September 2010 Table of Contents
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DESTINATIONS
TOP 3: Hikes to Waterslides
Cool off at backcountry splash parks in California, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
Natural Wonders
Hike a raptor flyway; tour a geologic icon; see the world’s largest aspen.
Rip & Go Weekend Adventures
Read, tear, hike. Score a surefire getaway with our insta-guides to treks in Maine, Idaho, and California.
THE PEAK: Triple Divide
In Glacier National Park, summit a mountain that feeds three oceans.
SKILLS
THE MANUAL: Off-Trail Travel
Navigate across scree, snow, and rivers without getting blocked or lost.
Technique: Camping Knots
From the power cinch to the clove hitch, here are 6 knots every hiker should know.
GEAR SCHOOL: Merino Wool
This all-natural wonder fabric keeps you warm, cool, and stink-free.
2010 BUDGET APPAREL GUIDE
FIELD TEST: $100 Rainshells
We put a slew of affordable jackets through a year’s worth of wet and cold to find six top performers.
Budget Baselayers & Midlayers/Jackets
Score a merino midlayer for $50, a down puffy for $69, a heat-regulating shirt for $27, and more sweet deals.
Disappearing Act: Paddling the Boundary Waters
Forget designated campsites and well-trod portage trails. Here’s how to vanish into the quietest corners of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. By Gustave Axelson
Camp Chef Makeovers
Stuck in a ramen rut? Are your camp recipes ultralight but ultra boring? Does your food bag weigh more than you do? Our expert chefs solve these problems and more, with tips, recipes, and gear picks for 10 food-flummoxed hikers. By Elizabeth Marglin
121 New Trips Near You
Hit the trail this weekend–or this afternoon. We partnered with hiking clubs in 50 cities to bring you the ultimate list of treks within two hours of your town.
The Big Parade
Two days. Forty-two miles. More than 10,000 feet of elevation gain. In Los Angeles? Here’s how one visionary (OK, a slightly obsessed backpacker) started a local-hikes revolution in the epicenter of urban sprawl. By Dan Koeppel
Ranger Confidential
What really happens when you land the best job in the outdoors? In this tell-all, a former national park ranger dishes on cleaning up after dead climbers, saving wimpy hikers, policing nudists, and witnessing wilderness miracles. By Andrea Lankford