On the Cover: Photo magic is a meld of light, location, conditions and skier, all woven together through the eyes of the photographer. Oskar Enander is a master alchemist. Between Nov. 26 and March 25 of last season, he shot with Marcus Caston for five days in Engelberg, Switzerland. On one of the first days, Enander shot the image that landed the cover of our 2025 Gear Guide. On one of the last, he worked his magic again to capture Caston slipping between shadow and light. “When I look at what we managed to get in the few days, I’m still very satisfied,” says Enander. “It feels like a full winter with good images. Marcus always delivers.” Oskar Enander

THE 2025 PHOTO ANNUAL

HOW IT STARTED. HOW IT’S GOING. p. 70
Sixteen years ago, our Art Director, Mike Lorenz, was vibing to his favorite song while driving to his first day of work for Backcountry Magazine. He’s since built 16 Photo Annuals, each one capturing the untracked experience through a series of the year’s best ski photography. This collection is no exception, and, more importantly, Lorenz says he’s still vibing.

AT WORLD’S END p. 92
International ski trips always carry an unknown element. Baggage gets lost. Conditions don’t line up. Gear breaks. On a trip to Svalbard—a Norwegian archipelago above the Arctic Circle—Madison Rose Ostergren and Liam Doran add a few more variables. Namely, sea ice, a World War II era sailboat and the threat of polar bears.

ALPINE IDOLS p. 102
They say, “Don’t meet your heroes.” But when your heroes are Christian Pondella, Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson, throw that advice out the window and go skiing with them. In 2018, Nick Russell did just that, joining the three ski mountaineering legends to learn from his heroes and ride the seldom visited East Couloir on Mount Muir.

SKID MEDICINE p. 112
Mali Noyes is a Utah-based professional skier who travels the world for photo shoots and film appearances. But that’s just her day job. She’s one of a growing number of professional skiers, ski bums and ski patrollers who are looking for a job that allows the freedom to be on the mountain every day while also paying the bills. Their solution? Nursing.

DEPARTMENTS

Perspective
Jeff Cricco changes course.

Editor’s Note
Greta Close flips through her dad’s old photos.

Letters

Off Grid: Photos from the Untracked

Straight Lines
Kevin Hjertass examines the ethos of outdoor sports, Drew Zieff turns his touring partner into a life partner, and Edward Brennan waits his turn.

Blown In: Artillery Under Fire
Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon is best known for powder skiing and bad traffic, but it has also played a leading role in North American avalanche mitigation. Liam McGee examines the next phase of avalanche control and its effect on backcountry skiers.

Blown In: Invasion of the Knuckledraggers
Splitfests began as a way to build community in an oftentimes isolating version of backcountry travel. As the sport—and festivals celebrating it—become mainstream, Tom Hallberg contemplates the pros and cons of splitboarding’s surging popularity.

Wisdom: Angela Percival
Angela Percival carved her own path as a female photographer in the ski world. More than a decade on, she’s still honing her craft and inspiring the next generation.

Mountain Skills: Follow the Old Growth
Color-coded slope angles, 3D maps and route planning only go so far. Brennan Lagasse investigates the importance of trees, from navigation to safety to awe.

On Location: The Hunza Ski Club
Tucked into a pocket of northern Pakistan, the mighty Karakoram looms over the Hunza Valley. Joey Sackett set out in search of fresh descents, but he found a more meaningful pursuit: teaching lessons to a ramshackle ski club united in their homegrown skiing.

Faces: Ira Edwards
After an accident left him paralyzed from the legs down, Ira Edwards’ passion for skiing perservered. He has since set a track for other disabled athletes to follow.

Gearbox: Sunglasses, Gloves and Camera Gear

Biff America
Jeffery Bergeron ages gracefully.

Tailgate: Bombs Away!

For three decades, Backcountry Magazine has been dedicated to the pursuit of fresh lines and the people who live for them.