Sonya and Necota Staples got so caught up in the business of living that they drifted apart. With their marriage teetering on the breaking point, they tried something new. They went camping together. That one trip changed the trajectory of their lives. Tune into this special Valentine’s Day episode of the Out and Back podcast to learn how camping, overlanding, and connecting with nature allowed the Staples to connect with each other.

Winter hiking offers the ability to test out new skills, push your physical limits, and experience the beauty of a snowy landscape. But the same things that make winter hiking wonderful, can also make it more dangerous. Read our winter hiking safety guide to learn about winter hazards and how to pack for a snow-bound excursion.

When you think of the Himalayas, images of Everest and K2 probably come to mind. But scaling those formidable peaks only scratches the surface of what the region has to offer. Ski mountaineer Luke Smithwick has made it his goal to ski 500 beautiful and iconic backcountry lines in the world’s highest and most expansive mountain range. Tune in to the Out and Back podcast to learn why Smithwick thinks Himalayan backcountry skiing is worth a trip halfway around the world.

See how your hometown has changed, search for undiscovered historic sites, or turn any hike into a walk through history with two historic topo maps. Historic Topo 1900 and Historic Topo 1930 bring digitized archival maps from 1885-1930 to your Gaia GPS account. Enjoy more coverage of the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, as well as higher image quality, thanks to fresh updates to these layers.

Get official, up-to-date avalanche forecasts directly from the map on your phone. Simply pair the Avalanche Forecast layer with your favorite map to get the color-coded North American Avalanche Danger scale for your region. Whether you’re skiing couloirs or snowmobiling the back bowls, add this must-have feature to your avalanche safety toolkit. Read more about the Avalanche Forecast layer.

Big Mountain skier Sophia Schwartz teams up the Sean McCoy, the editorial director of GearJunkie, to highlight their favorite backcountry ski gear this year. Tune in to learn more about avalanche airbags, beacons, climbing skins, and more.

The new sidebar on gaiagps.com puts all of your map data at your finger tips. Whether you’re building a new route, reviewing a trip, or exploring a new area, get a detailed snapshot of the item in a new information-rich sidebar next to the map. Start expanding your knowledge about nearby trails, recorded tracks, waypoints, and POIs with just one click.

Growing up as a Black girl in NJ, Angelou Ezeilo felt like she couldn’t work in conservation or the outdoors because she didn’t see others who looked like her in those fields. Now she’s on a mission empower youth from diverse backgrounds to enter this space. Ezeilo founded Greening Youth Foundation, an international non-profit that connects under-represented youth with nature and enables them to pursue careers in the outdoors. Learn how Ezeilo’s own life experience led her to create this award-winning nonprofit.

Who said cycling is seasonal? Fat biking lets you explore winter wonderland while staying warm. And if you can ride a bike, you can ride a fat bike over snow. Learn what this sport is all about, where to go, and how to fat bike like a pro.

Identify avalanche terrain quicker and easier this winter with the new Slope Angle – Avalanche map. Designed in-house, this map expands our coverage globally and integrates high-resolution data to help make picking out steep slopes on the map a snap. Add the new slope angle layer to your favorite base map to help plan a safer route through the snow-bound backcountry.

The transition from resort skiing to the backcountry can seem daunting, but you no longer have to go it alone. Bluebird Backcountry ski area is a totally new concept that is designed to mentor backcountry skiers through the steep learning curve of winter travel in the mountains. Tune into this conversation with Bluebird Backcountry co-founder Erik Lambert to discover why this brand new ski area without lifts is so hot this year.

As Gaia GPS members turned to the outdoors like never before, the Gaia GPS team buckled down to make adventuring smoother and safer. Take a look at the best Gaia GPS updates of 2020. From Apple CarPlay integration, to polishing the cornerstone Gaia Topo, to a long list of new maps and updates, Gaia GPS upgrades bring you the best backcountry navigation.