard and I enjoyed some street time in downtown Mendoza after my night in Santiago. And I must say that after being in Chile I really appreciate Argentina. Mendoza has a very relaxed and modern feel. Today we met our … Continued

A typical gear spread at my house prior to expeditions. Depending upon your Spanish skills, Aconcagua can mean either of the titles above. The Stone Sentinel sounds better so I’m going to stick with that. I dropped Howard off early … Continued

  ♣ Few  traditions are as solid in the Highlander fold as the annual Eagle Creek, Southernhighlander navy pilgrimage. (Not pictured here is Myers and the bail guys, who experienced an acute case of collective, last minute ombrophobia,)  You may … Continued

I had to tap out on a backpack this beautiful weekend. It was an end to a 10 week run. Just like the old days. In the late 90s, Ed Lee and I did a consecutive 34 weekends in the … Continued

Let’s start with the most important news. I got to hang out with yo-yo AKA Frank. Now Frank moves a lot is an upwardly Mobile Urban professional. this means that he has a career that takes him on a path … Continued