The 7th annual Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop, held in Fryeburg, Maine on Nov. 11, is an event that’s grown from being held in a small room of metal folding chairs to one that fills out the elegant, 375-capacity Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center.
Backcountry Events Bulletin: December 2017
Some Decembers bring deep snow, some stay on the dry side, but no matter what’s falling out of the sky, this month is a festive time to hang with friends at local bc events and brush up on avy education for the coming season. Here’s a list of fun and informative affairs around the U.S.
Mountain Skills: How to Overcome Avalanche Education Anxiety
As an avalanche course instructor, I’m often confronted with students who come to me with a ton of questions after taking an Avy Level 1 course. In a lot of ways, that’s what Level 1 courses are for: inspiring questions and pointing out just how complex avalanches really are and how difficult terrain management can be.
Photographer Profile: Ming Poon captures the Tahoe backcountry
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.
Community Service: Bob Wade’s Ute Mountaineer stands the test of time
Ute Mountaineer, the family-owned purveyor of high-end mountain gear, operator of the Aspen and Snowmass Cross Country Centers and organizer of countless town- and mountain-based events, is an Elk-Mountain staple.
Local Legend Chris Landry: Lessons from a phantom pioneer
Landry is a recluse, that’s a totally fair word. I think he might even characterize himself that way. He was a very influential skier in the ’70s and ’80s not only doing the first descent [of the Landry Line] on Pyramid Peak but also the first descent of Liberty Ridge on Mt. Rainier, which was huge and not repeated for many years.
Skintrack Sketches: Kate Zessel finds creativity on the skintrack
Hailing from Whistler, B.C., 27-year-old artist Kate Zessel seems to have everything figured out. But her path to success hasn’t been a straight one; growing up, she wasn’t sure how to make art a viable profession.
Aspen’s Mountain Man: Lou Dawson
Lou Dawson’s name is synonymous with backcountry skiing. He’s known as a pioneer, historian and walking gear encyclopedia, between countless first descents—like Snowmass, South Maroon Peak and Capitol Peak, to name a few.
Kit DesLauriers talks the future of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge after October’s drilling-friendly Senate decision
On October 19, the U.S. Senate rejected a budget amendment that would have blocked a key panel from raising revenue via drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This area covers 19.64 million acres of land in Northern Alaska.
Adventure Not War: Veterans Return to Iraq to Ski and Heal
Last February, veteran Stacy Bare returned to Iraq for a different type of tour. Nearly 10 years after his deployment as a U.S. Army Captain, the director of Sierra Club Outdoors aimed to ski the country’s second-tallest peak, Mt. Halgurd (11,834 ft.) in Iraqi Kurdistan’s northern Arbil Province. And, along the way, he hoped it would offer something deeper.
