Snow Sports
Archive
India's Shark's Fin is a 6,500-foot rock route that's twice as long and just as steep as anything on El Capitan, and once left me defeated. When I took it on for the second time, at 45, a blizzard promptly pinned our team to the wall like insects. Which made me wonder: was the mountain telling me something?
Yukon Quest champion Sebastian Schnuelle talks about eating vacuum-packed McNuggets, cooking for canines, and taking on Lance Mackey.
I hike relatively rough terrain in deep snow and ice while carrying a 30-pound pack. I also periodically snowshoe. What boot can handle all these conditions and activities? Mirja Concord, Massachusetts
I want to take up cross-country skiing again after a 20-year layoff. What's the latest in gear, not necessarily top of the line but not entry level, that will get me back there again? I'm a classic skier with a passing interest in skate skiing. Can both be done with two sets of skis and the se boots and poles? I remember waxing as something tedious to be avoided at all costs but the waxless skis back then were useless in some conditions—have they improved? Mike Wheaton, IL
Each winter, more than 2,500 teams from across Japan compete for one of 155 coveted slots in the annual Showa-Shinzan International Yukigassen, the world's de facto snowball Super Bowl. The February 21–22 tournament, on the northern island of Hokkaido, is also open to international teams, but don't think you can just round up some softball buddies
I searching for a light, packable garment to be layered under a shell when I take a break from high-output winter sport like cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. I planning a hut-to-hut ski in Quebec’s Gaspesie and would like to have some "warmth insurance" in case it's necessary (e.g. accident, lunch break, etc.). I considering a light-weight down or synthetic jacket instead of more fleece. David Wesmount, Quebec
I spent last Saturday at REI looking at ski gear and got a bit overwhelmed. I was told until I really want to invest in all the "stuff" for skiing, that all I should buy right now is a good hat, gloves and ski pants. What are your thoughts? Joan Redmond, WA
We are thinking of visiting a friend in Nicaragua this winter. Is Nicaragua a safe travel destination? And can you recommend some good, active side trips from Bluefields? y San Marcos, CA
British Columbia has tried to secure the Winter Olympics no fewer than six times. In fact, the town of Whistler was built for this very purpose: In 1960, four Vancouver businessmen began developing the ski resort 75 miles to the north, hoping to win the 1968 event. They failed. Four…
A veteran ice-boater takes a shot at the world record for wind-powered speed
You could mope about the economy. Or you could go play in the snow, and then thaw out in comfort. Our guide to the best winter adventure lodges in North America. Nita Lake Lodge Nita Lake Lodge 聽 聽 聽 聽 Nordic Pine Flagstaff Lake Hut, Carrabassett Valley, Maine Winter…
Does anyone make cross-country ski boots in wide widths? Margaret Madison, Wisconsin
A seven-day trip aboard a U.S. icebreaker proves at least one thing about global warming: Things are getting very strange in the great white North.
The king of big air talks about overcoming fear, setting records, and his ideal ski partner.
I'm going skiing this month, and with all of the advancements in ski apparel, I need suggestions for the best mid-layer jacket or fleece. Do you have a recommendation? Jeff Rogers, Arkansas
If I go off the beaten path at a ski resort and get lost, what should I do? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
What is the best way to go green and save money this winter? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
Welcome to the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, where the game is pure, the ice is dangerously uneven, and the beer is very, very cold
Larry Ellison's new yacht might prove the fastest (and most dangerous) sailboat ever—if a judge doesn't keep it from racing
My wife and I spent last New Year's Eve cross-country skiing in Yellowstone with a fantastic outfitter. This year we'd like to do something similar near Missoula or maybe Idaho. Can you recommend an outfitter and guide service that operates in these places? Mike F. Washington DC
From hard shells to soft shells, associate editor Justin Nyberg reviews his favorite jackets of 2009.
Ski tourists flock to the Haute Route of France and Switzerland. But ROB STORY and his buddies wanted more, so they skinned, pisted, off-pisted, and got pissed all the way across the westernmost Alps—with a little help from 59 lifts and Hunter S. Thompson.
Greg Mortenson's school-building program in Central Asia dates back to 1993, when the banged-up K2 survivor made a pledge to the Himalayan villagers who took him in. Fifteen years and Three Cups of Tea later, it's both a powerful example of a great idea and a chaotic, ongoing adventure. KEVIN FEDARKO hits the rough road with Mortenson in Afghanis
Can you recommend some good winter backpacking boots? Most of the time, I’d be around 4,000 feet, though I do spend some time around treeline as well. Bill Billerica, Massachusetts
I ride my bike to class every morning, and as the temperature drops, I have a jacket problem that is two fold. 1) My fleece does little to stop the piercing cold winds. 2) My hard shell retains too much body heat, and I feel like I’m in a furnace. What do you recommend? Bary Charlottesville, Virginia
What do you suggest for a cheap winter trip to Baja, Mexico? Bix F. Milwaukee, WI
"Ninety percent of people do nothing to take care of their skis from the day they buy them to the day they throw them in the trash," says Peter Boyer, of Boulder, Colorado's Alpine Base & Edge. Don't follow suit. We asked Boyer for a few tips to keep your skis and boards running fast and true.
The key to staying warm and stuck to the ice? The right stuff.
I've just started running again after a long lay off, and I don't want to lose momentum over the winter. What's the best shell I can get to keep me dry and warm without blowing the thermostat? KT London, England
With their slightly duck-footed stance, Nordica‘s Sportmachine 14 boots make carving the perfect turn that much easier ($655; nordicausa.com). Nordica Sportmachine 14 Ski Boot 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽…
Catch more air: Burton‘s Vapor is the lightest snowboard they’ve ever made ($1,000; burton.com). Burton Vapor Snowboard 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽…
Can you recommend a warm, but cute ski jacket for my next trip to Aspen? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
Why do some women trash women's specific skis as being too soft? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
When collapsed, Black Diamond‘s ultrabright Orbit Lantern is the size of a cell phone ($30; bdel.com). Black Diamond Orbit Lantern 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Train: Oakley Radar Sunglasses Oakley Radar SunglassesBecause the Oakley Radar‘s photochromic lenses quickly adapt to changing light conditions and repel almost…
A few inches of fresh snow doesn’t mean it’s time to hit the treadmill. The lightweight, stride-friendly Atlas Run snowshoes will keep you running through winter ($179; atlassnowshoe.com). 聽 Atlas Run Snowshoe 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽…
Like nearly everything Crank Brothers makes, the new Cobalt XC mountain-biking wheels are as beautiful as they are high-performance. You’ll want to wash off the mud before you even hit the finish line ($1,000; crankbrothers.com).
Ice axes are dead weight, until you need them. CAMP‘s aluminum-alloy Corsa is just seven ounces—and worth every one ($110; camp-usa.com).
Pick one frontside ski (1, 4, or 5) and one fat powder board (2, 3, or 6) and you'll be set for the season
The goal: To rank the continent's top ski destinations. The deciding factors: Snow quality and terrain. The judge: Marc Peruzzi, intrepid Colorado-based ski reporter, former 国产吃瓜黑料 staffer, and editor of Skiing magazine, 2003-2008.
I work outside year-round (at the flightline of an airport), and in the winter the cold wind really gets me. I need a jacket that is comfy, warm, and tough, and that blocks wind. With all of the shells out there, I'm overwhelmed. What do you suggest? What about pants? Mike Apalachicola, Florida
The 37-year-old Victor, Idaho, resident spends over 100 days a year in the field, often chasing the world's best skiers around in snowy ranges from Bolivia to Morocco. Here's what he usually takes along.
In the Store: If you’re buying just one pair of skis (and not building a quiver), look for a set that matches your style of skiing and the terrain you frequent 70 percent of the time. And don’t be afraid to upgrade: Buy skis slightly above…
1. Most frontside skis are too precise and exhausting for freeskiing. Not the pared-down CX 80, which does away with heavy add-ons like complex binding plates for a more responsive feel. It’s ten millimeters fatter than most, but its World Cup颅聳inspired…
ON THE LEFT Columbia’s moisture-wicking Omni-Dry Mountain Tech Thermal Base颅layer. ($60; columbia.com) Few‘s acrylic Moa Hunter Sweater, for the bold. ($54; few.co.nz) Aigle‘s lightweight Polartec recycled-fleece Walker Track Jacket. ($105; aigleusa.com Obermeyer‘s insulated Tungsten Jacket is tricked out…
I have always stored my sleeping bag loose in a large plastic bin or a pillow case. But what about long-term storage of nylon tents? Should I be concerned about storing them rolled up in the original bags? Sadly, it could be a year or so before they get used again. Jay Fredericksburg, Virginia
You'd better be: You just paid $87 for your lift ticket. Follow our preseason fitness plan and make last year's halfhearted half-days a distant memory.
They may not have solved the mystery of his disappearance. They may not have been there when the wreckage was finally found. But goshdarnit, these Canadian adventure racers might just have invented a new sport in the process: extreme jogging for good.
I don’t like guided fishing trips much. They feel canned. But for fish like the ones found in northwestern Colorado’s Yampa Valley, exceptions must be made. The area is best known for the Steamboat Ski Resort, but in recent years it’s also become a fly-fishing destination, especially in…
This month, NASA astronaut and mountaineer John Grunsfeld, 49, will blast into orbit carrying a 9x12 Zeiss Maximar B folding camera that belonged to his friend Bradford Washburn—a pioneer of aerial photography and Alaskan mountaineering who passed away last year at 96. The camera is the same one that Washburn took on his 1937 expedition to Canada's St.
I'm looking for a watch for my husband that offers ski features, such as number of runs, speed, vertical for individual runs, and total vertical. Measuring distances would be good, too, as he is also a runner. I'm willing to spend up to $500 and would like it to look good (maybe something in titanium). Debbie New York, New York
The DNC horde has left and Denver is its old relaxed self again. Use it as your launchpad for a weekend in Grand County.
This month's 560–page Fallen Giants, by professors Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver, is the most exhaustive narrative history of Himalayan climbing to date. It's also the subject of this month's quiz. Pencils out—begin!
Your town got you down? We鈥檝e got your escape plan. These 20 stars of America鈥檚 21st-century Renaissance are riding a wave of civic reinvention and fresh ideas.
A degenerative nerve disease is destroying the body of Jeff Lowe, one of climbing's greatest athletes and innovators. He's seen hard times before, on mountains and in life. But how do you keep going when there's no way up?
Think adventure filmmaking sounds glamorous? Then watch THAYER WALKER get schooled on Kilimanjaro.
The craziest way to spread the gospel about North Dakota's enormous, untapped wind power? Kite-ski the bastard.
“Agonizingly vivid” is a fair description of Storm Over Everest, yet another rehashing of the 1996 disaster, by climber/documentarian David Breashears. Premiering May 13 on PBS’s Frontline, the two-hour film combines interviews with survivors, including guide Neal Beidleman and climber Beck Weathers (but noticeably no Jon Krakauer) with footage gathered…
Life in Chile’s Atacama Desert is hot, dry, and tough. That is, unless you’re lying poolside at Tierra Atacama, the latest luxury hotel to open in the unlikely tourist boomtown of San Pedro. Just blocks down the street from Explora’s iconic Hotel de Larache, 32-room Tierra Atacama is run by…
EVEN TO A NONSCIENTIFIC OBSERVER LIKE ME, there are several obvious peculiarities about the life and work of Garrett Lisi. For instance, despite his being 40 years old and possessing a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, he has held few steady jobs鈥攁nd those the likes of hiking guide and snowboarding instructor.
What is your recommendation on a hydration pack that will keep fluids from freezing? Ideally it’d be small enough for resort use, but big enough to carry an extra layer, snacks, goggles, and possibly the option of straps for ski/board carry. Tony Montreal, Quebec
Play hard by day at these nine classic national parks, then ditch the franks 'n' beans by night and live large outside the boundaries
At least that's what veteran action photographer Tony Harrington told us. So when he assembled a team of world-class athletes and brought them to a secret spot in New Zealand where you can ski and surf in the same day, we agreed to send a writer. Too bad he never mentioned the midgies.
Pasquale Scaturro never wanted to be a glorified 鈥渢our-bus” driver. For him, leading expeditions, like rafting Ethiopia鈥檚 Omo River, is a glorious hobby. He picks a spot on the globe, invites his friends, dons his 19th-century-explorer hat, and relishes being the man in change.