“When in doubt, go higher” is the slogan of Mountain Gazette, the Aspen-born biannual magazine. This coming winter, that tagline could well be “when in doubt, go bigger.” The publication is coming up on the 60th anniversary of its first issue. In 1966, the magazine was called Skiers’ Gazette and focused on the Colorado Rockies. The intervening decades have seen it expand in geography and reach, and experience multiple hiatuses. But the Gazette has survived, and now sells out its limited prints. The magazine’s publisher is recognizing the milestone in a big way: with an anthology called “Print Ain’t Dead,” featuring highlights from its history.
Around 60 stories will be in the hardback volume by contributors including Edward Abbey, Hunter S. Thompson, George Sibley, Royal Robbins, Henrik Harlaut, Barry Corbet, Jeremy Jones, Katie Lee, Sadie Stein, Ingrid Backstrom and all three editors from Mountain Gazette’s lifespan. The over 300-page tome is available for pre-order at $45 per copy, and will be published in January 2026. The Sopris Sun spoke with current publisher and editor Mike Rogge about the project.
Rogge explained that he has been interested in legacy reader input since he took over the publication in early 2020. “From the earliest days of the Mountain Gazette revival, I listened to our readers’ about their favorite stories from Mountain Gazette lore,” he shared. “With 2026 being the 60th anniversary of the magazine’s founding as Skiers’ Gazette, it felt like the right time to begin compiling them into this anthology.”
Reader feedback is important to Rogge, who said he has made an effort to have “Print Ain’t Dead” reflect each era of Mountain Gazette. “I leaned on our readers and tried to get a good mix of Mike Moore’s era, John Fayhee’s, and now, I guess, my own,” he explained. “I felt like I was putting together an all-star team of the greatest writers in Mountain Gazette history.”
Rogge offers credit to his predecessors, original publisher Mike Moore (1966-1980) and M. John Fayhee (2000-2012). “Mike Moore and John Fayhee’s pieces are my favorites [in the anthology],” Rogge said. “It’s a balancing act to be a publisher, editor, and then also try to write a feature. I’ve only written one feature for the magazine myself,” he admitted. “Maybe one day will come when I can write another.”
Asked about reception over the past five years, since the most recent relaunch, Rogge described enthusiastic surprise. “[It’s been] tremendous. I mean, I was at a magazine conference in Manhattan two weeks ago. It was clear while we’re certainly big in terms of size, our subscriber base is near the top of the independent magazine scene. I absolutely never expected that. I believe it speaks to the legacy those who came before our team left behind. It’s been an honor to carry the torch.”
Mountain Gazette will continue to represent mountain and counter-cultural creatives, Rogge said. His vision for future issues of the biannual magazine is: “We’re going to keep being us. That means surprising readers with print-only stories, art and photography they can’t see anywhere else.” He emphasized that he wants to honor the publication’s legacy by continuing to be a venue for discovery. “A big push for me is to keep seeking out new and unexpected voices. There’s a tremendous amount of creative talent outdoors and beyond. Those artists and writers need a home, and I believe there is no better home for their work than in our pages.”
Prior to announcing “Print Ain’t Dead,” one of the biggest changes during Rogge’s tenure has been opening a merchandise program shortly after he took the reins. “The merch program was something we introduced in 2020 and has steadily grown. We have a lot of fun with it and our readers lead the direction it goes,” he explained. “I’m grateful to have creative friends with good ideas to put on our merch,” sales of which support production costs for the magazine, Rogge said. “This year we had our trademarks approved for Mountain Gazette: ‘Print Ain’t Dead’ and ‘When in Doubt, Go Higher.’ It’s definitely something we plan to expand in the future.”
The “Print Ain’t Dead” 60-year anthology is also part of the launch of a new endeavor. “Our new book is under our new subbrand we’re calling Double Chair Publications,” shared Rogge. “We want to build a home for our writers and photographers to grow into, offering more creative control over their work than anywhere else in publishing.” He hopes that the anniversary book is the first of many. “We’re really proud of ‘Print Ain’t Dead – A Mountain Gazette Anthology.’ We hope to do more books in the coming years.”
Pre-orders of “Print Ain’t Dead” are available on www.mountaingazette.com, alongside merchandise and select digital publications of legacy essays.