September 2009
In 2009, fastpacker Matt Kirk set off on the Benton MacKaye Trail and finished all 288 miles in just over five days. Read more about his record here.
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Read More >Our national parks get all the love, but why isn’t there a public outcry over the $10 billion maintenance backlog for our national forest system?
Read More >From its source on Grandfather Mountain, the Linville River flows into Lake James at the edge of the Piedmont. Along the way, it has sculpted a breathtaking gorge framed by Jonas Ridge on the east and Linville Mountain on the west. Located in the vast Pisgah National Forest, the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area is home…
Read More >Last summer, while most bands were pulling into the massive Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in giant, gas-chugging tour buses, Ben Sollee rolled up on a bike—pulling his 60-pound cello behind him. The Kentucky-based folkie biked 330 miles to the Tennessee festival from his home in Lexington, stopping along the way to play concerts in…
Read More >Pumped by this summer’s coverage of the Tour de France? Pedal one of these celebrated road tours for your own taste of two-wheeled adventure. SHENANDOAH VALLEY CENTURY Harrisonburg, Va. Sept. 13. A rolling 100 miles through the small towns and farmland that make the Shenandoah Valley so picturesque. Scenic vistas of the surrounding peaks are…
Read More >As a parent, how can you balance your old outdoor passions with the new love of your life? Kelly Brown, an avid backpacker and rock climber living in Knoxville, has enjoyed introducing his children to the wonders of the outdoors. At 18 months, his son Tanner could hike a 2 1/2 mile trail and pick…
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Mountain bikers explore the uncharted Rocky Fork—the newest and largest land acquisition in the Southeast in decades. You can tell it’s bear scat because it looks like someone dumped a bucket of blueberries on the trail,” Ben Appleby says, leaning over his handlebars to get a peak at the black pile in the middle of…
Read More >Here’s the trouble with having a job: It takes up so much of your free time—time you could be using to hike, bike, run, etc. Alas, food must be bought and bills must be paid, so how do you find time to pursue your outdoor passions when you have the 9-to-5 weight around your neck?…
Read More >Can’t justify dropping $8,000 on the latest two-wheeled hotness? Don’t fret. Good bikes for about a grand can be had, no matter what kind of riding you do. Check out these bonafide budget bikes that are easy on the wallet, but smooth in the saddle. ROAD BIKE Bianchi Via Nirone 7; $900 The Via Nirone…
Read More >If this summer’s poison ivy explosion has you itching for a new remedy, try pouring the potent clear liquor on your skin. Vodka helps remove urushiol—ivy’s toxic oil.
Read More >Really Big Trees: Old Growth Numbers 0.5 Percent of old growth forest remains in the Eastern U.S., which amounts to about two million acres. 50 Percent of remaining old growth located on private land with a greater risk of being logged. 100,000 Acres of old growth remaining within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the largest…
Read More >Earlier this summer, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed new, tougher regulations on air pollution. The federal organization is specifically targeting nitrogen oxides, which are released by cars and coal-fired power plants. Nitrogen oxides are linked to increased risk of respiratory issues and diseases.
Read More >Pisgah National Forest has announced plans to log 2,000 acres in the North Mills River Recreation Area, near Asheville, N.C. The area is one of the most popular mountain biking destinations in the country, as well as being a destination for anglers, hikers, and trail runners. According to the proposal, the Forest Service plans to…
Read More >Once again, an annual obesity study found that states in the Southeast are tipping the scales more than others in the U.S. For the fifth year in a row, Mississippi led the country in adult obesity at 32.5 percent, according to a report released by the Trust for America’s Health. West Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama…
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