Jonckers skiing in Idaho. In case you haven’t heard about the avalanche threat in the backcountry here’s a report from OTM writer Jon Jonckers: I can tell you first-hand from backcountry skiing in the Selkirks above Priest Lake (near the Sundance Burn), these are the worst avalanche conditions I have ever seen. And it seems […]
GREG HILL’S SHORT FILM on backcountry skiing, “The Unbearable Lightness of Skiing” was included in this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival. We caught up with the Revelstoke, B.C. native and interviewed him by cell phone in mid-November. He was at 6000 feet, skiing in the mountains when we spoke to him and reported the snow
Interview with Back Country Skier Greg Hill Read More »
A Different Kind of Outdoor Adventure WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK of outdoor adventure it involves visiting remote areas, by themselves or in small groups, and taking calculated risks to experience something beyond their static everyday lives. Those words certainly describe mountain biking, rock climbing, or backcountry skiing. They could also describe hopping freight trains. Only
Illegal. Dangerous: Train Hopping Read More »
Snow camping separates the die-hard backpackers from the rest of us who simply tolerate it or enjoy it for its best moments of adventure and serene wilderness. Those that love it with a particular zeal, however, share an unbridled passion for winter splendor-shoveling a level spot for pitching a tent, digging into snow to build
Roadtrip: Snow Camping at Copper Lake Read More »
Among Nordic ski aficionados, the Methow (properly pronounced as ‘Met-how’) Valley is revered as Washington State’s mecca. And Sun Mountain Lodge, a 15-minute drive from the town of Winthrop, is a AAA Four Diamond award-winning resort with front door access to more than 200 kilometers of machine-groomed Nordic ski trails surrounded by over a million
Nordic Bliss at Sun Mountain Lodge Read More »
“I love skiing up hills.” That’s a direct quote from Derrick Knowles, my buddy, Outreach Coordinator for Conservation Northwest, and frequent contributor to Out There Monthly. I’m making him explain to me why he was pushing to revive the Kettle Range Ski Club. “To bring together a community of backcountry skiers to share skills and
Editorial: Join the Club Read More »
The Winter Camping Handbook Stephen Gorman The Countryman Press, 2007, 224 pages. The Winter Camping Handbook falls dead center in between Camping For Dummies and Freedom Of The Hills. On the one hand, an outdoorsman with a foggy recollection of Boy Scout preparedness could still siphon a good deal of knowledge from this book. On
Book Reviews: November 2007 Read More »
Most of us only dream about spending an entire season chasing our favorite outdoor pursuit, leaving it to a few hearty souls to make a life out of the sport they love. You’ve seen them before, the unshaven guy sleeping in the back of his truck up at the resort parking lot, the young woman
Are You A Mountain Freak? – Mountain Culture Guide Read More »
By Erin Beil & Amy Silbbernagel McCaffree We have a geological blessing in the Inland Northwest; a nice selection of hot springs. If gettin’ nekkid in the woods is not your style, or if you’d just like a laid back and pampered experience there are some great resorts to choose from to help you fight
Hot Springs Getaway Guide: May We Suggest a Hot Springs? Read More »
DISCOVER THE SWEET SPOT BETWEEN SUN & SNOW By Melissa Thompstone Cover photo courtesy of Ashley Voykin As the snow melts and the trails dry, most mountain town destinations prepare for “shoulder season.” But what does that really mean? Dictionary.com defines it as “the period between a destination’s peak (high) season and off-peak (low) season, when demand
DON’T GIVE US THE COLD SHOULDER: Read More »
