Backpacker – August 2019

JULY/AUGUST 2019

72 BACKPACKER.COM

No.

18

Run a 10-mile trail.

No.

25

Throw a

backcountry

p a r t y.

No.

21

Hike for

24 hours.

No. 24

Glissade on a summer snowfield.

1. Check conditions. You wa nt a moderate
   angle and settled, soft snow, nothing hard or icy.


2. Confirm a safe runout. If you ca n’t see the
   bottom of the slope, don’t slide. Rocks, a cre-
   vasse, or a drop-off could be hidden from view.


3. Remove excess gear. Ta ke cra mpons off
   and stow them—they can catch and injure you.


4. Get in position. Sit upright, knees bent.


5. Use your ice axe. It works like a r udder to
   steer and brake. The pick should face away from
   your body. Drag the spike to slow down and turn.


6. Stop. Dig your heels in to stop. Going to fast?
   Roll over on your stomach and use your axe to
   self-a rrest (don’t attempt to glissade until you
   can do this). Know your personal speed limit.

No.

26

Make margaritas

with summer snow.

no.

19

Follow animal prints.

no.

22

Camp in a

wilderness where

you don’t need

reservations.

NO. 23

See the

sunrise

from a

summit.

NO. 20

FIND ROCK ART.

1. Get off the beaten path. Some well-
   known panels of rock art are named and
   easy to find. But the best are the ones
   you discover by exploring the nooks
   and crannies of the desert Southwest.
   Wilderness areas in southern Utah and
   northern Arizona are the hot spots.


2. Know your art. Petroglyphs are made
   by chipping or carving away the patina,
   or desert varnish, on a rock’s surface.
   Pictographs, which are painted on the
   rock using natural pigments, are less
   durable so usually found in areas that are
   protected from the elements.


3. Leave no trace. Never touch rock a r t
   or do anything that could damage it.


4. Keep it secret. Found a n unmapped,
   unGoogleable site? Congrats! Keep it to
   yourself so someone else can find it the
   sa me way you did.

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