Our contributor and associate editor Jordan has finally begun his 6 month, world exploring adventure! His first blog post at BeyondThePath has been added, and he's on the way!

Read the full post here

Have you ever dreamed you could ski every day regardless of season, temperature, or any other factor? Can you imagine moving to one of the hottest places on the planet to do just that?
In Episode 2 of A Skier's Journey, we learn about Ski Dubai and a 26 year old Moroccan that has done just that. He may ski more than anyone on the planet.

Ready to pack your bags?

Adventure Journal has a nice little story on Omega Pacific, an American company outside of Spokane, WA that builds climbing gear - 100% in America. This companies commitment to their small factory in one of the most beautiful states is refreshing when nearly everything we buy and use is made in a far away land.

Full Story

National Geographic has posted thier top 25 picks for the best ski towns in the world. All of the usual suspects are included, with a few interesting additions, just to keep things interesting.

Among our favorites are Whistler and Jackson, Wyoming. We've been hearing a lot of good things about Bozeman lately, and since our new friends from Expedition Overland live up there, it's on the list for the upcoming season. Not sure why Vail was omitted, but it's their list...

Are there any missing? Are any of these destinations in your future? Let us know on Facebook ;)

It's a pretty common problem: You spend the winter skiing or boarding which is great, but you also indulge in holiday eating, snack munching, and beer swilling perhaps a little mroe than in the summer. The result? A few extra pounds of 'insulation' to help get you through the winter.

We found an interesting article from MTNWomanMagazine on keeping your metabolism going, 4 simple steps to make sure you don't literally 'roll' into spring. Yes, these techniques apply to men just as much as women.

I've been a computer enthusiast (geek?) for as long as I can remember, going all the way back to my first Commodore 64 over 25 years ago. I've also had another passion for just as long, one that has (in large part) fueled my love of the outdoors: maps.

In recent weeks as I've started to plan 'liife after government service', I came to a realization on what I want to do when I grow up. It's really quite simple: Combine my love of the outdoors (through this publication and the others I currently run) with my love for computers, and my love for maps: I'm going to be a cartographer. Some may say that's not terribly exciting, but once you do a little research it's really quite fascinating.

Exactly 65 years to the day after Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time, Felix Baumgartner successfully jumped from the edge of space yesterday. While it's not confirmed, Felix became the first person to break the sound barrier during freefal, reaching Mach 1.24 (about 833.9mph). He's also the only man to jump from 127,000 feed (24 miles), and set several other records.

The entire feat was broadcast on YouTube to the world, with over 8 Million views at its peak, yet another world record. Some of us were lucky enough to watch the entire event on our iPhones, which is a pretty cool display of technology.

Checkout the Red Bull Stratos website for a great video!

Dr. Jon Kedrowski recently posted his story about a late summer rescue on Snowmass mountain, where he was instrumental in a life saving high-angle rescue. While we never like to hear about accidents on the mountain, it's good to know there are people out there ready & willing to risk their safety to help others.

Read the full story on Dr. Kedrowski's blog

While on a somewhat ordinary flight for fun, a "cool guy" named Ryan Thompson decided to fake an in-flight emergency in order to propose to his girlfriend. While the video is certainly entertaining (Adventure Journal reports that she did say 'yes'), we're not sure if this is the safest way to start a new life together. It sure is interesting though. What do you think?

Read the full story

Source: Adventure Journal

Elevation Outdoors (www.elevationoutdoors.com) wrote an article yesterday covering NiteRider rechargeable lights for biking (LINK). While the LED light that can last 25 hours (on dim) with amazing brightness certainly sounds cool, we're just not sure it's worth the $350 price tag.

A quick search on Amazon yielded several options from 'casual' lights to the aptly named 'Blaze'. While admittedly none of these options is as bright as the NiteRider, that $350 can buy a lot of lights AND a lot of rechargeable batteries.

It really comes down to what your needs are. A professional night rider may shell out the $$$ for an 1800 lumen light, but for the vast majority of us, a $50 light and plenty of batteries will do just fine.