Make way for the Gubna...

When I set up this blog a while back, I figured it would be one way I would share my "altitude addictions" with friends and family.  Mostly I've stayed true to course...but sometimes change is good.  So with that, I'd like to introduce the Gubna.  For my non-Southern audience, that would be the "Governor."

As most of you know, I consider myself to be an amateur beer aficionado.  I appreciate microbrews from all across the country whether it's a porter, stout, india pale ale, amber, brown, red, pumpkin, winter ale, summer ale, lager - basically anything made by the smaller breweries.  Absolutely can't stand corporate beer - as in Budweiser, Coors, Miller, etc. or as Stone Brewing Company states on a bumper sticker - "fizzy, yellow beer is for wussies."  Not that I want to offend anyone who happens to think that's good beer...I'm just saying....  Anyway, I've been brewing my own off/on since 1995 and have an Imperial Stout that's aged nicely - a hopped stout that's mighty tasty when it's cold outside.  Friends of mine are also fellow homebrewers as well and have made some interesting brews that we share from time to time.  My appreciation for the finer arts of barley, yeast, water and hops all comes together once a year in downtown Denver at the "Great American Beer Fest".  As they advertise, close to 2000 beer samples in one convention hall...heaven!

So what's the Gubna you may ask?  Well as the ad says - "it's a hop grenade in a can."  As in a lot of hops...as in an explosion of hops in the back of your pallet...as in strong ale (10%)...as in beer happiness.  It's brewed by Oskar Blues in Lyons, CO - just north of Boulder - and is simply an innovative brewery/restaurant.  It's one of my regular stops when I'm coming back from Rocky Mountain National Park - great food, great music and of course, great brews.  Why am I writing about the Gubna?  Well, I stopped by my local liquor store this evening to use my $$$ dividend that adds up with each purchase and basically walked away with a free 4-pack of the Gubna.  I had one with dinner and all I can say is IF Oskar Blues Brewing is in your local liquor store...you really should try this or any of the other styles they make.  Simply amazing!  Very smooth taste, very strong hop character, and a mild citrus flavor towards the end.

So what's next for me?  I start "Basic Mountaineering School" as an assistant instructor on Monday.  This is the course I took as a student last year and was pushed outside of my comfort zone in a good way.  Now I get to do it all over again but on the other side teaching.

Sounds like fun....climb on my friends!

Up a Flattop...

Happy Thanksgiving early!  I'm currently in Albuquerque, NM visiting Karen and her son, Ethan, for the Thanksgiving holidays.  We're only in ABQ for a short period of time before driving to Tucson, AZ to visit friends and family.  I'm looking forward to a few days in the desert Southwest and the opportunity to wear shorts in warm weather!  For only a few days ago...

The winds were forecasted to be 20-30 MPH steady with gusts to 35-40.  Air temperatures hovered below freezing most of the day with a summit temperature of 17 degrees.  Windchills easily around zero.  Hmmm, sounds like a great day to go hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)!

I signed up on a Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) hike to Flattop Mountain (12,324') located in eastern RMNP.  The rating system that CMC uses classified it as an easy C hike - 11 miles round trip and 2750' elevation gain/loss.  Fairly "easy" after this past summer's 14er trips.  Good friends, Anne and Kevin Martin, joined the motley crue of hikers - no one knew each other well - it's the nature of signing up for CMC hikes.  Our ascent up the snow covered trail was sssslllllooooowwww and the group is only as fast as the slowest hiker - and we had one.  Regardless, the scenery was quite beautiful with lenticular clouds around (i.e. flying saucer clouds), windblown snow and blue Colorado skies.  Longs Peak to the east was outstanding in grandeur but looked formidable with colder temps 2000' higher and high winds.  Not a good day for a summit attempt there.  We had a quick lunch near summit and abandoned our thoughts of nearby Hallet Peak - 1/2 the group was cold and ready to get back into the trees.  I'll be back for another attempt on Hallet though...

Once back at the parking lot, our group bid farewell to the other group and made our drive down the hill to Oskar Blues in Lyons for hot food and cold, hoppy brew!  Yum - tasty Gordon's IPA!

As this is the holiday week - I wish all of you a happy and safe Thanksgiving wherever your travels take you.  Climb On!