On the Cover: Tucked along the Chilean border and within Los Glaciares National Park, the town of El Chaltén, Argentina, is guarded by the striking spires of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy. Though snow-covered glaciers and peaks abound, the region is best known for its beautiful trekking and coveted climbing routes. But in 2023, Matthew Tufts and Aurel Lardy ventured to the 49th parallel with ski lines in mind. What they found was rare and very much worth their while: sunny, windless days and cold, stable powder. Framed by the iconic Cerro Torre, Torre Egger and Punta Herron, Lardy enjoys the first descent of a couloir on Aguja de l’S on the backside of the Chaltén Massif. Matthew Tufts

THE QUIET ISSUE

The Space Between p. 70
Re Wikstrom recognized the dearth of women in ski media early in her career. With a camera in hand, she set out to change that. Focused on photographing female skiers skiing—not posing—she captured many of the early all-women cover shots. Over two decades later, her work and mentorship has inspired the rising generation of female skiers and photographers.

You’ve Gotta Have Moxie p. 80
The average social media scroll-by is hardly the space for art critics, but a magazine gallery is a different story. Art Director Mike Lorenz considers thousands of photos for the Photo Annual, evaluating each shot on everything from lighting to composition to ski form to creativity. Only great, if not perfect, photos make the cut.

A Quiet Place p. 90
When four-lane highways and developments push
into nature, longstanding wild spaces can vanish in a blink of an eye. To demonstrate how quickly humans can impact a landscape, Calum Macintyre and Vegard Aasen created the Light Lines Project: long-exposure photographs showcasing headlamp-clad skiers weaving their way down Norwegian peaks at twilight.

DEPARTMENTS

Perspective
Yan Kaczynski goes prospecting for powder.

Editor’s Note
Betsy Manero seeks silence.

Letters

Off Grid

Spectacle

Straight Lines
Ethan Daly explores the history of mono-touring, and Ryan Stuart debates the upside of more people on the skintrack.

Blown In: Rapid Fire
It took Andrew McLean years to ski all the lines in his Wasatch guidebook, The Chuting Gallery. Last season, Mali Noyes changed the game when she checked off every line in a mere 47 days.

Blown In: Online or In Person
In a post-COVID world, remote learning and online courses have become the norm, but how does the new format compare to traditional in-person teaching?

Blown In: The Eastern Idaho Forecast
A coalition of avalanche centers seeks to fill the void of education and forecasting in Idaho’s eastern mountain ranges.

Wisdom: Lynne Wolfe
Longtime guide, avalanche educator and editor of The Avalanche Review Lynne Wolfe enjoys retirement.

Mountain Skills: Skier Compaction
Certified ski guide Kevin Hjertaas explains what previous tracks can indicate, and why they can’t guarantee stability.

On Location: Bear Valley
The tiny ski town of Bear Valley, California, sits just past where the plowing stops on U.S. Route 4. Deep in the Stanislaus National Forest, the community was the first to create an Over-Snow Vehicle Map to manage motorized/non-motorized use.

Faces: Andrew McNab
If his name sounds familiar, it’s because Andrew McNab is your favorite skier’s favorite skier (or guide). Through a lifetime in the Selkirks, he’s developed his own style of moving through the mountains, dubbed ski-tour mountaineering.

Gearbox: Avalanche Safety Gear
The best beacons, shovels and probes for fast rescue. Plus avy bags, apps and accessories to keep you safe.

Biff America
Biff teaches the youth how to stay out of prison and avalanches.

Tailgate: Mate

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