Outside December 2018

Getting Schooled September’s “Rewilding the American Child,” a series of articles exploring how to get kids unplugged and outdoors, included untraditional methods like unschooling. A number of people wrote in to express the importance of learning outside classrooms, including two teachers who also reminded us of the good work being done within them. As an elementary school teacher and outdoor enthusiast, I regularly seek opportunities for my students to experience wild places and natural spaces. I truly believe that as adults, we must encourage and come alongside our young charges to model what a healthy connection to nature looks like. Thank you for addressing this important issue and for continuing to challenge us to get out there—all ages, all adventures. Stephanie Dean Vienna, Virginia I was disappointed to read the first paragraph of “Turn Them…

Early in my career as an editor, before I came to Outside, I worked on a story about retail politics with the writer S. C. Gwynne. This was in the mid-2000s, and Gwynne was reporting on how the George W. Bush presidential campaign had used a novel approach to identify likely supporters and win reelection. In the old days, locating your base was a matter of analyzing past voter files and understanding where people stood on a particular issue—gun rights, abortion, or health care. But to target its base in the 2004 election, the Bush campaign took a deep dive into consumer data. GMC drivers, Dr Pepper drinkers, and History Channel viewers, it discovered, were much more likely to support Republicans; Volvo drivers, Fanta drinkers, and Food Network viewers were…

SKIERS LOVE TO bitch. In the 1970s, racers whined about hot doggers. Mountain-town locals have forever complained about Herbs, Joeys, SPOREs (stupid person on rental equipment), and gapers. Internationally, Italian skiers hate on the Austrians, who hate on the French, who hate on the Brits. Alpine skiers groused telemark skiing right out of existence. And all skiers bitch about snowboarders—who throw their cigarette butts in the snow and bitch right back. Lately, though, the complaints have coalesced around a central theme—the multimillion-dollar buyouts of a slew of famed and much adored resorts. From Crested Butte to Park City to Whistler Blackcomb (all recently bought by longtime powerhouse Vail Resorts), and on to Squaw, Mammoth, and Deer Valley (all recently acquired by newcomer Alterra Mountain Company), the kinds of resorts that people…

Skate photography is as old as skateboarding itself. Cameras had been around for more than a century when the breakthrough Roller Derby skateboard appeared in 1959, and photographers were soon documenting a new pop-culture arrival. Some 50 million boards were manufactured in the U.S. between 1962 and 1965, and the sport has since seen numerous cycles of popularity and decline. In the early days, without parks or ramps, skating spilled into the streets, where it was treated like graffiti and quickly banned in 20 cities. Skaters were iconoclasts, a raw and messy expression of a renegade culture, and the photography reflected that. Today, as we transition from the X Games era (which peaked a decade ago) to the Olympic era (skating debuts at the 2020 Games in Tokyo), it’s worth…

THE JET SET Mountain Collective pass holders should book their two free days at Niseko, Japan, in January or February to best experience the resort’s legendary powder. Refuel with crab ramen at Hangzone 308 Restaurant and Café between waist-deep runs and trips to local hot springs. DEER VALLEY, UTAH THE LOCAL: Sue Anderson, Deer Valley’s avalanche-mitigation supervisor ON MOUNTAIN: “People sometimes call Deer Valley ‘Bambi basin,’ but when they get here, they’re surprised by how much expert terrain the mountain has. And the resort has a limit on ticket sales, so even the busy spots never get too crowded. After skiing, Edgar’s Beer and Spirits in Snow Park Lodge features live music on the deck and turkey chili on its nachos. If you keep an eye out, you can snag discounts at the five-star…

The 11-ounce Misc. Goods Co. Ivory Ceramic flask ($92) is slim enough to stow in your pocket, but its leather, brass, and cork closure begs to be shown off. Topo Designs’ organic cotton Field shirt ($89) is the Swiss Army knife of utility layers, ready for yard duty, a long hike, or an evening on the town. FOR THE SUN SEEKER The A. Oboz M-Trail Low shoes ($120) perform all day from city to trail, with breathable uppers and cushioned, supportive EVA midsoles and inserts for extra energy return. B. Seea’s Lido One Piece suit ($125) has just the right mix of breathability, compression, and stay-put style. The C. Hydro Flask Unbound Soft Cooler 22 pack ($275) keeps 24 cans cold for up to 48 hours. Waterproof zippers prevent leakage, and the side pocket is…