Anyone who has driven south from Bishop on California’s scenic Route 395 in the spring has seen it, a thin white line dropping from the right corner of Mt. Williamson’s north face. To skiers of the steep, that thread beckons like a hypodermic needle loaded with raw adrenaline.
The Skintrack to Environmental Activism: The David Brower Story
On Leap Day 1936, as Spain descended into civil war and Hitler prepared to march troops into the Rhineland, a group of Californians set off from Yosemite Valley for the High Sierra Nevada. They carried heavy wooden skis and 50-pound packs, aiming to make the first winter ascent and descent of 13,114-foot Mt. Lyell, Yosemite National Park’s highest peak.
Skintrack Sketches: B.C.’s former freeride competitor Richard Small on art, mixology and his native roots
For artist Richard Small, a.k.a Raven Richie, the mountains and wildlife of his home in British Columbia serve as inspiration across mediums. From his birthplace in Fernie, nestled in the Kootenay Mountains, to his current home in coastal Whistler, he capitalizes on his eclectic interest—from drawing and digital work to cocktail making—he pushes his artistic boundaries.
Photographer Profile: Ryan Creary captures the shades of winter
In the 2018 Photo Annual, we’ve asked seven photographers to dish on the inspiration behind a favorite photo of their choosing. These featured photographers capture the landscapes, community and emotion that that evoke the untracked experience, from dawn’s light to skintracks cutting across a blank white canvas.
Diamond Anniversary: Black Diamond’s 10-year ski designer talks innovation, evolution and his all-time favorite skis
A decade ago, for more than a year straight, Pete Gompert hounded Black Diamond Equipment for a job. At the time, the engineer in his mid 20s had a background developing airbags in the automotive industry and repairing airplane fatigue cracks for the Air Force. But while he’d tinkered with ski building in a friend’s […]
Backcountry Basecamp 2018 – January 13 and 14 at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon
BASECAMP 5.0 – Backcountry Magazine teams up with Scott Sports to spread mountain education across the country Join our second BASECAMP stop at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon on January 13 and 14, 2018. We’ll have ski and board demos, educational workshops and tons of new gear to check out. BASECAMP at Mt. Bachelor also coincides with […]
The Skills Guide: Four Steps for Managing Avalanche Hazards
Low, moderate, considerable, high, extreme—the avalanche hazard can be broken into fairly certain terms. But that simplicity belies a much bigger and more nuanced beast, ever changing and deeply complex, especially when paired with personal perspectives on risk and consequence.
The Skills Guide: Four Steps to Overcome Human Traps
Ian McCammon popularized the term “heuristics” in avalanche education in 2002. In his widely circulated article, “Evidence of heuristic traps in recreational avalanche accidents,” the National Outdoor Leadership School educator found that human factors—defined as familiarity, social proof, commitment and scarcity—play a significant role in avalanche accidents.
Alpenglow’s Golden Hour: A Tahoe-based ski shop’s annual mountain festival
After five years, a February storm was helping to bring California’s drought, the worst in 1,000 years, to a soft, white halt. In fact, it was halting everything. Alpenglow Sports, the Tahoe City-based backcountry and mountain-running shop, was hosting its fourth-annual Mountain Festival, offering a smattering of events like guided tours, avalanche courses and the Winter […]
The Skills Guide: Four Steps to Know Thy Self
Benjamin Franklin popularized the saying “God helps those who help themselves” in his 18th-century Poor Richard’s Almanack. And while Franklin’s country-dwelling character may not have been much of a backcountry traveler, his philosophy holds true today in the mountains: taking care of yourself and your gear leads to safer and more fun experiences.
