In the spring of 2014, Abby Cooper attended her first SheJumps Alpine Finishing School (AFS) in hopes of becoming more educated about backcountry travel. The weeklong, all-female program, which is designed to be an advanced stepping-stone into ski mountaineering, also meets the SheJumps mission to increase participation of women and girls in outdoor activities. There, women work directly with IFMGA Guide Diny Harrison and ACMG Guide Kate Devine, who annually instruct courses covering subjects ranging from route finding and rope work to general avalanche safety at the Selkirk Lodge outside of Revelstoke, B.C.
Allied Forces: Backcountry alliances form across the U.S., giving skiers and riders a unified voice
The trend of forming backcountry community organizations is one that’s catching on nationwide. From California to Washington, through Colorado and Utah and all the way to Vermont, alliances are taking hold, organizing backcountry users around grassroots advocacy.
2Point5Mil: One Million Done
It’s been a long couple weeks. After a March that lent itself to big days and big objectives, April came and temperatures turned balmy. The Wasatch, with its lower elevation, isn’t known for good spring skiing. And generally, as soon as it looks like we may hit a good corn cycle, it snows again, leaving us with a half day of good skiing and a half day of wet, manky snow that needs a freeze-thaw cycle before it’ll ski well.
2016 Beer Guide: Mountain West
From backyard brews to big business beers, we have parsed out some of our selects for the 2016 Beer Guide from across the country. This week we move on to the Mountain West, where the people may be affected by the high altitude but the beer is not.
Learning Acceptance: Athlete Holly Walker talks big routes in the Alps and the importance of early start times
Ski mountaineer and freeride athlete Holly Walker is no stranger to erratic weather. Walker spends most of her time between Seattle and Whistler, where the dual citizen contends with typical Pacific Northwest weather—rain turning to snow and back to rain. And last year on a trip to the French Alps, Walker got a more intimate understanding of just how unpredictable mountain weather patterns and avalanche danger can be.
Beyond the Course: Foundation formed to support USSA athletes with safety education
On May 9, 2016, USSA announced that in honor of Astle and Berlack, they have formed the Bryce and Ronnie Athlete Safety and Security Foundation (BRASS), whose mission is to increase awareness, promote training and education and advance investments regarding athlete safety and security.
Crowdsourced: How Will Social Media Shape Avalanche Forecasting?
It wasn’t long ago when standard protocol for gathering the daily avalanche bulletin meant calling in to a recorded message. Now, there are web-based forecasts, graphic interpretations of hazards and apps to upload observations. And while the daily bulletins will never be reduced to 140 characters on Twitter, avalanche centers are looking to new-age platforms to gather observations and share information.
2016 Beer Guide: West Coast
From backyard brews to big business beers, we have parsed out some of our select beers from across the country for the 2016 Beer Guide. This week we start with the West Coast, a region many associate with wine. But these fermented beverages might give Napa a run for its money.
Remembering Alex Lowe, David Bridges and the 1999 Shishapangma Avalanche
On April 27, climbers David Goettler and Ueli Steck reported finding the bodies of Alex Lowe and David Bridges on Shishapangma in Tibet, according to a statement by the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation. More than sixteen years earlier, on October 5, 1999, Lowe and Bridges perished in an avalanche while on a ski expedition with Conrad Anker, Mark Holbrook, Kris Erickson, the late Hans Saari and Andrew McLean. Here, McLean shares his reflections on the 1999 expedition, the avalanche that killed Lowe and Bridges and the void left by their passing.
Leave Nice Tracks: A Vermont Backcountry Film
Across the country, skiers and riders have been banding together, creating backcountry alliances that promote and protect their surrounding mountain ranges. And in Backcountry Magazine’s own backyard, the same phenomenon is occurring thanks to the Vermont Backcountry Alliance and localized groups like Rochester Area Sports Trail Alliance (RASTA).
