Author: Mike
Back on the Slopes
A visit to the resorts in the North Carolina High Country helps a former skier start carving turns again. Plus an update about how the Boone, NC area rebounded after Hurricane Helene to save their winter snowsports season. Read more at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
Rapid Response
How paddlers, climbers, and other members of the outdoor community sprang into action after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina. Read more about their impressive efforts at Blue Ridge Outdoors.
The Last Mile
After two decades spent section-hiking the Appalachian Trail, a retiree left a single mile untrodden for a celebration with his aging dad and friends. But with injuries and illnesses mounting, would everyone make it to the end? Find out in the full article from Blue Ridge Outdoors!
A Not-So-Serious Ozark Gift Guide
“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.
Summiting Old Rag Mountain
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!
Mysteries of the Eleven Point River
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!
Outside Richmond
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!
Back to Basics: Rebuilding Paddling Skills in the Southeast
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!
Scratching the Surface at Mammoth Cave
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!