‘The Summit Journal’s’ editor hopes to offer an independent voice in climbing media after most print publications merged Ollie Hancock/High Country News In 1955, at a time when women were not expected (or encouraged) to either climb mountains or start magazines, Jean Crenshaw and Helen Kilness started Summit Magazine. Concerned that no one would read it … Continue reading Historic Climbing Magazine Returns After Nearly 30 Years
Rocky Mountain fires leave telltale ash layers in nearby lakes like this one. Philip Higuera What the extreme fire seasons of 1910 and 2020 – and 2,500 years of forest history – tell us about the future of wildfires in the West Kyra Clark-Wolf, University of Colorado Boulder and Philip Higuera, University of Montana Strong winds … Continue reading 2,500 Years of Forest History
Welcome to my annual refresher about Backcountry Avalanche Awareness 2023/2024. I am no subject matter expert, but Stella and I are always eager to explore new terrain in search of an off-the-beaten-path adventure. Thus, when you leave the cozy confines of the groomed trails at the ski resorts/nordic centers, you must understand your environment and … Continue reading Backcountry Avalanche Awareness 2023/2024
Researchers are trying to unravel the mystery of snow that falls but never shows up in the river. Bella Biondini/High Country News High winds tore at Gothic Mountain as the sleeping giant watched over the cabins nestled in Gothic, Colorado, a remote outpost accessible only by skis during the valley’s harsh alpine winters. The plumes … Continue reading The Case of the Colorado River’s Missing Water
A day fighting wildfires can require as much endurance as riding the Tour de France Ruby Mountain hotshots construct a fire line during the Dixie Fire in 2021. Joe Bradshaw/BLM Brent C. Ruby, University of Montana For three weeks in July, the world’s most elite bike racers climb steep mountains and sprint along historic cobblestones to … Continue reading Yellow Jerseys of the Fireline:
What happened when two experienced hikers got caught in the Bolt Creek Fire. Kylie Mohr/High Country News Matt Bishop and Steve Cooper grabbed exposed roots and mossy rocks for balance as they climbed up a steep hillside. It was just after 7 a.m. on Sept. 10, 2022, and the two friends were headed up Baring Mountain, … Continue reading ‘We have fire all around us and we can’t get out’
Fires are increasing in high mountain areas that rarely burned in the past. John McColgan, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Mojtaba Sadegh, Boise State University As wildfire risk rises in the West, wildland firefighters and officials are keeping a closer eye on the high … Continue reading Fire danger in the high mountains is intensifying: That’s bad news for humans, treacherous for the environment