Zachary Kenney

Neahkahnie Mountain Trail | Hiking the Oregon Coast

November 23rd, 2020Zachary Kenney0 Comments

Overlooking the tiny beach town of Manzanita, cut off from the ocean by the Oregon Costal Highway, is one of the most surreal mountains I’ve ever hiked. Is it some alpine peak requiring ropes and ice axes, no. But does it hold some of the most incredible, panoramic views of the Oregon coastline, you bet it does. I’m talking about Neahkahnie Mountain. And on our road trip through Oregon this past summer, we stumbled upon this hike one morning, and couldn’t have been more surprised. Growing up on the east coast, and doing a fair amount of growing up while …

Review: Patagonia Houdini Jacket

November 10th, 2020Zachary Kenney1 Comment

When looking in our gear room or in our closet, I can truly say, the Patagonia Houdini Jacket is one of the most important piece of gear I own. Sure, there are a few sport specific items like skis and climbing harnesses that I physically can’t take part in the sport without, but when it comes to all-around utility and effectiveness, the Patagonia Houdini Jacket takes the top prize. The Houdini Jacket labeled as, “The 100% recycled nylon, take-it-anywhere jacket with weather-resistant protection for high-output endeavors. Fair Trade Certified™ sewn.” And what that really means is, it’s a wind breaker …

Black Diamond Helio 105 Ski | REVIEW | Backcountry Touring Skis

November 4th, 2020Zachary Kenney0 Comments

The Black Diamond Helio 105 Carbon Ski is flat out an incredible ski. Of course, like all skis, it has its time and place and its own set of drawbacks. But so far, after skiing 3 seasons on them, I can officially say it’s a great ski. Early models of the Helio 105 were definitely a work in progress, like any new product, but their latest models have really dialed it in. As a full disclosure, I live and ski in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, where I primarily use these skis to access backcountry terrain, where I ski between …

The Colorado Summer Road Trip | Video

October 22nd, 2020Zachary Kenney0 Comments

This trip was something Courtney and I have been dreaming about since moving out to the West. Yet, it’s been something we’ve been putting off for years because it was almost too feasible. Unlike a vacation that requires plane tickets and months of planning, this trip was comparatively easy. Our plan was to drive around to a bunch of mountain and ski towns of Colorado during the summer months, camping just outside of each town. That way, there was no reservations, not deadlines, just get in the truck and go. For this reason, we’ve just put it off year after …

Latest Video Uploads

October 16th, 2020Zachary Kenney0 Comments

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been dedicated more mornings to editing a lot of the footage I’ve taking over the year. So far, I was able to finish the Oregon trip, two videos from a mountain biking trip to Grand Junction, and finally the video from January for Courtney’s Birthday down in Kanab. Hope you enjoy! Van Life in Oregon Like many of us, who have scrolled endlessly through social media seeing those incredible sprinter van builds, perched high over some scenic overlook, we too shared that jealousy. Which is why, we’ve twice now rented camper vans from Outdoorsy.com. …

Long Weekend in Ketchum, Idaho | A.K.A. Sun Valley

October 9th, 2020Zachary Kenney0 Comments

Like the rest of the population, we all try to get out and make 4th of July weekend more memorable than the average weekend. That extra day off from work, perfect weather, and of course the excitement of being overly patriotic for a day or two, it’s hard to beat. Back when we lived on the east coast, 4th of July usually meant sitting in traffic for hours in order to spend a day or two at the beach. But that’s rarely the case since we’ve moved to Utah. This year, we decided to head north towards cooler temperatures and …

Hiking Mount Elbert | Colorado’s Tallest Mountain

September 25th, 2020Zachary Kenney0 Comments

Summiting a 14er, the coveted goal of most hikers in the USA and around the world. Similar to hiking a 4,000 footer in New England, a 14er is any mountain whose summit stands over 14,000 feet in elevation. But don’t let that staggering elevation discourage anyone from trying. Most 14ers have trailhead that start at 10,000 feet or higher, making the elevation gain only around 4,000 feet, similar to the hikes in New England. Well, Courtney and I are just like the rest of the ambitious hikers in Colorado with a goal of summiting Colorado’s tallest mountain, Mount Elbert! On …

Capitol Peak | My Experience On One of Colorado’s Most Dangerous Mountains

September 18th, 2020Zachary Kenney0 Comments

The most shocking part about climbing this mountain is how different the experience can be for each climber in the same party. For my 3 friends, it was an incredible time, totally fun, no big deal. For me, this mountain almost killed me, and has changed my feeling towards mountains for the rest of my life. I will never climb on any rock this sketchy ever again, and will reconsider my climbing trips to mountains and routes that overtly warn against unstable rock combined with high exposure in 100% no-fall zones. This is the story of that trip. The genesis …

Failing to Summit The Grand Teton

September 16th, 2020Zachary Kenney0 Comments

The Grand Teton as a special place in my heart. Ever since my buddies and I did it back in 2019, I’ve always thought about taking Courtney up it. Sure it’s massive and an excruciatingly long day, but she’s strong I and I knew she could do it. Fast forward to the end of August 2020, when nearly out of the blue, she says to me, “Let’s go climb the Grand in September!”Needless to say, I couldn’t have been more stoked. We had about e weeks to prepare, get it more specific climbing shape, and get the best beta we …

Crested Butte, Colorado

September 4th, 2020Zachary Kenney0 Comments

This was not our first time in Crested Butte, or CB. We actually had just rung in the New Year of 2020 here with a group of friends, but visiting in the summer was 100% different. Even though the town was still just as busy and filled with tourists, the vib had completely changed. People were outside, walking around in shorts and t-shirts, which was much different than the -15F weather we were lucky to experience over New Years Eve. Luckily, after two sites were no good to camp in, we were able to find a campsite on Kebler Pass, …

Author: Zachary Kenney