High Holy Days
It's said to be the ladder between heaven and Earth—Mount Kailas, a Tibetan peak sacred to Buddhists and Hindus. Once every 12 years, pilgrims and trekkers congregate to make a special Horse Year circuit of the mountain—and in the process atone for a lifetime of sins.
BY IAN BAKER Read excerpt >>

Dr. Extreme
How long can you live without food? When is it OK to drink saltwater? What's that white light you see before you die? When it comes to answering questions about how the human body adapts to tough situations, Dr. Ken Kamler is always in. MARK ADAMS gets some illuminating facts from the consummate expedition physician.

MISSION: GRAND CANYON
The Vertigo Girls Do the East Tonto Trail
On a long hike into a famously big ditch, two friends discover that walking downhill isn't as easy as it seems. But amid the blisters and snoring bighorns, Old Man Canyon manages to reveal something truly rare: a raw, unspoiled beauty that never fails to awe.
BY PAM HOUSTON

The Grand Canyon Explored
A fact-filled pullout mega-map BY JOHN ANNERINO

The Grand Canyon Tool Kit
   • Essential strategies for doing the canyon right. Read excerpt >>
   • Hiking: Top trails for a day, weekend, or epic trek. Read excerpt >>
   • Rafting: The best ways to run the Colorado. Read excerpt >>
   • Road-tripping: Scenic miles, on both rims.

American Wilds
A park doesn't have to be national to be great. Take California's Anza-Borrego state park: 600,000 glorious desert acres and a genuine waterfall-and-palm-tree-studded oasis. BY STEVE CASIMIRO

World on the Cheap
Bike a volcano, "sky-walk" a cloud forest, steam in thermal pools—all on a high-energy, low-cost spin through Costa Rica. BY CLIFF RANSOM Read excerpt >>

Tip Sheet
How to thwart thieves with a few devious moves of your own. BY ROBERT YOUNG PELTON

Books
A New York Times veteran walks to Vermont; a birder's Big Year; and more. BY ANTHONY BRANDT

Next Weekend
Whitefish, Montana: home of one mothballed bull, and powder enough for all. Plus, 11 more reasons to get out of town in March. BY JIM GORMAN AND CLIFF RANSOM

Special Report
Guided descents to a deep-water wreck in Alaska: an exciting new diving frontier or a looming archaeological disaster? CARL HOFFMAN reports. Read excerpt >>

The Essentials
Trail running takes you off-road and in-country. Here's the how-to, where-to, and hardware. BY BRIAN METZLER

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COLUMNS

The Adventures of Tim Cahill
After rebounding from near-extinction, you'd think the southern right whale population could handle a few gulls. TIM CAHILL begs to differ. Read excerpt >>

The Life
To understand his fiancée's Canadian ways, a confirmed winter indoorsman tries cold-weather camping in Vermont and discovers that love—and a toothy little saw—can warm a frigid place.
BY CHARLES GRAEBER

GEAR

Spring Shells
For the season of many moods, action jackets impervious to wind, water, and cold. BY MELISSA WAGENBERG

Wish List
A rugged cell phone, elegant knife, culinary repair kit, and waterproof playing cards. BY MELISSA WAGENBERG

Leading Edge
Protect your primary assets on dirt, snow, and water with Gen-Next helmets and pads. BY STEVE CASIMIRO

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