Story of the Issue

It can be distracting. Writing about the holidays and ice axes and vineyards. How do you sit behind your desk when what you're putting together makes you want to go out and do and taste and live in those very moments that you read about? A funny question to ask, since after all this is a magazine. It's meant to inspire action. Maybe we were getting a heavy dose of our own medicine this month... whatever the cause, we are looking forward to all that December has in store.

This issue is obviously very thematic. Snowy woods, an interview with Santa, stogies in the garage, ice axes, and the transformation of Scrooge... it's hard not to be too heavy-handed with winter lore... and yet it is also appropriate. Because there is much to celebrate this month. We hope you agree.

_{Contributors: Eye of Rie - photography, Cody Howell - photography, Christopher Mack - writing, Ben Wolf - copy edits, Back Office Thinking - web development}