Current Issue

Unseasonably Sweet
February 9, 2012

Oh wait, yeah we did. The difference: it was preceded by a few hundred inches of snow and followed by many more. This year, well, it was preceded by bare ground. Read More ...
New Year’s at Red’s
February 9, 2012

“That’s like saying, ‘When life gives you money, spend it. ’” So when life gives you a ski season without snow, what do you do? Go backpacking, of course. Tales of Iva Bell Hot Springs deep in the John Muir Wilderness had enticed Daniel and I for years. Read More ...
Gear for Rando Racing
February 2, 2012

The bindings provide the critical functional difference for rando/AT skiers, allowing the heel to be free for climbing or fixed for downhill. In tour mode, they pivot at the toe. The lightest weight “tech bindings” popularized by Dynafit, which lost its exclusive patent on the design a few years ago but still dominate the market, feature two side pins, or jaws, up front that close onto the corresponding toe points of compatible boots with “tech fittings. Read More ...
Skin It to Win It
February 2, 2012

, even if California skiers have been a little slow to join the fray. With two upcoming races in the Sierra, that may be changing By AJ Johnson Backcountry skiing has been on a strong growth spurt as evidenced by the increasing number of vehicles at the trailheads and the booming interest in alpine touring (AT) gear. Most skiers just want to go out on day tours or to find that remote powder stash, but like most forms of recreation, there is also a form of competition —randonee racing. Read More ...
A Diamond in the Rubies
February 2, 2012

It’s true. That's actually one reason I always have questioned going. Imagine skinning all day, only to be a few hundred feet away from the top of your objective — and then a helicopter lands on the peak and your hard-won line gets poached! Not the sort of daydream that usually gets us to visit epic backcountry locales. Read More ...
Powder Pilgrimage To Hakuba
February 2, 2012

Turns out it was all true, and then some. Between the bullet trains, the pillow fields, and the daily face-shots, we found Hakuba to be one of the finest backcountry skiing destinations we had ever visited. Located about two hours northeast of Tokyo by bullet train, getting to Hakuba is a breeze by mountain town standards. Read More ...
Dale Bard: “In the dead of winter”
February 2, 2012

Over the next 44 days, they were pummeled by heavy snowstorms, narrowly escaped avalanche burial and courted starvation. But it was all part of a grand adventure, according Bard. …………………………………………………………………………. Read More ...
PUBLISHER’S NOTE:
February 2, 2012

Why not? Doing a marathon has always been on my bucket list, and with my 42nd birthday looming, I am actually a little disappointed that I have waited so long. Which made me wonder, why did I wait so long? After a decade of working in the outdoor industry, I have met some inspiring athletes, and have especially admired women who juggle motherhood, careers, and busy race schedules. Unfortunately for me, I have often felt insecure in the presence of these women. Read More ...
Spontaneous Imprudence
February 2, 2012

Sometimes it’s hard to tell them apart. Thus it was with the idea to ski out to California’s favorite little ghost town, Bodie. We’d woken shivering, in the icy coffin of a Toyota 4 Runner. Read More ...