Steve Howe

Pack a summer of views into one weekend.

Little rain and stable weather make fall the ideal time to go canyoneering.

This low-bulk bracing is used by sports trainers and wilderness medics to stabilize weak ligaments and discourage further injury. You can apply all sorts of extras like pre-wrap liners, ankle pads, and skin adhesive, but here's the down and dirty trail version.

How the pros treat an injured hiker

If the scenic, scrappy Cabinets had buffed trails and sat near urban centers, they'd be as busy as New Hampshire's Whites or Colorado's Indian Peaks. Thankfully they have neither, and that makes them perfect for motivated trekkers who don't mind huffy climbs, and off-trail routefinding, like the route we found.

No need to fight the crowds in Glacier or Yellowstone. Montana is full of life-list trips--you just have to know where to look.

The little-known Absaroka (ab-SOAR-kuh) Mountains are the largest single range in the Rockies, and they undoubtedly form the wild core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In their northern extremities, the Absarokas manifest their grandeur as steep, rugged spires, thanks to cliff-friendly blends of granite and gneiss. There among the pinnacles you'll find all the mountain wildlife of Yellowstone (mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, wolves and bears both black and brown), but with bigger, badder scenery and far fewer people.

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The Missions stand out even in northwest Montana, a region with no shortage of steep, crazed peaks. Travel in this glacially eroded landscape of dense evergreen forest, hidden lakes, tusk-like 9,000-foot summits and long, knife-edged ridgelines can be described in three simple terms: Steep. Rocky. Strenuous. Basecamping is the best plan.

Fewer than 300 miles of trail crisscross the 158,615-acre Anaconda-Pintler, but only 45 miles along the CDT qualify as busy. At this northern latitude, treeline sits around 9,000 feet, and timberline regions are like bonsai gardens writ large; an aesthetic blend of spruce, fir, and the whimsical larch. The best way to experience it? A multiday immersion trek trip.

Rugged, scenic, and lightly traveled, the Beaverheads rise above Big Hole Valley's broad meadows as a skyline full of 10,000 foot summits with alpine lakes pooling at their feet. Outside of Montana, this place would be on every hiker's tick list, but here it fades into obscurity behind Glacier and the northern Bitterroots that loom above Missoula. Explore them shoreline to summit on these two hikes.

Follow serpentine barrens and stair-steep tracks to a rugged volcanic sea coast.

Bushwhack up a glacier-carved fjord to a lake-spangled subarctic plateau.

Paddle and portage fish-filled waters past wild cascades to the greatest of lakes.

Hug pebbly beaches and cliffs along Superior shores.

Escape time as you glide through an endless chain of connected lakes.

Hit four technical summits in the birthplace of North American mountaineering.

Link two gorgeous cabins by scrambling through craggy alpine country.

Routefind across precipitous ridges to an ice-filled lake.

Empty of people, that is. Because the 3,000 miles of wilderness that stretch from Newfoundland's fjordlike coastal cliffs to British Columbia's rainforest and skyscraping peaks are brimming with every type of mountain, water, and wildlife adventure a card-carrying backpacker could want—crowds not included. Our Rocky Mountain Field Editor spent two months exploring places we've never covered to assemble our most extensive guide to Canadian backcountry yet.

Learn to decide when to walk out and when to stay put with a variety of backcountry medical ailments.

Think there's nothing wild left in the Lower 48? Don't tell the grizzlies on this traverse of the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Use what you have at any given moment to alleviate a medical emergency in the backcountry.

Once you've stabilized a backcountry injury or illness, the next step is to prevent the patient from worsening. Here's some key steps to take.

Use these three assessment tools to examine every patient thoroughly after you've stopped any immediate threats to life. Trauma victims are more common in the backcountry; start your inspection with a head-to-toe exam. For ill patients, begin by asking about medical history and taking vitals.

When an emergency strikes, your mind can go blank. These easy clues and rhymes will help you remember what do to first.

Don't own a massive pack for your big annual adventure? Here's how to make it all fit.

George Dunn, co-owner of International Mountain Guides, recalls personal adventures and gives tips about climbing Mount Rainier.

Watch your step on Utah' Highline Trail. The nonstop views and rampant wildlife are distractingly spectacular. Plus: Gaze away on 9 more elevated hikes.

Discover a private paradise by crossing the park’s convoluted Waterpocket Fold.

Lost and alone without your gear? Don't just sit there. Get a fire going.

Take your rappel slings with you after learning this simple method.

Learn to use this lightweight method of getting your food out of a bear's reach.

Use this cheap, simple solution for securing your tent on snow or sand in no time.

If you don't want a rope to slip, or you want to create tension, tie a quick clove hitch and attach it to something like a tree branch or carabiner.

Tying a figure 8 mid-rope allows you to securely attach to a particular spot in the line. You can make hand or footholds this way, that can be easily untied after bearing weight. Learn to tie a figure 8 by watching our slide show series on knot tying.

Learn how to properly tie one of the simplest and most versatile knots known to man.

Learn how to tie the potentially life-saving bowline knot and more with these step-by-step photo tutorials.

Get found with this super loud whistle.

Light a fire fast, even in wet, cold, and windy conditions, with this waterproof lighter.

Everything you need in an emergency in one tiny little pack.

A tough knife and a fire starter all in one.

A half hitch is an overhand knot tied around departing cord. It's the simplest way to secure a bowline waist loop for critical uses like climbing.

Use our guide to make your Wales hiking adventure a reality.

Cross a sprawling preserve of broad mountains, lonely ridgelines, and lush river valleys.

Follow a long-distance trail along the once-violent, now-bucolic border between England and Wales.

The highest peak. The wildest ridges. The largest lake. Find them all in Wales's alpine heart.

Tiptoe along oceanside bluffs with views across the Irish Sea.

Don't be fooled by the cozy pubs and low elevations. The birthplace of mountaineering overflows with challenges, from rugged peaks to history-laden coastal treks.