It’s easy to be a backpack critic. Designing and building a backcountry ski pack that pleases everyone is difficult. There are countless priorities to consider, from volume to pockets and unique features to access style and materials. Design considerations make trying new packs an interesting project because it’s where you get to put design to a real-world test. The… Read More
Avalanche safety education is better than ever. Between improved forecasting and conditions reporting, the unified teaching curriculum brought by AIARE, along with elevated public awareness, there is more information and higher-quality educational opportunities than ever before. And you can add a new resource to the list: AvalancheAware AvalancheAware is a free, online starting point for anyone interested in heading into… Read More
Yes, that’s right, armless sunglasses. Sounds a bit unlikely, but that’s exactly the concept behind Ombraz. The idea was born out of necessity when Ombraz cofounder Jensen broke a pair of aviator sunglasses while travelling. He repaired them by replacing the arms with a cord to hold them in place. It was so effective that he continued to use them… Read More
Five friends, dubbed the Five Blind Mice, set out to explore a lesser-traveled corner of Alaska, the Tordrillo Mountain Range. With a general zone on a map, a hopeful weather window and a confident pilot, the Five Blind Mice loaded a plane with enough food for a small village. What followed was six days of gorgeous landscapes, stable snowpack and… Read More
Blown-In is a semi-regular look at the latest ski and outdoor industry news, featuring a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This edition of Blown-In features Everest ski descents, an epic bike-to-climb adventure, a women-centric ski film tour and the latest NOAA winter weather forecast. Girl Winter Ski… Read More
Winter 2025-26 Ski Movie Trailers As summer fades to fall, it’s time for the annual parade of ski movie trailers. Not sure you’re ready for ski season yet? Take a few minutes to view the latest films from the big players like TGR and Matchstick, as well as smaller productions to fuel the stoke and kick the powder dreams into… Read More
Winter Snow Forecast 2025-26 – La Niña Chances on the Rise Greetings, weather nerds. The winter snow forecast predictions are starting to take shape. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center is calling for the development of weak La Niña conditions this winter. While the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was neutral through the end of August 2025, with near-average sea surface temperatures… Read More
Black Mountain Productions Presents Moving Line Black Mountain Productions’ first documentary short, Moving Line, tells the story of the first crossing of Colorado by ski. In 1978, three adventurous skiers embarked on an extraordinary journey, starting in Durango, CO, and skiing a continuous line across the entire state, finishing near the Wyoming border. Moving Line explores the incredible 490-mile trek… Read More
Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski and outdoor industry news bits is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This edition of Blown-In features recent ski movie drops, winter 2025-26 weather outlook and Olympic skimo. TGR Ski Movie Drop – Pressure Drop TGR’s latest ski film,… Read More
Like backpacking, efficient bikepacking is all about packing light. Careful choices in tent, sleep system and cook kit are easy places to save weight and space. Choosing a lightweight camping stove and meal plan saves significant weight and space over a more complex cooking plan and stove setup (read about freeze-dried meals and meal tips for bikepacking). There’s no shortage… Read More
As the adventure-cycling category grows, gravel bikes continue to evolve with improved tire clearance. Tire clearance translates to versatility, making a gravel bike a quiver-of-one bike. Run 30mm tires for all-purpose road rides. Run 40mm for all-purpose gravel riding. And run 50mm for adventure rides and bikepacking. How Wide For Gravel Tires Of course, extra tire clearance also raises the… Read More
The current trend in cycling sunglasses is for maximum coverage, where bigger equals better. From well-known brands like Tifosi, Oakley and Smith to up-and-coming brands like Vallon, maximum coverage offers bold aesthetics and serious performance.
UPDATE: On June 23, 2025, the Senate parliamentarian advised removal of this proposal from the bill on procedural grounds, but new bill text may be forthcoming. Stay tuned. ___________________ The latest edition of the Federal Government’s spending bill includes an extensive sell-off of public lands. It identifies over three million acres to be sold to private interests, along with the weakening… Read More
Bikepacking Route Craft 101 “All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost.” — JR Tolkien. Gandolf’s words to Frodo as the Hobbit departs in search of Aragorn are equally sage advice for those looking to learn the art of creating bikepacking and adventure gravel routes. Route craft requires equal parts map reading skills, curiosity… Read More
Routine Maintenance Keeping your bike running smoothly is all about routine maintenance. Regular cleaning, lubing and fine-tuning are what keep the miles rolling easy. As the wet season begins here in the Pacific Northwest, regular cleaning is more important than ever to keep your bike running well. As the old saying goes for horses, “rode hard and put away wet”… Read More
