June 8, 2009 |

Rough week

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A person with a goatee wearing a red cap and grey t-shirt sits outdoors against a rocky background, looking to the side.

At the end of life, let them say I truly lived. ~ me


Well this week has been a bit rough. As you have read, my thoughts have been focused on the search for three missing climbers in China. Unfortunately, that search has thus far come to a tragic end. The body of my friend, Jonny Copp, was discovered at about 4000m in avalanche debris on the slopes of Mount Edgar. Words really do not do justice to this loss. The search for Micah and Wade continues.



Jonny and I first became friends while working together at Planet Outdoors. Say what you will about PO (hell, I probably said it along with you) but the people who worked there did become a bit like a family. Sometimes a dysfunctional, scary family, but a family nonetheless. I made some great friends at PO. Those friendships have changed as people have grown up, moved around, had children, married, divorced, married again and some remain stronger than others. Jonny and I, though not the closest of friends, always seemed to come back together in one capacity or another. Whether climbing in Veedavu, plotting a new project, shooting in the backcountry or just hanging out, Jonny was always ready with an awesome story and his infectious smile.


A person in a yellow jacket skis down a steep, snow-covered mountain slope surrounded by pine trees under a clear blue sky.

After the demise of Planet Outdoors (actually, I believe it is still an active site in some form but without any of its original employees), Jonny and I continued to see each other from time to time. Though I was a vastly inferior climber (who wasn’t, really?) Jonny did let me tag along on occasion and always encouraged me with positive reinforcement, no matter how much I was just dangling in mid-air. This was Jonny’s way. Always smiling. Always encouraging others to reach for the stars.



When Jonny started work on the Boulder Adventure Film Festival, he contacted me to help out as both a member of the selection jury but as webmaster for the site.

We screened hundreds of flims over the years some good, some great, some REALLY bad and laughed through it all. Jonny was one of those people who always put back more than he took out. He inspired others through his athleticism but did not stop there. His thoughts always seemed to come back to wishing to encourage others to love the outdoors and cherish the earth. That was the message of the Festival and Jonny’s message to us all.


I was thinking of a quote that best sums up Jonny and really had a tough time finding anything that does him justice. So I started thinking more about how he lived life and decided that maybe that would be the best way to honor him. Jonny really lived. At the end of my life, I hope others will say the same of me.


Thoughtful strategy. Practical execution.

Clear thinking, honest perspectives, and experience shaped by years of doing the work. No shortcuts, no borrowed opinions, just lessons learned by showing up, solving problems, and following ideas all the way through.

Four hikers with backpacks walking along a rocky mountain ridge under a blue sky
May 8, 2026
We are each our own greatest inhibitor. People don’t want to do new things if they think they’re going to be bad at them or people are going to laugh at them. You have to be willing to subject yourself to failure, to be bad, to fall on your head and do it again, and try stuff that you’ve never done in order to be the best you can be. ~ Laird Hamilton Yesterday: Hit Range Balls/Hike – Casa del Critters, 1:15 Today: Run – GGCSP, ~2 hours Tomorrow: Ride – Somewhere singlespeedy, ~2 hours Yesterday, Rach and I took a nice stroll in the woods around our house. The songbirds were going crazy-nuts and surprisingly, we only saw one other person walking his dog. I love where we live – close proximity to fun trails and the ability to get away from it all in just a short walk from our house. During lunch yesterday, I went to the driving range to get a few cuts in before playing a round of golf with my dad next week. I don’t get to play very often so need to brush up on my skills (or lack thereof) whenever I can. I am looking forward to playing with my pops and hope to break 100. I shot a 102 the last time I played so I am within striking distance of the sub-triple-digit score. We’ll see how things go. I usually do okay for most of the round and then fall apart on a couple of holes pushing my score way up. Dad shoots in the low 80s usually (I think). I am not sure I will ever play enough to be that good but it is fun to get out on the course now and again. I also went to see Dr. Paul yesterday for my ankle problem (which seems to have been resolved) and my knee (which is still a bit swollen but has decreased in size markedly over the past several days). The knee stems from my unscheduled nose-dive back in May (see this post for details). The shot some pictures and believe that everything is a-ok so that was good news. I just need to select better places for splashdowns in the future. And today is Luke’s birthday. Age is one place where I will always beat him but visit his blog to congratulate him on trying to catch up. Until next time…
Runner silhouetted at sunset on a rocky trail, mid-stride between hills.
May 8, 2026
Progress comes from the intelligent use of experience. ~ Elbert Hubbard Yesterday: Run – Casa del Critters/Flume, 1 hour 15 minutes Today: Ride/Hike/Relax Tomorrow: Run/Hike – Pawnee/Buchanan Passes, 6 hours? Yesterday I ran around the house. Not literally, mind you, but in the neighborhood. It was a gorgeous evening – calm, cool. Perfect. The wildflowers are really starting to take off up here and I was treated with a bold display of color throughout my run. Tons of Columbine lined the trailside as I ran on old mining roads and singletrack trails. It is really fun to see how much differently I am able to handle familiar terrain. I used to have difficulties running this loop and would have to walk major sections. Last night, I ran the entire loop without trouble and was able to moderate my speed to maintain a steady cadence through the run. Good times. Contracting is staying steady. A bit of a drop-off this week given the holiday but I am still managing to put in a decent number of hours. I picked up another new project today and will need to get started immediately to ensure that it gets completed on time.  Tomorrow, we are going to head up Pawnee Pass and loop back around to Buchanan Pass in the northern Indian Peaks Wilderness. This should be a fun challenge as we’ll get up pretty high, have to navigate some snow (most likely) and will be out for quite awhile. I am looking forward to it for sure . Movie time: I forgot to mention Shopgirl, a Steve Martin vehicle, we watched the other night. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but found this to be a charming film about loneliness. It was well acted and would recommend it for sure. The pacing is steady throughout and some might find it a little on the slow side but it was an engaging film that had a lot to say without being overly sappy.
Hands holding a tablet displaying a video player interface. The video is paused.
February 20, 2026
In case you hadn’t seen these (and also for my friends at Adventure Film ), here are a couple of must-see running movies from Joel Wolpert:  Geoff Roes: Slogging to the Top