Review of “Snowblind: Stories of Alpine Obsession” by Daniel Arnold.
Climbing over the edge
Can human judgment handle avalanches?
We’re better than ever at understanding the dangers of avalanches. So why can’t we avoid them?
Alaska tourism and the white man’s native
Review of “So, How Long Have You Been Native? Life as an Alaska Native Tour Guide” by Alexis C. Bunten.
Biking the line between wilderness and civilization
A bikepacking trip in Canyonlands offers a new look at a well-travelled landscape.
Drought bill aims to build dams to alleviate water shortages
Despite the drought, agriculture in California is in better shape than you might think.
EPA to study effects of Roundup on 1,500 endangered species
300 million pounds of glyphosate are used in the U.S. each year, but its impacts are largely unknown.
Cliff-jumpers versus condors in SoCal
Can $5,000 fines and jail time protect an endangered species from thrill-seekers?
Wild Science video series goes behind the scenes of wildlife science
High Country News is launching Wild Science, an original video series that spotlights the field biology and people involved in some of today’s most intriguing wildlife issues. Viewers travel alongside researchers into the habitat of the wildlife they study and see the scientific processes that inform public land and wildlife management — decisions that shape […]
Illegal flights persist despite national park drone ban
Early season drone reports are outpacing the number of incidents last year.
Memories from the gear shed
I could put it off no longer. The gear shed had long been an object of contention in my marriage. “You don’t use half this stuff,” my husband observed, more than once. “You need to go through it and make more room.” Defiantly, he rolled his fat-tired bike into the living room and left it […]
Idaho mining dispute raises questions about the future of wilderness
A grandfathered mining claim has opened the doors to development.
How crowded are private prisons in the West?
A riot in Arizona puts the spotlight on for-profit incarceration.
Ranch Diaries: How the Triangle P grazes on tribal lands
Breaking down private leases and federal permits.
The counties that actively oppose a federal lands transfer
Commissioners fear states could reduce county power and remove public access.
How the California drought exacerbates water contamination
This rural community couldn’t drink the water, even if they had it.
National parks scramble to keep up with the crowds
Does Utah’s mega tourism campaign compromise the outdoor experience?
Rare-earth mining in the West: an interview with the reporter
Listen to KDNK Radio speak with Tim Heffernan about the big bust.
Obama designates three more national monuments
Vast stretches of Nevada and Northern California are now protected, bringing Obama’s count to 19.
Old mines still plague Montana’s Clark Fork
Why one of the nation’s largest Superfund river sites can’t address pollution from abandoned mines.
Hot times usher in early Northwest wildfire season
While Oregon and Washington broil, the Southwest and Southern Rockies enjoy a welcome reprieve of moisture
