Highlights from each of the 2014 Backcountry Basecamp Tour Stops
From gear manufacturers, to retailers, to resorts, everyone is taking notice of the evolution from the piste to the powder. For nearly 20 years Backcountry Magazine has been the leading source for the backcountry movement. Be sure to join us for the 2015 Backcountry Basecamp Tour.
Click the tabs below for stories from each of the 2014 Basecamp stops.
Backcountry Magazine, Gore-Tex, Patagonia and Marmot Launch Nationwide Backcountry Education Tour
Jeffersonville, VT (for immediate release) – Backcountry Magazine, in association with Gore-Tex, Patagonia and Marmot is proud to announce its nationwide backcountry skiing and snowboarding tour. Featuring education, safety, and the latest gear, Backcountry Basecamp will visit some of the most iconic ski resorts in the country to bring the backcountry to the masses.
“We’re excited to give newcomers the tools they need to get out there,” says Backcountry Magazine Editor in Chief Adam Howard. “It’s our imperative to both educate and stoke our community. It’s in everyone’s best interest to be better informed and prepared for the backcountry.”
The tour will feature three stops at key resorts whose identities have helped shape the backcountry movement. First stop, Jackson Hole, Wyo. from February 8-9. Then it’s off to Crested Butte, Co. from March 15-16. And finally, Backcountry will bring it to Smugglers’ Notch, Vt., March 29-30.
Each Basecamp stop will feature displays of the newest backcountry equipment and technical apparel, as well as on-site guides who can answer the most important safety and gear questions. And when the day is done, staff will be there to point visitors towards further educational opportunities in their area.
“We’re excited to work with our key partners to spread the word about what people need to do in the backcountry in order to stay dry and be safe. Backcountry is helping spread that message,” says Tom Boyle of Gore-Tex.
About Height of Land: Founded in Jeffersonville, Vermont in 2002, HOL is one of the few remaining independent publishers in outdoor action sports. Our mission is simple: We are core, adventure-sports media by those who live it, for those who aspire to it. HOL print and electronic brands include Alpinist, Backcountry, Kronicle and Climberism.
Media Contact:
Adam Howard
Editor in Chief
howie@backcountrymagazine.com
802.598.4200
Backcountry Basecamp will be post up at the Bridger Center all weekend to bring the backcountry to the masses. The event features displays of the newest backcountry equipment and technical apparel, as well as on-site guides and experts who can answer the most important safety and gear questions. Both days will be filled with great opportunities to learn and ski safely with the pros.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8
10:30, 12:30, 2:30 Jackson Mountain Guides lead Complimentary Tours. Sign up at yurt.
12:00 Live avalanche and conditions report
1:00 Tour planning for safety and fun
2:30 Avalanche dogs demo
4:00 Teton County Search and Rescue After-Party at the Alpenhof ($17,500 in raffle prizes. Tickets $5, or 5 for $20 available at the yurt.)
*Drink Specials
*Live music from Maddy and the Groove Spots
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9
10:30, 12:30, 2:30 Jackson Mountain Guides leads Complimentary Tours. Sign up at yurt.
12:00 Live Avalanche and conditions report
1:00 Tour Planning for Safety and Fun
2:30 Avalanche Dogs Demo
DISPATCHES FROM THE ROAD:
OLD SKIS, OLD PALS AND SIPPING WHISKEY – Below a line of old National Park Ranger hats hung on the wall and hidden in a barrel of nordic skis rests an ancient pair of edgeless wooden planks that look like they would make better firewood than skis—they are warped, the tails curve left and right and the bottoms are…
LIVE WITH GARY JOHNSON: As I’m writing this, Backcountry Magazine Editor-In-Chief Adam Howard is on the phone with former presidential candidate and daily skier out of Taos Gary Johnson, who is a guest on Fox News’ Alan Colmes’ live radio show. It’s 6:40 p.m. Rocky Mountain Time, which means it’s almost nine in Vermont, where we…
THE BACKMOBILE: Ten hours into the white knuckle, whiteout drive from Jackson Hole to Denver en route to the Crested Butte GORE-TEX Backcountry Basecamp a light came on, accompanied by a discomforting ding. With two kids in tow and 5,000 lbs. of gear in the trailer, that little check-engine icon frayed some already frayed nerves…
BEFORE THE BACKCOUNTRY SHOTS: TOM MURPHY TALK AVY EDUCATION — When Tom Murphy, co-founder of the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), isn’t enjoying bluebird turns in his home state of Colorado, he’s checking snow conditions and teaching the next generation of backcountry travelers how to stay safe….
AIARE, THE ANTHRACITES AND FRESH TURNS — The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) andBackcountry Magazine have been longtime partners. We caught up with Program Director Ben Pritchett and Operations Director Tom Murphy to talk Colorado snowpack, Backcountry Basecamp and catch a few turns in between.
AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Nationals are headed to Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colo. “We’ve wanted to mix it up and move it to a new venue,” says race director and Team Crested Butte skimo athlete Bryan…
MOUNT CRESTED BUTTE, COLO. (for immediate release) — On the second stop of its nationwide backcountry education tour—the GORE-TEX Backcountry MagazineBasecamp—has teamed up with Patagonia, Crested Butte Mountain Guides, Crested Butte Avalanche Center and AIARE, and a host of other sponsors, at Crested Butte Mountain Resort on March 15-16 for a celebration of
Smugglers’ Notch, Vt. (for immediate release) – On the third stop of its nationwide backcountry education tour the GORE-TEX Backcountry Magazine Basecamp will team up with Outdoor Gear Exchange and Vermont-based apparel brand Mammut at Smugglers’ Notch Resort this weekend, March 29-30, for a celebration of all things backcountry.
The Basecamp upens its yurt-based event first thing Saturday morning, featuring education, the latest gear and apparel, FREE demos from OGE, local terrain knowledge and avalanche safety tips for bigger mountains.
Throughout the day there will be FREE equipment demos, pros sharing tips and tactics on safe backcountry travel, plus the latest on snow safety, backcountry skis, boots, bindings, skins, splitboards and more. Smuggs’ will close Lower FIS for uphill traffic, and local hard chargers will be able to run a timed Skimo (Ski Mountaineering, Uphill/Downhill) course throughout the day for a chance to win skis and tons of other cool prizes.
“We’re excited to give newcomers the tools they need to get out there,” says Backcountry Magazine Editor in Chief Adam Howard. “It’s our imperative to both educate and stoke our community. It’s in everyone’s best interest to be better informed and prepared for the backcountry.”
At 4 p.m. the party heads from the yurts to the Brewster River Pub and Brewery (Rt. 108 South, just down the hill) where King Me will rock the house and the Basecamp sponsors will raffle off more than $20,000 of gear, safety equipment and apparel with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Vermont Backcountry Alliance (VTBC) and the Internation Avalanche Nest-Egg (IAN) Fund. You don’t have to be present to win. Tickets are ten bucks (or four for $35) and can be purchased through members of the VBA and IAN Fund (contact Brian Mohr at info@emberphoto.com of VTBC, or the IAN Fund at llamphere@gmail.com). Tickets can also be purchased at HOL Publications at 60 Main Street, Jeffersonville.
All the on-snow madness will repeat on Sunday, including uphill/downhill racing.
“We’re excited to work with our key partners to spread the word about what people need to do in the backcountry in order to stay dry and be safe. Backcountry is helping spread that message,” says Tom Boyle, Gore Strategic Marketing.
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About Height of Land: Founded in Jeffersonville, Vermont in 2002, HOL is one of the few remaining independent publishers in outdoor action sports. Our mission is simple: We are core, adventure-sports media by those who live it, for those who aspire to it. HOL print and electronic brands include Alpinist, Backcountry, Kronicle and Climberism.
About the Vermont Backcountry Alliance: The Vermont Backcountry Alliance (VTBC) seeks to protect, advance and advocate for human-powered backcountry skiing and snowboarding in Vermont. The VTBC facilitates public access to backcountry terrain while promoting the conservation and responsible management of our mountain environment.
About the IAN Fund: The International Avalanche Nest-Egg is a non-profit fund designed to support the children and families of avalanche victims, as well as provide educational and preventative services aimed at reducing avalanche fatalities worldwide. For more visit IanFund.org.
