Jess Daddio, Author at Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine

The biggest event in mountain biking returned to American soil this weekend at Snowshoe Resort. Mother Nature was uncharacteristically cooperative this weekend at the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Mountain Bike World Cup finals at Snowshoe Mountain. The skies were cloudy but never stormy. The temperature was warm but breezy. And the trails were dry (dare…

Rumors abound that the cat is back—or that it never left.

In Harrisonburg, Va., bikes are helping sentenced juveniles find a new path. In Harrisonburg, Virginia, when you’re a juvenile charged with a misdemanor, you end up in the courtroom of Judge David O’Donnell, a district court judge for the 26th Judicial District Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Depending on the case, O’Donnell can dole…

Southern Appalachian winters can be woefully devoid of snow, but opportunity for winter adventure is always plentiful.

In 2015, a photo of the lifeless body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, who drowned while he and his family were attempting to cross from Turkey to Greece, went viral, sparking a heated international debate about the refugee crisis. Millions of people suddenly had a very real, very personal glimpse inside an issue that, for many,…

Gonnnng. Gonnnng. Mallet in hand, Shenandoah Mountain 100 race director Chris Scott pounds on a gong swinging from his handlebars at 5 a.m. Within minutes, the quiet campground is abuzz with the click-click-click of riders piddling with shifters and preparing to race. Among them is Larry Camp, attempting to complete his 20th Shenandoah Mountain 100…

Location: WEST VIRGINIA Distance: 239 miles Driver: Deb Simon Guide, Hard Rock Climbing; Medical Trainer, Vertical Medicine Resources Fayetteville, W.va. “My husband Bryan and I have traveled all over the U.S. and climbed all over the world and, from my standpoint at least, I think West Virginia is the best place in the world. The…

Location: Eastern Tennessee Distance: 123.6 miles Driver: Kirk Eddlemon Instructor, Ace Kayaking School Guidebook Author, Whitewater of the Southern Appalachians Knoxville, Tenn. “Eastern Tennessee, in general, is a very unsung area for whitewater. Instead of being in North Carolina on a river next to a road with 500 other people, you’re paddling in a pristine…

Location: North Georgia Distance: 23 miles Driver: Lisa Randall Race Director and Owner, Mountain Goat Adventures; Sub 48-Hour Finisher, Trans North Georgia Adventure Canton, GA. “I love Georgia. There’s just such a great variety of riding up in the northern part of the state, from beginning to advanced. You can pick and choose what type…

Location: Southwest Virginia Distance: 196 miles Driver: Daniel Davis Guitarist and lead vocalist, Folk Soul Revival Bristol, VA. “I like the idea that this is the birthplace of country music, that I can be part of a community where that all started and is still considered a place where real country music comes from, as…

Location: Eastern Kentucky Distance; 168 miles Driver: Ouita Michel Chef and Owner, Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants; Nominee, James Beard Foundation Award Midway, KY. “I don’t think people really know what Kentucky food is because it’s been so closely identified with Kentucky Fried Chicken. For me, Kentucky’s cuisine is related to history and it’s related…

Location: Western North Carolina Distance: 100 miles Driver: Nicole Owen Sylva, N.C. Owner, Innovation Brewing; Board Member, Asheville Brewers Alliance “One thing that makes this whole area unique is the water quality. Water is the biggest ingredient in beer and we’re fortunate to have pure, clean, unmessed-with water. That plays a lot into why there’s such…

Getting into an adventure sport can be intimidating, especially as an adult, but these four later-in-lifers didn’t let that stop them from pursuing new horizons. It’s the final weekend of the 11th annual Michaux Mountain Bike School in south-central Pennsylvania. The parking lot at Camp Thompson is packed with trucks and vans and small RVs,…

Cities these days are more than just skyscraper skylines. With rivers, trails, and open space strategically incorporated into urban development plans, these 12 destinations are keeping the adventure within city limits. Washington, D.C. (Featured) Population: 693,972 Fun fact: The Washington Canoe Club was founded on the banks of the Potomac River in 1904 and has…

There’s no entry fee, no support, no prize should you finish first, but for the growing niche of endurance bikepackers, that’s not the point. The graveyard shift line cooks at the Texas Tavern in Roanoke, Va., might have mistaken Dave Williams for just another drunk the morning of April 12, 2018, had he been wearing…