Winter Tracks and Summer Reflections
Peering over the edge of 25 Short, I took in the sprawling views of the snowcapped granite peaks that make up the heart of the Tetons. From my vantage point on the ridge, I traced ski lines through faces, couloirs and cirques.
It was February 2023 and new college friendships had evolved into ski partners and a trip to Jackson, Wyoming. Our group of five, which included locals Max Mercuri and Winter Heaton, set off for Turkey Chute, a classic line in Grand Teton National Park. For Max and Winter, the tight couloir was a familiar, if not routine, expedition. For me, it was a first glimpse into the world of steep, remote skiing that can be achieved using my own two legs.
From the jagged ridgeline, the five of us took turns dropping into the snow-filled hallway of the chute. Almost a foot of soft powder had been preserved against the steep walls—even despite a recent dry spell. Crisp winter air gave way to bright sunlight as I emerged from the base of the chute and onto the wide-open apron below, linking huge arcs on a slope with no boundaries. That day on Turkey Chute remains one of my fondest memories of backcountry skiing—friends, landscape and conditions all lining up for an unforgettable day.
This summer, I had the chance to view that magical line from a new perspective: on a hiking trail. Max, Winter and I ascended the Taggart Creek drainage towards Lake Taminah. Conifers eventually gave way to an open expanse of scree, awarding our trio with a view of the Turkey Chute. The chute rose far above the valley floor—over 35 degrees at its steepest sections—and still had a narrow strip of snow clinging to its center.
The line looked preposterously steep, tight and exposed. From the flat surface of the trail, the idea of standing in that steep shot was absurd, but, when looking at it from a different perspective, over my ski tips, it was the most natural feeling.
—Noah Willson
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Get THE Outliers ISSUE
There’s a reason we keep coming back to the skintrack. Why we eagerly load skis into the car before the sun rises; why we diligently study avalanche danger and snow conditions; why we walk uphill for hours or fly across the world. It turns out there’s a lot we’re willing to do for a few (hopefully) good turns. Some are willing to do far more.
Meet The Outliers, the folks Issue 162 is dedicated to. Christina Lustenberger, Jim Morrison and Chantel Astorga: The athletes putting a first descent on one of the world’s most famous climbing walls. There’s Seth Beck, a splitboarder traversing the remnants of an ancient continent’s mountain range. And don’t forget Stratton Matteson: The man who spent five years forsaking gas-guzzling vehicles to make a statement about fighting climate change and kept logging epic lines in the Cascades anyways.
Of course, we’re still suckers for good ‘ole fresh pow and a touch of history. Editor in Chief Betsy Manero dives into the origins of skiing, snow science and mountaineering in Japan’s northernmost prefecture and global powder capital, Hokkaido, and investigates the ramen and onsen-nurtured backcountry ski scene.
The rest? Well, you’ll just have to grab a copy to find out. And take your time, this issue will last through the corn, the mud and the sun.
The Backcountry Team
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Stories |Mountain Skills: Planning a trip to an offbeat location requires more than Google
Chamonix. Hokkaido. Portillo. Certain locations are synonymous with international ski travel, meaning resources for trip planning are as plentiful as some places can be crowded. But what about planning a trip to Kosciusko, Aoraki, Vielha or some other little-spoken-of locale with limited beta, few available maps or no guidebooks? Where do you start?
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The Strength of the Hills
Learning to backcountry ski can be daunting at first, but a small hill in Vermont’s Green Mountains is paving the way for new members of the sport, creating community and inspiring confidence along the way.
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American Mythology: Smarter Than Your Average Sasquatch Story
Some folks chase endless winter, other’s chase mythological beings. Giano Cromley’s American Mythology offers a deep dive into the importance of wild spaces through a fantastical lens. And a chance to put off powder dreams for a couple more sweaty summer days.
Gear
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Gearbox: 2025 Packs
The best ski touring packs of 2025, reviewed.
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Gearbox: 2025 Ultralight Packs
In a year where ultralight packs exploded in popularity, we’ve reviewed some of the best option for your long distance, lightweight tours.
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Gearbox: 2025 Sunglasses
Whether summer or winter, sunglasses are essential for backcountry sports. Here’s a few of the best shades from this year, reviewed.
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Gearbox: 2025 Camera Gear
With these packs, storage options and drones, capturing your adventures in the mountains has never been easier.
MORE GEAR
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The Scarpa TX Pro: Reviewed
The debut of the new Scarpa TX Pro, our 2025 Editors’ Choice telemark boot, marks an exciting, and long awaited, development in telemark gear.
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2025 Editors’ Choice Ski Reviews
From powder skis to quiver-killers to skimo options, check out this year’s Editors’ Choice backcountry skis reviews.
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2025 Editors’ Choice Apparel Reviews
Our 2025 Editors’ Choice apparel includes an assortment of layers, from hard- and soft-shells to puffies to baselayers.
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2025 Editors’ Choice Ski Boot Reviews
The best backcountry ski boots of 2025, from 130 flex to the skimo-inspired, reviewed.
The Backcountry Podcast
From legendary athletes to iconic product designers, activists to guides, our world is filled with new views, wisdom, determination and crustiness.
Latest Podcast Episodes
From playing NCAA soccer to a successful modeling and acting career to being the top polar explorer of his time, Doug Stoup is an enigma. Host Adam Howard recently journeyed to Antarctica with Stoup and their conversation ranges from Doug’s personal training of A-list Hollywood actors to near death experiences; adventures with Doug Coombs; and taking novice skiers to the South Pole.
Tele Mike Russell: Turns for All
Tele Mike Russell grew up as a sharecropper’s son in Delaware before attending college and becoming an executive in the pharmaceutical industry. Then he watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center and decided he’d better follow another path, this one to skiing in Colorado, where he’d go on to find a family in the National Brotherhood of Skiers and help found its backcountry program.
Eric Blehm’s roots in snowboarding run deep. He started riding during the sport’s infancy, and after college became an editor at Transworld SNOWboarding Magazine. Years later, he was in a lift line when a fellow rider saw the “Craig Kelly is my Co-Pilot” sticker on his board, and asked Blehm: “Who is Craig Kelly?” He was floored by the notion that there were snowboarders out there who didn’t know who Craig was. And this inspired him to write The Darkest White.
The Outliers Issue
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Mountain Skills
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Mountain Skills: Planning a trip to an offbeat location requires more than Google
Chamonix. Hokkaido. Portillo. Certain locations are synonymous with international ski travel, meaning resources for trip planning are as plentiful as some places can be crowded. But what about planning a trip to Kosciusko, Aoraki, Vielha or some other little-spoken-of locale with limited beta, few available maps or no guidebooks? Where do you start?
Resort Skinning Policies
We’ve compiled a database of U.S. resorts with a little about each individual policy—where and when skinning is allowed, whether or not it’s free during operating hours and the link directly to the resort’s guidelines.
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Mountain Skills: Set a Plan and Stick to It
Sticking to your plan is easier said than done. But, it’s one of the best ways to stay safe in the backcountry.
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Mountain Skills: Professional vs. Recreational Avalanche Training…what’s in it for me?
This winter, avalanche education in the U.S. will be evolving. The old system of Level 1, 2, 3 will be replaced with two options: a recreational track and one geared toward professionals. The goal of the split is to deliver better, more focused courses to each user group. So how do you know which one’s…
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Mountain Skills: Hydrate or Die
We lose fluids through perspiration (sweating) and respiration (breathing). While ski touring, high elevation and drier air make this even more dramatic. And during the spring, warm weather further exaggerates the amount of fluid lost. Dehydration leads to a drop of performance—in stages from slowing down to bonking to needing medical attention.
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Mountain Skills: Anticipating Point Release Avalanches
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 throughout the winter begin to gain strength and the avalanche problem is less complicated—it’s ski mountaineering season! But as the temperatures climb, wet avalanches become a more regular, primary concern.
