Gaia GPS

How to Keep Your Phone Alive in Cold Weather

by Abby Levene January 25, 2022

written by Abby Levene

From following snow-swept trails to keeping an eye on ever-changing avalanche conditions, navigating with Gaia GPS proves even more useful during winter. But there’s a catch: keeping your phone alive in frigid air can be tricky. If you’ve ever pulled out your phone in freezing temperatures only to discover that the phone’s battery has suddenly and unexpectedly died, you know how frustrating and even dangerous this predicament can be.

Phones and cold weather generally don’t get along too well. Low temperatures can rapidly drain your phone’s battery life, and — as you’ve probably experienced — cause your phone to shut down altogether. Thankfully, you can take tried and true measures to prevent this from happening. Here’s what you need to know to keep your phone alive when the temperature drops.

Why Cold Weather Zaps Phone Battery

Three backcountry skiers skin up a track on a cloudy winter day. A snowy peak looms in the distance.

As irritating as cold weather battery drain may be, it can easily be explained by science. Most smartphones use lithium-ion batteries. A chemical reaction within the battery sends charged particles through the phone’s circuitry, and this charge powers the phone. Cold temperatures slow this reaction down; charged particles encounter more resistance as they move throughout the battery to charge the phone. As these charged particles get stuck, the battery life plummets.

Unfortunately, scientists don’t entirely understand the delicate balance of chemicals required to keep your phone alive. This is why sometimes it may seem like your phone’s battery indicator lies to you. If exposed to the frosty air, your phone may say it has 50% battery one minute and it’s completely dead the next.

Cold weather affects other parts of your phone, too. LCD screens can grow glitchy and blurry. Onboard sensors can lose accuracy because they’re calibrated to work within a specific temperature range.

How to Prevent Battery Drain

Person holds a phone with Cold Case Gear case attached to pack.

In the backcountry, your phone can serve as an invaluable tool for everything from checking the slope angle to staying on course. Plus, those snowy sunrise photos are not going to take themselves. Keeping your phone alive in cold weather boils down to two tasks, minimize battery use and keeping your phone toasty warm. Here’s how to do both:

Know Before You Go

Look up your device’s operating temperature range. Most smartphones are designed to operate between 32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range also applies to the Apple Watch. Many GPS watches can withstand temperates far lower — generally to -4 degrees Fahrenheit. If ambient temperatures or wild chill temperatures drop below your device’s operating range, take steps to insulate it from the cold.

Charge Your Phone Beforehand

Sounds obvious, but don’t forget to charge your phone before you head out the door. That extra cushion will help prevent the battery from draining immediately.

Change Your Phone Settings to Save Battery

Now that your phone is fully charged, you want to use up as little charge as possible while out in the backcountry. A few simple tricks can help preserve battery life:

Turn off location services in apps other than your navigation tool, such as Gaia GPS.
Make sure you have closed as many apps as possible.
Download maps ahead of time so your can operate your phone in airplane mode.
Keep your phone in low power mode.

You may want to consider not recording a track on these cold outings, since doing so uses battery life as well. Check out even more tips and tricks to save phone battery life in the backcountry.

Turn Your Phone Off

If you’re worried about battery, turn your phone off and keep it in a warm place near your body so that it is ready to power on and use when you need it to.

Consider Investing in a Smart Watch

If you plan on regularly checking your place on the map or reading and sending texts, you can also consider investing in a smart watch. A smart watch lets you navigate and communicate from your wrist, and you will still have your phone as a backup if needed.

Keep Your Phone Close and Covered

The real key to keeping your phone alive in cold weather comes with keeping it warm. Carry your phone in an interior jacket pocket close to your body, and try covering your smartwatch with a glove or jacket sleeve. That way, your body heat will keep the device warm and the garment’s insulation will block out the cold.

Note that a phone can interfere with an avalanche beacon’s ability to find a buried partner, and you should follow these so these precautions to minimize this interference:

Keep your phone at least eight inches away from your beacon.
Keep your phone in airplane mode if possible.
While conducting a search, extend your arm to bring your beacon about one and a half feet away from your electronic devices.

This interference mostly happens when beacons are in search mode. If you are the person your partner is trying to find, you should be fine. But you can keep your phone at least eight inches away from your beacon just to be safe.

Use an Insulating Case

You can go a step further and purchase a thermal case for your phone. The West Slope Case from Cold Case Gear uses aerogel insulation, the same material used to insulate space suits and space shuttles, to provide thermal, physical, and weather protection. An airtight magnetic closure also helps keep the cold weather out and makes the case 100% waterproof down to six feet.

Don’t want to shell out the extra bucks for a new case? A beer coozy works as a do-it-yourself alternative. Some people have success with tucking a hand warmer inside the coozy along with their phone.

Use your Phone Wisely and Sparingly

No matter how many measures you take to keep your phone warm while it’s not in use, they won’t do you much good if your phone gets cold while you’re using it. If you need to use your phone, turn your back to the wind and keep your phone tucked close to your body when viewing it in cold weather. Stop moving, and take your phone out for as little time as possible. Looking at your phone while skiing downhill, for example, exposes your phone to wind chill and cools it off much faster than still air.

How to Warm Up Your Phone if it Dies

A backcountry skier smiles while looking at her phone. She stands in front of a row of snow-covered coniferous trees.

Once your phone shuts off due to the cold, it will take a little extra time to work again. But there’s no need to worry. Your phone shutting off is simply its defense mechanism against extreme temps. Let your device warm up slowly. A slow thaw will help prevent condensation from building up in the battery, which could cause water damage.

If you really need to use your phone, you can ever so slightly expedite the warming process by placing your phone near (not directly on) a warm surface, such as the dash of your car once you turn the heat on. Do not place your phone in the oven, microwave, or on a hot plate. If you need to send a text or check your location while still in the field, try placing your phone next to your body. Your body heat will help warm your up device.

Finally, do not charge your phone until it has returned to a normal temperature. Charging your phone while it’s ice cold could permanently damage the battery. Warmer temps will usually restore normal battery life anyway.

A good rule of thumb to follow this winter: treat your phone like a part of your body. Make sure it’s protected from snow and moisture, and make sure it stays warm. That way, it’ll be there when you need it.

Michael Charboneau contributed to reporting.

January 25, 2022

two skiers on top of a snow ridge with mountains in the background

How to Avoid Another Deadly Avalanche Season

by Mary Cochenour January 21, 2022

written by Mary Cochenour

Avalanches killed 37 people in the U.S. last winter, making it the most deadly season in modern history. Why was 2020-2021 so dangerous and how can we avoid avalanches this winter? Get the answers to these burning questions in our new winter safety series, dropping on the Out and Back podcast today.

In this four-part series, avalanche forecasters expose the factors that played into last season’s tragic fatalities. Tune in to hear the details of one of the most chilling avalanche accidents in Utah’s history. Learn how seasoned ski mountaineers make the tough decision to turn around just shy of the summit. And get a crash course on how to read an avalanche forecast so you can be plan safer routes on your next tour.

Listen to all four binge-worthy episodes at once, or pick them up in a random order. However you listen — don’t delay. Each episode gives you real, actionable insights that you can put to use in your next winter adventure.

Get 40% Off Gaia GPS Premium

Episode 43: How Last Winter Became the Deadliest Avalanche Season of All Time

Last winter was nothing short of a perfect storm. A dangerously weak snowpack plagued the entire nation. At the same time, people were hungrier than ever for fresh air and fun. This deadly combination clouded people’s judgment and put them at greater risk, says Ethan Greene, Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

“Part of what we saw last year, I think, was that we were all living in a difficult environment,” Greene says. “And that made it hard going to the grocery store. It made it hard going to school. It made work hard. And when we had time away from those stresses and got to go into the mountains, it made making decisions in avalanche terrain difficult.”

*Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center Ethan Greene, PhD.*

The unusual circumstances also brought with it surprising demographics. Greene distills the statistics to tell us what age group, gender, and experience level was most at-risk for getting caught in an avalanche last year. Plus, Greene takes a look at they way conditions are stacking up for this season. Don’t get your hopes up. This season could be shaping up to be just as dangerous as the last.

Episode 44: Lessons from Utah’s Wilson Glade Avalanche

Last February, two separate backcountry ski parties headed out for what they thought was lower-angle, safer terrain in the Wilson Glade area of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. The avalanche risk was high that day, but the two parties were prepared. They studied the avalanche forecast, made conservative travel plans, and carried all the right safety gear into the mountains. But, precautions aside, the skiers were swept away in a colossal avalanche. Four of eight people died.

What went wrong?

Avalanche Forecaster Nikki Champion of the Utah Avalanche Center, investigated the accident. She gives her best insights on the lessons that can be gleaned from this tragic incident.

“I think this accident really hit home with a lot of backcountry users,” Champion says. “Because it was a lot of decisions that most of us could see ourselves making: being in lower-angle terrain, traveling one at a time, skiing the slope multiple times, and not seeing any obvious red flags in that area.”

Champion walks us through what we can learn from this tragic accident. Learn about how to spot and avoid connected terrain. She enlightens us on the dangers of uphill travel. Plus, hear how one survivor’s quick thinking and rescue skills saved the lives of others.

*Slope angles in the area of the Wilson Glade avalanche range from 40 degrees to 23 degrees.*

Episode 45: Avoiding Summit Fever with Ski Mountaineers Luke Smithwick and Iain Kuo

In the fall of 2021, ski mountaineers Luke Smithwick and Iain Kuo attempted an unsupported, first ski descent of the world’s seventh tallest peak — Mount Dhualagiri in Nepal. They spent weeks advancing to the mountain’s 26,705-foot summit, but high winds and increasing avalanche danger held them back from the top. After months of planning and training, Smithwick and Kuo were forced to retreat, leaving the ski record on the table for another day.

The decision to turn around didn’t come easy for Smithwick and Kuo. But sticking with an objective mindset helped them stave off summit fever. Their number one tip for making good decisions in the mountains? Erase any assumption of how things will play out.

“I have zero expectations going into the mountains,” Smithwick says. “I’m like, wow, the car started, we’re leaving town. Great. Let’s celebrate that. Okay guys, everyone celebrate.”

*Ski mountaineer Luke Smithwick on the shoulder of Mt. Dhualagiri — the world’s 7th highest peak. Photo by: Iain Kuo*

Smithwick and Kuo review their decision to turn around just shy of Dhualagiri’s unusually harsh and exposed summit. They check their decision-making process and their egos against the popular FACETS acronym that is widely taught in Avalanche 1 courses. Tune in to this conversation to learn where Smithwick and Kuo nailed the human factors, along with a few vulnerabilities that they have to constantly work to keep in check.

Episode 46: How to Read the Avalanche Forecast

Checking the avalanche forecast should be at the top of your safety checklist. It predicts the avalanche danger for your favorite zones and give you a heads up on worrisome problems within the snowpack. But how much stock can you really put into the daily avy forecast report?

US Forest Service Avalanche Expert Simon Trautman says avalanche forecasts should be your building block for planning a safe day in the backcountry. However, once your feet are on the snow, the forecast always takes a back seat to your observations in the field.

*US Forest Service Avalanche Specialist Simon Trautman* *of avalanche.org*

“The whole point behind the avalanche forecast is that they’re a starting point for your daily planning,” Trautman says. “But people need to understand that what they’re doing is providing an expert’s idea of a pattern that exists across the landscape.

“They’re great resources but it’s kind of like a weather forecast. If you get out there and it said no rain and it starts raining on you, you need to reassess and you need to figure out what that means for your plan that day. Do you just continue to have your picnic or do you change plans?”

Tune in as Trautman dissects the avalanche forecast into manageable sections. He teaches us the first things to look at and how to get the most out of the avalanche forecast when planning your next tour.

Episode 20: Avalanche Safety Tips with Bruce Tremper

If you need more ammo in your avalanche safety arsenal, go back and listen to Out and Back’s episode 20 with renown avalanche expert Bruce Tremper. Author of Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain and Avalanche Essentials, Tremper draws on his 30-plus year career in snow science to give us his masterful tips for avoiding avalanches. His advice is pretty simple: stick to low-angle terrain.

“Whenever there is uncertainty in the snowpack, the terrain is always the answer,” Tremper says. “You can cut your risk in half from going from 39 degrees down to 34 degrees. And you can cut your risk in half once again by going from 34 degrees down to 30 degrees. The handiest tool that you can use in all the world of avalanches is slope steepness.”

Learn Tremper’s low risk safety ritual and get some advice on what to do if the unthinkable happens and you get caught in an avalanche.

*Avalanche expert Bruce Tremper, author of the book “Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain”* *digs a snow pit in Utah’s remote backcountry.*

Episode 21: Buried Alive — Bruce Tremper Tells His Story

It’s almost impossible to grasp the power and force of avalanches, unless of course you’ve actually been caught in one. Avalanche expert Bruce Tremper brings us a little closer to that experience with his story about how he triggered — and was buried in — an avalanche in Montana. He describes the feeling of having the “rug pulled out” from under his skis, being swept down the steep mountain, and what it felt like when the avalanche finally roared to a stop. Go back to episode 21 of the Out and Back podcast to get the blow-by-blow from Tremper on how he survived the avalanche that should have killed him.

Tap into these Avalanche Safety Resources

Visit avalanche.org for safety resources and avalanche forecasts in your area.
Sign up for avalanche awareness and rescue courses with American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.
Watch the Know Before You Go video to get pumped about avalanche safety.

Consider donating to your local avalanche center so they can keep those avalanche forecasts coming your way!

January 21, 2022

desktop and iphone showing Trailforks in Gaia GPS.

Gaia GPS New Features New Maps

Discover Your Dream Ride with the Trailforks MTB Map

by Abby Levene January 13, 2022

written by Abby Levene

Trailforks’ coveted mountain bike trail database is now in Gaia GPS! The sum is greater than its parts: marrying Trailforks’ premier collection of trails with Gaia GPS’s world-class maps and tools unlocks new levels of two-wheeled adventure. Discover brand new routes, get the beta on trail conditions, and easily spy trails based on type and difficulty level with this new map overlay.

Trailforks, a trail management system, catalogs trail networks around the world. The crowd-sourced database and moderated site provides the most accurate and comprehensive trail data in the world. Trailforks community members can access all of this data both on the web and in the Trailforks app. And now you can get all 361,392 Trailforks mountain bike trails around the globe right in the Gaia GPS app and on gaiagps.com. This Trailforks MTB map layer is available with a Gaia GPS Premium or Gaia GPS Premium with Outside+ Membership.

While we’re stoked about this new map (even in winter!), we’re even more psyched about what it represents in our quest to make Gaia GPS even better for you. This collaboration with Trailforks is just the start of a bright future working with our sibling company as part of the Outside Interactive, Inc. network.

Global Coverage of the Best Mountain Bike Trails

Life for downhillers, endurance junkies, gravel enthusiasts, and bike commuters just got a whole lot better. The Trailforks MTB layer in Gaia GPS shows all 361,392 mountain bike trails on the Trailforks website and in the Trailforks app. If you’re familiar with Trailforks already, the Trailforks MTB map layer in Gaia GPS will look familiar:

Mountain bike trails pop out from the map, color-coded by difficulty. Easy trails are represented by green lines on the map. Intermediate trails are blue, and very difficult trails are black. Red and orange signify “double black diamond” and “extremely difficult & dangerous, pros only!”

Distinguish trails primarily used for mountain biking from those where mountain biking is permitted (but not the primary use) right on the map, represented by lines and dotted lines, respectively. Roads come in shades of purple, while double green lines show paved paths.

If you’re wondering what trail you’re on, just zoom in on the map. The trail name will appear right in line with the trail. Click or tap on a trail to get more information, including trail type, use (both primary use and all allowed uses), direction, and closure status. You can also see the trail direction and closure status directly on the map. Little arrows on the trail indicate which direction you can go, if only one direction is permitted. Red “x”s appear if the trail is currently closed.

Layer Trailforks MTB on Gaia Topo Lite for Optimal Visibility

Trailforks MTB is a trail overlay, meaning you need to pair it with a base map to see the underlying terrain. This gives you the ultimate freedom to let your map visualization dreams run wild. You can layer Trailforks MTB on any base map you like, including our suite of in-house topo maps, satellite imagery, and USFS maps.

We highly suggest pairing Trailforks MTB with Gaia Topo Lite. A slimmed-down version of our proprietary Gaia Topo map, Gaia Topo Lite is designed to pair with trail overlays like Trailforks MTB. Gaia Topo Lite takes advantage of the beautiful styling and efficient download sizes of our flagship Gaia Topo map. It simply contains fewer trail details, meaning the Trailforks trails really pop from the map for optimal visibility.

Gaia Topo Lite is available with a Premium or Outside+ membership, which also grant you access to Trailforks MTB and the ability to layer these and other maps together.

Adventure Further and Wiser with Trailforks MTB in Gaia GPS

Whether you’re lapping the resort, linking up trail systems, or simply looking for a new dirt route for your gravel bike, check out Trailforks MTB to tap into a whole new level of trail curation in Gaia GPS. Discover bike paths in new cities — they pop out in purple on the map. Find out whether that forest road you’ve always wanted to explore is maintained. Get beta on where to find the sweetest bike parks.

Take advantage of Gaia GPS’s world-class route planning tools to link up new trail systems or to plan the bikepacking trip of your dreams. Download the Trailforks MTB layer like any other Gaia GPS map so you can always find the trail, see where you are, and create plan B on the fly.

We’re Just Getting Started

We are proud to say that integrating Trailforks MTB trails into Gaia GPS is just the tip of the iceberg for great things to come between our two world-class apps. We know that many loyal Gaia GPS users also love using Trailforks for mountain biking. Trailforks now contains our proprietary map, Gaia Topo. So if you’re a mountain biker, hopefully we’ve simplified life just a little bit for you. Use just Gaia GPS, just Trailforks, or continue on with a combination of both — it’s totally up to you.

If you do enjoy using both Gaia GPS and Trailforks, you can get Gaia GPS Premium and Trailforks Pro (plus Outside TV and a suite of other awesome outdoor content) with an Outside+ membership. And if you’re eager to help Trailforks build out its trail systems for other activities, hop over there to get involved.

Trailforks MTB is Available with a Premium Membership

Add the Trailforks MTB map to your arsenal with a Gaia GPS Premium membership. Premium gives you access to our entire map catalog, including Gaia Topo and Gaia Topo Lite (perfect for pairing with Trailforks MTB). Scout out trail conditions with our recent satellite imagery maps, see where you can camp using the public and private lands maps, and get our extensive suite of weather maps, along with the rest of our deep map catalog. You can also download maps to avoid getting lost, and take advantage of our offline route planning tools so you can always re-route on the fly. Premium also lets you print maps so you have a paper backup.

You can also get Gaia GPS Premium, Trailforks Pro, and the brand-new Outside App with an Outside+ membership.

January 13, 2022

Richard and Ashley Giordano smiling in from of a road sign that says "Arctic Ocean"

Adventures Gaia GPS Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast Offroading User Profiles

How to Go From ‘Desk to Glory’ in 4 Months Flat

by Mary Cochenour January 12, 2022

written by Mary Cochenour

Ashley and Richard Giordano were the picture of success in 2013. The young couple had thriving careers, nice cars, and a comfortable apartment in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Despite the enviably appearances, burnout was brewing dangerously close to the surface. They needed a change.

That change came in the form a little red pickup truck that was collecting dust in Richard’s mom’s backyard.

“At the time, my mom and her husband had a plumbing business and their little run-around truck was this 1990 Toyota pickup, four cylinder, five speed, that was just beat on constantly,” Richard said. “But I saw that as the perfect foundation to start with.”

Four months later, the Giordanos moved into “Little Red” and left their city apartment and office jobs behind. Hence, the name “Desk to Glory” – the Giordano’s branded adventure that has taken them across international borders and into unfamiliar territory.

How did they make the lifestyle change in such a short time? Recognizing and acknowledging that you need a re-invention is the first and most difficult step, the Giordanos say on the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast.

“The hardest part for us was realizing that we needed to overhaul our lives and that whatever we were doing wasn’t working for us. But we realized we needed to change,” Ashley said. “The taking action part was actually easy after we had made the decision. I always say it’s like pulling yourself out of the Matrix.”

Their first trip took them to the tip of South America and back again. More recently, they ventured in the opposite direction and far north to the shores of the Arctic Ocean in the dead of winter. This fall, the couple explored Baja’s beautiful beaches and peninsula. Now they are in Saudi Arabia, reporting on the Dakar Rally for Expedition Portal.

While they seem to have jumped into this world traveling lifestyle with both feet, the Giordanos quest for full-time adventure started with fits and spurts. They enjoyed conventional vacations in the beginning, stringing together weeks off from work to take international vacations. Even on their trip to Patagonia, it took a while for them to fully break the shackles of 9-to-5 culture. At one point, Little Red had to be left behind in Costa Rica while the couple returned to Canada to work for a period of time.

Tune in to the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast to hear Ashley and Richard recount their steps from “Desk to Glory.” Host Wade May goes all in on this conversation that covers everything from extreme cold-weather bathroom tips to the evolution of the Giordanos’ iconic rig — Little Red.

Learn more about Desk to Glory and the Giordanos through their website, YouTube channel, and Instagram page. And if Richard and Ashley have inspired you to get out on the trail and camp more this year, whether it is a weekend trip to your local state park or an adventure across an international border, don’t forget to pick up Gaia GPS Premium to help you find your way.

Last Episode: Gaia GPS’s Best Overlanding Maps and Features of 2021

If you explored some epic trails in 2021, chances are you used Gaia GPS to get you there. But did you know that, while you were sipping camp coffee from your tailgate, the Gaia GPS crew was hard at work rolling out new maps and features? Tune in to episode 10 of the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast for a complete run down on the best new maps and features that the Gaia GPS team developed for overlanding in 2021. From 3D maps on the web to public tracks in the app, learn about the updates that will help you discover and navigate wild places this year.

January 12, 2022

Android App Updates Gaia GPS iOS New Features New Maps

Gaia GPS Year in Review: Best New Maps and Features of 2021

by Mary Cochenour December 28, 2021

written by Mary Cochenour

The pandemic roared on in 2021 but that didn’t stop the Gaia GPS community from exploring outside. Collectively, you all recorded more tracks and climbed more vertical than ever before. And it showed as the number of you navigating with Gaia GPS maps soared through the roof in 2021.

Whether climbing Colorado’s lofty 14ers or day hiking on your neighborhood trails, your drive to get outside inspired the Gaia GPS team to create nifty new maps and innovative features this year. From our brand new Gaia Winter map to offline snap-to-trail route planning, we hope our newest updates have made your adventuring a little bit easier and a whole lot safer.

Read on to learn more about Gaia GPS’s development highlights from 2021.

Navigate in Winter Mode with the Brand New Gaia Winter Map

This year, our in-house cartographers designed this frosty new base map specifically for your favorite winter activities. Ride the lifts, tour the backcountry, and explore nordic, fat bike, and snowshoe trails with confidence thanks to the all-new Gaia Winter topographic map.

The new Gaia Winter map is designed with a stronger emphasis on terrain, tree cover, and contours, making it easier than ever to navigate in an endless world of white. It’s special “winter” color palette pairs perfectly with other commonly used winter maps, such as the Avalanche Forecast and Slope Angle maps. Plus, see every run at the ski resort, along with nordic, snowshoe, fat bike, and uphill trails.

Just like our flagship Gaia Topo map, our new Gaia Winter map comes with industry-leading download efficiency. A tiny file size and lightning-quick download speeds let you save your entire state so you can always have a map on hand, even when you lose cell service. Whether you’re riding the lifts, sliding into the side country, or touring untouched terrain, bring Gaia Winter along with you so that you can always find your location in the thickest of tree glades and whiteout conditions. Available with a Gaia GPS Premium or Outside+ Membership.

Introducing Gaia GPS + Android Auto

Our users wanted Android Auto, and we heard you loud and clear! Gaia GPS now connects with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, bringing all of your favorite trail maps directly to your vehicle’s navigation screen. Now you can pull up MVUMs, satellite imagery, National Geographic Trails Illustrated, and more, all on the dash. View waypoints and follow turn-by-turn directions with any saved route on backcountry dirt roads and front-country pavement — worldwide. No cell service needed.

CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are available for free to anyone using the Gaia GPS app. However you will need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or Outside+ Membership to access the entire map catalog and to download maps for offline navigation.

Visualize the Landscape with 3D Maps on the Web

Scope out new terrain, plan perfect routes, or dream the day away discovering the world’s natural wonders in 3D mode on Gaia GPS. Every map in Gaia GPS can now be viewed in 3D mode on the web. Just click the 3D button on the bottom right side of the map screen, and watch the canyons plunge and the mountains pop into three dimensions that beg you to explore. Whether you’re backpacking, overlanding, or backcountry skiing, 3D maps will revolutionize the way you research and plan your next adventure.

Everyone can view a limited number of maps in 3D mode on the Gaia GPS website. However if you want to view our entire map catalog in 3D mode, you’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or Outside+ Membership. Premium Members and Outside+ Members have access to hundreds of maps, including National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps, high resolution satellite imagery, USGS quadrangle maps, worldwide topo maps, and more — all of which can be viewed in 3D mode on the web.

Discover Millions of New Routes with the New Public Tracks Overlay

Public tracks have long been visible on the Gaia GPS website. But this year, we added public tracks to the app, making it easier than ever to see if a route goes. The Public Tracks overlay shows the two million public tracks Gaia GPS users have recorded all over the world. Click on any green public track to see exactly where others have gone before you. Turn on this layer to discover new hiking routes, connect 4×4 roads, and plan backcountry trips with on-the-ground information.

Public Tracks also show you details of the trips recorded in this overlay. Discover who recorded the track, when they recorded it whether they were hiking, skiing, or driving in an offroad vehicle if they selected the activity type when they recorded the track. You can save any public track to your account and follow it on your own adventure.

Anyone can access public tracks in the app and on the web. But you’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership to download them for use in areas without cell service. Want to contribute to the database of public tracks? You can choose to make your tracks public and make them available for others to access, too.

Send Thousands of Trails Offroad Routes to Gaia GPS

Thanks to a brand new partnership with Trails Offroad you can now send thousands of detailed offroad trail guides directly to your Gaia GPS account. This integration brought to you in February of 2021 lets you reap all the benefits of Trails Offroad’s hand curated trail guides on Gaia GPS. On the Trails Offroad site, get difficulty ratings for each trail, campsite locations, and waypoints for those must-see viewpoints and attractions along the way. When you’ve found the perfect route, simply press a button to deliver the route in a neat little folder to your Gaia GPS account.

All you need to make this happen is a $25 Trails Offroad Membership plus a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or Outside+ Membership. Join both platforms today and get the best trail guides for your car camping adventures in 2022.

Plan Routes on the Fly with New Offline Snap-to-Trail Trip Planning Tool

Straight-line route creation is so 2020. Jump into 2021 with our brand new offline snap-to-trail route planning tool. This means you can now create accurate routes on the fly, modify your plans from the road, and see the exact distance to the end of the trip while on the trail — even when you don’t have cell service.

The gold standard for route planning, snap-to-trail mapping does all the heavy lifting for you. Choose your activity type and let our intelligent planning tool build the route in a matter of seconds. If you want to build a snap-to-trail route without cell service, just make sure you’ve downloaded the map and the offline routing data ahead of time. To access offline snap-to-trail planning and other offline navigation tools and maps, you’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership.

Avoid Wildfire Smoke with these New Smoke Forecast Maps

Nothing ruins an awesome weekend adventure like smoky, gray skies. Now you can steer clear of wildfire smoke with our new Smoke Forecast maps. Smoke Forecast (today), Smoke Forecast (24h), and Smoke Forecast (48h) give you a sense of smoke levels all over the continental US for today, tomorrow, and an entire weekend.

Whether you’re backpacking near a wildfire-ravaged area or overlanding thousands of miles away, get a quick and accurate sense of how much smoke blows over so you can circumvent the bad air and enjoy clear views. Access the Smoke Forecast maps with a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership.

Navigate Trails with Gaia GPS on your Apple Watch

Record a track, drop waypoints, and get turn-by-turn directions using Gaia GPS on your Apple Watch. In 2021, we totally redesigned the Gaia GPS Apple Watch app. Now you can turn your watch into a convenient backcountry navigation tool that works offline and independently of your phone. Use your Apple Watch to experience Gaia GPS’s signature navigation features even when you’re off the grid and far beyond the reach of cell service.

With Gaia GPS on your Apple Watch you can also collect trip details and health stats without having to interact with your phone. The watch will record your moving speed, elevation gain, distance travelled, and more when you use Gaia GPS to record your track. Gaia GPS also integrates with Apple Health to keep tabs on your heart rate, steps, and how many calories you burned on your latest adventure.

Whether heading out on a long trek or squeezing in an afternoon trail run, use your Apple Watch to navigate and record your adventure with Gaia GPS conveniently on your wrist. You’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership to navigate routes offline.

Gaia Topo: The World’s Best Adventure Map Got Even Better

Our cartographers rolled out a whole new version of our flagship map Gaia Topo, chock-full of ground-breaking updates. Gaia Topo now includes more than 150,000 miles of additional National Forest 4×4 roads and trails, brand new worldwide tree cover and relief shading, and point-to-point mileage markers that show distances between trail segments. Dovetailed with a complete overhaul to the map’s style and design, these improvements make Gaia Topo the best map for planning and navigating on your next backcountry adventure.

Best of all, these updates won’t compromise Gaia Topo’s bedrock feature — downloading efficiency. You can expect the same industry-leading download speeds and tiny sizes that you’re used to seeing from Gaia Topo’s revolutionary design. Whether you’re overlanding across multiple states, sightseeing in a vast national park, or backpacking across hundreds of miles of wilderness, you can still download one huge section of the Gaia Topo map to cover your entire journey.

Everyone can access Gaia Topo on the web and in the app. But you’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership to download Gaia Topo for offline navigation in areas without cell service.

Discover Old Homesteads and Ghost Towns with our New Historical Topo Maps

Unlock the mystery of the past with our suite of historical topo maps in Gaia GPS. In 2021, we added the official USGS topographic maps from 1895 through 1990 so you can scout for old homesteads and find little known ghost towns by studying these old , historic maps. You’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership to access our entire collection of historic topo maps.

You can also go deeper into the history of an area by viewing the Native Lands map. Available for free in the Gaia GPS app and web map, the Native Lands map marks traditional Indigenous territories across the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and, increasingly, worldwide. Learn more about the past, present, and future of Indigenous territories while planning a trip to a new area or adventuring near your backyard.

Gaia GPS Joined Forces with Outside in 2021

Perhaps the biggest news of the year is that Gaia GPS joined the Outside family in February 2021! This match made in heaven combines Gaia GPS’s best backcountry navigation features with leading outdoor journalism from our award-winning titles like Outside magazine, BACKPACKER, Trail Runner, SKI, Climbing, and more. Plus, our Outside+ membership get you unlimited access to adventure films from Outside TV and the complete Warren Miller collection.

What does this mean as a Gaia GPS user? You can continue to use Gaia GPS just as you are now. Or you can access all the benefits of Gaia GPS Premium and Outside+ in one membership. Compare membership plans to decide which one works best for you.

December 28, 2021

Gaia GPS Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast Out and Back Podcast

The Best Advice We Received in 2021

by Abby Levene December 26, 2021

written by Abby Levene

As the world remained in flux, the Out and Back podcast continued bringing you the best advice, insight, and thrilling tales from the backcountry. Hosts Shanty, Mary, and Abby delved into the worlds of wildfire management and avalanche forecasting. They dissected thru-hiking’s deepest secrets, and even explored the mysterious connection between owls and UFOs.

Thank you, dear listeners, for embarking on this journey into the inner recesses of adventurers and experts’ minds with us. To ring out Out and Back’s second year, we’ve rounded up the top performing episodes — and top pieces of advice — from 2021. They include how to train for high altitude expeditions in the city to finding the absolute best cup of backcountry coffee.

Don’t see your favorite episode on this list? Drop us a review on iTunes or a message on Instagram to let us know what it was! We’d also love to hear what you’d like to learn about in 2022. And if you’re eager for more Out and Back content, check out our roundup of the best episodes from 2020.

Get 40% Off Gaia GPS Premium

How to Train for Hiking Season with Backcountry Fitness

How can you train for backcountry adventures from the city…during a pandemic? Billy Gawron of aptly named Backcountry Fitness is here with answers. A personal trainer, Gawron expertly trains himself and his clients for high altitude objectives, backpacking trips, and all-around hiking fitness from his hometown of Boston, MA. No mountains and no gym membership required.

Gawron equates getting in shape to building a house. You have to start with the foundation.

“If you try to build a house on top of a really crappy foundation, the house is not gonna last very long,” Billy says. “So you want to make sure that you solidify not only your core stability, but your stability around all your joints.”

Gawron shares the number one thing we should all start working on right now and gives us the key to balancing strength work with endurance training. He breaks down some pervasive myths about training, including if you actually need to train at all. He also answers the most pressing hiker questions, like how to train your feet and ankles to withstand long days with a heavy pack, how to prevent pesky and debilitating knee pain, and how to prepare for altitude while at sea level.

If you’re dreaming up some big plans for the summer, you won’t want to miss this episode.

Thru-Hiking Secrets with Halfway Anywhere

A self-proclaimed random guy on the internet, Mac of Halfway Anywhere and his famous PCT and CDT thru-hiker surveys have turned him into a hiker legend.

In this episode of Out and Back, Mac, who has thru-hiked the PCT and CDT himself, weaves his eight years of PCT and CDT survey data together with his first hand observations to illuminate key pain points along the trails, how much a thru-hike will really cost you, and how these long trails have evolved over the past decade. Hint: he doesn’t think it’s all been for the better. Mac dishes his controversial view of trail angels and trail magic. Plus, Mac spills the tea on the key reasons hikers quit the trail.

“Money is a big factor that sneaks up on people,” Mac says. “They don’t realize it is going to be as big of an issue as it ends up being.

Mac has not thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and does not conduct an AT survey. In fact, Mac swears he will never hike the east’s longest trail. Tune in to this episode to hear AT thru-hike veteran Shanty try and change his mind.

Backcountry Coffee with the Pros

Coffee is life for many of us. It’s our morning ritual, a jolt that shakes us out of the afternoon doldrums, and a pick-me-up when we need to burn the midnight oil. But in the backcountry, brewing the perfect cup can be complicated. A pour-over leaves you with messy grounds to haul out, and instant coffee often falls short on taste. We turned to some of our favorite professional hikers — Heather “Anish” Anderson, the Hiking Viking, Adventure Alan Dixon, and Liz “Snorkel” Thomas — to unmask the secrets to brewing the best cup of coffee in camp.

Turns out their methods for making coffee on trail are as wild and varied as their personalities. Learn how Anish found a food coffee substitute on her record-breaking AT thru-hike. Get Hiking Viking’s hilarious take on why fast and cheap coffee is his pro move. Get Adventure Alan’s superior backcountry brew setup, and find out the results to Snorkel’s scientific, blind study on 14 brands of instant coffee by tuning into this episode.

Amanda Monthei on Life with Fire

Amanda smiles for the camera in a hardhat.

Former wildland firefighter Amanda Monthei lifts up the curtain on fire management and misperceptions on this episode of the Out and Back podcast. Armed with four years of experience working on engine and hotshot crews in Idaho and Oregon as well as her experience as a wildfire Public Information Officer, Monthei unearths why wildfire seasons seem to escalate in duration and severity year after year.

“You can’t just exist superficially within the landscape,” Amanda says. “You have to be an active member of it. We’ve been suppressing fire for too long. We need to like recognize that fire very much belongs in these places.”

Monthei explains why wildfires remain vital for ecosystem health, and how humans misunderstand this life force. She gets into the history of wildfire management in the U.S. and how we’ve primed conditions for fires of unprecedented scope. Amanda dives into what we can learn from indigenous fire management practices, and how we can better coexist with fire going forward.

Learn how you can make the most of new life teeming in burn scars, and how you can fold fire into your life on this episode.

How to Avoid Another Deadly Avalanche Season

Listen to all four binge-worthy episodes at once, or pick them up in a random order. Tune into the Winter Safety Series here.

Bonus: Top 5 Episodes of the Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast

We also started a brand new podcast for overlanders this year! The Gaia GPS Offroad podcast brings you conversations with experienced offroaders and overlanders from around the world. Listen in as host, fighter jet pilot, and experienced overlander Wade May dives deep under the hood with experts in the field. International travelers and backyard explorers alike transport you to their most harrowing encounters, biggest lessons, and most epic adventures on the trail.

Here are the top five episodes from the podcast’s inaugural year. Let us know what you think by dropping us a line on Instagram or by leaving us a review on iTunes!

Casey Kaiser: Jeep on Fire
Casey Kaiser was on a solo trip in Eastern Oregon’s remote backcountry when all of the sudden his yellow Jeep Wrangler burst into flames. Tune in to hear the harrowing story.

Mountain State Overland: The Perfect Build
Building out your dream overlanding vehicle can be an overwhelming task, leaving you in a state of “analysis by paralysis.” But don’t worry, Jason Specht of Mountain State Overland is here to help. Jason recently built out a Toyota Tacoma and a couple of 4Runners. He walks us through what he learned from that process and how to dump your hard earned cash into the upgrades you need instead of the upgrades you want.

Dirt Sunrise: Offroad Recovery Gear
Tim and Kelsey Huber of Dirt Sunrise Adventures quit their jobs a few years ago and sold almost everything they own to pursue overland travel on a full-time basis. Their first major adventure took them to South America on the Pan-American Trail. After two years plus on the road, Dirt Sunrise is back in the states and ready to talk about their adventures abroad.

Marco Hernandez: Camp Cooking with Ovrlndx
Is overlanding really just eating your way through the beautiful places in the backcountry? Marco Hernandez of Ovrlndx discusses everything camp cooking. Author of The Overland Cook, Hernandez is best known for his spicy hot, south-of-the-border cuisine. Everything from his traditional birria tacos to fresh, homemade salsa, Marco delivers his best tips for gourmet cooking from the back of the Jeep.

The Rimrocker Trail with Trails Offroad
John Lumia of Trails Offroad gives us a complete report of the Rimrocker Trail, a classic route in America’s southwest. Lumia gives away all the trail’s little secrets, including the best time to go, trail ratings, and things to see along the way. Tune in to get all the details you need to make a successful run on the Rimrocker — even if it’s your first time overlanding.

December 26, 2021

A Toyota 4Runner pulling a camping trailer driving down a dirt road with desert mountains in the background

Gaia GPS Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast New Features New Maps Offroading

Gaia GPS’s Best New Overlanding Maps and Features of 2021

by Mary Cochenour December 23, 2021

written by Mary Cochenour

If you rode some epic trails in 2021, chances are you used Gaia GPS to get you there. But did you know that, while you were sipping camp coffee from your tailgate, the Gaia GPS crew was hard at work rolling out new maps and features? In 2021, Gaia GPS added stacks of new maps and innovative features to help overlanders discover and navigate away from the crowds.

“My technique [for planning trips] kind of changes all the time because I just keep discovering new things and utilizing different features,” says Wade May, host of the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast and long-time Gaia GPS user. “I mean, 2021 has been a pretty big year for Gaia, rolling out some new features that are going to be great for offroaders and overlanders.”

Read on to get the details of Wade’s interview with Chris Kracht of 4X Overland Adventures and Matt McClellan of Ozark Overland Adventures about their favorite new maps and features of the year.

Ozark Overland Adventures’ Matt McClellan getting a little off-camber in his Jeep Gladiator.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Integration with Gaia GPS

The most prominent development of 2021 was the integration of Android Auto in July. Gaia GPS synced with Apple CarPlay in February 2020, and Android users demanded the same. When third-party app integration opened up on Android Auto, Gaia GPS’s dev team pounced at the opportunity. Now, offroaders and overlanders can put Gaia GPS’s quality and custom maps right on the dash.

Matt McClellan of Ozark Overland Adventures just got a 2021 Jeep Gladiator, and he uses CarPlay in tandem with his phone to get two viewpoints on the dashboard.

“I can have a wide view of the whole area on my CarPlay screen and then on my phone I can zoom in to where I am … I love it,” McClelland explains on the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast.

Chris Kracht of 4X Overland Adventures taking the desert by storm in his Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Find New Routes with Trails Offroad in Gaia GPS

Looking to put those perfect trails on your rig’s dashboard navigation screen? You’re in luck because in 2021, Gaia GPS also integrated with Trails Offroad — the maker of thousands of highly-detailed curated trail guides in North America. Maybe the most prized new feature of 2021, this partnership lets you push any Trails Offroad route and way points directly to your Gaia GPS account with a simple push of a button.

Chris Kracht of 4X Overland Adventures says he uses Trails Offroad when he’s headed to a new area. “Trails Offroad is fantastic. I’ll use it a lot if I’m in an area that I haven’t had time to research,” Kracht says.

Public Tracks, 3D Maps, and a Handy New Feature that Hasn’t Been Announced Yet

Gaia GPS also rolled out 3D maps, public tracks in the app, and offline snap-to-trail routing in 2021. Plus, there’s a plethora of useful new maps, including National Geographic’s Sawtooth and Sun Valley maps, brand new smoke forecasts, and a heap of updates to Gaia Topo — our most detailed, updated, and nimble map for downloading.

Tune in to Episode 10 of the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast to hear Wade, Chris, and Matt riff on all the best new features that Gaia GPS put out this year and how these experienced overlanders used them in their trips — big and small. Plus, Wade spills the beans on a novel, not-yet-announced feature in Gaia Topo that is bound to make camp reservations a snap.

It’s easy to get in a rut with the way you plan and navigate, but these updates make it easy for you to access our new maps and tools on your next adventure. Tune in to this snappy episode to get all the details. Plus, learn more about how to use Gaia GPS on the Ozark Overland Adventures YouTune channel. And get overlanding tips and tricks from Chris at 4XOA.

December 23, 2021

Luc Mehl skates across the Arctic Circle on a frozen lake, a colorful orange sunset in the background

Adventures Gaia GPS User Profiles

The Art of Expedition Ice Skating with Luc Mehl

by Mary Cochenour December 16, 2021

written by Mary Cochenour

Leave it to Alaskan adventurer Luc Mehl to turn something as graceful and elegant as ice skating into a wilderness expedition.

In the dwindling November light last year, Mehl and outdoor partner Greg Mills set out on a long-distance ice skating route along the Arctic Circle in Alaska. They logged some 125 miles over four days across a frozen river, lake, and seashore, linking together the remote villages of Selawik and Kotzebue on Iñupiaq land in the far northwest region of the state.

“I didn’t grow up skating; I’m not a hockey player,” said Mehl, who’s traveled more than 10,000 miles of Alaskan backcountry on foot, kayak, pack raft, and skis. “I started skating because I was looking for something to do in the off-season between backpacking in the summer and backcountry skiing in the winter.

“Fall is the perfect time for skating because it’s really cold outside, all the lakes are frozen, and it hasn’t snowed yet.”

With smooth ice and a consistent tailwind, the pair skated some 75 miles within a single 24-hour period — proving that ice skating is one of the most efficient methods of backcountry travel when conditions line up perfectly.

Greg Mills skating on a frozen Selawik Lake in northern Alaska, with a low sun off in the distance on the horizon. — Smooth skating in midday November sun along the Arctic Circle.

Wild Skating

Mehl calls this “expedition ice skating,“ which is a more intense rendition of the growing sport of backcountry skating or wild skating that has become popular in northern climates around the world. In frigid places like Alaska, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and the northern zones of the United States, people are skating across icy lakes and rivers to reach more desolate backcountry — a winter version of a summer day hike.

Before the snow settles in, Mehl uses wild skating as another way to move through the mountains on multi-day routes.

Greg Mills in his ice skates wearing a backpack, standing on cracked ice in Alaska. A beautiful pastel sunset behind him. — Greg Mills on a section of rough ice.

“Going from a day trip to a multi-day trip on skates is a big jump in exposure,” Mehl said, adding that skating requires extremely cold weather, no snow on the ground or in the forecast, and long stretches of smooth ice. A successful trip takes diligent planning to find both good ice and a weather window without snow on the way.

The 41-year-old started wild skating just five years ago on the frozen lakes around his home in Anchorage. A few classic day trips in the nearby Nancy Lake State Recreation Area gave Mehl the taste of efficiency and speed that ice skating can bring to wilderness travel. He turned those day trips up a notch and added multi-day trips, skating some 40 miles of a 60-mile loop in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, followed by a 150-mile mixed skating and hiking route from Bethel to Goodnews Bay, Alaska.

Last fall, in the seasonal doldrums between backpacking and skiing, Mehl started looking for another skating expedition. But this time he wanted a route with fewer hiking miles and as much ice as possible. Checking out the maps, Kotzebue caught his eye.

A map of Alaska with Anchorage and Kotzebue marked for reference.

“Having been up there before, I knew the potential for good quality ice — it’s a large body of water, it’s above the Arctic Circle, and it freezes early,” Mehl said.

Selawik to Kotzebue became the objective.

A map showing Mehl and Mills' 125-mile route between Selawik and Kotzebue.

Selawik to Kotzebue: Planning for Perfect Conditions

Mehl began his usual backcountry planning process. He scoured the internet for information for trip reports and public tracks recorded on Gaia GPS but found none. He checked in with local bush pilots about ice conditions they saw from the air.

“Getting information becomes increasingly more difficult the more remote you go and you have to get creative,” Mehl said. “At one point, I called the village school in Buckland, which is near Selawik, and asked them if the lake was frozen.”

A GIS data scientist by education and career, Mehl turned to sophisticated, near-in-time satellite imagery to find the smoothest ice possible. Two satellite imagery sources — Sentinel Hub Playground and Sentinel Hub EO Browser — showed tails and polygons of black, smooth ice between sections of rough, wind-affected ice on the lake. Mehl marked the smooth ice with waypoints and then imported them into Gaia GPS, creating a near-perfect skating lane from Selawik to Kotzebue.

“We called these the carpool lanes,” Mehl said.

A swath of smooth ice between areas of rough ice, that the pair called the carpool lane. In the distance is flat land and a twilight sky. — The “carpool lane” that Mehl scouted ahead of time using satellite imagery and then imported the location data to Gaia GPS to create a smooth skating route from Selawik to Kotzebue.

“This was a really novel way to use Gaia GPS, and it worked beautifully,” Mehl said. “It kept us skating on the smoothest ice possible.”

After creating and saving th e rout e on Gaia GP S, Mehl watched the weather and confirmed no new snow in the immediate forecast. In a now-or-never moment, Mehl knew he had to go before Alaska’s fickle weather betrayed his plan.

“I called Greg at 6 p.m. and less than twelve hours later we were on a flight from Anchorage to Kotzebue,” Mehl said, adding that he needed a partner with a wide range of backcountry experience. “In ice skating, I pretty much draw on every backcountry skill I have.”

Gear for Expedition Ice Skating

Nordic skates, as they’re called, don’t compare to the speedy skates at the ice rink. Their crudely fabricated metal blades are thick and long enough to extend beyond the toe and heel of the foot to provide additional fore-aft stability. A cross country or backcountry ski binding can be mounted on the skate’s frame. This design adds versatility, allowing the user to easily switch to ski travel when snow piles up. Nordic skates, without the bindings, cost about $100 to $150, depending on the brand.

Wild skaters carry unique rescue gear: a “throw bag” rope and an ice anchor that can be used to rescue someone who has fallen through the ice.

Rescue gear for iceskating in the wild: a throw bag, an ice anchor. Also, two pairs of nordic skates with ski bindings mounted on them . — Nordic skates mounted with ski bindings and Mehl’s rescue gear.

Overnight skating trips require a complete winter camping kit, including a cold weather tent, sleeping bag, and winter clothes. Mehl usually packs skis to change into in the event a snowstorm sets in and covers the ice. Ski poles provide extra stability when the ice is rough, but Mehl packs them away on smooth ice, so he can skate with his arms free. A paper map, compass, and a planned, saved route on Gaia GPS are key to a successful trip, Mehl said.

The take away: multi-day, expedition-style ice skating requires extra gear and ultimately results in a heavy pack.

Selawik to Kotzebue

Scrambling to take advantage of the ideal conditions, Mehl and Mills arrived in the coastal village of Kotzebue and quickly caught a smaller plane to Selawik to start the trip. Weather conditions looked so favorable that they sent their skis back on the plane, trusting that they’d be able to walk out without skis even if a fluke snowstorm blasted the ice and ruined the skating.

The trip started with 12 miles of skating on rough ice on the Selawik River before reaching Selawik Lake, the third largest lake in Alaska. A moderate tailwind pushed them forward, past a herd of Caribou, and toward their final destination of Kotzebue, over 100 miles away.

A close up shot of Greg Mills on the tundra near Kotzebue. Mills is wearing his backpack and looking off in the distance. — Greg Mills on the stretch before Kotzebue.

They crossed the Arctic Circle three times. Where, at 66.5 degrees north of the equator, winter equinox brings only twilight with the sun failing to rise above the horizon. In November, a month before the shortest daylight of the year, the sun pushed its way above Selawik Lake, staying low as if in a state of perpetual sunset.

Complete darkness set in at 5:30 pm., yet Mehl and Mills continued to skate. Under the dim light from headlamps, the pair glided across the lake, listening for the unmistakable tinny sound of their skates slicing across the smooth ice to confirm that they kept their course on “the carpool lane.”

The miles came easy. With the wind at their back, they skated an average of 10 miles per hour and easily ticked off 95 miles within a single overnight period.

“It made me feel as though we were getting away with something; the conditions were perfect and the trip far exceeded any expectation I had,” Mehl said, noting that he and Mills were prepared to turn around if the route became impassable.

Decision Point

The toe of Selawik Lake constricts and flows into the Hotham Inlet — an ocean bay that lies east of the Kotzebue village. Mehl and Mills continued skating along the long inlet until reaching a decision point: take the ice all the way to the village, adding some 50 miles of skating, or cross the tundra on the thin land peninsula to the west and skate into the village on the frozen seashore.

Mills walking along a frozen sea shore, with undulating rough ice. — Mills walking along the frozen seashore.

Mehl had never skated on sea ice and the novelty drew the pair to the coast. Different than the smooth skating lanes on the lake, the ice along the beach was thin and intermittent. On day four with evening approaching, Mehl and Mills alternated walking and skating along the beach but found a good swath of ice that led into the village. They clicked into their skates one last time and glided the last few miles into town, changed into tennis shoes, and stuffed their faces with burgers.

Feeling content with the success of their ice skating expedition, Mehl and Mills contemplated their next move.

A portrait of Mehl taken near his home in Anchorage, Alaska. He is looking directly at the camera. — Luc Mehl near his home in Anchorage, Alaska.

“The only thing we left on the table was the option to skate those additional 50 miles on the inlet,“ Mehl said. ”I’d like to go back one day and take that option.“

Read more about Luc Mehl’s Arctic Circle expedition skate trip and other Alaskan adventures on his blog or watch his video.
Watch Luc Mehl’s t utorials about how to use Gaia GPS.
Learn how Luc Mehl transfers satellite imagery to Gaia GPS.
Follow Luc Mehl’s adventures on Instagram.

December 16, 2021

Bruce examines the snowpack in a forest.

Gaia GPS Out and Back Podcast

Avalanche Safety with Snow Science Expert Bruce Tremper

by Mary Cochenour November 30, 2021

written by Mary Cochenour

Photo by Jim Harris

Backcountry skiing and riding can be both tempting and intimidating. On one hand, the allure of unlimited, untouched powder quickly draws you in. On the other hand, the sobering threat of deadly avalanches forces you to pump the brakes. When you can’t trust the snowpack, experts say your best bet is to seek out safer, less-avalanche prone terrain.

How do you do that? The answer lies in slope steepness, says Bruce Tremper, author of Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain and Avalanche Essentials. Opting for mellow tree runs over steep backcountry bowls and couloirs can reduce your risk of getting caught and buried in an avalanche.

Bruce writes in a notebook while examining the snowpack in a deep snowfield. His shovel and skis are just visible in the bottom of the photo.

How a Close Call Led Bruce Tremper to a Career in Avalanche Forecasting

Tremper’s advice comes from a first-hand mistake that sent him rocketing down a slope in an early-season avalanche at Bridger Bowl, Montana. A pro ski patroller at the time, Tremper was crossing a known avalanche path when the whole chute cut loose under his feet. The slide swept Tremper down the mountain and rumbled to a stop. He survived without physical injury, but the close call made an indelible mark on his life.

“That was a huge wake-up call for me,” Tremper says. “That thing really should have killed me. It changed my life and I went ‘whoa, I want to learn as much as I can about avalanches’.”

Experiencing the power of that avalanche sparked Tremper’s lifelong interest in snow science and spawned his more than 30-year career in avalanche forecasting. He studied science of avalanches at Montana State University, where he earned a Master’s degree in Geology and Meteorology. Tremper then tested his knowledge on the snow safety teams at Bridger Bowl and Big Sky ski resorts before shifting into forecasting, first working for the Alaska Avalanche Center and filling the director’s chair at the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center. He served as the director of the Utah Avalanche Center for 29 years, retiring in 2015 to pursue more avalanche forecasting and safety roles on his own terms.

“I love avalanches,” Tremper says. “Avalanches will never let me go.”

Bruce sits in front of a row of computer screens. — Photo by Adam Clark

Avalanche Safety Tips and the Low Risk Travel Ritual

Predicting avalanche behavior naturally led Tremper to studying and teaching avalanche awareness and safety techniques. His books on the topic have become required text for many avalanche safety courses. Tremper advocates for everyone to develop a personal routine, a practice that you put into play every time you venture into the backcountry. Tremper calls it the “low risk travel ritual” and it should be so familiar that the routine comes automatically to you.

Get all the details on Tremper’s “low risk travel ritual” in Episode 20 of the Out and Back podcast. Tremper uncovers his personal routine for safety, beginning with checking gear and avalanche forecasts before he leaves home. Learn about the observations he makes on the drive to the trailhead, and his tenets for safe backcountry travel when he finally puts skis on his feet. Tremper dissolves avalanche myths, talks about the magic of picking a perfect partner, and dishes the low down on what to do if you get caught in an avalanche.

After you listen to Tremper’s safety tips in episode 20 continue on to episode 21 of the Out and Back podcast to get Tremper’s personal story of what it felt like to be swept away in avalanche and how that close call drew him in to becoming one of the world’s leading experts in avalanche science and forecasting.

To reap more of Tremper’s wisdom check out his books, Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, Avalanche Essentials, and Avalanche Pocket Guide (Mountaineers Books). Learn more about avalanche safety at avalanche.org. Find and sign up for an avalanche education class with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.

November 30, 2021

Someone holds their phone out infront of snow-capped mountains.

Gaia GPS How-To

How to Find Your Location Without Cell Service

by Abby Levene November 21, 2021

written by Abby Levene

You’re on an adventure having the time of your life, until all of a sudden you’re lost. You can’t find the trail, and you don’t have cell service. Whether you’re hiking, offroading, running, or biking, we’ve all experienced that moment of panic. In fact, that’s a large reason why Gaia GPS was born.

Don’t worry, Gaia GPS has a feature to save you from hours of frantically trying to retrace your steps in vein. In fact, you can find out where you are in seconds, even when you can’t get a cell signal. All you have to do is pull out your phone, open Gaia GPS, and locate yourself on the map. Here’s how to do it.

Plan Ahead — Download Maps for Offline use

In order to locate yourself on the map, there is one catch. You must have your maps downloaded for offline use. Thankfully, downloading a map is easy to do. You just need a Premium Membership. Then you can download maps for the entire region that you’re traveling to, or even an entire state.

Pro tip: Before you leave the trailhead, start recording your tracks so you leave a bread-crumb trail of your steps right on the map. That way you can always retrace your steps and find your way back.

Locate Yourself on the Map

Lost and have no clue where you are? Find yourself on the map in seconds thanks to the “Locate” icon. Simply open the Gaia GPS app, and tap the circular icon with the four compass points in the very center of the top toolbar in the app. The arrow icon (called the “Map Arrow”) now shows your exact position on the map. Zoom in or out and pan around the map to get a better sense of your bearings.

Pro tip: You can quickly see how far away you are from the trail or the trailhead. Simply tap your desired destination on the map, and a drawer will pop up on the bottom of the screen showing the distance to it.

Navigate Your Way Back

Once you’ve located where you are on the map, you can use Gaia GPS to find your way back to familiar ground. If you are recording your tracks, hold your phone out in front of you and turn your body until the map arrow points in the direction of your breadcrumb trail. Start walking along your recorded track and your arrow should move right along with you.

If you’re not recording your tracks, don’t despair. Examine the map to find the trail, trailhead, or a particular feature on the map you’d like to reach. Once you’ve pinpointed your destination, you can even drop a waypoint onto the map for easy reference. Using the map arrow as a guide, work your way back.

Unlock the Backcountry with a Premium Membership

Stay found on your adventures with a Gaia GPS Premium membership. Access the map even when your phone is completely offline and in airplane mode so you can locate yourself on the map, create routes, create and edit waypoints to mark important spots like campsites and water sources, and record tracks and follow them back.

A Premium Membership also gives you access to Gaia GPS’s entire map catalog. Download hundreds of maps, including National Geographic Trails Illustrated, high-resolution satellite maps, weather overlays, and government-issued topo maps like USFS topo, all the USGS quad maps, and MVUMs.

November 21, 2021

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