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Brian Barker

@brianoutside

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Husband, father, skier, cyclist, CMC marketing director. Former Crested Butte resident & firefighter/ski patrol/tv journalist - Carbondale via CB, CO.

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My sweet Sunshine is all grown up and headed out into the world.

It hit me today like a ton of bricks and I absolutely lost it. Not because I’m worried and not because I don’t think she can hack it out there. She’s going to absolutely crush it.

Planet Earth: look out for Hazel Barker. She has passion, grit, spirit, and drive unlike anyone else I know. She lights up a room and her soul is magnetic. She will channel her tireless energy into making the world a better place, I’m absolutely confident of that.

I lost it today because I can’t believe these nearly 18 years are over. It’s such a cliché: they all say it goes so fast and you don’t believe them… Until it happens to you.

i’ve been in denial all the past few weeks, but I’m gutted. Selfishly. It’s such an exciting time for her. There is so much promise and potential.

@hazel_greggbarker , I love you with every fiber of my being and I will miss you so much. I’m also thrilled beyond belief for your future and please know everything is going to be OK, sweetheart.

Go get ‘em. ❤️ And #SKOBUFFS!!!!! by @brianoutside

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4 months ago

@thegrandtraverse has loomed large as a rite of passage for me since I first moved to Crested Butte. For more than a decade, I dreamed of watching dawn break over Star Pass. But I struggled when I lived in CB. I made big mistakes. It was a tough time, and I never had the bandwidth to train and do the race.

When I moved to the Roaring Fork Valley, I knew that I had to make it happen — to physically connect my spiritual home of CB with my new community — so that I could truly feel at home in Carbondale too. I’ve biked between CB and Aspen many times, but to travel across the Elk Range in the winter was my holy grail.

So, to celebrate my 50th birthday, I finally did it. It was the hardest combined mental and physical challenge I’ve endured.

I had a lot of time to think during those many long hours — including 13 miles of running from CB in the dark to get to the snow at Block & Tackle — and one of the many things I learned about myself is that I’m a lot tougher than I thought I was. And I let go of a lot of pain that I’d been holding on to.

Here’s to lifelong learning. And bouncing back better than you were before. 👊🏼✨❤️ taken in Crested Butte, Colorado by @brianoutside

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6 months ago

Japan. The people, the culture, the snow. The FOOD. Words and photos can’t fully capture the experience, but here are just a few photos. Given our abysmal snowpack this year, it was magical to hit peak JaPOW. Getting to navigate the spectacular backcountry and this very special country with my partner and best friend @aspenrachel was an amazing gift to celebrate both of our 50th birthdays. by @brianoutside

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8 months ago

My 40’s had their ups and downs. Not always easy. But so many blessings and magic moments. 10 years ago, I never dared to imagine I’d be as happy as I am now with this incredible family and community. What an amazing decade. Here’s to 50. 🚀 by @brianoutside

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10 months ago

My sweet Hazel is all grown up. Her Senior photos in the mountains above Carbondale turned out great. Can’t believe all of these years have flown by and here we are. So proud of this amazing young woman. It’s an honor to be a part of your life, Hazel, and I’m excited to watch you continue to do amazing things. I love you to the moon and back, Sunshine! taken in Carbondale, Colorado by @brianoutside

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10 months ago

Fall flew by, we rode our legs off, and the kids seem all grown up! LET IT SNOW!!! ❄️❄️❄️ by @brianoutside

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a year ago

Life has been pretty amazing lately. The end of summer brought lots of family adventures, and I got to “race” the summer @thegrandtraverse back to CB. So happy and grateful. by @brianoutside

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a year ago

Idaho 💙 A week of cycling, floating, camping, laughing, and connecting with my best friend and ❤️ @aspenrachel. taken in Idaho by @brianoutside

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a year ago

Summer so far with family, friends, bikes, 3 weddings (!!!), and 3 trips back to the Butte. taken in Colorado by @brianoutside

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a year ago

91 days on skis! The 2024-2025 ski season flew by too quickly. Despite low snow and a nagging injury for @aspenrachel, we made the most of it.

The year consisted of a nerdy foray into skimo racing, tons of skinning, watching Hazel ski race, Chair Mountain at Al’s, and some phenomenal spring skiing on Indy Pass wrapped the season on June 1.

179 days until the lifts turn at @aspensnowmass ! by @brianoutside

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a year ago

Gothic Mountain Tour!!! I absolutely love this race and did it years ago when I lived in Crested Butte. I trained all winter to compete in the competitive division and had my best race yet.

So good to be back in my spiritual home with the ultimate race fan and supporter @aspenrachel and friends from the RFV.

Can’t wait to race this race again AND do the Grand Traverse next year! taken in Crested Butte, Colorado by @brianoutside

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2 years ago

December delivered a ton of skiing and great time with family. So many fun moments celebrating winter and each other.

The 12 days off from work because my amazing employer, CMC, closes for the holidays, are absolutely spectacular. by @brianoutside

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2 years ago