HELI-SKIING IS THE DREAM: ditching groomers in favor of steep lines and long descents; taking a chopper instead of a chairlift; and gorging on fresh powder or hero corn instead of icy bumps. But screaming down the 20,000 to 40,000 vertical feet you’ll average on a single day heli-skiing in Alaska is a far cry from spinning laps at a resort. Top to bottom is a whole different game, especially when it comes to the energy your legs must absorb.
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MINNEAPOLIS RISING
How a chef, distiller, outdoorsman, and NHL player will help ensure a city wounded by injustice forges a path toward equality.
Wesley Snipes
The ’90s action icon, co-starring with Eddie Murphy in the sequel Coming 2 America, on aging with grace, the value of money, and what he learned from two years behind bars.
Boot Camp
Even if you log thousands of vertical feet at your local mountain beforehand, heli-skiing can wreck you after one day. Here’s how to beat the bonk.
Rethink How You Drink
2020 was the year of over-imbibing. Here’s how to adjust your consumption compunction.
What Works For Me - Silver Linings Playbook
Baltimore Ravens head coach JOHN HARBAUGH has clinched a playoff berth in eight of his 12 seasons—and he’s not even the most competitive member of the family.
In Praise of Insanely Long Lift Lines
During a pandemic, there’s no part of skiing that I don’t miss.
We're With Her – Kate Mara
The star of A Teacher on the horny TV renaissance and how to have a family political disagreement when you’re part of two NFL dynasties.
Baja Fresh
How a monied gearhead rebel beat Ford—and will sell you the buggy that did it.
Jon Hamm – Man on Deck
Next summer, Jon Hamm helps breathe new life into a classic with his star turn in Top Gun: Maverick. But, after five years of surprisingly varied roles since the end of Mad Men, that’s not even the most interesting—or unexpected—Hollywood legacy he’s about to reinvigorate.
Zen Den
When pandemic work-from-home began, sitting with your laptop at the kitchen table was probably tolerable. For long-term comfort and productivity, you’ll want to make these upgrades
Falling Over a Cliff
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Eye of the Storm
Foul-weather backcountry days have an allure all their own.
Liz “snorkel” Thomas – Hiking Icon
Thomas has thru-hiked more than 20 long trails, including the Pacific Crest, Continental Divide and Appalachian Trails (the Triple Crown). On top of that, she set a fastest known time on the AT for an unsupported woman and has completed dozens of urban thru-hikes as well. This issue, she joins Backpacker as a contributing editor. Here’s some of Thomas’s best advice and insight fed by more than 20,000 trail miles.
Drop Weight
The old backpacker’s adage is that the lightest gear is what you carry between your ears: your brain. Ultralight gear often requires more know-how than traditional gear. Here’s how a Triple Crowner approaches her packing strategy.
Tuna Melt Crunchwrap
Put a backcountry spin on a fast food cult favorite.
Warm Up to Winter
Backpacking is so many things. It’s a leisure pursuit, a way to connect with nature, an athletic feat, a means of forging bonds with your friends and family, a problem-solving game, an escape, a subculture . . . Realistically, it’s something unique to every hiker. Because, above all, it’s a pull from within to get out there, and that’s a very individual thing.
Who's Afraid of Winter?
Two fair-weather enthusiasts tear down their fear of the fourth season.
The View at The End
Three scientists chronicle life, death, and the last stand of the Grizzly Glacier.
Fall From a Cliff
When Shaina Maytum was 21, a slip in the desert left her broken, alone, and unable to move.
Dayhike a Marathon
Does “go big or go home” hold up on a dawn-to-dusk mission?