A county sheriff in southern Washington is considering fining visitors who require search and rescue—specifically if those visitors are unprepared for their backcountry trips. 　　In a June 5 Facebook post, the Skamania County Sheriffs Office reported that “despite continued preparedness messaging and warnings of the dangers” of recreating outside, the county had seen a 400 percent increase in SAR incidents...

　　As I ascended the trail in Northern Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, day hikers flowed past me heading back to the trailhead in the late afternoon sun. My group forged ahead into the backcountry for the night. On my back, the newly designed Gregory Paragon lightweight backpack held all of my gear comfortably as I climbed. 　　The Paragon is designed for backpackers seeking...

　　Visit a mountain trailhead here in western Montana right now, and you might be treated to an unusual sight: car-size white cylinders. Those are grizzly capture devices, and they’re being staged ahead of a summer-long effort to count the bears and evaluate the ongoing success of a 40-year plan to restore their population across the northern Rockies. This year may be...

　　A French skier has just become the first person to climb and ski every mountain in the Alps higher than 4,000m (12,000 feet). After chipping away at the project for 15 years, Vivian Bruchez scaled the final peak on June 20. 　　“Happy to announce today that I have finished the final peak of this adventure, Bruchez wrote on Instagram (translated...

　　Bryson City, North Carolina, is more than just a postcard-perfect mountain town — it’s where professional kayaker Evy Leibfarth learned to paddle and found her footing as a competitor and person. “To me, Bryson City is just where it all started — kind of where I found myself, Leibfarth says. 　　On her home turf, the Nantahala River, Leibfarths days are...

　　The running world’s brief, passionate affair with the minimalist movement may have burnt out more than a decade ago, but minimalist running shoes are alive and well—and experts agree there are good reasons you should own a pair. 　　At a Glance Why Wear Minimalist Shoes? What Is a Minimalist Shoe? Maximizing Your Minimalist Experience Meet Our Lead Tester Minimalist shoe...

　　The following column was submitted by Hannah Berman, senior sustainability and philanthropy manager atAspenSkiing Company, andBrody Leven, a professional skier andProtect Our Wintersathlete. 　　Sure, we think a lot about snow, water, and the future of our planet — but like you, we’re also trying to support our families and build a stable future. One of us climbs and skis steep...

　　Desperate times call for desperate measures. Nearing 10 p.m. and the campfire just hitting its stride, my phone died — along with our tunes. The worse news was that my battery bank hadn’t made it into the truck. 　　Then a lightbulb, or rather a lantern, lit up — the little inflatable light source illuminating our shindig also had juice to...

　　Ford is applying its Tremor off-road branding to its entire line of trucks and SUVs. The latest to get the treatment is the three-row 2026 Explorer. 　　 　　Ford Tremor lineup; (photo/Ford) 2026 Explorer Tremor: Off-Road Goodies 　　 　　(Photo/Bryon Dorr) Of course, first, this new off-road–oriented machine gets bigger tires and a small lift. All-terrain tires, 31.5 inches tall, wrapped on...

　　Senator Mike Lee is backpedaling sort of. 　　After proposing a sell-off of 3 million acres of public land, he was met with a massive backlash from hunters, anglers, ranchers, and public land users across the country. 　　The Senate parliamentarian dealt him another blow, ruling that public land sales can’t be included in the reconciliation package he planned to use to...

　　In a major development for public land advocates, the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, has ruled that a proposal to sell off federal land cannot be included in the GOP-backed budget reconciliation package. 　　The decision effectively blocked Senator Mike Lee’s plan to privatize up to 3 million acres of public land as part of the party’s housing initiative, for now. 　　...

　　I just made the switch to an all-electric cooking system for car camping. The setup includes an induction cooktop, which uses an electromagnetic field in lieu of direct heat to cook food. While many people associate induction with lower air pollution or faster cook times, I switched for three different reasons: convenience, packed size, and the ability to “refill” my energy...