Last weekend I was on a ski retreat deep in Washington’s Central Cascades. I found myself talking with another group of skiers who happened to be nurses from my small town of Leavenworth, Washington. I joked with them about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), asking what all the hype was about. On the way back to […]
Blurred Borders: For resorts with inbounds avalanche terrain and lift-accessible backcountry, managing boundaries proves challenging
Phrases like “inbounds backcountry” and “sidecountry” are frequently tossed around by resort-goers, referencing terrain they view somewhere in between proper backcountry and controlled resort territory. But according to patrollers and avy educators, both terms should be eliminated and these zones approached with a backcountry mentality. “We don’t have ‘inbounds backcountry,’” says Doug Richmond, Patrol Director […]
Near Russia, With Love: Norway’s Finnmark Alps
You’ve heard of Lyngen and Lofoten. You’ve seen pictures of sailboats bobbing in the Arctic beneath staggering lines that rush to the sea like the Grinch dropping in on Whoville. But go even farther north and there’s a forgotten range that even many Norwegians don’t visit. And for the natives of this place, that’s just fine. No guidebooks, no waypoints. Just local knowledge, a skipper and unlimited access to the prettiest range you’ve never heard of.
How one Crested Butte-based skier pays it forward
For Crested Butte, Colorado-based Alex Riedman, being a member of Crested Butte Mountain Rescue is all about giving back to her community.
Teton County SAR coordinator, from dispatch to mental health
In 2006, Jess King, 40, began volunteering with Teton County Search and Rescue as a way to give back to the Jackson Hole, Wyo. community. She remained on the volunteer team until 2013, when a search and rescue coordinator position opened up with the county’s sheriff office.
Why IFMGA-certified guide Margaret Wheeler believes that variety makes a difference in the mountains
When I call up guide Margaret Wheeler, 45, at her home in Ketchum, Idaho on an early November day, she answers with a sniffle. Wheeler apologizes and explains that her nasal tone is induced by a head cold, but continues on, unfazed by her condition.
In the Sierra Nevada Mountains, an incoming storm turns a good day into an escalating accident
On January 12 of last season, Jason Layh, 44, and his partner embarked on a tour on Jobs Peak (10,638 ft.), located in the southeast corner of the Tahoe Basin on the Nevada side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Andrew McLean: The Wasatch Straight Chuter
For ski mountaineer Andrew McLean, ingenuity comes easily. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1961, he spent his youth moving a few times before settling in Seattle, Wash., where he ski raced before leaving to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. At RISD, McLean, known for bouldering the campus walls at night, was […]
The Avalanche Airbag: A lesson in fluid dynamics
Per mountain lore, Peter Aschauer got the idea to create an inflatable flotation system for avalanche safety after hearing about a German forest ranger in the 1970s who survived an avalanche thanks to an elk affixed to his backpack. The mechanics were simple: the laws of fluid dynamics dictate that, when a medium is in […]
A Ski Area That’s Backcountry: Oxymoron or opportunity?
The draw of backcountry skiing stems from the freedom, solitude and simplicity it offers. And that draw seems to grow more attractive and accessible each year, thanks not only to huge improvements in gear but disenchantment with increasing commercialization, prices and crowds of traditional, confined ski areas.
