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Contents / March 2014 Skills 34 THE HIKERS’ HANDBOOK Want to improve your next trek, guaranteed? Master these key skills for hiking, climbing, and camping in comfort. Plus: Fix the balkiest zipper and prep your gear for summer. Survival 40 OUT ALIVE TRAPPED ON A LEDGE After his brother dies in a canyoneering accident in Utah, a hiker has to overcome cold, thirst, and grief until help arrives. 42 TROUBLESHOOT THIS CROSSING A SNOW- FIELD WITHOUT GEAR If a snow slope separates you from safety and there’s no way around, follow these steps to navigate it safely. 43 SURVIVAL LAB SPLINTS Treat backcountry breaks and sprains using the gear you already have—and a lot of improvisation. Gear 44 MINI TABLETS Phones are too small, tablets are too big. When it comes to supercharging your trail experience with naviga- tion apps, multimedia, hiking guides, weather forecasting, and more, these mini tablets are just right. Plus: the best chargers, accessories, and apps. Trips 10 VIEWFINDER NORTH CASCADES NP Discover secret places and stunning views in Wash- ington’s remote park. 20LIFE LIST GLEN CANYON SLOTS The West’s current drought has a silver lining: new places to explore. 24TOP 3 EASY WINTER HIKES Try these beginner-friendly snow trips. 30 MOUNTAIN MAP SANTA CATALINAS, AZ Snag big views in Tucson’s diverse home range. Local Hikes 21 WEST Routefi nd through Zion canyon country, ski down Mt. St. Helens after a 5.3- mile hike, visit a heated lookout tower in the Mt. Hood woods, and more. 25 CENTRAL Tour a desert landscape just outside Chicago, see prairie chickens battle in Kansas, fi nd solitude on a forgotten path in Oklahoma, and go on nine more adventures. 31 EAST Trace a big-view ridgeline on the Kentucky-Virginia border, hear a chorus of frogs in the New Jersey backcountry, trek through a maple syrup hot spot in New York, and plan more close-to-home trips. P H O T O S B Y ( F R O M T O P ) E T H A N W E L T Y ; J A M E S K A Y ; J O E B R A U N ; J E R E M Y M I N I A R D ; B E N F U L L E R T O N Hike to the cover Mt. St. Helens (p. 23) from near Independence Pass, by Tomas Kaspar / age fotostock Editor’s Note 9 Hero es 88 YOU ARE HERE 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 5 1 34 64 78 50 43 10 36 78 38 3.2014 BACKPACKER 3
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