Taylor has worked at the shop since April 2015 and as we all know, four years of employment in one place in Durango is pretty dang impressive! As our Manager, Taylor leads the shop and our employees in an exceptional way. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have him (and his dog Tyson) as a integral part of the team. A little bit more insight into what makes him happy…
What do you love most about Durango?
The strong outdoor community we have that inspires us all to get out and enjoy our surroundings.
What is your favorite thing about Durango Outdoor Exchange?
Outfitting people for their next adventure!
Tell us about your best outdoor moment.
The feeling of success after rowing one of the biggest rapids in North America, Lava Falls. Grand Canyon.
For many hikers, summiting one of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks is a lifetime achievement. Others make it their entire personality, working for years and even decades to climb all of them. Some make a goal of climbing them all in a single season while others try to ski them all.
The problem with climbing 14ers for many people is that they are difficult–and we’re not just talking about the thin air. Of the 58 in Colorado, about one-third entrail considerable exposure and require skilled route-finding and ascent/descent skills. About half have either moderate or considerable challenges. Just eight are considered “easy.”
Hikers looking to summit a 14er near Durango will find four that rank generally as easy or the easy end of moderate. They are all in the same two canyons and can be climbed by someone with decent fitness, good shoes, and a penchant for waking up early. The roads to access all these peaks are part of the Alpine Loop and can be driven from Silverton in a four-wheel drive such as a Tacoma, but are generally not in all-wheel drives like Subarus.
Ready? Here goes!
If you do anyovernight backpacking, or even long distance hiking, there’s a good chance that at some point you may need to go Number Two.
Because of heavy land use and impacts to natural resources (not to mention water sources), this is not always as simple as doing your business and covering it with a rock or a handful of pine needles.
In fact, depending on where you go, you may be required to carry an approved pooping system even if you swear on your loaded lower intestine that you will hold it in no matter what.
Here’s a quick run down on backcountry toilet systems.