Parts of the Mountain West could be nearly snowless for years at a time in just a few decades. Snowmaking at Aspen Highlands Ski Resort started on October 13, leaving spots of snow on the ground and aspen trees.Kelsey Brunner Sarah Sax/High Country News Across the Central Rockies, it’s been an unseasonably warm, dry year. … Continue reading Winter without Snow is Coming
Winter Gear: Are You Ready? With thoughts of sugarplums and snow flurries dancing in our heads, Base Camp @ Grand Lake eagerly prepares for winter. In order to be comfortable and enjoy winter activities, having good gear is essential. A large component of Base Camp @ Grand Lake is aimed at helping people make informed … Continue reading Winter Gear: Are You Ready?
Tools for a prescribed burn conducted in the Sierra Nevada in November 2019. Susan Kocher, CC BY-ND Susan Kocher, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Ryan E. Tompkins, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Californians have been concerned about wildfires for a long time, but the past two … Continue reading MOVING BEYOND AMERICA’S WAR ON WILDFIRE: 4 WAYS TO AVOID FUTURE MEGAFIRES
By Stella J. Raasch What comes to mind when you think of the great outdoors? Initially, you may think of the classic John Candy movie, "The Great Outdoors." Next, your thoughts will likely gravitate toward notions of open space, fresh air, beautiful surroundings…and trash! Since the advent of COVID, flocks of people have migrated to … Continue reading Responsible Outdoor Recreation: Leave No Trace
Climate change and rising demand are sucking the life out of the Southwest’s water supply. Jonathon Thompson/High Country News One of the most visible signs of the state of the West’s water supply is the big bathtub ring around the sandstone rim of Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir. Whenever the massive hydrological system that delivers … Continue reading The Incredible Shrinking Colorado River
A century after the Appalachian Trail was proposed, millions hike it every year seeking ‘the breath of a real life’ McAfee Knob in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the Appalachian Trail’s most scenic vistas. Ben Townsend/Flickr, CC BY Charles C. Chester, Brandeis University The Appalachian Trail, North America’s most famous hiking route, stretches over 2,189 … Continue reading A Century after the Appalachian Trail was proposed…
Conflicting visions in central Idaho force tough decisions over logging and prescribed burning. Carl Segerstrom/High Country News Smoke blotted out the midday sun as firefighters rappelled from helicopters into the remote backcountry of the Salmon River Breaks in central Idaho. A small but swiftly growing string of blazes roared across the granitic walls of the river … Continue reading Facing Future Wildfires, a Community Fights for its Forest