Betsy Armstrong reflects on deep research and deeper turns

From Washington’s Mt. Olympus to the Himalaya, Betsy Armstrong has centered her life around research—whether on avalanches, snow safety or publishing. After an early start in glacier research with snow scientist Ed LaChapelle, Armstrong went on to work with the University of Colorado’s San Juan Avalanche Project, forecast avalanches with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, teach at Colorado’s Silverton Avalanche School and the American Avalanche Institute and help create The Avalanche Review.

Solo skier dies in Bridger Range, Mont. avalanche

Yesterday, February 26, a skier was caught and killed in an avalanche in the Bridger Range outside Bozeman, Montana.The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC) reports that the victim, who has not yet been identified, was carried around 1,000 feet. At this time, the cause of death is thought to be related to trauma from the fall.

Inbounds avalanche at Swiss resort claims the life of a ski patroller

On Tuesday, February 19 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, four skiers were caught in an inbounds avalanche. All who were buried were recovered and transported to a hospital in nearby Sion, Switzerland where a nine-year ski patrol employee of the resort later died of his avalanche-related injuries.

Sylvia Forest is in the arms of mountains

Throughout much of her career, Sylvia Forest often found herself hanging from a rope in the blue deep of a glacial crevasse. A compact and agile 5’2”, Forest was always the one to descend into an otherworldly fracture to recover whoever had become lost, even if she was busy overseeing the scene from her post as manager of the mountain rescue program in Jasper National Park. When she moved to Rogers Pass in 2005, she would trade crevasses for avalanches.

Avalanche claims two Aspen, Colo.-based skiers while training for the Elk Mountains Grand Traverse

In an accident following the February 15 storm that dropped two feet of new snow on the Crested Butte, Colo. area, Aspen resident Owen Green, 27, and Carbondale resident Michael Goerne, 37, were killed in an avalanche in the East Brush Creek area dubbed Death Pass.

From Rogers to the Bugaboos

Nineteen seventy-three was my best year as a mountaineer. I climbed four north faces in the European Alps and narrowly missed the first ascent of a 25,000-foot summit in the Nepal Himalaya. But perhaps the most memorable experience of that year was an 80-mile ski traverse in May from Rogers Pass to the Bugaboos, across the glaciers and ice fields of the Selkirk and Purcell ranges.

Uncommon Thread: An ancient fiber weaves a new story of cozy durability

Wool has been the outdoor world’s go-to material for centuries because of its natural ability to stay warm when wet. But this old-timey thread has come a long way since the days of itchy knickers and sweaters worn out of a sense of duty to grandma.

How outliers in British Columbia’s Slocan Valley have carved livelihoods and turns in the remote Selkirk Mountains

It was the beginning of April, but my hopes for spring conditions were dashed as I watched snowflakes the size of half dollars fall from the British Columbian sky.

Quick Pits Part II: How pits help with in-the-field decision-making

“Wait!” my partner said, as we readied to drop in for a second run. “Should we dig a quick pit?” It was mid-December, so digging was easy—the snowpack was only two feet deep. We decided, “Why not? Can’t hurt. Could help a little, maybe a lot. Let’s dig it.”

New Heights: Scarpa enters a new orbit with their Alien RS

Last year, Scarpa took that tried-and-tested Alien and reformed it for improved downhill capacity with the Alien RS. It retains many of the original Alien’s touring-focused attributes, including a scant weight of 3.9 lbs.—making it the lightest boot at our 2019 Gear Test Week. But other updates mean it can better handle descents and mid-fat skis.

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