story and photos by Murray Selleck, HIKE ROCKY’s equipment specialist
Note: these recommendations were not solicited and we receive no financial consideration from any of the manufacturers mentioned
 
I remember a particular winter backcountry ski day like it was yesterday. Even with decades of time having passed, that single drip of sweat running down my side left an impression.

We were backcountry skiing and hiking for turns when it happened. These were the early days when layering for warmth was becoming more technical with the fabrics being offered and fast becoming a widely adhered to concept.

 
Of course, layering for warmth has long been an acknowledged practice. Think Shakelton and the Endurance. Think Charlie Brown on the baseball mound so thickly layered up he can barely move!
 
The reason why I remember this specific backcountry ski day so well is realizing my next to skin wicking layer was certainly not wicking, far from it.
 
Ideally, the layering concept is designed to allow the sweat and perspiration you generate while skiing or snowshoeing or any high aerobic activity to wick off your skin and pass through your insulation layer.
Layering correctly will prevent you from overheating while keeping you warm and dry.
 
On that particular winter day, with sweat sending shivers up my back, was a huge fail. Since then, through lots of trial and error, I wear a layering system that ​works really well for myself. However, it goes without saying that what works and feels comfortable for one person doesn't mean it will be equally effective or comfortable for the next.

But here are a few ideas to keep in mind as you dress for your next hike, winter ski, or snowshoe day in Rocky Mountain National Park.
 
The key to staying warm in winter is to stay dry. This means your next-to-skin layer is truly the most essential. It must wick the moisture off your skin. This layer should also be quick drying. It shouldn't stay damp against your skin. If this first layer does stay damp you will have to use even more energy to stay warm. As soon as you pause for a break to catch your breath or take a drink of water you'll start to chill down. Your break will be short lived because you'll have to quickly get moving again to regenerate more heat to overcome your chill. A frustrating repetition of sweat, chill, warm up, sweat, chill, warm up will repeat itself all day long. This first layer, the next to skin base layer, is critical to keeping yourself dry, warm, and comfortable even in the most extreme temperatures.

The best way to ensure that your next to skin layer works properly is to have it form-fitting to your body. Some manufacturers call this body mapping. The layer shouldn't be loose, baggy, or floppy anywhere on your torso or legs.
 
Body mapping tops typically have specific areas within the design to vent more heat or be purposefully even more snug fitting than the rest of the garment.
This was the biggest lesson I learned during that winter ski day way back when. How was my base layer supposed to wick when it wasn't even touching my upper body in all places?
 
Once I began wearing body hugging, snug, form fitting tops and bottoms did the wicking performance actually begin to work effectively.

This snug body hugging-fit may feel pretty foreign to lots of first time users. However, once you get use to the feel you'll never go back.
 
Think of the next to skin layer's sole purpose as transporting moisture off your skin or wicking. This is what will keep you dry... and comfortable.  Don't think of this layer as an insulating layer. The most effective wicking layers I have found are also incredibly thin as well as body hugging. Since they are thin that also makes them very quick drying.

During a ski or snowshoe break this layer is drying equally as quick as it is wicking moving all that underneath “micro climate” generated moisture away from my skin. I can enjoy a satisfying drink of water and snack without feeling rushed or compromised by the cold temperatures.
 
Here are a few of the next-to-skin tops and leggings I have found to be really effective. I use one or another pretty much every winter day Nordic skiing or snowshoeing.

Craft Active Extreme X (Sweden) Craft was the first top with a body snug fit that I ever wore. It was my game changer. The Active Extreme Top is made with 100% recycled polyester, much of it from old fishing nets.
Mesh inserts under the arms to promote ventilation, flat lock seams and stretchable material for easy mobility, waffle knit design for enhanced wicking... these are the things that make up a wonderful next-to- skin layer.
 
By the way, that first Craft top I wore many moons ago? I still have it and wear it on certain trips which speaks to the durability, performance, and longevity of Craft products.

Bjorn Daehlie Compete-Tech (Norway) For those who may not know, Bjorn Daehle, is the most successful male cross-country skier in history. He and his clothing company know a few things about how to stay warm and dry outside in winter.
 
The Compete-Tech top is the thinnest top that BD produces. The lightweight fabric and snug fit will keep you dry no matter how fast you climb or how long you stay out.

The fabric is made with Tencel, recycled polyester, and fine merino wool.
 
Tencel is produced from fiber extracted from cellulose pulp from sustainable, fast growing eucalyptus trees.

​Ortovox Comp 120 (Germany/Switzerland) This is another very light next to skin layer. The fabric make-up is 70 % virgin wool for wicking and warmth and 30% polyamide to provide the snug body hugging fit.
Ortovox uses a unique circular knitting technique which creates a practically seamless garment. This weave also allows Ortovox to create body mapping zones for strength and increased breathability.
​
Ortovox uses merino wool from Tasmania for their next to skin fabrics. They also use Swiss wool for increased insulation in their midlayers and outer jackets and tops. Ortovox takes pride in knowing exactly from which farms their wool is produced ensuring quality and animal welfare.

Odlo Active F-Dry Light Top (Norway) Yes, there is a theme here... Scandinavian companies offering body snug, exceptional wicking and fast drying garments. The Odlo F-Dry Light top is made with 88% recycled polyester and 12% recycled polypropylene.
Odlo produces a variety of fabrics for their base layers including sheep's wool and yak wool.
 
There are many more companies producing great next- to-skin base layers. The choices are practically endless. Swix, Smartwool, The North Face, Icebreaker, Helly Hansen, and on and on...
The trick is to find a company you believe in. One that you can support both with your dollars, trust, and recommendations.

The great debate over next-to-skin fabrics that is synthetic materials vs natural (primarily wool) and renewable materials, won't go away anytime soon. Everyone will develop their personal favorites.
 
Early on my choice was always synthetics. There was no comparison when it came to synthetic materials being faster wicking and drying.
 
Wool users countered with the fact that it is a natural and renewable resource. It doesn't pick up or retain body odor. Wool is also an excellent material at wicking. They just couldn't claim it to be faster drying or produce a body hugging fit. Durability was also an early issue.

Today, much of those old arguments have disappeared.

Synthetics are being manufactured with recycled materials and have added anti-microbial treatments to eliminate funk. Many of these same manufacturers who primarily produced synthetic layers have also added wool options to their product lines.
 
And, many manufacturers producing products with wool are using core spun (synthetic fibers combined with wool fibers) fabrics to their clothing to achieve a body snug fit, enhance the drying effect, and increase the durability in high wear areas like around your shoulders because of backpack straps.

The choice between synthetic or wool as your next-to- skin layers will always come down to a person's perceived comfort, performance expectations, and metabolism (which in of itself is another whole discussion).
 
The one constant remains... to stay warm in the winter backcountry you have to stay dry!

Murray Selleck moved to Colorado in 1978.  In the early 1980s he split his time working winters in a ski shop in Steamboat Springs and summers guiding on the Arkansas River.  His career in the specialty outdoor industry has continued for more than 30 years.  Needless to say, he has witnessed decades of change in outdoor equipment and clothing.  Steamboat Springs continues to be home. 
​

story by Barb Boyer Buck, photos & videos by Simon Vogt

Colorado resident Simon Vogt has summited 57 of the state's 14-ers (mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation); he only has one left: Culebra Peak in the Sangre de Cristo range. Mountaineering in the high peaks of Colorado's Rocky Mountains has become a metaphor for the new life he is developing for himself: one of ​sobriety and focus.
 
“The summit is the goal, but it's not the reason,” he said. Since choosing sobriety three years ago, Simon has turned to high places of Colorado (and other states) for solace and a sense of accomplishment. This attitude hasn't been Simon's strategy his entire life, however.

He was born and lived in Germany for eight years after which his family moved to New York. He moved to Colorado for college in the early 1990s.
 
“Colorado is the first place I developed a real interaction with the outdoor world: climbing, hiking, and mountain biking,” he said. But he also encountered tumultuous problems with the law, alcohol, and drugs.
 
His naturally impulsive and reckless nature got him into some real trouble while he was using and drinking.
 
“I almost died many times,” he said citing a week-long coma from a heroin overdose in 1994 and daring mishaps while bouldering with friends. “I was also shot at several times and stabbed as a result of poor choices,” he said. “It was the world I was living in at the time.”
​
A couple of years after that, he almost died again.

“I quit drinking after I went to the emergency room for ​pancreatitis. It felt like I was on my deathbed.,” he said.
 
“Being able to get up from that bed and walk out of the hospital was the beginning of a new start, and a miracle.”
 
He faced an immediate test right after getting sober; his boss died, he got evicted from his apartment, and his girlfriend left him. He started living in his truck. In those uncertain days, Simon started taking walks at night because he couldn't sleep. “I got back into hiking more and more after that,” he said.
 
Simon likes to hike alone, especially on his longer adventures, but takes care to be sure he is prepared. His naturally impulsive personality no longer turns reckless, as he cares for his well-being now. He pushes his limits, but he doesn't exceed them.

​“It's nice to be alone, but running into someone is reassuring,” he said about seeing others on the trail. “It's a secret link between you and them, a camaraderie of being with someone within a 10-mile radius. “ “Mountaineering is very peaceful, meditative, and an inner experience,” he said.
 
“There's a dichotomy between being deep inside of yourself, examining your consciousness from a little further back in your mind, juxtaposed with the physical challenges of the outside environment.
“Emotionally, it puts me very much at ease, I go out there for the feeling of solitude, to get more of an inner connection by having that outward experience. This is when I thrive and feel alive.”
 
On his adventures, Simon also finds he can communicate quite easily with what he understands as God; this has been one of his touchstones since achieving sobriety.

“Turning your life over to a higher power, trusting that things are going to be OK, any way it turns out-- that is the key,” he said. “You have to let things go and not stress or be anxious about things you don't have any control over, like trail conditions or the weather, or what you encounter at work.
 
“Once you see yourself as connected to a greater path in life it's easier to enjoy the moment.”
 
The gratitude he feels while on these trips reinforces this connection. Suddenly, he is no longer the outcast and trying to fit himself into a shape society asks him to fill. These days, Simon works as a freelance contractor and carves out considerable time for traveling and mountaineering. While standing on these mountaintops alone, he sees these moments as wonderful gifts that are uniquely for him.
 
“I experience a rush of endorphins, that weird chemical euphoria that I used to seek out artificially,” he

explained. “I become grateful for being a human on this planet, for having legs to get me to the summit.”
 
Simon is continuously honing his preparation for hiking; after every trip he has figured out a way to lighten his pack a bit more and reduce the amount of water he carries.

“When climbing a mountain, you should only expend about ¾ of your energy climbing to the summit, you need to reserve about ¼ for the return,” he counseled.
 
“You need to find your own path and whatever path that is, keep moving. Keep moving even if it's not forward, sometimes you have to go sideways. As long as you keep going – take another step and then another and another.

“I apply the same things in hiking that I apply in recovery; it's not necessarily getting to the mountain top that's the important thing. In life, you're never like 'I made it!' You never truly reach that point. You're never done, it's never over. Once you get to the top you have to get back down.”
Taking responsibility for his actions, along with expecting setbacks on the journey is essential to Simon's new outlook on life.
 
“If you can use those setbacks and disappointments not as a discouragement but as a motivator, you succeed,” he said. “They are learning experiences and that's what it takes to improve. You have to expect to have problems and run into unforeseen things – in life and in hiking.”
 

story, photos, and video by Jason Miller

I have hiked up to Gem Lake via Lumpy Ridge Trailhead many times in the past years and highly recommend doing it. This time, we started deep within the McGraw Ranch and ended up at this iconic spot atop of Lumpy Ridge. We came across grasslands, rivers, forest, mountains, but very few people. This hike is a MUST DO!
 
We began the morning with my son driving his car and me following behind him. We parked his car at the parking lot of Twin Owls and Gem Lake Trailheads. We then took a picture of our beginning point and jumped in my car to head toward McGraw Ranch. We got

mentally prepared for our adventure of the day with a little coffee, breakfast snack, and some good music.
Music, It does the soul some good. When pulling onto McGraw Ranch Road, realize that this is a residential area and that these are private homes. Drive slowly and respect the area residents that call this home. The parking area is located 2 miles from Devils Gulch Road. and is located at the end of the road alongside in designated areas. Once parked, we were on our way.

The old McGraw Guest Ranch is located at the trailhead. There used to be 25 buildings and five of those dated back to 1884. This opened as a dude ranch

in 1936 for the enthusiastic adventurist. It specialized in trail rides, fishing, cookouts, and even square dancing. We walked past a few old buildings where all the fun used to be had and started down the trail.

It starts off as an easygoing, flat hike. Vast, grassy meadows all around you remind you of the fall wildflower beauty. After walking through 1.2 miles of the grasslands you come to a fork in the trail. If you would go right, it takes you to Bridal Veil Falls (2 mi) or Lawn Lake (8 mi).
 
We chose to go left. Gem Lake is 2.8 miles ahead. Jakob's car is 4.5 miles. From here it gets a little more challenging. We traversed downhill a little and crossed a river. I love crossing on the cut logs, makes me feel like a kid. Crossing the river means that the incline begins. Heart pumping and legs burning are normal for me. I have hiked up to Gem Lake many times but not on this trail.

During this awesome time in the wilderness, you will experience all sorts of terrain from large meadows to heavily populated forest areas. I have always wanted to go on this trail, and it is super serene. There is not ​major rock scrambling on this hike, but the listed elevation gains and losses do not do it justice. There are a lot of ups and downs.

​After 1.5 hours of speed walking, we made it to Gem Lake. This is the first time we have seen people today. It is a small lake at the top of Lumpy Ridge surrounded by large boulders and rocks. I could not see any fish in it but if you are going to fish in the RMNP, make sure to read up on rules: have a fishing license and catch and release. Please help our fish population.

​There are great shady areas all around the lake to find a nice resting area. We sat down to eat lunch and drink some water. After 15 minutes, we continued down the mountain. It is 1.8 miles to the parking lot. Not too long after we started our descent, we came across a privy. If you need to use the toilet in the wilderness this is one of the best views out there. Traversing down a little farther and we came to Paul Bunyan's Boot: a large rock feature that looks like a boot with a hole in it. A polaroid moment. Many different spots on the way down proved to be great photo spots. Views of the snowcapped Rockies and the Estes Valley in the distance make for another spectacular photo. Some people enjoy hiking in silence, others find it enjoyable to wear headphones; whatever you like just make sure that you do not create noise pollution. Please don't carry in a boom box.

We made it down to the Gem Lake trailhead within 3 hours of starting the hike. When I hike with my son, he tends to walk faster as we go farther. I highly recommend getting outside with family and friends. It is a great time to catch up on life challenges and reconnect with your loved ones.
 
Sometimes just being together in silence is one of the best feelings in the world. Remember this time of year to dress in layers. It may start off cold but could turn warm and end up cold again. GET OUTSIDE!