Out and Back

Checking the avalanche forecast before you head out into the winter backcountry should be at the top of your safety checklist. It predicts the avalanche risk for your zones and gives you a heads up on worrisome problems within the snowpack. But how much stock can you really put into an avalanche forecast? USFS avalanche expert Simon Trautman says the avy forecast is your building block for planning your day. However, once your feet are on the snow, the forecast should always take a back seat to your observations in the field. Tune in as Trautman teaches us how to get the most out of the avalanche forecast in your area.

With avalanche danger rated high in the Wasatch Mountains, two separate backcountry ski parties went searching for safer, lower-angle terrain. They headed for Wilson Glade, a relatively mild slope that beckons skiers when conditions seem too dangerous to head into the steeps. The two groups checked the avalanche and weather forecasts, made a conservative travel plan, and carried all the right gear and backcountry experience for a successful trip. But, all precautions aside, they were swept away in a colossal avalanche. Four of eight people died. Avalanche Forecaster Nikki Champion, of the Utah Avalanche Center, walks us through what we can learn from this tragic accident as we head into a new ski season - one that could be shaping up to be just as dangerous as the last.

Last year was the deadliest avalanche season in modern U.S. history. Why was last season so deadly and what can we do to stay safer this year? We set out to answer those question in a four-episode winter safety series to be released December 15, 2021. Stay tuned as we pick the brains of experienced mountaineers, avalanche forecasters, and experts from across the nation for the best tips on avalanche awareness and safety. From learning about how to avoid "summit fever" to knowing the key details of an avalanche forecast, make sure to catch our winter safety series before heading out into the backcountry this winter.

Mac of Halfway Anywhere has been conducting surveys on the PCT for eight years, and on the CDT for four. In this episode of Out and Back, Mac (aka Tyler Fox) weaves his eight years of survey data together with his first hand observations to illuminate how the PCT and CDT have evolved over the past decade. Hint: he doesn’t think it’s all been for the better. Plus, get more inside scoops on thru-hiking, including what makes people quit the trail, why Mac dislikes trail magic, and why he swears he’ll never hike the AT.

In this very special episode of Out and Back, ultralight backpacking expert Mike Clelland dives into the mysterious world of owl synchronicities — and their connection to UFO abductions. Yes, you read that correctly. It all started with a highly charged owl encounter on top of a mountain...

Wildfire Public Information Officer and former wildland firefighter Amanda Monthei breaks down why wildfires remain vital for ecosystem health, and how humans misunderstand this life force. She gets into the history of wildfire management in the US and how we’ve primed conditions for fires of unprecedented scope. Amanda dives into what we can learn from indigenous fire management practices and how we can learn to better coexist with fire in the future. Tune into Episode 37 to hear all this and more about how we can coexist with fire, rather than fight it.

In August of 2019, Jenny and Scott shipped their bikes across the world, and with their one and three-year-olds in tow, they embarked on a month long bike-packing tour across the mountains, beaches and farmlands of Hokkaido, Japan. The family covered 600 miles and camped in a new location every night while carrying all of their own gear. Tune in to episode 35 of the Out and Back podcast to get all the details about bike-packing in a foreign country with two toddlers.

After 69 days of walking through sub-zero temps and knee-deep snow, Emily Ford became just the second person, and the first woman, to complete a winter thru-hike of Wisconsin’s 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail. She also found a new best canine friend in the process. Find out how (and why) she took on this midwestern beast during the toughest time of year.

Adventurer Luc Mehl has spent decades exploring Alaska in the most creative ways. He’s skied from Haines to Juneau, ice-skated a 100+ mile route on frozen lakes and seashores above the Arctic Circle, and bikepacked portions of the Iditarod Trail. In 2006, he discovered a much more efficient way to cover miles in the mountains: packrafting. He’s taken floating down Alaskan rivers to a new level ever since. Don’t miss episode 31 of the Out and Back Podcast as Luc takes us on his incredible Alaskan journey, from growing up in a tiny Alaskan village to becoming an expert in packrafting. Luc discusses the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic and the tragic event that caused him to take a step back in the backcountry and relearn packrafting all over again from the very beginning. In the process of doing so, Luc wrote "The Packraft Handbook", the definitive source for learning how to read water, identify river hazards, and choose the right gear and safety equipment for your next river adventure. Luc talks about how his new book is his way of helping people learn from his mistakes and be safer on the river.

Vasu Sojitra is one of the most accomplished adaptive athletes on Earth. He’s notched first independent adaptive ascents and descents on everything from the Grand Teton in Grand Teton National Park to Tuckerman's Ravine on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. This past winter, he summited Wyoming's formidable Mount Moran and skied its infamous Skillet Glacier. He’s done all of this with one leg. Reducing Vasu to his leg difference, though, doesn’t do him justice. Rather, Vasu has leveraged his disability to cultivate courage, resiliency, and compassion. In this episode of Out and Back, Vasu recounts going from feeling like an outsider as a kid growing up in Glastonbury, CT and Gujarat, India, to finding belonging on the ski slopes. Vasu’s accomplishments on the trails are extraordinary, but his story is really one of finding strength within yourself. He’s on a mission to make the outdoors accessible to all, so everyone can experience the liberation of moving their bodies through the landscape.

Alpinist Adrian Ballinger has made a career of climbing the Himalaya’s 8,000-meter giants. Since 2008, he’s summited Mount Everest eight times, including once without supplemental oxygen. He has also climbed other lofty and daring peaks in the region like K2, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Manaslu. In this fun and lighthearted chat, Ballinger speaks openly with Shanty and Mary about overcoming family and societal pressure in order to live a life that's true to yourself, and he also talks about the challenges/realities of guiding clients up the world’s highest mountains. But it's not all just earthquakes, avalanches, mountain politics, and global warming. Ballinger also takes us to a fateful encounter on the side of Mount Everest, where he met the love of his life, professional climber Emily Harrington. The couple got engaged last year, and are looking at a December 2021 wedding. Ballinger gives us a peak of what “normal” life is like for these two climbing celebrities.

After 10 years of marriage, Sonya and Necota Staples reached the brink of divorce. They had gotten so caught up in the business of living that they drifted apart. That’s when these city dwellers tried something new: camping. That one trip changed the trajectory of their lives. In this special Valentine’s Day episode of the Out and Back podcast, Abby and Shanty bring you the story of Sonya and Necota Staples. Tune in to learn how camping and overlanding rejuvenated the Staples’ marriage. The Staples share their story openly and honestly, with humor and insight along the way. They talk about what inspired them to start the YouTube channel and social media presence "StaplesInTents". And they get into why they swapped out their BMWs for a Land Cruiser and some of the fun adventures they've had off road.

If you’re wondering what kind of backcountry ski gear to buy this season, you’ll want to listen to this chat with big mountain skier Sophia Schwartz and Sean McCoy, editorial director of GearJunkie. Schwartz, a multiple top-ten World Cup finisher and the 2013 U.S. Freestyle champion, describes her journey from the mogul course to the backcountry glades and couloirs. She recalls her first backcountry ski trip. Her gear was...less than optimal... Schwartz teams up with McCoy, an avid skier himself, to chat about what’s good in the world of backcountry ski gear. Everything from avalanche airbags to skins, Schwartz and McCoy dive into their kits, discuss their favorite pieces of gear, and give tips for best uses along the way. Turns out that these two happen to be big fans of the same ski boot. Tune in to find out which boot they love to ski both at the resort and in the backcountry.