Through our Keepers of the Outdoors series, we’ll introduce you to people who protect and care for our wild places. “I’m fascinated by how we define wilderness,” says Emily Noyd, backcountry ranger in Yosemite National Park. “The concept of wilderness is so intangible, and it’s fascinating to me that to effectively govern that land we’ve…
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A gentle pitter patter on your rainfly can be a soothing natural sound when you’re lying down at night in your tent. If those drips start originating inside your tent, though, it becomes a highly unpleasant resting place. And, under the right circumstances, the culprit—condensation—can infiltrate even the most well-engineered shelter. So, how do you…
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For many members of our armed forces, returning home signifies the beginning of a different type of battle. The laser focus that allows you to keep your tires tracking on the trail’s narrow tread. The playful challenge of picking your way through the rocks strewn on the trail. The hooting and hollering of buddies behind…
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The Co-op Cycles team at REI knows how lucky they are to be based in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of many, Washington has seen an explosion of mountain bike trails in recent years, providing great testing grounds with a variety of terrain. This includes the newly opened Dockton Forest…
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Record-setting long-distance hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis slows down to help bring families outdoors—including her own. Most parents can recount at least a few dirty diaper fiascos. However, it’s a rare breed that can cop to handling a poop-filled nightmare during the darkest hours of a brisk September night in Alaska’s Denali National Park. Jennifer Pharr…
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What’s your Everest? Over 60-years ago my grandfather Gordon, dreamed of hunting in what was then Soviet-Russia for Marco Polo sheep. The logistics, politics and costs proved to be just too overwhelming for such an endeavor at the time. Thirty years later my dad would also dream of such an adventure to the rooftop of…
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Get the best of the Pacific Northwest with a little help from Backpacker’s trail experts. Anastasia Allison Follow Anastasia’s adventures on her blog and on Instagram @anastasia.allison. Age: 36 Hometown: Everett, WA Day job: Writer, backpacking instructor, and adventurepreneur All-time favorite local dayhike: Mt. Pugh or Gothic Basin Favorite local overnight hike: Tapto Lakes Best…
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But won’t recommend that president revoke designations. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is expected to recommend to President Donald Trump that he should decrease the boundaries of some national monuments. Zinke told the Associated Press Thursday morning that he would not recommend eliminating any monuments, and that none of the land in question would be sold…
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As the young Kansas buck ambled toward me along a travel corridor, I knew I’d soon learn if my buddy’s Ozonics unit is all he, and the company, claim it is. Downwind the entire time, the buck stopped at less than 15 yards away. I expected that he’d toss his nose in the wind, but…
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There was no shortage of shooters at the First Stage of the Indoor World Cup Circuit in Marrakesh. Team Hoyt rang in the indoor season with a new World Record, a pair of podium sweeps and 10/12 of available medals, making one thing clear: Team Hoyt will pull no punches in 2017. In his first…
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