April 2019
Whitewater Healing helps kids with autism brave new waters Put a bunch of kids with autism and their families in rubber rafts and shoot them through the Nantahala Gorge with guides who know nothing about autism. That’s the basic idea put forth by Canadian whitewater canoe legend and global swiftwater rescue guru Jim Coffey to…
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The tug-of-war over public lands The National Park Service was created rather quietly in 1916 by a relatively unknown piece of legislation called the Organic Act. Taking up just over a page in the Federal Register, it was a benign administrative reorganization that called for a small subsection of the Department of the Interior…
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An Appalachian Trail thru-hike is an incubator for several business pioneers in Southern Appalachia Famous thinkers throughout history have touted the benefits walking can have on our ability to think creatively, from Aristotle and the Peripatetics (literally, “one who walks about”) to Henry David Thoreau. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche even went so far as to…
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What outdoor family time has taught me about being a better dad My most vivid childhood memories are of family camping trips. These experiences shaped my love for the outdoors and gave me the confidence to take risks and overcome challenges. Over the past 15 years, my wife and I have made every effort to…
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How did iconic rapids and climbing routes get their names? Visitors to the Blue Ridge often remark that the names of our mountains are imaginative, if not abstract: Reddish Knob. Old Rag. Little Stony Man. Used as landmarks, these peaks’ straightforward, descriptive monikers made sense. But as future generations began using the landscape less for…
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Learn how to craft a fishing rod, build a bike, fashion a knife, weave baskets, and test your outdoor skills. With a quick search online, you can find guides and classes for just about any outdoor activity. You can learn how to mountain bike, rock climb, roll a kayak, or fish for trout from masters…
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A parent starts letting go (but still holds onto the rope) I’m not convinced my son is actually going to walk off the cliff until I can’t see him anymore. There are so many opportunities for him to back out between the point where he gets clipped into the rope and the point where he…
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Virginia Runner Sets Record with 10 Marathons in 10 Days Michael Wardian is at it again. The 44-year-old, Arlington-based ultrarunner, well known in the running world for setting a range of long-distance records that are both amazing and a little strange, won the World Marathon Challenge for the second time in February. Runners in the…
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Outdoor parents share their tips and tricks for adventures with kids. Before each backpacking trip, Nick Brooks would take out all of his gear for the weekend and lay it out in the hallway. As a self-described “gear head to the core,” this was his way of making sure all of the equipment, from his…
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ON THE COVER Photo by Kenton Steryous@kenton_steryousKentonSteryous.com “When it comes to family hikes, we have one simple rule— you’re going! This is one of our favorite local hikes, Hay Rock on the Appalachian Trail.” FEATURES THE ADVENTURE IMPRINT A parent of adventurous pre-teens starts letting go—but still holds onto the rope. BUILD YOUR OWN ADVENTURE…
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