Checking the avalanche forecast before you head out into the winter backcountry should be at the top of your safety checklist. It predicts the avalanche risk for your zones and gives you a heads up on worrisome problems within the snowpack. But how much stock can you really put into an avalanche forecast? USFS avalanche expert Simon Trautman says the avy forecast is your building block for planning your day. However, once your feet are on the snow, the forecast should always take a back seat...

In the fall of 2021, ski mountaineers Luke Smithwick and Iain Kuo attempted an unsupported, first ski descent of the world's seventh tallest peak - Mount Dhualagiri in Nepal. They spent weeks advancing to the mountain's 26,705-foot summit, but high winds and increasing avalanche danger held them back from the top. Smithwick and Kuo were forced to retreat, leaving the ski record on the table for another day. The decision to turn around didn't come easy, but sticking with an objective mindset...

With avalanche danger rated high in the Wasatch Mountains, two separate backcountry ski parties went searching for safer, lower-angle terrain. They headed for Wilson Glade, a relatively mild slope that beckons skiers when conditions seem too dangerous to head into the steeps. The two groups checked the avalanche and weather forecasts, made a conservative travel plan, and carried all the right gear and backcountry experience for a successful trip. But, all precautions aside, they were swept...

Last year, a record number of people died in avalanches across the United States. Ethan Greene, PhD, Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), looks back at the contributing factors. He says a perfect storm of weak snowpack conditions and stressed decision-making led to last year's high accident rate. Dive into the surprising demographics as to who was most at-risk for getting caught in a slide last year. And learn why this year could be just as dangerous.

Last year was the deadliest avalanche season in modern U.S. history. Why was last season so deadly and what can we do to stay safer this year? We set out to answer those question in a four-episode winter safety series to be released December 15, 2021. Stay tuned as we pick the brains of experienced mountaineers, avalanche forecasters, and experts from across the nation for the best tips on avalanche awareness and safety. From learning about how to avoid "summit fever" to knowing the key...

It's your worst nightmare. You're all alone, miles from the trailhead, when you trip over a rock and break your leg. What do you do? If you have a satellite communication device, you press a button and send a message for help. Yes, rescue in the backcountry has become that easy. In this episode, Morris Shawn, president of ZOLEO inc, breaks down the mysteries of satellite communication devices, including how much you can expect to spend on a ZOLEO sat comm unit and its messaging plans. Plus,...

Mac of Halfway Anywhere has been conducting surveys on the PCT for eight years, and on the CDT for four. In this episode of Out and Back, Mac (aka Tyler Fox) weaves his eight years of survey data together with his first hand observations to illuminate how the PCT and CDT have evolved over the past decade. Hint: he doesn’t think it’s all been for the better. Plus, get more inside scoops on thru-hiking, including what makes people quit the trail, why Mac dislikes trail magic, and why he swears...

Making a good cup of coffee in the backcountry is complicated. You can bring a French press but then you are stuck with hauling out messy grounds. On the other hand, instant coffee is convenient but the flavor often falls short. Professional hikers Heather Anderson, Hiking Viking, Adventure Alan, and Liz "Snorkel" Thomas enlighten us with their field-tested tips on brewing the best cup of backcountry coffee. Ultimately, they reveal that their coffee routines are as wild and varied as their...

In this very special episode of Out and Back, ultralight backpacking expert Mike Clelland dives into the mysterious world of owl synchronicities — and their connection to UFO abductions. Yes, you read that correctly. It all started with a highly charged owl encounter on top of a mountain...

Allison Boyle, the face behind the ultra-popular hiking resource She Dreams of Alpine, lays out the big three fears new backpackers often face. She shares her tried and true strategies for overcoming them, as well as why almost everyone wants to back out of their trip right before they start. Plus, learn how she turned her passion for the outdoors into a burgeoning career.

Wildfire Public Information Officer and former wildland firefighter Amanda Monthei breaks down why wildfires remain vital for ecosystem health, and how humans misunderstand this life force. She gets into the history of wildfire management in the US and how we’ve primed conditions for fires of unprecedented scope. Amanda dives into what we can learn from indigenous fire management practices and how we can learn to better coexist with fire in the future. Tune into Episode 37 to hear all this...

Casey Kaiser, an experienced overlander with a penchant for finding abandoned homesteads in the desert, takes us on a complete misadventure. Thirty miles off the grid, Casey’s fully upgraded Jeep Wrangler Rubicon JKU suddenly caught fire, leaving him stranded in the middle of the night in Oregon’s high desert. Casey made it home safely to tell us what he learned from this unforeseen catastrophe.

In August of 2019, Jenny and Scott shipped their bikes across the world, and with their one and three-year-olds in tow, they embarked on a month long bike-packing tour across the mountains, beaches and farmlands of Hokkaido, Japan. The family covered 600 miles and camped in a new location every night while carrying all of their own gear. Tune in to episode 35 of the Out and Back podcast to get all the details about bike-packing in a foreign country with two toddlers.

Maps are like love letters. They enable boldness, and they break down barriers to the impossible. This episode of the Out and Back Podcast is a love letter written directly onto a map. In fact, a map played an integral role in putting a ring on a couple's relationship.

After 69 days of walking through sub-zero temps and knee-deep snow, Emily Ford became just the second person, and the first woman, to complete a winter thru-hike of Wisconsin’s 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail. She also found a new best canine friend in the process. Find out how (and why) she took on this midwestern beast during the toughest time of year.

In 2013, a life-threatening crash in a cycling race sent Alan Adams into a spiral of bad decisions. He quit bike racing and faded into the worst shape of his life. After seven years, Alan finally felt stable in his relationship and job as a Patagonia sales rep. He was ready to reclaim his fitness and ambition by taking on an audacious goal. So for his New Year's resolution in 2020, the year he would turn 40, Alan aimed to climb two million vertical feet under his own power. Alan not only met...

Adventurer Luc Mehl has spent decades exploring Alaska in the most creative ways. He’s skied from Haines to Juneau, ice-skated a 100+ mile route on frozen lakes and seashores above the Arctic Circle, and bikepacked portions of the Iditarod Trail. In 2006, he discovered a much more efficient way to cover miles in the mountains: packrafting. He’s taken floating down Alaskan rivers to a new level ever since. Don’t miss episode 31 of the Out and Back Podcast as Luc takes us on his incredible...

Since 2006, thousands of Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers have started their 2,660-mile journey from Barney and Sandy Mann’s suburban San Diego home. The ultimate trail angles, the Manns offer to pick up arriving PCT hikers from San Diego’s airport, bring them to their five-bedroom house, feed them dinner, entertain them with music, and teach them the ways of the trail. The next morning, the Manns shuttle the hopeful thru-hikers some 60 miles to the Mexico border. With a hug and a smile, they...

Vasu Sojitra is one of the most accomplished adaptive athletes on Earth. He’s notched first independent adaptive ascents and descents on everything from the Grand Teton in Grand Teton National Park to Tuckerman's Ravine on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. This past winter, he summited Wyoming's formidable Mount Moran and skied its infamous Skillet Glacier. He’s done all of this with one leg. Reducing Vasu to his leg difference, though, doesn’t do him justice. Rather, Vasu has leveraged...

The days are getting longer and warmer — hiking season is well on its way! But for many of us, nearby trails are still covered in ice and snow. And for many more, we are cooped up in the city or live in geographical regions as flat as a pancake. How can we gear up for summer adventures? Well...personal trainer Billy Gawron of Backcountry Fitness is here with answers. This week on Out and Back, Shanty and Abby chat with Billy about training for hiking, backpacking, and thru-hiking season....

Alpinist Adrian Ballinger has made a career of climbing the Himalaya’s 8,000-meter giants. Since 2008, he’s summited Mount Everest eight times, including once without supplemental oxygen. He has also climbed other lofty and daring peaks in the region like K2, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Manaslu. In this fun and lighthearted chat, Ballinger speaks openly with Shanty and Mary about overcoming family and societal pressure in order to live a life that's true to yourself, and he also talks about the...

Professional rock climber Matt Segal knew that climbing would never be enough for him. Plus, he was fed up with drinking bad coffee on climbing expeditions. As a result, Segal founded Alpine Start, an artisan instant coffee company, while continuing to raise the bar in climbing. In this episode of the Out and Back podcast, Abby and Shanty catch up with Segal to learn how he redefines what’s possible in climbing and how he juggles sports with running a business.

After 10 years of marriage, Sonya and Necota Staples reached the brink of divorce. They had gotten so caught up in the business of living that they drifted apart. That’s when these city dwellers tried something new: camping. That one trip changed the trajectory of their lives. In this special Valentine’s Day episode of the Out and Back podcast, Abby and Shanty bring you the story of Sonya and Necota Staples. Tune in to learn how camping and overlanding rejuvenated the Staples’ marriage. The...

Shanty and Mary catch up with Luke Smithwick, one of the most prolific ski mountaineers and guides in the world. Smithwick is 200 lines deep into his Himalaya 500 skiing project — a mission to highlight 500 of the most unique and beautiful backcountry runs in the world’s tallest mountains. With more than 75 Himalayan mountain expeditions to his name, Smithwick unravels the mystery of skiing in places like Tibet, India, and Nepal. Smithwick tells us why the Himalayas could become the next,...