At nine-months old, Vasu Sojitra contracted septicemia, an infection that caused a blood clot in his right leg. “So they had to amputate it,” Vasu says. “I don’t remember it. I’m just completely used to it…it’s a lifestyle now.” Skiing is part of Vasu’s lifestyle, too, and he skis the backcountry 20 or so days […]
Beyond Boundary: Yurt Skiing in Utah’s High Uintas
The sled is piercing into my hips. I’m six and a half miles into Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness heading toward Boundary Creek Yurt, and from my waist, I’m pulling 40-pounds of supplies. It is rhythmic and almost monotonous…and painful. Why did we bring so many beers? I glance up at the High Uintas cloaked in snow. A light wind dusts powder off the peaks, and I gaze farther into the distance. Oh yeah…that’s why. I’m not drinking tea after we shred those stashes.
First Look: Powderwhore’s “Elevation”
“There’s the act of skiing, but then there’s the whole act of discovery,” Andrew McLean says in the opening segment of Powderwhore’s new film, “Elevation.” “There’s just this sense of exploration that you can’t get anywhere else,” McLean adds. And that statement holds true for much of “Elevation.”
They Want You! USA Colab Promotes American Roots
If Uncle Sam were a skier, he’d want you in his army. That’s why he’s mascot for USA Colab, a new alliance of U.S.-made ski and snowboard brands that’s collectively promoting their American roots.
Stoked on the Gear Guide? Tell Us!
Ever seen such pure, unadulterated excitement? Little Aven here is a five-week-old aspiring backcountry skier, and she’s pretty fired up about the 2014 Gear Guide. What do you think of the issue? Love it? Hate it? Jonesing for winter? We want to hear from you!
New Hut for the Wapta Traverse
Backcountry skiers could soon have a new hut and a renewed link to the past on Canada’s Wapta Traverse. The Canadian Alpine Club, in conjunction with local environmental organizations, user groups and Parks Canada are working together to build a fifth hut on the classic Wapta Traverse.
Say Whaa?: Semi-SFW Gear Test Outtakes
The fact that we even allow these people to test skis for us is ridiculous, bordering on criminal. It’s a realization borne of reading this selection of sick tester comments, pulled from a selection of even sicker tester comments that we’re probably legally barred from sharing with you (sick meaning disgusting, not sick meaning cool, […]
Endless Summer: A Skier “Turns” 30
It’s August, and the heat of summer has already fueled two months of climbing, mountain biking and river running, but for my birthday—the big 3-0—I want to ski. Since Backcountry wouldn’t send me to Chile, the next best thing is a permanent snowfield near my Montana home, deep in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. It’s called […]
Video: 2014 Gear Test Week
Backcountry Magazine’s annual Gear Guide hits newsstands on August 13, but there’s a whole lot of content we couldn’t cram into the issue. That’s because we spend five days in late March testing more than 400 new products at the industry’s largest and most unbiased gear test. Here’s how it all went down.
Lance’s Lab: Research Opportunities
Each month, Backcountry technical editor Lance Riek investigates a conundrum of backcountry gear, snow science or molecular murkiness in his column “Lance’s Lab.” And he wants to help you out. Drop a line, comment below, and let our resident brainiac know your backcountry questions.
