Mid-Size SUV sub-segmentation based on 13MY cross-shop activity. Excludes vehicles with third-row seating. *Available optional features.

Jeep is a registered trademark of Chrysler Group LLC. 2.4L I4 FWD Models: EPA est. 22 city/31 hwy MPG. Actual mileage may vary. Jeep

I N TR O D U C I N G T H E AL L- N E W 2 0 14 C H E R O K E E
R I G H T H E R E , T H E N E W S TA N D A R D O F B E S T- IN - C L A S S 4X4 C A PA B IL I T Y* E M E R G E S .
W I T H S E L E C -T E R R A I N A N D J E E P A C T I V E D R I V E L O C K D E L I V E R IN G T H E R E N O W N E D
T R A C T I O N A N D T O R Q U E M A N A G E M E N T O F T H E T R A I L R AT E D B A D G E , A C L A S S -
E X C L U S I V E N I N E - S P E E D T R A N S M I S S I O N A N D A N I N T E R I O R F E AT U R I N G AVA I L A B L E
LE ATHER-TRIMMED SE ATING AND 8.4" TOUCH SCREEN C OMM AND CENTER,* THE 2014
J E E P C H E R O K E E T R A IL H AW K I S R E A DY F O R A D V E N T U R E O N A N Y T E R R A IN .

J E E P. C O M / C H E R O K E E
EVERY -
WHERE
STARTS HERE
Contents 01.14
happiness report
50 the pursuit
of happiness
Scientists are discovering
what many of us have known
for years: the keys to joy and
wellness lie in healthy doses
of sunlight, exercise, and
outdoor play. Kick off your
New Year with these life-
changing strategies. PLUS:
The perma-grin secrets of
ultrarunner Hal Koerner.

62 its miller time

Bode is backand in love.
The newlywed has weathered
knee surgery, a bitter child-
custody battle, and the death
of his brother, Chelone. But
now, with pro volleyballer
Morgan Beck by his side, hes
hungry for more Olympic
gold. BY racheL STUrTZ

68 fuKai yuKi saiKo!

Thats Japanese for great,
deep powder. And its what
youll nd every January in
the fabled resort of Niseko,
which typically sees nearly
15 feet during the rst month
of the year. Is there such a
thing as too much snow?
erIc hanSen investigates.

74 dr. feelgood
Who tracks down all the
exotic plants that boost our
vitality and turn us on? Chris
Kilham, medicine hunter,
thats whoand hes happy
to tell you all about it. STeVe
henDrIcKS joins the horny
explorer in the Amazon on a
search for the next hot thing.

80 man under
At a Tough Mudder event
last April, Avishek Sengupta
stepped off an obstacle called
Walk the Plank and disap-
peared into a murky pool.
Eight minutes later, a rescue
diver brought his limp body
to the surface. His death
has racers questioning the
Grace chon

safety of one of the countrys

fastest-growing sports.
BY eLLIoTT D. WooDS

4 outside magazine Cover photograph by peggy sirota

Overheating is underperforming. So now theres Polartec Alpha, the rst-ever breathable
puffy fabric. It allows a free exchange of air, so when youre active you stay warm, dry and
comfortable. Developed for the U.S. Special Forces and now available for outdoor enthusiasts,
it takes protection, performance and you to a whole new place. Discover more at POLARTEC.COM

Polartec and Polartec Alpha are registered

trademarks of Polartec, LLC. Polartec 2013
From leFt:
Filson jacket,
bonobos tie,
01.14
22 dispatChes
patagonia shirt
First Look: Just when you thought
minimalist running shoes had taken
over, the ultra-cushy Hoka One One
bigfoots the party.
primer: The best little stoner town
in Colorado.
rising star: For skier and model Sierra
Quitiquit, the snow always comes rst.
epic: Lonnie Dupres quest to tackle
Denalialone, in the dead of winter.
Media: McKenzie Funk on the proteers
who stand to get (really, really) rich
from global warming. Plus, Antarctica
on your coffee table.
Covet: Sledding, all grown up.

36 destinations
training: Hit reset this New Year with
a tness-focused vacation, from cycling
PAgE 94
in the Canary Islands to spa time in

cLocKWISe from Top: InGa henDrIcKSon; coUrTeSY of Theq; coUrTeSY of hoTeL DomeSTIqUe; anDreW ToBIn/focUS ImaGeS LTD
sunny Mexico.
Base Camp: Off the grid in Jordan, the

Contents
Middle Easts oasis of peace.
Weekend plan: Round up friends. Book
hut. Ski powder. Rebook next year.
Go List: Tis the season for good rum;
how to avoid ATM fraud; and a 3G-
enabled, waterproof, pocketable
point-and-shoot.

88 essentials
tech: Nikons AW1, the rst everything-
proof interchangeable-lens camera.
spectrum: From down super-pufes
to breathable shells, jackets for every
winter sport.
stress tested: Next-gen portable char-
gers keep your gadgets juiced on the go.
Base Layers: The art and science of
layering, explained.

94 style
pure and simple: Boiled, blended, or
doubled up, wool is the seasons choice
for performance and good looks.

plus
8 eXposure
healthy
escapes,
PAgE 48 16 BetWeen the lines
PAgE 36 112 parting shot

6 outside magazine
THE ALPHA OF ALL
OMEGAS
TRIPLE STRENGTH FISH OIL 1240
4 0% s m a l l e r. 10 0 0 m g o f t h e o m e g a - 3 s
EPA and DHA promote hear t, joint, brain,
e y e a n d s k i n h e a l t h . P u r i f i e d 5 t i m e s.
Enteric coating helps reduce fishy burps.^

G N C B E S T P R O D U C T. B E S T
E X P E R I E N C E . B E S T R E S U LT S.
C O M E I N O R V I S I T U S AT G N C . C O M F O R
HEALTH AND WELLNESS SOLUTIONS TODAY

TO GET THE TRUTH ABOUT FISH

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^Each softgel capsule is enteric coated which allows the softgel

to break down and absorb in the small intestine. This controls or
reduces fshy burps. These statements have not been evaluated by
the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Call 1.800.477.4462 or
visit GNC.com for the store nearest you. 2013 General Nutrition
Corporation. May not be available outside the U.S.
01.14

thomas senf
To shoot climber Stephan Siegrist scaling a frozen
waterfall near Eidfjord, Norway, last February, Senf
set up three pocket ashes, triggered them by remote
control, and captured this single image before the
lights burned out a few seconds later. Wed planned
on installing a whole lighting system around the falls,
which would have given us more time to work, but the
conditions were too dangerous, says the Interlaken,
Switzerland, photographer. By the time we packed
up 30 minutes later, the ashes were covered in ice.
THE TOOLS: Nikon D3, 2470mm f/2.8 lens,
ISO 1,250, f/5.6, 1/2 second

8 outside magazine
Exposure
 grant gunderson
Last March, after a blizzard dropped nearly ten feet of snow on Washingtons Mount
Baker, Gunderson and ski partner Josh Daiek headed into the backcountry and dis-
covered a series of short cliffs near the resort. To get this shot of Daiek dropping off
the rocks, the Bellingham, Washington, photographer positioned himself high on a
ridge 400 feet away. Between him and Daiek: an avalanche path. I was a little ner-
vous to nish the line in the danger zone, says Daiek, of South Lake Tahoe, California.
But I stayed on my feet and blasted right through to the safety of the trees.
THE TOOLS: Canon 1D X, 70200mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 320, f/5, 1/1,000 second
01.14

Exposure

10 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
FROM SORTING GEAR TO SUMMITING IN FREEZING RAIN, THERMOBALL IS THE BREAKTHROUGH
ALTERNATIVE TO DOWN INSULATION. SEE WHY AT THENORTHFACE.COM/THERMOBALL
 greg Von doersten
While in Valdez, Alaska, last
March, Von Doersten knew
he couldnt miss the chance
to photograph big-mountain
skier Grifn Post carving this
rarely attempted 2,000-foot
line in the Chugach Moun-
tains. Bad conditions shut us
down twice the week before,
says the Jackson, Wyoming,
photographer, who waited
out the weather to get this
image. But the curve of that
spine is so striking. Says
Post: It was incredibly sharp,
but I knew I had to ski it. Im
going to remember that run
for the rest of my life.
THE TOOLS: Canon 1D Mark
IV, 400mm f/4 lens, ISO 100,
f/5.6, 1/2,500 second
01.14

Exposure

12 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
 Wear it. Mount it. Love it.

GoPro App
4th night & 4th day
Chairman/editor in ChieF Lawrence J. Burke

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Te last great Colorado ski town
01.14

Between the Lines

Maca is a food for epic sex. aMong the hot plants, Maca is as hot as they get.
Medicine hunter chris KilhaM, page 74

elliott d. woodS
iraq-based writer Woods has reported on conicts in afghanistan,
egypt, and gaza. for this months man under (page 80), he con-
fronted a different kind of tragedy: the april 2013 drowning of 28-year-
old avishek sengupta during a tough mudder event in West Virginia.
Woods spent six months digging through sheriffs reports, interview-
ing risk-management experts and tough mudder ofcials, and talking
to senguptas friends and family, who were preparing a multimillion-
dollar gross-negligence lawsuit as Outside went to press. the resulting
story recounts the disturbing details of senguptas death and pres-
ents a troubling picture of safety practices at obstacle races. i still
think participants can get a lot out of them, Woods says. But after
reporting this, i doubt ill ever run one.

Happy Now?
Last February, Outside Online posted a brief
News from the Field item titled Study: Bike
Commuters Are Happiest. The story drew
a ridiculous amount of trafc for something
just 117 words long, but perhaps thats not
surprising. Americans may not rank in the
top ten on the UNs annual Happiness Index diGital
(in the 2013 report, were down at number eXClUSiVe
17 of 156 nations), but if the survey gauged our online snow
obsession with the topic, theres no question report features gear
wed lead the category. Thomas Jefferson pro- reviews, lodging
suggestions, tness
claimed in the Declaration of Independence tips, and more.

from top: grayson schaffer; michael karsh; liam doran; courtesy of elliott d. Woods; matt poWer
that chasing happiness was our God-given outsideonline
right, and over the centuries weve come to .com/snow-report
interpret this as a moral obligationwith
libraries full of self-help books to prove it. If
were not happy, something must be wrong, Softer, Slower, Sadder, Sleepier
and action must be taken! in the pursuit of happiness (page 50), we recommend 37 strategies for elevating your
Which is probably why the news that bike mood and increasing your quality of life. curious, we decided to gauge our own happiness
commuting can make you happier got the levels. Outside staffers responded to a survey of lifestyle habits, and we compared the
attention of so many readers. It had a similar answers with national averages. the result? We need to take our own advice.
impact around the ofce: the revelation was
one of the seeds for this months cover story, national average Outside average
The Pursuit of Happiness (page 50). We
Hours of sleep 46.9
spent the past several months sifting through
a large quantity of new research to compile a
per week 41.6
list of small habits that offer a shortcut to the
good life. When I read the nished piece, I got
alcoholic
beverages per 4 6.9*
week
up from my desk to ll a water bottle (being
hydrated makes you less pessimistic),
launched iTunes on my computer (music
Hours of screen
time per week
39 55.8**
releases dopamine), and cooked up a big slab
of elk meat on the camp stove on my desk.
Hours of
exercise per 2 6***
(That last parts not true, but elk really does week
help synthesize serotonin.) It feels good to
Qualifying responses:
know that fullling our national duty is so
* halloween party, it was my birthday, go sox!
much easier than we thought. ** eight hours a day for 14 years. ouch. senior executive editor michael roberts
CHRISTOPHER KEYES (@KEYESER) *** Bocce ball counts, right? associate editor kyle dickman

16 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
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01.14

into any situation. my nine-year-old

They were the best sons gangly legs
at what they did. For peeking out from
a lot of critics, the behind that gut-
decisions made that wrenching cover as
day are pretty easy he reads Sun King
to examine and pick (November), I feel
apart three months a pang of unease.
after the fact, but Each of those 19
things are a little men were once
different in the eld, someones baby,
with nothing more someones crazy
than a split second son, wild-eyed and
to make a life-or- in love with the out-
death decision. doors. And with that
MATT D E MENNA simple, aching truth
online lodged in my mind, I
cannot bring myself
Since it arrived to read Nineteen.
f e e d bac K some of the longest these men, and must be learned in the mail, the STEPHANIE PAIR
tHe fire and most passion- loved these men. from all this, but November issue has indialantic,
florida
tHiS tiMe ate reader response This is by far the that doesnt mean haunted me from
associate editor weve seen in years. best article I have we need to belittle the coffee table.
Kyle dickmans read about what our brothers mem- Each time I pass it, As a reghter who
november cover I worked for Granite happened. I want ory. I worked under carrying a baby in served on hotshot
story, nineteen, Mountain in 2012. to thank you for Eric Marsh and Jesse my arms, I see the crews for years, I

dan Winters
about the deadly I knew these men, giving us a no-fault, Steed and would image of the hotshot know how difcult it
yarnell hill fire in worked with these no-nger-pointing have blindly fol- on the cover and my was for Dickman to
arizona, inspired men, lived with account. Something lowed either of them heart breaks. Seeing capture not only the

2013 Balance Bar Company 13-BB-1043ra

 Between the Lines

events leading up in both Down By were ignored.

to the deployments the Seaside with Loss of life and
and subsequent Dr. Doom and extensive prop-
deaths, but also the Nineteen were erty damage will
family stories before poignantly de- continue if people
and after. At some scribed. Going back ignore lessons from
point, Im sure he a number of years, the past and rebuild
felt like he couldnt there were experts in areas that are
go on with it. Yet he who warned about not safe. When will
saw it through, con- climate change and we learn the hard
stantly hoping for the consequences lessons that Mother
a different outcome, of coastal devel- Nature is attempt-
knowing that it was opment. Decades ing to teach us?
not to be. ago, other experts FRANK MICHAEL
TED warned about the BOLOGNA
STUBBLEFIELD consequences of houston, texas
ridgefield, residential and com- By tHe nUMBerS
Washington
mercial develop- wiSH Granted

$800
ment in many areas Last year I applied
MotHer of the West, due to for the outside
KnowS BeSt water challenges adventure grant.
The loss of life and and the possibility Though I didnt
the destruction of of wildres. In each get picked, in May
property detailed case, the experts I quit my job to go
courtesy of airBnB

on the adventure I
had planned for the Price per night to stay in Bode Millers four-bedroom, three-bath estate
ContaCt US: grant. It lasted three in the mountain town of Carroll, New Hampshire (airbnb.com/rooms/
letters@outsidemag.com, facebook.com/ months and brought 1352710). Read more about Bodes nal quest for Olympic gold in Rachel
outsidemagazine, @outsidemagazine me to 13 countries, Sturtzs Its Miller Time (page 62).

TM
01.14

Between the Lines

feedbacK (cont.) JUSt SHoot US

two continents, and some time volun- For our November Style section, featuring citied performance apparel from classic
countless cities. I teering in Laos. American brands (Even Better than the Real Thing), we photographed assistant
watched bullght- I was mugged editors Matt Triscuit Skenazy and Scott Ritz Roseneld in $3,230 worth of clothing.
ing and amenco in Malaysia and Some of you liked their looks. Others didnt.
dancing, took city Cambodia. And
walking tours, saw without fail, I ran
Jeffrey Lawn Dude, seriously? Is this Hipster Barista Monthly or Outside magazine?
my rst opera in an at least three miles Like Reply 2 October 18 at 9:42am
open-air garden in every country,
lit by candles, saw often nding myself Tony Locken Is he wearing a purse?
dozens of open mar- lost beyond reason. Like Reply October 18 at 8:57am
kets, haggled prices I thank you for
Susan Bloch Marhoffer They can both eat crackers in my bed
with locals, and ate helping me make a Like Reply 6 October 18 at 8:54am via mobile
everything I possibly decision Id wanted
could. I took a ve- to make for years.
hour cooking class Im looking ahead
in Thailand, learned with uncertainty but

from top: hannah mccaughey and grayson schaffer (2); courtesy of lOllipOp (5)
about pearl mining with bright eyes.
in Vietnam, took JESSENIA ELIzA
a historical tour of brooKlyn,
Scotland, and spent neW yorK

tHe woodSHed
in the disrupters (december), we
mistakenly identied Base jumper felix
Baumgartner as australian. he is aus-
trian. and in down by the seaside with
dr. doom (november), we incorrectly
identied a ooded roller coaster as
located in sea Bright, new Jersey. the
coaster is located near seaside heights,
new Jersey. We regret the errors.

By oUr ContriBUtorS
Last August, photographer Joshua paul, who has shot for Outside in Tibet and Mozambique, and designer tom Brown, who created
the look for our November ski report, introduced Lollipop (lollipop-gp.com), a magazine that dedicates each issue to a single Formula
One Grand Prix race. Were treating them as historical documents, says Paul, a collectors photo journal of the event.

20 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
 The most breathable Eddie Bauer freeride jacket ever built, available
in award-winning shell and insulated styles. Constructed with durable,
3-layer waterproof Polartec NeoShell fabric that breathes to regulate body
heat. Guide built and trusted by Eddie Bauer snowboarder Wyatt Caldwell.
disPatCHes
news from the field

22 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
 Sole Power
01.14
like moon boots, and were wider, thicker,
and softer than typical running shoes
how a cushy clown shoe two and a half times beeer and 30 percent
is upending the minimalist- cushier. Meltzer, who had been training
running revolution with conventional running shoes, was
by Gordy Megroz skeptical, but he laced them up and cruised
around his Sandy, Utah, neighborhood. He
In 2010, a french adventure racer named was shocked by how forgiving they were.
Nicolas Mermoud approached Karl Meltzer, Halfway through the run, he was sold.
the accomplished American ultrarunner, Within three months, Meltzer dropped
and asked him to try out a pair of running his sponsor, La Sportiva, which specializes
shoes hed designed. They looked bizarre, in lightweight trail runners, and started
competing in Mermouds creation, the
Hoka One One. The shoes gave Meltzers
career new life, and by April 2011, hed won
his rst race in a yeara brutal 26.2-mile
trail run in Utah. Three weeks later, he won

Photograph by inga HendRiCKson outsideonline.Com 23

01.14
a 100-miler in Virginia, followed by a victory
at Alabamas Pinhoti 100 in November. Peo-
ple thought they looked like clown shoes,
but I didnt care, he says. I could oat over
rocks and not feel anything.
Meltzers wins came at a time when bare-
foot running, the biggest fitness trend in
years, was hitting its zenith. Sales of mini-
malist shoes had exploded by more than 400
percent. But he was just one of many max-
cushion converts. In the past two years, more
than a dozen elite ultrarunners have begun
racing in Hokas, including 38-year-old Darcy
Africa, who won the 2013 Hardrock 100 in a
pair, and Dave Mackey, who captured two
victories last year at age 43. A growing num-
ber of amateurs have followed their lead. In
2010, the rst year Hokas were available to
the public, the shoes were being sold in 80
specialty running stores worldwide. In 2013,
over 350 dealers were stocking them, includ-
ing REI and Road Runner Sports, with 32 U.S.
locations. At Utahs Speedgoat 50K last July,
a third of the 275 runners who crossed the
nish line were sporting Hokas. All of which
has industry insiders wondering if Mer-
mouds creation will derail the minimalist
running revolution.
When the minimalist movement hit,
people were excited to try it, says Mark Sul-
livan, editor of running insight, which cov-
ers the industry. The surge of interest caught
many by surprise. In 2010, minimalist run-
ning shoes represented a third of the overall
market. Then the blowback began. A num-
ber of runners who made the switch without
adopting proper formleaning forward and
taking shorter stridessuffered injuries. By
2013, market share had fallen to 15 percent.
Runners who just wanted to head out the door
and not worry too much about technique
MarKeT 83% lllll
lllll
lllll
Share llll
(2013) llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
llll
SOLe Traditional
ThIcKneSS 6 to 18 millimeters
24 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
began gravitating back to traditional shoes.
Most runners are looking to feel healthy and
have fun, says Sullivan. For them, a shoe
thats more forgiving is a better shoe.
Mermoud and his business partner, Jean-
Luc Diard, didnt set out to take down mini-
malist running when they launched Hoka in
2009. The duo had been competing in adven-
ture races and envisioned a shoe that would
be the equivalent of a downhill mountain bike
or a powder ski. Mountain bikes addressed
tough terrain with big tires and shocks, and
oversize skis allowed you to oat, says Diard,
56. We wanted to make a shoe that worked
Most runners are looking to feel healthy
and have fun, says Mark Sullivan, editor of
Running Insight. for them, a shoe thats
more forgiving is a better shoe.
the same way. Their rst obstacle was cre-
ating a foam that was thick and soft but also
light. For that they tapped a chemist at a
Chinese shoe manufacturer, who set about
reimagining the squishy ethylene vinyl ace-
tate found in most shoesusing proprietary
chemicals and applying different baking
methodsuntil hed created a sole with
29 millimeters of cushioning, a 19-millimeter
boost over traditional shoes, without any
added weight. Then they included extra
rocker to the sole, allowing for better forward
propulsion. The resulting shoe, the Hoka One
One (named after a Maori phrase meaning
to y) appeared at a moment when ultra-
runners were growing in number. They were
our first adopters, says Diard, But were
seeing more and more athletes from different
sports using our shoes for training.
15% l
l
l
2%
l and a close colleague of Dan Lieberman,
l
l
l
l These shoes dont teach you that. As the
l
l
l cushioning wears out after 200 or 300 miles,
l
l the aches and pains will start.
l
l Of course, that sounds a lot like what tra-
Minimalist Max cushioned
Less than 6 millimeters More than 18 millimeters
SourceS: Leisure Trends Group, Running Insight
First Look
In October 2012, Hoka was acquired by
Deckers Outdoor Corporation, the billion-
dollar company behind Teva and Ugg. At the
time, Jim Van Dine, the man put in charge of
the new division, said that Hoka could be-
come a $100 million brand, putting it on par
with Keen or Merrell. Since the takeover, sales
have spiked by 400 percent, from $2.2 mil-
lion to over $10 million, despite the fact that
a pair of Hokas run $160twenty or thirty
dollars more than typical running shoes. The
success has spurred a handful of competi-
tors to rush development of their own max-
cushioned shoes. In December, Altra debuted
the Olympus, with a 32-millimeter sole. The
similarly sized Brooks Transcend and New
Balance Fresh Foam come out in February,
and the Vasque ShapeShifter Ultra in March.
Hokas latest model, the Conquest, is avail-
able in January.
To date, there has been almost no sci-
entic research on the benets of oversize
soles. Anecdotally, runners report a more
relaxed ride and reduced recovery times after
long runs or races. And many runners with
chronic injuries say the shoes have let them
run comfortably for the rst time in years.
Not surprisingly, diehard minimalists
arent buying into Hokas bigger-is-better
concept. Some critics contend that the soft
foam absorbs too much of the energy runners
use to propel themselves forward, especially
on the ats. Minimalist shoes teach you to
use your body to cushion impact, says Irene
Davis, director of the Spaulding National
l
l Running Center at Harvard Medical School
barefoot runnings founding philosopher.
ditional runners were saying back when the
minimalist movement was taking off. That
injuries have been a part of the trend has
done little to slow sales. Whether or not
max-cushioned shoes ever get as popular,
despite higher cost and the possibility of in-
jury down the road, is the billion-dollar ques-
tion. Everybody is watching this category
closely, Sullivan says. If it continues to be
successful, well see just about every brand
with some version of these shoes. o
01.14

Primer

Last Dollar
Saloon
For a late-night Dispensary
thirst quencher,
the Buck (as Bar/restaurant
locals refer to it)
has $2 pBrs. 100 Lodging
Delilah E. Colorado Ave.
grows its own hybrids,
alpine wellness like the ultra-strong
directly above Blue dragon. 115 W. river Trail
Telluride institu- Colorado Ave. Follows the
tion Maggies san Miguel on
Bakery and Caf. city property
Order the Blue and is secluded.
Widow, then go Just saying.
downstairs for a
sticky bun. 300 Brown Dog pizza
W. Colorado Ave. The best in town,
and its open until
midnight during ski
season. 110 E. Colo-
rado Ave.

Mountainside Inn Telluride Bud

its practically company
Baked in Telluride Carries more than
ski-in, ski-out, Warning: not a
with a big, lightly 30 strains, including
dispensary. But Heavenly Haze, a
patrolled patio the Boston cream
and hot tub. mellow sativa blend.
donuts are out 135 S. Spruce St.
333 S. Davis St. of this world.
127 S. Fir St.

Telluride
green room
Two words:
pot brownies.
250 S. Fir St.

Its the Joint! t h e Qu i Z

t h e e n d o rs e m e n t
SKI run Or pOT STraIn?
welcome to telluride, the best (exTra crediT: GueSS The poTency) gO SMOKe-free
little stoner town in america among enlightened
by Jonah Ogles 1. Gold Rush skiers and snowboard-
ers, the toking tool of
STarTIng In January, its legal to
2. Genghis Khan choice is the vaporizer,
3. Blue Thunder which heats up the
smoke marijuana recreationally in Colo- bud without burning
rado. You can buy it, carry it, admire its 4. Happy Thought itso you can inhale
crystals, and use it in private without fear of the Thc without taking
getting busted by state or local authorities. 5. Dipsy Doodle in the toxins that come
(Its technically still illegal under federal 6. Deadman with breathing smoke.
plooms pax ($250;
law, but the Justice Department has said it
has little intention of getting involved.) In
7. Endless Sky ploom.com) offers a
sleek design, and unlike
response, Centennial State entrepreneurs 8. Devils Crotch vaporizers made for
are launching weed-tourism businesses, 9. Silver Tip ganja-oil concentrates,
from pot-farm tours (my420tours.com) it works great with
to a toker-friendly airport-to-resort shut- 10. White Haze standard-issue dried
10. saTiva BLend JJJ buds (or, you know,
tle (coloradohighlifetours.com). Among 8. BreCkenridge 9. indiCa BLend JJJJ so weve been told).
mountain towns, tiny Telluride (pop. 2,300) 5. aspen 6. saTiva BLend J 7. indiCa BLend JJJ Just pop open the
is doing the most to welcome red-eyed ski- 3. indiCa BLend JJ 4. TeLLuride
oven and wait for the
anSwerS: 1. Beaver Creek 2. vaiL
ers and snowboarders. The former mining light to turn, yes, green.
hub has fourfour!recreational dispen-
saries, and unlike Breckenridge, which is
forcing its pot shops out of the downtown ruLeS Of The reefer
parsing colorados new marijuana law
area, Telluride is stoking legal-weed busi- 1. if youre over 21 and a resident, youre allowed to purchase an ounce at a time. if youre just visiting,
nesses by fast-tracking permits and allow- its a quarter-ounce. either way, its illegal to have more than an ounce on you.
ing operators to grow plants within city 2. its illegal to smoke in public, so no bong hits at the local park, bar, or concert venue. Same goes
for most ski areas, since they operate on federal land.
limits. Heres a street-level guide to the 3. cops can give you a dui-d (for drugs) if a blood test shows more than 0.5 nanogram of Thc per
new Rocky Mountain high. milliliter. and leave your stash in the trunk to avoid an open-container ticket.

26 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e illustration by maRK todd

01.14

Rising Star

Ice Princess
S I E R R A QU I T I QU I T
salt lake city, utah
by Megan Michelson

MODeL/SKIer. Thats the label most

often used to describe 24-year-old park
city, utah, native Sierra Quitiquit. But unlike
most women whove tried to straddle those
two worlds, Quitiquit is actually holding
her own in both. Last winter, while she was
skiing 4,000-foot lines in iceland for War-
ren Millers latest lm, Ticket to Ride, her
image was plastered on a billboard in new
yorks Times Square, part of her gig with
the apparel brand american eagle. Last fall,
the ve-foot-ten-inch

150
height, in
former Freeskiing World
Tour competitor also
appeared in Sweetgrass
feet, of productions Valhalla,
QuitiQuits where she plays a free-
spirited woodswoman.
billboard
ASCENDANCY: Quiti-
in times
quit grew up ski racing
sQuare
in utah, and she spent
winters in a modied
15-passenger van with her parents and
three brothers. it was not a normal child-
hood, she says. it was a bit like being raised
by wolves.
FREE BIRD: in 2012, the international talent
agency Ford Models called to offer Quitiquit
a contract in chicago. at the time, she was
living on a cherry orchard in hood river,
oregon, skiing constantly, and earning her
room and board with small modeling gigs.
She turned the offer down. Moving to the
city and pounding the pavement sounded
like misery to me, she says.
THAT BASTARD: in 2011, while living in
Jackson, Wyoming, Quitiquit skied Fat
Bastard, an infamous line in the Jackson
hole backcountry that ends with a 50-foot
air over a cliff. She nailed the landing, then
later hit town wearing a dress and her hair
down. This guy approached me and was
like, you must not be from around here. id
love to take you skiing and show you the
ropes, she says.
UP NEXT: Quitiquit is practicing tricks on
trampolines, with plans to work freestyle
moves like backips and 360s into her big-
mountain lines, especially when she heads
to alaska this winter. For now, modeling is
a summer gig. Says Quitiquit: Skiing will
always be my rst priority.

28 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e Photograph by gRaYson sCHaFFeR

01.14

Epic

BamBoo Wands
Dupre will bring
CUSTOM SkiS 175 of these, a quarter
To negotiate the of which have reec-
lower mountain, tive tape, to mark his
Dupre uses eight- route. A little piece
foot-long home- of that tape may save
made skis carved your life, he says.
from birch trees
that grow on his
property in northern
Minnesota.
Fur Gloves
For nger protec-
tion, Dupre wears
wolverine-fur mitts
Onesie lined with wool from
To keep out drafts, Faroe Island sheep,
Dupre zips into a which have a pro-
one-piece, goose- tective lanolin that
down-insulated suit. helps wick moisture.

Oversize BOOts
I have size 8 feet, but I bring
size 12 mountaineering boots,
says Dupre. I stuff them with
synthetic-felt liners. My feet
are still chilly, but Ive never
gotten bad frostbite.

Bacon
Dupre will carry in
60 pounds of food
to last the entire
trip. His favorite:
deep-fried, thick-
cut, double-smoked
bacon dipped in
maple syrup and
vacuum packed.

Dead of Winter
If AlAskAs 20,320-foot Mount McKinley is unforgiving during the spring climbing season, North Americas highest peak is downright
lethal in winter, with 100-mile-per-hour winds and temperatures so low they turn stove fuel into Karo syrup. This year, polar explorer
Lonnie Dupre aims to become the rst person to summit the peak solo in January, via the West Buttress route. And if anyone knows how
to prepare for a dark, frigid slog, its 52-year-old Dupre, who has crossed the 3,000-mile Northwest Passage in winter, circumnavigated
Greenland, and skied from Canada to the North Pole. So why does he keep heading back to Denali? Its the ultimate proving ground, he
says. But its also selsh. I want all that beauty to myself. Above, what Dupre carries to stay alive. ChrIS SoLoMoN

30 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e Photograph by todd m C CLeLLan

01.14

Media

Wall Street has its own set of morals. i write

about an american investor partnering with
a feared warlord in South Sudan to buy
land. as a libertarian, he believed in what he
was doing beyond just making money. he
thought that private investment was more
stable than aid. Would i go partner with a
warlord so he would burn down the city of
Juba to create a libertarian peace? no. But
this investor has a poodle, a wife, kids he
loves. he was a nice guy. There arent that
many perfect villains in the world.

you note that the same oil companies

that created the climate catastrophe
will also be the ones to prot from it.
Thats not very satisfying. wheres the
retribution narrative?
climate change is a moral failing for the
rich, but its a moral failing for the rest of
us, too, because we havent done anything
about it. it takes a lot of complacency to build
a seawall around new york and let the prob-
lems pile up on the other side of the world.
Were going to save ourselves rst. a lot of us
dont have that much to worry about, and
that raises the moral stakes. youre screwing
someone else if youre american.

Melt Money
There have been plenty of books documenting the myriad ways that climate
change will take us all down. In windfall: the booming business of global warm-
ing (Penguin, $28), Seattle journalist and frequent outside contributor McKenzie
Funk takes a contrarian approach, reporting on the peopleand, in the case of
Greenland and Canada, countriesthat are poised to prot handsomely from
the coming chaos. Funk tracks down Arctic oil strategists, Israeli snowmakers,
arable-land grabbers, and those cunning enough to privatize public services, from
water delivery to reghting. So is it pragmatism, opportunism, or pure steely SOuThern eXpOSure
greed? FLORENCE WILLIAMS caught up with Funk to discuss the new boom. Most of us will never see the wildest intact
marine ecosystem on earth, antarcticas
ross Sea. Which is why Boulder, colorado,
OuTSIDe: how did you gure out there attain independence from denmark, based photographer and lmmaker John Weller
were so many people trying to make a on revenue from oil under the melting ice. has spent the better part of a decade
buck off global warming? others were more surprising, like oil compa- shooting there, to illustrate what would be
FunK: in 2010, i read that there was a nies buying up water rights in the american lost to warming seas and overshing. The
canadian military mission asserting the West for oil and gas extraction. results of that dedication are out now, in
the form of the activist documentary The
countrys claim on the northwest passage.
Last Ocean and a photo book of the same
My rst thought was, Thats absurd. Whos you write, There is something crass name (rizzoli, $50). The lm is a bit slow
afraid of the canadian military? My second about proting off disaster, certainly, and hard to nd, airing at international
was, hey, theyre looking for an opportunity. but there is nothing fundamentally festivals, but the book is worth a spot on
The effects of climate change are real, and wrong with it. why not? arent you a your coffee table: a foreword by ecologist
carl Sana adds gravitas, and the photos
theres a rush up there in the arctic. i decided jerk if, like some wall Street bankers,
are urgent and wild. aBe STreep
to look at how others are repositioning for you buy up ukrainian farmland from
the new reality. Some were predictable, like peasants in exchange for vodka? >See an exclusive gallery from The Last
the burgeoning movement in Greenland to i found that example the most difcult. Ocean at outsideonline.com/lastocean.

32 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e Photograph by sian KennedY

SEE MORE. ACHIEVE MORE.
TThe new TomTom Runner GPS Watch uses easy to read, full-screen graphics to help
yyou achieve your personal best time. So you can focus on your run, instead of on
yyour watch. tomtom.com/sports
01.14

Photograph by inga HendRiCKson

Drop-ins are always welcome.

 Covet

All Downhill
sledding grows upalmost
by Ryan Krogh
when SeLecTIng a craft, sledding purists such as myself are guided by
a time-honored principle: less control equals more fun. Thus our predilection
for saucers, toboggans, and other wood and plastic artifacts from mountain
sports pre-helmet era. Todays contraptions have too many moving parts,
high-tech materials, and cumbersome safety features. I recently encountered
a sled that was designed to be ridden on ones knees in order to facilitate
halfpipe-style tricks. No, thanks.
But I am willing to make one sop to modernity, in the form of Hammerheads
Pro XLDan elegant, high-performance machine capable of frighteningly fast
descents. Polycarbonate skis make pinpoint turns easy, and a four-foot-long
aluminum frame with tensioned webbing allow proper position for a steer-
able sled: belly down, headrst, with a POV like mario kart. Included in the
instructions is the cautionary Not a toy.
Maybe, but the XLD is built for fun. I like to hike up my local ski hill at
dawn, before the chairlifts open, then bomb down the freshly groomed runs
at 40 miles per hour, carving wide arcs and, if I must, braking by dragging
the toes of my boots in the snow. Skidding to a stop in front of the lift line, I
usually get blank stares and the occasional Sickbird! Recently, a helicopter
mom whod been busy triple-checking her eight-year-olds mitten leashes
raised her head long enough to shoot me a disapproving glare. The kid stared at
me like I was Batman. Dont worry, I said as I stood up. Youll be old enough
soon. $349; hammerheadsleds.com

Taos Ski Valley

where to go now

destinations 01.14

Climbing the
Wetterhorn

Dream Bigger Lman, a 112-mile loop around Lake Geneva,

where riders practice their peloton skills
dont taCkle that reSolution alone. theSe tripS will teaCh you while taking in the spectacular, steep-peaked
SkillS, lead you up SummitS, and leave you plenty of time to relax. scenery. From $1,900; brevet.cc
by Kate Siber
Chill State
high road mile hauls up some of the same steep, green- Tecate, Mexico
Lausanne, Switzerland pastured cols that the pros ride in the Tour Think of Rancho la Puerta, an hour south-
The hardest thing about training for a tri- de Romandie. After that, guests jump off the east of San Diego, as a data-driven relaxation
athlon is the tedium. Mix it up with one of bike for a run on soft trails through pine for- retreat. For years, stressed-out Californians
Brevets new ve-day training camps in the ests and a swim in an outdoor pool with views have come to the 3,000-acre property to hike
patitucci photo

Swiss Alps, based in the small towns of Les of snow-dusted peaks. The camps are offered the desert, learn yoga and mindfulness, get
Diablerets and Lausanne. Coaches offer tips all summer, but sign up now for the one that deep-tissue massages, and linger over mostly
on training, recovery, and technical skills like begins on May 14, which culminates in an vegetarian meals sourced from the six-acre
descending switchbacks on daily 25-to-50- Ironman-worthy test piece: the Cyclotour du organic garden. Last April, Rancho la Puerta

36 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
WOMENS SKI JUMPING USA. 2013 AMERICAS MILK PROCESSORS

PERSONAL BESTS
BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK

Studies show what elite athletes like the U.S. Women Ski Jumpers have known for years:
Chocolate Milk has high-quality protein to build lean muscle and nutrients to refuel your body
after a hard workout. Whatever youre building, build it with Chocolate Milk.
01.14
Vista Guapa
Surf Camp,
Costa Rica
Post-SUP
Imperials
added a wellness program in conjunction
with San Diegos Lifewellness Institute. Stop
at the facility before you cross the border, and
a team of doctors will conduct a ve-hour
barrage of exams, from eye and ear screen-
ing to exibility testing to a cardiometabolic
stress test. Then La Puertas nutrition and
tness experts will use the data to devise a
custom-tailored healthy-living plan. From
$6,950 per person per week, including
screening; rancholapuerta.com
paddle out
Jaco, Costa Rica
Stand-up paddleboarding has become the
fastest-growing ocean sport in decades be-
cause its both incredibly fun and a serious
workout, requiring a combination of bal-
ance, core strength, and arm power. Theres
no better place to learn the basics than in the
38 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
Rancho
la Puerta,
Mexico
Tucson
relaxation
warm Pacic waters in Jaco, where seven-
time Costa Rican national surf champion
Alvaro Solano Delgado runs his Vista Guapa
Surf Camp. Delgado offers basic surf lessons,
but for the past ve years he has also taught
guests the art of open-ocean SUPing. Nov-
ices learn on small waves in at, protected
bays, while more advanced paddlers seek
out head-high swells and get tips from vis-
iting pros like Dave Kalama and Brennan
Rose. Between sessions, campers do group
core workouts and yoga, go hiking in Manuel
Antonio National Park, or take part in Vista
Guapas mountain-bike clinics. Of course,
its also perfectly acceptable to pass out in a
hammock at one of the camps TV-free bun-
galows before the whole group pilgrimages to
a local restaurant for slabs of fresh tuna, rice
and beans, and cold Imperials. From $1,700;
vistaguapa.com
Training
stay and play
ten years ago, you were lucky
to nd a delapidated treadmill and
some greasy mats in a hotel gym.
today, more than 84 percent of
hotels have tness facilities, many
of them state-of-the-art. travelers
expect it as part of the overall
experience, says taylor cole, a
spokeswoman for hotels.com. and
they want high-end stuff like yoga
classes and elliptical machines.
the result is an arms race of
upscale gyms, in-room equipment,
and outdoor tness programs.
heres whos getting it right.
last July, Kimpton Hotels
elded a eet of three-speed city
bikes from san francisco company
public that are free for guests to
use at each of kimptons 60 u.s.
locations. kimptonhotels.com
trump Hotels loan out ipod
shufes loaded with playlists,
stock rooms with yoga mats and
stretch bands, and provide maps
of popular local running routes.
trumphotelcollection.com
Westin Hotels and resorts
recently announced its rst running
concierge, chris heuisler, a trainer
and veteran marathon runner who
clockwise from top left: surfers Village; Julie mikos/rancho la puerta; courtesy of omni hotels; steVe macaulay
travels to hotels near major mara-
thons to lead guests on training
runs, offer tips on race strategy, and
advise on nutrition. westin.com
in early 2014, a chain devoted to
wellness, even Hotels, will
be open for business in norwalk,
connecticut, and rockville, mary-
land. the facilities will have sprawl-
ing gyms, healthy room-service
menus, in-room equipment like
exercise balls and foam rollers, and
local tness recommendations,
from yoga studios to running paths.
evenhotels.com
iSland Spin
Gran Canaria, Spain
The Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago
off Africas northwest coast, are warm year-
round and have steep hills, some 6,000 feet
of vertical relief, and a buffet of smooth
pavement with epic views of the Atlantic
Ocean. Which is to say, its the perfect place
for a life-list winter cycling trip. Go with
Massachusetts-based outfitter Ciclismo
Classico, which recently debuted a Gran
Canaria trip that hits the most scenicand
most demandingroads on the island. Rid-
ers pedal more than 3,000 vertical feet to
volcanic peaks and cover up to 40 miles per
 FIND THE FOOD THAT WAKES UP YOUR SOUL.

2X POINTS ON TRAVEL AND

DINING AT RESTAURANTS.

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01.14

George
Hincapie in
the South
Carolina hills

Arizona
twilight

wiegele.com
1.800.661.9170
reservations@wiegele.com
#wiegelepowder
 Training

day, including steep, twisty descents from
pine forests to the beach. In the evening,
youll recover at spots like Parador de Cruz
de Tejeda, a 43-room hotel with views of the
mountains and the sea. $4,195 per person;
ciclismoclassico.com
go pro
Travelers Rest, South Carolina
Theres a reason George Hincapie chose to
open Hotel Domestique, his new cyclist-
focused retreat, in the foothills of South
Carolina: hundreds of miles of low-trafc
opposite page, from left: clint daVis; abraham karam
hotbed
Tucson, Arizona
In the past decade, this southern Arizona
city of 520,000 has become one of the
nations premier training hubs for endurance
athletes, who ock here for the 70-degree
winter days and easy access to high-altitude
hikes and rides in the Tucson and Santa
Catalina mountain ranges. Whats more,
Tucson hosts a thriving cottage industry
of tness-minded hotels and training cen-
ters. Our pick: the Omni Tucson National
Resort (from $169; omnihotels.com), which
refuel at Proper, which dishes up organic
fare ranging from healthy stuff like chickpea
sandwiches to awesome guilty pleasures like
pork-belly sliders (propertucson.com).
vital SignS
Vail, Colorado
Want a high-tech approach to fitness?
Consider the Vitality Center at Vail Moun-
tain Lodge. In 2013, the slopeside property
partnered with the University of Colorado
at Denvers Anschutz Health and Wellness
Center to offer the kind of diagnostic blood

mountain roads are accessible year-round,
and winter brings cool days in the fifties.
Guests have access to a bike valet, an on-site
shop with a mechanic, and a high-end eet
of BMC rental bikes, each with a GPS loaded
with Hincapies favorite routes. The former
pro coaches monthly ve-day, four-night
climbing camps ($5,000). The hotel itself is
more Tuscan villa than Southern plantation,
with 13 sleek rooms, a patio overlooking a
vineyard, and a farm-to-table restaurant
with meals like rabbit with porcini mush-
rooms. From $279; hoteldomestique.com
GRAHAM AVeRILL
has casitas with bike storage and kitchens,
a sports complex with tennis courts, sand
volleyball, and yoga classes, plus the Santa
Catalinas out the back door. Cyclists: take to
the Loop, a growing web of 100-plus miles
of paved trails through the city and desert
and build to the famous 28-mile climb up
9,157-foot Mount Lemmon. Trail runners,
head to Saguaro National Park and the Gar-
wood Loop. Want a training partner? Go
to Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists for
a ride in Catalina State Park (sdmb.org) or
Southern Arizona Roadrunners for a run in
Sabino Canyon (azroadrunners.org). Then
testing currently used by pro cyclists, the
Denver Broncos, and the NHLs Colorado
Avalanche. After a two-hour assessment by
a doctor, including performance tests like
VO2 max and lactate threshold, guests meet
with Vitality Center trainers, who prescribe
individualized training and nutrition plans.
Thats likely to include time at the propertys
20-foot-tall indoor climbing wall, in the
yoga studio, or in the powder in Vails leg-
endary back bowls, which are conveniently
located right out the back door. From $509,
plus $1,500 for performance and blood test;
vailvitalitycenter.com

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hours of useful runtime, its the perfect choice for
any challenge you face in the outdoors. For the
ultimate hands-free experience, switch to the infrared
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the headlamp to turn it off and on. So whether youre
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first aid, be prepared with the versatile H15S Wave.

Dominate your night environment. olightworld.com/H15S

01.14

Base Camp

access climate: detour feast Amman

Book your ight to january Set out on foot or Crib the secrets of
Amman and reserve 68 high by truck for Petra,
the famed city of
making falafel and
manakish, a type of
a ride in one of the
lodges 4x4 pickups 48 low ornate tombs carved atbread, and stirring Jordan
for the three-hour into red sandstone the right spices into
drive to Feynan. canyons. The guided lentil soup and tab-
Deluxe rooms, $140; 41-mile, four-night bouleh with a Bedouin
feynan.com trek traverses the cooking class. $42
Sharah Mountains
on Bedouin shepherd feynan: 30 38 23 n, 35 30 34 e
trails. From $1,700

Desert location is everytHing. Which is why Jordanlong a hub for hiking, mountain biking, and exploring

Oasis
historical ruins and Bedouin culturehas seen a 22 percent drop in tourism since the tumult in neighboring
egypt and Syria began. But the Middle east has been rife with conict for decades, and Jordan has remained
bashar alaeddin/feynan ecolodge

calm. The Global Peace Index ranks Jordan above France and Argentina in key areas like security and the
while the reSt of
the middle eaSt potential for violence. The upshot of the surrounding unrest is that you can have the sprawling, multicolored
boilS, JordanS epiC canyonlands of the Dana Biosphere Reservecloser to Israel and Saudi Arabia than to Syria or egyptall to
CanyonlandS are yourself. explore it from the Feynan ecolodge, a 26-room hotel thats totally off-grid. The lodge generates
quietand empty hot water through solar panels and is lit almost exclusively by candles. And because it has next to no light
pollution, its outdoor patio and rooftop (the latter equipped with a ten-inch telescope) are perfect stargazing
by Frederick Reimers
spots. Plus, Feynan offers daily, complimentary sunset hikes, and guests can book a guide for full-day excur-
sions into the Danas slot canyons and Neolithic archaeological sites ($26). The guides are local Bedouins
who know the area, and when youre done theyll cook up platters of makloubeh that are so rich, you wont
even notice theyre vegetarian.

42 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
 Tow. Haul. Build anyTHing.
toyota.com/tundra Prototype shown with options. Production model may vary. 2013 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

WONDERS
NEVER CEASE
They say there are seven wonders in the natural
world. They havent spent enough time in Arizona.
ITS 8:00 a.m. ON A JANUARY MORNING IN
NORTHERN ARIZONA. Humphreys Peak arcs
against the cobalt winter sky; the snowelds of
the Kachina Peaks Wilderness spread blazing
from its anks. Your mug of cofee steams
as you t your cross-country skis. A bit of
lingering gold on a nearby aspen quivers in a
puf of icy wind. You glide of in perfect silence.
An hour south, a friend sorts her climbing
rack on an already warm sandstone shelf in
Sedona. Above her soar the vermillion and
rose rock formations, lumpy and hunched or
cathedral-like, grand, sublime: half cartoon,
half myth. A mountain bike whizzes by, drops
out of sight over the steep red edge; the quiet
returns, lled only with the gently clanking
carabineers, the fragrant rustle of creosote.
Youll meet up for a late lunch in Flagstaf: her,
ushed with desert sun; you, alpine cold.
Arizona has everythingevery climate,
every adventure, every natural wonderall of
the time. In the midst of a scorching Tucson
July, the 9,157-foot peak of Mount Lemmon
stays cool, inviting sport and trad climbing,
mountain biking, and hiking. In January,
ADVERTISEMENT
the white granite of Cochise Stronghold and
the twisted organ pipe cactus of the Sonoran
Desert bake under a mild winter sun. If you
ditch your winter gear in the high country at
noon, you can go for a breezy ride on the trails
that rim the Colorado Plateau, rack up for Oak
Creek Canyons splitter cracks, or head south
for a hike in the Superstition Wilderness. Have
your evening brew outdoors at Goldeld Ghost
Town, or sample some spicy New Southwestern
cuisine at an outdoor bistro in Scottsdale. Start
your day in skis; end in sandals.
The state is a map of variety and beauty. A
bike is a fast and fun way to see a lot at once:
the Arizona Trail runs the full length of
the state, from the rugged North Rim of the
Grand Canyon to the wild sky islands of the
southern Chiricahua Mountains. Variety,
says one biker, is the single greatest quality
to Arizonas mountain-bike-trail oferings.
People can ride from desert to pines in a single
ride and spend an entire day in the saddle
without ever riding the same trail twice.
And biking, like climbing, kayaking, golng,
and even birding, introduces you to a whole
community of like-minded locals happy to
show you around.
You can also map the state by water.
Though the land is synonymous with dry
mountain, canyon, and desertit is shaped
by water. Raft the Colorado River through the
magnicent Grand Canyon. Float a tube down
the Salt River outside Phoenix. Or swim in
any of the hundreds of lakes and ponds youll
encounter backpacking in the eastern and
northern wilderness.
Or go by footyour two feet, or maybe four
horse feetover trails sparkling with moonlit
mica in the Bradshaw Mountains; through the
sunset hues of the Painted Desert, through
the old ruins of the Canyon de Chelly, deep
underground in Kartchner Caverns.
And these are just the natural wonders.
That map is overlaid with an equally varied
and beautiful map of culture, from old artist
communities like Jerome to luxurious, world-
renowned golf courses. Arizonas American
Indian heritage can be felt everywherein
the food, the music, the art, and in the land
itself. So too with the history of gold, war,
vigilantism, ranching, and farming: the old
ghost towns and abandoned railways invite
exploration. There are wonders of the palate
fry bread, for-real spicy Mexican-inuenced
cuisine, Southwestern fusion, and of course
haute French, Thai, and delicate sushi.
You cant be disappointed in Arizona.
Whatever you want: hot, cold, rugged, snowy,
brilliant with saguaro and sun, shady with
Ponderosa Pine, artisan and traditional or
state of the art, wild and precipitous or mellow
and rolling, family-friendly or expert only, the
state has it. Only seven wonders of the natural
world? Come count for yourself.
You can see for miles and miles.

Without driving too many.

SONOITA, AZ

Hit the open road. Discover the Arizona less traveled.

Visit arizonaguide.com/culture or call 1.866.226.8927.
01.14

Weekend Plan

Touring the
Tetons

Sierra Stash
More than 50 years ago, the Sierra Club built
a series of huts above Lake Tahoes west shore.
The best time to link them up is in late Janu-
Harry Gates ary, when Tahoe catches the best snow. The
Hut, Colorado most feasible route begins at Donner Summit
and travels six miles south to the Benson Hut,
which is perched at 8,350 feet, sleeps 12, and
Gimme Shelter offers high-alpine terrain. Then its four miles
south to the Bradley Hut, an A-frame with a
who needs muesli and mulled wine? the u.s. hut scene is gaining detached two-story outhouse that often gets
ground. these diY trips put You in the best of the backcountrY. buried in deep winters. The Bradley doesnt
by Devon ONeil have beds or cookstoves, so come prepared.
$20 per person per night; sierraclub.org
SkI hutS In the Alps are like small castles the Peter Estin Hut, but prime bowl skiing
most employ caretakers who greet you with nearby makes the slog worth it. End with a
beer or wine and cook you hot meals. The seven-mile ski to the Harry Gates Hut, which COmplete the CIrCuIt
U.S. may not have the luxury or the sheer sleeps 16 and is perched on a bench facing Do Januarys festivals right
numbers (Switzerland alone has 213 httes), Avalanche Ridge. The next day, ski out to your Ouray Ice Festival the cafeteria at Park
but were getting better. Last year, the newly car on Fryingpan Road. From $33 per person Ouray, Colorado; City Medical Center is
January 912 good and cheap.
formed, Colorado-based Grand Huts Asso- per night; huts.org STAY: Box Canyon SCHUSS: While the
ciation opened the Broome Hut at Berthoud Lodge puts you within crowds pack screen-
Pass near Denver, and there are plans to add Teton Traverse walking distance of ings, the slopes are
eight more linkable huts in the next decade. When people think of the Tetons, they al- the festival. From $116; empty. Try Steins Way
boxcanyonouray.com at Deer Valley.
Until then, there are plenty of other options. most always think of the ranges east face eAT: Head to the
At least ten states from Maine to Oregon over Jackson Hole. But the west side holds Beaumont Grill for Winter X Games
have huts. With a little planning, you can rarely touched, navel-deep powder. Begin French onion soup Aspen, Colorado;
piece together a world-class trip without the by climbing 5.5 miles through the Jed Smith and rib-eye steak. January 2326
SOAK: Hit the STAY: The Viceroy is
transatlantic ight. Wilderness to Baldy Knoll, a Mongolian- redwood tubs over the most dog-friendly
style yurt operated by Teton Backcountry the hot springs at ve-star hotel weve
Rocky Top Guides and surrounded by prime face-shot Box Canyon. ever seen. From $540;
viceroyhotelsand
FROM LeFT: MATTHeW HAWKinS; JeFF DieneR

The 10th Mountain Division hut system in terrain. The next day, skin nine miles along
Sundance resorts.com
Colorado remains the premierand most Alpenglow Ridge at 10,626 feet to Teton Park City, Utah; eAT: Takah Sushi is
popularnetwork in America, and its 20 Backcountrys Plummer Canyon yurt; if its January 1626 just as good as Mat-
well-stocked cabins (with little avalanche a whiteout, take the lower route through the STAY: The hotels suhisa, without the
are booked by now. pretentiousness.
danger along the access trails) are ripe for trees. Once there, youll appreciate the amply But plenty of locals PARTY: The raucous
three-to-ve-day powder trips. The best is spaced aspen-grove heaven. Looking ahead: rent out their homes crowds head to bars
a 28.5-mile route between Vail and Aspen. a 314-square-foot yurt with bunk beds, a through the towns like the Red Onion
Start at the Polar Star Inn (elevation: 11,040 pellet stove, and a full kitchen is opening in visitors bureau. and 39 Degrees, but
visitparkcity.com we prefer the Belly
feet) and milk the tree skiing on the western Teton Canyon next winter, so you can tour an eAT: Avoid the long Up, which plays host
flank of New York Mountain, located just extra day. From $355 per night for the yurts, lines at the towns to artists like B.B. King
above it. Its 8.2 tough miles from there to which sleep six to eight; skithetetons.com multi-star restaurants: and Langhorne Slim.

46 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
01.14

Go List

rum diary
premium rums are
back. colorados
montanya distill-
ers, panamas caa
brava, and Jamaicas
appleton estate are
making rums with
superior ingredi-
ents, from organic
hawaiian sugarcane
to mountain spring
water. our favorite
winter drink is the
tom and Jerry, with
rum, eggnog, and
brandy. order it in
these ski-town bars. Rip-Off Artists
Jenny adams
CrookS may be emptying your
Montanya bank aCCount while your atm
Distillers Card iS in your wallet. hereS
crested Butte, how to prevent it.
social sKills colorado
TheQ may be the most made with mon- by Tim Neville
convenient travel cam tanya oro dark rum
weve ever seen. Available distilled on-site tHe airport atm in Recife, Brazil, looked
in nine colors, its water- using water, yeast, like any other, so I withdrew $400 and left for
proof, free of distracting sugarcane, and a remote island to dive with turtles. Two days
knobs and menus, and
colorado honey. later, my bank e-mailed me. Had I really just
capable of uploading
photos to Twitter, Face- withdrawn $1,700 from two ATMs hundreds
book, and other social- the rose
media sites instantly via jackson Hole, of miles away? No, I had not. Id become the
AT&Ts 3G network (new Wyoming latest victim of skimming, a growing multi-
or existing data plan house-made million-dollar crime; one ring in New York

required). Plus, a ash
rings the f/2.4 wide-angle
lens, so you get great
shots even in low light.
$199; theqcamera.com
MeAGhen Brown
World party
this month, the proigate correspondents of the matador
network travel blog publish 101 Places to Get F*cked Up Before
You Die ($14), an ode to overindulgence thats also a surprisingly
handy travel guide. brian keVin spoke with matador senior
editor david miller about inebriation as ritual.
outside: the title seems a bit fratty. is this a guide to
traveling or partying?
miller: were not advocating drinking for drinkings sake. were
speaking to that more introverted traveler who feels the need
to hold back during their travels. the subtext is: just go for it.
are you making a case for getting tanked as a form of
cultural exchange?
theres a denite universality to the way people celebrate,
and events can be transformative. isnt that the whole point
of ceremony?
How did you decide which places made the cut?
id like to be able to say there was some kind of sophisticated
algorithm, but we went with the stories that felt real, like the
authors werent trying to prove anything. some of the places
are notorious, but my favorites are the ones id never considered
in a party context, like cairo or the yukons dawson city.
clockwise from top left: courtesy of theq; asterix0597/getty; rich goodwin; courtesy of hotel st. francis
eggnog with el
City stole $1.5 million in 2012. It works like
dorado 12-year this: Thieves install a duplicate reader in an
rum, from guyana,
ATMs card slot that sucks the information
and pierre ferrand
ambre cognac. off the cards magnetic stripe. Then they get
the pin from a hidden camera and program a
secreto lounge new card. The practice is on the rise, and not
santa fe just abroad: 3-D printing technology makes
organic eggnog
it easier to mount bogus faceplates on gas
with appleton
pumps and ATMs stateside, too.
estate V/x rum and
a cinnamon stick. Theres no foolproof way to safeguard your
hard-earned dollars. The best approach, says
special agent John Mazza of the U.S. Secret
Service, which protects the countrys nan-
cial system as well as the president, is vigi-
lance. His advice: (1) Avoid ATMs in touristy
areas. (2) Cover the keypad with your hand in
case theres a camera. (3) Give the card slot a
good wiggle. Anything loose? Go somewhere
Secreto else. (4) If it looks like someone peeled a piece
of tamperproof tape off the gas-station card
reader, that could be a sign that a fake one
was installed. Use a different pump.
In Brazil, I got lucky. The bank canceled my
card and issued me a temporary credit within
days to replace the stolen funds, though I
had no way of accessing them from a remote
South American island. Next time I travel, Ill
The Rose
bring some cash.

48 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
50 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
 2014 healthy & happy

the pursuit of Happiness

Cutting-edge neurosCienCe is proving what many of us have known
for yea rs: the key to bein g hap py sta rts wit h a bal anC
ed mix of
exerCise, nutrition , and outd oor play. but there s more to findi ng
hap pin ess tha n tha t. to lau nCh you r new yea r, we ve
pur suit dow n into sim ple, life -Cha ngin g str ateg ies.bro ken the
plus : the seCr ets behin d ultra runn er hal koer ners perm a-gr
in.
 j2014 healthy
& happy
THe Tendency To be Happy or noT is an inHeriTed TraiT, desk; its the freedom to make
but the good news is that this is less than half the story. According to a 2012 study choices. Our ndings highlight
of identical and fraternal twins conducted by a team of scientists from top univer just how important free time
sities around the world, only about a third of our happiness level is determined is to an individuals well-being,
by genes. The rest is up to us. wrote psychologist Richard
Ryan, the studys author. Ryan
Looking for drivers of wellbeing, the researchers zeroed in on a gene that aids
and his colleagues also found
in the transport of the neurotransmitter serotonin. In the biochemistry of mood, that you can get even more out
serotonin plays a role much like the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, bringing of your time off if you spend
brightness and cheer, and regulates stress levels, sleep, and pain, among other it with people you care about
things. The study found that those whod inherited longer variations of the gene and get outside, which adds
had a slight increase in overall happiness, but surveys of the twins suggested to vitality. Bonus: you can get
that genes get only a minority vote when it comes to mood. doses of that weekend buzz on
Other research indicates that how happy you are can inuence the ways your weekdays, too. Heres how.
>Lunchtime workout. Start
genes are expressed. In a 2013 study, researchers at UCLA and the University
a regular run or bike ride
of North Carolina reported that happiness levels have powerful effects on genes with coworkers. Youll build
and our health. But there was a catch: the specic kind of happiness mattered a relationships while releasing
lot. The unselshly happy, whose feelings of wellbeing involved a deep sense of endorphins.
purpose in life, had a strong expression of antiviral and antibody genes. Happy >Be spontaneous. One night
hedonists, meanwhile, wrapped up in materialistic pleasures, had weaker immune every week, schedule at least
systems, resulting in inammation that can lead to cancer, heart disease, and dia two hours away from home,
betes. Even pleasures that seem virtuous, like looking at a sunset, can be hedonic, but dont plan anything. The
because they involve ones own emotional gratication, explains UCLA professor spontaneity and freedom will
give you a TGIF buzz.
of medicine Steven Cole, the senior author of the study. The real distinction is
>Bivouac! Pitch a tent in a
whether your happiness is tied into purpose and meaning outside yourself. nearby patch of woods. Just
Bottom line: like so many things, how happy you are comes down to how you get up in time to take a shower
choose to live your life. Weve rounded up the latest beta on how to show your at home before work.
DNA whos boss. MIkE STEErE

j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j 4. cranK
ready, the body synthesizes when
skin is exposed to the sun. The
researcher christopher Lowry
injected mice with dirt-dwelling
the TUnes
That emotional rush you feel

seT, sMiLe vitamin, according to Boston

University medical researchers,
13 ScIenTIFIcaLLY gooses genes that play a role
PROVen MeTHOdS in resistance to autoimmune
FOR LIVInG On THe and infectious diseases, as well
BRIGHT SIde as cancer. Think youre wired to
sleep late? Think again. doctors
Mycobacterium vaccae and
found increased serotonin in
the critters prefrontal cortex.
Getting your own dose is as easy
as taking a walk in the wilder-
ness or planting something. You
dont need to wait until spring:
when you listen to your favorite
songs? Its chemical. In 2011,
neuroscientist Valorie Salim-
poor and her colleagues at
Montreals McGill University
conducted a study demon-
strating that hearing music

1. rise WiTH at Beth Israel deaconess Medi-

cal center in Boston looked at
even in the dead of winter you
can sprout basil seeds in a pot
causes the brain to pump out
dopamine, a neurotransmitter

THe sUn variations in a gene responsible

Most adults require seven to
eight hours of sleep per night.
Less than that and were
crankier, dumber, sicker,
and even fatter. But thats
no excuse to sleep in. The
american academy of Sleep
Medicine notes that more time
awake in daylight increases
your levels of vitamin d, which
for circadian rhythms and found
differences in natural wake
times of only an hour tops.
2. GeT dirTy
dirt may be the new Prozac.
Working in soil raises your
spirits, in part because you
pick up cheerful germs while
digging. University of colorado
on your sunniest windowsill.
3. MaKe eVery
day saTUrday
You dont need science to tell
you that youre happier on the
weekends, but a 2010 Univer-
sity of Rochester study of
74 adults explains why thats so.
Its not just time away from a
associated with pleasure and
anticipated reward. Music lov-
ers in the study chose what to
playeverything from classical
to Led Zeppelin to techno
then the researchers used a
combination of technologies
to scan their brains while they
kicked back and listened. The
dopamine surge was greatest
just before and during favorite
parts of a song.

52 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
 act like its the weekend.

find a place to disconnect.

top: jf creatives/gallery stock
 j2014 healthy
& happy
game plan

live by bike
Never mind the health and environmental benets. Its good for the soul.
and author of BlueMind, a
forthcoming book about how
water improves our health
by michael roberts and mood, point to the feelings
of awe and wonder we have
Early last year, a Ph.D. candidate at Portland State University in More Reasons to Saddle Up: when we gaze at oceans, lakes,
Oregon made headlines when he presented ndings to the national >Its safe. There are now or rivers. It spurs the brain
Transportation research Board showing that riding a bike makes us nearly 150 miles of protected to release a mix of dopamine,
happy. According to his survey of more than 800 commuters, bikers bike lanes in the U.S.with oxytocin, and endorphins,
rated higher on a wellbeing index than people using any other form physical barriers between nichols says. It gives us a sense
of transportation, including walking. To the countrys growing legions cyclists and trafcand of oneness with the universe.
of everyday cyclists, the news was hardly a surprise. A new kind of many more in the works. You know, like Ommm.
cycling lifestyle is on the rise. In cities large and small, bike lanes are >Its convenient. More
being built, bikeshare programs are taking off, and people whod
never considered pedaling around town are saddling up to save money
on gas and get a little exercise. The positive resultsless automobile
than 30 U.S. cities offer bike-
share programs (check out
bikeshare.com), making some
7. pLay More
Because having fun means
trafc, cleaner air, better public health, surging commerce along bik 17,000 of them available for youll keep at activities that are
ing routesare grabbing the attention of public ofcials: Chicago shorter rides. good for you. after surveying
mayor rahm Emanuel has called bike lanes an integral part of my >Its communal. cargo college students, researchers
economic development strategy. bikes like Yubas el Mundo at Southeastern Louisiana
Thats all good news. But a simple pleasure has gotten lost in the (from $1,300; yubabikes.com) University found that enjoying
data: hopping on a bike is still the best way to turn everyday outings allow you to take the family an activitywhether play-
into unpredictable adventures. Need a few things from the grocery with you wherever you go. ing on a soccer team, training
store? Grab a backpack and go. Meeting people at a bar? Dont forget >Its easy. With an electric- for a triathlon, or taking long
your Ulock. Got a date? If she agrees to ride to dinner, how bad could assist bike, you can get hikesis the best method for
it be? When we take to the streets on two wheels under our own power, where youre going without staying motivated and sticking
we transform from commuters and errand runners into explorers. We breaking a sweat. The Spe- to a routine. Pure enjoyment,
take wrong turns and discover new places. We notice friends along the cialized Turbo (from $6,000; wrote Marcus Kilpatrick, the
wayand pull over to talk to them. We dont answer our phones. Freed specialized.com), the Tesla studys lead author, is a strong
from the connes of cars and the schedules of trains and buses, we are Roadster of e-bikes, has a predictor of future behavior.
inspired to roll in bold directions. To be late. To have fun. To not worry 250-watt motor capable of
about parking tickets. up to 28 mph on the ats.
8. Go
j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j
screenLess
5. drinK Up
dehydration makes you cranky.
dailyi.e., a 180-pound man
would drink 90 ounces, or
about 11 glasses. Of course,
conrmed that views of the
ocean and other blue spaces
make us happier than other
How bad are your screens for
mood and productivity? Let
us count the ways. a 2013
a 2012 study by a consortium the need to rehydrate soars landscapes. Some researchers study published by the Public
of researchers that included when you exercise. One reliable think the reason could be Library of Science showed
the U.S. army showed that gauge: your pee should be evolutionary, that our biggest that more use of Facebook
even a mild case of it made clear or pale yellow, more pinot step was learning to catch sh, meant less sense of well-
healthy young people gloomy grigio than Gatorade. which added omega-3 fatty being and more feelings of
and pessimistic. When subjects acids to our diet. (Omega-3s envy. Responses to National
fully hydrated, then exercised
or took diuretics to lose, on 6. HiT THe have been known to lower rates
of depression.) Others, like
Geographics True Happiness
Test survey in 2011 suggested
average, 1.4 percent of their
body weight, their moods
slid, possibly because certain
beacH
Its not just the oiled bods.
Wallace J. nichols, a scientist that the happiest people

neurons can detect dehydra-
tion and may alert parts of the
brain that manage mood. How
much do we need to drink to
stay happy? One rule of thumb
is to halve your weight and
drink that many uid ounces
Research has found that
people with depression, heart
disease, and alzheimers all
lack vitamin d, which your
body produces when your skin
is exposed to direct sunlight.
and recent British studies have
pOp quiz
Q. WhoS happIeR: dog oWNeRS oR cat oWNeRS?
A. Dog, cat, lizard, pigdoesnt matter. A 2011 study published in the Jour-
nal of personality and Social psychology found no consistent differences
between owners of different types of pets, only that having one makes
us healthier and happier. The study also concluded that pet owners have
greater selfesteem and tend to be less fearful.

54 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
 drop in.

keep animal friends close.

from top: anne menke; lilly dong
 j2014 healthy
& happy
were those who watched
less than an hour of television
a day. and in 2009, Harvard
Business School professor
Leslie Perlow, author of Sleep-
ing with Your Smartphone,
asked a team at the Boston
consulting Group to unplug
no e-mail, texting, or client
callsone night a week. Five
weeks in, the consultants
were functioning better as
a team and did more work in
less time. Four years hence,
the weekly disconnect remains
company policy.
j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j
game plan
9. GiVe
yoUr TiMe
Multiple studies have shown
that volunteering increases
well-being while also lowering
cholesterol and reducing mor-
tality rates among volunteers.
Its like going to a chiropractor
for your soul, says Brad Ludden,
founder of First descents, which
offers outdoor adventures to
kids and young adults diag-
nosed with cancer. It realigns
everything, and your problems
OuTSide TESTED AND APPrOvED
rUn ToGeTHer
sixty-six percent of runners believe that they have
more sex after hitting the road or trail with their
significant other, according to a 2013 survey from
brooks running.
dont seem as large anymore. depressed, and have enhanced
The best volunteer experiences feelings of well-being. The
are those that connect to your important thing is that people
passions, says Suzanne Rich- feel they are getting something
ards, author of a 2013 study at out of it, Richards says.
the University of exeter Medi-
cal School that found that
volunteers live longer, are less 10. Train WiTH
a TeaM
In 2009, researchers at Oxford

break a sweat
University discovered that
exercising in a group makes
you train harder and leaves you
exercising consistently is the best thing you can do for your brain by erin beresini with a higher level of endor-
phins than when you exercise
Scientists have long known that happiness and stress are two sides of Brain-Boosting Workouts: alone. another study, in 2010,
the same coin: the less stressed you are, the happier youll be. Theyve >go aerobic. You have by the University of Ballarat
also known that exercise lifts mood by releasing feelgood chemi to improve cardiovascular in australia, found that those
cals like endorphins and dopamine into the brain. But last spring, function in order to see the who played club sports (base-
researchers at Princeton University made a startling discoverythe effects, says dzel. cardio- ball, basketball, soccer) had
moodenhancing benets of exercise arent temporary. Exercise, they vascular function means better mental health and were
found, actually rewires your mind. getting up to 50 percent of more satised with their lives
The nding came out of the researchers bid to reconcile a perplex your max heart rate, which than those who didnt. dont
ing paradox. Exercise triggers the creation of highly excitable neurons causes oxygenated blood know where to start? Try Team
in the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with memory, to circulate more rapidly in Training (teamintraining.org),
learning, and emotional responses. This speeds up overall brain func through the brain, forming the worlds biggest club of
tion, but because of the new neurons excitability, it should also make new neural connections. endurance athletes.
the brain more susceptible to anxiety. Yet it doesnt. >Make every minute count.
To nd out why, the Princeton team split lab mice into two groups.
One group had access to a running wheel (with the mice averaging an
Just four to six minutes of
regular exercise makes a big 11. GeT HiGH
impressive 2.5 miles per night), and the other did not. After six weeks,
the researchers intentionally freaked out all the mice by dunking
them in cold water, then looked at their brains with an fMrI machine.
difference. a Brazilian study
found that aging rats that ran
for that amount daily for ve
on cHocoLaTe
a 2010 study published in the
Almost immediately, they noticed that the two groups reacted differ weeks reversed age-related Journal of the American Medi-
ently. The brain cells of the inactive mice became agitated and leaped memory impairment and cal Association showed that
into a frenzy, while those of the active mice did not. The reason: the increased neurotrophic factor, people who are depressed eat
active mice were able to produce and release more of the neurotrans a substance essential for the more chocolate. Why? Other
mitter GABA, which helps sedate jumpy neurons. growth and survival of neurons. research found that chocolate
The discovery, published in May in The Journal of neuroscience, >push longer and harder. In contains valeric acid, a relaxant
marked a breakthrough in understanding how exercise helps the brain a 2012 survey, Penn State re- and tranquilizer. The smell of
regulate anxiety. In essence, exercise creates new, faster neurons, but it searchers found that physically chocolate slows down brain
also reinforces the physiological mechanism that prevents those uppity active students who pushed waves, helping us feel calmer.
brain cells from ring during times of stress. themselves during workouts and certain compounds in
When you exercise, you change 20 things at the same time, says were more likely to report over- it spur our brains to release
Dr. Emrah Dzel, director of the Institute of Cognitive Neurology and all life satisfaction. The reason endorphins, neurotransmitters
Dementia research at Germanys University Hospital Magdeburg. may be simple: exercise burns that have a similar effect on
Theres no medication that can achieve that. off the stress hormone cortisol. well-being as opiates.

56 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
 train in tandem.

break the rules.

bottom: tom schierlitz/trunk
 j2014 healthy
& happy
game plan

tell better Jokes 13. raise a

proven strategies for getting laughs, plus some always winning punch lines
BY Ian FRaZIeR GLass
Turns out that moderate
>practice. Tell jokes to yourself when you are alone. The middle of nowhere is a good place for this, but drinkerspeople who imbibe
it can also be done while driving, lying in bed, etc. no more than 14 alcoholic
>Remember a forgiving rule of comedy, which is that a person trying really hard to be funny is kind of drinks a weekare healthier
funny, just by denition, regardless of the funniness of his joke. and happier than abstainers. a
>pick your audience. This cannot be overstressed! Terry Bradshaw will enjoy a joke that wont go over 2012 Boston University School
well with rachel Maddow. A joke tends to be funny in inverse proportion to the number of people it is of Medicine study tracked a
appropriate to tell it to. Mistakes in choice of audience can be catastrophic. If youre not sure, dont tell it. panel of middle-aged men and
>Ignore the previous rule if you enjoy funny catastrophes. women for 14 years and deter-
>Streamline your jokes. Wit is brevity, as we know. Hone them down until eventually they become only mined that moderate drinkers
punch lines. Here are some jokeless punch lines you are free to borrow: had fewer chronic conditions,
run, Harold, run! such as cardiovascular disease
European! and cancers, and higher levels
Any sumbitch that can eat that much ice cream, I dont want to mess with. of HdL, the good cholesterol.
Vhat are you sinking about? More surprising still: the study
But when it became aroused, it read, Shortys Pizzeria and Delicatessen, We Deliver at Night, We showed that quality of life
Deliver in the Morning, Our Telephone Number Is Biloxi Two Five Six Eight Hundred, We Do All actually went down among
Our Baking on the Premises those who curbed their intake.
>there is a very good visual joke involving a fake sneeze and a thick rubber band that almost always and other research demon-
gets a laugh. I leave you to gure it out for yourself. strated that beer and liquor are
just as good for you as wine.
j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j Well drink to that.

12. eaT Happy that also aids in synthesizing

serotonin and helps ward off
production of serotonin. In
a 2013 study at the Baylor
RepoRted by:
ErIN BErESINI, FrEDErICk

MeaLs
What you ingest can have a
cancer and the degenerative
diseases associated with aging.
Follow Popeyes lead: amp up
Research Institute in dallas,
500 milligrams of curcumin
twice a day proved to be as
rEIMErS, JEN SCHWArTz,
MIkE STEErE

huge impact on the level of your intake of dark leafy veg- effective an antidepressant
neurotransmitters in your brain. etables like spinach and collard as Prozac. pOp quiz
Here are the top feel-good and turnip greens. >healthy fats. In particular, Q. WhoS happIeR:
foods and active compounds >gamma-aminobutyric acid. docosahexaenoic acid (dHa), MeN oR WoMeN?
that lift your spirits. nothing we eat actually con- the most abundant fatty acid A. At the moment, men. This is
>elk. elk meat is rich in trypto- tains GaBa, a neurotransmitter in the brain and an important according to the General Social
phan, an amino acid that helps known as natures Valium for moderator of mood and Survey, an ongoing look at social
the body synthesize the happy its calming effects, but certain mental health. a 2011 study behaviors and attitudes conducted
neurotransmitter serotonin. foods contain its building of military personnel found by the University of Chicagos
also packing high levels are block, the amino acid gluta- that suicide risk was highest National Opinion research Center
spirulina, spinach, turkey, egg mine. among them: pork, among those with the low- since 1972. Firstyear data indi
whites, black beans, split beef, sesame and sunower est dHa levels. Where to cated that women were slightly
peas, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, seeds, oats, cabbage, spinach, get it? cold-water sh such happier than men. In 2012, the
cashews, and almonds. and parsley. as salmon, mackerel, sardines, most recent year for which gures
>greens. Theyre rich in >Indian food. curcumin, a and tuna, plus shrimp and are available, men were 3 percent
folate, a benevolent B vitamin compound in turmeric, boosts other shellsh. happier. What changed? Accord
ing to sociologist Arlie Hochschild,
many women now work two
OuTSide TESTED AND APPrOvED
shiftsone at the ofce and
pLan More Trips another at homewhich means
you dont even have to take them all. dutch researchers surveyed 1, 530 vacationers they have greater responsibilities
and found that they got a happiness boost for up to eight weeks before the depar- and more stressors. Men, mean
ture date, probably due to releases of the neurotransmitter dopamine, a common while, have cut back on unpleasant
occurrence when we anticipate a positive experience. call it a pre-escape escape. stuff like household chores.

58 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
from top: toss honeysett/gallery stock; benedict redgrove/gallery stock

go blue.

imagine a getaway.
60 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
j
2014 healthy
& happy
game plan

run like hal!

stops owing to the brain and like Steve Prefontaine and
Ill think, dang, what was all Phil Knight, the next day,
that great stuff I was thinking you just start again. Nobody
Ultrarunner hal Koerner has a formula for tness out there? cares what you did the
and life that keeps him winning and smiling. So day before. I think about
follow his leadjust dont try and keep up. When I rst started out, that after big races.
ultrarunning was still tiny,
What makes Hal koerner so damn happy? Ask him thator any ques and I mostly trained alone. people say Im crazy, but I
tion, reallyand youll get an answer that betrays the simple truth. He Oddly enough, when I would think selling shoes is the best
speaks in meandering runon sentences that defy the normal rules of ask someone if they wanted to job in the world. You never
grammar yet somehow always cross the nish line, concluding with go for a four- or ve-hour run, really know whats going to
the same, infectious takeaway: I love to run! And you should, too! there werent many takers! walk through the door. Whether
Indeed, an image search on Google yields hundreds of photos of the Then I started running with Im talking about someones
37yearold ashing his hundredtooth grin while suffering through Scott Jurek and others, and blister issues or their rst
grueling races like the Hardrock 100 (2012 winner) and the Western thats when things stepped marathon, every day I love it.
States 100 (champ in 2007 and 2009). Hes turned that passion into a up for me. You have to push
career, opening a retail store, rogue valley runners, in 2006, that has yourself when you see what I used to get up early each
helped make the tiny town of Ashland, Oregon, a training epicenter others are doing. morning and fret about making
for the booming sport of ultrarunning. Young phenoms like the Skaggs a certain amount of mileage.
brothers, Anton krupicka, and Jenn Shelton have all moved there to our house is ultra talk all Now its not such a big deal.
train withand often work forkoerner, hoping to soak up the secrets the time. My wife, carly, Getting older and feeling the
of a man who has stayed competitive for nearly two decades. Shortly runs ultramarathons, too. She miles a bit more makes you
after his second win at Arizonas Javalina Jundred last October, he had an off-year being preg- realize its OK to take days off.
shared some of that wisdom with Christopher Keyes. nant, but I imagine well be
running together a lot more If youre disciplined about what
Traditional shoes, minimal- Theres still a wow factor, even now. Get the baby jogger and you eat, that carries over to
ist shoes, Hokastheres a for me. I ran 100 miles. Thats see how it goes. other aspects of your life. That
place for all of them. the most pretty ridiculous. said, Im a sucker for pop-
important thing is to run on Ive run enough ultras to know sicles. Give me one and Ill eat
trails instead of roads. That Im notorious for being late. that it takes all shapes and the whole box.
will do more for your longevity a couple of times Ive pulled sizes and you cant discount
than worrying about how much into the parking lot at the start anyone. after we opened I do more weight training
cushioning youve got. line and the racers have already the store and we started our than most guys in the sport.
left. But I dont get too worked 100-mile race, the Pine to Palm, push-ups, sit-ups, dips,
Before every race I wake up about it. I gure I have I had people signing up who biceps curls. Ive always felt
up, have a bowl of oatmeal, 100 miles to catch up. you would never identify as that you need to be all-around
eat a banana, and down runners. I remember thinking strong to run 100 miles.
some kind of sports drink. Swing your arms on long up- about this one woman, Theres
Its simple, but it works for hills. That generates momen- no way that lady is going to Ride on the edge and see
me and I havent changed it. tum for each stride. nish. and then I was at the what happens.
nish line handing her a medal.
Smiling is infectious. even Some of the greatest think- That really hit home for me. Young runners look up to
when Im suffering on the ing Ive had about life and Racing changes peoples lives. me, and its one reason I work
course, when I see people out work happens on runs. But I so hard. I should probably give
there, I always want to smile. need to remind myself to write after a big win, University more advice, but, you know,
It gives me a little boost of things down immediately, be- of Oregon track coach Bob I still want to compete, maybe
positive energy. cause I get back and the bliss Bowerman used to tell guys put them in their place.

I like to go to the start line

thinking Ill win.
I kind of cringe when I have to
tell people Im an ultramara-
thoner. I just know Im about to
get pummeled with questions.
But I understand the curiosity.
pOp quiz
Q. WhoS happIeR: a MaRRIed paReNt oR a SINgLe, chILdLeSS adULt?
A. Almost every study shows that married people are happier than their single peers, but a growing body of research
suggests that this reverses once married couples become parents. And Mom and Dads happiness appears to decline
further with each successive child. Why? Probably stress, says Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert, author of Stum-
bling on Happiness. At least theres a light at the end of the parturitional tunnel: parents with grown children report
higher levels of happiness than their childless counterparts.

outsideonline.com 61
Bode Miller (skier) and Morgan
Beck (volleyballer) have had
a few rough moments as a
couple, including a bitter
child-custody battle with an
ex-girlfriend and the death
of his younger brother, Chelone.
But as Bode plunges into the
most ambitious ski season
of his career, hes already met
his matcha woman who, like
him, seems to thrive on a little
craziness. By raChel sturtz

Photographs by
amanda
friedman

Bode and Morgan

living large in
Southern California
 If you
ask me, Ill
say no.
Morgan
CheCk
aaaaand
mate!
Bode
Bode MIllear
B ll
Is at a BeaCh volley
MatCh, and hes pIssed.
As in: he has thrown his Slden cap to the
oor, his head is in his hands, and hes vis-
ibly shaking. Its August 2013, and Bode is
in Salt Lake Citys Liberty Park watching his
wife, 26-year-old Morgan Beck Miller, lose
in a tournament put on by the Association
of Volleyball Professionals (AVP). A couple
of friends sitting near him in the VIP section
look worried. It doesnt help that the families
of the winning playerswho just beat Morgan
and her partner, Kaitlin Nielsen, two games to
noneare only a few feet away, whooping and
clinking beer cans. Bode probably wants to hit
something. Instead, he has to sit there, itchy
in this moment of athletic impotence.
At 36, Bode is on the old side for an athlete,
but when hes around any kind of competi-
tion the adrenaline still flows. Its a blood
rush that has allowed him to ski on pure guts,
ignoring personal safety and technical grace
for balls-to-the-wall plummets down the
toughest racecourses in Europe, Japan, and
North America. Hes the same unleashed
wild man who, over a 17-year span, became
the most decorated male skier in U.S. history
and one of the most electrifying athletes to
watch anytime, anywhere. Bode has won ve
Olympic medals, 33 individual World Cup
races, six event titles, and two overall World
Cup crowns. (He has so many trophies and
cups that he sometimes uses one to marinate
chicken wings.) Going into the 201314 ski
season, he was recovering from microfrac-
ture surgery to his left knee that kept him off
the slopes last year, but he was thinking big:
his goal was to win the overall World Cup title
and, in February, collect more gold at the
2014 Sochi Olympics. Even now, Bode brings
it to the mountain like a Red Bullchugging
16-year-old. Its as if nothings changed.
Except everything has.
In Salt Lake City, Bode quietly picks up his
hat. He knows that if Morgan sees his bare
head, shell gure out that he lost his temper
and hell hear about it later. He doesnt mind
throttling things down on her behalf, though,
since hes quite clearly a man in love, for better
and for worse.
Bode said goodbye to his playboy lifestyle
when he married Morgan in October 2012,
and his rst year with the 26-year-old ath-
lete and model has been a mix of pure joy and
terrible pain for both of them. An incident in
mid-December was typical: Bode, who has
64 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
taken up golf, hooked a tee shot directly into
Morgans left eyean injury that required Bode.
more than 50 stitches and resulted in what
may be permanent vision impairment. That
day, Morgan established herself as one of the
all-time gamers by tweeting a picture of her
swollen, bloodied mug and the message Im
not feeling so hot. Line drive to the face today
with a golf ball from my darling husband. I still
love. Bode kept his message short and con-
trite: Hit wife w golfball. #worstfeelingever.
Bodes lament came in the wake of a pretty
bad November. That month, Bode and Mor-
gan began a bitter custody battle for a baby
boy Bode had conceived with an ex-girlfriend
before he met Morgana now resolved dis-
pute that brought him plenty of negative
media attention (Bode Millers Baby Mama
Sara McKenna Claims: He Never Offered to
Use a Condom ). By that time, Bode already
had custody of a ve-year-old girl hed con-
ceived with a different ex-girlfriend. Later, in
January 2013, Morgan miscarried what would
have been their rst child. A few months after
that, Bodes brother, Chelone Chilly Miller,
died of a seizure at the age of 29.
It was the kind of year that might incline
even Romeo and Juliet to call the whole thing
off, but the couple remain undaunted. Ebul-
lient, even. Publicly, you can gure that out
from the kissy-face emoticons they post
on Twitter. Get a glimpse of their personal
life and you see it in their glass-half-full
handling of marriages many challenges.
Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of people
would have walked away by now, Morgan
says, but if you look at the bigger picture,
our lives are amazing.
BODE WAS KNOCKED sideways the rst time
he saw a picture of Morgan in the ofces of the
New York sports agent they share. A snapshot
of a blond, six-foot-two California beauty
will do that to a man.
He wrangled her number in May 2012 and
swung by a volleyball tournament in Florida
where she was playing a couple of weeks later.
At the end of her matchwhich she won, a
breakthrough moment for her edgling AVP
careerBode watched her cry. In that out-
pouring of raw emotion, he says, he saw every-
thing he wanted in a woman.
She was trying to be macho and hide it, but
I saw it, he tells me, his stubble now speck-
led with gray. When everything is stripped
awayit happens in sports or when someone
is stressedyou see who a person really is,
even someone like Morgan, who has as thick
a wall as anyone Ive ever met.
He said thats when he knew I was his soul
mate, Morgan says, feigning gushiness and
leaning into him in a booth at Bambara, a Salt
Lake City bistro where were having dinner.
No, I didnt know that until June, says
We met on May 26, Morgan points out.
The lovebirds ew in from very different
habitats. Bode, famously, had a Huck Finn
upbringing in the New Hampshire woods,
with hippie parents who let their four chil-
dren self-police, get dirty, get lost. At 11, he
was ve-two and a scrappy 115 pounds; he
fought to keep up with older, bigger skiers as
they sped down the mountain.
Morgan grew up in Coto de Caza, a 5,000-
acre gated community in Southern California,
in a family that Bode calls the white Cosbys.
Her father, Ed Beck, was a pioneer in software
nancing, which made him very, very rich.
They were definitely on the grid: Morgan
was given a Mercedes as her rst car and got
grounded if she didnt blow-dry her hair. By
age 11, she was already more than six feet tall.
She ended up playing volleyball at UC Berke-
ley and turned pro in beach volleyball in 2011.
Since Bode has achieved so much in sports,
he can shrug off a bad race, a bad Olympics,
and even a bad breakup with the U.S. Ski
Team. (Which he quit between 2007 and
2009, in part for not supporting him during
controversies like his op at the 2006 Olym-
pics.) Morgan is a midlevel pro whose dream
is simply to compete in the Olympics some-
day, and she has trouble shaking off a bad
practice. During one early match at the Salt
Lake City Open, where she and Nielsen ulti-
mately placed ninth, Morgan slammed her
sts into the sand after hitting a perfectly set-
up ball into the net. It took some tough love
from Bode to keep the negative moment from
bleeding into the next game.
Morgans emotions are her biggest
strength, says Bode. But shes also a domi-
nant and very powerful womanmost guys
arent ready for the brunt of that. Bode rev-
els in it. She expresses the highs and lows for
him, the constant, analytical half; he reels
her back to rational when she needs it.
People think that Bode lacks perspective,
but thats not really true, as hell show you
during the wandering analytical conversa-
tions hes known for. At one point, Bode com-
pares the range of emotions he and Morgan
experience to liquid moving through a drink-
ing straw. He holds out his hands and mimes
a straw with a huge opening, the diameter of a
basketball. Thats Morgans volume. He

In g so ho t, mo rgan tw eeted. lIne drIve to the fa
Im not feel
a go lf ba ll from my da rlIng husband. I stIll love
today wIth . #worstfeelIngever.
go lfba ll, bo de wrote
hIt wIfe w
shrinks it to the size of a marble: thats his.
Our personalities look black-and-white, he
says. But we require each other to get the full
spectrum out of life. Neither of us would be
the same otherwise.
Morgan shoots me a glance. Not one con-
versation remains on the surface, she says.
Every day is a therapy session.
She knows she can talk about stuff with
me and I wont just address it, Bode says. If
there are 30 layers there, were going to start
from the bottom.
LAST APRIL 7 in New Hampshire, Bodes
mother, Jo Miller, entered a room making
the most pained sounds that Bode had ever
heard from a human. He and Morgan were
playing with his daughter, Dacey, and at rst
he almost laughed, because he thought it was
a put-on. Then Jo told Bode that Chilly was
gone. Hed died in Mammoth Lakes, Cali-
fornia, inside his van, of a seizure stemming
from a motorcycle crash hed suffered years
earlier. Chilly was a professional snowboarder
ce
.
and was hoping to join Bode at Sochi in Feb-
ruary. For the next 90 minutes, Bode couldnt
stop sobbing and sweating.
Neither Bode nor Morgan will expand much
on that day, but they both say the full impact
of the loss didnt hit until Chillys absence
at Augusts annual, family-heavy BodeBash
in his hometown of Franconia, New Hamp-
shirea fundraiser for Bodes adaptive- and
youth-sports nonprofit, the Turtle Ridge
Foundation. Bode has since said that he feels
he has his brothers energy with him and that
Chillys spirit will be there in Sochi.
Leading up to that possible nal Olympic
Games, Bodes goal was to win all four alpine
racesdownhill, slalom, giant slalom, and
super-Gat every World Cup event, which
meant regularly defeating the reigning giant-
slalom world champion, Ted Ligety, and the
super-G and downhill world champion, Nor-
wegian Aksel Lund Svindal. Bode is working
with Chris Krause, a technician for retired
Swiss World Cup star Didier Cuche, and his
hope is to win the overall World Cup, set a
Morgan says
every day
with Bode is
a therapy
session.
points-total record, and come home with a
few heavy necklaces from Russia.
Its a lot, Bode admits. I have way more
understanding of what it takes to train and win
in four events than anyone else in the world.
Whether my body puts up with it
Its ambitious, says Forest Carey, head
multicoach for the U.S. Ski Team and the man
overseeing both Bodes and Ligetys bids for
the overall World Cup. Is it possible? Yes.
Is Bode capable of doing it? Yes, hes done it
before. Is it likely this year? Ummm.
At the opening World Cup race in Slden,
Austria, in October, Ligety took the GS title.
Bode nished 19th. Wasnt my best skiing,
he tweeted later. But happy to be back. Its a
respectable start, though, and Carey antici-
pated that Bode would take a few races to really
get under way. He thinks theres no reason that
Bode cant be competitive all season.
Bode has dropped 20 pounds and says
he feels lighter and springier than ever.
Technically, this is also the rst time hes had
a fully functional body since 2001, thanks to
outsideonline.com 65
the surgery in spring 2012. Last August, at
his rst training camp in New Zealand, Bode
came back skiing fast, but he left early be-
cause of swelling in his left knee. If it turns
out that his body cant handle the four events,
Bode says the rst to go will be giant slalom
and, after that, slalom. Im old enough and
mature enough to know that you get old, and
if your knee fucking hurts, its time to let go.
Bode could be hard to beat in the downhill
and super-G. Older skiers excel at those two
races. The fast-twitch muscles required for
the slalom and giant slalom, however, favor
youth. Taking on the slalom and giant sla-
lom is like being a running back, Carey says.
You have to be explosive on your feet. Past 33
years old, not a lot of guys get better. And with
Bode coming back from a microfracture sur-
gerytheres a lot of chattering, jarring, and
slamming in those courses. I want to say that
Ligety can beat him handily in slalom, but
He pauses. Ive learned to never bet against
what Bodes capable of doing.
FROM THE STANDS in Salt Lake City, in the
stiing, godless heat of a Utah August, Bode
watches Morgans matches like a stage mother:
worrying aloud, pointing out mistakes, text-
ing her tactical ideas mid-match, and talking
volleyball semantics with other AVP players
and their coaches between events.
Bode comes to every single practice, says
Morgan. Im not kidding. One day, four of
us were working on pulling drills when Bode
brought practice to a halt. He wanted to show
usand this includes a fteen-year volleyball
veteranhow to do it better.
Bode has a knack for picking up the invis-
ible pulses of a game, gaining an intuitive
playbook of moves and responses through
observation. (Hes a rst-rate amateur tennis
player and has become a good golfer.) He also
has a knack for being a no-lter know-it-all,
which doesnt always y with others. Being
married to Bode requires a lot of patience,
Morgan says. I swear to God, he has said to
me, If people listened whenever I told them
what to do, theyd be so much happier.
There are days Id like him to play in traf-
c, she admits. But the worst part? Ninety
percent of the time hes correct. Do you know
how that feels? Its obnoxious.
The way she smiles when she talks about
Bode isnt the passive acceptance of a newly-
wed, but genuine amusement about the man
she married. So she gives him a pass on the
small things. She lets him pick her entre at
dinners and her dress for the ESPYs, and after
some argument, she gave him her blessing to
build a regulation-size sand volleyball court
in their yard in Coto de Caza, where the pair
ended up after they got married and Bode sold
his yacht for (literally) a more stable home.
66 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
The couples
backyard volley-
ball court
Because of the volleyball court, Morgan
barely has time to nish her morning coffee
with her parentswho are living with the
couple for now and watching their pets and
plants when Bode and Morgan travelbefore
Bode turns to her and says, Lets go, babe.
Her daily practices have become decidedly
more intense, but as Morgan points out, when
Bode is training hard, he often keeps going
until he pukes.
Im super stubborn and patient, Bode
says during dinner in Salt Lake City. I know
sports. I know nothing happens overnight. If
I make a suggestion, I trust that if it doesnt
happen immediately, it might sink in later.
Thats how I got Morgan to marry me. I always
have two or three strategies going at once.
I have the immediate attack that I focus on,
and that has three or four ancillary carryovers
that help the other three or four attacks
Youre getting some insight here, says
Morgan. Relentless.
Bode bought Morgan an engagement ring
in Chicago during the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach
Volleyball series in July 2012, part of a two-
prong attack. First, he found a diamond guy
and had the ring sized. When he and Morgan
walked into the jewelry store, Bode had the
seller bring out the cushion-cut diamond
ring. She turned white.
She said, If you ask me, Ill say no, says
Bode. And I said, I know. I havent asked
you yet.
It was a month and a half into our relation-
ship, Morgan says.
I took the ring home, and we didnt talk
about it, says Bode. We had it for so long that
I was carrying it around in my backpack when
we were in London for the Olympics. She got
so ustered, because she was convinced I was
going to lose it, and was like, No! You give
it to goddamn me. So here she was, carrying
around her own ring.
I knewBode switches to a more schem-
ing voice herethat the strategy was work-
ing to perfection.
At this point, all of Morgans friends knew
about the ring, and the thought of it drove her
crazy. Finally, one night, she lost it.
I told him, If youre not going to ask me
to marry you, return the ring and buy it when
you have the balls to propose, says Morgan,
throwing her hands up.
And I said, Will you marry me? Bode
says, beaming. She said, No Yes Ugh.
Check aaaaand mate!
Morgan interrupts to say it didnt happen in
quite this order. But that doesnt matter: Bode
has his story, and hell probably stick to it.
MORGAN WENT IN with her eyes open when
she married Bode. There was the good: his
daughter, Dacey, would become a part of her
life. Bodes been friendly with her mother,
Chanel Johnson (who has since married),
ever since she was born, and he helped name
the little girl. Then there was the bad: the risk
of more ex-girlfriends and the negative pub-
licity that seems to follow Bode around like a
zombie entourage.
Three weeks into his relationship with
Morgan, Bode found out he was going to be
a dad for the second time. Morgan says she
placed an awkward phone call to the mother,
Sara McKenna, a former Marine and fire-
fighter now living in New York City, who
Bode had met through a high-end dating
service, went out with a couple of times, and
 last saw a few days before he met his future
wife. Morgan told McKenna she knew about
the baby and reassured her that Bode would
help take care of her. This was three weeks
into Bode and Morgans relationship.
I could write a book about this year, says
Morgan, swiping through her phones pic-
tures to nd a few of Bode and McKennas
cherubic son, Samuel Bode Miller-McKenna,
a tiny doppelgnger of the skier, right down to
the piercing blue eyes.
When Bode and Morgan got engaged, the
tone of McKennas tweets shifted from Con-
grats to @MillerBode and I, 8 more months
and we will have a baby him or baby me! 99%
sure its a boy already! :) (in June 2012) to
Cheers to all the guys that man up and care
about their babies. You guys deserve a gold
medal, unlike some (in September).
Later that fall, Bode led a paternity suit for
joint custody. (He did the same with Chanel
Johnson for Dacey.) In response, McKenna,
who could not be reached for comment, hired
a publicist and released everything to the
media on January 19, 2013. Three hours later,
Morgan had her miscarriage. She was eleven
weeks and two days in. She blogged about
skI team
Is It possIble? says u.s.
des goals
coach forest carey of bo
ble of doIng It?
for 2014. yes. Is bode capa
It lIkely
yes, hes done It before. Is
thIs year? ummm.
going through the devastation; among the
heartfelt replies were a few comments saying
she deserved it.
McKenna provided reporters with text
messages allegedly showing that Bode had
been willing to walk away from the baby and
give her a lump sum of child support. She
claims he wanted her to get an abortion, that
she almost miscarried from stress, and that
Morgan harassed her online, using the Twit-
ter handle @anaappert. McKenna, who led
for a restraining order against Morgan last
spring, says she was responsible for threat-
ening tweets like: There will be a warrant for
your arrest for kidnapping the moment you
go into labor so throw boulders bitch.
Morgan flatly denies these charges.
Whats really hard is that it was all false,
she says. She sold pictures of the baby to
ALEXIS BOICHARD/GETTY
the media and was posting all these things
on Facebook. Weve had to deal with it and
not ght back.
That changed on November 15. In May, a
judge had ordered McKenna to return to Cal-
ifornia for the custody proceedingswhere
she was living when Bode rst led the suit
from New York City, where she was enrolled
at Columbia University on the GI Bill. Once
the battle was back in California, Bode and
Morgan won primary custody of the six-
month-old boy and renamed him Nathaniel.
He lived with the couple for three months,
until November 14, when a New York County
judge reversed the ruling to bring the battle
back east.
The next day, Morgan posted a diatribe
on her blog about McKenna and McKennas
alleged desire for revenge, attention and
money. Two days later, Morgan deleted it.
As one commenter pointed out, Why would
you post this in the middle of a custody bat-
tle? Bodes lawyers probably agreed, since
there may be a nasty fight ahead. Morgan
declined to talk to me about her on-again,
off-again post.
FOR NOW, MORGAN and Bode are settling
in with their new family, content to wait on
a child of their own. At dinner, Bode points
out that his mother was a midwife and that
he was in attendance for a few births, includ-
ing his sisters and brothers. He notes that he
studied his mothers midwifery books during
his years of homeschooling. This leads to the
obvious question: Will Bode deliver Morgans
rst child?
No, says Morgan.
I think so, says Bode.
Morgan looks at him, horried. I will be
in a hospital. He doesnt want me to be in a
hospital.
I was there when my daughter was born,
Bode says. Im very comfortable around that
stuff. Its so raw. Theres no ego. Youre right
in the moment. Things get so calm. Its awe-
some. Morgan is clearly appalled. The subject
changes to Bodes retirement.
I would have been happy retiring in 2009,
but I realized I had to leave this sport in a bet-
ter condition than when I came in, Bode says.
He goes on to say that, these days, he wishes
hed been more diplomatic during his career,
but he still believes in the importance of a
freewheeling style in the sport. When Didier
Cuche and Aksel Svindalwith their techni-
cal, meticulous formstarted winning, Bode
took it personally.
It felt like I had allowed the World Cup to
prove my style was a uke, says Bode, who
came back for the 2010 Olympics to give peo-
ple what he calls a whoa feeling again. And
he did, winning gold in the super-combined,
silver in the super-G, and bronze in the down-
hill. When he got to the starting gates, people
told him they could feel the energy shift.
My attitude was, Im going to go like
youve never fucking seen before, and there
will be nothing left, he says. But Im not
alone in that anymoreother skiers have
picked up the torch. Ted Ligety, for one. He
also praises Austrian slalom specialist Marcel
Hirscher, who skis like a little jackrabbit.
Unfortunately, your legacy tends to be
your whole legacy, Bode concludes. You
dont get to pick the time later in life when
you understood things better. It includes the
times when you were a dick, too.
Should Bode retire, his future will include
horse racinghe co-owns two thorough-
breds with trainer Bob Bafferthis founda-
tion, and golf, but all that will take a backseat
Miller in 2012,
racing in the down-
hill at Chamonix
to parenting. Im ready to retire, says Bode.
Im so much happier watching Morgan play
sports than doing them myself. I really want
her to do well. He believes Morgan can be one
of the top four players in the world, whether
that means her rst Olympics is in Rio in 2016
or Tokyo in 2020. Either way, she knows her
coach will be at her side.
I cant wait for the day when I win a gold
medal at the Olympics and youre like, Thank
you, thank you, Morgan says, imitating his
future bow.
Yep! Theyll be putting the medal around
your neck, and my head will pop up Bode
leans closer to Morgan and raises his head up
between her collarbones to scoop the medal.
They laugh. But dont be too surprised if it
happens. O
RACHEL STURTZ wRiTES FOR ESQUIRE,
RUNNERS WORLD, AND OTHER PUBLi-
CATiONS. SHE LivES iN DENvER.
outsideonline.com 67
Sean Pettit
outside Niseko

68 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
Fukai
Yuki
Saiko!
In a typical January, the fabled Japanese resort Niseko
gets more snownearly 15 feetthan any other ski area
in the world. Is there such a thing as too much? We sent
ERIC HANSEN to find out.

* TranslaTion: GreaT, deep powder!

outsideonline.com 69
After three sunny days, its a little after 2 p.M. on a saturday after-
noon, at the height of ski season, in a storm

Niseko is nally getting back
to normal. Its snowing.
im with a dozen members of a snowboard
club from Tokyo, and together we zip down a
short run covered in fairy dust, then ride the
lift back to the top of the mountain, only to
discover that, in the ten minutes we spent on
the chair, a fresh sifting of white has com-
pletely lled in our tracks.
The run reset, says Mucchan, a member
of the club.
we traverse into a glade of snow-pasted
birchwhat some here call juhyo (ice trees)
or snow monsters, for the way the clumps
after a couple of group photos, Mucchan
and the others call it a day and head in to the
lodge, where most of my fellow skiers are
already posted up around yards of beer like
so many oil derricks.
so i ski alone, poofing through fluff and
leaping off pillow drops and never sharing a
chair, all while bits of white drift toward earth
and swirl skyward, dye-in-water style, on an
almost imperceptible breeze. Aoooooooo! i
howl, bringing my skis to a hissing stop after
another half-dozen untracked runs. i cant
that will deposit some two and a half feet of
frozen Hs and os in 24 hours, and my lone
companion, the only other skier sharing
my stoke on this part of the mountain, is a
hunched old Japanese man, moving slowly
and concentrating on every pole plant.
i turn downhill and ski after him. in niseko,
everyones a friend on a powder day.
UnliKe UTaHans, whose license plates
read Greatest snow on earth, or Colora-
dans, who in steamboat have trademarked
the term champagne powder, the Japanese
in niseko do not aunt, or often even appre-
ciate, what they have. But even the most ex-
otic powder stashes eventually get sniffed
out, and over the past ten years the resort has

Previous Pages: Mattias Fredriksson

of powder that stick to their limbs can leap see or hear another human being. quietly become the stuff of legend among the
down and startle you when disturbedand im alone in the whiteout, accompanied by skiing cognoscenti.
then shimmy onto a second pitch where little more than the tinny sound of Motown Though only about 5,000 americans visit
more dandruff of the gods awaits. Theres no being broadcast from one of the lift-mounted niseko each year, i had read their rhapsodic
rush. despite the abundance of great snow, speakers common at Japanese ski resorts. accounts, had seen their otherworldly pic-
Mucchan and Kenchan and Tsunota and the (Upside down, boy you turn me, diana ross tures and hypnotic movie clips. i dismissed all
others and i wait for each other at the bot- singsor maybe its a Japanese cover band.) the face shots as the result of patience or good
tom of every pitch. psycho! someone says. i pause to count how much time elapses be- fortune or smart editing. i didnt truly under-
High ves are traded. a plan for the next run fore a fellow powder hound appears. Ten chilly stand how special niseko is until i called up
is agreed on. our communication is slowed by minutes pass, and i have my answer. Tony Crocker.
their choppy english and my desire to speak
using a secondhand Japanese phrase book,
but even so, i have never experienced a pow-
der day anywhere close to this peaceful.
i shouldnt be surprised. niseko lies some-
where between a full-blown destination resort
and a laid-back locals hill. Called niseko
United, its technically four separate resorts,
whose braids of pistes all radiate from the
same volcano on the northern island of Hok-
kaido, a short 1.5-hour flight from Tokyo.
Combined, the resorts are as big as alta and
offer a respectable 3,000-foot drop. But its
the consistent nature of the storms here that
sets niseko apart. Before the recent three-day
drought, for example, snow fell constantly, an
average of seven inches a day, for three weeks.
and thats only slightly better than a typical
start to the season.
Mucchan doesnt share my astonishment,
though.
Have you ever skied whistler? she asks.
i tell her that i have, and i acknowledge
that, yes, whistlers big-mountain terrain
trumps the mellower slopes of niseko, but
i also try to point out the obvious, how the
flakes are now coming down so thick that
its obscuring the horizon, how the air is so
thoroughly snow-fogged that the lift opera-
tors have turned on halogen oodlightsthe
kind most resorts use only for night skiing. The village of Hirafu,
with Yotei in the
no luck. Her mind wanders, the blizzard too
background
banal to merit discussion.
Have you skied in aspen? she asks.

70 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e Photographs by KosuKe oKAhArA

 Crocker is a 60-year-old insurance actu-
ary from Glendale, California, and the num-
bers savant behind Bestsnow.net, the most
thorough collection of normalized snowfall
records and precipitation trends for north
american ski resorts. i never saw snow fall
out of the sky until i was an undergrad at
princeton, Crocker told me. He became ob-
sessed with it during the record-setting bliz-
zards of 1978 and has been chasing powder
ever since.
as a passionate skier long trapped in new
York City, id hoped Crocker could help me
gure out the statistically best week to visit
one of north americas more powder-blessed
resorts. while Crocker had lots of numerical
insightsJackson Hole peaks in January, Utah
in February, most of Colorado in Marchhe
couldnt pin down a specic window.
if theres anything that his decades of re-
gression analysis and standard deviations
have taught him, its that predicting the
weather is really hard. The bottom line is, if
youre serious about powder, move to within
a days drive of one of those resorts, he said.
Then he added the magic qualier: Unless
were talking about niseko.
Blanketed by 580 inches a year, niseko
averages twice as much snow as most resorts
in north america. only Mount Baker, with 652
Hirafu food
truck
The entrance to
Bar Gyu, a.k.a. the
Fridge Door Bar
inches, sees more. But while this fact is fairly
well-known, virtually every ski movie, trip
report, and barroom tale misses one key detail,
Crocker explained. Unlike most ski resorts,
niseko gets the overwhelming majority of its
tremendous snowfall in december and Janu-
ary. on average, it receives 45 percent more
snow in January than Mount Baker. and the
water content of that snow is about the same
as at alta, which typically sees the driest
powder in the U.s.
scientists call it ocean-effect snow. in early
december, supercooled air starts blowing in
from the frigid plains of siberia, sucking up
moisture from the sea of Japan and dropping
the results on Hokkaidos lonely volcanoes.
The coldness of the January air, combined
with nisekos prime, snow-catching location
on the western side of the island, creates what
is essentially a monthlong, uninterrupted
storm. nearly 15 feet of fukai yuki saiko land
on the humble mountain in January alone, an
The Barn, a
French bistro
fresh snowmore
Typical powder-
day crowds
average of almost six inches a day.
Visit niseko for ten days in January and
you will ski nearly ve feet of fresh snow
more than most resorts receive in a month.
Venture into the glades or go cat skiing and
youll almost certainly experience movie-
quality powder. when professional freeski-
ers J.p. auclair and Chris Benchetler skied
there in January of 2009, for the ski-porn
lm Reasons, the cloudlike snow wasnt epic,
as they boasted in the lm, it was statistically
normal. and when Crocker quit Transamerica
insurance, where he had worked his entire
professional life, he didnt go heli-skiing in
alaska or move to salt lake City. when i re-
tired, he said, the first trip i took was to
niseko in January.
sold. a week later, i booked a ticket.
Visit Niseko for
ten days in Janu-
ary and you will ski
nearly ve feet of
than most resorts
receive in a month.
Venture into the
glades or go cat
skiing and youll
almost certainly
experience movie-
quality powder.
outsideonline.com 71
 Taro Tamai,
founder of
Gentemstick
Niseko Supply
Company
Niseko remains pastoral. Pure water
bubbles up from seemingly everywhere
in the form of onsens, or geothermal hot
springs, and community-maintained
mineral springs, where restaurants ll
their water jugs nightly.
THe Japanese HaVe a deep and abiding love
for skiing, even if most of them dont techni-
cally shred. The countrys two most moun-
tainous islands, from the frigid northern tip
of Hokkaido to the subtropical southern tip of
Honshu, are dotted with some 600 resorts.
(The United states, by comparison, has about
425.) Japan has hosted the winter olympics
twice: in sapporo, 60 miles east of niseko, in
1972, and in nagano, 130 miles northwest of
Tokyo, on Honshu, in 1998.
after world war ii, during Japans eco-
nomic heyday, families cut down trees and
strung up single lifts, mom-and-pop-style,
just about anywhere they could, including
niseko. But the sport didnt take off until the
big-money eighties, when hotels were built
and schools started busing entire classes to
the hills for instruction. Then, in 1990, the
nikkei crashed and development stalled.
enough ski resorts were simply abandoned
that photographers dedicate entire blogs to
72 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
Japanese-ski-resort-decay porn. in Hok-
kaido, many surviving resorts now appear
frozen in time.
niseko is the exception, thanks largely to its
growing popularity among australians, who,
after 9/11, realized that the region receives
more snow than whistler and is much closer
to home. The resort is made up of three base
areas: annupuri, niseko Village, and Grand
Hirafu. (Hanazono is technically a fourth, but
it has little more than a day lodge.) annupuri
is the smallest and most relaxed, with a seven-
ties feel and a cluster of wooden chalets, funky
coffee shops, and restaurants. niseko Village
is dominated by an enormous Hilton hotel
shaped like a giant soda can, which towers
over the base area, and offers unusual winter-
sport activities like snow rafting, in which a
snowmobile pulls a rubber raft full of people
around a groomed eld. Hirafu sits at the his-
toric heart of the resort and is now a compact,
architectural hodgepodge village teeming
Carving
Niseko
with hordes of young aussie holidayers.
despite the development, niseko remains
pastoral, surrounded by rectangular farms
and patchwork forests, and the vibe is down-
home. pure water bubbles up from seemingly
everywhere in the form of onsens, or geother-
mal hot springs, and community-maintained
mineral springs, where restaurants ll their
water jugs nightly. on the mountain, scan-
nable passes are about as modern as things
get. Many lifts are doubles or even singles. a
winter farmers market does a steady business
selling organic turnips, pickles, rice, and sake.
aTMs are scarce, and when i nally nd one,
it doesnt recognize my card.
The other thing that makes niseko unique
is that its one of a handful of resorts in safety-
conscious Japan with an open-boundary pol-
icy. nine gates along the periphery give way
to hundreds of acres of uncontrolled terrain.
often referred to as local rules, nisekos
unusually lax policies have spawned a half-
dozen backcountry guiding services, and the
area is home to three cat-skiing operations.
when i arrived in niseko on January 21,
snow was suffocating the town. driving
around, i saw an excavator teetering on a
mound of snow taller than a mini-mart, while
up the street a front-end loader dumped great
avalanches of the stuff into a line of idling
18-wheelers. snowblowers tunneled out
sidewalks, and hotel maintenance workers
scurried from room to room, heaving shim-
 The base
at Hirafu
mering flurries off the balconies. Keeping
niseko accessible until the bamboo pokes
through in March costs the local government
over $1 million a month. They dont pray for
snow, they look for places to put it.
on my rst full day, under atypical bluebird
skies, i signed up for a day of backcountry
skiing on another nearby volcano, Yotei, with
the niseko powder Company, a laid-back
bunch of beer-drinking Japanese dudes who
wouldnt be out of place in Crested Butte.
You are very lucky, said Mako, a tall,
broad-shouldered guide who had spent much
of his early twenties snowboarding in alaska.
we havent seen sun in three weeks.
My companions were three young couples,
professionals from Tokyo, and we dropped
one by one down Yoteis wide west face, which
was covered in a couple of feet of light, un-
tracked snow. after especially great pitches,
everyone would clap or shout Sugoi!
making it tough to remember that these were
urologists, video-game producers, and 2-d
illustrators. But, generally, the couples re-
mained quiet, keeping a lookout for tanukis
dog-like animals that have faces similar to a
raccoons and, according to folklore, shape-
shifting powers. The riders all shared a rec-
ognizable style. whenever possible, theyd
make enormous swooping turns, their arms
outstretched like wings, and in gullies they
buried the nose of their boards and kicked out
the tail, sending up sparkling waves of spray.
i nally asked the illustrator in the group
what was up.
surf style! was his enthusiastic reply.
surf style, i would later learn, was almost
a Zen kind of riding. according to Muchan, it
was about blending with the energy of the
mountain, and it was the predominant way
of snowboarding in niseko, thanks to a local
former pro named Taro Tamai.
in 1998, unhappy with the punky direction
snowboarding was taking, Tamai decided to
launch his own line of handmade boards,
with distinctive split tails, minimal graphics,
and bindings mounted far back of center, so
riders could weight their front foot, even in
deep powder. Gentemstick, as he called his
hobby business, took off, and the surf style
his boards inspired became the soulful center
of niseko riding. every decent rider in niseko
pilots a Gentemstick, including each of the
eight snowboarders with me on Yotei.
You pretty much have to visit Tamais
showroom if you want your own Gentemstick,
though thats starting to change. a few small
stores in europe sell them now, and the levi-
tation project, a boutique snowboard shop at
the base of Utahs Big Cottonwood Canyon,
will have a couple in stock this season.
on MY seCond daY, the sun was once again
shining. i was starting to worry that Crocker
had cooked his books and i might have to suf-
fer the indignity of consulting a weather fore-
Bar Gyu
aprs
Curry soup,
a Niseko
specialty
cast. But instead i trusted fate and skied a few
laps in the resort, threading my way through
swarms of students in matching rental uni-
forms and groups of Chinese speakers who
fell over often and seemed to lie there for an
abnormally long period of time. i paused for
noodles at a midmountain continued on page 96
ACCESS + RESOURCES
round-trip ights from new York city to
tokyo run about $1,000, and from tokyo
to sapporo (60 miles from niseko) about
$100. once youre there, the skiing is very
affordable. a four-mountain pass costs
$50, and older but perfectly comfy lodg-
ings, like the slopeside Hotel koropokkuru
(niseko-koropokkuru.com), start at about
$50 per person per night. (note: in Japan,
room fees are often calculated on a per-
person basis. so a room like one at koropok-
kuru will cost $100 per night if two people
are staying in it.) For something swankier,
try Hotel shiki niseko (doubles from $565;
shikiniseko.com), which opened last winter
with a Michelin-ranked restaurant and super-
mod rooms. daylong guided backcountry
trips with niseko Powder company start at
$100 per person (powcom.net). a day of cat
skiing with niseko adventure centre is $350
(nisekoskischool.net). For everything else,
including photos of every in-bounds run,
check out 360niseko.com.
outsideonline.com 73
Kilham in La
Parada market,
Lima, Peru
 MO

e
Manufacturer: O ut side M ag az in
Issued: Ja nu ar y 20 14
Photographs by: Iv an K as hi ns ky

No juNgle or river is

t o o r e m o t e f o r s e l f-

described mediciNe

huNter chris Kilham,

w h o t r av e l s t h e g l o b e

looKiNg for plaNts to

b o o s t o u r v i ta l i t y,

e a s e o u r pa i N , a N d t u r N

us oN. STEVE HENDRICKS

joiNs the KiNg of

supplemeNts iN the

amazoN oN a search for

the Next big thiNg.

OM
in th e
pe ru v ia n
am a z on,
in the city of iquitos, there is a soiled water-
front barrio called beln, within whose borders
strains a vast market. among its cacophonous
lanes is a passageway, freckled with sh guts,
y-covered watermelon rinds, and mysteri-
ous oozes, known as witches alley. when the
sun is savage, which is to say when it is up,
the keepers of its stalls string tarps overhead
in a patchwork defense. against the humidity
they have no counterattack, although some-
day a go-getter here will probably nd a way
to bottle humidity and make a killing in the
export trade. these vendors tout powders and
potions no less wondrous.
plant hunter chris Kilham, explorer in
residence at the university of massachu-
setts amherst, was strolling witches alley,
explaining its wares. Kilham is just over 60,
with the (relatively) unlined skin and (decid-
edly) trim form of a man in his upper forties.
he has been variously employed as a yoga
teacher, honorary consul to the u.s. for the
republic of vanuatu, child star of a welchs
grape juice commercial, and author of a New
age book that offers second-life insurance to
those who fear an undesirable reincarnation.
for the past two decades, he has made his liv-
ing as a medicinal-plant hunter, one of a small
cohort of scouts who ferret around obscure
parts of the world to bring wellness, vitality,
and, just perhaps, sexual potency to western
consumers. his chief employer is Naturex,
a french company that is one of the largest
processors of plant extracts in the world and
has bestowed on him the somewhat orotund
title of sustainability ambassador.
Navigating witches alley with Kilham was
an unhurried affair, since every stall offered
a didactic opportunity. he spoke in the mea-
sured cadences of someone who knew he was
saying slightly unbelievable things that would
be more believable the more level his delivery.
plying his trade on television has abetted the
habit. Kilham discovered years ago that tv
networks, like universities, enjoyed having a
botanical indiana jones around, so he chris-
tened himself the medicine hunter, complete
with logo, and now appears regularly on-air
as the fox News medicine hunter. he col-
lects honorics the way some people collect
fridge magnets.
Kilham stopped at a stall with caiman skulls
the size of desktop computers and picked up
a bottle of viscous crimson liquid.
Sangre de Drago, he said admiringly.
76 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
A vendor of
chuchuhuasi bark
in Witches Alley
dragons blood. latin binomial Croton
lechleri. its been used for ages for just about
anything bad that can happen to skinbites,
burns, sores, rashes, you name it.
we paused at stalls offering cats claw,
a woody vine that studies show is an anti-
oxidant and possibly an anticarcinogen; sap
from the catahua tree, used as both a poison
for darts and a purgative for the stomach; and
a pile of bright red achiote seeds advertised
as aids to the prostate.
a few paces farther along, Kilham came to
a full stop. before us were a couple of tables
with a prodigious quantity of strange brews.
the stall next door was also well bottled, and
so too the next and the next and the next.
we have arrived, he said, spreading his
arms wide. welcome to aphrodisia.
the forest of bottles bore the tattered and
stained labels of inca Kola, fanta, trapiche
malbec, and other assaults to the palate. Kil-
ham zeroed in on one whose second label
each bottle bore a new one, plastered over the
remains of the old oneannounced its con-
tents, cryptically, as lpm and its brewer as
el chamn de la selva, the jungle shaman.
lpm contained what Kilham had come to
peru for: chuchuhuasi. pronounced chew-
chew-wah-see, it is a towering canopy tree so
little known in the west that, until last year,
it had no entry in that great registry of human
fact, wikipedia. the shipibo people, native to
the region, regard the trees bark as a general
tonic, an anti-inammatory, and an analgesic
for the relief of rheumatism, arthritis, men-
strual cramps, and back pain. studies show
that its also an immune-system modulator,
Kilham said.
i was glad for this knowledge, but my in-
terest in chuchuhuasi was more prurient,
for the bark, above all, is prized locally as an
aphrodisiac.
the round, vaguely lascivious stall keeper
gave Kilham a free pour of lpm in a plastic
cup. the medicine hunter ventured a swig and
passed the rest around among our little party.
the concoction tasted liqueur-ishsweet,
but not cloyingly so. lpm, the round man
said, stood for Levntate Pjaro Muertoarise
dead bird. None of the male drinkers in our
group, however, reported such a rise. Kilhams
wife and business partner, zoe helene, the sole
woman among us, felt no stimulus either.
its not meant to take effect immediately,
Kilham offered. with most of these prepara-
tions, youre supposed to take them for weeks
to see results. it sounded like a good business
modelthe prozac plan.
among the chuchuhuasi potions compet-
ing for shelf space were Para! Para! (stand
up! stand up!), Levntate Lzaro (arise
lazarus), Tumba Hembra (female tomb,
more liberally translated as Knock her flat),
and ssvs, short for Siete Veces Sin Sacarla
(seven times without pulling out). it is the
custom the world over to market sex enhanc-
ers to men, but many of these brews were said
to have a good effect on women, too. i asked
Kilham how many, in his estimation, actu-
ally worked.
some of these shamans, he said, choos-
ing his words with care, do a better job with
ingredients and processing than others. and
so some will be more effective. he looked
thoughtful, then added, you know, theres
a place for reductive scientific thinking.
theres a need for lab work and peer-reviewed
research. but with thishe gestured at the
potions before usim open to the idea that
any of this stuff might work.
wellNess through plants does a boom-
ing business in the united states. about one
in ve american adults takes a supplement
with at least one herb in it. the yearly sales of
all those pills, powders, and tincturesmost
of them unregulated by the food and drug
administrationtotal roughly $30 billion in
the united states and $100 billion worldwide.
someone has to nd all those plants, and Kil-
ham is one of the foremost someones.
he has been stalking herbs for a quarter-
century. an indigenous bostonian with a
bachelors degree from umass amherst
in mind-body disciplines, a curriculum of
his own designing, Kilham spent the 1980s
running the nutrition departments of the
natural-foods chain bread and circus, even-
tually rising to vice president
for marketing. along the way,
he wrote books like The Com-
plete Shoppers Guide to Nat-
ural Foods and, what remains
his most popular work, The
Five Tibetans: Five Dynamic
Exercises for Health, Energy,
and Personal Power, which
has been translated into 26
languages since its publica-
tion in 1994.
Kilhams rst big sortie into
medicine hunting came the
next year, when he went to
the south pacic to investi-
The
gate a root called kava. long barrios of
used by melanesians as a Iquitos
sedative, kava had been sold
in the west, but meagerly,
before Kilham convinced pure world botani-
cals to send him to vanuatu to look for a good
supply. pure world, which was bought by
Naturex in 2005, was a rener of raw ingredi-
ents for makers of herbal products. if you used
ginkgo biloba or st. johns wort or ginseng at
the time, odds were fair that it had passed
through pure worlds New jersey plant. Kil-
ham secured a supply of the root and spent
the next few years talking up kava in lectures,
interviews, and a book, Kava: Medicine Hunt-
ing in Paradise.
to become a star, every herb needs a
prophet, a Wall Street Journal reporter wrote
in 1998. in the case of kava, it is mr. Kilham.
he has become a one-man public relations
agency for the herb.
demand for kava soared. by the late nine-
ties, Kilham estimates, worldwide sales were
in the ballpark of $200 million. vanuatus
gross national product grew by about 8 per-
cent. the tribespeople of one island made
Kilham an honorary chief, and he served as
one of vanuatus consuls to the united states
from 1997 to 2000.
Kilham went on to popularize more herbal
remedies, with a particular passion for what
he calls hot plantsaphrodisiacs. in malay-
sia, he found tongkat ali, a slender tree whose
name means alis walking stick and whose
root has been shown to increase testosterone.
in central africa, he encountered yohimbe,
an evergreen whose bark stimulates nerves
in the lower spine, with animating conse-
quences for the loins. in china, he studied
epimedium (horny goat weed), which yields
rmer and longer-lasting erections, and in
lebanon, he came across zallouh, a shrub
that, legend has it, enabled King solomon to
give pleasure nightly to a substantial fraction
of his 700 wives and 300 concubines. many
of these herbs tested favorably in indepen-
dent modern studies: in one lebanese trial of
amoNg the potioNs
competiNg for shelf
s pa c e w e r e Pa r a !
Pa r a ! ( s ta N d u p ! s ta N d
u p ! ) , L E V N TaT E L z a r o
(arise lazarus), aNd
TuMBa HEMBra (female
t o m b , m o r e l i b e r a l ly
t r a N s l at e d a s K N o c K
h e r f l at ) .
zallouh, for example, 80 percent of men with
erectile dysfunction reported improvement.
Kilham, who is dutiful in his investiga-
tions, has self-experimented with these and a
great many other herbs. in his 2004 book Hot
Plants: Natures Proven Sex Boosters for Men
and Women, he describes a ghanaian feast at
which two hostesses offered him a yohimbe-
based drink, after which the trio repaired to
a more secluded spot. (the night wore on,
happily and delightfully, he synopsized.)
various of Kilhams wives have also aided
in his research. forty-nine-year-old helene,
who styles herself the cosmic sister, is his
sixth wife; theirs is both his longest marriage
(six years), and his last, the couple insists. a
former marketer raised in North carolina and
New zealand, helene runs their sprawling
website, medicinehunter.com, helps with
Kilhams travel logistics, and sometimes ac-
companies him on the medicine trail. on her
own time, she blogs about environmental
devastation, most notably the plight of New
zealands endangered mauis dolphin, of
which a mere 55 survive.
a lot of people think medicine hunting is
all chris trekking through the jungle, she told
me. or, for that matter, the chiefs and elders
he works with. the men get
the headlines. but its women
behind the scenes who are
doing the planting and har-
vesting and chopping.
helene was a planter, har-
vester, and chopper. Kilham
did not disagree in the least.
as for his own job descrip-
tion, he was frank that hes no
scientist, just a self-taught
guy who doesnt so much
evaluate plants (though he
thinks he does oK with that)
as evaluate what people
think of them. as he sees it,
if a tribe or nation has used
a plant for ten or twenty or a
hundred generations because
they think it does x, then
more often than not it probably does some-
thing like x. why else would they use it?
its not rocket science, he said. but its
patient, necessary work, and it helps the local
people, who make a little better living be-
cause of it, and it helps people in the west,
who are getting this health-giving plant. it
helps Naturex make money, too, which some
people reexively dont like, but they have
to make money if theyre going to work with
these plants, right? and since we give people
what they need to harvest the stuff sustain-
ably, its good for the environment, too. i see
what we do as win-win-win-win.
Kilhams work has earned the approval of
wellness-popularizing doctors like andrew
weil, who hails him as a trustworthy guide,
and mehmet oz, who has given him repeated
segments on The Dr. Oz Show. james a. duke,
a retired usda botanist who authored The
Green Pharmacy, the herbal-supplement
standard, says, hes quite knowledgeable.
of the products that hes worked on, the ones
that i know of at least, i approve. theyre real,
and hes right to advocate for them.
Not everyone sees it thus, including some
outsideonline.com 77

mainstream medicine men who would prefer
Kilham not peddle plants until they have been
proven safe and effective by double-blind
human trialstrials that are, of course, rather
expensive. one such critic, steven Novella, a
neurologist at the yale school of medicine
and founding editor of sciencebasedmedi-
cine.com, cites Kilham as an example of what
happens when ideology trumps logic and
science. Novella writes on his website, i
think he is too soft on botanicals and too harsh
on the pharmaceutical industry.
of all the hot plants that Kilham has
promoted, perhaps the hottest is a south
american tuber called maca. Kilham began
hearing enticing things about it in the mid-
1990s and eventually told pure world that
if even half of what he was hearing was true,
maca could make the other plants in pure
worlds garden look like so many dandelions.
maca resembles a turnip that got confused
and sprouted mustard leaves. it grows high in
the peruvian andes, rarely below 8,000 feet,
sometimes above 15,000. the incas seem to
have thought it a gift from the gods: it was
said to inate stamina, vitality, and virility.
according to legend, the incas gave maca to
warriors before battle, but after a conquest
they took it away to protect vanquished
women from maca-fueled lust. another story
holds that the spaniards, after conquering the
incas, gave it to their livestock, which had be-
come barren in the high altitude, and the ani-
mals became fertile again. but it was not until
the end of the last century, with the swell of
interest in alternative medicine, that maca
spread beyond the highlands.
Kilham went to peru for pure world in 1998
and came back convinced. maca is a food for
epic sex, he summarized. among the hot
plants, maca is as hot as they get.
78 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
Natural medi-
cines for sale in
Contaman
pure world commissioned a team of chi-
nese researchers to see whether rodents
agreed with him. maca-dosed rats had sex far
more often than their non-dosed confreres,
and in one study even castrated rats that were
fed maca got erections as quickly, when elec-
trically stimulated, as some intact, similarly
stimulated testosterone-fed rats. a modest
amount of maca, in short, could rival testicles
and testosterone.
preliminary human trials were promising
as well: in studies at australias victoria uni-
versity and massachusetts general hospital,
women who had lost libido after menopause
or while taking antidepressants reported
a stronger sex drive on maca. in a peruvian
trial, healthy men who took maca reported
heightened sexual desire. in italy, men with
erectile dysfunction reported improved
turgidity. and in the uK, in a test of macas
effect on general stamina, eight cyclists rode
40 kilometers, then took maca for two weeks
and rode the distance again. they averaged a
minute faster.
pure world contracted with peruvian farm-
ers to grow, harvest, and dry the maca, then
the company rened it into powders called
maca pure and maca tonic. these it sold to
herbal-supplement manufacturers like Na-
tures bounty and europharma to put into pills
or bottles for retail sale.
to the press, meanwhile, Kilham hailed
maca as perus natural viagra and a beget-
ter of chinese New years reworks in your
pants. (this was not exactly how the andean
highlanders i spoke to put it. they lauded
maca, but not as feverishly. on the other hand,
james duke, the usda botanist, told me,
when i rst heard of maca, i thought it was
bullshit. but i tried it and felt some stirrings.
mein my eighties! its real.)
maca proliferated on the shelves of gNc
Checking out
a rare giant
ceiba tree
and whole foods stores, and websites dedi-
cated to it sprang up. american tv crews
ew to lima, and traders from europe and
japan got into the game. worldwide sales
have now reached something like a quarter-
billion dollars. today, Naturex is one of the
worlds leading processors of maca, which
is among its ten bestselling botanicals. still,
it is far outsold by nonsexual extracts like
cranberry (marketed for its antibacterial
properties), ginseng (for mental acuity), and
bilberry (for vision). indeed, sex enhanc-
ers as a whole make up a mere 15 percent of
Naturexs u.s. sales, leading one to conclude
that, contrary to the old adage, sex doesnt
sell. Kilham says not so.
the demand for sex enhancers is vast, he
explains. but so is the number of products.
guy walks into the supplements aisle, he
doesnt know what works and what doesnt.
even with a product like maca, which he may
know is legitimate, a lot of companies cant
guarantee that each dose theyve processed
will have a standardized amount of the ac-
tive compounds. so maybe he buys a product
thats not so good and it doesnt do anything
for him, and he tells everyone, this maca
stuff is a waste of money.
to relieve problems of trust, Kilham teamed
up with the manufacturer purity products to
buy Naturexs maca, turn it into capsules, and
market it as chris Kilhams vital maca, with
his respected face on the label. it is attrac-
tively priced at $34.95 for a months supply.
purity also makes chris Kilhams vital bril-
liance ($54.95), chris Kilhams vital focus
($39.95), and chris Kilhams vital rest ($44).
at $2,086.20 per year, attaining full Kilham-
ian vitality is not for the faint of budgetary
heart. his own ledger is enhanced by royal-
ties from these and other products by about
$125,000 a yearnot opulence, but neither
will he starve.
Naturex would Not object if chuchuhuasi
became the next maca. but with no scientic
research yet on the barks sex benets, Naturex
and Kilham are emphasizing its analgesic and
anti-inammatory properties, for which there
is a small body of supporting science. Kilham
thinks the bark may someday be a common
salve for the aches of arthritis sufferers and
through-hikers. his self-experimentation
suggests that chuchuhuasi is on par with ibu-
profen for anti-inammationand perhaps
with maca for sex.
all of which was good enough to merit a
trip deep into amazonia. a few days before
we visited witches alley, Kilham led our
party up the remote ucayali to meet a shipibo
trader who, if all went well, would supply chu-
chuhuasi to the world. it is 270 scrubby, heav-
ily logged miles upriver from the timber port
of pucallpa to contaman, where the trader,
margarita maldonado, lives.
our vessel was the apus, a small two-
decker owned by Kilhams trading partner,
sergio cam. (absolutely everything i do
down here, i do because sergio makes it hap-
pen, Kilham said.) cam, Kilhams junior by
six years, is a man of ample cheer and circum-
ferences: waist, chest, and head. if his face
lacked its breadth, the smile that habitually
plays across it would have to hang in the air.
our trip was the maiden voyage of the
apus, collectively anyway: her decking, to
judge from its wear, might have been scav-
enged from the Nia, and her motor could
have been known to the Merrimack. cam had
cobbled her together to bring Naturexs raw
goods out of the jungle and, on the empty
trips in, to bring a free, oating dental clinic
to the villages where Naturex traded. Naturex,
via cam, had set up a similar clinic in the re-
gion that supplied its maca.
do we do this just because were nice
guys? cam said. No, man. we do it because
its smart business. if the people know well
help them, theyre gonna like us, and theyre
gonna be good back to us and give us a reli-
able supply.
it didnt seem the worst form of self-
interest. the apus shoved off with 14 crew
and passengers, including Kilham, helene,
cam, and a medicine man who dressed like
tiger woods and gave cranial rubs with his
thumbs that felt like having ve-irons bored
into your skull. there were also three gentle-
men with sidearms and bullet loops strapped
to their thighs.
for pirates, Kilham explained. the qual-
ication you look for in guards down here is
ammo. you want a lot.
the pirates here dont really hurt people,
cam reassured us. they usually just slap you
around and tie you to the boat and take your
stuff. they dont sink it or kill youjust leave
you to drift. someone will nd you.
as it happened, we had more pressing con-
cerns. the apus sailed her rst and last un-
eventful hour before getting stuck on a mud
bar. the crew pulled out long wooden two-
by-twos and after 15 spirited minutes heaved
us free. a half-hour of calm sailing ensued,
then the engine made a sudden racket like a
lawn mower running over a pile of branches
and died. we learned then that the apus had
no anchor, which seemed an odd choice to a
landlubber, so we drifted aimlessly until the
boat lodged itself on a submerged hummock.
here, a broken water pump was diagnosed,
and the pump from a small secondary engine
was cannibalized, with the hope of limping
the remaining miles to contaman. it was not
clear how many, because the boat had no gps.
a s K i l h a m s e e s i t,
i f a t r i b e o r N at i o N
has used a plaNt for
teN or tweNty or a
h u N d r e d g e N e r at i o N s
because they thiNK it
does x, theN it prob-
a b ly d o e s s o m e t h i N g
liKe x. why else would
they use it?
we could not radio for help because there was
no radio, another arresting feature of the apus.
when the pump was at last installed, a noise
resembling a motor rang out triumphantly.
but only after four or ve men, including Kil-
ham, jumped overboard and shoved on the
hull in chest-high water for an hour and a half
were we set free.
Kilham alone looked more refreshed than
worn on returning to the boat. he was an ad-
vertisement for herbal living. rule number
one of medicine hunting, he said, toweling
off, you will have transportation problems.
you just dont know what or when.
iN the eNd, we made the remaining five
hours to contaman in a mere thirty. it was an
attractive little town, with crumbling build-
ings and a couple of leafy plazas. maldonados
compound consisted of a warehouse, drying
shed, house, and fence, all of which could
have t on a basketball court with room to
take a few jump shots. every so often, men
would pull up on the riverbank in skiffs and
haul huge bundles of roots or bark over to the
open-air shed, where their contents would be
spread to dry on pallets before being shipped
up or down the river for sale.
maldonado was a short, polite woman
who parted with her words on an as-needed
basis. after Kilhams four-day journey from
amherst to hartford to Newark to lima to
pucallpa to contaman, i had expected some
serious bargainingmaybe an appraisal of
the crop or a gentle but probing interrogation
of the harvesters or haulers along the chain
of supply. a few years earlier, Kilham had
entered negotiations with a shipibo chief to
supply Naturex with botanicals, only to dis-
cover that the chief was a con man with noth-
ing to deliver. even with an honest broker, hed
told me, it was often hard to know whether the
person could deliver goods in the right quan-
tity, of the right quality, at the right time.
but today Kilham merely told maldonado
that Naturexs interest in chuchuhuasi was
becoming acute and the company would
probably order a batch in a few months. could
she deliver? she said she could. and that was
that. the discussion took about as long as it
takes to get a tamperproof seal off a vitamin
bottle. it seemed awfully little to come so
far for, and i asked Kilham later whether he
couldnt have just picked up the phone.
i know it doesnt seem like much that
were doing here, he replied, but no, you
cant just make phone calls. if you dont come
in person, the people dont know youre seri-
ous, they dont trust you, maybe they sell their
stuff to someone else. and you dont learn
whether you can count on them.
this was no doubt true, but it didnt quite
sound like the whole truth. i recalled an ex-
change Kilham had had some years ago with
a reporter who asked, what does maca need
for people to start using it?
it needs you, he had answered.
the medicine hunter had gotten his you
on this trip. i had thought i was coming to
the amazon to watch him do eldwork, but it
gradually dawned on me that the bulk of the
work was working me. it is a virtue of Kilham,
however, that he is candid when questioned,
and when i asked him about it later, he ac-
knowledged unhesitatingly that medicine
hunting and publicity hunting were of a piece.
at least half of my work involves getting
messages out to the world, he said. if i can
show you what is going onthe deforesta-
tion, the loss of habitat, the absolutely horric
marginalization of native people, the benet
of these plantsthen maybe, just maybe, you
will write about it. and just maybe that will
make a difference. continued on page 111
outsideonline.com 79
The drowning of Avishek Sengupta at a T ough Mudder event
last April was ruled an accident, but his family and friends
believe race organizers did a terrible job of monitoring safety
at a water obstacle called Walk the Plank. E L L I O T T D .
W O O D S looks at the life of a r emarkable amateur athlete
and explains why his tragic death may lead to a multimillion-
dollar legal ght.

MAN
UNDER
Amy Silverman
PhOTOgRAPh by

Racers jumping off Walk

the Plank at a 2012 Tough
Mudder in Toronto

outside magazine 81
The wind was blowing hard at noo n on
Saturday, April 20, when Av ish ek Se ng up ta and his
ve teammates gather ed near the starting corral of the
2013 Mid-Atlantic T ough Mudd er .
Part of a throng of more than 13,000 obstacle
racers who would hit the course in staggered
waves that weekend, they sang the national
anthem and listened to a speech about how
their efforts would serve as a deant response
to the Boston Marathon bombing a week ear-
lier. This is how you ght back! the starter and working at Dreamscape, an Internet
shouted into his microphone. Sengupta and
his friends and an adrenaline-charged crowd
of strangers jumped and whooped. Leave
no Mudder behind! the starter yelled, then
counted down from ten and blew his whistle.
In a haze of orange smoke, they were off.
The morning had begun just after eight in
Columbia, Maryland, a leafy suburb halfway
between Washington and Baltimore, at the
parking garage of an Internet marketing rm
called WebMechanix, where five of the six
teammates worked. Sengupta, whose friends
called him Avi, was one of the rst to arrive.
Soon he was joined by a coworker named
DeYonte Wilkinson and their boss, Arsham
Mirshah, who had launched WebMechanix
in his fathers townhouse. The other three
teammates, Josh Muskin, Sam Rahimi, and
Kimberly Keenthe only one in the group
who didnt work at WebMechanixshowed
up about a half-hour late. They piled into
two cars for the 90-minute drive to Martins-
burg, West Virginia, where they would hop a
shuttle to the Peacemaker National Training
Center, a private firearms range in nearby
Gerrardstown that Tough Mudder had trans-
formed into a ten-mile track strewn with
its trademark obstacles. Avi made himself
comfortable in Wilkinsons gray 1997 Honda
Civic. If he was nervous about participating
in what Tough Mudder advertises as Probably
the Toughest Event on the Planet, he didnt
show it. Rahimi remembers that Avi was
chilling in the back of Ds car with his shoes
off, just good to go.
They all had hangups about certain obsta-
clesMirshah had been taking cold showers
to prepare for the ice bath at one called Arctic
Enema, and nobody was excited about get-
ting zapped at Electroshock Therapy, where
contestants run through a eld of dangling
live wiresbut they were all in good shape,
including Avi, who had worked especially
hard to be there.
For Avi, the oldest of the group at 28, doing
a Tough Mudder was the culmination of 16
months of dogged self-improvement. He had
82 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
always been stocky, but in his post-college
years, long hours hunched over a keyboard
combined with a fast-food diet had made
him obese. Avi stood at five foot six, and
hed hit his maximum weight of roughly 215
pounds in 2011 while living in Philadelphia
marketing rm founded by his lifelong friend
Daniel Gemp. In January 2012, he decided to
change his ways.
He started eating better and jogging. He
ran a mile or so at rst but added distance bit
by bit until he could run for an hour without
stopping. On weekends, he would go home to
stay with his parents in Ellicott City, which
is near Columbia, and climb at EarthTreks, a
rock gym where hed been an instructor since
high school. Within two months hed lost
25 pounds. In March 2012, he moved back to
Maryland, took the job at WebMechanix, kept
up his training, and occasionally gave in to old
food temptations. He had a particular weak-
ness for football-size Chipotle burritos.
Still, Avi kept shedding pounds, and by the
day of the Tough Mudder hed slimmed to a
thick-necked 165. For years, Avi had worn
a scruffy goatee and styled his thinning hair
with gel. As part of his makeover, he started
shaving his head and face. Gemp, who had
known Avi since kindergarten, was aston-
ished by the transformation. He looked kind
of badass, Gemp told me. Like the badass
version of Avi.
IT WAS THE NEW AVI, dressed in red shorts
with black stripes, a black T-shirt, and a pair
of bright yellow sneakerswhich his friends
described as hideouswho traveled to West
Virginia, predicting that he would beat every-
body in his group. (In Tough Mudders, partici-
pants arent timed, and there are no ofcial
winners, but people who head out together
often race each other for bragging rights.) The
teammates had missed their assigned start
time by about two hours, but Tough Mudder
officials allowed them to jump in with the
noon group. Being late had an advantage: the
temperature had climbed into the mid-fties
after a chilly morning in the low forties, and
the sun was shining.
Keen tore her pants on the rst obstacle, a
low crawl underneath barbed wire called Kiss
of Mud, but the rest of the team were unfazed.
Muskin playfully slapped a dirty palm print
on Avis shiny scalp, and they all moved on
together. A few minutes later, they were slog-
ging through Mud Mile, a series of trenches
lled with knee-high water. Mirshah scram-
bled onto a slippery berm and attempted to
reach down to help pull Avi out of a trench,
but Avi was ne and bounded past him with-
out a glance. At the third obstacle, a 15-foot-
tall haystack called Bale Bonds, it was Avi, the
climber, who reached the top rst and offered
a hand to the others.
A half-hour in, the teammates ran into their
second trafc jam of the day: a human bottle-
neck at a water obstacle called Walk the Plank.
The group chatted as they shufed along with
about a hundred other participants toward a
near vertical wall of two-by-sixes that rose
to a platform 15 feet above a man-made pool
of muddy water that was roughly 40 feet wide
and 15 feet deep. When they reached the top,
they would have to leap in and swim to the
other side.
The mood was less relaxed on the platform,
where the teammates became separated from
one another amid a mass of nearly 30 other
participants jostling toward the edge. It was
nerve-racking, Rahimi told me. There was a
lady with a bullhorn yelling something. Even
when I got up there I couldnt tell what she
was saying. Muskin heard someone counting
people off at the top but said there was also
someone at the bottom trying to do the same
thing. They were not working together,
Mirshah recalls, adding that he didnt hear
any directions at all. I had no idea there was
someone up there directing. I had no idea how
many people were supposed to go at once.
Rahimi reached the edge first. Worried
that the platform might tip over, he leaped
for the relative safety of the water as soon as
he heard someone yell Go! Someone else
counted down, and Muskin jumped, alone.
When it was Mirshahs turn, he peered over
the edge and considered climbing down.
Instead, he took a deep breath and jumped.
Keen followed.
Wilkinson reached the top of the platform
on Avis heels. I remember Avi asking me if I
wanted to go before him, and I said, No, you
go rst, since he got up on the platform be-
fore I did, Wilkinson said. And I remember
he kind of calmed down a little bit, and then
he jumped in.
Nobody realized it at rst, but Avi didnt

Avi Sengupta
in 2012
he look ed lik e a crash-test dummy, Avis
friend Mirshah said of the moment when Avi
was brought to the ponds surface at Walk the
Plank. his head was off to the side with white
foam coming out. I was bawling.
resurface after his plunge. He was under-
water and sinking to the bottom, passing out
at some point, for reasons that are still un-
known. When he was next seen on the sur-
face, at least eight and a half minutes after
hed jumped, he would be unconscious and
in the arms of a rescue diver.
Four months later, in August 2013, when I
visited the teammates at the WebMechanix
ofce in Columbia, it was still difcult for
them to discuss that moment. They described
the horror of seeing Avis bloated abdomen
and the deathly hue of his skin. He looked like
a crash-test dummy, Mirshah said, his voice
trembling. His head was off to the side with
white foam coming out. I was bawling.
Mirshah paused to regain his composure.
Every part of us wanted to believe that he
from left: courtesy of the sengupta family; elliott D. wooDs
was pulled out in time, he said, but the logi-
cal side of us knew that he wasnt.
ON THE AFTERNOON of April 20, Avis
mother and father, Mita and Bijon Sengupta,
were at a relatives home in Bozman, on
Marylands Eastern Shore, hosting a bridal
shower for Avis younger sister, Priyanka.
They were just about to have lunch when
Mitas cell phone rang. You know sometimes
when you hear something, and your heart
starts pounding so hard that you cant even
hear? Mita asked me, sitting in the airy living
room of the family home in Ellicott City. All
I heard was, Is your son Avishek Sengupta?
There has been an accident.
Bijon and Mita
Sengupta in
Avis old room
Minutes later the family was racing to
Inova Fairfax Hospital, in northern Virginia,
where Avi had been airlifted from Martins-
burg. They were greeted at the hospitals
entrance by a social worker, and they knew
what that meant. The only time they send
the social workers is when they want to pre-
pare you for the bad news, Mita said, tears
welling in her eyes.
Avi had always been a great kid. Mita and
Bijon couldnt remember a single time hed
bad-mouthed anyone. As Mita recalled,
Even when I would say something about
someone, he would say, You dont know,
Mom, maybe he had some reason. Avis co-
workers at WebMechanix concurred, saying
they never once heard Avi use profanity. He
was the guy whose hearty laughter lled the
ofce, who stopped by everyones desk to say
hello before starting his day.
Mirshahs only complainta good-
natured onewas that he could never get
Avi to kick back with a cold draft during beer
Fridays at the ofce, where there was always
a kegerator lled with Shock Top. Avi never
drank or smoked. Uninterested in college
partying, he had moved home from the Tow-
son University dorms after his rst semester
in 2003 and spent a lot of his free time playing
Cranium and Trivial Pursuit with his parents
and Priyanka, who is now 23. Approaching
30, Avi was in no hurry to move out. He
loved his family, Mita told me with a smile.
He liked hanging around us.
In the year before Avis death, the Sengupta
family grew even closer as they prepared for
Priyankas wedding. Late-night eating had
always been a family ritual: Mita would bake
a frozen pizza or warm some leftover Indian
food, and everybody would stand around the
kitchen island, snacking and discussing the
day. But when Avi moved home from Philly in
late 2011, hed begun dieting and exercising,
and he wasnt up for snack sessions anymore.
Using the prospect of Priyankas wedding
photos as a motivator, Avi convinced Mita
and Bijon to go on a diet, too.
Mita rst remembers hearing about Tough
Mudder at the dinner table in February 2013,
when she reminded Avi to mark Priyankas
bridal shower on his calendar. He told her he
couldnt come, because he was running the
course with his coworkers that day. Mita was
disappointed, but she was happy to see his
enthusiasm, so she let it go. Bijon, who was
normally very protective, decided not to dis-
courage Avi either. He was getting into bet-
ter shape, and that was a positive thing, Bijon
said. He was really looking good.
DURING THE FIRST 24 hours at Inova, the
waiting room grew so crowded with Avis
family and friends that the security guard had
to ask people to leavethere wasnt enough
room for other patients relatives. In the ICU,
Avi had a pulse, but there was no brain activ-
ity. I just saw him, and it wasnt him, Bijon
said, his voice barely above a whisper. On the
afternoon of Sunday, April 21, Bijon told the
doctors to take Avi off life support. We left
the room, and it took a few hours, Bijon said.
His heart was very strong.
Suddenly, Mita and Bijon had to make
plans for both a wedding and a funeral. Look-
ing back, theyre grateful for the distraction
of endless errands. They were also buoyed
by the turnout at Avis memorial service on
outsideonline.com 83
April 24, when dozens of young people theyd
never met came to tell them how Avi had
touched their lives.
Whatever relief they felt was overshad-
owed by the dawning sense that something
had gone terribly wrong in West Virginia.
In the immediate aftermath, Mita and Bijon
were in a state of shock, and they had no time
to give any thought to Tough Mudders of-
cial statement on the matter: Avis death had
been a tragic accident, a uke that couldnt
have been prevented, despite the presence of
more than 75 safety personnel on the course.
That view was bolstered for the public in late
May, when the Berkeley County sheriffs
ofce released its incident report, calling the
death an accidental drowning. The report
made it seem unlikely that Avi had been
jumped on by a fellow Mudder, stating that
there was no evidence he was struck or suf-
fered some other contact to his body prior,
during or after entering the pool area.
But the report also quoted witnesses who
De ep, murky, cold water above your head is
an unacceptable risk, says Mario Vittone, a
r escue-swimming expert who has been hir ed
by the Sengupta familys lawyers, particularly
when ther es no value added except for fun.
said the response time by Tough Mudders
safety officials was inexplicably slow. One
of them, a spectator named Michael Cardile,
had called Inova on the day of the incident
and asked the ICU nurse to give his number to
the Senguptas. When the family called a few
days after Avis death, Cardile told him that
hed seen Mirshah pleading with lifeguards
for several minutes before they ordered the
rescue diver in. He was really, really mad,
Bijon said of Cardile. That made us think
that something denitely went wrong. By the
time the sheriffs report became public, Mita
and Bijon had also spoken in depth with Avis
teammates. The accounts prompted them to
hire lawyers to prepare a multimillion-dollar
gross-negligence suit against Tough Mudder
and a company called Amphibious Medics,
which helped manage safety procedures at
water obstacles like Walk the Plank. At press
time, nothing had been led in court, in part
because the Sengupta family and Tough
Mudder were in talks about a possible out-
of-court settlement.
Soon after Avis memorial, Mirshah mus-
tered the courage to pay his respects at the
Senguptas home. He told Avis parents that
he and the others were ashamed that they
hadnt done more to help on the course that
84 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
Avis WebMechanix
teammates, from left:
DeYonte Wilkinson,
Josh Muskin, Sam Rahimi,
and Arsham Mirshah
day. Bijon and Mita reassured Mirshah and
later invited the rest of the team to the house.
There, the teammates told them disturbing
details about the lack of urgency displayed by
a rescue diver who was assigned to the Walk
the Plank pool, and how a safety ofcial on the
shore had argued with Mirshah, challenging
his assertion that Avi hadnt resurfaced. Last
August, at the WebMechanix ofce, the team-
mates recounted the same details for me.
Wilkinson was the first to sense that
something was wrong, noticing soon after
Avi went in that he hadnt come up. Within
30 seconds, he said, he began trying to get
Mirshahs attention, gesturing at the water
and shouting, Wheres Avi? Mirshah had
seen Avi jump but was distracted by the sight
of a lifeguard dragging someone else to shore.
For a second he thought it might be Avi, but it
wasnt. Moments later, when he looked back
up at the platform, Wilkinson was in a full-
blown panic.
I hear DeYonte yelling, pointing down
to the water, Mirshah recalled. And I dont
know what he said, so I walked a little bit
closer up to the edge of the pool to hear him,
and I thought he was saying, How deep is it?
And Im like, Its deep, man. Just get in. Its
cool, its deep. Then I listen closer, and hes
yelling Avi! Avi! And as soon as I hear it, his
name, Avi, Im like, Oh shit. I look around.
No Avi. And then it hits mehes saying Avis
still down there.
Mirshah ran to the rst lifeguard he could
nd. Im like, Hey, my man! We got some-
one down there! My friends still down there!
And his first response to me was, Are you
sure? The lifeguard peppered Mirshah with
questions: Did you see him go in? Did you
see him come out? People were yelling Avis
name, but Mirshah said that when it nally
dawned on the lifeguard that Avi might be
submerged, he wandered off aimlessly, as if
he were looking for someone else.
All the while, the lone rescue diver was sit-
ting on the edge of the pool without his ns,
tank, or mask on. When the lifeguards ordered
the diver into the water, more than two min-
utes after Avi jumped, there was virtually
zero rush, Muskin said. The diver, Travis Pitt-
man, who was subcontracted for the event by
Amphibious Medics, could not be reached for
comment. But he later admitted to the Berke-
ley County sheriffs department that he was
not geared up at the time of the incident and
that he initially went into the water with only
his mask. Mr. Pittman said this is not nor-
mal protocol for safe diving, Sergeant Ted
Snyder, the investigating ofcer, wrote, but
in the interest of time, he elected to enter the
water to conduct a quick search.
Frustrated, Rahimi dove into the pool him-
self. Among the panic and the cold, I realized
I couldnt go very far without having some
elliott D. wooDs
serious trouble, he told me. And so Rahimi
turned back and watched helplessly with the
others, wet and shivering, as the minutes
dragged on.
 Field oF ScreamS Paralysis
WarriOr daSh;
a look at common obstacle-race features that have Flint, Michigan
caused severe injury or death By meaghen Brown July 2011: a michigan
man is paralyzed after
diving headrst into
a mud pit.
lacerations
cuts and scrapes
are among the most
common injuries. the
most common cause?
Barbed-wire crawls.

Paralysis
drowning Mud Freak; FlOrence,
Original Mud run; SOuth carOlina
FOrt WOrth, texaS March 2013: a georgia
April 2012: a Dallas man slips on a cargo-net
mans body is recovered climb and tumbles
from the trinity river 15 feet to the ground.
after he fails to emerge Fractured ankles
on the opposite bank. extreMe k Mud run;
Silverdale, WaShingtOn
January 2013: three women
break their ankles on grav-
itys revenge, a two-story
slide into a rocky ravine.

Hanging
tOugh Mudder BuFFalO;
andOver, neW YOrk
Burns
August 2013: a man clothes-
these can be incurred
lines and nearly hangs himself
regularly at spartan
while running through electro-
dislocated Shoulders races and other events
shock therapy.
they happen most commonly with re jumps or runs.
on monkey bars and other
obstacles that require hanging.

AnD If The oBSTAcleS DonT geT

You, The conDITIonS WIll
Heatstroke Hypothermia dehydration
at an august 2011 many events use as in many sports,
warrior Dash in severe weather as this happens at
Kansas city, mis- an obstacle. others, nearly every event,
souri, two men died like tough mudder, at various points Heart attack
after being rushed feature an ice bath along the course. tough mudders electroshock therapy,
to the hospital on a that can contribute symptoms are said to pack 10,000 volts, can cause cardiac
95-degree day. to the condition. usually minor. arrest, but no deaths have been reported.

EVERY STRENUOUS outdoor pursuit carries
risk. In a typical year, roughly 40 people die
at lift-served ski areas, and there are a hand-
ful of deaths and hundreds of injuries among
people who do marathons and triathlons.
Whether obstacle challenges are more or less
dangerous than other sports is difcult to say,
because theres no governing body for these
events and nobody keeps precise statistics.
But an informal survey conducted by Outside
indicates that, per participant, obstacle rac-
ing is actually less likely to end in death than
marathons, triathlons, recreational skiing, or
bicycling. (See Risk Factors, page 87.)
Obstacle challenges are operated by pri-
vate companies large and smallamong
them Tough Mudder competitors like Spar-
tan Race and the creators of smaller, local
events like the Freak 5Kwho stage them for
prot and require participants to sign stan-
dard liability waivers. What we know about
casualty rates is gleaned mainly from news
reports that appear when something goes
wrong at a race. After Avis death last spring,
Ryan Krogh, an editor at Outside, surveyed
the industry and found a few other deaths
(including two from heatstroke at a 2011
Warrior Dash outside Kansas City) and a host
of serious injuries, including several cases of
paralysis resulting from falls or dives. Other
common mishaps include hypothermia,
lacerations, electric shocks, burns, and bro-
ken bones. (See Field of Screams, above.)
At the Tough Mudder where Avi died, the
Martinsburg City Hospitals emergency room
was swamped with event participants that
weekend. They treated two heart attacks,
orthopedic and head injuries, and multiple
cases of hypothermia. Jennifer Andersen, a
40-year-old mother of two, was admitted for
complications resulting from a near drown-
ing. Andersen passed out from exertion on an
obstacle called Pirates Booty. She fell about
15 feet, colliding with another participant
on the way down and landing face-rst in a
pond. She was rescued by fellow participants.
The response by Tough Mudder in the wake
of Avis death has been consistent: We are

illustration by Bryan christie design outsideonline.com 85

heartbroken by this occurrence, but were
also proud of our safety record. As orga-
nizers, we take our responsibility to provide
a safe event to our participants very seri-
ously, company CEO Will Dean said in a
press release issued the day after Avi died.
Tough Mudder is devastated by this tragic
accident. The release went on to say that the
West Virginia Tough Mudder was staffed
with more than 75 ALS, EMT, Paramedics,
water rescue technicians and emergency
personnel and that Avi was the rst fatal-
ity in the three-year history of the company,
after over 50 events with more than 750,000
participants. Just two months earlier, in
February, Dean told inc. magazine, Statis-
tically, its amazing. You take that number
Avi with his
sister, Priyanka
of people, and if they were sitting at home
that day, statistically, we should have had a
few heart attacks. I have to tell the team, its
coming. We have to accept that its going to
happen at some point and work to ensure it
never does.
With litigation a possibility, Dean isnt
commenting further, and Tough Mudder
declined my requests to see internal docu-
ments relating to safety procedures. Com-
pany ofcials did invite me to Tough Mud-
ders Brooklyn, New York, headquarters last
summer to discuss safety issues, and I was
told repeatedly that Tough Mudder is and
always has been committed to participant
safety. We did everything we could, chief
operating ofcer Don Baxter said about Avis
death, adding that its impossible to remove
risk entirely from these events.
Mario Vittone, a retired U.S. Coast Guard
rescue-swimmer instructor and aquatic-
risk-management consultant based in Vir-
ginia Beach, sees it differently. Vittone has
been hired as an expert witness by the Sen-
gupta familys lawyers. He argues that Tough
Mudder could have done much more to miti-
gate the risks in West Virginia, and that what
Dean calls the companys amazing safety
86 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
record may have been the very thing that
blinded it to inadequacies.
Mistaking the lack of failure for success
is a really common human error, Vittone
explained. Its like texting and driving. If the
teenager texts, hes just learned that he can
do it and not get in a wreck, and so hes likely
to do it again.
Tough Mudder declined to address this
and other criticisms made by Vittone. Baxter
told me that Tough Mudders safety record is
important to its branding but that safety isnt
just about marketing for the company, which
will net approximately $100 million for 2013.
Part of what makes Tough Mudder different
from much smaller mud runs is that we have
the resources to be able to invest in making
things like these obstacles better, and in mak-
ing sure weve got as good a quality of medical
care as possible, he said. We just have a duty
of care to everyone who comes through.
T ough Mudder says its committed to participant
safety. W e did everything we could, Don baxter,
the companys chief operating ofcer, told me at
company hQ in brooklyn, New york. Its impos-
sible to r emove risk entir ely from these events.
Ben Johnson, Tough Mudders communi-
cations director, emphasized that the com-
pany spends hundreds of thousands of dol-
lars annually on safety training for employees
and is projected to incur signicantly more
than $4 million in external event-safety
costs in 2013.
From Vittones perspective, though, it
doesnt matter how much money Tough
Mudder spends if it fails to apply military-
grade risk management to what the company
markets as a military-style obstacle course
designed by British Special Forces.
The training done by elite military combat
professionals involves a lot more than setting
up an obstacle course and sending the troops
in, Vittone wrote on April 23 in a widely cir-
culated blog post. They go through months
of buildup and monitoring, the training is
extremely well supervised, and their emer-
gency response plans are well thought out,
practiced, and proven. By comparison, an
event like Tough Mudder is a free-for-all.
BEFORE THE INCIDENT in West Virginia,
Vittone had never given much thought to
Tough Mudder. Intrigued by news stories
about Avis death, he began searching for
participant videos on YouTube. As he stud-
ied the deployment of safety personnel and
the crowd-control measures used for Walk
the Plank at various Tough Mudder events,
his immediate reaction was harsh. This isnt
planned out, he told me. This is hoping.
This is throwing people in the water, throw-
ing out a couple of lifeguards or some guys
in kayaks, and hoping for the best. When
a video of the entire West Virginia incident
at Walk the Plank appeared online last June,
shot by a participant named Brett Brocki,
Vittones convictions hardened.
There didnt appear to be any standard
operating procedures, he said. Even within
the few minutes that the video shows, theres
a difference in the way people enter the water
from the rst second of the video to the last
minute of the video.
Something as simple as managing the way
Tough Mudder participants enter and exit a
muddy pool may seem trivial, but Vittone
says that military-style SOPs, or standard
operating procedures, are a vital element in
risk management, because they help control
variables, ensuring that the only risks posed
by a hazardous activity are the ones that
cant be eliminated.
In the case of Walk the Plank, where par-
ticipants plunge into cold water over their
heads, it would be impossible to eliminate the
inherent risk of drowning. But Vittone says
that properly designed SOPs could stop many
other calamities: collisions between partici-
pants in midair or in the water, lifeguards get-
ting distracted by disorganized crowds, or a
participant drowning without being seen.
In Vittones opinion, all of those additional
human-error risks were in play on the day
Avi drowned, and those factors combined to
make an effective rescue impossible.
When I asked Vittone how he would re-
form Walk the Plank, he said it was simple:
hed shut down the obstacle entirely. Deep,
murky, cold water above your head is an unac-
ceptable risk, and it cant be effectively man-
courtesy of the sengupta family
aged, he said, particularly when theres no
value added except for fun. When I pressed
him for a more compromising position, he
said, I would at least expect them to follow
oo
to see video of avi sengupta on walk the plank,
go to outsideonline.com/walktheplank.
the same safety protocols that are followed at
water parks with clear water and ten-year-
oldsone person in the pool, one person out.
If it were up to him, Vittone said, he would
require eight divers at Walk the Planktwo
separate teams composed of a diver, a back-
up, a dive tender, and a dive master, rotating
frequently to prevent fatigue and inattention.
When Avi drowned, Travis Pittman was the
only diver on hand.
Vittone conceded that Tough Mudder
could probably reduce risk at Walk the Plank
to an acceptable level, but doing so would
create long waits. The list of things I would
put in place are doable, but then you cant run
20,000 people through it in a weekend, not
without building ve of them, he explained.
So its one of those things: to do that safely,
you cant do it fast, and therefore I would
suggest against it.
FOR NOW, TOUGH MUDDER has no plans
to remove Walk the Plank from its obstacle
lineup. Baxter told me the company applies
a rigorous data-driven approach to mak-
ing sure that risk is minimized, and the data
shows that relatively few injuries occur at
Walk the Plank. People get hurt more often at
obstacles like Balls to the Wall, which requires
participants to climb over a 12-foot vertical
wall, leading to many twisted ankles and the
occasional broken leg. To reduce risk, Tough
Mudder added wall cleats and spread mulch
at the base to soften landings.
Baxter couldnt think of any modications
riSk FactorS
the statistics arent exact, but obstacle racing appears to cause fewer deaths per
competitor than several better-known action sports m.B.
deatH rate
(Per 100,000)
triatHlon
1.9
Skiing
0.5
maratHon
0.2
oBStacle
racing
0.18
total
TRIAThlon
participants 1.5M
sources: sport associations, industry organizations, and published studies. all gures are 201012 and are estimated.
skiing statistics include deaths at ski resorts but not in the backcountry.
theyd made to Walk the Plank based on in-
jury data in the three years leading up to Avis
death. Sitting in Will Deans office at the
Tough Mudder HQ, he had a sheaf of papers
spread out before him, including schematics
of obstacles and metrics showing coursewide
and obstacle-specic injury data. Walk the
Plank does not feature in any of these, he
said. I hazard to say its not in our top ten in
number of injuries.
While Tough Mudder has not admitted
to any fault in Avis death, the company has
taken significant measures in the months
since it occurred to improve safety manage-
ment at Walk the Plank. In midsummer of
2013, it altered the description of the obstacle
on its website to remove this sentence: Dont
spend too much time pondering your leap
squadies at the top of the platform will chew
you out, or worse, push you into the freezing
depths below. Ben Johnson told me that this
comment was clearly made in jest and not
something we did on-site. But Amy Cohen,
a teammate of Jennifer Andersens, says that
when she hesitated at the top of Walk the
Plank, a Marine volunteer told her, If you
want, we can push you. A moment later, she
says, someone shoved her hard from behind.
She hit the water in a panic and had to be
rescued. (As it happened, the change in the
description on the site was only temporary
the old language was restored in September.)
More substantive and lasting changes have
involved implementing a standard construc-
tion plan for Walk the Plank and a carefully
total
FatalitieS
triatHlon
28
Skiing
89
maratHon
3 sonally reviewed and improved existing SOPs
oBStacle
racing
4 ing the actions they should take during an
SkIIng MARAThon oBSTAcle RAcIng
19.8M 1.5M 2.4M
managed deployment of safety person-
nel. Prior to Avis death, standards appear
to have been inconsistent. A quick search
online turns up photographs of at least half
a dozen iterations of Walk the Planks con-
struction design, with as many variations
in the arrangement of safety workers. One
of the rst meaningful steps Tough Mudder
took, according to Baxter, was to standardize
the design and create a new set of SOPs. Its
part of us analyzing how we can improve on
the back of West Virginia, he said.
In the current design, participants climb to
the platform in single-le lanes separated by
handrails. Up top, there are places for volun-
teers to stand, sectioned off by two-by-fours.
Each volunteer is responsible for two lanes
and actively directs jumpers on either side of
his position. In the pool below, theres a one-
to-one ratio of lanes to lifeguards. Before
allowing each participant to jump, the vol-
unteer on the platform communicates with
the lifeguard below to make sure the previous
jumper has resurfaced and cleared the lane.
Tough Mudders improvements reflect
suggestions made by MedPrep Consulting
Group, a New York rm hired in May 2013 to
do a full audit of the companys medical ser-
vices. Stu Weiss, MedPreps CEO, is an emer-
gency physician who has served as medical
director of the New York City Marathon and
the New York City Triathlon. He said he was
impressed by Tough Mudders eagerness
to improve. Obstacle races are sort of like
running was 15 years ago, Weiss told me over
coffee one afternoon. If you look at races ten
years ago, all the big races, even the New York
City Marathonthe medical delivery system
was Band-Aids and Vaseline. Over the past
ten years, its really developed into some-
thing where now we deliver state-of-the art
care. These days, major marathons and tri-
athlons have mobile triage centers on-site,
staffed with ER doctors and nurses. Weiss
said he plans to bring that standard of care to
Tough Mudder, and he hopes other obstacle-
challenge companies will follow his lead.
WITH VITTONES comments in mind, I
asked Weiss about the importance of SOPs.
He said theyre crucial, adding that he per-
for all Tough Mudder obstacles as part of the
spring audit. Safety personnel and volun-
teers now receive obstacle cards detail-
emergency. On the morning of the rst day
of each two-day event, volunteers and staff
run through real-time drills to ensure they
understand their roles.
At the Tough Mudders Weiss had attended
as of last AugustPittsburg, Philadelphia,
and Buffalohe found continued on page 98
outsideonline.com 87
adventure tools, tested & reviewed

Kill Shot Problem: rugged cameras usually sacrice shooting chops for durability. Solution: Nikons new
AW1. Its the rst digital interchangeable-lens camera thats waterproof (to 49 feet), shockproof (up to
a serious camera 6.6 feet), and worthy of being a pro shooters kit. The reason it takes such remarkably crisp photos is
gets tough whats under the hood. The giant CMOS sensor refuses to pixelate, even in shots that blend bright white
by Michael Frank snow and forest shade, and it can capture 15 frames per second at shutter speeds up to 1/16,000see
falcon in ight, freeze falcon in ight. Nikon gave the camera rubber gaskets that seal underwater, and
the whole body is packed into a polycarbonate-lined steel frame to insulate it from shock. The AW1 is
also equipped with a GPS that tracks where photos were shot, and an on-screen dial lets users switch
among six shooting modes with one hand, useful for photographers who need to keep one eye on the
action and the other glued to the LCD. $800; nikonusa.com

essentials 01.14

88 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e Photographs by inga HendRiCKson

DONT TELL STORIES
IN THE LODGE.
SHOW THEM.

MOUNT YOUR GOPRO TO GIROS NEWEST HELMET

The new Edit isnt just Giros lightest full-featured snow helmet everit also features a sleek
GoPro-compatible camera mount. Which means you can capture and back up every crazy
thing you do. Find the Edit and lots more innovative gear at REI stores and REI.com.

100+ STORES | REI.COM | MOBILE

01.14

1 2

4 5

90 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
 Spectrum

Coats of Armor
snorkeling powder, elbowing up to the barevery
winter hobby is better with the right jacket
by Frederick Reimers

Best For: Dropping the hammer Best For: FrigiD liFt riDes
1. mammut eigerjoch 4. Columbia millennium
light $300 Flash $330
You can wear this trim-tting Conventional wisdom says the
insulated jacket around town or thicker the jacket, the warmer
as a warmth-boosting midlayer youll be. thats often true, but
on chilly resort days, but it prefers insulated shells like the millenium
charging up mountains. stretch Flash can be deceptively toasty.
panels on the sides and back aluminum microdots embedded
let our arms swing freely during in a layer of breathable polyester
hard runs in Jackson hole, and reect heat back to your body,
the high collar blocked biting and the roomy cut and strategi-
wind. But the reason its both the cally placed stretch panels allow
most breathable jacket on these for maximum movement. if you
pages and way warmer than its need to shed weight, zip off the
14 ounces suggest comes down hood and powder skirt. to release
to polartecs new alpha synthetic heat, pull open the huge pit zips.
insulation. its lofty for extra heat 2.2 lbs; columbia.com
and features an airy, open struc-
ture that dumps perspiration. Best For: polar ConDitions
14.4 oz; mammut.ch 5. The North Face
3
Point It down $350
Best For: mating Calls Water-resistant down gives ski-
2. Helly Hansen Svalbard ers the go-ahead to wear pufes
Thermo $140 without worrying (as much)
Forty years after helly hansen about overheating or wet snow.
released its rst classic quilted the north Face makes it even
jacket, the company updates more attractive with a slew of
it with lightweight synthetic ski-specic bells and whistles:
primaloft ll and a wind-and- interior mesh drop pockets, teth-
water-resistant polyester exterior. ered goggle wipe, helmet-size
the result isnt as breathable or hood. then it adds what counts.
tricked out as the other insulated moisture-prone zoneshem,
jackets here, but thats not the pits, collarget synthetic insula-
point. the svalbard thermo is tion, which retains heat even
that rare combination of steve when wet. the rest is stuffed with
mcQueen style and on-slope 700-ll treated down, making this
functionality. Bonus: elastic at the warmest jacket here. 1.8 lbs;
the cuffs and collar kept out thenorthface.com
wind as we biked from one bar to
the next. 16 oz; hellyhansen.com Best For: BaCkCountrY missions
6. outdoor research
Best For: storm skiing Valhalla $350
3. Arcteryx Caden $650 soft shells are comfortable,
the Caden is part of arcteryxs stretchy, and breathable,
new Whiteline family and is but they tend to value pared-
cut a bit looser than the brands down design over user-friendly
other ski shells. But this is no features. the Valhalla is fully
baggy freeride jacket. While decked out. or rigged this
theres extra fabric around the gore Windstopper jacket with a
shoulders and elbows for mobility, recco reector, a touchscreen-
and just enough room to com- compatible smartphone pouch,
fortably contain a micro-puffy and cargo pockets big enough
or several other insulated layers, to stash climbing skins. the most
the t is still trim and athletic. innovative features, however,
that cut, plus an outer made of are the silicone piping along
6
gore-tex pro (a lighter, stronger, the shoulders, which prevent
more breathable iteration of the wear from pack straps, and pit
classic fabric), is ideal for hard zips that extend all the way to
chargers at wet, stormy resorts the hemline for unmatched
like British Columbias Whistler. ventilation during climbs. 1.4 lbs;
1.3 lbs; arcteryx.com outdoorresearch.com

outsideonline.Com 91
01.14
Stress Tested
2

bIke Power?
its a brilliant idea:
charge your phone
by pedaling your
bike. trouble is, none
of the four models
we tested seemed
to work very well.
theyre shockingly
inefcient (one
took 70 minutes for
a 4 percent charge).
But with Siva
Cycles forthcom-
ing Atom ($130;
sivacycle.com), out
in april, change may
4 be coming. the
device claims to
generate 80 percent
1 more juice than
competing models,
which would put
it squarely in the
range of useful.
Watch this space.

used to fuel camp

stoves, except that

Alternative Energy it uses hydrogen to

generate power. twist
on a 2.3-ounce bottle
recharge dead batteries off the grid with these and the gas is slowly
portable power plants released, owing past a
by Brent Rose platinum catalyst that
separates the hydrogen
ions from the electrons.
eVery Few moNTHS, another travel-ready charger appears thats the resulting electricity
intended to replenish your mobile phone when youre miles from the is transferred by usB.
nearest wall socket. Be it solar, wind, or hydrogen, the devices work Charge Time for one
Call: 10 minutes
by converting energy to electricity and charging a usB-connected For Full Power:
handset in real time. (they can also store power in an internal cell 6.1 hours
or an external battery pack.) most generate enough juice for a few X Factor: each rell-
able canister costs
clutch texts or calls, and that makes them potential lifesavers $15; run out and youre
whether its an off-the-grid vacation or hurricane katrina. We paired on your own.
brunton.com
a dozen of the gadgets with a samsung galaxy siii. some worked
faster than others; these four stood above the rest. 4. bIolITe
CAmPSToVe $130
1. goAl Zero For Full Power: when the stored power How It works: this
NomAd 7 $120 6.5 hours is exhausted. wood-red camp
How It works: the X Factor: partly cloudy Charge Time for one stove converts heat
magazine-size panel with a chance of rain. Call: 6.5 minutes to electricity through
weighs less than a goalzero.com For Full Power: a thermoelectric
pound and is perfo- 3.8 hours generator. the energy
rated with eyelets, so 2. eTN booST X Factor: since its is transferred via usB
it can be hung from a TurbINe 4000 $80 human powered, the and excess is stored
branch or strapped How It works: this Boostturbine is the in an internal battery.
to a backpack. When kinetic-energy gen- most reliable we tested Bonus: an optional
its exposed to erator uses magnets, a for quick charges, but grill ($60) lets you
direct sun, you can gear box, and mechani- dont plan on generat- sear steaks while
either connect your cal motiona hand ing enough juice for your phone feeds.
phone directly or ll crankto charge an a full battery. Charge Time for one
an optional battery internal battery. its the eton.com Call: eight minutes
pack ($40) that, only device here with of hot re
once charged, can be a two-way usB port: 3. bruNToN For Full Power:
tapped after sunset. power up the battery HydrogeN Four hours
its the smallest, most from an electrical reACTor $150 X Factor: it chews
exible solar panel socket before leaving How It works: the through wood rapidly,
weve seen. the house and its good prototype we tested so gather plenty
Charge Time for one for two full cell-phone looked like a smaller before igniting.
Call: 12 minutes re-ups. start cranking version of the canisters biolitestove.com

92 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
Base Layers

protect your digits with reis

poweryte gloves ($25; rei.com).
the soft-shell material keeps
hands warm down to 20 degrees.

TemperaTure
raTing:
-15

3
TemperaTure
raTing:
all 4
TemperaTure
raTing:
35

TemperaTure
raTing:
5 0
When the
mercury
drops, reach
for thicker
socks. Fits
light ski
otCs ($24;
tsock.com)
keep feet
snug down to
zero degrees.

2
6
TemperaTure
TemperaTure raTing:
raTing:
- 5 -10

Mix and Match
whether youre running or skiing, learn the optimal combination
of cold-weather gear with our guide to winter layering
by Joe Jackson
beST For: everyone
1. briefs
Compression shorts
are about moisture,
not warmth. CwXs
liteFit ($35; cw-x
.com) are made of a
proprietary quick-dry
fabric that wicks
moisture away from
your nethers in dry
cold and wet heat.
Bonus: silver bers in
the fabric kill bacteria
and neutralize odors
adios, junk funk.
TeCH TIP: Wools bers absorb moisture and
slowly release it through evaporation. hydro-
phobic synthetics suck it away from your skin
and deposit it outside the garment. thats why
synthetics are the preferred next-to-skin layer.
beST For: Fall runners best For: Dry Cold best For: high output best For: lift riders best For: mountaineers
2. light bottom 3. mid bottom 4. light Top 5. mid Top 6. Heavy Top
We tested dozens of black diamond pairs We sweated through stretchy, high-wicking synthetic polartec
bottoms, and none light and heavy eece outdoor researchs polyester in the arms, alpha ll around the
of them combined in the Coefcient Torque ($59; outdoor shoulders, and sides core of the North Face
form, comfort, and ($109; blackdiamond research.com), and in merrells Alpino dNP ($180; thenorth
durability as admira- equipment.com). the within 20 minutes of ($109; merrell.com) face.com) makes it
bly as Smartwools result is an amply stopping it was bone provides exibility in warmer than the other
NTS micro150 ($65; insulating piece that dry. Credit the perfor- the areas you move layers hereperfect
smartwool.com). made breathes like some- mance of its quick- most. the reason its for cold-weather hiking
of 100 percent merino thing half its weight. wicking polartec power the best option for and snowshoeing. it
wool, they feature low- When temperatures Dry material. Bonus: the lift: thick wool- works as a standalone
prole, at-seam drop below zero, wear the long-sleeve version and-polyester panels on the way up and,
construction along the it with a light under- ($69) has venting on the back and chest, paired with a shell, has
hips, thighs, and calves layer; when they climb mesh side panels and which focus warmth enough insulation for
to eliminate chang. to 32, use it alone. fold-down hand covers. in your core. the descent.

outsideonline.Com 93
01.14

Style

The collaborative
Old Growth
Collection from
Woolrich x Danner Merino wool is the
includes the classic magic ingredient in
Danner boots, a Icebreakers versatile
hefty shirt-jacket, Seeker pants ($180;
a cozy blanket, and icebreaker.com) and
this scarf ($55; Uggs Westly chukka
danner.com). boots ($160; ugg
australia.com).

Natural Selection
Whether its a neW jacket or a
smart-looking tie youre after,
you cant go Wrong With Wool

The stripes on
SmartWools
Double Insignia
socks ($21) are
just for show, but
the rolled ear band
on its Pattern
Cuffed beanie
($28; smartwool
.com) is there to
boost warmth.

Bonobos gets
tartan right on
With boiled wool
its Canning tie
bonded to a cotton
($85; bonobos Patagonias Gerard
twill liner, Filsons
.com), which shirt ($129; patagonia
updated Seattle
feels modern .com) is made from a
Cruiser jacket ($495;
and classic at sturdy wool-polyester-
lson.com) is built to
the same time. nylon blend and adds
the same specs as
its famous Mackinaw the tiniest bit of air:
Cruiserbut with a a climbing-rope-like
slimmer cut. closure at the collar.

94 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e Photograph by inga HendRiCKson

IS IT REALLY BRAGGING
IF SOMEONE ELSE CALLS US THE BEST?
Normally we wouldnt call ourselves the best. But when Outside magazine (yes, the
very publication youre holding) named Park City, Utahdrum roll, please2013
Best Town Ever, we decided to go with it. And the accolades dont end here. SKI
magazines readers ranked all three of our resortsPark City Mountain, Deer Valley
and Canyonsin the Top Ten of North Americas best ski resorts. No brag, just fact.

So make haste for The Greatest Snow on Earth

, our famed Utah Olympic Park
and Park Citys Historic Main Street. Remarkable restaurants, bars, shopping and
galleries aboundall just a quick flight away followed by a 35-minute, scenic ride
from Salt Lake City International Airport. Its called an Easy Escape. Learn about
it, and enter to win a trip and winter gear, at ParkCityEasyEscape.com .
niseko continued from page 73
restaurant and accepted an invitation from an
older Japanese couple to carve perfect gure-
eight turns.
annoyed by all the vitamin d and the glo-
rious blue skies, i called it a day early. i had
accommodations that evening at a health spa
called Kanronomori, or sweet dew of the
Forest, located at the edge of annupuri. The
place has four onsens, and when i entered the
vast lobby, sonorous music surrounded me. so
did thick clouds of cigarette smoke. The spa
had fully embraced the Japanese love of chain-
smoking and ashtrays, and smokers in robes
abounded. Getting into the mood, i plopped
down in my suite, lit up, and let the program-
mable massage chair squeeze my thighs as i
balanced one of the half-dozen ashtrays in
the room on the vibrating armrests.
The next few nights i was booked at a hotel
in Hirafu, which felt like another dimension.
There were nouveau-hippie-artist whiskey
bars in the center of town, multimillion-
dollar homes on the outskirts, and aussies
everywhere in between. They ordered scones
at the niseko supply Company, tandoori
chicken at the indian food truck, and pints
of Guinness at paddy McGintys. i just about
dropped my fork one night when a diminutive
Japanese waitress referred to me as mate.
so many people with golden hair! said a
Hong Kong travel agent on her rst visit to
Hirafu, and i had to agree.
The akes started to fall late on the third
night, which is when i met the Tokyo snow-
board club at a cozy and boisterous izakaya
restaurant at the bottom of town. They kindly
agreed to show me around the next day and
even waited 30 minutes after the appointed
time, until we nally found each other in the
crowd of asians and golden hairs.
after our excellent day of dodging snow
monsters, my legs needed rest, but i had to
celebrate. so i headed out for a drink at a log-
cabin bar a couple of blocks from my hotel.
Unbeknownst to me it was australia day, the
sunburnt continents version of the Fourth of
July, and the bar was packed with young men
chugging beers out of kegger-style cups.
Many of them had wrapped themselves in
the australian ag, while others were draped
around the pool table wearing fuzzy, under-
sized kangaroo costumes.
so whats australia day all about? i asked nisekos chilled-out vibe, a fact that concerns
the rst guy i meet.
its about gettin hell drunk and ghtin, of the week. But my concerns are more imme-
the kid said.
Ten minutes later, he made good on the
statement. i stepped outside to find him
shouting taunts down the otherwise peaceful
street, until his equally drunk foe decided hed
had enough, removed his shirt, and proceeded
to punch the kid in the back of the head.
96 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
at least he didnt get glassed, the bar-
tender said as i related the story.
Glassing, he explained, is when a bogan, or
australian redneck, smashes a beer bottle into
another bogans head or face. according to the
bartender, glassing has become a full-blown
australia day tradition in niseko.
why do you think were serving in plastic
cups? he asked.
For THe neXT four days, i tour niseko Vil-
lage, ski powder at night under Hirafus
impressive constellation of lights, and hunt
down the virtually untouched snow that re-
mains just outside the resorts gates. Though
it snows only two afternoons, nding fresh
powder is almost never a problem.
even so, ive grown spoiled. when im
forced to ski cut-up waist-deep powder, i get
grouchy. Feeling entitled, i sign up for a day
of cat skiing with niseko adventure Centre,
a newly opened operation based out of an
abandoned resort behind niseko. The only
other guest is a retired Canadian Ceo on a
round-the-world ski trip. For six hours, we
leave trails of cold smoke down a long, shal-
low bowl and blast through wind lips and y
out exit drainages. it is one of the best powder
days ive ever experienced.
This is especially remarkable when you
consider that my week has, by niseko stan-
dards, been arid. a mere two and a half feet
of snow have fallen, a full foot below average.
even so, im convinced that niseko is prob-
ably the best ski resort in the world, so long as
you can look beyond the bogans glassing each
other on straya day. and dont gaze too far
into the future.
Thanks in part to the 2008 Chinese block-
buster Fei Cheng Wu Rao, a rom-com in which
a beautiful stewardess shows a rich business-
man the rugged beauty of Hokkaido, Chinese
interest in the island has been piqued. never
mind that the Chinese and Japanese intensely
dislike one another, a reported 80 percent
of all condo buyers in niseko two years ago
were Chinese and singaporean, and the list
of swanky new accommodations catering to
them is long, culminating, in ve to ten years,
with the opening of a $1.5 billion project that
will feature 3,000 luxury condos, a louis
Vuitton store, and hot-air-balloon rides.
This mega-development will likely sour
respite is short-lived. The day after i leave,
some of the locals i skied with over the course
inches a day for a month. Ultimately, my week
diate, like the fact that somehow i managed to
visit just two onsens, roughly ve fewer than i
should have. and i havent soaked at the leg-
endary Goshiki onsen, a lonely tub overow-
ing with hot spring water at the end of a back-
country run. Before i left for Japan, multiple
pro skiers had insisted i visit.
so at two oclock on my last day, despite
the fact that another storm is blowing in,
im determined to ski off the back side of the
summit to Goshiki. i tromp into the clouds. in
a whiteout at the top, i manage to nd the ski
patrols emergency hut, push open the ice-
encrusted door, and wait. im not sure exactly
how to get to Goshiki, so i hope that i can
Jedi-mind-trick any savvy locals who might
appear. a half-hour later, skinny namioka, a
software programmer, and plump Tetsushi,
his boss at a company that automates oil
reneries, arrive.
i ask them how to reach Goshiki onsen and
they carefully and clearly explain, in decent
english, all the landmarks and turns.
do i have to make any turns? i ask.
Yes, says Tetsushi, explaining again.
so i go this way? i ask, gesturing vaguely
into the clouds.
as i hoped, namioka and Tetsushi offer to
ditch their plans to ski back to the resort and
instead agree to accompany me to Goshiki.
The skiing is horrible. at the top, we make
survival turns around a eld studded with
hip-high ice clumps, then descend a wind-
corrugated ridgeline. we chatter and side-
slip down a long off-camber face, then drop
into a forest where the clouds dissipate and
the snow softens and we savor a couple hun-
dred feet of the good stuff.
we land right at the brown building of the
onsen. its as brilliant as described, a shallow
limestone and larch-wood pool, half indoor,
half out, with a thick cornice of snow hang-
ing from the at roof. aside from the atten-
dant in his little booth, we have the place to
ourselves. we undress, wash, and slip into
114-degree water.
we thought you were suicide, Tetsushi
says with a laugh, recalling my insistence on
heading blindly into the backcountry during
a full-on blizzard.
we place snowballs on our heads to keep
cool, soak our tired legs, and chat about surf
style and tanukis, whose scrota are, according
to legend, bigger and oppier than a blood-
hounds ears.
afterward, we buy Kirin tall boys from a
vending machine and relax in the onsens
tatami room, with brown woven mats on the
floor, sitting cushions, and a low wooden
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tough muDDer continued from page 87
that Walk the Plank had been set up exactly
the same way each time. There had been a
one-to-one ratio of lifeguards to lanes, and
the volunteers on the platform were in con-
stant communication with the lifeguards be-
low to make sure the lanes were clear. Weiss
said he emphasized order to volunteers and
safety staff: You do not let the next person
go until you see a person jump, come up, and
swim to shore. There was always at least
one diver by the pool in full gear, ready to hit
the water. A second diver had to be nearby,
though not necessarily geared up. Johnson
conrmed that Weisss description matches
the new written SOP for Walk the Plank.
Later, when I looked at participant videos
from the events Weiss mentioned, there were
a few discrepancies between the efciency he
described and what I saw. For example, one
video from Pittsburgh shows four lifeguards
watching nine lanes. In videos from all three
events, there is no discernible communica-
tion between the platform volunteers and the
lifeguards below.
But in Avis case, the issue is the standards
used on the day he ran the course. Video evi-
dence and witness descriptions seem to sup-
port Vittones assertion that there were no
SOPs in place on April 20. Weiss told me that
he had not discussed the West Virginia inci-
dent in detail with Tough Mudder and had not
seen the video of Avis jump and the subse-
quent rescue effort. So I pulled out my laptop,
and we watched two of the three videos sup-
plied to the sheriffs department.
In the rst, a wave of jumpers plunges in,
and Avi steps to the edge of the platform. By
my count, there are 27 other people on the
platform with him. A uniformed Marine with
a loudspeaker to Avis right, on the far edge of
the platform, begins a countdown from three,
then breaks off and looks down at someone
on the ground. Avi looks in the Marines
direction and backs away from the edge
waiting, perhaps, for instructions. Then the
Marine yells, Line up! Three, two, one, go!
A man to Avis left leaps, and then Avi steps
off, left foot first. Arms above his head, he
plummets into the water. Five others jump
on the same count.
A sixth jumper, a brunette woman in a red
tank top, goes off a split second after Avi, a
half-step to his right. Rather than look down
to ensure the pool is clear, the Marine with the
loudspeaker works his way into the middle of
the crowd atop the platform and counts down
again, sending off another group of ve.
At 59 seconds into the rst video, Avi has
been submerged for 14 seconds, and his team-
mate Wilkinson clearly knows something is
wrong. He starts pointing down at the water.
A whistle blows to halt jumpers while a life-
98 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
guard helps a struggling swimmer to shore. By
now, Wilkinson is pointing frantically at the
water, shouting, Sham! Wheres Avi?
Three more people jump. Then another
and another. Fifty-five seconds after Avis
jump, Mirshahs voice bursts inHey! Hey,
my man! Five more people jump.
When Pittman, the rescue diver, nally gets
into the watertwo and a half minutes after
Avi jumped inhe does not have his mask on
or a regulator in his mouth. Pittman swims
out until hes beneath the center of the plat-
form, then passes his mask up to a lifeguard
on shore, ostensibly to have it cleaned. Thirty
seconds later, still with no mask, Pittman
starts yelling at frustrated participants, in-
cluding Rahimi, whod begun diving into the
water to search on their own. Twice he yells,
I dont need anybody else in the water! fol-
lowed by, Im a rescue diver, back off! Four
minutes after Avi jumped, the diver descends
for the rst time. Wilkinson can be seen pac-
ing on the platform above the pool, hands on
his hips, anked by three Marines.
Weisss reaction to all this as he watched?
His jaw hung slack. Wow, he said. Thats
nothing like Ive ever seen.
I started to describe some of the things
Avis teammates told me that werent clear
in the videos, but Weiss shook his head. In
my emergency training, you have a minute,
or 30 secondssome short amount of time
to nd that person, he said. Better to have
a false alarm than to have somebody lying at
the bottom for a long time. So there is not
a delay, there is no questioning. Somebody
says My partner didnt come up, they clear
the event. In the divers go.
I started to ask Weiss how he would react if
he were to attend a Tough Mudder and wit-
ness a situation similar to what he saw in the
videos, but he stopped me short.
That would not happen at an event that
Im running, he said.
TOUGH MUDDER wont discuss its strategy
for the Senguptas legal actionnor will any-
one from Amphibious Medicsbut if the suit
goes forward, its lawyers will likely stress the
fact that Avi signed what Tough Mudder calls
a Death Waiver, exculpating the company of
liability for certain acts of ordinary negli-
gence and inherent risks, such as inad-
equate or negligent first aid and/or emer-
gency measures and errors in judgment by
personnel working the event.
But the Boston-area firm Gilbert and
Renton, representing Avis estate, will likely
argue that such waivers do not relieve Tough
Mudder of the legal duty of care that ex-
ists whenever a business knowingly creates
predictable hazards for the public. In the case
of Walk the Plank, the predictable hazard
drowningis clear enough. Hence the pres-
ence of a rescue diver and lifeguards at the
obstacle on the day Avi drowned.
To prove that Tough Mudder breached
its duty of care, the Senguptas lawyers will
need to demonstrate that a reasonable person
would have managed safety at the obstacle
differently. They believe Travis Pittmans slow
response and his decision to neglect normal
protocol for safe diving will constitute a major
element of a wrongful-death complaint, and
the video evidence showing the bungled res-
cue effort could be difcult to challenge.
The Senguptas complaint extends to the
larger problem of ineffective crowd control.
Using Mario Vittones testimony, the Sen-
guptas lawyers will argue that failure to con-
trol the ow of participants moving through
Walk the Plank resulted in a disorganized
environment in which it would have been
impossible to carry out a rescue within the
two-minute period required by industry-
standard lifesaving manuals.
The Senguptas lawyers will also question
why the company failed to employ SOPs based
on the recommendations found in the United
States Lifesaving Association Manual and
the American Red Cross Lifeguarding Man-
ual. Both emphasize the need for SOPs that
encourage constant vigilance by lifeguards,
particularly during times of high activity.
David Judd, an event photographer who
was stationed at Walk the Plank on April
20from the time the rst participants came
through, at about nine in the morning, until
the obstacle was closed after Avis drown-
ingtold me he witnessed 20 to 30 rescues
over the course of the day. He said that the
scene in the moments before and after Avi
jumped was chaotic. There was a large in-
ux at midday, but the layout of lifeguards
and volunteers did not change.
Judd, who says that in October he was
barred by Tough Mudder from shooting future
events, told me, I just couldnt believe the
amount of people jumping in that were resur-
facing after jumping in and had to be immedi-
ately rescued; they were basically drowning.
By the standards of the U.S. Lifesaving As-
sociation Manual, such a high volume should
have triggered a special operation mode,
requiring extra lifeguarding resources or the
closure of the obstacle. By keeping the obsta-
cle open, Tough Mudder put volunteers and
safety personnel under extraordinary pres-
sure and increased the likelihood that they
would fail to respond adequately to a report
of a missing person.
In the event of a missing-person report in
deep water with reduced visibility, the U.S.
Lifesaving Association Manual requires im-
mediate surface dives by lifeguards spaced
in a line close enough to see, or touch, each
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tough muDDer
other while on the bottom, and the Red Cross
Lifeguarding Manual recommends that they
be equipped with masks and ns. On April
20, Pittman conducted his search for Avi
alone while at least ve lifeguards stood on
the shore, with no masks or ns in sight. The
pool may have been too deep and too cold to
allow for effective surface dives anyway, and
this is another fact that Tough Mudders law-
yers will have to contend with.
IN THE AFTERMATH of the incident, the
comments sections beneath news stories
covering Avis death were often sympathetic,
but there was also speculation about his level
of tness, with some critics making the claim
that he must have drowned because he didnt
know how to swim or because he didnt
belong on the course in the rst place.
Some argue that the injuries are the result
of Tough Mudders aggressive marketing,
which has fueled extraordinary growth
from 20,000 participants in 2010 to a pro-
jected 750,000 in 2013and expanded the
participant base beyond the narrow segment
of hardcore CrossFitters and other assorted
gluttons for punishment. The injuries, they
say, are the inevitable outcome when you
invite desk jockeys into an elite arena.
The Senguptas lawyers are unlikely to
blame participants for what they see as Tough
Mudders failure to operate the event safely.
They will likely argue that, as Tough Mud-
ders participant base exploded, the company
prioritized good crowd ow over safety pro-
cedures, and that the protocols at Walk the
Plank stayed the sameinconsistent and
ineffectiveuntil a fatality occurred.
The details of what happened under the
water in the moments after Avi jumped in are
unknown. Dr. Alan Steinman, a former
director of health and safety for the U.S. Coast
Guard, who has been hired by Gilbert and
Renton as an expert witness, told me that the
autopsy report shows that Avi had a contu-
sion on his groin, suggesting (in contrast to
what the sheriffs report said) that someone
could have landed on him. Under the surface,
where the sunlight was blocked by the murky
water, Avi may have become disoriented,
causing him to swim diagonally instead of
upward. If he did, he would have placed him-
self directly in the landing zone of other par-
ticipants. A blow to the groin would have
added to any aquatic distress Avi was suffer-
ing and reduced his ability to hold his breath.
His breath-holding ability may also have
been reduced by a cold-shock response,
which can happen anytime someones head is
submerged in cold water. (Steinman estimates
that the water temperature that day was
around 50 degrees.) Cold shock causes a sud-
100 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e
den release of adrenaline and an increase in
heart rate, and can reduce an average breath-
hold time of one minute to just 15 seconds.
What we do know, unequivocally, is that
Avi drowned. When cold water hit the back of
his throat, it caused his larynx to spasm. As his
vocal chords tightened, Avi would have pan-
icked and attempted to inhale, which would
have caused chest pain and may have trig-
gered fear of death. His sealed larynx tempo-
rarily prevented him from taking water into his
lungs but did not prevent him from swallow-
ing large quantities, causing his stomach to
bloat. Avis brain quickly used up its available
oxygen, and he slipped out of consciousness,
causing his larynx to release. Though he was
unconscious, his heart was still beating. He
inhaled water. After three minutes, his brain
cells began dying rapidly. For two additional
minutes, there was a chance that he could
have been recovered and resuscitated with
only minor brain injuries. When ve minutes
passed, and Avis lungs were still lled with
water, his brain began to die from lack of oxy-
gen. When the diver nally dragged Avi out,
he had suffered catastrophic brain damage.
MITA SENGUPTA saw her son for the last
time on the Friday night prior to the Tough
Mudder event, just before she stepped out
to visit with friends. When she came down-
stairs, Avi was standing in the kitchen.
Hey, you look pretty! Avi said.
Thank you, Mita replied.
When she returned around midnight,
Avi was already asleep. Bijon woke up early
the next morning to have breakfast with Avi
before he left to meet up with his teammates,
but Mita decided to stay in bed another hour.
She had a grueling morning of bridal-shower
preparations ahead of her and wanted the
extra sleep. Standing at the kitchen island
where theyd shared so many late-night
meals, Bijon told his son to walk around any
obstacles that he didnt feel condent about.
Avi promised to be careful.
He was a big hugger, Bijon said, with an
attempt at a smile, so we hugged.
Mitas face lit up as she recalled how Avi
would sneak up and give her surprise hugs
in the morning. Startled, Mita would feign
annoyance, and Avi would say, One day
youre going to miss my hugs.
Mitas strongest memory of Avi in the days
before his death is a happy one. Priyanka,
Mita, and Bijon had just returned from a craft
store with vases and oral materials to make
centerpieces. Avi had been out to a movie
with a friend, and when he came home he
found his family inundated in ower petals.
Without any explanation, he walked over to
Mita, took her arms, and started dancing and
singing Stayin Alive. Priyanka captured
the moment on video with her phoneAvi
singing, Mita cracking up.
That was his present for me, Mita said.
Two days after that he was gone.
When Avi reached the Tough Mudder
parking lot in West Virginia, he sent Bijon a
text that said Reached. That was his last
communication to his family.
The pain of Avis death made Priyankas
wedding bittersweet. Avi was going to escort
his sister down the aisle. He was also a grooms-
man and had volunteered to plan the bachelor
party for Priyankas anc, Seth Marple. The
worst came after the wedding, when all the
supportive friends and family had returned
home. Priyanka and Seth left for a honeymoon
cruise in the Mediterranean, and Bijon and
Mita had to cancel the ights theyd booked
to London for the post-ceremony vacation
theyd planned with Avi.
It hit us hard after the wedding, Bijon
said, when it was nally just the two of us.
Its not being able to sleep. Its just crying
at any little thing, feeling like you have an
actual wound, Mita said.
We walked upstairs to see Avis bedroom.
Avi had been dead four months, but the way
things were laid out gave the impression that
hed just been there. His box sets of Magic:
The Gathering cards were stacked neatly by
the door. His old stuffed animalsTigger and
Winnie the Poohwere resting on the pillows
of his twin bed. Against one wall, there was
a wooden rack with a black Stratocaster and
four acoustic guitars.
Most of them have a string missing, Bijon
said, allowing a chuckle. You can strum it, but
it will never play quite right. Thats what their
lives are like now, Bijon said.
A framed poster of Muhammad Ali throw-
ing a right jab hung above the guitars, with the
words, Im so fast that last night I turned off
the light switch in my hotel room and was in
bed before the room was dark. On the oppo-
site wall, by a window, there was a James Dean
poster with another quote: Dream as if youll
live forever, live as if youll die today.
Maybe these were the quotes that kept Avi
moving in the early days, when he could barely
run a mile without walking. O
elliOtt d. WOOdS (@elliOttWOOdS)
WrOte aBOut Skiing in BaMiYan,
aFghaniStan, in deceMBer 2012.
Volume XXXIX, Number 1. outside (ISSN 0278-1433) is
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 kilham continued from page 79
plus, he said, every once in a while
you make a serendipitous nd. you never
know when youre going to make it, but
you will make it if you keep coming back.
indeed, he made just such a nd in con-
tamanan oil called copaiba that hed
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Kilham held it like a kid with a report
card that said all as. this could be a big
thing, he said. a big, big thing.

iN the moNths after our trip, i received

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periodic e-mail updates from Kilham.
hed visited moroccos atlas mountains
for the olive-leaf harvest (olive leaves are
anti-viral, anti-fungal, antibacterial), the
ivory coast (tons of army guys with ma-
chine guns stopping us constantly, great
food, wonderful people), Namibia, south
africa, hong Kong, and the peruvian ama-
zon again. he would soon be off to siberia,
he wrote, to check out a powerful anabolic
plant called maral root. (there are wild
horses that eat the stuff regularly, and they
look like the incredible hulk. youve never

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seen horses like these. they make clydes-
dales look like anorexic runway models. i
expect very big things from this, to take the
market by storm.)
it was about what youd expect of a
man who has logged three million miles
by air alone. i liked thinking about Kil-
ham among clydesdale-dwarng steeds,
or having guns trained on him at military
checkpoints, or shoving a boat out of the
ucayali mud, whenever i took an echinacea
pill or drank ginseng tea or, truth be told,
popped a maca capsule.
one day not long ago, i received a small
package containing a bottle of chuchuhua-
si tincture from Kilham with the note: its
happening. over the next few weeks i par-
took of it with some liberality, but i could
not pass judgment on its effects. my sexual
appetite seemed normal, but then again, it
waxes and wanes, like everyone elses.
chuchuhuasi still stands today where
maca did a quarter-century agotradi-
tions drug, not the labs. perhaps 25 years

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from now it will achieve a maca-like re-
spectability, backed by a young but grow-
ing science. or perhaps it will have joined
1.800.567.2216 spanish fly and rhinoceros horn in the
Stay tuned for more exciting adventures dustbin of erotic history. the medicine
hunter has proposed; science, if inclined,
www.slickrock.com 800-390-5715 can dispose. O

TO adverTise in aCtiVe traVeLer , cOnTacT lesli laWrence | 303-440-2722 outsideonline.com 111

01.14

Parting Shot

mammoth mountain, California

Photograph by PatriCk BranCh

112 o u t s i d e m a g a z i n e