backcountry – FasterSkier

Nordic Nation: A Backcountry Ski Race on Skinny Skis – Simi Hamilton and Ben Koons Take Second at the 2022 Montane Grand Traverse

Rachel PerkinsApril 8, 2022

Tucked deep into snowy valleys, the tiny iconic Colorado mountain towns of Aspen and Crested Butte are separated by a mere 40 miles by foot, but roughly 200 miles by car in the winter. Separating the two is the expanse of the rugged Elk Mountain range, which features six of Colorado’s 14’ers, peaks that reach above 14,000’. Now meccas of outdoor recreation, the two towns were historically established as profitable coal and silver mining sites,...

General Interviews Lifestyle

An Earth Sculptor, Perkins Reflects on 38 Years as Jackson’s Executive Director

Peter MindeMay 5, 2014

“When I look at a trail, I look at it as a big earth sculpture,” Thom Perkins says. It’s the old joke: what do you do with a fine-arts degree? For Perkins, who spent the last 38 years as executive director of the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, degrees in sculpture and photography led to sculpting land.

General Race Reviews Travel

Alaskan Winter Ultras and a Wilderness Race

Seth AdamsApril 11, 20143

In a departure from our usual race coverage, here we post another of our occasional first-person staff reports from races we've done. This article covers two of Alaska's 100-mile races and a multi-day backcountry wilderness race.