In our December issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors, which is hitting outdoor shops, coffee shops, grocery stores, gyms, libraries and other door steps this very minute, you’ll meet Virginia’s comeback kid: two torn ACLs haven’t stopped Olympic freestyle skier Ashley Caldwell from soaring to new heights.
You’ll also be introduced to four awe-inspiring adventure families from the Blue Ridge who push their limits together.
We highlight other inspiring outdoor people this month as well: A handicapped hiker crawls through bear country to discover something that not even a disability can take away. After running from the law —and himself—an angler finds healing in the wild waters of Appalachia. And our travel editor shares ten hard-earned lessons from living out of a vehicle for six months.
We also take readers into the fields and kitchens behind Barbara Kingsolver’s farm-to-table restaurant; and we tackle big questions about the future of Appalachia: should cougars and wolves be reintroduced to the Blue Ridge? And can Tennessee’s Upper Bald River Gorge Wilderness finally be protected?
features
LAST CHANCE
Can the Upper Bald River Gorge finally be protected? A longstanding wilderness bill hangs in the balance.
COMEBACK KID
Two torn ACLs haven’t stopped Olympic freestyle skier Ashley Caldwell from soaring to new heights.
NATURE AND NURTURE
Meet four awe-inspiring adventure families from the Blue Ridge who push their limits together.
ROAD LIFE 101
Jess Daddio shares ten hard-earned lessons from living out of a vehicle for six months.
ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, RESTAURANT
Wander the fields and kitchens behind Barbara Kingsolver and Steven Hopp’s farm-to-table experiment in Abingdon.
STUCK IN THE MUD
A handicapped hiker crawls through bear country to discover something that not even a disability can take away.
LONG WAY BACK
After running from the law—and himself—Jackson Buchman finds healing in the wild waters of Appalachia.
departments
EDITOR’S NOTE
Speak for the trails: 70 percent of NC’s national forests may open to logging.
FLASHPOINT
Should cougars and red wolves be reintroduced to Appalachia?
THE GOODS
Peek inside the backcountry pack of snowsports guru Randy Johnson.
THE DIRT
Singlespeeder rides the Divide / Surprise anchor to Blue Ridge Relay
TRAIL MIX
The Mantras’endless jam quest + New Year’s Eve Shows in the South
