At a trailhead north of town, Nate Mal is chewing gum. He mashes a slow rhythm, his jawline bouncing, boots shifting on mud below. 　　It’s noon in Alaska, a drizzly November day. Mal has set aside a few hours for hiking and foraging in the trees. His mission is spruce resin, a tacky trickle on bark chipped by hand and...

　　As my bird dogs and I neared the end of a cat tail slough, I watched two roosters flush wild 80 yards ahead of us, out of range. I grimaced, felt my lower lip crack, and tasted blood as a 40 mph gust ripped across my face. Yet another wasted effort. 　　It had been a brutal week in South Dakota,...

　　The moment it became clear was halfway up Teton Pass’s Taylor Mountain at sunrise. I was skinning in that quiet blue hour, expecting the usual ultralight-boot experience: a cramped toe box, midfoot pressure, and the slightly awkward stride I’ve learned to endure on big climbs. Instead, the TLT X moved with me. My stride felt almost too smooth for a...

　　Efforts to protect Americas gray wolf population have sparked debate for years — and soon those plans may face another obstacle. On Dec. 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species list. 　　If passed by the Senate and signed into law, H.R. 845, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act,...

　　Adding a new aesthetic or color scheme to an existing product might not seem like that much of an innovation, but one look at this weeks Emerging Gear picks will change your mind. Peak Performance turned the normally bland, utilitarian down jacket into a pastel art form. Vero revamped a popular watch with help from an iconic retro 44, and...

　　Every ski season has a low-tide phase. Sometimes it’s those first few weeks; sometimes it’s a dry spell or a high-pressure system that just won’t pass. The snow gets hard, the rocks emerge. I’m left feeling lost — mid-width freeride skis or narrow carving skis? The former lackluster on the pistes, the latter downright sketchy in the steeps. 　　I snapped...

　　One of the biggest names in downhill ski racing will once again compete on the worlds biggest stage. After a stellar performance in last weekls Audi FIS Ski World Cup competition, Lindsey Vonn has qualified for the Downhill event in the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina. 　　I am honored to be able to represent my country one more time, in my...

　　Sometimes you don’t even know what you’ve been missing out on until you try out something new, as is the case in this reviewer’s experience with the FORLOH Womens BTM Pro Pants’ knee pads. We’ll talk about a lot of the fit and function of these brush pants, but no aspect stands above the knee pad. 　　My spouse and I...

　　Turn right here and then feel free to get up to 50 mph. That’s what Toyota Senior Engineering Manager Jakin Wilson said to me as I pilot a Tacoma Trailhunter through a lumpy dirt trail, replete with sudden peaks and troughs, terrain changes, and sweeping bends. 　　I gleefully rocketed up to 55 mph, maxed out the suspension travel, and worked...

　　Monday, December 22: Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) has revised a Congressional amendment that caused a stir among conservationists last week. 　　As the Senate considered various appropriations bills during its final working days of 2025, Sen. Lee had proposed removing language meant to protect national parks from additional austerity measures by the White House and Congress. 　　A bipartisan group of senators...

　　A new attempt to safeguard national parks from losing federal protection and oversight is at risk of failure. Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R) —who proposed the sale of up to 3 million acres of public land this summer — introduced an amendment this week that would strip language from an appropriations bill that specifically outlines federal protections of all national...

　　By all accounts, Betty Reid Soskin lived quite the life. She was a Civil Rights activist, songwriter, and record shop owner. In her 80s, she became a National Park Service (NPS) interpreter in California and served for 16 years, becoming the oldest park ranger in the country. 　　And on Sunday, Dec. 21, Soskin passed away peacefully at the age of 104...