| Learn More: | www.thenextsummit.org |
| Location: | Denver, Colorado |
| Pronouns: | He/Him/His |
Mud season rule: walk through it, not around it. Stepping off-trail to dodge mud widens the path and kills vegetation. Your boots will dry — the damage won't heal.
If a trail is too muddy to pass, come back later. 🥾🌱
Spring is the perfect time to start planning your first 14er season.
But altitude sickness sends more people off these mountains than almost anything else — and most of it is preventable.
Here are the 9 warning signs to know before you go:
https://thenextsummit.org/symptoms-of-altitude-sickness-9-warning-signs/
CAIC just reported 19 people caught in 17 avalanches this past week alone — in the Gore Range, Elk Mountains, northern San Juans, and RMNP.
It might be late March, but Colorado still has winter avalanche conditions. Plan your backcountry trips around the snowpack, not the calendar.
Check the forecast before you go: avalanche.state.co.us
Happy first day of spring! 🌄
Snow is still stacking in the high country, but the planning season is wide open. What's on your list for 2026?
First 14er? A backpacking trip? A section of the Colorado Trail? Finally learning to read a topo map?
Drop it below 👇 — we'd love to hear what you're working toward this year.
Free webinar — altitude sickness in Colorado.
What happens to your body above 10,000 feet. The warning signs of AMS, HACE, and HAPE. Prevention that actually works. What to do when symptoms hit on the trail.
Most common reason people don't summit a 14er.'
Register: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5217735633777/WN_Uz9IvinoTkOOd-vPx6DBMw
Free webinar on April 15 — altitude sickness in Colorado.
I'll cover what actually happens to your body at elevation, the real warning signs of AMS, HACE, and HAPE, how to prevent it, and what to do if it hits on the trail.
This is the most common reason people don't summit a 14er — and the most preventable. If you're planning any high-altitude hiking this summer, this hour is worth your time.
Register: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5217735633777/WN_Uz9IvinoTkOOd-vPx6DBMw
Colorado's snowpack just hit record lows — 61% of normal statewide, some basins below 50%.
For hikers and backpackers: water sources may be unreliable earlier this summer, fire season starts sooner, and snow will melt out fast.
Factor this into your trip planning now.
March in Colorado: 60° in the foothills, full winter above treeline.
The mountains will be ready when they're ready. Use the wait to get stronger, sharper, and better prepared than last year.
📍 Continental Divide Trail near Twin Lakes, Colorado
CAIC released its report on the first fatal avalanche of the season near Vail Pass. The slide ran only 180 vertical feet but a terrain trap buried the solo skier under up to 9 feet of debris.
Full breakdown: thenextsummit.org/caic-report-details-first-fatal-avalanche-of-season/
How have you gotten outside already in 2026? Share a pic of your favorite moment so far!
