Southern Indiana Trails

In the 1950s, while skiing down the powder-covered slopes of the Yampa Valley in northwestern Colorado, local rancher Joe McElroy made an observation about the snow: it was so light and fluffy that it tickled his nose like champagne. The observation was so apt that decades later, Steamboat Ski Resort would trademark the name “champagne powder” to describe its unusually dry, soft snow.  Many other Colorado ski resorts boast similarly light, fluffy snow, thanks to the state’s especially cold winter temperatures at high elevations. The snow attracts aficionados from across the country, who prefer skimming effortlessly atop powder over the dense, wet snowpack known to blanket parts of the Sierra Nevada  in winter, which some  jokingly deride as Sierra Cement.  As the climate warms, Colorado may see fewer days of this light powder and more of the heavy, moist stuff, according to Noah Molotch , a professor of snow hydrology who directs the Center for Water, Earth...

Outside staffers are on the road a lot. Just like everyone else, we’re constantly trying to avoid ever rising baggage fees by fitting everything we need for a trip into our carry-on bags. Here, six of our frequent flyers talk about luggage that has withstood the test of time and cramped overhead compartments.  Lo and Sons the Hanover 2 ($115) ( Photo: Courtesy Lo and Sons) When it comes to the compartments in my carry-on bag, the perfect number is always n plus one. The Hanover 2  is my new go-to, under-the-seat personal item because of   its understated look and plentiful internal and exterior pockets that help me stay organized even on a 48-hour, five-flight travel itinerary from Santa Fe  to New Delhi . It’s so well designed that I’ve also started using it as a gym/work bag—my running shoes go in its roomy main compartment, my computer in the separate laptop sleeve, my keys in an interior pouch, and my headphones in the nifty top ...

Welcome to  Tough Love . Every other week, we’re answering your questions about dating, breakups, and everything in between. Our advice giver is Blair Braverman, dogsled racer and author of  Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube . Have a question of your own? Write to us at  toughlove@outsideim.com . Early in the semester, my friend invited me to take a saltwater kayaking class offered through our university, which consists of about a month of skills classes (once a week) followed by a weekend trip on the coast. I have done some canoeing and the trip seemed exciting. This class always fills quickly because it only has eight slots, but my friend and I paid our deposits on the day sign-ups opened and we both made it in. The instructor sent an email introducing himself and explaining the agenda. It turns out that the first two class sessions take place in the gym pool and we are supposed to wear swimsuits. This sounds stupid, but I haven’t worn a swimsuit in years because...

I always start a road trip happy. The prospect of the unknown and the liberation of an open highway propel my excitement—at first.  But after a few days, my mental state becomes closely tied to the organizational state of my truck. If I have unpaired hiking boots strewn across the car floor, a miserable dog crammed between duffel bags in the back seat, and I haven’t been able to reach my cell phone that’s lost under the front seat, I start to feel pretty frazzled.  These nine items won’t solve all of your road-related space and storage woes, but they will help ease some of the nuisances about packing your life into a vehicle, because an organized road-tripper is a happy road-tripper.  Yakima SkyBox 16 Carbonite ($559) ( Photo: Roly Gomez) I resisted getting a gear box for a long time, but once I did, it was a total game changer. Sure, I could fit everything I’m packing in my six-foot truck bed—but that’s where I have my bed. While I used to throw ...

For more than a decade,  Great Smoky Mountains , Grand Canyon , and Rocky Mountain National Parks have topped the list of most popular in the U.S. Last year proved to be no different.  The 2019 Department of the Interior visitation numbers , released on February 27, show that Great Smoky Mountains saw 12.5 million visits in 2019, over twice as many as the Grand Canyon’s 5.97 million, which came in a distant second. In total, the national parks system received 327.5 million recreation visits in 2019, a 2.9 percent increase since 2018 and the third highest number since 1904 (topped only by 2016 and 2017—the result of the NPS celebrating its centennial in 2016).  “The numbers once again affirm that Americans and visitors from around the world love the natural, cultural, and historic experience provided by our national parks,” said secretary of the interior David Bernhardt in a press release. It’s easy to see what draws people to Great Smoky Mountains. Located o...

In early January, Oregon Freeze Dry, which owns backpacking food maker Mountain House, noticed online sales starting to pick up. Employees weren’t that surprised; they’d seen sales increase during the SARS outbreak in 2002 and during and after natural disasters, like hurricanes. But then, on January 30, after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, sales spiked again. And last Tuesday, when the CDC told Americans that the coronavirus is a matter of when and not if , things went nuts.  From February 19 to February 26, there was a 208.6 percent increase in transactions on the Mountain House website , compared to the week before. Year over year, February transactions are up 1,093 percent. “This is different than things that we’ve seen in the past,” says Bruce Bechtel, director of marketing for Oregon Freeze Dry. Perhaps that’s because Americans don’t know what to expect—and so many are expecting the worst.  As of Wednesday, Costco, which sells packages ...

In 2016, Patagonia gave all of its employees in the United States the day off to vote in the presidential elections. Realizing that 35 percent of eligible voters are unable to vote due to their work or school schedules , the company formalized the push for the 2018 mid-terms, eventually enlisting 411 companies  representing over 2 million employees in a non-partisan campaign called Time to Vote.  “The brands committed to increasing voter participation by ensuring their employees had a work schedule that allowed them time to vote in the midterm election,” says Corley Kenna, a spokesperson for Patagonia. The list of participants included companies with CEOs from both sides of the political spectrum, with employees from a diverse range of backgrounds in all 50 states. VF Corporation, the parent company of outdoor brands like The North Face, participated. So did Walmart.  “The election had the highest turnout for a U.S. midterm in four decades, with 53 percent  o...

If capturing a striking landscape photo during the day is daunting, doing the same at night can seem downright impossible. Not so, according to renowned Canadian photographer and Olympus Visionary  Peter Baumgarten, who says nighttime photography can actually be less complicated and more rewarding. “When I’m shooting during the golden hour, the light changes so quickly that I often feel rushed,” he says. “Night photography forces me to slow down—I don’t feel nearly as on edge and, more importantly, I find myself getting more creative with my shots.” Feeling inspired? Here are Baumgarten’s four simple tips for shooting epic nighttime photos of your own. Pick the Right Location It's important to maintain consistent lighting on the foreground when photographing the aurora. Peter set up a single dimmable LED on a light stand about 60 feet away. | Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Lens: M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO | Settings: ISO1600, f/2.8, 8s @ f/2.8 ( Photo: Peter Baum...

A quick clean after each practice helps kill microbes before they multiply, plus it removes the mealy floor dirt that inevitably gets tracked onto the surface and grinds into your palms during salutation and warrior poses. Here, Outside  associate managing editor Aleta Burchyski shows us strategies to disinfect plastic, rubber, and microfiber mats. Read the full article here . by Emily Reed via Outside Magazine: All

Say what you will about Pierre de Coubertin —the French aristocrat who founded the modern Olympics—but the guy had a talent for branding. He came up with those five interlocking rings back in 1913, creating one of the more ubiquitous logos of the 20th century. De Coubertin is also credited with the aspirational “ Olympic Creed ” which reminds us that: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” Of course, the taking-part-is-everything ethos extends beyond the Olympics itself. Just ask any of the hundreds of amateur athletes who are competing in this Saturday’s  U.S. Olympic Team Trials  in the marathon, which are being held in Atlanta. These men and women represent the cream of their local running communities, but have no realistic shot at contending for one of the six spots—three for men, three for women—on the Olympic team. While they may be grateful just to ...

Sweatpants are an easy garment to overlook. The mainstay of dads and guys who live in their mom’s basement, the frumpy, super casual trousers have long been the international sign for “I give up.” But fashion and outdoor brands have revamped the  Rocky Balboa staple  into something more modern, versatile, and—dare we say it— stylish . I had the tough job of testing half a dozen of the best-looking pairs on the market. I rotated these through my wardrobe on a daily basis, wearing them to yoga and the gym  and the coffee shop, during heated Ping-Pong battles, and even to dinner. (Yes, there are date-night options now.) Here are my favorites. Reigning Champ Midweight Slim ($120)  ( Photo: Courtesy Reigning Champ) Best For:  Lounging around the house Imagine your favorite pair of sweats from high school but with 70 percent less volume. That’s what Reigning Champ, based in Vancouver, B.C., did with its Midweight Slim. The c...

Backcountry camping  in the winter is as rewarding as it is intimidating. You need to be considerably disciplined about maintaining your heat and managing moisture. You also have to pack more and heavier gear than you do in the summer. But you’re likely to find a great campsite  all to yourself. There’s also something undeniably magical about watching the way the moon and stars interact with snow on a clear night. I spoke with Marco Johnson, a senior faculty member at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) who has worked there for 34 years, and he gave me his tips on how to thrive while winter camping. Be Avalanche Savvy “If you’re choosing to go into areas where there will be avalanche terrain, you need to have knowledge of snow science and avalanche basics,” Johnson says. He recommends that anyone winter camping in a place that is not flat should sign up for and take avalanche courses. On top of taking a course, you should have—and kno...

When I was given the assignment to review  Downhill , an adaptation of the 2014 comedy  Force Majeure , I felt like I had something to prove.  Downhill   is about a family ski vacation in the Alps ; it stars Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Pete and Billie, the husband and wife. Their trip quickly unravels after Pete   runs away during what turns out to be a controlled avalanche, abandoning his children and Billie in what he believes is an actual life-or-death moment. You can imagine how that goes over. I grew up in Florida with  few personal reference points  for winter outdoor activities, so I watched snow-sport movies (mostly Johnny Tsunami ) with a very uncritical eye. Now that I live in out west and ski often, I hoped I’d finally be able to size up the moves in this ski movie. Alas, I left Downhill with even more questions than I went in with—it seems that knowing anything about skii...