With Trump’s blessing, cell towers are infiltrating protected public lands across the West.
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March 4, 2020
This special issue is dedicated to winter recreation and asks who — and what —belongs in the backcountry. Our feature story investigates how telecom giants are pushing to build infrastructure on protected public lands. An essay considers the tension between the digitized West and exclusivity. From Colorado, we report on the effects that ski wax has on the environment. In Wyoming, a ski mountaineer changes the way she skis to protect wildlife. We report on the ongoing fight between snowmobilers, conservationists and wolverines in Idaho. In New Mexico, we share a photo essay on the last of the shovel racers. We also take a look at the ethics of shed hunting and review the 15th annual Backcountry Film Festival.
Feature
Reportage
Premium wax is affecting alpine food webs.
A world-renowned athlete stopped skiing in sensitive areas. Can she convince others to do the same?
As snowmobilers fight to preserve their pastime, scientists worry about the future of the species.
Scientists race to quantify winter recreation’s impact on Canada lynx, but technology outpaces them.
Editor's Note
In this increasingly digitized West, who is shut out?
Essays
People were excluded from the wild, historically, and in today’s rapidly digitizing West.
I long felt shut out of the season. Snowshoeing changed that.
As the West warms, hunting for snow becomes part of the adventure.
Photo Essay
After four decades, a ski resort drops a beloved tradition.
Perspective
A Utah conservationist weighs the hobby’s popularity with its moral stakes.
Review
The 15th annual film series unevenly grapples with the paradox of the winter rec industry.
Heard Around the West
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Dear Friends
High Country News gets a new trail guide.
Editors take time to help student journalists understand the craft, and a photo editor joins the staff.
- How to prevent a hike from resulting in a heist
- Why the country’s largest shellfish farm is struggling to hire and retain workers
- A smoldering threat to wildland firefighters
- New bird flu strain threatens North American wildlife
- Pacific lamprey’s ancient agreement with tribes is the future of conservation
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