Like the ad says of Asolo’s revolutionary Tele Breeze Plus, “sometimes words are not necessary….” We’re working toward publishing our 100th issue and celebrating 20 years of Backcountry Magazine. Can you believe it? Well, since we all can’t put our beers together with celebratory cheer, we’ve unearthed early editions of the mag, dug through them […]
Lance’s Lab: A Pound Saved is a Lap Earned
“I like my heavy gear—it gives me more control.” “I don’t need light gear. I’m faster than my partners.” “Saving a couple pounds doesn’t really matter anyway.” I’ve heard all these statements about lightening the backcountry load, but are they really valid? Or does trimming zipper pulls and cutting toothbrush handles really make a difference?
Throwback Thursday: The “Equipment” Really Counts
Throwback to Issue #10, January 1997, when topsheets were neon, freeheel bindings were dainty and telemark skiers didn’t wear clothing. Because it’s “the equipment” that really counts…. We’re working toward publishing our 100th issue and celebrating 20 years of Backcountry Magazine. Can you believe it? Well, since we all can’t put our beers together […]
That Girl: Carolyn Stwertka
Carolyn Stwertka is a nerd. A Ph.D candidate studying ice physics at Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering, she analyzes data and examines 60,000-year-old ice cores at the Army Corps of Engineer’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab in Hanover, N.H. Last summer, she was at a similar facility in Fairbanks, Alaska when she learned that she was on the cover of the September issue of Backcountry.
Lance’s Lab: “You Gonna Finish That?”
A ski partner of mine always “carbo loads” with gas station “Bearclaw” pastries before tours. His idea of a recovery drink is a post-ski PBR. I, on the other hand, have been caught weighing protein powder on a gram-precise scale. The former seems less than ideal, and the later, inconvenient. But just what should we eat—before, during and after—to log another lap or two?
Throwback Thursday: Road Kill
Between spring corn turns on Mt. Washington and leftovers at Stowe and Smuggs’, we’re working toward publishing our 100th issue and celebrating 20 years of Backcountry Magazine. Can you believe it? Well, since we can’t put our beers together with celebratory cheer, we’ve unearthed early editions of the mag, dug through them and pulled stories, photos, quotes, gear relics and more for your enjoyment. Here’s the first of many 20th-anniversary throwbacks.
Backstory: Backyard Backcountry
It’s hard to believe that I’ve lived in Crested Butte for so long that I can point to all the high peaks—Gothic, Axtel, Emmons and Whetstone—and say that I have been there. Same with most of the chutes, gullies, couloirs and bowls. But then the one spot I see right out the kitchen window every […]
Backstory: Winter Lost and Found
This winter I am going to ski the monster, the beast that created all those scary stories that skiers would tell when I was a kid. Tuckerman Ravine. Other skiers would brag of death-defying runs they survived down Tuckerman’s steeps. But despite always seeking steeper runs in my youth, I never got to cross it off of my list. So this season, I’m going to ski that boogieman.
Lodge Logistics: Pack, Plan and Execute a Hut Trip
Guided or self-guided? Purcells or Monashees? Late January or early March? Whether you’ve been to one backcountry hut or a half dozen, there’s still a whole lot to determine when planning your next trip. But for the guides and owners who run these outfits, the only thing that outnumbers their days in the field is the volume of tips they can offer for packing, planning and executing an all-time trip. Our advice? Think of lodge operators as your backcountry concierge and don’t hesitate to call when preparing for a trip. They have more beta than you can imagine.
Backstory: Adventurers Anonymous
I watched Maria and Bob pore over a map of the Icefields Parkway on the hostel wall at Lake Louise with some trepidation. They were committing the topography of the Rocky Mountains to “memory” and I was right to be nervous. Once they memorized the map off we went to the pub for a few […]
