Surf City, Canada
How did a small Vancouver Island seaport become the most surf-crazed town in North America?
ajtestbed
For Sale or Trade, One Reverse-Averse Van
Found on the Seattle Craigslist, its author unknown, this prose-poem farewell to a beloved vehicle contains a multitude of tales
When a Family Cabin Forms You
Our family cabin was located in a tiny north-south valley, which was located in a larger east-west valley, and so I imagined the terrain as a giant Phillips-head screwdriver pattern, with our little spot in the very bottom of the center. It wasn’t exactly the Grand Canyon, because this was central Pennsylvania, but the trees … Read more
Off the Leash, Into the Wild
A move to the country turns a pampered city pup into a grizzled mountain dog
Between Two Worlds
A return to the North American epicenter of alpine climbing puts priorities in high relief
Beyond the Veil of Mystery
John Scurlock’s aerial mountain photography opened a window unseen and inspired a generation of climbers
Open to the Elements
Fallen into ruin and given new life, Scotland’s historic mountain huts have developed a culture all their own
Chinese Puzzle
Was skiing invented in Asia? A search for its origins follows the faint tracks of history
Historical Badass: Plumbing the Depths
She skied so magically, they called her the Witch of the Wasatch, but Dolores LaChapelle’s passions were more earthly, and much deeper
Intro
It used to be easier to disappear into mystery. Around 1988 or so, I boarded a plane north, landed late in the night, passed through Canadian customs, rented a car, and drove into a shaken snow globe of a storm, paper map and scrawled directions in hand. Cell phones and the internet were years away; … Read more