Make Your Next Race a Mini-Vacation

How Far Can We Go?

Eight days—that’s how long you can live without water. You can go five weeks or more without food. You can last ten days without sleep. 


Simply put, solar is the answer. We already have the technology to build a sustainable solar-electric economy that can end our addiciton to fossil fuels, stabilize the climate, and maintain our standard of living.

My life took an unforeseen turn this past January. In a mixture of “Groundhog Day” and “The Longest Mile,” my wife, an avid runner with a few marathons under her soles, inveigled me into a Faustian deal.

For the first time in decades, the environment is getting some play in the race for the presidency.

Is there anything better than watching your children’s face glow the first time they ski a run without falling? Or paddle their first river? There’s nothing sweeter in life than passing your passion for the outdoors down to your kids.

What’s a blue moon? Does it really look blue?

Best Backcountry Snow in the Southern Appalachians

Should iPods be banned from races?

Are Appalachia's Energy 
Answers Blowin' in the Wind?

Dean Karnazes wants to run to with you. That’s why he helped The North Face create the 2007 Endurance Challenge Race Series, a five-event race series taking place in different states across the country that is challenging elite and novice runners alike to surpass their personal limits.

Is a Life Partner a Good Training Partner?

Last month, the city of Asheville once again landed on the cover of Outside as one of the best places to live.

Women have been redefining the sport of rock climbing for years, sending tougher routes, developing key crags, and doing it with more style and grace than any muscle-bound guy could hope for.

The Spookiest Strolls in the Southeast

It’s the one day out of the year when management looks the other way, letting the guides do what guides really want to do: cut loose.

A Lot of Dam Trouble in the Blue Ridge

24 Hours with Chris Eatough—
 The World's Best Endurance Mountain Biker

What is it—and how much is left in the Southeast?

Carved in the wild and pristine ridgelines of Virginia and North Carolina are 469 miles of asphalt cared for by real-life Lone Rangers.

Ultra Mountain Biking in the Blue Ridge

Wealthy Carnegie families—along with their 
 back-pocket politicians—square off against grassroots 
 outdoor groups fighting to save the South’s wildest island


Into the Great Wild Ditch

You’ll never forget the first time you go nude in public. The freedom, the sense of release, the wind in your....Not that I know personally.

When it comes to access, it seems rock climbers just can’t catch a break—especially when one of the most established crags in the Southeast is closed without notice. That’s what happened in late spring when warning signs started popping up around the cliffs of West Virginia’s Summersville Lake. 


WARNING: NO DRUGS REQUIRED, JUST A LITTLE TIME OUTSIDE

IS GOING GREEN JUST ANOTHER POP TREND, OR 
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ECO-ERA?

ECO-CONSCIOUS 
 EVANGELICALS ON THE RISE

Imagine a great mountain forest teeming with biodiversity, laced with trails, and stretching across the entire southern Appalachians. That’s the vision articulated in a landmark document published by Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and its member groups called Return the Great Forest: A Conservation Vision for the Southern Appalachian Region. It describes a future where the Appalachian landscape serves both natural and human communities. But it’s more than just a vision; it’s also a detailed blueprint on how to achieve this vision within the next century. 


100 SIMPLE WAYS TO GREEN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE

HOW IS GLOBAL WARMING 
 AFFECTING LOCAL RECREATION?

With a swing in the Congressional majority and an increasingly eco-conscious American public, several pieces of progressive environmental legislation may finally reach the floor for a vote. Here are seven recently introduced bills that, if passed, could go a long way to protecting the land we love, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.

Carbon offsets are only feeding the 
underlying problem in this country:

Being an environmentalist is no longer reserved for tree huggers and Hollywood stars. Everyday people are starting to face the inconvenient truths that are destroying the earth and taking steps along their career paths to instill change. Meet a lawyer, a doctor, an artist, a scientist, a businessman, a mom, and a homeless man all doing their parts to make the world a little greener.

2007 Outdoor Eco-Awards

A ONE-WEEK LOCAL MAKEOVER

No outdoor activity is more ridiculed than birding. It’s the “Dungeons and Dragons” of the outdoor world. And yet 50 million people consider themselves bird watchers. It’s one of the fastest growing sports (yes, I said sport) in the country.

Walking 250 Miles in the Footsteps of Inman

A plunge into a swimming hole should be a part of everyone’s summer. Relish the complete sense of surrender as your feet leave the rock, your body meets gravity, and everything goes silent as you fall toward the pool of water beneath you. The world disappears, and all you can see, all you can think of, is the calm depths beneath your feet.

Thru-Hikers Add Meaning to Their Appalachian Trail Miles

Three Highways, Three Weekends, Three Essential Snacks

Urban whitewater—it sounds like an oxymoron. But when you’re stuck in the city with a boat and a paddle (hey, it happens), you’ll do anything to get a quick fix.

Hang on to your paddle! Southern Appalachia is home to the world’s steepest, scariest creekboating competition.

On the map, they have many names: streams, rivulets, branches, tributaries, runs, and brooks. In spring they can be labeled freshets. But when you are talking about playing in a “small body of running water,” only “creek” will do. And when you hop across stones or hunt crayfish in a creek, you call that creek walking.

Misadventures of a Twenty-Something on the Trail

Our top 50 festivals in the Southeast include rowdy river rages, traditional bluegrass festivals, hippie hoedowns, beer-based bashes, and green gatherings.

Follow in the footsteps of Leonard and Laurie Adkins on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike.

Explore NEWLY DISCOVERED RIDES, RAMBLES, RIVERS, AND ROCKS IN THE BLUE RIDGE

Keep up with the latest mountain bike mutations with our down-and-dirty cheat sheet.

Catch the latest wave for landlocked surf-lovers: two-wheeled skateboarding.

Can high-tech running labs build a better runner?

Two new outdoor adventure parks are opening in the region: are they urban utopias or Disney-fied amusement parks?

Have single-speeds gone mainstream?

Follow in the Footsteps of Leonard and Laurie Adkins on Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike

Are there catamounts in these hills? If mountain lions aren’t here already, they’ll be arriving soon.

Are throngs of newcomers ruining the purity of the marathon?

Hidden treasures abound in the Blue Ridge

Personal records from runners across the region

Gear of the Year 2007
Hiking: The Best Boots, Backpacks, Tents, Apparel, and Accessories

Gear of the Year 2007
Biking: The Best Road and Mountain Bikes, Apparel, and Accessories

Gear of the Year 2007
Running: The Best Road and Trail Shoes, Apparel, and Accessories

Gear of the Year 2007
Snowsports: The Best Skis, Boards, Boots, Apparel, and Accessories

Gear of the Year 2007
Paddling: The Best Boats, Paddles, Apparel, and Accessories

Gear of the Year 2007
Climbing: The Best Shoes, Pads, Ropes, Apparel, and Accessories

Professional backpacker. Just take a moment and consider what that career would entail. Essentially, you’d hike...for your job. Your office: the A.T. Your employer: a handful of gear companies willing to give you cash and equipment in order to keep you hiking. Rush-hour traffic: a herd of elk on the trail.

Old-Timey Gear—And One Brave Hiker—Are Put To The Test On A Thirty-Mile Sojourn

It begins so subtly: a casual comment from a coach about how an athlete’s performance will improve if she loses weight, or a simple observation at a road race that most of the top finishers seem to have no body fat. The seed gets planted, and an athlete becomes convinced that the way to success is through calorie restriction and weight loss. The reality is that inadequate nutrition produces an athlete who is weak and fatigued at best; worst-case scenarios involve chronic injuries, bone loss, organ failure, and in the most severe cases, death.

Cross-country skiing is not just for flatland touring. Today’s cross is a whole new sport, where anything on skinny skis is possible and the whole world is a terrain park.

It's 6:45am, and on their second run of the morning, a rookie cadet from Sergeant Patrick Avon's athletic boot camp just puked in a neighborhood lawn. Do you have what it takes to endure an athletic boot camp?

National parks in the Southeast are dying: smothered by air pollution, starved for funds, and loved to death by tourists. Meet the man with the plan to save them.

Symptoms include continually searching for the coolest, most outdoorsy burg in the country—and eventually convincing yourself you’re a better person because you live there.

Tired of spinning your wheels indoors? Get out of the gym and onto the trail for a mix of multisport training.

It was 17 degrees outside when Wayne Lankford saw God while riding a mountain bike outside of Birmingham, Alabama. From marathon monks to biking Bible-beaters, outdoor enthusiasts are finding salvation through sport.

Strangers at the start, relay teammates were all-too-close after 24 hours and 208 sleepless miles together in a sweaty, smelly van.

Competitive eating has swallowed the South, and Blue Ridge big-mouths are eating it up. Is eating 97 Krystal burgers in twelve minutes an athletic achievement or a gluttonous binge?

Eric, Dane, and Emily Jackson—the First Family of Freestyle—won spots on the National Freestyle Kayaking Team in 2006. Needless to say, the trophy case at the Jackson home is getting crowded, especially since the Jackson home is a one-bedroom RV.

Who’s tops in the mountains? Meet the Best Athletes of the Blue Ridge—by boat, boot, and bike. We also honor two local legends: paddling pioneer Daniel DeLavergne and Hugh Morton, Grandfather of the Blue Ridge.

Readers across the Southeast voted for their favorite regional rides, runs, and rambles. Whether you’re looking for the best mountain bike ride or the worst Blue Ridge villain, you’ll find it among our 81 outlandish outdoor awards.

Despite all the dangers of their sport, rock climbers fear two words more than anything else: “No Trespassing.” Blue Ridge climbers face uphill battles to preserve the best rock in the region.

Over 114,000 acres of old-growth forests have escaped the axe (so far) in Southern Appalachia. Hike the ancient forests in your Blue Ridge backyard—and be a voice for their protection.

2006 Fall Foliage Guide

State parks are too often associated with RV generators, overcrowded picnic areas, and 0.7-mile “nature” trails. But mixed in with these bathroom-break state parks are some of the region’s most scenic outdoor oases—ideal for fall foliage. BRO picks the best state parks in the Southeast.

Apparently, death threats aren’t that big of a deal in West Virginia. When a state senator claimed certain environmentalists threatened to kill her and three other people over a piece of legislation that would fund a National Park feasibility study in the Highlands of West Virginia, nobody seemed too concerned.

Want to join the century club? The Blue Ridge boasts some of the biggest, baddest 100 mile tests of endurance - from 100-mile mountain ultramarathon runs to singletrack century bike rides. Do you have what it takes to go the distance?

The same could be said for those rare athletes who balance a passion for their chosen sport with the responsibilities of a normal life. These superheroes are athletes like Jay and Monica Curwen, two of the top adventure racers in the Southeast who also happen to be full time parents, spouses, and owners of Black Dome, one of the most successful outfitters in Western North Carolina.

You’ve turned off the cell phone, put the home renovations on hold, and are ready to head into the woods. The snacks are packed, the kids are loaded in the car, but where are you gonna go? From the best car camping spots to easy-going hiking and whitewater, we’ve got you covered with beta on the best kid-friendly destinations in the Southeast.

Maybe you just had your first child and you want to maintain your adventurous lifestyle, or maybe you’re on kid number six and think it’s time to get back into the outdoors. Either way, our panel of expert adventure mommies and daddies dish their secrets to outdoor success with the kids.

In a time when immigration is a hot button issue, BRO has decided to blur the border lines. Sure, we regularly give you the dirt on outdoor adventure in the Carolinas, Virginias, Georgia, and Tennessee, but now we’re ready to jump the fence and dig into the playgrounds of our neighboring states.

We call them streams, rivulets, branches, runs, and brooks. In spring they can be freshets. They are tributaries until you get to either end. But when you are talking about playing in a “small body of running water,” only “creek” will do. And when you hop across stones or hunt crayfish in a creek, you call that creek walking.

f you happen to find yourself meandering about Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Ga., on September 23-24, look out for flying dogs. And flying discs. Lots of them. I’m not talking about canines sprouting wings on a peculiar weekend in September; though I will say that the very sight of the act is miraculous nonetheless- and somehow the thought of mutated alien pooches will never even cross your mind.

Environmental issues affect our everyday lives, but they seem so over-arching and global that it's hard to know what to do about them. Here are five of the most important issues facing the Southeast—and five easy ways you can help.

In the spirit of one-up-man-ship, we at BRO decided to investigate the actual environmental impact of our favorite outdoor pastimes. Which is the most environmentally friendly? With three key factors in mind—resource extraction, gear production, and ecological impact—BRO uncovered the environmental shortcomings of five core outdoor sports to determine the winner of the Greenest Sport Award. The results might surprise you.

No matter what the Bush Administration tries to say about global warming, you know one thing for sure: It’s getting hotter out there. What’s the answer to our sticky, sweltering Southern Appalachian summers? A tall, cold one. We’re talking about a 50-foot waterfall cascading from high rock cliffs into a clear and crisp mountain pool. Here are the Southeast’s top swim-friendly falls.

The Constitution says nothing about an American’s right to mountain bike Pisgah National Forest. Hiking Shenandoah isn’t covered in the behemoth document either. Right to vote, yes. Right to a comprehensive National Forest system, not so much.

“I rode BMX in the ‘80s, during the big craze,” Mark Coates says. “Then I grew up, got a career, got married and had kids. But I got lucky and found it again. When you get bit by the BMX bug, it’s hard to kick.”

It could be the most basic sport known to man (and we use the term “sport” loosely). Day hammocking combines two of founder Travis McDowell’s favorite pastimes: hiking and napping. Simply take a hike in the woods of your choice, find a nice spot to hang a hammock, and nap.

When told, pre-A.T., “hiking the trail will change your life,” I thought OF COURSE it will change my life. I will be skinnier, more athletic and perhaps tougher and more savvy. I will gain a greater appreciation for nature not to mention a resume builder, and as an added bonus: I will make friends from all over the U.S. If it weren’t life changing, then why would anyone do it?

Predicting the future is a hard thing to do. Mark Twain refused to invest $5,000 in the telephone because he thought it wasn’t practical. In 1927, H.M. Warner of Warner Brothers Studios said talking movies were a fad. Decca Recording Company rejected the Beatles in 1962, saying “guitar music is on the way out.” For every Nostradamus, there’s a Lord Kelvin, the British scientist at the turn of the 20th century who said radio had no future, flying machines were impossible, and the X-ray was a hoax.

Letters Home from an Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker

Six epic rides in the Southeast. Get the skinny on these fat tire favorites.

Flatwater paddling in the mountains

“Join Bode.” Leading up to the Olympics, Nike’s hypnotizing mantra resonated across every mainstream news outlet. His face was on Time and Newsweek, he was featured on 60 Minutes, and just like that we had our next subconscious urge to “Be Like Mike” or proclaim “I’m Tiger Woods.” Bode Miller was the poster child for a U.S. Ski team bound for glory.

Cross-State Cyclist Earn Bradding Righs, Events of 2006

“Go big or go home.” I heard this phrase a hundred times at a recent 24-hour mountain bike race. It implies, of course, that if you’re not pushing the limits of your pain/skill threshold with every pedal, if you’re not testing the full travel capacity of your fork, if you’re not tying a tourniquet to the blown artery in your leg so you can go one more lap, then you may as well be at home watching figure skating with a bag of chips on your lap.

2006 Running Events

“If you’re so inclined, now’s the time to pray,” booms our skydive instructor, Frank “The Tank” Avila. He yanks my harness so tightly that we are spooned together like a married couple. Under any other circumstance, I would blush. But Frank, I remind myself, is my lifeline for the next several minutes. I surrender to the experience.

Running could very well be the least expensive sport in the history of man. Two legs, two feet. That’s all you need. If there’s any sport in the world that classifies as “primal,” running is it. This is a sport that existed even before man developed the concept of sport. It’s more than a pastime, it’s the natural progression of human development: crawl, walk, run. It’s elemental. Natural. Simple.

Standing on top of Big Bald you can understand how people used to think the world was flat. On a clear day you can see everything from on top of this mountain. And today it’s clear. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think there was nothing past the horizon. I’d think the world just ended. At 5,516 feet, Big Bald isn’t the tallest mountain in these parts. It’s not even close. But right now it feels like it.

The Southern Appalachians don’t get no respect. West Coast elitists take jabs at our comparatively low elevation, our relative lack of wild terrain, and our supposedly redneck outdoor community. They seem to overlook our world-class whitewater paddling rivers, nationally-heraled mountain biking singletrack, acclaimed climbing crags, and the most popular hiking footpath in the country, the Appalachian Trail.

I spent my formative years in Florida, so winters were usually on the beach. Call me deprived, but my family caravan never made it out to Vail or up to Killington, so in my rearing I never learned how to ski. In college when I finally did make it out to a white-capped mountain, snowboarding was all the buzz, and I figured all of those years skateboarding at the mall would give me a leg up, so I went in that direction.

There are over 8,000 residential summer camps in North America. Picking the best camp from so many may seem like a huge task. Follow the “top ten” list below and you will find the best camp for your child. It may not be the same camp that I would choose for my son or that your neighbors would choose for their daughter, but it will be the best camp for your child.

You’re not as cool as you used to be. I’m not trying to be mean—I’m just stating a fact. I’m not as cool as I used to be either. Few people know this, but there’s a point in our lives when we stop being cool. A specific but universal point when we all begin the downhill slide from Coolsville to Lameville.

David Horton’s summer vacation was definitely not as relaxing as that of most 55-year-old professors. But then again, Horton, known internationally as the “Godfather of Ultrarunning” has never been one to sit still.

In 2006 Trish Stevenson solidified her claim to the title of mountain biking badass by becoming the first woman ever to finish the Great Divide Race—a 2,465-mile, self-supported mountain bike race along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Beginning at the Canadian border and finishing in Mexico, Stevenson completed the journey in 22 days.

Ultra-egos Dean Karnazes and Pam Reed have hogged the national spotlight with their 300+ mile record runs, but Richmond, Va.’s, Christopher Calfee quietly surpassed them both this September with a 318.25-mile run, the longest run without sleeping ever recorded.

For the past four years, Asheville’s Tommy Hilleke has won the Green Downriver Race—the nastiest, craziest, and most respected downriver whitewater race in the region.

Sean Burch has always lived and trained in the flatlands of Northern Virginia, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of best high-altitude mountaineers in the world.

It is a sad but irrefutable fact that Americans are easy to please. Give us a shiny object and a beat we can dance to and you’ll have us eating out of the palm of your hand—a fact that’s been the source of innumerable jokes from the rest of the civilized world. And deservedly so. After all, we are the same population that made Jewel the most successful American poet in recent history.

Exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains during the fall is a lot like watching Japanese cartoons on acid: there’s so much stimulation overload you could have a seizure. This is prime fall foliage territory, where the mountains pop with color and the trails, rivers, and scenic byways beckon like sirens. The problem is there’s just too much to see and do.

...most of us are raised to pursue the American dream. The goal that’s been ingrained into our heads is to find a high-paying job that will allow us to consume as much as possible...According to The Conference Board business research, only 50 percent of Americans are satisfied with their jobs.

Are you ready to rock? Then strap on your harness and hang on to BRO’s guide to the bst climbing spots in the Blue Ridge. We’ve got the beta on the Southeast’s bonanza of vertical faces, steep overhangs, and traditional cracks. Here are eight classic Appalachian climbs that will keep you reaching higher as climbing season hits its peak.

Go big or go home.” This aphorism was the guiding principle of my life five years ago. I’d go whitewater paddling, play a couple of volleyball games or go for a run, then get an hour or two on my mountain bike before crashing into bed at night.

What are the odds that you’ll actually get six months off to hike the Appalachian Trail? Honestly. Is your boss/spouse/dog/mother going to let you walk through the woods for six months straight, shirking all your other responsibilities? Not likely....Don’t fret. There are a number of other long distance trails you can thru-hike during your allotted vacation time.

The term “fastpacking” often conjures up images of Spandex-clad extreme athletes scurrying around, running out of food, getting lost, freezing at night and having an overall miserable, spartan experience (while having no money left over because they bought expensive lightweight gear). What I discovered on a southern Appalachian sojourn was that fastpacking is a lot easier, more relaxing, and more enjoyable than you might think.

I’ve got this red playground ball cocked behind my head and I’m ready to unleash it on an 11-year-old kid from Maryland. I don’t care that he’s almost 20 years younger than me. I don’t care that what I’m about to do would be considered abuse in any other circumstance. All I care about is slinging the red ball hard at the kid’s legs, sending him to the ground and out of the game.

I still distinctly remember when the cruel side of capitalism found its way into my own living room. It was May 1999. I was finishing my sixth year of college, still with no degree to show for my efforts. At 26 years old, I felt like I really hadn’t gotten my act together. I had no money, no degree, no plan—just a fancy mountain bike and one hell of a hangover.

Field-Tested Favorites for Every Sport

COASTAL SPORTS IN THE SOUTHEAST

Tired of the same old hike? Jonesin’ for a jaunt in the woods with a little more flair? Spice up your next adventure with one of these wacky fringe sports here in the mountains.?

A Guide to Public Lands in the Southeast

LOOKING BACK ON A DECADE OF BLUE RIDGE OUTDOORS

The Evolution of Outdoor Gear

Diary of a Southern Skier

Meet five inspiring athletes with mountains of motivation, whose fitness has helped them face uncertain futures.

Finding Winter on foot in the Blue Ridge

Forget trail violations and poaching: Public enemy #1 in Southern National Forests is methamphetamines. Prowl around with special agents as they bust drug labs in the mountains.

Celebrities’ Favorite Blue Ridge Trails

An Outdoor Scorecard for 2004 Presidential Candiates

What’s the attraction of a sport that could leave you maimed or dead if you make a mistake? A climbing rookie gets his first lessons in the school of hard rock.

A 33-year-old returns to elementary school P.E. class to earn a Presidential Fitness Test badge. Can he hang with the fifth graders on the chin-up bar?