Alaska Range: Emergence – September 2023
In Alaska, there is no right to exist. In fact, we shouldn't be here at all. In the warmest parkas available, we shiver and shake, trying to wrap our brains around the all-encompassing intensity of the winter here.” In April 2023, skiers Connor Koch, Jonny Morsicato and Mitchell Quiring ventured into the heart of the Alaska Range for a 2-week expedition. They battled storms, weathered extreme cold, and skied incredible snow in the shadow of America’s tallest peaks.
Navigating Iceland – April 2023
We lost the light and stuffed our gear back into the weatherproof bags; a storm was coming, and we wanted to arrive back at the harbor in time for fresh fish and chips before the ferry ride back to the mainland. Sprinting through the rain towards the endless black coastline, we saw our boat coming in, the captain weaving deftly between volcanic outcroppings guarding the shore like melted gargoyles.
Crossing Iceland on Foot – February 2023
In August 2019, Jonny Morsicato embarked on the ultimate family adventure in Iceland. While Jonny and his brother Ed Bossert pushed themselves to their limits in their attempt to set a Fastest Known Time (FKT), their parents chose to explore the stunning Westfjords. Check out Jonny's recent interview with Mason Gravley on the Adventure Sports Podcast!
NYC with the Coyote Collective – December 2022
Miles in, my legs feel ever lighter. From the Lower East Side, I cross the Williamsburg Bridge, red and gray and full of scrawled and painted messages from those who have passed before me. “I’m happy you’re here. Now keep going.” So I do.
Consequence of Habit Podcast – November 2022
This week on the Consequence of Habit Podcast, JT is joined by the masterminds behind the Coyote Collective. Connor Koch, Colin Rex, Jonny Morsicato, and Christian Van Os Keuls are best friends on a mission to help tell authentic stories. In this episode, JT, Connor, Colin, Jonny, and Christian discuss the roots of Coyote, lessons learned from difficult shoots, the importance of radical honesty, Sasquatch suits, and much more!
Adventure Sports Podcast – November 2022
“From 2015-2018, Connor set out to learn more about his new home state of Colorado by climbing all 58 of the Colorado 14ers, a journey that kicked off his career in the mountains. It taught him how to move through mountains and across landscapes with an eye towards life lived on his own terms, a skill he would realize could take him to very unexpected places…”
The Last West: Montana – November 2022
Upon arrival at our modern cabin, we hopped aboard the bikes for a quick town exploration, ending at the Beaverhead River flowing just yards from our back porch. A quick dip in the cool, mountain-fed river washed away the day, and we prepped our bikes for an early morning before sneaking off to bed while the sun still lit up the peaks to the west.
VoyageDenver – October 2022
Each of us has spent years honing our craft, and the combined force of our talents and motivations is something special; beyond the product photos and writing and video work, I believe our contributions to storytelling stand out for their authenticity. Everything we do, we do with our entire hearts.
Consequence of Habit – June 2022
Connor describes how a random act of kindness made him question his own priorities and motivations, a story that literally brought tears to my eyes. We also discuss the importance of mentors, of which Connor has had some amazing ones, including Erik Weihenmayer (the first blind person to climb Everest) and Dr. Paul Stoltz.
Annapurna Circuit – May 2022
What do you think when you hear the word Himalayas? If you're like me, you’re immediately taken to scenes from John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air – harsh wind, minimal oxygen, and frigid standing air temps. When my partner Dikshya and I started planning for the Annapurna circuit at the beginning of Covid-19 this notion held strong and we started to plan for layers of down jackets with little recourse for warmth.
72 Hours in Patagonia – March 2022
The small threads of joy and community weave together seamlessly here in the borderlands, proving to be something we’ve always known: bikes are a context for movement and connection, a rolling vehicle to break from the normal and tap into something more important. It’s not the bike that’s important – it’s the people.
Better Moments, Better Life – February 2022
For two weeks, we explored Iceland with our cameras in tow, on a mission to document some of the wildest landscapes on Earth. We ran across active volcanoes, swam in hidden hot springs, and crawled through glacier caves so narrow we had to leave our backpacks behind. We dealt with heavy rain and snow most days, but the clouds always seemed to clear up for just a few minutes in the most special places. Our friends at Balmuda invited Colin to share some of his story recently, so he took a much needed moment to sit down and reflect on some recent adventures.
Meet Connor Koch of Coyote – January 2022
When people talk about risk in the mountains, they’re talking about the ultimate price. We’ve weighed that a lot, and stared down the barrel of bad decisions many times, with everything on the line. So when you apply it to business, big risk seems a little less intense, and it’s easy for us to stomach “risky” decisions when the only thing on the line is our jobs.
Blue Ridge Parkway – October 2021
We awoke to clear skies, seeing blue for the first time in a week on our last day of the trip. Maybe it was the change in weather, but the roads out from the ranch no longer looked so foreboding and mysterious. They looked a little more like home.
Chilling with the Coyote Collective – May 2021
When Christian returned with the wood it was game on, and our well-oiled kitchen whirred to life, everyone settling into their usual roles. Marcella chopped and prepped, Jonny donned his grandfather’s apron, Colin kept the fire going, and the meal materialized before our eyes. Toasting to another year of adventures and unknowns, we ate the fish, garnished with fresh mango salsa and lime. The stories continued to flow. The drinks were still cold.
In Bloom – April 2021
Process. Routine. Presence. It’s a lot easier to say these words, to define them and understand them, than it is to practice them. To live them. I’m trying my best. Most days, that commitment starts with coffee. I’m on the road a lot, so simple and replicable is just fine. You can leave the scale at home for this one.
Front Runner: Find Anywhere – March 2021
Getting out into the unknown often requires more than two feet and a willing spirit. We use our trucks to take on backroads and long, lonely drives to epic places. When Front Runner called us up to put together a new campaign, “Find Anywhere,” we loaded up Connor’s Tacoma and hit the Range of Light, climbing, running, and camping below the backdrop of the majestic Eastern Sierra.
Irregularities in the Landscape – February 2021
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to spend the last few years traveling, and have immersed myself in vastly different landscapes from the islands of Croatia to the rugged mountains and glaciers of Patagonia. Each destination has so much to offer, but I’ve been drawn mostly to cold and desolate environments completely different from what was accessible in the southeastern United States.
Life Skills: One Month Marathon – January 2021
For months at the beginning of 2020 my girlfriend, Dikshya Ban, had been training to run her first marathon (in celebration of turning 30), but due to the onset of Covid-19, the marathon was canceled. So we switched things up, and created our own course in and around our neighborhood, leading into the big day with a month-long, Skratch-fueled marathon training plan.
Golden State Skyline – August 2020
The Golden State Skyline is a human-powered, self-supported linkup of all fifteen 14,000’ peaks in California, stretching from Mt. Shasta in the Cascades to Mt. Langley, the southern tip of the Sierra. Connor Koch, Jonny Morsicato and Charlie Firer, followed by film crew Colin Rex and Nick Smillie, set off to complete the Golden State Skyline on August 14. The planned route covered 800 miles by bike, 100 miles on foot, and 100,000 feet of vertical gain, including technical difficulties up to 5.9. But life had other plans.
The Tahoe Lasso – July 2020
“Also, if you’re interested, riding from Mammoth to Tahoe and back in June…” This non sequitur caught me off guard. It was also exactly what I’ve wanted to hear for a while. I have long admired the big days my buddy Connor puts in the mountains. Slipped in the middle of casual conversation (mostly about bikes) between two friends, was the invitation to join in on one of his epic adventures. An invitation to partake in the fun, madness, joy, suffering, and glory. “I’d be so down. I’m so honored. Would be a rad way to spend my 30th birthday”
A Big What If – May 2020
I believe that human-powered adventures provide the opportunity to know yourself, a context where you can dig deep and find wholeness from an experience. Last October, I ran the Rae Lakes Loop in a day, solo and onsight. I hit a few rough patches, notably at mile 30 when I was beyond committed to the full loop. There were many high points, too. The highs and lows, the “life in a day”, the purity of an intense experience - they all help me unravel the threads and close the gap between the person I am and the person I aspire to be.
California’s High Sierra – October 2019
We swapped our running shoes for climbing rubber and trudged to the base of the Matthes Crest - one of America’s “50 Classic Climbs” - a mile long ridgeline of sweeping alpine granite, cresting over a technicolor valley pocked with aquamarine lakes. Joyfully, we traversed across, carefully placing feet and hands on the pristine white rock, conscious of the consequences 500 feet below, grateful for the time and ability to be here, now.
Ambassador Feature – January 2019
I climbed all 58 of Colorado’s 14ers - mountains over 14,000 feet - and, man, what a ride. The 14ers project taught me a lot - about my new home state, about moving efficiently and quickly in the alpine, about follow-through. Mostly, the journey taught me about myself and my capabilities. Through the toil and the mileage and the thin air, I grew stronger, faster, more confident.
Reaching the Summit of Mt. Bierstadt in a Wheelchair – September 2018
On Sunday, September 16th, Nerissa Cannon summited her first Colorado 14er. Nerissa is in a wheelchair and cannot use her legs, but that wasn’t going to stop her. For 7 brutal miles, Nerissa found a path forward, over rocks, through loose dirt and willows, to the summit of Mt. Bierstadt.