ϳԹ Magazine, Feb 2014
Fifty six perfect things
Stories
POSTs
Like many fools, Abe Streep spends a lot of time and too much money trying to feel the pull of fish. But he recently learned that you can have just as much fun on the water without hooks.
Mount Whitney was closed during the government shutdown, but that didn't stop our editor from summiting.
When the perfect drink coincides with the perfect location, you get better than buzzed.
Meet Kikkan Randall, the most exciting thing in cross-country skiing since... forever
America’s secret to victory in the bobsled? Outsourcing.
Dissecting the scary trick halfpipe skiers will need to nail for a shot at gold
Skiing in the middle of the season can mean long waits at the lifts and jam-packed hotels. Here’s how to avoid both.
A fascination with a cartoon animal and a Class V river lured her to the empty wilderness of Tasmania. Turns out the raw side of Down Under offers an amazing number of pristine places to camp, surf, hike, mountain bike, and kayak. Stephanie Pearson goes all in.
Who says cat and heli-skiing are for the one percent? Here’s how to score prime powder at a cut rate.
What we think will happen on, and off, the course at Sochi
If you want to lounge on an empty beach for hours, consider one of these trips.
The original energy bar is back with Epic, Omnibar, and Tanka Bar
Sure, the women of the U.S. ski-jumping team want to medal in Sochi. But they’ve already scored the biggest victory: getting their sport into the 2014 Olympics in the first place.
Jack London said that achieving greatness sometimes means burning white hot, even if there's a price to be paid once the flame goes out. Josh Dean went to Alaska to hang with Lance Mackey, the toughest competitor in Iditarod history. He came away with a new understanding of resilience, bravery, and the iron bond between a musher and his dogs.
Time to chuck the ab-blaster and sell the ellipti-trainer. All you need for your ultimate home fitness center are these key essentials.
With mega-celeb Lindsey Vonn out of Sochi, the Olympic lights will shine bright on her laid-back teammate Julia Mancuso, the perennial underdog who always seems to come home draped with medals.
Each spring on Costa Rica’s desolate Caribbean coast, endangered leatherback sea turtles come ashore at night to lay and hide their eggs. Poachers steal them for cash, and as Matthew Power reports, they’re willing to kill anyone who gets in their way.
Eight amazing lodge trips for those craving comfort and instant access
Researchers are showing everyday athletes how to train their brains to perform like the pros
A Superb Meteor
In 2007, Lance Mackey did the impossible: he won Alaska’s two most brutal dogsled races, the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod. Then, in 2008, he did it again. Six years later, the toughest musher in the sport’s history is learning a new kind of resilience. By Josh Dean
The Devil Made Me Do It
The empty wilds of Tasmania -boast some of the rawest playgrounds on earth. Stephanie Pearson goes way, way Down Under to sample Class V whitewater, turbulent seas, primeval forests—and some fine local pinot.
Blood in the Sand
The inky darkness of Costa Rica’s desolate Caribbean coast is ideal for the leatherback turtles that crawl ashore to lay their eggs. It also provided perfect cover for the men who, on one black night last May, murdered an environmentalist trying to save the endangered giants. By Matthew Power
The Right Stuff
There are some things in life just too good not to share—things we can’t help but celebrate. So here’s a toast to the Yukon Territory, slope-side bloody marys, and a rolling cabin you can take with you almost anywhere. Plus: Julia Mancuso, the Olympian next door.
DISPATCHES SPECIAL
2014 Winter Games: We’re invading Russia! And with a troop of young freeskiers, the fastest bobsled ever invented, and a secret cross-country weapon known as the Kikkanimal, we’ll be taking our plunder in gold, thanks.
Exposure: America’s new Olympic-darlings, the U.S. women’s ski-jumping team, have already overcome their biggest hurdle—getting their sport into the Games.
DESTINATIONS
Lodges: Whether you want to surf unspoiled El Salvador or fat-bike the woods of Washington, these eight hideaways put you on top of the season’s best adventures.
Go List: Cat-skiing deals, eating farm-to-table at the Denver airport, and a new way to rent skis.
Journeys: Leave the Andes to the extreme types. For empty beaches and candlelit villages, enter the relaxed state of Uruguay.
BODYWORK
Brain Training: New research is showing everyday athletes how to rewire their neural networks to perform like the pros.
Tools: Essential home-gym equipment to keep you strong through winter.
Pulse: Beef jerky, the original energy bar; and why cleanses are a waste of money.
Fuel: The U.S. Ski Team’s favorite meal.
ESSENTIALS
Cars & Trucks: SUVs, wagons, crossovers, and hybrids—we rate the best and burliest of 2014’s adventure-ready vehicles. Plus: trip-saving apps and gear to outfit every driver.
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PARTING SHOT