June 2019
Josh Forester is attempting a record-setting 400-mile, 100-hour paddle around Georgia’s largest lake Have there ever been similar lake circumnavigations? The only other person to have circumnavigated Lake Lanier was Dana Richardson, as part of her push for pancreatic cancer awareness. It took her 9 months to do it because she was doing it incrementally. …
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Blue Ridge Communities Look Inward for Access to the Outdoors When Lorenzo Rodriguez arrived in Big Stone Gap, Va. from California several years ago, he saw an opportunity. The community of 5,200 residents is surrounded by the Jefferson National Forest, and the Powell River flows right through downtown. “Coming from a big city, we would…
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Trump’s New Timber Rule Threatens the Future of Our National Forests Be it salamander, newt, frog or toad, Asheville biologist J.J. Apodaca professes to be equally protective of all amphibians. Press him hard enough, however, and he reveals a soft spot for the green salamander. Over millennia, these ancient, lungless vertebrates have created an intricate…
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Meet the Long Creek Gangsters A thick mist hung over the Chattooga River as the sun rose, bringing the home known as Thugz Mansion to life. A familiar question soon rang out throughout the house: “Hey, can we go kayaking?” Nestled between the Chattooga and Tallulah Rivers in Long Creek, S.C., lives a young group…
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Knoxville’s first climbers to summit Everest help save a Sherpa along the way Ang Dawa Sherpa peeked his head into our tent and nodded. “Go time” caught me off guard. I was at Camp 4 with my friend Neal Kushwaha and our sherpas—Sange and Dawa—hoping to become the first Knoxvillean to summit Everest. My thoughts…
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Bear collisions with vehicles are increasing, especially in places like Interstate 40 adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. What can be done to keep the roads safe for motorists and wildlife? Although Interstate 40 runs 2,560 miles from the coast of North Carolina to California, a 28-mile stretch through the Smokies is the deadliest…
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There are known carcinogens in your frying pan, dental floss, and favorite outdoor jacket. Documentary lead Bucky Bailey fights for his family’s health—and yours. The story of C8 and the DuPont plant in Parkersburg, W. Va. is a complicated one. It’s a story of lies and deceit, livelihoods and lives lost. It’s the story of…
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Two years after breaking her leg and a doctor telling her she had to quit running, this Zen student took first place in one of the hardest endurance races on the planet. All it took was a little bit of Whitesnake and an understanding that winning is nothing more than the river under your feet.…
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Locals reveal their favorite spots for in-town adventure It’s five o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon. You want to get outside after a long day of work or classes, but you don’t have the time to drive two hours to your favorite hike or crag. Athletes and adventurers from across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast show us…
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When you think about paddling in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, rivers like the Gauley, James, Nantahala, and Chattooga get a lot of the love. While these rivers offer paddlers of all types epic adventures and scenic views, they are not always the most accessible rivers. “It doesn’t always have to be extreme,” said paddler Angel…
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2019 Paddling Guide Features Urban Paddling You don’t have to travel far to squeeze in a day on the water. These nine rivers offer closer-to-home paddling adventure. Hometown Heroes Top athletes from across the region reveal their 25 favorite urban adventure hotspots. You are Being Poisoned Virginia native Bucky Bailey is the central figure in…
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Erwan Le Corre likes to talk about spearfishing. He can go into detail about fighting the currents and the challenge of holding your breath at the bottom of the sea. How you have to learn about the fish’s behavior. Le Corre lives on Mexico’s coast with his wife and three kids and spends as much…
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