Winter Wildlands Alliance 20th annual Backcountry Film Festival will be premiering in Boise, Idaho.
Backcountry Magazine Barn Bash 2024
Join Union Bank and Smugglers’ Notch Resort for the 15th Annual Backcountry Magazine BARN BASH at the Cambridge Community Center on Saturday, November 9. Grab your mountain buddies for three great ski films including “Sven: Life In Front of The Lens” by Osprey and F4D Studio, and “Consonance” and “Nisei” by filmmaker and photographer (and former intern) Iz La Motte. Plus, great live music with Brett Hughes and Lowell Thompson, our legendary raffle, food from Spicy Spoke and beverages from The Alchemist, von Trapp Brewing and Lot Six Brewing Co.
All proceeds benefit the Cambridge Area Rotary Winter Wellness Days program which gives local kids the chance to ski and ride for free, regardless of income. For many of these groms, their five full days at Smuggs (and not at school) are their first introduction to snow sports.
Camaraderie and Couloirs: Chris Kussmaul’s Passion Project
Chris Kussmaul began exploring the Montana backcountry as a student at Montana State University. He found plentiful skiing, but very little information. With his guidebook, Peaks and Couloirs of Southwest Montana, Kussmaul set out to change that.
Setting the Bar: Anna DeMonte Records the Fastest Known Women’s Ski Time on Mont Blanc
When Anna DeMonte arrived in Paris, France for a work trip in February, she intended to use the opportunity to ski classic steeps in Chamonix before returning to her home in Utah. Four months and one Fastest Known Time later, she now hopes to inspire others.
Mountain Skills: Professional vs. Recreational Avalanche Training…what’s in it for me?
This winter, avalanche education in the U.S. will be evolving. The old system of Level 1, 2, 3 will be replaced with two options: a recreational track and one geared toward professionals. The goal of the split is to deliver better, more focused courses to each user group. So how do you know which one’s for you? Here’s the breakdown.
Mountain Skills: Hydrate or Die
We lose fluids through perspiration (sweating) and respiration (breathing). While ski touring, high elevation and drier air make this even more dramatic. And during the spring, warm weather further exaggerates the amount of fluid lost. Dehydration leads to a drop of performance—in stages from slowing down to bonking to needing medical attention.
Remembering Sylvain Saudan, “Le skieur de l’impossible”
Steep skiing pioneer Sylvain Saudan, 87, died of a heart attack on July 14, 2024. Saudan is remembered for his 23 first descents, including Mount Hood’s Newton-Clark headwall, which Tom Hallberg wrote about in our Feburary 2023 issue.
Mountain Skills: Taming Your Dragons
Ken Wylie’s newest course teaches the skills to manage the most dangerous hazard—human factors.
Sweet Summer Turns
Splitboarder Claire Hewitt-Demeyer dreams of snow year-round. As sweltering summer temperatures swept into her home Sierra Nevada Range, she set off to escape the heat and celebrate the last vestiges of winter.
Remembering William Altenburg: The Backcountry Pioneer You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
In 2003, Brian Irwin wrote an article for Couloir about Phillips Brook Backcountry Recreation Area. This spring, the founder of the New Hampshire backcountry yurt system passed away. Twenty-one years since writing the initial article, Irwin reflects on Altenburg’s impact on backcountry skiing on the East Coast.
