High Country News

Grand Canyon River Guides

An illustrated timeline follows the development of professional Grand Canyon river rafting.

by Cindy Wehling and Stephanie Ogburn, May 04, 2010
Taming the River Wild

Proposals to make dangerous rapids safer rouse controversy among avid river-users.

by Sarah Gilman, Oct 17, 2010
Taking to the Trees

After conquering rocks, trails and mountains, weekend warriors have found a new hobby: Climbing the West’s big trees.

by Morgan Heim, Apr 14, 2008
Words that mountains speak

In Contact: Mountain Climbing and Environmental Thinking, Jeffrey Mathes McCarthy has assembled 23 essays from a wide range of authors.

by Sylvia Torti, May 12, 2008
Shifting gears to a brave new world of Lycra

Is it possible to buy a new mountain bike without buying tons of other stuff?

by David Feela, Jul 07, 2011
Little doses of danger

A formerly fearless outdoorswoman becomes unexpectedly wary once she becomes the mother of two children.

by Laura Pritchett, May 11, 2010
A fee-dodging retiree forces a national forest to rethink access charges

A retired geophysicist named Jim Smith successfully challenges Arizona's Coconino National Forest on access fees.

by Daniel Kraker, Jul 05, 2011
States work conservation into trust lands management

Urban sprawl helps spur new efforts at compromise in managing state trust lands.

by Nathan Rice, Jun 21, 2011
Climate change threatens our livelihoods -- and yours

The CEOs of two outdoor-recreation-based companies favor strong legislation to stave off climate change, not just to save the planet but to help the economy.

by Steve Rendle and Mike Kaplan, Nov 12, 2009
INNOVATE, Part III

Westerners have a knack for new and innovative thinking, such as: Redefining rancher politics, A rediscovered renewable, Creating public nooks and crannies and more.

by Marty Durlin, Ray Ring, Sandra Tassel, Sarah Gilman, Terray Sylvester, Jennifer Anderson , Mar 12, 2009