Trip Reports by Alan Silverstein

My home page, and email address: ajs@frii.com
Last index file edit: May 28, 2024; last rebuild: Sat Dec 21 18:53:26 2024

Contents:

  North America from Apollo 17, April 16, 1972

Introduction

This website contains many "trip reports" I wrote and shared publically in various ways, non-commercially and just for fun, beginning in 1978, mostly about outdoor travel adventures, such as hiking, backpacking, boating, and skiing, mostly in Colorado. (Cue melancholy theme: "The Circle Game" by Joni Mitchell, 1966.)

Cross-ref pages: persons, places.

List of Trip Reports

Unless otherwise noted, all locations are in my home state of Colorado.

  1. 1977_0703, My Fourteener Climbing History
  2. 1977_0703, Colorado Fourteener Subpeaks and History

  3. 1978_0407, Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins, Colorado, 30th Anniversary
  4. 1978_0715, Grays Peak, 14270', and Torreys Peak, 14267', Colorado

  5. 1979_0226, Total Solar Eclipse, Lewiston, Montana

  6. 1984_0902, Mount of the Holy Cross, 14005', Colorado
  7. 1984_0908-09, Mounts Harvard and Columbia, Colorado
  8. 1984_0915-16, Mount Princeton, 14197, Colorado

  9. 1985_0420, Green Mountain, 8144',Colorado
  10. 1985_0512, Bear and South Boulder Peaks, Colorado
  11. 1985_0609-16, Mt Lady Washington and Storm Peak, RMNP, Colorado
  12. 1985_0630-0703, Castle and Maroon Peaks, Colorado
  13. 1985_0727-28, Snowmass Mountain, 14092', Colorado
  14. 1985_0804, Pawnee Peak and Mount Toll, Colorado
  15. 1985_0809-11, North Maroon Peak, 14014', Colorado
  16. 1985_0816-25, Mount Evans and Pikes Peak, Colorado
  17. 1985_0830-0903, Blanca, Ellingwood, Little Bear Peaks, Colorado

  18. 1986_0305-0428, Halley's Comet, Horsetooth Rock, Colorado
  19. 1986_0607-08, Mount Democrat, 14148', Colorado
  20. 1986_0615, Mounts Lincoln, Cameron, Bross, Colorado
  21. 1986_0622, Arapaho Peaks, Colorado
  22. 1986_0628, Flying the Colorado Fourteeners
  23. 1986_0629, Chasm Lake, Rocky Mtn NP, Colorado
  24. 1986_0703-05, Maroon Peak, 14156', Colorado
  25. 1986_0706, Conundrum Peak, 14022', Colorado
  26. 1986_0713-28, San Juans Overview: Climbing Fourteeners for Two Weeks
  27. 1986_0714, San Juans: Mount Sneffels, 14150', and Yankee Boy Basin, Colorado
  28. 1986_0715-16, San Juans: San Luis Peak, 14014', Colorado (But First, Getting There)
  29. 1986_0716-18, San Juans: Wetterhorn Peak, 14015', Colorado
  30. 1986_0719, San Juans: Uncompahgre Peak, 14309', Colorado
  31. 1986_0720, San Juans: Redcloud Peak, 14034', and Sunshine Peak, 14001', Colorado
  32. 1986_0721-21, San Juans: Handies Peak, 14048', Colorado
  33. 1986_0721-23, San Juans: Windom Peak, 14087', and Sunlight Peak, 14059', Colorado
  34. 1986_0724-25, San Juans: Mount Eolus, 14084', and North Eolus, 14039', Colorado
  35. 1986_0726, San Juans: Mount Wilson, 14246', Colorado
  36. 1986_0727-28, San Juans: Wilson Peak, 14017', and Return Home
  37. 1986_0815-16, Pyramid Peak, 14018', Colorado
  38. 1986_0816-18, Capitol Peak, 14130', Colorado
  39. 1986_0823-0908, The Last Six Colorado Fourteeners
  40. 1986_0823-24, Culebra Peak, 14047', Colorado (Lost in the Clouds)
  41. 1986_0825, Mount Lindsey, 14042', Colorado
  42. 1986_0829-30, Kit Carson Mountain, 14165', Colorado
  43. 1986_0831, Crestone Peak, 14294', Colorado
  44. 1986_0901, Crestone Needle, 14197', Colorado
  45. 1986_0905-07, El Diente Peak, 14159', Colorado (Last of My Fourteeners)

  46. 1987_0417, Green Mountain, 8144', Colorado
  47. 1987_0509, Second Colorado Fourteeners Flight
  48. 1987_0606, Palisade Mountain, 8264', Colorado
  49. 1987_0620-21, Quandary Peak, 14265', Colorado
  50. 1987_0621, The 55th Fourteener
  51. 1987_0627, The Loft and Southeast Longs Peak, Colorado
  52. 1987_0703, Shadow Mountain, 8977', Colorado
  53. 1987_0704-05, Castle Peak, 14265', Colorado, Overnight
  54. 1987_0717-20, Challenger Point, Colorado, Plaque Placing
  55. 1987_0802, Paiute Peak, 13088' and Mount Audubon, 13223', Colorado
  56. 1987_0808, Grays Peak, 14270', and Torreys Peak, 14267', Colorado
  57. 1987_0812-14, White Mountain Peak, 14246', California
  58. 1987_0815-17, Mount Whitney, 14495', California
  59. 1987_0829-30, Mount Massive, 14421', Colorado
  60. 1987_0905-07, Snowmass Mountain, 14092', Colorado
  61. 1987_0907-07, Marble Quarry, Colorado
  62. 1987_0907-08, South Elbert, 14134', and Mount Elbert, 14433', Colorado

  63. 1988_0618, Mount Bierstadt, 14060', Colorado
  64. 1988_0630-0702, Blanca and Ellingwood, Sangre de Cristos, Colorado
  65. 1988_0703, Little Bear Peak, 14037', Colorado (Twice!)
  66. 1988_0704-06, Mount Sneffels, 14150', Colorado
  67. 1988_0706-07, Handies Peak, 14048', Colorado
  68. 1988_0707-09, Wetterhorn Peak, 14015', and Matterhorn Peak, 13590', Colorado
  69. 1988_0731, McHenrys Peak, 13327', Colorado
  70. 1988_0805-07, Mount of the Holy Cross, 14005', Colorado
  71. 1988_0820-21, Sandbeach Lake, 10283', Rocky Mtn NP, Colorado
  72. 1988_0903-04, Mount Sherman, 14036', Colorado
  73. 1988_0904-05, Grizzly Peak, 13988', Colorado
  74. 1988_0917-18, Milner Mountain, 6881', Colorado
  75. 1988_0924, Pagoda Mountain, 13497', and Storm Peak, 13326', RMNP, Colorado
  76. 1988_1008, Crosier Mountain, 9250', Colorado
  77. 1988_1030-31, Mauna Kea, 13796', Hawaii

  78. 1989_0506-20, Three Adventures: Horsetooth, Greyrock, Palisade
  79. 1989_0604, Quandary Peak, 14265', Colorado
  80. 1989_0617, Chiefs Head Peak, 13579', Rocky Mtn NP, Colorado
  81. 1989_0630-0701, Mount Antero, 14269', Colorado
  82. 1989_0701-02, Mount Princeton, 14197', Colorado
  83. 1989_0702-04, Mount Huron, 14005', Colorado
  84. 1989_0715-16, Mummy Mountain, 13425' and Hagues Peak, 13560', Colorado
  85. 1989_0722, Poudre River, Fort Collins, Colorado
  86. 1989_0729-0805, Lake Powell, Utah, 3678', First Visit
  87. 1989_0816, Lake Powell, Utah, Reprise
  88. 1989_0818-20, Lake McConaughy, Nebraska
  89. 1989_0828-29, Uncompahgre Peak, 14309', Colorado
  90. 1989_0829-31, Challenger Point, 14080'+, and Kit Carson Mtn, 14165', Colorado
  91. 1989_0901-01, Mount Adams, 13931', Colorado
  92. 1989_0901-04, Crestone Needle, 14197', Colorado
  93. 1989_0916-17, Missouri Mountain (Partial), Colorado
  94. 1989_1007-08, Boulder Brook, Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado
  95. 1989_1021, Gem Lake, 8820', Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado

  96. 1990_0103-04, Havasu Canyon, Arizona
  97. 1990_0513, Bear Peak, 8461', Colorado
  98. 1990_0519, Twin Sisters Peaks, 11413', 11428', 11376', Colorado
  99. 1990_0526-27, Cutbank Campsite, Rocky Mtn NP, Colorado
  100. 1990_0602, Mount Evans, 14264', Colorado
  101. 1990_0615-17, Mosquito Range Fourteeners, Colorado
  102. 1990_0625, Flattop, 12324', Hallett, 12713', and Otis, 12486', Peaks, Colorado
  103. 1990_0701, Chapin, 12454', Chiquita, 13069', and Ypsilon, 13514', RMNP, Colorado
  104. 1990_0704-05, Mount Elbert, 14433', Colorado
  105. 1990_0705-08, Castle Peak, 14265', Colorado
  106. 1990_0722, Isabelle Glacier, 12000', Colorado
  107. 1990_0804, Three Peaks in Tenmile Range, Colorado
  108. 1990_0814-19, Canoe Green River, Labyrinth Canyon, Utah
  109. 1990_0908-16, Lake Powell, Utah, 3639' (by Alan)
  110. 1990_0908-16, Walk Like Anasazi, Lake Powell, Utah (by Mike)
  111. 1990_1009, Flying to Steamboat Springs, Colorado
  112. 1990_1230, Florida Novice Diving Including Manatees

  113. 1991_0312-19, Canoe Green River, Canyonlands, Utah
  114. 1991_0318, Grand Canyon, Bottom and Back
  115. 1991_0705-14, Hawaii Eclipse and Adventure
  116. 1991_0818, Capitol Peak (Nearly Fatal) Attempt, Colorado

  117. 1992_0712-19, Five Men, One Woman, and Two Parents on a Houseboat
  118. 1992_1003, A Long Day on the High Divide in Colorado
  119. 1992_1218, Costa Rica

  120. 1993_0121-26, Death Valley, California, Tidbits
  121. 1993_0619, Mount Neva, 12849', Colorado
  122. 1993_0806-07, Copeland Mountain, 13176', RMNP, Colorado
  123. 1993_0903-05, Hayden Gorge, Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado
  124. 1993_0926-1003, Lake Powell, Utah
  125. 1993_1023-1108, Webber JHS Talks with Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-58

  126. 1994_0510, Eclipse, Fort Collins, Colorado
  127. 1994_0514, Horsetooth Mountain, 7255', Loop the Long Way
  128. 1994_0521-22, Grand Canyon, North Rim to River
  129. 1994_0701-0103, What I Did on My Mid-life Vacation

  130. 1995_0818-20, Leadville Trail 100 (Foot Race), Colorado

  131. 1996_0309-16, Death Valley, California
  132. 1996_0325, Comet Hyakutake
  133. 1996_0510-12, Another Weekend That Was (Hiking in Colorado)
  134. 1996_0719, Seeing Space from Lake Powell, Utah
  135. 1996_0810-12, Colorado Mountain Weekend, Sweet Home Mine
  136. 1996_1208, CSU Pingree Park Campus (Tornado Spot), Colorado

  137. 1997_0215-20, Badwater to Dantes View and Beyond, Death Valley, California
  138. 1997_0323, Horsetooth Mountain, 7255', Eclipse and Comet
  139. 1997_0619-22, Rockhounding Four Sites in Wyoming
  140. 1997_0708, Across the High Divide in Colorado
  141. 1997_0728-29, Flooding in Fort Collins, Colorado

  142. 1998_0311, Sky Sights
  143. 1998_0405-06, Water Heater Mis-Maintenance
  144. 1998_0613-20, Dark Canyon Wilderness Area Backpack, Utah
  145. 1998_0811-17, Four San Juan Range Fourteeners, Colorado
  146. 1998_0905-07, Wyoming Weekend
  147. 1998_0924, Opening Lines in Past Trip Reports
  148. 1998_1116, Leonid Meteor Shower
  149. 1998_1125-29, Lake Powell, Utah, Thanksgiving
  150. 1998_1224-0103, Holiday Trip to Pennsylvania

  151. 1999_0306-14, Holiday Trip to Florida
  152. 1999_0717-25, Raft Green River, Desolation and Grays Canyons, Utah

  153. 2000_0421, Easter Weekend Incident (Hitting an Elk)
  154. 2000_0829, Florida Collecting

  155. 2001_1117-18, Leonid Meteor Shower
  156. 2001_1213, Rock Collecting by Kayak in Colorado

  157. 2002_0407-13, Death Valley, California
  158. 2002_0808-11, Cataract Canyon Raft Trip, Utah
  159. 2002_0915-22, Lake Powell, Utah, Tidbits
  160. 2002_1127-1201, Lake Powell, Utah, Thanksgiving

  161. 2003_0112-15, Missouri and Back, or Bust
  162. 2003_0404-05, Trinity Site, New Mexico
  163. 2003_0630-0705, Honeymoon in Hawai'i
  164. 2003_0718-0809, Columbia Point, 13980'+, Colorado
  165. 2003_0901-02, How Not to Climb Longs Peak, Colorado
  166. 2003_0911-17, A Week-Long Rock Hunting Orgy in Colorado and Utah
  167. 2003_1025-27, Random Weekend in Colorado to Breckenridge and Mountain Cabin

  168. 2004_0324-31, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado Road Trip
  169. 2004_0508-09, Northwest Nebraska Rockhounding
  170. 2004_0808-15, Lake Powell, Utah, with a Huge Crew
  171. 2004_1016-17, Cathie's Cabin, Colorado

  172. 2005_0701, Bell Tower Window, Lake Powell, Utah
  173. 2005_0713-22, Blue Forest, Wyoming and Salmon River, Idaho

  174. 2006_0924, Grays Quarry, Wyoming
  175. 2006_1103-05, A Nice Fall Weekend in Colorado
  176. 2006_1202-09, Tampa Bay Agate, Florida
  177. 2006_1221, Colorado Blizzard
  178. 2006_1229-0107, Blizzards of 2006 Versus Snowblower

  179. 2007_0131, It's Snowing Again
  180. 2007_0219, Adventures in Toiletry
  181. 2007_0930-1007, Lake Powell, Utah

  182. 2008_0128-0204, Death Valley, California
  183. 2008_0531-0601, Shirley Basin and Laramie Peak, Wyoming
  184. 2008_0614-15, Rockhounding (by Kayak) in Wyoming
  185. 2008_0817-24, Lake Powell, Utah
  186. 2008_0912-21, Lake Powell, Utah

  187. 2009_0820-22, Two Tough Elk Range Fourteeners
  188. 2009_1205, How Not to Dunk a Camera

  189. 2010_0808-15, Lake Powell, Utah, Final Trip as Owner

  190. 2011_0709-10, Quest for the Ancient Trees
  191. 2011_1130-1217, Panama Canal (and Then Some!) Cruise

  192. 2022_0101-03, Don't Ski on Thin Ice

PS: My Use of Images and Coordinates

A note about my use of images and coordinates here, or lack thereof:

In an increasingly multimedia, higher-bandwidth world, to "grab viewer attention" one needs lots of attractive graphics or images, preferably immediately and quickly presented. In other words, there's a slippery slope from, "story-telling, perhaps spruced up with a little imagery" to, "multimedia slide shows, with a little narration." (For an example of the latter, see my "rolling web album".)

Unfortunately I didn't start regularly adding photos (expandable thumbnails) to my reports until 2008! Long after I'd stopped writing them regularly. Until nearly that time, all of the associated images were/are color prints, not digitized.

Also it would be nice if every geographical location included lat/long coords, perhaps even a link to Google Maps to illustrate it.

If I had a profit motive, or if I cared about "mass market penetration" of my trip reports, I'd do a lot more work to make these reports into virtual slide shows with maps. But that's not why I write them, and it's time-consuming enough to get them all HTMLized and available on the web. I don't care too much if you, dear reader, are hooked into them or not. They are here if you choose to read them, and if you do, I hope you enjoy them (grin).

That said, I do intend to liven up at least any of my new reports with at least a few pictures and/or coordinates...

PS: A Note About History and Formatting

I originally wrote these reports in plaintext. At first I just emailed to friends, or posted short stories to Hewlett-Packard internal "newsgroups", and saved the text in files. After a few years, noticing a trend, I developed more of a system, although in hindsight it was crude.

Later I converted many of these reports (in the 1979-97 range) to troff -mm, a now-obsolescent formatter at the early heart of the UNIX operating system.

And later (mainly in 2023) I converted all of the troff + plaintext reports to HTML, along with reviewing and improving all of them. This included revising to past tense and otherwise tidying historical artifacts from when they were first posted. Also I turned a lot of significant person and place names into bold hyperlinks into auto-generated crossref files (persons.htm, places.htm).

I also have 16.5 volumes (at 144 pages each, as of 231007) of handwritten journals of my "outdoor adventures." Often I wrote up the same trip (somewhat differently) both ways. Also my handwritten journals include many adventures never described in a public "trip report".