On the ride up Highway 158 to Utah’s Powder Mountain Resort, you pass a 1,200-acre skiing zone known as Powder Country. Skiers can ride from the top of the resort down to the road and get shuttled back up. That’s where veteran bus driver Richard “Woody” Wood comes in. Woody has been sitting in the […]
2015 GEAR TEST WEEK DAY 3 DISPATCH
For the third day in a row testers took advantage of cat rides up Lightning Ridge in their continuous hunt for shaded pow. The sun continued to shine, taking its toll on snow conditions, but determined testers found hidden pockets of fresh on northern aspects. By the end of the day testers pushed around soft […]
2015 GEAR TEST WEEK DAY 2 DISPATCH
On day two of Backcountry’s Gear Test Week, the tool of the day was sunscreen. A few low-hanging clouds drifted around the sky, but the sun was in full force. Big globs of white gew were passed out and beards and skin were pasted. Once everyone was lathered up, a posse of testers snuck out […]
2015 Gear Test Week Day 1 Dispatch
They were calling for a trace of snow last night at Powder Mountain, Utah. But that trace was a quick eight last night, and it’s the snow all the testers are talking about. You can feel the anxiety building on the bus ride to Powder Mountain; no one is sitting still in their seats. Outside, […]
2015 Gear Tester Profile: Marla Bailey
Marla (a.k.a. Cookie) Bailey is a veteran tester, a ripping tele skier and wife of the king of testers, Shaggy Bailey. She’s the first to compliment your turns or your pooper, but the truth is her skiing is the prettiest of all. Cookie is a “must” on your ski partner list, and if you’re lucky […]
2015 Gear Test Week Dispatch: Day Zero
Backcountry Magazine’s Gear Test Week, our annual pilgrimage to Powder Mountain, Utah, kicks off tomorrow. More than 40 testers will evaluate some 200-plus skis and 100 AT and telemark boots for five days to create next fall’s 2015 Gear Guide. Here’s how the first day unfolded.
Before the Backcountry Shots: Tom Murphy Talks Avalanche Education
When Tom Murphy, co-founder of the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), isn’t enjoying bluebird turns in his home state of Colorado, he’s checking snow conditions and teaching the next generation of backcountry travelers how to stay safe. We caught up with Murph in between laps in the Anthracites Mountains and talked about […]
The Road to Basecamp: AIARE, the Anthracites and Fresh Turns
The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) and Backcountry Magazine have been longtime partners. We caught up with Program Director Ben Pritchett and Operations Director Tom Murphy to talk Colorado snowpack, Backcountry Basecamp and catch a few turns in between. Headquartered in Gunnison, Colo. these guys are constantly assessing Colorado’s complex Continental snowpack. We […]
Al Johnson Race Celebrates 40 Years: “9-0 or Don’t Go”
In the late 1880s, Al Johnson strapped 11-foot-long skis to his leather boots and climbed over mountain passes Crystal, Colo. to Crested Butte to deliver the mail. He was a badass to say the least. Ninety years later, in 1974 to be exact, amid a telemark renaissance, the Crested Butte freeheel community started the Al Johnson memorial Uphill/Downhill telemark ski race to honor Johnson’s effort. It’s part athleticism, part anarchy and all circus sideshow. This year, the race celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Backcountry Magazine announces Basecamp lineup for Crested Butte, Colo.
Mount Crested Butte, Colo. —(for immediate release) — On the second stop of its nationwide backcountry education tour—the GORE-TEX Backcountry Magazine Basecamp—has teamed up with Patagonia, Crested Butte Mountain Guides, Crested Butte Avalanche Center and AIARE, and a host of other sponsors, at Crested Butte Mountain Resort on March 15-16 for a celebration of all […]
