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Why does the South Beyond 6,000 Challenge exclude dozens of qualified peaks? South Beyond 6,000 (SB6K) is a unique peakbagging quest that, upon completion, offers a certificate of recognition and a nice little patch.  Sponsored by the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC), the challenge involves climbing 40 peaks in the Southern Appalachians that exceed 6,000 feet [...]

It’s a bike shop. It’s a bar. It’s a bike shop with a bar. The Pisgah Tavern is a new bar near Brevard, N.C. that’s located inside Hub Bicycles. The tavern serves a rotating assortment of local beers on draft as well as $1.50 PBR cans at a hand-carved bar located on the edge of [...]

Favorite A.T. spot? Steven McBride The Mount Rogers area, specifically Rhododendron Gap, has incredible alpine views, awesome rocks, and of course the colorful wildflowers. Will Harlan The hard-earned views from Thunderhead Mountain in the Smokies are worth the effort. Harrison Shull The Mount Cammerer fire lookout in the northern Smokies. The long, steep hike weeds [...]

For over a decade, Great Eastern Trail visionaries have been patching together an 1800-mile alternative path to the A.T., mostly using existing trail systems and building trails to fill gaps when necessary. Until recently, a 250-mile stretch between Kentucky and West Virginia was completely void of any viable footpath. So the Great Eastern Trail Association [...]

In early February the Nature Conservancy purchased 13,350 acres in Virginia’s Dragon Run Swamp. The purchase from the Hancock Timber Group resulted in the biggest conservation easement in Commonwealth history. Dragon Run is an ecologically diverse gem in the Chesapeake Bay area—a tidal cypress swamp with 90 species of birds and 55 species of fish. [...]

Forget the emotional, mental, and physical strength it takes to tackle 2,175 miles of hiking—even if we were strong enough to tackle such an endeavor, who has the time? But just about everybody has the time for a section hike, whether it’s a brief one-day getaway, a weekend jaunt, or a week-long excursion. The following [...]

We’re probably not going to die today. It’s a comforting fact that I feel compelled to repeat to my two hiking partners as we stand in a circle, looking over two different topo maps and a digital compass trying to figure out where we are—and more importantly, how we’re going to walk out of this [...]

Beale Street Music Festival May 1-3 • Memphis, Tenn. This legendary festival brings together the finest in rock, blues, R&B, and Americana music in historic downtown Memphis. thebealestreetmusicfestival.com World Beer Festival May 2 • Raleigh, N.C. Beer. Reason enough. Come to Raleigh and partake of the brews from over 150 world class crafters. allaboutbeer.com Cheat [...]

I was heading out for a hike on the Appalachian Trail. My girl friend woke up before dawn to drive me to the trailhead at Springer Mountain, Ga., but we got lost, so she dropped me at Cooper Gap, 10 miles north of Springer on the A.T. I was planning on staying right near Cooper [...]