Indholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2020 i Outside

Last spring, at a meeting to vet ideas for the theme of our annual January-February fitness cover story, deputy editor Mary Turner brought a timely concept with an ingeniously straightforward title: “Chill the F—k Out.” She went on to describe the frenetic, angst-ridden state of being that we all seem to be experiencing: perpetually overworked, bombarded by terrifying news from the front lines of climate change, and deluged with advice on how to reboot our nutrition, ramp up our workouts, and hack our time to supercharge productivity. We’re all exhausted from the constant striving, Turner argued, so maybe instead of our usual series of stories prescribing new time-saving fitness plans and foolproof keto-based diets targeting New Year’s resolution season, we should give readers some novel strategies on how to relax.…

Every January for the past 15 years, hundreds of competitors from across the country have descended on Minneapolis for the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships. In 2019, photographers Kennett Mohrman and Sheldon Sabbatini set up a portrait studio on Lake Nokomis, the championships’ home since 2007, and watched as hockey was played the old-fashioned way: in high-stoke contests on crinkled pond ice with no goalies. Temperatures were well below freezing—so cold that youth-night games were canceled—but that didn’t dampen spirits. “People were drinking beer and skating at eight in the morning until six at night,” Mohrman says. “It felt like a bunch of kids having fun with their friends.” —MADELEINE LAPLANTE-DUBE…

A. La Sportiva Kaptiva GTX running shoes $159 The Kaptiva performs like a beefy trail runner, but it weighs just 9.5 ounces (women’s, pictured) and has the profile of a stripped-down road shoe. Testers loved the glovelike fit, Gore-Tex, and grippy lugs, which hold traction on patchy snow, mucky trails, and ice. B. Fischer Adventure Spider 62 nordic skis $240 These lightweight classic skis are equally at home on groomed terrain and during off-track cruises. A stable platform and steel edges make them an attractive option for cross-country newbies, while veterans will appreciate the traction on steep grades. C. Julbo Aerospeed glasses with Reactiv lenses $210 These sleek-framed glasses have a wide field of vision and photochromic lenses that adjust shading to the light conditions, so you can leave them…

HONEYLAND A beekeeper and her ailing mother in rural Macedonia develop a relationship with a nomadic family that moves in next door. Outside’s take: A meticulously shot look at someone whose livelihood still depends on her relationship with the environment. SEA OF SHADOWS In the Sea of Cortez, environmentalists, journalists, and the Mexican government launch an effort to rescue the vaquita, a porpoise on the brink of extinction. Their adversaries? A cartel trafficking fish bladders to the Chinese black market. Outside’s take: An eco-documentary with the pacing of a thriller. APOLLO 11 Director Todd Douglas Miller turns a trove of previously unreleased 70-millimeter footage of the Apollo 11 mission into an immersive look at the first moon landing. There’s no narration, just archival audio and shots from the launch of…

When it comes to Baja, most people think humpback whales, monster Pacific swells, and jalapeño-spiced margaritas sipped on empty beaches. Now mountain bikers eager to escape winter can add their own fantasy: cycling an expanding system of singletrack at Rancho Cacachilas, a solar-powered adventure resort with access to 34,600 acres in the Sierra Cacachilas between La Paz and kiteboarding hub La Ventana. Since 2014, an International Mountain Biking Association–trained, 15-person crew has been building what will eventually be 43 miles of singletrack on the ranch, with an eye toward erosion control and water management, which means the trails won’t be washed away in the next flash flood. Twenty-five miles are complete, giving intermediate and advanced riders a few days’ worth of exploration in a trail system that feels like an…

This volcanic island between Martinique and Guadeloupe was well on its way to becoming the Caribbean’s top adventure destination when Hurricane Maria hit in 2017. Many of its neighbors are focused on rebuilding as quickly as possible, but Dominica is working toward a different goal. Following the hurricane, prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit pledged to make the small country of 73,000 the world’s first climate-resilient nation. In the past few months, long-awaited eco-hotels like Jungle Bay and Cabrits Resort and Spa Kempinski opened, and the country’s biggest draw, the 115-mile Waitukubuli National Trail, is expected to be complete by January, with final clearing efforts by volunteers, the government, and the private sector. The entire length can be broken up into day hikes ranging from four to 11.2 miles, each showcasing a…

Activate Your Vagus Nerve IT’S THE SECRET TO CALMING DOWN Activate what now? Stick with us: The vagus is the largest and longest of the 12 nerve fibers emanating from your brain. It branches out to reach every major organ in your body, making the mind-body connection a literal one. Researchers hypothesize that the vagus is part of what’s known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis, and John Cryan, an Irish neuroscientist, has identified the nerve as one way that microbes in your gut send signals to your brain. Which, as he likes to say, proves that what happens in vagus does not stay in vagus. Why should you care? Because the vagus nerve is a link to your parasympathetic, or “rest and digest,” nervous system. When stimulated, it slows down your…

Jennifer Stewart is a cofounder of Gateway Productivity, which coaches business owners on how to be digitally organized. She shares the core principles that help her clients. 1. Focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking is a myth, Stewart says. She recommends that you turn off all notifications except texts and phone calls and consider installing an app and website blocker like Freedom, which forces you to choose when you digitally engage. 2. Put all your to-do items in one place. “We hold everything in our head, and that causes stress,” says Stewart. “Pick a place where all those things can go. That way your brain can relax.” Things 3 is a simple management tool that allows you to sort and schedule your chores. 3. Account for your time. Wonder where…

John Askwith, 1943–2019 He was the first employee, the one who would help me visualize and understand the complexities of putting together a national magazine. The magazine was called Mariah, and it was conceived in late 1973, launched in February of 1976, and became Outside in 1978. JA, as he affectionately became known, was the art and design director for over 20 years and relocated from Chicago to our new offices in Santa Fe in 1995, along with his wife, Sharon, two daughters, Seandra and Aberlynn, and around 50 other Outside teammates. In the beginning, John and I each having day jobs, we’d work nights on the floor of my one-bedroom condominium in Chicago’s Near North Side, where we’d deliberate into the wee hours the intricacies of magazine publishing. We…

A. Duluth Trading Company Woolpaca Shawl Collar cardigan $170 Nothing wears finer than a Mr. Rogers sweater. This one delivers an impressive amount of warmth. B. California Cowboy High Sierra shirt $148 With its soft modal lining, classic plaid print, and comfy fit, this versatile shirt comes with a winning extra: a low-back pocket designed to carry a beer bottle. C. Talisker 18-Year-Old $160 This scotch lives in a cask for 18 years, developing a complex yet balanced smokiness and subtle sweetness. D. Glerups Slip-On slippers $95 Burying your feet in heavily insulated slippers is a recipe for sweat. These slip-ons offer woolly warmth and are breathable enough to avoid overheating. E. Fjällräven Greenland Down Liner vest $190 The timeless styling of this lightly insulated vest matches everything in our…

A. OluKai Nohie Olu sandals $115 Your feet will love these slip-ons, which are extra comfy, with a cushioned footbed and generous leather straps. B. Yellow 108 Stevie Palm straw fedora $104 This unisex straw hat features a light build for maximum airflow that will keep you cool. C. Croakies Original sunglasses strap $9 For more than four decades, this simple neoprene device has saved us from losing our shades when we’re on adventures. D. Smith Cheetah sunglasses $129 This update on a classic eighties style combines a feminine cat-eye look with polarized, tapered lens technology in a super light and durable frame. E. The Outlaw Ocean, by Ian Urbina $30 The ideal beach read for those who like their surf and sand with a side of intrigue: sinister real-life…

a. Vans Sk8-Hi 46 MTE DX, $95 + Darn Tough Heady Stripe Micro Crew Light Cushion socks, $21 b. Danner Bull Run Lux, $210 + Rototo Reversible Brushed Mohair socks, $45 c. Columbia Bahama Boot PFG, $110 + Smartwool PhD Run Cold Weather Mid Crew socks, $22 d. Clarks Originals Desert Boot, $130 + Stance Jimmy Chin Altitude Crew socks, $25 e. Duckfeet Roskilde, $238 + Rototo Comfy Nordic Room socks, $40 f. Birkenstock Boston Shearling, $165 + Darn Tough Pixie Knee High Light Cushion socks, $24 g. Merrell Women’s Roam Mid, $160…

As an aquatic wonder, Florida is overlooked. Some 700 freshwater springs fed by mineral-rich aquifers bubble up from the limestone sponge the state sits on. From ground-level pools that reach down 100 feet to caverns created by sinkholes, these crystalline lagoons look like a cross between a Yucatán cenote and a Caribbean reef. And at a constant 72 degrees, they’re always the ideal temperature for snorkeling and diving. The small northern outlets of Branford, Fort White, Mayo, and Old Town are prime places to start exploring, due to their close proximity to the springs and to places to stay. An hour and a half west of Jacksonville, 2,669-acre Ichetucknee Springs State Park is a great entry point, with bream-filled cerulean pools and a diveable open-ceiling cavern called Blue Hole. Thirty…

It was getting dark when I hit the first riffle of my trip down Utah’s Green River in a canoe. My plan was to set out while it was cool and log some mileage before nightfall, but dusk came on quicker than I thought. Because I’d been in a rush to launch, my gear wasn’t tied down very well. I had trouble reading the water in the fading light, hit some shoals, and barely came out upright. Shaking, I pulled over to camp on a scruffy pile of gravel near the highway for a night of bad sleep and excoriating self-recrimination. It all seemed a fitting metaphor for the way I’d been hurtling through life. In the previous two years, I’d written a book, recorded a dozen podcast episodes, zombie-marched through…

In October 2018, just before his 52nd birthday, endurance athlete and podcast host Rich Roll offered up the short version of his life story on Twitter: I didn’t reach my athletic peak until I was 43. I didn’t write my first book until I was 44. I didn’t start my podcast until I was 45. At 30, I thought my life was over. At 52 I know it’s just beginning. Keep running. Never give up. And watch your kite soar. He ended with two emojis: a hand giving a peace sign and a plant. (Roll is vegan.) If this kind of self-help poetry makes you squirm, you’re probably not among the rabid fans of the Rich Roll Podcast, which is one of the most popular interview shows in the world,…

MAKSIM POPOV NEEDED A GUN. It was late fall 2018, and the single, unemployed 29-year-old was descending into darkness. He was living in Volgograd, the large industrial city in southwestern Russia where he’d grown up, and as he later explained, he’d become desperate, even hopeless. It’s not clear what caused his downturn or if he’d sought help, but at some point he decided he wanted to shoot himself. To get a firearm legally in Russia required a psychiatric evaluation, which is presumably why Popov found himself online, reading about a remote outpost in the Arctic that’s popular with Russian tourists and is also one of the easiest places on the planet to rent a gun: Longyearbyen. The tiny town of some 2,200 residents is among the northernmost settlements in the…

FEW PEOPLE ARE AS DEVOTED TO THE AURORA BOREALIS AS HUGO SANCHEZ, A SELF-TAUGHT PHOTOGRAPHER WHO FLED CIVIL-WAR-TORN EL SALVADOR AND MOVED TO CANADA. BUT TRAGEDY FOLLOWED HIM. DURING A FROSTY ROAD TRIP IN WINTERTIME ALASKA, SANCHEZ AND DAVID WOLMAN LUG CAMERAS AND TRIPODS IN SEARCH OF CONNECTION—AND THE PERFECT SHOT. CLOUDS THAT OBSCURED OUR VIEW A FEW HOURS AGO HAVE SINCE GIVEN WAY TO DAZZLING STARS AND A CRESCENT MOON. The clarity sends Hugo Sanchez into high gear. Tugging a neck warmer up over his nose, he grabs two tripod-mounted cameras and starts trudging across a snow-covered field toward a riverbank. It’s around 12:45 A.M. on a February night. The temperature is minus nine degrees, but a steady wind blowing over interior Alaska’s Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River makes it feel…

ON A WARM JULY day in 2013, a 48-year-old Texan named Nancy Allen and her 18-year-old daughter, Sara, set out to climb Mount St. Helens from the Climber’s Bivouac trailhead. The five-mile hike to the 8,365-foot summit of this famous Washington State volcano, which became 1,300 feet shorter after it erupted in 1980, is a strenuous route up rough terrain. But the pair reached the top without incident, presumably gazing into the crater with wonder and a sense of accomplishment. Unfortunately, the Allens got lost on the way down, and Nancy fell from a small outcropping, injuring her leg. At 8 P.M. she called 911, and the Skamania County sheriff’s office dispatched a well-trained crew of search and rescue volunteers called the Volcano Rescue Team. A few hours later, SAR…

Expedition Ace A. RAB THE INFINITY LIGHT $450 Rab isn’t taking any chances with the Infinity Light. To fortify the excellent warmth-to-weight ratio of 800-fill down, it’s treated with hydrophobic Nikwax, swaddled in water-resistant Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper, and made with minimal seams. Articulated arms, a cavernous hood, and a hip-length hemline safeguard you in the most adverse winter conditions. 1.2 lbs (men’s, pictured) / 1.1 lbs (women’s) Ski-Touring Standout B. NORRØNA LYNGEN GORE-TEX INFINIUM DOWN850 $599 Waterproofing a puffy usually means using heavy and stiff fabrics. For its 850-fill Lyngen parka, Norrøna used Gore-Tex’s Infinium, a supple, breathable fabric that stands up to everything short of falling into a creek. The jacket weighs just over a pound, making it perfect for ski tours. Our only gripe: no women’s version. 1.1…

The small fishing town of Punta Gorda in southern Belize offers some of the most elusive catches on a fly. At the edge of Port Honduras Marine Reserve, the area’s flats have a thriving population of permit, as well as big schools of bonefish and tarpon. Better yet, Punta Gorda, a 50-minute turboprop flight south from Belize City, still feels undiscovered. For more than 15 years, the Garbutt brothers—Dennis, Eworth, Oliver, and Scully—have been slowly putting the town on the map. Former commercial fishermen, the brothers now run a sportfishing charter company, dive outfit, and three-cabin lodge overlooking Joe Taylor Creek, from which their boats depart (from $1,340 for three nights). The day starts with a breakfast burrito as you motor to spots chosen by the Garbutts—sometimes a small island…

Used in medicine as an anesthetic, ketamine has come a long way from its nineties reputation as a club drug that offered a pleasurable disconnection from reality. More recently, it’s been hailed as a wonder treatment for depression. In 2019, federal regulators approved a purified version that’s now available as a nasal spray to treat depression when other drugs have failed. (The approved version is administered only in controlled settings.) Meanwhile, ketamine clinics are popping up across the country as doctors tout infusions to help with anxiety and other uses that don’t yet have the FDA’s stamp of approval. Rebecca Brachman, a fellow at Cornell Tech in Manhattan, is advancing another intriguing application for the drug. Her hypothesis: because low doses of ketamine appear to act as a prophylactic against…

Be wary if a product claims to cure anything. While data on laboratory animals suggests that CBD could ameliorate anxiety and reduce inflammation, such benefits are still largely unproven. The FDA has approved only one pharmaceutical-grade CBD product, Epidiolex, to treat certain types of seizures. Dose size and purity matter. Make sure the product has been lab tested for the concentration of active ingredients and for impurities like heavy metals. In a 2011 study conducted by Brazilian researchers, a dozen college students reported reduced anxiety when speaking in front of a mock audience after taking a single dose of CBD, compared with a group who took a placebo. The catch is that the study used 600 milligrams of 99.9 percent pure CBD, which far exceeds the 10 to 30 milligrams…

“I WAS AFRAID TO LEAVE HIM. HE DIDN’T TELL ME, ‘I’M THINKING ABOUT KILLING MYSELF.’ But I didn’t want to leave him alone during a several-week patch.” Christina Bauer sits with her hands clasped, and her posture is perfect. She’s worked all day in an office advising community-college students. It’s a job she never expected to love, but back when she was in college and having a hard time, she took a semester off to do Outward Bound, the outdoor-leadership program for youths. She learned how to read a map and navigate without trails, how to find water and leave no trace. There was something about doing hard stuff outside that changed how she saw herself. At first she thought she’d seek out a career in policy and protect the…