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. 

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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.

High peaks often equate to high consequences, and the Formidable Issue offers a deep look into daunting mountain ranges and the impressive people who thrive when things become challenging. Inside, we explore Colorado’s northern San Juan Mountains, a range where past generations and an unstable snowpack have informed the grit anddetermination of today’s skiers. Also, Durango, Colo.’s resident vert-crushing Simmons family redefines good genes. Later, ski-mountaineering legend Ptor Spricenieks shares how his global guiding, line tagging and dissemination of a special brand of mountain enlightenment have kept him on the sport’s leading edge. Plus: lightweight, spring-focused skis, how to plan a successful multiday traverse and après beers, tasted and reviewed. 

In the mountains, education is a never-ending pursuit—regardless of experience level. That’s why in this year’s Skills Guide dives deep into the decision-making processes, tools, gear and workshops to help those at all skill levels travel more safely. Inside, we break things down by skill level—from novice to veteran—and offer up ways to hone everything from kickturns to rescue practice and the gear, classes and tools to take your knowledge to the next level. From there, we celebrate those who’ve dedicated their lives and careers to improving mountain safety. We highlight 34 visionaries, engineers, scientists, educators and innovators who have dug deeply into awareness, science and research, in turn making the mountains more accessible and those who travel through them safer. 

As winter emerges in full force, it’s time to embrace what the season offers, from endless turns to crisp skies to uncharted skintracks. And there’s no better place to partake in the deep than the highest reaches of North America. Inside, Art Burrows immerses himself in British Columbia’s Rogers Pass, telling how vertical relief and a tumultuous history combined to make the most historically significant ski-mountaineering zone in all of North America. Then, Ryan Stuart traces the final journey of a 300-year-old iceman, Kwäday Dän Ts’ìnchi, across glaciers and over crevasses to learn from this region’s earliest explorers. Also: British Columbia’s off-the-radar Slocan Valley, tension over Oregon and California’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, the skinny on Scarpa’s lightweight Alien RS and a firsthand account of a Vermont avalanche. 

This year’s Photo Annual is all about escapism—away from ever-refreshing pow-shot feeds and into a celebration of the beauty and timelessness of our sport. To hone in on those enduring qualities, editor in chief Tyler Cohen explores the complete history of telemark and its unassailable link to backcountry skiing. From the turn’s origins in 1800s Norway to the explosion of the sport in the U.S. throughout the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, this story captures the people, gatherings and gear that shaped a culture and formed the style of skiing as we know it. And from Arctic Norway’s Svalbard archipelago to the gulfs and couloirs of Maine’s Mt. Katahdin, the Photo Annuals other features—and 22-page photo gallery—celebrate the light, shadow and beauty of sliding on snow.

This issue is all about exploring the depths of your own backyard, wherever that may be. In Vermont, managing editor Lucy Higgins covers the complete history of backcountry skiing in the Green Mountain State—from the 1933 creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which created some of the Northeast's most iconic ski trails, to the groundbreaking work of today's backcountry alliances. Overseas, Scott Yorko follows French brothers Jean-Baptiste and Jonathan Charlet up and down some of Chamonix's most harrowing lines as the duo adds another chapter to their family's legacy—this time on snowboards. And in far northwestern British Columbia on First Nations Land, Burnie Glacier Chalet serves up lessons deeper than the surrounding powder.

The story of the 2019 Gear Guide is one of transcending boundaries, from the unification of our ski and splitboard tests at Powder Mountain, Utah to the gear itself. This year’s best products excel beyond their categories to do more with less—think powder skis that can rail on corduroy, fast-transitioning splitboard bindings and AT boots without buckles.

The 2019 Editors’ Choice Awards represent our picks that take that transcendence even farther. This year’s 38 top skis, boots, boards, bindings, apparel and accessories may not be quiver killers, but they boast refined traits and are tooled to stand up to winter’s demands.

Backcountry 132 | 2020 Skills Guide

131 | The 25th Anniversary Issue

Backcountry 130 | The 2020 Photo Annual

Backcountry 129 | The Exploration Issue

Backcountry 128 | The 2020 Gear Guide

Backountry 127 | The Formidable Issue

Backountry 126 | The 2019 Skills Guide

Backountry 125 | The Great Northern Issue

Backountry 124 | The 2019 Photo Annual

Backountry 123 | The Homegrown Issue

Issue 122 | The 2019 Gear Guide

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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