I’ve spent enough time in the backcountry to start becoming complacent. This isn’t a badge of honor; it’s more of a humble learning process. Every so often, I start cutting corners, seeing how many steps I can skip before I find the limit, and I’ve found that limit a handful of times. Rock fall, knee-twisting […]
Pachinko Slots: Gambling in the Japanese Alps
![Pachinko Slots: Gambling in the Japanese Alps](https://backcountrymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/PowderQuestHakuba_015-708x472.jpg)
While skiers and riders flock to Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island, Betsy Manero takes a chance in the Japanese Alps.
Atmospheric Flow
![Atmospheric Flow](https://backcountrymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BCM-154-BL-CMYK-14-1Z4A0026-scaled-e1707170549130-708x505.jpg)
Gabrielle Antonioli first thought she wanted to be a doctor. But a sharp left turn put her on a different track: avalanche forecasting. Today, she’s working for Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center.
The Deadliest Winter: A Look Back at the 2020/21 Season
![The Deadliest Winter: A Look Back at the 2020/21 Season](https://backcountrymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BCM141-BL_CMYK-2-19MP7268-708x472.jpg)
With 37 avalanche fatalities recorded in the U.S. during winter 2020/21, the season stands as the deadliest in modern history. Here’s what we can learn from a devastating year.
Don’t Skip Leg Day
![Don’t Skip Leg Day](https://backcountrymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BCM-152-BL-CMYK-11-220209_SofiaJaramillo_WrightTraining_33-708x472.jpg)
Former Freeride World Tour Champion and personal trainer Crystal Wright shares advice on how to train like a pro for ski season.
Sashimi and Käsespätzle: Finding the Goods When the Snow Is Bad
![Sashimi and Käsespätzle: Finding the Goods When the Snow Is Bad](https://backcountrymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/BCM-151-SL-CMYK-1-Christoph_Oberschneider-3-708x525.jpg)
Twice Betsy Manero has headed for epic ski destinations, only to find them drier than her home Tetons. Still, she manages to find the goods.
The Talk: How to Communicate in the Backcountry
![The Talk: How to Communicate in the Backcountry](https://backcountrymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PWadsworth-2970-e1701647712391-708x540.jpg)
Creating clear communication starts with a good plan and ends with making informed group decisions. Here’s what it takes.
The Scene: How To Observe Your Surroundings
![The Scene: How To Observe Your Surroundings](https://backcountrymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/BCM-150-SG-CMYK-7-FredrikssonM_7109-708x472.jpg)
While sometimes what you see on the ground lines up with the forecast, the backcountry is a constantly changing environment. Forecasters’ predictions don’t always come true, so it’s on you to confirm them in the field.
Ski GPT: AspectAvy takes the guess work out of decision making
![Ski GPT: AspectAvy takes the guess work out of decision making](https://backcountrymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Treeline-PR-Erwin-Tour-54-708x472.jpg)
A new app compiles pages of snow, weather, terrain and avalanche data to assist users in planning safer backcountry tours.
A Ski Bum Looks at 30
![A Ski Bum Looks at 30](https://backcountrymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/BCM-149-FOB-ED-NOTE-CMYK-shannoncorsi-izzy-DNG-3549-708x472.jpg)
Editor in chief Betsy Manero mourns Jimmy Buffet’s passing and revisits an editor’s note inspired by the “Margaritaville” singer.