Huts, Igloos, Campervans, and More

I've been writing a weekly travel story for Outside's website—essentially lists of some of the coolest places to travel to now—and I wanted to share a few of my favorite pieces here. Hopefully this will inspire all of us to get outside this summer and discover a new place to explore, whether it's in your own backyard or a foreign locale a 10-hour flight or a three-day road trip from home. 

The Best Hike-To Lodges: From backcountry shacks to full-scale catered hotels miles from nowhere, here's a collection of rustic and plush lodges you have to earn your way into by foot. 

Where to Sleep in an Igloo: Want to experience snow camping but don't actually want to camp ... in the snow? Good thing there are places in Finland, Canada, and elsewhere where you spend a night in a glorified igloo hotel. 

5 Rad Surf Lodges Around the World: Whether you want to learn to surf or you're a lifelong surfer, here's a collection of some of the coolest spots to post up near a quality break, from Bali to Mexico to British Columbia. 

Craft Breweries Worth Visiting: Whether you're in Colorado, Vermont, or Oregon, there are small-batch breweries that offer quality beer for after any adventure. Here are some high altitude breweries from Big Sky to Park City. 

Where to Rent a Campervan for your Next Road Trip: So you want to experience van life but you don't want to invest in a costly VW that may or may not break down hundreds of miles from the nearest mechanic? Problem solved. Check out these campervan rental outfitters all over the U.S. that'll rent you everything from a deluxe Sprinter van to a vintage Vanagon. 

That Time I Wore a Pink One Piece

Sometimes, we do embarrassing things all for the sake of a story. I recently wrote a piece for Powder.com about the new share economy of outdoor gear—essentially the Airbnb for skis and ski clothes. To see if these new sites actually deliver what they're promising, I decided to test them out for myself.

So I rented a vintage, pink one-piece ski suit from a site that delivers ski clothes to your door and I borrowed a pair of skis from a girl in her garage. There were a few glitches along the way, but overall, I was impressed. If I didn't own ski gear or I didn't want to travel with my gear for some reason, these sites definitely offer a viable alternative. 

You can read the whole story here on Powder.com. 

Then It Went Dark

JT Holmes. Photo by Jason Abraham

It's been almost four years to the day since the Tunnel Creek avalanche that killed three incredible men and could have killed me, and not a day goes by that I don't think about it still. The horrifying moments from that day haunt me when I try to fall asleep, when I'm out in snow-covered mountains, when a storm blows in and the wind whips through the trees. 

I recently interviewed pro skier JT Holmes, who was caught and buried in a slide in the Tahoe area in January, for a story for Powder magazine's website. JT's story could have ended up very differently, but thankfully, he got lucky. His partners dug him out in around six minutes and although he'd blacked due to lack of oxygen, he was still alive and eventually was able to ski out of the incident, more or less unharmed. 

"I could see bits of light outlining the snow chunks while I tried to smash my head back and forth to create an air pocket. But that quickly became futile," JT told me. "Then it went dark. The last thing I heard was snow moving above me, like the sound of wind blowing snow around. Then nothing. Silence. Zero visibility. I was alone with my thoughts."

You'll have to read JT's interview to understand even just a fraction of what he went through and what he'll continue to go through as he moves on from this avalanche. 

It's all a reminder to be safe out there in the backcountry. Get educated and properly equipped. Read the forecast. Make smart decisions. Don't be afraid to say no and turn around.

Podcast Love

I love podcasts. And I've loved podcasts long before Serial came out (although I love Serial, too). (Some of my favorites to listen to: This American Life, Startup, Reply All, Death, Sex, & Money, Long Form, Longest Shortest Time, Invisibilia, Mystery Show...the list goes on. 

All of which is to say, I was honored when pro skier Hadley Hammer asked if I wanted to be on her new podcast, NausicaCast, which covers women in outdoor sports like skiing, surfing, climbing, running and more. I've been tuning into to Hadley's interviews, with athletes like Michelle Parker and Emily Harrington, and it's been interesting to listen to these women chat—it's sort of like being a fly on the wall on a girls' roadtrip in the mountains. I'm the first non pro athlete Hadley has interviewed and I'm still not sure why she even wanted to talk with me, but it sure was fun chatting! The interview is now live and you can listen in here.

A Story Roundup

I've been too busy writing stories for other websites to actually update my own blog—oops. But I wanted to share some of my latest pieces here, in a sort of 'here's what I've been up to' roundup. I've been covering some random and interesting topics, from space travel to basketball to beach vacations to an ongoing fued between Alaskan heli-ski companies. If you feel like catching up, here's what I've been doing:

Heli Permit Wars, Powder.com: Two Alaskan heli ski companies. One coveted chunk of land. And a fight that's lasted years with no signs of resolution.

Make any ski day look amazing, OutsideOnline.com: The trick to scoring dreamy conditions and jealousy-inducing powder footage? Don't plan ahead, and know how to fake it when conditions aren't that dreamy.

Best mid-winter tropical getaways to take the freeze off, OutsideOnline.com: Need to thaw out? Here are beaches worth visiting this winter.

Your own private Idaho, Freeskier.com: Why Sun Valley is a great place to call home if you're a skier.

How to prepare for intergalactic space travel, RedBulletin.com: The force is awakening again. Better prep for space travel.

How to sink a freethrow, RedBulletin.com: This 58-year-old soil technician from Kansas can shoot more accurate freethrows than the pros. 

How to paddle over a giant waterfall, RedBulletin.com: Do not try this at home. But if you find yourself hurling toward a waterfall's edge, take these tips from pro kayaker Dane Jackson.

Ski like a girl, REI.com: Lynsey Dyer and Sego Skis partner up on two new women's ski. 

Baby's first adventure, REI.com: So you have a kid now? That's no reason to just sit at home. Here's how to get outside, with baby in tow. 

America's Coolest Airstream Hotels

El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas

I've written about my obsession with Airstream trailers before. But the truth is, I don't really want to buy an Airstream (they're expensive, for one, and clunky to tow around). I'd rather just rent one for the night. In this roundup I wrote for Outside, I got to highlight some of the coolest spots to do just that, from vintage trailer lodges to Airstream hotels across the U.S.

The Fire from Within

Photo from Sam Cossman

What does a man who rappels into volcanoes have in common with a woman who hikes faster than anyone else on earth? Well, they're both explorers of their own kind and I recently interviewed them both. 

Sam Cossman is a filmmaker and adventurer who quit is tech industry job to spend his time documenting corners of the globe that nobody has been to before. He repels into volcanic craters and captures 3D imagery using drone cameras. Check out words and photos from Sam in this recent interview on RedBulletin.com. 

Then there is Anish. Or Heather Anderson, as she's known when she's in the real world and not living out of a backpack on a remote trail in the woods. I first wrote about Anish in a feature for Backpacker magazine when she came out of nowhere to peat the speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail. She was at it again this summer, trumping the record on the Appalachian Trail by a whopping four days. I spoke to Anish recently for an interview for REI.com. 

I learn something from everyone I interview but these two especially made an impact. Even when we think every corner of the world has been touched or conquered, folks like this show up to prove us wrong. There's still so much to see. So many corners of the globe we have yet to go. 

Ode to Treehouses

Imagine waking up everyday and looking directly into a misty forest. Your bed supported by the strong branches of an oak tree. Your world suspended high above the earth. Ah, to live in a treehouse. There's something magical and childlike about the idea. But who wants to actually live in a treehouse? Now you can just stay in one for a few nights. I did a roundup for Outside on the best treehouses around the world that you can actually stay in, like this one above, from the Tree Hotel in Sweden. Next up? I'm writing about hotels where you can sleep in an Airstream trailer. What other alternative lodging should I cover? 

A Company After My Own Heart

It's no secret that I love Flylow—I wear their clothes on a daily basis and I'm married to the company's founder—but I recently put my love for Flylow out there for all to read in a blog post on Flylow's website, to celebrate their 10 years in business and give a little insight into how independent and grassroots the company still is. It's wild to think this little company that started by making one pair of ski pants and one jacket is now a decade old and just thriving. I'm proud of Dan and Greg and how far they've come. Check out my thoughts on Flylow and stock up on some gear for this winter! It'll sell out fast.