Steamboat, Colorado, resident Andrew Hyde died after being caught in an avalanche in Routt County.
Skier Dies in Slide Near Colorado’s Buffalo Pass
Avalanche kills solo snowboarder in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains

Devin Overton, a 29-year-old Colorado native, was killed Thursday in an avalanche in the San Juan Mountains. Guides from a heli-skiing operation found the solo snowboarder after flying near the debris pile.
Avalanche Kills Skier on West Slopes of Wyoming’s Teton Range

Wyoming reported its first skier avalanche fatality of the season Thursday when a man was caught, buried and killed on the western slope of the Teton Range. Authorities are withholding the name of the deceased until next of kin is notified.
The Tough Things: Finding Serenity in the In-Between Places

Dani Reyes-Acosta shakes off the stress of her mother’s illness and the Covid restrictions keeping them separated with a frozen skintrack and supportive touring partners.
Checklists, Beacon Checks and Route Planning: Building Systems as a Backcountry Traveler

Avalanche educator Sarah Carpenter knows consistency is the key to backcountry safety. With that in mind, she’s created a system to make sure her beacon is turned on, her plan is in line with the forecast and her entire group is on the same page.
Gearbox: Gloves and Mittens

Cold hands can turn a pleasant ski trip into a nightmare. Lucky for you, we reviewed gloves that will keep you hands the right temperature on the skintrack and on the worst storm days.
A More Connected Future: A Vision for the Growth of U.S. Huts

In this essay borrowed from the longform piece on huts from Backcountry No. 144, author Sam Demas makes the case for how more U.S. huts can increase affordability and access across this country.
Observation Overload: How to Prioritize Data from Pits, Weather and Snowpack

It can be hard to approach backcountry skiing like a scientist, especially on bluebird powder days, but taking a note from scientists can help us sort and prioritize information. A systematic approach creates practiced habits that improve our decision-making process. Additionally, it can allow us to understand which data to prioritize as we gather information on changing weather, snowpack structure and more. Here’s how.
The Snow Hunters: Pandemic Disruption, History and Powder Skiing in China’s Altai Mountains

It was snowing heavily when a group of North American skiers and riders arrived in the secluded village of Khom, China, tucked in the Altai Mountains, this past January. “To go on a ski trip to one of the most remote places you can get to and have it snow the whole time? It seemed like a perfect scenario,” says British Columbia-based filmmaker Chris Winters. Too bad a global pandemic upended their plans, as Megan Michelson shows in this story from Issue 135.
The Best Place in the Valley: A Community-Organized Hut Pays Tribute to Friends Lost

After a 1980 tragedy, the Colorado towns of Crested Butte and Aspen banded together to create a memorial to the 10 friends they had lost. To this day, the Friends’ Hut welcomes those with the fortitude to reach it.







