"Dear Laura,
Thanks for writing. I'm the editor who worked on the Sierra Challenge story, and I can assure you there was no intension to leave women out of the coverage. I'm sorry for the omission. I will certainly consult with the photo editor about the lack of images of female participants in the 2011 event. You're correct, of course, that this was largely a photo-driven story, and a lot of factors went into choosing the images that ran. However, excluding women was certainly not one of them! In terms of past years, we only had space for some very brief historical information about the Challenge. But you're correct, we should have included the accomplishments of the female participants as well. Overall, Backpacker always wants to have a balanced, inclusive approach to participation in the outdoors. Thanks again for writing. And I'm glad to hear that your knee is better. Good luck with this year's event!
Sincerely,
Dennis
Dennis Lewon
Executive editor
BACKPACKER
2520 55th St.
Boulder, CO"
My thanks to Dennis Lewon for the prompt reply and apology.
