Couloir Magazine is posting their thought provoking “State of the Backcountry” articles on the web, with hopes of generating discussion on their forums (and anywhere else, for that matter.) Getting tired of gear gear and more gear? Time for philosophy and polemics!
“Avalanches and the Media” discusses how poorly the media covers avalanche accidents, why that is, and how they might do better. The same could be said about nearly anything the media covers — but we can always hope.
“Climate Change: Skiing’s Biggest Fear” covers global warming and its possible effects on skiing. While the article is the usual sky-is-falling global warming piece, Kray does bring in diverse sources that have interesting things to say. Missing, however, was anyone trying to find anything positive about global warming. Climate change will never stop (climate, by definition, changes), and it may be impossible to halt global warming. If something is inevitable, it would seem we should try to work with it rather than just scream about it, but perhaps dealing with adversity involves stages of coping, and we’re in the first (panic) stage.
State of the Backcountry articles soon to come:
Catch but not Release: Telemark Bindings in the Backcountry (Is safety release important or a joke?)
Hike-to Terrain: Is this where the Lift Goes? (What, exactly, is “backcountry skiing?”)
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
