Freelance Writer in the Roaring Fork Valley
Published on March 15 on TheDyrt.com The iconic red sand of Moab’s dunes and dry washes churn under the tires of a Polaris RZR while a blue October sky stretches across the desert. Driven by Tim Burr, a 23-year-old resident of nearby Colorado, the Polaris RZR has the same burly roll bars, chunky tires, and beefy suspension... Continue Reading →
Published on TheDyrt.com, March 19, 2019 Camping is the perfect way to watch meteor showers. For one, many meteor showers occur in the very early or very late hours of the night and being outside already is half the battle. Another advantage of camping is that campgrounds generally have less light pollution and less noise,... Continue Reading →
Published on TheDyrt.com, February 7, 2019 Public lands in Colorado make up 43% of the state’s total area. Each different designation carries with it slightly different stipulations about camping and use, which open up numerous camping possibilities, but the penalty for not knowing the rules can be steep. At best, you have an uncomfortable run... Continue Reading →
Published in the Post Independent, Feb. 13. Residents of the Roaring Fork Valley and similar mountain communities have felt the issue even more deeply because of our close connection to public land. Thousands of acres of national forest surround our everyday outings, and beckon us on the weekends to ski, hike, camp, ride or play.... Continue Reading →
You know that moment when your five-year-old had soaked his pants and gloves falling in an icy puddle but then had to go emergency number 2 in a port-a-potty which you couldn't go vet for him because you were holding a one-year-old in a snow suit who touches everything and the three-year-old over by the... Continue Reading →
Published on TheDyrt.com, December, 2018. I have seen a variety of effective water filtration systems in the past, but over time my needs have changed. Instead of light and fast adult backpacking trips, covering miles each day, my husband and I now have more thirsty mouths and less pack space per capita. With three kids under... Continue Reading →
After I’d lived in Colorado for two years and had reached the ripe old age of 21, I figured I was a goddamn adult. During an extended visit back to my parents’ house, there was a gathering of friends and acquaintances from the church in which I grew up. Through my somewhat inflated sense of... Continue Reading →
Published in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, January 9th, 2019. In the unhealthy relationship between public education and the classroom teacher, teachers are both the abuser and the abused. Along with building and district leadership, they are the ones gaslighting each other and themselves that it is somehow all OK. They see their peers giving... Continue Reading →
Fun fact, 'kids' are a four letter word. I wanted to share what happened immediately after I hit 'publish' on my first-ever, high adventure, carefully worded, all grown-up blog post. Literally the moment after my finger left the track pad, I rushed a crying toddler to the potty, then came back to change a poopy... Continue Reading →
I was 23 years old the first time I heard my dad say the word "shit." We were standing on a beach by the Colorado River as it wound through the sandstone spires and impossible black rock of Eastern Utah. Sunset had finally brought the temperature under 100 degrees as I showed my father how... Continue Reading →
Lindsay DeFrates 