I left Breckenridge on July 3 and headed west without a plan. I’d crashed the night before with my friend Sorrel, at the mountainside condo she was renting full-time. I was on a seat-of-my-pants road trip around Colorado without a place to sleep on the eve of one of the biggest camping holidays of the year. At a highway rest stop in the early afternoon, I sent a hail-mary DM to a college acquaintance named Emily who lived in Crested Butte to see if she was around and would let me crash.

“Come through!!” she responded. “We can go skiing!”

We’d seen each other once or twice since graduation, but we were mostly internet friends who both loved nerding out on skiing, social justice, and reading. Two hours later, I pulled up in front of her house. Emily outfitted me with a cutoff Canadian tuxedo and we set off for Paradise Divide. We bootpacked up a 300-vertical-foot snowfield and made the most of what remained of winter’s snowpack. I laughed to myself as slush hit my bare legs with each turn, marveling at how much less interesting my day would have been if I’d just tried to find a dispersed spot to sleep on my own.

I took off for my cousin Julie’s house in Salt Lake City, Utah, the next day, exhilarated by connecting the dots across the West—without dropping a penny on lodging. I’d started to travel this way in my early twenties, plotting destinations based on where I had someone to crash with for free.

It’s a natural dirtbag urge to eliminate the cost of lodging from travel. To drive your truck down a Forest Service road and sleep in the back, to nestle under a throw blanket on your friend’s couch, to lay your sleeping pad in the dirt on BLM land. In the U.S, a small Air BnB for two adults typically costs $125, according to . On average, a hotel room will run you about , so staying for free can save up to $1000 for a weeklong trip. It can also put an otherwise financially out-of-reach tourist destination on the table. Lindsay, a renewable energy policy director friend of mine based in Rockport, Maine, admits that visiting Tahoe during peak ski season was only possible for her and her family because they house-sat for a friend who was away.

I worked in outdoor education leading trips for four summers, which meant I ended up with connections in exactly the type of places I wanted to go: a friend in Gunnison, Colorado, to crash with when it was a powder day, a place to stay in Jackson, Wyoming, when it was primetime to see wildflowers and float the Snake, folks to visit in Bend, Oregon, when it came time to recertify my Wilderness First Responder and ride bikes.

The savings on lodging are just the beginning. On previous visits to Crested Butte, a friend got me buddy passes at the resort and free slices during his shifts at the pizza place in town. When I crashed on my friend Eddie’s couch in Jackson Hole, he punched out my touring boots for free during one of his shifts at the shop. The rich get richer, as they say.

Saving money isn’t the only benefit of traveling this way. Crashing with friends may be a frugal way to travel, but having a network of people to stay with is indicative of social wealth. Being connected to folks in expensive mountain towns  can open up the list of accessible destinations, and in turn, grow the network even more. I reconnected with Emily in Crested Butte while visiting my friend Colt who lived there, and when he moved away, I still had a place to crash.

More importantly, when I’m staying with locals, I get to tap into the heart of each place in a way I wouldn’t if I came on my own—following friends around the mountain and finding hidden stashes, tagging along to house parties, learning which pullouts along the river have fewer crowds.

For those without an established network of friends in mountain towns, there is , a service that connects budget travelers to a global community of “friends they haven’t met yet,”  according to their website. When I was traveling in Argentina in 2013 with my college roommate, we met an American on an overnight bus who put us in touch with two couch surfing hosts in Bariloche–where she had just left and where we were headed. A few days later, we huffed it up a winding dirt road to meet Julián and Alejandra, who not only let us blow up our sleeping pads on their tile floor, but cooked and played music with us, showed us around the city, and gave us priceless insider trail recommendations. We were supposed to stay for two days, but four days later, we were still there, soaking it all in.

In my mid-twenties, I lived alone in a three-bedroom house on the side of North Table Mountain that had absurdly low rent in Golden, Colorado. It was a thrill to be able to open my doors to others like they’d opened theirs to me. I’d pile friends in sleeping bags on the living room floor after karaoke nights at the dive bar in town, or unfold the futon in the gear room for visitors passing through to ski.

It was big enough that friends began offering it to their friends. My friend Emma was living in a tiny studio and had a friend visiting for a few days to take the Single Pitch Instructor course required to be a rock guide–could she possibly stay with me instead?

I’d only met Betsy once, but it seemed like a no-brainer. This had something to do with having the space, and something to do with the way I wanted to be in the world. I wanted to be open to experiences and people and the ways we can mutually support each other. I wanted to leave room for magic.

Over the next few days, Betsy slept on the futon in my gear room, we split meals, and got to connect one-on-one in a way we wouldn’t have otherwise. Extended time in a shared space leads to a depth of conversation that just doesn’t happen grabbing a beer at a brewery or on a bike ride. She passed her course, hugged me goodbye, and headed back to Jackson. Betsy wasn’t just Emma’s friend now, she was my friend, too.

A while later, my college roommate Natalie called me and asked if her new boyfriend could crash with me on his way back to Temple University, where they were both in med school. I hadn’t met Mark, and had just gone through a breakup. I didn’t exactly feel like making conversation with a stranger.

When he pulled up, I summoned everything inside me to get to know someone who mattered to someone who mattered to me. We hung out on my back deck, drank beers, and chatted and laughed for hours—it turned out that having a favorite person in common made it easy for us to get along.

I went to bed that night reminded that I could still laugh, that there were still good people in the world, and that there might be joy and experiences I couldn’t possibly predict ahead.

When you live with your arms open to others, you never know when the karma might come back your way. Four years after Betsy slept on my futon, she became an editor at Backcountry Magazine. I got a text from her out of the blue saying, “Pitch me some ideas! We’d love to publish your writing.”

Five years after Mark stayed with me in Golden, he married Natalie. When I fell trail running and tore my shin open, I FaceTimed Mark, now an ER doctor, from the parking lot to see if he thought I needed stitches.

Crashing with friends turns hard goodbyes with people you love into a glorious network of landing pads all over the world. It converts people you’ve never met into people you’ve shared coffee and conversation with. It turns the mountain towns of the world into accessible and affordable destinations. It is personal and intimate in a way that hotels and Airbnbs and sleeping alone in your truck are not.

This form of travel may seem best suited to unattached dirtbags in their twenties, but it doesn’t have to be confined to that demographic. If you’re down to get creative with sleep solutions, you can keep your arms open to visitors and your mind open to visiting others. My 65-year-old dad parked his camper in our driveway when he came through Truckee, California, on a ski trip. I slept in Lindsay’s ancient van in her driveway when she was living in a one-bedroom apartment in Boulder with her husband and two-year-old. I stayed with Natatlie’s parents after my lodging fell through for her wedding, feeling like the fifth Taylor sister by the end of the weekend. We might all pass through moments of life where it’s easier for us to host or be hosted for a variety of reasons. I invite you all to join the church of You Can Always Crash on My Couch, where the belief in karma is strong, and the latchstring is always out.

A year ago, my partner, Andy, and I moved to Anchorage, Alaska. In some ways, it would fundamentally change the way we traveled–no longer would we spontaneously crash with folks on a multi-state road trip or have folks crash with us passing through to other destinations in the West. But in Anchorage we’d finally upgraded to a guest room with a real bed and a door that closed. The pain of leaving our communities in the West was eased by the knowledge that we’d be able to host people on their way to the Alaska Range, that we could lure visitors in with backcountry skiing and wild-picked berry pancakes and conversation around the breakfast table. And we’d always be able to go back to the lower 48, to our twinkling constellation of landing pads all over the country.

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I. Two Sides of a Single-Edged Blade

Franklin Park, Illinois, December 25, 2021

The sword was suspended in the basement rafters with a message from 1945 still secured to its fittings. My grandfather and I were sitting one floor above it at his kitchen table when an email arrived. It was 9:17 A.M. on Christmas Day in 2021, the Chicago weather too mild, the ground too much of a defeated brown, and the gathering too small to suggest that anything festive was about to happen. A notification lit up my phone with the subject line “Merry Christmas and a letter from Umeki-san.”

The timing was convenient. I was visiting for the holidays, staying at my mother’s childhood home in Franklin Park, ten miles west of Chicago. My parents were there, too. My grandfather, Joseph Kasser, who goes by Ben or Benny, built the home in 1957 for a family of four that eventually dwindled to one. My mom, Kathy, was the first to go, leaving for college in 1971; my grandma Alice died in 2008; my uncle Bob died in 2010. They left Benny alone on Louis Street with a lifetime of modest possessions. Among them was a Japanese sword he’d found on an Okinawa beach in the final days of World War II.

It was six months after I first asked Benny if he’d be interested in finding the sword’s owner. I don’t remember what I said to start the conversation. I do remember that I was nervous asking a man who doesn’t own much to part ways with a keepsake he’d found during perhaps the most consequential time of his life as an antiaircraft gunner in the U.S. Army. He didn’t hesitate. He said, “Sure.”

It was one of those inspired “sure”s that really mean “absolutely,” a posture-correcting “sure,” an energy-intoned “sure,” not “I suppose” or “if you want.” A momentous syllable that set something off. It was apparently something he had considered.

Now, on Christmas Day, I didn’t know if the email that had arrived contained good news about our quest. I read it silently while sitting at the kitchen table, where I had heard one side of the story for more than three decades.

The post My Quest to Find the Owner of a Mysterious WWII Japanese Sword appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Earlier this fall, GQ’s Global Style Director, Noah Johnson, wrote an obituary for gorpcore: “[gorpcore] as a trend
 is dead. Let it be known.” For the uninitiated, “gorpcore” uses an acronym for trail mix (“good old raisins and peanuts,” although that meaning is ) to describe a style that involves wearing outdoorsy clothes as streetwear. The term, which has its origins in “normcore,” was coined by former New York Magazine writer Jason Chen in 2017.

Here’s the thing, though, if gorpcore is dead, why is Prada selling (that look a lot like regular ol’ Carhartts)? Why are outlets like the New York Post still breathlessly ? Why did a collaboration between break the internet for a day? Why did the iconic ski brand Salomon set up a aimed at courting a new, high-fashion consumer base?

In reality, the title of the GQ piece, “,” is a bit deceptive. When Johnson eulogizes gorpcore, he doesn’t mean that you won’t be seeing men and women from Brooklyn to the Harper’s Ferry headquarters of the Appalachian Trail in the North Face, Marmot, Salomon, and Patagonia. Instead, he argues that the style has become so ubiquitous it shouldn’t be considered a new trend anymore.

So where do $1,000 fleeces fit in?

To make sense of some of 2024’s most outlandish high-end outdoor wear, I talked to , the internet’s foremost men’s fashion historian, who helped me put the year’s key pieces into a broader context.

The Prada Barn Coat, a Cool $4,900

First up: Prada’s canvas barn coat, which the fashion blog In the Groove named The coat, which apparently became the , looks like something Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone character might wear while taking a rideabout on the family ranch. That, plus the Prada triangle logo. Its price is listed at $4,900. (There’s also a cropped version, which sells for $3,700.) The Prada site describes it as “borrowed from menswear” and “enhanced with a distressed effect.”

“Distressed effect” really stayed with me. Isn’t there something a little ironic about a $4,900 pre-worn-out jacket that is trying to mimic the type of coat that someone would actually distress over time while wearing it, typically at work? I grew up in a small West Virginia town in the late nineties and early aughts. The men I knew wearing barn coats (Carhartts, specifically) definitely didn’t purchase them pre-distressed, and they certainly would have something to say about anyone who did.

But, according to Guy, something like the Prada canvas coat can really be seen as a celebration of the values associated with its original uses. From his point of view, all fashion choices are the result of the cultural values of the period from which they emerge.

Think about it: What other pop culture or trends might suggest that Western-adjacent, work-worn clothing would be having a moment right now that signals that culture is interested? Yellowstone is a great example. So are the insanely popular videos. Even in recent years. And what are the cultural values associated with ranching? Hard work, fortitude, honesty, independence, self reliance, connection to the land, and traditional masculinity are a few that come to mind. These values are also tied deeply to at least one version of the general American ethos.

Guy says that when different groups become culturally respected and reflect societal values, their style choices—even if they’re initially made for technical functionality—end up influencing the broader population. Consider the fact that Marmot, Patagonia, and the North Face all have their own version of the canvas barn coat. (I love my Marmot prairie jacket that I bought a few years ago, and the only time I’ve been on the prairie is when I drove through it.) And it’s likely that none of those more traditional outdoor brands started with a vision of creating aesthetic rancher-style workwear coats. They likely also didn’t have a core customer base of ranchers and farmers looking to upgrade their jackets. The brands created these garments to meet emerging consumer taste.

Still, does close to $5,000 for a pre-distressed coat make any sense? “The reason we celebrate these things, but then also create absurdly expensive versions is because
 individuals also seek status,” says Guy.

When there are enough versions of a beloved item to meet various individuals’ price points, one way to separate yourself from the rabble is to buy the really, really expensive one.

So ranching-farming-barn culture is having a moment. People are motivated to show status. I’m still good with my dad’s vintage Carhartt from the eighties, though.

$1,000 Fleeces

If people generally aspire to the life and values that go with the barn coat aesthetic—so much so that we’re now seeing super expensive luxury versions of the staple—how do thousand-dollar fleeces, like the ones , fit in?

The answer is pretty simple. The values associated with outdoorsy lifestyles are also aspirational for many, even if they don’t have imminent plans for a long thru-hike in their . And what are those values? Hopefully they’re familiar to anyone who considers themselves an outdoors lover: adventurousness, self discovery, environmental stewardship, physical prowess, community, self sufficiency, and technical expertise to name a few. These values, plus the promises of escape and leisure that a trip to the wilderness can provide, roll up into gorpcore style choices. Add in the basic human desire to flex status, and it makes sense why you would end up with inaccessibly expensive all-wool fleece pullovers.

Hasn’t Outdoor Gear Always Been About Status?

My dad is a consummate outdoorsman. When I was young, he hiked and hunted. He taught me to identify North American trees and walk quietly through the woods. I have vivid memories of watching him and my uncles process a buck that they’d killed up a snowy run in West Virginia and then lugged back over the miles to a humble camp that served as their base. And they did all of it in Coleman gear.

It wasn’t until I went to college at an elite Southern university that Patagonia Synchillas entered my consciousness as a marker of status. The kids in the right sororities and fraternities all knew that you paired your Synchilla with Chubbies and artfully worn out Sperries. Those of us who didn’t come from quite the same backgrounds had to quickly make sense of the way core outdoor gear fit into the social hierarchy. I bought my first Patagonia fleece (not quite a Synchilla but close enough) at a steep discount as part of a bulk order my cross-country team made. I felt myself relax as I settled into its cozy heft on campus. Now, I think I own upwards of a dozen Patagonia, Marmot, North Face, and Cotopaxi fleeces and jackets. When I had the chance to signal my values and status, I seized it in the way Guy helped me understand.

Does that mean I’m going to start spending a grand on Austrian-made fleeces anytime soon? I’d like to say no, that’s a bridge too far, but consumer desire can be a funny thing. Even my own is a little bit unscrutable.

The post How the Outdoors Became the Ultimate Status Symbol appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

My older daughter, Nina’s, birthday means it is time for Mount Rainier. Every June, my husband and I make a pilgrimage to Mount Rainier with our two daughters to admire the massive volcano, hike up the snowfields, and earn some early summer ski turns. Our trips began with toddlers and sledding near the parking lot, then progressed to little kids happily hiking fueled by special treats with parents lugging kid skis and boots in big, heavy backpacks. As the kids grew bigger and stronger, they started carrying their own gear, and we’ve been able to climb a bit higher, gaining a few extra sunny turns. The year Nina turned 16, she was bound and determined to reach a new high point of base camp, Camp Muir, by skinning up on her own skis.

We planned months in advance. Our scheduled Rainier date approached and miserable white-out blizzard conditions prompted us to make a rational decision. No Rainier for the birthday weekend. We would wait.

When a sunny window opened up a couple of weeks later, we pulled Nina out of school for a day and headed south. My husband, Hans, had a work project he couldn’t break free from, so we enlisted our friend Anna, a fellow emergency room doc and skilled mountaineer, to join us. Anna was fresh off a month living and working on Denali as part of a high altitude mountain rescue crew, and Nina was a strong teenager fresh off the tail end of a full spring of 2.5-hour daily rowing workouts.

And me? Well, I was taking an oral chemotherapy medication for my metastatic breast cancer, my third line of treatment in the four years since I’d been diagnosed with an incurable disease. Translation: I was feeling fatigued and mildly queasy but enthusiastic by nature and powered by optimism.

We started skinning up, chatting along the way, gaining elevation, and passing by tourists in running shoes slipping around on the snow near the parking lot at Paradise. My decades-old backcountry boots and skis felt inordinately heavy beneath me, and I wondered why I hadn’t yet sprung for a long-overdue upgrade to modern, light backcountry gear. On steeper sections, I silently rued my over-practical frugality, laughing at myself when I acknowledged that cancer treatment might also be making this a bit harder than usual. Easier to blame it on the gear.

As we ascended I started feeling some nausea, and the steps became more difficult. My body wanted to rest, but I was also determined to help Nina reach her goal. We hit a viewpoint and assessed our timing. Feeling my heart pumping, I told Anna and Nina that I needed to just lay on a sunny rock for about 20 minutes, and that they should keep going ahead. They both told me they were sure I could make it. I told them I thought so too, but that I needed to just sit and I wanted them to get Nina up there. After a bit more back-and-forth and some hugs, they clicked back into their skis and headed uphill together.

Asking for a rest is not in my nature. I’ve always pushed, knowing that it’s worth the effort, reveling in the feeling of accomplishment when I’ve endured to make it to a peak, a mountain lake, a new destination. My husband and I have an agreement that if we are ever debating doing some outdoor activity, it’s 99 percent of the time better to say yes and just go. It’s a yes-person approach, one that has filled my life with many wonders. Asking to stay on the sunny rock was a different me. Remarkably, it felt pretty amazing.

I put my feet up on the sun-warmed rock, laughed at a fat marmot galumphing across the snowfield below me, chittered back at a bold chipmunk who came by asking for a treat, and said yes to what my body was asking me at the moment. I drank water, ate a handful of gummy bears and a cheese stick, and let myself rest as I gazed out on a field of volcanoes outlining the southward heading fault through the mountain ranges in the distance. My nausea cleared and my heartbeat slowed to a comfortable rate.

After a while I peeked upwards, happy to see the progress Nina and Anna were making. And suddenly I felt ready to go again. I clicked back into my skis and thought, “They said I could do it. I know I can do this.”

I started up the snowfield, 8,000 feet higher in elevation than where we woke up that morning in our Seattle home. My heart was pounding. I started counting steps. At 100, I let myself rest, look around, and wait for my heart to calm down. When I started up again, I looked down at my ski tracks, focusing on my boots and skis as they slid slowly upward, counting in my head. Sometimes I got to 100 and felt strong, so I kept going for another 100 steps, stopping at 200 instead. Keeping my head down while ascending meant I got to surprise myself each time I looked up, excited to see progress 100 steady steps at a time.

I got into a rhythm, and just as base camp came into sight, Anna and Nina reappeared. We did it! I loved finding a compromise between the rest I needed and pushing just enough to reach a goal. Nina’s ear-to-ear grin and the soft spring-skiing turns that led us back to our car were worth it.

Cancer treatment has a rhythm like my 100 steps. There have been times when the best I can do is to put my head down and count the 100 steps between treatments, like with early chemotherapy. There have been other times where the steps have been easier, 100, 200, 300, and more without rest, like with 2.5 years of stability on my first targeted anti-cancer medication. My latest treatments have a rapid cycle of visits and scans, with scans every six weeks to see if the treatment is working or not. Unlike hiking up Mount Rainier, however, the steps are leading in a more uncertain direction.

What is certain to me is that each batch of 100 steps is worth it, for the beauty, the journey, and the time outdoors with the people I love. And though my journey up Mount Rainier now is markedly different than it was before my diagnosis, every step is a precious yes.

The post Skinning Up Mount Rainier with Breast Cancer Forced Me to Take the Journey One Step at a Time appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

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JJ Harrison is the only person at a rodeo who is supposed to get hit by the bulls. As the clown, he’s responsible for everyone’s safety. The crowd loves him. It’s a good life—even if it hurts a little. Then over the summer, with JJ in the ring, a bull named Party Bus jumped the fence at the rodeo in Sisters, Oregon. Five people were injured, and it seemed like the kind of thing that might end the small-town event. Alex Ward reports on the ups and downs of the modern clown.

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1. BSW Wealth Partners

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 31
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 27 days after 10 years

Perks: Paid volunteer days, work from home and hybrid work schedules, home-office/workstation stipend, early Fridays for weekend adventures, annual ski trips, paid sabbatical after a decade, summer and winter fun days, custom branded gear, dinner and babysitter stipend to celebrate work anniversary, matching 401k, paid parental leave, kids’ first day of school off, plus a fully stocked breakroom, Thursday catered lunches, craft beer and unlimited seltzer, and an office located near local mountain trails

What makes it great: “We prioritize work-life balance and flexibility, allowing our team members the freedom to work independently while fostering trust and accountability. Meaningful work is at the heart of what we do. We solve impactful problems, genuinely help people, and continuously evolve to make life better for our clients. Additionally, our vibrant culture of fun and connectivity sets us apart. We believe that a workplace should inspire, support, and uplift its employees, and at BSW Wealth, we do just that.”

2. Workshop Digital

Location: Richmond, Virginia
Focus:
Number of Employees: 28
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 12 days of PTO

Perks: A four-day work week, your birthday off, fully remote work, hybrid work option if located near Richmond headquarters, quarterly team recreation events, and two company-wide annual offsite events

What makes it great: “At Workshop, we’re all about staying connected in our remote/hybrid world, finding creative ways to build relationships from virtual coffee dates to in-person pickleball meetups and company-wide retreats. We celebrate each other’s lives through active Slack channels, sharing everything from travel stories to pet pics. We’re passionate about our work, and we’re just as passionate about getting outside—hiking, running, cycling, or training for marathons and triathlons.”

3. Landmark Consultants, Inc.

Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 18
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 30 days of PTO

Perks: Full coverage of health insurance costs for employees and their dependents, a physical health benefit equivalent to a full Ikon ski pass, flexible, hybrid work schedules to encourage outdoor activities, team sponsorship for the STARS Mountain Challenge fundraiser, an annual summer camping trip, and a company ski day

What makes it great: “Landmark offers professional careers with excellent benefits in the heart of Ski Town U.S.A. Our office is just 1,000 feet from Howelsen Hill Ski Area and its summer trail network, half a mile from the Spring Creek Trailhead, which connects to the Continental Divide, and only three miles from the Steamboat Springs Ski Resort. We believe that a flexible schedule to enjoy powder days, sunshine, and fresh air are vital for a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle, which in turn allows us to consistently deliver high-quality work for our clients.”

4. Tilting Futures

Location: San Francisco, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 20
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: A $750 annual stipend for professional and personal development courses, an international trip to one of the company’s program countries after two years, and a month-long paid sabbatical after three years

What makes it great: “Ours is a culture where authenticity triumphs and self-care prevails. We invest in our people personally and professionally with the tools, flexibility, and support to thrive. As a team, we bring our full human selves to the work and have a lot of fun in the process.”

5. GFM|CenterTable

Location: Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 35
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO after one year

Perks: Flexible schedules, an on-site meditation room, quarterly mental health days to unplug, a monthly “Happiness Allowance” to pursue personal passions, paid volunteer time, a vacation day for the Colorado Rockies home opener, an annual Groundhog Day party, and a paid sabbatical every five years

What makes it great: “We don’t just talk about work-life blend—we live it with flexible schedules, meaningful benefits, and a deep commitment to community impact. From sabbaticals every five years to volunteer days, Beverage Club celebrations, and onsite yoga, we create space for growth, connection and laughter. Our shared passion for making a positive impact fuels not only our work but the meaningful relationships we build with each other and our clients.”

6. WorkBright

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 45
Average Salary: $100,000
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Work from anywhere, health benefits, an annual professional development plan supported by a company stipend, an annual personal development grant for one employee, monthly wellness challenges, two offsite company trips per year, rewards like AirPod Pros or $100 to take your family out to eat for important revenue milestones

What makes it great: “As a B-Corp, we consider people and culture part of our bottom line and invest time and dollars accordingly. We incorporate our core values into hiring, recognition, and performance management. We invest in the heart, head, and briefcase of our managers with annual upskilling trainings to ensure that managers have the tools to support their teams both as people and as coworkers.”

7. Gunpowder Inc.

Location: Delafield, Wisconsin
Focus:
Number of Employees: 24
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Remote work opportunities and flexible schedules, comprehensive health benefits and 401(k) match, an annual team summit, professional development opportunities, company-paid cell phone and internet, paid parental leave, a dog-friendly office, holiday and anniversary gifts, winter break between Christmas and New Years Day, and annual performance bonuses

What makes it great: “Gunpowder encourages and enables its team to enjoy their interests, whether those be fishing, hunting, camping, or other activities, while working on meaningful projects for leading outdoor brands in the categories they’re passionate about. With a focus on authentic storytelling and impactful media strategies, Gunpowder empowers its employees to thrive in a creative, purpose-driven environment, helping brands connect with people on a deeper level.”

8. Global Glimpse

Location: Fully Remote/Oakland, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 19
Average Salary: $94,000
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: An annual international team retreat, bi-weekly half-day “Wellness Fridays,” 100-percent employer-paid healthcare, fully remote work, 12 weeks parental leave for all employees, a “Workiversary” Milestone Program that includes flight vouchers, swag, and sabbaticals, plus a week off for winter holiday and another for summer holiday

What makes it great: “At Global Glimpse, we combine passion with joy, hard work with play, and growth with gratitude. We are redefining what it means to be a great place to work through a deep commitment to both our mission and the people who make that mission possible. Global Glimpse is a culture-centered organization that seeks to foster an inclusive workplace that enables our diverse team to be connected, feel supported, and thrive.”

9. TDA_Boulder

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 28
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: An annual fitness stipend for sports-related expenses, year-round half-day Fridays, 100-percent health care coverage, employee milestone anniversaries with a travel stipend, $1,000 donation to an employee-chosen charity for every fourteener ascent, and an annual outdoor company adventure

What makes it great: “We feel incredibly lucky to be building a vibrant work culture that makes it possible for our people to enjoy what they do. Our Boulder location and proximity to the outdoors has always contributed to a happy workplace, but as more of our people work remote, this recognition means that much more.”

10. C1S Group, Inc.

Location: Dallas, Texas
Focus:
Number of Employees: 53
Average Salary: $119,460
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO, plus one day for each year with the company

Perks: Flexible work-from-home policy, catered lunch one day a week, breakfast tacos every Friday, regular happy hours, kickball, Top-Golf, and running teams, and a stocked beer fridge

What makes it great: “C1S understands that rewarding work is just one part of a rewarding life. We fiercely protect personal time spent doing all the other things that make life great, like travel, coaching a soccer team, volunteering, or checking things off your bucket list. You shouldn’t wait for retirement to start living life to the fullest.”

11. Western Environmental Law Center

Location: Eugene, Oregon
Focus:
Number of Employees: 28
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 20 days PTO and a three-month sabbatical after five years

Perks: Flex Fridays, 100-percent employer-paid health care, $100 monthly office stipend for remote workers, dog-friendly offices, a three-month sabbatical after five years, and two annual retreats—one on Oregon’s coast, and one near Yellowstone in Montana

What makes it great: “WELC is a powerhouse of environmental advocacy, and each staff member is a high-performing luminary in their own way. We challenge one another, help one another, and camaraderie is through the roof in part because we’re all rowing hard in the same direction—to protect the places, communities, and creatures we love in the Western U.S.”

12. GetUWired

Location: Dahlonega, Georgia
Focus:
Number of Employees: 37
Average Salary: $58,000
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start, 15 days of PTO after two years, and unlimited PTO after three years

Perks: A variety of personal and professional growth training opportunities, weekly guided meditations, anniversary and additional appreciation gifts, paid parental leave, flexible scheduling, 401(k) matching, and quarterly team building events that regularly take place outdoors (lake days, tubing, low ropes courses)

What makes it great: “We’re 100-percent remote, but we still try to make sure to create those watercooler-type moments in a virtual setting so that we don’t lose that personal touch with one another. Our company’s mission, purpose, and core values are key to who we are, how we make decisions every day, and how we grow as a company. We’re passionate about helping small businesses succeed.”

13. Cheley Colorado Camps

Location: Estes Park and Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 15 year-round/210 seasonal
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO for year-round staff

Perks: Employer-paid healthcare, a generous retirement plan and profit sharing, flexible work hours during the off season, paid training for industry conferences, pro-deal access to many outdoor companies, paid volunteer hours, and company-supplied housing for some staff

What makes it great: “Working for a youth-development organization that is committed to building character and resiliency in a challenging and nurturing natural environment makes it rewarding to show up every day. Spending your days in the Colorado Rockies around amazing people is also a plus. It is also amazing to work for a fourth-generation family business where our average year-round employee has worked here for over 13 years.”

14. Cocona Labs

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 19
Average salary: Unspecified
Vacation time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Flexible work schedule, support of volunteer work, and great benefits

What makes it great: “Cocona Labs supports a dynamic, engaging, and exciting culture with team members across the world. We foster an atmosphere of trust and collaboration, where employees feel valued and heard. The company prioritizes professional growth, offers flexibility, and promotes a healthy work-life balance, creating an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to shared goals.”

15. Tenacious Holdings, Inc. (Ergodyne)

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Focus:
Number of Employees: 85
Average salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Flexible PTO

Perks: Half-day Fridays in the summer, team 5K runs, a fully equipped gym with a Peloton machine, weekly workout classes, two work-from-home days per week, and an employee wellness program

What makes it great: “We are a high-performing, passionate bunch who take the work we do and our results seriously. We like to say: Come for the cause; stay for the people. Most folks who dig our vibe are passionate about helping workers and making a difference.”

16. Inntopia

Location: Stowe, Vermont
Focus:
Number of Employees: 72
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start

Perks: Flexible work arrangements, random days off throughout the year, professional development program, employee service awards, lodging and activity comps at North American resorts, company-sponsored events and competitions, paid volunteer hours, medical, dental, vision and pet insurance, employee assistance program, and wellness reimbursements

What makes it great: “Somehow Inntopia always finds good people. And when you have passionate, innovative, and hard-working people, it’s a recipe for success. When a company knows the work gets done, and it gets done well, it’s easy to offer flexible schedules, encourage community involvement, and support life outside of the office.”

17. Creative Alignments

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 18
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start

Perks: Flexible work schedule, an annual retreat, virtual and in-person events throughout the year, versatile health coverage options that are 75 percent employer-paid, reproductive healthcare, employer-sponsored long-term disability, employer 401(k) match, and access to a free financial advisor

What makes it great: “We believe that work should be additive in people’s lives and that happiness created through work makes the world a better place. Our reason for being is to create a great workplace and to help scaling companies that have a similar commitment hire great employees, creating a cycle of good that inspires a sense of purpose, belonging and positivity in people’s lives.”

18. CampMinder

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus: Number of Employees: 83
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: On-site retreats with yoga, cooking classes, escape rooms, and a hike with goats, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, employer-funded wellness savings accounts, employee resource groups, and flexible work-from-anywhere options

What makes it great: “If you were to ask any Minder what makes this company great, their answer would include some variation of ‘the smart, caring, authentic, fun people I get to work with.’ Many of our team members are former camp counselors or directors. Their camp experience enables them to empathize with our clients and bring the spirit of camp into the workplace. Employee engagement is the company’s top priority, and we regularly review employee feedback and implement changes based on team members’ input.”

19. Turner

Location: Denver, Colorado, with offices in New York, Chicago, and Miami
Focus:
Number of Employees: 55
Average Salary: $114,200
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Paid volunteer days, a free ClassPass membership for all full-time associates, flexible and hybrid work schedules, early Fridays for weekend adventures, discounts on client apparel, gear, and hotels, dog-friendly offices, mental health speakers, zen rooms, and Calm App subscriptions paid for by the company, stocked wine fridges and a local brew kegerator, a “recess” committee that organizes games, happy hours, and outings, a professional development program, and a committee that leads engaging activities

What makes it great: “We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to make lifelong memories on an epic scale and call it work—sunrise hot balloon rides over Albuquerque, New Mexico, wear-testing experiences for our brands that take us to summit views in Colorado, rock climbing gyms in Midtown Manhattan, New York, being on-set for Top Chef in Wisconsin, taking over an entire Texas resort to disconnect with Airstream. And that’s just the last six months.”

20. șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűSmith Explorations

Location: Truckee, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 16
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Up to 26 days of PTO

Perks: Remote/hybrid/flexible work environment, near-annual, all-expenses-paid trips on company expedition cruises and wilderness adventures, 100-percent employer-paid healthcare, 401(k) matching, discounted personal travel, a powder day clause, gear discounts, team events, and a dog-friendly office located in the heart of an outdoor adventure mecca

What makes it great: “Passport stamps to far-flung destinations—check! A team that feels like family—check! How lucky we are to transform our shared love for outdoor adventure into such an inspiring workplace. It’s thrilling to craft (and experience) trips of a lifetime, and we revel in the excitement of our clients’ and colleagues’ travel stories and new experiences—whether it’s hiking near glaciers in Alaska, kayaking among icebergs in Antarctica, or snorkeling with penguins in the Galápagos. I couldn’t imagine a better group of passionate and knowledgeable individuals to surround myself with—both at work and beyond.”

21. Evotek

Location: Solana Beach, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 202
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Flexible work location, premium employee medical, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) with employer match, and an annual company overnight retreat to destinations like Napa Valley, Austin, or a private yacht in Miami

What makes it great: “The Evotek team is comprised of people with unique backgrounds and experiences who are always happy to give a helping hand. We are not only given the opportunity to learn but are encouraged to expand our knowledge and expertise through continual learning. Our many events allow us to make solid connections with each other as well as with our valued partners and customers.”

22. Obviouslee

Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Focus:
Number of Employees: 26
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO, with a minimum of 15 days per year

Perks: End-of-year weekly closure, paid volunteer days, an annual wellness day, flexible working arrangements, yearly anniversary gifts for team members, a yearly company retreat, year-round early Fridays to get a head start on the weekend, a dog-friendly office, and access to outdoor gear and discounts

What makes it great: “Obviouslee truly values its employees’ well-being and fosters a strong work-life balance, enabling them to pursue their passions, especially in the outdoors. As a certified B Corp, Obviouslee demonstrates its commitment to social and environmental responsibility, which resonates with employees who care about making a positive impact. The company offers great benefits, all while working with purpose-driven brands that value sustainability and protecting the environment. This creates a positive and fulfilling work experience for employees who love marketing and the outdoors.”

23. Geocaching HQ

Location: Seattle, Washington
Focus:
Number of Employees: 90
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 25 days of PTO

Perks: Comprehensive health benefits, 401(k) matching, free geocaching premium membership (including an extra buddy membership), time to geocache, free gear to rent on-site for adventures, unlimited free lift tickets anywhere in the world, reimbursements toward outdoor activities, a lunch subsidy, learning and development budgets, monthly social events, a sabbatical every seven years, and a special geocaching travel award every ten years

What makes it great: “At Geocaching HQ, kindness and community are at the heart of everything we do. Our leadership genuinely cares about the team, the exciting game of geocaching that brings people together, and the vibrant community who plays it. Whether we’re collaborating on projects or heading outside for a geocaching adventure, we thrive on connection and shared passion.”

24. Fortnight Collective

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus: Number of employees: 21
Average salary: Unspecified
Vacation time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Winter Fridays off, professional development stipend to attend training and/or professional conferences, wellness benefit stipend to use toward personal passion or travel, an annual mountain resort retreat, and 14 weeks of paid family leave

What makes it great: “Fortnight Collective intentionally ensures all employees enjoy the perks of living in Colorado, like getting outside. That is why, from day one, we implemented Winter Fridays. It is designed to get people out and about to take advantage of whatever passion suits them. In addition to our annual mountain resort retreat at resorts like Keystone or Steamboat, we also kicked off our Boulder Beach Day (at a lake). Our office is in the heart of downtown Boulder, with a bustling town to the north and the famous Flatirons to the west. Lunchtime hikes are not out of the question.”

25. Shine United

Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Focus:
Number of Employees: 45
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Full healthcare and dental benefits, summer Fridays, weekly company-wide gatherings, outdoor adventure stipend, flexible work environment, company-sponsored community activities, quarterly Re-Energize Days (days off), and unlimited family, personal, and sick leave

What makes it great: “We may be a business, but the ethos of Shine has always been simple: Work hard, play hard, do good work for good people, and try to change the world for the better. When you see that belief in action, when the work culture, hiring guidelines, as well as life-work balance echo and demonstrate this belief, it turns out to be a pretty great place to work.”

26. Charles Cunniffe Architects

Location: Aspen, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 20
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 25 days of PTO to start, up to 35 days of PTO after five years

Perks: An annual ski pass or equivalent wellness stipend, weekly flex hours for outdoor recreation or personal commitments, paid month-long sabbaticals after 10 and 20 years, 100-percent paid medical and dental, FSA, 401(k) matching, paid monthly volunteer hours, paid birthday off, free bus passes and company car, hybrid work schedules, free snacks, and a stocked fridge

What makes it great: “We believe in working hard and playing harder—whether that’s on a mountain trail or a project site! Our flexible schedules, paid sabbaticals, generous benefits package and perks like a free ski pass and outdoor group outings keep our team happy, healthy, and motivated. And with paid volunteer time and ongoing community service initiatives, we’re not just building great projects, we’re making a meaningful impact every day.”

27. Workstand

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 70
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 14 days of PTO to start, up to 24 days of PTO after 6 years

Perks: Fully remote work, flexible work hours, Get șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Friday, outdoor industry discounts, new parent leave, paid time off to volunteer, monthly game hour, and weekly coffee/snack chats with company president

What makes it great: “We are proud to have a shared purpose of helping local bike shops because we believe bicycles make the world a better place. Bike shops are an important part of enriching the cycling experience for people and communities. Workstand is a company that values each employee by embracing our individuality and leaning on a bottom-up decision-making philosophy. We love getting outside, supporting one another and our families, and sharing the best pics of our pets.”

28. BrainStorm, Inc.

Location: American Fork, Utah
Focus:
Number of Employees: 61
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 12 days of PTO to start

Perks: Outdoor equipment, three paid volunteer days, corporate ski passes, ping pong tables, organized out-of-office activities, paid volunteer days, and annual company trips

What makes it great: “BrainStorm is exceptional because of its culture, which starts at the top. We focus on people, continuous learning, community involvement, personal growth, and creating tangible value for our customers and partners. The company prioritizes hiring individuals who exemplify its character-building values and fosters an environment where employees are encouraged and inspired to live life in bold.”

29. Duft Watterson

Location: Boise, Idaho
Focus:
Number of Employees: 23
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO after five years

Perks: Work-from-home Wednesdays, half-day Fridays, a Linus commuter bike for each new employee, employee contributions for self-directed charity donations, a dog-friendly office, and an annual all-agency (plus families) mountain weekend getaway

What makes it great: “We believe that an outdoor lifestyle leads to happier employees and better ideas, design, and motivation. Our team works together and plays together, given single track trails, a Sawtooth Mountain-fed river, fly fishing, a surf park, skiing, and an alive downtown are all a few steps or a short ride away. Every year, we take the entire team and their families for a weekend at places like Sun Valley and Tamarack, either for summer fun or skiing.”

30. Toad&Co

Location: Santa Barbara, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 53
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 20 days of PTO to start, 25 days of PTO after 5 years

Perks: Every other Friday off, a hybrid work-from-home schedule, a dog-friendly office, outdoor wifi, lunchtime yoga classes, birthday donations to a non-profit of employee’s choice, company adventure days for time outside, a paid sabbatical after 10 years, and an annual employee campout on the Channel Islands

What makes it great: “We’re a mission-driven company full of people who truly believe in doing good (and having a good time while we’re at it). We’re super involved in our community, taking advantage of paid days off to volunteer and hosting events with other local businesses. We make a point to celebrate our wins – big or small – and keep things light hearted and fun, from our annual ‘Grilled Cheese Smackdown’ to a costume party at the holidays to our Channel Islands campout, where our CEO dusts off his secret margarita recipe each year.”

31. The Brand Leader

Location: Greenville, South Carolina (HQ); New York City; and Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 32
Average Salary: $74,500
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Bagel Thursdays, spot bonuses, summer picnics, subsidized mental health care, annual retreats, a pet-friendly office, summer hours, extensive parental leave, and adoption subsidies

What makes it great: “By fostering a culture of work-life balance where each person feels valued and supported, we’ve built a company where people are passionate about serving one another and our clients. From helping employees qualify for homes to offering generous parental leave and unlimited PTO, our goal is to create men and women of character who push the limits of what’s possible in and out of the workplace.”

32. Wild Montana

Location: Helena, Montana
Focus:
Number of Employees: 27
Average Salary: $72,571
Vacation Time: 20 days of PTO

Perks: Four-day work week, fully paid health and dental insurance, a three-month paid sabbatical after five years, retirement plan, 15 paid holidays including the last week of the year, flexible work schedules, an office accessible to trail systems, a dog-friendly office, and an annual health stipend

What makes it great: “With a trusting team culture and a strong commitment to work-life balance, Wild Montana empowers employees to drive impactful conservation efforts while staying connected to the landscapes we work to protect. Time off is essential, as we believe personal connection to the outdoors is what inspires and sustains our mission.”

33. Buzz Franchise Brands

Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Focus:
Number of Employees: 69
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start

Perks: Happy hour Fridays, half day Fridays in the summer, a pool table and ping pong table in the office, monthly company outings, and an annual company trip

What makes us great: “Whether it’s taking a walk to a nearby coffee shop, borrowing an office bike for lunch, or joining our outdoor sports teams, we believe in recharging to fuel high-energy work. Located just minutes from the beach and a couple of hours from the mountains, we take our love of the outdoors even further at our annual company offsite with activities like beachside wild horse tours, hiking, and s’mores around the campfire.”

34. The Pinnacle Companies

Location: Frisco, Colorado
Focus: Number of Employees: 109
Average Salary: $111,724
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 25 days of PTO after six years

Perks: A family weekend in Denver, monthly social gatherings, a summer picnic, employee interest groups for activities like hiking and biking, outdoor gear access, employer-paid healthcare, paid volunteer hours, work anniversaries with special perks, shareholding opportunities, an annual all-inclusive retreat in Mexico, and an annual ski day at Arapahoe Basin

What makes it great: “Our culture is built on strong friendships, both inside and outside the office, with meaningful connections that extend beyond work. We foster personal and professional success through employer-paid medical plans, opportunities for every team member to become a shareholder, and development programs centered on coaching and feedback. This combination of camaraderie and thoughtful benefits creates a workplace where we grow and succeed together.”

35. Polar Field Services

Location: Littleton, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 68 full-time/ 100+ seasonal
Average Salary: $102,000 (full-time)
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start

Perks: An employee stock ownership plan, 401(k) matching, 100-percent employer-paid healthcare, a $1,000 annual personal development stipend, a dog friendly office, paid cell phone plan, paid Costco or Sams Club membership, annual schwag gifts, wellness challenges, anniversary gifts, and employee recognition programs with rewards like cash or Amazon gift cards

What makes it great: “From planning snowmobile expeditions to collect ice cores on the Greenland ice sheet to supporting the launch of high-altitude balloons that bring connectivity to remote regions, the work at PFS is what draws employees to the company. As an employee-owned organization, everyone has a personal stake in the company’s success, fostering a close-knit, family-like atmosphere and promoting a shared commitment to work ethic and values.”

36. Eagle County Paramedic Services

Location: Edwards, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 100
Average Salary: $96,500
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 40 days of PTO

Perks: Flexible work schedules, a $1,200 annual stipend for ski passes or other recreational pursuits, a housing assistance program with 10-percent annual loan forgiveness, and employee gifts like Osprey backpacks and Melanzana hoodies

What makes it great: “The people who work here are really fantastic. You get to work with some of your best friends and then get outside and recreate with them when you’re off duty. The schedule really contributes to being able to enjoy the incredible outdoor opportunities where we live—hiking, biking, skiing, climbing, and rafting. Plus, it’s really rewarding to know that we’re helping our community every day.”

37. Stio

Location: Jackson, Wyoming
Focus:
Number of Employees: 185
Average Salary: $87,000
Vacation Time: Accrued vacation time or flexible PTO

Perks: Flexible remote work policy, 401(k) matching, fully paid health insurance, expanded medical coverage for reproductive care, 10 paid holidays, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, paid medical leave, a work-from-home allowance, an annual gear testing stipend, and an annual team summit

What makes it great: “Stio was founded in a mountain town by people who are passionate about mountain life. This perspective serves as the foundation for our company culture. It’s a place where living our values is important. We want balance, we want to do the right thing, we want superior products to get us out into the mountains, and we want to be a part of a community that shares in that vision. When you can start there, good things will come.”

38. Optera

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus: Number of Employees: 51
Average Salary: $138,000
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Every other Friday off, 13 paid holidays, fully paid-healthcare, a 401(k) match up to 4 percent with ESG options, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, a sabbatical program, and generous stipends for wellness and professional development

What makes Optera great: “At Optera, we dedicate our skills, talents, time, and passion toward meaningful solutions that will help stop climate change and make the world a sustainable place for future generations. Not only do we work for the planet, but our perks also enable us to get out and enjoy the planet we all love so much. You’ll often find employees using their Recharge Fridays to ski, hike, bike, or relax in nature.”

39. Wilderness Travel

Location: Berkeley, California
Focus: Number of Employees: 50
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Annual travel opportunities on a Wilderness Travel trip (with a plus one), a $4,000 annual travel stipend, 10 Fridays off annually, a dog-friendly office, birthday celebrations, and fun team outings like kayaking, escape rooms, an Alcatraz tour, or curling

What makes it great: “Wilderness Travel is a family-owned business with a passionate team of adventurous, globally minded travelers. We encourage employees to explore the world with a generous annual travel stipend and access to unique, once-in-a-lifetime trips, from trekking in the Himalayas to snorkeling in Indonesia and tracking pumas in Patagonia. Our home office is a dynamic hub where we collaborate with global partners, bond over happy hours and team outings, and support each other’s personal and professional growth in a welcoming and vibrant environment.”

40. Aspenware

Location: Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 40
Average Salary: $140,000
Vacation Time: 20 days of PTO

Perks: A paid volunteer day, $1,000 annual reimbursement for health and well-being, an annual National Parks Pass, an Ikon Pass, $1,500 annual training reimbursement for professional development, and an annual team summit in Denver with employee ski day at local resort

What makes it great: “At Aspenware, our collaborative culture goes beyond the office through engaging activities like virtual coffee chats, company-wide challenges, and an annual team summit. While we’re focused on developing cutting-edge e-commerce solutions for mountain resorts, our team also enjoys top-notch perks like health stipends, free ski passes, and national parks access. We prioritize innovation and connection, making Aspenware a place where great ideas—and great experiences—thrive.”

41. GoPro

Location: San Mateo and Carlsbad, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 476
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Hybrid remote work options, offices close to beaches, trails, and world-class cycling, skating, and water sports, monthly reimbursement toward wellness expenses, access to free coaching and therapy sessions and a digital health platform that supports all paths to parenthood, organized hikes and days out for product testing, fireside chats with world-class GoPro athletes and ambassadors, and the latest camera and accessories (along with company challenges) with each product launch

What makes it great: “GoPro empowers employees to live their desired lifestyle while being able to show up to work as the best versions of themselves—whether in a GoPro office, their remote workspace of choice, or a bit of both. We believe that there is strength in numbers and that people do their best work when they can form lasting bonds with their colleagues, associates, and members of the GoPro community.”

42. East West Partners

Location: Avon and Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 60
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: A $1,200 annual wellness bonus, 14 weeks of paid parental leave, a paid month-long sabbatical after 7 years and again every 5 years, outdoor-inspired team outings from trail repair and floating the Yampa river to crawfish boils and pickleball tournaments, dog-friendly offices, ski-in/ski-out locations, exclusive access to Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche games, and a company “Snow Days” holiday

What makes it great: “One of our core values is ‘Live Where We Work,’ so our team members have the rare opportunity to grow thriving careers in stunning mountain locations like Vail, Park City, Steamboat, and Snowmass, or in dynamic urban locations like Denver and Charleston. Our work enables us to make a lasting, positive impact through sustainable, net-zero carbon projects and meaningful civic contributions. And we do it all with a team of creative, hard-working people who know how to have fun along the way!”

43. Superfeet

Location: Ferndale, Washington
Focus:
Number of Employees: 152
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 25 days of PTO

Perks: Time off to volunteer in the community, $1,000 annual contribution per employee to the non-profit organization of their choice, gym and national park pass reimbursements, 100-percent employer-paid premiums for medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short and long term disability, long term care, and an employee assistance program, 401(k) matching flexible hybrid work schedules, and a dog-friendly office

What makes it great: “People are at the heart of everything Superfeet does, and that very much includes a commitment to creating an empowering and inclusive workplace culture for our team members. Superfeet team members are empowered to participate in cross-departmental committees, engaging all-company meetings and annual strategic planning that involves employees at every level. Superfeet prioritizes flexible work arrangements, from remote employees to state-of-the-art facilities, ensuring every team member has the resources and space to excel.”

44. Cactus

Location: Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 75
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Ski passes, an annual all-agency ski day at Arapahoe Basin, discounted ski equipment rentals, an employee group that enjoys outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and indoor rock climbing, a paid monthly fitness benefit, agency-funded group registrations for run/walk events around Denver, an annual agency kickball tournament, monthly team happy hour events, free Calm premium membership and access to YOU@Cactus, a customized mental well-being portal

What makes it great: “Cactus is a special place to collaborate with truly amazing people who do meaningful work for clients they believe in and have fun doing it. We share a belief in the power of small agency creativity and innovation to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. We have a workplace culture driven by values like respect, belonging, passion, courage, tenacity, collaboration, well-being, and critical thought.”

45. 85Sixty

Location: Solana Beach, California
Focus: Number of Employees: 88
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Subsidized Ikon Passes, dog-friendly offices, locations by ocean and mountains, travel experiences around the U.S., gift cards for the company swag store, discounts for travel and outdoor products, and paid industry conference opportunities

What makes it great: “At 85Sixty, we believe in putting our people first! Our fun-loving culture is all about teamwork, flexibility, and empowering everyone to shine, whether they’re hitting the trails or shredding the slopes. We encourage our crew to connect with brands they’re passionate about, making work feel like play. With the right tools and supportive leadership, we ensure our team has everything they need to do their best work while enjoying the journey together!”

46. Pathlabs

Location: Missoula, Montana
Focus:
Number of Employees: 108
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Hybrid/remote flexibility; paid civic engagement days, weekly catered lunches, Friday yoga, a casual work environment welcoming shorts, hats, dogs, and long weekend excursions, company-sponsored events like river tubing, pickleball, golf, axe-throwing, and river cleanups, events in Missoula for outdoor activities and team bonding, and charitable donation matching up to $250 annually to qualified 501(c)3 organizations

What makes it great: “We are committed to our core values, with ‘people first’ at the forefront. A laid-back, adventure-driven culture balances our fast-paced, award-winning growth. Headquartered in Missoula, Montana, we are steps away from access to world-class outdoor activities. We foster an atmosphere where we work hard, celebrate wins, and enjoy time together as humans, not just as coworkers.”

47. Arts & Letters Creative Co.

Location: Richmond, Virginia
Focus:
Number of Employees: 150
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 25 days of PTO

Perks: 25 holidays, including one week off to recharge during July 4th week and the holidays in December/January; 401(k) and a 4-percent company match that is 100-percent vested from day one; a suite of wellbeing resources, including an annual wellness reimbursement, two employee assistance programs, access to OneVillage one-on-one coaching, and all-agency in-person events

What makes it great: “Arts & Letters is reimagining what it means to be a creative company by doubling down on a belief that building teams is the best force multiplier for creativity. Keeping people and how they connect at the center of everything, A&L incubates more inclusive talent development programs for both managers and contributors, increases support of employees through concierge services, and launches new programs to connect employees in their local communities. A&L believes firmly that a place should work for its people, and not the other way around.”

48. Young & Laramore, Inc.

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Focus: Number of employees: 70
Average salary: Unspecified
Vacation time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Unlimited paid sick leave, company bikes for riding around downtown, showers and lockers for workday runs and rides, an annual Field Day event, office closed for the last week of the year, a two-day fall retreat at a state park or college campus, and a room for meditation or quiet time

What Makes it Great: “Every day we walk into a 120-year-old schoolhouse with a gymnasium where we can all hang out. We run together. Sometimes it’s a five-miler at lunch, other times it’s a full marathon. We compete against each other every year at our annual Field Day event as well. We love spending time together, and being active is a big part of that. We love having dogs in the office and hitting the Cultural Trail or the canal in downtown Indy for walks at lunch. We also have an annual pumpkin-carving contest and a pretty competitive chili cook off.”

49. Alianza

Location: Pleasant Grove, Utah
Focus:
Number of Employees: 286 (136 U.S. employees)
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 20 days of PTO

Perks: Flexible work schedules and fully remote options, a $500 annual fitness reimbursement for a gym membership or outdoor gear and apparel, in-office yoga, corporate passes for skiing, rock climbing, and golf, a fleet of e-bikes for employee use, a fully stocked kitchen with vegan and paleo options, and 100-percent employer-paid healthcare premiums

What makes it great: “Alianza encourages everyone to be their best self at work, which includes taking advantage of our Utah headquarters location and exploring new outdoor activities and wellness habits. Between the perks and flexible work options—including a collaborative, welcoming, and fully-equipped office space with stunning mountain views and a wellness room, aptly named Zen—it’s easy to balance hard work with fun, growth, and outdoor exploration.”

50. Falling Creek Camp, Inc.

Location: Tuxedo, North Carolina
Focus: Number of Employees: 18
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Access to miles of multi-use trails on 900 private acres, use of camp activity equipment, free meals during summer operations, free on-site housing for seasonal employees (available year-round for some full-time staff), paid-for certifications like Wilderness First Responder and Waterfront Lifeguard, health insurance for full-time employees, 100-percent paid vision insurance and cell phone, and half-day Fridays from September through April

What makes it great: “We exist to shepherd the journey of personal growth through love and adventure. Camp is not just for the camper: the leadership cares about each staff member’s growth and wellbeing. Employees are empowered to get out in camp, join in the activities, and make a positive impact through interacting with the camp community. They develop lifelong relationships with staff and campers and learn ever-important soft skills through managing teams, navigating interpersonal dynamics, and problem-solving day to day situations.”

Honorable Mentions

Backbone

Location: Carbondale, Colorado
Focus:

commonFont

Location: Bozeman, Montana, and Providence, Rhode Island
Focus:

First Descents

Location: Denver, Colorado
Focus:

Geographic Expeditions

Location: San Francisco, California
Focus:

Idea Ranch

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; Durango, Colorado
Focus:

Moving Mountains

Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Focus:

Putney Student Travel

Location: Putney, Vermont
Focus:

Yakima Products, Inc.

Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Focus:

The post The 50 Best Places to Work in 2024 appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Matt McAdow was sitting on a cardboard box in a Montana warehouse, tapping out emails on a laptop and waiting for his shoes to arrive. It was Monday, September 18, 2023, a pivotal moment for , a boutique footwear company headquartered in Missoula. The shoes, Bedrock’s first to be manufactured overseas, were supposed to have arrived four days earlier. McAdow, director of operations, had spent months coordinating photo shoots, producing marketing collateral, and figuring out how to fill a 10,000-unit order for Bedrock’s new mountain clogs—in three colors of suede and nubuck. Cofounder Dan Opalacz was excited that the rollout would occur a week before his first son was due to be born. “It was all lining up with these big work and life milestones,” he says. “Then everything backfired and created more work than I ever could have imagined.”

Unlike Bedrock’s other sandals, assembled by the company in California, the clogs were manufactured in Busan, South Korea, then sent to Los Angeles in a 40-foot shipping container, with the first batch arriving at Long Beach port on Monday, September 11. A total of 447 cartons were scheduled to be loaded into a truck for direct delivery to Bedrock’s warehouse outside Missoula by noon on Thursday, September 14, five days ahead of the biggest product launch in Bedrock’s 12-year history. But when noon arrived, with the ten-person warehouse team ready to receive, quality-check, and prep the inventory for shipping, the clogs were nowhere to be seen.

A message arrived from Landstar System, hired to oversee logistics, revealing that the truck had “mechanical issues” and would arrive by 8 A.M. the following day. This unfortunate news was accompanied by a screenshot of the truck’s location on Google Maps, just a few hours away. Friday morning came but the clogs did not, and McAdow says that the Bedrock crew went into the weekend “bummed, but not suspicious” about the spotty information they’d received. A Monday arrival would crunch QC time and possibly delay some orders, but they’d manage.

Monday again brought no truck, but there was an update from Landstar’s supposed “dispatcher,” who indicated that the driver’s phone was turned off. The dispatcher also relayed the unsettling possibility that the driver “likes to party” and sometimes drank a lot on weekends. This was the last straw as far as McAdow was concerned. He printed out photos of the driver’s license and of the blue and orange truck that had been provided by the shipping company, and scoured several truck stops in the Missoula area looking for his clogs. No luck. Nor were there signs of anyone at the pulloff where, according to the dispatcher, the driver had stopped to sleep. “I was concerned that this guy may have passed out or had a heart attack in some random yard,” McAdow says. A diesel mechanic across the street from the pulloff told him about a truck headed for Seattle that matched the description, but it turned out to be unrelated.

McAdow was now seriously worried that something shady was going on. He went home and, from his kitchen table, researched the driver’s name online, found his cell number, and dialed it. A voice answered. When McAdow identified himself as “Matt from Bedrock Sandals,” the man on the other end asked McAdow to call him back in ten minutes. He proceeded to give McAdow the runaround. Later that day, someone called from a Google Voice number with a Los Angeles area code. The new caller had a thick Eastern European accent and could barely be heard above the background noise. He said that he was in Salt Lake City, driving the truck with “the goods” inside. He explained that the previous driver had hired him to assume responsibility for the load, a frowned-upon but legal practice referred to as double brokering.

“I’m not gonna lie, man,” said the trucker, who identified himself only as Mick. “I’ll have it there tomorrow.”

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As he slathered SPF 30 onto his left calf, Ryan Johnson looked back at me and issued a warning: expect honking. I hadn’t been astride a bike in six years, but here I was on a brutally hot late-October afternoon in Arizona, an e-bike beside me, preparing for a ride. Our destination was a cycling path along the Salt River, which bisects Tempe, a city of 189,000 people about ten miles (or 60 minutes by bike) east of Phoenix. Tempe is home to Arizona State University, and it’s also the place where Johnson is currently running a grand residential experiment.

Johnson is the cofounder of Culdesac, a real estate development firm that wants to flip the script on urban living. In May 2023, he became one of the first tenants of Culdesac Tempe, a new complex taking shape on an otherwise inconspicuous tract of dirt. More than 225 people have since moved into apartments located inside a tight grouping of white stucco buildings that might be described as Santorini lite, with trendy balconies, spacious courtyards, and inviting patios shaded by trees.

Similar to those pseudo-urban enclaves situated outside America’s metropolises where residences and retail commingle, Culdesac has its own grocery store, gym, cafĂ©, and mail service. There’s a bike shop on the premises, as well as a clothing consignment store, a plant emporium, an art studio, and a wellness boutique that offers IV hydration. A coworking space is located above the gym. Cocina Chiwas, the restaurant on the corner, combines craft cocktails with its own take on Mexican fare. This past May, the restaurant’s owners opened up Aruma, a coffee shop across from the restaurant.

Once construction is complete, which will take several years, will comprise 760 units total, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms and housing approximately 1,000 residents. The catch: not one of those units will come with a parking space. “We’re the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the U.S.,” says Johnson.

Virtually every residential development anywhere in this country includes parking, a requirement common in city building codes. At Culdesac, if you do own a vehicle, it’s a condition of your lease that you refrain from parking it within one block, in any direction, of the community. “We can’t tell people that they can’t own a car,” says Johnson, a tall, lanky 41-year-old. “But if people want to have a car, there are other great neighborhoods for them.”

The thought made me shudder. Where I live, in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., about an hour from the city, a car is practically a prerequisite for getting to the grocery store, the barber, the doctor’s office, the liquor store. Bike lanes are sporadic. There aren’t many bus stops within walking distance. Taking a rideshare to visit family, an hour by car at least, seems more than a little silly. While I typically work from home, when traveling I drive to the airport—in the Ford Bronco my wife and I bought last year. (And if I can be frank: I just want a vehicle.)

“I had an SUV in high school,” Johnson, who hasn’t owned a car in 13 years, told me when I met him. “I just didn’t know any better.”

The e-bike ride was my first lesson in automotive deprivation. I had flown here to try out a one-bedroom apartment at Culdesac and experience carless living for several days. There’s a light-rail stop one street over, but early Culdesac residents received a complimentary electric bike, which is Johnson’s favorite mode of transportation. (He owns about 70 of them, most stored at his company’s main office downtown.) Plus, I was told that a ride on the Salt River bike path, 100-degree weather be damned, would provide unobstructed views of the mountains framing the city’s skyline.

We just had to get there first, which involved traveling on streets lacking any bike lanes. The speed limit on our route was 25 miles an hour, but my e-bike maxed out at 20. Barely ten minutes into the journey, I heard the first honk.

Ditching cars entirely might seem crazy. (In nearby Phoenix, once described by The New York Times as an “ever-spreading tundra of concrete,” they’re more of a necessity than a luxury.) But what Culdesac is attempting to accomplish is a revision of city living, where the pedestrian, not the automobile, is more valued. To Johnson, Culdesac is an oasis in a desert of car-fueled aggravation—a walkable community that’s safe, entertaining, better for the climate, and better for the individual. And he believes that if he builds it, people will come.

The post Can Car-free Living Make You Happier? appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

When Ada Limon, America’s first Latina poet laureate, was tasked with bringing poetry to people who otherwise might not be exposed to it, she knew just where to put it: National Parks. The celebrated poet talks to șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű about her inspirations for the You Are Here project, and how nature and poetry can help us rethink wild places, and our place in them.

You can find a list of National Parks for the You Are Here project .

The post Ada LimĂłn Wants Picnic Tables to Make You Feel Something appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.