Blue Ridge Outdoors June 2015

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CONTENTS

June 2015 Health note: When enjoying the outdoors, it’s important to stay hydrated.

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

9 EDITOR’S NOTE

22 DELIVERANCE RIVER

The Other Will Harlan

A female paddler faces fears and stereotypes on the South’s most storied river.

10 FLASHPOINT Communities rally against Atlantic Coast Pipeline

15 QUICK HITS State park closures Carolina Rivers expedition • Endangered rivers • Rescue at sea of Carolina coast •

16 THE DIRT Outdoor Couples share trail-tested truths • 20 favorite adventure films and videos • Tree climbing in the South

61 THE GOODS SUP swag: A paddleboarder’s go-to gear

66 TRAIL MIX Joyful noise: Bristol’s country roots recordings

24 MILLBILLIES, MURDER, AND MEMORY Wiley Cash reflects on the 1929 Gastonia mill strike’s surprising hero.

26 FLATWATER FAVORITES Paddle these quiet stretches of classic Blue Ridge rivers.

57 MAKING WAVES Surfski racing spreads across the South—thanks to a few paddling pioneers.

62 SALTWATER COWBOYS Meet the wranglers of Assateague Island keeping watch over the wild ponies.

800-933-PARK (7275) | www.virginiastateparks.gov COVER PHOTO BY

JEFFREY RICH / JE F F RE Y RICH.COM J U N E 2 015 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M BRO_June_2015.indd 1

5

4/27/2015 12:05:08 PM

CHATTER

06.15

MINORITY REPORT PR ESI D EN T

BLAKE DEMASO

ED ITOR I N C H I EF

WILL HARLAN

will@blueridgeoutdoors.com PU B LI SH ER

LEAH WOODY

leah@blueridgeoutdoors.com A RT D I R EC TOR

MEGAN JORDAN

megan@blueridgeoutdoors.com

Editorial & Production JEDD FERRIS

SEN I OR ED ITOR

jedd@blueridgeoutdoors.com TR AVEL ED ITOR

JESS DADDIO

jess@blueridgeoutdoors.com SEN I OR D ESI G N ER

LAUREN WALKER

lauren@blueridgeoutdoors.com C ON TR I B UTORS

WILEY CASH, KY DELANEY, GRAHAM AVERILL, JEFF KINNEY, DAVE STALLARD JULIA GREEN, ROBERT MCGEE

C OPY ED ITORS

Advertising & Business

Asheville, N.C. Office (828) 225-0868 SEN I OR AC C OU N T EXEC UTI VE

MARTHA EVANS

martha@blueridgeoutdoors.com AC C OU N T EXEC UTI VE / D I G ITA L PU B LISHER

ORDER YOUR A.T. LICENSE PLATE AND SUPPORT THE

APPALACHIAN TRAIL!

DUSTY ALLISON

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Charlottesville, Va. Office (434) 817-2755 AC C OU N T EXEC UTI VE

KATIE HARTWELL

katie@blueridgeoutdoors.com

AC C OU N T EXEC UTI VE / M A R KETI N G & PR

NICK NOE

nick@blueridgeoutdoors.com B U SI N ESS M A N AG ER

I appreciated the candid look at African-American participation in the outdoor adventure. Folks in urban neighborhoods love the outdoors as much as anyone else, but they often lack transportation. Our public lands belong to us all, but not everyone can reach them.

—Dana O’Neil, Arlington, Va. HOWL OVER THE WOLVES Are the Wolves of Vinland racist thugs or troubled youth forging new identities through the outdoors? I hope it’s the latter. Nature needs tough guys willing to fight for all life, not just their own tribe.

—Garrison McGinty, Atlanta, Ga. WILDEST IN THE EAST Thanks for Pat Byington’s inspiring essay about protecting wilderness in Cherokee National Forest, some of the wildest country this side of the Rockies. We’ve been fighting for many years to get a Tennessee wilderness bill passed. I hope we can get the Upper Bald designated soon.

—John Doyal, Tellico Plains, Tenn.

THE OUTDOOR EGO Devon O’Neil nailed it: we hypercompetitive outdoor adventurers need to slow the hell down and savor the scenery. It’s good to push your limits, but it’s equally important to let go of your ego-driven dreams now and then and just lose yourself in the landscape.

—Skye Hargrove, Asheville, N.C.

MELISSA GESSLER

melissa@blueridgeoutdoors.com C I RC U LATI ON M A N AG ER

AVERY SHOOK

avery@blueridgeoutdoors.com

Digital Media CRAIG SNODGRASS

North Carolina Appalachian Trail

ON LI N E D I R EC TOR

webdir@blueridgeoutdoors.com

License Plate Application

D I G ITA L M ED I A SPEC I A LI ST

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) now has a specialty license tag in the state of North Carolina.

By getting your tag today, you’ll help the ATC protect and maintain America’s Facts Favorite Long Distance Trail!

The ATC will receive $20 annually for each AT plate purchased or renewed.

How Much Does It Cost?  $30 Regular Appalachian Trail plate*  $60 Personalized Appalachian Trail plate* You are allowed four (4) spaces for a personalized message. __ __ __ __ 2nd Choice __ __ __ __ 3rd Choice __ __ __ __ 1st Choice Name (as shown on certificate of title): FIRST

MIDDLE

CITY

STATE

LAST

ADDRESS ZIP CODE

HOME PHONE

OFFICE PHONE

Current North Carolina Vehicle

 You must already have the vehicle registered in North Carolina.  You receive a FREE ATC Membership with the purchase of your NC AT Tag.  *The $30 or $60 annual fee is in addition to regular annual license fees you have already paid.  Personalized tags may be relinquished to someone else, but once a numerical tag expires without renewal, that number can never again be reissued.  If you change your mind, you can go back to a regular license plate at any time. There will not be a refund of unused portion of special fees.  Additional applications can be found online at

All proceeds received from each state will help manage and protect the Trail. _______________________ ____________________________________ PLATE NUMBER

VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

TO ORDER, VISIT APPALACHIANTRAIL.ORG/PLATES ______________________ ____________________________________ DRIVER’S LICENSE #

YEAR

MODEL

MAKE

BODY STYLE

www.appalachiantrail.org

Owner’s Certification of Liability Insurance I certify for the motor vehicle described above that I have financial responsibility as required by law.

6

FULL NAME OF INSURANCE COMPANY AUTHORIZED IN NC – NOT AGENCY OR GROUP

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R SPOLICY / JNUMBER U N –EIF POLICY 2 01NOT 5 ISSUED, NAME OF AGENCY BINDING COVERAGE ______________________________________ _________________________________________ SIGNATURE OF OWNER

DATE OF CERTIFICATION

TRAVIS HALL

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PUBLISHING

116 West Jefferson Street Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 56 College Street, Suite 303 Asheville, North Carolina 28801

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©2015 Summit Publishing, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Packing for a West Virginia trip, even a short one, involves lots of toys.#MyBlueRidge @brianrvincent HOW TO REACH US editor@blueridgeoutdoors.com BlueRidgeOutdoors GoOutAndPlay BlueRidgeOutdoors

CONTRIBUTORS

0 6 .15

FAVORITE ADVENTURE FILM?

RANDY JOHNSON Deliverance. Always come away from that movie with a disturbing sense of how powerful, and multi-dimensional, Mother Nature really is.

ALISHA EDMINSTON Desert Runners. Needless to say, I have a deep respect for people that will take on challenges like that.

JESS DADDIO

SAL RUIBAL Clay Marzo: Just Add Water—the adventures of a controversial autistic surfer.

Congo: The Grand Inga Project. his documentary on some of the best kayakers in the world tackling the largest rapids on the planet is every bit inspiring as it is damn crazy.

WILL HARLAN NICK NOE Travis Rice’s That’s It That’s All. The high production values, plus great locations make it easy to watch over and over.

Endurance. It doesn’t have the flash that adrenaline junkies might seek, but Haile Gebrselassie’s journey from a mud hut in Ethiopia to the Olympic track is one of the most powerful I’ve witnessed.

DUSTY ALLISON MEGAN JORDAN Step into Liquid, Point Break, Blue Crush.

180 Degrees South. Trekking, surfing, sailing, mountaineering, South America, and Yvon Chouinard. What else do you need?

J U N E 2 015 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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View our online state parks guide!

There is no feeling like it. From the raging rapids of Tallulah Gorge to the serene Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia has paddling experiences for all skill levels. Canoes and/or kayaks may be rented seasonally at more than 20 state parks, and visitors may also bring their own boats.

There’s no better place to enjoy your outdoor adventure than in Georgia’s diverse State Parks & Historic Sites. Book your outdoor getaway today!

GaStateParks.org | 800-864-7275 reservations 8

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 5

EDITOR’S LETTER

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EPIC VIEWS. ENDLESS TRAILS. NIGHTS UNDER THE STARS.

NAME THAT RUNNER

THE OTHER WILL HARLAN FIFTEEN WINTERS AGO, I had just moved to Asheville, and every runner was talking about the Mount Mitchell Challenge—a 40-mile trail race to the highest mountain east of the Mississippi. Knee-deep snow, icecovered trails, frigid creek crossings, and 50-mile-per-hour winds at the summit were a few of the highlights.

But the race, limited to 300 runners, had already filled.

So I emailed the race director, Jim Curwen (father of uber-athlete Jay Curwen) pleading for a spot on the waiting list. He replied: “You’re in.

We could use a gastroenterologist on the course. There are usually splattered signs of GI distress along the trail.”

I was no doctor—just a scrappy writer new to town—but somehow I got in the race, so I didn’t ask too many questions.

After Mitchell, I began training for the Shut-In Trail Race that fall. I had never logged so many miles and never felt more prepared to race. But when I showed up on race morning to pick up my number, it wasn’t there.

I was crushed. Months of training suddenly seemed wasted. Then, out of nowhere, another runner with my race number walked up and introduced himself: “Hi, Will Harlan. I’m the other Will Harlan.”

How did a small mountain town like Asheville have two runners named Will Harlan?

The other Will Harlan, it turned out, was a GI doc who was ten years older than me and far better looking.

Shut In was the first of many races where our race numbers would get mixed up. Over the years, other things have gotten crossed, too: I have received thank you letters from his patients, and he has received my unpaid bills.

The other Will Harlan ended up saving my life. A few years ago, I collapsed on the emergency room floor in severe GI distress. None of

GET IN GEAR FOR THE BEST OF SUMMER.

DR. WILL HARLAN

the ER docs could figure out what was happening, but Dr. Will and his team spotted the problem in the blurry x-ray: my colon had twisted shut. I was rushed into surgery where a third of my colon was removed. When I came out of surgery, the first face I saw was Dr. Will’s.

Over the next few months, he got me back on my feet and onto the trail.

He even joined me on one of my first long training runs post-surgery. Side by side, doctor and patient, mentor and student, the Will Harlans glided through the forest. It was one of the most beautiful and meaningful trail runs of my life.

My name appears in print a lot, but the other Will Harlan deserves more of the ink. Thanks, Dr. Will, for making me seem way smarter and more successful than I actually am—and for paying that overdue Blockbuster bill back in 2008.

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FLASHPOINT

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WHO REALLY PAYS FOR THE PIPELINE?

THE ACP COULD BE COMING THROUGH YOUR BACKYARD

by JEFF KINNEY

F

racking is bad enough. Now, a pipeline pumping fracked natural gas is planned for our Blue Ridge backyard. The 550-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline will run from Harrison County, W.Va., to Robeson County, N.C., cutting a broad swath through prized public lands, including the George Washington National Forest, and over the Appalachian Trail in Virginia.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) is a collaboration between four large energy companies (Dominion Resources, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, and AGL Resources), and it will pump 1.5 billion gallons of natural gas daily. The pipeline will be buried under several feet of dirt.

So what’s the problem? For one thing, says Greg Buppert, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, it would require a permanent 75-foot easement above ground. That means an ugly, treeless gash would ruin views, promote invasive species, and otherwise diminish the GW’s wild character forever. “The part of the forest where the pipeline is proposed contains some of the best remaining wildlife habitat in Virginia and some of the last intact contiguous forests in the Eastern U.S.,” he says. “It would permanently fragment these forests.” Neighboring Monongahela National Forest and other sensitive public and private lands

10

also would be destined for the chain saw.

Vital water supplies would be threatened, given that the pipeline would be built on fragile topography shot through with underground drainage systems, sinkholes, and caves. Sedimentation and erosion would foul high-quality streams, and soil compaction would diminish productive agricultural land. And then there’s the ever-present threat of leaks, which would poison wells and groundwater and emit a potent greenhouse gas.

But concerned citizens will have their hands full if they want to stop or even slow down the project; the energy companies are hell-bent on completing it and cite the usual litany of spurious or exaggerated economic perks, including jobs and cheaper energy. But it’s clear that the main beneficiaries will be the energy companies themselves. Perpetuating Appalachia’s addiction to fossil fuels is in no one’s long-term interest except for those who produce the stuff.

How will tourism be affected if classic Eastern forest vistas are marred by a giant clearWATCH THIS | cut eyesore snaking over the WON’T PIPE DOWN landscape? How will farmers A documentary by JMU students about the fare when they try to cultivate movement to stop the degraded land? How many of Atlantic Coast Pipeline. the purported economic gains See the trailer at will accrue to locals who have to BlueRidgeOutdoors.com live with the environmental and safety concerns?

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 5

And don’t forget the massive hit to property values for everyone who is forced to grant a pipeline easement on their property. According to Nancy Sorrells of the Augusta County Alliance, pipeline companies are legally considered public utilities. That means the energy companies can claim easements on private property via eminent domain, assuming the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approves the pipeline. As a result, property owners could have part of it running 25 feet from their homes or 150 feet from wells that they and their families rely on for drinking water, along with a 75-foot swath above ground that can never be planted or built upon. “Eminent domain was created so that one curmudgeon

couldn’t keep a school or a water line from being built,” Sorrells says. “Now, a for-profit corporation under the guise of being a public utility is using eminent domain for their profit.”

Water sources are especially vulnerable. “150 feet is nothing. If someone has a leaking septic tank, it can affect somebody’s well miles away.

It’s not an if—the pipeline will alter and permanently damage some of our water resources.” Of course, property owners will receive a one-time, lowball payment for their trouble and be dared to challenge it in court. Daunted by the legal fees necessary to take on such well-heeled adversaries, many won’t bother.

Misty Boos, director of Wild Virginia, says she is “absolutely against”

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ATLANTIC COAST PIPELINE OVERVIEW MAP courtesy DOMINION RESOURCES, INC.

any pipeline, and especially one that runs through national forest land.

Although she thinks the pipeline can be stopped altogether, if worse comes to worst, she has a commonsense suggestion that would limit the damage: use existing rights of way.

“There are already pipelines and power lines running through those national forests,” she says. “For some reason Dominion isn’t considering them. It would certainly be less problematic if there weren’t a lot of brand-new clearcuts.”

There’s still time for the actual public interest to prevail. Right now land is being surveyed along the proposed route—a process that often involves cutting down trees with little

notice and can be done without the owners’ permission. The proposed route is in the pre-filing stage, and Sorrells says a formal filing could be submitted by late summer. FERC will probably decide whether to approve the pipeline a year or so later. That means opponents need to take advantage of the public comment period this spring to provide critical information for the agency’s environmental impact statement. “It’s very important for people to express their concerns to FERC so it can make the most responsible decision possible,” Buppert says.

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QUICK HITS

0 6 .15

SHORTS

BLUE RIDGE BRIEFS

by JEDD FERRIS and TRAVIS HALL TRO U B LE D WAT E RS I N T H E SOUT H

Dirty rivers are running throughout the Southeast. Three regional waterways recently made a list of the country’s top 10 endangered rivers, as named annually by watchdog nonprofit American Rivers. Coming in at number three, Tennessee’s Holton River is reportedly being polluted by toxic chemicals coming from the nearby Holston Army Ammunitions Plant.

According to American Rivers the plant is discharging RDX (Research Development Explosive), recognized by the EPA as a possible carcinogen and known to cause seizures if inhaled or ingested. Last fall the Tennessee Clean Water Network filed a lawsuit in an effort to get the Army to clean up the Holston, which provides drinking water to 56,000 people in Tennessee and Virginia.

For the second straight year South Carolina’s Edisto River has been named the fifth most endangered river, threatened by excessive agriculture withdrawls. South Carolina state law doesn’t require permits for agricultural water users, and American Rivers says industrial-scale farmers are taking advantage of the exemption and therefore threatening water quality and habitat. As the longest free-flowing blackwater river in the country, the Edisto runs for more than 250 miles from its headwaters between Columbia and Aiken to the Atlantic Coast, along the way serving as a popular waterway for both paddling and fishing.

Back in Tennessee, the 125-mile Harpeth River also made the list as the ninth most endangered. The river, which flows through the Nashville metro area and rapidly growing city of Franklin, is being threatened by excessive sewage and water withdrawls as more people move to this part of the state. illustration by WADE MICKLEY

CAROL INA RIVERS E XP E DIT ION L AUNCHE S

Royal Geographic Society fellow and explorer Julian Monroe has summited Kilimanjaro and trekked across Africa.

Now he has set out to paddle the length of 32 Carolina rivers in a matter of two years.

The Carolina Rivers project aims to help protect 32 beloved Southern waterways through exploration and education. “The purpose of this project is to let people know that they don’t have to travel to far off exotic places like Africa in order to be an explorer,” Fisher told me. “All you really have to do is turn a curious eye to your immediate surroundings. I can’t imagine a better place to do that than on a Carolina river.”

1 5 AL ABAMA STATE PA RK S COULD CLOSE BY FAL L

A budget crisis could close 15 Alabama state parks by the fall. In mid April state officials announced that $11.4 million would be cut from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ 2016 budget, and the majority of it would be pulled from state parks. As a result, many favorites like Lake Lurleen and Cheaha, which holds the state’s tallest mountain, are on the chopping block.

According to reporting by the Huntsville Times, four closures were set to happen this spring, and on June 1 another five are supposed to begin reduced hours with smaller staffs. If the crisis isn’t resolved by October 1, the remaining 11 parks on the list will close.

MAN RE SCUE D OFF NORTH CA ROLINA COAST AF T E R 66 DAYS AT SEA

In January, 37-year-old Louis Jordan decided to go fishing, leaving Conway, S.C., in his sailboat. Sixty-six days

BEYOND THE BLUE RIDGE later he was rescued by a German ship, approximately 200 miles off the North Carolina coast. So what happened to Jordan that left him stranded at sea for more than two months? According to a report by CNN, his 35-foot sailboat capsized in the Gulf Stream, leaving Jordan with a broken shoulder and his boat with a broken mast. His drenched GPS and other electronics no longer worked.

As he drifted in the ocean, Jordan at first rationed his remaining food and rigged a smaller mast and sail that offered little movement. He was eventually forced to drink rainwater and eat fish lured by the scent of his laundry. He amazingly survived and was spotted on Thursday, April 2, by the Houston express cargo ship. That evening Jordan was able to walk on his own into a hospital in Norfolk, Va. He told the cable news station: “I was utterly thankful and grateful to the people who rescued me, and I was grateful to God that my parents were not going to be worried about me.”

S EPTUAGENA R IA N C OM PLETES 22 M A R ATH ONS IN 24 DAYS

Age ain’t nothing but a number.

Proof? Ruben Cantu, a 72-yearold avid runner who recently completed 22 marathons in 24 days. Participating in the Race Across Texas (a part of the broader Race Across USA Marathon series), Cantu ran 524 miles across the Lone Star State, finishing the last marathon on March 27, his 72nd birthday.

According to a story on Runner’s World’s website, Cantu fought a blister that spanned a third of his foot and nearly called it quits after 11 marathons. But with help from family members, who worked as Cantu’s support crew, he persevered for his cause—raising awareness for childhood obesity. Cantu didn’t start running until he was 40, but since then he’s been diligent about his stated goal of running at least 1,000 miles a year.

J U N E 2 015 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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THE DIRT

0 6 . 15

BACKCOUNTRY ROMANCE 10 THINGS ONLY OUTDOORSY COUPLES WILL UNDERSTAND

by JESS DADDIO

H

ave you ever noticed how first dates feel a lot like interviewing for a new job?

Think about it—you’re sitting there in your least wrinkly set of clothes across from someone you’re trying to impress, smelling faintly of dryer sheets and cologne. In conversation, you might choke back prime opportunities to throw in a “that’s what she said” in an effort to sound mature. When your meal arrives, you take a few bites, fighting the urge to inhale it all in one Hoover-like wolfing, and ask for a box instead. When the night ends, it’s almost a relief.

Yet in the event that you and your date make it past those early awkward stages and become a couple, for people who are into the outdoors especially, the uncomfortable moments are far from over.

Just ask Josh Mitchell and Diane Hutt, an Asheville-based couple whose idea of a date night involves shredding Pisgah’s grueling singletrack. The two lead an exciting life—between commercial salmon fishing seasons in Alaska (Josh) and months at sea working off the coast of Antarctica as a marine lab technician (Diane), the pair also operates their own energy bar company, Threshold Provisions, right under their roof.

Together, Josh and Diane have ventured into the heart of some of the world’s most remote spots on the map, from New Zealand to Patagonia and Alaska, but they’ll be the first to admit—it’s not easy to work, play, and live with that special someone. If you’re ever questioning your relationship, look no further than a tandem canoe or an overnight backpacking trip. Nothing says “I love you,” like Dutch ovens (the bad kind) and a pair of crusty socks.

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“If you forget the Wet Ones, you can forget about the sex.”

Here are 10 lessons that Josh and Diane have learned the hard way. You can thank them later, as these may very well be the keys to making or breaking your next adventure (in love and life).

1

EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK SHE’S RIGHT, SHE’S PROBABLY RIGHT. Especially when it’s in the middle of the night and the swollen stream behind your tent is raging from the six inches of continuous rainfall it collected in less than 24 hours.

“Diane wakes me up and says, ‘Listen, the river’s flooding,’ and I said, ‘No it’s not, go back to sleep,’” Josh remembers.

But as he lay there in his sleeping bag listening to the roar of the water and the incessant patter of rain falling on their tent, doubt set in. He unzipped the door to find the stream was, indeed, at the brink of spilling over the bank

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 5

and that, as Diane had predicted, the water was already surrounding their platform.

“The lesson here? Listen to your wife,” he says.

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IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY IN THE RELATIONSHIP TO ASK FOR A TICK CHECK. After all, tick bites can be a real danger in the backcountry. But when there are hundreds of ticks the size of freckles taking over every square inch of your body, including your butthole, you can count on one of two scenarios happening—either she grudgingly helps you in an act of pity only to never return your phone calls again, or she becomes your partner for life.

3

SEX IN THE BACKCOUNTRY IS FINE, SO LONG AS YOU HAVE WET ONES®.

But if you forget the Wet Ones, you can

forget about the sex.

4

FARTS ARE FUNNY—UNTIL YOU’RE TRAPPED. Chili and burritos are recipes for gastrointestinal disaster, whether you’re at home or in the woods. But inevitably, after a long day on the trail, nothing’s easier than whipping together a burrito or two stuffed with beans and cheese that ooze greasy gassy goodness. There’s no way to remedy that flatulence either, save for an altered menu, a bottle of Beano, or separate tents.

“Beware of what you feed your man,” Diane warns. “Boys are nasty.”

5

MOTHER NATURE DOESN’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOUR ROMANTIC GETAWAY. Even if your plans involve proposing marriage to the girl you love amid the splendor and glory of western North Carolina’s Shining Rock Wilderness.

create

StorieS

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SNUGGLING IS NOT ALLOWED ON 90-DEGREE DAYS. Let me specify. Snuggling is not allowed on 90-degree days with a 100% humidity factor that suffocates you so much, it’s all you can do to lie there in your tent and sweat.

But still. A girl likes to snuggle.

8

YOU’RE EITHER THE FURNACE OR THE ICEBOX. When you’re the icebox, use those frigid fingers to cool a sweaty neck.

But “when you’re a hot-blooded, hairy man,” like Josh, “it’s your job to thaw those tootsies out,” so don’t balk when your partner asks to stick her frozen feet up your shirt.

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SHARING IS CARING. If there’s one word all outdoor couples should know and avoid it’s this— hangry. When you’re hungry, you’re not just angry. You’re hangry. What’s worse than being hangry? Finding out your partner ate the last bit of food and didn’t share it with you.

JOSH MITCHELL AND DIANE HUTT OF ASHEVILLE KNOW ALL TO WELL WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK, PLAY, AND LIVE WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE.

archandph

9

WHEN IN DOUBT, BE HONEST. Unless she smells like two weeks’ worth of rotting fish. “I tried to hold it in for a bit, but I had to tell her,” Josh says upon seeing (and smelling) Diane for the first time in a while after the two had been working for separate commercial salmon fishing crews.

So perhaps, when in doubt, be honest, but also be prepared to run.

and - ericm

7

NOISES IN THE DARK TURN EVERYONE INTO A SISSY. No matter how much time you’ve spent in the woods, sometimes a rustle in the leaves sounds like a squirrel.

Sometimes, it sounds like a bobcat… or a squirrel fighting a bobcat. “One time, you’re the brave one and the next time, you’re the one hearing a bear,” Josh says, so don’t laugh when your partner spends a sleepless night in paranoia over crunching foliage—you’re probably next.

Eric March

Snow, hail, rain, lightning. Sounds more like a high altitude squall than a spring storm in the Southeast. “The lightning was very violent and very close,” Josh adds, “and we were at the point where we didn’t know whether to run and retreat or just cower and hide.” They decided to cower, but Josh, ever the optimist, didn’t let the weather dampen the mood and finally popped the question during a lull in the storm.

A clap of lightning above his head was the only sign Diane needed to say ‘yes.’

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photo by JESS DADDIO J U N E 2 015 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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THE DIRT

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SIMPLY THE BEST TOP 20 ADVENTURE SPORTS FILMS AND VIDEOS TO GET YOU PUMPED

by CHRIS GRAGTMANS

V

NO 1. MCCONKEY (Ski / BASE)

TOP 10 FILMS

Shane McConkey must be one of the most influential figures in any outdoor sport, ever. He changed the game in everything from the attitude of pro skiers, to the direction of elite competition, to the possibility of taking to the air via BASE jumping.

Shane also paid the ultimate price, passing away in 2009 on a ski BASE with his best friend, JT Holmes.

This film tells the story of Shane’s life, and is the single most impressive compilation of stunts that I have ever seen… and they’re all by one person.

NO 10. PRETTY FACES (Ski)

TOP 10 VIDEOS

ideo fills a pivotal role in the world of adventure sports. There are few things that get me as fired up as watching a good movie or clip before and after shredding with buddies. Here are the top 20 videos that I find myself queuing up time and again.

Executed from start to finish by women, this film expresses the joy of being a skier girl and provides inspiration to the aspiring youth.

NO 10. JET SKI BARREL (Surf) Mother Nature vs. technology… we know which is more powerful.

NO 9. GRAND INGA PROJECT (Kayak)

The best videos provide historical context and heart-pounding action. This expedition to the largest whitewater in the world does both.

NO 9. MCGARRY RAMPAGE (Mountain Bike)

NO 8. TOUCHING THE VOID (Drama)

Kelly McGarry gives a raw look into the pinnacle of mountain biking… the Red Bull Rampage. Everything from the breathing, the knife ridge riding, and the incredible gaps is gripping.

This story of devotion, tragedy, inner demons, and perseverance truly defies belief.

NO 8. CHURCH TWO (Mountain Bike)

NO 7. THE ART OF FLIGHT (Snowboard)

Southeast represent! Brandon Blakely and Evan Voss express their unique styles on and off the bike.

This spectacular documentary was one of the first to open up the incredible capabilities of high frame rate cameras.

NO 7. KAI LENNY 4 IN 1 (SUP / Surf / Windsurf / Kiteboard)

NO 6. SEASONS (Mountain Bike)

Kai is the next generation waterman, and he showcases his abilities in this epic multisport session at Jaws.

Digging into the personalities of downhill and freeride mountain biking, this video truly shows the soul of the sport.

NO 6. DANNY HART WORLDS (Mountain Bike ) Incredible riding skill… even better announcing!

NO 5. THE RIVER WILD (Drama)

NO 5. IMAGINATE (Mountain Bike)

One of my childhood favorites! This high budget Hollywood production shows the allure of “the river” while also providing the audience with an interpersonal thriller.

This Danny MacAskill video wins the creativity award hands down… we’re all kids at heart.

NO 4. INTO THE WILD (Drama)

Christopher McCandless plus John Krakauer plus Eddie Vedder equals a beautiful story. Not everyone fits into the machine.

NO 3. LIFE CYCLES (Mountain Bike)

The feature brought something fresh and unique to the adventure sports cinematography world— the most notable being the visual effect of changing seasons.

NO 4. PALOUSE FALLS FIRST D (Kayak) This 189-foot beast is the perfect waterfall, and Tyler Bradt’s audacious first descent and world record has not been exceeded since.

NO 3. ONE OF THOSE DAYS 2 (Ski)

All I can say about this is that it’s mind-blowing and superhuman. I want to be this guy.

NO 2. JP AUCLAIR STREET (Ski)

JP Auclair shows that you can have a blast and shred no matter the setting.

NO 2. RIDING GIANTS (Surf)

NO 1. DREAM (Kayak)

This fascinating history of big wave surfing is unique in its ability to draw any viewer into the stories and the power of the ocean.

Ben Marr and Skip Armstrong express their joy for kayaking and the inner insecurities of all of us in this highly entertaining piece.

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THE DIRT

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ONE WITH THE TREES MEET THE MAN TAKING A CHILDHOOD PASTIME TO NEW HEIGHTS

by JESS DADDIO SHOULD YOU FIND YOURSELF near Atlanta on a lazy spring afternoon lounging beneath the shade of a loblolly pine, don’t be surprised if you look up into the branches to see someone standing there. It’s probably Peter Jenkins, also known as “Treeman,” and he’s probably tree surfing. No, I didn’t make that up. But yes. Jenkins did.

Jenkins isn’t your normal tree-hugging type. The father of recreational tree climbing, he’s embraced every aspect of tree climbing, from the biology of trees to the science of removing them. This love took root at an early age. Free time as a youth was largely spent in the boughs of a hackberry tree outside his home in Dallas, Texas.

“It was my safe haven,” Jenkins remembers. “My parents got so used to me climbing that if I was missing, they’d quit looking in the front yard and start looking up.”

Jenkins carried that love of heights with him when he left the Midwest for Estes Park, Colo., where he spent his summers rock climbing out West. When he moved east to Atlanta (a “very safe place for hippies” in the ’70s, according to Jenkins), the novelty of rock climbing wore off and was replaced with that childhood yearning to be one with the trees.

“It’s a more personal relationship,” Jenkins says on being up in the canopy. “It’s like being close to somebody.”

But in the late ’70s and early ’80s, nobody was climbing trees for fun, at least not adults. In fact, recreational tree climbing as it exists today wasn’t even a thing back then. Jenkins didn’t let that stop him. He became an arborist in 1979, professionally working on trees for 25 years to support his passion for introducing others to the world of tree climbing.

In 1983, he bought a plot of land outside photo by ALAN LEISERSON J U N E 2 015 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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of Atlanta. It was home to two great white oaks, which Jenkins would later name Nimrod and Dianna, and it was here that Jenkins finally got the sign he was looking for, the “message from the other world” he needed to begin developing recreational tree climbing.

That message came in the form of thundersnow.

“I was sixty feet up in Nimrod, and it was snowing big, wet snowflakes about the size of quarters,” Jenkins remembers. “It looked like pieces of tissue paper falling.”

The view was so serenely beautiful that Jenkins started thinking about what it would have been like had there been somebody else up in the tree to share the moment with. All of a sudden, everything flashed bright white followed by the rumble of thunder in the distance.

“When lightning’s around, you really don’t want to be in the tree,” Jenkins says, chuckling now at his good fortune. “I made a very hasty retreat but I was shaken up.”

As Jenkins walked away from the tree, he again thought back to what

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it would have been like to share that experience with someone else, and again, a clap of thundersnow struck nearby. For Jenkins, that was all the affirmation he needed. Tree Climbers International (TCI) was born not long after.

“I just started dragging people out to climb trees. I didn’t charge anyone for 10 years. It was like my science laboratory.”

Now, over three decades later, you’d be hard-pressed to meet a tree climber in the Southeast (or anywhere for that matter) who didn’t get certified under Jenkins’ guidance. He’s created safety standards, training videos, certification courses, even reading material on allthings tree climbing. He’s climbed trees all over, setting a personal record by scaling a 357-foot-high coastal redwood nearly three times the size of most white oaks in the East.

“I would not call [tree climbing] an extreme sport,” Jenkins says. “It’s actually very peaceful, like a coming home experience.”

One of Jenkins protégés is 63-yearold retired attorney Alan Leiserson,

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 5

“One of the things I really love about tree climbing is it gives you a different view of the space that you’re in,” he says. “I like to think of it as understanding better how the tree sees the world.”

For Jenkins, learning to understand the trees is something he strives to instill in every student and client who comes under his guidance.

“When people have a personal connection to something, they want to protect it because they value it,” he says.

“I want that same mindset to cross over into tree climbing.”

ascending and descending trees utilizes a rope, a Blake’s hitch, and a cambium saver, a leather sleeve that not only protects the branch and rope but also allows for the rope to slide smoothly over the bark.

Where can I climb?

TREE CLIMBING SOUTH GEORGIA

Macon, Ga., treeclimbingsga.org DANCING WITH TREES

Alto, Ga., dancingwithtrees.com PANOLA MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

Stockbridge, Ga. gastateparks.org/TreeClimbs TREE TREK

TREE CLIMBING FAQ Is tree climbing dangerous?

All outdoor sports come with an inherent risk, but recreational tree climbing has not seen a single serious injury or death worldwide in its 30 years of existence.

Does tree climbing damage the tree?

No. Jenkins’ standards for tree climbing do not involve the use of bolts, anchors, or crampons of any type. The process of

Cumming, Ga., treetrek.net EARTHJOY

Alexandria, Ky. climbtreeswithearthjoy.com TREE FOR ALL

Roswell, Ga., funintrees.com THE TREE CLIMBING PLANET

Nashville, Tenn. treeclimbingplanet.com BLUE RIDGE TREE CLIMBING

Meadows of Dan, Va. blueridgetreeclimbing.com

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DELIVERANCE RIVER FACING FEAR ON THE CHATTOOGA

by KY DELANEY I STEADY TOBIN, MY TODDLER, between my knees and stand up in the 18’ foot aluminum canoe to search for a chute down the rocky jumble, but still I only see the Chattooga River disappearing over the horizon line. I paddle toward my marker rock, taking one last stroke to launch us off the ramp.

“Wheee!” Tobin yells as we slide down the granite.

At the bottom of the rapid I swell with success. Tobin looks up at me wide-eyed and says, “Mama, another rabid!”

I’m brimming from the perfection of the moment, the sunlight reflecting off the water so that thousands of flecks of light dance from wave to wave. I let the canoe float in the flat pool and hug Tobin, knowing that his toddler days are passing. As a single mom, there are so many things I haven’t been able to give to my son—a dad he sees daily and a mom who isn’t stressed out living paycheck-topaycheck. This canoe trip reminds me that I can pass along what I value most to my son, spending time on rivers.

We are on the northern border of Georgia, paddling the same river made famous by the 1970’s thriller Deliverance, which portrays the Chattooga River as a foreboding place where locals don’t welcome outsiders.

In the movie, when businessmen canoe down the river, they encounter grizzled mountain men who rape one at gunpoint, ordering him to “squeal like a pig.”

As we drifted, my mind conjures images about who might live nearby, uneducated-locals-turned-meth-heads and rapists-in-the-woods—even as I told myself those are vile stereotypes that in no way reflect the real people of this region.

That evening, I beach the canoe on a sandy bank, and search for a level spot to put up our tent. On the shore, broken glass litters the remnants of a recent fire. A broken camp chair sits next to the fire ring, and a pair of men’s underwear hangs from the arm rest. The campsite looks as if it might be someone’s place, and it occurs to me that we might not be alone. A prickly fear overcomes me, and photos by KY DELANEY

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TOBIN ON HIS FIRST OVERNIGHT ADVENTURE ON THE CHATTOOGA RIVER

we have no way out of here until the morning.

Tobin identifies the source of the sounds before I can.

Frog!” he says.

Bull frogs are serenading us. We sing back, imitating the bull frog’s call, and Tobin laughs. He laughs in little peals at first and then uncontrollably until his whole body heaves from giggling. His joy is contagious, and I start laughing too.

The next morning we paddle out as

sunlight pours through the pines. Blue herons sit on limbs above and startle as we approach, awkwardly loping to another perch downstream. I feel like I’ve entered into a secret dream world that exists on the Chattooga before all the tourists come out to float, before the sun casts its sharp rays directly overhead that turn the river a deep brown, before the herons disappear into the forests.

At the takeout, a father and his teenage son are casting, thigh-deep

It’s always hard to leave paradise. Packing up camp on a sunny morning in Coyote Gulch, Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, UT- Andrew Burr

I scoop up Tobin, hurrying back to our canoe.

I paddle fast downstream in search of another campsite and finally settle on one. Tobin helps unfold the tent poles. I make an easy dinner of canned Spaghettios and the last bit of trail mix for dessert. We put on our pajamas and climb into the tent.

As soon as I zip up the tent, Tobin asks to go home. I tell him no, that we are camping for the night and will paddle out the next morning.

“I want home.”

“We aren’t going home. We’re spending the night here.’

He cries and I rock him in my arms, tears flowing down my own face as I curse my decision for taking a two-year old on an overnight river trip alone.

Between his sobbing, I hear a noise.

“Shhhh. Quiet, my love,” I whisper.

My thoughts turn to the rape scene in Deliverance. I think of all the wild mountain men who might be hiding out in the woods. It’s dark now, and

in the water when we pull up to the riverbank. I am wary as I unload Tobin and the gear. I struggle with the boat, and the teenage son wanders over to me.

“Do you need a hand?” he asks.

He helps carry the canoe up the steep gravel and then hoists it on top of my car. As I start strapping it down, the boy disappears.

I tie a bowline under the front bumper and add a stern line to secure the back. Just as I’m giving the straps a final tug to confirm they’ll hold for the three-hour drive back, the son and dad reappear carrying our camping gear up from the takeout.

I am stunned by the kindness of these strangers—and my own stereotypes. All of my scary-men-inthe-woods-who-want-to-hurt-me fears fall away, leaving only embarrassment for falling victim to baseless fears. The father and son disappear down the wooded trail, and I remember the other half of the storyline in Deliverance: how locals helped outsiders who underestimated challenges posed by the river.

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23

MILLBILLIES, MURDER, AND MEMORY

by WILEY CASH

GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA, is a place that often feels

like a no-place; I can say that because I grew up there. Perhaps this is because Gaston County is stuck between two separate but definable regions of North Carolina: the mountains and the piedmont. The push and pull of regional identity has informed much of the county’s history.

White settlers and the Native Americans who’d arrived centuries before them were attracted to the area that became Gaston County because of its close proximity to the Catawba River. Gristmills lined the riverbanks, and the cotton mills came next. The county’s first mill began operation in 1848 when the county was barely two years old. By the end of World War I, the cotton mills had made Gastonia famous, and the entire industry was built largely on the backs of men and women from Appalachia.

Gastonia’s population quadrupled between 1890 and 1900 as tenant farmers from the North Carolina piedmont and the South Carolina upstate tossed off the shackles of sharecropping for the riches promised by life in the mills. Barkers sent by mill owners converged upon the North Carolina mountains with stories of easy living in the mill villages where housing, education, and independence from the soil awaited rugged individuals willing to make the difficult trip east.

This trip “down the mountain” was often chronicled in story and song, but never so effectively as it was by singer and guitar player Dave McCarn, who was born in Gastonia in 1905 and whose “Cotton Mill Colic” trilogy portrayed the stories he’d heard from former mountaineers who worked alongside him in

the mills. In “Poor Man, Rich Man/Cotton Mill Colic No. 2,” McCarn sings about the migration east:

Now I left the mountains when I was a strip, Never will forget that awful trip.

I walked all the way behind an apple wagon, When I got to town, people, my pants were a-dragging.

By 1920, World War I had ended and the demand for combed cotton had begun to wane, but people from Appalachia continued making the trip east. What they found was a shrinking job market. As unemployment grew, wages fell and the quality of life in many mill villages worsened.

Gastonia’s Loray Mill was one of the mills that shone like a beacon of deliverance for the weary souls who’d spent weeks either in wagons or on foot during the trip from the mountains.

Local investors had built Loray in 1900; at the time it was rumored to be the largest mill in the world at 600,000 square feet. In 1929, under the ownership of Rhode Island’s ManvilleJenckes company, Loray’s workers organized a strike to protest wages and working conditions.

The strike began on April 1, 1929, and quickly turned violent once the National Guard was called in by the governor. Tensions further mounted when Gastonia’s police chief died after being shot during a raid on the strikers’ headquarters. Over thirty strikers were arrested and charged with murder, but that didn’t quell the violence. In September, a woman named Ella May Wiggins was shot and killed on her way to a rally in support of the jailed strikers.

The group of armed men who confronted Wiggins and the others in her caravan were

EMMYLOU HARRIS SINGS “BURY ME BENEATH THE WILLOW” ON THE NEW COMPILATION ORTHOPHONIC JOY: THE 1927 BRISTOL SESSIONS REVISITED

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rumored to have been hired by Loray management.

Ella May Wiggins was born in east Tennessee, but she moved with her family to the North Carolina mountains after her father found work in a lumber camp. That’s where she met

John Wiggins; the two of them would leave the mountains for the South Carolina upstate and eventually the mills of Gaston County, where John deserted his wife and young family. By the time she was twenty-eight, Wiggins was a single mother of nine children,

four of whom had died of poverty-related illnesses.

Her story isn’t simply a sad one; it was also incredibly inspiring and, given the era, groundbreaking.

She was an active union member, and she was well known for the ballads she wrote about the strike and the plight of workers, several of which would be sung and recorded by Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

Unlike the millworkers from the North Carolina piedmont and the South Carolina upstate, Wiggins possessed neither the racism nor the ideas of gender norms instilled at birth in many of her fellow strikers. This made her incredibly controversial; she challenged the status quo by attempting to integrate the labor union and welcoming African American mill workers, many of whom

she lived with in a predominately black community. A few months before her death, she traveled to Washington D.C. to testify before Congress about mill conditions and the challenges faced by working mothers. She was a feminist and a civil rights activist before those terms were in popular use, and, as her murder proves, it made her a marked woman.

In 1935, Loray was sold to Firestone, Inc. and all mention of the mill, the 1929 strike, and the life and murder of Ella May Wiggins disappeared from history.

But that’s all changing. The mill, which had sat unused since 1993, is now being renovated into highend apartments. What is also being renovated is the legacy of the strike, and with it has come a revived sense of the connection between Gaston County and the Appalachian people who helped build it. This sense of Gastonia’s history goes to show that it was and is someplace, and it proves that Ella May Wiggins was someone then and now.

J U N E 2 015 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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FAVORITES PADDLE THESE QUIET STRETCHES OF CLASSIC BLUE RIDGE RIVERS.

by DARREN DAHL

WHEN IT COMES TO ITS RIVERS, the Blue Ridge Mountains are a special place. Some of its flowing waters are among the oldest in the entire world; they have patiently been eating away at the bedrock for eons.

These rivers have also long served as a draw for settlers and visitors alike who continue to seek out the ample opportunities to fish and float among the rapids and eddies. Our rivers also offer some of the best whitewater paddling you can find anywhere— which explains why we see so many kayaks tied to the roofs of cars around our region.

But the rivers here also deliver unique paddling opportunities to the less thrill-seeking among us. If a 26

one- or two-day family-friendly float with the chance to stop along the way, pitch a tent, and spark a campfire sounds appealing to you, then read on. We have enlisted the help of three passionate advocates for our mountain rivers—Hartwell Carson, Mark Singleton, and Erin McCombs—who were willing to share some off-thebeaten-path stretches of river in the heart of the mountains that are not only easy to paddle and navigate, but also offer the chance to commune with an incredibly diverse range of aquatic wildlife. Depending on the season, you might even spy far more fish, fowl, and reptiles than you will other people.

Well, as long as you don’t tell too many other folks about where you were.

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 5

THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER CARSON SUGGESTS:

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY / PISGAH FOREST ACCESS to PENROSE ACCESS AREA

I

f you happen to spot Hartwell Carson out on the French Broad River, it’s likely his trusted yellow lab mix Junebug is riding shotgun.

Whether it’s monitoring the river for sources of pollution like a leaky sewage pipe or picking up trash, Carson spends at least a few days every week floating and paddling the river in his job as the French Broad’s Riverkeeper, which is part of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a national organization based in New York City dedicated to keeping our

rivers, lakes, and stream clean. For ten years, Carson has been patrolling the 213-mile river from its headwaters in Pisgah National Forest to its confluence with the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn.

Today, Carson is part of MountainTrue, an environmental advocacy group based in Asheville, which continues to play a role in the rebirth of the French Broad as a destination for not just kayakers and tubers out for a lazy afternoon, but also the return of native wildlife like the muskellunge, better known as Muskie.

Carson moved to Asheville from Montana after earning a master’s degree in resource management and was immediately drawn to the wide

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river that cut through town. “Nobody would get into the river 10 or 11 years ago,” says Carson, who grew up in Georgia and visited Asheville in the summers. “But I’d like to credit our work for some of the cleaning up that we’ve seen in recent years.”

Carson has also paddled the entire river, including one epic adventure where he and a friend floated the entire 213 miles, a trip that took 16 days and involved eating a lot of bologna. The section of the river that runs through Asheville has become particularly popular with locals and tourists alike as the growing number of outfitters has made it easy and convenient to float or paddle up through the city’s burgeoning River Arts District and

up to the Bywater, a much frequented drinking establishment in the summer months. Traffic on the river should surge even more when New Belgium Brewing, which hugs the river, opens in 2015. There’s even momentum to build a whitewater park in the same area.

For paddlers looking for a more serene experience on the river, Carson suggests heading south toward the river’s headwaters in Rosman, N.C. Unlike the Asheville section, which tends to be wide and relatively shallow, HARTWELL CARSON AND TEELA WAGGONER—AND HARTWELL’S DOG JUNEBUG—PADDLE SECTION 6 OF THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER.

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the upstream sections of the French Broad are more meandering and narrow, Carson says, with plenty of river birch and overhanging foliage to make it feel almost like you’re traveling through a tunnel at times.

A great stretch Carson recommends for some stress-free flat-water paddling begins near the Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard at the Pisgah Forest Access area on Wilson Rd., which has ample parking and a concrete ramp to help launch watercraft. You then paddle north as you snake past some farms and pasture land until the Davidson River joins the French Broad, which picks up some steam with the addition of all that fast-moving mountain water.

This part of the river is also known

as the “muskie mile” in honor of the giant prehistoric fish that lurk beneath the surface. The fish, which can reach three-feet-long and weigh more than 20 pounds each, now thrive in the river thanks to a fishery, the southernmost one dedicated to muskie in the U.S., which has helped rebuild the population of the species after it was wiped out by a chemical spill back in the 1940s. Though he’s tried countless times, Carson says he has yet to catch an elusive muskie. “They call them the fish of ten thousand casts,” he says.

After paddling for another five miles or so you’ll float by the Little River Campsite, a primitive paddlein-only site that kicks off the French Broad Paddle Trail, which is a series

of six campsites along the river that Carson helped establish. Would-be paddle-campers can visit the site frenchbroadpaddle.com to make reservations and extend their river adventures into multi-day affairs.

But if you’re interested in making more of a day trip of things, keep paddling for another mile or so until you reach the Penrose Access Area, a fairly new addition for the river that has a boat ramp, floating dock and plenty of space to keep the car you dropped off earlier that day.

CANOEISTS PADDLE THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER JUST NORTH OF ROSMAN, N.C.

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THE LITTLE TENNESSEE SINGLETON SUGGESTS:

NEEDMORE RD to U.S. 19., AT FONTANA LAKE

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s you’re entering the town of Franklin, NC, it can be easy to miss that you’ve crossed the Little Tennessee River, or “Little T” as locals know it. While there’s a fine greenway that stretches north along the river’s banks for a few miles, the river itself flows unimpeded for some 24 miles from town until eventually being swallowed by the waters of Fontana Lake, which is created by the Fontana Dam. Just a few miles north and downstream of town, the river enters some relatively remote and unpopulated territory that makes for some scintillating flat-water paddling on some of the cleanest and clearest water in the region. “This is a fun class II section, especially with kids,” says Mark Singleton, the director of American Whitewater, a non-profit dedicated to conserving and restoring

America’s whitewater resources.

Singleton lives in nearby Cullowhee where his wife is a teacher at Western Carolina University. He moved to the area back in the 1990s to work for the Nantahala Outdoor Center before eventually taking over the director’s role at American Whitewater, where he’s been for the past 10 years. Singleton says he has long been a conservationist and has worked to support recreational access to other nearby rivers like the Tuckasegee, Nantahala, and Cheoah.

Singleton admits he prefers kayaking steeper whitewater or local Class III rapids. But when he’s up for something slower, he and his family truck over to the Little T for some relaxed summer floating.

One advantage the Little T has over some of its neighbors like the Nantahala, Singleton says, is that it’s both less crowded and warmer. When you combine those factors with how clear the water is, it makes for prime snorkeling opportunities. While that might at first seem counterintuitive— You can snorkel in a river?—the Little

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T offers Caribbean-like opportunities to spot multi-colored fish (especially during spawning season) of a startling variety such as largemouth bass, rock bass, perch, walleye, red-horse sucker, bream, bluegill, catfish, as well as many species of minnow. If you’re patient, you may even spy a giant salamander called a hellbender, which can grow up to 2.5 feet long. All that wildlife helps explain why the Little T will soon be designated a Native Fish Conservation Area. You might even see Native American fish weirs along the river as you paddle.

While you could float the entire 24-mile stretch from Franklin to Fontana Lake, Singleton recommends the six-mile section that begins along Needmore Road, about 13 miles north of Franklin, as a great day trip.

Drive up Rt. 28, Bryson City Rd., and then turn left over the bridge on Tellico Road to the gravel section of Needmore Rd. along the river, where you’ll find a series of excellent put ins as you travel downstream.

One feature to look for is the suspension bridge that spans the river, which was originally built to allow farm kids to catch the school bus in the days before quality roads existed on both sides of the river.

Your paddling adventure continues until you reach the take out at the bridge under U.S. 19, which involves a bit of a rocky climb to get from the river to your dropped car. You could also continue on into the lake itself.

Along the way you will see plenty of wildlife, forest, and farmland, but very few homes. There are also ample camping and picnicking opportunities along both banks of the river—as well as on several of the islands that have dug themselves in midstream.

One drawback of the Little T is that it can get shallow, especially during the summer when there hasn’t been a lot of rain. Singleton suggests checking out the U.S. Geological Survey gauges available online before heading to the river and waiting for a measurement of at least 1,000 cfs to ensure enough clearance over the river’s pebbly bottom.

The only hazard on the river is a set of potentially nasty rapids that sit midstream right before you reach the takeout. But, if you’ve picked a day where the water is running high enough, “you might not even know you’ve run them,” Singleton says.

THE NEW RIVER McCOMBS SUGGESTS:

NEW RIVER STATE PARK IN NORTH CAROLINA to RTE. 93 ON THE VIRGINIA STATE LINE

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id you know that some of the oldest rivers in the entire world are right here in the Appalachians? The most ancient of them all just might be the New River, which geologists believe could have begun flowing some 360 million years ago. The New gets it start by meandering through the town of Boone, N.C. as it continues flowing some 320 miles north into Virginia and West Virginia, where, near the town of Fayetteville, it spills over into the New River Gorge. Every summer, thousands of eager rafters and kayakers flock to the Gorge to tackle its series of challenging Class III and V rapids.

But the New River offers more than just whitewater thrills, says Erin McCombs, the associate conservation director for American Rivers, a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to protecting and restoring our nation’s rivers. In particular, McCombs focuses on the potential for dam removal projects in the Southern Appalachian region.

McCombs, who grew up near the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tenn., studied biology at Appalachian State University in Boone where she first fell in love with our region’s wide-ranging biodiversity. “I continue to be in awe of the different species and habitats we have here,” she says. While she had dreamed of becoming a marine biologist growing up, McCombs increasingly became fascinated by the life teeming in the region’s multitude of rivers. As part of her master’s degree, she studied under Dr. Michael Gangloff, a malacologist, or expert on

THREE MORE FLATWATER FRIENDLY RIVERS JAMES RIVER VIRGINIA From its headwaters in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the James River offers ample paddling, fishing and camping opportunities along the 340 miles it travels before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. As you paddle along, you can drink in all the history of the river, especially in the early days of the English colonies.

JAMESRIVERASSOCIATION.ORG

SHENANDOAH RIVER VIRGINIA / WEST VIRGINIA

Famously part of John Denver’s Song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” the Shenandoah River, which flows through both West Virginia and Virginia, is also a great place to paddle, tube, and float.

While the river itself flows about 55 miles before emptying into the Potomac River at Harper’s Ferry, each of its two forks extend more than 100 miles and offer plenty of adventure opportunities as well.

VIRGINIARIVERS.ORG

mollusks, who has been tracking the progress of how freshwater mussels on the New River are making a comeback. “Freshwater mussels are like environmental sentinels,” says McCombs. “Since they are filter feeders and need clean water free of pollution like sediment, freshwater mussels are a good indicator of the quality of the stream.”

A wide variety of fish now thrive in the cleaner waters of the river, including smallmouth bass—known as black bass—as well as muskie, flathead catfish, and even walleye. The New River is also home to plenty of wildlife that live above the waterline as well,

A PADDLER LOUNGES IN AN INFLATABLE RAFT ON A LAZY SECTION OF THE NEW RIVER. photo by JESS DADDIO

including a wide variety of songbirds, wood ducks, kingfishers, and redwinged blackbirds.

A great place to start a journey on the river, says McCombs, is at the New River State Park, which is about an hour or so north of Boone near the town of Jefferson. The park is a beautiful wedge of land bordering the river that could be a camping, hiking, and picnicking destination all on its own. You can also pick up helpful maps and tips at the park’s ranger station to help you plan your journey. Put your boat in at the ramp at Wagoner Access point where the water gets lit up by the dappled sunlight that sneaks through the abundant trees and foliage bordering the river.

The river runs unimpeded from the park all the way up to the Virginia border, a stretch of some 27 miles that was designated a National Scenic River

in 1976. There are multiple takeout points along the way you can use to build-your-own daytrip. You’ll also have to portage around a low bridge a few miles downstream from the park.

If you have the time, McCombs recommends making it an overnight trip by taking advantage of a couple of different camping options you’ll find along the way such as the paddle-in campgrounds available at U.S. 221 and later at the Alleghany County Access near the Virginia border. There’s also a commercial camping site available just south of Route 93 in Virginia.

McCombs remembers fondly paddling and camping on this very route just a few years ago, and talking about it made her excited to return and do it all over again. “It’s a nice rural escape and it felt like we had the river to ourselves for miles and miles,” she says.

YADKIN RIVER NORTH CAROLINA If you’re interested in some flat-water paddling in the eastern piedmont region of North Carolina near Winston-Salem and Charlotte, the Yadkin River offers ample fishing and tubing opportunities before it eventually becomes the Pee Dee River. YADKINRIVERKEEPER.ORG CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER GEORGIA / ALABAMA

When it comes to rivers in Georgia, many people first think about the Chattooga, which was inspiration for the fictional Cahulawassee River dreamed up by James Dickey, the author of Deliverance. But where the Chattooga’s wild waters draw rafters and kayaks, it’s the nearby Chattahoochee River, which forms the southern border between Georgia and Alabama, that flatwater paddlers will find more appealing.

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he onset of summer means it’s the perfect time to

explore the waters of the Blue Ridge. From raging rivers to family friendly flatwater lakes, the region holds plenty

2015 paddling guide Southeast Destinations & Outfitters

of paddling destinations for all preferences. In our annual Paddling Guide, BRO explores some of the top spots to hit the water by boat, board, or raft. Our special section also includes featured river outfitters, as well as popular waterside destinations and events. For anglers, we also highlight some of the best locations for casting a line, especially in a kayak. Join us on the water.

Visit our website for a downloadable guide!

BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM

Destinations, Outfitters, guides & attractions

Cudas Footwear Virginia cudas.com

Mathews Virginia visitmathews.com

Tucker County West Virginia canaanvalley.org

Frankfort Kentucky visitfrankfort.com

Mecklenburg County Virginia visitmeckva.com

US National Whitewater Center North Carolina usnwc.org

Front Royal Virginia discoverfrontroyal.com

Montgomery Virginia montgomerycountyva.gov/parks

Virginia Beach Virginia visitvirginiabeach.com

Front Royal Outdoors Virginia frontroyaloutdoors.com

Morgantown West Virginia tourmorgantown.com

Virginia State Parks Virginia virginiastateparks.gov

Hagerstown Maryland visithagerstown.com

Richmond Virginia visitrichmondva.com

West Virginia State Parks West Virginia wvstateparks.com

Blairsville-Union County Georgia visitblairsvillega.com

Lexington Virginia lexingtonvirginia.com

Southern Virginia Wild Blueway West Virginia sovawildblueway.com

Wildwater Rafting North Carolina wildwaterrafting.com

Chesapeake Virginia visitchesapeake.com

Martinsville Virginia visitmartinsville.com

Summersville West Virginia summersvillecvb.com

Wisp Resort Maryland wispresort.com

ACE Adventure Resort West Virginia aceraft.com Adventures on the Gorge West Virginia newrivergorgegetaway.com Alleghany Highlands Virginia visitallleghanyhighlands.com/ humpack

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#GoToWV 800-CALL WVA Some great places to canoe in the Mountain State—Wheeling Creek, Summersville Lake, New River and the Potomac River.

WEST VIRGINIA TOURISM It’s no secret West Virginia is a world-renowned whitewater destination, but there’s a lot more to the Mountain State’s freshwater than white caps and exhilarating rapids. Whether you’re a pro, a weekend warrior or a first-timer we have a section of water just for you. All you need to bring is your sense of adventure!

Countless miles of streams, surrounded by natural beauty, provide the perfect setting for relaxing on the water. Load up the kayak or pack your inner tube and prepare for an unforgettable float trip. If you’re headed to the Cheat River or Coal River Water Trails be sure to check out the regularly organized community float trips, which attract hundreds of boaters in solo, tandem and fishing vessels. Check out area campgrounds and outfitters to rent boats or inner tubes.

Enjoy a day of paddling, picnicking and hiking at dozens of West Virginia’s beautiful lakes. Sutton, Summersville, Beech Fork and Cheat Lakes provide visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of water sports, including canoeing, kayaking and standup paddleboarding. Summersville Lake is also a prime location for scuba diving. With an average visibility of 20 to 45+ feet and summertime water temperatures ranging from 60 to 80+ degrees, Summersville has been called the “Little Bahamas of the East.”

What-SUP? Stand-up paddleboarding, that’s what. Among the fastest-growing outdoor activities, SUP combines elements of surfing and kayaking, adding a new twist to an old standard. Many outfitters in the state from whitewater rafting companies to local marinas offer SUP clinics and rentals. If you’re an experienced stand-up paddleboarder, you can also try your hand at whitewater SUP. Gentle Class II and III rapids on the Potomac and Shenandoah or Upper New River are perfect for testing your beginning whitewater skills. Surf’s up!

Also increasing in popularity—the sport of kayak fishing. You’ll find anglers hauling in bass, native trout—or even a monster Muskie—on rivers throughout West Virginia. Visit www.wvdnr.gov for fishing streams and stocking information. For those desiring a little more boat underneath, float trips can be booked down many of the rivers in the state—including the New, Cheat, Elk, Tygart, Potomac and even the mighty Gauley to name a few. Don’t worry if you’re short on gear—you can rent from many local outfitters.

Call us at 800-CALL WVA or visit www.GoToWV.com and let us help you plan your Wild, Wonderful West Virginia paddling adventure. •

800-CALL WVA | GOTOWV.COM

S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N

S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N

the GORGE.

Explore

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ADVENTURES ON THE GORGE 888.383.9933 NEWRIVERGORGEGETAWAY.COM Once we were enchanted by the New River Gorge—its beauty, its power its majesty—sharing it with others became our undeniable calling. This passion has become the driving force behind creating America’s premier adventure resort, one with worldclass adventures, comfortable lodging, enticing amenities and incredible service. A place where going on vacation feels just like coming home.

We are best known for our rafting on what’s been named “America’s Best Whitewater,” the New and Gauley Rivers.

With scenic canyons, rollercoaster wave trains and mild-to-wild rafting, the New River offers fun for everyone. Named one of the top five rivers in the world, the Gauley River boasts monster drops, giant hydraulics

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and technical rapids. Experienced rafters flock from around the globe to catch a run on Gauley dam release days.

We’ve also reached for the sky and created the most diverse and extensive collection of zip line and aerial adventures in the nation. Mother Nature gave us the very best in the thousand-foot depths of the Gorge, towering forests, rugged terrain, sandstone cliffs, amazing views and plentiful wildlife. We love sharing it with you by boat, trail and foot. We’re not merely seasoned outfitters. We’re your guide in this amazing natural playground that’s unlike any other.

Spend the night with us and choose what fits your style, whether it’s four-star luxury or under-the-stars camping. With a variety of deluxe cabins, hotel-style suites, rustic bunkrooms and camping spots, there is an option for any budget and all levels of comfort.

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Dining here is a delicious adventure in its own right, from gourmet restaurants to delectable riverside lunches. You’ll be amazed by the views from our restaurants and find your awe in one of the best sunsets in the East.

Enjoy time spent relaxing, making s’mores and telling tall tales around the campfire, or join us for a night of dancing and live music. Remove yourself from the everyday, as you overlook the New River Gorge Bridge from our 3,000-square-foot swimming pool.

The memories that are made and bonds that are built from sharing these experiences run deep. There’s a true sense of friendship and family among our staff and guests. Just by accomplishing these amazing adventures and letting yourself go, you’re in on the secret. You’re part of the tribe. You’re part of the family. Welcome home. Welcome to Adventures on the Gorge. •

800-CALL WVA

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Canaan Valley | Blackwater Falls

Get Tuckr’d Welcome to a high-mountain paradise where there are four seasons of adventure and always something new to discover. And while new highway improvements can make getting here faster, you’ll still want to take your sweet Tucker time leaving.

800.782.2775 | canaanvalley.org

Quick’r!

Call or click for your Free Vacation guide GET TUCKR’D QUICK’R AT TUCKER COUNTY 800.782.2775 | CANAANVALLEY.ORG After a long mountain winter, Tucker County springs to life and reaches for the sky in wild celebration. Towering forests and winding streams play host to magnificent wildlife as jubilant to be here as the loyal visitors who have long held this as the ultimate remedy for spring fever. Of course nobody here complained about the long mountain winter.

They were too busy enjoying the 160-inches of average annual snowfall and summit elevations of over 4,250 feet.

But now it’s time to put away the ski poles and get out the hiking sticks, oil up the mountain bike and tie some new fishing flies.

Tucker County is a four-season mountain paradise located in the highlands of NE West Virginia. There is no better place to be immersed in, and moved by, nature.

More than half of Tucker County is National

Forest, Federal Wilderness, Fish and Wildlife Refuge and State Park lands. Whether you’re coming here to escape life—or to find it—this is the place that will leave you elevated and inspired.

Be Amaz’d | Spring heralds the arrival of the best fly-fishing in the Potomac Highlands. The Cheat River thrills rafters and kayakers with Class II through IV rapids. Few experiences are as memorable and inspiring as witnessing the Blackwater River crashing nearly six stories into the stunning Blackwater Canyon. At Blackwater Falls, spring brings the West Virginia Wildflower Pilgrimage. Northern hardwood forests brim with fascinating flora, bird and wildlife watching.

Befitting its reputation as a cool mountain paradise, Tucker County is “cool” in many more ways than one. This is summer the way nature intended—unrushed,

#GoToWV

unbridled and unrivaled. Canaan Valley’s mild mountain temperatures make it the perfect summer sanctuary. Tucker County beckons mountain bikers, hikers, campers, hunting and fishing enthusiasts and nature lovers of all kinds. And if you get too Tuckr’d outside, there are plenty of indoor delights, from a well-earned soothing massage, fun and fine dining, amazing local art, unique shopping and the sounds of live music year round.

Get There Quick’r | Thanks to the WV Department of Highways, it’s never been faster or easier to get to Tucker County. The new Highway 48 stretches west from the Virginia border taking you right through the heart of the county. So while you can get there quick’r, you’ll still want to take your sweet Tucker time leaving.

Call for your free vacation guide. •

800-CALL WVA

Ways to Taste the Outdoors!

You’ll run out of time long before you run out of things to do here, from wine tasting to breathtaking whitewater! Save the date for year-round friendly festivals; we have your cabin or your luxury room waiting!

800.458.7373 | tourmorgantown.com MountainFest Motorcycle Rally July 22-26

Morgantown Marathon Sept. 18-20

Wine & Jazz Festival Sept. 19-20

Mountaineer Balloon Festival Oct. 1-4

Buckwheat Festival Sept. 24-27

MORGANTOWN, WV MORE! Ways to Hang Out | Graced with four distinct seasons, Greater Morgantown is an extraordinary land of natural beauty; high country and mirrored lakes are gifts we call “Almost Heaven.”

Nearby Cheat Canyon makes for high-adventure whitewater fun.

The Cheat River splashes over at least 30 rapids rated class III or higher, ideal for kayaking or whitewater rafting. Local outfitters include Cheat River Outfitters, which also offers rock climbing, wild caving, and paintball, and Mountain Streams & Trails, a mountain bike and rafting outfitter.

Zip-line excitement is on tap at the West Virginia University’s Adventure WV near Coopers Rock State Forest. Believed to be the nation’s first university-owned-and-operated canopy tour, the facility is open to the public Friday through Sunday. The canopy tour is composed of four zip lines, an aerial bridge, and a tandem rappel station.

For a spectacular day trip you can also visit 133-acre Cathedral State Park, an ancient hemlock forest of majestic proportions. Trees up to 90 feet in height and 21 feet in circumference form cloisters in the park.

Morgantown also offers a wealth of Appalachian culture that is reflected in handcrafted artwork, locally grown foods, music, and celebrations. Annual festivals are a great chance to see us as we really are. The last weekend in July draws more than 60,000 riders to MountainFest motorcycle rally, and fall brings the WV Wine and Jazz Festival, a stage for the state’s award-winning wines. More than 100,000 visitors make the pilgrimage to nearby Kingwood for the unique local flavor of buckwheat cakes and sausage during the Preston County Buckwheat Festival.

You can also gear down and unwind on our country roads. Our incredible twists and turns have been compared to those in Europe, and starting in September, autumn drives offer dazzling foliage displays. In the evenings, Morgantown’s dynamic nightlife and extraordinary menus create a culinary scene that’s hard to beat.

Dining alfresco by the water is a must! Make sure you make time to squeeze in a wine tasting at Forks-of-Cheat, a locally-owned awardwinning winery.

Your journey through Mountaineer Country is a discovery of hidden gems and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. . . and you’re bound to run into friendly people, eager to share their stories and learn about yours. We look forward to sharing MORE!gantown’s Mountaineer Spirit with you!

For assistance with reservations and tickets, please contact the Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1.800.458.7373 or visit tourmorgantown.com. •

800.458.7373 | TOURMORGANTOWN.COM

#GoToWV

800-CALL WVA S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N

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You’ll never forget

Visit Babcock State Park adjacent to the New River Gorge National River and enjoy a fast flowing trout stream, camping, cabins & the 19-acre Boley Lake complete with paddleboats, rowboats, and canoes for rent!

THIS VIEW Memories happen here.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE PARKS WVSTATEPARKS.COM Get outdoors in West Virginia! From kayaking at North Bend to canoeing at Watoga, people of all ages and skill levels can experience exciting outdoor recreation at West Virginia State Parks. The Mountain State maintains 49 state park areas, each with impressive individual character and unique adventure opportunities.

Some notable favorites include cherished destinations like Droop Mountain Battlefield and Beartown—famous for its sci-filooking rock pillars that guard 800 feet of boardwalk through sandstone formations.

More options abound in Pocahontas County, which holds plenty to explore in the Seneca and Calvin Price State Forests, Watoga and Cass Scenic Railroad State Parks and on the Greenbrier River Trail. This year the Seneca State Forest will feature a special overnight

# wvstateparks.com

adventure package, Wilderness Survival and Bushcraft.

Adventure on the Water | West Virginia State Parks are the perfect place to cool off this summer! Of the 49 areas in the West Virginia State Park system, 38 have fishing, 23 have lakes and many showcase smaller streams and rivers running through them.

Bring your rod and cast at Babcock or rent paddleboats and canoes at Pipestem.

Audra State Park’s campground has become a favorite place to splash around, due to Middle Fork Creek and the Alum Cave boardwalk. In the same region you’ll find Holly River, Stonewall Resort and Tygart Lake State Parks. The latter’s lake is becoming a kayaking and scuba diving destination due to its clear, deep waters.

Tygart also has lake swimming accessible from the beach.

Our parks also have plenty of additional

#GoToWV

recreation offerings. In addition to being a popular spot for hosting scout groups, Twin Falls has an outstanding golf course and is also known as an ultimate mountain biking destination. Pipestem also has an impressive array of outdoor activities for family and friends, including disc golf, biking, Murbles, lawn dice and FootGolf.

We also invite you to stay with us, as West Virginia State Parks have a wide range of accommodations. You can find cozy cabins or upscale year-round lodges, many with restaurants. There are 29 areas with campgrounds ranging from rustic to deluxe. Find a complete list at www. wvstateparks.com/lodging/camping.htm or call 800-CALL-WVA. We invite to experience all that our parks have to offer. Start at North Bend and don’t stop visiting until you find Watters Smith.

To learn more visit our website at www.wvstateparks.com. •

800-CALL WVA

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SUMMERSVILLE, WV 304.872.3722 | SUMMERSVILLECVB.COM So Many Fun-Filled Days To Spend....In Every Direction!

Centrally located in West Virginia, Summersville has endless opportunities for fun-filled days of relaxation, adventure and history...in every direction. Spend a wonderful day at beautiful Summersville Lake swimming, boating, fishing, scuba diving and even rock climbing. Take another day to explore our many hiking and biking trails, as well as Civil War history at Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park. You can also climb the steps to the top of the Summersville Lake Retreat Lighthouse for the most breathtaking view of the lake.

You can enjoy a morning round of golf at Mountain Lake Campground and then head over to Kirkwood Winery in the afternoon. Save time to visit one of the many beautiful overlooks or enjoy some thrilling whitewater on the legendary Gauley River. Plenty of lodging options, including hotels, cabin rentals and even comfortable camping spots under the stars await you in Summersville, and we also have restaurants to fit any budget. Be sure to browse our many shops for antiques, primitives and souvenirs and check out the calendar of events on our website for festival dates.

Visit www.summersvillecvb.com to find 100 things to do, and order your free Visitors Guide and coupon for a free t-shirt. •

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800-CALL WVA

!

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CUDAS FOOTWEAR CUDAS.COM Virginia’s beautiful beaches and expansive river system have long been praised for inspiring adventure. And nestled near one of the grandest waterways, the James River, you’ll discover a local business inspired by these famed waters as well.

Cudas Footwear, creators of water shoes and sandals for over 20 years, is family run by 3rd generation footwear brothers, Stephen and Andy Jacobs. While water shoes have always been part of the brand’s landscape, the burgeoning outdoor movement, coupled with a growing marketplace desire for family friendly amphibious footwear, inspired Cudas to offer men’s, women’s and youth water shoes with more adventurous features than ever.

The 2015 styles feature thoughtful benefits such as hook and loop closures, grippy soles, sneaker styling and pull tabs for

easy on/off. The 2016 line is already taking shape, studded with exciting new solids and patterns, featuring new looks and updated familiar favorites.

Cudas photo shoots are also inspired

by Virginia’s natural playgrounds, taking place in the Northern Neck and the unique setting of center city Richmond, where Class IV rapids and heron rookeries mingle with high-rise buildings and morning commuters. The quick drying, lightweight footwear makes the perfect companion to take advantage of all that Virginia has to offer in the city, country and on the shoreline.

Says Andy Jacobs, owner of Cudas Footwear: “Because we’re based right here in Virginia, our business is surrounded by the same rivers and beaches where we, our retailers and our customers play. Our special environment drives us to create comfortable water friendly shoes that complement what’s right outside our doors.

Cudas are made to keep you doing what you love, so you can enjoy what Cudas calls

‘vacation moments’ in the warm-weather months. Cudas water shoes and sandals are perfect for paddling the Bay, floating the James, cooking out at home, attending area festivals, beachcombing the Eastern Shore and anything in between. We’re proud to craft footwear for good times on the dock, deck, boat, board, beach and in the backyard, in Virginia and beyond.”

When the day calls for landlocked leisure, the well-edited sandal line continues to emphasize clean lines with comfort driving design. Cudas sandals are built for “day one” comfort with heel and arch supports, soft footbeds and uppers and thin toe-pieces to eliminate rubbing. Cudas sandals come in an array of timeless colors for women and cool neutral colors for men. •

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Zipline Canopy Tours • Five Courses In North Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, & Upstate South Carolina wildwaterrafting.com • 866-319-8870

WILDWATER RAFTING 866.319.8870 | WILDWATERRAFTING.COM Wildwater is now in its fifth decade leading guided whitewater rafting trips on the premiere rivers of the Southeast. The lauded outfitter first opened its doors in 1971 to run adventurous rafters through the rapids of the mighty Chattooga River. The pioneering operation has since greatly expanded, now operating five Adventure Center locations in North Carolina, Tennessee and along the border of North Georgia and the Upstate of South Carolina. Guests can experience the thrill of rafting on four different rivers or glide through the air on zipline canopy courses at every center.

Wildwater Chattooga | Wildwater’s flagship operation sits near the banks of the Chattooga, which flows to form the border between South Carolina and Georgia. The iconic river was the first in the Southeast

to be officially designated Wild and Scenic

by Congress in 1974, and it holds a place in pop culture lore as the location of the movie Deliverance. Paddlers and rafters love the Chattooga for its range of rugged whitewater action. Wildwater offers trips on both the tame Section III—perfect for novices and family groups—as well as the steep and churning Section IV. On the latter rafters pounce through class IV-V rapids like Five Falls: Entrance, Jawbone and Sock-Em Dog. Wildwater’s Chattooga campus also offers canopy tours, low- and high-ropes courses and multiple lodging options.

Wildwater Ocoee | Wildwater Ocoee offers half- and full-day trips on the class II-IV Ocoee River— one of the most popular whitewater rivers in the nation and home to the 1996 Olympic Whitewater competition.

The center also features post-river grub at Wildwater Willie’s Mine Shaft Restaurant and high-flying action down the road at the Ocoee Basin Zipline Canopy Tour.

Wildwater Pigeon | From the Pigeon River Adventure Center—located close to Asheville, Knoxville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg— Wildwater guides rafting trips on the class I-IV Upper Pigeon and the tamer Lower Pigeon. Guests can also glide 120 feet above the water through Smoky Mountain splendor at Pigeon River Canopy Tours.

Wildwater Nantahala | Great for the growing adventurers, Wildwater offers halfday trips on the class II-III Nantahala River, appropriate for ages seven and up. Here Wildwater also offers a range of lodging options, including family size yurts, located across the street with the zipline canopy tour.

Wildwater Asheville | Less than one mile from downtown, Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures features 11 zipline sections, nine treetop platforms and much more. You can also find climbing and rappelling challenges at the Asheville Treetops Adventure Park or ride the trails at the Kolo Bike Park. •

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HIKE IT BOAT IT BIKE IT

FISH IT

SEE IT GOLF IT EXPLORE IT CAMP IT

Live It!

Blairsville-Union County Home to Vogel State Park

VisitBlairsvilleGA.com • GeorgiaStateParks.org/Vogel 706.745.5789 • 877.745.5789

BLAIRSVILLE, GA 706.745.5789 | VISITBLAIRSVILLEGA.COM Paddle north on the Nottely River! With a brand new canoe/kayak launch ramp located on the edge of beautiful Meeks Park, flatwater paddlers can easily access the gentle current flows of the river until it joins the 4,180-acre Lake Nottely. The 106 miles of shoreline on Lake Nottely allow for two marinas and two public boat ramps, along with activities such as boating, swimming, fishing, picnicking, hiking, and camping.

Families rule in Blairsville-Union County! Visitors can find hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and eight waterfalls including the twin cascades at Helton Creek Falls. Union County is the proud home to Vogel State Park, one of Georgia’s oldest and most popular state parks, which has a 20-acre lake and a swimming beach, plus picnic shelters, a children’s playground, and miles of hiking trails.

This family-friendly burg hosts nearly two dozen festivals and events each year, including favorites like the Blairsville Scottish Festival and Highland Games in June and the annual Sorghum Festival in October. Union County has deluxe cabin accommodations with room for everyone—not to mention hot tubs, fireplaces, board games, even game rooms—tucked all over the county and with stunning views of woods and water. •

VIRGINIA STATE PARKS 800.933.7275 | VIRGINIASTATEPARKS.GOV The majority of Virginia State Parks are on a body of water, which means there are tons of paddling opportunities available. Many parks offer rentals of paddleboats, kayaks, canoes, row boats and pedal boats. By water is one of the best ways to see the parks, fun for the experienced and the novice.

Life jackets are available and required, and some parks offer guided programs to enjoy the water while learning about the park and wildlife. Some of the most popular guided trips are full moon tours, where you can paddle under a full moon. Adaptive paddling programs are also offered for the mobility challenged, so there is something for everyone.

Standup paddleboards are a popular choice and also available at numerous Virginia State Parks, and will be available at even more parks soon.

While at the park, make sure to check out some of the many other great things Virginia State Parks have to offer. Camping, cabins, trails, beaches, pools (open Memorial Day to Labor Day), events and festivals. And there is a Virginia State Park within an hour’s drive of wherever you are in the state. Visit www.virginiastateparks.gov for more information or call 800-933-7275. •

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More Miles of Shoreline than Highway.

There is so much to explore in Mecklenburg County, including Virginia’s largest lake with over 850 miles of scenic shoreline. There’s a peaceful cove and a secret fishing spot waiting just for you.

More of what matters. More Mecklenburg. visitmeckva.com | #moremeck

RIGHT NOW, hundreds of miles of scenic,

undeveloped shoreline are waiting to be explored. discover the one blueway that includes three rivers and two lakes.

RIGHT NOW, you belong on the

Southern Virginia Wild BlueWay.

SoVaWildBlueway.com Share your adventure on

#WildBlueway

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, VA 434.738.6191 | VISITMECKVA.COM Set in the rural countryside of Southern Virginia, Mecklenburg County holds an idyllic and largely undiscovered landscape highlighted by 70,000 acres of water and 1,200 miles of shoreline to explore.

Paddlers are discovering the abundance of access points and the sheer volume of Kerr Lake (best known to locals as Buggs Island Lake), as well as Lake Gaston and the lesser-known gem Lake Gordon. This outdoor mecca is only 1 ½ hours from both Richmond and Raleigh/ Durham, right on the Virginia and North Carolina border.

Celebrating its 250th anniversary throughout 2015, Mecklenburg County offers visiting paddlers a number of events to enhance their trip and entertain their families. Even if you’re not a hardcore paddler, you’ll find an array of events, interactive farms, wineries, local restaurants, attractions, lake activities, and even day trips throughout the region to entice a long weekend out of you.

Visitors will discover a variety of accommodations, including hotels, cabin rentals, and an abundance of lakeside camping and vacation home options.

For more information on paddling opportunities in Mecklenburg County visit VisitMeckVA.com. Visit upperreach.org for interactive maps that cover the area’s waterways. This is also the heart of the Southern Virginia Wild Blueway (SoVaWildBlueway.com).•

SOUTHERN VA WILD BLUEWAY SOVAWILDBLUEWAY.COM Imagine a paddling experience unlike any other: Over 100 miles of navigable river, leading to 1,200 miles of beautiful lake shoreline, just a short drive from major cities. Waterfront camping and no crowds, just minutes from great restaurants, hotels and outfitters. All along one freshwater trail that’s perfect for a few hours in a canoe with the family, or a few days in the kayak with your friends.

River Experience | Canoeing the blueway’s three rivers— the Dan, the Staunton (or Roanoke) and the Banister—combine for more than 100 miles of navigable water. Of that, over 80 miles have been designated as Virginia Scenic River. The riverfront towns of South Boston and Halifax offer dining, lodging and shopping.

Lake Experience | Kerr Lake (aka Buggs Island Lake) and Lake Gaston make up the flatwater portion of the blueway. The lakes combine for more than 1,200 miles of shoreline, much of which is public and undeveloped on the Virginia side. The charming lakefront town of Clarksville awaits paddlers, who can head to shore and stroll through town for great food or a craft beer.

All in all, over 37 access points await every level of paddler here in Southern Virginia.

Plan your trip today at SoVAWildBlueway.com •

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MARTINSVILLE, VA 276.632.8006 | VISITMARTINSVILLE.COM

The great outdoors, arts and culture, thrilling racing and more are waiting for you in Martinsville­- Henry County, Virginia.

With so much to offer, we’re sure you and your family will have fun in record time.

To learn more call us at 888.722.3498.

VisitMartinsville.com

Cool, clear water rushing over rocks, rhododendron hanging over to greet the river and an abundance of wildlife make paddling the Smith River in Martinsville-Henry County, Virginia, an escape from the stresses of everyday life. Below Philpott Dam, a 44.5-mile section of the Smith River travels from Philpott Lake down to the North Carolina border.

Known as the Smith River Trail System, this network includes a scenic blueway with 10 river access points and more than 20 miles of greenway. Paddle through history as you explore the Smith River through the towns of Bassett, Stanleytown, Fieldale, Martinsville and Ridgeway, once the heart of furniture and textiles in America. Explore the rock outcrops, rapids, scenery and Native American fish weirs still intact on sections of the river.

If you enjoy whitewater, canoe or kayak the river during peak generation from Philpott Dam. If a relaxing flatwater paddle is more your speed, put your boat, SUP or tube in farther downstream or take a paddle on the waters of Philpott Lake. Waterproof copies of the Smith River Guide are available at the Martinsville-Henry County Visitor Center at 191 Fayette Street, Martinsville.

For more information: VisitMartinsville.com | 276.632.8006 •

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VA 540.382.6975 | WWW.MONTGOMERYCOUNTYVA.GOV/PARKS Montgomery County is located within the scenic landscape of Virginia’s New River Valley. Close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Jefferson National Forest, the county holds adventure opportunities for every skill level. The New River is sought after for its kayaking, tubing, swimming, and fishing activities. The New River Paddle Fishing Tournament, held July 18 on an extended stretch of the New, offers prizes and great times for anglers.

Trails abound in the area. The Huckleberry Trail connects the county’s largest two towns, Christiansburg and Blacksburg, and the nearby Appalachian Trail, providing hiking opportunities ranging from easy strolls to rugged treks. Roadways are also popular for cycling, hosting such notable events as the Tour DuPont.

Fun is also plentiful off the trails and river. Recreational facilities such as the Christiansburg Aquatic Center, Christiansburg Skate Park, and the Golden Hills Disc Golf course, as well as over 500 acres of park land in Blacksburg, are all short distances away. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to catch ACC action at one of Virginia Tech’s collegiate sporting events, and you can experience our mountain marketplace culture through live performances, visual arts galleries, and historical areas. The county also has plenty of lodging, dining, and shopping options available throughout the area. Go to Town! •

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e water h t er v o

Humpback Bridge is one of the most cherished landmarks in Virginia. Enjoy a picnic in the park and find the right angle for a perfect photo.

Then, jump in for swimming, paddling, fishing and even camping on the rivers and lakes of the Alleghany Highlands Blueway.

on the water ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS ALLEGHANYHIGHLANDSBLUEWAY.COM Outdoor opportunities are abundant in Virginia’s Alleghany Highlands where approximately 50 percent of the land is located within national forest. When it comes to water, the Alleghany Highlands Blueway is comprised of two mountain lakes and two scenic rivers that offer great paddling, fishing and boating opportunities.

The grandkids can fish, twenty-somethings can wakeboard, and families can kayak— there truly is something for everyone.

Jackson River | The jewel of Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, the wild and scenic Jackson River enters the Alleghany Highlands from Gathright Dam on Lake Moomaw. Nearly 30 miles of the Jackson River wind through the Alleghany Highlands, with two small segments closed to the public due to private property and industrial operations. The Jackson meets

visitalleghanyhighlands.com/humpback 540-962-2178 · 888-430-5786

#HumpbackBridge

the Cowpasture River near the town of Iron Gate to form the headwaters of the James River, which flows all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. Several small streams that feed into the Jackson River, including Dunlap Creek and Potts Creek, also offer excellent fishing opportunities.

Cowpasture River | Approximately 10 miles of the Cowpasture River flows through the eastern portion of the Alleghany Highlands. Paddling on the Cowpasture offers easy straight-forward rapids with great views of the surrounding mountains.

Near Iron Gate, the Cowpasture meets the Jackson River to form the James River, which flows through neighboring Botetourt and Rockbridge Counties on its way to the Chesapeake Bay. Douthat Lake | Not only is Douthat State Park one of Virginia’s oldest state parks, it’s one of its finest. The Outside Family Vacation Guide named Douthat State Park one of the nation’s 10 best. Its

contribution to the Alleghany Highlands Blueway is Douthat Lake, a 50-acre lake with swimming, boating and seasonal trout fishing.

Lake Moomaw | Lake Moomaw is the northernmost portion of the Alleghany Highlands Blueway. The lake, which is shared by the Alleghany Highlands and the County of Bath, has 43 miles of undeveloped, wooded shoreline just perfect for exploring by canoe or kayak, yet large enough for sailing and motorboats. Add in beautiful campsites and world-class fishing and you’ve got a perfect vacation.

The Alleghany Highlands is located in the western part of the Commonwealth of Virginia along the border of West Virginia. The Alleghany Highlands is about a one-hour drive from Roanoke and approximately three hours from Richmond, Washington, D.C., and Charleston, W.Va. Visit www.alleghanyhighlandsblueway.com for more information. •

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LEXINGTON, VA 540.463.3777 | LEXINGTONVIRGINIA.COM Set among 58,000 acres of national forest and over 20,000 acres of state-managed land, Lexington and the greater area of Rockbridge County have an abundance of scenic terrain to explore. Within this breathtaking Blue Ridge landscape run world-class waterways coveted by paddlers and boaters.

Paddling options are plentiful for water enthusiasts of all skill levels on both the James and Maury Rivers. The area’s section of the venerable James, which runs all the way from the mountains to the Chesapeake Bay, holds stretches for both flatwater floats and mild whitewater runs. The Maury, too, has plenty of variety. The eight-mile stretch from Jordans Point to Buena Vista offers a calm class I cruise, while the six-mile stint on the upper Maury through Goshen Pass holds some of the most popular whitewater in Virginia, including two class IV rapids—Devil’s Kitchen and Corner Rapid.

Both Twin River Outfitters (canoevirginia.net) and Wilderness Canoe Co. (wildernesscanoecompany.com) offer canoe and kayak rentals, as well as shuttles and guidance for a range of trips on the James and Maury. They also outfit tubing trips for relaxed fun during the warmer months. When the sun goes down, Lexington also has an array of dining and lodging options to make your visit even more enjoyable. •

RICHMOND, VA 1.888.RICHMOND | VISITRICHMONDVA.COM Blending more than 400 years of history with outdoor adventure, culinary delights and fun for all ages, the Richmond Region is a destination for everyone in the middle of it all. Whether you want to walk in Lincoln’s footsteps, live like a settler at Henricus Historical Park, navigate class IV rapids through the city in a kayak or raft, or explore 20 miles of urban hiking and mountain biking trails, the Richmond Region has you covered.

We’ve got museums, zoos and ziplines for the kids. Once the sun goes down, settle in for some cuisine at James Beard Award-winner Peter Chang China Café or any one of our nationally recognized spots serving Southern comfort food. Then take on the night at one of our 14 craft breweries and enjoy some live, local music at a local venue or any one of our festivals that keep the region hopping from spring until late fall. It’s no wonder that Richmond is the river city, the festival region and the place to be for food and craft beer. Come see us, get outside, take it all in and find your mix in the hip, historic, hoppy Richmond Region. •

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ISN’T IT TIME FOR A LITTLE

U.O.U. For outdoor enthusiasts “You Owe You” is the antidote to everyday routine. And Chesapeake is a great place to get a big dose of nature. Located in the heart of Coastal Virginia, there are miles of waterways for kayaking, canoeing, boating and fishing. Acres of woodlands to explore.

Parks for camping. Trails for hiking and biking.

And options galore for eating and sleeping when you need to recharge. Fill your U.O.U.—in Chesapeake.

www.visitchesapeake.com Toll free (888) 889-5551

START YOUR SUMMER IN CHESAPEAKE 888.889.5551 | VISITCHESAPEAKE.COM Calling all outdoor enthusiasts! Kickstart your summer adventure in Chesapeake, Virginia, with your favorite watersport paddles in hand. From beginner paddlers to experienced racers to families who just want to have fun, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Located along the picturesque Intracoastal Waterway, Chesapeake boasts cool, calm waters that are easy to navigate alongside endless miles of hiking and biking trails. The historic Dismal Swamp Canal is the perfect spot for a kayaking or canoeing trip as it winds its way through some of the most uniquely historical and ecologically significant habitats in the U.S. And if you’re looking for an exciting event to attend, be sure to check out KayaXpedition from June 20-21 at Oak Grove Lake Park and Northwest River Park. An annual kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding festival, KayaXpedition hosts activities and contests for all skill levels. Events include kayaking test drives and demonstrations, guided kayaking tours and classes on rescue safety, stand-up paddleboarding and yoga on the water. Participants can also try out a variety of new outdoor activities this year, including disc golf, fly fishing, slacklining, geocaching and kayak fishing.

Are you ready to dive into your summer vacation in Chesapeake?

Visit www.visitchesapeake.com for more information. •

MATHEWS, VA 804.725.4229 | VISITMATHEWS.COM With over 200 miles of Chesapeake Bay shoreline, Mathews is Virginia’s second-smallest county, offering self-guided scenic tours with 15 kayaking launch sites on over 100 miles of water trails. Paddle three tidal rivers and 50 navigable creeks, and explore an abundance of forests, wetlands, and special environmental areas. You can also visit the third-oldest lighthouse still standing on the Chesapeake Bay, commissioned in 1804 by Thomas Jefferson.

Known as the “Pearl of the Chesapeake,” and rich in centuries of maritime tradition, Mathews County’s quiet country roads lead past stately historic homes to the river’s edge, offering a relaxing destination for beach-goers, bird watchers, cyclists, fishermen, and kayakers.

With just 84 square miles, Mathews has no stop lights or big hotels to spoil the view; the town center is still historic Main Street, where you’ll find a wonderful assortment of specialty shops, restaurants, and a community arts center. Mathews is a family oriented community rich in history, arts, fishing, boating, paddling, bicycling, and more.

Our annual festivals, such as Mathews Market Days, the Gwynn’s Island Festival, and the Tour de Chesapeake, provide a showcase for community pride and creativity.

Visit us for a weekend, and you’ll be tempted to stay for a lifetime. •

Located where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach welcomes you to “Live the Life,” with three distinct beach experiences, pristine natural wonders, a vibrant downtown district, fresh coastal cuisine and a variety of year-round festivals – all of which have consistently made Virginia Beach one of the country’s best beach destinations.

On the Virginia Beach oceanfront, at the Resort area, enjoy the beach and take a stroll along the iconic three-mile boardwalk, perfect for jogging and biking. Or visit the fishing pier and inlet, which offer many opportunities for outdoor adventure, including parasailing and jet skiing. The area’s newest outdoor addition is the Adventure Park at the Virginia Aquarium. It’s the largest aerial park of its kind in Virginia. Beginners and advanced climbers alike can soar high above the treetops through a series of challenging ropes courses and zip lines of ranging levels.

If you’re looking for a more laidback and serene beach experience, look no further than Sandbridge or the Chesapeake Bay. Sandbridge Beach, nestled up against the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, offers breathtaking ocean-view rental homes and condominiums, along with local outfitters that provide access to biking excursions and surfing lessons. Chesapeake Bay Beach is the perfect beach

for families with young children. Its small, gentle waves are ideal for splashing and swimming in the surf. You can also rent kayaks, paddleboards, kiteboards and more to get a front row seat for an incredible sunset over the Bay. Beyond Virginia Beach’s three beautiful beaches, there are more than 18,600 acres of natural beauty to explore in our wildlife refuge and two state parks, as well as more than 121 navigable miles of waterways. First Landing State Park, Virginia’s most visited state park, is home to a wide variety of landscapes and trails for walking, running and biking. With 35 miles of ocean and bay beaches, it’s also easy to find adventure on the water. Thrill-seekers can test their endurance during a surf lesson or try stand-up paddle boarding. If dry land is more your style, try exploring six miles of unspoiled beaches on a bike ride through Back Bay National Wildlife.

Virginia Beach is an accommodating destination, with more than 12,000 hotel rooms, over 1,800 campsites and several hundred vacation homes for rent – most with ocean or bay-front views. For more information and to begin planning your vacation, visit www.VisitVirginiaBeach.com.

• All suite hotel located on the Chesapeake Bay. • Indoor/outdoor salt water swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, fitness center.

• 16,000 sq feet of banquet and meeting facilities.

www.virginiabeachresort.com 757-481-9000

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Experience

DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, VA 540.635.5788 | DISCOVERFRONTROYAL.COM

Front Royal

VIRGINIA Where the Blue Ridge Mountains Meet the Shenandoah River

• CAMPING • CANOEING • HIKING • HISTORIC DOWNTOWN

• SKYLINE DRIVE • SKYLINE CAVERNS • GOLFING • WINE TASTING

W W W . D I S C O V E R F R O N T R O YA L . C O M

Welcome to Front Royal, Va., the northern Gateway to Shenandoah National Park and the Canoe Capital of Virginia. Steeped in rich history and natural beauty this thriving community boasts attractions and amenities for everyone. The Blue Ridge Mountains meet the Shenandoah River in Front Royal, beckoning you to discover miles of parkland, hiking trails, electrifying waterfalls and wildlife viewing.

Outfitters rent canoes, kayaks, rafts and tubes for floating down the Shenandoah, its beauty widely known and celebrated in song.

Taste and tour at world-class wineries, and play the greens at five award-winning golf destinations. There’s also plenty to find in Historic Downtown Front Royal, located just one mile north of Shenandoah National Park. Highlights include museums, antiques, fine art, estate jewelry, live music and do-it-yourself crafts. You can also enjoy an eclectic mix of restaurants and relax in the Village Commons, a favorite spot for events, concerts and meeting friends.

Front Royal features events and celebrations for every season. From the Wine and Craft Festival, the Festival of Leaves, our traditional Christmas Parade, and downtown gazebo events to the vast Civil War History, there is something for everyone. •

FRONT ROYAL OUTDOORS 800.270.8808 | FRONTROYALOUTDOORS.COM Front Royal Outdoors is your source for the ultimate Shenandoah experience. We offer self-guided canoe, kayak, raft, tube, fishing kayak and stand-up paddleboard trips on the South Fork of the legendary Shenandoah River. Our trips are perfect for the individual, family or group looking to unplug and reconnect with nature.

River trips float north between Shenandoah National Park and the George Washington National Forest on novice-to-intermediate class waters, and we have hour, half-day, full-day and multi-day options on the clear waters of this scenic section of the South Fork.

Want more? You’ll find some of the finest smallmouth bass fishing in the Mid-Atlantic region, and we also offer a climbing wall, SUP fitness programs, lodging and zip-lining packages. No matter which trip and activities you choose, once you arrive at our office, all the details, equipment and shuttle service are provided.

Whether you want to float lazily down the river in a tube, get away for an hour or create a multi-day adventure, we provide the expertise and knowledge to help you plan the perfect Shenandoah getaway.

Come discover for yourself why the Native Americans referred to the Shenandoah as “The Daughter of the Stars.” •

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HAGERSTOWN, MD 888.257.2600 | VISITHAGERSTOWN.COM

Order your Free Visitor Guide, 888-257-2600

Imagine yourself careening serenely down Antietam Creek. Or excitedly maneuvering the wild whitewater of the Potomac River.

Picture yourself rafting through three states—Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia—at the confluence of two rivers, the Potomac and the Shenandoah.

Located in a scenic area that is steeped in Civil War History, Maryland’s Hagerstown and the greater surroundings of Washington County have a wide variety of options for water sports enthusiasts.

Create your kind of on-the-water adventure—whitewater rafting, tubing, kayaking, and canoeing. You can experience it all right here on our rivers and waterways!

Specialty paddling and hiking tours are available through local outfitters. Bring your own gear or let our outfitters help you with the items you’ll need on your trip: kayaks and canoes, paddling accessories, and souvenirs. Many tours include riverside picnics with included food and drinks or educational packages that explore the area’s natural and local history.

Just over an hour from the Baltimore and DC Beltways, the fun is just minutes away. Visit our website for information on how to plan your next great river adventure: www.visithagerstown.com. •

WISP RESORT, MD 855.990.0102 | WISPRESORT.COM Wisp Resort is Maryland’s only four season ski, golf, and recreational destination. Ideally located just minutes from Maryland’s largest freshwater lake, Deep Creek Lake, Wisp Resort offers paddleboard, kayak, and canoe rentals, clinics, and tours.

There are eight major lakes in the area for flatwater fun, but we also have plenty of whitewater action.

Wisp has teamed up with the Adventure Sports Center International to fuel adrenaline with a unique big-water experience.

The mountaintop recirculating whitewater course is a manmade river constructed out of concrete and massive boulders that were excavated onsite. There are six variable wave shapers on the ⅓-mile course that produce up to class III rapids. The whitewater course can be enjoyed with guided rafting, ducky rentals, and day passes if you have your own gear. Once you’ve paddled to your heart’s content, check out everything else Wisp has to offer—3 canopy tour zip lines, segway tours, downhill mountain biking, rock climbing and rappelling, 2 championship-caliber golf courses, and more.

Affordable lodging at Wisp Resort Hotel allows you to be smackdab in the middle of all the action. •

Meet us at the River!

Frankfort River Blast June 27th

for full schedule of events visitfrankfort.com

Travel through Locks 1-4 Family Fun on the River all weekend & summer long!

Package available for River Blast Capital Plaza Hotel $69/Night ~ 502.227.5100 (405 Wilkinson Blvd ~Tax not Included)

Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist Commission 100 Capital Avenue 800.960.7200 visitfrankfort.com

FRANKFORT, KY Come to Frankfort. Catch a glimpse of our history and envision the possibilities of our future. Discover a city defined by its river—both historically and recreationally. While set within the city’s four-mile reach, the Kentucky River’s beautiful banks look much the same way they did when the frontiersmen paddled their way through Kentucky centuries ago.

Our Kentucky River, an emerald green ribbon that created the dramatic setting for both the Old State Capitol and our historic downtown, has once again become a catalyst for private development. We embrace the river to not only preserve centuries of heritage, but also enhance the local and state economies for decades to come. There is a lot of new history to be made in our future.

Before the highway system, Frankfort was connected to the region through a system of maintained locks and dams. Once a working river, the Kentucky River provided transportation access from Frankfort to the Ohio River, connecting to far off locations like Cincinnati, St Louis, and beyond to the Gulf of Mexico. However, for nearly a decade the Locks have not been open and we have been cut off from the world.

Frankfort’s relationship with its river is changing. The potential for the city to rediscover the Kentucky River as a development, environmental, and recreational resource is enormous. Many existing river-adjacent cultural and tourist destinations serve as the foundation for continued re-investment.

In 2007, the Commonwealth of Kentucky partnered with the Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist and Convention Commission to reconnect the community with its river through the preparation of the Kentucky Riverfront Development Plan. Since that time, the Riverfront Development Committee, a subcommittee of the Tourist Commission, and in collaboration with the City of Frankfort and Franklin County, has moved forward with amazing accomplishments.

One of the most significant obstacles has been the closing of the Locks. Starting Memorial Day Weekend, the Kentucky River, from the mouth of the Ohio River to Frankfort, will once again be open!

For nearly ten years, it has been impossible to come by boat, from the Ohio River to Frankfort, but that day is past. The enchantment of our frontier heritage and the graciousness of Kentucky hospitality make Frankfort a wonderful place to visit—for a day or a lifetime.

The Kentucky River Development Plan builds upon the past success and envisions what is yet to come. •

800.960.7200 | VISITFRANKFORT.COM

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MAKING WAVES SURFSKI RACING HITS THE SOUTHEAST

by JESS DADDIO UPCOMING SURFSKI EVENTS

Imagine speeding down head high swells two miles from the nearest shoreline in a boat that’s over 20 feet long, no wider than your hips, and a mere 20 pounds in weight. Waves crash from

every direction, threatening to tip you out of an already unstable boat. Your shoulders burn from exertion, the palms of your hands crack and blister from the friction. With every stroke you take, you can’t help but wonder if paddling through cement might be easier. But never mind that—when you’re in the middle of a surfski race, your only job is to suck it up, and paddle on.

Originally conceived by a group of friends off the eastern shores of Australia, surfski crafts in the early 20th century were wide and wooden,

propelled by hand blades and, later, paddles not unlike those used by today’s stand-up paddleboarders. There was no cockpit in which to sit. By the early 1930s, the surfski began taking on characteristics of a canoe, with the addition of rocker and gunwales, while still maintaining a surfboard’s speed and maneuverability. Paddlers could even stand up on early surfskis and ride them as if surfing a traditional board. The vessel became popular as a lifesaving craft on beaches, which, in turn, eventually lent itself to “surf lifesaving” evolving as a popular competitive event.

Original surfskis were only eight feet long, yet as competitive surf lifesaving grew in popularity, so too did the length of the boats. Paddlers realized that longer and narrower meant faster. Surfskis more than doubled in length while their width was practically cut in half. By the mid-‘80s, waveski surfing was the hottest form of competitive ocean paddling. As high-

density foam, and later materials like epoxy and carbon fiber, replaced the heavy cedar planking of early surfski prototypes, the sport took off globally, but only recently has it gained traction in the States.

A handful of Southeast paddlers have started to recognize the versatility of the surfski. Meet three surfski racers who got their first exposure to surfskis, ironically, not at any coastal surf hub but right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

DAVID “DJ” JACOBSON When he was 18 years old, David Jacobson, or DJ as he is mostly known, didn’t have aspirations of going to college, earning a degree, and getting a bigwig corporate job with a cubicle office. No, DJ wanted a work environment that afforded a good view and required a dress code of board shorts and Chacos. Fortunately for DJ, the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) offered just that.

CAPE 2 CAPE | JUNE 20

Cape Charles to Virginia Beach, Va. cape2capecrossing.com NOC PADDLE GRAPPLE | SEPTEMBER 6

Fontana Lake, Bryson City, N.C. noc.com TYBEE ISLAND SEA KAYAK RACE | SEPTEMBER 12

Tybee Island, Ga. tybeekayakrace.blogspot.com PORT ROYAL PADDLE BATTLE | SEPTEMBER 26

Sands Beach, Port Royal, S.C. prpaddlebattle.com NORTH SHORE CUP RACE | OCTOBER 17

Lake Marion, Summerton, S.C. surfskiracing.org CHATTAJACK31 | OCTOBER 24

Chattanooga, Tenn. chattajack.com

photo by PAUL INGRAM J U N E 2 015 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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“It was possible then to work for the NOC and live pretty cheap and train two sessions a day,” DJ says, which, for an 18-year-old kid with a whitewater addiction, could there honestly be anything better?

DJ then spent the better part of the next decade training as part of the core group of slalom paddlers at the NOC’s Nantahala Racing Club (NRC). He spent summers in Europe, winters in Costa Rica, and even made it to the 1996 Olympics on the United States slalom team.

DJ was not your average kayaking bum—by 25 years old, DJ had “retired,” graduated college, and experienced far more international travel than most 20-somethingyear-olds. Still, paddling was his everything. Without the rigors of competitive slalom training to distract him, DJ was in need of a new challenge.

“Paddling boats has been a key part of my life for as long as I can remember,” DJ says. “I grew up canoeing on lakes, paddling whitewater, racing slalom, and now surfski paddling has allowed me to keep firing it up into my 30s.”

DJ made the dive into surfskiing when he left the mountains of western North Carolina for the Pacific Northwest. He bought his first surfski from legendary paddler Chris Hipgrave and lugged it, along with some 15 other boats, across the country to his new home in Bellingham, Wash. And though the area touted some classic whitewater runs, DJ folded in with the surfski community instead.

“There’s lots of crossover between surfski and whitewater,” DJ says.

“I have a lot of whitewater buddies making the transition because, let’s face it—you’re not in your 20s anymore. Younger kids are going bigger, and you guys don’t feel back pain or injuries like we do.”

DJ might not be hucking waterfalls or running class Vs these days, but that doesn’t mean he’s not finding challenge out there in his 17-inch wide ski—20-foot waves, 15mile “downwinders,” surfing speeds

surpassing 10 miles per hour, boiling eddy lines, whales breaching, sharks stalking…Between Bellingham Bay, the nearby Columbia River, and the swells off Kauai, DJ says surfskiing has given him plenty of those oh-we’re-not-in-Kansas-anymore moments.

And at 36 years old, that’s about all DJ needs. He’s assumed some later-in-life changes, like fathering a now-two-year-old son, and says that even dawn patrol paddles on the neighborhood lake give him just as much joy as ripping downwinders in competition.

“For me, it’s continued the passion of wanting to paddle,” he adds, a passion that he hopes will inspire a new wave of surfski paddlers to enter the scene.

my interest in surfski went from hobby to obsession,” Kieffer says.

That obsession seems to be paying off.

Race day adrenaline aside, there’s nothing that quite compares to surfing a wave and riding it across the horizon.

“It is exhilarating, physically challenging, technical, and frustratingly difficult to do well,” Kieffer says. “It requires your focus constantly and a lapse in attention can cost you way more than any mistake in the flatwater.”

Though Kieffer takes competition and training seriously, it’s not the fame and glory he’s after.

“The most important thing for my training, and for my enjoyment, is to chase the wind and waves whenever possible.”

AUSTIN KIEFFER

KATA DISNUKES

Austin Kieffer is the future of surfskiing. At 25 years old, Kieffer is currently the number one surfski racer in the country and if he’s not number one on the podium, he’s usually among the top 10 paddlers at any given race. He’s won classics like the Chattanooga River Rocks Race and the East Coast Surfski Championships, and often frequents surfski meccas like Cape Town, South Africa, and Perth, Australia.

He’s befriended and trained with some of the sport’s most elite athletes.

Yet perhaps the most impressive part of all of this is that Kieffer’s first time in a surfski was just three years ago.

“I was in love with surfski paddling on my first paddle,” says Kieffer, who, as fate would have it, trained slalom with the NRC under the guidance of DJ. “The endurance challenge of keeping up with DJ through rough seas was intoxicating.

I knew immediately—I was hooked.”

Kieffer competed in the slalom Olympic Team Trials in both 2008 and 2012. When he decided to stop racing slalom in 2012, DJ put him in a surfski and Kieffer never looked back.

“I started training for surfski to stay in shape and have some fun.

Over the next two and a half years,

Kata Disnukes, who grew up paddling K1 in Hungary, is no stranger to competition. When she showed up at her first race in the States on the Mississippi River with her K1 boat in tow, however, she felt much like a fish out of water.

Surprised to see more surfskis than K1s, Disnukes decided in 2013 to borrow a surfski and try it out for herself. She paddled surfski on local lakes and stretches of calm water, surprised to find that this boat performed exceedingly better for longer distances than her K1.

“Two months later I purchased [a surfski] and I’ve been unseparated from my boat ever since,” Disnukes says. “When you catch those waves and you get the adrenaline pumping…it’s almost like somebody turned the engine on your boat.”

As a mother of two, Disnukes struggles to balance the demands of her family life with her love of paddling, since, she adds, “I have to make sure they don’t get kicked out of school for supporting my dream.”

But for Disnukes, surfski racing is more than just a competitive outlet.

“Surfski changed my life because it brought back the joy of paddling,” a joy, she says, she hadn’t felt since childhood.

Q&A WITH THE MASTER Want to try a surfski? If you’re anywhere in the southern Appalachians, Chris Hipgrave is your man. If it has a stern and bow, this guy’s probably paddled it (and mastered it, too).

W H AT IS S UR FS K I R AC ING C OM PA R A B LE TO? C H : If wildwater is like downhill mountain biking, where you go as fast as you can, surfski is like road racing on a bike. You can work with your friends to drop people, you can have a chat while you’re out there. It’s a completely different style of racing.

WHY SURFSKI? C H : I love paddlesports because you never fully master them. I started paddling when I was six. To hit the reset button and realize that it didn’t matter how much whitewater experience I had, that I was a newbie at this sport, it’s incredibly motivating.

WAS IT DIFFICULT TO LEARN COMING FROM A PREDOMINANTLY WHITEWATER BACKGROUND? C H : I’ve paddled whitewater my whole life, but in the ocean, I’m such a newbie. I think the ocean moves in three-dimensional ways that are really unique and are completely different from whitewater. Paddling a surfski is like racing a log. There was no one I could turn to in the Southeast to learn, so I learned through a lot of YouTube videos, a lot of reading, a lot of bruises and blood, and just getting out there and doing it.

WHY AREN’T THERE MORE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE SPORT? C H : I would say it’s a transitional sport.

People tend to gravitate toward it once they’re “done” with something and the majority are 25 years old and up. I think a lot of that has to do with the cost of the surfski—it’s close to three grand for a good ski, and that’s a lot of money for an 18-year-old kid out of college whereas a whitewater boat is a thousand bucks.

Some companies are recognizing this and coming out with plastic skis that are 1/3 of the cost.

WHAT IF I’M NOT NEAR THE OCEAN? C H : Surfskis are really great vessels for training, and the paddling sport industry is recognizing it as an incredibly versatile vessel for flatwater lake paddling and open water surf alike.

J U N E 2 015 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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Visit Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early’s VISIT CONFEDERATE 455 Old Lane | Hardy,GENERAL VA 24101 Boyhood HomeHollow JUBAL ANDERSON EARLY’S Franklin County, Virginia Open House on Sundays BOYHOOD HOME 1:00pm until 5:00pm 455 Old Hollow Lane | Hardy, VA 24101 FRANKLIN COUNTY, VIRGINIA Open House on Sundays

1:00pm until 5:00pm SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE For additional information For additional information STAND UP PADDLE BOARD RACE or to arrangetour, a private tour, or to arrange a private SATURDAY JUNE 27, 2015 please contact Robert Barbour www.jubalearly.org at (540)556-7116. please contact Robert Barbour

Don’t miss out! Race starts at 9:00 am, www.jubalearly.org at (540)556-7116. followed by demos at 11:00am.

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THE GOODS

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KINETIC SURF DESIGNS EVENFLOW This 12’6” tour style of board is all I paddle on flat water anymore. I like the nose design because it has more rocker than other touring boards, which allows you to cut through the chop a lot better. It’s also more narrow than other touring boards, which requires a bit more balance, but it’s still stable enough to fish from. Plus, it’s shaped in Myrtle Beach. $1,200;

SUP SWAG

CHRIS TILGHMAN SHARES HIS TOP STAND UP PADDLING PICKS

by GRAHAM AVERILL STANDUP PADDLEBOARDING has exploded in the Southern Appalachians, and Chris Tilghman has been there from the beginning.

Tilghman is an all-around boards-man who grew up surfing at Myrtle Beach, moved to the North Shore of Hawaii for five years, then settled down in Blue Ridge, Ga., where he opened Surf Blue Ridge, one of the first companies to guide SUP trips in our region.

Tilghman is as comfortable shredding class III-IV whitewater on his SUP

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as he is SUP surfing breaks on the coast. This year, he’s planning to offer multi-day guided SUP trips on the lakes and mild rivers of North Georgia. We asked Tilghman to serve up his favorite pieces of gear, whether he’s ripping wave trains or paddling deep into the backcountry.

KIALOA ALOHA This is my go-to paddle. It’s adjustable, but still affordable, and everything this Oregonbased company does is made in the U.S. It’s always nice to support that when you can. $149; kialoa.com NORTH SHORE INC. GARB TIE DOWNS Getting the board to the lake can be the toughest part of SUP. These tie downs make it easy. They’re a bungy/strap combo that are quicker to use than your standard rooftop straps. $33; northshoreinc.com CORRAN ADDISON WAIST LEASH This is designed for paddling whitewater, but it’s good for any river that has shallow sections. The leash is coiled so it doesn’t drag in the water [and get snagged on rocks or strainers]. The waist strap is easy to find and release if you’re swimming through whitewater, and it will “self-release” if you can’t get to the strap in time. $42;

corransup.com ’S

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J U N E 2 015 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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SALTWATER COWBOYS

B

y 6 a.m. on a late July morning, Bobby Lappin has already been in the saddle for an hour.

He’s not alone. Fifty-some cowboys ride at his side. They cluck and yip and crack their whips against the water, driving over one hundred Chincoteague Ponies down the beaches of Assateague.

The herd of hooves rumbles along the sand heading south toward a corral at the end of the island.

“You got the sun coming up, sometimes a little haze, dolphins in the background swimming while we’re coming down the beach. It’s one of those surreal moments, I guess,” says Lappin.

Lappin grew up along the shores 62

of Chincoteague and Assateague. Like his fellow riders, he has spent nearly his entire life on the back of a horse.

The feral Chincoteague Ponies, which annually draw over 50,000 people to his home island, are about as normal to Lappin as the squirrels in your front yard.

“You really don’t pay no mind to them sometimes,” he says of the ponies.

“The horses being there is just part of our heritage and our way of life.”

Lappin is the Chief of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company and the Pony Committee Chairman.

Sounds like an unlikely résumé, but the relationship between the local fire department and the ponies is a

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 5

longstanding one. In the early 1900s, a number of fires wreaked havoc on Chincoteague Island, leaving the volunteer fire department without equipment to perform their duties. In 1925, the firefighters took matters into their own hands, hosting the famed “pony penning” as it exists today to raise money for the department.

Although pony penning did occur prior to 1925, it was meant more as a way for the island’s livestock owners to claim and brand their horses. Today’s roundup now features the “Pony Swim” during which the herd is ushered across the Assateague Channel at low tide, a live auction, and a community carnival to top it all off. The annual pony

TRUE GRIT OF THE EAST

by JESS DADDIO

penning has since become more than a fundraiser for the fire company and is arguably the most important economic driver for the island.

“It keeps a lot of businesses alive,” Lappin points out. “They might be having a hard time, and this is what pulls them out.”

The event also acts like a trip to the doctor for the herd. Each year, the horses receive vaccinations, dewormer, and blood tests. They’re inspected for injuries and shuttled across the channel if deemed too young or too weak to swim. Though the public may only view these free spirited ponies as “wild,” the fire department makes sure their herd is taken care of.

That’s right—their herd. Because Assateague Island is split by the Maryland and Virginia border, so, too, are the island’s ponies. The National Park Service takes care of the Maryland herd while the Chincoteague Fire Department oversees the Virginian one. Under a special grazing permit licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the fire department is only allowed a herd of 150 horses, a number they maintain by annually auctioning off ponies at the summer roundup.

“We’re over there once a week at least,” Lappin says of trips to the ponies’ home on Assateague, a 37-mile barrier island that received the National

Seashore designation in 1965.

“During the winter we took hay over there and went around to the water holes to bust the ice.”

By “we,” Lappin is mostly referring to his fellow firefighters, the men who form the Pony Committee and are charged with caring for the herd. These 55 men are known locally and nationally as the “Saltwater Cowboys.”

They’re the true grit of the East, and while Chincoteague’s kneedeep mud and vast swaths of swampy marshland are certainly not the open desert of

spaghetti westerns, these cowboys know firsthand what it’s like to battle the elements while herding hundreds of wild horses across open terrain.

“When I say we’re out on a marsh, I’m talkin’ about miles of marsh before you can even hit a road,” says Lappin.

“It’s not like you can take cover or get under something,” which, as was the case during the swim of 2013, can prove particularly problematic.

On the morning of the swim, Lappin and the Saltwater Cowboys rise at dawn to wait for slack tide, a roughly 30-minute period when the channel has no current and the horses can more safely make the swim to Chincoteague.

photo by DENISE BOWDEN

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On that late July morning in 2013, the swim had every appearance of being a success—blue skies, big crowd, cooperative ponies. But in a matter of minutes, the sunny day took a dark turn.

“The same time we were getting ready to hit the water we had lightning, hail, thunder,” Lappin remembers. “We were waiting for the tornado to come next. It was game on.”

Because the swim is timed around the tides, there was no pausing for the storm to pass. The cowboys knew they would be pushing their luck, but any bit of shelter was a least a half hour’s ride away. As the skies continued to darken and lightning struck from every direction, the men were forced to make a decision—the swim must go on.

With heads barely above water, the horses followed local islanders in boats as they navigated the narrowest part of the channel to Chincoteague. Despite the foul weather and pelting hail, over 10,000 spectators stayed to cheer the ponies on. In a matter of minutes, the horses were standing on shore, shaking water from their coats, foals whinnying in search of their mothers. Thankfully, the swim passed without incident and just a few hours later the storm had cleared out.

“You could see a little bit of fear on everybody’s face,” Lappin remembers.

“Thank God that nothing happened that day.”

From the black-mud banks of Chincoteague, the Saltwater Cowboys continued the procession through town to the carnival holding corrals where the ponies stay through the week until their return swim to Assateague.

Lappin and his cowboys swap hats after the swim, tending to the ponies and manning the fire station by day, working the carnival grounds by night.

“None of us get paid for it,” Lappin says. “It’s just our way of life. We’re like family,” ponies and all.

PONY ACTION

To catch the action live and see the pony penning for yourself, check out the 90th annual swim and roundup later this month from July 29–31. For more information, visit chincoteaguechamber.com 64

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 5

10 FUN FACTS ABOUT CHINCOTEAGUE PONIES

1. They don’t actually live on Chincoteague Island.

2. They aren’t technically considered “horses” due to their size—12 to 13 hands (the equivalent of about four feet in height).

3. Due to the high amount of salt in their diets, Chincoteague Ponies have to drink twice as much water as mainland horses. This explains why they look round and bloated.

4. Legend has it that Chincoteague Ponies are descendants of Spanish mustangs that swam to the safety of Assateague after a ship wrecked in the early 17th century.

5. Chincoteague Ponies are considered “feral,” as in they were once domesticated but have since returned to the wild.

6. The ponies’ diet primarily consists of coarse saltmarsh cord grass and American beach grass, although they will also eat greenbrier stems, bayberry twigs, rose hips, seaweeds, and poison ivy.

7. Chincoteague Ponies removed from their harsh environment often grow to be full-sized horses, likely because of the higher protein diet they receive.

8. The Chincoteague Pony became an official breed in 1994.

9. Roughly 70 Chincoteague foals are born every year.

10. Ponies can be bought and continue to live on the island as part of a tax write-off program.

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Ride Cass Scenic Railroad and the Cheat Mountain Salamander - all in One Trip!

Experience an original early 1900s steam-driven Shay and a 1940s diesel-powered locomotive while viewing the most remote and mountainous region of the Mountain State!

On-board food service included in ticket price.

Departs Elkins and Cass - May thru October!

Overnight Lodging, Dining, Attraction & Entertainment Options available at both Destinations.

Wild Heart Special Events

SpamJam

SpamTrak

Friday, August 7 This is an OVERNIGHT ADVENTURE deep in the Wild Heart of West Virginia!

PICNIC, BANDS, CAMPFIRE and CAMPING for those wanting to stay under the stars and listen to bands into the night.

BRING CAMPING GEAR!

SpamGala

Featuring: Aurora Celtic Hillbilly Carnival More TBA

(Trains depart 9:00-9:30pm for those who want to listen to early music & not camp.)

Saturday, August 8 This event honors the main course meal for soldiers during World War II. Celebrate this 1940s food heritage!

RIDE our TRAINS to Spruce for a SPAM-DELICIOUS PICNIC and MUSIC of the era.

(Trains depart Elkins, Cheat Bridge & Cass on Sunday for this one day event.)

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Two day stay includes two meals.

For Reservations / Information / Videos / Vacation Packaging

855-426-1202 • Mtn-Rail.com

TRAIL MIX

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JOYFUL NOISE

NEW ALBUM LOOKS BACK AT COUNTRY’S ROOTS IN BRISTOL

by JEDD FERRIS THESE DAYS COUNTRY MUSIC is big business. The genre’s mainstream artists hold the last bastion of record sales, and big stars like Luke Bryan are filling stadiums. And while it’s no secret the hits are being churned out in Nashville, country’s commercial roots actually started east of Music City in the Tennessee-Virginia border town of Bristol.

A new compilation album, Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited, pays tribute to the early recordings that first brought country to a mass audience. The star-filled twodisc set, which was released last month, features the likes of Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Keb’ Mo’, and Emmylou Harris reinventing some of the genre’s early classics.

“It’s important to let people know how it all started,” said Grammywinning producer, musician, and songwriter Carl Jackson, who oversaw the project. “We’re honoring the history of country music and the artists from that time.”

Back in 1927, Ralph Peer, a record producer working for the Victor Talking Machine Company, traveled through Appalachia in search of authentic sounds. He set up a makeshift recording studio in a hat factory on State Street, Bristol’s main drag, and put out advertisements for musicians.

Through 12 days that summer the sessions yielded 76 songs, including the first recordings by bluegrass pioneer Jimmie Rodgers and the legendary Carter Family, who lived nearby in southwest Virginia. Now known as the “Big Bang of Country Music,” the recordings would give songs like “In the Pines” and “Pretty Polly,” which had previously only been passed down through generations on porches, a commercial debut. Johnny Cash called the sessions “the single most important 66

EMMYLOU HARRIS SINGS “BURY ME BENEATH THE WILLOW” ON THE NEW COMPILATION ORTHOPHONIC JOY: THE 1927 BRISTOL SESSIONS REVISITED

event in the history of country music.”

A couple years ago Jackson was asked by songwriter Rusty Morrell to help recreate the sessions with modern artists. He was easily the right man for the job, being one of country’s most-respected, multi-faceted industry players and having previously helmed a Grammy-winning compilation by the Louvin Brothers. Jackson went through all 76 songs on the sessions’ original box set, picked his favorite tunes, and opened his Rolodex.

“I started calling some friends to see if they’d like to be involved,” Jackson said. “Luckily they stepped to the plate.”

Gill was set on doing a Jimmie Rodgers tune, so he sang “The Soldier’s Sweetheart,” and Sheryl Crow took lead vocals on “The Wandering Boy.” Jackson trades verses with Brad Paisley

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U N E 2 01 5

on the classic “In the Pines,” and Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers offered a version of “Sweet Heaven When I Die.” When Jackson approached Parton about contributing to the album she expressed affinity for the traditional ballad “When They Ring Those Golden Bells.”

“She immediately said, ‘That’s it.

I’ve been singing that song since I was a little girl,’” said Jackson. “There were some natural pairings that happened.”

While established artists dominate the compilation, the producers also went looking for new talent, tapping southwest Virginia-based, banjoplaying upstart Corbin Hayslett through a video contest to sing “Darling Cora.”

In total, the set features 18 new versions of songs from the sessions,

and the tracks are bridged through historical narration by the iconic voice of the Grand Ole Opry’s Eddie Stubbs.

Proceeds from the album benefit the Smithsonian Institution-affiliated Birthplace of Country Music Museum, a relatively new landmark in Bristol that’s dedicated to preserving the city’s important foundation in country music. It’s part of a larger movement that includes the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, an annual fall festival that’s also intent on reviving country’s authentic past.

“We don’t need to forget that,” added Jackson. “If you listen to the radio, it seems we’ve forgotten that a little too much. Hopefully this (album) will prod a little interest in some younger artists.”

photo by JACK SPENCER

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