writing & photography with an adventurous spin
“The Ozarks are a quirky place for outdoor adventure. The rocks can be sharp. The rivers can be swift. And the beer often flows like a freshwater spring. Before someone you love ventures into this wild region, you can help them be prepared. But not too prepared. It’s the Ozarks, not the Himalayas…” Continue reading at Terrain Magazine.
Stunning views and rock scrambling make for a classic day hike in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park: from forest to granite • an “Eastern park in the Western tradition” • a fun but tiring scramble to the summit • a piece of Yosemite in the Appalachians. Read the story at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
This spring-fed river in the Missouri Ozarks is not only in the national wild & scenic rivers system but it’s filled with mysteries: the ruins of lost towns • a tale of vanished campers • a pervasive fog and karst topography • a name of enigmatic origins. Learn more at Terrain Magazine!
With mountain biking and camping at Pocahontas State Park, plus famous historic sites like Jamestown and Colonial National Historic Park, a road trip stop in and around Virginia’s capital city offers a fun break from the I-95 grind… Learn more at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
A rusty refresher at the Nantahala River • shadowing a beginner class at Fontana Lake and Little Tennessee • counting strokes on Section 9 of the French Broad • advanced instruction and imbalanced butt cheeks • Read the story at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
On a camper trip to this Kentucky national park, we discover much more than the typical cave tours: forested hiking trails, mountain bike flow trails, a gravel rail trail, scenic river paddling, a lantern-toting adventure, and a wacky actor from an episode of Breaking Bad. Check out the story at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
One of the Midwest’s best rail trails sets the scene for a cycling (mis)adventure in Southern Illinois. There will be Cold War spies in hatchbacks, old train trestles, embarrassing moments in dive bars, broken bikes, ancient trees, and bruised quads. Story and pics in Terrain Magazine!
Processing loss on foot in South Carolina’s historic city • The hunt for a secret • A mysterious illness • Historic sites to walk to • Unforgettable steps • Holiday walks • The beginning of the end.
Full story in the family issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors.
A historic corner of the Appalachian Mountains in South Carolina is a hidden gem for outdoor adventures: A bike park with an unfinished railroad tunnel • A mountain biker at the local biker bar • An adventure ride to a forgotten outpost • The lost Cherokee town of Oconee is found. Read the story at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
We started in August. A leisurely three weeks of adventuring with hiking shoes in the truck, kayaks and mountain bikes on the roof, and our new travel trailer hitched up behind. Before the camper, we never considered the Blue Ridge Parkway to be a destination, itself. But now we could set up basecamps and explore outward. Check out the story and pics at Duct Tape Diaries!