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September 2016 CONTENTS
FEATURES
19 BIKEPACKING 101
photo by JESS DADDIO
DEPARTMENTS
8 QUICK HITS
Combine biking and backpacking for the ultimate outdoor adventure. Bikepacking guides share tips, tricks, and their favorite regional trips.
30 BIG FISH
Homeless teen bikes 50 miles to college • Paralyzed thru-hiker heading north • Tennessee town sets square dance record
Meet five colorful characters from the Blue Ridge fly scene, including a onearmed fly-tying angler, a classically trained musician, and a fly fishing tattoo artist.
10 FLASHPOINT
40 BREWATHLON
Mountain lions return to the Blue Ridge.
17 THE DIRT
Three thru-hikers haul out a halfton of garbage on A.T. journey.
29 THE GOODS
Charlottesville pro cyclist Ben King shares his go-to gear.
62 TRAIL MIX
Three from the Triangle: trio of top roots musicians from RaleighDurham-Chapel Hill.
A team of beer-loving adventurers combine biking, paddling, and breweries (along with an inflatable doll) in a three-day outdoor challenge.
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55 THE FUTURE OF SOUTHERN WATER
How will climate change affect fishing and paddling on your favorite regional river?
59 TRUST THE HIKE
A youth hike leader and her cadre of rain-soaked teenagers discover life lessons that only the trail can teach.
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
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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
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CONTRIBUTORS
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When a giant wild hog was charging us, my friend accidentally sprayed me with his bear spray trying to defend himself.
During my NOLS course in the Amazon, I was shocked by an electric eel. Unfortunately the song "Electric Feel" had already come out, but I like to think it was inspired by my real-life events.
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B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / S E P T E M B E R 2 01 6
ANDREW KORNYLAK While weighing a snapping turtle, deep in a coastal swamp, my friend Ryan told me he had never been bitten by one, at which point the turtle reached out and snapped him right in the crotch. It broke the skin but Ryan emerged intact.
EVANS PRATER Around 3 a.m. a bear walked up to my hammock on the A.T. My heart almost jumped out of my throat as he sniffed my butt—I felt his muzzle through the hammock. Finally he left. I guess my butt smelled pretty bad after not showering for a while.
STEVEN McBRIDE While biking solo on the Iron Mountain Trail, I stopped to move a limb across the trail and found a large rattlesnake under it, very close, and rattling.
TIM KOERBER On the last jump of a downhill trail in Wyoming, a bull moose was standing directly below the landing. I skidded to a halt right in front of him, and then he ambled into the woods.
RANDY JOHNSON
DAN BRAYACK A buddy of mine jumped directly in front of a rattlesnake at Rattlesnake Rocks, W.Va. The snake was like "psssssh, whatever. I see tourists all the time."
LELAND DAVIS
In the Smokies, I came face-to-face with a bear on the A.T. We froze. When I left the trail to my left, so did he. We circled each other and went our separate ways.
I came home from work this May and found a bear crawling through my window and reaching into my kitchen sink.
JOHNNY MOLLOY
DANIELLE TAYLOR
ALISHA EDMISTON
I accidentally ended up stuck in my truck surrounded by a herd of bison in South Dakota. I didn't want my dog to start barking and set off a stampede, so I just kept feeding him beef jerky to distract him, totally recognizing the irony.
I saw two black bear cubs as I rounded a switchback while running with my dog Trouble. Thankfully, Trouble didn't see them, and I watched the two cubs run off.
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A bear stepped on me while I was sleeping under the stars in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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BLUE RIDGE BRIEFS by JEDD FERRIS THE PARALYZED THRU-HIKER Two years ago, Stacey Kozel’s ongoing battle with lupus paralyzed her from the waist down. But that hasn’t deterred her from attempting to achieve the goal of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. The Ohio-based Kozel, 41, has spent the summer hiking northbound 20 miles a day with the assistance of high-tech leg braces that allow her knees to bend as she uses her upper-body strength to move forward. The braces, which cost $75,000 each, need to stay dry and have to be charged every two days. Although she had to fly home once to get one of her braces fixed, she has no plans to stop hiking until she summits Katahdin. LOCAL COMMUNITY HELPS HOMELESS TEEN WHO BIKED 50 MILES TO COLLEGE Fred Barley was intent on getting to college by any means necessary. For the 19-year-old from Conyers, Ga., that meant biking 50 miles to Barnesville to register for classes at Gordon State College. Barley’s story came out when police officer Richard Carreker found the homeless teenager sleeping in a tent on campus. Carreker put Barley in a hotel room, but the generosity from the local community in Barnesville didn’t stop there. Debra Adamson heard that Barley, a biology major about to start his second semester, needed a job, so she immediately hired him to work at DB’s Pizzeria. Another local, Casey Blaney, set up a Facebook page to raise money to help pay for Barley’s education, and the effort yielded a whopping $184,266. 8
LAND PROTECTED ON THE PARKWAY The Conservation Trust for North Carolina recently acquired a 50acre property along the Blue Ridge Parkway known as the Open Branch Headwaters tract, which is located near milepost 452. The tract reaches an elevation of 5,400 feet and includes rare spruce-fir habitat. Soon to be donated to the National Park Service, the land is also a key connection in a much larger piece of preserved land that will soon become a new park along the Parkway at Waterrock Knob. VIRGINIA WOMAN KILLED ON CROSS-COUNTRY CYCLING TRIP A 22-year-old woman from the Richmond area was killed in Idaho on a group cycling trip. Anne Davis was struck by a car while riding with a group of 22 cyclists on a trip from Virginia to Oregon that was organized by Bike & Build, a nonprofit that raises funds for affordable housing. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Davis was hit by a Chevrolet Malibu driven by 33-year-old Patricia Beyer. Another cyclist, Laura Stark, 26, of Michigan was injured in the accident and in critical condition as of press time. A recent graduate of the College of William & Mary, Davis was dedicated to social environmental issues. She was set to take a job as a fellow for hunger and nutrition in the William & Mary Office of Community Engagement. “The Earth
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has lost one of its most passionate advocates,” wrote one of Davis’ friends in tribute on Facebook. RECORD FOR WORLD’S LARGEST SQUARE DANCE LIKELY SET IN TENNESSEE At first, it appeared there weren’t quite enough people ready to swing their partners round and round. By her initial count, Gloria Christy, president of the Uncle Dave Macon Days oldtime music festival in Murfreesboro, tallied 736 participants, shy of the 806 needed to set the Guinness World Record for the largest square dance. Fortunately, though, Christy’s lastminute rallying call for extra dancers at the event in early July was fruitful, and she estimated another 200 kicked up their heels while the Hog Slop String Band picked a tune in an effort to make history. The record had yet to be verified at press time, but according to a story in the Daily News Journal, participants came from across state lines and as far away as Sweden to join the effort, which took place around the inner circle of the Rutherford County Courthouse. There will be a recordbreaking attempt again next summer. “We’re going to do it every year,” Christy said. “It’s going to become part of the fabric of the festival.” 5POINT FILM FEST RETURNS TO ASHEVILLE IN OCTOBER Asheville will host one of the country's premier outdoor film festivals on October 6-8. 5Point Film Fest will showcase their best adventure films and also bring together top regional
BEYOND THE BLUE RIDGE RUNNING COUPLE REACHES 25,000 MILES In July, Illinois-based married couple Jamie and Lynn Parks celebrated 25 years of running races together by reaching another milestone—running their 25,000th mile. It’s been quite a journey for the Parks. On their runs, Jamie pushes his wife Lynn in a wheelchair, as she was seriously injured in a car accident back in 1987 and can only walk with the help of a spotter. According to a story in Runners World, the couple averages between 35-40 miles a week and has run more than 300 races together. One of their biggest accomplishments was a 2:57 finish at the 2008 Boston Marathon, but they decided to make mile 25,000 a casual affair—a one-mile run from their Tinley Park home with their 17-year-old daughter Annalyn. adventurers for lively, candid, and powerful conversations about outdoor issues. 5Point will also help lead a French Broad river clean-up and host a van life rally. Learn more at 5pointfilm.org. illustration by WADE MICKLEY
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HERE, KITTY KITTY
EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON RECENT MOUNTAIN LION SIGHTINGS AND WHETHER THE CATS ARE REPOPULATING THE EASTERN STATES by LAURA INGLES
D
iana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the animal stepped out of the woods last May. For a solid four seconds, Marchibroda watched as a large, sleek cat standing about three feet tall with a long, curled tail crossed Skyline Drive near Gavel Springs Gap less than 100 feet in front of them. Neither Marchibroda nor her canine hiking companion made a peep, and as soon as the cat caught sight of its awe-struck onlookers, it scampered back into the woods, swift and silent. “I saw a mountain lion, and that's just the way it is,” said Marchibroda, a dentist in her 60s living in Afton, Virginia. “It was great, probably one of the most exciting experiences of my life, and I feel very fortunate.” Heart still pounding, Marchibroda tracked down a ranger near Mathews Arm Campground to report what she had just witnessed. A seasoned hiker who's lived in Virginia since the 1970s and is deeply familiar with the area's wildlife, she's confident in what she saw. Others, including the park ranger she met that day and wildlife experts she's reached out to since the sighting, are skeptical. “They had their minds set and there was nothing that was going to change their minds. Even with all these numerous sightings they still dug their heels in, and that was pretty frustrating,” she said of the officials at agencies like the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Resource. “They initially didn't want to admit that I saw one, and they were
PICTURE THIS Every Friday, Michelle LaRue takes to Twitter to post a photo that the Cougar Network (a nonprofit dedicated to researching and studying cougars and their habitats) has received. She asks Twitter followers to comment and guess whether the animal in the photo is actually a mountain lion, and later reveals the truth. She’s been playing this game since October, and she said while it’s entertaining, it’s also a valuable lesson in the general public’s ability to correctly identify wildlife. “People just don’t have a lot of experience, and they expect to see something that’s more exciting than not,” LaRue said. FOLLOW ALONG online
EASTERN MOUNTAIN LIONS WERE OFFICIALLY DECLARED EXTINCT LAST YEAR, BUT MANY BELIEVE THAT COUGARS STILL PROWL THESE HILLS.
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calling it a UFO—an unidentified furry object. I really took offense to that.” Cougars used to roam the entirety of North America, making the mountain ranges, woodland forests, and river corridors from coast to coast their homes. But European colonization essentially extirpated the cats from about two thirds of their habitat in the U.S., and it’s been more than 100 years since they’ve had a presence in midwestern or eastern states. For decades, the chances of coming across one of these big cats in an eastern state were slim to none, and much to the chagrin of residents like Marchibroda who have reported sightings, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed eastern subspecies of cougars from the endangered species list last year and declared them extinct. But recent expert-confirmed sightings—which have involved photographs, videos, and DNA—in Tennessee support a theory that mountain lions, whose populations out west have continued to expand, are slowly making their way back to this side of the country. Biologists and wildlife specialists speculate that cougars will reestablish themselves in states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia within the next 25 to 50 years. ENDANGERED OR EXTINCT? “My first thought was, 'I gotta chase this thing,'” Marchibroda said. “And then my second thought was 'No, maybe not.'” Marchibroda wasn’t under any illusions that she could catch or in any way interact with the mountain lion she saw on her hike. But she was familiar with (and disturbed by) the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Resource’s recent decision to declare eastern cougars extinct, and she knew unless she was able to produce some sort of physical evidence like a photo, she’d be hard pressed to convince any wildlife expert 12
WHAT'S IN A NAME? The Puma concolor is most commonly known as the mountain lion, but also goes by cougar, puma, panther and catamount. You may have also heard the term “black panther,” but don’t be fooled—those large black cats are actually melanistic jaguars or leopards, not a subspecies of the big cats. of what she saw. “The animal has been determined extinct, and that’s just a shame,” she said. “And that’s being done without, from what I understand, any real proof. How did they know this isn’t an eastern lion? They don’t know that, they’re not genetically testing these animals.” One of her biggest concerns about the recent declaration of extinction is that any cats in the area (whether western migrants or otherwise) and their habitats wouldn’t be protected. But according to University of Minnesota research associate and wildlife expert Dr. Michelle LaRue, it’s a little more nuanced than that. “Eastern cougars are not a distinct species genetically. If for some reason there were any cougars rediscovered in the east that weren’t migrants from the west, the protection status is up to the state in which it is found,” LaRue said. “However, it is pretty well accepted that there are no cougars living in the east currently.” Like a number of other people in her community—a hunter who caught the tail end of a cat on his deer
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cam and a Presbyterian minister in Batesville whose neighbor saw one drinking out of a pond, to name a couple—Marchibroda knows that she saw a mountain lion, and she wants state and national wildlife agencies to take these sightings seriously. There are “just too many of these stories” for her to believe that the cats are extinct. “These are believable people,” she said. “This isn’t just hearsay.” From a wildlife biology perspective, though, it’s going to take more than a story—no matter how convincing it may be—to determine whether these cats are there and where they’re coming from. YOU’RE ON CAMERA Despite the widely-held belief in the scientific community that eastern mountain lions have been long gone and any cats seen roaming the region these days must have made the long trek from midwestern states like South Dakota, some Appalachian residents remain convinced that the cats never actually left the area. In November of last year, a giant cat with a long tail wandered in front
MOUNTAIN LIONS FROM OUT WEST MAY BE MIGRATING EAST. A CONFIRMED SIGHTING IN TENNESSEE SIGNALS THEIR RETURN.
of Tennessee resident Austin Burton’s deer camera on his family’s farm in Humphreys County. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Association (TWRA) confirmed that the cat, which sniffed around on the ground and in a low-hanging tree branch before looking square into the camera with its mouth wide open, was in fact a mountain lion. News outlets picked up the story and the video went viral, and it’s easy to understand why— according to TWRA regional manager Alan Peterson, that video marked only the second confirmed cougar sighting in Tennessee in more than 100 years. “For years everybody in every state wildlife agency has gotten reports of sightings, but we had never had anything in Tennessee that we could really verify as a cougar,” Peterson said. The video appeared only weeks after the first ever sighting confirmed by the TWRA since its founding in 1974, when a trail cam in Obion County snapped a photo of what
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biologists suspected was a young male cougar. Photos are difficult to confirm, Peterson said—the process involves sending wildlife experts to the exact spot where the cat was allegedly seen to take another photo in order to compare it to the original and verify the location. They then have to ensure that the picture hasn’t been tampered with in any way, because Peterson said an astounding number of people—both misinformed wildlife enthusiasts and tricksters with too much time on their hands and access to Photoshop—send him shots of mountain lions that were clearly either edited or taken in a state out west. “TWRA has had their collective heads up their cloacas for a very long time in denial of these sitings [sic] and reports,” reads a comment on a December 2015 article about the video footage. “Why do they believe it now? Is it a change in the regime their [sic]? Oh maybe some of the lazy hacks have finally retired.” Another commenter speculated that the agency may have intentionally downplayed past sightings “as they result in new study and staffing expenses.” Peterson said he understands the excitement around the idea of crossing paths with a mountain lion, but nearly all of the photos and videos he receives are not what they seem. “There are a lot of instances of someone trying to mess with us, or they’re messing with a buddy, and the buddy sends it to us thinking it’s real,” he said. “Most of the time we can find the original photo on the internet where it was taken out west or wherever. It has to be a good, clear photo, and we get all kinds of fuzzy stuff that could be a bobcat, could be a yellow lab, but it’s so far away or so fuzzy we can’t tell.” So these sightings have been confirmed, and there is in fact at least one mountain lion roaming around in Tennessee. Then what? “Well, then we know there’s a cougar there,” Peterson said simply. “We’re not taking any action to move
In November, a mountain lion sighting was photographed on a wildlife camera in Tennessee. It was only the state’s second confirmed mountain lion in 100 years. Is this cat a migrant from out west, or have mountain lions been here all along? them or kill them. We know there’s at least one there, and if we get reports of a cougar causing damage then there’s a possibility we’ll need to investigate that. We have no intentions, but if they show up, they show up.” CROSS-COUNTRY CATS When Dr. Michelle LaRue began her graduate studies in 2005, the state of Nebraska had virtually no mountain lions. Now, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission estimates that the population has reached at least a couple dozen. “What I set out to do was figure out habitat stability and dispersal corridors into the midwest,” said LaRue, a research assistant in the earth sciences department at the University of Minnesota who studies mountain lions. “For about 15 years there were handfuls of confirmations that showed up in the midwest. Every year there were a few here and there.” They exclusively populated western states for decades, but according to LaRue, some shifts in hunting regulations began to change things about 50 years ago: lions were switched from the bounty hunter category to a game species managed by the states. “Managing them in that way allowed for populations to rebound, and that’s what we think is fueling the dispersal. The populations are doing well enough in the west that when young males get old enough, they don’t have anywhere to go,” she said. ”All the territories are basically taken up so they have to go somewhere else, and somewhere else happens to be the Midwest.” In 2012, LaRue and her colleague
Dr. Clay Nielsen published a paper in the Journal of Wildlife Management analyzing 178 confirmed sightings between 1990 and 2008 throughout the Midwestern and Eastern states and parts of Canada. The data they have collected over the years indicates that cougars are gradually making their way eastward, and validated the theory that young males travel farther and more quickly than females, making the repopulation process a gradual one. According to LaRue and her research, lions recolonize by stepping stone dispersal, which essentially means they start traveling, find a nice habitat to set up shop for a little while, then move on to the next area with a suitable habitat—and they’ll do this for hundreds, even up to thousands of miles. It’s a gradual process, and especially in the early years of a repopulation, any sightings are most likely of males. “We were really focused on the males, because obviously they can’t ensure populations with just males,” LaRue said. “Females need to show up. But the thing about mountain lions is that females don’t travel as far or as often, and when they disperse they don’t go very far or very well.” Female cougars will raise a litter of kittens up until the age of about 20 months, LaRue explained, and then the young cats are “kind of kicked out and left on their own.” The males, especially, are forced to disperse away from the family, partly to avoid inbreeding, and partly because male cougars are territorial and won’t tolerate any other males in their domain. “Male cougar territories are pretty
big, and that’s why they have to disperse farther than females,” LaRue said. “When a female kitten gets big enough, she doesn’t have to go very far, because nobody’s kicking her in the butt to get far away.” The cougars wandering far from their original homes in the West are, naturally, searching for three things: habitat, food and mates. The Midwest can offer two of the three, but the males don’t have much luck repopulating the area on their own. Females have gradually made their way into states like Nebraska, South Dakota, Arkansas, and Missouri, but according to LaRue, it turns out the midwest “largely is not a great habitat.” So it’s not unreasonable to assume that they’ll continue on and eventually end up in states near and on the eastern seaboard, where lush mountain ranges like the Blue Ridge and Smokies offer prime habitat and sustenance (deer, primarily) for the cats. But even when a new population does begin to grow, LaRue said the likelihood of crossing paths with them will still be miniscule. “They prefer habitats where it’s difficult for people to go,” LaRue said. “They like rugged terrain with forest cover. Because of how they hunt, they need to basically be able to hide and creep up on their prey. Being in a residential neighborhood does nothing for a cougar.” So will a new population of cougars render the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s declaration of extinction moot? That might depend on who you ask, but LaRue, who’s been studying mountain lions for more than a decade, isn’t convinced that eastern cougars were ever any different from the western subspecies. Her views represent another twist in the ecological controversy. “Last year the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Resource declared the eastern cougar extinct,” LaRue said. “I don’t really know why, because I don’t really think it ever existed.” She believes that North American mountain lions—including the Florida panther, which she said
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is protected because “they are considered a distinct population segment via the Endangered Species Act”—are essentially all the same, without enough genetic distinctions to justify differentiating the western and eastern subspecies. “I’m of the opinion that there really never was a big difference between the eastern cats and what’s in existence now,” she said. “I think it’s all the same.” And she’s not alone in that belief. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries district wildlife biologist David Kocka is of the same mindset. “I’m not a mammalogist, so I’m not going to try to play their role, but I think they’re all the same,” Kocka said, adding that differentiating between subspecies may not always be a worthwhile effort. “There are at least 10 different subspecies of whitetailed deer, and it doesn’t make a bit of difference in the grand scheme of things.” LOOKING AHEAD As for what a new population of mountain lions would mean for nearby residents, education is crucial. “The amount of area they need for their home range, the kinds of things they eat, their behaviors—all of that is really important to arm ourselves with so we have that information,” LaRue said, adding that with that education comes the dispelling of myths. “They don’t go after dogs and cats or people. They prefer deer.” LaRue is the first to admit that she’d love to see a mountain lion in the wild, and she of all people understands the fascination with them. But she’s also realistic. “The likelihood of seeing one is incredibly rare, let alone interacting with them,” she said. “I have friends in Wyoming and Montana, where mountain lions have always been. They go hiking in the Rockies all the time and people still don’t see them
THE CAPRA VENTURE
very often.” Kocka, who predicts that he’ll be retired long before cougars establish a population in Virginia, said “it will change things.” “There will be dynamics that people have no concept of,” he said. “We’ll deal with a lot of the same stuff that’s related to bears in Virginia. A lot of people don’t know they’re around until they show up and start feeding on their bird feeders, and then all of a sudden it’s ‘What are you gonna do about these bears?’” He envisions calls from parents, too afraid to send their kids out to the bus stop knowing there’s a mountain lion within miles of the area. “Well, then don’t dress them up like sheep,” he said with a chuckle. “But really, it’ll change people’s viewpoints at some point.” LUCK BE A LADY Experts in Tennessee don’t know exactly how many mountain lions are roaming the area, but they do know one thing for sure: at least one of them is a female. Last November a bow hunter reported to the TWRA that he had shot a cougar in Carroll County. (Shooting a mountain lion is illegal in Tennessee, given that there’s no hunting or trapping season for the animal, but Alan Peterson said the hunter didn’t believe he’d mortally wounded the animal, and the case
MOUNTAIN LIONS MIGRATING FROM THE WEST ARE NOT PROTECTED BY THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.
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has been turned over to a District Attorney’s office to determine whether or not the hunter will be charged.) Blood samples from the arrow revealed that the cat had originated in South Dakota—and that it was a female. Which could be a pretty big deal, because up until now, the confirmed sightings in the east have been of male cats. “In the subsequent photos we’ve gotten of cougars, there wasn’t any evidence of any kind of wound or anything on it,” Peterson said. “So we’re assuming there are at least two different animals, one that was hit by an arrow and one that wasn’t.” There’s no guarantee that cougars trekking from South Dakota will stick around, or that the female in Tennessee will have kittens. But these cats are on experts’ radars, and the TWRA has even established a Cougar Response Committee to answer questions and sift through reported sightings—of which Peterson said he expects to see an influx later in the year. “If they’re still around here, during deer season, I’m assuming we’ll get more pictures from trail cameras,” he said. “Then we’ll try to figure out what kind they are and get more evidence.”
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HALF-TON THRU-HIKE “TRASH MAN” SETH ORME PACKS OUT 1,000 POUNDS OF GARBAGE ALONG A.T. DURING 2,189-MILE THRU-HIKE by TIFFANY NARRON
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-year-old Georgia native and wilderness guide Seth Orme was out hiking in Franklin, N.C. one afternoon when he started picking up little pieces of trash along the way. The crew hiking alongside him followed suit, and soon they found themselves with a pound of trash collectively. Orme thought about all of the litter living on our trail systems and wondered whether anyone had ever attempted to clean it up. One year later, during the summer of 2015, he decided to act. He set out on a journey with two friends to remove as much trail trash as possible while thru-hiking. Orme and two friends collected over 1,000 pounds of litter from the Appalachian Trail. They are continuing that mission on the Pacific Crest Trail this year. Each human generates on average around 4.7 pounds of waste each day, creating 750 million tons of garbage annually. With national park visitation in 2015 coming in at an all-time high at 307.2 million visits around the country last year alone, the outdoors are presented with a new set of challenges. Orme and his crew, aptly named Team Packing it Out, hope that by acting as outdoorsmen should and engaging the Leave No Trace ethic of packing out what you pack in on your adventures, that leading by example will create a lasting ripple effect. “We’re seeing continued increase in trail use with ‘A Walk in the Woods’ coming out last year and Cheryl Strayed’s ‘Wild’ which had similar effects for the PCT,” says Leave No Trace Education Director Ben Lawhon. “That leads to a lot of impact and certainly increased litter.”
It was litter that initially sparked Orme to call up lifelong friend Joe Denhard whom he’d known since 8th grade and kayaked the Mississippi River with a few years earlier. He told him he wanted to clean as much trash as he could while thru-hiking the A.T. that summer. Denhard was in for the five-month challenge, and together they set out with a seakayaking guide Orme met a few years earlier, Paul Twedt. “I knew at that point in my life it was going to take something more, a bigger reason for me to quit my life for five months,” says Orme. “This idea had a strong enough pull for me. What if there is no trash? What if I can help?” On the eight-mile approach trail to Springer Mountain, Ga., they collected 19 pounds of trash. “Shaking our heads, thinking ‘what are we doing?’ we just kept telling each other to stay positive, realistic, and humble about whatever was going to happen,” said Orme. At Appalachian Trail Days in
Damascus, Va., they talked with the crew at Granite Gear, including Granite Gear vice president of sales and marketing Rob Coughlin. “I talk to a million hikers a year, but the ambition they took to collect a half ton of trash while thru-hiking is the greatest hiking accomplishment I’ve heard in recent history,” says Coughlin. “You have a lot of guys out there doing speed records and things like that, which is great, but to go out there and remove mattresses off the trail is going well above and beyond.” Granite Gear paid for the rest of their hike in 2015 and signed them as official athletes for 2016. They outfitted them before they hit the trail in May and will be joining them at several stops along the way to create short videos. Orme says they’re not using any new or high-tech gear for this hike and didn’t on the A.T. either. Their method is simple—use trash grabbers and keep an arsenal of trash bags and mesh nylon sacks to grab all visible trash. They stubbed toiled paper into the ground using
SETH ORME (RIGHT) AND HIS FRIENDS PAUL TWEDT AND JOHN DENHART COLLECTED 1,000 POUNDS OF TRASH ON THE A.T. photos by NICO SCHULER
their hiking poles and handed off full trash bags to day hikers leaving the trail with cars or emptied them in the nearest town’s trash cans and recycling centers. They weighed their findings each day using a small luggage scale. “With some of the situations we got into with trash, I’m so glad we were all there together. When you find 70 pounds of mattresses it would be tough to carry that out solo. It was ridiculously hard with three people,” said Orme. “Each person that picks up a piece of litter while out there inspires someone else to and someone else and so on. It changes our collective ethic about being outdoors,” said Orme. FOLLOW Team Packing It Out live via their blog packingitout.blogspot. com or at BlueRidgeOutdoors.com
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Combine biking and backpacking for the ultimate outdoor adventure.
by JESS DADDIO
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rom the very first mile, we were climbing. The morning’s stormy rain clouds had dissolved, leaving the hot sun to bake us in their wake. Steam rose from the tarmac, frying my still-winter-pale skin. “I figure it’s either going to be a downpour or a sauna,” said Matt Kearns, Public Lands Specialist from the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. He inched past on his old-school touring bike. Its frame groaned under the weight of three loaded panniers. I could hear Matt’s labored breathing, could see the sweat already darkening the folds of his blue t-shirt. “I think we got the sauna.” I trailed behind, my quads already weakened from the steady uphill grade. I cursed Matt for coming up
with the idea, and me for agreeing to it, ‘it’ being a nearly 60-mile, two-day bikepacking trip around the proposed Birthplace of Rivers National Monument. Side note—I’ve never gone more than 24 miles on a bike, let alone tried to self-support it for an overnight trip. I glanced ahead, hoping to see the seemingly never-ending incline level off. It didn’t. I tried to swallow the disappointment. I was last in a line of five—my boyfriend Adam a speck at the lead, local riders Greg Moore and Eric Lindberg with the Pocahontas Trail crew close behind, followed by Matt, and then of course, there was me. And I hate being last. I could walk faster, I said aloud to
no one in particular. I was seriously having doubts. But I didn’t stop. I kept grinding, one pathetic pedal stroke after another. Just 24 hours prior, I was standing outside Blackwater Bikes in Davis, W.Va., gawking at the very Salsa Fargo I was riding. Shop owner Rob Stull had graciously tracked down the bike for the tour. Its dark green frame glistened in the sun. My limited bike experience aside, the thing just looked sweet—drop bars, 29-inch wheels, sleek frame, countless rack and fender mounts. That bike is a machine, I had thought—just riding the thing would make me fast. “This is the bike for off-road touring,” Rob confirmed. I swelled with confidence,
envisioning the 60-mile ride passing with ease. Maybe later I’d try tackling longer, harder rides. Maybe the Great Divide Trail. Maybe I’d pioneer my own transcontinental route. The possibilities were endless, really. BY THE TIME I FINALLY lugged my sunburnt (I thought it was supposed to rain), sweating, sorry self to where the crew was breaking at 4,551 feet, I forgot about the damn bike. Bravado gone, I chastised myself for so naively thinking this would be a cake walk, or ride. I should have just walked. But then, there it was, the striking view of the Williams River winding below the overlook, sweeping through photo by LOGAN WATTS
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the rolling ridgelines like paint strokes. The only thing better than sitting there snacking on M&Ms and basking in the views of the Allegheny Highlands was knowing that mostly, the worst of the climbing was over. I made it. Like kids on a snow day, we cruised down the remaining 17 miles to camp in glee. The miles came fast and easy, the pavement turned to gravel. We cruised through thick stands of red spruce, alongside surging rivers and streams, between lush understories layered in every shade of green imaginable. We rode the Cranberry Glades Boardwalk, stopping to admire the pitcher plants and hawks. We filled our water from springs and harvested ramps from the forests. The forecast had called for a 40 percent chance of rain (which in early May in West Virginia, most likely means 100 percent), but the sun never stopped shining. The day was glorious. Just a few miles from Tumbling Rock Shelter, our camp for the evening, we passed by a pair of local anglers on bikes. Clearly, they were using their rides out of convenience more than anything. Poles stuck out haphazardly, crammed into the empty spaces between wet boots, bulky Coleman sleeping bags, full-size grills, lawn chairs, and canvas tents, all of which was ever-so-precariously dangling from their rusted bikes. I looked down at my handlebars to the two dry bags bulging under my NRS cam straps. Suddenly my makeshift bikepacking bags didn’t seem so bush-league anymore. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a TV in there,” Greg whispered as we rode on. The five of us were a motley crew at best. Greg, 45, and Eric, 64, looked the most competent, Greg sporting a Specialized single speed and Eric on a Salsa Warbird, both decked out in Revelate Design’s latest line of bikepacking bags. Adam and Matt sported paniers, while I settled on lugging everything I couldn’t squeeze into my drybags on my back. The weight of my camera gear was 20
starting to rub my lower spine raw. Eric knew my pain. Sometime in the late ‘60s, Eric, then 16, had set out on his first “bikepacking” trip from Hollywood, Fla., to Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Armed with little more than a heavy backpack and a couple bucks, he made it work, cruising 75 miles through quiet backroads and never-ending sand dunes. He was hooked. A decade later, he rode 1,000 miles from central Florida to Tennessee, selfsupported on his bike. Comparatively, this 60-mile jaunt around his West Virginia backyard was like child’s play. By 2 p.m., we arrived at camp. Thunder rumbled in the distance. We hustled to collect firewood before the inevitable storm came. Adam and I opted for a grove of hemlock trees to hammock under while the rest of the crew posted up in the shelter. The Cranberry River coursed along the banks, heavy but clear from recent rain. I peeled back my socks to soak my feet in its crystal cold flow. Eric moseyed a little upstream, shedding clothes as he went. “Hope you don’t mind if I strip down for a dip,” he said, more as a courtesy warning than anything. The evening passed slowly, simply. We made dinner, stared at the fire, listened to the rain dribble down the shelter’s tin roof. Eric pulled a bag of red wine from his pack. We filled my dinner bowl to the brim, passing it around like a ceremonial chalice, laughing and sharing stories. It was the first time any of us had met, with the exception of Adam and I. Between the hard-earned miles, the childish bliss of camping under the night sky, and maybe a little bit of heady wine, we hardly felt like strangers. THE NEXT MORNING dawned cool and foggy. The canopy sagged from the moisture, splattering fat raindrops on my tarp. By the time we were packed and pedaling, the sky had unleashed a steady drizzle. We zipped shells to chins, and, heads hunkered, pedaled on as misty rain
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turned spitting turned downpour. We passed by expansive fishing camps with canvas tents and wood stoves and mess halls, stopping only to admire the gushing waterfalls as they poured from the mountainside into the Cranberry. Soon, the level grade peeled away from the river, climbing, again, toward Bishop Knob. Adam and Greg took to the lead, churning the moderately short, but steep, grunt uphill in 20 minutes flat. The rain subsided. The muggy sauna returned. Eric and I shed our shells, damp from sweat. I tried focusing on the verdant forest and mossy earth radiating in the rain’s absence, but the gravel going was slow, my legs like uncooked spaghetti. I could feel the frustration bubble up inside, brimming to the brink of total meltdown. And then, just as quickly as it had started, the climb was over. “It’s all downhill from here!” Matt shouted over his shoulder, zooming in line behind Greg and Eric. Adam and I followed suit, flying downhill for three miles straight, unable to keep from smiling despite the muddy gravel flying off our wheels, caking our faces and rear-ends. Just a few hours later we were back at Tea Creek Campground where our cars sat waiting. Soaked and sore, I felt empowered, accomplished, like I truly earned the ice cold pale ale Eric offered me. “My old lady calls it ‘getting Lindberged,’” Greg said when I tried to decline a second beer from Eric. There would be no refusing. Not this time. Eric was in the mood for celebrating. He shoved the beer into my hand. We toasted to the trip, the company, and the national monument we all hoped would be finalized in the coming year. The doubts I’d felt just 24 hours earlier evaporated, becoming a warm and fuzzy memory, an essential part of the adventure. I was sad to see the trip’s end. I’d almost be willing to climb up the Highland Scenic Highway right then and there just to keep the journey going, I thought. Key word there being, almost.
OFF THE COUCH
Two months after that initial foray into the world of bikepacking, I found myself in the Oveja Negra Threadworks shop in Salida, Colo. Created by Lane and Monty Willson, a husband-wife team who started making 100% American-made bikepacking bags out of necessity, the Oveja Negra brand prides itself on durability, functionality, and accessibility. When they’re not cranking out handmade bikepacking and commuter bags, they’re repairing gear for walk-ins and established organizations like Outward Bound. Lane shared a story with me of one such walk-in, an East Coaster with a Wal-Mart getup (including the bike) in need of a zipper repair on his equally cheap bag. Hesitantly, Lane agreed, but when she saw his too-big Wal-Mart pants and matching belt, she had to ask—Dude, what’s up? The gentleman was en route, by bike, to a West Coast friend suffering the health consequences of an inactive lifestyle. With nothing more than a Wal-Mart discount and an urgent impulse to change his own life, Lane’s customer got off the couch, dropped a few hundred bucks on what he thought he might need for a cross-country biking trip, and hit the road. The added holes on his belt were proof alone that the trip was indeed working miracles. “That’s the beauty of bikepacking,” says Rob Stull, owner of Blackwater Bikes back in Davis, W.Va. Like Lane’s customer, Rob grew up piecemealing his own bike-supported adventures along the C&O Canal without any formal “bikepacking” knowledge. “You don’t necessarily have to go out and get a bikepackingspecific bike and bikepacking-specific bags and gear. You can make a trip happen with the stuff you might find in your gear closet, like freaking bungee cords and dry bags.” So in the name of bungee cords, electrical tape, and Wal-Mart bikes, we’ve compiled some tips, tricks, and trips for novice bikepackers in need of a little direction to get started.
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TIPS, TRICKS, AND TRIPS
How do I get started? Where do I go? Do I need a new bike? All of these questions, and then some, answered by our bikepacking experts Logan Watts, founder of bikepacking. com, and Stephen Proffitt, product manager for Shenandoah Bicycle Company. TIPS #1 ASK YOURSELF—WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE? For Shenandoah Bicycle Company’s Stephen Proffitt, the answer to this question is essential. Some people may want to do long distances, go light, and ride fast, while others may want to enjoy the journey, tackle fewer miles, and never leave the security of their backyard. And that’s okay. Before you start wracking up thousands of dollars on your credit card, Proffitt says to stop, think, and listen, not to the sales person pitching the latest Revelate bag, but to yourself. “Bike people often say, ‘Well, this is what I’d do,’ or ‘This is what you want,’ and that’s so aggressive to a customer,” Proffitt says. “The real question is, ‘Hey, what are you looking to get out of this experience? photos by JESS DADDIO
What are your goals?’ Bikepacking is basically the hiking of the bike world. There are super big nerds out there who want the lightest setup, but at its heart, it’s using existing gear and trying to strap it to your bike in awesome ways.” #2 JUST GO DO IT. “You don’t really need a lot of stuff to do it,” says bikepacking.com founder Logan Watts. “You just need to go do it.” If that requires shedding gear as you ride, which Watts and his wife found themselves doing during their first long-distance ride from Mexico to Panama, that’s fine. Over time, you’ll refine your setup, Watts says, but don’t worry about getting it right your first go. “The best adventure, your first adventure, should be to just load up everything you think you need in a backpack for one night, fill your water bottle holders, get on your bike and ride,” adds Proffitt. “When you go home, lay out the things you didn’t touch and next time, don’t bring them.” #3 KEEP IT SIMPLE. While month-long journeys across the Ugandan countryside certainly sound, and are, epic by default, that
doesn’t mean you have to tackle a big escapade in order to have a good time. In fact, Watts says, long weekend trips could be all you need to satisfy your itch. “I always tell people some of the best adventures can be found right in your backyard,” Watts says. “Just a few months ago, [my wife and I] were temporarily living outside of Raleigh. In that part of eastern North Carolina, there’s nothing. No mountain bike trails. No mountains.” So one week, Watts decided to craft an overnighter to cure his wanderlust. Less than an hour away, he landed on Croatan National Forest off the coast of North Carolina. He laid out his route, hit rubber to road. And the result? “It was amazing. I found this perfect camp spot on the beach.” Moral of the story? Adventure is closer at hand, and simpler to achieve, than you may be inclined to believe.
post bag without dropping $200. The Internet as a resource is a beautiful thing. Use it.
#4 GET CREATIVE. And if you’re not the creative type, consult YouTube, Pinterest, or any number of bikepacking forums (bikepacking.com even has a section purely designated for cheap, DIY bikepacking “hacks”). Learn to make a shelter out of a Wal-Mart tarp and the bike you already own. Rig a seat
TRICKS #1 USE ELECTRICAL TAPE. So your fork doesn’t have any water bottle mounts? Big deal. Grab a couple rolls of electrical tape and some water bottle cages and tape away. Be sure to tape an extra tube somewhere on your bike. The best part about electrical tape is that it doesn’t leave
#5 REMEMBER THAT NO ONE SETUP IS THE RIGHT SETUP. What may work for your ultralight guru of a friend may be completely unrealistic for you. Totally normal. Unlike traditional team sports, bikepacking is an individual endeavor, even when riding in groups. “At its heart, all of this is somewhat grassroots,” Proffitt says about bikepacking. “You’re going to have the things that work for you and your personality and your packing style. Some people don’t bring a tent. Other people aren’t going to be able to function like that. If you require bringing a trailer to bring all of your things the first time, that’s fine.” The point is to have fun with it and experiment. You can’t really go wrong.
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any residue when you remove it. Plus, you can get some super funky colors. Style is everything, even when using electrical tape. #2 INVEST IN DRY BAGS. If there’s one thing you should buy right off the bat, it’s a couple of heavyduty dry bags. More important than being able to strap everything to your bike is that your gear also stays dry. Plus, dry bags are inherently easy to attach to any bike. Just cinch them down with a couple of straps to the handlebar, or loop the clip upside down under the seat post and strap tight. #3 LOVE TYVEK. If you don’t love and use Tyvek already, you should. Ground cloth, bivy, heck I’ve even seen a guy rocking a Tyvek kilt before. It’s versatile, it’s durable, it’s lightweight, it’s packable, and most importantly, it’s cheap. #4 MAKE EVERY INCH COUNT. Size does matter. Eventually you’re not going to want to ride technical singletrack with a heavy pack strapped to your back. As you hone your packing system, look to the bike itself for storing supplies. That empty triangle in the middle of your bike can hold an amazing amount of stuff. Bikepacking.com has instructions for a DIY frame bag (for the crafty and cheap), but you can also purchase a half size or full frame bag for around $100.
#5 THINK “MULTIPURPOSE.” This is where it really starts to get fun. Can you go without, say, tent poles, by using your bike’s handlebars to stake out the fly? Can your tire pump still function if you wrap a bunch of gorilla tape around it for emergencies (that stuff fixes everything)? The lighter you can go, the better those climbs are going to feel. Oh, and bring latex gloves. You might not necessarily come across a bloody limb, but you probably will encounter a broken chain. Keep those paws clean. “I often get made fun of for doing so, but it's something I've learned commuting by bicycle over the years,” says Proffitt. “Nice clothes and greasy hands aren't friends.” TRIPS • Travel in company and learn the basics of bikepacking with Shenandoah Bicycle Company! Upcoming bike campout: October 22-23 • Get schooled in backcountry bikepacking clinic-style with Mulberry Gap’s seasoned guides. This north Georgia-based biking facility offers four-day Cohutta Backcountry Bikepacking 101 and 201 courses in the spring and summer ($100 each) for intermediate riders looking to get some helpful pointers on everything from packing to route planning. Or check out Mulberry
photos by JESS DADDIO (left), LOGAN WATTS (right)
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Gap’s two-part, guided tour of the Trans North Georgia September 1826. Visit mulberrygap.com for more information! BIRTHPLACE OF RIVERS NATIONAL MONUMENT MARLINTON, W.VA.
58.8 miles 4 TYPE: Loop/overnighter TERRAIN: 50 percent gravel, 50 percent paved HIGHLIGHTS: Ramp season, riverside riding, shelter camping, mountain views DIRECTIONS: http://bit.ly/ DISTANCE:
DIFFICULTY (1-10):
CranberryWilderness
IRON MOUNTAIN TRAIL DAMASCUS, VA.
43 miles 5 TYPE: Loop/overnighter TERRAIN: 50 percent paved, 50 percent singletrack HIGHLIGHTS: 6-mile long downhill, shelter camping, creek crossings, rock gardens, classic Appalachian green tunnel DIRECTIONS: http://bit.ly/IronMTNTrail or http://bit.ly/IronMTN100 for singletrack only (51.4 miles; route of Iron Mountain 100K) DISTANCE:
DIFFICULTY (1-10):
THE APPALACHIAN (BEER) TRAIL PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST, N.C.
108 miles 7 TYPE: One-way/four-day minimum TERRAIN: 50 percent unpaved, 50 percent singletrack HIGHLIGHTS: Ultimate tour-de-westernNorth-Carolina for craft beer and singletrack both, Black Mountain Trail’s epic downhill, Slate Rock overlook DIRECTIONS: http://bit.ly/AppBeerTrail DISTANCE:
TWO GORGES GRAVEL MORGANTON, N.C.
DIFFICULTY (1-10):
75 miles 4 TYPE: Loop/overnighter TERRAIN: 55 percent unpaved, no singletrack HIGHLIGHTS: Expansive scenery of Linville Gorge, timing the ride with rhododendron-in-bloom, a 20-mile gravel descent (f'real), Wilson Creek’s wilderness feel and stunning landscape DIRECTIONS: http://bit.ly/TwoGorgesGravel DISTANCE:
DIFFICULTY (1-10):
TRANS NORTH GEORGIA SOUTH CAROLINA TO ALABAMA
342 miles 7.5 TYPE: One-way/five-day minimum, sevenday average TERRAIN: 72 percent unpaved, 18 percent singletrack, little paved HIGHLIGHTS: Solitude, waterfall and creekside riding, Cohutta Mountain views, Stanley Gap and Bear Creek singletrack, rest and reprieve at Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Getaway at mile 220 DIRECTIONS: http://bit.ly/TransNGA DISTANCE:
DIFFICULTY (1-10):
SLATE SPRINGS HARRISONBURG, VA.
52 miles 4 TYPE: Loop/overnighter TERRAIN: 75 percent gravel, 25 percent paved HIGHLIGHTS: Meadow Knob camping, Reddish Knob descent, ample spring access and wildlife viewing DIRECTIONS: http://bit.ly/SlateSprings DISTANCE:
DIFFICULTY (1-10):
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Photo: Noah Wetzel
PURE NATURAL ENERGY
GO-TO GEAR
It’s safe to say Logan Watts has spent more time on a bike than in a car since he and his wife sold their belongings and hit the road in 2012. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Watts has ridden from Mexico to Panama, and in Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Morocco, Southern Spain, and that’s just the start of the list. Watts sometimes posts up in Brevard, N.C., but mostly, he’s still chasing bikepacking routes around the world. His gear recommendations are tried and true. Check out a few of his favorites below! VOILÉ STRAPS ($5.50) “If anything is better than duct tape, it is the Voilé Strap.” Ranging in size from 15 inches to 32, these polyurethane straps are typically used by skiers, but their functionality extends well beyond holding your skis together or crafting an A-frame on your pack. SALSA ANYTHING CAGE & BAG ($30; $32) Anything goes with this cage and bag combo. Designed for riders looking to attach everything from lightweight gear
items like sleeping pads and dry bags to large water bottles and Gatorade jugs, this unconventional bike rack gives you the ability to make every inch count.
hydration/wire port and a separate map pocket, this bag will accommodate the needs of multi-day excursions, long day trips, and everything in between.
OVEJA NEGRA SNACK PACK ($45-55) Now available in an XL size, this top tube bag is the perfect solution for storing caloric fuel, spare tubes, tools, the latest and greatest (and biggest) iPhone on the market. It even fits a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. We tested it ourselves.
REVELATE DESIGNS SWEETROLL HANDLEBAR BAG ($100) 100 percent waterproof and customizable, these handlebar bags come in small, medium, and large sizes for every type of load, bike, and trip.
REVELATE DESIGNS HANDLE BAR HARNESS ($75) Already have an ample supply of durable dry bags? Pop ‘em in a handle bar harness and hit the trail! This harness accommodates dry bags up to 20 liters in size and even works on drop bars. Tents, sleeping systems, packrafts, mini kegs. Whatever your need, this harness can hold it. OVEJA NEGRA SUPER WEDGIE FRAME BAG ($90-100) Utilize the space beneath your top tube without compromising the accessibility of a seat tube water bottle cage. The Super Wedgie comes in small (4+ liters) and large (6+ liters) sizes to fit whatever ride you’re rockin. Complete with a
GREEN GURU HAULER ($100) Made with upcycled nylon, this seat pack is not only one-of-a-kind but also eco friendly. The Hauler provides all of the room you need to lug your camping gear, but can also be converted into a messenger bag for bikepackers who use their bikes for commuting. ACRE HAUSER 14L WEATHERPROOF HYDRATION PACK ($215) Whatever the weather, this little ditty can handle the heat (or rain, sleet, snow, hail, crushing wind, etc.). Count on this totally sealed pack to keep everything dry on the inside while still allowing your back to breathe with the help of perforated panels and shoulder straps.
NEW!
Gluten Free Waffles and Snack Bars honeystinger.com
Organic Stinger Waffles Energy Bars Gluten Free Organic Stinger Waffles Organic Energy Chews Snack Bars Protein Bars Energy Gels
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BIKING IN VIRGINIA S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N
FALL 2016 GIVEAWAY! ENTER TO WIN A VIRGINIA ADVENTURE GETAWAY TO LEXINGTON, VA AND A TREK FX 2 BIKE FROM BLUE RIDGE CYCLERY!
ENTER TO WIN: BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM
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BIKING IN VIRGINIA S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N
TOP 10
The biking in Virginia’s Blue Ridge is second to none! As the Mountain Biking Capital of the East and home to the Blue Ridge Parkway, “America’s Favorite Drive,” there are endless opportunities for world-class mountain biking and
BIKING ADVENTURES in Virginia’s Blue Ridge
cycling! To help you plan your next getaway, here’s a list of the top 10 ways you can have a biking adventure in the Roanoke Valley in Virginia’s Blue Ridge!
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CARVINS COVE As the 2nd largest municipal park in the United States, Carvins Cove boasts 12,000 acres of forest and nearly 60 miles of mountain biking trails, including cross country singletrack, free ride downhill trails, and extensive fire roads. It’s earned a reputation as one of the premier spots for mountain biking in the country.
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the best routes in the world for cycling, and 80 miles of “America’s Favorite Drive” wind through Virginia’s Blue Ridge. The scenic beauty of the road, combined with broad ranges of elevation, provide an incredible cycling experience.
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MILL MOUNTAIN PARK It’s only a 3 mile ride from Downtown Roanoke to the epic trails located atop Mill Mountain. The park features over 10 miles of primarily intermediate and advanced trails, as well as numerous other local attractions, including the iconic Roanoke Star and multiple picnic areas.
ROANOKE VALLEY GREENWAYS Over 30 miles of paved Greenways wind through the Roanoke Valley, offering wonderful options for riders of all skill levels. Many portions of the Greenway system are located along the Roanoke River and near public parks, serving as great places to relax.
READY TO PLAN YOUR VACATION TO VIRGINIA’S BLUE RIDGE? Learn more about lodging, dining, and additional outdoor activities at VisitVABlueRidge.com
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EXPLORE PARK Located at Milepost 115 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, this 1,100 acre park offers over 9 miles of mountain biking trails and easy access to the Roanoke River. As a designated site on the Virginia Birding & Wildlife Trail, Explore Park gives riders the opportunity to cycle through diverse ecosystems, from wetlands, to woods.
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TRANSAMERICA BICYCLE TRAIL The final portion of this 4,228-mile cross country ride makes its way through Virginia’s Blue Ridge before continuing east to the Virginia coast. The route, also known as U.S. Bike Route 76, winds along the mountains and countryside through many of the region’s historic small towns.
BIKE RENTALS & GUIDED TRIPS Whether you need a bike for a couple hours or want to spend an entire week on the trails, renting a bike is easy in Virginia’s Blue Ridge! The experts at Roanoke Mountain Adventures and UnderDog Bikes will set you up with the bicycle that fits your needs and provide all kinds of helpful info, including the option to plan a guided biking trip.
LAST TRAIL RIDES
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ART BY BIKE Art by Bike is a local, self-guided riding experience that weaves through the city of Roanoke and offers visitors the opportunity to see a variety of unique public art pieces. This 8.5 mile ride combines the city’s historic neighborhoods, vibrant downtown district, and emerging arts scene in one fun adventure!
BIKING EVENTS There are always great biking events on the calendar! Between weekly beer rides organized by local biking clubs, and exciting events like the Virginia’s Blue Ridge Creature from Carvins Cove and Star City Gran Fondo, we love celebrating our unique cycling culture in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Visit visitvablueridge.com/events for more information.
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BIKE SHOPS The pros and specialists at our local bike shops will have your bicycle back to 100%, or can help you find the perfect new bike for conquering the Blue Ridge Mountains. From a custom-made version at Six-Eleven Bicycle Co., to all the biggest brands and gear at East Coasters Bike Shops and Cardinal Bicycle, a visit to a bike shop in Virginia’s Blue Ridge will have you ready to ride.
Discover a difference between mountain biking and Blue Ridge Mountain Biking. With so many awesome places to ride, including the nationally-acclaimed Carvins Cove Natural Reserve, you can be on the trail from sunrise to sunset if you want. Spend some quality trail time with friends and family in the Mountain Biking Capital of the East.
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Blackwater Falls
TUCKER TRUE T R U E E X P L O R AT I O N
Part breathtaking vistas, part cool mountain culture, and 100% genuine, there’s only one Tucker. And that’s the Tucker Truth.
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THE GOODS
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FIT FOR A KING
CHARLOTTESVILLE CYCLIST AND NATIONAL CHAMPION BEN KING PICKS HIS FAVORITE GEAR. by GRAHAM AVERILL
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ichmond native Ben King is a National Road Race Champion and competed in his first Tour de France in 2014. This year, King won a stage at the Amgen Tour of California, the premiere professional road race in the country, and that’s after recovering from a broken leg in January. And for King, success starts at home. “I do most of my big training days on the Parkway,” King says from his home in Charlottesville. “Our mountains will get you in shape for any race in the world. And there are so many roads here, you never get bored.” Here are five pieces of gear King loves to use during his training rides in Virginia.
GARMIN VIRB ACTION CAMERA ($299) A lot of what we do as pro cyclists is lonely, particularly the training rides. Cameras like this, where you can post videos and pictures to Instagram immediately, allows us to interact with our supporters, and I’m always looking for ways to do that.
CANNONDALE SCALPEL 29 CARBON ($8,670) Obviously, my road bike is critical, but I just got this mountain bike, and I love it. I hit the trails as often as I can for unstructured endurance rides. The important thing is to train a lot. Any time you’re on the bike is gonna benefit you. And if you can spend time in the saddle and have fun, all the better.
GARMIN VIVOACTIVE WATCH ($249) Basically, this watch pairs with my iPhone so I can take calls while I’m riding my bike. I can look at my watch and see who it is without fumbling for the phone. It’s fun.
MORE GEAR
ROAD ID ($20 for the Slim) BONK BREAKER BARS ($30 / box) This is all about safety and peace I've eaten hundreds of them, and I'm of mind, especially since I ride all not sick of them yet. They’re really over the world. My contacts are effective for on-the-go nutrition and all on this ID if I get into a crash. they actually taste good too. My Without that, if someone found me, favorite is salted caramel. It tastes they wouldn’t like eating know who I am cookie or whom they dough on EDITOR'S should contact. the ride. CHOICE
LIGHT & MOTION SECA 2200 ENDURO ($470) Simply put, it’s the brightest and lightest LED on the market. Ultra durable, lightweight, and waterproof, it’s the light of choice for mountain bikers and endurance racers. BORDO CENTIUM BIKE LOCK ($70) This revolutionary key lock features 5mm steel bars that fold compactly and mount easily. They’re a bit heavier than your average bike lock, but worth the weight in security. DIAMONDBACK CATCH 2 (from $4,000) The new Catch 2 is an incredibly plush aluminum trail bike with 27.5+ wheels, 130mm of travel, a slack geometry, and the Level Link rear suspension, which works really well to keep your pedal power in the drive train. The wider tires offer bomber traction, allowing me to rail corners and bomb through Pisgah’s root and boulder gardens with confidence.
PERFORMANCE SPORT LINER SHORTS ($60) These affordable, durable biking shorts are designed to withstand long hours in the saddle.
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BIG FISH
5 PROS FROM THE BLUE RIDGE FLY FISHING SCENE SHARE THEIR SECRETS by TRAVIS HALL
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he world of fly fishing is constantly evolving, and the characters who shape the sport have evolved right along with it. Many of today’s guides and gurus double as Instagram celebrities. Some have intertwined passions and hobbies like art and music into their love for catching fish on the fly, while others have used fly fishing as a way to meet and overcome what might have otherwise been insurmountable challenges. I wanted to know more about the characters I was constantly seeing on my fly fishing heavy Instagram and Facebook news feeds, so I dug a little deeper. I happened upon a Virginia-native with one arm who ties flies and wrangles trout better than most anglers with two, a fly fishing tattoo artist out of West Asheville, and a classically trained bluegrass musician who can wield a fly rod and an upright bass with equal precision. Get to know some of the most interesting and eclectic characters in the Blue Ridge fly fishing scene. 30
fights fish by stripping line in with the aid of his teeth. Soon after adopting the sport he began tying his own flies and got so good at it that Orvis started selling two of his signature patterns— Josh’s White Lightning and Josh’s Wiggle Hellgrammite. These days the Franklin County, Va., native owns a company called DeadDrift Flies which specializes in hand tied flies, guiding, and fly fishingthemed apparel. WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SPORT OF FLY FISHING?
I've always found peace and excitement while fishing, and fly fishing brought that to a new level, especially the peace aspect after deployment and later losing my left arm. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I'm holding a fish with just one arm, and I love the comradery I've found in the fly fishing community. FAVORITE FISH TO CATCH ON THE FLY?
JOSH WILLIAMS Franklin County, Va.
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osh Williams is an Iraq war vet who lost his left arm in a motorcycle accident while driving to guard duty in Ft. Hood, Texas. The accident was life changing, but Josh didn’t let it slow him down. He discovered fly fishing during his long road to recovery and took to the sport with gusto. Because of his injury he
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My absolute favorite is the brook trout. But in the summer, my heart belongs to smalljaws. FAVORITE REGIONAL FISHING SPOT?
That's a hard one. I love several of the places within an hour of me. You've got the James and the New River and dozens of wild rainbow and native brook trout streams. Botetourt County offers a really cool hike stream with nice waterfalls called Roaring Run. Giles County has Little Stony Creek, which has a 69-foot waterfall. Both streams have a healthy supply of wild rainbows
and native brookies. There are more, but you gotta get in my truck with a blindfold. MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ON THE WATER?
The best lesson I've learned about fishing in the area was learned as a kid growing up in the region. Slow down. This becomes so important when brook trout fishing. Take a few minutes to observe the scene before stepping up to the water. You'll see hidden trout, feeding behavior, and insect activity. And by going smooth and steady, you cover those spots that you'd swear have no fish yet somehow deliver a hidden gem. MOST MEMORABLE FLY FISHING MOMENT?
I've had some pretty funny fails and some amazing opportunities to fish for amazing fish. But the craziest thing happened when I was in Alaska in 2014. After netting multiple pink salmon, my rod snapped at the second section. A buddy convinced me to try casting it with just the tip section (since I don't need a reel so much with my teeth retrieval). I tried, and actually produced a nice cast. One nice enough to hook up on a pink. The story, as well as YouTube link, can be found at http://deaddriftva. com/fishing/healing-towers-day-7. WHAT ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT FLIES IN YOUR FLY BOX?
Wooly bugger for warmwater fish, and an elk hair caddis for coldwater trout. I've caught more fish on those patterns than any other.
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ability to escape from work and day to day activities, and actually get outside. I've lived in the Asheville area since 1999, and I felt like I really wasn't utilizing all the great stuff this area has to offer.
IF YOU HAD TO FISH WITH ONE FLY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WHAT WOULD IT BE?
This is a toss up between a Clouser or a Girdle Bug or a Pat's Rubber Legs. Clouser's are great for freshwater and salt and most fish will eat them, but I've caught a ton of different species on a girdle bug. Trout, bass, carp, bluegill, you name it. Freshwater fish love those things!
FAVORITE FISH TO CATCH ON
FOLLOW Danny on Instagram at @crookedcreekholler
THE FLY?
Definitely the smallmouth bass. They are aggressive and put up an exciting fight, especially on a fly rod. I have a lot of respect for them as a species. They grow at a really slow pace. It’s awesome to land a big smallie, knowing that that fish is pushing 15-20 years in age.
DANNY REED
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HOW’D YOU GET INTO FLY FISHING? WHAT IS IT THAT DREW YOU TO THE SPORT?
I think what drew me more to fly fishing than anything else was the
FAVORITE REGIONAL FISHING SPOT?
Here in Virginia, the Rapidan in the Shenandoah National Park, Dry River in the George Washington National Forest, and Mossy Creek in Augusta County.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE OR LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT FISHING IN THE BLUE RIDGE?
The best lesson I've learned about fly fishing is to focus less on catching giant fish and more on being happy that you're on the water and not at work. Don't get me wrong, catching big fish is awesome, but it's important not to lose sight of what it's actually all about—being outside and taking a break from reality. MOST MEMORABLE FLY FISHING MOMENT?
My most memorable fishing moment is hard to pin down. I've had some amazing times all over the country. Catching a big brown on the South Holston can be pretty unforgettable. I was just recently on Beaver Island in Michigan, and I caught some awesome carp, smallmouth and pike, but I'd have to say I'm most excited about heading to Brazil in October to chase peacock bass.
My grandfathers, father, and stepfather were all fly fisherman so I learned from them. I started out trolling streamers on Moosehead Lake in Maine with a fly rod. As I got older, they taught me to cast a fly rod, and I’ve never used anything else.
Brook trout are my favorite fish to catch on a fly. They are voracious, acrobatic and beautiful to look at when they come to hand.
I'd say most of my favorite regional spots photo by GARNER REID are in east Tennessee. Lots of good bass and trout fishing goes on in that area.
anny Reed is the co-founder of Crooked Creek Holler, a unique apparel company that started with just a sticker and a T-shirt. When he’s not fly fishing or working on his newly developed company, he can usually be found at Hot Stuff Tattoo shop in West Asheville where he’s one of the head artists. Whether he’s in the tattoo parlor or working out new designs for Crooked Creek Holler, much of Danny’s art begins with a real life fly fishing adventure. “I only create designs based on fish I've caught or animals I've hunted,” Danny says. “It all tells a story. As the company grows, I grow as an outdoorsman. New fish, new art, new gear and new experiences.”
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN FLY FISHING? DOES IT RUN IN YOUR FAMILY?
FAVORITE FISH TO CATCH ON THE FLY?
FAVORITE REGIONAL FISHING SPOT?
Asheville, N.C.
fishing skills and share them with others. Today he is the executive director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the resident Tenkara guide at Mossy Creek Outfitters.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE OR LESSON YOU’D GIVE A NEWBIE?
TOM SADLER Harrisonburg, Va.
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Learn to use a tenkara rod. Seriously, it is the most simple and photo by KAMI SWINGLE effective way to fish mountain streams or spring creeks. MOST MEMORABLE FISHING MOMENT?
om Sadler found his way to a fly fishing career by way of Washington, D.C. where he worked as a conservation lobbyist in his former life. When the strain of the D.C.’s cutthroat political climate became too much to bear, Tom left it all and headed for the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to hone his fly
As a guide, the best memories come when clients catch fish they did not expect to catch. The smile on their faces and look of wonder in their eyes is memorable every time. It’s what makes guiding such a joy. IF YOU HAD TO PICK ONE FLY TO FISH WITH FOR THE REST OF YOU LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Olive Parachute Madam X.
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to the Alps of Italy and spring creeks in Portugal, to the western United State and all the way to New Zealand. As much as everyone wants to compare the similarity of streams, the truth is no two streams are identical. Every stream contains its own unique set of problems to solve.
FAVORITE FISH TO CATCH ON THE FLY?
I have a soft spot for brook trout, particularly those found in our Southern Appalachian mountain streams. There’s something special about catching a native species in a setting that they have inhabited since the last Ice Age. They will take a well-presented fly readily, and their habitat is often beautiful and remote, all of which makes them my photo by NATHAN RIVERS CHESKY favorite species to chase with the fly rod.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE REGIONAL FISHING SPOT YOU’D BE WILLING TO SHARE?
GEORGE DANIEL State College, Penn.
George Daniel started fishing the mountain streams of Pennsylvania at age six. Since then he’s become a highly revered fly fishing expert, not only in the Blue Ridge but around the nation. He literally wrote the book on nymphing—Dynamic Nymphing— and has traveled to some of the world’s most renowned fishing holes with a fly rod in tow. Today he owns a company called Livin’ on the Fly, through which he offers specialized instruction and guided trips in the Pennsylvania limestone country. YOU’VE BEEN FLY FISHING FOR MOST OF YOUR LIFE. TELL US ABOUT THE JOURNEY THAT BROUGHT YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.
I grew up in Germania, a small village in northern Pennsylvania along the New York and Pennsylvania border. We were a one car family and my father was usually working, and there was this small stream called Germania Branch that flowed past our house. It was a kid’s only section and I was the only kid in the village that fished, so I had my own private brook trout fishery all to myself from age 6 to 14. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SPECIES?
While I’m starting to target other species, trout are far and away my favorite. I love the places trout fishing has taken me—everywhere from the mountain streams of Pennsylvania 32
Central Pennsylvania. Maybe because it’s my home and where I’ve had so many fond experiences. Also, fish in that region do not give themselves up easily. I like a challenge, and my home waters offer me exactly what most anglers need on a regular basis—a big piece of humble pie. BEST PIECE OF ADVICE OR LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT FISHING IN THE REGION?
Don’t give up on a spot after several casts. Our streams have excellent trout populations, but they demand good presentation. This means you must constantly change the weight of your nymphing rig or alter the size of your dry fly. Don’t give up on a good spot. While this advice applies to all waters, it rings particularly true in the Central Pennsylvania region. LET’S HEAR YOUR BEST FISH STORY.
It was the day both of my children caught their first trout on the fly. Just seeing the wonder and excitement in their eyes takes me back to the strong emotional connection I had with trout growing up. While I continue to travel the country and the globe, that moment of watching both my children catch their fish will always be a favorite. IF YOU HAD TO PICK ONE FLY TO FISH WITH FOR THE REST OF YOU LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
“The tug is the drug” is a favorite comment of streamer anglers. I have to admit, I’m addicted to streamer fishing so I’m going with a size 6 sparkle minnow streamer pattern.
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SARAVANAN ‘SAV’ SANKARAN Asheville, N.C.
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av is the fishing manager at Orvis Asheville, where he spends much of his time providing customers with valuable tips about the fly fishing mecca that is Western North Carolina. When he’s not geeking out on trout, he’s honing his impressive musical skills, a repertoire that includes proficiency in the arts of singing, banjo playing, guitar picking and stand up bass. In fact, he is one of the most in-demand stand up bassists in Western North Carolina’s rich bluegrass scene, and he’s toured with such artists as The Jon Stickley Trio and The Dixie Bee-Liners. Here’s more about Sav and his lifelong fly fishing obsession in his own words. HOW’D YOU GET INTO FLY FISHING?
Growing up in rural central Pennsylvania, I was introduced to the sport early on, being that the area is home to many miles of famed trout water, and fly fishing is a common pastime. WHAT IS IT THAT DREW YOU TO THE SPORT?
I love the challenge of fly casting, as well as the opportunity the sport presents to learn more about various ecosystems, entomology, hydrology, and more. Fly fishing provides me with a framework to explore and experience my surroundings in a new and novel way.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE REGIONAL FISHING SPOT?
With so much amazing water within a short drive of Asheville, it’s tough to pick just one! In my opinion, the gem of Western North Carolina’s abundant resources is the plethora of “blue lines” that beckon any angler who looks at the map! Our many wild trout streams are my favorite place to spend some time on the water. BEST PIECE OF ADVICE OR LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT FISHING IN THE REGION?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that when it comes to becoming a better angler, there is no substitute to time spent on the water. To genuinely know an ecosystem as diverse and challenging as western N.C., you simply have to put the time in on the water. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT WORKING IN THE FLY FISHING INDUSTRY?
My work at Orvis Asheville gives me the opportunity to interact with a lot of folks who are passionate about fly fishing. The most indelible of those moments is to see a beginning fly fisher get excited about the sport! Being in a position to pass on a love for the outdoors is extremely rewarding. IF YOU COULD ONLY TIE AND USE ONE FLY FOR THE REST OF YOUR FLY FISHING DAYS WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Parachute Adams. It’s such a versatile fly pattern that is suggestive of a large group of food sources, and can be used just about anywhere!
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FISHING GUIDE FALL 2016
TIGHT
LINES L LINE
WHEN THE CRISP AIR CUTS THROUGH FORESTS AFLAME IN REDS, ORANGES, AND GOLDS, YOU KNOW THAT AUTUMN HAS FINALLY ARRIVED IN THE BLUE RIDGE.
With these seasonal changes, many excitedly turn their sights to our region’s creeks, rivers, and lakes as they research new areas to fish and the pros who can guide them. To assist with those angling adventures in 2016, our favorite “Tight Lines” guide is back to provide you with the ultimate resource for guides, outfitters, and destinations spanning our mountains. Whether you tie your dry flies or don’t know the difference between a brown trout and a brook trout, Tight Lines will introduce and connect you to the people and places that will make your fall fishing adventures a success. BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM | SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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FONTANA VILLAGE: FISH, STAY, PLAY Set among the endless beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina, Fontana Village Resort is the perfect fall escape for outdoor adventure, relaxation, and family fun. Accommodations include The Lodge at Fontana Village, private cabins, and a riverside campground. Amenities include the Fontana Lake Marina, Wildwood Grill and Mountview Restaurant, a pool and lazy river, disc golf, and miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.From Fontana, anglers can access some of the Southeastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier wild trout streams, including Hazel, Eagle, and Twenty Mile Creeks. Fontana Lake fishing offers walleye, smallmouth, and largemouth bass. FONTANAVILLAGE.COM
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LIVE AND BREATHE THE SPORTING LIFESTYLE WITH THE ORVIS COMPANY Over 140 years in the outdoor business have taught us something. Many of our workdays involve squeezing in a morning turkey hunt before an 8 a.m. board meeting or heading directly to the river after leaving the office. “Work hard, play hard” may be old-fashioned, but it’s how we operate. We’ve discovered that’s how our customers like to function, too. You’re active; you like to get outside whenever you can, playing and getting your hands dirty. But you also appreciate the finer things in life. Sipping a mellow gin and tonic while floating down the river. Reveling in the oh-so-simple comfort of a shirt that fits just right. We are proud to be your destination for men’s and women’s clothing, fly fishing, hunting, and pet goods. We now have several stores in the Southeast to serve you and we’re ready to be your local go-to store. LEARN WITH STYLE | Interested in the sporting lifestyle but unsure where to start? Our stores offer free classes, seminars, and our Fly Fishing 101 program, or attend one of our Corporate Schools for additional instruction at one of our gorgeous locales. Plan your next great fishing or adventure trip with our in-house travel team; our experts even guide several trips a year. At Orvis, we live and breathe the sporting lifestyle and look forward to welcoming you into the family.
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3. HARMAN’S LOG CABINS
4. LAKE PELHAM, CULPEPER, VIRGINIA
The city of Waynesboro offers some of the finest trout fishing in Virginia. Trophy-sized rainbow and brown trout thrive in the South River Delayed Harvest Area, which flows right through downtown and has one of the only two urban fisheries in the state. The South River Fly Shop on Main Street provides guided trips, classes, and an extensive line of fly fishing products. Waynesboro is also home to the South River Fly Fishing Expo in the spring. Attendees have the opportunity to enjoy fly tying, casting, and fishing presentations by regionally and nationally known professionals. Visit our websiste to learn more about Waynesboro, Virginia.
Let Front Royal Outdoors lead your ultimate Shenandoah River fall fishing experience. Between Shenandoah National Park and the George Washington National Forest, anglers will find some of the finest smallmouth bass fishing in the Mid-Atlantic region on one of Front Royal Outdoors’ special trips for fishermen. Tour options include half-day, full-day, and multi-day excursions on the South Fork. We provide details, equipment, and shuttle service. As an authorized Jackson Kayak dealer, we sell the venerable brand’s full fishing kayak line, and we also rent the Jackson Coosa and Cuda fishing kayaks. Bait and tackle are available as well.
Harman’s Log Cabins is the outdoor enthusiast’s dream, especially for fly fishing, hiking and weekend getaways. Located along West Virginia’s North Fork River, Harman’s offers year-round luxury log cabin rentals with nearly two miles of private trophy trout fishing at your doorstep. Take a short drive to Seneca Rocks Recreation Area and Spruce Knob Recreation Area or enjoy a relaxing day in neighboring Dolly Sods Wilderness Area and the Monongahela National Forest. Or stay on site and try your luck at catch-and-release trophy trout, or up your game with a guided fly fishing trip!
Discover a local favorite and get lost outdoors at the base of the Shenandoah Mountains. Centrally located off U.S. Route 29 in Culpeper, Virginia, Lake Pelham covers 255 acres of forests and open waters with sloped banks along the shores. Anglers will enjoy a variety of fish species such as crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish, yellow perch, and channel catfish. For those interested in simply getting on the water, Lake Pelham Adventures offers canoes, kayaks, and paddle board rentals. The boat ramp is open to the public. Visit our website for more information.
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THE GUIDES WHO KNOW BEGINNER INSTRUCTION, LOCAL GUIDED TRIPS AND WORLDWIDE TRAVEL Fly Fishing doesn’t have to be complicated. At Albemarle Angler, we encourage you to enjoy the sport in your own way and make fly fishing what you want it to be. Use it to get yourself outside with a purpose. Use it as a challenge to enhance your skills and knowledge. Use it as a relaxing way to clear your mind and tune into your senses. OUR SERVICES | As a full-service fly shop with excellent guides and knowledgeable employees, we lead trips, provide product information, and ship gear across the country. With four pieces of private trophy trout water nearby, we guide in Virginia from the James River to the border of West Virginia. We also teach beginners from the ground up and help experienced anglers find the fish while developing their skills.
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PLENTY TO CATCH | Fly fishing is not limited to trout fishing. If it swims, you can catch it on the fly. Locally in Virginia, we fish for trout in the winter, spring, and fall. We also catch smallmouth and largemouth bass in the summer, spring, and fall. While those are the two species that we give the most attention, we also catch muskellunge, catfish, gar, carp, bluegill, stripers, and shad. Beyond our backyard waters, you can join us on one of our many destination fly fishing trips to catch bonefish, tarpon, permit, barracuda, sharks, and more. Call 434-977-6882 for more information.
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TOWNSEND, TENNESSEE
THE PEACEFUL SIDE OF THE SMOKIES
TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN IN TOWNSEND, TENNESSEE Fishing in the Townsend, Tennessee area is a one-of-a-kind experience with an incredible array of water types and fish species within a short distance. The surrounding Great Smoky Mountains hold 1,000 miles of creeks and streams, and the biggest draw for anglers is that all fish in the Smokies are wild, naturally reproducing and sustaining their populations without being stocked. Anglers can stay close to the road and fish readily available streams or explore the backcountry’s peaceful hidden gems. EXPLORE HIDDEN FISHING SPOTS | The best part of the Smokies is that the vast majority of the creeks are hidden from the road. An angler could spend a lifetime exploring backcountry streams and still not see them all. The farther you walk from the road, the better the fishing gets. The areas upstream of Elkmont Campground or the Tremont Institute are good places to explore. Our advice is to pick a trailhead next to a creek, walk a couple of miles and start fishing. GET OUTFITTED | Nestled in the foothills of the Smokies in Townsend, Little River Outfitters is a family-owned fly shop and school offering classes ranging from beginner fly fishing to fly tying. The staff at Little River will recommend a professional local guide to help plan your trip when you visit the area. You can also visit Little River’s shop to get everything you need for your time in trout country, including current fishing reports.
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THE BREWATHLON A team of beer-loving adventurers combine biking, paddling, and breweries (along with an inflatable doll) in a three-day outdoor challenge. by GRAHAM AVERILL THE THING ABOUT WILL SMITH, the rapper and actor, is you either love him or you hate him. There can be no middle ground. At least that’s what I’m learning as we huddle around my broken chain in the middle of Pisgah National Forest. I was in the wrong gear and tried to power up the steep, dirt road climb that leads to Spencer Branch, a recently re-designed downhill that drops off the Blue Ridge Parkway above Mills River. Pisgah is best known for its super tech, rutted out fall line trails that were built by the CCC eons ago, but Spencer is something different. A bit of purpose-designed flow in the heart of the East’s oldest national forest. Obviously, I was too eager to get to Spencer and my chain snapped before I could even settle into the climb. Now, all four of us are trying to repair the chain without losing that little pin that keeps two links together. But mostly, we’re debating the merits of Will Smith. Everyone seems to agree Mr. Smith is a fine actor, but his rapping prowess is debatable. The trip we’re on is a thing of beauty. A perfect three-day loop connecting three world-class breweries by mountain bike and canoe. Here’s how you do it: First, pedal singletrack and gravel roads through Pisgah from Asheville to Oskar Blues in Brevard. Drink and camp. Then, trade the bikes for canoes and paddle to Sierra Nevada. Drink and camp. Complete the loop by paddling back to Asheville and hit the newly opened New Belgium taproom, which hangs over the French Broad River just outside of 40
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downtown. Three days, three worldclass breweries, camping, singletrack and class I paddling along the French Broad. Like I said, a thing of beauty. But we’re only a couple of hours into this epic adventure and my bike is falling apart and there’s a growing divide amongst the crew—a chasm is forming around Will Smith. Hartwell Carson, the French Broad River Keeper, sings a couple of lines from “Miami.” Jeff Keener, a board member for Pisgah SORBA, shakes his head and declares the song to be “ridiculous.” After hearing Hartwell’s rendition of “Miami,” the fourth member of our crew, Jeremiah LeRoy, seems to be siding with Keener. Personally, I’m indifferent about Mr. Smith. I just don’t want to have to push my bike 40 miles across Pisgah National Forest. GOD LIKES ME Some of the West’s largest craft breweries started building East Coast operations several years ago to capitalize on the East’s thirsty population base. Three of those breweries, Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada, and New Belgium, which together make some of the best beers in the world, happened to build their new facilities close to my home town of Asheville. I think they did this because God likes me. Look at the new breweries on a map and they form a kind of triangle of goodness surrounding Pisgah National Forest and the French Broad. Technically, you could drive to these breweries, but with a little bit of logistics, you could turn a standard brewery tour into a multi-sport adventure. The first couple of hours are
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uneventful as we climb out of Bent Creek Experimental Forest on the edge of Asheville on a long, steep gravel road, riding through a dark tunnel splattered with graffiti beneath the Blue Ridge Parkway. The flow of Spencer comes shortly after fixing my chain. The trail drops through stands of skinny hardwoods for two miles—a perfect bench cut path hugging the edge of the slope offering the occasional ballsy B-line drop and a big sweeping berm with every change of direction. Rock gardens are scattered throughout to keep things interesting, but for the most part, it’s a carefree descent. This sort of flow is relatively new to Pisgah, and some bikers complain that it’s part of the greater “dumbing down” of the forest. It’s not hard enough. Not technical enough. None of us complain as we carry speed through the berms and rocks, all smiles as we hit the last kicker where the trail meets the gravel road. There’s more carefree singletrack through big, grassy meadows on Fletcher Creek and then we’re crossing creeks and pushing up a steep, rutted out trail in search of a shortcut to cut off some gravel road. There’s no avoiding the big climb of the day, though—a gravel grinder along Forest Road 1206 up to Yellow Gap. We settle into a manageable pace and start discussing the shortcomings of the current health
insurance industry, because we’re old, and soon we hit Yellow Gap, where we snack on beef jerky and a can of Pringles. It’s sunny, not too hot, we’ve been riding our bikes since 9 a.m. and we’re eating heavily smoked beef. All things considered, that’s a pretty good day. We haven’t even had a brush with death yet. That won’t happen until we hit Avery Creek at the end of the day. If Spencer Branch is “new Pisgah,” then Avery Creek is “old Pisgah.” It’s basically a dry creek bed that drops down the fall line of the mountain, carving a deep, red-clay ditch into the slope that’s riddled with massive root gardens, Yeti Cooler-sized boulders and the occasional tree. In other words, it’s awesome, and I’m eating it up, going faster than I should be, until I see Jeremiah fly through the air, head first into a skinny tree. He grazes off the hardwood and lands with his face in the dirt, his bike on top of him like a blanket. A really painful blanket. His legs are bleeding and there’s a golf-ball sized knot forming on his shin, but otherwise, he’s good. No brain damage. No broken collar bone. We give him a few minutes, do a quick concussion test and then we’re riding again, hurrying now because we have to make it to Oskar Blues before they close. We pop out of the forest on Highway 276 and hop on a
greenway that will take us straight to the brewery, sprinting in our heaviest gear and passing old couples on cruisers, yelling “on your left!” as we fly by them. Oskar Blues is a fairly industrial affair with a concrete beer garden and a small taproom overlooking the brewery. The beers are cold and we order two burgers each before pedaling to our first campsite, tucked into a large farm on the edge of the French Broad. Hartwell has stashed our canoes and his truck at the campsite (logistics!), so we take his truck to scavenge the farm for firewood, listening to country music as we cruise through the pastures. We find a bunch of dry pallets and erect a bonfire so large, you could land a plane by it, and complain about eating too many burgers until we start peeling off for our tents. THE BABY SQUIRREL CONSPIRACY In theory, the 44 miles we biked across Pisgah National Forest should be the toughest leg of this multi-day, multi-sport adventure, but we have 28 miles to paddle from the campsite to Sierra Nevada in sluggish canoes loaded down with beer and gear. I figure we have a 50/50 shot of getting to the brewery before dark, and there are a number of things that could derail our efforts. Thunderstorms, low water, pirates…but honestly, if
we don’t make it to Sierra Nevada in time it’ll probably be because of the 30 minute argument we have over Keener’s baby squirrel theory. Here’s the gist of the theory: there is no such thing as baby squirrels. “Nobody’s ever seen a baby squirrel,” he says, sipping his coffee. “They don’t exist. Seriously, have you ever seen a baby squirrel?” “Well, no, but…” Jeremiah says. “That’s because they don’t exist. I’ve even looked for them on the internet. I can’t find any pictures.” “So where do adult squirrels come from?” “I don’t know,” Keener says. “All I know is that there are no baby squirrels.” “So wait,” Hartwell says. “You’re saying baby squirrels don’t exist because nobody you know has ever seen one, and you’ve done a Google image search?” The conversation goes on like this for far too long, until Jeremiah finds a picture of a baby squirrel on his phone for Keener to study. It’s one of the greatest uses of the iPhone in the history of the internet. The section of the French Broad between Brevard and Mills River, where Sierra Nevada sits, rolls through farm country. Bluffs, rising 20 feet from the water, frame the river, giving way to sprawling pastures on either side. Off in the hazy distance, the farms are
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hemmed in by subtle, low-rising green mountains. Occasionally, we’ll pass an ostentatious trophy home, with perfect grass rolling down to the river, but mostly, the scene is pastoral. It’s all very “Southern” in a way, and it makes me wish I had a bigger drawl, at least for this portion of the trip. Paddling is slow work, so we pass the time mostly by drinking beer and creating segments on Strava to see which boat is the fastest. Jeremiah and I are in one canoe and Keener and Hartwell are in the other. Each canoe has a giant cooler in the center, with camping gear in dry bags packed around it. According to Strava, neither boat is fast. Eight hours later, our boats are beached and we’re playing bocce next to Sierra Nevada’s organic garden. If craft beer has a Xanadu, it’s Sierra Nevada’s new Mills River brewery. The building is a massive blend of river stone and copper finishes, and the expansive grounds are highlighted with large gas fire-pits, perfect grass and lawn game zones. We play bocce,
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throwing heavy balls at each other in the sand, and drink beer from fancy glasses, laughing about the fact that we rode our bikes and paddled canoes here. Dinner is an affair of lamb, tartare and mussels—a far cry from the food truck burgers we ate the night before. After asking for the dish that “has the most amount of calories for the least amount of money,” Hartwell tries to negotiate with the waitress for the price of a chocolate brownie. The brownie costs $9. Hartwell is willing to pay $3. The waitress is an excellent negotiator and Hartwell pays $9. Our campsite is a mile upstream from Sierra Nevada, and we paddle it slowly in the dark, trying to feel our way through patches of shoals. It’s like reading braille. We set up our tents by headlamp and climb in just in time to beat an all-night thunderstorm, falling asleep to the rain beating down on our tents. SAVING CINNAMON The rain continues through the
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morning as we pack up our wet tents and start paddling north, moving through a more industrial stretch of the French Broad that runs along Interstate 26. In the midst of a heavy downpour, we contemplate beaching the canoes and climbing the slope to have breakfast at Waffle House. After an hour of paddling through the storm, the rain stops, the sun comes out and the most amazing thing happens: we find a fully inflated blow up doll. The kind you get at those truck stop sex shops. Or so I’ve heard. When you find a sex doll lying on a rock on the edge of the river beneath a highway overpass, you have to rescue it. You have to strap it to the bow of your canoe like one of those figureheads from ancient ships and give it a name. “It should be something French and classy,” Jeremiah says. “Like Cinnamon?” Hartwell says. We paddle with Cinnamon on the bow of Hartwell’s boat for the next 10 miles, passing through the Biltmore’s extensive grounds where families ride
cruiser bikes and play Frisbee along the greenway next to the river. Some of them laugh and wave, others shield their children’s eyes from the sight of a blow up doll paddling in a canoe. New Belgium’s new brewery and taproom is our final stop. The taproom is small compared to Sierra Nevada’s Disneyland-like extravagance, but it’s beautiful in an industrial/modern sort of way, with a retractable glass wall leading onto a broad deck overlooking the river. As we paddle beneath the taproom, people start lining the railing of the deck, waving at us and taking pictures. A few of them clap and whistle. Everyone is smiling. I know they’re clapping for Cinnamon, the discarded sex doll who’s found a new home as our canoe’s figurehead, but I like to think a small part of the ovation is for our achievement in multi-sport innovation. Three days, three breweries, three sports (if you consider drinking a sport). An 88mile loop by singletrack and river, all human powered. Like I said, a thing of beauty.
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FALL 2016 GIVEAWAY! ENTER TO WIN A VIRGINIA ADVENTURE GETAWAY TO LEXINGTON, VA AND A TREK FX 2 BIKE FROM BLUE RIDGE CYCLERY! LEXINGTON/ROCKBRIDGE GETAWAY > Hampton Inn Col Alto Overnight. Enjoy the historic charm of the 1827 Col Alto Manor House with all the modern conveniences. Applicable only Monday-Thursday. Certain blackout dates may apply.
> Shenandoah Rides & Rentals Cycling Excursion. Experience the area’s beauty on a half-day bicycle trip. Choose which of our most popular routes to ride and we provide the gear (or bring your own). Ride solo or with a guide. See what you have been missing in the Shenandoah Valley! > Brew Ridge Taps Dinner and “Hike”. Enjoy dinner and a “hike” for two at Brew Ridge Taps, home of Wafflewiches and micro brews. What is a “hike” you ask? It is our 4-beer sampler. > Dessert at Sweet Things Ice Cream Shoppe. Savor homemade gourmet ice cream for two. A Lexington landmark for 30 years!
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VIRGINIA FALL GETAWAYS S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N
Wherever your adventures take you, we’ve got a brewery nearby to quench your thirst.
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With 12 brewery locations, it’s easy to refresh yourself on the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail.
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navigates cool waters on a hot day. Beaver Creek Reservoir | Sanjay Suchak
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, only two hours from Northern VA and DC, Charlottesville and Albemarle County, VA is the perfect getaway for your next excursion. Explore local rivers and lakes by kayak, canoe or whatever inspires you to get outdoors. Plan your next trip and request a visitor guide at visitcharlottesville.org/BROguide.
Where tradition is always new.
VIRGINIA FALL GETAWAYS S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N
FAMILY FUN AHEAD. Whether you’re touring President James Madison’s house, picking your own berries, walking through a corn maze, seeing a play, hiking, kayaking or horseback riding, your visit to nearby Orange County is sure to be one to remember!
VisitOrangeVirginia.com
The County invites you to discover all the activities, recreation and rich history it offers. On a Spotsylvania vacation, things to do range from touring historic Civil War battlefields to visiting wineries and sampling the area’s varied dining, shopping, music and arts.
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www.gohalifaxva.com Halifax County VIRGINIA
Rich in History. Rich in Culture. Rich with Adventures. Blessed with Good People.
F
ollow a winding road through the mountains west of the Shenandoah Valley to an enchanted place that has welcomed visitors for centuries. A place where eagles soar, artists dream, musicians play and weary travelers are rejuvenated.
Make your dreams come true in the County of Bath
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Four rivers. Two lakes. Two state parks. We have so many surprising adventures, you won’t know where to begin. Let us help! Request a brochure at www.gohalifax.com or call 434.572.2543 • toll free: 1.866.464.2543
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e water h t er v o
Humpback Bridge is one of the most cherished landmarks in Virginia. Enjoy a picnic in the park and find the right angle for a perfect photo. Then, jump in for swimming, paddling, fishing and even camping on the rivers and lakes of the Alleghany Highlands Blueway.
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More Campsites than condos.
Mecklenburg County features charming small towns to explore, but with so many miles of trails for hiking and riding plus a spectacular lake with 850 miles of shoreline, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not surprising that so many visitors choose to spend their entire vacation outdoors.
More of what matters. More Mecklenburg. visitmeckva.com | #moremeck
Get outside. Drink in tasty brews and inspiring views. Enjoy some great hiking in Lexington and Rockbridge County and sample some unforgettable microbrews along the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail. What are you thirsty for?
Request a Visitors Guide at
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VIRGINIA FALL GETAWAYS S P E C I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N
25+ Trails, Peaks of Otter/Blue Ridge Parkway National D-Day Memorial, Smith Mtn. Lake State Park RV Parks/Camping, Bedford State Park Smith Mtn. Lake, Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest Bedford Wine Trail, James River & Much More!
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Come get lost and find yourself Come explore Patrick County County, Virginia. V 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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experience the army ten-miler october 7-9, washington, Dc
Visit
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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. g in cr uit re er fic of nt ra wa r
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LIFE IN THE MIDDLE SHARING THE ROAD IS LIKE SWIMMING WITH SHARKS. by GRAHAM AVERILL
I TRY NOT TO RIDE BIKES ALONE, for the same reason I try not to surf alone. Sharks. It’s a numbers game. If I’m surfing alone at a break where there happens to be a hungry, maneating shark, then there’s a good chance I’m gonna be his dinner. But if there are seven people in that lineup for that shark to choose from, we spread out the odds of getting attacked among us. Same thing with riding bikes, especially road bikes. Riding with a group of other dudes reduces the chances of me getting hit by some redneck who’s overly aggressive toward road cyclists because he’s confused by the emotions he feels when he sees men in Lycra. The Neanderthal has six other bikers to take his aggression out on. Safety in numbers. It’s a dangerous world out there, particularly on two wheels. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost a thousand people are killed in bike accidents each year. And around 48,000 are sent to the hospital. That’s not to say all of those accidents are the result of aggressive drivers. Sometimes drivers are just texting. Or eating McDonalds. Or drunk. And 54
yeah, cyclists make mistakes and do stupid things too. You could argue that if road cycling is so dangerous, maybe you shouldn’t do it. I had a friend who told me she thought riding bikes on roads should be illegal because it was too much of an inconvenience for her to slow down and move over when she passed a cyclist. I had a hard time not slapping her. First of all, screw the aggressive and careless drivers out there. Riding bikes along winding country roads or through a bustling city is awesome. I’d argue that there’s no better way to get from point A to point B. I’m not gonna let some multi-tasking gymnastics mom in a hurry to get to Starbucks take that away from me. Also, statistics only tell part of the story. Sure, too many people die every year from cycling accidents, but when you think about the sheer number of cyclists out there, you’re probably more likely to die choking on a kale salad than riding a bike. If anything, the statistics are a call for more bikers to hit the road; the more cyclists on the streets, the safer those streets become for cyclists. But there’s another factor at play here that takes us back to surfing, and the potential of tangling with a man-eating shark. There’s something moving about being on the edge of
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the ocean, swimming in a waterscape where so many large, potentially dangerous animals linger below the surface. It’s one of the few times in a person’s life when it becomes blatantly obvious that you are not always at the top of the food chain. It’s a humbling realization that suddenly makes you feel small and vulnerable, but at the same time, connected to something bigger. Surfing with sharks is “awesome” in the most literal sense of the word. Cycling produces the same sense of awe. When I’m riding my road bike in a street full of cars going 50 miles per hour, I am no longer at the top of the food chain. And like a small, vulnerable animal trying to sneak a drink at an African watering hole, I become hyper-aware. I try to compartmentalize sounds and listen for tires. I watch for traffic patterns three blocks up the road, trying to guess the next move of the string of cars in front of me. I assume drivers are not looking out for me. Actually, I assume they’re gunning for me, and I try to always have an exit strategy in every intersection, every potential confrontation. The rules of shark encounters
carry over to two wheels, too; When you’re biking, it’s important to always make eye contact with drivers, never show fear, and if one of them gets aggressive, punch him in the nose. I’m kidding (not really). Never hit a driver (unless he deserves it). There’s something very large, and very fast out there that could drastically alter the course of your life. It’s scary as hell. It’s also exhilarating, and I’d argue, an important part of being human. It’s easy to forget our true pecking order when we’re sitting in our air conditioned homes, watching reruns of “American Ninja Warrior.” We spend so much time in a safety bubble surrounded by side impact air bags and gluten free bagels, I think we need to seek out these situations where we are suddenly vulnerable. So I’m not saying be careless. You take the proper safety precautions, you don’t mess around, but I’d argue you need to put yourself in those vulnerable situations every once in a while. On a surfboard with sharks around you. On a bike in Mid-Town Atlanta. Just so you can get an appreciation for life in the middle of the food chain.
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THE FUTURE OF WATER
How will a changing climate affect paddling and fishing on your favorite regional rivers? by JESS DADDIO
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onsider this: it takes somewhere in the vicinity of 338 gallons of water to produce one three-ounce serving of beef. That one-gallon jug of milk in your fridge? More than 880 gallons of water were needed to yield that. And every gallon of gasoline pumped into your car takes 13 times that in water. With the world’s population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, these staggering statistics have some like Dr. Nicolas Zegre of West Virginia University more than a little concerned. Zegre is an Associate Professor of Forest Hydrology and Director of the university’s Mountain Hydrology Laboratory. He’s also part of a statewide research team working on the Appalachian Freshwater Initiative, a five-year study, funded by the National Science Foundation, dedicated to understanding the various ecological and biological effects of climate change on Appalachia’s rivers and streams. Zegre’s understanding of the region’s watersheds goes well beyond his academic stature. When I first met Zegre, who also serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of the Cheat, he was clad in a t-shirt and flip-flops, his board shorts still damp from a day on the Big Sandy. In the setting of Cheat Fest, Zegre was relaxed and joking. His smile, genuine, the type of shit-eating grin that says, “I stomped Wonder Falls today.” But Zegre’s message is serious, the future of Appalachia’s watersheds no laughing matter. “We use water for every element of our western life by 21st century expectations, from food production to textiles, petrochemical, as well as energy. We all know it, but society MATT SHREVE SURFS IT UP IN CUE BALL, A CLASS III RAPID ON THE CHEAT RIVER. photo by GABE DEWITT S E P T E M B E R 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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seems to forget it,” he says. “Water is important for everyone and every organism at every scale.” The study is still in its early stages, but the findings thus far are unsettling. In short, Zegre and his colleagues predict a one- to twodegree increase in air temperature over the next 100 years, which translates to a 10 percent increase in precipitation or a 40 percent increase in stream flow. For drought-stricken states like Georgia and Alabama in the Southeast, or Colorado and California farther west, a 40 percent increase in stream flow may not sound so bad. In fact, it might even be a welcome change. But in an area like the Cheat River Basin in West Virginia, where annual rainfall averages around 58 inches per year, a 40 percent increase in stream flow would wreak absolute havoc. “That’s a tremendous amount of water,” Zegre says. “Throughout the U.S., about 80 percent of our infrastructure, our bridges, our culverts, our dams, are in disrepair and vulnerable to climate change. Our cities, our towns, our roads, our railway networks, our water treatment facilities are all along river corridors because of our topography.” What’s more, Zegre says, our civil infrastructure is designed based on historic climate and stream flow conditions, not future models. So when 10 inches of rain dumped on West Virginia this past June, killing 24 people in the floods and stranding hundreds more, the ensuing damage to bridges and roads and communities came as little surprise to Zegre. “We don’t know exactly how the future is going to unfold,” he says, “but what happened in West Virginia is in line with our expectation of how the future would look.” A DRIER CHATTOOGA For parts of Appalachia like West Virginia and western North Carolina, that future is certainly going to be wetter, with water likely coming in the form of more frequent and higher intensity storms, but for other areas in the Southeast, a warmer climate
will only exaggerate already-dry conditions. That fact alone has Chattooga Conservancy’s Executive Director Nicole Hayler fearful of the changes her beloved 190,000-acre watershed may see. In the 35 years she’s lived in and around the Chattooga, Hayler helped defeat proposals for theme parks and Verizon Wireless cell phone towers within Chattooga’s Wild and Scenic River Corridor, rallied locals to protect tracts of land near the Chattooga’s headwaters and tributaries from development, and held the Forest Service accountable for the impacts of timber harvesting and road construction on water quality. But in the past eight years, Hayler has become increasingly aware of the Chattooga watershed’s sensitivity. In times of drought, the normally splendid displays of blooming rhododendron diminish. The wild blackberry crops, and the black bears that depend on them, suffer. And the hemlock trees shading the riverbanks wither away, either from thirst or the wooly adelgid or both. “The Chattooga is a tremendous refuge for a wide variety of plants and animals. This region is known as the Salamander Capital of the World,” Hayler says. “A warmer climate with less precipitation would have an across-the-board negative effect when you talk about an area that has been historically a temperate rainforest.” The Plethodontid salamander, more commonly known as the lungless salamander, is one of the species that would be particularly hard hit. The lungless salamander is unique in that it draws oxygen through its skin, which must be kept moist in order to respire. Should the forest floor dry up, so, too, would this rare species of salamander. As for the commercial rafting companies that utilize the Chattooga River, the implications of a warmer climate and a drier season are equally detrimental. Already Hayler has seen a decrease in rafting, particularly during dry spells. “They’ll go to pretty low water levels, but one year I remember the
rafting companies actually cancelled their trips,” she says. “It got to the point you couldn’t even float the river in a rubber raft because you just got stuck on rocks.” A 2003 study published by the National Park Service on the use and economic importance of the Chattooga River estimates that, in the year 2002 (a drought year for the Southeast), paddlers alone pumped more than $2.6 million into the rural communities surrounding the Chattooga. That’s not including the equestrians, hikers, mountain bikers, and anglers who frequent the river. And for an area that largely depends on agriculture for its revenue, a dry season would hurt more than just the recreation. “They’re already starting to cut back on hours of releases,” says Leland Davis, author of numerous whitewater guidebooks, most notably The River Gypsies’ Guide to North America. In Davis’ two decades of living and paddling throughout western North Carolina, he’s seen everything from tropical storms to record droughts, but within the past five years especially, he says the spring weather has become
DANI MARTIN (LEFT) AND LYDIA DARROW (RIGHT) BUST THROUGH HIGH FALLS ON THE CHEAT CANYON. photo by GABE DEWITT
volatile at best. “I taught creeking clinics down here for years, but you just can’t do that anymore. You can’t even schedule any more,” he says. “You used to be able to predict when the wet season was going to happen. Now, when it gets wet, it gets really super wet, and when it gets dry, it gets really super dry.” During one such dry spell this past summer, Duke Energy announced in an email that, due to “declining water resources,” it would be releasing 50 fewer cubic feet per second (cfs) during each of the Nantahala’s recreational releases. It seems minor, and it is, but when Nantahala Lake’s level failed to recover, Duke started cutting not just cfs, but hours of release time. Rafting companies weren't sure which was worse: shortening the release hours over the course of the week or forfeit an entire day of recreational release, and thereby, business?
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AS AIR TEMPERATURE CONTINUES TO RISE, APPALACHIAN FISH SPECIES LIKE THE NATIVE BROOK TROUT ARE HEADING UPSTREAM TO COOLER HEADWATERS. photo by CHAD BLOTNER
TROUT TROUBLES These types of difficult decisions are only expected to increase as a warming climate continues to take its toll on watersheds and the industries, including recreation, that rely on water. Take Appalachia’s native brook trout, for example. By nature, the species requires aerated, cold water to thrive. So what would a one- or two-degree increase in air temperature mean for brookies and anglers? “Most of the larger water bodies are right at a breaking point for brook trout success,” says Dr. Todd Petty, Professor of Aquatic Sciences at WVU. “Any warming at all is expected to drive fish deeper and deeper into headwater streams. Even a slight increase in temperature in the larger rivers, which are going to be the dominant recreational asset, can have a really significant negative effect on the fishery.” In the past century, this quintessential Appalachian fish species 58
has had to battle the consequences of deforestation, acid precipitation, and overfishing. Now, the brookies are up against warming temperatures in a region largely fragmented by culverts and dams and other dispersal barriers, which make retreating to colder headwaters extremely problematic, if not altogether impossible. “Over time, we’ve seen more and more brook trout populations become completely isolated because they’re essentially living in an island, a small, disconnected stream-island,” Petty says. “We’re focused on figuring out how to reconnect some of these isolated populations so they can persist even as the climate does change.” In 2014, The Nature Conservancy released a study by Dr. Mark Anderson that pinpointed areas of high resiliency in the Southeast, places where native species may very well be able to persist, if not thrive, despite a warming atmosphere. According to Anderson, an area was deemed more resilient on the basis of its diversity in climate and topography, as well as its connectivity to other landscapes. At the heart of these climate change strongholds is central Appalachia.
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“Central Appalachia is probably the place that has the most microclimate diversity packed into a pretty connected landscape,” Anderson says. “In a single landscape, you can find temperature differences of 10-20 degrees on a really hot, south-facing slope versus a moist, tucked-in cove on a north-facing slope.” This, says Anderson, makes areas like Mount Porte Crayon in West Virginia’s highlands and Warm Springs Mountains in Virginia’s George Washington National Forest extremely important from a conservation standpoint. Given the room to roam, sensitive native species may be able to sustain their populations in these micro-climates. The challenge now is protecting those areas and creating corridors by which species can access these refuges. “The analogy we use is ‘conserving nature’s stage,’” Anderson says. “Actors and actresses come and go, but if you can keep the stage intact and in good condition, then the play will keep going on even though it changes over time.” DAMS AND DRILLING Anderson worries about the number of dams in the region. “Most of our river systems 100 years ago were these huge connected networks like 5,000 miles long. There are none of those left. The longest we have left is 1,000 miles, which is in the Ohio and Allegheny system. Most of our river systems are 25 miles before dams prevent movement, and in a river system, if it’s over-segmented by dams so that things are trapped between a short stretch of river and unable to access more variability, that’s very threatening to that river system.” The Appalachian landscape is also under threat from energy extraction and development of shale gas and coal resources. “Every map we have shows resilient areas are concentrated in the poorest part of the Appalachians,” says Anderson. “Especially as the coal industry is on the decline and people are looking for new economic incentives, how do we get conservation in there as part
of the discussion so there’s really an opportunity to build on the existing resilience of that landscape going forward?” Zegre is hopeful that recreation tourism can serve as the platform for that conversation, especially in states like West Virginia where natural resource extraction has long dominated the economy. “We’ve seen an exponential increase in outdoor recreation,” Zegre says, “and when we have more people recreating in outdoor adventures, we have greater stakeholders to protect and support the recreation industry.” By the year 2020, Zegre and his colleagues with the Appalachian Freshwater Initiative will have completed the study, which will predict stream flow and precipitation in Appalachia, among other things, in the years 2020, 2050, and 2070. The year 2020 will also mark the beginning of the analysis period, during which the team will compare their projections against reality. Until then, Zegre is working hard to encourage stewardship of Appalachia’s rivers and streams and promote their importance and vulnerability. Be it at the brewpub or on the river, if there’s one thing Zegre wants Appalachians to know, it’s this—Appalachia is not like Vegas. “What happens locally in these watersheds impacts far more people than just the local people. Water in North Carolina flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Water that flows out of eastern West Virginia flows to D.C. and the Chesapeake. Water is taken for granted in our part of the world because we have an abundance of it, but water is needed to make the fabulous beer coming out of western North Carolina. It’s needed to fly fish. It’s needed to support all aspects of the qualities of life we have as Americans.” WHAT DO YOU THINK?
How would a warmer climate affect your life, your work, or your recreation outlets? Tell us your thoughts on climate change at BlueRidgeOutdoors.com and your response could be featured in our next issue.
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TIPS FOR HIKING WITH TEENS • Plan for every possible contingency, and then let it go. Something will go wrong, and it will be okay. • Don’t take it too seriously. If the group wants to play in a waterfall, don’t worry about whether they’ll have dry clothes to hike in. They’ll be fine.
TRUST THE HIKE
LESSONS ONLY A TRAIL CAN TEACH YOU by LAURA INGLES
“Does anyone have an extra pair of socks?” asks Frances, a petite, amiable eighth grader. “Because mine just fell down the toilet hole.”
W
hile the six of us howl with laughter, burying our faces in our sleeping bags and gasping for air, Frances blinks her giant brown eyes, patiently waiting for one of us to answer. The five girls, ranging in age from 13 to 17, fall into a cheerful, giggly chatter as they lean over one another’s shoulders to peer at the digital camera Janey’s scrolling through, licking strawberry jam off their fingers. It’s hard to believe that just 48 hours earlier, these kids were strangers. When we led them into the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
headquarters to plan our overnight hiking excursion, they all politely (though unsuccessfully) tried to hide their utter lack of enthusiasm. The girls were all thrilled to be on the camping trip in the Harpers Ferry area, sponsored by a Virginia-based outdoor nonprofit that sends middle and high school students on weeklong travel summer camps, but the prospect of hauling their belongings on their backs over a mountain and sleeping under a tarp didn’t appeal to a single one of them. The goal of any group backpacking trip is to foster leadership and group bonding—nothing brings people together like shared discomfort, right?—and that process almost invariably begins with some opposition. Like so many other times I’ve been tasked with schlepping a group of reluctant adolescents into the woods overnight, their aversion to hiking had filled me with anxiety and doubt. What if they weren’t just being close-minded teenagers—what if they truly didn’t enjoy hiking? What if they got home and grumbled about
that crazy lady who made them sleep outside after walking all day, and their parents never sign them up for camp again? Or, worse, what if they bicker over who gets to lead and who gets to start the fire and by the end of the first day they all can’t stand each other? What if it doesn’t work? It’s only recently occurred to me that this phenomenon probably applies to professions across the board, and it’s one that I experience as both a camp director and a writer. That uncertainty around a process that’s tried and true, the fear that I’ve just gotten lucky in the past and this will be the time it blows up in my face. But if I’ve learned it once, I’ve learned it a dozen times: trust the process. Trust that the skepticism won’t last, and that those kids who eye their stuffed packs with sassy crossed arms and suspicion will change their minds. Trust that even the ones who don’t find themselves enjoying
Push them. If they think they can only hike eight miles, go for 10. •
• When they ask (and they will ask), don’t tell them how far you’ve gone, where you are or when you’ll get to the campsite. It doesn’t do any good. • Take breaks as often as they need. Your destination isn’t going anywhere. • Throw some unhealthy and unexpected treats in the trail mix, like Swedish Fish. You’ll be grateful when you get a mouthful other than just granola and raisins. It’s the little things.
Take advantage of teaching moments. If you’re a dendrology buff, stop for an impromptu nature lesson. Show them how to purify water, explain the differences in types of firewood and encourage them to figure out how to string up the tarp on their own. •
• If you can, sleep under the stars or under a tarp. It’s like a big slumber party in the woods. • Take them out for dinner whenever you return to civilization. Nothing will have ever tasted so good. •
Always bring extra socks.
photos by KEVIN McLEAN S E P T E M B E R 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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the physical act of putting one foot in front of the other for hours on end will, at least, feel a groundswell of strength, independence and accomplishment. They can stand firm on their aching feet atop a mountain, admiring the trail they’ve just traversed and say with a surge of confidence, “I did that.” Some may pull ahead of or fall behind the pack, more drawn to the solo introspective side of hiking, allowing themselves to be engulfed by the magic of the trail. And, like this time around, some will embrace the companionship of group hiking, forming that impenetrable bond that can only be borne from hours of walking side-by-side, so engrossed in conversation that they’ve nearly forgotten all the miles they’ve logged. There’s no camaraderie quite like the one that comes with cheering your friends up an impossible hill, across a stream, through a driving thunderstorm. About five hours earlier, we weren’t three miles into our hike when we froze LAURA INGLES LEADS A GROUP HIKE ALONG THE A.T. NEAR HARPERS FERRY, W.VA.
in the middle of the trail, listening as the storm ominously rolled straight toward us. At least I’d had the forethought to make sure everyone’s rain gear was easily accessible, but I braced myself when the rain reached us and dumped unrelentingly. But when the girls shrugged and continued up the trail with springs in their steps, linking arms and singing every Taylor Swift song they could think of, any lingering doubt I had about this trip washed away with the rain. They may have to hike an extra four miles in the rain to find a campground that’s not a swampland; they may have to let go of the mac and cheese they’d been dreaming about all day and resign themselves to cold pb&j tortillas and trail mix for dinner; they may have to pull soggy shoes on the next morning. But these girls would be just fine. And they were. These girls, who two days prior had groaned at the mention of hiking, got soaked to the bone, rolled their sleeping bags out on top of tree roots, and couldn’t wait to do it all again.
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WOMAN ON A MISSION
F
Hitt Leads the Charge to Stop Big Coal
or Mary Anne Hitt, fighting to save the mountains is a personal mission. Growing up in eastern Tennessee, she hiked and backpacked the Smoky Mountains and swam in its rivers. Now, as a mom, she wonders what kind of legacy she'll leave behind to her daughter, and she's determined to ensure that the mountains she loves—and all mountains—are protected from the destruction caused by coal mining. "When you stand at the edge of a mountain that's just been blown up and wiped off the map never to be put together again, you realize the laws we have in place are not enough to protect us or the places that we love," she says. "Some environmental problems can never be fixed or cleaned up, so the only option is to fight to stop that devastation from happening in the first place." And fight she has. As the director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, Hitt is helping to guide the largest campaign in the 124-year-old environmental organization's history. She has set her sights on ending the U.S. reliance on coal for electricity—a target she sees as critical
to slowing climate change and also eliminating the environmental damage caused by coal mining and coal-fired power plants. Her efforts have already seen success. Today, the United States gets 33 percent of its electricity from coal—the lowest level in recorded history—thanks to the retirement of older coal-fired power plants. At the same time, Hitt says record amounts of renewable energy came online last year. Hitt credits grassroots campaigns for these victories, noting that they were the result of ordinary citizens coming together to thwart mining projects, support clean energy, and call for the retirement of polluting coal plants. "I am very optimistic that we can turn the corner on climate change and power this nation on clean energy because I have seen how far we've come," she said. "And no matter who is in the White House or on the Supreme Court, the true engine of that transition has come from the grassroots and that's not going to be slowing down anytime soon." Bruce Nilles, the campaign's senior director, said Hitt's knack for
by ERYN GABLE
connecting with people has enabled her to motivate people who are dealing with the day-to-day impacts associated with coal pollution and mining. "She has an amazing ability to inspire folks to work locally even when it seems like tough going," Nilles said. "Whether she's in Waukegan fighting a coal plant or in the Pacific Northwest fighting a coal export facility or in Asheville fighting coal ash waste from a power plant, she's always helping to inspire people and amplify their voices and empower them, so they're connected to this nationwide and really global effort to solve climate change." "I came to realize that trying to stop different pieces of the coal problem was going to be very difficult as long as there was still this demand for coal," Hitt said. "And if what I wanted to accomplish ultimately was not having the coal companies blowing up mountains and dumping coal ash into rivers, what was needed was to switch the country over to cleaner energy … and ultimately a strategy that moved country beyond coal once and for all."
The Beyond Coal Campaign has already made significant progress toward its ambitious goal of getting half of the nation's coal-fired power plants retired or announced for retirement by 2017. To date, more than 230 of the nation's 523 coal-fired plants have either been retired or plan to close—more than 40 percent. Despite these successes, Hitt acknowledges that it can be challenging to tackle big environmental problems like climate change because it can seem like there's not much one person can do. But she says her experience has shown her that you really can have an impact. "I've had the great privilege of seeing over and over again what a big difference an individual person can make once they commit themselves to tackling a big problem," said Hitt, who now lives in Shepherdstown, W.Va. "The next decade is going to be the pivotal decade in human history in determining the fate of our climate, but in our hearts and in our own hands, we have the power to turn the corner on the big threats facing this planet. Together, we can actually solve this. It's within our power."
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TRAIL MIX
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THREE FROM THE TRIANGLE NORTH CAROLINA ROOTS ACTS CONTINUE TO GROW
by JEDD FERRIS The Triangle region of North Carolina is known for producing bands that successfully mess with various styles of roots music. Chapel Hill’s Southern Culture on the Skids has been filling venues for more than three decades with an irreverent brand of hillbilly rock. Squirrel Nut Zippers was a huge part of the rowdy swing revival of the late 90s, and Ryan Adams got his first notice in the Raleigh-bred, pioneering alt-country act Whiskeytown. This fall three steadfast bands from the area that carry the same spirit are releasing new albums.
Four-piece string band Chatham County Line formed in Raleigh back in 1999. In the years since, the band has accrued a small but dedicated loyal following across the country and even beyond, in Europe, where the group completed several successful tours backing Norwegian folk hero Jonas Fjeld. The quartet is quite captivating in the live setting, clad in close-to-matching suits and crowded around a single mic, like a shaggy Del McCoury Band, though its music only partially incorporates traditional bluegrass. Main singer and songwriter Dave 62
Wilson has an edgy tenor that’s more Jeff Tweedy than Bill Monroe, but his voice is often softened when placed in a cradle of strings. His lyrics range from the endearingly sentimental to the bitingly topical. His best song to date is arguably “Birmingham Jail,” from the band’s 2008 album IV, a scathing recount of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 that killed four young girls. There’s nothing quite as effective on the group’s new album, Autumn, which comes out September 2 on the venerable North Carolina independent label Yep Roc Records, but Wilson is still churning out great tunes. Opener “You Are My Light” is a minor-key confessional about leaning on a lover in times of darkness, while “Rock in the River” is a reflection of one that got away through gently cascading banjo rolls and some trickles of saloon piano. More upbeat moments come in the bluesy strut of the rollicking send-off “Show Me the Door” and the speedy newgrass instrumental “Bull City Strut,” a reminder that crisp chops are another ingredient in the band’s longstanding success. Not around quite as long, Mandolin Orange is an acoustic duo featuring partners Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, who met at a Chapel Hill bluegrass jam in 2009. The couple has familiar two-heartsbeat-as-one country chemistry that can lean towards the classic approach
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of Johnny and June Carter Cash or the more ethereal space of Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch, all in service to a dusty sound that draws from Appalachian mountain songs and vintage lonesome ballads. Throughout the group’s fifth studio album, Blindfaller (out September 30, also on Yep Roc), Marlin and Frantz enlist a full backing band to help fill out their own rotations on guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. The extra personnel fortunately doesn’t hinder the casual intimacy the pair usually carries into live shows; in fact, gentle pedal steel and woozy drums enhance the sadness in the heartbreak duet “Picking Up Pieces.” Marlin is the duo’s primary songwriter, and his voice has a deep longing that casts a slight shadow of melancholy over most Mandolin Orange songs. With his lyrics placed in a traditional context, the millennial from a liberal college town can sound like a protest singer from an older generation when he expresses weariness over the current state of affairs. In the sunny bluegrass hopper “Gospel Shoes,” he sings about discontent for politicians who exploit religion: “Freedom was a simple word, so reverent and true/ A long time ago, it meant the right to choose/ Who you love and how to live, but now it’s so misused/ And twisted by the politics of men in gospel shoes.” Another deep thinker from down the road in Durham is M.C. Taylor, who delivers his songs through his cast-rotating indie alt-country-soul outfit Hiss Golden Messenger. Taylor, who got his start playing in punk bands, has released five albums as Hiss Golden Messenger since 2008, but his widespread breakout didn’t come until 2014’s Lateness of
Dancers, an effort that tapped into gospel-rock grooves reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s 80s spiritual works like Slow Train Coming. A similar vibe pervades Taylor’s upcoming sixth album, Heart Like a Levee, which will be released on October 7, as the tunesmith grapples with shifts in his life. In the past two years he’s been able to tour across the country, opening for the likes of Dawes and the Tallest Man on Earth, but he often feels guilty about leaving his wife and two kids back at home; as he put it in a statement released on the latest effort, “wrenched apart by my responsibilities to my family and to my music.”
The album’s opener, “Biloxi,” deals with the tension right away, as Taylor recalls his own youth as a loner while watching a crowd have fun at his own child’s sixth birthday party. The introspection, though, comes through a jubilant folk-rock highway song with a chorus (“It's hard, Lord/ Lord it's hard,”) that sounds much more uplifting than its message. Throughout the record Taylor is joined by some of the Triangle’s best indie roots players, including Brad and Phil Cook of Megafaun and Grammy-nominated Americana songstress Tift Merritt, who, along with fellow back-up singer Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, helps sweeten the raw, intimate title track—a blatant front-porch lament on leaving home. Taylor’s heart may be full of emotional conflict, but it continues to let him spill out pure music.
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