Blue Ridge Outdoors July 2018 by Summit Publishing

AUGUST 23-26, 2018 FRI, AUG 24 WIDESPREAD PANIC

SAT, AUG 25

SUN, AUG 26

10:00PM

THU, AUG 23

GEORGE CLINTON & P-FUNK 8:45PM

UMPHREY’S MCGEE

9:45PM

LETTUCE 8:45PM

UMPHREY’S MCGEE 7:30PM

LETTUCE

JASON BONHAM

W/SPECIAL GUEST

7:15PM

5:00PM

4:00PM

& PROMISE OF THE REAL 3:00PM

5:30PM

BAND OF CHANGES

FIRECRACKER JAM

GHOST LIGHT

3:30PM

RELIX STAGE

JOE RUSSO’S ALMOST DEAD 11:00PM

6:15PM

MOON TAXI

LUKAS NELSON

JERRY DANCE PARTY

KELLER & THE KEELS

FOUNDATION OF FUNK

6:00PM

BUTCHER BROWN

4:30PM

7:15PM

PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG

TURKUAZ

ERIN & THE WILDFIRE

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND

TOOTS & THE MAYTALS

6:30PM

6:00PM

2 SETS • 9:15PM

2:15PM

1:30PM

CAITLYN SMITH 12:45PM

THE FUZZ BAND

5:15PM

4:15PM

BIG SOMETHING 3:15PM

AGENTS OF GOOD ROOTS 2:30PM

THE SUFFERS 1:45PM

SOUTHERN AVENUE

BRANFORD MARSALIS 2 SETS • 8:45PM

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND 6:45PM

SHERYL CROW 5:30PM

BLUES TRAVELER 4:15PM

MATISYAHU 3:15PM

SPAFFORD 2:15PM

THE JUDY CHOPS 1:45PM

KELLER WILLIAMS’ GRATEFUL GOSPEL 12:15PM

1:15PM

PEOPLE’S BLUES OF RICHMOND 12:45PM

12:15PM RELIX STAGE

DISCO RISQUE

JOE RUSSO’S ALMOST DEAD

CELEBRATES JGB

MIDNIGHT

W/SPECIAL GUEST

12:15PM RELIX STAGE

LETTUCE MIDNIGHT

INFINITY DOWNS & OAK RIDGE FARM • ARRINGTON, VA

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Convention & Visitors Bureau

J U LY 2 0 1 8

ER 6 ESSENTIAL SUMM

BRICE JOHNSTON

D E PA R T M E N T S 8

VIEWS

QUICK HITS

The running community is getting a makeover. New Parkersburg to Pittsburgh Rail-Trail proposed • Scouts now allow girls to join • Roller blading across America without money • Penn State dissolves its outdoor club because it’s “too risky”

F E AT U R E S 17

ESSENTIAL SUMMER ROAD TRIPS

Make the most of a long weekend with these six classic road trips across Appalachia. Whether you’re a paddler on a budget or a craft beer buff, our six road trip experts have an adventure planned for you.

BIGFOOT, BROWN MOUNTAIN, AND THE BELL WITCH

It’s not surprising that our ancient mountain range would inspire legends of unexplained animals darting through the darkened forest. We dive deeper into the facts and folklore. 51

THE GOODS

RETURN OF THE GHOST CAT

The Eastern cougar is extinct, but two recent and confirmed sightings of mountain lions in Tennessee suggests that the elusive cats may prowl Appalachian forests once more.

TRAIL MIX

NEVER TOO LATE

LAST WORD

FINDING PINE MOUNTAIN

Mountain State Overland’s Jason Specht’s dishes his essential road trip gear. Choice Picks: Four new releases worth a listen. A steep mountain road brings a runner back to his roots.

Learning a new adventure sport can be intimidating, especially as an adult, but these four later-in-lifers didn’t let that stop them. An oasis in the coalfields helps small towns build a new outdoor identity.

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

COVER IL LUSTRATION BY KE V I N HOWDESHELL / THEBRAVEUNION.COM J U LY 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M BRO_July_18_01113.indd 1

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JUSTIN FORREST

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SUMMIT

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116 WEST JEFFERSON STREET C H A R LOT T E S V I L L E , V I R G I N I A 2 2 9 0 2 5 6 C O L L E G E S T R E E T, S U I T E 3 0 3 ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 28801

License Plate Application 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!

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

LAST

ADDRESS CITY

STATE

ZIP CODE

HOME PHONE

OFFICE PHONE

Current North Carolina Vehicle _______________________ ____________________________________ PLATE NUMBER

VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

______________________ ____________________________________ DRIVER’S LICENSE #

YEAR

MODEL

MAKE

 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

BODY STYLE

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

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______________________________________ _________________________________________ SIGNATURE OF OWNER

DATE OF CERTIFICATION

Thank you for your coverage of the pipelines. It concerns all of us who live in the region. It's blatant destruction in the Blue Ridge Mountains for corporate profit. —David Kutassy The Forest Service is becoming part of Trump’s war on the environment. They are not doing their jobs. They are doing the oil and gas companies’ dirty work. —J.P. Burns WHAT’S IN OUR RIVERS? There are fecal coliform advisories for almost every stream in Virginia. Over 11 million gallons of sewage flow into the Potomac annually. It’s easy to point the finger of blame at agriculture, but most of the problem lies much closer to home with our cities. —Sean Clarkson

SWASTIKAS ON THE CHATTOOGA Georgia doesn't do sh*t to protect the Chattooga. At two points, both on the Georgia side, it is possible to drive right into the Chattooga River. I'm not at all surprised to find out that this happened at one of those two points, Sandy Ford. Last weekend as we floated past that spot, there was a huge congregation of trucks just a few feet from the water’s edge. So much for the quarter-mile buffer required by federal law for this Wild and Scenic River. Why have laws not been enforced there? —Tim Barfield

—Steve Toots TA L K B AC K TO U S H E R E :

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.

TREE SITTERS You can run as many articles as you want, but the bottom line is the pipeline is going in no matter what. As I see it, you are wasting paper and trees by writing these articles. —Bruce Anderson

ERIC RUDOLPH The irony wasn't that he eluded authorities with his vast outdoor knowledge. Rather, “God-fearing Appalachians" who are so antigovernment that they harbored a home-grown terrorist, were the ones to blame. They knew exactly what they were doing. Some felt he was a hero for bombing the women’s clinic.

North Carolina Appalachian Trail

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

SPEED RECORD ON THE SHELTOWEE John Hardin completed the trail but didn’t get to enjoy it because of a speed record. Hiking isn’t a sport; it’s personal enjoyment. —Ryan Davies

JUNE 2018

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2018

12-6PM

MEMORIAL STADIUM

ASHEVILLE, N.C.

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VIEWS

THE RUNNING COMMUNITY IS GETTING A MAKEOVER BLACK GIRLS RUN BRINGS MORE COLOR TO THE STARTING LINE B Y J AY E L L A L E X A N D E R

CHERYL JACKSON WENT THROUGH a terrible

divorce while going back to college and trying to put her own children through school. She was depressed and alone. “But then running saved my life,” says Jackson. “Running gave me hope, and it gave me friendships, and it gave me a chance to do things I only saw on TV.” At age 50, Jackson ran the Philadelphia Marathon, and she has since completed a duathlon and triathlon. She couldn’t do it without a little help from her friends at Black Girls Run. “The sisterhood is real,” she says, “and so is their mantra: No Woman Left Behind.” Let's face it: there are many health issues that plague the black community more than others. Black people are 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than whites, and black women are 60 percent more likely than white women to have high blood pressure. Black people are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure as white people. That’s why Black Girls Run was created a decade ago: To tackle the growing obesity epidemic in the AfricanAmerican community and provide support to both new and experienced runners. Today, there are more than 220,000 members in 71 groups nationwide. The black community has always been strong, because it had to be. In the U.S., black people have always had to rely on each other for support and celebration of the diaspora as we don’t often receive it outside of ourselves. More recently we have had to come together not only to combat political and socioeconomic injustices, but to support each other in leading healthy and active lifestyles. There’s a stereotype that black people aren’t active outdoors. For a long time, I feared I would never be able to find a fitness community I could love because of this stereotype. I struggled for a long time. Inside my head were the usual voices: “I can’t

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U LY 2 0 1 8

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

do it,” or “It’s too hard,” or “You can’t run.” I finally reached a breaking point: I could either keep sinking into the same negative ruts, or I could do something else. I decided to do something else. But what, exactly ? I never liked to go to the gym. I wanted to be outside, and I also wanted to be part of a community. That’s when I stumbled upon some women with Black Girls Run t-shirts running together through Richmond. I started running with them, very slowly at first, once a week. It opened my eyes to a whole world of activity where I could be me and be more active outdoors. Running with my sisters at Black Girls Run has changed my life—and is changing the stereotypes, too. There is strength in numbers. As a collective, black women runners can achieve more and benefit exponentially. It can make us happier and lead to quality friendships. These relationships can help us to navigate the influences that others have over our lives. Expanding my fitness circle has allowed me to feel less isolated by the new lifestyle choices I’ve made, and these friendships help me combat the urge to regress into unhealthy habits. Running is not easy. And only recently has the running world been introduced to the non-traditional runner. Black Girls Run brings color to the running world—with curves and all shapes and sizes. Black women like me can join the running community, feel welcome in the outdoors, and feel confident in their own skin. G O O U TA N D P L AY

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

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QUICK HITS BY JEDD FERRIS + RACHEL HICKS

L.L. BEAN PAYS EMPLOYEES TO RELAY THRU-HIKE THE A.T.

Maine-based outdoor retailer L.L. Bean is sending 86 lucky employees on a summer adventure—a relay thru-hike of the entire Appalachian Trail. Moving north along the trail in pairs, the employees are currently hiking the 2,200-mile footpath to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System.

NAME THAT SUMMIT

"As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible."

This popular overlook in Shenandoah National Park near the Appalachian Trail is also a beloved climbing area. E M A I L YO U R R E S P O N S E TO

submit@blueridgeoutdoors.com F O R A C H A N C E TO W I N F R E E B R O S WAG !

CLIMBER SURVIVES 50-FOOT FALL IN RED RIVER GORGE

During a May climbing trip in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, 26-year-old Seamus Hehir fell 50 feet, the equivalent of a five-story building, from a crag after a gear malfunction. “As I was falling, I fell outward across this boulder,” he told WBBM-TV. “I kind of glanced it off my back and grazed the back of my head as I flipped around the boulder.” Hehir sustained a fractured neck and back, but he’s recovering after surgeons put two titanium rods in his spine. Friends and fellow climbers have raised close to $45,000 for his expenses.

MUST READ The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with the Outdoors “In me, there is the red of miry clay, the brown of spring floods, the gold of ripening tobacco. All of these hues are me; I am, in the deepest sense, colored,” writes J. Drew Lanham in his powerful memoir The Home Place. Born and raised in South Carolina, and now a professor at Clemson University, Lanham candidly confronts race in the outdoors, especially in the South, through the lens of his own deeply personal, improbable, and inspiring journey.

B R I T TA N Y S C A L E S

Rollerblading Across America— without money Yanise Ho is rollerblading across America, without a penny in her pocket, to restore trust in humanity. She relies on strangers to provide food and shelter. So far, she has traveled from Miami to Virginia in 71 days, and plans to continue up the East Coast to New York. Not one night has Ho gone hungry or without a roof over her head. Ho is also raising money to send young girls to school in Africa. Says Ho, “Trust is hard to come by these days, but if you go looking for it, it’s still out there.”

The Easiest Race Ever

A road race that organizers described as a “very fun, tongue-in-cheek event that will lampoon the typical 5K” took place near San Antonio, Texas, in May. The sold-out event, dubbed “The Running Event for the Rest of Us,” was held between two local breweries, and participants were given free beer at both the start and finish of the 546yard course. All finishers also received a “pretentious oval Euro-style 0.5k sticker that you can attach to your rear windshield to show everyone what a badass you are.” The race also raised over $30,000 for Blessings in a Backpack, a nonprofit that provides school children with access to food on the weekends.

BLANKENSHIP WILL RUN AS THIRDPARTY SENATE CANDIDATE

Coal baron and ex-convict Don Blankenship will run as a thirdparty candidate for the West Virginia Senate Seat after losing his bid for the Republican Senate nomination. If elected as the Constitution Party’s nominee, Blankenship promises to bring back mining jobs to West Virginia and boost the state’s per capita income—currently it’s 48th in the nation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, mining employed less than 3 percent of West Virginians in April.

SIGN HACKERS HAVE HARSH WORDS FOR NORTH CAROLINA CYCLISTS

In an incident of electronic roadsign hacking, harsh words were targeted towards cyclists ahead of the Ironman 70.3 Raleigh. A week before the June 3 race, signs along the triathlon’s cycling route displayed the messages: “Expect delays. A**holes on bikes,” and “Right lane closed due to idiots on bikes.” North Carolina Depratment of Transportation claimed to be investigating the situation, but also said the signs belonged to the race organizers, not the state or any of its contractors.

—Michael Surbaugh, Chief Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, in an announcement in early May that the Boy Scouts will be renamed Scouts BSA in February 2019. The name change, which comes after 108 years, will be implemented to coincide with the organization’s new more-inclusive membership policy that allows girls to join and become Scouts. The name change has strained relations with the Girl Scouts of America, with whom they are now competing for members.

Miles of the proposed Parkersburg to Pittsburgh (P2P) Rail-Trail. Close to 80 percent of the project is completed. The P2P is part of the Industrial Heartland Coalition’s plan to create the largest shared-use trail system in North America—a 1,500-mile network that covers 51 counties in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York.

COSTUMED RUNNER COMPLETES MARATHON IN ALL 50 STATES

Charlotte Corriher, a North Carolina native, dressed like a lobster for her 26.2-mile effort in Maine and looked like a volcano for a marathon in Hawaii. In April, Corriher completed her 50th and final marathon in all 50 states by running the Marathon in the Land of Oz in Olathe, Kansas. Corriher changed into six different costumes throughout the race and crossed the finish line as Dorothy.

J U LY 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

QUICK HITS on personal growth instead of single experiences.

Risky Business

K AT I E M O R R I S

TOO RISKY? PENN STATE DISSOLVES ITS OUTING CLUB, CITING SAFETY CONCERNS B Y K AT I E M O R R I S

THE COLLEGE YEARS. PARTIES AND BEERS,

right? But if you were a suburbanite like me in 2002 and chose a college for its access to the outdoors, those years exploded with new experiences that had nothing to do with classes or parties. I explored the state forest bordering Penn State University, organized trips through the Outing Club, and gained many of the skills that help me professionally and personally today. The Penn State Outing Club, the nation’s third oldest university outing club, has long been an organization through which students hone leadership traits and outdoor skills. PSOC has built trails, maintained gear for community rental, and adapted to student interest over the years. Those experiences are now a thing of the past. On April 2, 2018, PSOC was informed that “its activities exceed the University’s acceptable risk level,” according to club treasurer Timothy Hackett. After a risk assessment of 79 club sports, the university found the three outdoor recreation clubs (including the Nittany Grotto caving club and the Nittany Divers SCUBA club) exceedingly risky. The 98-yearold organization would be “dissolved at the end of the semester.” Students were not allowed to see the risk assessment, but university spokeswoman Lisa Powers reports 12

that “impact of activity, typical impact force, [and] severity and frequency of participant injury” were evaluated. The university also says that in December 2016, some students “expressed concerns related to the misuse of alcohol… in the context of already risky activities” but has not specified in which clubs or how often this occurred.

Can Students Lead? If Penn State found its student-led organizations to be too risky, it would make sense to see other Blue Ridge colleges and universities moving in the same direction. In reality, though, a minority of universities have entirely staff-run outdoor recreation programs. Many other student-run groups coexist with universities’ staff-led offerings. The University of Virginia has a staff-run Outdoor Adventure program which offers guided trips and rental gear. Meanwhile, the studentled Outdoors at UVA club allows dues-paying members to go on trips or borrow gear for free. There are also universities where students lead all outdoor programming. Dartmouth Outing Club, the nation’s oldest, is entirely student run with some staff oversight. Eric Ramsey, Associate Dean for Student Life at Dartmouth, supports the student-run model in part because “Outdoor education is fundamentally about the experience of immediate consequences related to decisionmaking: if you get your sleeping bag wet, you will be cold.” PSOC officers have also pointed out that student-led trips are more affordable than guided trips and build a community centered

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While renowned for its wilderness travel courses, the National Outdoor Leadership School is also a risk consultant for schools and nonprofits. “We try to help other programs manage the risks of operating in remote places, on both the proactive and response end of things,” says Katie Baum Mettenbrink, a NOLS Risk Services manager. These organizations turn to NOLS to make sure their programs survive, both literally in bringing home all the participants and in not meeting financial ruin via lawsuit. “We have not seen anything to suggest that student leaders are incapable outdoor risk managers,” Mettenbrink says, but she recommends leader training in three areas: 1) Leadership Skills: Leadership skills include group dynamics, logistics, and managing risk proactively. Most university clubs require workshops on these topics before students lead trips. PSOC’s leadership training program was being rebuilt at the time of the risk review. 2) Outdoor Skills: These “hard skills” are particular to each sport. Backpackers must know how to throw a bear bag, for example. In my PSOC days, student leaders had to master skills in a workshop before leading trips. 3) Responding to Emergencies: Mettenbrink says “College/university programs we've worked with require leaders to complete a 16-hour Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course for day and weekend trips.” Penn State met those requirements, and the Outing Club says many leaders had “superseding certifications, such as Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue, and/or Emergency Medical Technician.”

Déjà Vu When I entered Penn State, PSOC leaders underwent training in all above topics. We offered rental equipment, published a trip schedule in our own magazine, and submitted all trip proposals to our universityappointed advisor. In 2005, as campus recreation programs were coming into vogue, B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

a risk management review similar to that in 2017 decided PSOC shouldn’t be managing technical gear like climbing ropes and PFDs. A newly created, staff-led Outdoor Adventures program took over the gear, and thereafter PSOC was housed under Club Sports where trips would require approval both by the club advisor and university staff. Current Outing Club leaders say their new trip paperwork “was designed and intended for typical organized sporting events, such as a wrestling tournament or track meet.” In spring 2017, the university finally realized that club sports needed different procedures from outdoor clubs. It moved oversight to the Outdoor Adventures program created twelve years earlier. PSOC officers say new requirements “helped to bring the Outing Club closer to national standards,” and the group ran twelve trips under this model. The club’s disbanding surprised students who had worked with Outdoor Adventures for fifteen months to revise safety procedures. Penn State has conceded that, in addition to perceived risk, “The amount of oversight required for the volume of trips that certain groups wanted to take was not sustainable by our Outdoor Adventures staff.” According to PSOC, the university claimed that both organizations were a “duplication of resources.” The students are eager for more training and even more paperwork, but the university isn’t willing to make that a possibility. Petitions supporting PSOC have received over 22,000 signatures. The story has been covered in the media over 150 times, and 300 concerned alumni co-wrote a letter to the University’s president. The alumni letter got a prompt response from the Vice-President for Student Affairs. Alumnus Nick Clabbers says he is “cautiously optimistic” that upper administration understands the value of student-led outings. For now, PSOCers must only go on staff-led, more expensive Outdoor Adventures trips, but they are allowed to meet indoors. “We will continue to have meetings, host professional and student speakers, and continue trail maintenance events,” says Hackett. It’s not the experience I had, though, and they deserve better. G O O U TA N D P L AY

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

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ER 6 ESSENTIAL SUMM

Not all of us have two months off like the under-21 and funemployed. Make the most out of a long weekend this summer by taking the road less traveled! Whether you’re a paddler-on-a-budget or a craft beer buff, our six drivers have a road trip for you. BY JESS DADDIO

FOR THE MUSIC LOVERS

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA 196 miles DRIVER:

DANIEL DAVIS Guitarist and lead vocalist, Folk Soul Revival BRISTOL, VA.

“I like the idea that this is the birthplace of country music, that I can be part of a community where that all started and is still considered a place where real country music comes from, as opposed to a lot of the stuff they call ‘country’ on the radio. It’s nice to be close to those roots.” DAY 1

20 MILES

WISE – SAINT PAUL Your trip down country music memory lane begins about as far west in Virginia as you can go before you hit the Kentucky state line. First stop: the town of Wise, Virginia. Just 10 miles from Daniel Davis’ hometown of Coeburn, Va., Wise is near the westernmost terminus of Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, the 333-milelong Crooked Road. Of The Crooked Road’s nine major historical music venues, Country Cabin II is just down the road from Wise in Norton, Va.

The cabin regularly hosts classes on traditional Appalachian pastimes like clogging and in-line dancing as well as its annual Dock Boggs Festival in September. In Wise proper, roots lovers should be sure to check out the RTE 23 Music Festival, which is set to take place August 25 this year. This homegrown festival has built a tremendous following since its inception in 2014 and has become a staple event in the region. In the evening, head east to the up-andcoming town of Saint Paul, Va., located on the Clinch River. Sugar Hill Brewing Company makes great beer and serves southern inspired pub eats. For a truly local dining experience, head over to Southwest Virginia native Chef Travis Milton’s new restaurant, Milton’s, located in the super chic Western Front Hotel. After a sumptuous meal of chicken fried bacon, leather britches, and sausage and kraut, head upstairs to one of the hotel’s hip rooms, starting around $109 per night. DAY 2

42 MILES

SAINT PAUL — BRISTOL On day two, make the hour-long trek south to the border town of Bristol Virginia/Tennessee. After you stop to take your obligatory selfie with the Bristol sign on State Street, check out The Birthplace of Country Music Museum ($13 per person). This thoughtfully curated museum,

which is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, takes visitors through Bristol’s music history, from the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings to today. If you really want to get the most bang for your buck this trip, time your visit to coincide with Brisol’s pride and joy, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (September 21-23). You can catch Bristol-based Folk Soul Revival here performing their newest self-titled album, which is set to go live late August. Thunder Mountain Campground is your best bet for camping, unless there’s a race (the campground is adjacent to Bristol Motor Speedway). Holston River Brewing Company is located on-site and shuttles will be offered for guests staying here during Rhythm & Roots. Thought not located in Bristol, The Carter Family Fold Memorial Music Center is nearby and one of the region’s most important cultural sites. The annual Carter Festival takes place August 3 this year, but the intimate venue also has shows every week featuring the likes of Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys and Appalachia Rising. DAY 3

134 MILES

BRISTOL — FLOYD You could easily hop on the interstate and zip up to Floyd, Va., in two hours, but if you’re more of a Sunday drive kind of road tripper (which, we trust you are), take the aptly named

BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC

Crooked Road along U.S. Route 58. You’ll wind through the charming town of Damascus and up through Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and Grayson Highlands State Park. Once the road straightens out, be on the lookout for Galax, home of Rex Theater and the Old Fiddlers’ Convention (August 6-11), the world’s oldest and largest gathering of fiddlers. Once in Floyd, head down to The Floyd Country Store, which holds a Friday Night Jamboree, Saturday Americana Afternoons, and Sunday jam sessions year-round. The timeless setting of the country store makes the whole experience feel like a big family reunion. Before you hit the road headed home, stop in for wood-fired pizza, craft beer, and more live music at Dogtown Roadhouse & The Sun Music Hall.

J U LY 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

828 CAMPER VAN RENTAL

We Rent Vans MILLS RIVER, N.C. IN THE HEART OF PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST

@LOVINGTHEVANLIFE

I N N O VA T I O N B R E W I N G

FOR THE BEER DRINKERS

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

100 miles

DRIVER:

828CamperVanRental.com (828) 490-7735

NICOLE OWEN Owner, Innovation Brewing; Board Member, Asheville Brewers Alliance SYLVA, N.C.

I N B E AU T I F U L , J A C K S O N C O U N T Y, N . C .

AUGUST 11, 2018

FOR TEAMS OF

2 OR 4 RIDERS

TRAIL | GRAVEL | ASPHALT Questions? Email darkridgeracingllc@gmail.com FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER VISIT

DARKRIDGERACING.COM 18

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U LY 2 0 1 8

“One thing that makes this whole area unique is the water quality. Water is the biggest ingredient in beer and we’re fortunate to have pure, clean, unmessed-with water. That plays a lot into why there’s such a centralized craft beer boom in this area, but also the outdoor culture, too. Those two cultures go hand in hand really well.” Editor’s Note: We should start by mentioning that we in no way condone drinking and driving. If you don’t have a designated driver, consider hiring a tour company to tote you around on your drinking road trip. Leap Frog Tours in Waynesville, N.C., offers a variety of brewery and other custom tour experiences for as little as $55 per person for up to five hours. DAY 1

two breweries here, Innovation Brewing and Balsam Falls Brewing Company. For a town of about 2,600, that might seem like a lot, but there’s plenty of sudsy love to go around. They’re less than a block away from each other, so you’ll be able to try ‘em both without ever needing to get in a car. Innovation Brewing is situated right on Scott Creek and will be dishing out wood-fired pizzas this summer for the first time since the installation of their outdoor oven. If pizza’s not your thing, you can always grab a cheeseburger from the brewery’s food-truck-in-crime, Cosmic Carry Out. Stay and hang Friday night for music at the brewery or shuffle over to the Mad Batter if the weather turns. This cool eat-in theater is located in one of Jackson County’s most historic buildings and has nine different North Carolina brews on tap. Once you’re good and sober, cruise up the road to Dillsboro. Innovation just opened a taproom in the old railroad depot here, so you can grab one last drink before tapping out. The Dillsboro Inn (rates from $110 per night) is perched right along the banks of the Tuckasegee River, which means you can cast for trout right out the door to your room. DAY 2

27 — 69.6 MILES

DILLSBORO — FRANKLIN 2.6 MILES

SYLVA — DILLSBORO An hour southwest of Beer City, U.S.A., is the idyllic mountain town of Sylva, N.C., our starting point for this western North Carolina beer-venture. There are B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

Your final destination on day two will be Franklin, N.C. How you get there is up to you. If you want to taste the soulful beers brewed deep in the southwestern heart of the state, make a pit stop in Andrews (Andrews G O O U TA N D P L AY

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

Brewing Company and Hoppy Trout Brewing Company are based here). If you’d rather spend more time outside than in a car, hike up to the fire towers on Wesser Bald or Wayah Bald along the Appalachian Trail. Whatever you decide, begin your day first by driving 20 minutes from Dillsboro to Bryson City. Once known only for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad and the Nantahala Outdoor Center, this mountain town is coming into its own as a microbrew destination. Both Nantahala Brewing and Mountain Layers Brewing Company make phenomenal beers and have embedded themselves in Bryson City’s outdoor community. Grab an App Trail Extra Pale Ale from Nantahala or a Newfound Gap Golden Ale from Mountain Layers, then hit the trail for which these beers are named. Take the Indian Lakes Scenic Byway, or Highway 28, south towards Franklin. You can hop off 28 onto Tellico Road to reach the trailhead for Wesser Bald, or drive through Franklin and get on Wayah Road, which you can drive all of the way to the fire tower if that’s more your style. Whether you explore Andrews or the Appalachian Trail, eventually you’ll land in Franklin, which was twice voted the Top Town in the Blue Ridge by our readers. Nestled in a bowl of 5,000-foot peaks, Franklin is the quintessential mountain town. Even if you’re not a hiker, there’s great smallmouth bass fishing on the Little Tennessee River. The two breweries here are Lazy Hiker Brewing Company and Currahee Brewing Company, the latter of which is located right on the river. You can also grab a local brew over at the Rock House Lodge, which is nested inside Outdoor 76. Beer. Gear. Music. You call it an outfitter-taproom. We call it heaven. Cozy up for the night at Cat Creek Lodge (suites from $149 per night). The mountain views alone are worth the price. DAY 3

2 7.7 M I L E S

FRANKLIN — CASHIERS Top off your weekend of country road cruisin’ and craft beer boozin’ with one last stop in Cashiers. This little treasure trove of a community just got its first craft brewery earlier this year, Whiteside Brewing Company, named for that formidable mound of rock that juts out of the otherwise verdant land between Highlands and Cashiers. You can earn those liquid carbs by hiking to the top of Whiteside, a short loop that 20

totals 2.5 miles. Fuel up with burgers and beer at the brewery, or do brunch first at The Ugly Dog Pub. Depending on which way you’re headed home, pick up a growler to go either in Highlands (Satulah Mountain Brewing Company) or Sapphire (Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company).SIDE SIDETRIP The Cabins at Sandy Mush Bald The hike-in lodge at the top of Sandy Mush Bald is one of the South’s best-kept secrets. Sandy Mush Bald is one of the only privately owned balds in Southern Appalachia. The Adler family, the long-time owners and conservationists, have protected the mountain bald and the surrounding 500-acre wilderness. To reach the hike-in lodge and cabins, visitors park at the bottom of the mountain and hike up two miles to the 5,150-foot summit. thecabinsatsandymushbald.com

C LO C K W I S E F RO M T O P L E F T: L E X I N G T O N SKYLINE / JEFF ROGERS; CHEF TYLER MCNABB'S K E N T U C K Y L A M B AT H O L L Y H I L L I N N ; S M I T H T O W N S E A F O O D ' S B U F F A L O C AT I F S H / J E N N J A C K S O N .

FOR THE FOODIES

EASTERN KENTUCKY 168 miles DRIVER:

OUITA MICHEL Chef and Owner, Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants; Nominee, James Beard Foundation Award MIDWAY, KY.

“I don’t think people really know what Kentucky food is because it’s been so closely identified with Kentucky Fried Chicken. For me, Kentucky’s cuisine is related to history and it’s related to agriculture, and I want to make sure the longstanding iconic dishes of Kentucky don’t die out. I want dishes like spoonbread and grit soufflé to move forward into the cuisine spotlight but not in a way that would make them trite or tired. At the same time, the university here [in Lexington] brings a huge diverse population and the subsequent cuisine is just as diverse, from Indian to Japanese. The one thing that remains constant is the widespread use of local ingredients. I think people will be surprised when they come here.”

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U LY 2 0 1 8

DAY 1

24.5 MILES

LEXINGTON — VERSAILLES Over the past decade, Chef Ouita’s hometown of Lexington has masterfully woven the sundry threads of a community into a seamless patchwork of streets that each has a vibe unto its own. Begin on Jefferson Street with brunch at Stella’s Kentucky Deli, a quaint little neighborhood deli that’s based in a charming two-story yellow house. From here you can walk to just about anything you’d like—distilleries or breweries, clothing stores and bourbon shops. Ouita recommends following the Brewgrass Trail to reach The Bread Box at the end of Jefferson Street. Once the site of a 100-year old bakery, this historic building is home to a number of different establishments, including one of Ouita’s own restaurants Smithtown Seafood, the urban farm and aquaponics nonprofit FoodChain, the Broke Spoke Community Bike Shop, and West Sixth Brewing. If you’re in need of a mid-afternoon caffeine fix, wander over onto NOLI (short for North Limestone) and stop in at Wild Fig Books and Coffee, Lexington’s very own “writer-owned, black-owned, counter-gentrification bookstore.” Settle into this cozy brick B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

building for a latté and a poetry reading before heading down the street for a healthy, vegan-friendly lunch at the Broomwagon. This one-stop-shop has a bike shop downstairs plus a coffee house, beer garden, and café on the second floor. Before leaving Lexington, honor your sweet tooth with some locally made ice cream from the Crank and Boom. Ouita’s go-to is a scoop of salted caramel ice cream with a shot of espresso, but you can get just about anything you want, including an ice cream cocktail (yes, you read that right). Try the Stout Dreams, a scoop of coffee stout ice cream with Buffalo Trace bourbon cream, espresso, and brownie crumbs on top. Dinner tonight is at Ouita’s flagship store, the Holly Hill Inn, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Surrounded by verdant Kentucky horse pastures in Midway, Ky., the inn-turned-restaurant has roots back to the 1800s. Taste any number of the 50 bourbons offered at the Holly Hill bar before letting the spirits guide you along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail to your accommodations at the Woodford Inn in Versailles. Rooms here run about $169 per night and are just down the road from Woodford Reserve Distillery. G O O U TA N D P L AY

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

74.5 MILES

After a hearty breakfast at Woodford Inn, head south toward Berea. About halfway to your final destination, you’ll pass through Shakertown, named for Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. This 3,000-acre farm and community is one of the largest National Historic Landmarks in Kentucky and the country’s largest collection of privately owned 19th century buildings. You can tour those pristinely kept buildings, ride a horse (you are in the home of the Kentucky Derby, after all), and gorge on fresh-from-the-garden food at The Trustees’ Table before hopping back in the car for another hour. The town of Berea is revered for its artistic influence. Many weavers, instrument makers, potters, and other artisans make their homes in this wonderfully eclectic college town. Berea College itself is historically significant in that it was the first interracial and coeducational college in the South. You can check out all of the town’s artistic mastery at the Berea Craft Festival, which will take place later this month July 13-15. If you need to stretch your legs, the John B. Stephenson Memorial Forest and

Berea City Trails are both great closeto-town options for hiking. At day’s end, pop open a cool Kentucky-made Ale-8-One and dig into an authentic Asian noodle bowl from Noodle Nirvana. The Pinnacle View Inn is right in town and offers rooms with a view starting at $109 per night. DAY 3

to-earth vibes fool you. Even if there’s an hour-long wait, the pizza’s worth it. FOR THE RIVER RUNNERS

EASTERN TENNESSEE 123.6 miles DRIVER:

KIRK EDDLEMON Instructor, Ace Kayaking School Guidebook Author, Whitewater of the Southern Appalachians

6 8 .7 M I L E S

BEREA — STANTON Grab a hand-rolled bagel from Native Bagel Co., before setting off on your final day. You’ll quickly leave the noise of civilization behind as you drive further east into the Daniel Boone National Forest. The Red River Gorge is one of the best climbing destinations in the world, so if you’re a climber, the Red’s hundreds of miles of sandstone clifflines hold enough routes to keep your forearms pumped for a lifetime. Not a climber? You can still get a sense of the Red’s uniqueness by hiking beneath soaring natural rock arches. Your last culinary pitstop of this road trip is none other than the climber classic, Miguels Pizza. This madeto-order pizza is about as casual as it gets, with a first-come, first-serve campground out back and a gear shop located inside. But don’t let the down-

KNOXVILLE, TENN.

“Eastern Tennessee in general is a very unsung area for whitewater. Instead of being in North Carolina on a river next to a road with 500 other people, you’re paddling in a pristine plateau canyon. You’re going to see more wildlife than people. It might not be close to the cultural epicenter of the Southeast, but if you’re a class III-IV boater, you have way better access to rivers than you do in western North Carolina.

You won’t find any hipsters coming here. You have to drive far to find a Sweetwater IPA and that in and of itself is part of the identity. It’s a little more scruffy and rougher on the edges, but there is some cool stuff going on.” DAY 1

74.6 MILES

MARYVILLE — CROSSVILLE Kick off your whitewater weekend in the Cumberland Plateau with a lap down the Little River. Starting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this pristine creek is a class III-IV+ run for the first few miles until it reaches the town of Townsend, Tenn., where it mellows into a fun and friendly, yet no less gorgeous, class II float. Once you’re off the water, stop in at Aroma Cafe in Maryville for, in the words of Eddlemon, “the best Cuban sandwich ever.” This hole-in-the-wall restaurant is authentically Cuban, down to the papas rellenas and red beans and rice. It’s a little over an hour to Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville where you can pitch a tent for $32 per night or rent a cabin starting at $65 per night.

BINDI Urban, active, and always ready for a night out. © www.kalice.fr

DAY 2

VERSAILLES — BEREA

Lightweight and rechargeable headlamp for running in the city. Weighing only 35g, carry the compact BINDI with you wherever you go, to see and be seen. This bright, quickly rechargeable headlamp is ideal for both getting around town and running through the urban landscape. The thin, easily-adjustable strap offers several ways to wear this headlamp. 200 lumens. www.petzl.com

J U LY 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

WEST VIRGINIA'S NEW RIVER GORGE

FOR THE CLIMBERS

WEST VIRGINIA 239 miles DRIVER:

DEB SIMON Guide, Hard Rock Climbing; Medical Trainer, Vertical Medicine Resources FAYETTEVILLE, W.VA.

KIRK EDDLEMON

DAY 2

44.6 MILES

CROSSVILLE — LANCING In the morning, you’re about a 30-minute-drive from the put-in for another eastern Tennessee classic, the Caney Fork River (class III-V). Eddlemon likens this continuous, boulder-strewn river to the Watauga in North Carolina. Even if the water levels aren’t in, the cold clean water is prime habitat for rainbow and brown trout. After a rowdy day on the river, swing into Sparta for some local brews and food. You might feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, but this littleknown Tennessee town is home to two quality establishments, Calfkiller Brewing Company and the sports bar and grill Sparta Pour House. Toast a Sergio's Ole Evil-Ass Devil Bullshit Ale to the wonderful weirdness that is eastern Tennessee, then hit the road. Your accommodations for the evening are in the heart of the Obed Wild & Scenic River at the Lilly Pad Campground ( just $5 per person). You’ll probably be bunkin’ up with a bunch of climbers who come to the Obed for the very rock bluffs you’ll be paddling beneath on day three. If you didn’t grab refreshments in Sparta, 22

the campground is, conveniently, also a brewery (Lilly Pad Hopyard Brewery). And a restaurant (Sauced Frog). Del, the Hopyard’s lead brewer, gets his beer-making skills from none other than Walt Dickinson, founder of Wicked Weed in Asheville, so trust us when we say this backwoods Tennessee campground-brewery is brewin’ suds that are on par with the best of Beer City’s. DAY 3

4.4 MILES

LANCING — OBED JUNCTION The Obed is worth a road trip in and of itself, whether you’re a climber, paddler, or hiker. The trails are within walking distance of your tent site, should you feel like a morning stroll. In 15 minutes you can be at the putin for the Obed, the main section of which is just shy of 10 miles in length and features class II-IV rock gardens. The Obed watershed is the crown jewel of the Cumberland Plateau, and with other whitewater classics like Daddy’s Creek and Clear Creek feeding into the Obed, you could easily spend an entire weekend here paddling a different run every day.

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U LY 2 0 1 8

“My husband Bryan and I have traveled all over the U.S. and climbed all over the world and, from my standpoint at least, I think West Virginia is the best place in the world. The rock quality is the best, too, and the people of West Virginia are just really amazing souls. I’m honored to be able to call West Virginia home, and I think you’ll love it, too.” DAY 1

0 MILES

PRINCETON Set off at the southernmost end of the state near Pipestem Resort State Park. Climbers looking to warm up with some bouldering and crowd-free crags should check out the climbing

area at Bozoo, which is located on Shanklin’s Ferry Campground. The rock here is comprised of bullet hard patina, and even in the dead of summer, this shaded crag keeps impressively cool. Though there are a few sport and trad routes here, really it’s the 2.5 miles of boulders that most climbers come for. Overlooking the New River, this quiet bouldering oasis is a pretty sweet (and cheap) spot to post up for the night, too—it’s only $9 per night for groups of six or less— but if you forgot to bring food, you may need to press on to Fayetteville, as this crag is pretty far from any restaurants or grocery stores. DAY 2

75.9 MILES

PRINCETON — FAYETTEVILLE Rise and shine early to beat the heat (and the crowds) at the New River Gorge. Though by no means an offthe-beaten path climbing destination, the climbing in the area is vast and diverse enough that you can find ways to avoid long lines at the crag. Your best bet is to ask the awesome folks at Waterstone Outdoors. If you don’t have a guidebook, you can buy one here and also pick the brains of the many climbers on staff. The two guiding services in town, Hardrock Climbing and New River Mountain Guides, are also great resources and

L E F T : S E C R E T S A N D W I C H S O C I E T Y; R I G H T : S U M M E R S V I L L E L A K E

There’s a big life inside every Ascent. ™

Presenting the all-new 3-row Subaru Ascent.

Families grow and so does the list of things you want to experience together. That’s why we’ve built the Ascent, our biggest SUV with standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and up to 27 mpg.* There’s room for up to 8 passengers, with a choice of second-row captain’s chairs or bench seating. You can even tow up to 5,000 pounds.† Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

Ascent. Well-equipped at $31,995.** Subaru is a registered trademark. *EPA-estimated highway fuel economy for 2019 Subaru Ascent and Ascent Premium models with standard equipment. 2019 Subaru Ascent Limited shown is rated at 26 mpg highway. Actual mileage may vary. † Maximum towing capacity varies by trim level. Trailer brakes may be needed. See your retailer for details. **MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title, and registration fees. Retailer sets actual price. Certain equipment may be required in specific states, which can modify your MSRP. See your retailer for details. 2019 Subaru Ascent Limited shown has an MSRP of $41,945. Vehicle shown with accessory equipment.

L AU R E N M O R R O W (NEW TUNES) M A R I E T TA , G A .

JA S O N I S B E L L C OV E R M E U P NASHVILLE, TENN.

C O R D OVA S ALL I FOUND NASHVILLE, TENN.

E L L I OT R O OT IYH NASHVILLE, TENN.

TYLER NAIL VA L E N T I N A W I N S TO N S A L E M , N . C .

S O U T H E R N C U LT U R E O N T H E S K I D S K I N G O F T H E M O U N TA I N CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

T H E B R OA D C A S T STEAMROLLER ASHEVILLE, N.C.

T H E AV E T T B R OT H E R S ME & GOD C O N C O R D, N . C .

requires a good 10-minute hike in to reach. Some of the New’s classic routes are located here, like Doug Reed’s Toxic Hueco (5.11d) and Lynn Hill’s Greatest Show on Earth (5.13a, trad). After a hard day of climbing, head into Fayetteville for either gourmet pizza at Pies & Pints or stick-to-your-ribs sandwiches at Secret Sandwich Society. Most of the waiters and waitresses at any restaurant in the Ville are climbers, paddlers, and raft guides, so you can pretty much bank on your server having the lowdown on beta. Live tunes over at The Grove (located above Secret) are always a blast, and if you want to keep the party rollin’ after the show, pick up a six-pack of local beer from Studio B and head over to the New River Gorge American Alpine Club Campground ($20 per night for AAC members, $24 for Access Fund members, $30 for non-members). There’s always a campfire going at one of the big fire pits here, and it’s an easy place to pick up a climbing partner for the next day if you’re flying solo.

T H E I N FA M O U S S T R I N G D U S T E R S

DAY 3

B L AC K R O C K B R E VA R D, N . C .

THE MARCUS KING BAND J E A LO U S M A N GREENVILLE, S.C.

TYLER CHILDERS B A N D E D C LOV I S L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y, K Y.

LOW L A N D H U M PA L M L I N E S C H A R LOT T E S V I L L E , VA .

B R YA N E L I JA H S M I T H POUR ON ME DAY TO N , VA .

F O L K S O U L R E V I VA L JAW B O N E B LU E S B R I S TO L , VA .

offer the whole gamut of customized climbing trips. Some of Deb’s favorite moderate trad routes in the New are Fantasy (5.8) and Black and Tan (5.10a) over at Endless Wall. For sport climbing, drive a little farther out of town to the Lower Meadow or Summersville Lake. The latter can get pretty crowded in the summer (and with good reason—who can pass up lakeside climbing on a hot day?) but some of the harder classics like Under the Milky Way (5.11d) tend to be less overrun compared to the moderate suite. Fortunately, even on a weekend you can find peaceful climbing at the Lower Meadow, which 24

163 MILES

FAYETTEVILLE — SENECA It’s a long haul up through the entire state to Seneca, but if you came to climb West Virginia’s best, you’d be stupid not to make the drive up to the most iconic rock feature in the East. This mammoth flake of white Tuscarora quartzite juts out of the Monongahela National Forest like the back plates on a Stegosaurus. The summits here are exposed and out-of-this-world incredible, providing 360-degree views of practically undeveloped forest. If you’re new to town (or to climbing), pick up a guide with Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides, located inside The Gendarme climbing shop before setting out. Old Mans and Old Ladies is an easy 5.2 multipitch route that will make even newbies hooked on Seneca. Triple S (5.8) is Deb’s favorite though, so if you’re only in town for a day, find out why for yourself (spoiler alert: you better like stemming). Once you’re back on the ground, pay a visit to Harper’s Olde General Store & Front Porch Restaurant, where you can load back up on the calories and admire that beautiful hunk of rock you just climbed.

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U LY 2 0 1 8

FOR THE RIDERS

NORTH GEORGIA 213 miles DRIVER:

LISA RANDALL Race Director and Owner, Mountain Goat Adventures; Sub 48-Hour Finisher, Trans North Georgia Adventure CANTON, GA.

“I love Georgia. There’s just such a great variety of riding up in the northern part of the state, from beginning to advanced. You can pick and choose what type of terrain you want—there are super technical trails, flow trails, big climbs, and I’m one of those sick people whose idea of a good time is a five-mile climb up a Forest Service road. So there’s that if you want it and big descents. Everybody likes a good downhill. And last but not least, we don’t have a lot of crowds and it’s usually a few degrees cooler.” DAY 1

8.8 MILES

WOODSTOCK — LAKE ALLATOONA An underrated suburb in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Woodstock has all of the vibrancy of a big city in the unassuming setting of a mid-sized town. Woodstock’s recreation access has blossomed in recent years—the trails at Blankets Creek likely have the most renown, made popular by the annual Blankets Creek Trials. There are roughly 15 miles of trails at the park, with a combination of machine-built butter and hand-cut technical trails that are true to north Georgia’s terrain. Try Van Michael Trail for berms and jumps, Dwelling Trail for flow, or South Loop Trail for rock gardens and switchback-laden climbs. If you still have juice in your legs afterwards, check out Taylor Randahl Memorial Bike Trails at Olde Rope Mill Park, which has another 15 miles of rolling singletrack, including a popular five-mile stretch of big berms and even bigger jumps called The Mill. Get your taco fix at Pure Taqueria, which, according to Randall, has the best Texas Margarita in town (not to mention authentic tacos made with fresh ingredients). If chain hotels (of which, there are plenty) aren’t your style, head up the road to Victoria Campground. B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

Perched on the banks of Allatoona Lake, campers here have access to 270 miles of shoreline starting at $28 per night. DAY 2

123 MILES

WOODSTOCK — RISING FAWN Hit up the Maple Street Biscuit Company (open at 7 a.m.) on your way out of Woodstock. It’s about a two-hour drive to your next trail destination for the trip, Five Points Trails. Once a Durham coal mine during the late 1800s and early 1900s, this revegetated site is now home to some 25 miles of purpose built singletrack, the result of a collaborative effort with The Lula Lake Land Trust, SORBA Chattanooga (you’re only 20 minutes from downtown Chattanooga here), and Cloudland Canyon State Park. There are a few rock gardens sprinkled throughout the trail system, but most of it is fast, fun, and relatively easy on the climbing. Despite its name, the Kindergarten Trail is actually one of the more challenging trails with plenty of rock gardens to keep advanced riders on their toes. For a family-friendly trail, check out the Cloudland Canyon G O O U TA N D P L AY

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

D L I W + D R I WE

WHAT’S A ROAD TRIP WITHOUT A LITTLE WEIRDNESS? WE FOUND 15 OF OUR FAVORITE BIZARRE ROADSIDE STOPS. Paulverizer: Cyborg Muffler Man

World’s Largest Roll of Sausage

BUENA VISTA, VIRGINIA

SIMPSONVILLE, KENTUCKY

Inspired by a scene out of Men In Black, this Hollywood-like bionic man poses atop a truck cab crushing a dirt bike in his fist.

Unlike the 1902 cured ham, this 12-foot-long sausage roll is not real, so don’t get too excited.

King Kong Crushing Airplane NATURAL BRIDGE, VIRGINIA

Pretty much exactly like it sounds, the big ape comes in at a towering 14 feet in height and can be found outside Dinosaur Kingdom II. Chicken - Cow PAINT BANK, VIRGINIA

This strange larger-than-life sculpture features a cow (with a bill) hatching out of an egg, which begs the question: which came first—the chicken or the… cow? M O U N TA I N B I K I N G I N N O R T H G E O R G I A ' S M O U N TA I N S / B R I C E J O H N S T O N

Connector Trail, which has about 600 feet of climbing over the course of five miles but is wide and well-graded. Give yourself enough time to sit down for a meal at Geneva’s Restaurant on Highway 136. The little meat-and-three diner closes at 3 p.m., and serves up hearty southern classics like meatloaf and fried chicken. They also serve breakfast, so if you catch ‘em in the morning, please get the tadpoles ‘n’ eggs and tell us about it. Walk off your heavy lunch at Cloudland Canyon State Park. The Overlook Trail is a stunning albeit popular trail that takes you to the best view of the canyon. Primitive campsites at the park run about $20 per night, so claim your spot and rest up for your third and final day. DAY 3

80.3 MILES

RISING FAWN — ELLIJAY Set the alarm early for the nearly twohour trek east to the Mountain Bike Capital of Georgia, aka Ellijay. This little town of 2,000 has over 50 miles of trails, including the Pinhoti Trail and the backcountry goodness located in

the Chattahoochee National Forest. Stop in at Cartecay Bikes for all of your tune-up and beta needs, then head deep into the forest to your mountain bike basecamp, Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Get-A-Way. Family owned and operated, this northwestern Georgia gem will instantly feel like a home away from home. Whether it’s the stout Belgian waffles resident mom and cook Ginni whips up for breakfast, the cozy cabins (starting at $92 per night), or the quirky bike friendly vibe, Mulberry Gap is the reason north Georgia has such a highly regarded reputation within the cycling industry. If you’re cruisin’ solo, it won’t be hard to find a riding buddy at breakfast. Organize a shuttle or earn your turns with the 22-mile Bear-Hoti Loop. This ride is stout (if Randall likes it, you know there’s at least a four-mile gravel road climb in there somewhere), but it connects some of the most classic singletrack in the area, including Bear Creek Trail and Pinhoti 1 and 2. On your way down Bear Creek, stop and hug the mammoth Gannett poplar for us.

World’s Oldest Edible Ham

World’s Largest Bottle of Booze LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

Bottom’s up! Twelve-Pound Hamburger MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

Nearly twice as heavy as a newborn baby, this Kooky Canuck classic has buns the size of pillows and could easily feed a village. 19 MPH Speed Limit COLLIERVILLE, TENNESSEE

There are also 31mph speed limits in Trenton, Tenn. Hope your car has cruise control.

SMITHFIELD, VIRGINIA

Cured in 1902, we don’t know if this still technically qualifies as “edible,” but we’ll let someone else be the judge of that. The Mystery Hole

16-Foot Tall Whisk NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

This whisk’s whippin’ days are over, but the giant cooking utensil does now function as a bike rack.

ANSTEAD, WEST VIRGINIA

No cameras are allowed inside, so only those who have entered The Mystery Hole and come out alive know what lies inside this ridiculous pit.

Largest Real Tire in the World BLADENBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

Weighing in at 10,400 pounds, this tire would put any monster truck wheel to shame.

The Two-Headed Calf and TwoStoried Outhouse

Big A** Plunger

POINT PLEASANT, WEST VIRGINIA

NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA

The West Virginia State Farm Museum is full of these and other strange real-life items like the world’s largest stuffed horse.

Just like it sounds, a ginormous plunger, built by none other than a local plumber. The guy must need some work, because apparently there’s a matching jumbo toilet, too.

Pablo Eskabear LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

This taxidermied bear might look like any old black bear, except that he died from a cocaine overdose when he discovered a stash (worth $15 million) convicted smuggler Andrew Thornton had dumped from a plane over the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Jimmy Carter Peanut PLAINS, GEORGIA

The former president might not like the giant smiling legume statue, but people come from all over tarnation to take a picture with it.

J U LY 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

THE GOODS

EXTREME ROAD TRIPPING OVERLANDING GURU JASON SPECHT DISHES HIS GO-TO GEAR B Y G R A H A M AV E R I L L

verlanding is a simple concept—drive a 4WD vehicle across rugged, off-road terrain and camp. Jason Specht created Mountain State Overland as a YouTube-based series to document his adventures in overlanding throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. “Having grown up in the area and paddled in West Virginia, I knew there were so many opportunities for this kind of adventure right here.” Specht leads guided overlanding trips, and gear is a large part of his show. His Tacoma and Forerunner are decked out in the latest overlanding goodies, but Specht insists those interested in overlanding don’t have to spend a fortune overhauling their trucks. “Lots of people get excited about gear. That’s a big piece of it, but you don’t need all of the stuff we use to do it,” Specht says. He says beginners should take a couple of trips with the gear they currently have before dropping cash on signature overlanding goodies like a rooftop tent. The important thing is to get outside and explore.

GARMIN INREACH $400

The inReach allows us to track our location, and we can integrate it with an iPad and I can navigate on the fly. And I can communicate with my family with it and reach out in case of an emergency.

MIDLAND MXT 115 $150

To talk truck to truck when there is no cell service, we use these radios, which are very reliable. You can plug the radio into the lighter and stick the antennae on the roof. It’s got great range and it’s plug and play, ready to go.

The UPF 50+, sun-protective Hiker's Hat with a 3.5” brim is designed with an evaporative cooling insert to help relieve heat stress during treks. It’s only a featherweight 3.8 ounces and floats in water, yet it's rugged, durable, and guaranteed for life.

Weighing in at only 13 ounces, the Wildfire is built for speed—and built to last. They have been especially popular with Appalachian Trail thru-hikers in recent years for their durability and agility across rugged terrain. They're also the go-to shoes for trail runners and ultramarathoners training on our region’s rocky, wet, rootcovered trails.

Starts at $3,399

Rooftop tents are a worthy investment. These tents offer the best night sleep I’ve ever had in the woods. It’s a hard shell rooftop tent, with solar fans in them that pull air through the tent, and the sleeping surface is amazing.

The Skottle is a tripod cooking surface that looks like a wok, but it’s flat. You can cook everything on it, so it eliminates the need for carrying pans and pots. That’s the single most used piece of equipment in my truck.

TILLEY HIKER’S HAT $100

SALEWA WILDFIRE TRAIL RUNNING SHOES $129

JAMES BAROUD DISCOVERY

TEMBO TUSK SKOTTLE $275

MORE GEAR

MSR HUBA TOUR TENT,

$649

With its unique exoskeleton frame, poles connect outside the rainfly, keeping setup simple and dry. This spacious tent also features two entrances, and internal glow-in-the-dark zipper, a large hooped vestibule, and built-in storage clips and lofts.

BLUE RIDGE OVERLAND GEAR This company is local, and they build textile products that organize your gear, so you know exactly where everything is in your truck. I rely on the GOTTA GO BAG ($139) a shoulder bag that keeps my laptop and camera safe. And I love the FORERUNNER ATTIC ($99) that allows you to use that space above your head to put things away.

PATAGONIA NINE TRAILS PACK, $199 Versatile and

functional, this new minimalist trail pack features genderspecific strap construction, mesh back panels for increased airflow, and stretch woven front pockets for easily accessible gear storage. 26

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U LY 2 0 1 8

Love takes us out of our comfort zone. Is it for the beauty or the challenge? Are we looking for something or getting away from everything? Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just that love is too big for four walls to hold.

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Destination Adventure 2018

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Lake 65 (1953-2018) at ous 65 (1953-2018) At t h e C l aPhilpott i r b or Lake ne H e Philpott in Rock y atMo unt T h e C l a i b or ne Hou se is a 1 895 Que e n Anne ho me It’s not the years, It’s not the years, i n b e d a n dbut br ethe akfast. New ly pu rc has e d and in the the miles yet to paddle miles yet but to paddle mi d s t of t r a ns form ation !

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SIGHTCAST E R MSRP $129

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EL JEFE M SR P $129

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DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

SHENANDOAH COUNTY virginia

Shen an doah Cou n ty, Vir ginia is a ha v e n for outdoor r e cr e a tion a nd unr iv a le d spir its with six cha r ming towns a long U.S. Route 11 just 90 mile s we st of the na tion’s ca pita l in the She na ndoa h Va lle y. Loca te d be twe e n the B lue Ridge a nd Alle ghe ny Mounta ins, She na ndoa h County offe r s a n e sse ntia l hub of pla ce s to e a t, dr ink , shop, a nd sta y a fte r a full da y of r iv e r a nd mounta in a dv e ntur e s. The r e’s only one She na ndoa h County in the She na ndoa h Va lle y !

WINCHESTER virginia

A s hor t , b ea u t i fu l o n e - h ou r dr iv e from Nor t h e r n V ir g in i a w i l l t r a ns p or t you to Win c h e s t e r, t h e nort hern gatew ay t o V ir g in ia’s S h e na ndoa h Valley. N u m e r o u s wal k a bl e c ra f t brew eri e s an d c o u n t l es s a l f res c o dining s p o t s o n t h e v i br a nt O l d Tow n wa lkin g m all ju x t a p os e limeston e b u ild in g s o n c e frequen t e d b y a y o u n g G eorg e Washing t o n . M o s t u n e x p e c t ed is the div e r s e c u lt u r e —a robus t coffee s h o p c u lt u r e, LG BT event s , a n d local mus ic ian s a r e jus t a s c om m on a s m ulti-ge n e r at io n far m s a nd m a r ke t s .

Enjoy vino at Muse Vinaend views yards. GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

The Old Town Walking Mall has plenty of unique shops and restaurants.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

Hike the Tuscarora Trail, an official bypass route of the Appalachian Trail just west of Winchester. Short hikes to Eagle Rock offer easterly vistas of the Shenandoah Valley and Pinnacle Ridge offer westerly. Bike the George Washington National Forest. Map out a day on the Shenandoah Spirits Trail, a comprehensive list of all breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries in the area. Roll down the windows, turn off the GPS, and explore the orchard-rich countryside around Winchester. Rent a kayak (or launch your own) at Lake Frederick, and then enjoy fine dining overlooking the lake.

Enjoy kayaking beautiful Lake Frederick at sunset!

VISITWINCHESTERVA.COM 540-542-1326 VisitWinchesterVA

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VisitorsCenter

Shenandoah County has plenty to offer the outdoor enthusiast whether by air, on the ground, or along the river. Take your car or bicycle along the scenic country roads for pastoral views of farmland and mountains. Hike, bike or horseback-ride along more than 178 miles of trails through George Washington National Forest. You’ll find trails with outstanding views to suit every skill level. Enjoy the slow and lazy bends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River by canoe, kayak or tube. Wade in and cast a line for trout, small mouth bass, sunfish and more, or get a bird’s eye view of the valley with zipline adventures, skydiving, or hang gliding. Criss-crossing the mountainside on 11 different lines with Zipline Adventure at Bryce Resort!

VISITSHENANDOAHCOUNTY.COM | 888-367-3965 | 540-459-6227 VisitShenandoah

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DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

LOUDOUN COUNTY virginia

MUST-EATS! A favorite by the locals, you cannot beat the brisket, ribs and pulled pork smoked meat options at Monk’s BBQ. Sit on the patio and relax after an active day! For mouthwatering taco combinations, visit Señor Ramon Taqueria. With two locations right off the trail—one inside Crooked Run’s Sterling Brewery— this is the perfect place to take a pit stop and refuel!

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY Whether you want to try whitewater rafting through the rapids, kayaking on the river, or even a relaxing tubing float—Loudoun County has every skill level covered! Bring your own kayak or canoe to Algonkian Regional Park in Sterling. Or head out to Harpers Ferry Adventure Center in Purcellville where you can rent all equipment for a day on the water and even take guided tours down the river. In Loudoun, you can catch the popular W&OD Trail in Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, or Purcellville—all perfect access points to many bikeable brews! With plenty of breweries just steps from the trail, you really can’t go wrong!

SETTLE IN

PHOTO BY: TOM LUSSIER

njoy natural wonders in Loudoun with adventures via land, air, or water! Hike a

portion of the Appalachian Trail or enjoy a bike ride down the W&OD, which spans 45 miles from Shirlington to Purcellville. Get a bird’s eye view of the countryside as you zipline through the treetops or soak in the scenery with whitewater rafting and tubing trips down

After a day of activities, pitch your tent on the scenic mountaintop campsite at Harpers Ferry Adventure Center. Immerse yourself in the great outdoors, grill out, roast marshmallows in the firepit and Whether hiking, biking or rafting take in the breathtaking views the picturesque views of D.C.’s, of the Potomac River. Or, rent Win e Country will not disappoint! a family style cottage on the riverfront at Algonkian Regional Park. For even more amenities, stay at one of Loudoun’s local bed and breakfasts. Ranging from historic manors to country estates, the accommodation possibilities are endless!

the beautiful Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. With charming historic downtowns, scenic mountain views, and craft beverages from the LoCo Ale Trail and D.C.’s Wine Country, the LoCo Adventure Trail offers an abundance of ways to experience the great outdoors. With many bikeable breweries just steps away, the W&OD Trail is perfect for cyclists and craft beer enthusiasts alike! VISITLOUDOUN.ORG | 703.771.2170

VisitLoudoun

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

THE FESTY EXPERIENCE

october 5-7, 2018

Th e 9th An n u al Festy Experien c e, he ld a t I nfinity D owns Fa r m, Ne lson County Vir ginia br ings toge the r the lov e of cr a ft food a nd be e r, ste lla r music, a ppr e cia tion for the outdoor s, a nd we llne ss/outdoor a ctiv itie s for this thr e e -da y fe stiv a l. Enjoy two sta ge s fe a tur ing Gr e e nsk y B lue gr a ss, Gillia n We lch, Rick y Sk a ggs & Ke ntuck y Thunde r, Ra ilr oa d Ea r th, Sa m B ush B a nd, B illy Str ings a nd ma ny othe r s. The Almost e -Town Sta ge, hoste d by Nick For ste r will combine thoughtful discussions with a r tists on Env ir onme nta l issue s with intima te once in a life time pe r for ma nce s.

LOCKN’ FESTIVAL august 23-26, 2018

Lo ckn’ Mu si c Fest i val in A r r ing ton, Virginia fe a t u r e s fo u r da y s of non-stop m u s ic o n t h r ee s t a g e s f eaturin g fo u r s e t s wi t h Dea d & CO, Tede s c h i Tr u c k s Ba n d, S h e ryl Crow, Blu e s Tr a v e le r, W i des p r ea d Panic , G e o r g e Clin t o n a nd P- F u n k , Umphre y ’s M c G e e wi t h s p e c i a l guest Ja s o n B o n h a m , Le t t uc e and mor e ! E n jo y g lam p i n g , tent cam p in g , a war d w i nni n g l oc a l c ra f t brew erie s , an d lo c a l a n d r eg i ona l c u i s i n e. Buy tic ke t s o n lin e n ow !

Don’t miss the 9th Annual Festy Experience this October! Breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY Participate in daily yoga and wellness programs or go rafting down the Tye River with Waterlockn’. Play and stay with a variety of camping options from glamping to tent camping, Super VIP, and VIP programs. Eat carefully curated local and regional cuisine and enjoy the best breweries and cideries of Nelson County. Three stages of non-stop music starting in the morning and including Jay Starling’s Song Circle at Terrapin Station Porch each day, featuring patron participation with instruments provided to join in the music!

Explore miles of biking trails throughout the festival grounds and stop by the Blue Ridge Outdoor Magazine tent for your own outdoor adventure issue.

LOCKNFESTIVAL.COM LocknFestival

LocknFestival

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY Family-friendly activities are boundless at The Festy, including the Rock Wall installation, miles of biking and hiking trails, yoga and wellness activities, a slack line installation with instructors and the 23rd Annual Blue Ridge Burn 5K & 10K Trail Run. There are plenty of ways to stay overnight at the Festy, from glamping under the stars in Family Camping, or general camping in the green field in your RV—tent or car camping are all offered at The Festy. Three days of music, camping, outdoors and raging good times. Tickets are on sale now!

THEFESTY.COM TheFesty

TheFesty

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY virginia

Get Ou tside in Roc kbridge County, Vir ginia . The sce nic mounta in towns a r e built on southe r n hospita lity, histor y a nd cultur e. The y a r e fille d with gr e a t food, downtown shopping, music, a nd a we some e ne r gy. Fill y our da y with bik ing, hik ing, a nd pa ddling, a nd the n r e cha r ge with a gr e a t me a l, loca l spir its a nd me a ningful time with fr ie nds a nd fa mily.

MADISON virginia

Come to M a d i so n fo r th e h ikin g— Old Rag M o u n t a in an d W hi t e Oak Can y o n F a lls a r e t w o of S henando a h N at io n al Pa rk ’s favorite h ike s — a n d s t a y f or t he all the r e s t ! W it h t h e h i s t ory, artisans , s c e n e r y, fis h i ng , t he A nnual Ta s t e o f t h e M ou n t a i ns , G raves M o u n t a in Lo dg e’s M u s i c and Apple H ar v e s t F e s t i v a l s , Ba l d Top B re win g C o., a n d t h e m a n y wineries , t h e r e is p lent y t o do! Stay in a B &B , c ab in , c a m p e r, RV, l odg e, vac ation r e n t al h o u s e, t ent , or even a yurt! Ma d is o n h a s it a l l a w a y f r om i t a l l !

Explore t Downtown Lhee sohps in xington! GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

Bald Top Brewing Co. is a destination Farm Brewery on 55 acres of historic land.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY Madison’s wineries all offer beautiful views and outdoor activities. Bald Top Brewing Co. has an outdoor event stage and beer garden along with some walking trails and outdoor fun. Hoover Ridge offers shaded walking trails for less treacherous hikes. Equestrians can enjoy the extensive trail systems offered by Graves Mountain Stables or Shenandoah National Park. There are many scenic country roads for cycling. Enjoy some of the best fishing anywhere along the Rapidan, the Hughes, the Robinson, and the Rose Rivers. Visitors can even fish at Rose River Farm while staying in a luxurious yurt or stay at Graves Mountain Lodge and fish in their trout pond. Visit Yoder’s Coutnry Market for homebaked breads, a wide assortment of bulk foods, gifts ,and a petting zoo for the kids!

MADISONVA.COM 540-948-4455 SeeMadisonVA

SeeMadisonVA

Rockbridge County is home to beautiful, scenic hiking trails. Explore the Appalachian Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway Trails and the Chessie Nature Trail—a 7 mile rail-trail connecting Lexington and Buena Vista—perfect for walking or cycling. Paddle, fish or just relax on the Upper James River Water Trail, 59 miles of which is designated as a Virginia Scenic River. Discover what awaits you after a day on the trail or river. The newest brewery to hit the craft beer scene is Great Valley Farm Brewery, a stop on the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail. Downtown Lexington is a walkable delight and home to farm-totable dining, locally owned boutiques and galleries, and elegantly refashioned historic accommodations. End your evening under the stars listening to live music at Lime Kiln Theater and Glen Maury Park. Enjoy plenty of water adventure, from paddling to tubing, in Rockbridge County! LEXINGTONVIRGINIA.COM ROCKBRIDGEOUTDOORS.COM 540-463-3777

LexingtonVa

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

VIRGINIA’S BLUE RIDGE roanoke, virginia

AMERICA’S EAST COAST MOUNTAIN BIKING CAPITAL Virginia’s Blue Ridge was recently named a SilverLevel Ride Center™ by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, the first destination on the East Coast to receive this designation. With the incredible selection of trails for all skill levels and unique local bike culture that continues to grow, Virginia’s Blue Ridge is establishing itself as America’s East Coast Mountain Biking Capital!

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

Make Virginia’s Blue Ridge your personal outdoor playground with all the amazing options for hiking, biking and paddling. Lace up your hiking boots and conquer the Virginia Triple Crown. The three hikes along the Appalachian Trail that make up the Triple Crown—Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs—feature some of the most beautiful views you’ll see in Virginia. If you’d prefer to explore the region on two wheels, check out the awesome mountain biking at Carvins Cove and Mill Mountain Park, one of the best urban trail systems in the nation! For paddling, the Upper James River Water Trail, Roanoke River Blueway, and Pigg River Blueway are beautiful waterways for a relaxing float or paddle. Twin River Outfitters and Roanoke Mountain Adventures are local outfitters with rentals, guides, and shuttle services to help you plan your Parkway Brewing Compan adventure.

re you ready for your next metro mountain adventure in Virginia’s Blue Ridge? With over

1,000 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and paddling, you can spend your entire Blue Ridge Day exploring the outdoors. It’s part of why Roanoke was named one of “America’s Best Mountain Towns” by Men’s Journal! Take a hike on the Appalachian Trail, paddle along the Upper James River Water Trail, and ride the

CHEERS TO YOU! Breweries, wineries, and distilleries are all on tap in Virginia’s Blue Ridge! Sip and savor your way through locallyproduced beer, wine, and craft spirits. Check out Tour Roanoke for fun-filled guided beer, wine, moonshine, and food tours.

one of many craft breweriesy inis the region with awesome outdoor patio space & great brews.

epic singletrack at Carvins Cove. Afterwards, wash it all down with a locally-brewed IPA at one of the many craft breweries throughout the region and listen to live music at the local nightlife spots. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep because the next day is always full of fun things to do in Virginia’s Blue Ridge! The Upper James River Water Trail is a 64-mile stretch of scenic river in Virginia’s Blue Ridge that’s an ideal spot for floating, paddling and fishing. VISITVABLUERIDGE.COM | 800-635-5535

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DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

FRANKLIN COUNTY virginia

Enjoy kayak fishing in Franklin County!

rom t he crest of the Bl ue Ri dge to the Pi e dmont bel ow and the f oothi l l s i n

bet w e en, F rankl i n County i s a rather di s ti nct out door recreati on desti nati on, whi ch i s c ra dl e d between two l akes and l ayered among f ou r ri v ers . Make a bi g s pl as h i n the waters of F r a nk l i n County—go kayaki ng, wake boardi ng, t ubi n g , f l o ati ng, or even attend a concert by c a noe! Yo u can al s o hi ke and bi ke f rom the m ou n t a i ns to the l ake, and cast a l i ne on ri ver s hores f o r bass , trout, wal l eye and more. The l a n d a n d water def i nes where F rankl i n County i s . . . but t he cul ture, cul i nary heri tage, and c om m uni ty def i nes who they are. With access to the Blue Ridge Parkway, numerous recreation parks with biking, hiking, and walking trails, you’ll be able to find the adventure you’re looking for.

PHOTOS BY: MATT ROSS (TOP), JEAN SKIPPER (INSET), SHELLIE LEETE (LEFT), MATT ROSS (RIGHT)

VISITFRANKLINCOUNTYVA.COM | (540) 483-3030

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SAVOR THE FLAVORS Based on a proud tradition, Franklin County is home to two distilleries, two craft breweries and a winery—all featuring tasting rooms to kick back and relax in after a day on the water, trails, or road. On Smith Mountain Lake, you can indulge in a unique dock and dine experience—pull up your watercraft (whether you’re in a boat, paddle craft, or even float plane) and step into the restaurant.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY With over 700 square miles to play in, there is ample room for hiking, biking, paddling, and disc golf at the Franklin County Recreation Park, and more. There are also miles of designated scenic byways for riding, including the Jagged Edge Motorcycle Trail. The trails at Jamison Mill and Waid Parks are mountain bike geared for the recently designated IMBA Silver Ride Center status assigned to the Virginia’s Blue Ridge region. Hike the Grassy Hill Nature Area Preserve, or the Smart View Recreation Area along the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are a number of trail loops within the statewide birding and wildlife trail network. Runners from around the country dash to the Crooked Road 24 Hour Ultra and smaller events like the Chug for the Jug 5K. Enjoy nine recreation areas at Philpott Lake (which turns 65 this year!), learn a new water skill set with SUP and sea kayak instruction, and launch into one of nine marinas and three public boat ramps on Smith Mountain Lake. The county is a paddler’s paradise with five distinct water trails—Philpott Lake Blueway, Pigg River Blueway, Blackwater Blueway, Roanoke River Blueway, and Smith River Blueway. Come back each year to experience the annual Ramble Weekend highlighting the Pigg River Ramble, a nighttime float, and breakfast on the Blackwater. Try something new—Franklin County has the only wake park in the state of Virginia! PHOTOS BY: MATT ROSS

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

BEDFORD virginia

Bedford, Virgin ia is for Ou tdoor Lovers! Add B e dfor d to y our “must do” list! A me cca for outdoor e nthusia sts, B e dfor d offe r s a n a bunda nce of choice s for y our ne xt a dv e ntur e. To the nor th, e xplor e mile s of sce nic B lue Ridge Pa r k wa y. Whe n y ou’r e r e a dy for a cha nge of sce ne r y, he a d south whe r e 5 00+ mile s of shor e line a wa it. Vir ginia’s se cond la r ge st fr e shwa te r la ke, Smith Mounta in La ke, offe r s ov e r 2 0,000 a cr e s of pla y gr ound for boa te r s, fishe r me n, swimme r s, sk ie r s, sa ilor s, a nd wa te r e nthusia sts of a ll a ge s.

PATRICK COUNTY virginia

Ne s tl e d i n t h e B l u e R idg e M ountain s o f V ir g in ia , Pa t r i c k C ounty is a je we l o f a des t i n a t i on, offering ac t iv it ie s fo r t he w h ol e family. St o p fo r a p ic n i c a t a covered b r id g e o r alo n g t he Bl u e Ridge Pa r k way, v is it t he c ount y’s u nique win e r ie s , m o s ey a round F airy Sto n e St a t e Pa rk , r i de s om e of the m o u n t ain b ike t ra i l s , or s ettle in an d e n jo y t h e 5 - St a r l uxury Pr im la n d Re s o rt ha s t o of f er. C om e get lost a n d fin d y o u r s e l f. E x p eri e nc e t he S imple L ife in Pat r ic k C ount y, V i rg i ni a .

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

Patrick County is the home of FloydFest.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

Drive and picnic on the Blue Ridge Parkway, listen to traditional mountain music along the Crooked Road Music Trail, tour the wineries—Stanburn and Villa Appalaccia—or visit local artisan studios. Enjoy the day at Gordon Trent Golf Course, Fairy Stone State Park, fishing the rivers, or enjoying one of the eight annual festivals. You can also visit the local museum, Jack’s Creek Covered Bridge, the Reynolds Homestead, and the birthplace of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. After a long day, relax in luxury at Primland Resort or settle in at one of our cabins, locally owned bed and breakfasts, or campgrounds. Savor the tranquil beauty of Primland, an exquisite luxury resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

VISITPATRICKCOUNTY.ORG 276-694-6094 PatrickCountyTourism

Peaks of Ott historic legaecr Lodge offers Ridge Parkywamong Blue ay hotels.

VisitPatrick

The majestic Peaks of Otter at Milepost 86 offers hiking, camping, picnic areas, a restaurant and lodge, and more. Make the short trek down the mountain into the town of Bedford and discover the many local restaurants and the town’s first brewery! Located just outside of town is Bedford’s 250-acre Falling Creek Park with disc golf, mountain bike trails, and a world-class skate park. Smith Mountain Lake State Park offers swimming, boat rentals, a boat ramp, and a universally accessible fishing pier. Families can also enjoy picnicking, a visitor center, special programs, camping, miles of trails, and cabins with boat docks. Bedford offers something for everyone! The beautiful setting of Falling Creek Park has extensive trails for runners and cyclists.

VISITBEDFORD.COM 1-877-HI-PEAKS VisitBedfordVA

VisitBedfordVA

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

ABINGDON virginia

EXPLORE THE FOOD SCENE Abingdon boasts a food scene that is rooted in Appalachian traditions. Mountain trout, stone ground grits, heirloom apples, and pastured pork products are all on the menu at Abingdon’s restaurants. After you’ve played your heart out in the great outdoors, relax with a craft brew at Wolf Hills Brewing Co. or sample a local wine on the riverside patio at Abingdon Vineyard and Winery.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY Visitors who come to this picturesque Blue Ridge Mountain town are typically looking for some serious play time. Whether the play is on stage at Barter Theatre, the state theatre of Virginia, or in the great outdoor playground of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it’s always play time somewhere in town. When Barter Theatre first opened its doors during the Great Depression, patrons could buy a ticket by bartering produce or livestock. Every summer, this Broadway-quality theatre celebrates its roots by collecting canned goods as admission.

REST UP

bi n gdon i s s urrounded by the maj es ti c Bl u e Ri dge Mountai ns, whi ch f orm a

m a s s i ve wi l dernes s pl ayground compl ete wi th ri v ers , l a kes and trai l s. Bi ke s hops and shuttl e s ervi c e s can get you on the trai l s qui ckl y

Choose from numerous budget-friendly vacation rentals and hotels, or splurge on the famous Martha Washington Inn & Spa, a 4-star hotel with a history of Find arts and flavors that luxury. Once an antebellum mansion are rooted in Appalachia. and then elite women’s college, now “The Martha” offers fine dining, tennis, heated pools and a complimentary glass of port each night before bed.

a nd ea s i ly. F or thos e whos e i dea of pl ay ti me i n c l udes shoppi ng, ni ghtl i f e or l i ve musi c, f u n i s a l w ays on tap. The hi stori c downtown di s t r i c t i s f i l l ed wi th great restaurants and uni q ue s hops and gal l eri es . S o day or ni ght; i n door s or outdoors ; i t’s al ways pl ay ti me i n A bi n g don. The Virginia Creeper Trail runs along a railroad right-ofway that dates back to the 1880s. Today, it’s considered one of the finest rails-to-trails examples in the east.

VISITABINGDONVIRGINIA.COM | 800-435-3440

VisitAbingdonVA

VisitAbingdon

VisitAbingdonVA

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

FRIENDS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA the best the state has to offer

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE Smith Mountain Lake stretches 40-miles in length with over 500 miles of shoreline nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Whether your interests are seeking a day at the beach, water sports, a fishing excursion, round of golf, or you prefer hiking, biking or re-discovering a bit of history, Smith Mountain Lake provides ample opportunities. For a FREE Visitor’s Guide: www.visitsmithmountainlake. com or 540.721.1203.

VISITSMITHMOUNTAINLAKE.COM

BREAKS INTERSTATE PARK Breaks Interstate Park is a premier location for experiencing new adventures, discovering breathtaking sights, and rekindling your love for the outdoors. The park offers lodging, camping, Elk Tours, zipline tours, restaurant, fishing, hiking and biking trails, bike rentals, pedal boats, and so much more! Start your next adventure with us in the “Grand Canyon of the South”!

BREAKSPARK.COM

Check out these amazing six places that you can’t miss when you’re visiting Southwest Virginia.

CITY OF NORTON Choose the path less traveled: Come Explore Norton, Virginia. Home to Flag Rock Recreation Area and Gateway to High Knob Recreation Area. Establish base camp in Flag Rock Recreation Area’s 18-site campground. Enjoy views of downtown Norton from a 3,200-foot overlook. Explore lush hardwood forests while hiking, biking, or running Flag Rock Area Trails. Scale sandstone cliffs spanning the recreation area. Fish or kayak the park’s 10-acre reservoir.

VIRGINIA’S CROOKED ROAD Come stretch out on Virginia’s Crooked Road! Marion is in the center of Southwest Virginia—and home of “Song of the Mountains,” the Official Television Series of Virginia! The historic Lincoln Theatre, unique eateries, and shops, are all within an easy stroll. Stay at our General Francis Marion, a lovingly restored Art Deco hotel, dine downtown, and enjoy America’s Coolest Hometown!

EXPLORENORTONVA.COM

MARIONVA.ORG

HISTORIC REX THEATER

WYTHEVILLE, THERE’S ONLY ONE!

The inspiring charm of downtown Galax resonates every Friday night with Bluegrass and Old Time Music at the Historic Rex Theater. Couple this with music festivals in June, August, and September, a BBQ Festival in July, unique shops, and outdoor adventures on our trails and rivers and you will have a fantastic vacation for the entire family.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Wytheville boasts dozens of attractions including museums, a dinner theatre, herb farm, wineries, animal park and even the birthplace of a First Lady. With New River Trail State Park and Crystal Springs Recreation Area convenient to the newly revitalized downtown, Wytheville is positioned in the center of endless opportunities for authentic experiences and adventures. Wytheville… There’s Only One!

VISITGALAX.COM

VISITWYTHEVILLE.COM

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

BATH COUNTY virginia

In the beau tifu l m ou n tain s we st of the She na ndoa h Va lle y is a n e ncha nte d pla ce tha t ha s we lcome d v isitor s for ce ntur ie s a nd is whe r e dr e a ms r e a lly ca n come tr ue. The County of B a th is a n unspoile d pa r a dise whe r e outdoor e nthusia sts lov e to pla y. The oppor tunitie s to hike, bike, fish, a nd r ide a r e e ndle ss, a nd— like the mounta in v ie ws— go on for e v e r. Ma ke y our dr e a ms come tr ue. Pla n y our ge t a wa y a t D iscov e r B a th.com.

DAMASCUS virginia

Damas c u s i s k n o w n be s t as Tr a il Tow n U.S .A , wh e r e s e vera l n a t i ona l l y know n t r ails in t e r s e c t w i t hi n ou r borders, b u t it is s o muc h m or e! I t i s a place o f s t u n n in g n a t u r a l be a ut y, w here th e h ills o f t h e A p p a l a c h i a ns and the m u r m u r in g o f t h e c reek s inspire y o u , wh e t h e r y our c a l l i n g is outdoo r ad v e n t u r e, or s i m p l y living in a n au t h e n t ic s m a l l t ow n . Damascu s is a p la c e w h e re you can be s u p e r -ac t iv e, or w h e re you c a n reconne c t t o n a t u r e, r ej u v ena t e, a nd f ind your in n e r p e ac e.

Lake Moo place to enmjoayw is the perfect water sports ! GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

The Virginia Creeper Trail, one of the country’s most famous biking trails, stretches 34 miles from Whitetop Mountain down to Abingdon, with Damascus being in the middle, at the very heart of the trail. Damascus lies at the intersection of several local, state, and national trails and is adjacent to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and several other public lands. There are hundreds of miles of mountain biking trails nearby, and the most prominent of these is the Iron Mountain Trail, which runs straight through town. Don’t miss the annual Iron Mountain Bike Race, which combines both cross country and downhill. Anglers have the opportunity to catch brook, brown, and rainbow trout while enjoying the scenic mountain atmosphere.

VISITDAMASCUS.ORG 276-475-3831 DamascusVAEvents

DamascusVirginia

Famous for its mineral springs, outdoor recreation, and cultural arts, the County of Bath is a captivating four season destination. When making plans to visit the area, you will have a variety of sporting and recreational activities to enjoy, including golf, hiking, biking, camping, boating, or just plain relaxing. The County of Bath is home to the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests as well as Douthat State Park and Lake Moomaw—offering the outdoor enthusiast a vast playground. Stunning mountain vistas, dark starlit skies, clear, cold streams, and a wide range of recreational opportunities await. Hike the Ingalls Overlook Trail, a 1.2-mile trail beginning at the Dan Ingalls Overlook on Route 39.

DISCOVERBATH.COM 540-839-7202 CountyofBath

CountyofBath

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

FREDERICK COUNTY maryland

AWAKEN YOUR TASTE BUDS Firestone’s Culinary Tavern offers an outstanding meal with the perfect view overlooking Downtown Frederick. Upscale comfort food is dished up in a historic tavern setting.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY Rent a canoe or kayak and float around the calm waters of William Houck Lake at Cunningham Falls State Park. In the same park, you can choose the trail that is right for you (easy, difficult, or handicap accessible) and take a hike to Maryland’s largest cascading waterfall. For an unforgettable adventure, look no further than River & Trail Outfitters, offering guided whitewater rafting, tubing, kayaking, and biking services. Wanting to stay out of the water? The picturesque 50 mile Covered Bridge Tour is ideal for road cyclists, taking you to all three of Frederick’s historic covered bridges. Gambrill State Park and the Frederick Watershed offer numerous trails of intense, technical mountain bike riding. There is no better place to connect with nature than in Frederick County.

STAY A WHILE

If your idea of exciting nightlife is a roaring campfire and sky full of stars, Frederick County is home to a wide variety of Sample gastropub cooking at national, state, and local parks Firestone’s Culinary Tavern . where cabin and tent camping is available. Visit VisitFrederick. org for a complete list of accommodations that fit your vacation needs.

r ederi ck County, i s i deal l y l ocated l es s than one hour f rom Was hi ngton,

D. C . , Ba l ti more, and Gettysburg. The ci ty of F r ederi ck, Maryl and i s s urrounded by m ou n t ai n vi ews, a wi de array of r es t a ura nts , wi neri es , orchards , endl ess w a t er a dventure, and vi brant Mai n Street c om m u n i ti es to ex pl ore. V i s i tors can al so h i ke t he A ppal achi an Trai l , vi s i t Maryl and’s l a rg e s t brewery, F l y Dog Brewery, and tour a ba t t l ef i el d al l i n one day. It’s the perf ect pl ace t o e m ba r k on an outdoor j ourney that won’t be f org ot t e n. Families love floating calmly through William Houck Lake at Cunningham Falls State Park home to Maryland’s largest cascading waterfall.

VISITFREDERICK.ORG | 301-600-4047

VisitFrederickMD

TourFrederickMD

VisitFrederickMD

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

TOWNSEND tennessee

MUST-EATS IN TOWNSEND

Walnut Kitchen is a neighborhood restaurant in the heart of Maryville, Tennessee. The menus are a reflection of the seasons and of the farms that provide the ingredients—this is a must do while in the area! The Abbey is the newest local taproom located right outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Enjoy a day of biking, hiking, and tubing then relax with a craft beer by the Little River.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

Rent a tube or kayak from River Rat and let the Little River take you on a ride the natural way. Enjoy the natural beauty and the fun of a day on the river. Explore over 900 miles of hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There is a hike for every skill level and age. You can even boast that you hiked the Appalachian Trail— there are have 71 miles of the trail in the park! Make sure to visit Tuckaleechee Caverns—it is the greatest site under the Smokies. Biking is also a must do when in the Peaceful Side… either on their great greenway trails or road cycling down the scenic rural roads, Townsend has it all. No bike? No problem. Rent a bike from Smoky Mountain Outdoor Center. Cades Cove, located in the Great Smoky Mountains Nation Park is a beautiful, sheltered valley with a mixture of forest, meadow, and an outdoor museum of pioneer life in the 1800s. You can ride the loop in your car, on your bike, or hop on a guided tour provided by the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. This is also a great way to see lots of wildlife.

ow nsend Tennes see—the Peacef ul

ACCOMODATIONS

Si de of the S moky Mountai ns —of f ers

a dvent ure f or f ami l i es , adrenal i ne j unki es , and out door enthus i as ts who want to connect wi th na t ure. T here are pl enty of opportuni ti es to ex p l ore mountai ns streams, trai l s and caves w h i l e enj o yi ng the comf ort and conveni ence

Townsend’s newest accommodation is the Little Arrow Resort. Enjoy RV spots, Cabins, Tiny Homes and Luxury Tents…they have a spot for everyone. Check them out at camplittlearrow.com

Take a car -free bike ride through Cades Cove on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

of h om e. F rom f es ti val s i n the spri ng, f l oati ng on t he ri v er i n the s ummer, bl uegrass concerts i n t h e f a l l , to uni que shops and l odgi ng i n t he w i nt er, you’l l f i nd thi ngs to do i n every s ea s on. . . you’re goi ng to need a l onger s tay! Tubing down the river in the Smoky Mountains is fun for all family members and one of the best ways to beat the summer heat.

SMOKYMOUNTAINS.ORG | 800-525-6834

PeacefulSide

PeacefulSmokies

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

ELLIJAY

gilmer county, georgia

ENJOY THE LOCAL FARE Sit outside and enjoy the sights and sounds of downtown while munching on a Nutella and peanut butter panini with a side of apple slaw at Back Porch Bistro. Nothing says southern comfort food like fried chicken. Everyone has their favorite and their secret recipe, but we promise you will keep coming back for more after you taste Lucy’s Fried Chicken.

GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY There is no shortage of fun things to do in Ellijay. Head to the scenic Bear Creek Trail and try to wrap your arms around the state record Tulip Poplar tree. Wet a line in Carter’s Lake and try for the state record striped bass. We have many local guides if you’d like to have a guided fly fishing experience. Visit the goats after a night spent in a vintage airstream at Elatse’ Yi. Sip a glass of wine beside the Ellijay River at Ellijay River Vineyards. Check out Expedition: Bigfoot in Cherry Log, just north of Ellijay, the southeast’s only museum dedicated to the hunt for Sasquatch. Do you believe? You just might after your visit or a night time Bigfoot hike. When the weather is warm, take a dip in Lake Consasauga, the highest lake in Georgia.

WHERE TO STAY

h e p e rf ect bas ecamp f or your north G eorgi a mountai n adventure awai ts i n

E l l i j a y a nd Eas t El l i j ay. Hi ke the A ppal achi an Tra i l or t he Benton Mackaye, bi ke the Pi nhoti Tra i l , or paddl eboard Carter’s Lake. Af ter a l on g day on the trai l s pend s ome ti me ex p l ori n g downtown El l i j ay’s quai nt s hops,

Take in the breathtaking views at The Overlook Inn atop Fort Mountain and near Fort Mountain State. This cabin is right in the middle of outdoor adventure, only a half mile from the Benton MacKaye Trail. Your family will also have fun exploring Mountain Waters Lodge with Mountain Oasis Cabin Rentals. This cabin has a creek running through the front yard. It is also located near the Bear Creek and Pinhoti Trails.

Tubing down the Coosawattee River!

l oc a l res t aurants and pubs , and our soon to be op e ned Pl ayhous e. Then cal l i t a ni ght i n a q u i et m ou ntai n cabi n, an ENO hung bes i de a c reek , or i n a geodesi c dome wi th the s t a rs a bove. More than 100 miles of single-track mountain biking trails have made Gilmer County “Georgia’s Mountain Biking Capital.” There is no biking off season here!

EXPLORETHEELLIJAYS.COM | 706-635-7400

TheEllijays

DESTINATION ADVENTURE 2018

BEECH MOUNTAIN RESORT north carolina

Lookin g for a c ool getaw ay this su m m er? The B e e ch Mounta in Re sor t offe r s e xhila r a ting D ownhill Mounta in bik ing a ll summe r long. The sk i slope -ba se d te r r a in offe r s some thing for e v e r y r ide r. B e ginne r tr a ils offe r a smooth intr oduction for the nov ice r ide r, a nd the a dv a nce d te r r a in is ste e p a nd te chnica l, with lots of r ock , tr ick y cor ne r s a nd te chnica l wood de sce nts. Ne w cha ir lifts a r e be ing insta lle d for the winte r se a son, but 2018 summe r pa tr ons will still ge t the sa me gr e a t e xpe r ie nce with a quick shuttle r ide a nd bike tr a ile r s to the summit.

MITCHELL COUNTY north carolina

Outdo o r a d ven t u re pos s ibilitie s? T hey ar e e n d le s s ! H ike, bi ke, w a l k , paddle, c y c le, c am p, f i s h , c l i m b, ride or ju s t t a ke in t h e br ea t ht a k i n g m ountain b e a u t y. F r o m s t a t e p a r k s to nation al fo r e s t s , y ou ’ l l f i nd thousand s o f ac r e s o f p os s i bi l i t i e s for adve n t u r e in c lu d ing t h e B lu e R i dge Pa rk w a y, Ap p a lach ian Tr ai l , Ro a n M o u n t a i n, L in v ille Fal l s an d Gra n d fa t h e r M ou ntain to name a fe w! M it c h e l l C ount y i s r i g ht i n the mid d le o f t h e “ t h r e e p e a k s” of Roan, Gr a ndfat h er an d Mt . M itc h e ll s o you k now you w ill fin d lo t s o f o ut door a dvent ure!

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

Hike the Roan Mountain Trails of North Carolina!

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY Come explore the Three Peaks of North Carolina! Centered right in the middle of the three famous peaks of Roan, Grandfather and Mt. Mitchell, Mitchell County is a hub for hiking, climbing, and adventure camping. From your base camp in Mitchell County, you can be at either of the peaks in 30 minutes or less. Spend the day, a weekend or a week exploring the trails, and also take in the hundreds of artist studios, unique food finds, and a whole list of other outdoor adventure. Canoe or kayak the waters of the Toe River and the Nolichucky. CRAFTYOURADVENTURE.COM 828-765-9483

ExploreMitchell

Seek_FindMC

Enjoy live music every Saturday at 5506’ Skybar, Mile High Yoga every Saturday, craft beer at Beech Mountain Brewing Company, restaurants, lodging, nightlife, and $199 Bike & Brew or Hike & Wine weekend lodging packages. Highest town east of the Rockies and an ideal adventure spot in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. For street cyclists, there are more than 50 miles of high-elevation routes, including the ascent up the mountain that was a training ground for Lance Armstrong. Activities include: downhill mountain biking, crosscountry mountain biking, hiking, trail running, and disc golf. Nearby activities include: kayaking, whitewater rafting and SUP.

Don’t for Mountain Bgerte to visit Beech wing Company

A clear-sky visit to 5506 is hard to top and will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated! BEECHMTN.COM 800-468-5506

BeechMountainResort

BeechMountainNC

BeechMtn

Go Gaston. Get Outside.

GO PADDLE.

For the outdoor enthusiast in all of us, Gaston County offers amazing blueways as well as a wide array of other activities. Stop by our Visitors Center or call us today for a FREE Guide. Rankin Lake Park R. Y. McAden Take-out 1750 Rankin Lake Rd. 119 Willow Dr. Gastonia, NC McAdenville, NC 704-866-6849 Spencer Mountain Riverside Marina Kevin Loftin 200 Stanley-Spencer Mtn. Rd. 1500 River Dr. Riverfront Park Spencer Mountain, NC Belmont, NC 1400 Catawba St. South Fork River Park 704-813-4591 Belmont, NC 4185 Mountain View St. 704-825-8191 Riverside Park Gastonia, NC & Green Way Mountain Island Park 704-922-2160 400 Mountain Island Rd. 75 Riverside Dr. Sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Up Scuba Cramerton, NC Mt. Holly, NC 900 S. Fork Village Dr. 704-824-4231 704-827-3931 Belmont, NC 704-829-3455 Goat Island Park 305 Greenwood Pl. Cramerton, NC 704-824-4231

Tailrace Marina 1010 Marina Village Dr. Mount Holly, NC 704-827-0000 Tuckaseegee Park 165 Broome St. Mt. Holly, NC 704-951-3006 US National Whitewater Center 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy. Charlotte, NC 704-391-3900

620 N. Main St., Belmont, NC | 704-825-4044 | #gogaston | gogaston.org |

APPALACHIAN

LEGENDS Mothman and the Flatwoods Monster. Bigfoot, Brown Mountain Lights, and the Bell Witch. Are these mysteries folklore or fact?

BY KIM DINAN

I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y C R A I G S N O D G R A S S

It’s not surprising that a 480-million-yearold mountain range would inspire legends of unexplained animals darting through the darkened forest or strange and ghostly apparitions appearing in the night sky. For generations, myths and superstitions have been passed down through the oral traditions of native tribes and early settlers, gaining a foothold in our Appalachian culture. Some scholars believe that the danger and isolation of early mountain life gave birth to many of the legends that still exist today, banging around in our brains and compelling us to take an extra look over our shoulder should we find ourselves alone in a dusky forest or a creaky old cabin. Michael Rivers, lead investigator of the Smokey Mountain Ghost Trackers and an author who has written extensively about Appalachian folklore, says that the Appalachian Mountains are ripe with paranormal activity. Though it’s hard to say why stories of unexplained phenomena pop up in these mountains, Rivers says that fear can easily get the best of people. “Your psyche has a tendency to get away from you,” says Rivers. “If you hear things that go bump in the night and you swear you don’t have a pipe rattling or anything like that, you think it’s a spirit,” he says. “Or you happen to catch something out of the corner of your eye and you swear it’s a ghost. It’s not that you’re crazy. It’s just that your imagination and your emotions can fool you.” Whether our collective imaginations are running wild or we’re really sensing something otherworldly, stories of ghosts, UFOs, terrifying man-sized animals, and other hair-raising tales abound in these Blue Ridge Mountains. We took a look at six of the most popular legends in our region. Dive deeper at your own risk.

Bigfoot

Imagine you’re deep in the woods when you spot a sudden movement through the trees. The animal—or whatever it is—is large and covered in dark fur. Is it a bear? You stand

frozen in place, eyes locked to that shadowy spot in the woods, waiting for the animal to move. Your heart pounds in your chest and you realize, jarringly, that the sounds of the forest have died. On the ground, there’s an imprint—like a human foot but much larger, nearly two feet long and eight inches wide. Suddenly, you’re certain of what you saw, and it definitely wasn’t a black bear. Known around the world as Sasquatch or Yeti and locally as Wood Booger or Boojum, Bigfoot is an ape-like creature that conceals itself in the deep, dark forest, leaving behind footprints so large they could not belong to any man. The tale of Bigfoot has been traced back to the European Wild Man, a mythical figure that had hair all over his body and lived like a beast. The Wild Man can be found in literature as early as the second century BC. Stories of Bigfoot also abound in Native American oral tradition, and the unexplained ape has been studied by scientists and scrutinized on the Internet. Jane Goodall has even weighed in on Bigfoot’s existence, telling reporters that she wants to believe that Bigfoot is real. There’s no doubt about Bigfoot’s existence in Phil Smith’s eyes. Smith of Gate City, Virginia, is co-founder of the Blue Ridge Monsters and Legends Facebook Group where members come to share their stories of unexplained encounters with the hairy bi-pedal. When Smith was a boy, he says he had his own run-in with Bigfoot. Smith says that one cold November night he was riding his bike home after dark when he heard a friend run up behind him. “He was out of breath and anxious,” remembers Smith. “He said, something is following me. When I move, it moves. When I stop, it stops.” Spooked, Smith took a shortcut home through his grandparent’s backyard. As he rode past the grapevines, he heard something moving through the brush behind him. He turned to look. “I had to,” he says, and there beside the grapevines was a seven-foot creature. “It was leaning forward making a hump where its neck and back join,” says Smith. “The moonlight was shining through its hair. It didn’t make a sound. Needless to say, I made a hasty departure home.”

J U LY 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

The Brown Mountain Lights

In the dark skies above Brown Mountain, North Carolina, eerie ghost lights have been spotted in the night sky for over a century. To many eyewitnesses, the lights appear as glowing orbs that hover in the sky above the mountain before suddenly disappearing or soundlessly exploding. The first reported sighting of the Brown Mountain Lights was in 1913 by a fisherman who claimed to see odd red lights dancing above the horizon. Sightings continued, and in 1922 the U.S. Geological Society investigated, determining that the Brown Mountain Lights were really just the headlights of cars or passing trains. But a major flood in 1916 changed that theory. The raging waters washed out roads and bridges and took out power for several weeks—but the Brown Mountain Lights were still spotted in the night sky. Bluegrass songs claim that

the lights are the ghost of a slave searching for his lost master. An episode of the X Files reasons that the lights are caused by UFOs. Popular Native American folklore says that a bloody battle between the Cherokee and Catawba tribes took place on the mountain. Many lives were lost. The lights, claim the legend, are the ghosts of grieving women still searching the mountainside for the bodies of fallen warriors. But not every story of the Brown Mountain Lights is steeped in superstition. In July 2016 the Charlotte Observer reported that Forest Service officers had reported closeup encounters on the mountain with beach ball sized orbs that floated by and then vanished. And in August 2016, local TV station WLOS reported that scientists from Appalachian State University believed to have captured images of the Brown Mountain Lights on two digital video cameras. Though scientists have not been able to determine what causes the lights, ball lightning and naturally occurring mountain gases are two widely accepted theories. If you want to find out for yourself, the best time to see the Brown Mountain Lights is September through

Photo Devon Balet

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U LY 2 0 1 8

Mothman

early November. The lights can be observed on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Brown Mountain Light Overlook located at milepost 310 or the Green Mountain Overlook at milepost 301. The City of Morganton, North Carolina even recently helped to improve the Brown Mountain Overlook on North Carolina Highway 181 for the purpose of attracting curious visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the ghost lights.

Back in 1966, Point Pleasant, West Virginia—located at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers—was a sleepy town of a couple thousand people. But it was rocked by an unidentifiable visitor on November 12, 1966, when gravediggers at a cemetery in Clendenin, West Virginia, about 80 miles from Point Pleasant, claimed to see a man with wings lift off from a tree and fly over their heads. Three days later, two young couples were driving together near an abandoned World War II TNT plant about five miles north of Point Pleasant when they saw a “large flying man with 10-foot wings,” and eyes that “glowed red.” They tried to flee the unidentified animal, speeding down the road at a reported 100 miles per hour, but the creature followed them back to Point Pleasant city limits. They were so spooked by their experience that they went directly to the police. Newspapers dubbed the creature Mothman. The national press picked up the story, and Mothman became a sensation. Over the following week, there were at least 8 more reported

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sightings in and around Point Pleasant of a man-like bird with large wings. One such account came from volunteer firefighters Captain Paul Yoder and Benjamin Enochs. According to the Gettysburg Times, Yoder and Enochs claimed to have seen a “very large bird with large red eyes.” Others refuted the sightings, believing that residents of Point Pleasant were actually seeing a sandhill crane that had wandered out of its normal migration route. “There were hundreds of eyewitnesses,” says Jeff Wamsley, owner of Point Pleasant’s Mothman Museum. Born and raised in town, Wamsley was only five years old when the Mothman showed up and began terrorizing his neighbors. Over the following year, the oddities continued. Reports of UFOs and suspicious men in black began streaming in to the Point Pleasant authorities. And the Mothman sightings continued. Then, ten days before Christmas in 1967, tragedy struck. While the Silver Bridge that connected Point Pleasant to Gallipolis, Ohio was teeming with rush-hour traffic, the bridge collapsed, killing 46 people.

Reportedly, some claimed to have seen the Mothman at the bridge shortly before its collapse and believed its presence was a harbinger of doom. “The fact that the UFO sightings, men in black presence, and the Silver Bridge disaster all happened during the Mothman sightings intrigues many people,” says Wamsley. “It’s a fascinating turn of events for a small town like Point Pleasant.” For his part, Wamsley does believe that the people of Point Pleasant encountered something out of the ordinary. “I just don’t believe that many people could have made up the same story,” says Wamsley, “but what it was they saw, I don’t believe will ever be truly explained or solved.”

The Moon-Eyed People

According to Cherokee legend, long ago, before the Cherokee moved into the Smokies, there was a race of small, bearded white men who lived in the mountains. According to author Julia Montgomery Street, whose tale of this mysterious race is displayed in the Cherokee County Historical Museum, the men “possessed all the land from the Little Tennessee River to Kentucky, with a line of fortification from one end of

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their domain to the other.” The men, who lived in rounded log cabins, had large blue eyes and fair white skin and were sun-blind during the day, emerging from their homes only at night to hunt, fish, wage war and build their fortifications. Because they could only see in the dark, the Cherokee called them the Moon-Eyed People. Some believe they were descendants of a small group of Welshmen who came to America long before the Spanish and settled in the Smoky Mountains around 1170. As the legend goes, the Moon-Eyed People eventually abandoned their home—or were driven from it—and traveled west, never to be seen again. Wanda Stalcup is the Director of the Cherokee County Historical Museum in Murphy, N.C. The museum is home to a statue that was found at the confluence of the Valley and Hiwassee Rivers in the early 1800’s. The soapstone statue is 37-inches tall and weighs 300 pounds. Many believe it is a depiction of the Moon-Eyed People. “Everyone has their own opinion,” about the statue, says Stalcup. “[The statue depicts] twins, but they’re short like the

Moon-Eyed People with little round flat faces.” Some believe that the statue represents the two rivers and others believe it is a man and a woman. “When the archaeologists came and looked at [the statue] they said they’d never seen anything to compare it to,” says Stalcup. “One reason is because they are standing,

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not sitting or kneeling. They think it might even be pre-Cherokee.” Whether a small, blue-eyed race of sun-blind white men once inhabited the Blue Ridge long before the Europeans are known to have discovered America remains unknown, but the legend continues to live on.

The Bell Witch Haunting

John and Lucy Bell were farmers who settled in Adams, Tennessee around 1803. They lived peacefully on their land until 1817, when the family began experiencing odd and unexplainable occurrences in their home. “They began hearing noises such as scratching, knocks on the walls, and chains being dragged across the floor,” says Pat Fitzhugh, an author and historian who has written two books about the events that occurred on the Bell farm. Over time, the noises became more intense and more frequent. Then, the Bell’s two daughters began complaining of something trying to pull at their bedcovers and pinch them while they slept. For over a year, the Bells remained silent about the strange events taking place in their home, worried about what the members of their church might think. But the harassment wouldn’t stop, and John Bell finally confided to one of his neighbors about the strange incidents in his home. His neighbor came over and experienced the same kind of disturbances. “Before long, people all over the east and southeast knew about it,” says Fitzhugh. People soon began traveling to the Bell farm to experience the supernatural

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phenomenon for themselves. Some came as curiosity seekers and some as skeptics trying to debunk what the Bells were experiencing. “Over time it seems this thing, whatever it was, fed off of attention and people’s fears,” says Fitzhugh. It eventually developed a whispering voice and within a year it could speak. “People have written down and passed through the generations accounts of what this thing allegedly said,” says Fitzhugh. “It liked to argue religion and make fun of people, except for Mrs. Bell. It stated its purpose was to kill John Bell.” The poltergeist received the name Kate after it claimed to be the witch of a local lady named Kate Batts. When John Bell died on December 20, 1980, Kate took credit, insisting she had poisoned him because he was a bad man. After John Bell’s death, things began to return to normal on the Bell farm until Betsy Bell, the Bell’s youngest daughter, became engaged to a local man named Joshua Gardner. “Kate re-avowed her scorn and disapproval about Betsy Bell’s upcoming marriage,” says Fitzhugh. “She talked Betsy into breaking off the engagement with Joshua.” A short time later, the

poltergeist said she was going to leave but promised to return in seven years. Seven years later Kate did return, visiting John Bell Jr. who was not living at the Bell farm at the time. “They allegedly talked for three nights about the past, the present, and the future,” explains Fitzhugh. After that, the Bell Witch bid farewell and promised to return in 107 years. “That would have been in 1935. Some said she returned and some said she didn’t,” says Fitzhugh. The real story behind the tale of the Bell Witch has never been uncovered. “Some thought it was an act of the supernatural,” says Fitzhugh. “Skeptics accused the Bell family of doing it by knowing how to act and using ventriloquism. Some thought they did it for money, but the Bell family never charged a cent to anyone staying over in their home.” Though Fitzhugh has considered many theories, he says he can’t say one way or another what the Bell Witch truly was. “When you look at how long the story has endured and how many people have put forth theories— doctors, lawyers and preachers back in the day signed eyewitness manuscripts saying they witnessed these things,” says Fitzhugh. “It makes it more than just your standard folktale.”

The Flatwoods Monster

In the late days of summer, 1952, two brothers named Edward and Fred May of Flatwoods, West Virginia, rushed home to tell their mother, Cathleen May, that they’d seen something unexplainable. While playing football at the playground of the Flatwoods school,

they’d witnessed a bright UFO streak across the sky and land on the property of a local farmer. Intrigued, May, her sons, and some other local boys, headed out to the farm. It was nearing dusk when they saw an unidentified object in the woods. “They saw an odd-shaped thing that appeared to be glowing red with smoke and steam coming off of it,” says Andrew Smith, Executive Director of the Braxton County CVB and curator of the Flatwoods Monster Museum. 17-year-old Eugene Lemon, a National Guardsman who’d also tagged along on the adventure, said he saw a pulsing light and pointed his flashlight toward it, revealing a pair of bright eyes in a tree and a “10-foot monster with a blood-red face and a green body that seemed to glow.” The monster then hissed and floated towards the group, causing Lemon to scream and drop his flashlight. According to newspaper reports, “several of the party fainted and vomited for several hours after returning to town.” Later, Mrs. May was quoted as saying that the monster “looked worse than Frankenstein.” The group turned and ran down the hill, immediately reporting what they saw to the local sheriff. An hour later, several men armed with shotguns returned to the scene with Lemon. They were met with a horrible smell and, according to local reports, saw “slight heat waves in the

air.” “Authorities didn’t find much,” says Smith. “What was found was gathered and sent to Washington D.C. and never seen again.” Smith says that what makes the Flatwoods Monster so interesting is that there weren’t many UFO sightings back in the 1950s. The Flatwoods incident was only the second or third of its kind—and probably the first with so many witnesses. “It made national headlines,” says Smith. Today, on the main road into town, there is a sign that reads “Welcome to Flatwoods: Home of the Green Monster." The UFO sighting—or whatever that was— is in the past but not forgotten. “There’s not a consensus,” on what happened in Flatwoods that evening, says Smith. “You have your UFO true believers and skeptics who think it was a misidentified barn owl,” Smith explains. “If I had to pick one I’d say that the most commonly held thought is that the monster is a fun and interesting bit of folklore,” says Smith. “Having to decide whether it's real or fake takes all the fun out of it.”

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RETURN OF THE

GHOST CAT B Y R YA N W I L C H E L N S

Two mountain lion sightings have been confirmed in Tennessee. Another mountain lion was killed on a Connecticut highway. Are these elusive cats prowling the East once again?

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The photo is black and white.

It’s 8:02 p.m., according to the timestamp at the bottom of the image. The flash of the game camera extends to a narrow strip of open dirt, worn with muddy boot prints, the deep tread of machinery—and cat tracks. Standing in the open, left of center, is a slender, fit mountain lion. It’s dark and the image is grainy, but it’s obvious the hind legs pushing the animal forward are tense with muscle. A tail drops straight away from behind them, curling gently before touching the ground, culminating with a black tip carried delicately over the dirt. The animal’s head and front legs are obscured by the tree in the foreground. The scene, even documented as a still photograph, exudes the silence of a ghost in the night. And until October 2015, to residents of Obion County, Tennessee, the cat was a ghost. Stories of cougars in the area were only that—prevalent enough, but never confirmed. This photo was different. Submitted by a 19-year-old student and hunter to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency from a game camera in one of his favorite hunting spots, this image stood out from the slew the agency receives of purported sightings. A date and timestamp on the image, as well as the SD card on which it was recorded, convinced the TWRA of when it was taken. Superimposing photos of deer taken with the same camera showed the feline was far larger than a housecat—nearly as long as the deer. Photo analysis proved the cat wasn’t doctored or added later. And finally, the TWRA confirmed the location by returning to the scene and matching the tree, soybeans and path the cat walked along. “The TWRA can confirm there was, on September 20, 2015, a cougar in Obion County, Tennessee,” a statement read. The problem? With the exception of Southern Florida’s small, endangered black panther population, cougars have been extinct east of the Mississippi River since the 1930s.

Cats long gone

Breeding populations of the Eastern cougar—a subcategory of big cats known interchangeably as cougars, mountain lions, pumas or panthers under the species Puma concolor— haven’t been seen since 1938 in Maine. Nonetheless, the subspecies, which originally stretched from Michigan and Tennessee in the west to Eastern

Canada, Maine, and South Carolina in the East, was only declared extinct and removed from the Endangered Species List by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service earlier this year. Seen as a threat to livestock and desired for their pelts, Eastern cougars were rounded up and hunted, some with bounties, beginning in the 1800s. At the same time, the cats’ primary food source—deer—were also hunted to near extinction, a historical footnote that seems almost impossible considering today’s overpopulation of the mammal. But between a human assault and a dwindling food source, the Eastern cougar became an early casualty of American expansion. Likely gone roughly 35 years before the Endangered Species Act was signed into law, it took another 45 years for the cats to be officially labeled extinct and removed from protection. A 2011 review of the subspecies status led to a 2015 proposal to delist the animal. A detailed study to examine reports of sightings dating back as far as 1900 concluded the animals were long gone and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially took the subspecies off life support.

The species that never was

But according to specialists, the move might be more of a logistical clean-up than a sad goodbye to a once-in-agenome superpredator. The Eastern Cougar, as it was originally defined, might in fact be extinct, but many experts will argue that it shouldn’t have existed in the first place. When the Eastern cougar was classified in the early 20th century, taxonomists relied on acute morphological differences between animals to determine if they were the same or a different species. Measurements of skulls and feet, as well as coat color were the main factors that at one time had distinguished 13 subspecies of cougar in North America. But today, according to Dr. Mark Elbroch, the Puma Program lead scientist at the wild cat conservation organization Panthera, there is just one. “There is no Eastern cougar, and there never was an Eastern cougar,” said Elbroch. Today’s scientists classify species slightly more conservatively and largely through genetic studies, and according to Elbroch, there’s not enough genetic difference between any of the continent’s cougars to justify calling them different subspecies. The

East’s big cat, by today’s standards, would have only been considered a regional population of the broader North American mountain lion, Puma concolor—an animal with one of the largest ranges of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere. Elbroch agreed that the delisting should have happened, but not about why. “There were many scientists who, when the review came forward, took the stance that we need to declassify or remove this endangered species status, not because of local extinction but because of taxonomic error.” In the end, while Fish and Wildlife noted that the cat likely shouldn’t have been classified separately in the first place, they didn’t fully align with scientists like Elbroch, maintaining that the cougars, as their own distinct subspecies, were extinct. Regardless of the reasoning, the Eastern Cougar’s extinction and removal as an endangered species opens up new avenues for conservation. According to Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity, Federal regulations highly control endangered species and any conservation efforts surrounding them. Removing federal protections for the East’s cats makes one thing much easier: reintroduction. According to Robinson, any attempts to previously bring the Western mountain lion to the East would have faced strict regulation for its potential impact to the Eastern Cougar—until this year, legally a separate, and still living subspecies. But with the Eastern Cougar no longer, there’s nothing left to protect. “Legally, that impediment is gone and it allows us to go forward with the question of ‘What was the role of the Eastern Puma in the ecology of the Midwest and Northeast and how has its disappearance affected that ecology?’” Robinson said. The doors to bringing back the mountain lion are officially wide open.

Moving back

The 2015 Obion County sighting was hardly the only mountain lion sighting in the East, nor was it even the only confirmed sighting. For years, the cats have been spotted all across their old habitat, including through Appalachia and the Northeast. In 2011, a male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed on a highway in suburban Connecticut. Genetic testing suggested the cougar left South Dakota roughly 2 years and 1,500 miles earlier and traveled through the sprawling Midwest and Northeast

without being detected until it was nearly at the Atlantic Ocean. Young males have been known to bounce around, said Elbroch, and aren’t necessary telling of the species’ range. Nonetheless, the mountain lion’s territory is definitely expanding. Studies that have examined the rate of female mountain lion movement—a far more telling statistic—have concluded that the predators are heading east at a rate of roughly 25 miles every year, though Elbroch says humans have a way of slowing that down. As the cats migrate first into populated areas— generally broad river valleys, which humans also like to populate—scared residents are likely slow or stop their spread entirely. “We have previously exterminated cougars in the East and we can do it again,” he said.

Can cougars help control deer?

With the difficulties associated with cougars naturally making their way east, the more likely—and certainly quicker—option for returning the cougar to its native habitat in the East is a human-led reintroduction. According to Robinson, bringing cougars east would allow them to skip through undesirable and more dangerous environments. It would also likely include a pronounced education program to teach Easterners how to interact with the new predators, as well as a more robust protection program which, currently, is not in place (most states do have some level of protections in place for cougars, but reintroduction would require much more strict hunting laws to be effective). Now that reintroduction—physically bringing cougars from the West to East Coast locations with the hope that they repopulate—has no chance of impacting an endangered and heavily protected Eastern Cougar population, the process would be up to individual states to implement, or work together to do. “I think it should be discussed,” said Robinson, who pointed to areas like New York’s Adirondack region and National Parks in Appalachia as prime reintroduction locations because of their high deer numbers, ready-to-go protections, a low road density, and smaller winter snowpack. Elbroch would also welcome states bringing back the cougar but is reluctant to think it will actually happen. “It would be a difficult battle,” he said, largely because of the opinions and

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fears many Easterners already have toward predators like the mountain lion. In May 2018, a mountain lion attacked two mountain bikers 30 miles east of Seattle, Washington, killing one, but it’s only the 15th fatal attack in North America since 1970. Since 1890 in the U.S. and Canada, there have been 100 attacks on humans at all, according to the research organization The Cougar Network. Robinson argues the miniscule risk of cougar attacks (there were three times more Americans attacked by sharks in 2017 alone than people attacked by cougars on the continent since 1970) is far outweighed by the benefits that would be seen by bringing cougars to the East. “The risks from cougars are risks that people in huge swaths of the United States already take into account and deal with,” he said. “And luckily for them, they don’t end up with Lyme Disease.” The cougar’s primary prey—deer—are present in the East at historically high levels, leading to an unnatural prevalence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, auto accidents, and even the destruction and damage of native flora and fauna by the unnaturally large deer population, all of which he says could be impacted by reintroducing the deer’s natural predator. According to a paper published by several wildlife biologists in 2016, the

reintroduction of cougars to the East would dramatically decrease deer densities and deer-vehicle collisions by 22 percent, preventing 21,400 human injuries, 155 fatalities, and $2.13 billion in costs within 30 years of an established population. For Elbroch, the ecological impacts of reintroducing a big cat to the East would be tremendous. The disappearance of wildflowers, shrubbery, tree saplings and native grasses have also been linked to overbrowsing by the large deer population. Understory foliage, in turn, impacts birds and smaller animals, all of which would be impacted by cougars and the subsequent decline in the deer population. Deer have also been named as one of the most prolific spreaders of invasive plant species in the East. “Introducing top predators to ecosystems changes everything, in some unpredictable ways,” he said. “We have no idea what would change in New England if we threw mountains lions in there.” But increased biodiversity and changes in animal patterns would all lead to a more resilient ecosystem, Elbroch said. “Would I like to see it? You bet.” One way or another, Obion County, Tennessee—and the rest of the East— has likely not seen the last of the ghost cat.

MARK ELBROCH

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IT’S THE FINAL WEEKEND OF THE 11TH ANNUAL Michaux Mountain Bike School in south-central Pennsylvania. The parking lot at Camp Thompson is packed with trucks and vans and small RVs, racked up, stickered up, beat up. The hum of a coasting freehub weaves through the cars past a grid of one-room cabins. I unload my bike and follow the sound to a modest dining hall where a crowd of cyclists is already gathered. I find Gail Robillard among the brightly kitted posse. She’s straddling a red-orange 2014 Salsa El Mariachi, a look of concentration creasing the brow beneath her white bandana. When I introduce myself, she dramatically kneels over her handlebars. “I thought someone writing about adventuring later in life would be, you know, a little later in life!” she says. “You’re so young!” Full disclosure: I’m 27 years old. Gail, on the other hand, is 65. She has a point. I’m probably the least capable person when it comes to writing about the realities of learning an adventure sport later in life. I make some awkward quip about how the young would do well to learn from the wise and she gives me an eye roll before Zach Adams, the school director, launches into his pre-camp spiel. There are two camps running simultaneously this weekend: a one-day Fundamental Skills Camp and a three-day Advanced Maneuver Camp. Gail and I are signed up for the former. This will be Gail’s second year at Michaux, though she had to leave early last year after crashing and bruising her ribs. An accounting manager from Wilmington, Delaware, Gail has been a road cyclist for the past 14 years. Two years ago, at the behest of her local cycling club, she tried mountain biking and felt a thrill she hadn’t experienced since she rode horses back in her 20s.

“Life is an adventure, and if I don’t take it, I’m gonna miss it,” she told me over the phone before Michaux. “Being 65 wakes you up to the fact that you don’t have all that much time to continue this adventure. The older I get, the crazier I may get, sure, but if I don’t use it, I’m going to lose it, so I better keep at it.” Whatever she may think about my age, Gail is in good company here at Michaux. As I look around at the camp attendees, cyclists my age—that is under 30—are in the minority. Most are middle aged or older men ranging the entire gamut of experience from beginner to shredder. Were it not for a 10-year-old boy, I would have been the youngest participant in my breakout group by a decade. The small turnout of twentysomethings is surprising, but not altogether unexpected. A 2011 study in Transportation Research found that over the past 20 years, nearly all of the cycling industry’s growth in the States has been among men ages 25-64. Mountain biking especially requires an equipment intensive investment up front, one that easily racks up to be a grand or more. Cyclists in their early 20s barely have the money to maintain their bikes, let alone drop a few hundred bucks on a multiday skills clinic. When it comes to spending power, Gen Xers and early Baby Boomers have the upper hand, yet the outdoor industry continues to exclude these age groups from its marketing. Though an increasing number of brands like Giant and The North Face are launching campaigns to address the gender gap, millennial remains the buzzword. Think about the latest advertisement you’ve seen for an outdoor brand. More likely than not, the featured faces are strong, beautiful, and above all, young. It’s no wonder, then, that adults,

especially newcomers to a sport, feel a little ostracized from the industry. Where is there room for middle-aged beginner kayakers and retiree mountain bikers when our newsfeeds show the young and restless going bigger and being bolder? If you only associate rock climbing with Alex Honnold, the age-old adage, “I’m too old for that,” feels like a fair conclusion. Should you need confirmation, there is entirely too much research to back up that train of thought. Dozens of studies have proved that things like muscle mass and bone density decrease as you age, recovery time increases, and that learning in general is just “harder” once you’re an adult. I’m going to eschew any sense of PC here and say, bullshit. That’s not to say the science isn’t sound, or that adults don’t have more obstacles when it comes to learning an adventure sport. Work, family, illness, tragedy. Life throws unexpected curveballs sometimes, and it can get more complicated the older we get, but that doesn’t mean age is what’s holding us back from learning a new adventure sport. In fact, recent research shows that older athletes, by necessity, train more efficiently and can outperform their younger counterparts specifically in endurance style sports. A study published in 2014 by PLOS ONE analyzed 1,212 ultrarunners and found that younger athletes had higher injury rates. The injuries were typically the result of overtraining and inexperience and sometimes led to those athletes giving up running later in life. That might explain why, in a study conducted a year earlier by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the average age of ultrarunners was 43. Of those 1,345 runners studied, the average age for running an ultra for

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W O M E N ’ S B AC K PAC K I N G T R I P O N T H E A P PA L AC H I A N T R A I L B LU E R I D G E H I K I N G C O M PA N Y B LU E R I D G E H I K I N G C O. C O M C O U R S E L E N G T H : 3 DAY S LO C AT I O N : H OT S P R I N G S , N O R T H C A R O L I N A

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the first time was 36, with ages 40 and 50+ following close behind. In the larger world of sports, professional athletes are staying in the game longer, too. Olympic swimmer Dara Torres took home three silver medals at the 2008 Games in Beijing. She was 41 at the time. Olympic cyclist Kristin Armstrong brought home gold at the 2016 Games in Rio on the eve of her 43rd birthday. That same year, ultrarunner Karl Meltzer set the record for the fastest supported attempt of the Appalachian Trail when he was 48 years young. And, if you need a non-professional for further proof, last year 82-yearold Dale Sanders became the oldest person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, proving that anyone, regardless of age or experience, can accomplish whatever they put their minds to. So if we have the role models, the stable bank accounts, the life experience to draw upon in challenging times, shouldn’t it stand to reason that the older we get, the more inclined we are to try new things, take risks, explore, dream, discover? Well, if you’re afraid of falling on your face, maybe not.

The Beginner’s Mind

Steve Augustine of Bryson City, N.C., had been a whitewater kayaker and instructor for nearly 20 years when he decided to pick up downhill skiing at the age of 35. Most of his kayaking buddies were already skiers, and pretty rippin’ ones at that, but as a native of Florida who then relocated to the Southeast, it was rain, not snow, that Augustine was more accustomed to. On a trip to Lake Tahoe one Thanksgiving, Augustine decided it was high time he hit the slopes. He spent most of the first day on the bunny runs with his ever-patient girlfriend at the time (and now wife) Laura Farrell, who is one of those multisport shredders. He took a few falls, mastered the pizza wedge, and at day’s end, he was starting to feel like the green runs were cake. The next time he went out, Augustine went for the blue, only to bail midway down the mountain and posthole his way back to the lodge. “The time it takes to learn sports like this is intensive,” he says. “You’re going to fail 15 more times before you get to that success. It’s tough to not just be really good at something when you are already good at one thing. As we get older, we get set in our ways and we forget the student mind, the beginner mind. It’s harder and harder 58

to step outside of the comfort zone because you’ve done such a good job cultivating it. You have to trust the process and embrace the ebb and flow of learning.” To be clear, Steve’s story does not end with him sending double black diamonds, walking away with a World Cup title, and becoming skiing’s most celebrated underdog of all time (though if this is what you want, buddy, then DO IT TO IT). His story doesn’t end, period, because next winter, he’ll be right back out on the slopes, gaper gap and all, continuing to improve with every face-plant and clean run alike. His commitment to “the beginner’s mind” is the key ingredient to learning a sport later in life. There will undoubtedly be frustrating moments, and in those dark and dreary depths of newb despair, it’s easy to write off the necessity of continued effort when your friends look so casual carving lines or clearing gaps. But natural talent alone never got anyone anywhere without being in lockstep with ol’ fashioned hard work. Fox Mountain Guides co-owner Cristin Knowlton will be the first to tell you that in the way of natural climbing talent, the universe gave her zilch. “I was not athletic at all,” she says of her former life as a part-time legal consultant living in Florida. “I didn’t run, I didn’t play sports growing up, I have no coordination, I have bad balance, like, everything was working against me. I had no inclination to start climbing.” When her son expressed an interest in joining a local climbing gym, Knowlton and her husband decided maybe they should give it a go, too. That summer they hired a guide with Fox Mountain Guides (FMG) and once a year for many years, they made the pilgrimage to climb real rock in North Carolina. That was 10 years ago, when Knowlton was 36. In the past decade, she’s climbed all over the world, from Chamonix to Joshua Tree, both on her own and as a client of FMG. About five years ago she received her single pitch instructor certification and went in with lead FMG guide Karsten Delap to purchase the guiding company that had so drastically changed her life. She says the fundamental lesson for her was to be okay with taking her climbing one step at a time. Too often her friends and even clients envision the most extreme version of climbing when they’re first starting out, and that can contribute a lot of anxiety and misguided apprehensions about the

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / J U LY 2 0 1 8

sport. In reality, any adventure sport can be beginner friendly, whether that’s paddling class I and II whitewater or sticking to the green trails at the bike park. It’s all a matter of challenge by choice. “There is this perception that [climbing] is some dangerous crazy sport but if I can do it, anyone can do it,” she says. “I never had this ultimate goal where I was like, ‘I want to climb the Matterhorn.’ It just evolved, in a check-the-box kinda way, and then I eventually did climb the Matterhorn. I would have never expected my middle-aged self to be fitter than I was when I was 22.”

Learning to Fall

Like Knowlton, Margarita Martinez was probably the last person anyone expected (herself included) to become a climber, namely because she had a debilitating fear of heights. Nothing a little friendly peer pressure can’t fix. At the encouragement of her friends, Martinez, then 34 years old, tried climbing indoors at a gym in Oxford, Ohio. She didn’t get much further than 12 feet off the ground, but as a former dancer, Martinez appreciated the intricacies of balance and concentration that climbing demanded. She was hooked. She was also extremely humbled, especially after her first outdoor climbing trip six weeks later, when she could only dream of getting as far as 12 feet off the ground. She started going to the gym to focus on strength training and dedicated a lot of her climbing gym time to improving footwork. Still, progress was painfully slow. “I couldn’t even do a single pull up when I started climbing,” says Martinez. “After three months of trying negatives, I still could not do one. I was in tears. I thought this is just not going to happen. But you just have to tell yourself it will happen. Your body is a machine. It will do whatever it needs to do with the appropriate amount of work. It’s a matter of whether you’re going to put in the work or give up and I wasn’t going to give up.” Five months after her first time in the climbing gym, Martinez finally got that pull-up. A little over a year after that, she led her first 5.12a. Martinez now lives in the Red River Gorge fulltime, and at age 60, she’s showing no signs of slowing down, even with erosive arthritis in both of her hands. For Martinez, climbing is quite simply fun. She’s not in it to be the best, though much like Cristin Knowlton, she’s intrigued with how B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

far she can take her climbing. This summer, she plans to project a 5.14a in Utah’s Maple Canyon. More than anything, climbing has provided a playing field for Martinez to conquer her fear of heights head on. She never rushed her progression and listened to her body. For most of that first year of climbing, she thought she would be a top rope climber forever. As backwards as it sounds, it took Martinez learning how to fall to make her want to lead. “There are a lot more try hard days then send days in climbing, but that limited success is so great because you work so hard. I did not want to die thinking that I was always afraid of heights. I wanted to live, to be able to get through the fear, whether I climbed or not didn’t even matter.” After eight hours of skills progression and sessioning, the one-day Fundamental Skills Camp at Michaux is coming to a close. Gail is gathered under a pavilion with her breakout group, munching on watermelon in the late afternoon shade. She tells me she walked some of the trail sections and that dismounting the bike mid-climb still made her uneasy, but all in all, she feels confident that her handling skills are improving. “I don’t think at this point in time with my mountain biking that I’ve put enough time into it to say this sport is not for me, so I get up, I dust myself off, and I start over again, and that’s okay.” As I load up my bike, I catch snippets of a conversation between two of the Fundamental Skills riders who are also packing up a few cars down. They’re talking about a local kid in Pennsylvania who sends the pro line on a bike park jump like he was born huckin’ gaps. “I get so annoyed with these guys who look at him and go, ‘It must be nice to be so naturally talented,’” says the oldest of the two. “I know that that kid has a season pass to the bike park and he’s there every week practicing that line over and over. He’s wrecked on that jump hundreds of times, but they don’t see that.” Gail is gone by the time I make my way back to the pavilion—it’s a good three-hour drive back to her home in Delaware—but a few days later, I get an email from her: "Sorry I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. I hope your weekend felt as accomplished as mine did. I will definitely (God willing) go back to Michaux next year. Til then, ride on. Gail." G O O U TA N D P L AY

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

Finding

Pine Mountain A largely undiscovered oasis in the coalfields is helping communities rebuild.

B Y WA L L Y S M I T H

THE 125 MILE-LONG SPINE OF PINE M O U N TA I N FA D E S T O T H E H O R I Z O N FROM BIRCH KNOB TOWER.

MY HIKING PARTNER AND I HAVE BEEN WALKING the Kentucky-Virginia border for an hour across the crest of Pine Mountain, tiptoeing over a knife-edge of sandstone to a rockshelter below the summit. The outcrop is massive, with a hollowed-out area large enough to fit a three-story house. It's the kind of place a person might choose to ride out the apocalypse. As the cliffline shades us into darkness under a June sun, my companion sums up the experience with a single word: “Whoa.” Pine Mountain has that way of sneaking up on people. It’s far from the East’s tallest point, and it hosts no federally-designated wilderness areas. It’s not even your typical mountain: the 125-mile ridgeline, running from Jellico, Tenn. northeastward to Breaks Interstate Park, is technically the uppermost lip of a tilted mass of rock that was broken and uplifted nearly 300 million years ago. But spend some time on Pine Mountain, and any obscurity fades away quickly. "It feels like it was almost designed in a laboratory," says Phil Meeks, a Virginia Cooperative Extension agent and avid hiker. "Just when you get to the point where you think you're going to have a boring walk, you come across something new that catches your attention." Pine Mountain's secrets have been steadily gaining notoriety, from long-distance hiking options to popular ultramarathons traversing its slopes. But as that outdoor recreation landscape takes shape, it's also running up against challenges indicative of the southern Appalachians' changing economic and cultural climate. In fact, the mountain's role in creating rifts among users while bridging deep economic divides may hold valuable lessons for an entire region in flux.

Tracing Historic Trails

It's easy to find those lessons on the Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail, a linear component of Kentucky’s state park system. James Stapleton, president of the Pine Mountain Trail Conference, says that the 40-mile footpath didn't just materialize in a marketing meeting. "We've constructed trail," Stapleton says, "but basically we used what once were prehistoric animal trails that were adopted by Native Americans and by European settlers." Today, those routes trace a continuous pathway from Elkhorn City, Ky. to U.S. 119 above the town of Whitesburg, passing sandstone arches, high-elevation wetlands, and overlooks galore. The Conference's ultimate goal is to extend the trail southwest to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, although getting there now requires a lengthy roadwalk from the trail's southern terminus. Stapleton says work is ongoing to get some of that route off of pavement and into the woods. The route has also caught the eye of the Great Eastern Trail, a proposed 1,600-mile pathway leading from Alabama to New York. Pine Mountain's footpath sits as a sort of blazed island in the midst of the Appalachian coalfields—what Stapleton calls a "fingernail" of intact forest—waiting for a connection to be built north to Matewan, W.Va. Making those connections means raising the trail’s profile, and that's just what the route has been seeing in recent years. Meeks cites a growing number of out-of-state hikers as evidence of increased use, while Breaks Interstate Park—located across the Russell Fork from Elkhorn City—has recently added rock climbing options and a zipline attraction. "There's a

J U LY 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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August 31 — September 1, 2018

growing interest in making this area an ecotourism destination," he says.

A “Green Strip”

For Hugh Archer, that transformation means more than just a walking path. A former executive director of the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, Archer has worked for years with the Trust to protect the mountain, which serves as a biological oasis in an area that has otherwise experienced intense disturbance. "It's this green strip up through the eastern coalfields," he says. Part of what's saved Pine Mountain is that its rugged ridgeline lacks mineable coal, the result of a geological quirk that—along with its steep terrain—has kept most of the mountain intact. Kentucky's largest old-growth forest is found on the mountain, along with nearly 100 rare plant and animal species. Despite all of its natural wealth, though, the majority of Pine Mountain has historically been privately owned and unprotected. Archer and others have been working to change that. To date, Archer estimates that roughly 50 percent of the top of the mountain has been bought or protected. And in the past few years, he says that the effort has been "on a roll," with 7,000 new acres purchased.

Archer also says that protecting the mountain and enhancing outdoor recreation aren't separate endeavors. As the region continues to suffer from the coal industry’s decline, new public lands could help route the Great Eastern Trail, providing a piece of the regional economic puzzle. "There's no silver bullet for the mining towns, but there are silver BBs," he says. "And we view this as one of those BBs to help communities recover." However, that search for economic options is also where Pine Mountain's user conflicts begin. Communities around the mountain have recently proposed building a sprawling federal prison complex and a casino below the mountain's summit. Those types of developments could interrupt the protected corridor that Archer and colleagues have been building. And ATV use has run into conflict with hikers along the mountain's slopes. "For generations, there have been people who have used the mountain in certain way," Meeks says. “It's been an ATV trail for folks for a long time.” Those conflicts reached a peak in 2016, when a bill introduced in the Kentucky legislature would have opened up much of the mountain's trails to ATVs. That bill was eventually

withdrawn following public outcry, but it's unlikely that user conflicts will stop anytime soon. Where Pine Mountain goes from here is unclear, but it's a region worth watching as communities across the Blue Ridge continue to adjust to rapidly changing economies. Friction between stakeholders is becoming more commonplace beyond Pine Mountain, from conflicts between timber management and hikers in North Carolina’s Big Ivy to pipeline corridors threatening the Appalachian Trail. No single area seems to have hit upon a clear solution for those issues, and the successes and failures of places like Pine Mountain may show a way forward. Along the Kentucky-Virginia border, that path can be difficult to travel. "It's sort of like taking a step forward and taking a step back," Meeks says, but despite those challenges, he, Archer, and Stapleton are all optimistic about the mountain's future. For Archer, there's a simple reason why. "It's some of the best natural area left in the country," he says. And for everyone with their sights set on the mountain, that alone seems motivation enough.

EXPERIENCE PINE MOUNTAIN H E A D TO T H E TO P

Pine Mountain’s highest point can be found at Birch Knob, a 3,144-foot summit with a unique observation platform offering 360-degree views into West Virginia and North Carolina. The knob also doubles as a parking area for the Pine Mountain Trail. Access the tower through Clintwood, Va.. DIRECTIONS + INFO TINYURL.COM/USFSBIRCHKNOB

G E T I N TO T H E WO O D S

Blanton Forest Preserve, located outside of Harlan, Ky., offers a chance to hike through old-growth forests and snag long-range views atop the preserve’s massive Knobby Rock. DIRECTIONS + INFO

K N LT. O R G / B L A N TO N

H I T T H E PA R K

Breaks Interstate Park sits astride the Kentucky-Virginia border on Pine Mountain’s northeast end. A lodge, cabins, and lake provide less-rustic options, while hiking trails plunge into the rugged Russell Fork Gorge. Recently-opened climbing routes provide access to crags reminiscent of the New River Gorge. PLAN A TRIP

B R E A K S PA R K . C O M

J U LY 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

SUMMER IS HERE

We think July is the month that gave Colorful Colorado its name. The Rocky Mountain wildflowers are in full bloom, the sky is blue and we’re working hard to see as much of it as possible. We’ve finally got our hiking legs back and our lungs have forgiven us for making them work so hard at high altitude. The snow is gone (for the most part) and the highest reaches of Colorado’s crags look like a scene out of “The Sound of Music.” Let’s go enjoy it.

JULY 2018

2018 ROAD TOUR J U LY 2 0 1 8 E V E N T S

| FIND US HERE!

JUL 6-8

C O P P E R M O U N TA I N M U S I C F E S T I VA L

C O P P E R M O U N TA I N , C O

JUL 28

A P R E S DAY W I T H U P S LO P E

BOULDER, CO

G E A R W E ’ R E LO V I N G

LEKI MICRO VARIO CARBON BLACK SERIES These sleek trekking poles give you the feel of driving a sports car. Made out of 100-percent carbon, they weigh in at just 8.4 ounces, making them some of the lightest—and strongest—poles on the market. Perfect for steep ascents, trail running or tours—they assemble or pack down in a second, making them easy to stash in your pack. $220 UCO SITKA LED LANTERN If we’re going to carry something in the limited space in our van, we want it to be versatile. With 500 lumens and an extension arm that elevates the light above our heads, the Sitka LED Lantern is ideal for cooking and getting work done in the van or at our campsite. It also features a USB-out function, so we can charge up electronics after a busy day. $70–$90 MOUNTAIN HOUSE #10 CAN PASTA PRIMAVERA Mountain House’s #10 Cans dish out yummy, lightweight, freezedried foods in a bulk-serving container. The hearty pasta primavera is perfect for a group gathered around a campfire. Just add hot water and wait eight to 10 minutes. $32

EST. 71

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RAFTCIINAGL SPE

$40

TRAIL MIX

CHOICE PICKS

FOUR NEW RECORD RELEASES WORTH A LISTEN BY JEDD FERRIS

Leon III

Leon III features familiar faces from the Americana underground. Andy Stepanian and Mason Brent are members of Wrinkle Neck Mules—the Virginia-born, earnest but edgy altcountry act that’s never quite gotten its rightful due. With their new project, Stepanian and Brent take twang on a detour into the psych-folk wilderness; the songs on this self-titled debut are full of southern comfort, but the musicians sound like they’re under the influence of shroom tea. The opening “Maybe I’m Immune?” is a sprawling, desolate slow-burner with some searching guitar licks that would make Jerry Garcia proud. “The Strongest Medicine” gets out there, too, but this time down the Crazy Horse path of wide-open distortion. The record was produced by Mark Nevers, who has a history of helping idiosyncratic folk explorers like Bonnie “Prince Billy” and Lambchop. His touch is felt most during the hypnotic haze of “Paper Eye” and a cosmically filtered cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Jesus,” which sounds like Drive-By Truckers on a Beatles bender. Stepanian’s husky voice is a steady spirit guide throughout the album; it particularly brings things back down to earth when accented by plaintive pedal steel in “Faded Mountain.” These guys took a chance to get weird, and it works.

Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors and JOHNNYSWIM Goodbye Road

Roots contemporaries Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors and JOHNNYSWIM (the husband-and-wife folk duo featuring Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano) are skilled practitioners in crafting feel-good hooks and inspirational choruses. Here the two groups join forces for a brief five-song EP that offers a promising teaser for what will hopefully become a moredeveloped collaboration. Right out of the gate, gospel-rock opener “Ring the Bells” showcases impressive vocal interplay, as Holcomb’s sturdy

Tennessee tenor holds its own with Ramirez and Sudano’s musical theaterready pipes. The intertwined singing flows even more naturally on “Just Your Memory,” a delicate folk meditation with the building intensity characteristic of male-female groups like the Civil Wars and the Swell Season. Turning Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” into a ballad strips the dusty swagger from the original, but the version will still be a crowd favorite when the two groups support the effort with a brief summer tour. Southern stops include Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville, N.C. (July 6) and the Carpenter Theatre in Richmond, Va. (July 7).

Twisted Pine Dreams

Up-and-coming string band Twisted Pine went viral last year when video surfaced of the group’s acoustic mashup of indie funk band Vulfpeck’s “El Chepe” and Bill Monroe’s “The One I Love is Gone.” The combo tune leads

off the quartet’s new Dreams, a seven-song, all-covers EP that reimagines songs from a range of genres through the primitive dynamics of wood and wire. In general, bluegrass reboots of pop songs can be hit or miss, but Twisted Pine isn’t just churning out boot-stomping exaggerations of familiar favorites. The group subscribes to the school of sophisticated string arrangements purveyed by predecessors the Punch Brothers and Crooked Still, and accordingly the covers are delivered with nuanced layers instead of overblown solos. The biggest winners are a sweetly patient reading of the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and the title track—a pastoral version of the Cranberries’ 90s hit that features vocalists Kathleen Parks and Rachel Sumner jointly nailing the late Dolores O’Riordan’s emotional lilt.

American Aquarium Things Change

Things Change is an appropriate title for the seventh studio album from North Carolina alt-country act American Aquarium. After every member of the band quit last year, front man B.J. Barham recruited an entirely new crew to play behind him, but his blue-collar storyteller songwriting hasn’t lost its vigor. In fact Barham sounds ready to roll in the full-throttle bar rock of “Tough Folks,” an optimistic stomper written about the resilience of small-town farmers. Ditto in the rollicking “The World is On Fire,” a countrified positive protest anthem about feeling disillusioned by the country’s current political climate. In the latter, Barham sings, in a resolute cadence similar to that of activist folk bard Billy Bragg, the lines: "We can’t give in / We can’t give up / We must go boldly into the darkness / And be the light." A great voice in Southern music has found a new spark.

J U LY 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

LAST WORD

GOING HOME AGAIN A STEEP MOUNTAIN ROAD BRINGS A RUNNER BACK TO HIS ROOTS B Y WA L L Y S M I T H

"YOU OK, SON?" It's mid-October of 2003—one of those crystal-clear fall afternoons that never seems to end—and an older man in a sedan has pulled up beside me on Georgia Highway 180 Spur. The two-lane blacktop snakes its way up Brasstown Bald, the highest point in the state, and I've decided to try running the three miles from its base at Jack's Gap all the way to the thimble-shaped observation tower at the summit. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I just—" I wheeze as he interrupts me, asking if I need a ride. I'm hardly a mile up the highway, and he's worried. Things aren't going well. That run up Brasstown 15 years ago was the first of many I'd take while I attended college just a few miles down the road. In fact, those trips became a near-weekly occurrence: aim the car north, find a rock station broadcasting out of Atlanta, and wind my way on mostly empty state highways into the cluster of high mountains the next county over. And then there was the run itself. The climb up Brasstown is a beast, ascending at grades approaching 20 percent—a road steep enough to give pro cyclists fits during the Tour de Georgia in the early 2000s. Running to the summit just felt like you'd accomplished something badass, even in the age before a selfie was needed to make an outdoor trip complete. Looking back, I'm not sure why my runs up Brasstown became a thing. Maybe it was an escape from studying, or maybe it was a chance to get my mind off of stumbling my way into adulthood. Maybe it wasn't even the running at all but the chance to get out alone in the mountains for awhile. One of my friends says that you never feel more alive than when you're driving a little too fast down a southern backroad with the windows down and the radio blaring. He's not wrong. Regardless of the reason, that feeling didn't last. I eventually started a career and moved from visiting the mountains once a week to living in them, albeit a few hours north in Virginia. And over time, driving into 64

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the mountains quit being so special. It's a feeling that all of us who live in the Blue Ridge risk. Our favorite parks and trails can become all too familiar, and the hills that once seemed so striking on our horizon can become just another part of the landscape. Today, I'll often catch myself grumbling through traffic on my way to the trailhead after work to squeeze in an evening run. I never really thought about that change until this past winter, when a work trip put me back in Georgia and not too far from Brasstown. I ended up with a free afternoon, so I pointed the car north again and headed for the mountains just like I'd done years earlier. I wasn't sure how it would turn out. The world seems angrier now, my understanding of it a bit wearier, and my body an undisclosed amount of weight heavier than when I made that first run up the mountain as a teenager. As I drove into the hills, I fumbled around for that old rock station but ended up finding someone shouting over political talk radio instead. I wish I could report that my return to Brasstown went well, but it didn't. I started out from Jack's Gap too fast, forgot my pacing, and blew up midway through a particularly steep grunt where the road angles right up the nose of the ridge. I walked, cussed, and trotted at intervals from there. At the top, though, I remembered why I made those runs so many years ago. In 15 years' time, not much was different on the summit. The Brasstown Wilderness still cloaked the ridges surrounding the lookout, while the Blue Ridge gradually faded to the Piedmont to my south. Lake Chatuge glittered in the valley below. Even though I and everything else around it had changed, the mountain—and the struggle of climbing it—was the same. And when it comes to why we get outdoors in the first place, isn't that the point? Maybe I'm just turning this essay into a therapy session, but maybe that's also one of the many things the mountains can be. A few weeks after my trip to Georgia, I was sitting through an especially dull workday when that run up Brasstown came to

EVEN THOUGH I AND EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND IT HAD CHANGED, THE MOUNTAIN—AND THE STRUGGLE OF CLIMBING IT—WAS THE SAME. AND WHEN IT COMES TO WHY WE GET OUTDOORS IN THE FIRST PLACE, ISN'T THAT THE POINT? B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

mind. I snuck out of the office early, but this time I headed for the highest summit in the county instead of the park where I do my usual evening run. I left the car in a pull-out at the base of the mountain and began climbing an approach road that led to a lookout tower a couple of thousand feet higher up. It wasn't Brasstown, but it was close enough. This run didn't go any better, but as I eased around a sharp curve, an engine revved behind me. A pickup crept up the road, and a concerned voice called out from the driver's seat. "You alright?" For a moment, it didn't matter what mountain I was on. Everything clicked into place, and a goofy smile flashed across my face. "Oh, yeah," I yelled back. "Everything's fine." G O O U TA N D P L AY

B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

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