David Breashears, a mountain climber and cinematographer who reached the 29,032-foot summit of Mount Everest five times, including for a 1998 film that became the highest-grossing IMAX documentary ever, died on March 14 at his home in Marblehead, Mass. He was 68. A representative of his family confirmed the death but said the cause had […]
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How Wolves Became a Pawn in the Culture Wars
For generations, America waged a war against the wolf; now with the animals repopulating the Mountain West, the wolf war has taken on a new shape: pitting neighbors against neighbors as they fight over how to manage wolves. Environmentalists believe that wolves not only deserve a place in the environment but also can help repair […]
Read MoreThe Laid-Back Appeal of Colorado’s Wolf Creek Ski Resort
It was a gorgeous, cloudless February day and the skiing at Wolf Creek Ski Area, in southwestern Colorado, was superb. The snow was the soft, squeaky kind as I darted in the glades and lapped run after run on sparsely populated groomers. It all felt great. But somehow my lingering memory of that day is […]
Read MoreAs Switzerland’s Glaciers Shrink, a Way of Life May Melt Away
For centuries, Swiss farmers have sent their cattle, goats and sheep up the mountains to graze in warmer months before bringing them back down at the start of autumn. Devised in the Middle Ages to save precious grass in the valleys for winter stock, the tradition of “summering” has so transformed the countryside into a […]
Read MoreSnow Shortages Are Plaguing the West’s Mountains
With gusts of wind howling around Mount Ashland’s vacant ski lodge this week, Andrew Gast watched from a window as a brief snowfall dusted the landscape. It was not nearly enough. The ski area’s parking lot remained largely empty. On the slopes, manzanita bushes and blades of grass were poking through patches of what little […]
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