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I have a pair of first-generation Nordica Enforcers from 2015 that I still ski most days. They look terrible鈥攍ike a truck ran over them on the interstate. The tips are wavy from collisions with pieces of mountain. The bases have a who鈥檚 who of core shots. And the edges haven鈥檛 been edgeable on hardpack in years. And you know what? They still absolutely rip.

Like a dependable adventure dog, those skis and I have built a solid foundation of trust. We鈥檝e experienced a lot together鈥攖he best chalk-filled chutes of my life, slightly reckless speeds, hundreds of rock encounters, and a few tomahawks. Glory, shame, and everything in between.

At some point, I know it will be time to put them out to pasture. Or at least turn them into an Adirondack chair. But what鈥檚 the rush? The ski market is like Tinder these days, with so many options, and such low odds of finding true love. And so I鈥檓 going to ski these guys until, well, as long as we鈥檙e having fun鈥攁nd not falling into one of these very clear signs it鈥檚 time to move on.

1. The ski shop says 鈥榥o way鈥� to a new mount.

Once, a friend forgot to close my ski rack after I dropped him off after a day at the hill. I hit I-5 in Oregon and after I accelerated to about 50, I heard a loud noise, looked back in my rearview mirror, and saw my Karhu Team 100s catapulting down the freeway behind me. I loved those skis, too. So I played frogger to grab them. One of the bindings had ripped out. When I approached the local ski shop to have them remounted, they looked at me like I was a fool and told me that they would never, in good conscience, put a binding on that ski. So I got some new skis.

2. You are a hazard to others.

I have a friend who skis a pair of 190 Head Mojos from 2006. They鈥檙e basically Hermann Maier reincarnated as a ski鈥攎assive, stiff, burly. And it seems nearly every time my friend skis them, there鈥檚 some kind of collision or a near-horrifying accident. My friend desperately needs new skis.

3. Your skis are missing a critical component.

You鈥檙e missing an edge. A tip. A tail. A sidewall. A chunk of the base larger than your hand. It鈥檚 probably time to get some new skis.

4. It鈥檚 not you, it鈥檚 me.

Skier鈥檚 change. Sometimes a connection fizzles. And that鈥檚 okay. Maybe you want to ski faster. Maybe you want to ski slower. It鈥檚 possible you used to enjoy skiing backward. Now you鈥檙e more into the straight and narrow. Maybe you just want to see what else is out there. It鈥檚 best to acknowledge that you鈥檝e grown apart and simply move on. (You can still be friends.)

5. You want to impress a Tech Bro.

It鈥檚 easy to spot a tech bro. Their matching GoreTex Pro outerwear shimmers as they ski the resort with spotless DPS skis and state-of-the-art AT bindings, but they walk through the parking lot kind of funny and can鈥檛 ski a bump to save their Google shares. If you want to impress that guy, you should definitely get some new skis.

6. Your skis are longer than 200 centimeters and you are not a downhill skier.

I love irony. And I get wanting to show others just how strong of a skier you are by handicapping yourself (oh hi, teleskiers). So by all means, please dust off the throwbacks every spring and let your skinny ski freak flag fly. But if that鈥檚 your daily driver? Well, your knees just gained another decade of ski life by hanging the old straight sticks up.

7. Your skis are wider than 120 millimeters underfoot.

I believe it was during Obama鈥檚 first term that the ski industry discovered floatation. It quickly became a race to see who could make a snowboard for each foot, with absurd widths鈥�140! No, eff it, 150!!! Unless you are the size of a yeti and only heli-ski bottomless powder (congratulations if that is you!), then that is way too much ski and you might want to cool it on the tiny-wiener energy.

8. You met someone new.

Did you go gangbusters at the local demo days and find your next great ski? Perhaps you were so inspired by the top picks in our winter gear guide that you can鈥檛 resist the 鈥渂uy now鈥� button. That鈥檚 totally legit鈥攖here鈥檚 a lot to be excited about. Over the last several years, skis have gotten lighter, smarter, and even more versatile. Meanwhile, we鈥檝e dealt with pandemics, the demise of American democracy, and climate change, so if you just want to treat yourself to something nice 鈥� there really is nothing better than unwrapping a brand-new set of dream sticks.

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Pete McAfee is the type of person that redefines what strength looks like. He is a full-time X-ray technician, a father of two, and an adaptive ski teacher at Oregon鈥檚 Mount Ashland Ski Area. Since he was three years old, he鈥檚 had one leg. Despite growing up in West Texas and not learning to ski until he was in his late 20s, McAfee skis like nobody else鈥攅levating the realm of possibility for adaptive skiers. In 2021, McAfee and Vasu Sojitra completed the first adaptive ski descent of Mount Denali. For Warren Miller鈥檚 latest release Daymaker, McAfee, along with fellow adaptive athlete Dominic Davila, ditch the climb for heli seats with Mike Wiegele鈥攃harging steep powder lines on one leg and making it look easy. McAfee sat down with Ski to talk quad burn, silver linings, and how none of his accomplishments would be possible without his wife.

DAVIES: You had the first adaptive descent of Denali. What did that mean to you?
MCAFEE: Honestly, I was so drained from the Herculean effort it took to climb and ski it, that I didn鈥檛 think much of it. It was weeks later when my buddy Erich sent a video of the team, Vasu, and myself skiing off the summit that I realized we had accomplished something special.听

So, how did you like Wiegele鈥檚?
Wiegele鈥檚 was by far one of the best experiences of my life! Incredible food, amazing terrain, awesome guides鈥� and helicopters! And getting to do it all with Dom, my friend, and fellow adaptive athlete鈥攊t just doesn鈥檛 get any better than that.听

Helicopters or walking, if you had to choose?
While riding around in a heli, scoping steep lines, and getting dropped off on a mountain top is about as badass as it gets, you just can鈥檛 replace the feeling when you鈥檝e earned it the old-fashioned way. I鈥檒l keep walking for now, but you better believe I鈥檓 not gonna turn down a helicopter ride in the future!

Why is it important for adaptive skiers to be represented in films like Warren Miller鈥檚 Daymaker?
It鈥檚 absolutely crucial. The more representation we get in ski films like Warren Miller, the more attention adaptive sports organizations will get. More attention means more funding, which means more people with disabilities have access to the equipment and assistance they need to get out on the slopes.听

What鈥檚 the biggest misconception about adaptive skiers?
Most people think that adaptive skiers are incapable of skiing independently. This is completely false. With the right equipment and training, adaptive skiers can ski independently and are often more capable on their own than their able-bodied counterparts.听

What鈥檚 the hardest part about skiing on one leg?
The quad burn! My leg will be smoked after those early season powder days!听

So, yeah, your limbs must be completely jacked, right? How do you train?
Haha! That鈥檚 up for debate, but I do train.听 Weightlifting, cycling, running, rucking and pull-ups鈥� lots of pull-ups. I exercise six to seven days per week. Maybe, if I stick with it, I鈥檒l be jacked someday!听

You learned to ski at 27. Why did you want to ski?
You always want what you don鈥檛 have. I didn鈥檛 grow up skiing and it was extremely rare that we even got snow in the west Texas desert. I used to dream of skiing and I kept that childlike enthusiasm for skiing when I finally had the opportunity to learn as an adult.听

What鈥檚 next? What are your other ski goals?
My immediate goal is to ski as much as possible with my family. It鈥檚 extremely important that I instill a love for skiing in my daughters. Who knows, maybe I鈥檒l be able to ski Denali with them someday.听

What鈥檚 harder, climbing and skiing Denali or sitting in that ice hole in the film?
That water was cold, but Denali is harder for sure. There鈥檚 much more suffering involved with Denali.听

In the film, you talk about how there鈥檚 always an advantage, or silver lining, to every disability. What鈥檚 that advantage for you?
The silver lining really is a mindset. No matter how shitty the situation, you can always find some good in it. I鈥檓 the king of silver linings! When it comes to being a one-legged skier my favorites are: I never have to worry about crossing tips, and one tired leg is better than two tired legs!

Who inspires you?
My wife is the biggest inspiration in my life!听 She works full-time as a nurse, literally saves lives, trains with me, makes sure we eat extremely healthy, and is the absolute best mother to our girls. She supports me unconditionally in all of my adventurous endeavors and is the glue that keeps life from unraveling on the home front while I鈥檓 away.听 I don鈥檛 know how she does it. If it wasn鈥檛 for her, I couldn鈥檛 have accomplished the things I鈥檓 known for today.听

The post This Adaptive Skier Usually Earns His Turns, but Who Says No to Heli-Skiing? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Daron Rahlves is skiing royalty. In 2003, Rahlves became the first American to win the Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzb眉hel since Buddy Werner, 44 years prior. He then won the Super G on the same hill the following year. His storied racing career landed him 12 World Cup wins and 28 podiums, including a super-G gold at the 2001 World Championships. Rahlves eventually pivoted to skiing Alaska spines for Warren Miller films. But Rahlves, father to 15-year-old twins Miley and Dreyson, had to figure out how to instill a love for skiing in his children just like the rest of us. Sort of. Last season, Rahlves brought Dreyson on his first Alaskan heli trip, and Warren Miller chronicled the journey for their latest film,听Daymaker. Spoiler alert: they both rip.听

鈥淭hat Alaska trip was so special sharing the experience with Drey,鈥� says Rahlves. 鈥淚 hope the segment captures how much it meant to both of us.鈥澨�

How did Rahlves get his kids from pizzas and french fries to power-shredding Alaskan spines? A lot of hard work. Here are the legend鈥檚 tips.听

_____

Miley and Dreyson have been skiing since age four. That first year, I had a pocket full of gummy bears cut in threes. I would bait them with those to ski across the hill. Drey was especially a challenge as his go-to was a wedge straight line, but get their mouths across the hill and the body follows.

Take a snack break in the woods or a spot with a killer view.听

Safety was our priority on the chair and on the hill. Take it seriously and sit correctly on the chair. Be observant of your surroundings. Fully focus and commit. I skied behind them once they were able to control their speed and wanted others to see me before approaching my kids. A few times I stuck my poles out to make more room with oncoming skiers.听

Teach them to carry their own gear. I had them carrying their own skis at age 4. People would ask how I got them to do that. I said there was no other choice. To be a skier, you need to be responsible for your own gear. Miley would step up and even carry Drey鈥檚 skis when he complained.听

Search for the best snow.

They wanted to ride the chair by themselves so bad, and I made sure to let them know the only way they could was if they rode responsibly and didn鈥檛 mess around on a chair ride with me, mom, or another coach or adult. At age 7, they were on their own. If anyone caught them messing on the chair then that privilege was taken away.听听

Say hi verbally or wave with a thank you to the lift operators, ticket checkers, ski patrol, cat drivers, and any staff.听

I like to inspect terrain, and snow conditions, and pick my line when riding up the lift, and I鈥檝e shared that with my kids. Take advantage of the lift ride and work out a plan.听

Ski the trees.听

I would point out what the snow might be like by inspecting it or watching others ski. Then ski it and ask them if it was exactly like they expected. Have them inspect the terrain and snow when they are on it and compare that to what they saw. This builds the visual experience and knowledge.听

Play follow the leader.听

Keep it fun and challenging. Ski as many turns as you can, straight line safe short sections, ski on and off the groomer, see how much you can spray the snow with a big slash or hockey stop, know what鈥檚 on the backside of blind terrain, take to the air off all sorts of terrain, absorb rough and choppy snow, ski in all conditions.听

Get them off the hill wanting more.听

The post How to Get Your Kid to Love Skiing, According to Daron Rahlves appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

I once went on a first date that involved an evening, headlamp-illuminated skin up the local mountain. It was a perfect night. Full moon. Nobody else for miles. She led a blistering pace, which I did my best to sandbag by stopping to ask lots of questions. At the top, she made a little fire in the woodstove of a tiny hut as we discussed our favorite writers. At some point, we realized it had gotten much later than expected. Our provisions were scarce. She had a Snickers. I had a flask full of Knob Creek鈥攁 permanent part of my backcountry kit. It was enough to sustain us. (My date is now my wife.)

Humans have carried alcohol in discrete, pocket-sized vessels for as long as there have been humans. . I prefer bourbon or tequila in stainless steel. The flask is culturally ubiquitous, but it鈥檚 the ideal outdoor-person鈥檚 tool: compact, lightweight, and powerful.

The thing about flasks is that they have a way of cementing in memory the most sacred moments of our lives. Ultimately, it doesn鈥檛 matter what you fill them with. At the top of a peak, on the chairlift, around a campsite, they鈥檙e part of a ceremony, a way of saying to the friends (or complete strangers) that this moment matters. That pause forces us to appreciate the wonder around us.

Flasks are not about getting drunk. The typical flask carries eight ounces of liquid. It鈥檚 a swig meant to be enjoyed, savored. (So probably avoid the Ten High.) The goal is to ensure those eight ounces serve an intentional purpose. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. Becherovka

A friend of mine describes Beckerovka as 鈥淐hristmas in a bottle.鈥� That鈥檚 because the Czech liqueur (available in any American liquor store worth its salt) tastes like pine trees, cinnamon, and nostalgia. Essentially it鈥檚 the original Fireball, without any .

2. Boutique Bourbon

Don鈥檛 be cheap. Remember, the idea is commemoration, indulgence. Don鈥檛 insult your brethren with a straight pull of Evan Williams. Basil Hayden will do. Better yet, find a boutique brand with a story, like Black Maple Hill in Joseph, Oregon, at the foot of the Alp-like Wallowa mountains.

3. Fancy Tequila

At some point, tequila developed a reputation for headaches and worms. Sure, if you buy something cheap and mix it with sugar, you may regret it in the morning. But a quality a帽ejo, like , is full of nuance and flavor. Punchy and energizing, it鈥檚 an ideal flask-filler.

4. Oaxacan Mezcal

Mezcal is having a bit of a . Mezcal can be made from 30 varieties of agave. Explore what you like best and share the reasons with your friends. Bonus points if you bring it back from Oaxaca, where there鈥檚 a mezcaleria on every block.

5. Low- or No-Booze Booze

Want the satisfaction without the buzz? Haus low-ABV aperitifs include Ginger Yuzu and Bitter Clove and have something like half the alcohol content of typical liquor. Then there鈥檚 Bax and Ghia, which makes completely delicious and entirely non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs that you鈥檇 never know was abv-free.

The post The Best Backcountry Flask Fillers, Ranked appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Few sights are as pure and wonderful as a dog, untethered from her leash, sprinting through a grassy meadow, bounding over deadfall in a forest, or losing her mind down a sandy coastline. How beautiful it is to see another creature utterly oblivious to anything other than the freedom of chasing whatever scent flirts with her unrivaled olfactory system. 鈥�…Of all the sights I love in this world鈥攁nd there are plenty鈥攙ery near the top of the list is this one: dogs without leashes,鈥� writes poet Mary Oliver in her book .

And yet, every park, trailhead, and beach insists we attach a rope to our dogs鈥� necks. The effects are disastrous鈥攁ngsty, snarly, dragged-around dogs; angsty, snarly, dragged-around owners; hurt necks, and hurt feelings; and, worst of all, the deprivation of a complete and rapturous joy. And so I have a suggestion for our public spaces: let the dogs be free.

Editor鈥檚 note: Of course, we are only referring to dogs who are well-socialized and under voice control. Those who aren鈥檛 should remain on-leash until they graduate to freedom.听

Dogs Don鈥檛 Live Long. Just Let Them Run.

Dogs鈥� epigenetic clocks tick disturbingly fast. According to the American Kennel Club, that dogs, particularly larger breeds, age much faster than the traditionally calculated seven years for every one human year. My 75-pound, three-year-old lab-collie mutt, Argo, is already about 30 in human time. Life for our canine friends goes really fast. Better to let them enjoy their freedom and make their own decisions, which, for Argo, means chasing, always unsuccessfully, wild hares, deer, elk, moose, and the occasional feral cat.

Leashes Are Anxiety Tethers

A dog leash is a physical connection that passes your stress directly onto your dog. It鈥檚 a perfect circle of anxiety. You see another dog and you tense up, tightening the leash, which in turn puts your dog on edge, making them more likely to lash out at the other dog, who then overreacts to your dog, passing the stress up the leash to their owner, who then delivers a scowl right back to you. Nobody wins. According to the , 鈥�Often, owners have their dogs on tight leashes, thinking this will help if anything happens. Unfortunately, a tight leash tells your dog you鈥檙e stressed, making your pup more stressed in return. As a result, both dogs may start barking, switching from their flight instinct, to fight.鈥�

If You Were on a Leash, You Would Also Feel Trapped

Dogs get weird on leashes. And you know what? I can鈥檛 blame them. Have you ever gone for a hike with a leash around your neck? It鈥檚 not great. They make dogs feel cornered because they can鈥檛 get away from dangers, let alone enjoy the freedom they deserve. 鈥�When our dogs meet on leash, they are typically forced to approach head-on and are often unable to turn their bodies,鈥� says the . 鈥淭heir forced body language, and our own, tell our dogs that we want to fight with one another. Most dogs don鈥檛 want to fight, so they display a number of behaviors designed to prevent it. These distance-increasing behaviors includes barking, lunging, or growling鈥攁nything to make the threat go away.鈥�

Dogs react better when they feel safe and meet others on neutral territory, free to engage on their own terms. Why stick around to sniff out that kind-of-sketchy hound when there are squirrels to chase!

Dogs Not On-Leash Poop Elsewhere

As long as you鈥檙e not in an already heavily-used area that鈥檚 overrun with poop, because dogs are literally all over the place, those who aren鈥檛 on leash typically poop in places where nobody will see or be bothered by the relatively harmless pile of excrement. I understand this contradicts the sacred Leave No Trace ethos. I also wonder if that might not have some practical benefits. That means less poo on your shoe. It also means less plastic poop bag waste. And if there鈥檚 one thing we can all agree on, it鈥檚 that carrying around a thin polyurethane bag full of Bridger鈥檚 massive deuce isn鈥檛 ideal. Besides, that Texas-sized island of plastic waste in the ocean doesn鈥檛 need any unnecessary additions.

Nothing Beats a Tired Dog

According to my own estimates, a typical dog off-leash covers approximately 900 percent more distance than a dog on-leash. For those of us with energetic dogs, there鈥檚 nothing better than giving them the freedom to roam and run. Argo and our terrier-mutt, Topaz, are great about sprinting their faces off, but always checking in and staying within a quarter-mile radius of my wife and me. When we get home, they head straight for their beds and enter a state of complete bliss, twitching as they dream about the plump marmot that got away.

Personal Responsibility Is the Best Policy

Is your dog unreliable off-leash? I鈥檓 sorry for your loss, but that is not my problem. Don鈥檛 bring your dog to my idyllic leash-less playlands. But also keep in mind that dogs are very trainable. You are capable, and they are capable. The middle-aged version of Topaz was a demon with a well-documented habit of pinning fluffy white dogs on their backs and threatening to sink her canines into their necks. It was not great. So we started leaving her at home. Then we always leashed her. Slowly, we worked with her and started to see a change, and we let her off-leash again. Old-age Topaz has given up on posturing and is only interested in chipmunks and steak.

Free Your Dog, Free Yourself

We have to let go of everything sooner or later. And letting your dog go off-leash is an act of trust and faith. It鈥檚 empowering for them鈥攁nd you. Once again, Mary Oliver, designated human spokeswoman for dogs, put it best in the poem 鈥淗er Grave鈥� from the Dog Songs collection:

Her wolfish, invitational, half-pounce

Her great and lordly satisfaction at having chased something.

My great and lordly satisfaction at her splash

Of happiness as she barged

Through the pitch pines swiping my face wither

Wild, slightly mossy tongue.

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It was spring 2012, and Dean Cummings, then 45, had nothing left to prove. At the time, he was the owner and operator of H20 Heli Skiing and one of the all-time greats of the sport鈥攁 peer to the iconic Doug Coombs.听

Yet for 20 years, he had eyed a seemingly un-skiable peak called the Tusk, near Alaska鈥檚 Thompson Pass. That spring, conditions on the near-vertical face were finally perfect. And so a helicopter dropped him off on top of the stunningly aesthetic mountain, known for its 300-foot spire. , digging his edges into the slope to maintain a connection to the mountain. The feat won him Powder鈥檚 Line of the Year, a capstone to a long career at the pinnacle of skiing.听

Then Cummings seemed to all but disappear. The websites for his heli-skiing outfit and his line of skis, H20 Outdoor Gear, which he founded in 2011, were taken offline. One of the only traces of him left on the web is a 20-part video series published in January, 2019, on called 鈥淗ow a Criminal Syndicate Tried to Take a Man鈥檚 Company and Life,鈥� which outlines conspiracy theories and details of his personal life with his wife and two kids, who he had been living with in Valdez, Alaska.听

So it came as a shock when, on Tuesday, outside a mobile home in San Luis, a rural outpost in New Mexico, police arrested听54-year-old Cummings. He is charged with the first-degree murder of a local man named Guillermo Arriola, according to the Sandoval County Police. He is also charged with concealing his identity and tampering with evidence.听

According to police, Cummings called 911 on Saturday to report that Arriola had attacked him and that he had shot him dead in self-defense. Cummings initially left the scene, changing his clothes. Upon arriving at the scene, police found him at the residence and found Arriola face down inside the mobile home. An AR-15 lay on the stairs outside. Cummings refused to identify himself. Cummings said Arriola sprayed a burning chemical in his face, but police say there was no sign of a struggle and no other firearms present.听

Cummings grew up in New Mexico, but hadn鈥檛 lived there in years, and it鈥檚 unclear why he was back. He told authorities he was trying to buy property where the shooting took place, and that a disagreement over the sale is what led to the shooting.听

I first met Cummings when I was an editor at Powder. I interviewed him several times to talk about his first descents as well as his approach to snow safety. He was skeptical of the media but interested in sharing his story and expertise, which he felt was overlooked鈥攕ome thought he had a chip on his shoulder because Coombs received more attention and accolades than he did. Cummings was a forceful personality who was mired in heli permit wars centered on usage rights in the Chugach National Forest. His intense approach didn鈥檛 sit well with many, though he was well-respected for his many achievements in the sport.

Cummings听learned to ski at Pajarito, a ski hill for locals in Los Alamos, founded by Manhattan Project scientists working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.听Moving to bigger mountains, he became an ambassador for Taos Ski Valley in the nineties.听

He made his mark听skiing on听the peaks of Alaska鈥檚 Chugach. In 1991, Cummings finished in second place behind Coombs at the inaugural World Extreme Skiing Championships in Valdez. After that iconic event, both skiers became pioneers of Alaskan heli-skiing.

In 1995, the same year he won Worlds, Cummings founded H20 Heli 国产吃瓜黑料s. Each spring, he guided some 300 clients among the untracked, powder-covered peaks of the Chugach Mountains. After Coombs died in a skiing accident in La Grave in 2006, Cummings was relatively peerless. For years, he was at the forefront of Alaska heli-ski guiding and big-mountain skiing, claiming over 200 first descents along the way.听

鈥淲e have 2.6 million acres of ski terrain in the Chugach鈥攖hat鈥檚 the largest in the world that I know of,鈥� he told 国产吃瓜黑料 in 2011. 鈥淥nly two percent of the mountains even have names. I could do ten first descents a year for the rest of my life. I love that I鈥檓 not following in someone else鈥檚 tracks.鈥澨�

Cummings is being held without bail as he awaits trial in Sandoval County Jail.

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A few inarguable facts about the Hawaiian shirt听before we get started: first, it鈥檚 impossible to take yourself too seriously while wearing one. Second, these wildly patterned shirts look good. Really good. And finally, looking good is fun.

Hawaiian shirts, traditionally known as听aloha shirts, are a nearly century-old tradition. While they were worn throughout the islands in the 1920s, a Chinese-Hawaiian entrepreneur named 听was the first to mass-produce them in the thirties. They became a favorite听tourist souvenir, especially among servicemen (one marketing campaign referred to them as ) Frank Sinatra wore one. They were Dwight D. Eisenhower鈥檚 weekend thing. And now they鈥檙e as ubiquitous in offices as they are at a trailhead.听

Typically made of rayon, silk, or cotton, they are generally lightweight, silky, and soft against the skin, which makes them a versatile layer for outdoorspeople. Delightful colors听and patterns of palm trees, flowers, and toucans are just the right amount of tacky. No other article of clothing quite captures this refined cheeky aesthetic.

But the spirit of the shirt is its greatest quality. If you鈥檙e听a participant in an outdoor activity, you likely know someone who takes that outdoor activity just a little too seriously. The ethos behind the Hawaiian shirt, whether you鈥檙e riding your mountain bike, skiing, or in a raft, says: We鈥檙e here to have a good time. I go at my own pace鈥攊sland time.

Of course there鈥檚 a more utilitarian argument for the Hawaiian shirt as essential gear. Kimonos look and feel good, too, but they are less practical to wear while running a river. Ditto for sweater-vests. The Hawaiian shirt is light, breathable, and packs small. This means it performs well on the river, on the trail, and on spring ski slopes.

I stash a couple in my pack, no matter the adventure. My favorite was gifted to me by a janitor and Hawaiian-shirt connoisseur at my office. It鈥檚 baby blue and features thatch-roofed cabanas and sailboats. I bought another recently鈥攂lack, with green palm trees and red parrots鈥攁t a thrift shop in Granada, Spain, where the Mediterranean climate makes the shirts extremely popular. I wore that one while biking the听Whole Enchilada听in Moab, Utah. It was 105 degrees. The shirt didn鈥檛 exactly wick, but it was as light and airy as anything else and, not gonna lie, I looked amazing. They fit perfectly over a base layer, a combo I wear under a midweight puffy while skiing. Why? The Hawaiian shirt is ideal 补辫谤猫蝉 garb.听

My collection is modest听but slowly growing. You have to pick the right Hawaiian shirt for you鈥攖he perfect amount of billow, the ideal level of outlandishness. Because you should have an entire collection, it helps that Hawaiian shirts are generally inexpensive. A short-sleeved performance shirt can cost $75, but you can spend $20 at the local thrift store and buy four aloha shirts to听wear outdoors and to barbecues, parties, and your nephew鈥檚 bar mitzvah.

That鈥檚 the thing: these are party shirts. We are extremely fortunate to have the time and resources to run and bike and float outdoors. Why not wear something that reflects the good times we鈥檙e having?

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Keeping warm never looked so cool. We handpicked the best base layers, socks, shells, helmets, and more to help you stay on the mountain for as long as you damn well please this winter. No frozen fingers (or head/shoulders/knees/toes) guaranteed.

惭别苍鈥檚

Fits Medium Ski OTC Socks ($26)

These hit the sweet spot. Thick merino wool prevents bruised shins and adds warmth, and thin nylon-polyester helps vent moisture from the calves. Toe cups and reinforced heels keep everything in place so won鈥檛 bunch up in your boots.

Lange RX 130 LV Boots ($850)

The truly stiff is basically Lange鈥檚 race boot with a grippier sole and a more comfortable, heat-moldable liner. The snug heel pocket locks you in for smooth, powerful flex. Heads up: LV stands for low volume鈥攖his version has a narrow 97-millimeter last.

Hestra Henrik Leather Pro Model Gloves ($185)

Hestra is known for its best-in-class leather gloves and mittens. features the brand鈥檚 famously soft and supple cowhide matched with synthetic Thermolite insulation, which keeps your paws toasty without adding too much bulk.

Black Diamond Razor Carbon Pro Ski Poles ($140)

These are backcountry-oriented poles, but we also use them on resort slopes. With aluminum upper pieces and carbon-fiber lower shafts, weighs in at just ten ounces per stick. The wrist straps release reliably under high tension so you won鈥檛 get hung up in tree branches.

Giro Range MIPS Helmet ($250)

Don鈥檛 look like a fathead. The minimalist is low profile yet has the requisite safety tech, plus a slick magnetic buckle, meaning you can always leave your gloves on.

Patagonia Capilene Midweight Bottoms ($59)

Prone to cold legs on the chair? This will keep you warm, but it鈥檚 also feathery, with a brushed grid pattern that raises it off the skin to improve breathability when you get cooking on the downhill.

Giro Contact Goggles ($250)

These are our new go-to. offers subtle style, a wide field of vision, 27 different shades of Zeiss lenses to choose from, and a magnetic lens swap that鈥檚 as straightforward and effective as they come.

Dakine Reverb Hoodie ($175)

Wear it under a shell, and , with 100 grams of PrimaLoft insulation in the body and 80 grams in the sleeves, will keep you toasty. Bonus: It packs into a neck pillow for your flight home.

FlyLow Magnum 2.1 Pants ($325)

Consummate resortwear, these pants are constructed from a waterproof polyester-spandex blend that moves exceptionally well. A built-in belt, inner and outer thigh vents, and well-placed pockets round out elegant design.

Burton AK Hover Jacket ($630)

, with three-layer Gore-Tex Pro, has all the bells and whistles you鈥檇 expect from a high-end technical shell鈥攍ike superb waterproofing and breathability, plus fully taped seams鈥攊n a longer, baggier cut.

奥辞尘别苍鈥檚

Grass Sticks Original Custom Ski Poles ($89)

Choose your grip color, strap, basket, and length when ordering , made from sustainable bamboo. Unlike aluminum, bamboo flexes and springs back into shape, so these poles won鈥檛 snap during a spill.

Strafe Alpha Direct Insulator Midlayer ($249)

is tailor-made for conditions in the Rockies near Strafe鈥檚 Aspen headquarters. The face fabric is plenty breathable, and Polartec Alpha Direct insulation kept testers鈥� cores toasty but not overheated. Candy Crush colors add a nice pop.

Smartwool Merino 250 One-Piece Base Layer ($225)

You鈥檒l be the warmest skier on the hill in this supremely . The drop tail zips open in a flash for quick trips to the bathroom.

Smith Vantage MIPS Helmet ($260)

A thin layer of Koroyd (tiny honeycomb-shaped cylinders of rigid foam) under sleek shell absorbs energy in a crash while also reducing weight. The Boa Fit System allows for fine-tuning, and thick lining adds comfort.

Seirus HeatTouch Hellfire Mitts ($425)

If you鈥檙e plagued by perpetually cold fingers, heated mitts are the cure. gauntlets have three settings, and slim rechargeable lithium-ion batteries hide in the cuffs. Leather and soft-shell exteriors cover waterproof-breathable inserts.

Arc鈥檛eryx Sentinel LT Jacket ($649)

is an investment in staying dry, with Gore-Tex Pro fabric, watertight zips, a helmet-compatible hood, and a layering-friendly cut.

Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Pants ($749)

Norrona has operated in Norway鈥檚 chilly climes for four generations, and it shows. The smartly crafted pants feature a zip-off bib so you can adjust your coverage to the snow depth. We also love the loose freeride fit.

Lange RX 110 W Boots ($750)

With a mix of rigid plastic where you need more responsiveness and soft plastic where comfort is key, the beats other boots in both performance and fit. The upright shape leads to less leg fatigue, and an asymmetric tongue snugly wraps the shin.

Smith Skyline Goggles ($170)

Bob Smith sold the first thermal-sealed goggles in the parking lots of ski resorts in the 1960s. has the same incredible heat retention but with modern updates: a rimless design, ultrawide view, and contrast-enhancing ChromaPop lenses.

Wigwam Snow Altitude Pro Socks ($22)

Wigwam鈥檚 first socks were ribbed and made from unrefined wool. A century later, the socks are much less itchy, thanks to a stretchy merino-nylon combo and seamless toes.

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Earlier this year, Josef and Ben Sipiorski had a big idea for their college summer break. The brothers, ages 21 and 20, respectively, had spent most of their lives in rural Carpentersville, Illinois, a flat suburb an hour northwest of Chicago. They yearned for the mountains, somewhere they could learn how to fly-fish, climb, and mountain bike. They decided to move to Jackson, Wyoming, which they had previously visited on a snowboarding trip.

Their dad suggested they live in their grandfather鈥檚 camper. The 1965 Streamline Countess was falling apart, but the brothers gutted it and used old barn wood and other reclaimed materials to refurbish the trailer into a beautiful, modern mobile home, complete with a miniature wood stove, glass cabinetry, wood floors and shelving, and, of course, succulents. If nothing else, it was Instagram-ready: .

That spring, the Sipiorskis searched for work from their home in Illinois. Getting a job wasn鈥檛 hard. The unemployment rate in Jackson Hole is just 2.6 percent, and the town is hungry for employees. Since 2012, jobs鈥�20 percent of which are in the service industry鈥攊ncreased by 17.2 percent, and the effective population (including seasonal workers, commuters, and visitors) in summer ballooned by 91 percent. The City of Jackson quickly hired the brothers as lifeguards. The pay was $16 an hour鈥攖wice as much as they made back home doing the same job. In May, they rented an SUV to pull the camper and hit the road for Wyoming.

When the Sipiorskis arrived, though, they encountered a problem: They couldn鈥檛 find anywhere to park their new home. The only place available was a field. It cost $600 a month and had no hookups for electric or water. It was also in Victor, Idaho, nearly an hour from Jackson.

They had driven smack into a housing crisis that鈥檚 gutting communities across the Mountain West. Dream towns like Jackson have always been pricey places to live, but recent trends have turned a longtime concern into a defining issue. The median household income in town is $68,000. Twenty-two percent of males ages 25 to 34 live below the poverty line. In many places, there are simply no viable rental options for seasonal workers, or even for full-time employees earning middle-class salaries.

Fortunately for the Sipiorskis, Jackson had an unexpected option that suited them just fine. In mid-June, their manager at Parks and Rec told the brothers about a new program aimed at addressing Jackson鈥檚 unprecedented housing crisis: City employees could camp for free behind the rec center. The camp鈥攑opulation: eight鈥攚as located on a city-owned lot a few blocks from the center of town. In June, the city had launched the summer-long pilot program to gauge the viability of a municipal campground that would give its seasonal workforce an affordable place to live while easing the impact this population has made while camping on surrounding public lands.

Suddenly, their drive went from 60 minutes to 30 seconds; their rent from $600 to $0. The Sipiorskis were able to do something few in Jackson could: live in town and save money. They just had to embrace living in a parking lot.

鈥淚 mean, I know I鈥檓 only in college and not living here permanently, but I definitely don鈥檛 mind living like this in the summer,鈥� says Josef. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better than staying in a tent,鈥� says Ben, 鈥渨hich is what some people have to do.鈥�

Housing shortages in mountain towns are not necessarily a new problem鈥攍imited land means less development鈥攂ut recently it has reached a fever pitch, and it isn鈥檛 unique to Jackson. Aspen Ski Co. is housing employees in a parking lot full of 350-square-foot tiny homes. In Tahoe City, where median rents for two-bedroom places have increased 52 percent to $1,900 a month since 2012, city officials have proposed paying owners to rent idle second homes to local employees. Whistler, which has a 650-person waiting list for workforce housing, can鈥檛 build units fast enough to accommodate its growth in tourism.

But Jackson may just represent the apotheosis of the issue, due to the combination of the rapid job growth and drastically wide income gap. According to a 2016 from the Economic Policy Institute, Jackson has the highest rate of income inequality of anywhere in the country. Meanwhile, job growth has outpaced residential growth by a factor of three. The median price of listed homes in Jackson is $1.375 million. Rentals are limited and expensive鈥攖he average one bedroom is more than $1,000 a month and next to impossible to find. While tourists flood the town square to dine on $40 elk medallions, the people serving them live in rooftop tents, in backyards, or in trailers and vans scattered around town.

It isn鈥檛 just seasonal service employees who are affected. The city is struggling to hire police officers, paramedics, teachers, and director-level positions鈥攅ssential positions for a safe, functioning municipality. Chalk it up to a litany of issues鈥攍imited land, poor wages, outside investors buying up properties, the proliferation of short-term rentals, dramatic tourism growth, and Wyoming鈥檚 lack of an income tax, which leads the wealthy to buy rarely inhabited homes to use as tax havens.

鈥淛ust pick up a real estate brochure,鈥� says Jim Stanford, city councilman and vice mayor, who is also a raft guide and champion of the pilot parking-lot program. 鈥淭here seems to be no end to the people who can afford multimillion-dollar properties, while so many of the people who make up the heart of the community, who are trying to live and work here, are shut out.鈥�

The parking lot took three years to approve. Stanford originally envisioned a large, open grassy field with rows of tents, but that idea was shut down over concerns about cleanliness and community degradation. 鈥淚 felt very strongly that it was irresponsible of us to pretend that this doesn鈥檛 exist or stick our heads in the sand and put the impact on the surrounding forest,鈥� says Stanford, who himself used to be one of the many individuals who camp on nearby public lands to save on rent.

In mid-June, the council settled on the out-of-sight parking spaces behind the rec center. In the original wording, the city would allow 20 people to live there for $465 a month each, from June 16 to September 4鈥攖he busiest season in Jackson. To alleviate concerns about dirtbags and ne鈥檈r-do-wells descending upon the parking lot, the city came up with rules that bordered on the draconian: no fires, awnings, pets, smoking, or generators; any and all sleeping, sitting, cooking, washing dishes, and eating had to be done within the confines of the vehicle. The program forbade tents and trailers, meaning residents had to be in their car or rooftop camper at all times鈥攜ou could live there, but living there.

To ensure that the parking lot units went to locally employed people, the town reached out to area businesses, which in turn offered the deal to their staffers. The employers sold exactly zero permits. Turns out that nearly $500 for an asphalt parking space with limited electric, no water, and a shared Porta-Potty is not an appealing offer.

鈥淭he employee looked at it and said, 鈥業f I鈥檓 going to be living out of my van, I鈥檇 rather live in the forest, as opposed to a parking lot,鈥� says Steve Ashworth, director of the Parks and Recreation Department. 鈥淚 get it. It鈥檚 worked out well for Parks and Recreation, but it has really provided no solution for the community as a whole.鈥�

Ultimately, eight municipal workers stayed in the lot for the summer. In large part, that was because the city had agreed to cover its own employees鈥� rent in the lot and provide a membership to the rec center, where they could shower. (It鈥檚 open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.) 鈥淚t鈥檚 a small but, I think, significant first step,鈥� says Stanford.

With such limited interest, the town also relaxed the no-trailer rule. The Sipiorski brothers jumped on the offer. So did their parking lot neighbor, Emily Rutz, who leads activities for the five- and six-year-old kids enrolled in Camp Jackson, which says it will 鈥渟end your kids home happy, tired, often wet, and sometimes muddy!鈥� Rutz is between degrees at the University of Vermont and a master鈥檚 in speech pathology from Boston University. When she and her boyfriend, Matt Guido, first arrived in town, they struggled to find somewhere to live despite having full-time jobs. They couch-surfed, house-sat, and got kicked out of a place that their landlord sold. 鈥淲e were going to have to move home, live in a campground, or live out of a car,鈥� Rutz says.

Then her manager told her the news about the city-approved parking lot camp. Guido got a job doing landscaping for the city so he could also live there, and the two bought a ten-foot trailer for $2,000. 鈥淲e would have figured it out, but this is way easier and way more convenient,鈥� says Rutz. 鈥淚 wake up five minutes before I have to go to work.鈥�

Three other Camp Jackson employees鈥擩on Fisher, Alex Rangel, and Drew Evans鈥攁ll took up occupancy as well. But it wasn鈥檛 just young, seasonal employees utilizing the new government camp. Rutz鈥檚 neighbor was Ladee Johnson, 44, an employee of the city鈥檚 wastewater department. When I spoke to him outside his trailer, Johnson wore a black shirt that read 鈥淣ot shy, just don鈥檛 like you.鈥� He had recently separated from his wife, and the home he was renting has been sold. He bounced around hotels and slept in his 20-foot Komfort trailer or his truck, on roads both in town and in the surrounding county. 鈥淚 just got tired of it all,鈥� Johnson says. When his manager mentioned the lot, he took it. It allowed him to stay close to his kids. He called it a lifesaver. 鈥淟ooking in the paper, you can find a two bedroom, one bath for three grand a month,鈥� Johnson says. 鈥淲ho can afford that? Unless you鈥檙e getting paid $30 an hour, and that鈥檚 not going to happen here.鈥�

Had Johnson and the others not found the parking lot, there鈥檚 a good chance some would have ended up in Curtis Canyon, an infamous squatters鈥� camp just outside town in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Every person I spoke to in Jackson warned me about . It happened often enough that I began to suspect that the in-town campground was more about the Curtis Canyon problem than the housing crisis. People described it as a 鈥渃razy,鈥� 鈥渘efarious,鈥� 鈥渕an-camp鈥� full of partiers who had exploited and trashed the national forest. Police have reported knife fights. In June, after another drunken fight led to another truck , Teton County Sheriff鈥檚 Lieutenant Matt Carr told the Jackson Hole News & Guide, 鈥淐urtis Canyon is reminiscent of the lawless towns of the Old West. We are just trying to keep the peace up there. We can鈥檛 enforce the camping regulations, and it鈥檚 becoming overrun. If you go up during the day, it鈥檚 pretty mellow because people are in town working. It gets crazy at nightfall.鈥�

For many, though, it鈥檚 one of the few viable housing options. During the summer, anyone can legally camp for free in Curtis for five days, though then you鈥檙e supposed to not return for 30 days. Few follow these rules, however. Kevin Dehm, a 24-year-old raft guide, has camped in the canyon for the past several summers. Dehm usually heads there after dinner and looks for a spot for his 1999 Subaru Outback, which has a bed in the back. He says he knows around 20 people in Curtis and estimates that about 100 people live there. Though the Forest Service has complained about toilet paper in the sagebrush, Dehm says he always uses a trowel when he has to go. 鈥淚 know how to poop in woods respectfully,鈥� he says. Dehm worries about the reputation Curtis has developed, because the area provides a space many depend on. He acknowledged how rowdy it can get, but felt it was mostly outsiders, not forest residents, who gave the area a bad name. 鈥淵ou look at the news, and it gave us a bad look,鈥� Dehm says. 鈥淲e just need a place to stay.鈥�

Of course, not everyone wants to sleep in their car or live in a parking lot, especially if it costs $465 a month. 鈥淲ould I want to live in a municipal campground? Absolutely not,鈥� says April Norton, who holds the unenviable job of heading up Jackson Teton County鈥檚 housing department. The housing crisis isn鈥檛 limited to low-wage employees fresh out of college. Ashworth says he鈥檚 offered an aquatics operations supervisor position鈥攁 job that pays $55,000 to $60,000鈥攖o five different people. None have accepted because they couldn鈥檛 afford a place to live. For a town facing a many-layered crisis, a municipal campground for employees helps, but it鈥檚 a niche solution.

Norton has more in mind. The town has new software and a new enforcement officer to crack down on illegal short-term rentals, particularly Airbnbs, which are legal only in certain areas near downtown. Meanwhile, 220 workforce units鈥攁partments designated for locally employed people鈥攁re coming online this year to supplement the 817 already in town. The city is also rezoning some neighborhoods to allow accessory units, such as guesthouses, and mandating that any new developments include affordable housing, which is available to anyone making less than 120 percent of the median income. (For one person, that means making less than $76,776.) The city also hopes to expand the municipal camping program by partnering with a federal agency on a larger piece of land. Three more projects, including one for an 83,000-square-foot residential development, await approval.

Norton acknowledges the town still has a long way to go. Its goal is to have 65 percent of its workforce living locally鈥攊n 2017, only 58 percent did. (In the 1990s, it was 85 percent.) Norton estimates they鈥檒l need to add 2,800 units in the next ten years to reach that goal. 鈥淭hat means we have stable neighborhoods, we have people volunteering, we have children in schools, we know our neighbors, we have a stable tax base,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen we get below that, then we need to take pressing action.鈥�

Such action generally faces fierce opposition鈥攁 2016 tax proposal that would have split a one-cent general sales tax between transportation and affordable housing was soundly defeated. In a resort town where community character is prized, change is slow, and the opposition is well-funded and passionate. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want anything to change,鈥� Norton says. 鈥淚 get that. I totally do. I loved Jackson the way it was when I first moved here. The reality is Jackson is going to change, and we either can define that for ourselves or not.鈥�

The local government, though, led by Mayor Pete Muldoon, believes it has a responsibility to keep the community intact. Muldoon, a political newcomer who was elected by 38 votes in 2016, is hoping the town will choose to embrace new options for Jackson. Muldoon is a musician and baggage handler at the airport. He refers to himself as 鈥渘ot particularly ambitious, financially.鈥� In 2008, he lost his job and his house. He lived out of his RV as recently as four years ago. Muldoon was a champion for action on a municipal campground.

鈥淵ou think of someone who鈥檚 been here for 20, 30 years, they鈥檝e built up all of this trust, these relationships, all of that. When they leave, they don鈥檛 take that to Boise. It disappears at the county line,鈥� Muldoon says. 鈥淲hen you lose that, it鈥檚 economically problematic, and it鈥檚 a travesty and tragedy for the community.鈥�

Jackson was packed when I was in town. The cheapest room I could find was a Motel 6 single for $300 a night. So I did what most people in town do who don鈥檛 want to pay such a premium for a place to lay their head: I headed up to Curtis Canyon to sleep in the back of my car.

国产吃瓜黑料 of town, the road to Curtis turns to gravel and ascends a switchback before reaching designated campsites. I found a flat space near a fire pit in a dirt lot, sat on the hatch of my rented minivan, and opened a beer. I went for a walk to see the view from the rim of the canyon. It was dusk. I could see the silhouette of the Tetons against a dark navy sky. Below, the airport glowed as the day鈥檚 last planes arrived. A steady stream of traffic headed for the town.

I walked back to my van by headlamp. I didn鈥檛 see any brawls, just a lot of people, fires, and vehicles. While I was gone, several cars had parked next to mine. I opened the hatch and crawled into my sleeping bag. I could hear people coming and going along the gravel road all night long. When I woke in the morning at 6:30, nearly everyone had gone. Their workday had already begun.

John Clary Davies () is an 国产吃瓜黑料 contributing writer.听

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