Backcountry Magazine 163 | The 2026 Gear Guide Cross Country Skier Framebuilder: Ira Ryan

Framebuilder: Ira Ryan

Shot in HD

WET WAXING

snow-covered peaks of the Altai and Tien Shan mountains that trace its eastern border

While the precious metals might have run dry

Backcountry Magazine 163 | The 2026 Gear Guide Cross Country Skier Framebuilder: Ira RyanOn the Cover: On a winter morning, its easy to press snooze, stay wrapped in a warm nest of blankets and wait for the sun to risea lot easier than rallying out of bed, getting into ski gear and driving to the trailhead in the cold dark of pre dawn. But, as they say, the early bird gets the worm. Well versed in the demand of Wasatch fresh, Caroline Gleich knows that if she wants her proverbial wormblower, low density powshell have to be one of the