Colorado Mountain College hosts Climate Change Presentation BRECKINRIDGE, COLO. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Oceanographer Laura Landrum will speak today, March 6, at Colorado Mountain College about her research and its impact on global and mountain climates. Landrum, who grew up alpine racing at Loveland Ski Area and taught tele, alpine and backcountry skiing in Washington, […]
Backcountry Basecamp Update
Road-trip Rage: Gas tank being continually on the wrong side of the truck sparks conflict WYO. The Backmobile, that ostentatious Backcountry Basecamp mobile command center: a 2014 Dodge 2500 plus trailer, is configured all wrong. At the Laramie, Wyo. Exxon Big D #27, its flummoxed pilot struggles to sync the gas pump with the gas tank. […]
A Teton Bar Crawl: From Jackson’s Mangy Moose to Targhee’s Trap Bar, It’s a Long, Hard Walk
Whorls of snow blast through camp, sending accumulation sliding down our wind-rattled tents. An airborne pine needle hurls itself into my rapidly cooling, dehydrated-egg-in-bag breakfast, and, hunkered into our hoods, we glumly survey the scene. Then Adam cracks a mischievous smile and pulls a flask from his pack. It’s our third day traversing the Tetons and an early-morning shot sounds like a great idea. We’re in the middle of a bar crawl of sorts, after all.
The Testament, Part One: Turiano produces first half of Jackson Hole Backcountry Skier’s Guide
It’s not often that guidebooks get mistaken for coffee table treasures. Striking mountain panoramas, clean layout, inspirational spreads—it’s a thing to behold. But Tom Turiano’s Jackson Hole Backcountry Skier’s Guide: South somehow makes the leap.
Snow Stability and Climate Change: One researcher weighs in
No matter what your stodgy uncle says, climate change is happening and, by many accounts, it’s poised to mess with our winters. “People have done studies looking at Colorado, the Wasatch here in Utah, Pacific Coast Ranges, and across the board we’re looking at, by the end of the century, 3-5° Celsius in warming,” says Matt Jeglum, a PhD candidate studying atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah. “That’s big.”
Panjshir, Afghanistan Suffers Onslaught of Avalanches
PANJSHIR, AFGHANISTAN Severe avalanches that began Tuesday in the northeastern Panjshir region of Afghanistan now account for an avalanche-related death toll of over 168 people, as of Thursday evening. A heavy snowstorm, which started early Tuesday, dropped up to one meter of snow in places, reported WorldNow.com, despite an otherwise relatively mild and dry winter. The avalanches ranged across four northeastern provinces, […]
BC Banter: IFSA Athlete Education, Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival Registration, Jackson’s Goodwin Cabin, Epic TV Releases Haute Route Video
IFSA and SASS Global Travel Launch Athlete Education Initiative CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, WASH. The International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA) is partnering with Surf and Snow Sessions (SASS) Global Travel to promote backcountry decision making and avy awareness. At select 2015 IFSA National events, SASS Global Travel, in affiliation with BCA and Project Zero, will be […]
Running Interference: How Candy Affects Your Beacon
At October’s International Snow Safety Workshop in Banff, Alberta, Ilari Dammert, Mammut’s electronics product manager, and Edwin Meister, a project manager with the Swiss electronics manufacturer CCS Adaxys, presented startling findings on beacon interference. Backcountry users have long known that electronics, particularly cell phones, can interfere with a transceiver’s function, but the level of interference and range of culprit gadgets hasn’t been known until now.
Snow King Moves Up: Inside Jackson, Wyo.’s Uphill Movement
Snow King—known as “the King,” or the town hill—isn’t the reason people move to Jackson, but once they settle in, it often becomes a big part of life. The lift access is important, but where Snow King truly shines is in its extremely lenient uphill policy: three designated uphill routes during operating hours, and dogs allowed whenever the lifts are not spinning. Yet, increasing uphill pressure has put the issue in the hot seat in Jackson this season.
Shifting Ice: A mother-daughter pair explores Greenland in an unconventional way
About a year ago, one not-your-everyday mother-daughter conversation took place when Pip Hunt called up her mother, Martha. Pip, a former freeskiing competitor and ski coach, had something else up her sleeve for the woman who helped shape her athleticism and sense of adventure. According to Pip, the call went something like this: “Hey, Mama! […]
