Intro, External Sources and Misc.

Nothing described here should be taken as the absolute best way to do things. These are simply things that I have personally found to be useful.

External Sources/Suggested Reading

Andrew Skurka: https://andrewskurka.com/

National Geographic Explorer of the year for his 6 month solo trek around Alaska.
My go to resource when I have a question about a new environment/conditions. His book is an amazing collection of tips but many of these topics are also covered for free on his website.

Paul Magnanti: pmags.com/

John Zahorian: johnzahorian.com

Some good info on gear and but the best part are his youtube videos documenting his adventures in beautiful places.
He recently started a podcast where he interviews other crazy hikers called the "the routes podcast" which is a lot of fun to listen to.

Alan Dixon: www.adventurealan.com/

Another favorite. Heavier emphasis on product reviews of new gear rather than skills but still very useful.

Other misc backpacking blogs I've found

Colorado Adventures:

https://www.exploringtherockies.com/
www.14ers.com-I'm not too interested in the Colorado 14ers hysteria but this website also has really good information on non-14er mountaineering routes.
www.climb13ers.com/colorado-13ers/
www.gohikecolorado.com/- I recently stumbled across this website. Looks like an amazing collection of cool hikes.
Cordis Hall: cordisimo.blogspot.com/--More of an ultrarunner than a hiker but he has some fun looking Colorado adventures.
adventuresofthepint.com/

See also: my pages on Maps, Navigation and Weather and Route Planning

National/General Maps

Boulder Area

Boulder County GIS Data: gis.bouldercounty.opendata.arcgis.com/
Boulder City Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) GIS Data: https://bouldercolorado.gov/open-data/tag/osmp
State of Colorado GIS data: https://geodata.co.gov/

US Forest Service (USFS)

Wilderness Areas: www.wilderness.net

National Parks Service

Misc GPS/GIS Links

Free GPS compatible maps: https://www.gpsfiledepot.com/
GPS coordinates grabber: http://boulter.com/gps/grabber/
- Only used a couple times but it was useful for grabbing waypoints from sites like protrails.co

Colorado Scenic Byways: www.codot.gov/travel/scenic-byways

When possible I always take the scenic byway even though they are usually slower.

General Trail Info: Of these, I use "Hiking Project" most often.

Outdoor Recreation Information Center, ORIC: www.oriconline.org/
Free Dispersed Camping: freecampsites.net/

Mouse Books: mousebookclub.com/
Dwarsligger Format: www.dwarsligger.com/