Earlier this year, we reported on a trend across the western United States of a depth hoar layer that, for many regions and avalanche forecasting centers, was a cause for concern. A month later, the primary concern for avalanches has shifted to a focus on ones of the wetter variety in many locations.

FEBRUARY 16. Patagonia has announced the release of a new book, Patagonia’s Tools for Grassroots Activists: Best Practices for Success in the Environmental Movement, marketed as a written counterpart to Patagonia’s Tools Conference. The Tools Conference is an event activists have attended since 1994 to learn how to apply advocacy techniques for environmental issues with the same savvy for-profit organizations, such as Patagonia, use to market clothes to consumers.

  It is February, and the ninth annual Vertfest event hosted by the Northwest Avalanche Center has begun. Last weekend brought Vertfest to Mt. Bachelor, and this coming weekend, more festivities will be held at Alpental ski area. The list of events for February 13 and 14 includes an uphill-downhill randonee race, avalanche awareness, steep […]

Until last week, Associate Editor Lucy Higgins and I had never traveled in the backcountry on a high avalanche danger day. It was not something I wanted to check off my bucket list, and neither of us dared to self-guide during conditions like those seen last Tuesday in Crested Butte, Colorado. But on that day, as part of a Dynafit press trip, Lucy and I were scheduled to head into the surrounding backcountry with Donny Roth of Irwin Guides.

WATTENTAL VALLEY, AUSTRIA. This past Saturday, February 6, 20 skiers from the Czech Republic were caught in an avalanche in the western region of Tyrol. Five suffered fatal injuries, reports The Guardian.

The latest episode of Ski The East’s backcountry series Working For The Weekend, “Presidential Spring,” might be the thirst quencher for parched East Coast snow enthusiasts. In the episode, Ben Leoni—a lawyer from Portland who spends his two days of freedom from the daily grind skiing with similarly job afflicted friends—travels to Mt. Washington to ski some technical, less traveled lines on the famous peak.