Six friends, two guides and I recently returned from a five day mountain bike ride in the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park, outside of Moab. The trip was outfitted and led by Western Spirit Cycling Adventures, based in Moab, which specializes in adventures throughout the West. It was our first trip with Western Spirit, and we were not disappointed. The organization was stellar, the guides professional and friendly, the route appropriate, and the food…well, it surpassed all expectations! We were taken aback by how good the menu and execution were. Just fantastic. The Maze District is the least accessible district of Canyonlands, and in fact has the reputation of…

It was indeed a bucket list trip. Skiing in Japan, with friends and guides. Expectations were high. Did it live up? It took a while for the powder to appear, but in the end, it was fantastic. Read on. We flew through Tokyo and on to Sapporo, on the northern island of Hokkaido, which is where much of the skiing in Japan is located. Hokkaido broke a 64 year record for most snow in December, but sadly, it stopped snowing on January 6 and didn’t start again until January 29, just in time for our last three days of skiing. There was plenty of snow, but none of it fresh…

My fellow Ripper and I recently spent a long weekend in Silverton, Colorado, a throw-back mountain mining town in southwest Colorado, not far from Durango, Montrose and Telluride, but in a bit of a timewarp. It is best known today for its historic railroad that travels from Durango to Silverton each summer. The town basically empties out in the winter, due to the harsh and snowy climate. The year-round population of Silverton is roughly 700, down for a historic high of 2,000 during the peak of its mining business in the late 19th century. But the hidden gem of Silverton, hidden at least from the people who wouldn’t visit in…