Mountain Gazette Issue 205 Searches for the Meaning of Life

April 22, 2026

Leading the magazine’s 60th anniversary year with stories of adventure, grief, restoration, legacy, psychedelia and azimuth

NORTH LAKE TAHOE, CA (April 22, 2026) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – Mountain Gazette, the original outdoor magazine, returns this spring in its distinctive oversized 11×17” print format with Issue 205. The 192-page edition opens the publication’s 60th-anniversary year with its signature mix of humor, exploration, independent reporting and literary nonfiction, wandering far beyond the trailhead.

As always, the stories are exclusive to print. They aren’t published online and are designed to be read slowly, maybe with a cup of coffee, a dog-ear in the corner of the page, and a friend who eventually borrows the issue and forgets to give it back.

Across longform essays, reported features, photography and original artwork, the latest issue explores a deceptively simple question: what does it mean to live a good life outside?… The answers come from unexpected places.

Trail conservator Dillon Osleger reflects on restoration after California’s Thomas Fire, digging through forgotten history to restore lost paths in an excerpt from his book, “Trail Work: Restoring the Paths and Stories of America’s Public Lands.” At Point Reyes National Seashore, ranchers and conservationists face one of the most complicated environmental debates in the American West in a story written by Charlie Warzel and photographed by Chloe Weir. Kim Beekman steps into the field with her late father’s rifle, discovering grief, ritual and identity while learning to hunt.

Elsewhere, Citybikeboys’ Jerome Peel chases speed and meaning across New York City, reflecting on risk and the joy of moving through the world on two wheels in a profile by Emily Leibert. Climbers consider the strange freedom of a sport where the rules are up to you, and, in the end, the points don’t matter, by Michael Levy. Ingrid Backstrom breaks down the art of the outdoor “sandbag”: convincing kids and reluctant partners to attempt something difficult outside, knowing the complaints eventually turn into an exclaimed, “I did it!”

Senior writer Ari Schneider, alongside photographer Peter Fisher, travels to Colorado’s Telluride Mushroom Festival, where science, folklore and psychedelic curiosity collide. A tribute to Grateful Dead guitarist Bobby Weir from daughter Chloe Weir explores his woodshedding practice and the search for true north—azimuth. Steve Martin and Harry Bliss return with their chaotic mix of humor and mountain mischief.

Throughout the issue, photography and artwork push the boundaries of outdoor storytelling. Readers will find galleries featuring extreme kayaking in melting glaciers from David Sodomka via Red Bull, an epic collection of vintage waterskiing photos including Jane Fonda, and scenes from Alaska capturing “The Way It Was.” Trippy fine art by Chris Benchetler and vibrant abstract watercolor by Christoph Niemann offer further reflection on wild places—both external and internal.

Issue 205 arrives as Mountain Gazette celebrates six decades of print storytelling, first launched in Aspen in 1966 as Skiers’ Gazette. Revived in 2020 by industry veteran Mike Rogge—known for his work with Powder, The Ski Journal, Vice and more—the publication has built a devoted audience by doing something increasingly rare in modern media: slowing down. The anniversary year also includes the release of “Print Ain’t Dead: A Mountain Gazette Anthology,” a 500-plus page hardcover book collecting stories from the magazine’s history.

Subscribe at mountaingazette.com—because some stories are still meant to be read away from the screen.

“Begin the journey to unplug, unwind, and reclaim the grip over our lives that the internet has stolen from us,” writes Mountain Gazette editor and owner Mike Rogge in the editor’s letter for Issue 205.

About Mountain Gazette

Born in 1966 and revived in 2020 for a modern era, Mountain Gazette is the original outdoor magazine. The large-format, bi-annual outdoor culture magazine features stunning photography and incredible long-form storytelling. Join the print revival and subscribe here.

When in doubt, go higher.