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Ski adventurers to share tales, photos in Glenwood book signing

Carla Jean Whitley
cj@postindependent.com

If you go

Explore Colorado’s World of White on Skis with Two Adventure Photographers

Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. The slide show, book sale and signing will highlight the state’s backcountry skiing and safety information. Hot chocolate and coffee will be available.

Morgridge Commons, 815 Cooper Ave., Glenwood Springs | Free | johnfielder.com/events

A pair of Colorado adventurers and authors will share their experiences and advice during a Wednesday book signing. Landscape photographer John Fielder and Jon Kedrowski, Ph.D., a ski mountaineer and Colorado Mountain College adjunct science faculty member, know the mountains well. They’ve spent time traversing the region on skis, and both share their expertise in a number of books.

Fielder and Kedrowski will recount their tales with photos and music as they promote their most recent books: Fielder’s “A Colorado Winter” and Kedrowski’s “Classic Colorado Ski Descents.” The pair will have books and calendars available for sale and signing.

“I grew up reading [Fielder’s] books and often traveling to the places he had highlighted in his books here in Colorado, whether it was for my own hiking, skiing and exploring,” Kedrowski said.



Fielder’s photographs illustrate more than 40 books. He is also a hiker, skier and environmentalist.

“We met in 2011 just prior to the release of my first book. In 2012 when my first book, ‘Sleeping on the Summits: Colorado Fourteener High Bivys,’ came out, he was generous enough to write the foreword,” Kedrowski said. “After that we would get together a few times a year and head out on adventures. I saw it as a great way to learn photography and other ‘tricks of the trade’ from the best in the outdoor realm. John’s unique background in outdoor conservation in Colorado and ethics for all outdoor places is something I have learned a great deal about. He has been an outstanding mentor to me over the years.”



That mentorship has developed into a book tour collaboration. It’s rare to see authors traveling together for joint promotion, and the pair celebrates the opportunity.

“At this stage of my life, collaboration is a lot of fun, and I think the whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” Fielder said.

During the presentation, the men will alternate sharing photographs and experiences from their adventures. They offer complementary and overlapping areas of expertise; Kedrowski holds a doctorate in environmental geography, weather and climate.

“It’s a yin-yang, back-and-forth between two guys who, between them, have skied a few thousand miles on backcountry skis in the Colorado mountains,” Fielder said. “It’s just a great interplay between two people.”

Kedrowski offered further insight into the value of their collaboration.

“What makes our partnership unique for this particular tour is the ability to raise awareness about outdoor stewardship and to encourage people to enjoy the beauty of Colorado in the winter. I’ll also emphasize the enjoyment in terms of places to go ski and how to be safe by assessing weather, climate — snow and avalanche — as well a proper pre-trip preparation,” he said. “The multimedia portion of the show will make you feel like you are actually there.”

In an area where backcountry sports are popular, the pair’s expertise is invaluable.

“Winter can be hostile if you don’t know how to act and dress and eat and react to unpredictable things,” Fielder said.

But with their 50-plus combined years of experience, neither man has found himself in a life-threatening situation in the backcountry winter.

“I’m bringing the art of winter into it as well as some funny, dramatic, embellished stories of survival,” Fielder said. “Jon is adding the practical side to it. So yeah, I think it’s a good marriage.”


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