Hiking buddies

It's been a rough year with the divorce, the move and all that. The two things this blog is about -- hiking and beer -- have helped get me through. My love for both have given me something to concentrate on when everything else has fallen apart.

But, as is the case in most things, it's the people associated with the activities that are most special. So here's a roll call of folks who have helped me get through. They're chiefly my hiking but also my drinking buddies.

I've known Leif Sidwell since I was 4. We've been fast friends ever since. He's always there for me -- no matter the problem or time. I've probably spent more time hiking with him than anyone else. The best trip was last summer when we spent seven days in the wild near Gunnison, Colo. It was awesome -- not nearly as awesome as Leif's beard at the time. After I move to Colorado this summer, I'm sure we'll be hauling each other around the backcountry and up 14ers. Can't wait.

Chuck Rowling has been one of my best friends since middle school. When I separated from my wife and quit my job in January, Chuck insisted I come spend a month with him in Tacoma, Wash. We went on some epic hikes -- on the Olympic Peninsula, in the caves of Mount St. Helens, on the Oregon Coast, on the flanks of Mt. Rainier. Like Leif, he's been a steadfast friend through the bad times, and I'm extremely thankful for it. I've vowed to climb Rainier, and I hope to haul Chuck up with me.

Dustin Stover -- along with Leif and Chuck -- has been a best friend since high school. Our hiking stretches back to high school excursions on the South Loup River north of Kearney. We were able to trudge around together again in Los Angeles this spring when we hiked in the hills of northwest L.A. It was an odd but cool experience. I wouldn't expect anything less from Dusty.

Josh Nichols and I have been on some epic hiking experiences. We went to college together and worked at the Daily Nebraskan student newspaper, but our friendship blossomed when I convinced him to take a reporting gig at the Grand Junction Free Press. There, we climbed our first -- and second -- 14ers together, we endured a waterless hike to see the arches near Grand Junction and we scaled Crags Crest on the Grand Mesa. I spent two weeks with him and his awesome wife KP in Montana on my road trip this winter. They showed me some cool spots up there, too.

I met Cullen Purser by chance. I'd been assigned to write a story about his furniture-making prowess. We quickly became friends, and Cullen graciously showed me many of the off-the-path spots in western Colorado. My favorite excursion with him was last fall when we backpacked on the flanks of Mount Sneffels near Ouray, Colo. I took the usual backpacking stuff. He took a coat and an umbrella. That's hardcore. He's been a great friend beyond that, always willing to listen and give honest advice. Plus he's let me sleep in his shed many nights.

(Special thanks to Jennifer Conner, Katie Perkins Nichols and Jeannine Purser for putting up with me and letting me abduct their husbands for adventures in the wild over the years. Your patience -- and friendship -- is much appreciated.)

All hail the king

Maharaja in Sanskrit means "great king." Take a sip of Avery Brewing's Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale, and you'll see that the name is apt.

With all due respect to Budweiser -- which isn't much -- Maharaja is a true king of beers. Despite its "Imperial" name, Maharaja is a double IPA. It tastes similar to Ninkasi's Tricerahops but bigger and better in about every way.

The hoppy aroma is rich. It boasts a ridiculously bitter hoppy bite up front. There certainly is a lot of maltiness on the backend, but it blends nicely with the hops. The alcohol content is huge -- 10+ percent.

The only problem: The Maharaja has a short reign. It's a seasonal brew, available March through August.

So get it while you can. This beer just may be the best that Boulder-based Avery produces. It's certainly one of the best double IPAs this side of the West Coast.


The details:
Name: Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale
Brewer: Avery Brewing
Beer Advocate rank: NR
Style: Double IPA
Alcohol: 10.27 percent
Cost: $8 for a 500 ml bottle
My Grade: A
Skinny: This beer reigns supreme in every way -- its name, its rich flavor, its high alcohol content. If you're a double IPA fan, it's a must drink. You won't abdicate this beer anytime soon.

My son on the summit

I remember long ago when one of my friend's parents led us on a hike through Nebraska's Halsey forest. It was a Cub Scout outing, and the event very much fit the scouting mission.

But I hated the hike. It was long and hot. I cursed the parent for pushing me further and completing it.

The memory rushed back last week when leading my 4-year-old son on his first Colorado summit bid. When pitching a spring break roadtrip to Colorado and Utah, I told Rye we'd climb some mountains. He seemed excited.

As we drove from my friend Leif's Boulder apartment to the base of Mt. Sanitas, Rye squealed: "The mountains are so cool. Colorado is the best place in the world." He even said he wished his hometown of Omaha had mountains.

When we started hiking, he ran up the steep stair-like trail. He squirmed out on rock overhangs. He moved those little legs like pistons.

About an hour into the hike, things changed. He had tripped over a rock and hurt his hands. His legs were tired. The wind was getting colder. "I hate this mountain," he said. He begged to turn around. He had come to curse me like I had that Cub Scout parent.

So I picked him up and slung him on my back. I trudged up the steep, rocky trail with my son on my back for the last half mile. Eventually, we reached the top. I got the summit high. It always feels amazing to get to the top. I was even more stoked to have my son with me.

Rye didn't feel the same way. Look at the pictures. He was tired and in pain. He didn't even want to smile for the cameras. I gave him a granola bar and some apple juice. Then I started to carry him down the steep stretches.

Eventually, though, he perked up. He squirmed down onto the trail and jumped off small rocks. He ran down steep patches. He joked that we'd left his beloved bankie at the top of the mountain, and we'd have to go down to get it.

Maybe the granola bar and juice pumped up his blood sugar. Maybe he was elated to be going down the mountain instead of up, toward quesadillas at Qdoba instead of exposed, windy mountain peaks.

Or maybe -- just maybe -- he's got a little mountaineer inside him. Maybe he'll be like his dad, hating hikes as a youngster but loving them as a man.

The details:
Mt. Sanitas
Location: On the western edge of Boulder, Colo., beginning at Sunshine Canyon
Length: 3 miles
Beginning elevation: 5,506 feet
Peak elevation: 6,863 feet
Difficulty (out of 5): 2 (4, with a 45-pound 4-year-old on your back)