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BikeSpring Multisport
Spring Multisport
It’s time to make the most of snowmelt, singletrack, warming rock, and corn snow. We touch down in four multisport hotbeds to bring you the dirt. Bend, OR | In Oregon, nothing feels scarce. Frederick Reimers reports on the mountain biking, climbing, and skiing here. Northern VT | Why the tail end of maple sugaring season is a relaxing time in the Green Mountains. By Brian Mohr Tahoe, CA | Ski bums come for the winter and stay for the summers. But Jeremy Benson was convinced by spring. Boulder, CO | What can we do in a day? That’s a…...
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CultureRiding the San Rafael Swell
Riding the San Rafael Swell
Click on the photo to launch a slideshow. Springtime in Utah’s San Rafael Swell is perfection. It looks like Canyonlands or Moab but it’s less developed, less restricted, and less hectic. No hordes of tourists chasing their recreational nirvana. Cottonwoods are lighting up bright green in the washes as the desert comes back to life. Soon it’ll be hot. Spring is the time for some rootsy camping and chilling with friends and doing a bit of climbing. We camp in a little wash, all private and nooked in. Firewood is not plentiful, but the adjust-a-grill doesn’t need…...
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CultureSki, Fish, Repeat
Ski, Fish, Repeat
In spring, while the rest of us are trying to get our bike legs back, pro skier Cody Townsend can be found in the wild mountain ranges of Alaska, sending big lines in front of the camera for Matchstick Productions‘ next rollicking ski film. But you probably didn’t know he packs his fly tackle along with his fat skis. AK rivers and lakes are opening up and on down days Townsend is going after dollies and graylings. I learned to ski when I was two years old, and I was pretty obsessed with it from a very young age.…...
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CultureCalling Peter Croft
Calling Peter Croft
Peter Croft leading the way. Photo by Lisa RandsRock climber, mountaineer, and guide Peter Croft is famous for completing long routes in Yosemite National Park, the Sierra, and Squamish, BC. He’s made first ascents around the world, written several guidebooks, and was featured in Fifty Favorite Climbs: The Ultimate North American Tick List. Mountain talked to him at home in Bishop, California. As a kid, I was never really that interested in climbing. The media makes it seem like a super macho, dangerous sport, and that didn’t intrigue me. Then a friend gave me I Chose To Climb [by…...
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CultureEcotourism with Blisters
Ecotourism with Blisters
Trail crew at work in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Courtesy photoWant to run a two-person, six-foot crosscut saw to fell trees in the wilderness? Well, now is your chance. The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation (BMWF) needs volunteers to complete 50 projects this summer. “The Bob is home to one of the largest intact ecosystems in the U.S.,” says Keagan Zoellner, executive director of the foundation. The area encompasses 1.5 million acres of Montana backcountry, straddling the Continental Divide just southeast of Glacier National Park. Within its boundaries you’ll encounter steep mountain passes, fishing and rafting in the Flathead and…...
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GearTested: Big Agnes Horse Thief SL
Tested: Big Agnes Horse Thief SL
The Claim: The Big Agnes Horse Thief SL sleeping bag promises “superlight” weight savings, plus warmth to 35 degrees. The Trial: I burrowed into the Horse Thief on summer nights in a tent near 10,000 feet, chilly fall outings at lower elevations, and on winter car-camping excursions when frost formed inside the windows. The Verdict: The medium bag weighs in at 1 pound, 11 ounces. It’s on the hefty end of the scale for pure light and fast expeditions, but if you’re not gunning for speed records, this value-packed bag saves weight and pack space. A Pertex Quantum…...
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CultureBuying Cady Hill
Buying Cady Hill
On the trail in Cady Forest Hill. Courtesy photo UPDATE, 5/29/12: The Stowe Land Trust announces it has secured the necessary funds to permanently protect Cady Hill Forest. Read more here. Eleven miles of trails wind through the 260 acres of Cady Hill Forest in Stowe, Vermont. It’s just a few pedal strokes from the center of town, and one path picks up just across from Skier Shop, a locally owned outfitter that becomes Bike Stowe in summer. Shop owner Bobbie Roehm knows the trails intimately. “We call them the Town Loops,” she says. “Those are the trails we…...
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TrailClimbing Report: Joshua Tree, California
Climbing Report: Joshua Tree, California
Getting high at Joshua Tree. Photo by Eric FrankLast week I snuck away for my annual pilgrimage to Southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park. It’s my fix of desert sun on my skin, sticky rock beneath my shoes, and a landscape of plants in bloom. My toes wiggle happy and free in sandals on the way to the crag. Nights descend crisp and clear, full of stars. Joshua Tree is a climber’s hub, with more than 8,000 rock routes in the area. There’s a little bit of everything: bouldering, bolted sport climbs, and some multi-pitch walls that require placing…...
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GearTested: 5.10 Dome
Tested: 5.10 Dome
The Claim: The Domes are designed for mobility in the Alpine zone. 5.10 claims the extra support lets you hike in a lightweight shoe built for trail running. The Trial: I used the Domes for day hikes in the Rockies last fall, plus shorter outings and trail runs in the foothills around Boulder through winter and spring. Terrain ranged from gentle footpaths to scrambles along rocky trails through talus. The Verdict: The Domes are an ideal multipurpose trail shoe. With 5.10’s signature Stealth high-friction rubber sole, plus knobby lugs, there’s no slip-and-slide effect on rocky terrain. A…...
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GearWhat We’re Running Now: One Jacket to Rule Them All
What We’re Running Now: One Jacket to Rule Them All
It’s the creed of postal workers and outdoor junkies everywhere: Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat. Your mailman is constricted by uniform requirements, but we’re free to don any number of jackets in search of the perfect protection for all-weather adventures. Enter the Arc’teryx Visio FL. Feather-light with Gore-Tex Active Shell, it’s the ideal companion for biking and running in all conditions. The Visio FL has been my first and only pick for cardio outings over the last six months. Trail running in a snowstorm? Bike commuting through high winds and low temps? Fall and spring mountain biking in…...
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Culture
Virtual Vistas
Virtual Vistas
Nature Valley Trail View redefines what it means to be an armchair adventurer. The website employs Google street-view technology to offer trail views of National Parks, like the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon. “We’re bringing the beauty of the parks to the masses, regardless of physical location,” says Nature Valley’s Scott Baldwin. “We hope to inspire others to get outside and enjoy the best that nature has to offer.” A tech firm called InTheMo Interactive brought the technology to Trail View. To produce the 360-degree imagery they used a Dodeca 2360 camera with 11 lenses.…...
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BikeTrail Report: Stowe, Vermont
Trail Report: Stowe, Vermont
Taking advantage of unseasonably dry conditions in Stowe, Vermont. Photo by Berne Broudy Last week, Vermont thermometers were pushing 85, the daffodils budded, locals unhitched their snowplows, and summer tires replaced studded snows. It’s closing weekend at Stowe, which barely has a top to bottom run left to ski. The skies are blue, and the trees are brown sticks poking out of the bare ground. Spring corn has skipped Vermont this year, so instead of carving spring conditions on skis, we ride the dry trails on fat tires. March, April, and May in Vermont are typically a…...
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CultureSpring Rock Climbing
Spring Rock Climbing
It’s spring! Start climbing. Photo by Eric FrankSpring is the perfect time for desert rock climbing. The days are warm but not hot, the rock is dry and sticky, and there’s nothing like sun on your skin after a winter of bundling up in Gore-Tex. The best part? Slipping on flip-flops for the five-minute walk to the crag. Here’s where I head when winter thaws. Smith Rock, Oregon It can be raining everywhere else in Pacific Northwest, and it’s guaranteed to be sunny and warm in Smith Rock State Park. Located in the high desert of central Oregon, this…...
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CultureTales From the Dead Zone
Tales From the Dead Zone
Chris Warner rocks the alpine ice beard. Photo by SharedSummitsIt was standing room only at the Boulder Patagonia store as a rapt audience listened to mountaineer Chris Warner share tales from above 8,000 meters. Warner is one of 16 Americans to summit K2, and his résumé includes 100 summits over 19,000 feet. But perhaps more than the summits, Warner is renowned for his safety record: In 20 years of alpinism—he’s led nearly 200 expeditions—Warner has never lost a climbing partner. Still, he’s no stranger to close calls. Tall and tan and fresh from an Ecuador expedition, Warner spoke of failure,…...
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ResortsThe Best Apps For Skiers
The Best Apps For Skiers
iCat, iPhone, and the right apps will make any day on snow better. Courtesy photoThe first time I saw a friend whip out his iPhone on a ski lift, I thought he was just going to make a call. But then he swiped the screen a few times, checked the lift lines, and directed our group toward the best run at Snowbird. We dodged a twenty-minute wait for a lift, found waist-deep powder, and enjoyed the sunniest slopes in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The next day, I bought a smart phone. These apps—available for both Apple and Android platforms—are as much…...
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RunRun Utah
Run Utah
On course in Moab, Utah. Photo by Bryon PowellI stand among a group of jittery, hyper-fit folks in the dim predawn light. We’re engulfed in sinuous red rock. Sunrise explodes over the horizon, bathing the starting line in light and warmth. We turn east, an instinctual response to the change in our environment. Everything glows—faces, legs, rocks—in an otherworldly shade of red. This is the starting line of last month’s Red Hot Moab 55-Kilometer trail race on February 18. Into this serene landscape the race director shouts “Go!” through a megaphone. A few hundred runners bullet away. And we begin…...
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CultureField Report: Ice climbing Ouray, Colorado
Field Report: Ice climbing Ouray, Colorado
Click on the image to launch a photo slideshow. Photos by Amanda Paredes A female ice climber at the coffee shop in Ouray, Colorado flexes her bicep, which is approximately as big around as my thigh. “You’re guaranteed to get a great workout, and leave with an epic new Facebook profile picture,” she says. Then she looks at the crampons strapped to my backpack and smiles. “Just don’t squat with your spurs on.” Ouray is a historic mining town, one that struggled financially until the pipe carrying the town’s water supply began leaking. The trickle of water in Boxcar…...
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ResortsStorm Report: Silverton Mountain, CO
Storm Report: Silverton Mountain, CO
In the eye of the storm at Silverton Mountain. Photo by Jason Sumner Last Tuesday I received an email from a ski buddy: “IT’S NUKING IN SILVERTON,” he wrote, in caps for emphasis. “THE MOUNTAIN IS CLOSED MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY. WE NEED TO BE THERE THURSDAY.” Two days and one harrowing, late-night drive up Red Mountain Pass later, we’re standing in the parking lot at Silverton Mountain. The snow report claims two feet in the last 48 hours. My heart is palpitating. Silverton is not your typical resort. Every one of the mountain’s 1,819 skiable acres is expert…...
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