In 2004, I broke two bones in my leg in a spectacular crash that occurred during a ski race. Even with insurance, the surgery and physical therapy that helped me recover was financially devastating, leaving me wading through piles of bills, unexpected extra charges and drawn-out negotiations with my insurance company. Over the next few months, the Obama Administration is going to wade headlong into what is sure to be a bitter debate about how to address the spiraling costs of health care in this country. How can we make sure that the money spent on health care reform goes to the right place? [more]

I consider myself pretty middle-of-the-road when it comes to contemplating energy-development issues in Wyoming. I'm certain that some of my fellow citizens would refer to me as one of those "enviros," a label I willingly accept. However, I'm not naive enough to expect that the energy industry will ever view Wyoming's sagebrush flats as anything more than an all-you-can-eat buffet. With an encouraging nod from the party once in power, these companies have been fattening their coffers over the past eight years. Now it's high time that a cooperative effort was made to assess the costs. [more]

This time, I refused to bow to fear or reason. In a split-second, my decision was made and I slammed my foot down on the gas pedal. When we hit the creek, the wall of water cascaded over my windshield and obliterated our vision. The wave I created surged through the open windows of the car and for a brief moment I could have sworn my car was floating. A vision of my Subaru being pulled out of the creek by a chuckling driver of a large pickup truck flashed through my brain.

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To most of America, the Black Hills are best known as the location of Mount Rushmore, South Dakota's most popular summer tourist destination. However, its museum doesn't mention that the United States seized the area from the Lakota Sioux after the Great Sioux War in 1877. There's no reference to the criticism the monument has received from Native Americans in the Black Hills area, many of whose ancestors were forced from their land and onto reservations after gold was discovered. American might and progress is the emphasis, not alternative views of American imperialism. [more]

Battles over the use of water, a scarce resource in much of the West, have raged since the area was first settled. As Mark Twain has been credited with saying, "Whiskey's for drinking, water's for fighting" and in Chaffee County, Colo., a proposal by a bottled water company has gotten the local citizenry more fired up than a long night at one of Salida's taverns. [more]

Readjusting to the quiet life of Sheridan, Wyoming has consumed the better part of a week after an East Coast music vacation. Hampton, Virginia is not a place I'd ever choose to vacation were it not for special circumstances. The return of Phish, a one-of-a-kind musical adventure that defies easy definition or explanation, qualifies as a special circumstance. [more]

Generation Recreation

The tragedies from the mountains keep rolling in. As much of the Rocky Mountains battle an incredibly unstable snowpack and dangerous avalanche conditions, ski patrollers and avalanche forecasters are on the front lines trying to protect the public. In certain snow conditions, it's impossible to make a ski resort like Jackson Hole completely safe, no matter how many bombs are thrown. At the same time, many recreational skiers have been lured into a false sense of safety regarding the dangers that lurk in the mountains. [more]

If I were 10 years younger, on December 20 I would have been at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, where the much-hyped launch of the ski area's new aerial tram was taking place. The ambitious construction project was completed on time, and was cause for a community celebration in Jackson, where skiing is a passion shared by many.

Instead, I found myself in a tiny gym in central Wyoming, 15 miles from the Montana border, watching a high school basketball game. Sometimes life changes happen so quickly you feel like they're out of your control and you're just along for the ride. Five months after relocating to a town I'd never imagined living in, these "moments of clarity" take place regularly. [more]

Off in the shadowy halls of government offices, public lands have been stripped of key protections. When a bureaucrat somewhere in the system deems a proposal worthy, there's no worry-it will find a way to sail through the approval process. That's exactly what's taking place in the Helena National Forest in Montana. [more]

Blog: Generation Recreation

Today's ski industry is centered around making money off land instead of making turns in powder. The mountain is merely a commodity, an expensive amenity to be exploited for financial interests that have nothing to do with outdoor recreation. The Yellowstone Club was never about skiing. The ski area was merely the carrot dangled in front of buyers to sell them land and the exclusivity that accompanies deep pockets. [more]