It’s time for Wandering Justin’s Best of Travel, Adventure and Blogging in 2010. See who made the list!
Breckenridge
First Ascent Outerwear Shootout – Downlight Versus Serrano
Eddie Bauer is doing some work to make its original mountain explorer image part of its company vibe again. At the heart of the effort is its First Ascent brand.
You won’t find First Ascent casual wear of any sort. It’s meant to be technical wear, and you will see it on some of the world’s highest peaks. First Ascent designed the line with input from experienced mountaineers like Ed Visteurs and Melissa Arnott. And these experts are outfitted with First Ascent gear as they span the world climbing all sorts of crazy stuff.
Obviously, First Ascent wants this stuff to hold up against some stern tests. That’s good news for everyday people like me, who are more likely to just go skiing, snowshoeing or even just sledding in the cold weather.
I recently tested the First Ascent Downlight sweater and Serrano jacket, and came away with some impressions. This should help you figure out which is better for you.
Up with Downlight
The first to endure my abuse was the Downlight sweater ($169-$189). I grabbed a blue XL from my local Eddie Bauer store. Its first assignment was keeping me warm at the Kona 24 Hours of Old Pueblo – mostly at night when I wasn’t on my bike. Temperatures got into the low 30s F. Mission accomplished! Next up was four days in Breckenridge, Colo., with temperatures from 12 to 22 degrees. Even in windy conditions on the slopes, the Downlight kept me warm. I teamed it with an UnderArmour Heatgear shirt, a [...]
9 Things to Know about Visiting Breckenridge, Colo.
My wife and I got our usual winter skiing itch. Over the past few years, we’ve left Arizona to check out Park City, Utah, and the Tahoe area. This time, we headed to Colorado; we hung our helmets for a few nights in Breckenridge, skiing there and at the nearby Copper Mountain resort. Here’s a bit of what we learned:
1. What’s better … Breckenridge or Copper Mountain? Well, Breckenridge is more groomed by far, and its runs are easier. If you can believe it, its blue runs are actually far easier than Copper’s green runs. Breck has way better/faster lifts, though. You should ski both – they each have runs that are great fun for all levels. If you’re a blue square sort like me, ski Copper first while your legs are still at their strongest.
2. Where can you grab a brew? Breckenridge Brewery is the easy answer. But go 10 miles down the road back to Frisco, where you’ll find Backcountry Brewery. The beer, the food, the service and the ambience at Backcountry absolutely pummel the better-known Breckenridge in a one-sided, viscious fashion. I hope for you that the Breakfast Stout is still available when you visit.
3. What about hotels? We stayed at the Village at Breckenridge. And jeez, we really liked it. We were walking-distance from lifts, food and all sorts of other fun. The hotel has hot tubs, a steam room and a sauna! The staff is very friendly. What could be better? Well, the hotel’s pub [...]
