Carnage in Colorado
The pine beetle epidemic that has been sweeping the western United States and Canada for nearly the last 10 years is old news. By now most people have heard that due to warmer winters and recent drought cycles, these rice-sized pests have been infesting trees at increasing rates since the start of the decade—10 million acres of pine has fallen victim in Colorado alone, and forecasts remain grim throughout the West. Read More »
If you were wondering why we published three articles yesterday, the answer is that they were part of the July Backcountry.com Newsletter.
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It's a rough life.
The athletes on the Backcountry.com Pro Team pretty much define the phrase ‘living the dream.’ From heli trips to big-mountain freeskiing comps to remote expeditions, these guys and girls have it made. So where does this army of powder junkies retreat to when the snow melts and flip flops take the place of ski boots? We called up a few to find out what they’re up to until the lifts fire up and the skin track is in. Read More »
Stay cool out there, campers.
Heat is real. Just like extreme cold, hot weather has the power to harm or even kill you, no matter how badass you think you are. A report by the Center for Disease Control estimated that an average of 688 heat-related deaths occurred annually in the U.S. between 1999 and 2003. And while the National Weather Service figures are less extreme, heat is clearly no joke.
But that doesn’t mean you should hide inside all summer, cowering in the corner, bordering on full-blown panic with the idea that your air conditioning unit might stop working. That’s just stupid and we all know it. Rather, you should think of heat in the same way you think of the cold: as something for which you can prepare, so you can get outside and enjoy your favorite activities. We asked our resident expert, the Sun Doctor, to sit down and make a list of tips and tactics for keeping cool, but we didn’t anticipate that Spicy Nate, our resident dirtball/lunatic, would intercept the document before publishing and add in his questionable advice. Read More »
Sleeping pads get used for more than just sleeping. Especially in the middle of seven straight rain days.
Camping as a kid my sleeping pad options were pretty simple. Do I want a black foam pad or a blue foam pad? These days, there are hundreds of different options to choose from, and they all seem to be designed for some very specific task, so getting the right one can actually make a difference. Here are a few things to consider when making your decision: Read More »
While the pavement melts in the city of salt, cool air and wilderness are under two hours away: the Uinta Mountains. Hiking, rock climbing, fishing, kayaking, overnight or week-long backpacking—the Uinta Mountains deliver. So if you’re thinking about making a pilgrimage to the Rockies, the Uintas are a great alternative to the higher traffic areas to the south and north (see: Colorado, Jackson Hole). Read More »
Backcountry.com copywriter Andy Anderson stoked to have a good tape job on the 155-foot-long Lite Not Solid (5.10d)
The difference between a good tape glove for crack climbing and a bad one can be fairly minor … or it can cost you a send. Good tape gloves save your hands and let you get away with a bit of thrutching when things get desperate. Bad tape gloves can be worse than wearing nothing at all. I’ve had tape gloves ball up and keep me from putting my hands in a crack, I’ve had them come off on the fifth pitch of an 18-pitch route, and I’ve even seen a friend who went with the old-school full-wrap method accidentally clip his tape glove (with his hand in it) to a piece of gear. Needless to say, that one took some doing to get out of.
A good tape glove should be thin enough that it doesn’t really change your hand size, it should be durable enough to last 20+ pitches, and it should leave your palm completely clear of any tape. There are several “perfect” tape gloves out there, but this one is my favorite.
Fixing this crushed wheel in the parking lot with wrench, screwdriver, hammer, spoke tool, and two beers.
Downhill races are hard on bikes. I think I’ve seen everything: broken cranks, blown tires, taco’d wheels, and just about anything else that can go wrong. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then check out Matti Lehikoinen’s crash at Leogang. His mechanics had his bike back in working condition in about the time it takes to ride the lift to the top, and it was running smoothly enough to let him qualify for 4th the next day. We mortal riders don’t have a team mechanic or a van full of enough spare parts to build three new bikes, but anyone who races should at least have the parts and tools to get their rig running after a bad off.
Put some thought and effort into your bike trail features
Good bike trails don’t build themselves. They take a lot of planning, time, and effort to create. Too many bikers are satisfied to simply ride existing trails, never thinking of how they got there in the first place. All too often I hear a rider complain about a jump or a berm or a section of trail that kills the flow, but that rider never thinks of picking up a shovel and fixing the problem. If a section of trail needs some love, get out there with tools, and fix it up. If some friends are building a new bike trail, go help them out for a few days. If there isn’t a trail around your home that has the type or riding you like to do, then step up, and build it yourself. Just make sure you do it right. You don’t want to put in weeks of effort only to find that your trail isn’t that good, or worse, creates access issues for everyone. Read More »
Gaper? No way. This guy will probably ride you into the ground.
To gape or not to gape, that is the question. For some reason, the things that make a mountain biker look like a gaper aren’t as cut and dry as they are in other outdoor activities. Some things change with time, and some things you can get away with if you ride well enough. Then, there are some things that never change. In the end, it’s a lot more about what you do and how you treat other riders than how you look.
Shoes to packs, hit the trails.
Backcountry house-hunting, simplified.
Stay dry out there.
Public Waterways In Utah
By: JGW | July 29th, 2010 | Posted in Commentary, Outdoor Articles | Tags: kayaking, laws, public waterways, utahNo Comments »
Would you like to know more about how that fact really affects kayakers, fishermen and fisherwomen, hunters, tubers, and other people who like to use and play in public waterways? Read More »