Conservation often feels like an abstract concept. Its often something that happens behind the scenes through funding, bureaucracy, and awareness campaigns. With KUIU Conservation Direct, its anything but abstract. This is hands-on work with immediate and tangible results. 　　We captured and translocated the 200th bighorn sheep for Conservation Direct and went on to hit number 224. 　　When I say we,...

　　Most fishing pack manufacturers have been following the same pattern with new products: increased technology and increased prices. In the past, Umpqua Feather Merchants was one of the leaders in this trend. Its prior line of packs, the Zs2, was one of the most feature-rich, advanced packs on the market. The new Northfork Chest Pack bucks the trend and offers...

　　I have a secret fascination with the Mount Washington Observatory (MWOB), the weather station situated atop Americas windiest mountain. 　　Every few days, the scientists living inside the MWOB publish an observation blog or an Instagram post about the extreme conditions on the 6,288-foot peak, and the photos or videos always boggle my mind. Plunging temperatures mixed with fog will occasionally...

　　Four men have been sentenced for attempting to smuggle more than 100 tropical birds from Puerto Rico. Their failed plan resulted in all the birds drowning. 　　Federal authorities reported that the smugglers, all Dominican nationals, were caught last May. They were transporting the birds in a flagless vessel about 30 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico. When the U.S. Coast...

　　A team of eight Sherpa climbers and a small camp staff left Namche Bazaar yesterday for Mount Everest Base Camp. The Sherpas task is to find a route through the maze of seracs (hanging ice blocks) and crevasses from the broken Khumbu Glacier. They have been doing this every spring since 1993. This team is called the Icefall Doctors. 　　Every...

　　The countrys national parks have never been more popular. Though visitation to the U.S. National Park System has been steadily increasing for many years, 2024 set a new record for annual visitors. A whopping 331.9 million visits were recorded in 2024 — the most people since record-keeping began in 1904, the National Park Service reported. 　　That marks a 2% increase...

　　Spring is finally here, which means it’s time to stash away the winter layers and gear up for sunnier adventures. Whether you’re heading out for a backcountry camping trip, gearing up for some spring hiking, or just looking to refresh your outdoor kit, Backcountry has everything you need to make the most of the season. 　　We’ve rounded up some of...

　　On a Sunday afternoon in October, I snuck out for a run. It was tank-top weather when I left my house in downtown Durango, Colorado, and I expected it to hold. I drove north into the mountains, and as I crested a hill 15 minutes in, the sky turned gray and cracked with lightning. The temperature reading in my car...

　　It had just turned from dusk to dark on Minnesotas frozen Lake Mill Lacs, and the temperature was plummeting. Somewhere around -10 degrees Fahrenheit, a 30mph wind made it feel much colder. My friends and I hustled to break down our ice fishing shelter after a long day on the ice, and time was of the essence as fingers and...

　　Every time I’ve met with Norda founder Nick Martire, it’s as if I’m Mark Cuban and we’re on the set of Shark Tank. The pitch is always passionate and intense. He is an entrepreneur straight out of central casting; each interaction is superlative-laden and memorable. 　　Norda is a darling of the trail running scene, but there isn’t a line of...

　　The first time I ever went on a silent meditation retreat, 11 years ago, I thought I had entered the zombie apocalypse. After arriving and having dinner with my fellow retreatants, we went into silence. I had considered what it would be like to remain quiet myself for five days (hard, I figured) but not what it would be like...

　　When Scott Bauwens’s sister-in-law was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia a few years ago, he set a simple goal. He’d fundraise for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), but only for a single campaign. Then, duty done, he’d go back to business as usual. But during that first campaign, something happened that changed his life. He started to meet...