Winter 2021-22

Wherein the O/B staff spends a glorious weekend skiing at the Big Belt Hut—after barely getting there. Sweat cakes the forehead, freezing immediately. Blood sticks to the insides of socks. Under heavy breaths, eyes follow…

Hometown Heroes, part one. A safe snow season started with a screen tap for southwest Montanans eager to track the backcountry conditions. On October 7, the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC) pinged an…

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Hometown Heroes, part three. There’s an office space downtown with a mini skatepark outside of it. On the wall behind this concrete playground is a mural decorated with vibrant colors and twisting shapes intersecting a…

Confronting and vanquishing personal limits with Vasu Sojitra. In many a western mountain town, where steep faces and deep snow collide with social-media-crazed megalomaniacal personalities, folks take great pride in their…

A cold, snowy stakeout in the Spanish Peaks. For a long time I wanted to ski the 9,000-foot plateaus of the Spanish Peaks. In March of 1996, I made the decision to try it. To do this at Burnt Creek required wading the…

Uncovering the latest ski fashion. On the mountain, like at the Oscars, people walk the white carpet in a plethora of styles intended to turn heads and designate their faction. The cliques include but are not limited to:…

Embracing the nature of winter. Nothing good comes easy. There’s something special about being in the throes of a deep and relentless winter. The skiing speaks for itself, of course, but it’s more than that. To thrive in…

Taking a crack at frozen waterfalls. On the hardcore scale, ice climbing ranks as one of the most badass activities out there. Few, if any, undertakings demand the courage necessary to scale a frozen waterfall. Plus,…

Those of you who think skiing from Fawn Pass to Mammoth is a bold undertaking, or that going out for a ski up Brackett Creek constitutes an “adventure,” consider the following. In January 1887, a winter expedition set out…

Seeing through a misguided narrative. Growing up, I had never thought of the outdoors as part of my identity, nor did I find it unusual that I was a girl doing these things. Chopping wood was a chore that we all did. My…

The fine art of heckling. The gatekeepers are not there to prohibit you anything, they just want to frighten you away, if you are courageous enough to go through them, they will let you, thinking you are the owner. —…

Pondering the evolution of uphill transport. My earliest skiing memory, as a five-year-old learning to snowplow, doesn’t recall a single turn nor a single run. The only remembrance is of grabbing a rope tow and being…

An unexpected bridge between neighbors. It tastes like liver in pond rot, but only the first time. It’s a large vole. It ploughs marsh muck for cattails. Its flesh is cellular with swamp. I bargained for more. Not essence…

A Ridge hike for every decade. One of Mom’s favorite things to do is ski at Bridger Bowl—in particular, the Ridge. Hiking the final 600 feet to the top is her way of getting in some cardio during winter. But two years ago…

Blasting down the ski slope. It seems unlikely that a few dozen Beanie Babies, three half-frozen cases of PBR, a pair of skis, and a Remington shotgun would culminate in anything other than the climax of an Adam Sandler…

Finding the frosty Winter Triangle. Brave the clear air on a frigid night, and you’ll be rewarded with the bright stars of the winter sky. These sparkling jewels provide ample opportunities to make one of the simplest star…

A primer on ice fishing. Do you own a fishing boat? That’s okay, neither do I. Which is why I love winter: ice puts anglers on equal footing. It gives shore-bound fishermen a shot at reaching places where only our…

Tracking the evolution of Earth in the Bridgers. Ah, the Bridgers. Our closest mountain range, offering nearly the full gamut of outdoor activities, with hiking, biking, running, hunting, climbing, snowshoeing, and of…

Mastering the hip hinge. Whether you’re racking up face-shots high on the mountain or gliding over a freshly groomed Nordic trail through a forest of glittering trees, you’ve probably experienced some pain or discomfort…

Keep your skin healthy this winter. Winter can wreak havoc on our skin. The cold, the sun, and the dry air can turn us into sunburned prunes. I propose a few tips to help deal with the Rocky Mountain winter. It’s no…

Tips for riding the chairlift with kids. The annual ritual of children’s multi-week snowsports classes returns to ski areas everywhere this winter, and we always look forward to helping the next generation of shredders…

Keep your eyes peeled for the American dipper. A partner to the icy banks, the American dipper thrives amidst winter’s harshest conditions, plunging in and out of rushing water, filling its bill with various invertebrates…

Cheap insurance on the slopes. Remember when nothing said DORK louder than wearing a helmet skiing? They were hot, heavy, and about as fashionable as something the German army issued in WWII. Fast-forward 25 years and a…

The mighty Saddle Peak. Photo by Travis Andersen.

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The sun crested as we reached the base of the Teepee Glacier, about halfway up the mountain. Or rather, the sky began to lighten, though a high layer of dense clouds encapsulating the range’s highest peaks blocked out any…

A rundown of Bozeman's Nordic events. Dig out your knickers, dust off your skis, and dig in—for a winter full of Nordic skiing. Bozeman is rapidly becoming one of the hottest Nordic ski destinations in the country, and…

Current events at MMA. At the Montana Mountaineering Association (MMA), our vision and purpose—what people these days like to call their why—is that inimitable feeling you get when you climb your first route, accomplishing…

Pondering purpose on a winter grouse hunt. With sunlight waning, and shadows growing taller, the day’s hunt is all but over. Empty-handed, with tired legs and a sunburnt face, I struggle to consider this day of trudging…

Sweet whiskey in the wintertime. When the snow is falling and the temps are frigid, nothing is better than nestling up to a warm fire and sipping a cocktail. To match the mood of the season, many classic winter cocktails…

Shangri-La: Red Lodge's first ski area, circa 1948

Tips from a seasoned competitor. On any given powder day at Bridger Bowl, long lines of hikers wait near the patrol shack above the Bridger lift to shoulder their skis or board and trek up the Ridge. But on February 5, the…

Light enough for the backcountry, yet durable enough for the resort, the Kulshan Storm Jacket from Outdoor Research keeps me plenty warm and dry. Constructed with 2L Gore-Tex fabric, the breathable, waterproof, and…

Cold hands and Raynaud’s might be the ultimate winter-outing buzzkill, and a royal pain in the... fingers. Suffer no longer with the Outdoor Research Stormtracker heated gloves. Three settings provide continuous and well-…

The Gregory Targhee FastTrack 24 is a lightweight daypack for all kinds of winter activities around southwest Montana. Boasting an innovative ski-carry system that allows you to stow skis sans removing the pack, the Targhee…

Premium brands may be all the rage, but most veteran outdoors folk actually prefer lesser-known outfits that make a good product at an affordable price. The Montec Fawk jacket, for example, is a solid ski coat, with a…

In today’s world, many brands attempt to create do-it-all skis by way of compromise. They end up with something that’s designed to do nothing particularly well. However, the Masterblaster by J Skis has truly accomplished…

Constructed with lightweight but burly material, the Gordini Front Line GTX Mitts provide outstanding comfort and performance. The combination of Gore-Tex, Primaloft synthetic insulation, and moisture wicking-liners make…

Grivel continues to forge the progression of climbing equipment with their newest ice tool: the Dark Machine. These tools have a sleek look that lives up to their name, but obviously, performance is where they really shine…

What is an all-mountain ski? Well, it's a ski that's suited for a wide variety of terrain and conditions. But in reality, there's no such thing as a "silver bullet," no one ski that'll satisfy every demand of every skier,…

Living in Montana and spending half my time outside, one thing I can never have enough of are base layers. The Women’s Tempo Quarter Zip long sleeve from Nathan is the latest and greatest addition to my guilty-pleasure…

When you're ready to ditch those old three-pin paddles and join the 21st century (no judgment; I just barely am myself), you can't do much better than the Rottefella Freedom. This NTN binding is lightweight, extremely well-…

Versatility is the first word that comes to mind when I think about the Voormi High-E Hoodie. Made to be a mid-layer in the cold of winter or an outer-layer for fall and spring, the High-E combines merino wool with a…

As the leaves change color and snow begins to fall, it always feels nice to add a new piece of outerwear to the collection. The Juneau Sherpa Fleece Jacket from Outdoor Research is a great alternative to my usual, very few…

As hunters, we measure ourselves by our skills—and many an otherwise-adept outdoorsman has found humility in a single, inescapable shortcoming. For me, that demoralizing deficiency is an inability to properly sharpen a…

Keeping your ice screws organized and protected is essential for any ice climber, and so is preventing damage to other items in your pack. The Thread Bed from Mystery Ranch offers a new take on consolidating your screws and…

The perfect ski touring pant doesn’t exis—wait, you’re telling me the Mammut Base Jump Pants are made of real Schoeller fabric and have built-in gaiters, reinforced cuffs, four zippered pockets, two mesh-backed vents, a…

Layering is huge when it comes to hitting the slopes or any active cold-weather activity. While the Race AirPush from Tenson is light enough to fit under a shell, it can just as easily stand alone. Tenson’s formula for…

When lightweight bindings first came out, I was reluctant to buy in. The design of pin bindings looked too dinky, something I might pop out of at high speeds or break should I land aggressively. I stayed with my heavy setup…

After watching my husband struggle with his, I vowed to never get goggles with interchangeable lenses. Then I found the Gordini Relode S, designed to fit a woman’s face. With a magnetic-attachment system, these goggles make…

As a kid, whenever I complained about outdoor gear, my dad would say, "It’s the wizard, not the wand." I can attest that the Flylow Baker Bib is a well-rounded wand that lets the wizard do the magic. Flylow combined…

Looking for one goggle that can do it all? The Glade Adapt Photochromic features a highly specialized lens that adjusts to a variety of conditions. I tested these goggles in bluebird conditions and the lens did a great job…

Rick Ridgeway’s climbing resume alone rivals any of history’s greatest alpinists, but combined with the breadth of his other adventures, not to mention his professional career including stints in product development,…

Few tales are as timeless as those of friendship and discovery. Science writer and local author Bruce Smith brings us Legend Keepers: The Chosen One (Hidden Shelf Publishing House, $15), the upbeat story of an orphaned…

The Bozeman area has long been in need of a quality ski guidebook. Finally, with Peaks & Couloirs of Southwest Montana (Kussmaul Backcountry Ventures, $45), Chris Kussmaul gives us a gift that'll keep on giving. Over…

Typically, fantasy novels aren’t the first genre I reach for; however, I found myself pleasantly surprised with Birth of the Anima (Theia Books, $30). This book’s intricate storyline incorporated engaging elements of…