After a season away, we were back at Utah’s Powder Mountain for the Gear Test Week we know and love. We flexed our rusty social skills and put hundreds of pieces of gear through the wringer, but we kept in mind the lessons learned from our year of remote testing. In Utah, we identified our favorites then took them to far-flung places like Alaska, the Tetons, Tahoe and Vermont to see how they performed in the untracked. From all that testing, we’ve brought you 122 reviews of skis, boots, splitboards and bindings with 35 Editors’ Choice awards—in-depth, unbiased analysis of the best gear for any type of skier or rider. Plus, top-tier apparel and accessories to round out your kit. Find all this and more in the 2023 Gear Guide.

There is something to be said for the interwoven exploration of history and land. Whether it’s from the perspective of fur traders and glade-cutting teleskiers on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula; via the curious lens of a photographer traversing Morocco’s Mgoun Massif; recognizing the impact of the 10th Mountain Division on U.S. backcountry skiing and mountaineering; or from a thoughtful writer’s investigation of what “home” means in Colorado’s mountains.

Then there are those looking to the future. The former U.S. Snowboard Team slalom racer who, after being diagnosed with myriad autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 Diabetes, has splitboarded around the world and founded an organization to help get more kids with diabetes into sports. And there’s the tele skier who found community in the National Brotherhood of Skiers and is working to get more Black people on the skintrack.

These are the histories, the stories and the efforts that bridge past and present and shape a better future for our sport.

It’s just been one of those winters. A dry December. A wet, warm January. It’s still low tide, avy danger is high, and yurt trips are yielding shorter runs and longer game nights. Maybe it’s a little more backwoods than we’d all like. But sometimes you just have to embrace the schwack.

Meet No. 156, 112 pages of just that.

Shining light on the mountain ranges hidden in the shadows, The Backwoods Issue covers peaks from New Hampshire’s Sandwich Range to Nevada’s Ruby Mountains—whose solitude and skiable lines, guarded by rugged bushwhacks and minimal beta, call to only the dedicated, hardy adventurer.

It brings forth the people. Queen of Corbet’s Caite Zeliff and whiskey-drinking, cigar-smoking, heavy-metal fan Asit Rathod, who’ve both seen the darker side of life and found their way back to the light; the young Shames Mountain ski patrol director, Adrien Grabinski, who sought epic backcountry and close community instead of fame; Indigenous communities leading the fight to preserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; the Montana State University professor using his research to help us become the most efficient backcountry skiers we can be; and a guide offering an antidote to rainy days: backyard crevasse rescue training. 

Not all days are bluebird and blower. There’s land to be battled for, lines to be bushwhacked toward. As Associate Editor Greta Close writes in the Editor’s Note: “Sometimes you drive 3,000 miles for a supposed pillowy, powder-filled promised land only to be met with dry skies. Other times you climb for hours, just to find a field of alders.”

We believe that just makes the good days sweeter. In the meantime, we’ll be embracing the schwack.  

Light, subject, composition. The three basics every photographer knows can make or break an image. Connect that with a reader’s desire to be that subject—a heelside turn in the alpenglow of the Lyngen Alps, peering down a snow-choked couloir off Mount Glory, sap lines deep in a hush-hush zone of the Green Mountains—and a simple printed page begins to do more than just stimulate the eyes. It tells a story, tugs at the heartstrings, dopamine is released, and in an instant you can smell the aspens, feel the greatest snow on Earth and breathe in the crystalline air as it chokes off your throat. —Mike Lorenz, Backcountry Magazine Art Director since 2009

For Issue 155, The Photo Annual, Lorenz poured over roughly 15,000 photos, in search of just that: images that captivate. From skiing through glacial caves in Switzerland to face shots in the Wasatch, a silhouetted skier, mid-air with the sun on his shoulder to an epic skintrack in B.C.’s Tantalus Range, each photo he’s chosen draws you into the depths and joys of backcountry skiing.

Then, there are the stories. Photo essays from Norway and Utah’s 900-inch-deep winter; an embrace of backcountry skiing communities and the alliances they’re building. There are tales of earning your turns by foot and stacking up vert via heli; the proposed backcountry resort under question in Zincton, B.C.; a profile on glaciologist and ski mountaineer Alison Criscitiello; wisdom from career ski photographer Re Wikstrom; and advice on uptracking. Photos and words alike, they come to life on the printed page. 

Here comes the 2024 Photo Annual.


Avalanche forecasters working at remote mines in northern British Columbia to earn turns through never-touched stashes; the salmon fisherwoman by summer and ski guide by winter who flies her own bush plane; the Swiss ski town resisting modernization; and the backcountry adventurer using his New Hampshire backyard to train for expeditions.

Their stories are an acknowledgement of the blood, sweat and tears shed for the love of long days in the mountains on a plank or two. In other words, True Grit. Meet The Blue Collar Issue.

MASTERCLASS
In spring 2022, photographer Clayton Herrmann joined French mountain guide and legendary steep skier Vivian Bruchez on a handful of puckering lines during Bruchez’s quest to ski all 82 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps. On this trip, Herrmann first saw Bruchez’s famous hop turn, one of the best in the world. Herrmann headed back to Chamonix a year later for round two, which included a first descent of an overlooked line visible from town.

POKING THE BUBBLE
As an entertainer, filmmaker and self-proclaimed “leisure athlete,” Katie Burrell has spent the past five years pushing back against the growing ubiquity of epic backcountry lines, rugged days in the mountains and competitively logged Strava routes on social media. But she hasn’t done it alone. With the help of cinematographer Colleen Gentemann, Burrell has woven herself into the fabric of mountain town culture by infusing the media landscape with self-deprecating, outdoor-industry-needling humor.


SUCCESSION
If HBO’s hit show about the Roy family taught us anything, it’s that taking over the family business is fraught with pitfalls. That’s even true in British Columbia’s family-owned lodges, where a generation of backcountry-raised kids are taking the reins. However, their struggles revolve less around conniving siblings and more around how to handle a changing industry and the legacies of pioneering parents who built snowy empires from nothing.

SKIS, BOOTS & BINDINGS
Backcountry skiing peaked with the pandemic in 2020. As the world descends back to normalcy, one thing is clear: Our sport’s popularity—and the quantum leap in gear performance that came with it—is here to stay. 

Skis
Boots
AT Bindings
Telemark Bindings 

SPLITBOARDS, BOOTS & BINDINGS
Each year, the splitboard market atomizes, with more specific decks for specific conditions. However, this year our testers gravitated toward a bevy of all-mountain decks concerned more with versatility than selectivity.

All-Mountain Boards
Big Mountain Boards
Powder Boards
Boots & Bindings

APPAREL & ACCESSORIES
From featherweight layers for the gram counters to do-it-all, warm, heavy-duty outerwear, this year’s apparel selections are as at home on the skintrack as they are fixing your snowblower or having an après drink.

Editors’ Choice
Jackets & Pants
Puffies & Midlayers
Baselayers


CONTRIBUTORS
EDITOR'S NOTE
LETTERS
PERSPECTIVE
TESTERS
GLOSSARY

Learn about the history of skiing in the Cascades, meet the women who found friendship and notched a first decent on Baffin Island, and experience the rich culture of Svaneti, Georgia, in The Isolation Issue. In its pages, we highlight a psychologist considering backcountry communication, the rapidly growing pursuit of fastest known times in the ski world and more. We gather advice on expedition planning from internationally certified guide Erin Smart, Betsy Manero finds the bad kind of snow record and reader Brendan Koch leaves his guilt behind. Plus, we review winter camping gear to keep you cozy on remote trips and the best powsurfers and accessories to hunt deep powder stashes.

Look into the life of Ian McIntosh, learn how three women stepped back  while spreading their wings on a remote Alaskan glacier and familiarize  yourself with failing upwards—the concept that success in the backcountry  is defined by making it home, not by skiing that line—all in the 2023  Skills Guide. In its pages, Kevin Hjertaas, Caite Zeliff, Drew Petersen and  Jed Porter all find comfort in turning around. We explore the ethics of solo  skiing, what private avalanche courses have to offer and accident insurance  options for the seasonally employed, risk-tolerant mountain town resident.  Plus, we find out from the best how to submit observations to an avalanche  center, how BCA co-founder Bruce Edgerly stays safe and has fun and how  Ecuadorian guide Juliana García is charting a path for Latin American  women.

There is something to be said for appreciating the present; there is also significance in recognizing the power of growth over time—often the two weave together. With The Evolution Issue, restart your subscription with stories about the people, places and projects that push the boundaries of the backcountry community. In British Columbia, we detail a collective of creators who have joined together to support local manufacturing, then we strap in with Colorado sit-skier Trevor Kennison as he comes full circle, returning to the backcountry. Plus, we consider how changing our language in the mountains may help us more adequately appreciate them.

With a wave of their wands—or long lenses—photographers capture their own form of magic. They frame skiers and splitboarders with backlit crystal tornados, sparkling sundogs and rimed trees in the background. In our 2023 Photo Annual, we bring you the enchanted moments that keep bringing us back to the skintrack. This year, we’re celebrating the next generation of photographers and filmmakers who are conveying fresh perspectives. Anne Cleary walks the long approach. Isaiah Branch-Boyle sends out a message of environmental health. Stephen Shelesky blows up the box with rainbow confetti. Micheli Oliver spreads love with a click of her shutter. Plus, Sophie Danison talks about the ups and downs of making it as a ski cinemaphotographer, and Katie Cooney and Emily Tidwell help you up your iPhone photography game.

With features on huts from Canada, California and Colorado, the Huts Issue provides all the inspiration needed to plan the hut trip you’ve always dreamt of. Throughout its pages, we highlight Canada’s century on skis and the huts that accent it, Mary McIntyre’s range of experiences over a five-day hut-to-hut traverse in Colorado’s San Juan’s and the educators bringing avalanche education to their students at Telluride Mountain School. Additionally, we share wisdom from backcountry legend Doug Ward, who reveals the importance of sticking to the rules you set for yourself. The 10th Mountain Hut Division seeks to tackle the impact of climate change on its huts through increased sustainable practices; Diana Rivera transitions from teaching tele to filming it; and Lily Krass shares tips and tricks for skintrack snacks.

With profiles of both the young and old, the Generations Issue stands as proof that backcountry skiing and riding are lifelong sports. Throughout its pages, we highlight a 25-year-old splitboarder who charges pillow lines and consequential couloirs, a 20-year-old skimo star and a pair of first descentionists who haven't yet hit a quarter century. Additionally, we share wisdom from those who have been in the skintrack for three decades and counting, like Jane Gallie and Margo Krisjansons, whose friendship runs deeper than their favorite snow condition, which they call "old gal powder." Jason Hummel returns to Washington's grueling Picket Traverse to explore new corners of the map; Connor Ryan explores his dual identity as a skier and Hunkpapa Lakota; and Drew Zieff breaks down the growth of women in splitboarding.

You don’t have to travel the world to find good skiing, so our Backyard Issue highlights some of the best close-to-home locales. After evacuating her home during a series of California megafires, Tahoe resident Megan Michelson explores the impact wildfires have on skiing, now and in the future. Andrew Findlay takes advantage of travel restrictions to ski Vancouver Island’s Comox Range, and Tom Hallberg delves into the history of huts in the United States, including a movement to make sure all Americans can access overnight adventures. Plus, we review backpacks and GPS watches, and we check in with Christina Lustenberger, who notched five first descents last season within a few hours of her home in Canada.

Behind the cover of the Perspectives Issue are profiles of influential figures and ideas about having hard conversations in the skintrack, mobilizing the masses to combat climate change and connecting winter snowpack to a new generation of farmers. Additionally, guide Michael Brackenhofer goes for a walk on the wild side in Smithers, B.C., and Mallory Duncan, a.k.a. Galactic Brown, reflects on his place in skiing. Cementing the issue are profiles of professional splitboarder and funny hat-enthusiast Nick Russell and Hadley Hammer, who shares her experience of love and loss in the mountains after the death of boyfriend, David Lama.

Inside the Photo Annual, you’ll find voices from the Wasatch Range delving into the mountains’ history and future, an overview of Larry Dolecki’s Canadian hut empire as it expands one building at a time, and Adam Wirth’s reflections on raising kids on the skintrack. Andrew Drummond spearheads a New England backcountry revival, and NASCAR crew chief Cole Pearn leaves the racetrack behind. As is our tradition with the the Photo Annual, photographers from Tahoe to Vermont showcase studies of powder melding with light, mountains towering over valleys and, of course, skiers and riders leaving their ephemeral marks on snow.

On the heels of the country’s deadliest winter in modern history, which saw 37 avalanche fatalities, our editors delve into the lessons from a tragic season in our first-ever Avalanche Issue. Also inside, Drew Zieff catches waves on his powsurfer to stay safe on high-danger days in the Utah backcountry, a group of avalanche survivors called the Mountain Muskox band together to create new support systems, and Jason Sumner explores how the Crested Butte Avalanche Center’s hyperlocal model keeps users safe. Plus, we review beacons, shovels, probes and other safety gear and meet Nikki Champion, North America’s youngest female avalanche forecaster.

After studying last winter’s remote testing notes for months, we’re ready to share our top picks in our 2022 Gear Guide. Inside the issue you’ll find 35 Editors’ Choice winners and the 51 skis and 26 splitboards our testing crew deemed worthy. Plus, 28 boots, 14 bindings and 37 accessories to fill out your kit. These are deep, detailed reviews of products we tested hard, with real and credible feedback from mountain ranges East to West. Finally, we look at how the gear we use is changing with stories on ski and boot recycling programs, how the pandemic upended supply chains, the rise of splitboarding and which outerwear companies are going green.


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Behind the cover, you'll find photographer Chris Bezamat making the most out of a bust of a trip to Iceland, former Navy SEAL Josh Jespersen carving a new path for veterans in the outdoors while smashing Chris Davenport's Colorado 14ers record and a look at the past, present and future of British Columbia's Sea to Sky corridor. Also included is a debate on how kids can safely enter avalanche terrain and lessons on how, where and when to pull out your ice axe and crampons.

Level up your backcountry game with our fourth-annual Skills Guide. In it, we talk to guides, avalanche instructors, ski mountaineers and outdoor educators to glean their best advice on eight essential skills. Improve your trip planning, sleuth better snow and more. But first, Brandon Blackburn shares his experiences of backcountry skiing while Black, David Goodman reflects on the history of touring in the Northeast and Ian McIntosh and Nick McNutt debrief an avalanche in the Pemberton, B.C., backcountry and share a beacon malfunction. Also included is an off-track trip to Hokkaido, Japan, on which photographer Mattais Freddrikson explores lesser-known areas despite the island having its worst snow year in recent history.

Follow the higher calling with the Deep Winter Issue. Inside, we draw back the curtains on X Games expat Sammy Carlson to see how a park skier at the top of his game has turned into a backcountry devotee. But first, we learn how Tyson Rettie, a guide who lost his vision, is getting back on snow and bringing other blind skiers along. Then, former patroller Alex Armstrong reflects on how small mistakes can have massive consequences in the mountains. Also included: A journey into Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta range with Ptor Spricenieks and Chad Sayers and how a new wave of ski areas are bringing the off-piste inbounds.

With colder days ahead, we present you with a moment of pause in our Photo Annual: a culmination of the best backcountry photos of the year, meticulously selected to get your brain ready for winter. Alongside our Photo Annual, we include the musings of Fifty Classics Ski Descents in North America co-author Art Burrows on Cody Townsend and Noah Howell’s attempts to ski every line in the book. Then we dive headfirst into the history of splitboarding, from its ’90s garage origins to today’s split boom. Plus, tips for more efficient splitboarding, an accidental split-ski descent of Washington’s Tahoma Mountain and our top picks for splitboard accessories.

With the upcoming winter in question, The Onward Issue addresses how we can continue moving forward through uncertainty. We take a deep dive into how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting everything from ski films to the guiding industry to professional skiers’ plans with interviews from the likes of IFMGA guide and board certified emergency physical Alan Oram, Freeride World Tour Champion Isaac Freeland and more. We also hear about a first descent 20 years in the making deep in the Sierra, how to make the most of poor weather conditions and how one nonprofit is including and advocating for Indigenous athlees. Plus, a look behind the scenes of Cody Townsend’s The Fifty with Swedish ski filmmaker Bjarne Salén and our favorite helmets and goggles to keep your brain and eyes safe.

This is the year to go remote, and our 2021 Gear Guide has all the skis, boards, boots and bindings to get you there.

Whether you’re looking for your first backcountry setup or just updating those well-loved planks, we’ve got unbiased and in-depth reviews of 51 skis and 29 splitboards that will take you where you want to go, wherever that may be. Plus, 21 boots, 12 bindings and 28 pieces of apparel, all of which was tested at our annual Gear Test Week at Powder Mountain, Utah last March by our team of 43 testers, who hail from Vermont to California and everywhere in between. No matter what happens this winter season, our 2021 Gear Guide has you covered.

The Boundless Issue covers the fresh and far-flung locations across the globe, from Utah’s Manti-La Sal National Forest, where the recent Pole Creek Wildfire has cleared the way for touring, to Norway’s Finnmark Alps, where famers take to the hills in the off-
season to guide above the Arctic Circle. On the East Coast, we dive deep into New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, exploring the ravines of Mt. Washington and how the region has become a proving ground for ski mountaineers of today. As some explorers push physical boundaries, others break mental ones, like the search and rescuers speakingout about trauma incurred in the mountains. Also included, the next evolution in Dalbello’s cabrio boot design, a lightweight update for Black Diamond’s avalanche airbag and how to best travel—when you have to—on a high avalanche danger day.

Safety comes first, second and third in the skintrack. That’s why the 2020 Skills Guide highlights the work of guides and search and rescue personnel who’ve dedicated their lives to education and first response when things go awry. Leading the lineup is internationally certified guide Margaret Wheeler, who talks trading in engineering for the skintrack. Then four SAR members cover the dos and don’ts of backcountry safety, followed by a deep dive into how evolving avalanche courses are bringing better and more effective education to the masses. Also included: nine safety selections for protection from the elements and unique must-have tools, from in-field fixes to injury prevention. 

It’s been 25 years since we penned the first issue of Backcountry Magazine, and in this issue, we reflect on the quarter century of stories, photos and the most influential aspects of backcountry skiing and riding that have kept us coming back for another lap. We take a deep dive into our past 130 issues, highlighting stories that have remained timeless throughout the decades, from an account of the first descent of Mt. Robson to Biff America’s contemplations on life and death—it’s an era unbound. Then we celebrate the past and current generation’s notable places, trends, people and pieces of gear have shaped the sport as we know it, celebrating 43 of the most influential elements that have defined backcountry skiing and riding in North America. Also inside, a profile on backcountry maverick Mike Hattrup, the enduring impact of the Dynafit binding and nine gear must-haves that continue to age with grace.

It’s no secret that we love a good skiing or riding story. But sometimes, words just aren’t enough, and you just need to see it. To that end, we present the 2020 Photo Annual. Beyond the 20-page gallery that captures the essence of mountains, touring, skiing and riding, the Photo Annual goes deep into 150 years of grit and lawlessness in Wyoming’s Teton Range, with the complete story of these mountains, their boldest descents and their most compelling luminaries. Also inside, photographer Ming Poon talks mentorship and learning from mistakes on the road to artistic success; guide David Lottman reveals how a spring day on New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington proves that avalanche danger can come from unexpected places; and photographer Mason Mashon and skier Rory Bushfield recall adventures and misadventure while accessing lines via Bushfield’s 1953 Cessna 180.

Even in an age of hyper connectivity, the world still holds untracked ranges—if you know where to look. The Exploration Issue presents far-flung locales that boast unique cultures and untouched peaks for those willing to make the journey. Spain’s Pyrenees Mountains, an often-overlooked range, fosters independent spirits, steep, lines and remote traverses. Then, a quiet valley in Italy’s northern Piemonte region cracks the code of crowd control, and ski mountaineer Jan Reynolds travels to the Pirin and Rila Mountains of Bulgaria to explore knife-edged no-fall zones and the welcoming communities far below.

Backcountry Magazine’s 2020 Gear Guide is brimming with more than 200 reviews of skis, splitboards, boots, bindings and must-have accessories that take touring and downhill performance to the next level. This year’s Gear Guide tells a story of midfat prowess, with middle-width skis that offer versatility and rise to the quiver-killing challenge. Also reviewed from the slopes of Powder Mountain, Utah: splitboards with niche proclivities, sturdy tech bindings and do-it-all boots. It’s all here, reviewed with in-depth detail—because while line choices might be hard, deciding on gear shouldn’t be.

Backcountry 157 | The Historic Issue

Backcountry 156 | The Backwoods Issue

Backcountry 155 | The 2024 Photo Annual

Backcountry 154 | The Blue Collar Issue

Backcountry 153 | The Core Issue

Backcountry 152 | The 2024 Gear Guide

Backcountry 151 | The Isolation Issue

Backcountry 150 | The 2023 Skills Guide

Backcountry 149 | The Evolution Issue

Backcountry 148 | The 2023 Photo Annual

Backcountry 147 | The Huts Issue

Backcountry 146 | The 2023 Gear Guide

Backcountry 145 | The Generations Issue

Backcountry 144 | The Backyard Issue

Backcountry 143 | The Perspectives Issue 

Backcountry 142 | The 2022 Photo Annual

Backcountry Magazine isn’t about defining boundaries, it’s about blowing them wide open. More people than ever are redefining their ideas of skiing and snowboarding, and Backcountry is their tool; a conduit and catalyst of the backcountry revolution. Each issue of Backcountry is packed with high-definition photography and stories, trusted avalanche safety skills and reliable, unbiased gear reviews. From freeskiing to touring, exotic destinations to backyard zones, the history of skiing to the cutting edge, we cover it all. In Backcountry, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Join us and imagine your Untracked Experience.

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Backcountry Magazine - Backcountry 146 | The 2023 Gear Guide

Backcountry Magazine - Backcountry 146 | The 2023 Gear Guide

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