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For years, owners Jen and Aaron Brill have operated this place with an under-the-radar, local feel. Few people know that when Silverton was originally permitted, the approved plans included two chairlifts, a base lodge, and ten overnight cabins to eventually be built. This summer, that second chairlift will finally come to fruition.

The new lift will be built across the valley from the main chairlift, and the Brills are still evaluating whether it will be another double or a higher-capacity chair. Once it’s installed, the skiable acres on offer will likely grow considerably.

“We are really excited for the future of Silverton Mountain and our second chairlift that will access phenomenal terrain,” said Aaron Brill, adding that the mountain got overwhelming support for the new lift at a public hearing.�� Brill also shared that they’re seeking an investor to help them put big plans into motion, and that the additional terrain off the new lift will be skiable via heli this spring thanks to good seasonal snowfall. Silverton is reporting a 79-inch base.

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Silverton will also be selling $39 single-run heli bumps for the 2023-’24 season, but act quickly if you’re interested; the price will rise to $59 a pop on May 31. Another great deal is the $199 which usually sells for $699. It’s good for unguided skiing during designated weeks throughout the season. With all the new terrain coming down the pike for next winter, it doesn’t get much better than that for expert skiers looking for real adventure.

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Perched on skis at the top of Bullion King Basin, I admired a wide barrel of spring corn glistening below me. I’d been waiting for this moment. It was my reward for suffering through a five-hour traverse between two backcountry cabins in southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. We started that morning at the near Ophir Pass, just west of Silverton, which we’d skinned up to the previous afternoon. Now we prepared to descend to Highway 550 on Red Mountain Pass, the second day of a new five-day, 27-mile adventure between three luxurious huts in the range.

As I pushed off the ridge and embraced the lightness of gliding down perfectly softened corn, my worries dissolved. No longer was I feeling the burn of a newly formed ankle blister or the hunger pangs brought on by my failure to pack enough snacks. I tucked into my turns with little effort, arcing down one of America’s most spectacular backcountry skiing playgrounds, knowing that a hot meal and a shower awaited that night.

Multiday ski tours between full-­service cabins, which allow guests to travel light and fast and sample big-mountain turns along the way, have existed in Europe, Canada, and other great ranges around the world for years—most notably, the Haute Route between Chamonix, in France, and Zermatt, in Switzerland. But in the U.S., hut-to-hut skiing has mainly been a DIY endeavor. You had to bring your own food, prepare your own meals, and be strong enough to skin long stretches under the weight of a 40-to-50-pound pack. As outdoor enthusiasts in greater numbers ­discover the magic of backcountry skiing, and demand grows for well-stocked refuges, that’s starting to change, especially in the San Juans.

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, , and ��are jackasses—and I mean that as the highest��compliment. In the new short film Girls Gotta Eat Dirt,��from indie��apparel brand��,��the three roommates/best friends/mountain-biking partners��based in Boulder, Colorado, crush the trails of Silverton, in the state’s southwest.��Giddy and gleeful, they ride each others’ wheels as they skid around corners and pop manuals. They give each other shit. They laugh it off when they go��ass��over handlebars. They are crusty and irreverent and carefree.

It’s��simply beautiful. “’Cause��why can’t we be jackasses?” says my editor (who’s also a woman), as we gush about how this video��gives us goose bumps. “We are jackasses.”��

The spirit of the jackass was perhaps best typified by the eponymous��2000 MTV reality show, whose cast consisted of nine young��men��doing outrageous stunts—like attempting to —and pulling pranks on each other.��In its most positive connotation, the word jackass��refers to someone who pushes the boundaries of human physical capabilities for the sake of having a good time.

It’s no coincidence that��Jackass’s cast consisted entirely of men.��Women in the outdoors being portrayed this way isn’t unheard of,��but it is rare. Women-centric action-sport vids are often #inspirational sizzle reels, filled with glamour shots of toned bodies and interview��prompts like��“How does it feel to be a woman in a man’s world?”��Sometimes��they’re grouped in the frame with their supportive spouses and families. Other times, pictured alongside other badass women, they ponder how to make their sport more inclusive.��In these films, incredible women athletes get their time in the sun, but��they are routinely positioned as��outsiders breaking into spaces that hold little room for them. To make that space, not only do they have to crush hard, they also have to be��model spokespeople for the largest questions that face their sport and society. Stoke films like these do serve an important purpose, though: they ignite a drive to fight for the space we deserve. But in them, like everywhere else, women—particularly women of color—are too often saddled with expectations that our society��simply doesn’t have for��men.

It’s not that Cupp, Hamilton, and Saslow��aren’t good representatives for mountain biking. It’s that for at least these six minutes,��they aren’t required to shoulder that responsibility.��Girls Gotta Eat Dirt��gives��this trio the video treatment typically reserved for young��dudes, who get to be and and ��while and .��To watch this film is to be filled with the pure joy of seeing women in muddy denim cutoffs alternate between ripping perfect berms—eyes laser focused, bikes��a blur—and��chugging beers.��

“Do you like riding with boys?”��someone behind the camera at one point asks Cupp (who the other two insist goes by Donkey,��despite her protests).��“I love boys,” she says before��cackling��into Saslow’s shoulder. The implication: but not riding with them.��

“We just like to go fast,” Cupp��says. And fast they go, kicking up a cloud of dust behind them.

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Whether you’ve been backcountry skiing for decades or this will be the first winter you strap skins to your skis, there are a number of reasons to consider hiring a guide. A good one will find you better snow than you may be able to��on your own, and they’ll help you make smart decisions related to route finding, avalanche danger, and general��safety. Plus, they’re generally awesome people to hang around with. These guides are some of our favorites.

Margaret Wheeler

The Sawtooths, Idaho

Wheeler grew up ski racing on the East Coast and lived in Chamonix, France, after college. While earning her master’s degree in engineering in Washington State, she took��her first American Mountain Guides Association��ski-guide course, which��set her on a path. Five years later, in 2006, she also completed courses for��rock��and alpine guiding, making her just the second woman in North America to earn her guiding certification through the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). Wheeler, who is based��in Ketchum, Idaho, guides in Europe and closer to home with�� on day and overnight trips (from $175) around Sun Valley and the Sawtooths.

Zahan Billimoria

The Tetons, Wyoming

When Teton Gravity Research film crews and athletes want to shoot in far-flung mountain locales, Billimoria is the one they call. Born in Switzerland, Billimoria now lives and guides out of Jackson, Wyoming, where he’s tackled multiple first descents through the Tetons and skied the Grand Teton more than a dozen times.��He’s an IFMGA-certified lead guide for�� and the owner of , a guiding outfit that leads trips throughout the Tetons and beyond (price upon request)��as well as a training program for mountain athletes. If you can’t make it to the Tetons this season, you can also do��one of his�� from home (from $95).

Peter Doucette

The White Mountains, New Hampshire

When Doucette isn’t training Special Ops teams in the U.S. military, he’s running��, an international guiding operation based in the White Mountains. The��IFMGA-certified guide hosts backcountry ski trips from the European Alps to the Canadian Rockies, but this winter��he’ll be leading outings on the snow-covered peaks around his home in Jackson, New Hampshire—including 6,288-foot Mount Washington (price upon request).

Tino Villanueva

The Cascades, Washington

A native of the Pacific Northwest and an IFMGA-certified guide, ��is a former Crystal Mountain ski patroller and an avalanche forecaster for big-mountain freeskiing competitions. He now works as a lead guide for Seattle-based��;��as a lead heli-ski guide and an avalanche forecaster for ��in Cordova, Alaska;��and as a��guide for��private custom trips (price upon request). In normal times,��when he’s not��ski-touring around his home in the Cascades, Villanueva is��bagging first ascents throughout the Himalayas and .

Sheldon Kerr

The San Juans, Colorado

Having grown��up skiing in Vermont and Colorado, ��dabbled with the idea of becoming a professional skier and previously competed in the U.S. Freeskiing Championships at Crested Butte, but she eventually found that guiding was more her style. Kerr��soon became one of the first dozen or so women in the U.S. to earn the��full IFMGA certification.��After stints working for Colorado’s Silverton Mountain and Wyoming’s , Kerr is now based in Ridgway, Colorado, where she guides custom trips throughout the Southwest for����(from $500 for a day trip).

Howie Schwartz

The Sierra,��California

There’s nobody who knows California’s eastern Sierra Nevada quite like Schwartz, owner and lead guide of����(from $250 for a day trip). A veteran��in his field, he’s been guiding since 1993 and was one of the first 20 American guides to achieve IFMGA status, back in 2001. He helped create the��curriculum for the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education’s Avalanche Level 1 courses that people still take today. Schwartz calls Bishop, California, home, so if you’re looking for a backcountry outing anywhere near Mammoth Lakes, he’s your guy.

Mike Soucy

The Front Range, Colorado

Soucy has been called a “true mountain professional” by those in the guiding world. Not only is he an��IFMGA-certified guide, he’s also a pro-level avalanche-course instructor��and an instructor for guides in training. Soucy��has been guiding for��, based in Boulder,��for over 15 years (price upon request). He leads human-powered ski outings in Canada, Alaska, the European Alps, and all over the��Front Range, where he knows plenty of secret stashes to escape the crowds. “I take pride in teaching first-timers how to backcountry ski, all the way to leading people on their bucket-list trips off high peaks,” Soucy��says.

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After visiting mountain huts in the Alps and the Himalayas, Bob Kingsley couldn’t shake the fantasy of living a hut keeper’s life. “I loved how close the people lived to the mountains,” he says. In 2006, after a 20-year search, Kingsley bought an old mining claim in Ophir, Colorado, and spent the next five years constructing the , a gorgeous timber and stone structure set high atop , between Telluride and Silverton. Completely off the grid, the solar-powered hut sleeps 16 people among four rooms (in addition to the hut keeper’s quarters, where Kingsley sleeps with his dog). It also has two composting toilets and an outdoor sauna. The $45 per night cost includes* home-cooked meals (like chicken potpies); wine and beer is also available. It’s the most authentic European-style hut experience you’ll find in North America, right down to Kingsley’s hospitality.

Running a year-round remote hut is taxing work. Tasks range from hauling 60-pound loads of firewood to fishing guests’ dropped toiletry bags from the composting toilet. “Having some of the best backcountry in the at your doorstep makes it all worthwhile,” says Kingsley.

Age: 51
Job: Hut keeper
Hometown: Schenectady, New York
Home Base: Ophir, Colorado
Average Annual Snowfall: 350 inches
Days Spent Skiing Per Year: 100
Money Borrowed from His Parents to Build Opus Hut: $50,000
Days Per Year Spent at the Hut: 208
Breakfast Specialty:
Hut Altitude: 11,765 feet
Distance to the Hut: A walkable or driveable quarter-mile and 200 vertical feet in summer; a skinnable 3.5 miles and 1,200 vertical feet in winter.
Price: $45 for a dorm spot, après-ski soup, dinner, and breakfast
Best Time to Visit:��September for peace and quiet; January for skiing; March for high touring; July for sunny days and wildflowers; August and September for mountain biking.
A Season��of Supplies: 7,000 pounds, which, besides a once-per-winter heli drop, are skinned or hiked up��on Kingsley's back.��
Last Time He Owned a TV: 1987
Dating Scene in Ophir: “This interview is the longest I’ve talked to a girl in I don’t even know how long.”
Where He Vacations: “I recently took up kiteboarding, and I’m trying to get to the Caribbean in November for my birthday. I’ve been to St. Lucia, which felt like a little Jamaica, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

Rocky Beginnings: “I left New York for Colorado State University in 1983 to pursue a degree in business, thinking I’d be a business information assistant and get involved in computer systems. After two years, my GPA was 2.5, so I moved to Steamboat Springs, lived in a shack, traded work for rent, and was a total ski bum. After two years of screwing around, I returned to school and graduated.”

On Life Goals: “My goal was to not get sucked into the usual American dream; my priority was to live close to the planet, the mountains mainly, at that time. I moved back to Steamboat and pursued things and skills that made that lifestyle possible. Just like any other career, just a different goal—not money, not success, not esteem. I spent two years with an excavation company laying concrete, moved on to carpentry, learned timber framing, did some crazy joinery projects, and then took an apprenticeship with a timber company in Washington state. Funny thing is when you follow your dreams, those things come to you, maybe on some other level or in unexpected ways. Of course, it’s not easy.”

Inspiration to Build a Hut: “In 1995, I went to Nepal, and we stayed in teahouses. It was my first experience with full-service backcountry lodging. That’s when I got turned on to the lifestyle of running a lodge. In my late thirties, I was married to an über-athlete, and we did some trekking and skiing in the Alps and experienced their huts. Then, in 2006, we summited in Chile and stayed in huts built by the German Alpine Club. They had running water and a flush toilet. That just blew my mind and set the bar really high.”

The Search for Land: “I spent 20 years searching for the right land. In 1989, while I was guiding with the huts in Steamboat, I applied for my first permit to create a yurt system. The Forest Service accepted it seven years later. Three years after that, we were finally ready to move ahead with construction of 12-person huts, but the Forest Service shut us down due to a dispute by local ranchers. Then I got this idea to look for patented mine claims in the San Juans. You could buy them for next to nothing because no one is mining anymore. The Forest Service puts out district maps showing property ownership, and patented claims were pink; I scoured the maps for the pink spots. In 2003, I spotted the Ophir claim. Today, everything is online, so you can go to any assessor site and search for mining claims, click on them, and you get the name of the owner, their address, and, if you’re lucky, you might even get the owner’s email. Then you shoot them a note and try to make the purchase. This claim had two owners. It took a lot of effort and drove me crazy, but I ended up getting the full title to the 10.33-acre claim for $35,000 and had to agree to share profits 50-50 with one of the owners during my first five years.”

Constructing the Hut: “I got the land for Opus in 2006 and started construction in 2007. There wasn’t road access to the site, so we built a snow road and drove a mini excavator. I got a guy to heli in ten 2,500-pound loads of concrete and timber to the end of my driveway before the mayor of the town could complain. In the fourth year of building, my wife decided she wasn't into it and left to go ski Denali. That precipitated our divorce. I finally got the certificate of occupancy in December 2010. Looking back, I would ask myself what possessed me to pursue this? But you have to chase your dreams. Don't give up.”

On Being Alone in the Mountains: “Being up in the mountains by yourself, you’re pretty much forced to get in tune with what’s around you. I’d never noticed how animals communicate before. It was a real Walden Pond, monk in the mountains experience. I’d tell anyone if they were going to do what I do, get a dog. They are the world’s most loving, loyal companion. I’ve had my border collie, Ronja Rovardotter, for 13 years, and she goes everywhere with me.”

A Typical Day at the Hut: “I wake up between 5:30 and 6 a.m. to make breakfast. Today it was muesli, Canadian bacon, and scones. We serve breakfast at 8 a.m., and I’m cleaning up until 10 a.m. Then I check new arrivals and assign rooms, chop wood, check the food and beer stock—today, alarmingly low—and start a fire on snowy days. I play the role of maintenance man, business manager, food purchaser, sometimes even guide. Some days, like today, it’s amazing out there—eight fresh inches and bluebird skies. If you’re not me, you can ski 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those days, I spend three hours touring, then head back to the kitchen to start the meat pies for that night, which are baked in a Dutch oven in the sauna box. I fire the sauna at 4:30 p.m., serve soup to the guests, and then get back to dinner prep. The dishes last til 9 p.m. most nights, and I get to bed at 9:30 p.m. Last night, I stayed up late for a raucous game of crib. Tomorrow I need to take the trash and recycling down, deal with some banking issues, and bring the laundry back up. The winds are supposed to pick up to 55 miles per hour, so getting back up may be interesting.”

On Bad Yelp Reviews: “It’s hard to always be personable with guests. Guests get shitfaced and puke off the deck, and it drives me insane. People read reviews on Yelp and Trip Advisor and think I’m a crusty old hut keeper because I bitched someone out for leaving gear in inappropriate places. People show up intimidated, but then they warm to me.”

Backcountry Huts’ Potential in the United States: “There are more than 250 huts in Switzerland, an area two-thirds the size of Colorado. I believe if Americans had that type of opportunity, they would gobble it up. Once people experience Opus Hut, they continue to come back. You really do need to book ahead to get a room these days (by November for winter visits��and by May for summer visits). I think we’ll continue to see interest in backcountry grow in the U.S. as a result of the high cost of resort skiing.”

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From and , brings you into the life of a legendary��Ski Guide from Silverton, Colorado. At 52, he's the oldest guide at the , but he's managed to find the secret to staying��young forever: doing what you love. For Shocklee, that's skiing.��Find more from ��and .��

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Think of overlanding, the latest craze in the adventure vehicle world,��as backpacking, but with your car.�� (the go-to source on the subject) defines the sport as “self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal.”��It comes down to traveling long distances on rough roads to a remote destination in an off-highway-capable vehicle (bikes included).

While a tricked out adventure vehicle like a 70 Series Land Cruiser or a Land Rover Defender is highly encouraged, your Subaru can probably get you farther than you think (provided you pack accordingly).��The big draw is covering lots of distance off the beaten path with everything you need to survive.��So, once you find that Syncro or CJ5 you’ve been scouring Craigslist for, here’s a list of trails that should be on your overland bucket list:

The Trans-America Trail

Tennessee to Oregon

Motorcycle enthusiast Sam Correro developed the Trans-America Trail (TAT) in an attempt to create a coast-to-coast off-pavement motorcycle route. The TAT winds nearly 5,000 miles on a connection of dirt, forest service, gravel, and jeep roads from Southeastern Tennessee to Southwestern Oregon.��, Correro says the TAT is not for everyone and requires a “special ‘love’ for a motorcycle.” In 2013 a group of Land Rover LR4’s��, proving that it can be done in a larger vehicle.

The Alpine Loop Scenic Byway

Silverton, Colorado

The Alpine Loop starts in ,��and winds 63 miles through the heart of the San Juan Mountains. Nestled between highways 550 and State Road 149, the route is closed during the winter, and the high alpine environments of Engineer and Cinnamon Passes (both over 12,000 feet) require a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. The entire loop takes around four��to six��hours,��and��you’ll��pass��seven��abandoned mining towns along the way, along with plenty of opportunities for hiking and camping.��There are more challenging routes in the area, like the Black Bear Pass Road route, but if you’re looking for a mid-length overland route with spectacular mountain views in the Rockies, this is your trail.

The Rubicon Trail

Georgetown, California ��

There’s a reason Jeep named their most off-road worthy model of the Wrangler the Rubicon. The Rubicon Trail runs 22 miles from Georgetown to Tahoma, just west of Lake Tahoe, over slick granite and through classic Sierra Nevada scenery. This isn’t a trip for those worried about scratching their vehicle, and the ��recommends several vehicle modifications like larger tires and a lift kit to prevent damage. The reward for all that preparation is a few days of camping along one of the most famous overland routes in the world.

Cape Lookout National Seashore

North Carolina’s Outer Banks

North Carolina’s barrier islands provide an incredible outdoor playground, including some fantastic overland routes if you know where to go. Our favorite: the islands that make up the 56 mile long —North Core and South Core Banks. South Core is the more remote of the two—you’ll have to ferry your vehicle from the mainland. There are no paved roads, and you can camp anywhere you’d like along the beach so long as you don’t drive through the sand dunes.

The Dalton Highway

Alaska

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already heard of the Dalton Highway. The mostly gravel road in Northern Alaska stretches 414 miles from Livengood to Deadhorse. It was originally built as a service road for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and is still considered one of the ��in the U.S., mainly because of the lack of services and cell phone reception along the entire route. The payoff for braving the Dalton? You get to see some of the most spectacular wilderness in the country, traversing the Brooks Range and crossing the Yukon River en route to the Arctic Ocean.

The Mojave Road

Mojave National Preserve, California

The 140-mile ��is a classic U.S. desert route that usually takes two��to four��days to traverse and requires four-wheel drive. Originally a Native American trade route and later a wagon trail, the rough and sandy track runs east to west through the Mojave National Preserve in California, crossing several mountain ranges before terminating near Barstow, California.

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On Thursday morning, boutique-board maker Venture Snowboards sent an email to media and released a statement ��announcing it would not deliver any product to market in the 2015/16 season.

Citing “circumstances beyond our control,” the 16-year-old Silverton, Colorado-based company said it planned to continue production at a future date, but in the interim, encouraged its fans to support other small brands in the snowboarding industry.

“Trust us when we say we did everything possible to make it work,” the letter, signed by founders Klemens and Lisa Branner, read. “Venture has been a labor of love for us for more than 16 years. We did it for you, for ourselves, and for snowboarding.”

���ϳԹ��� requested comment through email and phone from both Klemens and Lisa. At the time of publication, neither had responded.

The brand, famous for its high-end, in-house manufactured solids and splitboards, had production models ready for this season. ���ϳԹ��� was one of many media outlets that tested the 2015-16 lineup. But according to one Silverton local, there have been rumors circulating for weeks that something was wrong at the factory.

“They stopped production,” Todd Bove, owner of , told ���ϳԹ��� on Thursday. According to Bove, Venture cut several employees weeks ago. Those people knew enough about what was coming to find other jobs, he says.

The issue, according to Bove, wasn’t popularity of the boards. Bove says his shop rents and sells only Venture snowboards in part because they were so regionally favored. The boards were the de facto ride of Silverton Mountain guides, which in turn piqued clients’ interest in the brand.

After the news broke Thursday morning, Bove says he received multiple calls from customers asking to buy his 12 leftover 2014-15 boards. But at this point,��he's not sure if he can sell his inventory. The boards in the shop��were acquired��through a��consignment arrangement with Venture. It’s been over a week since he spoke with Klemens, and Bove, like others in the industry, is still waiting for more details to emerge in the aftermath of the announcement.

“People really want [the boards],” Bove says, “and they should be out there.”

While Venture hasn’t formally announced the details of what led to its decision, boutique snowsports manufactures nationwide face increasing pressure from both big companies and fellow small brands.

“You’re always influenced to try and increase your [production] numbers as quickly as possible, because the higher the number, the lower price [the manufacturer] can give [the consumer] per unit,” says founder and owner Jared Mazlish, whose small ski��company is based out of Breckenridge, Colorado.

“In order to have all the costs that are incumbent in a business and try to make more money, you’re feeling forced to grow quickly and increase production and debt, even though the end result is a recipe for disaster if demand suddenly dips,” he says. “You’re walking a thin line each year.”

Mazlish’s company, now in its eleventh season, had to control its growth for this reason, reigning in production because��of market volatility. With finite resources, especially when compared to high-volume producers, one misstep can cause serious problems. “If you overdo��it and get into debt, you don’t have any recovery zone,” he says. ��

Mike Waesche, who founded in 2008, agrees: “There’s a lot of pressure to move volume,” he says, “and you’re trying to support jobs, too.”

For Waesche, that’s meant a more conservative growth prediction year to year, and an internal goal to sell through inventory by December. “What’s realistic for another industry—say 20 percent—isn’t for us,” he says. It means going on the low end of production estimates to ensure that the shelves are empty and demand stays high. ��This plan for “slower, more sustainable growth” helps��his company preserve its principles, he says, allowing it to retain its Made-in-America commitment.

So what happened to Venture Snowboards? Was it a numbers game and they were simply too aggressive in past seasons, making too many boards? It’s hard to say until its founders formally speak about what happened. But in the meantime, Venture is proof of how tenuous the market is for small businesses. No matter the popularity, boutique manufacturers can be��just a season away from the presses shutting down.��

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So what if Europeans get the entire month of August off—spring break is an American birthright. Whether you’re toting the kids or fleeing civilization, we’ve got the trip for you.

Try an Island That’s Better Than Bali

Raja Ampat, Indonesia
It’s hard not to love Bali, with its abundance of surf breaks and colorful culture. But there are 17,507 other islands in Indonesia with fiery volcanoes, vast underwater landscapes, and a lot fewer visitors. For diving, head to Raja Ampat, a 15,000-square-mile wilderness of islets and reefs with some of the richest marine biodiversity on the planet. has eight stilted, grass-roofed cottages and seven beach villas, and it provides diving gear and guides (from $2,778 for seven nights). Within an hour’s boat ride, there are dozens of dive sites alive with coral gardens, huge sea fans, and wildlife, from pygmy seahorses to the newly discovered walking epaulette shark. For legendary surfing, , a tiny resort on the small island of Sumba, has a consistent break right off the mile-and-a-half-long private beach (doubles, $900). After surfing, guests can mountain-bike to an ancient local village, practice yoga with the resident instructor, or head to a bamboo pavilion for a massage among rice paddies, then feast on whole fish cooked in banana leaves at a sunset beach barbecue.

See a Crowd-Free Machu Picchu

Lares Valley, Peru
With as many as 80,000 visitors taking on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu each year, even the Andean wilderness can get a little claustrophobic. That’s why Mountain Lodges of Peru is working with villagers to establish three new properties along the . This high-altitude trail network sees roughly 20,000 trekkers annually and encompasses the Sacred Valley and the beautifully untracked Lares region, about 35 miles east of Machu Picchu and 40 miles north of Cusco. Two of the eight-room lodges opened last fall, in the villages of Lamay and Huacahuasi, and are luxurious base camps for five- or seven-day adventures that include hiking over 14,500-foot passes, visits to lesser known Inca archaeological sites (like the fortress of Pisac), and time to check out villagers’ intricate weaving skills. Each day ends with a soak in a deckside hot tub overlooking the valley, crackling fires, and healthy meals like pumpkin soup and quinoa salad. The Lares Circuit doesn’t lead directly to Machu Picchu, but guests travel there by bus on the last day and still have to work for the money shot—a sweeping view of the ruins—with a two-hour climb up the Inca staircase of Huayna Picchu. From $1,990 for five days.

Take Advantage of the Mediterranean’s Off-Season

Provence, France
In summer, visitors descend on this picturesque region of southern France, clogging its beaches and lavender-riddled countryside. But in the spring, despite blossoming fruit trees, irises, and wildflowers, the country roads are empty—and perfect for cycling. All you need to do is sign up for a bike trip arranged by , a custom-travel company whose itineraries include guides, shuttle service, hotels, meals, and even a mechanic. With no need to look at a map or worry about dinner reservations, it’s surprisingly easy to fall into a daily rhythm. Pedal through vineyards, orchards, and limestone gorges each morning, stopping to explore the crumbling ruins of a medieval castle or the narrow lanes of a hilltop village. After a leisurely lunch of Provençal specialties like bouillabaisse and ratatouille, you’ll retire to properties like the new Domaine de Manville, a former farming estate in Les Baux de Provence. Afternoons are a blank slate for a glass of rosé by the pool or an amble through fields with views of the Mediterranean. From $1,500.

Embrace No-Easy-Way-Down Skiing

Silverton, Colorado
You won’t be distracted by nightclubs or fancy dining at Silverton Mountain, a one-lift, mom-and-pop operation deep in southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, two hours from Montrose and the nearest airport. That’s because Silverton is all about one thing: big-mountain shredding. The highest, steepest ski area in North America, it tops out at 13,487 feet with a long menu of hike-to chutes, cliffs, and bowls that collectively land more than 400 inches of snow annually. There are no groomers or beginner runs in sight, and avy gear is mandatory. Between January and March, guides lead skiers in small groups to the ($139), which means you’re on the hill with a maximum of about 80 people. In January and April, the area allows unguided skiing, but no more than 475 people have ever shown up on a single day. After the lifts close, drink a pint from the keg in the Quonset hut, then head to the Victorian mining town of Silverton. Get a rum cocktail at before walking a block to the , a new four-room hotel with Jacuzzi tubs in a renovated 1901 building (from $100).

See What Vegas Would Be Like If It Had Powder Days

Heavenly, California
In the American family of ski areas, Heavenly is the party-hearty cousin—kind of crazy but really fun. Straddling the border between Nevada and California, the place has more skiable terrain than any other (4,800 acres) and a rowdy collection of casinos and nightclubs at the base. By day, head to Mott and Killebrew Canyons for 2,000-foot chutes, tackle Gunbarrel for 1,600 vertical feet of thigh-hobbling moguls, or explore the perfectly spaced glades between Heavenly’s 97 runs. Après, skiers and riders gather for , a party at the midmountain lodge complete with go–go dancers, half-price drinks, DJs, and excellent BBQ nachos. By 5:30 the festivities move to the base village, where live bands play alfresco most weekends and casinos deal 24 hours a day. Stay at the newly renovated (from $109), which has rooms with balconies overlooking Lake Tahoe. Not into the party scene? Lucky you—few people get up early enough for fresh tracks, and the powder can stay pristine for as much as four days after each giant Sierra dump.

Bring the Kids to a Mountain Retreat

Steamboat, Colorado
Steamboat understands an essential truth about traveling with families: it has to be easy. At this northern Colorado ski resort, about 150 miles northwest of Denver, all 165 runs funnel down to one base area, so no one can get too terribly lost. The kids’ center stays open until 10 p.m. on Saturdays, so parents can night ski or have dinner minus the noise. And kids under 12 ski free when you buy an adult ticket for five days or more. Check into a condo at , which boasts a sauna, heated pool, game room, and movie library (from $415), then drop the kids at ski school. The mountain, with its famous glades of tightly packed conifer forests and loose aspen groves, is a damn good time for grown-ups, too. Off the hill, test out the resort’s bungee-jump trampoline; take a horseback ride through snowy meadows at , a fifth-generation ranch 30 minutes outside town (from $80); or head to Howelsen Hill, a small ski area that rises right out of downtown, for ($25 per adult, less for kids). Most important, don’t miss , a collection of stone-rimmed, 104-degree mineral pools 20 minutes from town up an AWD-mandatory dirt road.

Surf the 51st State

Rincón, Puerto Rico
While easterners bemoan the storms that barrage the Atlantic coast in winter, Puerto Ricans rejoice—at least those in Rincón, a small town on the island’s exposed northwest tip inhabited by a mix of locals and weathered mainlanders. Between November and April, swells slam into reef, limestone, and sandy breaks to create perfect conditions for surfers, who have flocked here since the sixties. Despite its popularity, Rincón and its collection of surf shops, guesthouses, and bars have managed to keep its low-key vibe and prevent the unsightly coastal development that mars other parts of the island. Learn to surf with the , whose instructors run private and group lessons on mellow breaks like Sandy Beach (from $90). If you’ve already graduated, rent a board and grab a map of the local spots from ($15). Thanks to its west-facing shore, Rincón has some of the best sunsets in Puerto Rico, and the , one of the town’s oldest surfer guesthouses, has a beach bar with uninterrupted views (from $105). After dark, hit the for sushi and beers in front of surf flicks on a big screen.

Hit the Sweet Spot of Resort Charm

Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Along Mexico’s coasts, there are plenty of overdeveloped megaresorts and countless tiny ramshackle villages, but few places gracefully bridge that gap. Puerto Escondido, on Oaxaca’s mellow Pacific coast, is one of them. A tasteful number of guesthouses, shops, and good restaurants dot this active fishing town, which still retains its laid-back flavor. Check into a bright, simple room in (from $71), a two-minute walk to the Pacific, then choose your water-sport. Divers can set out with to explore underwater volcanic rock formations and swim with whale sharks and manta rays ($68 for two dives). Snorkelers: wade offshore at Puerto Angelito to see clouds of colorful reef fish. Or simply head to Carrizalillo beach for a dip and to chill in the sun on this smooth crescent of sand, then grab fish tacos from one of the thatch-roofed beachfront palapas.

Embark on a Homegrown ���ϳԹ���

San Diego, California
San Diego is a pretty boring place to be a meteorologist—70 degrees and sunny, again—but it’s the perfect place to bring the family when you’re fed up with winter and don’t want to break out the passport. Stay in centrally located Mission Beach, which has easy access to the water and kid-friendly attractions like the . Nearby rents homes by the week, which includes two days of kids’ surf lessons, two adult lessons, and free use of cruiser bikes and surfboards (from $3,000). A few of the things you could do with the rest of your time: Rent full-suspension mountain bikes from (from $60) and head to Los Peñasquitos for wide, flat beginner trails or to Noble Canyon for technical singletrack through chaparral, alpine meadows, and oak groves. Hike at for more than four miles of trails along undeveloped beaches—and keep an eye on the water for gray whales and pods of bottlenose dolphins. Or go to for an introductory tandem flight in a hang glider and views of the entire coastline from above ($225).

Find Your Way Into the Remote Rainforest

Sacha Lodge, Ecuador
From Quito, the capital of Ecuador, it takes a vertiginous flight over the Andes, a 50-mile motorboat ride up the Napo River, a jaunt on a boardwalk across a flooded palm forest, and a paddle in a dugout canoe across a lake to get to , a collection of 26 thatch-roofed rooms deep in the Amazon. But the schlep is worth it. More than 500 species of birds (from scarlet macaws to cobalt-winged parakeets) flutter about the canopy, eight species of monkeys swing between the trees, and pumas and ocelots stalk the understory. With a local Quechuan guide, paddle a canoe through blackwater channels packed with orchids, palms, and bromeliads, or hike past 150-foot-tall buttressed kapok trees while looking for three-toed sloths and tiny pygmy marmosets. After dark another cast of creatures emerges—watch the glowing eyes of caimans in a nearby swamp before falling asleep to a chorus of insects in the safety of your screened-in room. From $950 for four days.

Take in Africa Overland

Kenya
On the African savanna, you can cover a lot of ground in a Land Rover, but you’ll gain a much more intimate view on foot, horseback, camel, or mountain bike. On a , try all four with a Samburu guide in the scrub desert and gorges of Kenya’s stunning Laikipia Plateau and the vast plains of the Maasai Mara. You’ll meet local nomads and get close to lions, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, and zebras, which are all less skittish—sometimes alarmingly so—when humans are on a bike or an animal. Accommodations include , which has four rock and wood cottages; , a collection of airy, solar-powered canvas tents; and rustic camps where you’ll sleep on a rocky outcropping or in a tent with the topsheet pulled back to reveal the Southern Hemisphere’s constellations. There’s little or nothing between you and the darkness, so remember that the night’s loudest noises often come from the smallest creatures. From $6,500 for ten days.

Don’t Forget About the Other Big Island

Andros, Bahamas
Andros couldn’t be further from the resort scene on Nassau, and despite being the largest island in the Bahamas, it’s one of the least visited. The few who go are after one thing: bonefish. The “island” is actually a maze of brackish creeks and mangroves. On the east side, you’ll find a handful of locals, , and the bar that locals call Josie’s (order the Barbancourt 15-year rum). On the west side, there’s a national park, some wandering tarpon, and approximately seven million bazooka-size bonefish. Or at least it feels that way when your guide is pointing out dozens of them feeding, blissfully unaware of your giddy laughter that so many fish—and so few anglers—can be in one place. Not that there aren’t slow days here. There are. But that’s why you should ask the South Lodge to send you out with Freddie Dames, an 18-year guide on Andros. He not only has some of the best eyes for fish, but he has the best stories, too. From $1,845 for three nights.

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On July 11, human anomaly Kilian Jornet smashed the six-year-old course record at the . Despite Jornet’s unbelievable speed, Coloradan Kirk Apt, who finished in 39:38:51—nearly 17 hours behind Jornet—received the loudest applause at this year’s awards ceremony.

That’s because the 52-year-old—who broke the course record in 2000 with a time of 29:35:00—kissed the Hardrock for the 20th consecutive year, a new record.��The race was his 48th hundred-miler since 1991; that’s an average of 2.1 hundreds per year, and he’s managed to show up healthy and fit to all of them.

In an era when elite ultrarunners drop out as soon as the smallest thing goes awry, Apt is the exemplar of what determination and perseverance can accomplish: a level of lifetime fitness unknown even to the most famous and revered professional athletes.

We caught up with Apt at his home in Grand Junction to see how 20 years of Hardrock is even possible.

OUTSIDE: When did you start running ultramarathons?
APT: I actually don’t remember; it was probably a year or two before my first hundred, which was Leadville in 1991. In 1990, I paced my friend Greg Brunson at Leadville. The next year, we reversed roles, and since then I’ve lost count of how many times he has paced me in my 48 total hundreds. Probably close to 20, including Hardrock again this year.

What initially drew you to the sport?
The simple love of running in the mountains and the challenge of resetting the edge of the envelope physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.��

Who was instrumental in you getting hooked on the sport?
In addition to Greg, my early mentors include Steve Mahieu, Charlie Thorn, and John Cappis.��

You dropped from your first attempt at Hardrock in its 1992 inaugural running due to food poisoning. Was that a formative experience?
Maybe, in the sense that the experience solidified the feeling that I really don’t like not making it to the finish line. That remains my only hundred-mile DNF.

You finished Leadville before you first ran Hardrock. Did that prepare you for the 100.5-mile loop through the San Juans?
Oh, it was so different than Leadville, and I was still quite low on the learning curve. There was so much uncertainty before the first Hardrock; we wondered whether it could be completed in 48 hours. I remember going into the run with a healthy dose of fear and respect. Certainly it was beneficial to have the 100-mile experience of one race, but Hardrock is a very different experience than other hundreds.

What memories do you have from your first Hardrock 100 finish, or have they all blurred together?
I do remember my first Hardrock. As for gear, I had the whole house with me, a huge backpack. I wasn’t even experienced enough to think I knew what to expect. My plan was to go out and see how it came to me. That first finish line was very special. I remember running super conservatively and feeling huge elation running into the finish, which was down by the gazebo and courthouse [in Silverton, Colorado] back then. It made up for the disappointment of the DNF the year before.��

What was winning the 2000 race like for you?
We were living in Boulder that year, and it was a low snow year. So, just great training in the Front Range. I certainly didn’t go into it with a “win or bust” attitude, but I knew I was super fit.

I did my thing through the race and found myself in the lead. We were going counterclockwise that year, and I got to Chapman aid station [mile 82] feeling pretty good and thought, “I’ve got a shot at winning this.” I’m really not competitive by nature, so I had to convince myself to go for it because it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. It was a big mental effort to keep myself pushing.

I had the best running day of my life on probably the best day to have it. That was the high-water mark of my lifetime fitness.

Being able to show up at Hardrock for 20 straight years and fit enough to finish such a tough course is a level of lifetime fitness most people can’t achieve. How do you do it?
Luck. Also, because I’ve made Hardrock the focus of my year, all my training and other prep has been all about getting to the start line in the best position to be successful. I try to have a healthy lifestyle, eat well, get regular bodywork, train smart. I also take time off when necessary. And I stay positive.

What has been the key to your training?
I now train at really low intensity. I don’t have any problem walking if a climb is working me. My [slowing] times kind of reflect that.

For me, it’s just been the long run. Time on my feet. I don’t care how much ground I cover or how fast I’m going. I do try to get as much terrain [vertical gain] in as possible. May and June are the key times, but you can’t always get up high with snow in Colorado. I just do what I can.

When I was more competitive, I was underemployed, so I had more time to train. My partner, who is also a runner, and I have been together for almost 20 years. We don’t have kids. She’s key to keeping me on track with my training.��

Have you had any injuries along the way?
About five to eight years ago, I realized that my adrenals were kind of shot. That really had a hand in increasing my finish times at Hardrock. I worked with a naturopath doctor, got regular acupuncture, and was on multiple herbal adrenal-health supplements. Eventually that fixed it. Three years back, in the spring, I started to roll my ankle a lot—worse than usual. I ended up having to wear an air cast every time I ran for a year.

What’s your diet like?
I eat mostly vegetarian, but certainly not completely vegetarian. Dinners are always centered around a gigantic pile of steamed vegetables. I also eat beans and quite a few eggs for protein.��

What keeps you motivated year after year?
Well, there’s nothing I’d rather do than spend all day on my feet in the mountains. Motivation hasn’t been an issue.

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