Every December, we take a look back at the most popular articles of the year, and are always surprised to see what readers are most interested in. Year after year, you guys love to read about gear, and 2013 is no different. Whether it’s news about upcoming gear from Outdoor Retailer, or reviews that we post after months of hard testing in Utah’s mountains and deserts, gear content is king. So this year, we’re dividing things up a bit by putting articles into two categories, a top 5 for gear, and a top 5 for everything else, whether it’s articles about outdoor news, adventures, or places to explore in Utah, the best of the rest gets to be honored. So here it is, the countdown of the Top 10 Articles of 2013, based on reader page views.
TOP STORIES:
5. Kayaking the Black Canyon of the Bear River
It’s always a gamble when your first run of the season is a solid Class IV and V river, but there’s no better place to do it than the Black Canyon of the Bear River in Grace, Idaho. Bryson White’s article about kayaking the river after the floodgates to the Grace Dam opened up for the first whitewater release of the season on April 13 got a lot of attention, and judging from his photos, there’s no wonder why. Read full article.
4. New WOW Trail to be Built in Wasatch Mountain State Park
Park City is already an IMBA Gold Level mountain bike destination, but the big news this year was that the Wasatch Back is about to get even better as the Mountain Trails Foundation and the Wasatch Trails Alliance are teaming up to build WOW, a new, non-motorized trail in Wasatch Mountain State Park. This news had a to of buzz surrounding it, enough to thrust it to the 4th most popular story of 2013. Read full article.
3. Park City to Host Country’s First Deep Water Soloing Competition
Imagine deep water soloing, and the mind conjures visuals of rock climbers scaling massive stone fins in the oceans of Thailand. This climbing style is unique as there are no ropes, quickdraws, harnesses or protection of any kind. Deep water soloing is climbing in its purest form, but can only be done where there are large cliffs and warm, deep water. But amazingly, Park City will hosted the country’s first deep water soloing competition last summer. It was also a hit with our readers! Read the full article.
2. Video: How not to Perform an Avalanche Rescue
Every year, avalanche workshops around the country show videos to backcountry skiers of avalanches caught on tape. It’s great for education and as a scare-you-straight tactic while witnessing the immense power of snow sliding down a mountain. Usually the footage is captured on a GoPro that the victim is wearing. It’s not often that the footage comes courtesy of the rescuer. Unfortunately in this video from the Tahoe area, the rescue was about as inept as can be, and is a good lesson on how not to perform an avalanche rescue. It was also the second-most popular post of 2013. Read full article.
1. Where to Learn to Kayak in Utah
If you’ve ever wanted to learn to kayak, 2013 was a prime year. From kayak schools to open pool sessions and more, Utah Outside contributor Bryson White’s article about the plethora of opportunities in Utah to learn the ins and outs of whitewater kayaking proved to be a big hit, as it was the top non-gear related article in 2013. Read full article.
TOP GEAR ARTICLES:
5. Dynafit TLT Radical FT binding review
In 2013, I finally made the switch. After years of hauling around Marker Barons, then Fritschi Freeride Pro bindings on backcountry ski tours, I pulled up my big-boy pants and purchased tech bindings. With a pair of new Voile Chargers added to my quiver, I chose the Dynafit TLT Radical FT bindings to mount on them. After dozens of ski days in both backcountry and in bounds on these babies, I wrote a review from the perspective of a tech-binding newbie, and it became the 5th most popular article on the website for 2013. Read the full article:
4. Voile shows off V8 and WSP skis at Outdoor Retailer 2013 Winter Market
Yep, Salt Lake City’s own backcountry ski company, Voile, has been killing it with their skis the past few years, and what they showed off at the Outdoor Retailer 2013 Winter Market proves that our readers are interested. The article announcing the new V8 and WSP skis is one of most popular articles of 2013, and it’s no wonder since the V8 became one of the most critically acclaimed skis for the 2013/14 season. Read the full article.
3. Salomon Quest Max BC 120 ski boots review
Salomon’s efforts to increase their presence in the backcountry skiing world has been a big subject for our readers. Case in point: our review of the new Quest Max BC 120 ski boot, which came in 3rd place for 2013. It’s a touring boot with serious alpine qualities that we think is much improved over previous Quest incarnations. We got to take them for a test drive both in-bounds and in the backcountry, and our review quickly became one of the top articles of the year. Read the full article.
2. Salomon Q-115 and Q-105 skis review
Solomon continues to enjoy top-dog status among Utah Outside readers, as our review of the new Q-115 and 105 skis came in second place for 2013. Salomon found a huge following with the release of their Rocker 2 skis the past few seasons, so they’ve expanded their designs with a whole new line called the Q Series. These new skis have honeycomb tips for reduced swing weight, and are more backcountry friendly with flatter tails. Salomon calls these skis “All Mountain Backside,” which sounds to me like the ultimate one-ski-quiver for both in and out of bounds. Read the full article.
1. The North Face reinvents synthetic insulation at 2013 Outdoor Retailer
The North Face had a pretty cool display at the 2013 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, with the introduction of Thermoball, a new way to use synthetic insulation. Typically, Primaloft-style synthetics are put into jackets in sheets that are stitched inside the outer material. But The North Face, along with Primaloft, has come up with a way to give synthetic insulation “loft” meaning it works much like down while maintaining its water resistant qualities. The news about this new technology made this article #1 by far for 2013. Read the full article.