BC Banter: Our 100th Issue, the Northwest’s First Snow, Utah Avy Workshop and a Zombie Fortress

Backcountry’s 100^th Issue Hits Newsstands

Jeffersonville, Vt. Backcountry Magazine kicks off the holiday season with a celebration of our own—the 20^th 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. To get your copy, click here. Already have the issue? Tell us what you think: e-mail tyler@backcountrymagazine.com.

 

First Big Snow in the Northwest

Bellingham, Wash. Winter is fast approaching, and the Northwest is already seeing the signs. On Oct. 21, NOAA predicted 94 inches, in the four-day forecast for Mt. Baker’s summit (10,000 ft.), and snow levels fell to 6,000 feet. Colorado’s San Juan Mountains are expecting 2-6 inches of snow Sunday night into Monday, and next week, the East Coast is expecting snow, too. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above-average temperatures for the U.S. northwest and northeast regions, with a weak El Niño predicted to bring in some, but not very much moisture. Here’s to hoping they’re wrong, and here’s a photo gallery from last weekend near Mt. Baker.

 

Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop This Weekend

Sandy, Utah On Saturday, November 1, the Utah avalanche community hosts the seventh-
annual Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW), a one-day event to share avalanche knowledge and learn from patrollers, snow scientists, backcountry skiers and riders, Forest Service forecasters and more. Each presentation will run for 15 minutes followed by Q&As and panel discussions. Topics include: Persistent Weak Layers, Avalanche Victims and Trauma and Secrets of the Wasatch Snow. The morning presentations are only open to snow safety professionals, and the public is welcome at 1:00 p.m. Advanced ticket sales end at noon on Oct. 31, and tickets can also be bought at the door. For more information, visit utahavalanchecenter.com.

 

New Hampshire’s Backcountry Zombie Fortress

Mt. Washington, N.H Just in time for Halloween, New Hampshire Public Radio is reporting on the state’s ultimate zombie fortress: the observation tower that stands at 6,289 feet atop the state’s tallest peak. The observatory includes a bunkroom with 17 beds, a nearby well and waste-treatment system, a pantry stocked with enough supplies for three months of survival and access to renowned skiing in Tuckerman Ravine, Gulf of Slides and The Great Gulf. Reporter Taylor Quimby calls it “a pretty sweet place to hide from roving packs of brain-addicted zombies.” So if the zombies do rise tonight, we’ll be hiding out above Tucks. Read the full story, here.