Non-Natives in Chicago Basin

Enter the Chicago Basin in the Weminuche Wilderness and delve deep into the home of many Colorado inhabitants. Black bear, mule deer, elk and mountain lions populate the lower elevations, while high in the alpine one can come across pika, marmots, and the Mt. Eolus...

Backcountry Cooking with Kristine

Cooking can always be a challenge, but try cooking without a stove, oven, table, cutting board, spatula, your favorite spices, or even the convenience of running water. Here at CFI we have all you need to get fueled up for a long days work of rocking and a rolling out...

Snapshot of a Day: Working for CFI in Chicago Basin

The alarm rings. Groggy eyes greet a fuzzy surrounding. Queue the mental game, come on Timo, you’ve done this before, get up and out of your sleeping bag! …But it’s so warm in here, body heat trapped and circulating around me for an entire night. I’ve created my own...

Mount Bierstadt RYMC Project

This past week I had the chance to work with a high school youth corps from Rocky Mountain Youth Corp. It was a thrilling experience seeing young people eager to learn about the fragile alpine ecosystem and understand the mechanics of how trails are built. These kids,...

The Symbolism of the Mountain

A year ago, I had only just heard of the 14ers in Colorado and their popularity as a hiking destination. I had no knowledge of the alpine environment. I had never seen a marmot nor had I experienced many of the magnificent flowers that have adapted to the harsh...

Rock Solid Simplicity

No matter what is going on in my life or yours, I guarantee you that it is all easier when you wake up in a tent in the Rockies. Whether it’s financial woes, relationships, the meaning of life, or the C.I.A. after all those secrets in your head, being in the outdoors...