Blue Ridge Outdoors August 2016

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August 2016 CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS

8 QUICK HITS

Crowded A.T. • West Virginia’s new bouldering park • New Virginia license plate to honor runner • Gravedigger race

10 FLASHPOINT

Only 45 red wolves remain in the wild—all in North Carolina. A small group of landowners wants their protections removed. A decision next month will decide whether red wolves go extinct.

17 THE DIRT

Scott Jurek broke the A.T. speed record last summer. Can his friend and fellow ultrarunner Karl Meltzer notch a new record in 2016?

47 THE GOODS

Adventure guide Sara Bell shares her swimming hole gear essentials.

54 TRAIL MIX

Mandolin master Sam Bush explores his songwriting side on new album.

photo by CHRIS GRAGTMANS

FEATURES

21 ADVENTURE U

Need to ditch the books and play hooky? Here are the 10 best college campuses in the Southeast and MidAtlantic for outdoor adventure.

31 PARK N’ PLAY

Celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th birthday by splashing in one of these 10 swimming holes in the Smokies, Shenandoah, and along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

49 FIRED UP

Smokey the Bear got it wrong: forests need wildfires to stay healthy. But are we willing to allow wildfires to burn?

Fires in Linville and Shenandoah spark new debates.

Place Decal Here

ORDER YOUR A.T. LICENSE PLATE

North Carolina Appalachian Trail

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!

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

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

TO ORDER, VISIT APPALACHIANTRAIL.ORG/ATCPLATES Name (as shown on certificate of title): FIRST

MIDDLE

CITY

STATE

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ADDRESS

ZIP CODE

HOME PHONE

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STEVEN YOCOM / ST E V E YOCOMP HOTOG RA PH Y.C OM

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

All proceeds received from each state will help manage and protect the Trail.

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Current North Carolina Vehicle _______________________ ____________________________________ PLATE NUMBER

VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

______________________ ____________________________________ DRIVER’S LICENSE #

YEAR

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MAKE

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

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CONTRIBUTORS

PRESIDENT

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HARDEST-EARNED OUTDOOR LESSONS? GORDON WADSWORTH

EVANS PRATER

Trust the struggle. If it's worth doing, it ain't gonna be easy.

No rain, no pain, no Maine.

DUSTY ALLISON

JOHNNY MOLLOY Lesson: Pay attention to the weather forecast. Event: Kayaking across Tampa Bay in 30 knot winds.

The communal group backpacking trowel never, ever... EVER touches the sh*t.

CHRIS GRAGTMANS

MASON ADAMS On a hike trudging through New Mexico's Gila Wilderness, I learned that it's better to err on the side of taking too much water than risk running low.

Always look positive. On the river, trail, ski slope, or in life, don't focus on obstacles or hazards. Just orient yourself to where you want to go, and you will go there.

JESSICA PORTER

TIMO HOLMQUIST

Thru-hiking the A.T. in 2014 taught me to push myself very far out of my comfort zone and gave me the confidence to be exactly who I want to be.

DAVE STALLARD Always, always let my wife know where I am riding and keep my cell phone battery charged.

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Know when to say no. It’s sometimes difficult for me to resist adventure even when either my body or the environment around me are flashing warning signs to the contrary.

DAN BRAYACK Leaf of three, don't use me (for toilet paper).

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QUICK HITS

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BEYOND THE BLUE RIDGE

SHORTS

GRAVEDIGGER RACE IN HUNGARY Gravedigger is certainly not the most desired profession— one that takes its toll both physically and mentally. But in June, a group of Hungarian gravediggers were given a chance to showcase their skills at the country’s first national grave digging competition, which took place at a cemetery in Debrecen, located about 140 miles east of Budapest.

The event featured 18 twoman teams, who used shovels, rakes, and pickaxes to dig regulation-size (two feet, seven inches wide, six feet, six inches long, and five feet, three inches deep) graves that were judged on both speed of completion and overall look.

BLUE RIDGE BRIEFS

by JEDD FERRIS APPALACHIAN TRAIL IMPACT STUDY Three million hikers trek sections of the A.T. every year, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. How much impact does that have on the 2,189-mile footpath? A team of researchers from Virginia Tech is trying to find out. Currently two years into a three-year study, the university research crew is analyzing about 10 percent of the trail, assessing condition based on the effects of erosion and heavy foot traffic. “Even footprints can be problematic when there are millions of them,” said study leader Jeff Marion, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist, in the Roanoke Times.

Completed in 1937, the A.T. is now a cultural icon, romanticized in books and movies and very accessible to most East Coast cities. Congestion on parts of the trail is unlikely to recede. So Marion and his team will eventually recommend some solutions to help keep the trail sustainable, including potential relocations, connector trail additions, and strategic placement of campsites. These options could prevent more drastic measures like a limited-use permit system. “We want people to use the trail without putting up gates or putting limits on use,” Marion said.

NEW BOULDERING PARK COMING TO WEST VIRGINIA In late spring it was announced that construction would begin this summer on the Tucker Boulder Park, a new climbing park in Davis, W.Va. The park, which should open in 2017, will include three custom-designed 8

the lives of other runners.”

manufactured boulders with a variety of routes for all skill levels, including a small boulder for children. The new climbing spot, located in the southeast corner of the Davis Ball Park, is being modeled after the Teton Boulder Project in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. With a location near world-class mountain biking in the Monongahela National Forest and prime skiing in the Canaan Valley, Davis has long been known for easy access to many outdoor hot spots.

The new bouldering park will offer an additional recreation option right in town.

NEW LICENSE PLATE HONORS VIRGINIA RUNNER KILLED BY DRUNK DRIVER A new Virginia license plate features the silhouette of a woman running in front of the city of Richmond’s skyline. That woman is Meg Menzies,

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a 34-year-old mother of three who was killed while running in 2014. Menzies was with her husband on a training run for the Boston Marathon near her home in Hanover County, when she was struck and killed by a drunk driver in an SUV. Ever since, there’s been an outpouring of support locally around Richmond and from the running community at large to honor Menzies’s memory.

A social media campaign, Meg’s Miles, was started to raise awareness for runner safety, and the creation of the new license plate has a similar purpose. The plate design prominently lists the website Run4meg.com, so Menzies’s story can be shared. When Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed the bill authorizing the plate, he told the Richmond Times-Dispatch: “It is a tragedy we had here in Virginia, but I do think with the issuance of this new license plate today, it will help save

A LIFE-SAVING MARCH TO D.C. A former Vietnam Veteran spent most of June walking from his home in the Triad area of North Carolina north to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness about veteran suicide. Terry Sharpe, 65, left Summerfield, N.C., on June 1, and, while supported in a following car by his friend and fellow veteran, Allen Brown, completed his 300mile journey to the nation’s capital in 22 days. The timing of his walk was intentionally planned to match the number (22) of veterans who commit suicide every day. This isn’t the first time Sharpe, known as the Walking Marine, has made a long slog for a cause. He’s done the same 300-mile walk the previous two years in protest of American prisoners being held in Mexico and Iran. His adventures are documented at walkingmarine.com.

illustration by WADE MICKLEY

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FOOT PAIN HAVE YOU SIDELINED?

NOTHING HELPING? Dr. David Weiss is now offering

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THE LAST RED WOLVES ONLY 45 ARE LEFT—AND A FEW NORTH CAROLINA LANDOWNERS WANT THEM GONE. WILL RED WOLVES GO EXTINCT THIS YEAR?

by ANNA KATHERINE CLEMMONS

I

t's their howl," says Kim Wheeler, president of the Red Wolf Coalition. "That's what keeps me going. It's a sound that falls somewhere between the deep baritone of the grey wolf and the yip of the coyote. It's their call to life. And now, because the program to protect them is under such scrutiny, there's a very really possibility that their voice will be silenced.”

Once a top predator throughout the southeastern United States, the red wolf almost vanished 50 years ago. After being named an endangered species, a captive breeding program began in 1973. As the captive population grew, scientists considered where the red wolf could be reintroduced.

In 1987, six pairs of wolves were released in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge located within a five-county region— Beaufort, Dare, Tyrrell, Hyde and Washington—of eastern North Carolina. Those 1.7 million refuge acres are now home to the only wild population of red wolves in the world, managed for the last 29 years by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program. Until recently, it has been one of the most successful wildlife recovery programs in the country's history.

But today, both the program and the wild red wolf face possible extinction once more. In the last few years, the wild population has decreased from over 120 wolves to 45— mainly due to shotgun mortality.

NORTH CAROLINA IS HOME TO THE LAST WILD RED WOLVES. photo by RYAN NORDSVEN/USFWS

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Come get lost and find yourself

Come explore Patrick County, Virginia. Picnics at a covered bridge or along the Blue Ridge Parkway, canoe rides, traditional mountain music, artisan studios, local wineries, bed and breakfasts, camping, hiking, mountain biking, and fishing are just a few of the attractions awaiting you. From the rugged outdoors to 5-Star luxury, there is so much to discover in Patrick County. www.visitpatrickcounty.org

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Red wolves can resemble coyotes— especially at night—and a handful of local landowners have balked at hunting restrictions to protect red wolves. At the request of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and pro-hunting landowners, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has temporarily suspended the red wolf reintroduction and adaptive management program.

Voices both for and against the red wolf have demanded immediate action; in September, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will announce whether they will continue the recovery program or remove the last remaining wild red wolves.

“The situation has gotten so much more dire,” says Brett Hartl, Endangered Species Policy Director for the Center for Biological Diversity.

“We didn’t expect the population to drop as quickly as it has. We’re at a crisis point. They won’t last much longer unless there’s a change in course.”

THE RED WOLF STANDS just over two feet tall, with pointed ears, long legs, and large feet. Red wolves weigh up to 80 pounds, and some of its fur has a reddish tint. Shy and reclusive, red wolves roam the woods at night in search of food such as rabbits and raccoons as well as insects, berries, and occasionally, deer.

“Red wolves are not unlike our human families,” Wheeler says. “They have puppies, they take care of them, they eat, they often travel in packs and they do their normal wolf activities.”

In 1988, the first wild litter of red wolf pups was born on the Alligator River Peninsula. As the population grew, scientists attempted to establish wild red wolf populations in other areas, including St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge in Florida (in 1990) and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (in 1992). But none of the other wild populations thrived, and all have subsequently ended.

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“The red wolf is the most endangered animal on earth. There are fewer red wolves than pandas, elephants, and Siberian tigers.”

Meanwhile, the North Carolina population increased under the watchful eye of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program. On the Alligator River Peninsula, the wolves have over one million designated acres to roam. But from their first days, they wandered onto private land. And that’s where the resistance began.

“The program has been controversial throughout its existence,” says Pete Benjamin, Raleigh Field Supervisor for U.S. Fish & Wildlife (USFWS). “Generally I’d have to characterize it as successful. It was the first effort of its kind to restore a large carnivore to its historic range, and this program was the model for other predator re-introduction

B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / A U G U S T 2 01 6

programs, including the grey wolves to Yellowstone.”

Indeed, for the first fifteen years of the program, the human and red wolf populations co-existed in relative peace. Sightings were rare, but tourists still traveled to the area in the hopes of seeing the elusive animals. USFWS worked with farmers who encountered red wolves on their private lands; the red wolves, for their part, often helped control predator populations during farming seasons.

USFWS monitored the red wolves, implementing various programs including the sterilization of coyotes to prevent a ‘coy-wolf ’ hybrid population. Red wolves live an average of six to seven years in the wild; the Alligator River Peninsula population

peaked at an estimated 130 red wolves.

But in the last five years, that number has plummeted. One major reason: gunshot mortality.

Coyotes and red wolves are similar in appearance, and the two have sometimes bred.

Coyotes have moved eastward across the United States, and when they arrived in the Alligator River Peninsula, hunters did not want them preying on deer or local livestock.

Private landowners, often confusing red wolves for coyotes, began shooting red wolves. From 2012-2015, an estimated 30 of 65 red wolf deaths were attributed to shooting.

Hyde County Manager Bill Rich owns over 3,000 acres in the area.

“There was never really a problem with the introduction of the red wolf,” Rich says. “But it was the red wolf going onto private land and the attraction of the coyote. Now, the coyotes have taken over.”

In 2012, in an effort to control the booming coyote population, North

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Carolina instituted a policy allowing night hunting of coyotes, which is the most effective time for hunting them—but also when it’s hardest to distinguish between a red wolf and a coyote.

In response, conservation groups the Defenders of Wildlife, the Red Wolf Coalition, and the Animal Welfare Institute enlisted the Southern Environmental Law Center to sue the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), a state agency funded in part by hunting and fishing licenses. They argued that, by authorizing the shooting of coyotes within the recovery area, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission was causing red wolves to be shot and killed in violation of the Endangered Species Act. On May 13, 2014, the plaintiffs won when a federal court banned all coyote hunting in the THE U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE IS MANDATED TO PROTECT RED WOLVES—THE COUNTRY’S MOST ENDANGERED MAMMAL.

with Iris Lazzareschi

has a red wolf program, we’re obligated to collaborate with them,” says Brandon Sherrill of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “But the commissioners asked to terminate the program because of impacts that it's had on private landowners. Wolves were originally released on federal lands only, but animals can’t see property lines.”

In response, USFWS hired the nonprofit, independent Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) to take a closer look at their program through the lens of three main areas: supporting science, program management, and human dimensions, to examine whether it should be continued as well as what changes might need to occur.

After a lengthy examination, WMI recommended that the program should continue, but with some improvements. “WMI concluded that the recovery program management could have been improved if a more interdisciplinary approach was used to better respond to public concerns

PHOTO: Jeff Brockmeyer

photo by B. BARTEL /USFWS

recovery area.

“That really cemented what had been kind of a simmering local resentment and opposition to the red wolf program,” Benjamin says.

“That act of taking away the ability of landowners to hunt coyotes at night galvanized local public opposition to the recovery effort—and that has prompted and led to the chain of events that has us taking a look at the program.”

In November 2014, the plaintiffs and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission went back to court and asked the federal judge to amend his order in November 2014, to limit his ban only to night hunting of coyotes.

The judge complied.

Despite this concession, the controversy did not end. At the request of several private landowners, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission then asked U.S. Fish & Wildlife to terminate the reintroduction program and remove the wolves from all private lands.

“As long as U.S. Fish & Wildlife

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and information needs," wrote WMI president Steve Williams. "We also concluded that the rules established for the recovery program were not always followed.”

WMI submitted a list of recommendations for how the program might be improved. But USFWS, under political pressure, has ignored those findings.

“What we’re seeing is the program getting slowly shut off, bit by bit, which is really disappointing since this was once one of the most successful and innovative programs in the history of restoration,” Hartl says. “I think there’s a lot of pressure from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission which is opposed to the red wolves.”

WITH THE RED WOLF program languishing, in November of 2015, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed another lawsuit, this time against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. On June 20, they also filed an emergency motion with U.S. District Court to stop USFWS from capturing and killing red wolves.

The litigation is pending.

“The state didn’t like our win on coyote hunting, and they pushed back hard—so hard that they asked for red wolves to be declared extinct and removed from North Carolina,” explains Sierra Weaver, senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. “After that point, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scaled back a lot of its efforts to protect and recover the species, giving in to a lot of pressure from the state and a small number of vocal landowners.”

One example: the allowance of landowners to shoot a red wolf on their property via permit from USFWS. In 2015, a landowner shot and killed a female red wolf who was known to have given birth to multiple litters and was exhibiting denning behavior at the time that she was

THE CAPRA VENTURE killed.

USFWS has also removed red wolves from private lands when landowners have requested it. “They have issued those permits for no reason other than the wolves are there and the landowners don’t like it,” Weaver says. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is failing to comply with the Endangered Species Act’s requirements to not only ensure that the species doesn’t go extinct in the wild, but to actually make sure they recover. They aren’t basing their management on the best available science, and they haven’t looked at the current status of the species on the ground in North Carolina.”

Indeed, in the past year, the USFWS has eliminated the recovery coordinator position for the program, stopped reintroducing red wolves into the recovery area, ended coyote sterilization and removal, and stopped their popular and successful education programs about red wolves.

Instead, they have issued permits allowing landowners to kill individual red wolves. And despite USFWS acknowledging in a 1999 briefing paper that removal of red wolves may be detrimental to the species' recovery, they began honoring requests from landowners for red wolf removals— and those numbers have skyrocketed.

According to the motion for emergency relief filed by the SELC in late June, “Internal documents

RED WOLF PUPS BORN IN THE WILD OFFER HOPE FOR THEIR SPECIES’ COMEBACK.

E XC LU SI V E LY AT M E R R E L L . C O M AN D T H ESE PAR T I C I PAT I N G R E TAI L E R S

photo by RYAN NORDSVEN/USFWS

show that by October 2014, engendered by a campaign by a handful of landowners opposed to red wolf reintroduction, the Service had received over 400 requests from private landowners for removal of wolves and for authorization to kill wolves.”

One of those requests came from Lynn Clayton, who owns about 550 acres in Hyde County. “We used to have a lot of deer on our property— where woods were across the field, you could see 100 deer, easy,” Clayton says. “Now you ride through, and if you see one or two, you’re lucky. I used to see more deer than coyotes, and now I see nothing but coyotes.”

Clayton said he recently caught a red wolf on his property on a Tuesday, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service retrieved and took back to the refuge. But the refuge land, Clayton says, is largely flooded, leading the wolves to once again enter private lands. He caught the same wolf on his land less than a week later. “I don’t think people want to do away with an endangered species, but people are just tired and want the whole thing done away with,” Clayton says.

“We’re tired of being lied to by the government. We’re tired of losing property rights. This has been a big

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imposition on the people here.”

Nearly everyone agrees that for the red wolf recovery program to work long-term, landowner cooperation is essential. “Our refuges, while big, aren’t big enough in and of themselves to sustain a population of red wolves,” Benjamin says. “The wolves need access to those private lands. So without support of the community, the program can’t effectively move forward.”

Most landowners still back the red wolf program. In late January, more than 100 private landowners in the five-county recovery area signed and sent a petition to U.S Fish & Wildlife Service director Dan Ashe, expressing their support for keeping endangered red wolves on their land.

“The program, for the most part, has been supported on the ground, even by private landowners who have wolves on their property," says Ben

Prater, Southeast program director for Defenders of Wildlife. It's been only a small and vocal group of antigovernment landowners opposing the red wolf recovery.

Some of those landowners may be more difficult than others to persuade.

“When you go out at night, you hear nothing but packs of coyotes howling,” Rich says. “We’ve got to figure out a way to get rid of the coyotes.” For these few landowners, that means getting rid of the wolves, too.

But conservation groups have pointed out alternatives, including the sterilization of coyotes and a robust red wolf population. “A healthy red wolf population naturally pushes the coyotes out,” Prater says.

Another possible solution, Prater says, lies in monetary incentives for landowners. A similar program was recently launched in Florida to protect the endangered panther and has seen early success. “Some type of incentive or payment plan—where landowners are compensated for every wolf pack they have or every acre of habitat they

“Most local landowners still support the red wolf program. Only a small and vocal group of anti-government landowners oppose red wolf recovery.” provide—it can work. It has worked elsewhere. We just need to start these conversations.”

AS THE RECOVERY program’s hiatus continues, the red wolves slide closer to extinction. Several conservation groups issued an emergency petition urging action from USFWS. “There is support in the region—and across the country— for the red wolf,” Harti says. The petition also asked that the USFWS honor its original 1990 recovery plan document and establish two additional populations of red wolves in other southern states, a recommendation the WMI consultants also included in their 2014 findings.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's decision is expected in September.

Now is the best—and perhaps only— chance for the public to help save the species.

“The recovery program was successful—and it can be again—if given the resources it needs,” Prater says. “The red wolf is the most endangered mammal on the planet.

There are fewer red wolves than pandas, elephants, and Siberian tigers.

Recovery is not only an option, but the only option.”

LAST HOWL

The future of red wolves will be decided next month. Sign petitions to save the red wolf at Defenders.org or at BlueRidgeOutdoors.com

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THIRD TIME'S A CHARM

KARL MELTZER ATTEMPTS A.T. SPEED RECORD THIS MONTH

by JESS DADDIO

K

arl Meltzer is one of the best endurance athletes of all time.

The 48-year-old New-Hampshire ski bum-turned-ultrarunner has the most 100-mile wins in the world (38). He’s finished 143 ultramarathons in 153 starts, nearly half of which he’s won, and in 2010, Meltzer set the record for the 2,064mile Pony Express Trail, running from Sacramento, Calif., to St. Joseph, Mo., in just 40 days.

This past April, Meltzer took his need for speed to another level by breaking the world record for speedgolf—in 12 hours, he played 230 holes (that’s additionally about 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, on foot), beating the record he personally set in 2015 by one hole.

It’s no wonder, then, that Meltzer’s sobriquet is ‘Speedgoat.’

Yet for all his podiums and namesake legacies like the Speedgoat 50K and Hoka One One Speedgoat trail running shoe, one athletic feat has frustratingly dangled just out of Meltzer’s reach on two previous occasions—the fastest known time (FKT) for completing the Appalachian Trail.

“When I came home [in 2014], I swore I’d never go back to the trail again,” Meltzer says.

Meltzer’s fascination with the Appalachian Trail began well before he and his buddies with Backcountry.com decided he should do it and document it online (remember WheresKarl.com?) in 2007. As a child, Meltzer hiked throughout New England's Presidential Range and White Mountains with his father, following the very white blaze that would later become his fixation.

When Karl finished the trail 54 days, 21 hours, and 12 minutes after setting off from Mount Katahdin on August 5, 2008, he was limping and exhausted, his blog quiet. He had missed the record by a week due to heavy rains in Maine and a bout of tibialis anterior tendonitis, which

forced him to rest for four days to alleviate the pain and inflammation in his shins.

Despite failing to beat the record, Meltzer’s time continues to rank as the fourth fastest completion of the trail.

“I really wanted to finish the trail no matter what my time was,” Meltzer says, “but I was glad to be done when it was over.”

Except, he wasn’t done with the trail.

Not yet. Six years later, Meltzer was back, and this time, without the pomp and circumstance of a blog, a Red Bull campaign, and the public eye. He bought a van, modified it for camping, hired his friend to crew, and quietly hit the trail.

“You don’t want to hype it up much before you do it,” Meltzer says of that second attempt. “It’s a bad idea because not only does it put pressure on the runner but, what if you fail? Everybody likes to see failure.”

With a thru-hike's worth experience under his belt, Meltzer felt confident. The mistakes he’d made in 2008 wouldn’t be repeated. He knew to get a larger pair of shoes to avoid tendonitis, to respect the weather and wait for the rain before setting off. But a month and a half before leaving from Katahdin, Meltzer injured himself and spent the weeks leading up to his departure recovering.

“I really did not go into it in very good shape,” Meltzer says. “Once I fell too far behind the pace, I mentally talked myself out of it and succumbed to the demons.”

And so, on day 30, just 50 miles behind Jennifer Pharr Davis’ 2011 record pace, FOLLOW ALONG with

Karl's progress on the trail at RedBull.com/ATRecord

KARL MELTZER HAS TRIED TWICE TO NOTCH THE A.T. SPEED RECORD. WILL HE TRIUMPH IN 2016? photos by BRIAN NEVINS/RED BULL CONTENT POOL A U G U S T 2 016 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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Meltzer called it quits.

F

or most people, the story ends here. Even Meltzer, ever the optimist, had no intentions of returning to the trail. He took some time off to let his mind and body heal, refocused his energy on racing ultras again, and all but swept the record under the rug until his contact with Red Bull asked him to go back to the trail…again.

Initially, Meltzer declined. It was too soon, he said. But the seed was planted. The idea, too tempting. By early 2015, he had agreed to take another stab at the record.

“It’s not so much about the record,” Meltzer says. “Granted, of course I’m going for the record, but I like being out there. I like being on the AT. I used to call her ‘Old Mother A.T.’ You just have to roll on with the punches and know the A.T. will always punch

back at you.”

Meltzer’s ready for the fight. Over the past year, he’s returned to different sections of the trail to tackle weeklong stints in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. When Scott Jurek was in the midst of his record attempt in the summer of 2015, Meltzer joined him in the Shenandoahs to crew, and recon, for his own upcoming adventure. Though Meltzer competed in four ultras earlier this year, he laid running aside in the spring to focus solely on hiking and terrain familiarity.

“It’s not about speed,” he says. “It’s about adapting to what I encounter every day. You can’t train to run faster on the A.T., 'cause guess what? After four days, your legs are lead and you’re not going anywhere fast. It’s about being more efficient.”

Up before dawn, on the trail by 5 a.m., in bed within a half hour of stopping. That’s Meltzer’s daily strategy. Sometime during the first week of August, weather pending, Meltzer and his crew, an alternating combination of friends (including

Scott Jurek), Meltzer's wife Cheryl, and Red Bull representatives, will set off southbound from Mount Katahdin.

He’s not a stickler about food, and he’s definitely not a vegantouting athlete. In fact, Meltzer’s go-to trail snack is homemade crepes stuffed with bacon. Cheeseburgers, quesadillas, pizza—basically, he says, “I’ll eat more or less anything so long as it’s reasonably healthy.” At the end of his 50-mile days on the Pony Express, Meltzer was even known to kick back with his feet up and a cold beer in hand.

Concerns for Meltzer have less to do with fuel (he just needs 6,0007,000 calories) and more to do with efficiency. No social runs or individual selfie requests, he says, though he’ll gladly snap a quick group shot before zipping off again. Rightfully so, Meltzer’s approach for steadfast, methodical movement mostly involves getting the proper amount of sleep and caring for his feet, or anything else that could potentially become an

“itis.”

“If you’re two or three days in and your feet are already a mess, that’s a problem,” he says. “Anytime that something happens to your feet, you’re screwed because you’re constantly walking in pain and you don’t heal overnight. It just compounds and it becomes worse and worse as time goes by.”

And the stress of that, of having to wake up and walk a marathon and a half on tender feet through rugged terrain, reduces the amount of restful sleep he gets. Meltzer’s aiming for eight hours a night, a must, he says, for even six hours a night would eventually cause spells of hallucinations.

“My first two attempts, I had foot problems. Every morning when I would get up, it would take me 45 minutes to an hour to tape my feet,” he says. “It killed so much time. An hour a day times 46 days is 46 hours, which is like, 100 and some miles lost over a foot problem,” which, let’s face it, isn’t very efficient.

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erhaps of all the people who have attempted the A.T., Meltzer comes with the most intimate knowledge of the difficulties that can arise, be it personality clashes between crewmembers, foot problems, or weather. His experience racing 100-milers has certainly helped keep him fit, and more importantly prepared him in the way of mental fortitude. By all accounts, this is the year for Meltzer to shine, yet even he knows that there are certain elements of an FKT, on the Appalachian Trail especially, that are simply unpredictable.

“Nobody wins it in the first three days,” he says. “You have to bide your time and not necessarily look at the whole picture, just look at the day-today. The record is doable, but with all due respect, anything can happen out there. I can fall and smash my knee on day two.”

It is this, the capricious nature of the trail, that former record holder Jennifer Pharr Davis knows and loves. She’s never met Meltzer before,

though the two shared the trail in 2008 when Meltzer first tried for the record and Pharr Davis set the women’s record for the fastest hike.

She agrees that of all the record contenders, Meltzer seems to have the upper hand. The determining factor, though, won’t be in his amount of athleticism or preparation. The trail itself will decide.

“The trail is its own animal and it’s constantly changing,” Pharr Davis says. “Everyone deals with their own series of obstacles and challenges on the trail. In some ways, it’s about you, but it’s also about the wilderness and the conditions and your ability to adapt, which allow you to be successful or unsuccessful. When you line up, you can hope for the best, but ultimately you’re out of control.”

In light of the controversy surrounding Scott Jurek’s finish last year in Baxter State Park, there are some rightful concerns about another publicized record attempt. Will the media engine of Red Bull put the Appalachian Trail, a footpath for

those who seek fellowship with the wilderness, too much in the spotlight?

Will the added exposure, combined with the exposure surrounding the 2015 release of A Walk in the Woods, impact the trail for the worse?

“In the case of speed records, there is always that added publicity the media garners whenever somebody attempts to break the record,” says Javier Folgar, director of marketing and communications for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC). “The ATC is not against speed records. Everyone’s goals really vary when it comes to the A.T., whether it’s hike a few miles, break a speed record, overcome internal obstacles. The A.T. in general is receiving an increased number of users on the trail.”

“Any individual, regardless of their pace, can have a negative impact on the trail,” adds Pharr Davis. “When you hike the trail and you have special attention or a platform, it’s important to have respect for the hiking community and to have respect for the trail and think about the impact and

the legacy you want to leave. We all have the opportunity to leave the trail a better place.”

Meltzer is sensitive to this— according to Folgar, he’s even reached out to the ATC to make sure his hike follows proper protocol and sets a good example for future hikers. He recognizes that there will be naysayers, that purists will frown upon his hike.

Despite his apparent thirst for going longer, faster, harder, Meltzer is hiking the trail because he loves it, not because he wants to conquer it. He’s even planning a regularly paced thruhike of the Appalachian Trail with his wife on her 50th birthday.

“I’m not the arrogant guy that thinks he’s better than everybody else,” Meltzer says. “I’m out there to enjoy the A.T. just like everybody, whether I’m walking or jogging or slogging or sitting on a rock. I respect the A.T. just as much as everybody else. It’s really not about the competitive side of me. It’s about me being out in the woods doing it and doing what I love to do.”

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f you’re in the market for a topnotch education with adventure opportunities and an outdoorsy setting, we’ve lined up the best-situated schools in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic for those times when you simply need to ditch the books and #gooutsideandplay.

WARREN WILSON COLLEGE SWANNANOA, N.C. STUDENT BODY:

893 Private

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): Outdoor Leadership (BA and minor) TUITION: $33,260

THE BEST ADVENTURE CAMPUSES IN THE BLUE RIDGE

by JESS DADDIO

Academics, work, and service. Those are the pillars, or the Triad, of Warren Wilson College, a small private school nestled in the forested mountains outside of Asheville, N.C. While the Triad largely dictates each student’s time at Warren Wilson, so, too, does the college’s environmental ethos and pledge of sustainability. Students here are encouraged to connect with the natural world. There’s a 275-acre working farm, a 625-acre forest with over 25 miles of trails, and the quiet banks of the Swannanoa River, all of which is open and accessible to the school. The campus itself hosts nearly 10,000 trees, making it one of only 254 college campuses across the country recognized as a “Tree Campus USA” by The Arbor Day Foundation.

“The campus has all that western North Carolina has to offer,” adds Dr. Marty O'Keefe, Chair of the Outdoor Leadership Department at Warren Wilson. “Mountains, rivers, hiking, paddling, and biking opportunities, and a multitude of organizations that use the outdoors for educational, therapeutic, and recreational means.”

Warren Wilson also has its own climbing wall and challenge course.

Within a 15-minute drive, students can be on the nearby Kitsuma and WARREN WILSON'S CAMPUS AFFORDS STUDENTS OVER 25 MILES OF TRAILS TO ESCAPE THE PRESSURES OF ACADEMIA.

This is where your story begins.

For now, this forest belongs to you.

For as long as you stand still, the smell of moss, the sounds of birds and water spilling over rocks are all yours. But there’s more, just beyond the trees.

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Heartbreak Ridge trails for classic western North Carolina riding. Another 15 minutes farther grants them access to Bent Creek Experimental Forest and the French Broad River in Asheville. Expand that radius to 90 miles and you have Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Forest, Linville Gorge Wilderness, and the ski hills at Beech, Sugar, Wolf Laurel, and Cataloochee. It’s the perfect setting, and the perfect recipe, for getting your weekend (and weekday) adventure fix.

APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOONE, N.C. STUDENT BODY:

17,932 Public

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): Hospitality and Tourism Management (BS/BA), Recreation Management (BS and minor) with a concentration in Commercial Recreation and Tourism Management, Outdoor Experiential Education, or Recreation and Park Management TUITION: $7,416 (in-state) $21,932 (outof-state)

and Pisgah National Forest) students certainly have the resources to take advantage of those four seasons.

And with for-credit opportunities to journey beyond the Blue Ridge to the Grand Tetons, Canadian Rockies, and this winter, the headwaters of the Amazon River, App State can satisfy just about any appetite for adventure.

But according to Hawley, the allure of this Blue Ridge university is more than just the destinations—it’s the people, too.

“The campus also draws highly respected professors in geology, environmental science, sustainability, recreation management, and other disciplines that inspire our students to seek out and explore our wilderness areas,” he says. “App State's campus is unique in that it naturally radiates its own outdoor identity through the students, staff, and mission.”

WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VA. STUDENT BODY:

Most students who come to App State know what they’re signing up for. Surrounded by rolling ridgelines and densely wooded forests, App State’s campus is at the heart of North Carolina’s High Country. Grandfather Mountain towers in the distance. The Blue Ridge Parkway weaves along the horizon. Rivers like the Watauga and New spring to life from their forested wombs. Interest in the outdoors, even if you’re just an artist drawing on the mountains for inspiration, is mandatory if you want to be a Mountaineer.

“Boone is nestled in a unique area of North Carolina where summers are cool and winters cold, therefore providing students the opportunities to embrace four seasons and their specific adventures,” says Outdoor Programs Coordinator Andrew Hawley.

With three ski resorts (Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, and Appalachian Ski Mountain), Rocky Knob Bike Park, and thousands of acres of protected land less than an hour’s drive away, (including, but not limited to, Linville Gorge Wilderness

2,264 Private

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): TUITION:

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$47,280

Cradled between the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests to the east and the Central Blue Ridge Mountains to the west, the city of Lexington, Va., hosts a wealth of natural beauty and history.

Established in 1778, the town has long held a reputation for its dedication to education—Washington and Lee (W&L) was founded in 1790 and its neighbor campus the Virginia Military Institute enrolled its first students in 1893—but according to W&L Director of Student Activities and Outdoor Education James Dick, the city should be more widely regarded as an outdoor destination.

“No one else is out there,” he says. “It is empty and is accessible 12 months of the year.”

Within a half-hour’s drive of Lexington’s business corridor, there are caves and natural bridges, steep creeks and placid rivers, warm and cold water

streams. With regional icons like the Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachian Trail, and Goshen Pass Natural Area Preserve, the area’s diversity is an ideal setting for adventure outings.

The W&L campus itself has its own eight-mile trail system, complete with a Henry David Thoreau-style timberframed cabin for students wanting to disconnect and seek solace with nature’s simplicity.

“It’s meant to encourage current students to tune out,” Dick says.

“No running water…no electronics allowed, it’s single person use. [The cabin] is an ideal mental break and recharge space.”

Among the W&L Outing Club’s offerings are a five-night backpacking pre-orientation trip on the Appalachian Trail, Appalachian Adventures, a sea kayaking trip to Florida’s 10,000 Islands, and a student-led and self-supported bike tour on the 185-mile C&O Canal.

THE MOUNTAINS AROUND APP STATE'S CAMPUS ARE THE PERFECT SETTING FOR ITS OUTDOOR PROGRAM TRIP LEADER TRAINING.

FERRUM COLLEGE FERRUM, VA. Student Body: 1,500 Public/Private: Private Outdoor-related degree(s): Recreation Leadership (BS and minor), Outdoor Recreation (minor), Ecotourism (minor) Tuition: $29,680 Ferrum College’s rural setting in southwestern Virginia inevitably lends itself to an abundance of natural and recreational resources. The 600-acre campus houses three miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, with plans in the works for more, as well as an 18-hole disc golf course, a climbing tower, a lake, and a low and high ropes

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course. Not far from campus is the DeHart Botanical Gardens, a nature preserve gifted to the college where students can explore four miles of trails, soak in the expansive mountain views, and learn more about the preserve’s diverse population of plant and animal species. Not bad for a small school, says Aaron Conover, Director of Ferrum Outdoors, and the going only gets better the more you delve beyond Ferrum.

“Just a short distance from campus, Philpott Lake and Fairy Stone State Park offer canoeing and kayaking, mountain biking, hiking and camping, as well as some of the best fishing and hunting in the state,” Conover says. “Close by, the Franklin County Blueway system has eight access points between the Blackwater and Pigg Rivers.”

And the list keeps growing. The Appalachian Trail, Roanoke, James, Smith, and New Rivers, Blue Ridge Parkway, Jefferson National Forest, Carvins Cove Nature Reserve, and Smith Mountain Lake are less than 100 miles away from Ferrum’s classrooms. Recreation Leadership majors at Ferrum can even intern with Virginia State Parks as part of the Park Ranger Skills Development Program or with a Santiago-based university

STUDENTS PAUSE FOR A GROUP SHOT DURING THEIR THREE-WEEK EXPERIENTIAL TERM (OR E-TERM) ON THE SALKANTAY TRAIL IN PERU.

to study ecotourism in the Patagonia region.

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY MORGANTOWN, W.VA. STUDENT BODY:

31,514 Public

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources (BS, minor, and MS) TUITION: $6,384 (in-state) $20,184 (outof-state)

in the state,” says Matthew Shreve, Multimedia Specialist and Communications/Marketing Manager for Adventure WV. “Because of that, it’s made West Virginia a whitewater mecca.”

Within an hour’s drive, students can be on the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle, Penn., largely considered the birthplace of whitewater in the country, or on the Cheat River in northern West Virginia, an environmental and recreational pearl in the Mid-Atlantic. There’s Tygart Lake, Cheat Lake, Summersville Lake, Deep Creek Lake, all within a similar driving radius, and all with stellar creeks and rivers as tributaries.

A little farther south puts you in Fayetteville, W.Va., home to the New River Gorge and nearby Gauley River National Recreation Area. An internationally respected destination for climbers and paddlers alike, the New River Gorge is conveniently located near West Virginia University’s new Institute of Technology campus in Beckley, W.Va., set to have its first students this fall.

“The big point is we’re close to a lot of outdoor resources but they’re

WVU STUDENTS TAKE A BREAK FROM THE BOOKS BY BOULDERING AT NEARBY COOPERS ROCK STATE FOREST. photo by MATT SHREVE

not just nice resources—they’re resources that are international destinations,” says Shreve. “West Virginia has been an energy hub for the U.S., and that’s where a lot of its identity and reputation has come from, but people forget just how rich we are in outdoor resources.”

Adventure WV Outdoor Experiences seeks to show upcoming freshmen, in-state and out-of-state alike, just that. From two to seven days, upwards of 1,100 freshmen join Adventure WV’s staff every fall on outdoor excursions throughout the state. From the New River Gorge to Seneca Rocks, Shreve says the goal is to give these students a sense of place.

BERRY COLLEGE ROME, GA. STUDENT BODY:

2,245 Private

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): TUITION:

N/A

$33,330

In the northwestern corner of Georgia, the city of Rome is nurturing a vibrant outdoor scene. Brick buildings climb amid a backdrop of Appalachian ridges, its downtown sector made partial by the confluence of three rivers—Coosa, Oostanaula, and Etowah. The coliseum of Rome, Berry College encompasses nearly 27,000 acres of the city, making it the world’s

Positioned at the heart of Morgantown, the fourth-largest city in West Virginia, the West Virginia University (WVU) campus maintains a surprisingly natural feel. The Monongahela River runs right through downtown with the greenery of public lands like Coopers Rock State Forest and Little Indian Creek Wildlife Management Area making their mark on an otherwise urban canvas. Through WVU’s Adventure WV, the university is striving to showcase the outdoor amenities that are more than just easily accessible—they are world-class.

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largest contiguous college campus.

Even better? That 27,000-acre spread is mostly woodlands, streams, and meadows.

If you’ve ever seen the movies Sweet Home Alabama and Remember the Titans, you’ll likely recognize the campus' English Gothic architecture with its sweeping archways and manicured lawns. Berry College has consistently ranked high on top 10 lists of the country’s most beautiful colleges by Travel+Leisure, Buzzfeed, and Southern Living, but the campus offers more than a pretty setting in which to study.

“Our many hiking, biking, and horseback trails offer easy to moderate terrain, isolated nature experiences, and beautiful vistas,” says Assistant Director of Recreation at Berry College Amanda Highfield. “Many students choose Berry because of the pristine campus and opportunity for outdoor recreation.”

Included in those 27,000 acres is the 16,000-acre Wildlife Management Area, managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, where students can bike, run, ride horses, play disc golf on two designated courses, overnight camp at the on-campus campsite, and even hunt.

The college even has its own bald eagle population, a testament to the unspoiled wilderness students have

access to while still being only an hour’s drive from metropolitan hubs like Atlanta and Chattanooga.

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY RICHMOND, VA. STUDENT BODY:

31,242 Public

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

N/A $13,130 (in-state) $32,287 (outof-state)

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): TUITION:

At first glance, Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) city setting might deter some nature lovers from even considering this nationally recognized school in the heart of Richmond. But look closer, and you’ll see salty raft guides, gritty climbers, and lean road cyclists, indicative of a resident outdoor species amid the city bustle.

“Being in an urban environment might be a disadvantage for some outdoor programs, but that doesn’t limit the OAP [Outdoor Adventure Programs],” says Joey Parent, VCU’s Assistant Director for Outdoor Adventure Programs. “The James River Park System is our backyard. We have WITH THE JAMES RIVER FLOWING RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART OF RICHMOND, VCU'S CAMPUS MAKES IT EASY TO GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY.

over 20 miles of singletrack trails, class IV whitewater, and [an] outdoor climbing all within a half-mile of campus.”

Combine that with close proximity to Wintergreen Resort, Shenandoah National Park, George Washington National Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and any number of beaches along the eastern Virginia seaboard, and you’ve got year round access to any type of adventure, whatever the weather.

And while students can join OAP on weekly afternoon trips and clinics or rent gear and venture into the urban wilds on their own, one of the most popular flagship programs of OAP is Footprints on the James, a collaborative, four-week trip along the James River that gives students a biological, historical, and real-world educational experience.

BREVARD COLLEGE BREVARD, N.C. STUDENT BODY:

705 Private

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education (BA and minor) TUITION: $27,550

For a quaint town of 7,500, the residents of Brevard, N.C., most certainly know how to harness their natural assets. More than 50 percent of the land in Transylvania County, of which Brevard is the seat, is covered in public forest. There’s an in-city trail system that connects to Pisgah National Forest, the confluence of the French Broad and Davidson Rivers, and 250 waterfalls right out the front door.

In effect, Brevard serves as the gateway to a world of adventure, from down-the-road destinations like DuPont State Forest and Gorges State Park to Caesar’s Head and Table Rock State Parks in South Carolina.

This, says Dr. Jennifer Kafsky, Brevard College (BC) Professor of Wilderness Leadership & Experiential Education (WLEE) and Experiential Education Division Chair, makes Brevard College the epitome of a basecamp for

adventure in the Southeast.

“Many college [and] university outdoor programs must travel long distances to their outdoor classrooms,” says Kafsky. “Brevard College is fortunate to be located in Transylvania County which provides a wealth of outdoor opportunities in our own backyard.”

The college has active cycling and climbing teams for those with that competitive edge, while the BC Outing Club and Voice of the Rivers 21day academic expedition cater to even the most beginner of students. Yet for those who are seriously considering a future career in the outdoors, Brevard’s WLEE program should seriously be considered. Its reputation is well known for providing students with a thorough, hands-on foundation on topics ranging from risk management to recreational therapy. The pinnacle of the WLEE program, the Immersion Semester, requires 10 students to work together on the planning and execution of a 21-day expedition.

“With dedication and commitment both in and outside of our classes, we have had students come in the door with little to no experience and leave as competent instructors in various outdoor adventures,” Kafsky says.

“Living and working together in the field for the [Immersion Semester] 21-day trip is a powerful experience.

There are learning adventures daily, both planned and unexpected.”

GARRETT COLLEGE MCHENRY, MD. STUDENT BODY:

900 Public

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): Adventure Sports Management (B.S., 2+2 program with Frostburg State University) TUITION: $2,744 (in-state and in-county) $6,160 (in-state and out-of-county) $7,280 (out-of-state)

For a small, two-year Mid-Atlantic school, the reputation of Garrett College and its surrounding outdoor resources is highly regarded not just domestically, but internationally as well. The Savage River in Garrett

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County served as the site for the 1989 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Whitewater Canoe and Kayak World Championships as well as the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Whitewater Slalom Canoe and Kayak.

In 2014, the Adventure Sports Center International, a manmade whitewater course also in Garrett County, was the setting for the ICF Whitewater Canoe and Kayak Slalom World Championships.

Elite-level athletes, especially paddlers, have been coming out of this corner of Maryland for decades, and this, says Garrett College’s Adventure Sports Management Executive Director Michael Logsdon, is just the icing on the cake. Situated within a 200-mile radius of 32 million people yet just minutes away from wild places like Garrett State Forest, Swallow Falls State Park, and the Youghiogheny River, Garrett College’s campus is prime for four-season adventurers.

Less than a mile away is Maryland’s largest freshwater lake, Deep Creek Lake, and the state’s only alpine ski

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and snowboard area, Wisp Resort. For a recently launched four-year program in Adventure Sports Management (completed in collaboration with Frostburg State University), the setting is picture-perfect.

“Our ability to program on weekdays and avoid crowded weekends and [access] a variety of challenge levels accommodating absolute beginners through highly accomplished participants, helps us greatly in introducing students to a wide variety of outdoor adventure activities,” Logsdon says.

Students in the Adventure Sports Management program are in the classroom some, but the foundation of the major is built upon experiences in the field and lessons that can’t be absorbed from a textbook. During the week, students are often mountain biking or cross-country and telemark skiing in West Virginia’s Canaan Valley, whitewater kayaking on the upper and lower stretches of the Youghiogheny River, or preparing for upcoming trips to destinations like the Catskill Mountains for ice climbing, the

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Adirondacks for mountaineering, or Cumberland Island for sea kayaking.

New for 2016-2017? Stand-up paddleboarding and a college-wide wilderness orientation program for incoming freshmen. Students interested in the competition side of adventure can also participate in the Adventuresports Institute Competition Team, which placed first at the United States Adventure Racing Association National Championships in 2007 and 2014.

BRACKET CHAMPS

These two schools ranked among the best in this year’s Top Adventure College Contest. See what makes these outdoor schools the best in the region from the students and staff. #1 WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY (WCU) CULLOWHEE, N.C. STUDENT BODY:

10,340 Public

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): Parks and Recreation Management (BS and minor), Recreational Therapy (BS and minor) TUITION: $4,624.50 (in-state) $9,821 (outof-state)

Search Western Carolina University on any map and you’ll immediately see why this mid-size school has won our Top Adventure College Contest three years in a row. Public lands engulf the rural campus—there’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the north, Pisgah National Forest to the east, the Nantahala National Forest a bit farther to the south. The Tuckasegee River bisects the quiet town of Cullowhee, just a few steps from WCU’s doors. On campus, WCU manages a seven-mile multi-use trail system, a series of “fix-it” stands for bike repair, a climbing wall, and gear rental shop.

But location aside, WCU’s Base Camp Cullowhee and Parks and Recreation Management (PRM) departments are top-notch. For students

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ter” receive 12 credit hours in addition to a portfolio’s worth of certifications like Wilderness EMT, Leave No Trace Master Educator, and American Canoe Association Canoe and Kayak Instructor.

“We live in an environment where we are surrounded by outdoor opportunities,” Haas says. “We definitely pride ourselves on the fact that you can get outside and actually experience these things instead of just sitting in a classroom and talking about it.” #2 EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE (EHC) EMORY, VA. STUDENT BODY:

1,012 Private

PUBLIC/PRIVATE:

OUTDOOR-RELATED DEGREE(S): TUITION:

N/A

$33,500

What started as little more than a weekend hiking group in 1998, the Emory & Henry Outdoor Program is now a full-fledged adventure program with spring and fall break expeditions,

a Summer Adventure Program, a women’s specific outing club (Girls Outside), and for-credit classes in everything from whitewater kayaking to climbing, disc golf, and even thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.

You heard me. Students from Emory & Henry can take an entire semester away from the books and hike the entire Appalachian Trail for school credit. New this year? Students from other colleges can transfer in and receive that same credit at their original institution. For Outdoor Program Director and former thru-hiker Jim Harrison, the goal here is to instill students with a sense of belonging and to teach them the importance of the outdoors without beating them over the head with the facts.

“I am an environmentalist, but I do not preach,” Harrison says. “Through the adventure sports, I try to create meaningful relationships between people and rivers, mountains, and wild places.”

That approach has certainly worked for 20-year-old Charles Wygal, a

rising senior and Outdoor Program trip and Summer Adventure Program leader. Wygal’s outdoor adventures didn’t start until coming to Emory & Henry, but since then, he’s acquired a number of high-level certifications including Wilderness First Responder, American Canoe Association Level 3 Kayak Instructor, and Swiftwater Rescue. In the spring of 2015, he and another student co-led the first-ever, student-led spring break sea kayaking expedition to Florida’s 10,000 Islands, a huge responsibility for anyone, let alone a 19-year-old.

Situated at the base of Virginia’s highest peak, Mount Rogers, and surrounded by Grayson Highlands State Park, Jefferson National Forest, and Cherokee National Forest, Emory & Henry’s campus is a Shangri-La of southern Appalachian adventure. Iconic rivers in the region like the Watauga, Nolichucky, New, and French Broad are less than two hours away and the Appalachian Trail might as well run through campus, it’s that close.

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with little to no prior outdoor experience, Base Camp Cullowhee provides the opportunities and supportive environment necessary to have fun and stay safe in the woods.

“We have staff that work for us [who] are world class paddlers sponsored by Jackson and students that are travelling all over the country competing, and then we get students who are totally new,” says Jeremiah Haas, Associate Director of Outdoor Programs, of his Base Camp student staff. “That’s where I think Base Camp really excels and we pride ourselves on that, that we meet the needs of those novice level students. We’re taking that student and shaping them into the next generation of outdoor leaders.”

Likely one of the college’s strongest, and most unique, outdoor offerings is the collaborative semester with WCU and Landmark Learning, an outdoor education center that provides trainings and certifications on a wide range of topics. PRM students who enroll in the “Landmark Semes-

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NATIONAL PARK

by CHRIS GRAGTMANS

ubbed “America’s best idea” by writer and historian Wallace Stegner, the national park system consists of over 400 parks covering 84 million acres across every state. In honor of this anniversary of public recreation, conservation, and preservation, we have compiled 12 of the best swimming holes in National Park units of the Southeast and MidAtlantic. Celebrate the centennial this summer with a swimming hole soak.

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK WHITEOAK CANYON / CEDAR RUN Whiteoak Canyon and Cedar Run are two classic trails that boast some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Shenandoah National Park. Both are accessed from the same parking area, and can be combined via the yellow blazed WOC Fire Road/Horse Trail to create a beautiful (and challenging) loop. Highlights include consecutive waterfalls, a huge natural waterslide on Cedar Run, and jump rocks of various sizes.

From Charlottesville, drive north on US 29 for 26 miles until you reach SR 231. Head north until you reach SR 670, where you proceed to Syria. Turn right on SR 643/600 and drive to the White Oak Canyon trailhead. It’s a 1.5-mile hike to the pools.

NEARBY: Skyline Drive runs 105 miles through Shenandoah National Park, and offers up 75 overlooks.

DIRECTIONS:

OVERALL RUN Overall Run is well known as the tallest waterfall in the park (93 feet), but it also plays host to a couple of great swimming holes about two miles downstream from the celebrated cascade. These pools hold CEDAR RUN FALLS IN SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK'S WHITEOAK CANYON. photo by TOM DALY

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OCONALUFTEE RIVER The Oconaluftee River has long been considered “sacred waters” by the Cherokee Nation, and it remains an important part of their lives. One of the largest rivers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Oconaluftee is a great tubing trip.

The two miles of river going from Big Cove Bridge back to Cherokee will float you under the Blue Ridge Parkway, through several rapids, and past The Beach, a local swimming hole with a sandbar and rope swing.

If you get lucky, you may also see elk drinking from the river.

Cherokee Rapids (cherokeerapids.com) is located off of Highway 441 in Saunooke Village.

NEARBY: Take the opportunity to learn about the Cherokee Nation through the myriad activities available in town.

DIRECTIONS:

water through the driest months of summer, remain refreshingly chilly, and have smooth rock that is great for some butt-slidin’.

Follow Va. Route 630 (Thompson Hollow Road) to the National Forest Service parking area on the right near the road’s terminus.

Park and walk along the gravel road until you see an obvious trail hooking to the right along some fence posts and a tree blazed blue. Continue on this trail for approximately 0.8 miles into Shenandoah National Park and to the swimming hole.

NEARBY: Old Rag and Hawksbill Mountain are two of the most popular and spectacular hikes in the Park.

DIRECTIONS:

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK MIDNIGHT HOLE Big Creek is a stunning stream that flows out of the Balsams and into the Pigeon River in the northeast portion of GSMNP. Midnight Hole is a great swimming spot 1.5 miles up from the trailhead. It provides the quintessential Smokies experience: polished rocks, water clear and clean

enough to drink, and something to do for horseback riders, anglers, campers, swimmers, and kayakers alike. Head up another 0.5 miles on the riverside trail to check out Mouse Creek Falls as well.

Take exit 451 off of I-40 near the Tennessee/North Carolina state line. Cross the Pigeon River and bear left following this road into the Big Creek area of the park. Follow the road until you reach a picnic and campground area. The trail will be before the parking on the right side.

NEARBY: Drive over to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood for a bit of cultural contrast!

DIRECTIONS:

FONTANA LAKE Fontana Lake is an 11,700 acre lake that is flanked by spectacular natural surroundings, including Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Nantahala National Forest.

The Appalachian Trail passes over 480-foot Fontana Dam, and anglers, boaters, and swimmers alike can be found enjoying this lake in the summertime. There are many popular spots to access by boat, but two of the most popular land-access swimming holes are Almond Finger Lake and

FONTANA LAKE OFFERS ENDLESS SWIMMING OPTIONS BESIDE THE SMOKIES. photo by BRADLEY NASH BURGESS

Tsali. Almond Finger Lake is cut off from the main boat traffic of the lake and provides easy access and emerald green water. Tsali is a popular mountain bike trail network with over 40 miles of user friendly singletrack. Bikers often hit the peaceful swimming cove just down the hill to wash the trail dust off.

Head southwest from Bryson City on RT 19/74, and take a right on RT 28 north when the road goes from four lanes to two.

You will see the lake and parking area on the left, but a U-turn will be required since you won’t be able to jump the guardrail. Cross the lake, turn around, and park in the obvious parking area. For Tsali, continue past Almond Finger Lake on RT 28 north for about 2.8 miles to the top of the hill and a sign for Tsali Recreation Area. Turn right onto this road and follow it to the lake.

NEARBY: The Nantahala Gorge is a great family-friendly rafting and zipline destination.

DIRECTIONS:

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY NATIONAL PARK SKINNY DIP FALLS Skinny Dip is an iconic swimming hole close to Brevard, NC, and a perfect place for Parkway drivers to stretch their legs or cool off. The experience starts with a stellar view of Looking Glass Rock from the overlook, followed by some beautiful forest scenes and wildflowers on the half mile hike down to the Yellowstone Prong and swimming hole. While not actually clothing optional as the name suggests, the water is cool and clear, and there are several different cascades and areas to explore. For an added challenge and another swimming spot, hike uphill on the steep Mountains-to-Sea trail to Graveyard Fields.

The trail to the falls is directly across the Blue Ridge Parkway from Looking Glass Overlook at milepost 417.

NEARBY: Brevard is a great mountain town with stellar mountain biking, craft beer, and fishing.

DIRECTIONS:

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NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL RIVER GLADE CREEK Glade Creek is a perfect demonstration of the natural beauty of West Virginia. The crystal clear and cold waters of this stream can be accessed via a gentle five mile trail that tracks its entire length. There are a multitude of waterfalls, rapids, and swimming holes, so it’s easy to find your own spot for the afternoon.

The lower part of Glade is also a WV Catch & Release trout stream in case you want to bring your fly rod, and there is primitive camping at the confluence of Glade and the New River if you want to stay off the grid for the weekend.

From Beckley take Route 41 (Johnstown Rd) 10 miles into the New River Gorge. Before crossing the New River to Prince, turn right onto (unpaved) Glade Creek Access Road. Follow for 6 miles to parking area for Glade Creek. Hike upstream.

NEARBY: Fayetteville is a water lover's mountain town with good eats and lodging. Don't miss Bridge Day: this BASE jumping festival in October is quite the spectacle.

they are well traveled and perfect for people watching. Nemo has two big rope swings and a huge swimming hole, and both spots are great for teaching youngsters river stewardship through garbage cleanup.

Nemo-From Wartburg, take Catoosa Rd. southwest about 5 miles. Lilly-From Wartburg, take RT 27 northwest. Turn left on RT 62 southwest, through Lancing and then left on Ridge Road south.

NEARBY: The Obed is a well-known climbing destination with routes ranging up to 200 feet.

DIRECTIONS:

DIRECTIONS:

GAULEY RIVER NATIONAL RECREATION AREA SUMMERSVILLE LAKE CLIFFS Summersville Lake has over 60 miles of shoreline, and the sandstone cliffs that line the lake are perfect for marveling at, deep water solo climbing, or jumping. You really can go as big as you want: 5 to 100 feet is all possible, but we would highly recommend cupping the frank and beans over 35 feet. Several of the popular land access spots are Whippoorwill, Waterfall, and Long Point, but the best approach is procuring a kayak, SUP, or pontoon boat so that you can explore all of these spots, and then stake your picnic claim on a personal island.

Note: the lake drops dramatically during fall drawdown of the Gauley 34

WEST VIRGINIA’S SUMMERSVILLE LAKE IS A POPULAR SPOT FOR CLIFF JUMPING. photo by CHRIS GRAGTMANS

River (mid-September). The same cliff that may have been good to go two weeks before might have nothing but rocks in the landing.

From Fayetteville, head north on Rt. 19. Whippoorwill Road is on the left just before the Gauley River bridge. For Waterfall, cross the bridge and turn right into a dirt parking area. A half-mile hike on the jeep trail will then lead to the cove and jumping area of Waterfall Cliffs. To reach Long Point, continue north on 19 for a mile and turn left on Long Point Access Road. Follow this through the Summersville Lake recreation area until you reach a gate.

Park here and follow the hiking trail for 1.5 miles to the overlook. Most of the boat launch sites are on the southern end of the lake, while the best jumping is on the northern end.

NEARBY: Summersville Lake drains into the Gauley River National Recreation Area, a world class whitewater kayaking and rafting destination. For non-paddlers, hike into Pillow Rock, the run’s marquee rapid.

DIRECTIONS:

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BIG SOUTH FORK NATIONAL RIVER & RECREATION AREA GENTLEMAN’S HOLE / MEETING OF THE WATERS Gentleman’s Hole is a picturesque swimming spot amid mountain laurels, dramatic cliffs, and rock outcrops in the headwaters of the Big South Fork National River. Just downstream of this swimming area is the Meeting of the Waters, where the Clear Fork and White Oak creeks converge to form the South Fork River.

From Knoxville, take I-75 North to exit 141 for TN 63W. Turn left on US 27S, then right on TN 52W. Bear right on Laurel Dale Cemetery Road, and park at the parking area near the cemetery. The trail is well-marked.

NEARBY: Big South Fork has a monthly ranger-led dark sky education and astronomy program!

DIRECTIONS:

OBED WILD AND SCENIC RIVER LILY BRIDGE / NEMO BRIDGE Lily Bridge and Nemo Bridge are two of the most accessible swimming holes on our hit list, meaning that

LITTLE RIVER CANYON NATIONAL PRESERVE LITTLE RIVER FALLS / HIPPIE HOLE The Little River Canyon is one of the cleanest, wildest, and most dramatic waterways in the South. A popular destination for kayakers after heavy rains, the Little also boasts great swimming during summer lows. Two of the most popular spots are Little River Falls and Hippie Hole just upstream. Swimmers are treated to an up close and personal view of the falls and its refreshing mist. Hippie Hole has some great cliff jumps options from the seven to twenty foot range.

Note: be very careful of water levels at both spots.

From Gadsden, take I-59 northeast about 35 miles to Ft. Payne.

From here, follow RT 35 east to signs for Little River Canyon and Falls. The base of the falls are easily accessed by a trail out of the parking lot. For Hippie Hole, turn right out of the Falls parking lot to the next gravel pulloff on the right. It’s about a twenty minute hike down to the river.

NEARBY: Keep the waterfall tour going.

Check out Desoto Falls State Park and Noccalula Falls (but don’t swim at either).

DIRECTIONS:

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CUMBERLAND RIVER CHALLENGE CANOE AND KAYAK S E P TE M B E R 24 , 2 0 1 6 B AR B OURV I L L E , K Y The Cumberland River Challenge is an annual canoe and kayak race. The race consists of 15 miles of river, ranging from calm water to beginner-level rapids. The race starts on the Knox County line bordering Bell County and finishes in Barbourville at Thompson RV Park.

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6TH ANNUAL FRENCH BROAD BREW FEST S E P TE M B E R 24 , 2 0 1 6 HOT S P R I N GS, N C The French Broad Brew Fest takes place annually at the Hot Springs Resort and Spa on the banks of the French Broad River. A celebration of Craft Brews, Music, Friends, Fall and Camping makes this event fun for the whole family. Get tickets online now!

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CRAWLIN’ CRAB HALF MARATHON, 5K , KIDS KILOMETER AND CRAFT BREW FEST S EPTEM BER 3 0 – O CTO BER 2 , 2 016 H AM PTO N , VA Experience flat and scenic courses that take you through historic downtown, into charming old neighborhoods, and along the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads Harbor.

Celebrate your finish at an outdoor Craft Brew Fest with live music, Baker’s Crust Kickin’ Corn and Crab Chowder, and Ice cold brews.

SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL ROCK ‘N’ ROLL BROOKLYN HALF MARATHON OCT OBER 8, 2016 BROOKLYN, NY Lace up your running shoes and rock 13.1 miles on the closed streets of Brooklyn this fall. With entertainment along course, a finish line festival in Prospect Park which includes a beer garden and post race headliner concert, this is one event you won’t want to miss!

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ARMY TEN-MILER

BLUE RIDGE BURN

OCT OBER 9, 2016 WA SHING T ON, DC

O CTO BER 8 , 2 016 T H E F ES TY AT TH E LO CK’N FAI R GR O U N D S N ELS O N CO U N TY, VA This 10K/5K race covers a mix of rugged, rolling terrain in scenic Nelson County! The Burn partners with The Festy, a three-day music, camping, and outdoor sports festival at the Lock’n Grounds in Nelson, VA. Come run, then stay the whole weekend!

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This world class Army race attracts over 35,000 runners, 650 teams, and is known for its operational excellence!

A two-day Expo precedes the race, featuring 100 exhibitors, on Ocotber 7-8 at the DC Armory.

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SHENANDOAH AUTUMNFEST OC TOB E R 1 5, 2 0 1 6 WOODS TO C K , VA Spend your Autumn afternoon in the scenic mountains of the Shenandoah Valley at Autumnfest 2016. Featuring eight local craft breweries, two local wineries, 40 BBQ teams, and new this year… a zip line. Live music by the featured band Justified.

PRESENTS:

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WALKABOUT OUTFITTER WILD GEAR CHASE OC TOB E R 1 5, 2 0 1 6 R OAN OK E , VA From water bottles and hats to bikes and kayaks (and everything in between) everyone walks away with gear in this urban scavenger hunt. Participants use a cue sheet to find as many checkpoints as possible in two hours.

The event is part of the Anthem GO Outside Festival.

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Spectator - Join the fans and watch the Army’s annual Army Ten-Miler race on October 9 at the Pentagon. A free shuttle will take you to the Post Race Festivities/Finish Line. Race day activities include a “world class” race, live music, exhibit tents, interactive displays, and more.

Shopper/SightSeer - The Army Ten-Miler Expo, presented by Navy Federal Credit Union, is October 7 & 8 at the DC Armory. The Expo is Free and Open to the Public. It features over 100 exhibitors and Military displays.

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TWO LIFTS SERVING 1,100’ OF VERTICAL DROP WITH TRAILS FOR ALL LEVELS OF ABILITY. FRIDAY – TUESDAY | 10:00AM – 7:00PM NOW THROUGH SEPT 5TH | MASSRESORT.COM

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

FALL CYCLOFEST PRESENTED BY INTERBIKE

MOUNTAIN MASOCHIST TRAIL RUN – 50 MILES

OC TOB E R 2 2- 2 3 , 2 0 1 6 U S N ATION AL WH I T E WAT E R C E N T E R C HAR LOT T E , N C

N OVEM BER 5, 2 016 LYN CH BU R G, VA

Fall CycloFest is the ultimate cycling festival featuring demos, competitions, music and fun. See Trombone Shorty And Orleans Avenue live in concert. Try out the latest gear from Cannondale, SRAM, Fox Racing, Niner, Campagnolo, Santa Cruz, Pivot, Pinarello, KHS and more.

Best of all: it’s free.

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ANTHEM WICKED 10K & OLD POINT NATIONAL BANK MONSTER MILE OC TOB E R 29, 2 0 1 6 VIR G IN IA B E AC H , VA Join us for Hampton Roads’ largest Halloween race and party. Run along the beautiful Virginia Beach Oceanfront where you will encounter several spooky surprises.

Celebrate your finish at a huge post-race party on the beach with plenty of blue moon beer, live music and post race food.

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Started in 1983, the MMTR has earned its reputation for being one of the “best trail races in the east”. A varied course, ample aid stations and tried and true organization makes the race a perfect first 50 miler.

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TOWNEBANK OUTER BANKS MARATHON & SOUTHERN FRIED HALF MARATHON N OVEM BER 11 - 13 , 2 016 KI TTY H AWK, N O RTH CAR O LI N A This stunning course shows the Outer Banks at its best!

See the Wright Brothers National Memorial, a maritime forest, the highest sand dune on the east coast and a sweeping view of the sound as runners cross over the Washington-Baum Bridge to Finish on Roanoke Island.

Enjoy cheers from hundreds of enthusiastic fans!

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BLUE MOON NORFOLK HARBOR HALF MARATHON, CHARTWAY 5K AND KIDS MILE NOVEMBER 18-20, 2016 NORFOLK, VIRG INIA This exciting event offers flat and fast courses through historic Downtown, into unique and eclectic old neighborhoods and along our beautiful coastal waterfront. Celebrate your finish at a huge finish line festival in Town Point Park with post race food, Blue Moon beer, live music and more!

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THE GREAT OUTDOOR PROVISION CO. SURF-N-SANTA 5 MILER DECEMBER 17, 2016 V IRG INIA BEACH, VIRG INIA Join us as we take to the Boardwalk at Twilight in an attempt to break the Guinness Book World of Records LARGEST SANTA RUN in the world! Participants receive a 5 piece Santa Suit and will run through millions of holiday lights and celebrate with a huge post race party.

SURFNSANTA5 MI LER.COM

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PRODUCTS - DEMO - TECH - MUSIC - COMPETITION - FUN

You’re invited to the next great cycling festival. Here’s what to expect: • World-class riding and demos on the latest and greatest product from the leading brands in our industry.

• Live music, including a set from Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.

• Great deals on bike gear.

• Fun competition for all ability levels.

• Top-level Cyclocross race with a $5,000 purse.

• Fully supported group ride through the gorgeous rolling hills of North Carolina.

• Full access to the U.S. National Whitewater Center including rock climbing, zip lining and more.

OCTOBER 22-23, 2016

U.S. NATIONAL WHITEWATER CENTER CHARLOTTE, NC

Visit CycloFest.com to learn more.

COME OUT FOR AN AMAZING TIME!

Cyclocross photo courtesy of Icon Media Asheville.

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CUMBERLAND RIVER CHALLENGE CANOE AND KAYAK Saturday, September 24, 2016 Sponsored by Union College U-Canoe & Barbourville Tourism

Check-in or Event Day Registration • 9-9:30 am Thompson RV Park • 538 South Main St. • Barbourville, Kentucky Shuttles will take canoes/participants to the put-in point

THREE BOAT CLASSES

• Tandem Canoes up to 17” length • Solo Kayaks other than whitewater • Solo whitewater kayaks Prizes awarded: Overall Winner, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd in each class

ENTRY FEES:

Individuals: $20 per person

(Event Day Registration $25 per person)

Teams: $40 per team

(Event Day Registration $50 per team)

Union Students: $10 per student (ID required)

Registration info: Call 606-545-9674 or facebook/barbourville.tourism 34th Annual

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► One of the BEST 50-mile races on the East Coast ► A point-to-point race through some of the most beautiful scenery in Virginia ► One of the classic Ultras in the country!

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OPINION

0 8 . 16

MY FIRST OBSTACLE COURSE RACE TOUGH MUDDER TESTS AN AGING DAD

by ERIC WALLACE

O

n Saturday May 7 in Atlanta, Georgia I ran my first and (probably) last obstacle course race: a Tough Mudder.

Initially, I was gung-ho. I’d signed up four months in advance at 2 A.M. on a snow-strewn January night in Staunton, Virginia. Slumped over my laptop, I studied event photos— these people looked fit, confident, determined to seize life by the throat and bark demands. Muttering something about middle-age, I plugged in my credit-card info.

Soon enough, I realized my reasons for wanting to do this thing were senseless. Mostly it was the Finisher’s t-shirt. I fantasized about being saluted while jogging, pumped for details in café lines, surrounded by half-a-dozen wildly attractive coeds in the community college adjunct lounge.

This was the ticket to a New Life, I thought.

I’d spent 11 weeks avoiding any/all training. Where had the time gone?

What had I done with it? Work. A breakup. Split-parenting. Christmas for two small children. Drinking. The routine of middle-age.

Desperate for revenge, I did what any good journalist would do— phoned TMI’s spin-wizard and laid on the screws.

“Is obstacle course racing just another weird fad that, having peaked, will soon be forgotten?” I asked.

“Our participant numbers have remained consistent each year and are presently growing,” said Tough Mudder’s communications manager, Carol Gotshall. “In fact, four of 2016’s first five event-weekends have [seen an increase] in participant numbers.”

“But why? Why would anyone do this to themselves? It’s not even a

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race. No one wins. In fact, people are paying to lose.”

“Mudders have made it exceedingly clear they’re not looking for a typical timed race,” she replied.

“Obstacle course racing taps into something much larger and deeper: a core set of universal values—to push your boundaries and overcome obstacles, to forge real connections and find a sense of community…

Demand remains strong because our [events] tap into deep, innate human needs. People’s desire to connect and push themselves will never go away.”

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hecking into the Atlanta Airport Marriott, I gazed around the lobby. The place was overrun by Mudders—men and women decked out in distinctly athletic garb, much of it TM-branded. There were thickly bearded septuagenarians in spectacles with figures that would set Michelangelo salivating. College girls with dark paint under their eyes, looking like mutant pro-volleyball players. Grey-haired ladies, the chiseling of their thighs, biceps and abs alarmingly visible through hotpink spandex.

Fleeing to the bar, I took a seat alongside a 20-something AfricanAmerican male sporting what looked to be a TM basketball uniform (head/ wrist bands included). His shoulders

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read: “High-Gear Hopkins.” I snickered. He sized me up, squinting at my loafers and jeans, my tucked-in polo, its protruding belly-region. I buttoned my sport-coat. Overcome by laughter, Hopkins got me a beer. Three rounds later, I noticed the numbers tattooed along his calves.

“GPS coordinates for all my events,” said High-Gear, shrugging.

“Used to be 300 pounds. Barely finished my first race. Four years later, I’m doing three a year… Changed my life. I live for this shit, man. Live for it.”

Eventually, he asked about me. “I am a jellyfish,” I said. “The king of all jellyfish.”

Lucky for me, a handful of boozeflushed hyper-fit people swarmed High-Gear and, leaving him to deal with their high-fives and hugs—not to mention our tab—I made an exit.

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ext day I showed up at the ‘race’ in full-body spandex. Across my suit’s neon-yellow shoulders I’d scrawled, in permanent marker: “King Jellyfish.” Here, despite a 12-mile roadmap of obstacles with names like Shawshank, Birth Canal, Underwater Tunnels, Balls to the Wall and Beached Whale, people looked normal. There were teams of plump housewives supporting their overweight daughters. Beer-

TEAMMATES WORK TOGETHER TO TACKLE THE MUD PIT AT ATLANTA’S TOUGH MUDDER. photo by TOUGH MUDDER

bellied lawyers. Scraggly teenagers.

People looking like High-Gear pretransformation. My confidence soared.

And yet, approaching the course’s final obstacle I knew I was going to die. My head was spinning; my breath came in painful gasps; every muscle in my body screamed: QUIT! But no. Like a warped dream I watched myself hitting the dirt, belly-crawling like a man pursued by starving cannibalistic Nazis under 90 feet of tiny dangling wires charged with up to 10k volts of electricity.

About midway, some fool came bullrushing by and—ZAP!—crashed to the ground, knocked out cold.

Then I was up, staggering like a whipped dog toward the finish line.

Crossing the threshold, I fell to my knees. Weeping, gasping for air, I threatened my fists toward the sky.

Then an officious young woman was standing over me, draping a medal over my neck.

High Gear Hopkins was right. My life had changed. It was a small feat perhaps, but I had found a strength I never knew I had— a strength I would need to navigate the obstacles of my everyday life.

THE GOODS

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SWIMMING HOLE ESSENTIALS ADVENTURE GUIDE SARA BELL SHARES HER GO-TO GEAR

by GRAHAM AVERILL

Sara Bell started Green River Adventures, in Saluda, N.C., 10 years ago with the idea that she would teach the fundamentals of paddling. It was a simple business plan. Fast forward a decade, and Green River Adventures has grown into a full-fledge adventure guide business, with a kayak school, zipline canopy tour, and canyoneering and waterfall treks.

“We do this really cool waterfall trek that begins with a 200-foot waterfall rappel linked up with an intense swimming hole hike, where you’re roping up and jumping off of 15-foot drops,” Bell says. “It’s like an amphibious hike.”

We asked Bell for her top gear picks for an adventurous day exploring swimming holes.

Here are her picks in her own words.

RECOVER RECYCLER DRY TEE ($25) These shirts are made out of 100% recycled material—eight water bottles and some recycled cotton go into each shirt. The shirts are really soft, and they perform well on the trail.

PRANA LAHARI HALTER TOP ($55) AND IMMERSION RESEARCH GUIDE SHORTS ($65) Sometimes in the office, this top doubles as a bra, it’s so comfortable. The IR Guide Shorts offer good coverage for when you’re rappelling or hiking. And yeah, I wear them in the office too.

OSPREY REV 24 ($130) This is basically a trail running pack, but it’s big enough to carry snacks and some light gear, and it also has a hydration sleeve.

It dries really fast. All of our guides use these, and they can get pretty ragged after constant use, but when we retire them, our guides fight over who gets to keep them.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DUPONT STATE FOREST MAP ($12) Dupont State Forest might be swimming hole Nirvana. Nat Geo’s new Dupont map helps pinpoint the good stuff with its waterfall table and loop hike suggestions that call out specific landmarks.

MORE GEAR PACSAFE VENTURESAFE X30 ($170) Travel safely through rugged terrain or rough city streets with this anti-theft adventure backpack, featuring hard-to-cut webbing straps, slashguards, and security buckles.

ENERPLEX KICKR IV ($130) The 6.5-watt flexible solar panel can charge your phone, GPS, or any USB device.

It's blade-thin, lightweight, and built for backcountry adventure.

MOUNTAIN KHAKIS EQUATORIAL PANT ($85) Built for adventure, these lightweight, high-density nylon weave pants feature six mesh-lined pockets and reinforced, adjustable heel cuffs. They pack easily, breathe well, and offer superior mobility on the trail.

WATERSHED OCOEE ($105) The Ocoee is perfect for our day trips. If you add the shoulder strap, it becomes the perfect camera bag. That’s what our guides are taking for their cameras on all our treks.

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SMOKEY WAS WRONG Why Our Forests Need Fire

T

by MASON ADAMS

he first reports of the fire in Shenandoah National Park arrived at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, citing smoke several miles up the Rocky Mount Trail in the south district.

Shenandoah National Park Assistant Fire Management Officer Matt Way reported for work and hiked the Rocky Mount Trail from the park’s western boundary to find a 50-acre fire burning a few ridges below Skyline Drive.

The fire was too large and intense to make a safe direct attack with the few firefighters on site. Instead, Way worked with law enforcement officers to evacuate hikers from the trail, and he began to develop a suppression plan that would use additional resources and require clearance to use chainsaws and leaf-blowers—key tools to fighting eastern fires, but

ordinarily prohibited in wilderness areas.

Driven by wind and burning through stands of mountain laurel, pine and oak, the fire rapidly grew.

Way initially planned to use existing trail breaks to contain the fire, which had grown to more than 200 acres by the next morning. By day three, the fire had reached 2,000 acres. Crews headed down a trail to establish a fire line and halt the fire’s southern progress, but with the dry conditions and gusty wind that day, the fire beat them there and jumped the trail just as they arrived. Soon flames were racing up the ridge toward Skyline Drive.

The firefighters repositioned themselves to track the fire’s progress from the Brown Mountain overlook.

What they saw was one of the fire’s most intense moments. Driven by

winds and steep slopes, the fire roared up the mountain. It devoured leaf litter, dead snags, and mountain laurel in the understory, and when it hit drier pine stringers, it used the laurel as a ladder fuel to climb the trees, scorching them from top to bottom with 60-foot flames.

In just 20 minutes, the fire had climbed from the valley bottom to Skyline Drive. As it approached, the gusting wind lofted airborne firebrands to ignite spot fires on the other side of the road. Crews fell back to establish yet another fire line on the Appalachian Trail, which runs along the ridgetop above the road.

This line held, but aided by winds, a lack of rain and low relative humidity, the fire continued to burn in other directions, including toward private property and houses to the north and west.

Park Superintendent Jim Northrup wrote in an open letter posted on Facebook: “It is important for the public to understand that allowing the fire to come to these stopping points, where safe, defensible positions have been prepared, is not the same as ‘letting the fire burn’ out of control.”

The Rocky Mountain Fire of 2016 continued for another two weeks, burning 10,234 acres before officials declared it controlled in early May. It burned down to the park boundary on its north and west sides, and actually crossed the boundary into Beldor Hollow, but no structures THE ROCKY MOUNT FIRE IN SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK BURNED OVER 10,000 ACRES. ALREADY, MOST OF THE BURNEDOVER FOREST HAS BEGUN REGENERATING. photo by TOM DALY

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were harmed. The Rocky Mountain Fire was only half the size of the 24,000-acre Shenandoah Complex fire of 2000, but it still ranks as park's second largest fire in recent memory, and it serves as an example of how fire continues to play an important role in forests, even in the temperate rain forests of the Blue Ridge.

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ire plays a crucial role in the shape of the world, included with air, earth and water as one of the classical elements. Native Americans routinely used fire to make forests more productive for wildlife and game, effectively altering the ecology of Southern Appalachia. English settlers continued the trend, burning to open the understory, aiding in hunting and traveling, while also facilitating new plant growth for wildlife and domestic grazing animals. A 1908 report by a U.S. Senate committee reported that Appalachia “has suffered incalculable damage from fire, which in many localities still burns every year unchecked.”

Today, fire continues to do what it’s always done. But in an age of 50

climate change, suburbanization, and ecological changes, the physical, cultural and political landscapes around fire have shifted along with the way we conceptualize it.

Much of that evolution has been framed by how public lands agencies manage fire. The U.S. Forest Service was still a fledgling institution in 1910 when it fought what became known as “the Big Blowup” on the Idaho-Montana border. The blaze burned more than a million acres in three days, creating its own weather, devouring entire canyons with giant fireballs, and forcing mass evacuations.

The Forest Service suffered a crushing defeat, yet the Forest Service’s creator and most outspoken champion, Gifford Pinchot, wove into a grand narrative numerous heroic moments by federal officials— running toward the fire when everyone else was fleeing, taking shelter in abandoned mine shafts and creekbeds, and helping evacuate towns in the fire’s path. This narrative both guaranteed the Forest Service’s survival and ensured it would spend

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TWO MONTHS AFTER THE SHENANDOAH FIRE WAS CONTAINED, SEDGES AND FERNS ALREADY HAD RECLAIMED THE FOREST FLOOR. decades focused primarily on fire suppression.

The Big Blowup’s veterans defined federal fire policy for decades to come: Willam Greeley emerged as Forest Service chief and prioritized fire suppression above all else.

Meanwhile Elers Koch—whose obituary appeared in newspapers after the Big Blowup before he emerged from the forests still alive and with an intact crew—advocated for fire as an important component of forest health.

For most of the century, Greeley’s views dominated federal policy, but over time, Koch’s influence grew as agencies began to recognize fire as a necessary ecological force, not

only desirable but essential for many species of plants and animals. Smokey has been sending the wrong message: wildfire is as natural and necessary as rain for forest health.

T

oday, fire policy continues to evolve. The National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service both look for opportunities to let fire run when they can, as long as it doesn't endanger firefighters or private property.

“We’re more populated in the East compared to the West, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have opportunities to achieve ecological objectives,” says Riva Duncan,

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fire management officer for North Carolina’s National Forests. “We look for opportunities. We had a fire last summer, an unusual lightning fire in summer without rain, that we were able to manage for multiple objectives. We got about 2,000 acres out of it.”

Allowing a fire to burn to accomplish ecological goals, however, must be weighed against other considerations, primarily the safety of crews and the proximity of private land and structures.

“We want a fire that we can pretty much keep it where we want it, providing good ecological effects, whether to soil, to wildlife, to vegetation, and certainly we want to minimize impacts to the public,” Duncan says. “Every single fire we really have to look at differently and decide if we can meet our objectives.

If we don’t think we can, we’ll do our best to suppress it.”

In managing the spring fire in Shenandoah National Park, fire officials chose not to make a direct attack because it was difficult to do so on rugged terrain in unfavorable

weather conditions without endangering firefighters. Instead, they pulled back and made a stand at defensible locations—roads, trails, natural barriers and constructed fire lines.

The fire strategy came about from prioritizing firefighter and public safety, but the Rocky Mountain Fire of 2016 still produced a wealth of ecological benefits.

In late June, two months after the fire was contained, its aftermath could still be seen in charred ground cover and scorched trees, but already sedges and ferns had reclaimed the forest floor, covering the charredblack ground with a vibrant green.

“This is pretty much what we’re going to see at this point in the game,” says Way. “There’s vegetation growing back. Mother Nature is going to heal the scars.”

Thin pine trees where the fire burned hottest were completely scorched, but National Park Service fire ecologist Missy Forder says the thick-barked pines are “pretty bombproof,” and even those that do die will likely be replaced, since they

also released cones that rely on flames to reach the temperatures required for them to release seeds.

“The fire will have positive impacts on the vegetation and the wildlife,” Forder says. “It will regenerate those oaks and acorns.

New, succulent vegetation that comes out pulls in wildlife. You’ll see different bird species, different animal species, things that haven’t been in that area because it’s been the same [ecological] structure. Fire alters it and makes it much more of a destination for different species.”

The same factors that make recently burned areas attractive for native plants and wildlife also create opportunities for invasive species, so biologists also must monitor them for exotics such as wavyleaf basketgrass, princess tree, and oriental bittersweet.

N

ot everyone is convinced of fire’s touted ecological effects.

During the Shenandoah spring fire, residents along the park’s northern and western boundaries grew nervous as the flames grew closer. The various agencies involved in fighting the fire

THE VIEW FROM JUST BELOW BROWN MOUNTAIN OVERLOOK ON SKYLINE DRIVE, WHERE A FIRE RACED UP THE SLOPES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VALLEY IN 20 MINUTES. HERBACEOUS PLANTS AND FORBS ALREADY ARE COMING BACK ON LAND BURNED BY THE FIRE. SCORCHED SECTIONS OF PINE STRINGERS ARE VISIBLE AS THE RIDGE DESCENDS, AS WELL AS ON THE RIDGE IN THE BACKGROUND. photo by MASON ADAMS

were able to use heavier equipment outside the park’s wilderness area, with the Virginia Department of Forestry pitching in with bulldozers to help cut fire lines.

In North Carolina, residents near Linville Gorge fought against a federal proposal for a prescribed burn.

The burn, budgeted at about $4.5 million, would have been planned for 16,586 acres of mostly wilderness but also some areas near private land.

Opponents formed Save Linville Gorge Wilderness as a chapter of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and rallied public opposition, which succeeded in putting the project on hold, likely for good.

Lonnie Crotts, Save Linville Gorge Wilderness’s public

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WOMEN AND WILDFIRE

engagement coordinator, argues that prescribed burning rarely improves the health of forests.

“Prescribed burning is driven by a supply of federal money that began in 2001 with ‘forest landscape restoration’ legislation under the George W. Bush administration,” Crotts wrote in an email. “This money provides much desired income to agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service … which creates a bias for the ‘need’ for more fire in our environment.”

Crotts' arguments against prescribed fire in the gorge include: concerns that human-caused fires may rage out of control; carbon release contributing to climate change; invasive species that thrive in burned areas and may cause more fire; air quality impacts made by the particulates released in fire; and threats to fire-sensitive endangered species.

Crotts also points to a 2012 fire in Croatan National Forest, near the North Carolina coast, that started as a prescribed burn but which spread to more than 20,000 acres. The fire didn’t threaten private property, but it did result in “code red” air quality warnings in three counties, and smoke could be smelled as far away as Raleigh.

The halting of prescribed burning in Linville Gorge doesn’t mean the end of fire there. Nearly 52

20,000 acres in the gorge have burned since 2000 from fires that weren’t planned (although three of the four fires during that time were human-caused).

Odds are fire that will strike Linville Gorge again. So long as they can keep firefighters safe and private property protected, federal officials are likely to let it burn.

“Because of the nature of topography there, it’s rare we can safely put people in the gorge to fight it,” Duncan says. “With fires in the gorge, we have to wait until it comes to us.”

D

espite the impasse at Linville Gorge, the Forest Service and other land managers continue to conduct prescribed burns and manage unplanned fires for ecological goals when possible. In 2015, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), fire crews conducted 37,263 prescribed burns that affected a total of 2.9 million acres, with state agencies accounting for about half of that, and the U.S. Forest Service for another third.

Overall, more than 10 million acres across the country burned in wildfires in 2015, according to the NIFC. In the Southeast—a large geographic area that includes southern Appalachia but also extends west to Texas—an average of 910,000 acres burn each year

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LAND MANAGERS SUPPRESSED FIRE FOR DECADES. NOW, FIRE IS RECOGNIZED AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A HEALTHY FOREST ECOSYSTEM. photo by TOM DALY

from human-caused fires and 224,000 acres from lightningcaused fires.

Most of those fires burned unevenly in a mosaic pattern, scorching some areas while leaving others relatively unscathed. The mosaic pattern left by fire aids in recovery, as vegetative heterogeneity leads to more biodiversity as different ecotypes overlap. That patchiness also can disguise the effects of fire, especially to an untrained eye observing a burned area just a few months afterward.

In Shenandoah National Park, land that was ablaze a couple of months ago is now covered in green, obscuring the ashes that still cover the ground. If one is closely watching the trail ahead or in deep thought, it’s possible to wander through a burned area without even noticing. That rapid recovery may also lull us into believing that fire has been eradicated from the landscape in which we live and play. But fire continues to shape the natural environment, as it has for millennia and as it will into the future, despite all efforts to eradicate and manage it.

Arrive on the site of a wildfire and you’ll find fire engines, staffed by crews clad in yellow and green, lots of shovels and pulaskis, and the smell of smoke. One thing not likely to be present: A significant number of women.

Federal land agencies, traditionally dominated by men, have started to hire more women, including for leadership positions. Still, that progress hasn’t translated to wildfire jobs, according to numbers compiled by Brenda Dale, a U.S. Forest Service fire management officer.

Women hold only 11 percent of permanent wildfire jobs in the Forest Service; by contrast they make up nearly 40 percent of its overall workforce. In the agency’s Southern region, only three women hold supervisory fire jobs, compared to 94 men.

Duncan says the numbers are getting worse instead of better.

“It’s something I scratch my head over all the time—there are fewer women now in fire than at any time in the last 15 years,” says Riva Duncan, fire management officer for North Carolina’s National Forests.

In the Southwest U.S., Bequi Livingston first joined a fire crew in 1979. She worked with wildfire for three decades, and in 2012, she established the Women in Wildland Fire program to pay her experiences forward The program provides young women with fire training in a supportive environment, creating an opportunity to land a job on a seasonal fire crew. It also creates a foundation for its graduates to eventually work their way into leadership positions.

The eastern version of the Women in Wildland Fire program looks quite different than out West, however. Eastern fires tend to occur in the spring and fall, when dry leaf litter covers the ground, while western fires mostly happen in the summer. That means college students often can’t participate on a regular basis.

The few young women who do pursue fire training in the East often go west during the fire season. Duncan sees her job as providing the training and helping participants find opportunities, like one woman who trained in North Carolina and then joined a hotshot crew in California.

“We certainly look for young women who like physical challenges, are physically fit, who like the adventure,” Duncan says.

FOR MORE INFO about Women in Wildland Fire training in the Southeast, contact Riva Duncan at rrduncan@fs.fed.us.

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MORE THAN MANDOLIN SAM BUSH EXPLORES HIS SONGWRITING SIDE ON NEW ALBUM, STORYMAN

by JEDD FERRIS

S

am Bush may not be a household name, but among bluegrass fans and in the broader roots music world, he’s a hero of the highest order. Beyond his well-known instrumental mastery on both mandolin and fiddle, he’s regarded as an innovator in his genre; one of the first musicians to give traditional bluegrass an experimental edge and infuse it with elements of rock and jazz. Back in 2010, Bush’s musical contributions were recognized by his native Kentucky, where the state legislature passed a resolution naming him the “Father of Newgrass,” after the progressive string style he pioneered.

Throughout his five-decade career, the multiple Grammywinning Bush has played with a range of different musical configurations, first gaining acclaim in the 70s and 80s with New Grass Revival, a band that also included Bela Fleck and John Cowan. He also spent time in Emmylou Harris’ group, the Nash Ramblers, and toured as a sideman with Lyle Lovett, not to mention his collaborations with fellow longstanding bluegrass greats like David Grisman, Tony Rice, and Jerry Douglas. In 1996 Bush put together his own band and has been a fixture at festivals and rock clubs under his own name ever since.

While watching Bush on stage, it’s hard to believe he’s 64 years old, as he bobs around with Springsteenlike endurance and often stretches songs with lengthy improvised solos.

His infectious energy adds a level of excitement to witnessing his 54

nimble-fingered dexterity.

Earlier this summer Bush released his eighth solo album, Storyman, an effort that finds him complementing his instrumental prowess with attention to song craft.

He co-wrote all 11 tracks on the new album with a range of musical friends, including the recently departed Guy Clark, who helped Bush take a light-hearted approach to past health struggles on the hill country shuffle “Carcinoma Blues.”

Bush also reunites with Harris to pine for the old days of the Opry through witty commentary in the dusty shuffle “Handmics Killed Country Music.” The real winner, though, is “Transcendental Meditation Blues,” a windows-down reminiscence about Bush taking

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a sweaty bus ride to Louisville to meet a girl who would become his wife of 31 years. It precedes “Greenbrier,” a ripping instrumental that proves Bush can’t resist shredding his mando, even when he’s being sentimentally reflective.

Sam Bush plays the Charleston Music Hall in Charleston, S.C., on August 5; City Winery in Atlanta, Ga., on August 6; and the Foundation at Isothermal Community College in Spindale, N.C., on September 10. He’s also among the headliners at the Watermelon Park Fest in Berryville, Va., on September 23 and the Festy Experience in Arrington, Va., on October 9.

photo by SHELLEY SWANGER

GARCIA LIVES ON August 9 marks 21 years since Jerry Garcia died at the age of 53. In the two decades since his passing, the iconic singer-guitarist’s music has never stopped.

His bandmates in the Grateful Dead have continued to roll on, revisiting the band’s large catalogue in a variety of different incarnations; recently Dead and Co., featuring three Dead members and John Mayer in the Garcia role, finished a lengthy summer tour.

Less widely known is Garcia’s work outside the Dead, which included his own Jerry Garcia Band and the bluegrass group Old and in the Way with Peter Rowan and David Grisman. An ongoing series of releases, GarciaLive, has been highlighting his side project work, the latest of which just surfaced this summer.

Volume 6 focuses on Garcia’s longtime collaboration with the late keyboardist Merle Saunders, a versatile player whose resume included work with Bonnie Raitt and Miles Davis. The new live release highlights an intimate 1973 show that features Garcia and Saunders playing with a tight rhythm section (bassist John Kahn and drummer Bill Vitt) in front of just 200 people at a small club, Lion’s Share, just north of San Francisco.

Different from the Dead’s broad, rootsbased psychedelia, the quartet keeps it lean and soulful throughout a covers-heavy set list. Kahn and Vitt lay down steady, headbobbing grooves, while Saunders inserts colorful organ fills in between Garcia’s slicing funk chords and crisp solos. The small configuration doesn’t prevent Garcia and crew from stretching out; a free-form version of the jazz standard “My Funny Valentine” wanders into sonic space for more than 19 minutes, The jam journeys are brought back to earth by shorter songs, like Garcia’s version of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” which he delivers as a barroom ballad in his heartfelt, aching voice. The whole show is an artifact of a musical legend getting back to basics in a loose, informal setting.

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