My husband, Dave, went skiing down a forestedÌęslope behind our cabin near Collingwood, Ontario. It was a rare perfect dayÌęwhen he set out with our dog, Phoebe. The deep powder lured them both.

Phoebe loves to ski. She’s a golden retriever, and a homebody, with traits bred into her for domestic life. Her namesake is a character in Friends, and it suits her. On the slopes, she lunges through the powder on the tails of Dave’s skis. When they reach the end, she turns and runs home.

That perfect day, Dave and Phoebe took three turns. On the fourth, the edge of Dave’s ski hit a downed log. The impact catapulted him forward. With the trunk of a maple tree coming fast towards him, he remembers thinking, I better move my head.

After that, everything went black.

I could tell this story another way: it could be about all the trees Dave hasn’t hit.

The first time we met, I watched him kick-turn down the face of Mount Washington in Oregon. Over the years he’s woundÌęthrough the trees of the Central Cascades. We’ve skied on glaciers, volcanos, and through glades, and he’s come away unscathed. But trouble found Dave the day he went skiing out our back door.

When Dave became conscious, he was about 350 feet down the slope from our cabin. He thought that something was caught by his neck. When he reached to push it out of the way, he realized it was his collarbone.

Though Dave didn’t know it at the time, he had slammed chest-first into the tree. While his head was spared, he had 16 broken bones.

His skis were still attached to his boots. He tried to turn around, but he passed out, and woke up having slid further down the slope.

Phoebe, our dog, was panting, nervous, and running in circles around Dave. It was just before 4 P.M.ÌęThe light was flattening; the sun would set in another 30 minutes. He had a blurry thought about his phone, but it was buried deep inside an underlayer in a back pocket. He couldn’t reach it.

It’s not ideal to do any backcountry activity on your own, but we had come to the habit when our kids were young. If you didn’t make the most of each precious spare moment you had, you would probably miss your chance.

And now Dave was fighting an urge to sit down and close his eyes. It was well below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

He managed to get his skis off. The dog leash was around his shoulder. He pulled the end to cinch his arm against his body. The leash became a sling, which took the pain from his collarbone just out of fainting territory. With ski poles in one hand, he took a step. He wobbled, almost fainted again, then glanced up the hill. Which way was the cabin?

He couldn’t see it from that position on the slope. His vision had narrowed to a channel. Direction was hazy. He could only focus on what was right in front of him.

What appeared in that narrow line of vision was Phoebe. Looking into her eyes, Dave could tell she wanted to run home, like she always does.

“Go on,” he said, thinking if Phoebe appeared at the door of the house alone, it might prompt one of us to question why. “Go home,” he said.

Can a dog be a hero? Dog-cognition researcher Alexandra Horowitz, in her , asks if dogs can intentionally rescue people in need. She cites a study that tested the rescue capacity of pet dogs (rather than specially trained rescue dogs). A person was put inside a box. They called out in distress. Then, their dogs were allowed to enter. According to the research, one in three dogs “rescued” their human from the box.

Clive Wynne, the lead researcher on the study, said it’s difficult to assess aÌędog’s intent. Did the dog rescue the person for an altruistic reason, or did the assistance come from a place of self-interest? Wynne believes that, byÌęfinding a way to end the human’s distress, the dogs felt better, too.

Instead of running home, Phoebe turned, moved a few steps, then waited. Dave put a foot forward, a ski pole, and took one painful step. (Eight of his broken bones would turn out to be ribs.) Phoebe took another step, then waited again. Dave inched forward. He kept his eyes fixed on her hind end and slow-moving tail.

This tail became his only focus. Step by step, Phoebe moved just ahead of Dave. He lost track of time. All he remembers is being aware that they were moving uphill—and that keeping the dog’s tail in his sightline was like a lifeline. About halfway up the slope, he stopped and had trouble catching his breath. He thought something had happened to his lung. He’d later learn that it was punctured.

They kept moving together. When Phoebe’s tail finally stopped, Dave looked up and was surprised to see the house. She had led him to the front door. He called and we came running.

Later, I retraced their tracks up the hill. The paw prints didn’t take the steepest or most direct route. Phoebe led Dave in a steady line, one that he could manage. She stayed with him.

When I saw Dave in the emergency ward, he wore a neck brace. Medical officials wheeled him off to a scan, and eventually theyÌęwould locate the 16 broken bones, including some along the wings of his vertebrae. The crash didÌęno permanent damage; he was incredibly lucky. Two years later, Dave is fully healed, though a little more crooked than he used to be.

But then, in the emergency ward, a nurse had just injected him with Fentanyl. He was fairly lucid, if a little loopy when they started to wheel him away, but there was something else he wanted to say.

As I leaned closer, I realized that in Dave’s mind, it didn’t matter whether Phoebe’s intentions were altruistic or not. There was no need to ask the question. What mattered was her presence. She stayed with him and that was what gave him strength.

He whispered into my ear, “Phoebe saved my life.”

The post How My Dog Saved My Husband After a Ski Accident appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Islands are much more than beaches and palm trees. Throughout my travels, I’ve found them to be places where rare adventures thrive—their isolation lets time and tradition hew experiences you won’t find on the mainland.

While everyone’s idea of an island paradise is different (no judgment if you’re a “feet-up-by-the-pool” type), I’m drawn to islands that push me into new adventures. I love a place where I can hike down into a canyon one day and dive over coral the next, then experience a culture completely foreign to me—like riding around town on a motorbike in Vietnam, swapping sake pours in Japan, or trying (and failing) to cut swirls in a miniature pineapple in Mauritius. From one under a rainforest canopy to another deepening into a cave system, each island I’ve ever explored offers the opportunity to make memories as unique as its coastline.

Whether you’re seeking hidden hikes, rock-climbing crags, or ski slopes with ocean views, or just want to unwind on the perfect beach, this list has you covered. These wild isles are truly among the best and most beautiful in the world.

United States

1. Channel Islands, California

Five of the six Channel Islands—Anacapa, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, and Santa Rosa—form Channel Islands National Park, among one of the country’s least-visited (50th out of 63 total). A ferry ride, taking anywhere from one to four hours depending on your chosen isle, transports you into a landscape of sweeping Pacific views, open prairies, and sawtooth mountains.

Take the path less traveled on a 14-mile-round-trip day hike, , which ends in a sloping beach swamped in pinnipeds, where I arrived to the deafening roar of hundreds of seals and sea lions. (Be sure not to leave the actual hiking path on this particular island—the detritus from mid-century military exercises means unexploded ordnance still poses a risk in uncleared areas.)

If you choose to stay the night anywhere in the park, whether backcountry or at a more accessible site, the reward is the same: a California sky untouched by light pollution.

Alone outside of the national park is Catalina Island, where wild buffalo graze the hillsides, having long ago been left behind from a Golden Age film shoot. Here you can trek the stunning , a rugged through hike marked by desert scrub and ocean views.

Offshore, gray whales breach in winter and blue whales glide through in summer, turning the sea into a stage for nature’s greatest performances. Beneath the surface, the waters teem with life.

Each island is distinct. At Catalina’s Casino Point, step into underwater worlds from the stairs that drop straight into the sea, where kelp forests house garibaldi and (if you get a lucky day like I did) enormous sea bass.

Divers encounter a giant sea bass meandering through Casino Point’s kelp forest. Video: Alexandra Gillespie.

Or hop aboard a to see the wonders of Anacapa, where Spanish shawl nudibranch and California sheephead move through towering kelp forests. On Santa Cruz, you can explore sea caves by kayak. Park visitors who have a can enjoy the spoils of the sea: No scallop has ever tasted better than the one I pried from a rock off the shore of San Miguel, carrying it several miles uphill in a drybag full of seawater to fry in ghee at sunset.

2. Kauaʻi, Hawai

In Kauaʻi, nature reigns supreme. With 90 percent of its lush rainforests, jagged cliffs, and hidden beaches inaccessible by car, this wild paradise demands to be explored by foot, in a kayak, or from the sky.

Along the Na Pali Coast, hike the legendary 11-mile , which clings to cliffs that drop into the turquoise Pacific. Then the Wailua River, slipping through dense rainforest to . Maybe strap in for a through jungle canopies or centuries-old tunnels carved into volcanic rock.

For surfers, KauaÊ»i is a siren call. Each winter, legendary breaks transform into rushing walls of water, testing even the most seasoned wave riders, while summer swells mellow out and welcome beginning surfers. Rookies can also cut their teeth at the gentle rollers of PoÊ»ipĆ« or find their rhythm on the dependable waves of Kealia Beach. Thrill-seekers chase dangerous, heavy reef breaks far from the crowds at Shipwreck Beach and Polihale.

Dive into Poipu’s crystal waters to swim with sea turtles, or soar over the rolling peaks of Waimea Canyon in a . At night, seek the traditional experience of Kauai at a luau, where a vibrant culture comes alive through music and dance.

3. Isle Royale, Michigan

Isle Royale strips nature down to its raw essentials on hiking trails through lofty forests and endless vistas of water. Situated in the cold, clear clutches of Lake Superior, this 98-percent untamed Isle Royale National Park in my home state is a haven for adventurers from spring through fall. Hike the 40-mile for sweeping views that make you feel like you’ve reached the edge of the world. Or dive deep beneath the surface of the lake, exploring the eerie wrecks of the 525-foot steel freighter the Emperor or the 328-foot Glenlyon—haunting reminders of Lake Superior’s power.

Gray wolves and moose roam freely, a restless dance of predator and prey subject to an of the volatile population dynamics.

The night sky is a celestial masterpiece unmarred by city lights. Stargazing at Scoville Point might even reward you with the sight of the elusive Northern Lights.

Whether you’re fishing for trout, paddling serene waters, or standing in quiet awe, Isle Royale demands that you lose yourself in its wild interior.

South America

4. Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, Chilean and Argentine Patagonia

Tierra del Fuego, a land of jagged peaks, windswept coasts, and staggering beauty, is the last whisper of the world before Antarctica. Hike along the Beagle Channel on the Senda Costera, or push yourself on the steep for awe-inspiring views of mountains plunging into icy waters. The bold can tackle the Dientes de Navarino Trail—one of the most southerly trekking routes in the world.

In Tierra del Fuego National Park, guanacos graze, condors soar, and dolphins cut through glassy bays. Take a ride on the Train at the End of the World, along a picturesque four-mile stretch of the world’s southernmost railroad, which was initially built for prisoner transport.

Guanacos in Chilean Patagonia, north of Tierra del Fuego in Valle Chacabuco, Parque Nacional Patagonia. (Video: Alison Osius)

Stir history into your trip at Estancia Harberton, a run by the fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation members of the first permanent European missionaries to arrive here, an experience that offers a window into early YĂĄmana-settler relationships.

During winter (June through October), carve fresh powder at Cerro Castor, Argentina’s southernmost ski resort, or strap in to go and .

Caribbean Sea

5. Dominica

Dominica is unspoiled and unforgettable. Lace up your boots for the 115-mile , the longest hiking trail in the Caribbean, through thriving rainforests, soaring waterfalls, and misty peaks. Then trek to , a cauldron of steaming water in the jungle, where you can soak in natural volcanic hot springs and mud baths.

For water enthusiasts, Dominica recently unveiled a groundbreaking 32-nautical-mile kayak trail encircling the island—a six-day journey through pristine waters. You can snorkel or dive at , where volcanic springs bubble up through the ocean floor, creating an underwater celebration.

Whale watching here is more than a distant boat sighting. It’s an in-water encounter, as Dominica is home to a . The experience of snorkeling alongside these gentle behemoths is said to be nothing short of transformative.

6. Bay Islands, Honduras

The Bay Islands are three gems of organic beauty and underwater wonders: RoatĂĄn, Utila, and Guanaja. Hike through the Carambola Botanical Gardens and Nature Trails on RoatĂĄn, over 40 acres of tropical forests to sweeping views of the sea, or summit Pumpkin Hill on Utila for a quick, rewarding climb with vistas clear to the horizon. The islands’ rich biodiversity, from tropical birds to marine life, embraces you.

These islands are a diver’s paradise. Whale sharks—gentle giants bigger than school buses—glide through the depths from March and April and October to December, while the Halliburton wreck sits ever-waiting, and another site offers radiant coral reef. Kayakers can lose themselves in the or paddle through the peaceful waters of RoatĂĄn’s West End, where the only company is the song of birds and the soft splash of paddles.

Asia

7. CĂĄt BĂ  Island, Vietnam

My memories of CĂĄt BĂ  Island are faded Polaroids, worn and softened at the edges. Even after half a dozen years, I still revisit my physical and mental snapshots from my time on that rugged, beautiful island in one of my favorite countries.

Lan Ha Bay is Cát Bà Island’s crown jewel, where imposing limestone karsts bursting out of jade-green water craft an otherworldly landscape. Think Ha Long Bay, but without the crowds. You can kayak through hidden lagoons and drift past the region’s . When I visited in 2018, it cost a grand total of $80 to charter a private boat tour for two, and the price included a kayak excursion. can choose from among nearly or go rogue with deep-water soloing, dropping into the sea if they fall or choosing whether to jump from the top.

Inland, beneath the island’s surface, whisper haunting stories of war, and a bombproof hospital used during the American War (or, as we call it stateside, the Vietnam War) still stands as a museum.

Topside, the 102-square mile CĂĄt BĂ  National Park covers a third of the island, with trails that snake through jungles, up mist-shrouded peaks, and across wildlife-rich terrain. Hike 1.5 near-vertical, damp miles to the top of for sweeping views (I found the slippery rocks worth the risk of a tweaked ankle), or take on the challenging Ao Ech route through the rainforest to the remote Viet Hai Village.

When it’s time to unwind, grab a ferry to nearby Monkey Island, where aggressive monkeys provide a good laugh on the beach—or hike there from the other side of the island after a night at , which served a fresh seafood barbecue I still dream of.

8. Taiwan

In Taiwan, adventure collides with jaw-dropping landscapes and a lively culture. Start with its hikes: explore the marble cliffs of Taroko Gorge, or take in the sunrise over ancient forests in Alishan. For a city-side thrill, climb and view Taipei’s skyline with the famed skyscraper Taipei 101 piercing the clouds.

Taiwan’s untamed mountains, like Jade Mountain—at nearly 13,000 feet the region’s highest peak, located in Yushan National Park—invite trekkers to rise above the clouds, where Formosan black bears roar and rare birds like the endemic mikado pheasant pass by.

If the sea is calling your name, head south to , where coral reefs hum with life beneath the waves, or catch the surf at Jialeshui Beach. Cyclists can carve through the countryside on routes that loop around famed , or push through the rolling hills of the . For the sandstone cliffs at soar above crashing waves.

Europe

9. Lofoten Islands, Norway

Sculpted by glaciers and smoothed by icy waters, Lofoten is an ideal Nordic isle for adventurers. In summer, hike the spine of the island chain on the 99-mile , climb Reinebringen for panoramic views of a lifetime, or like the four-mile Justadtinden. For a real challenge, tackle the highest peaks like , or keep it mellow with shorter routes like , where every view is postcard worthy.

Though known for unpredictable weather year-round, the islands are driest and get drenched in October. This dry season also has the longest daylight hours, averaging seven to eight a day. You’ll experience the Midnight Sun from May to mid-July. In contrast, Polar Night—when the sun does not crest the horizon for more than 24 hours—extends from early December to early January, and coincides with high precipitation levels.

From mid-January through March, trade hiking boots for skis and carve down slopes that plunge toward shimmering fjords. Ski resorts like Lofoten Ski Lodge offer powder runs with ocean views that no other ski destination can match. If you’d rather be on the water, paddle through majestic fjords framed by snow-capped mountains, or go deeper and in the icy seas Vikings once fished.

And if you’re here from October to January, shimmy into a dry suit and as they hunt herring in the cold, clear fjords—for a raw, heart-pounding encounter with the ocean’s top predator. As night falls, look up: the often set the sky ablaze in a kaleidoscope of green and purple (especially in October or January to mid March).

10. SĂŁo Miguel, Azores, Portugal

SĂŁo Miguel is a volcanic playground set adrift in the Atlantic. șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű pulses through its hidden trails, arching waves, and steaming hot springs.

Hike the craggy ridges of Sete Cidades, where twin sapphire lakes glisten below kayakers, or meander on the winding paths to the crater lake of Lagoa do Fogo. Brave the canyon walls of Ribeira dos CaldeirÔes, into hidden pools, or skip through into the clear waters off Vila Franca do Campo, where whales and dolphins . The surfing in Portugal is more than the 100-foot waves at Nazaré: Experienced surfers can tackle the powerful swells at Praia de Ribeira Grande on São Miguel.

São Miguel is also a place to savor. When you’re ready to slow down, sip your way through Gorreana, Europe’s only tea plantation, where the salty ocean air infuses every leaf. Then sink into the mineral-rich hot springs at Furnas, where the earth itself simmers beneath your feet, or wander through the botanical paradise of Terra Nostra Park, home to over 600 different types of camellias, one of the largest collections in the world. End the day with Cozido das Furnas—a local stew , a culinary experience as raw and earthy as the island itself.

11. Corsica, France

Corsica is an adventure where mountains, sea, and sky meet.

For the hardcore hiker, the through Corsica’s craggy ridges, where granite peaks and expansive vistas remind you of just how small you are. But there’s something for everyone—take the family on a coastal stroll at Cap Corse or stand in awe at the serrated spires of Aiguilles de Bavella. Climbers on the red cliffs of will revel in Mediterranean views.

Corsica’s waters are as clear as glass. Dive into the , a UNESCO World Heritage site, where cliffs plunge into an underwater world brimming with life such as crabs, bottlenose dolphins, and over 450 different seaweeds. Paddle along the Gulf of Porto and uncover hidden coves or snorkel over vibrant reefs at .

Even in winter, Corsica keeps calling. for views that stretch to the sea, or hit the runs at Ghisoni where seven slopes stretch before you.

Oceana

12. Moorea, French Polynesia

Moorea is a paradise that stitches the seam between lush peaks and crystalline seas. Hike through changing canvases, from the steep, thrilling climbs of Mount Rotui—offering dual bay views—to the rainforest-draped paths of the . For those seeking a quick yet rewarding trek, the two-mile Magic Mountain trail rises more than 1,300 feet to unveil a panorama in turquoise waters. Zip line adventures at Tiki Parc offer another bird’s-eye view of the verdant landscape.

But the true wonders of Moorea are beneath its waves. The island’s clear lagoons are snorkeling sanctuaries where colorful reefs flourish. Kayak in waters so pure you can see the ocean floor through the bottom of your transparent vessel, or get up close and personal with reefs diving . Moorea brings you face-to-face with the ocean’s gentle giants, whether it’s watching resident dolphins play in the wake of a boat or witnessing the majestic humpback whales.

Africa

13. Zanzibar, Tanzania

Zanzibar is a crossroads of the senses. Beneath its turquoise waters, the reefs come alive—dive , where the marine biodiversity rivals that of any aquarium, or explore Nungwi’s sprawling coral gardens. For the more adventurous, offers out-of-the-way dives where dolphins twirl through the currents and reef sharks glide by in silent elegance.

Above the waves, the consistent winds and shallow waters at Paje Beach make for a , drawing aficionados from around the world. And far, far above the waves, soar over lush terrain as the Indian Ocean glimmers ahead, offering rare shoreline landings on white sands.

Prefer something more tranquil? along Zanzibar’s serene coastlines through mangroves and lagoons that feel untouched by time.

But Zanzibar is more than its beaches—it’s alive with history. In Stone Town, a Swahili coastal trading town with UNESCO status, every corner is a story. Stop at the Old Fort, get lost in the buzz of Darajani Market, or taste the island’s blend of Swahili, Arab, and Indian flavors on a .

Alexandra Gillespie is a freelance writer covering water and outdoor travel. From Mauritius to Mackinac, islands hold a special place in her heart—if you need a boat to get there, she’s game. She was previously the digital editor of Scuba Diving magazine. Her most recent stories for șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű include “The 12 Most Beautiful Scuba Diving Destinations in the World,” “Gear-Testing Trips That Let You Try Before You Buy,” and “Stockton Rush, the Pilot of Missing Titanic Sub, Told șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Why He Kept Going Back.”

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The clanging of a majestic Austrian cowbell reverberated off the terminal walls, shattering a tranquil Saturday morning at the Salt Lake City International Airport. Wide-eyed passengers straightened in their seats to an eruption of applause as Peter Landsman emerged from the jet bridge with a modest smile on his face.

A crew of 10 fans, a decadently frosted cake, a Ski Utah Silver Ski Pass, and a handful of other gifts, including the 25-pound Austrian cowbell from the Doppelmayr ropeway company, were on hand to surprise Landsman at the airport. Landsman runs the popular LiftBlog.com website and has devoted himself to cataloging all the chairlifts, trams, and ropeways on the land. He was returning to his home in Jackson, Wyoming, having finally achieved his goal of visiting all 750 in the US and Canada to profile some 3,300 chairlifts.

Landsman’s journey ended at Moose Mountain T-bar near Dawson City in Canada’s Yukon on June 19, 2024. This public ski hill, without so much as a website, was the 750th on Landsman’s list and required five days of travel on either end to cap off his stellar achievement. The grueling travel, red-eye flights, sleepless nights spent driving, sleeping in ski resort parking lots, and Landsman’s diligent updates to the LiftBlog website are all a testament to his obsession.

Following his triumphant journey back to Jackson, we sat down with Landsman to discuss his decades-in-the-making accomplishment.

SKI: Now that you’ve completed your goal, how do you feel looking back on this journey?

Peter Landsman: I went right back to work on the tram Sunday morning. Some of my coworkers saw the airport party on social media and congratulated me, but it was right back to the normal lift operating scene. At Jackson Hole, we’ve got summer mountain biking, hiking, sightseeing
it’s busy!

Can you tell us about the origins of LiftBlog and what inspired you to start it?

Since I began skiing at Snoqualmie Pass at age 4, I’ve been interested in lifts. Each lift was painted in a different color, and I was fascinated by that. As a little kid, I started taking pictures of chairlifts as soon as I had a digital camera, and I built a catalog of images. In college in New England, I visited many resorts in Maine and New Hampshire. After college, I moved to Jackson on a whim and started as a seasonal lift operator. The LiftBlog project grew out of off-season boredom in 2014 when I needed something to do with a few weeks off. I made a website and thought maybe others would be interested in the pictures I was taking.

What is your motivation?

It is certainly not fame or fortune! I personally find skiing and chairlifts to be fascinating and I find it satisfying to share my interests with other people who also find it interesting. I’m blown away by how many people read LiftBlog, a few thousand people per day!

Who uses LiftBlog and why is it such an invaluable resource?

It’s two main groups: ski industry people who work for lift companies or at ski resorts use it for historical reference, to answer repair questions, or to see what other resorts are doing. Then there are skiers who are passionate about skiing. Even those who aren’t necessarily lift nerds like to see what’s going on in the industry.

What site visit has been the strangest or most curious?

In Alaska, at Mount Eyak, there is one of the original single chairs built in the 1930s. It’s the only lift of that vintage still operating in North America. Most “older” lifts nowadays are from the 60s or 70s.

Do you have a favorite lift?

Whistler’s PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola because it suspends large, 28-passenger aerial tram cabins on a detachable ropeway system. It’s efficient, can run in high winds, and is suspended 1,400 feet in the air between two mountains. Due to the expense, there’s no way this lift would be built in this day and age.

Do you have a favorite lift in each region?

• Northeast: Slide Brook Express at Sugarbush, VT
• Midwest: The Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, MN
• Rockies: Jackson Hole Tram in Jackson, WY
• Northern Rockies: The Silver Mountain Gondola in Kellogg, ID
• Pacific Northwest: Northway at Crystal, WA
• South: The Arizona Gondola at Snowbowl in Flagstaff, AZ
• California: Chair 23 at Mammoth, CA

What does skiing mean to you?

I was very lucky, as neither of my parents grew up skiing. They learned later in life and fell in love with it, sharing it with their kids. We skied on the weekends, mostly at Crystal Mountain in Washington, and traveled around the state to ski. Skiing is freedom. It allows me to get outside, see beautiful places, spend time in the mountains, and also check out these really cool machines full of technology that just happen to be in very wild places. I enjoy skiing every day at work at Jackson Hole and riding all the lifts to supervise them.

What’s next?

LiftBlog was only caught up for four days before the LEGOLAND New York Resort theme park debuted a new gondola last week. So, naturally, I’ll be visiting LEGOLAND next week to document the Minifigure Skyflyer with its seven custom-themed cabins. There are about 50 new lifts under construction this summer, so I’m looking forward to a busy winter.

The post The Man Who Visited All 750 Ski Areas in North America Reveals His Favorite Lift appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Ski patrollers are living the life, right? After all, they get to ski for a living, dropping ropes on freshly covered slopes, snagging fresh powder turns, and soaking up the mountain vibes all season long.

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In reality, that’s only a fraction of what ski patrollers are tasked with during a typical day on the job. From ensuring the safety of the slopes to evacuating injured skiers, the patrollers who help make our ski resorts hum have big, often dangerous jobs that most of us know very little about.

We tapped a handful of patrollers from all over the country to ask what a day in their life is really like and what sort of things surprise them, both about the job itself and the everyday skiers they encounter on the slopes.

15 Things That Will Surprise You About Ski Patrolling

The Number of People Who Call For “Courtesy Transports”

You might imagine, as we did, that skiers only call ski patrol for help when they’re seriously injured. That’s not the case according to Jess Lyles, a seasoned patroller at Telluride Ski Resort, Colo.

“In Telluride we get called all the time for ‘courtesy transports.’ They’re not injured but they’re tired or ‘can’t ski any longer.’ It’s frustrating when we’re busy trying to open terrain or help people who are seriously injured. There’s a bit of a disconnect. You’re in the mountains and you need to be prepared to be in the mountains and get yourself down,” she says.

The Work It Takes to Get Someone Down the Mountain In a Toboggan

Knowing that people use ski patrol to expedite their route to afternoon lunch is even more frustrating when you consider the amount of skill that’s needed to get someone down the mountain in a toboggan.

“Nearly every day of a patroller’s first year is dedicated to toboggan training. Learning the technique and building the specific strength that it takes cannot be understated,” says Joseph Puetz, a patroller at Colo.’s Winter Park Resort. “The amount of skill it takes to take a toboggan down a black mogul run, and how many people it takes to get a person in a toboggan to our medical center, surprised me. The training that every patroller on our team endures to be able to bring an injured guest down a bump run in a toboggan is extensive.”

How Many People Get Cut By Skis

When it comes to safety, the focus tends to , but Lyles says that over the years she’s noticed an increase in the number of people who get cut by skis.

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“More people are getting cut by skis and we’ve seen some really bad lacerations either from a collision or from people falling on their own skis. We’ve seen some arterial bleeds, which are really dangerous, and we’re all required to carry tourniquets now. 
 It’s pretty crazy to see what a sharp ski edge can cut through,” she says.

Mother Nature Is Powerful, and We’re All at Her Whim

The wildness of the mountains and the power of Mother Nature were mentioned a lot by the patrollers we spoke with. After all, they’re the ones who have to deal with the ramifications of heavy snowfall (or adversely, not enough of it).

Drew Kneeland, who has been a patroller since 1994 and is currently the patrol director at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo., remembers a storm cycle in February 2017 that left the entire valley helpless.

“Wind knocked over 17 power transmission towers along Highway 390, killing power to the ski area for several days, until a temporary line could be installed. All throughout that ordeal we received over 12 inches of water in the form of snow. 
 The power company had difficulties getting materials into the valley due to road closures, with avalanches impacting every transportation artery.”

The Hysterical Person Is Often in Better Shape Than the Quiet Person

In a collision, the person screaming and wailing is likely going to get all the attention, but Lyles says patrollers are taught to evaluate the symptoms of being “well or unwell,” and that often, the person who is quiet or confused after a collision is the real concern.

“In general I would say it’s the quiet, confused head-injury-patients that are more worrisome than those who are telling you what is happening,” says Lyles, remembering a collision between two brothers-in-law. She was called to help the younger of the two men who says he was injured, but the other man, who she says was “behaving strangely and was reluctant to go to the medical center” ended up dying from a brain bleed later on.

That People Want a Diagnosis—On the Slopes

Yes, ski patrollers are trained in first aid and CPR. And no, that doesn’t make them doctors.

“We’re not expected to diagnose anything, ever. Nor should we. We’re just expected to treat the patient the best we can and get them to higher care,” says Lyles, who says people often ask for a diagnosis on the slopes. “They want to know if they blew their ACL, but you have to have an MRI to know that.”

The Beauty of Helping Someone at Their Worst—Or Assisting Someone New to the Sport

If you’ve ever gotten injured on the mountain, you know how vulnerable it feels to be laying there waiting for help not knowing how bad your injury is or how you’ll get down the mountain.

“Helping someone on their worst day, and being able to change their lives,” is one of the most meaningful parts of the job to Marc Barlage, who is a patroller and the intermountain division director at Utah’s Brighton Resort.

Similarly, Winter Park’s Puetz loves being able to give guests, especially those who are new to the mountain or the sport, insider tips. “I look forward to helping a visitor navigate the mountain, give them a tip as to which runs are skiing the best that day, status of a specific lift line, when a rope is going to drop for the first time of the season, where the coldest beer is, etc,” says Puetz. “The annual ski trip out West with my family was the best week of my entire year growing up, and I hope to have a small part in helping everyone be the most stoked while they’re here.”

The Pressure Skiers Put on Patrollers to Open Terrain

If you’re reading this, and you love powder, you’ve probably peered down at a pristine, roped-off powder field, wondering what was taking ski patrol so long to drop the rope. According to Lyles, this sort of reaction is one of the most frustrating parts of the job.

“People are annoyed by terrain not opening when they think it should be, but they don’t know why it’s not,” she says. “You get a lot of pushback from people who want to be skiing and they don’t understand why it might not be safe. I think people are really unaware of the complications and challenges of opening terrain. 
 being aware of the wind, the weather, what kind of explosives were used, or need to be used in order to make sure that slope is safe.”

Deciding to open terrain always comes with risk, Lyles explains. They have to ask themselves: “Are we ready to put people without avalanche rescue gear on this terrain?”

What It Really Takes to Mitigate Avalanches

If you’re a backcountry skier, you likely have some idea of how many factors go into snowpack evaluation. Now, imagine you not only have to read the snowpack, but must strategically throw bombs to trigger avalanches before making the decision to allow thousands of skiers to tear up the slope.

“I grew up skiing in the Midwest, and all of my skiing was on machine-made snow (ice). I had little exposure to snow science and was completely ignorant to the intricacies of snowpack and how to mitigate avalanche hazard,” says Puetz. “I think guests at Winter Park would be surprised to learn how much work goes into mitigating hazards. We have a full-time snow safety team that literally works around the clock to ensure the safety of guests, when it’s safe to open avalanche terrain, and how to mitigate potential hazards.”

It Takes a Lot of Training to Become a Patroller

There’s a reason more and more to gain job security and higher wages: It’s a job that requires a lot of training and some very specific skills.

“Annually, all patrollers are required to go through OEC [Outdoor Emergency Care], CPR/AED, and OET [Outdoor Emergency Transportation] refreshers and, depending on mountain operations, may go through other training such as lift evacuation, snowmobile operation, incident investigation/risk management, avalanche mitigation, and low angle rescue,” explained Kristen Russo, a patroller and national women’s program advisor at Holiday Valley Resort in New York.

The longer you stay with patrol the more specific your training becomes. “We have team members that are experts in weather forecasting, avalanche forecasting, search and rescue with dog teams, explosives, and high-angle rescue to name a few,” says Puetz.

There’s More to It Than Skiing and Rescuing People

Most people tend to focus on the heroism and glamor of ski patrol—dropping from a helicopter for a high-angle rescue or getting first tracks on closed terrain—but a day in the life of a patroller includes plenty of thankless, behind-the-scenes work.

“We set up and check signs and fences, we shovel snow, we check equipment, assess avalanche risk, we take turns at top dispatch, we do training to maintain and improve our first aid and ski/toboggan skills,” explains Colleen Finch, a patroller at Showdown in Montana.

Alex Bash, who patrols at Winter Park Resort, notes that “What the public doesn’t see is the hours to days, if not weeks, of work we put into helping create a product. All of the two-stepping, ski packing, boundary ropes, avalanche mitigation, signs, chainsaw work, snowmobile work, lift evac training, rope rescue training, first aid training, and the list goes on and on.”

The Job Is More Than Just a Job

Almost every patroller we spoke to mentioned the tight-knit community they found when they started patrolling.

Kneeland, who has been a patroller for 30 years, says, “I would not have anticipated that I would have made a career of ski patrolling, or that it would be such a large part of my identity and life. I have made life-long friendships with my coworkers, and it continues to amaze me that the next generation of patrollers is still just as passionate about patrolling as I was when I started out.”

Lyles says that when she lacerated her spleen early on in her ski patrol career “people I had just met were offering to help pay for my medical bills and making sure I was taken care of. It really felt above and beyond.”

Patrolling Can Be a Year-Round Position

For many ski patrollers, the work is seasonal, but more and more patrollers are finding steady, year-round work on the bike parks that open once the snow melts.

“Like many patrollers, I have begun helping with ,” says Tom Byron, a ski and bike patroller at Massanutten Resort in Virginia. Similarly, Bash notes that, “I thought this job would be a temporary, seasonal job; oh, how I was wrong. Today, I work full-time, year-round as a professional ski and bike patroller.”

How Much Cool, Fun Stuff They Get to Do

Anyone who signs up for ski patrol is aware of the perks, but that’s just one of the many aspects of the job. Some patrollers, like Bash, note that, “I have a few extra duties that really make this job the best job in the world. I am a founding member of our avalanche rescue dog team. I’ve had the privilege of training at some of the nation’s best dog schools.”

Beyond heading up the pup patrol, Bash ventured into backcountry rescue. “I’ve flown in helicopters and assisted in multiple backcountry avalanche rescues. I’m also a full-time member of our avalanche control team. I get to go out every morning and throw bombs in our avalanche terrain.”

How Much They Love Being Out There, In the Stillness, In the Cold

Waking up before sunrise in below-zero temperatures to work outside and skiing down after dark is not something most people would call a perk, but several patrollers say that this is their favorite part of the job.

“I love to be the first one on the lift in the morning and the last one sweeping the mountain at the end of the day. Those are beautiful and quiet moments I value,” says Finch at Mont.’s Showdown.

Barlage at Brighton Resort concurs: “The quietness in the morning, fresh snow, breaking trail to get out, and setting up the explosives to mitigate avalanches. Being able to ski first tracks on the mountain before anyone gets there, as well as the last turns at night before closing when we make sure everyone is off the mountain.”

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The east face of the Matterhorn towers over the Swiss village of Zermatt. Wind hammers the peak and strips snow from its craggy buttresses. From town, the sheer wall of rock and ice looks impossible to ski. But the forbidding slope was first skied by Toni Valeruz in May of 1975, and this year, snow and weather conditions aligned for a team of athletes, mostly women, to make an attempt on the face.

Nadine Wallner, 35, a fully-certified mountain guide and two-time Freeride World Tour champion from Klösterle, Austria, had her eye on the face while hosting a ski camp to train Red Bull athletes in Zermatt. SheÌęspied a brief window between storms to climb and ski the east face on May 26 and seized the opportunity.

“It’s really unlikely to find decent conditions to ski the Matterhorn safely,” said Wallner, “the east face is usually full of rock bands and it’s rare that it filled in so well.”

Wallner, accompanied by Swiss mountain guide Ramona Volken and her friend Valentin Zufferey as well as another Freeride World Tour champion, Italian-born Arianna Tricomi, began climbing to the Hörnli Hut on May 25 to stage their descent. As they ascended toward the snow, thick clouds enveloped the “Hore” (the local, Valaisian name for the peak). The clouds concerned Wallner and her team—overcast skies act like insulation and keep the snow from refreezing, which can create wet and unstable surface conditions. The skiers were relying on a shallow refreeze to keep the snow in decent skiing condition and protect it from the hot May temperatures.

But the clouds cleared as the team of skiers ascended the eastern flank of the Matterhorn, allowing for just enough of a superficial refreeze that theyÌęfelt comfortable continuing. “We booted up the face with crampons and two axes,” Wallner said. “We were just in the bubble of the dark. When the sun rose we reached the Solvay Hut.”

The Solvay Hut, an emergency shelter built high on the Matterhorn’s northeast ridge, is the high point for most parties who ski the east face, including Wallner’s team. At 13,133 feet, it sits about 1,500 feet shy of the summit. But above the hut, near vertical rock walls guard the mountain’s peak. Parties who ski the east face begin their descent from the hut, or, in exceptional snow years, 150 feet above it. Snow never really sticks to the rock above that.

By my count, and I don’t read German, the Matterhorn has only been skied from the summit twice. Swiss mountaineer AndrĂ© “DĂ©dĂ©” AnzĂ©vui made the first descent of the north face of the Matterhorn from the summit in 1989. Then, in 2018, Italian Edmond Joyeusaz skied from the summit at the age of 60. Both skiers had to remove their skis and rappel from 800 feet below the summit past a rock band and then wrap around to the east face to ski from the Solvay Hut.

The east face, while still imposing, still only gets skied once every few years and is an extremely difficult objective. Wallner said she enjoyed easy travel on the uphill, but encountered tricky snow conditions on the descent. A recent storm system blew patches of new snow atop the stable spring snow they had hoped to ski. Those patches warmed quickly in the May sunlight and createdÌędangerous sluff. Wallner had to ski carefully to link the patches of spring corn and avoid the hot, sticky newer snow. “It was quite sketchy at some points,” she said. “You had to really watch out where you skied because those powder patches got really hot and would slide. They can definitely catch your skis.”

When asked about the steepness, Wallner parried that it all comes down to the snow quality. “If the snow is good, very steep skiing can feel not so steep. And the opposite can be true too. Bad snow makes easy skiing feel very steep and scary.” Luckily for Wallner, route finding was the least of her worries. The team was able to follow their bootpack all the way down the east face.

The team skied the face in conditions that could generously be described as subpar. I asked Wallner if she questioned any of her decision-making with the power of hindsight. “I wish we’d descended a half-an-hour earlier,” Wallner told me. “There were spin drifts from above turning into little stuff slides. When we got back to the [Hörnli] hut some larger avalanches came down from above.”

Tricky conditions on the Matterhorn of an Italian skier just a week later on June 4. Luca Berini, a 34-year-old Italian ski instructor slipped and fell over 1,000 feet to his death while skiing the east face in poor snow.

“I didn’t know him, but it’s so tragic,” said Wallner of Berini’s fall. “It makes it hard to even appreciate your own descent.”

But even in mid-June Wallner hasn’t given up skiing. The AustrianÌętold me she’s still seeking out little windows of clear weather amid summer storms that are still dropping snow in the Swiss Alps. “Even if the window is 50/50, if you don’t go you’ll never know,” she said.

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Whether you’re a seasoned backcountry skier or a new trail runner, chances are you’ve heard a pack of your fellow outdoorspeople gloating about their latest sunrise summit attempt, patting each other on the backs and guffawing because they had so much fun waking up at 4 A.M. for dawn patrol. Yuck.

Dawn patrol refers to the act of waking up before the sun and heading out on an early morning adventure, then speeding back to town to clock in to your desk job. There’s nothing inherently fun about risingÌęearly to ski or run or paddle, but when you call it “dawn patrol,” it becomes something else. As long as I’ve been in the outdoor world, dawn patrol has felt like the proverbial cool kids table that, in theory, anybody can sit at, so long as they like to rise in the dark and get their sweat on before their brains are fully awake. Unfortunately, that’s not me.

As a certified non-morning person who needs several cups of coffee to get going each day, it’s darn near impossible to convince me to wake up any earlier than I have to before reporting to work at my computer. Because I value my sleep and often have morning job commitments, I carve my adventure time out later in the day. I know I’m not alone in this. Those of us who still want to get after it on a random weekday from time to time deserve our own glorified phrase: dusk patrol.

I spent 19 years living in Los Angeles with a full-time day job. For me, dusk patrol often meant zooming out of my office’s parking structure at 5 P.M. on the dot to lace up my trail runners, don a headlamp, and jog up the side of Mount Hollywood, just as the city’s infamous smog would turn an otherworldly tangerine with the sunset. It was hard but rewarding to make these sunset jaunts happen. On one such occasion, I even stopped on the hike down for an impromptu planetarium show at the historic Griffith Observatory.

On another one of my post-work whims, I checked the moon phases app on my phone and reached out to a few friends to join me for a nighttime trek up the coastal .ÌęA full moon meant that we didn’t need to use our headlamps, and our late start time meant that we had the trail entirely to ourselves. The smell of SoCal chaparral and the moonlit ocean views from the gravel path made for an utterly magical evening as we twirled around and made hand puppets with our prominent moon shadows.

Once I had really gotten into the spirit of these sojourns, friends started divulging their own favorite nighttime microadventures with me, like well-guarded family secrets that needed to be whispered and held tightly. A guy I was dating once left work early and drove out to Joshua Tree with me to scramble up one of his favorite unnamed peaks at sunset, cans of beer conveniently stashed in our packs. My buddy Brandon introduced me to a weekly cycling meet up in Los Angeles called The Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Moment in Time, whichÌętook riders to the farthest-flung corners of the city. It was a group for athletic lovers of the odd and the urban, meeting at 24-hour strip mall donut shop and taking its participants through secret tunnels, down pitch black dirt trails, to industrial mining quarries, and along abandoned piers overlooking the ragged Pacific.

I live in Boulder, Colorado now, and though the after-work traffic is nowhere near as soul-crushing as in the City of Angels, I’ve tried to keep the spirit of dusk patrol alive, which is much easier these days with a chunk of the Rocky Mountains at my doorstep. But of course, better outdoor access also gives me more room to get creative with my outings.

Last October, my partner Oliver and I drove my minivan across a series of winding roads to witness the autumn elk rutÌęin Rocky Mountain National Park as the sun set over the soaring Continental Divide. As we hiked around a rocky bend, our terror and delight, we witnessed an enormous bull screeching his bugle call just off trail as he gathered his harem. I’ve knocked out countless sunset summits with my mutt, Marla, on Ìęand multiple Flatiron trails near town, and this year, I aim to step it up a notch and take advantage of the nearby Indian Peaks Wilderness to get out for some weeknight backpacking trips, planning to be back at my desk at 10 A.M. to check my email.

If you can’t tell by now, I’m a huge fan of having your cake and eating it too. In other words, evenÌęif you’re not a morning person, you can still get after it on a random weekday evening. Here are some of my tried-and-true tips for making dusk patrol a smooth experience.

5 Tips for Crushing Dusk Patrol

1. Pack Beforehand

No one wants to rush to the trailhead after work, only to realize that they forgot their precious hydration bladder. Pack the night or the morning before your nighttime rendezvous, when you’re not in a tizzy, then toss your fully-loaded pack and trail shoes (or inflatable kayak/SUP if you’re more or a river rat) into your car, so you can leave straight from work.

2. Stay Local

In Alastair Humphreys’ appropriately-named new book, Local, he sets out to complete one adventure per week for an entire year. The catch? They all have to be within his neighborhood. He’s proof that you don’t have to live at the foot of a 14er or on a piece of waterfront property to have a weekday adventure–climb a tree and watch the sunset, take a five mile jog around a part of town you’ve never been to, or try out mudlarking (scouring a shoreline at low tide to try to unearth ocean treasures). Fellow adventurer and șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű contributor Brendan Leonard told me that once, in lieu of heading into the Rocky Mountain foothills, he and some friends biked the entire 53 mile length of Colfax Ave in Denver (the longest commercial byway in the U.S.) and experienced the thrilling immersion of passing through multiple radically different neighborhoods as they bisected the city on two wheels.

3. Eat on the Go

It goes without saying that most dusk patrol missions will not involve time-consuming, home-cooked meals with a knife and fork. Either pack a no-cook, soak-in-the-bag meal to eat at the trailhead or summit ( makes a bevy of awesome treats that can dehydrate in lukewarm water while you trek), or splurge on your favorite take out, then chow down during the drive to your starting point.

4. Don’t Underestimate Your Headlamp

As someone who didn’t start rock climbing until age 29, it was news to me that you can easily purchase a veritable floodlight to place atop your head that’ll cast a blinding glow, suitable for the most intense evening excursions. Just be sure to pack an extra set of batteries or double-check your light’s charge level (if it’s a plug-in model) the night before your dusk patrol plan. The and have both served me well on night hikes and low-light rock scrambling missions.

5. Go with a Buddy

Not only is it safer to have a friend in tow on after-dark excursions, should things go sideways, it’ll also help hold you accountable, so that you don’t bail on your mountain goals after an annoying phone call or conference room fiasco at the office. Plus, aren’t sunsets just a smidge more spellbinding when you experience them in good company? Pick a specific time and place to meet each other after work, and don’t forget to tell someone not on the adventure what time you both plan to return home.

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A helicopter transporting skiers crashed in the Pennine Alps of Switzerland Tuesday morning, leaving three passengers dead and another three injured.

The crash took place shortly before 9:30 a.m. near a heliski landing site on the northern face of Petit Combin, according to The victims have been identified as 45-year-old American ski guide Adam George, helicopter pilot and father of two Jerome Lovely, and James Goff, whose nationality has yet to be verified. George, a New Hampshire native, was an established mountaineer and ski guide. He leaves behind his wife and fellow ski guide , and their young daughter.

Seven rescue aircrafts, including helicopters from Zermatt and Swiss Air rescue unit REGA, were deployed to help locate and recover the victims, (translated to English). Survivor Edward Courage of the UK is believed to have saved the other two survivors, brothers Teddy and Guy Hitchens, also believed to be from the UK, by pushing them out of the helicopter as it began to slide down the mountainside, Ìęreports.

Courage, of the Courage Brewery family that lives in Verbier, was found after about five hours of searching. The skier had fallen into a 98-foot crevasse but landed on a ledge. He was located by his beacon and airlifted to a nearby hospital where he underwent surgery to repair several broken bones.

The helicopter, a B3-type operated by , was en route to the top of the Petit Combin near Verbier when it began to side down the northern slope. The Telegraph also cited eyewitness testimony that the helicopter was consumed by an avalanche, leaving only debris at the initial crash site.

The weather on the morning of the crash was reportedly sunny with the occasional gust of wind. The cause of the crash is under investigation by both the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office (MPC) and the SESE (Swiss Safety Investigation Service).

This crash is believed to be the third helicopter in Valais this year, and the first commercial incident. This incident also occurred nearby but is unrelated to Monday’s , which killed three.

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Located at the edge of Glacier National Park, the welcoming ski town of is packed with charm and world-class amenities. Rising above is Whitefish Mountain Resort. Ranked among the best-value ski areas in the United States, it has 3,000 skiable acres, pristine groomers, stellar tree skiing, and 360-degree views. and would like to express thanks to its many partners featured in the video above:

|Ìę |Ìę |Ìę |Ìę |Ìę |Ìę |Ìę

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The first cabin I ever stayed in was shaped like a giant whiskey barrel, set out in the woods on the edge of Helen, a Bavarian-themed village in North Georgia. It was nothing fancy: it had a loft, small kitchen, and a porch, but also a big window facing a forest of pines and hardwoods. My girlfriend and I could walk to the Chattahoochee River, where I could tangle up my fly line in the trees above the water. I was 20 years old and hooked; I wanted my own mountain cabin one day.

There probably isn’t a single American dream anymore, but owning a cabin in the mountains is certainly one of them. Picture it: a one-bedroom, one-bath (or, OK, outhouse-served) hut with a wood-burning stove on a handful of acres, surrounded by National Forest land. The shape and size of the cabin don’t matter. The point is that it’s in the mountains, with access to hiking, biking, skiing, fishing
.

One problem. Mountain towns and cabins are expensive, especially since the recent pandemic shifted people’s real-estate interests from urban areas to remote landscapes.Ìę (See “This Is the Most Affordable Mountain Town in the West”.)

“Covid, low interest rates, and the new reality of working from home created a buying frenzy for mountain homes,” says Dusty Allison, a real-estate agent who specializes in mountain properties in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Fortunately for those of us still holding the dream, that Covid-related buying frenzy seems to have slowed down and even reversed course in some parts of the country. “Things are getting cheaper in some areas,” Allison says. “People are back in the office, and a lot of those properties that were scooped up during the pandemic are back on the market. There’s more inventory now than in the last few years in a lot of places.”

It’s an encouraging trend, so I’ve been cross-referencing a variety of nationwide realty databases to identify a handful of mountain towns to seek that dream cabin for relatively affordable rates right now. My requirements were simple: the home had to be in the mountains, be under $250,000 (or damn close to it), and have cool stuff to do nearby. These cabins aren’t going to be on the edge of well-known destinations like Boulder, Colorado, or have ski-in/ski-out access to Vail’s Back Bowls, but they are in the mountains with access to world-class recreation.

You can locate mountain cabins on most real-estate sites, but I found Zillow, Land Search, and Cabin Homes to be the best resources and to have easier search tools than others. For instance, Zillow will let you search by keywords like “log cabin” or “mountain stream” in specific states and filter those results by price. On CabinHomes, you can search by style, from A-frames to log cabins to geodomes.

Here are the places I’m dreaming about.

1. Craig, Colorado, and the Elkhead Mountains

Tucked into remote Northwest Colorado and built on the banks of the Yampa River, Craig is the Moffat County (population 10,000) seat. Locals call the town “the elk-hunting capital of the world,” and BLM and National Forest land dominate the landscape to the east, where the Elkhead Mountains rise. The Elkheads are often considered the least-known range in Colorado, since they hold no 14ers. Oh, and Steamboat Springs is just 45 minutes away from Craig.

The Cabins: I found several options in the area surrounding Craig for under $250,000, including a 3-bed/1.5-bath in the plains west of town for $139,000, and a 2-bed/1-bath cabin surrounded by aspens on a 5-acre lot.

The Recreation: Craig is set in the Routt National Forest. Downhill and cross-country skiing exist 45 minutes away at Hikers can climb Black Mountain, Sand Mountain, and , all with summit trails. Multi-day whitewater-rafting trips go down the

2. Jasper, Arkansas, and the Ozark Mountains

Bentonville gets all the attention because of its mountain-bike revolution, but two hours away is the smaller gem of Jasper (population: 498), which sits in the Ozark Mountains surrounded by public land with easy access to hiking, rock climbing, and a national scenic river. The Ozarks aren’t as tall as the mountain ranges to the west (Rockies) or east (Appalachians), but the 2,500-foot peaks offer a legitimate mountain lifestyle in the center of the country, and at a lower entry price.

The Cabins: There’s good inventory in the hills surrounding Jasper. I found an 1100-square-foot on 9 acres with a pond overlooking the Buffalo River headwaters for $235,000. A 3 bed/2 bath log closer to town but on more than 6 acres is just $239,000. Bump your price up to $350,000, and you can get a brand new 1,100-square foot log on 3 acres.

The Recreation: The is the main draw. The first national river in the park-service inventory, the Buffalo cuts through the Ozarks for 151 miles, leaving tall sandstone bluffs in its wake. The Upper District of the river is narrow and fast and has some of the most iconic rock features in the area. Mountain bikers should head straight for the trail system, where 20 miles of backcountry singletrack await.

3. Upper Peninsula, Michigan

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula touches three different Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, and Michigan), offering tons of access to water adventures, while the Huron and Porcupine Mountains, protected by the Ottawa and Hiawatha National Forests, dominate the interior.

The area gets solid snowfall (more than 200 inches annually) every winter, turning into a hotbed of fat biking, X-C skiing, and snowmobiling. The UP even boasts nine downhill ski resorts and the world’s largest artificial ski-jumping hill. In the summer, it’s all about mountain biking, fishing, and even the occasional swell to surf.

The Cabins: The area surrounding Marquette (population 20,000), which sits on Lake Superior, has great deals for under $250,000, like a hand-built log on 80 acres for $249,000. Or how about a one-room with a wood stove and outhouse on 80 acres for just $98,000? And there are deals like this throughout the UP. I have my eye on a 20×20 on a 40-acre sugar maple camp close to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park for just $129,000 (I shouldn’t have told you…).

The Recreation: The UP is nearly 400 miles end to end, so the recreation right out your door depends on which part of the peninsula you call home. But , on the extreme northern tip of the landmass, has nearly 100 miles of world-class mountain-bike trails. Small ski resorts dot the peninsula; check out , which has 250 acres annually covered in more than 200 inches of Lake Effect snow, from when winter storms move across the Great Lakes, leaving powder in their wakes.

4. Robbinsville, North Carolina, and the Southern Appalachians

Robbinsville might not have the trendy restaurants of towns like Asheville, but it has world-class recreation just out the door. Lake Santeetlah,Ìęfor example, which has some of the best trout fishing in the south, is just outside the town limits. The town is surrounded by the Nantahala National Forest and is a 30-minute drive from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s remote, but the real estate is a fraction of the price it would be in the mountains outside neighboring towns.

The Cabins: With plenty of unimproved property surrounding Robbinsville, you can pick up land for a reasonable price if you want to build your own cabin. But for $250,000 you can score a on 2.5 acres in the middle of the woods with a creek and fishing pond on the property. Bump your price up to $330,000, and you can get an cabin on an acre within walking distance to Lake Santeetlah.

The Recreation: Lake Santeetlah dominates the landscape just outside of Robbinsville. The 2,800-acre mountain lake is surrounded by National Forest land and has a healthy population of steelhead trout to try to catch. has hiking trails that wander through old-growth hemlocks, and the Nantahala River offers Class III whitewater. Drive 30 minutes, and you’re at the remote western edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where you can pick up the Appalachian Trail.

5. Sandpoint, Idaho, and the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains

OK, you’re not gonna find a cheap mountain cabin around Sun Valley, but Idaho in general has long been a haven for mountain folk seeking out a land deal. For good prices right now, look to the northern portion of the state, around the town of Sandpoint. The town of 9,000 sits on the edge of Lake Pend Oreille, tucked into the bases of three mountain ranges, with a large ski resort (Schweitzer) just 10 miles away.

The Cabins: The inventory in this nook of Idaho is shockingly diverse and affordable. I found an on 5 acres for $234,000, as well as a on an 8-acre inholding inside Kaniksu National Forest for just $238,000. Meanwhile, you can pick up a that still needs some work on 5 acres for $187,000. Or look south of Sandpoint to the banks of Lake Pend Oreille, where you can grab a tiny on a small .17-acre parcel for just $89,000.

The Recreation: Lake Pend Oreille is 43 miles long, its 111 miles of shoreline loaded with beaches and parks. The lake is known for Kamloops, which is a species of giant rainbow trout, as well as kokanee salmon. But drifting and fishing the might even be more fun.

is Idaho’s largest ski resort, with slopes that peer down onto Lake Pend Oreille. It also has 20 miles of mountain-bike trails in the summer.

Graham Averill is șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű magazine’s national parks columnist. He has yet to fulfill the lifelong dream of owning a mountain cabin, but he has a really nice family tent and that’s good too, right?

For other recent articles by Graham Averill, national-parks and travel columnist, see below.

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

The Best Budget Airlines—and șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Locales They Go To

7 Stunning Road Trips for Electric Vehicles

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Don your best Canadian tuxedo: on December 9, aims to claim the world record for the most skiers and riders in jeans, and to encourage participation, they’re offering cheap lift tickets for the day.

The resort took inspiration from in New Zealand, which set the first world record on October 8, 2023 by having 102 shredders on the slopes for a “Denim Dash,” complete with DJs and free mullet haircuts sponsored by Pit Viper, for all who dared. “We got in contact with The Remarkables and asked if they’d be interested in going back and forth on this thing, to see if we can make it a multi-year tradition,” says Andrew Way, vice president of marketing for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR).

JHMR hopes to elevate the experience by offering riders $25 lift tickets and $25 rentals (including boots, skis, and poles, or boots and a snowboard) on December 9. Group lessons will also be discounted by $100. The tickets can be purchased online in advance, but the resort hopes that everyone taking advantage of the discount will show up to ride in their best denim duds.

Though this promotion certainly isn’t going to fix the issue of soaring lift ticket prices across the country, we’ll take it. It’s a rare bright spot after several years riddled with headlines about $300 lift tickets and the general inaccessibility of skiing for most Americans.

“We just want to have a great time, get everybody out, and have a whole bunch of fun. That might sound trite, but it’s not, it’s really what we’re after,” says Way. “We think it fits the Jackson Hole brand really well, [because] we have a pretty significant Western heritage that we lean into up here.”

Jackson Hole is also the place where the famously wealthy head to play, with celebrities like Harrison Ford, Kim Kardashian, and Sandra Bullock owning property in the area. But JHMR’s Ski in Jeans Day is at least a brief antidote to elite, billionaire-cowboy mountain town culture and harkens back to other early-season stunts the resort has pulled in past years, like a ski free day in 2013 (in celebration of being voted #1 in a SkiÌępoll) and a $6 lift ticket day in 2015 in in honor of its 50th anniversary.

According to Way, the ski area hopes to make this denim-centric downhill a friendly rivalry between Jackson Hole and The Remarkables, with each spot vying to up the ante and break the record year after year, much like how Park City and Breckenridge consistently try to one-up each other by claiming each fall.

Snowfall has been meager in Jackson Hole this fall, and only 35 percent of trails are open at the resort. Tickets for December 9th are currently sold out, but Way says that the resort will release more as soon as snow falls and more terrain becomes accessible, so it’s worth as the date nears. At the moment, is reporting a multi-day storm leading up to the event. Jackson Hole is also offering a steep discount ($100 compared to the regular price of $183) for the Friday and Sunday bordering Ski in Jeans Day, neither of which is sold out yet. Already have your ticket to join the cowboy-clad cruisers? The official record count happens at 12 P.M. at the base of the Sweetwater Gondola.

“Best case scenario, we’ll get a nice, week-long winter storm leading up to it, so we can open more terrain,” says Way.

Once the lifts close at 4 P.M. on December 9th, riders can head over to , their newest slopeside restaurant to enjoy free live music by Grateful Dead cover band, Denim & the Dead, and the world premiere of the Jackson Hole Lager, a collaboration between JHMR and . The , benefiting the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club’s student athletes, goes from 5:30 to 10:30 P.M. at the Rendezvous Lodge.

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