Having skied at Whistler Blackcomb with a group of locals for 15 years, we have accumulated a list of our favorite advanced runs. There are other runs that are as challenging, more technical or less accessible, but either they are too dangerous, too difficult to describe in print, or too sacred to the local ethos. Below …
The Chilkoot Trail, the original Klondike gold rush trail, is a classic hike that attracts history buffs and appeals to experienced wilderness backpackers. It spans two countries (U.S. and Canada) with distinctly different terrain in each country. The U.S. side is characterized as a coastal rain forest, heavily wooded with a thick understory of berry …
It’s almost time for the annual running of the Yukon Quest, a 1,100 mile dog sled race that rivals the Iditarod in length and challenge. The race alternates each year between Whitehorse and Fairbanks, AK, and race organizers from both Canada and the US are busy every winter preparing the remote course in their respective …
Water steamed over my head as I slid off the safety of the rock, suddenly hanging free with nary a surface to push against. My eyes darted up and down hoping to catch a bolstering look from a Canyoning-Quebec guide above or below me, but the constant gush of water created a blurred veil of …
The heavily forested Stanford Rock hike, located in Ward Canyon, is a rigorous 11 mile loop that rewards the hiker with stunning views of Lake Tahoe, Twin Peaks, Alpine Meadows and many other surrounding peaks. Trailhead The trailhead is located on Ward Creek Blvd. The trailhead has an obvious parking area in front of a …
“Those two are thru-hikers,” said Billie, as she was giving us an overview of Drakesbad Guest Ranch at check-in. I listened with half an ear as I gazed at the lean and sinewy young couple scarfing down a big lunch of sandwiches, soup and salad, my mind whirring. After Billie finished our orientation, pointing out …
We set out on Saturday for a moderate, early season overnight backpacking trip to Paradise Lake, six miles from the trailhead on Highway 80. Despite the calendar noting that it’s supposed to be summer in early July, this is the spring that won’t arrive in the high Sierra, El Nino refusing to loosen its grip …
On a rare sun drenched day last weekend Pacific Crest Snowcats showed off the beauty of the backcountry with a snowcat full of psyched skiers and snowboarders. Eleven clients and two guides piled into a van early in the morning, drove away from the crowded ski areas on a holiday weekend and made fresh tracks …
As we ascended from sea to summit on the Chilkoot Trail my thoughts wandered back to the footsteps that came before us, back to the Klondike gold seekers of the 1890’s, and even further back, to the original bushwhackers who created and controlled the trail centuries ago.
He burst forth from the river in a frenzy of excitement, water flying off like a shaking shaggy dog, shouting and gesturing wildly. What prompted this reaction, when moments before a lazy late summer afternoon at a deep pool along the Yuba River was the scene of quiet relaxation? Gold fever, that’s what. Whooping and …