President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law on September 3, 1964, protecting 9.1 million acres as The National Wilderness Preservation System. This year marks the Wilderness Act’s 50th anniversary, which means 50 years of undeveloped, unmechanized and untracked terrain.
First Avalanche Accident, Adirondack Powder Skiers, Vermont’s Backcountry Forum & Big Skimo Goals in Canada
First reported avalanche accident of the season Crested Butte, Colo. On Monday, November 3, the Crested Butte Avalanche Center (CBAC) was notified of a slab avalanche on a north-facing slope on Mt. Owen. Two skiers, who were boot-packing up Jenga Chute, were partially buried in the slide but are reportedly uninjured. The slab broke near […]
BC Banter: Our 100th Issue, the Northwest’s First Snow, Utah Avy Workshop and a Zombie Fortress
Backcountry Magazine kicks off the holiday season with a celebration of our own—the 20th anniversary issue hit newsstands on Tuesday, Oct. 28. After 100 issues, we commemorate the legends, turns and tech that have progressed the sport, and our gang of art directors, photo editors, photographers and publishers weigh in on their BCM favorite covers, from 1994 to present.
BC Banter: Brownsville, Vt. Buys Ascutney Trails, GoPro Faces Investigation and DPS’s New Films
Town of Brownsville, Vt. Buys Ascutney Trails Brownsville, Vt. On Tuesday, October 14, the townspeople of Brownsville, Vt. voted to purchase 470 acres of the former Ascutney Mountain Ski Resort, which closed in 2010, for $600,000. Three-hundred-thirty voters packed the town’s Story Memorial Hall and confirmed the purchase first through a voice vote, followed […]
Going Deep: In Seattle, a little avalanche education in the evenings
If you’re like most experienced backcountry skiers it’s been more than 50 backcountry days and a few years since your last avalanche course. According to Scott Schell, the program director for the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC), that’s not cool. So, in an effort to fill the avy education gap, Schell developed an affordable way for Seattle skiers to keep up on their avy training.
BC Banter: Auclair Fund, VT Backcountry Forum, Deer Valley Buys Solitude, Drone Fines
This Week in the News: Alpine Initiatives launches Auclair Fund, VT Backcountry Alliance announces second-annual forum, Deer Valley buys Solitude and National Park Service fines drone users.
Meet The Mayor: Ogden, Utah’s Skiing, Biking High Chief
Since his election in 2012, Mayor Mike Caldwell has carried the torch for Ogden’s revitalization, creating more than 1,000 new jobs and bringing $10 million in grant money for the city that’s billing itself as the alternative ski town to Utah’s Salt Lake, just an hour north along the Wasatch Mountains.
