While staying afloat in winter’s deep snow requires a wide and sometimes heavy ride, spring—and summer—turns bring about a different list of requirements. For longer tours and steeper objectives that are more attainable in warmer weather, consider a ski that will work with—not against—you to go the distance. That means trading out powder-specific attributes for […]
Summer Stashes: Lance Riek tags solstice powder in the Gallatin Range
From Fourth of July corn harvesting in the Northeast to mid-summer snowstorms that closed mountain passes across the West, there’s been plenty of opportunities for turns well into June and July.
Drink It In
Reaching your day’s objective often requires calculated nutrition through the uphill grind. But after hours of slogging, few things can beat returning to a fully stocked tailgate session. From skintrack-worthy pilsners to après IPAs to fireside stouts, these five beers will satiate after a long day of powder mining.
Above-average snowpack across the West delays pass openings
For some, summer is a time for bike rides and float trips, but for others, there are still turns to be found. This year’s unusually high snowpack—California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains hitting 120 percent of the mid-June snowpack average—means many mountain passes are opening up late this season.
Covering Ground: How to plan a dialed multiday traverse
Wapta. Ortler. Spearhead. Haute Route. These are hallowed ski routes; lines on a map that, over time, have become greater than themselves. For many skiers and riders, they have become pilgrimages. And for good reason.
Reclaiming Lost Ground, Revisited
The 50-year history of snowmobile management in U.S. national forests has been a policy of looking the other way—with the exception of Wilderness Areas, if an over-snow vehicle could get there, it could go there.
Summer Storage: What To Do With Your Skis and Boots
Spring is here. And in many places, so is full-on summer. But even though the snow is gone, that doesn’t mean skis and boots can be tossed aside until next season. Without any of that pesky white stuff to distract you, now’s the perfect time to properly clean, wax and store skis and boots, so they’ll be […]
Summer Storage: What to do with your jacket, pants and puffy in the off season
Winter is winding down, leaving a slew of winter gear to contend with in your closet, basement or car trunk. And while it may be easier to just shove your puffy and beacon into the depths of your closet and call it a winter, there are a few easy and quick steps to improve your gear’s longevity and ensure it’s as ready as you are once the flakes start flying again. Here’s how to treat your apparel with the respect it deserves.
Backstory: Father, Son and Seven Continents
To put my relationship with wintery mountains into words is too great a task. The same can be said for my relationship with my son.
Earn Your Interns
To get their boots in the door, aspiring backcountry professionals look to mentorship, observation and a season or three spent hauling gear, shadowing classes and following in the tracks of others.
