Happy Place: Grace Staberg finds her flow on the Skimo World Cup
When Grace Staberg starting skimo racing during her freshman year of high school in Summit County, Colorado, she was the slowest kid on the team. Now age 20, Staberg is living in Europe and competing on the Skimo World Cup.
Mountain Skills: Cody Townsend Ditches Deviance
What do space shuttles and backcountry skiing have in common? According to freeride skier Cody Townsend, it’s a relationship that stems from an explosion and a theory. Better yet, he’s adapted a … [Read More...]
Till Death Do Us Part: Hadley Hammer’s Journey of Love and Loss in the Mountains
Mountains gave Hadley Hammer love, and they helped her heal after it was gone. [Photo] Blake Jorgenson The morning of April 18, 2019, the world was bright and shimmering. The sun shone onto … [Read More...]
Gearbox: Four Headlamps to Light Your Early Morning Adventures
It’s June, so you may have already transitioned to bike mode, which is fine, but if you live in one of the ranges across the United States still being hit with periodic storms, you may be looking for … [Read More...]
Manageability Thoughts: Are you biting off more than you can chew in avalanche terrain?
Sarah Carpenter and her group discuss manageability on the ascent in Wyoming's Teton Range. [Photo] Iain Kuo For the last 10 years or so, forecast centers have been offering more than just a hazard … [Read More...]
Expedition Review: Group Dynamics, Movie-Making and Managing Risk in the Swedish Arctic
The alarm came too early at 3:30 a.m. By the light of our headlamps Benj and I quietly made coffee and breakfast inside our tent. While we were still cocooned in our sleeping bags to stay warm, Benj … [Read More...]
Gearbox: Airbag Packs
Editors' Choice: Mammut Light Short Removable Airbag 3.0 $580 | 2140g (w/out canister) | mammut.com This little number found its way to one of our most airbag-averse testers, who cites … [Read More...]
Gearbox: There and Back Again
Five skins for going the distance—and a reglue service to test time, not patience Black Diamond Equipment Ascension The Ascension name dates back to the first North American-made skins … [Read More...]
Gearbox: Packing for Anything
Editors' Choice: Scott Patrol E1 30L The Tech: Available this year in a 30L short length for smaller individuals, Scott’s Patrol E1 relies on the Alpride E1 airbag technology: an electronic … [Read More...]
Mountain Skills: Cody Townsend Ditches Deviance
What do space shuttles and backcountry skiing have in common? According to freeride skier Cody Townsend, it’s a relationship that stems from an explosion and a theory. Better yet, he’s adapted a … [Read More...]
Talking Risk: How to Better Understand and Communicate About Uncertainty
Alta Ski Area Snow Safety Director Dave Richards once said, “The only certainty in avalanches is uncertainty. The only time you know anything is when you are wrong.” Traveling in the backcountry means … [Read More...]
Mountain Skills: Knowing When To Turn Around
“It’s getting late. I think we should get off this slope and head back.” This is a statement that has good intentions, but the process behind it isn’t perfect. As spring approaches, the days get … [Read More...]
Mountain Skills: Hydrate or Die
I know a lot of guides who manage to ski all day and only drink a half-liter of tea. They also tend to have their first kidney stones around the age of 40. Fun! Conversely, when I toured with Greg … [Read More...]
Mountain Skills: Anticipating Point Release Avalanches
This article was originally publish in April, 2015. As the spring approaches, many of us turn our attention to steeper, more technical lines higher in the mountains. The layers of snow that formed … [Read More...]
Checklists, Beacon Checks and Route Planning: Building Systems as a Backcountry Traveler
Fresh snow? Check. Awesome touring group? Check. Sarah Carpenter checks in with her backcountry posse on Wyoming's Teton Pass. [Photo] Iain Kuo It’s extremely important for backcountry travelers … [Read More...]
Mountain Skills: Professional vs. Recreational Avalanche Training…what’s in it for me?
This winter, avalanche education in the U.S. is evolving. The old system of Level 1, 2, 3 is currently being replaced with two options: a recreational track and one geared toward professionals. The … [Read More...]
Mountain Skills: The “Hell yes, or no way” approach to terrain management
Moderator Margaret Wheeler leads a panel with Montana State University professor Jerry Johnson, Matt Hansen of the Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation, and Sawtooth Avalanche Center forecaster … [Read More...]
Higher Learning: The nuances of how, when, where and why to take a course
Two Marches back, as I stood on the edge of the frozen Bell Lake in Montana’s Tobacco Root Mountains, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. Together with a half dozen no-longer-strangers, I … [Read More...]
Mountain Skills: How To Become A Better Ski Partner
“Hey. Great to hear from you. I’m out skiing—with partners—and I’m about to drop into a couloir. I’ll call you tomorrow!” With that, Forrest McCarthy, an Exum Mountain Guide who’s guided from the … [Read More...]
