Outside March/April 2019

Like it or not, we live in the era of government shutdown as a blunt-force political tool. Since 1990, there have been six shutdowns resulting from budget disagreements between Congress and the executive branch. Typically, these battles end when one party or the other takes the blame in public-opinion polling and folds under the political pressure. As I write this, however, we’re halfway through the record 24th day of a shutdown that began December 22, and no negotiations are scheduled to try to solve the impasse. Despite more than 50 percent of Americans blaming President Trump for the stalemate, he’s vowed to fight on unless he gets his demand for $5.7 billion to build a border wall. One factor making this current shutdown so destructive, beyond its duration, is that national…

Life used to be hard, so skiers created chairlifts and made skiing easy. Today life is easy, so skiers want to skip the lifts and make skiing hard again. There’s more to it than that, of course—touring gear has gotten way better, for one—but backcountry skiing and snowboarding are booming while resort numbers are flat. According to research by the Snowsports Industries of America, some 1.4 million Americans skied or snowboarded in the backcountry in the winter of 2017–18. That’s a healthy jump from the 650,000 participants in 2010, estimated by the website Wild Snow (the approximation considered the most accurate at that time), and it’s matched by a surging market for backcountry gear. During the 2017–18 season, sales of alpine-touring equipment exceeded $24 million—a 30 percent increase over the previous…

I was on Skype with Barry Lopez, legendary scribe of the natural world, when the ravens interrupted. As cawing sang through my computer, I pictured dark wings skimming Lopez’s home in the Oregon rainforest, where he has lived for almost half a century. Earlier that morning, a raven had cruised past my cabin near the British Columbia–Alaska border, and the two felt somehow connected. I heard fumbling in the background. The cawing stopped. “It’s my cell phone,” Lopez confessed. One of the perks of a raven ringtone, he told me, is that when it goes off in a crowded room, instead of glaring at him, people look to the nearest window to locate the birds. Lopez, at 74, is a master of making us look outside—at hypothetical corvids through glass, but more…

That there’s world-class skiing in Japan is no secret. Hokkaido, the country’s second-largest island, is home to more than 100 ski resorts. The crown jewel? Niseko United, which receives nearly 600 inches of snow each ski season and has been featured in countless ski films. Last season, Polish photographer Piotr Drzastwa traveled to Niseko for a look. It didn’t take long for the 28-year-old, who also works as a backcountry guide, to conclude that the majority of powder seekers there were missing out on the area’s best skiing. “All these people are riding the resort. But you can go five miles outside it and everything is untouched,” he says. “If you want to find something better or different or unusual, you need to spend some time.” So Drzastwa did what any…

1. Colombia Getting to Los Llanos Orientales, a patchwork of forest, grassy savanna, and wetlands in eastern Colombia, takes effort. From Bogotá, it’s a one-hour flight east to the regional capital of Yopal, followed by a 2.5-hour drive into the bush. But when you arrive, you’ll be rewarded with a stay at Corocora Camp, a new four-tent safari lodge in the heart of a private 22,000-plus-acre nature reserve that’s reminiscent of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Keep an eye out for giant anteaters, pumas, chubby capybaras, and over 200 species of birds as you enjoy aged Colombian rums on your tent’s private terrace. Or search for wildlife on foot, by 4x4, or on horseback with your own private guide. Guests can also partake in the camp’s conservation efforts by setting up camera traps…

Skechers GoRun Razor 3 Hyper $135 Best For: Setting PRs. When going fast is your priority, step into this fun speedster. At 6.4 ounces and with a 27-millimeter stacked heel, the Razor 3 Hyper boasts the best weight-to-cushion ratio of all the shoes we tested. The tight upper boosts control, while the EVA midsole delivers one of the most launch-you-forward rides of any shoe on the market. 6.4 oz; 4 mm drop Saucony Triumph ISO 5 $160 Best For: Unmatched comfort. Roomy and smooth riding, the Triumph ISO 5 is the Cadillac of daily trainers, a stable cruiser best suited to slow and moderate days. With 28 millimeters of resilient TPU, this shoe is a cushion lover’s dream. Saucony’s new footbed contours around your foot like a bucket seat, providing a truly dialed-in fit. 11.4…