Once a budding Utah-based skier and co-conspirator behind Powderwhore Productions with his brother, Jonah, Noah developed an interest in pursuing The Chuting Gallery’s lines that fueled his imagination and kicked off a lasting friendship and numerous expeditions with Andrew McLean.
My Gallery: Andrew McLean dishes on his famed Wasatch guidebook
The idea for The Chuting Gallery started in 1991 when a friend told me that, aside from Mt. Superior and Alta’s Main Baldy Chute, the Utah’s Wasatch Mountains didn’t have much steep skiing.
The Chuting Legacy: Andrew McLean’s cult-classic guidebook turns 20
It’s widely touted that Utah’s Wasatch Mountains are home to the best snow on the planet. And the terrain itself ranks highly, too. From Salt Lake City, peaks, faces and bowls beckon. The runs are steep, and the options abound for such a small range. But if you’re going to start somewhere, acclaimed ski mountaineer Andrew McLean has a mean list.
2019 Gear Test Week: An Instagram Retrospective
This year’s Gear Test Week has come to an end, and all 40 testers have hopped into planes, cars and a few dilapidated minivans to head home for the end of the season. At Backcountry Magazine, the work is just beginning for our team of editors who compile tester comments and reviews to create the 2019 Gear Guide, out this fall.
A week in review: 2019 Gear Test Week Photo Gallery
Last week, more than 40 testers flocked to Powder Mountain, Utah for 2019 Gear Test Week, spending five days on snow testing next year’s backcountry skis, splitboards, boots and bindings. Matt Kiedaisch, resident Gear Test Week photographer, documented each day, from caffeinated breakfasts to party-filled nights—and all the corn, corduroy and powder in between.
One Guide’s Solution for Mt. Baker’s Seattle Skintrack
Pacific Northwest skiers are a mellow lot, but if you want to get them riled up, just ask about the so-called “Seattle Skintrack.” This moniker refers to skiers who travel from the city to set a steep zigzag straight up one of the many runs that dump into Bagley Lakes Basin, located in the vicinity of Washington State’s towering Mt. Baker volcano and its ice-clad neighbor Mt. Shuksan.
Character Closeups: Austin Johnson on Gear Test Week 2019
Each year at Gear Test Week, we incorporate some new faces into the testing mix for fresh takes on the latest gear. This year, Austin Johnson, a Carbondale, Colo. native, joined the ranks to ski powder, meet some new friends and drink a beer or two. We caught up with Johnson to hear his perspectives […]
Character Closeups: Jacob O’Connor on Gear Test Week 2019
A coating of fresh snow has graced the final days of Gear Test Week 2019 at Powder Mountain, so testers have been hitting the slopes hard to find their favorite gear for this coming winter. And part of what makes our test informative is the variety of ski and snowboard style our testers bring to […]
Splitboard Tester Quick Takes Day One: Gear Test Week 2019
New this year, we’re combining forces with the annual splitboard test to make our Gear Test, held for the 11th year at Powder Mountain, a bigger, more comprehensive event. As splitboard testers get familiar with the newest boards, boots and bindings during their first test day at Pow Mow, we catch up with a handful […]
Ski Tester Quick Takes Day One: Gear Test Week 2019
Gear Test Week 2019 kicks off this week at Powder Mountain, Utah, with blue skies and toasty temperatures ringing in day one for our dedicated group of 50 ski and board testers. Their goal: find the latest and greatest skis, boards, boots and bindings for this coming season. To learn more about what’s on tap […]
