Backcountry Magazine

A photo of mine published in the September 2010 issue. This photo was taken in Alaska earlier this year with the help of a couple friends lighting the tent from the inside. Look for it on shelves at the end of the month.

Winds

Located at the headwaters of the Green River is the Wind River Range. A short hike past the Green River Lakes and Squaretop Mountain put us at Slide Lake for a few days of backpacking. This range has no shortage of alpine lakes and peaks to explore and I will certainly be back for more.

Wisconsin

Home to Wisconsin for a few days. I managed to get a day of riding in at Rock Lake on the CAMBA trails and take a hike up to Morgan Falls and St. Peters Dome. It just would not have been summer without some time on the lake and in the northwoods.

Chestnut Mountain

Last week I headed out to the new Chestnut Mountain trail with Ted Lange from the GVLT. He is writing a piece on the new trail for Outside Bozeman Magazine. They've been working on this project for a long time and it's great to finally see it all come together for them. The new trail is just 10 minutes east of Bozeman and should be ready to go sometime in August.

The Great One

There's something about skiing in the summer that is so rewarding. Like it shouldn't be possible but somehow we still get away with it. On Monday, I met up with Mike England and Drew Pogge and headed out into the Bridger Range for one of Bozeman's classic ski lines. "The Great One" is unique in that it holds snow much longer than other lines in the area and allows us to ski well into the summer. We took our time on the approach, enjoying the warm, sunny day and the lush, green landscape surrounding us. The couloir itself was perfect for skiing and after descending the 1500' vertical to the forest below, we packed up and hiked back to Fairy Lake where we took a swim in the frigid water and had a quick session on the rope swing.

You can check out a video from the day at Backcountry Magazine.

Full Moon at Half Moon

After flailing down the Yellowstone last weekend, I headed to Half Moon in the Crazy Mountain Range to camp out with friends and watch some of them run Big Timber Creek. There was sunshine, some carnage, and a run in with the law. All in all, not a bad time.

Fairweather Expedition

We are not in control. I come to this realization on the deck of a ferry bound for Haines, Alaska exactly one week into a trip diverted here by a natural disaster. It had been two years since I told myself I would be back and now, as I slip in and out of sleep in the mid morning sun I almost feel as though this was the plan all along.





Our destination is the Fairweather Range in Southeast Alaska. Located in Glacier Bay National Park. Paul, our pilot, tells us of a place where few people go, and even less with the intention of skiing. On the border of the Grand Pacific and Grand Plateau Glaciers Paul puts his Bush Hawk down in the snow and drops us off. Here, we set up camp with everything we will need. Basing our exploration from this area, for over 3 weeks we spend our time climbing and skiing whatever we want.





Many thanks to the great brands that supported our expedition. Without them, this kind of thing would not be possible. Mountain Khakis, Smith Optics, Mystery Ranch Backpacks, Hilleberg Tents, Pacific Outdoor Equipment and Westcomb Outerwear.

More photos from the expedition can be viewed online at www.ryankruegerphotography.com