It was July 4th at the New River Gorge in West Virginia. It was dark, and I was on the roof of a truck clinging to the roof rack as we wound through the twisting back roads en route to the edge of the gorge. This had not been the plan. We had ended up loading the truck down with a couple of kegs and as many raft guides as we could fit after the trailer that was supposed to deliver us to the party developed a flat tire. We had unhitched it and … [Read more...]
About Amber MacPherson
http://www.vagabondvalkyrie.com
Scientist, ski instructor, photographer, writer, adventurer, and aspiring film maker from Colorado in the USA.
Backpacking to Conundrum Hot Springs
There are a number of commercial hot springs in Colorado ranging widely in setting and price. Some are rustic, and others are more like hot swimming pools; some are full of boisterous children, others are quieter, some are within an easy drive of major towns, and others take some more time to get to. Conundrum Hot Springs requires a 9 miles hike and more than 2000 feet of elevation gain to reach, and still manages to be incredibly popular and … [Read more...]
Spring Skiing at Valle Nevado in Chile
The Mountain As the ski lift reached the mountain top, I released my white knuckled grip on the J-bar and slid forward toward the majestic snow capped Andean peaks looming large in the distance. It was spring in South America and the backside of the mountain, was nearly empty, inhabited only by myself and the occasional lift operator. The resort was visible as a spec in the distance beyond the lift I had just exited, and a mountain vista of … [Read more...]