Photographer Ming Poon, 36, has curated his life around a love for the mountains. After developing an interest in snowboarding at a young age while growing up in Vermont, Poon moved to California to attend Sierra Nevada College, where he scheduled classes and work to maximize time spent learning other skills, like snow science, safe mountain travel and how to ride in front of the camera.
How a spring day on Mt. Washington proves sometimes danger comes from above, not below
Conway, New Hampshire-based avalanche instructor David Lottmann, 41, is no stranger to the changeable nature of weather and snow conditions on his region’s tallest peak. Mt. Washington (6,288 ft.) is home to some of the highest windspeeds ever recorded on Earth, and in winter that can create serious windslab avalanche danger.
The Woolsey Way
We decided to complete a weekend mission including descents of the Grand Teton and Mt. Moran, despite hearing only warnings of how difficult the peaks were to access and climb.
Backcountry Basecamp 2020
Backcountry Magazine has teamed up with our title sponsors Scott Sports, Nokian Tyres and Whistlepig Whiskey to bring our basecamp tour online for its last stop. You can follow along now in our Instagram Stories. We’re also running a massive raffle through our website to benefit Catamount Trails Association. Celebrating its 25th year, Backcountry Magazine continues a […]
With the TLT8, Dynafit brings major updates to its game-changing line
Game-changing is a loathsome term around the Backcountry office. That’s because it generally tends to be thrown around with enough frequency when talking about gear to become meaningless, hence its blacklist-adjacent status.
Passport, Check: Globetrotting guide Steve Banks talks International Travel
Crested Butte, Colo.-based guide Steve Banks takes the “I” in his IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations) certification to heart. So far, he’s visited eight different countries for ski guiding, with many repeat stamps in his passport to his favorite locations.
No Pasa Nada
For a human-powered skier, the Spanish Pyrenees can be heaven on Earth. The mountains sport big relief and a steep, jagged silhouette. It’s easy to find peace and quiet on the skintrack, well-maintained roads make day tours from quaint villages simple, and dozens of mountain huts offer cold beer, simple, hearty meals and dorm-style lodging. […]
In Memoriam: Jake Burton Carpenter
Like many snowboarders over the history of our sport, my first board was a Burton. More specifically, it was a hand-me-down ’98 122 Chopper that I got from my older brother in fifth grade. It was deep orange, banged up and beautiful.
Father of Snowboarding and Burton Founder Jake Burton Carpenter Passes Away
On Wednesday, November 20, snowboarding pioneer Jake Burton Carpenter passed away. Carpenter was battling his second round of testicular cancer after an initial diagnosis in 2011, the Associated Press reports. He was 65.
Forecasting the Future
Eduardo Gonzalez, 46, is an avalanche forecaster for Pyrenees Heliski, based in the town of Vielha, population 4,000 and the capital of Val d’Aran. Gonzalez’s interest in forecasting began during a five-year freeskiing stint in British Columbia in the early 2000s—in 2006 he was caught in a slide in Whistler, B.C., triggering his decision to better understand the risks and dangers surrounding snowpack.
