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Bike
Early Summer 2016
Early Summer 2016
photo: Dave Cox | trail runner: Leigh Gilmore Terry | location: Boulder, CO features Mountain Bikes vs. Wilderness Aaron Teasdale on the closure of bike trails across the West. Mountain Kicks From light and fast trail runners to supportive hikers, and versatile road-to-trail kicks to full-on rock scramblers, these 2016 shoes best enhance your chosen method of travel. Plus, our picks for time tested running gear. Mountain Bike Buying Advice We tested 13 mountain and gravel road bikes so you don’t have to. Which one is right for you? Also: Women specific bikes, the accessories you need, and why we picked Carbondale, Colorado as our test site.…...
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Gear
Time Tested Gear: Women’s Lightweight Hikers
Time Tested Gear: Women’s Lightweight Hikers
Two shoes ideal for short, high-adrenaline treks.
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Run
The Race is On
The Race is On
Forget 100-mile sufferfests. Go hard and rest in luxury with the Eleven Salomon Running Experience in Crested Butte.
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Culture
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Gear
Time Tested Gear: Princeton Tec Sync Headlamp
Time Tested Gear: Princeton Tec Sync Headlamp
The gear we can't live without.
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Gear
Time Tested Gear: The Onewheel
Time Tested Gear: The Onewheel
Resembling a hoverboard, the Onewheel features two decks on either side of a large, centered wheel that’s big enough for off road cruising.
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Trail
Explore the Pacific Northwest with John Muir
Explore the Pacific Northwest with John Muir
In "Muir Song," filmmaker Janssen Powers crafts an ode to his longtime home.
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Gear
Time Tested: Keen Shoes, Four Ways
Time Tested: Keen Shoes, Four Ways
A winter boot, a summer sandal, a lightweight hiker, and something wholly unique—all without that trademark bumper toe.
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Culture
SHERPA: Trouble on Everest
SHERPA: Trouble on Everest
The award-winning film premieres this Saturday on the Discovery Channel.
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Gear
Time Tested Gear: Mountain Khakis Camber 107 Pant
Time Tested Gear: Mountain Khakis Camber 107 Pant
Field Test: Canvas work pants are great for work—till you have to scramble around replacing shingles on the roof, or if your work involves a desk. They aren’t comfortable or flexible. Not so with the new Camber 107 Pant from Mountain Khakis. Here, a blend of tough but soft cotton and three percent Spandex means you can move freely. Smart reinforcement and gusseting keeps them Mountain Khaki tough. Why It’s Timeless: I wore mine on six car camping mountain bike trips this fall and again to the office most days and they show no signs of wear. $70; mountainkhakis.com —Marc Peruzzi...
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Culture
Treading Lightly On Sacred Land
Treading Lightly On Sacred Land
Exploring and protecting Utah’s Grand Gulch. Words and photos by Sage Marshall As my father and I scramble to the Perfect Kiva ruin, the evening sun tints the canyon walls gold. We find faded rock art, an impeccably preserved interior room, and a wooden ladder that protrudes from the circular “perfect” kiva. Built between 900 and 1150 CE, most of the adobe and wood of the roofing is original, although some of it was partially restored in the 1970s. Inside, the kiva smells like a thousand-year-old closet. Shrunken corncobs and ceramic shards litter the dirt floor. Perfect Kiva sits five…...
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Gear
Time Tested Gear: Insulated Skirts
Time Tested Gear: Insulated Skirts
The Claim: Aerobic sports in winter often require insulated tights, which add heft to a body. The last thing most women I know want—regardless of their size—are beefier looking booties. Enter the down mini, which demurely covers the hips, while also adding legitimate warmth for snowshoeing, skate skiing, fat biking, and broomball. Field Test: I tried three different down skirt models on the trails at Boulder, Colorado’s, Eldora Nordic Center, judging them on warmth, freedom of movement, and comfort. The La Sportiva Athena 2.0 Primaloft Skirt with Primaloft SPORT insulation, a front zip pocket, and a handy integrated stow pocket…...
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Ski
Cold Friends Hut
Cold Friends Hut
The smallest, most remote cabin, managed by the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, delivered one of the biggest New Year’s possible. by Rachel Walker | photograph Art Burrows Northern New Englanders with crullers in their parkas, and butter eaters from Wyoming like to say that it doesn’t get cold in Colorado. Enough with the stereotypes, people: It’s so cold on this December morning that when the mist from my eyes hits the encroaching Arctic cold front by my forehead it’s enough to seal my eyelashes shut. So cold that the glue on our climbing skins won’t adhere to our ski bases. So cold…...
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Culture
Job Description: High-Angle Engineering
Job Description: High-Angle Engineering
Canada’s Global Mountain Solutions pioneers a new market for mountain guides. by Kirk Kardashian | photograph Conny Amelunxen Just north of Whistler, British Columbia, in the remote Upper Lillooet Valley, Westpark Electric Limited recently installed a power line connecting two new hydroelectric plants to the BC Hydro grid. The first five segments of line were fairly straightforward, but the sixth line had to get past a mountain; easy enough in most cases, but here the line couldn’t go over the summit (mountain goat habitat) and it couldn’t contour the valley floor (moose, salmon, and grizzly bear habitat). “So we ran the…...
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Gear
Time Tested Gear: Hoka One One Tor Ultra Hi WP
Time Tested Gear: Hoka One One Tor Ultra Hi WP
The Claim: By now we’ve all seen people running on the road or trail outfitted in thick-soled rockered sneakers. Branded as a “category-defining outdoor boot,” Hoka One One claims the shoes provide support, traction, and cushioning, as well as full waterproofing, and a smooth, guided ride thanks to Meta-Rocker. Field Test: I received a pair of Tor Ultras just in time for my biggest annual challenge: elk archery season in Northern New Mexico. My hunting days consist of scouring the hardest of scrabble, traversing ankle-deep muck, navigating a labyrinth of wind fallen trees, or scrambling over rock and scree well above tree line—if you…...
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Gear
Time Tested Gear: Two Thule Packs
Time Tested Gear: Two Thule Packs
Thule Crossover Pack Field Test: Bombproof, here’s an outdoor industry piece that a businessman could carry on. Smaller than a typical duffel, yet with the shape and function of one, the Crossover pack from Thule adds sliding rails for durability, a hard pocket for fragile items like sunglasses and phones, and keeps the cinch straps and removable backpack straps that you love your duffel for. Why It’s Timeless: Everything you need without the junk you don’t—like a European car. $150; thule.com —Sydney Fox Thule Versant 50L/60L/70L Women’s and Men’s Backpacking Pack The Claim: Thule says that this lightweight expedition pack…...
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Environment
Warm Your Neck with National Parks-inspired Buffs
Warm Your Neck with National Parks-inspired Buffs
This August, the National Park Service turns 100 years old, which means you’ll be bombarded with themed articles and record visitation rates come summer. But it’ll all be well deserved: Our Parks are, arguably, our nation’s greatest gift. If you’re nodding your head ‘Yes,’ then grab one of Buff’s new pieces of headwear, from its UV National Parks collection. Selection currently includes six iconic parks (of 58): Glacier, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Yosemite. The Buffs block 95% of ultraviolent rays, and can be worn as a headband, neck gaitor, or a facemask, making them ideal…...
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Bike
Time Tested Gear: DryGuy Warm N’ Charge
Time Tested Gear: DryGuy Warm N’ Charge
The Claim: Whether you’re standing along a slalom course watching your 7th grader bomb gates, or pedaling a fat bike down the Iditarod Trail in December, the Warm ‘N Charge keeps hands and fingers hot enough to function. Field Test: The DryGuy does indeed pump out the heat over extended periods when hands normally suffer no matter how well gloved they are. I used mine on a 30-degree day while volunteer timing at my kid’s race, out walking the dog in a snowstorm, and on a chairlift when the temps dropped into single digits. Best feature: two different heat settings to accommodate for…...
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