‘Featured’ Articles
By: Justin Mool | October 6th, 2010
No Comments »
Grete Eliassen: Best Performance
With the MLB playoffs looming, ESPN.com found time to give props to the best of those other athletes: 2010 ESPN Action Sports Ski and Snowboard Video Awards. This list of editors’ picks compiled by Liam Gallagher (that couldn’t be this Liam Gallagher, right?) and Megan Michelson, focused on awarding “the 10 best in the most coveted of categories based on talent, creativity, gnarliness of tricks and terrain, editing and overall impact.”
We read through the list, and weren’t surprised to see Backcountry.com Team Athletes mentioned in nearly every category. Grete Eliassen and Jeremy Jones even took home honors for Best Female/Male Performances. Ahh yeah. Read More …
Tags: grete eliassen, Ingrid Backstrom, jeremy jones, pro athletes, skiing, snowboarding, video
Posted in Featured |
By: Catherine Greenwald | October 1st, 2010
9 Comments »
To recap, a list of ‘Ski Schools’ was put up to a vote by Backcountry.com employees in an attempt to uncover the best places spend a lot of time on the slopes whilst obtaining an education. Yesterday, we looked at public schools; today, we’re turning to private schools.
The perfect mid-term stress-reliever? Yeah, that's it. (Photo by Adam Riser)
Read More …
Tags: best ski colleges, humor, skiing, snowboarding, top 10 list
Posted in Featured |
By: Catherine Greenwald | September 30th, 2010
17 Comments »
Eh, I'll write that paper later. (Photo by Chaz Boutsikaris)
It’s that time – high school seniors (and some freakishly organized juniors) are sifting through lists, rankings, advice from clueless adults, and peer buzz to zero in on the colleges they will apply to in the upcoming year. Many of them will be evaluate their potential college of choice using the criteria, “Can I ski/snowboard while I’m there?”
Many add, “… a lot?” to that question, which narrows the field considerably. We trolled the ‘Net looking for lists and suggestions for the best ski colleges and universities, but then put the names we came up with up for a vote to nearly fifty Backcountry.com employees, to attempt to come up with the definitive list. Read More …
Tags: best ski colleges, humor, skiing, snowboarding, top 10 list
Posted in Featured |
By: Cole Lehman | September 28th, 2010
No Comments »
Desert Smarts
The upcoming release of 127 Hours, a film about Aron Ralston and his cutting-off-his-own-arm ordeal, got us thinking about the desert. When you’re miles away from any possible rescue, desolate sandy roads are all you see of civilization, and a single set of footprints is all you notice along the day’s path, it’s essential to keep things in perspective.
What is the weather forecast? Does everyone have enough water to make it back to base camp? Who has a detailed map and the skills to use it? Is this pace OK for everyone? Does someone have water treatment capabilities and if so, is there potable water along the route? Where? Do you have enough food in case of fringe possibilities? Does your group? Can you exit the canyon you’re about to enter without backtracking? Read More …
Tags: canyoneering, desert, escalante, outdoor survival
Posted in Featured |
By: Adam Riser | September 24th, 2010
No Comments »
Wet snow and cold weather—ideal conditions for hypothermia.
When I was a climbing guide and rafting guide in the Pacific Northwest, hypothermia was constantly on my mind. Washington is a very wet and often cold state where people can get into trouble quickly if they don’t pay attention. The right combination of weather conditions or just a cold swim through a rapid can easily be enough to cause the onset of mild hypothermia, and severe hypothermia and serious life-threatening consequences aren’t far behind. Taking the appropriate precautions to help keep your body temperature where it should be and knowing what to do if your body temperature begins to drop can save your life or your friend’s.
Tags: backcountry tips, hypothermia, outdoor survival, safety
Posted in Featured |
By: Andrew McLean | September 20th, 2010
No Comments »
Andrew McLean
It’s never too early to start thinking about your next epic ski trip. Backcountry.com Pro Athlete Andrew McLean, the StraightChuter himself, gives us the lowdown on how to effectively plan for your next ski adventure.
Being organized and prepared can often make up for any failings in your climbing and skiing ability. You can be the greatest ripper in the world, but if you can’t make it to the base of the peak, thou shall not shred. Read More …
Tags: andrew mclean, backcountry skiing, pro athletes, ski mountaineering, skiing, trip planning
Posted in Featured |
By: Andy Chapman | September 14th, 2010
1 Comment »
You and Your Partner
Having someone to climb with does not mean you are out of the woods. Relationship drama is far from over once you leave the dating scene and move to more committed relationships. The problems become much more subtle beyond your first climb.
Read More …
Tags: climbing, cragging, trad climbing
Posted in Featured, How To |
By: Andy Chapman | September 13th, 2010
No Comments »
Find a new mate
You’ve been up for an hour when the phone rings. “Dude. Gotta bail blah blah blah.” Shit. The weather is perfect and it’s your only day off this week. Time to look through your list of contacts and start making some last minute calls. Climbing is a relationship sport and unless you plan a career exclusively as a soloist or an anti-social boulderer, you need a partner every time you go out. Herein lies the rub. This two-part guide will help you navigate the quagmire of relationship pitfalls to keep you, and your partner happy and sending. Read More …
Tags: climbing, cragging
Posted in Featured, How To |
By: Kate Showalter | September 1st, 2010
No Comments »
Summer in the United States isn’t officially over for three more weeks, but Monday’s snow at roughly 8,000 feet in northern Utah reminded us just how quickly autumn can arrive in the mountains. So we’ve come up with a few trails from which to see the leaves’ true colors when they show through … very soon.
As the weather cools and the days get shorter, leaves’ green chlorophyll disintegrates. Other colors within the leaves become visible. These orange and yellow pigments are always there, but in summer, the chlorophyll masks them. In autumn, the leaves bare all.
Maine's chlorophyll breakdown (courtesy of Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce)
Leaves first show their true colors at high elevations and in the north. The blaze cascades southward and down mountainsides as the season progresses. Leaf peepers, grab your trekking poles and daypack, and check out these trails in the U.S. East, West, and Rocky Mountains.
Read More …
Tags: day hiking, fall foliage, trip reports
Posted in Featured |
By: Justin Mool | August 27th, 2010
2 Comments »
Origin Nutrition just published a great article titled Water vs Electrolyte Drink. In the article nutritionist Michelle Larson goes into detail about electrolyte loss, dehydration and their effects on athletic performance. She offers some compelling facts that begin to separate fact from marketing hype. Read More …
Tags: make your own sports drink, nutrition
Posted in Featured, How To |
By: Patrick Kailey | August 26th, 2010
1 Comment »
Mount Katahdin
The granddaddy of the long trails, the Appalachian Trail’s 2174.6 miles help preserve the sanity of between three to four million hikers each year—even if they only take a brief stroll on the trail. Only a fraction of those trail users attempt to walk the entire trail. In fact, of the 200 hikers who attempt the entire journey from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin, Maine each year, only around 20% complete the trek. Probably the most famous AT thru-hiker of all time was Emma Gatewood, better known as “Grandma Gatewood”. This mother of 11 children and grandmother of 23 completed the AT three times, the last time when she was 76. Which begs the question, If a grandmother can do it, why can’t you? Read More …
Tags: continental divide trail, thru hiking, trip reports, wind rivers
Posted in Featured |
