December 2008
Helmet Cams
Looking for a way to share your live-action adventure with friends and family? Get a first-person view of your epic rides, and upload to laptop or blog as soon ...
Triple Crown Bouldering – Part III – The Stone Fort
By Brian BurnhamThe stage was set for some serious competition in the open categories. Both Jimmie Webb and Jon Glassberg had a victory under their belts, ...
Spot personal tracker gives families and friends peace of mind.
Exploring the outdoors sometimes limits your ability to communicate or get help if needed. The new personal tracking device from Spot helps to expand your commu...
Use your iPod anywhere; don’t let water be a factor.
Drawback of the iPod or mp3 player? I can think of very few, but watery conditions definitely come to mind. Well, thanks to companies like H2o Audio and Otter B...
Telemark Skiing in the Southeast
On a snow-covered hill in West Virginia, there is a large group of men wearing skis and holding hands. I am one of those hand-holding men. We begin skiing together down the hill on telemark skis, and when our instructor yells “turn left,” we all drop our left knee, genuflecting in unison....
Laying it on The Line
Appalachian activists answer Al Gore’s calls for civil disobedience to stop coal. But can direct action do more harm than good?...
Confessions of an Outdoor Dad
by Jay Hardwig“I’m hot, sweaty, thirsty, and smelly, but I’m having a great time.”The pronouncement came from my eight-year-old son as we scrambled...
Are trail sports better than road sports?
Trails are about releasing the spirit, not simply training the body. I run “on” the road; I run “with” the trail. There is no activity more primal than running in the woods. It reminds me that we are animals....
Power Hungry: Mid-Atlantic Mega- Transmission Lines Spark Controversy
A proposed series of 500-kilovolt transmission lines that would run through three Mid-Atlantic states is raising concerns about the entire country’s energy ...
Bike Polo, Anyone?
Bikes and wooden mallets may sound like odd bedfellows, but the sport of bike polo is gaining popularity across the U.S. and beyond. There’s even an interna...
Mud, Sweat, and Gears: Cyclocross Gains Traction
Traditionally, cyclocross is something that only the most dedicated cyclists did to entertain themselves during the cold winter months. This bizarre niche spo...
Blue Ridge Briefs for December 2008
Mile High State Park
The state of North Carolina is purchasing Grandfather Mountain and 2,600 acres of surrounding wilderness in the Linville area for $12 mil...
Saving Our Snow: Champion Skier And Climate Change Activist Alison Gannett
Unlike most professional athletes, Alison Gannett was an environmentalist before she became a world champion freeskier. Gannett has been researching global...