Close-up of a white Bugera Vintage 55 guitar amplifier with black knobs and red power light.

All the Way Up.


When confronted with the question of just making ten louder, it’s always better to take it to eleven.


Missives, musings, and more from author, adventurer, and mountain-fella, Stu Swineford.

Dive in me.

Just a whirlwind tour of some of my ramblings over the years. (Some ideas may have aged better than others.)


  • Running
  • Film
  • Business
Stu Swineford headshot - laughing outdoors

About ToEleven

ToEleven started as a place to house movie reviews and general film-based missives back in the early 2000s. The name derives from one of my favorite films, This Is Spinal Tap, and references Lead Guitarist, Nigel Tuffnel's custom amp stack. ToEleven is not only a URL, it's a way of life. Take yours to eleven.

Rants

Four hikers with backpacks walking along a rocky mountain ridge under a blue sky
May 8, 2026
We are each our own greatest inhibitor. People don’t want to do new things if they think they’re going to be bad at them or people are going to laugh at them. You have to be willing to subject yourself to failure, to be bad, to fall on your head and do it again, and try stuff that you’ve never done in order to be the best you can be. ~ Laird Hamilton Yesterday: Hit Range Balls/Hike – Casa del Critters, 1:15 Today: Run – GGCSP, ~2 hours Tomorrow: Ride – Somewhere singlespeedy, ~2 hours Yesterday, Rach and I took a nice stroll in the woods around our house. The songbirds were going crazy-nuts and surprisingly, we only saw one other person walking his dog. I love where we live – close proximity to fun trails and the ability to get away from it all in just a short walk from our house. During lunch yesterday, I went to the driving range to get a few cuts in before playing a round of golf with my dad next week. I don’t get to play very often so need to brush up on my skills (or lack thereof) whenever I can. I am looking forward to playing with my pops and hope to break 100. I shot a 102 the last time I played so I am within striking distance of the sub-triple-digit score. We’ll see how things go. I usually do okay for most of the round and then fall apart on a couple of holes pushing my score way up. Dad shoots in the low 80s usually (I think). I am not sure I will ever play enough to be that good but it is fun to get out on the course now and again. I also went to see Dr. Paul yesterday for my ankle problem (which seems to have been resolved) and my knee (which is still a bit swollen but has decreased in size markedly over the past several days). The knee stems from my unscheduled nose-dive back in May (see this post for details). The shot some pictures and believe that everything is a-ok so that was good news. I just need to select better places for splashdowns in the future. And today is Luke’s birthday. Age is one place where I will always beat him but visit his blog to congratulate him on trying to catch up. Until next time…

Previous Rants

Four hikers with backpacks walking along a rocky mountain ridge under a blue sky
May 8, 2026
We are each our own greatest inhibitor. People don’t want to do new things if they think they’re going to be bad at them or people are going to laugh at them. You have to be willing to subject yourself to failure, to be bad, to fall on your head and do it again, and try stuff that you’ve never done in order to be the best you can be. ~ Laird Hamilton Yesterday: Hit Range Balls/Hike – Casa del Critters, 1:15 Today: Run – GGCSP, ~2 hours Tomorrow: Ride – Somewhere singlespeedy, ~2 hours Yesterday, Rach and I took a nice stroll in the woods around our house. The songbirds were going crazy-nuts and surprisingly, we only saw one other person walking his dog. I love where we live – close proximity to fun trails and the ability to get away from it all in just a short walk from our house. During lunch yesterday, I went to the driving range to get a few cuts in before playing a round of golf with my dad next week. I don’t get to play very often so need to brush up on my skills (or lack thereof) whenever I can. I am looking forward to playing with my pops and hope to break 100. I shot a 102 the last time I played so I am within striking distance of the sub-triple-digit score. We’ll see how things go. I usually do okay for most of the round and then fall apart on a couple of holes pushing my score way up. Dad shoots in the low 80s usually (I think). I am not sure I will ever play enough to be that good but it is fun to get out on the course now and again. I also went to see Dr. Paul yesterday for my ankle problem (which seems to have been resolved) and my knee (which is still a bit swollen but has decreased in size markedly over the past several days). The knee stems from my unscheduled nose-dive back in May (see this post for details). The shot some pictures and believe that everything is a-ok so that was good news. I just need to select better places for splashdowns in the future. And today is Luke’s birthday. Age is one place where I will always beat him but visit his blog to congratulate him on trying to catch up. Until next time…
Runner silhouetted at sunset on a rocky trail, mid-stride between hills.
May 8, 2026
Progress comes from the intelligent use of experience. ~ Elbert Hubbard Yesterday: Run – Casa del Critters/Flume, 1 hour 15 minutes Today: Ride/Hike/Relax Tomorrow: Run/Hike – Pawnee/Buchanan Passes, 6 hours? Yesterday I ran around the house. Not literally, mind you, but in the neighborhood. It was a gorgeous evening – calm, cool. Perfect. The wildflowers are really starting to take off up here and I was treated with a bold display of color throughout my run. Tons of Columbine lined the trailside as I ran on old mining roads and singletrack trails. It is really fun to see how much differently I am able to handle familiar terrain. I used to have difficulties running this loop and would have to walk major sections. Last night, I ran the entire loop without trouble and was able to moderate my speed to maintain a steady cadence through the run. Good times. Contracting is staying steady. A bit of a drop-off this week given the holiday but I am still managing to put in a decent number of hours. I picked up another new project today and will need to get started immediately to ensure that it gets completed on time.  Tomorrow, we are going to head up Pawnee Pass and loop back around to Buchanan Pass in the northern Indian Peaks Wilderness. This should be a fun challenge as we’ll get up pretty high, have to navigate some snow (most likely) and will be out for quite awhile. I am looking forward to it for sure . Movie time: I forgot to mention Shopgirl, a Steve Martin vehicle, we watched the other night. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but found this to be a charming film about loneliness. It was well acted and would recommend it for sure. The pacing is steady throughout and some might find it a little on the slow side but it was an engaging film that had a lot to say without being overly sappy.
Hands holding a tablet displaying a video player interface. The video is paused.
February 20, 2026
In case you hadn’t seen these (and also for my friends at Adventure Film ), here are a couple of must-see running movies from Joel Wolpert:  Geoff Roes: Slogging to the Top
By Relish February 9, 2026
Well, this weekend's activities took me to The Summit Course at Cordierra in Edwards which proceeded to kick my sorry ass and let me know that I am not only a poor excuse for a golfer but a bit of a fish-out-of-water when it comes to hangin' with the social elite. I was deemed the first person to sport a chain wallet and earrings (gender: male) to grace the links at Cordierra and am certain that I would have been booted from the joint post-haste had I not been among the company of aforementioned "social elite". It was like caddy "day" at the pool in Caddyshack. Without the boobs and Baby Ruth, of course. I shot about 150 (if you don't count the 73 Mulligans) and managed to donate about 36 balls to the surrounding wilderness. I am definitely no Danny and try as I might, I simply couldn't bring myself to "be the ball". I did carve some wicked divots, however… so the groundskeeper is assured a job for a few more weeks at least. After doing my damnedest to bring shame to my family (both Ma and Pa are excellent golfers), I took in the new film Blue Crush which is not going to win any awards (unless, of course, the Academy is adding "Best Fat Man in a Speedo" or "Teeny-Weeniest Bikini" to their agenda). Which, come to think of it, might not be such a bad idea…
By Relish February 8, 2026
020827 | tuesday

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FAQ

  • What is ToEleven?

    ToEleven is a personal writing space created by Stu Swineford. It’s a place for thoughts, stories, reviews, and reflections on topics like film, running, business, and the occasional adventure.

  • Why is it called “ToEleven”?

    The name comes from the cult classic film This Is Spinal Tap. In the movie, guitarist Nigel Tufnel proudly explains that his amplifier goes to eleven instead of ten. The idea stuck. Taking things “to eleven” simply means going a little further, pushing ideas a little louder, and embracing the spirit of doing things fully.

  • What kind of content will I find here?

    You’ll find a mix of movie thoughts, running stories, business perspectives, and general musings from Stu. Some posts are thoughtful, some are random, and some are just things that felt worth writing down at the time.

  • Who is Stu Swineford?

    Stu Swineford is a writer, adventurer, and lifelong film fan. Through ToEleven, he shares experiences, opinions, and stories shaped by years of work, travel, running trails, and watching a lot of movies.

  • How can I get in touch?

    If you want to reach out, collaborate, or just say hello, you can contact Stu directly through the contact page or by email at stuart@toeleven.com

Thoughtful strategy. Practical execution.

Clear thinking, honest perspectives, and experience shaped by years of doing the work. No shortcuts, no borrowed opinions, just lessons learned by showing up, solving problems, and following ideas all the way through.