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Dylan Craaybeek is a backcountry skier and avalanche forecaster for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center based in the Crystal Valley near Carbondale.  He generates the avalanche forecast for the Central Mountains, which include the Grand Mesa, the West Elk and…

Snow conditions have been wild this season. I’ve wallowed through waist-deep powder, struggled through breakable crust, skied a lot of ice, sloshed around in corn, and encountered everything in between. I’ve found a reason to bring out every ski in…

Secondhand shopping is big business these days. Online fashion resale giant ThredUp estimates the global clothing resale market will be a $350 billion enterprise by 2027. The trend is clear in fast fashion, but even for technical ski products, more…

Black Friday has passed, but if you’re like me, your holiday shopping isn’t finished. For some, it hasn’t even started. If you’re here, you have friends and family that are backcountry skiers and so it makes sense to look for…

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, a new avalanche safety app launched with an aim to help backcountry travelers make better decisions based on better data. AspectAvy uses historic avalanche accident data, the current avalanche forecast, and slope angle to boil backcountry…

Avalanche airbag packs featuring the LiTRIC electronic deployment system co-developed by Arc’teryx and Ortovox are finally available in the US for this winter. The electronic airbag inflation system is much lighter and takes up less pack volume than canister-driven airbag…

Booking a backcountry ski hut in Colorado is more like trying to score Taylor Swift or Phish tickets than it is booking a hotel room. If you weren’t smashing a keyboard the second they went on-sale, you probably aren’t getting…

The Julbo Montebianco 2 offers great eye protection from intense sun. And fit with the Reactiv 1-3 High Contrast prescription lens; this is eyewear I can use from dawn to dusk.

Now beyond cult-follower status, Hyperlite Mountain Gear (HMG) remains a staple of the backpacking light crowd. Amongst the ski touring community, they have a following too. With the Headwall 55, they introduce their first ski-specific pack that is a great companion for overnighters and single-day tours.

I should have discarded two outdated rules years ago: never go with strangers or a guide. Here’s to a growth mindset at the Sunrise Hut with eight strangers and guides, Rob Coppolillo and Nino Guagliano.

The Arc’teryx Alpha Lightweight Parka is a piece to keep you toasty when the pace stalls out on the skinner, flying downhill on the descent, or an emergency bivy is required.

Standing on the shoulders of snow scientist Ron Perla, the backcountry community can navigate avalanche terrain to forge a safer path and come home at the end of the day.

What one expects from an Arc’teryx shell is a high-quality build, an ample feature set, durability, and, oh yeah, the $$. The women’s Rush jacket is a backcountry skiing dream with some style to boot.

The golden age of easy on-off insulated pants for backcountry skiing is among us: Rejoice! Stellar Equipment’s Ultralight Down Pants 2.0 are 3/4 length down pants with high function and style points too.

Bill Briggs biography: a ski mountaineering pioneer who made first ski descent of Grand Teton as well as traverses and history first ascents.

Climbing or skiing Denali is a goal for many. Another goal is finding the right pack to haul a mega-load up the biggest hill in North America. No matter how real the struggle is, the Seek Outside Unaweep 6300 has a feature set to make the load carrying more comfortable and efficient.

Ahhh, the wonders of the vest: a functional and a key piece in the backcountry ski layering system. The Feather Friends EOS down vest comes to play as a warm and versatile layer from the reliable down folks in Seattle.

A person’s best friend. You know where we are going: dogs in the backcountry. Many words come to mind, like liability, poop, sit, stay, treat, dog-person, and cat-person. But damn, they are lovable. Do they belong out there with us?

The Black Crows Ova Freebird presents an 85mm underfoot ski with a friendly personality able to take on big spring skiing objectives and keep the weight to a minimum.   The ski crafters at Black Crows are on their third…

Across North America, the snowpack is proving touchy. As January opens up, it remains a time to be cautious and vigilant in the backcountry.