Joining the Non-Standard 14er Podcast in this episode is Darin Radatz, Field Operations Manager of the Colorado Trail Foundation to chat about trail adopters, trail crews, re-routing hiking trails, and the challenges of maintaining trail in designated wilderness areas. We even got to learn about using dynamite to clear avalanche debris fields. If you're looking to get involved as a volunteer to do some trail building, listen in!   ..read more

What's Wetterhorn like in winter?  What's the winter route on Holy Cross?  Will_E is back on the podcast to talk about hiking the 14ers in calendar winter.  He is two 14ers shy of completing them all as snowflakes---and most of them he's done solo.  ..read more

Why will the 14ers Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron, Bross, and Lindsey be restricted this summer because of a liability issue? Why was there a bill in the state legislature to modify the Colorado Recreational Use Statute? How did Covid and parking restrictions on popular 14ers changed the hiker use numbers?  Brian Sargeant re-joined the podcast to talk all about it.  ..read more

The most remote 14ers in Colorado are up for discussion in this crowded episode of the Non-Standard 14er Podcast: Eolus, N. Eolus, Sunlight and Windom.  We talk about non-standard routes into the Chicago Basin, animals at your camp sites, and tips for riding the train.  We also talk about a rite of passage of the 14er journey: the leap of faith on Sunlight.  This is part 1 of our discussion ..read more

After both spending 43 days connecting all of Colorado’s 14ers in one self-supported wheel-less thru-hike and winning a bout against rhabdomyolysis, Pawel Szafruga joins the Non-Standard 14er Podcast.  His record-breaking journey started at Barr Trail and ended at the bottom of Longs Peak.  We got to learn all about his ultra-lite gear, his route-planning, some unique connecting ridges, road hiking, and his re-supply methods ..read more

Short-Rope Stiffler got the trail name “Nugget” while hiking the 486-mile Colorado Trail over 5 weeks this summer. Wangler, another CT hiker whom Stiffler met on the trail, joins the podcast along with the Exiled Michigander.  We talk a lot about the camaraderie of fellow hikers, what it’s like to hike for 35 days straight, trail names, motivation, gear and the prettiest sections of the trail. If you’ve ever contemplated hiking the Colorado Trail, hearing our magical and transformational experiences will hopefully tip you into the “yes let’s try the CT” camp ..read more

In part two of our conversation with Andrew and Andrea, our discussion starts with their “rock bottom” moment on their Centennial Peak record adventure.  How and why they did the Blanca/Lindsey group the way they did and getting a car battery jump deep in the Ten Mile Range were just a few of the stories on this podcast that the pair enthusiastically tells in tandem.  You’ll understand why the saying “every ridge goes right?!” applies to this duo.  ..read more

Snowmass Mountain was the topic of discussion in the latest episode of the Non-Standard 14er Podcast.  Recent 14er Finisher and longtime listener NatDog joins JacerJack, TayJack, Short-Rope and AWOL Pat to talk about his experience on the S-Ridge and the Geneva Lake Side.  We compare the standard route from Snowmass Lake to the S-Ridge in an attempt to influence TayJack’s decision on the best way to tackle Snowmass ..read more

In part 2 of our conversation with the Colorado 14er Speed Record Holder, Andrew Hamilton, we learn all about the logistics and about his support team during this 2015 record breaking attempt. We also get to hear more about doing “Holy Nolans” and got a sneak peak of his plans for the Centennial Record attempt set for late June this year.  We also got to ask Bad Dad what advice he’d give to everyone doing 14ers---the answer might surprise you!  ..read more

With JacerJack's recent completion of the 14ers a few weeks earlier on Handies Peak, a "Finisher" episode was in order. Mike Phelps, host of the Return's Mandatory Podcast, joins us with our discussion about the 14er finisher journey.  Amongst a bunch of laughs and 14er stories, we talk about the "finisher blues," the highs and lows, and life lessons we've learned climbing the 14ers.   ..read more