THE SCOOP

Recently on a trip to Colorado, I visited the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater, a grouping of natural rock formations in which concerts are held in an open air space! There is also a huge trail system, both paved and unpaved throughout the park for hiking and mountain biking. With the fluctuating temperature, rougher terrain, and high winds, I had to be ready for a variety of environments and outfit/footwear changes. I brought along my Patagonia Long Sleeve Fitz Roy Trout Shirt to keep me warm in the chilly mountain weather, and topped it with my bright green Patagonia Houdini jacket, which stows in its own tiny pocket so it's a great jacket to throw in your backpack in case of wind or light rain! My pants are the Toad and Co. Debug pants, which cinch at the bottom to keep out dust and grime, and they have a bug repellent built right in. Most importantly I have my ZX/2 Chacos on to keep my toes free while having some tread to handle the rocks and dirt paths we ran around on for hours.

A few days later we conquered the incline, a 2,744 step hike that gains 2000 feet of elevation in a little bit less than a mile! Luckily I brought my Salomon X-Mission 3 trail runners along, as I didn't think my sandals would protect my toes enough for the hike back down along the Barr trail, which also leads up to a 14er (14,000' mountain) called Pike's Peak. The Salomon's have awesome support, and I tend to wear them as much off trail as I do on, because they allow me to be on my feet for 8 hours or more each day without being exhausted at the end of the day. My bright blue pants are the Toad and Co Sunkissed Rollup pant, which are super stretchy, comfy, and able to be rolled up to the knee and secured if need be. When you aren't used to higher elevations, it's really important to have the right clothing, supportive shoes, and enough water on hand because your body isn't used to the lack of oxygen, and this climb was a struggle, as I'd only been in the area a few days and was not as acclimated as others on the trail.

After the incline, I donned my Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody as we went on a lazier hike around Mt. Evans, another 14er in the area. This is hands down my favorite jacket, I wear it everywhere! Its synthetic, so it stays warm even when wet, fits well under my waterproof shells, and fits over any base layer or regular t-shirt perfectly. Under my Salomons are the Farm to Feet Ithaca Socks, which are ultralight but the wool blend kept my feet both warm and dry through sweat and even some snow on the frozen lake.