Blue Ridge Outdoors October 2018 by Summit Publishing

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top Adventure towns 2018

Readers’ Favorite Outdoor Hubs

backpack tax SHOULD WE PAY TO PROTECT PUBLIC LANDS?

to believe in FARM-TO-TABLE brands A.T. SPEED RECORD FALLS AGAIN who lives up to the label?

MEET ‘BLACKALACHIAN’ DANIEL WHITE

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D E PA R T M E N T S 8 FLASHPOINT

Backpack tax: should the outdoor industry help pay to protect public lands? 11

QUICK HITS

Ultrarunner smashes A.T. speed record by 4 days • The most important midterm races for the outdoors • SALT is Appalachia’s newest— and toughest—longdistance loop trail • Meet ‘Blackalachian’ Daniel White

COMMON GROUND

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F E AT U R E S 25

TOP ADVENTURE TOWNS 2018

BEYOND THE LABEL

PHANTOM OF THE PINES

Over 50,000 votes poured in to our 8th annual Top Adventure Towns contest. Readers narrowed down 55 adventure hubs to their favorite three. Which towns came out on top? Many restaurants claim that they are Farm to table, but how much produce actually is sourced locally? Meet the regional farmers, chefs, and restaurants that authentically connect food to fork. The Florida panther is creeping out of the swamps and into the suburban sprawl of South Florida. Will it survive the century, and can it ever migrate into our mountains?

Groups are transforming abandoned coal mines into American chestnut forests. When it comes to the environment, which outdoor companies actually walk the talk? We scratch beneath the greenwashed veneer to uncover the most environmentally conscious outdoor companies, including the brands who are most active in protecting public lands.

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SABBE SMASHES A.T. RECORD An absolutely amazing feat. It was a goal. He accomplished it. —Ninette Barber Campbell

But did he see anything along the way? I’m more impressed by who takes the longest. —Dan Shea The grand beauty of this earth can’t be appreciated at breakneck speed. Our world has become too competitive. Another runner is already planning to beat Sabbe’s time. —Mark Marshall He was assisted by a crew. In my book, that is cheating. —Barak Brashear Why do people criticize speed records? If we’re honest, everyone hiking the A.T. sets goals—get to the next trail shelter, hike 20 miles today, make it to Katahdin. —Jeff Cernicek Even 50 miles a day is only around 5 or 6 miles per hour. There’s plenty of opportunity to enjoy the experience at that speed. —Derrick Jensen DEATH SENTENCE FOR RED WOLVES Why is the Fish & Wildlife Service bailing on the last wild red wolves in the world? The wolves aren't harming people, livestock, or deer populations. It all comes down to a few hunters who don't like them. —Emily Anne Hunters are concerned that the deer herds are too thin? You gotta be kidding me. We have so many deer here. The herds are completely unchecked. —Alex Christian WEST VIRGINIA’S $84 BILLION SECRET This would be a disaster for West Virginia. The outdoor industry and clean energy provide many more jobs than this project will, and much of the petrochemicals would be shipped to China. Thanks to Blue Ridge Outdoors for bringing this to light. —Sara Day Evans CULTURE CLASH Maybe one day we’ll stop counting the number of faces of color or noncolor we meet on the trail and get to the point where we don’t even notice and measure demographics at all, especially while we’re adventuring. Then we might find ourselves outdoors together simply enjoying the doing of the thing. —Ben Stewart TA L K B AC K TO U S H E R E :

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FLASHPOINT

The Backpack Tax Debate BY DAN DEWITT

If hunters and anglers pay for licenses, should other outdoor enthusiasts pony up, too? It’s a Saturday in summer and, as usual, Pisgah National Forest is slammed. Parked cars line the stretch of U.S. 276 that runs through the forest. Campgrounds and picnic areas are packed. Dumpsters overflow. Mountain bikers and hikers navigate perilous paths to trailheads through bumper-tobumper traffic. As the co-owner of The Hub, an outfitter, bike shop and tavern at the forest’s entrance near Brevard, N.C., Jordan Salman is in the perfect spot to capitalize on these crowds—and to see the desperate need for more public lands funding to accommodate them. She would even favor a tax that she hadn’t heard of until recently, one that would be levied directly on the goods she sells. Commonly known as the backpack tax, it would be applied to outdoor equipment such as hiking boots, packs, and tents. “If it went up across the board to companies like Keen and Merrell and Osprey, and if it was built into their pricing, then absolutely, we’d be all for it,” she said. Such a proposal—representing, as it does, the politically toxic notion of a new tax—has less support than other means of raising money to enhance outdoor recreation and protect natural lands, including charging user fees and 8

PHOTO BY JORDAN SALMAN

tapping into existing revenue streams. But proponents say a backpack tax would be a fair, efficient solution, and one that would ultimately address a longstanding complaint of hikers and mountain bikers: when it comes to environmental policy, their voices are drowned out by far smaller numbers of hunters and anglers who have long paid steep excise taxes on equipment. “That’s why the backpack tax makes so much sense,” said Andy Stahl, executive director of the nonprofit Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. “Yes, it’s a sales tax, but it’s a sales tax on a luxury item that benefits folks who want to make sure they have a place to use that luxury item.” Hunters—in fact, all gun owners— have paid an 11 percent excise tax on ammunition and rifles since 1937, when the federal government passed the Pittman-Robertson Act, which also levies a 10 percent fee on handguns. Anglers have paid 10 percent on tackle since the passage of the DingellJohnson Act in 1950. Along with licenses, these taxes account for 80 percent of the funding for state wildlife agencies across the country. In the 1990s, groups including the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies

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saw the backpack tax as the hiker’s version of such equipment taxes. As an excise tax, it would have been levied at the point of manufacture and applied to a wide variety of outdoor equipment, from packs to kayaks to climbing harnesses. It faced stiff opposition from outdoor gear makers and retailers. And federal lawmakers who supported the measure relayed the message that it faced dim prospects in an increasingly tax-averse U.S. Congress, said Mark Humpert, the Association’s director of conservation initiatives. So in 1999, when an ambitious bill was introduced to fund recreation and preservation -- the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) -- it relied on different sources of revenue, including offshore oil and gas drilling leases. One of the act’s main provisions was a guarantee that $900 million annually from these lease payments would be funneled into the Land and Water Conservation Fund. After the bill stalled in the Senate the following year, it was replaced by vague pledges to fund conservation and recreation—pledges that have mostly not been fulfilled. Since 2010 appropriation for the Land and Water Conservation Fund has reached, at most, half of the allowed $900 million B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

and, many years, far less. In 2016, for example, the allocation for the fund was a mere $306 million. And in the past decade, overall investment in public lands and water has dropped from 2 percent of the federal government’s discretionary spending to less than 1 percent, said Alex Boian, vice president of government affairs for the Outdoor Industry Association, which represents gear makers and retailers. The results can be seen not only in the overwhelmed state of natural lands, but in the bottom lines of the agencies that manage them. The Forest Service, for example, faces a backlog of $300 million just for trail maintenance, while the National Park Service’s total infrastructure backlog recently reached a whopping $11.6 billion. “They really are starving some of these agencies,” Boian said. It’s a trend that could have dire long-term consequences on both the economy and the environment. A recent study by the Outdoor Industry Association produced compelling evidence for the benefits of investing in outdoor recreation. Spending in this sector—including travel, services and big-ticket items such as recreational vehicles —totals G O O U TA N D P L AY

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$887 billion annually and generates $124.5 billion in federal, state and local taxes, the study found. That includes import taxes on outdoor gear that are far higher than on most other consumer goods, tariffs that average 14 percent and top out at “37.5 percent for a high-end Gore-Tex trail runner,” Boian said. The National Wildlife Federation has an even stronger argument for increased funding for natural lands— potential mass extinction. State wildlife agencies have identified about 12,000 species in need of proactive protection, according to its website, and have charted alarming population declines of a vast variety of wild creatures, including mammals, birds, reptiles, butterflies, bees, and bats. “Unless our nation makes a change in the way we fund conservation, the number of species on the brink of extinction will grow significantly,” the site states. Instead of backing an excise tax on gear, however, these groups—as well as hiking and mountain biking organizations—support bolstering the Land and Water Conservation Fund or

creating a new fund that the Appalachian Trail CONSERVATION would be fed by similar Conservancy (ATC). SHOULD BE A sources. “Building more SHARED NATIONAL The OIA, which support for the PRIORITY, JUST was formed partly Land and Water LIKE EDUCATION, to oppose taxes on Conservation Fund JUST LIKE NATIONAL outdoor equipment, is our major focus,” DEFENSE. maintains this said Laura Belleville, position. And three of ATC's vice president the biggest players in the of conservation and trail industry—North Face, REI, programs. and Patagonia—failed to respond to The Outdoor Industry Association questions about a possible tax and and National Wildlife Federation also touted their voluntary contributions to support the recommendation of a conservation. Blue Ribbon Panel of industry and Instead of agreeing to a tax, Boian environmental groups convened in said, outdoor enthusiasts should 2016 by the Association of Fish & pressure elected officials to earmark Wildlife Agencies. the full $900 million into the existing The panel considered a backpack fund and to extend its lifespan. tax, Humpert said, but instead opted “We argue there is more than for a plan to divert $1.3 billion in enough revenue to pay for the funds from a larger pool than the one National Parks’ infrastructure backlog,” that supports the Land and Water he said. “The government has the Conservation Fund. It would include money. Conservation should be mining leases on federal land and a shared national priority, just like drilling leases both on federal land education, just like national defense.” and offshore that generate about $13 Supporting the Land and Water billion annually. Conservation Fund is also the The proposal is part of the priority of the Southern Off-Road Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, a Bicycling Association (SORBA) and bill that already has been introduced

in the U.S. House of Representatives and is due to be introduced into the U.S. Senate by a bipartisan group of sponsors, Boian said. This fund would pump large sums into state wildlife agencies—about $29 million in North Carolina, $24 million in Virginia and $30 million in Georgia— and allow them to broaden their focus beyond fish and game. “Instead of just paying for deer and ducks and game species, it would include song birds and butterflies and reptiles, all of which wildlife agencies have to manage for but don’t have any money to do it with,” said Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. Unfortunately, Stahl said, the funding is not guaranteed, which means lawmakers can, and probably will, shortchange the new fund just as they have the old one. “It just puts us back in the same boat,” he said. It also creates a “perverse incentive” by relying on activities that destroy the environment in a measure that purports to conserve it, Stahl said. “It’s an attempt to green

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FLASHPOINT veneer on drilling and mining … the oil companies are basically saying, ‘Let us drill off your beautiful coastline and we’ll take a portion of this money and let you build a little park.’ But in the meantime you get a Deepwater Horizon oil spill.” And unlike equipment taxes or user fees —which are more cumbersome and expensive to collect—this funding structure fails to sends a message to land managers that hikers and other groups are willing to invest in the forest. The same could be said of many of the conservation funding plans at the state level. The website of Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) boasts that since 1992 it has spent more than $1.1 billion on, among other projects, building trails and community parks and acquiring natural lands. That’s all great, Stahl said, except that it relies on lottery funding, “the most regressive tax known to mankind … It’s paid for by poor people who are addicted to gambling and who can’t even afford to pay for the gas to get to state parks.”

In June, California voters approved Proposition 68, a $4.1 billion bond issue to fund outdoor recreation and land and water conservation projects, but did so without creating a new funding source to pay off the bonds. Closer to home, Georgia lawmakers passed the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act. If voters approve the measure in November, it would generate about $21 million annually for conservation and recreation by diverting 40 percent of the existing sales tax on a wide array of sporting goods. “They are just cleaving off a portion of the money the state is already collecting,” Fosburgh said. “I don’t have any strong feelings about any particular proposal, but I think it would be a good thing for users to generate more money.” The reason the Stewardship Act did not take that approach is the same reason that no state is currently considering a true backpack tax. “A new tax would not be politically palatable,” said Thomas Farmer, senior policy advisor for the Nature Conservancy in Georgia.

THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING AND

I MUST GO. – JOHN MUIR

Or maybe it would be. Some users interviewed object to the tax, citing long-standing criticism that it disproportionately discourages young and poor users from enjoying the outdoors, and that it undermines the democratic ideal of parks and forests. “Some things should just be part of being an American, like swimming in the ocean or going into the forest,” said Michele Barg, 71, a retired immunologist who is an avid hiker and part-time employee at The Hub. A backpack tax “would be like imposing a swimsuit tax on people who want to use the ocean.” But representatives of both the ATC and SORBA said they may be receptive to the idea of a tax on equipment their members use, depending on what form it took. “We generally support pay to play,” said Tom Sauret, SORBA’s executive director. “We’re not set against discussing any kind of fees, though we would have to see the legislation before we could take a position.” His group has stood behind a Forest Service plan to charge user fees

for mountain bikers and horseback riders in the Pisgah Ranger District. So has Barg’s boss, Salman, who also advocates parking fees at popular trailheads. She would favor a backpack tax for the same reason: to give hikers equal say in land management, mostly because she sees the strain users place on the forest. In the 10 years she and her husband, Sam, have owned the shop, “the growth we’ve seen has been exponential, just out of control. It really feels unsustainable.” And though anglers and hunters are viewed as politically conservative and, presumably, anti-tax, most of them have no objection to paying the Dingell-Johnson or Pittman-Robertson taxes, said Derrell Brushaber, 72, a fishing guide who regularly works in Pisgah. “I’m all for it, believe it or not, because I can see the good it does.” He would also support a tax targeting other users, he said. “The amount of use Pisgah gets from mountain bikers and hikers, that’s a lot of nice good tax income for sure.”

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ULTRARUNNER SMASHES A.T. SPEED RECORD BY 4 DAYS

In late August, Belgian ultrarunner Karel Sabbe completed the 2,189mile Appalachian Trail in 41 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes—smashing the previous speed record by over 4 days. Sabbe, a 28-year-old dentist, kissed the wooden sign atop Mount Katahdin at the end of his northbound journey on the A.T. Sabbe began at Georgia's Springer Mountain on July 18. He averaged around 53 miles per day—over two full marathons per day—for 41 consecutive days. The average thru-hiker takes five to six months to complete the trail and averages around 14 miles per day. Sabbe announced his record on Instagram soon after summiting Katahdin: “In the year 60 B.C., Julius Caesar wrote: ‘Of all Gauls, the Belgians are the bravest.’ Over 2000 years later, there is still some truth in that sentence. We have set a new speed record on the epic Appalachian Trail! The Fastest Known Time is now 41 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes, which is over 4 days faster than the previous record, held by an incredibly strong and unsupported @thestring.bean.” The previous record was held by Joe “Stringbean” McConaghey, who completed the entire trail in 45 days without any crew or support. McConaghey’s unsupported speed record still stands. Unlike McConaghey, Sabbe’s record-setting run relied on a support crew. “Nobody had averaged more than 50 miles on the Appalachian Trail,” Sabbe continued. “More than proud, I feel privileged for having lived these incredible adventures. It was a blast from start to finish!” Sabbe becomes the first person to hold speed records for both the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. In 2016, Sabbe completed the Pacific Crest Trail—which runs 2,650 miles from Canada to Mexico through the mountains of California, Oregon, and Washington—in 52 days, 8 hours, and 25 minutes.

NAME THAT SUMMIT

Easily accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Plott Balsams, it is one of the highest mountains in the East. A spring flows near the rocky summit. E M A I L YO U R R E S P O N S E TO

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

Miles cycled in the annual Carolina Brotherhood Ride this summer. For the seventh straight year, a group of first responders—fire fighters, police officers, and emergency personnel— completed the six-day ride to honor fellow workers who lost their lives in the line of duty. The effort raised thousands of dollars for the surviving families of the fallen responders, and along the route cyclists stopped to visit loved ones of those lost.

of August, along the way sharing responsibilities for cooking, setting up camp, and carrying the youngest family member, 2-year-old boy Rainier. The family documented the journey on YouTube with a quirky reality-TVstyle video blog, which drew polarized commentary online about the hike’s merits and intentions.

Family of Eight from Kentucky Completes Appalachian Trail

In August, longstanding outdoor retailer REI stroked a big check to help keep trails in tip-top shape, donating $643,000 to nonprofits that regularly maintain and restore the country’s 11 National Scenic Trails. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, and Potomac Appalachian Trail Club all received a portion of $48,100 earmarked for upkeep efforts on the Appalachian Trail.

Getting a large family out the door to do anything is chore, so imagine organizing a clan of eight for a 2,200mile hike. That’s just what Ben and Kami Crawford, who reside in northern Kentucky, did this past spring and summer, when they embarked on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail with their six kids, who range in age from 2 to 17. The Crawfords left the trail’s southern terminus at Georgia’s Springer Mountain in March and reached the summit of Katahdin in Maine during the second week

BIG BUCKS FOR TRAILS

“Sometimes I do it to relax my mind. Other times I do it just to pump myself up, and other times I’ll be writing and I’ll have a roadblock.” —Comedian Michelle Wolf, when asked by Runner’s World why she runs. In the interview Wolf also revealed she often runs to and from work, about six miles a day, when filming her Netflix show, The Break with Michelle Wolf. Also, in May she completed her first ultramarathon, the Salt Flats Endurance Runs 50-miler in Utah.

Bear Eats Pizza at Tennessee Restaurant

At Howard’s Steakhouse in Gatlinburg, Tenn., a bear climbed a tree, jumped on a table on the restaurant’s patio, and started munching on pizza. After being scared away by an employee, the bear had to be trapped and relocated. O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8 / B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M

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DOWNGRADED TO A HILL Fan y Big, a mountain in Wales, was relegated to hill status last month, thanks to new satellite mapping technology that more accurately measured its drop between adjacent peaks. At 2,351 feet, it is still high enough for mountain status, but its drop of 93 feet between adjacent peaks is five feet short of what is required for mountain status.

D.C. ARTIST HONORS FELLOW CYCLIST WITH BIKE SCULPTURE

Street artist Matthew Sampson never met Jeffrey Hammond Long, but when he read that the 36-year-old had died after being hit by a truck while riding his bike on the streets of Washington, D.C., in July, he felt compelled to honor the fellow cyclist. He did so by placing a “Ghost Bike” in the spot where Long was killed. Now seen in cities around the world, the white-painted used bikes have become symbols to memorialize cyclists involved in fatal accidents and raise awareness for cycling safety. Sampson told Citylab.com: “It’s made me angry because I should be safe biking around here, and I’m not.”

Giant coral reef discovered off South Carolina coast

Around 160 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina, a half mile below the ocean surface, scientists have discovered a dense forest of coldwater corals that runs for at least 85 miles. “It’s incredible that it stayed hidden off the U.S. East Coast for this long,” said expedition chief scientist Erik Cordes.

If Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee were a country, they would be the 8th largest contributor to global warming in the world. —Southern Environmental Law Center August 2018 report

Gonzo for the Green: Paddlers Saving Hemlocks Along Beloved River A crew of experienced whitewater paddlers have teamed up with MountainTrue and other area nonprofits for a unique mission: save the hemlock tree from the scourge of the hemlock woolly adelgid along the famed Green River. Hemlocks shade some of the most beloved rivers in the Southeast, including the Green— home to the Green Race and some of the toughest whitewater in Appalachia. An invasive adelgid is decimating hemlock trees, so regional whitewater kayakers are navigating the Green River’s class IV waters to reach hemlocks and bury pellets of a hydrophobic pesticide around the roots of hemlock trees, which is currently the only reliable remedy.

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QUICK HITS THE OUTDOORS HAS A RACE PROBLEM.

BLACKALACHIAN MEET TRAILBLAZER AND A.T. THRU-HIKER DANIEL WHITE

BY MARY ZOOK

Only one out of every five visitors to national parks nation-wide is nonwhite. Minority groups face multiple barriers that prevent them from getting outside, including transportation, fees, equipment, and access to information. Unfortunately, the largest barrier is fear—of racism, discrimination, and not fitting in. Daniel White, a North Carolina native, was acutely aware of those barriers and that fear when he started his Appalachian Trail trek in April of last year. White grew up in Shiloh, a historically African-American, lowincome neighborhood in Asheville, N.C. Though Shiloh is nestled conveniently between Pisgah National Forest and Nantahala National Forest, Daniel never hiked or camped a day in his life until he was 31. Fed up with the daily grind and longing for a simpler and more natural life, he took the advice of a cousin and set off to hike the A.T. for a couple of months. Instead of stopping after two months, however, Daniel ended up hiking the entire trail, chronicling his journey on YouTube and Facebook along the way. He loved hiking through the White Mountains in New Hampshire and cooking fish freshly caught in the Hundred Mile Wilderness in Maine. Daniel speaks fondly of kind people he encountered who offered him snacks and cool drinks, part of the Trail Magic often experienced on the A.T. He also recalls the thrill of seeing his first moose, and the healthy respect he holds for bears on the trail. Like many A.T. hikers, Daniel chose a trail name—The Blackalachian. His moniker started conversations immediately. Though initially his hike was a personal escape, it quickly became a path to bring awareness to the race issue in the outdoors. White met only one other thru-hiker of color on the entire six-month, 2,190-mile journey. He encountered fewer than ten day hikers of color. The vast majority of trail users were white Americans and Europeans. Upon returning from the trail, White invited many friends to go on simple day hikes with him, but was turned down, often out of fear. “Young black people are taught not to go into the woods,” he says. “They’re

taught that’s where beatings and lynchings happen. That’s just the way it is. They’re more afraid of racists than bears and snakes. I definitely was, too, when I was on the trail.” What can be done to make the outdoors a more welcoming place for people of diverse backgrounds? White suggested bringing awareness to the issue simply by talking about it, inviting friends of color out again—even if they turn you down the first time, and continuing to post pictures and videos. “Keep it simple. Build the love,” he says. “Work up slowly, first with day hikes, and then maybe weekend trips. Make going outside look cool and fun —because it is! They don’t know what they’re missing.” Specifically, he said that children need to be exposed to the wonders of the outdoors early on. “Children aren’t born full of fear,” White says. “They’re taught that later by their parents and society.” White is continuing to do his part to keep the dialogue going. Instead of hiking classic long-distance trails, his next endeavor will be to bike the historic Underground Railroad. This trail begins in Mobile, Alabama and stretches through Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and New York, eventually ending at the Canadian border. An estimated 100,000 men, women, and children used this trail while escaping slavery from the late 1700s to 1860, particularly during the American Civil War. Already in Charlotte, N.C., where he is training, White has seen many motorists behaving rudely and dangerously toward cyclists sharing the roads, and that makes him nervous but determined for this trip. After finishing the Railroad, he would like to hike the Trail of Tears to bring awareness to the political challenges faced by Native Americans today. White is not alone in his efforts to make the outdoors more accessible. Brothers of Climbing, Brown Girls Climb, GirlVenture, Everybody’s Environment, and Outdoor Afro are groups working in this neck of the woods to reach a wider outdoor audience. “Get out there,” says White. “Invite your friends. Stop the fear. Be a trailblazer.” Support The Blackalachian’s adventures on GoFundMe, and follow his progress in real time on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.

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THE OUTDOOR BALLOT WHICH MIDTERM ELECTIONS MATTER MOST? BY MASON ADAMS

Most people don’t associate the outdoors with politics and government policy. Around Washington, D.C., and state capitals, many take to the woods with the explicit goal of forgetting about politics for a while. Yet the outdoor environment and recreation there is inextricably linked to what happens in the halls of Congress and other political arenas. Whether it’s ownership of public lands or the quality of our environment, funding for land management agencies or the trade and tax policies affecting gear manufacturers, what happens in the outdoors is dramatically affected by elected lawmakers. With America more politically polarized than any time in the last 50 years, November’s congressional midterm elections carry higher-thanusual stakes. Beyond the issues that vary by district and state, voters will decide who controls both the Senate and House of Representatives. That will in turn determine the broader shape of politics in the country, including its wildlands.

Although outdoors issues aren’t considered as divisive as cultural wedges such as guns and abortion, they have their constituencies. The League of Conservation Voters and the Outdoor Industry Association both issue lawmaker scorecards rating representatives on their votes on legislation affecting the environment and outdoors. Advocacy groups don’t limit their involvement to scoring lawmakers. The Sierra Club, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, has contributed $60,516 in the 2018 cycle so far. The Outdoor Industry has contributed $28,296. And the League of Conservation Voters already has spent $2.4 million, mostly on candidates. Some of this activity is a matter of course for Washington politics. Yet there’s also no doubt that Donald Trump’s 2016 election, Republicans winning majorities in both congressional chambers, and the decisive shift in policy and lawmaking since then has energized conservation and public lands advocates. In April 2017, Trump ordered a review of all 27 national monuments created since 1996. In December, he signed an executive order to shrink Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument by 85 percent. Political maneuvering in Utah around public lands, including calls to sell federal lands to the state,

led the Outdoor Industry Association to move its Outdoor Retailer show from Salt Lake City, where it had run for two decades, to Denver, Colorado. The same dynamic played into the OIA’s decision to release and publicize its congressional scorecard. “The monuments review galvanized this industry and made it operate in an entirely different way,” said Alex Boian, the OIA’s political director. “Some of the brands got more vocal about the policies and their disappointment with what was happening. During the comment period on the monument review, more than 3 million Americans registered comments, and the majority said to leave the monuments intact. We really saw the American people stand up for public lands.” The OIA started planning its 2018 theme #VoteTheOutdoors last fall. The organization’s goals are different than some other groups in that it prioritizes not just conservation and public lands measures but also tax and trade policy, which matter to its members who manufacture outdoor gear. Boian said the organization is endorsing roughly 20 candidates and ballot measures, mostly in western states, but it is publicizing its congressional scorecard for a national audience to build momentum for the 2020 elections. “We really think the outdoor

industry, the outdoor recreation economy, and protection of public land will be voting issues in the election this fall,” Boian said. “If we can prove that and help foster that in these races, then going into 2020 it’s going to be even stronger.” Most observers see an easier path for Democrats to win a majority in the House than in the Senate this fall. To win a House majority, Democrats need to net 23 seats—the same number of Republicans that hold seats representing districts won in 2016 by Hillary Clinton. Instead of focusing just on those districts, however, Democrats have broadened the field to target other congressional seats, even in areas where Trump won decisively. In the Senate, Republicans hold 51 seats to the Democrats’ 47, with two independents caucusing with Democrats. The path to a Senate majority is narrower but demographically harder, with fewer paths to victory. With both chambers potentially up for grabs, here are six key races to watch in Blue Ridge Outdoors country this fall.

U.S. SENATE: West Virginia

The Mountain State has tilted

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QUICK HITS increasingly Republican since 2000, when the state voted for Al Gore and all five of its seats on Capitol Hill were held by Democrats. That may have culminated last year, when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by 42 points, the most in state history and second only in the country to Wyoming. That’s put all eyes on Joe Manchin, the only Democrat still standing in West Virginia’s congressional delegation. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey emerged victorious from a tough primary fight in which he defeated 3rd District Congressman Evan Jenkins (more on that district below) and former Massey Energy coal baron Don Blankenship, who somehow won nearly 20 percent of the vote despite decades of environmental atrocities, miners' deaths, and a criminal conviction for conspiring to skirt mine safety rules. Morrisey is running as a Trump Republican, but he may have trouble painting Manchin as a Clinton Democrat. Manchin has long branded himself as a centrist. His first campaign for the Senate included an

ad in which Manchin used a gun to shoot a bill to reduce air pollution by instituting a cap-and-trade system. Since Trump’s election, Manchin has played the role of swing voter, occasionally breaking with Democrats to support the president’s cabinet appointments but sticking with his party on healthcare and other issues.

Tennessee

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Corker was among those to receive an F on the Outdoor Industry Association’s scorecard, but he is retiring. With his seat open, former governor Phil Bredesen won the Democratic nomination and will face Republican nominee Marsha Blackburn, a 16-year congresswoman. Tennessee leans Republican as a matter of course. The GOP holds seven of the state’s 9 House seats, and Democrats haven’t held either of its U.S. Senate seats since the mid-’90s. Trump won it by 26 points, so Democrats have a difficult slog ahead. However, pre-primary polling showed Bredesen with a lead over Blackburn, which gives Democrats

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some hope. The winner will represent a state with a thriving tourism industry that includes its share of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which drew 11 million visitors in 2017, making it America’s most popular national park.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Kentucky’s 6th District

KY-6 includes parts of Appalachian Kentucky but also the metro area around Lexington. It’s flipped back and forth between parties since the late ’70s, and since 2013 has been represented by Republican Andy Barr. He blew out his 2016 opponent, but this year faces a very different political atmosphere and opponent. Amy McGrath, a charismatic former fighter pilot, defeated Lexington Mayor Jim Gray in a May primary, largely by building a national fundraising network on the strength of her campaign ads. McGrath functions as the ideal 2018 Democratic candidate, both as a veteran and as one of a record-breaking number of women to

run for office.

Pennsylvania’s 17th District

Earlier this year, federal courts rejected Pennsylvania’s congressional districts and drew their own, with the result that incumbents Keith Rothfus, a Republican, and Conor Lamb, a Democrat, now live in the same western Pennsylvania district. Rothfus won election in 2012, narrowly defeating a Democratic incumbent after narrowly losing in 2010 to a different Democratic incumbent. Now he faces Conor Lamb, a Marine and former federal prosecutor who won a special election to Congress earlier this year. Lamb represents one model for success among several that Democrats are pursuing this fall: a scrappy, pro-labor veteran with enough independence from the national party that voters feel confident he or she will fight for them.

Virginia’s 5th District

The 5th once was a rural Southside Virginia seat dominated by tobacco and textile manufacturing, but economic decline and

BOUNDLESS EXPERIENCES AND ADVENTURE St. Mary’s County

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QUICK HITS gerrymandering have stretched it north to the point that Charlottesville has become its center. Until this spring, it appeared that it would be defended by freshman Congressman Tom Garrett, a Republican. In May, however, Politico published a story in which former aides alleged he verbally abused them, and later that week, Garrett announced he was an alcoholic and would retire. Republicans subsequently nominated distillery owner Denver Riggleman, who faces journalist and filmmaker Leslie Cockburn. Republicans have accused Cockburn of anti-Semitism in a 1991 book she wrote; Democrats have accused Riggleman of an interest in, um, Bigfoot erotica. Buckle up, this is going to be a weird one.

West Virginia’s 3rd District

Georgia

The race for governor in Georgia will be closely watched around the country. After years of mostly centrist white male governors, this year’s candidates, Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp, represent radically different views of America that in many ways echo national political and cultural clashes. Kemp is a

Tennessee

The Volunteer State has seen Democrats and Republicans trade stints as governor in roughly equal measure since 1970. The outgoing governor is Republican Bill Haslam, whose net worth of more than $2 billion makes him the richest governor in America, including West Virginia resort and coal magnate Jim Justice. The state is home to much of the Smokies and Cherokee National

Forest, with numerous state parks. Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is running as the Democratic nominee and will face businessman and political newcomer Bill Lee, who won a four-way primary that broke campaign spending records.

BALLOT MEASURES: Georgia

The “green space” amendment would change the Georgia state constitution to set aside up to 0.75 percent of sales and use taxes on outdoor recreation equipment to maintain, restore, or buy land, waterways, or parks for conservation and outdoor activities. The amendment, paired with action by state lawmakers, could funnel tens of millions of dollars into conservation and outdoor recreation in the state. Although the Outdoor Industry Association is focusing mostly on western races, it heavily supports this ballot measure.

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populist in the Trump mold, proudly politically incorrect with ads that showed him brandishing a shotgun and offering to use his own truck to take immigrants back. Abrams, who could become the country’s first African American woman governor, built her primary campaign on an unabashedly progressive platform that includes affordable childcare, economic fairness, and clean energy jobs. Demographically, Georgia has been growing more diverse, and in November its voters will choose between two bright-line candidates who represent very different directions.

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Trump won this southern West Virginia district by 50 points in 2016, but WV-3 was actually held by Democrats up until 2014, when former Democrat Evan Jenkins switched parties to defeat longtime incumbent Nick Rahall. With Jenkins leaving to unsuccessfully run for the

Senate, the 2018 campaign for his open seat has become one of the most closely watched House races in America. That’s due almost entirely to Richard Ojeda, a charismatic Democratic state senator who advocates for legalized marijuana, openly supported Trump in 2016, was brutally assaulted days before he defeated an entrenched incumbent in a primary that year, and became a hero of the 2018 teacher’s strike. He’s running against Carol Miller, a state delegate whose father represented an Ohio district in Congress.

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THE BEST LOOP HIKE IN SOUTHERN APPALACHIA IS ALSO ONE OF THE TOUGHEST.

Everything was wet. Water pooled on the tent floor. Flecks of leaves and dirt clung to the tent wall and exposed skin. We peeled off layers of drenched clothing as we sat on soggy gear. My partner, Seth, reached into the depths of his pack and pulled out a pair of wool socks with a flourish. The last dry item. We each took one and used it to dry ourselves off, falling asleep to thunder and the roar of pouring rain, dreaming of sunshine and dry clothing. The relatively unknown, 360mile Southern Appalachian Loop Trail (SALT) incorporates sections of the Appalachian, Bartram, Foothills, Mountains to Sea, and Art Loeb Trails, traversing North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia in the process. The SALT seemed like the perfect summer loop – a medley of classic trails with relatively simple logistics. Unfortunately, the timing of our thru-hike of the SALT would have us crossing paths with Tropical Storm Alberto as it tore up the East Coast earlier this summer. The first miles on the Appalachian Trail passed rather uneventfully once we climbed out of Nantahala Gorge, as I watched vibrant greenery pass beneath my hooded poncho. We were fighting a losing battle on the very first day to keep our gear dry in the near constant downpour. We soon connected with the Bartram Trail and, after steeply plunging up and down for the remainder of the day, found a campsite nestled into the jungle that is Nantahala National Forest. Taking advantage of a break in the rain to

cook dinner outside of the tent, we lounged on sleeping pads, allowing soggy feet to de-wrinkle. But just as the water was boiling, a wall of rain came out of nowhere, drenching us and our tortellini. The next day, we planned an earlier-than-expected stop in Clayton, Ga. Mexican food and a forty-ounce beer proved to be a much-needed morale boost. We embarked on our last day on the Bartram before joining the Foothills Trail, which rolls through several steep gorges. Indulging in a ramen lunch break on a rock beside Lake Jocassee, we contemplated swimming. I asked Seth if there were any snakes. “Not likely,” he replied. We eased into the water. “Except for that black snake right there…which is…it’s a water moccasin,” he calmly added. I exited the water with a frown and stood dripping on the middle of the rock. We waved goodbye to the Foothills Trail atop Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina, and, armed only with a picture of a map that we took at the Sassafras trailhead, we headed into the unknown. For the rest of the afternoon we hiked along a gravel road through a no man’s land between Sassafras and Raven Cliffs State Park. There were no signs that anyone had used the road recently, no signs of humans, and also no signs. Without cell signal, we were flying blind. Miraculously, we connected with Raven Cliffs. We passed into Jones Gap State Park uneventfully, and we only briefly found ourselves lost before road walking our

BY LEAH LING PHOTO BY SETH ORME

way into Brevard. Fortified by burgers and root beer floats, and bubbling with excitement for the remainder of the SALT, we left Brevard by way of the Bracken Mountain Trail. Soon we linked up with the famous Art Loeb, which I have been fortunate enough to hike many times over the last ten years. I was anticipating the steady climb up Pilot Mountain and the glorious spruce aroma atop the Balsam ridgeline, and the Art Loeb did not disappoint. Just after crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway, we began following the Mountains to Sea Trail, which would take us all the way to Clingmans Dome in the Smokies. After twisting through the Middle Prong Wilderness, the trail follows an old fire road that was covered in knee-high stinging nettles. To distract ourselves from the itching, we took solace in beautiful greenery and the occasional view. After catching sight of a cloudinversion from Waterrock Knob, we were disappointed to discover that the next section of the SALT would have us traveling on the Parkway itself. We plodded along in the heat, stepping aside for passing cars and wishing we were in the cool, lush forest instead. The next morning, we entered Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and our deadened road legs were instantly refreshed by the magic of the place. Each visit to the Smokies, I marvel at the biodiversity of the park. We hiked past purple wildflowers, delicate ferns and mosses, cold mountain streams, and Narnia-like evergreen trees. We enjoyed two unforgettable nights in the Smokies as we worked

BY THE NUMBERS Seth and Leah’s SALT Trail Hike DAYS: 18 MILES: 360 miles AVERAGE MILEAGE PER DAY: 20 miles HIGHEST MILEAGE DAY: 26 miles AVERAGE AMOUNT OF SLEEP PER NIGHT:

8-9 hours SHOES WORN: Nike Wildhorse 4s (trail

runners) FAVORITE HIKING DINNER: Pesto tortellini FAVORITE HIKING SNACK: Sour Cream and

Chives crackers CALORIES CONSUMED/DAY ON TRAIL: 3000 CALORIES CONSUMED/DAY IN TOWN: 4000 OTHER HIKERS WE SAW DURING FOUR DAYS ON BARTRAM TRAIL: 1 SHOWERS TAKEN: 2 TRAILS HIKED: AT, Bartram, Southern

Foothills, Palmetto, Mountains to Sea, Bracken Mountain Trail, Art Loeb Trail STATES COVERED: NC, SC, TN, GA LONGEST STRETCH WITHOUT VISITING A TOWN: 7 days

our way up to Clingmans Dome. The second night, we were visited by three wild boars. Each had tusks and weighed at least 300 pounds. They stared at us for a few seconds before scampering off into the woods. We followed the Appalachian Trail for 48 more miles, walking down to Fontana Dam, up to Cheoah Bald, and then finally down to the NOC for pizza. After an 18 day, 360 mile walk in the woods, we were feeling quite celebratory indeed. The SALT tested us physically. There was a good bit of road walking, and not all of the trail sections were flowing singletrack. But for local hiking enthusiasts, the SALT is a quintessential sampling of Southern Appalachia.

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The secret is out. Outdoor adventurers have a new favorite destination – Clifton Forge in the Alleghany Highlands of Virginia.

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Discover a peaceful small town that also has

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an adventurous side. After all, Clifton Forge

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is surrounded by amazing mountain scenery and lots of ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Enjoy more than 100 miles of hiking, biking

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River Scenic Trail, numerous National Forest Service trails, the system

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at Douthat State Park and several trails that connect to the downtown.

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There is also paddling, tubing and world-class ﬁshing on the rivers and lakes of the Alleghany Highlands Blueway. Not only is Clifton Forge a Top Adventure Town… It’s uniquely Alleghany.

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Clifton Forge VIRGINIA

top adventure towns 2018

BY ELLEN KANZINGER

Over 50,000 votes poured in to our 8th annual Top Adventure Towns Contest. From 55 adventure hubs across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, our readers narrowed down their choices to the top three: their favorite large town (population 85,000+), mid-sized town (population 8,500-85,000), and small town (population less than 8,500). Which towns were tops in 2018?

Population: 3,715

Back in the day when the railroad was king, Clifton Forge, Va., was a major stop along the Chesapeake and Ohio line. When the maintenance yard moved out of state, jobs began disappearing from the area. But the town was blessed with a location the railroad could not take away. Clifton Forge sits along Interstate 64 in Alleghany County, a few miles from the West Virginia border. More than 50 percent of the county is national forest and public lands, offering adventurers of every kind plenty of space to explore the outdoors. Alleghany County, which also encompasses the town of Covington, had the potential to become an outdoor destination but lacked the amenities to capitalize on the location. “You can’t just have it and hope people will come. You have to create the infrastructure and get people here,” said Chad Williams, the director of parks and recreation for Alleghany County. In a small town like Clifton Forge, support from the community is vital to building up that foundation and bringing more visitors to the area. Michael Scales, a transplant from Virginia Beach, is on a mission to turn Clifton Forge into a top mountain biking destination. One of the very first races he competed in was the Middle Mountain Momma at Douthat State Park, one of the six original Virginia State Parks. After that first visit, he could not stay away. “I found that whenever I had a few days off, I’d shoot down here,” Scales said. He lived on the road for a few years, his bikes strapped to the back of his car, visiting when he could. When Scales finally decided to move to Clifton Forge, he wanted to bring other mountain bikers with him. Although he has only lived in town for two and a half years, he saw the future of Clifton Forge that first visit. “People know Douthat State Park, but they don’t know the 150 plus miles of trails in the national forest,” Scales said. “I live here in town, and L A K E M O O M AW I N T H E A L L E G H A N Y HIGHLANDS / PHOTO BY ELLEN KANZINGER.

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it’s less than two 2018 miles to most trailheads. Once TOp you’re at those trailheads, you can TOWNs ride for a full day without seeing any pavement. Everything is connected.” When Scales is not working as the general manager at Jack Mason’s Tavern and Brewery, he is setting up travel accommodations for biking groups coming into the area and organizing volunteers to maintain overgrown trails. Ride CFVA is a manifestation of his plan to market Clifton Forge as a top mountain biking destination. Scales plans to offer guided tours, shuttle services, and mountain biking events as business grows. Like Scales, Martha Atherholt and Wendy Hudler moved to Clifton Forge after falling in love with the area. In 2009, they opened Jack Mason’s Tavern and expanded in 2017 to include Clifton Forge’s first brewery. “It’s kind of fun to see how people have discovered it just like we did and see that small town coolness that you just don’t find in a lot of places anymore,” Atherholt said. They were used to the bustle of Phoenix, Ariz., and liked the change of pace. “It’s a peaceful area, it’s not a congested area,” Hudler added. “So you can enjoy a hike on a trail and not pass a million people.” The county took advantage of its railroad history to construct the Jackson River Scenic Trail. When completed, the 16-mile trail will connect the town of Covington with Bath County. Built on an old C&O Railroad bed, the trail follows the Jackson River as it flows from Lake Moomaw. Twin brothers Dan and John Mays will be opening Alleghany Outdoors, the area’s only outfitter, at the southern-most trailhead for kayaking, tubing, and mountain bike rentals in April 2019. The push to expand outdoor recreation opportunities in the area extends beyond the public lands. More shops and restaurants have opened in downtown Clifton Forge, offering visitors a taste of the community. “There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for this renaissance we’re getting into here in this area,” Atherholt said. “Those that have been here for a long time are coming around to the fact that they really have B

TOP SMALL TOWN

ADVENTURE

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something to offer visitors.”

Must See

Stop at the roadside park to take in Humpback Bridge, the oldest bridge of its kind in the United States. Drive up Route 220 to see the 80-foot Falling Spring Falls, an Alleghany landmark.

Outdoor Events

Sign up for the Jackson River Scenic Trail Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifying event, in June. Mountain bikers should look out for the Gran Fondo Alleghany, which offers more than 100 miles of racing.

Get Out of the Sun

See a show or movie at the newly restored Historic Masonic Theatre. If you have extra time, take a stained glass or blacksmith class at the Clifton Forge School of the Arts.

Spend the Night

Book a room at the Hill Crest Mansion Inn or The Red Lantern Inn for an immersive experience in the history of Clifton Forge. Reserve one of the many cabins or campsites at Douthat State Park to be close to the action.

RUNNER UP: ABINGDON, VA. POPULATION: 8,083 Abingdon, Va. may be a small town, but the opportunities for outdoor adventure are endless. Located in Southwest Virginia, Abingdon offers easy access to the Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond, including Roanoke, Va., Asheville, N.C., and Knoxville, Tenn. Bike the 34-mile scenic Virginia Creeper Trail • “Float the Fork” with a kayak trip through Adventure Mendota 26

• Hike in Grayson Highlands State Park, home to Virginia’s highest peak TOP MID-SIZED TOWN

Johnson City Tennessee Population: 66,500

Although the mountains and rivers have always been there, Johnson City is a relatively new adventure town. Like many boom towns, Johnson City was once a meeting place for the railroads, musicians, and bootleggers. Johnson City has embraced outdoor recreation as an economic driver in the last five years, capitalizing on what the locals had always enjoyed but had not advertised to the rest of the world. Chad Wolfe moved from Chicago to Johnson City at a time when Trek bike stores were virtually nonexistent in the Southeast. He and his wife looked at Asheville, N.C., but the market there was already saturated with other bike shops. Johnson City was not really on the map as an outdoor destination and Wolfe wanted to be at the forefront of an emerging cycling community. “Outdoor recreation is probably the sexiest thing in America right now because it’s not going to go away,” he said. “Johnson City is authentic in the sense that we actually have mountains here, as opposed to 45 minutes away in another town.” To engage the local community, Wolfe started with the Taco Trek. Four years later, hundreds of riders come out for the 30-minute bike ride from the Trek store to Holy Taco and Cantina.

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Capitalizing on that success, Wolfe started a second group ride every other Saturday morning, fittingly titled Bikin’ and Eggs. Since Wolfe moved five years ago, the city has opened four new parks. In 2015, the city completed the 10-mile Tweetsie Trail without any federal or state funding. A state study predicted the project would cost six million dollars. Johnson City turned the old rail line into a multipurpose trail for a third of that cost through private funding and donations. On any given day, you will find dozens of runners, bikers, and those just enjoying the scenery on the trail connecting Johnson City and Elizabethton. The success of Tweetsie Trail demonstrated how much the community was behind this kind of project. Tannery Knobs, the town’s most recent city park, is almost ready to open to the public. This bike skill park is designed for riders of all abilities, featuring multiple green, blue, and black level trails B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

as designated by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). “Every single trail in there was built almost like a theme,” Wolfe said. "One might be narrow and rocky, the other one might be wide, flowy, and jumpy. Another one might just have the great overlook with the very gradual slope. But it's all designed around the experience.” Johnson City also received a grant from the State of Tennessee to put in a pump track at the top of the mountain. The track is designed to help kids and beginners get used to the feel of mountain biking. The project came together in about a year and a half, largely due to the volunteers who helped shape the park. “We would have anywhere from 50 to 75 people out there helping dig the trails,” said Jacob Grieb. Grieb, a co-owner of Atlantic Ale House in downtown Johnson City, was on the original committee tasked with planning Tannery Knobs. “I think it’s one of the hidden gems of the Great Smoky Mountains G O O U TA N D P L AY

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host of the first national storytelling festival.

Spend the Night

Stay at the Carnegie Hotel for easy access to all of the restaurants and shops downtown. Set up your camp away from the city lights at Roan Mountain State Park.

RUNNER UP: CUMBERLAND, MD. POPULATION: 20,900

and Blue Ridge Mountains,” said Jacob Grieb. “You can be in the middle of the mountains in a matter of 15 or 20 minutes.” Beyond what is available immediately in Johnson City, visitors can access world renowned hiking trails, whitewater, and fishing. The Appalachian Trail, Nolichucky River, and Watauga Lake are all within a 30-minute drive from the downtown. In March of 2018, Scott Fisher opened one of the first comprehensive outdoor schools in the region. The Nolichucky Outdoor Learning Institute (NOLI) offers a wide range of instructional classes, including whitewater and flatwater kayaking, wilderness first aid, conservation, and outdoor arts right on the river. Although NOLI has only been operational for two months, they have already offered 25 classes for beginners through advanced adventurers. “This is a beautiful location with immediate access to world class outdoor areas with some of the best

resources,” Fisher said.

Must See

It is only a ten-minute drive from downtown to Buffalo Mountain, a city park that offers a 360-degree view of the town below. There are almost two dozen waterfalls to visit within a 25mile radius of Johnson City.

Outdoor Events

In August, Johnson City hosted the first annual Meet the Mountains Festival. People of all ages were invited to test their bike skills, navigate the ropes course, or demo paddle boarding at Founders Park. At 15 other sites around the region, visitors participated in sunset and sunrise hikes, disc golf, and trial runs at Tannery Knobs.

Get Out of the Sun

At the active Gray Fossil Site, paleontologists uncovered the fossils of a saber tooth cat, alligator, and a mastodon. The International Storytelling Center celebrates the power and tradition of stories as the

Spend the day hiking through the Allegheny Mountains or on the waters of the Potomac before unwinding in downtown Cumberland, Md. Explore all the history and scenery that this town has to offer. Pedal the Great Allegheny Passage • Paddle the North Branch of the Potomac River • Search for fossils at Bone Cave TOP LARGE TOWN

Chesapeake VIRGINIA Population: 237,940

Chesapeake, Va. may not be a mountainous town, but its extensive waterway and trail systems offer opportunities for adventurers of all abilities to explore a city rooted in history. For a long time, Chesapeake’s neighbors, Virginia Beach and Norfolk, overshadowed what the city had to offer. When Kim Murden was brought on as the Chesapeake Tourism Manager in the early 2000s, one of her responsibilities was to market the city’s outdoor recreation opportunities.

Murden said the city focused on “improving upon what was here naturally.” This meant adding water access points that are ADA compliant and walking trails around the city. For adventurers looking for a coastal destination with fewer crowds, Chesapeake has plenty of miles to explore. Kevin Fonda has been leading custom kayak and SUP tours in eastern Virginia and North Carolina for eight years but has been paddling the waterways since he was a teenager. He called the Great Dismal Swamp and Northwest River Natural Area Preserve some of the top paddling on the east coast. “It’s really an untouched environment,” Fonda said. “A lot of places you paddle, you’re going to run into a lot of buildings and people. Chesapeake is a lot more isolated. It hasn’t changed in thousands of years. Sometimes you have the whole place to yourself.” At one time, the Great Dismal Swamp covered more than a million acres across what is Virginia and North Carolina today. Over time, agriculture and business ate into the swamp. The 112,000 acres that remain are protected as a National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge and preserve are two of the only places in eastern Virginia with dark skies. “A lot people who live in the cities forget how much you can’t see up in the sky,” Fonda said. “People don’t understand until they get out here, away from the city lights.” Deloras Freeman has worked at the refuge for 18 years. As the visitor services specialist, she is in charge of environmental education and special

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THAT TIME autumn became your season of

ADVENTURE. If you love autumn and adventure, prepare to fall for Chesapeake. Visitors and residents alike delight in some of the best kayaking and paddle boarding in the region – complete with miles of waterways adorned in a rainbow of fall foliage. We’ve got corn mazes of every size to get lost in, a famous Ghost train in beautiful Northwest River Park – and eateries, craft beer and live music at every turn. So join us. And let the adventures of the season begin. VisitChesapeake.com/fall

Let the moments begin. Outdoor 28Ches_Blue B LU ERidge RID G E OOctober_2018_2ƒ.indd U T D O O R S / O C 1TO B E R 2 0 1 8

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Must See

Kayak or canoe along the eastern edge of the refuge through the Dismal

events at the swamp. She said that the Birding Celebration in early spring never fails to attract bird-watchers. “We have visitors that come from all over the United States and out of the country to see the Swainson’s warbler,” Freeman said. The swamp is one of the best places to see this rare species because they nest in such large numbers. The swamp was once home to more than the wildlife. In the last few decades, historians and archaeologists started extensive research into the people who found refuge from their oppressors in the swamp. Indigenous people driven off their land in the early colonial period took to the swamp they knew. Later, slaves sought protection in the dense forest as they made their way north along the Underground Railroad. The water acted as a moat around the islands scattered throughout the swamp and helped cloak their escape. “They had to get all of their needs from the swamp,” Freeman said. “They weren’t just hiding out, it was a whole other society living in the swamp.” The water in the swamp provided a source of drinking water. Tannic acid from the bald cypress forests seeps out and purifies the water of bacteria and algae. Visitors can explore the swamp by foot or bike on one of the many trails running through the refuge. Cars towing boats can access Lake Drummond, one of Virginia’s two natural lakes, in the middle of the swamp through the Interior Ditch. Above the city, the South Norfolk Jordan (SNJ) Bridge offers a unique urban adventure and aerial view of the city. The bridge crosses the Elizabeth River, connecting Chesapeake and Portsmouth. Dubbed the “Brooklyn Bridge of the South,” the SNJ Bridge is taller than the New York landmark at 169 feet above water. Beneath the bridge, the Elizabeth River Park offers water access and a pier that does not require a fishing license. “There is variety here that you can make your getaway what you want it to be,” Murden said. “Whether you want a relaxing experience or you want to do a 50 mile bike ride through the city, all of those things are there and you can really tailor your experience.”

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Swamp Canal. If you are feeling adventurous, spend the night at the campsite near Lake Drummond. Travelers over 21 should check out Big Ugly Brewing, named for the owner’s 1955 Chevy.

Outdoor Events

In Paddle for the Border, join more than 300 paddlers on the water as you cross from North Carolina into Virginia on the Dismal Swamp Canal. Foodies should travel in October to check out the Great American Food Fest or the Dismal Swamp Art Festival.

Get Out of the Sun

Starting in Spring 2019, visitors can learn about the Battle of Great Bridge at the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways History Museum. Stop by 3 Little Black Birds for some vintage, repurposed, and handcrafted shopping.

Spend the Night

With more than 40 hotels, you are sure to find a place to stay in Chesapeake. Camp on the bank of the river at the Northwest River Park and Campground.

RUNNER UP: ROANOKE, VA. POPULATION: 99,400 The Blue Ridge Mountains in the East Coast’s Mountain Biking Capital have something for everyone. Roanoke, Va. is the perfect place to test your endurance and skill as you hike, bike, or climb above the Roanoke Valley. Boulder at McAfee Knob • Ride mountain bikes to Mill Mountain Park • Float the Roanoke River

L A K E D R U M M O N D AT T H E C E N T E R O F T H E G R E A T D I S M A L S WA M P / P H O T O BY ELLEN KANZINGER

Fall F all in

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FRANKLIN COUNTY virginia

rom the crest of the Blue Ridge, to the Piedmont below and

the foothills in between, Franklin County is a distinct outdoor destination. It is a landscape woven with miles of roads, trails, and blueways perfect for adventures of all kinds. Bike along the almost 50 miles of designated scenic byways. Paddle one of the four rivers and two lakes in this Southwest Virginia location or spend the day reeling in bass, trout, walleye and more. Take in the vivid colors of the hardwoods that ac cent the Franklin County landscape as they share their flickeri ng seasonal beauty. PHOTOS BY: MATT ROSS

VISITFRANKLINCOUNTYVA.COM | (540) 483-3030

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FALL IN FRANKLIN

Paddle out onto Philpott Lake to enjoy one of the Concerts By Canoe at Calico Cliffs. Sounds of the Blue Ridge play from a floating stage on the lake as the leaves begin to change. The recently launched Franklin County Barn Quilt Trail features geometric designs along our rural scenic byways, including several works that can only be viewed from the waters of Smith Mountain Lake. In late October, enjoy the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival – a one-of-a-kind event in Virginia now entering its 45th consecutive year. This daylong celebration of the Blue Ridge showcases traditional musicians, food, artisans, and folkways from around the region. Learn about moonshine lore from distillers, watch master artisans craft banjos, or try your hand at the slingshot. Have you ever witnessed mule jumping? The smell of fresh apple butter, wood shavings, and steaming molasses fills the air while you hear the banter of horses, the howling of coon dogs, and the clanging of a blacksmith’s anvil. This is Blue Ridge heritage at its best. Join racers from around the country for the Crooked Road 24 Hour Ultra in November. Run or walk the 1.178-mile loop as many times as you can in 24 hours. There’s also the Oktoberfest and 5K Trail Race/Walk at Smith Mountain Lake in October. Younger outdoor enthusiasts may cast a reel at the Kids Fall Fishing Derby or get on a bike for IMBA’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. At the Franklin County Public Library’s Balance Bike Bonanza, young folks can share their balance skills with a chance to win a free balance bike.

STAY AND PLAY

Franklin County is a hidden destination for bikers of all ages and experience. The Jagged Edge Motorcycle Trail snakes in and out of the Blue Ridge Parkway, offering 588 curves and averaging 1,595 feet of elevation change. Take a break and admire the view from overlooks or recreation areas along the way. The trails at Jamison Mill and Waid Parks have over 30 miles of trails geared toward off-road biking. More than 20,000 acres of protected federal and state lands surround Philpott Lake, isolating you from the distractions of the busy world – unplugging never had it so good. Explore Deer Island, accessible only by water and featuring several campsites. Fresh cold waters just off the slopes of the Blue Ridge are a perfect niche for the walleye and black bass – two prized species sought by anglers. With 500 miles of shoreline, Smith Mountain Lake consistently ranks as one of the top bass fishing spots in the United States. Launch from any one of the seven public boat launches around the lake. At the end of the day, pull up your watercraft into a slip, whether you’re in a boat, paddle craft, or even float plane, and literally step into the restaurant. Based on a proud tradition, Franklin County is home to two distilleries, two craft breweries and a winery—all featuring tasting rooms to kick back and relax in after a day on the water, trails, or road.

PHOTO BY: BLUE RIDGE INSTITUTE & MUSEUM, FERUM COLLEGE

beyond the label Farm-to-Table Guide MARION OHLINGER / PHOTO BY ERIC VON CLUTTER PHOTOGRAPHY

BY ELLEN KANZINGER

he idea behind farm-to-table restaurants is an attractive one. On the surface, chefs promise to provide consumers with better quality food while supporting small farmers and the local economy. It is a term that makes you feel good about the food you are eating. But since the term “farm-to-table” exploded on the restaurant scene in the early 2000’s, there are some who have tried to capitalize on the trendy movement. They slap the label on their menu without putting in the effort. The reality and cost of sourcing local food, depending on location, makes it difficult for many restaurants to be 100 percent farm-to-table. Jac Oliver, co-owner of Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery, recommends a healthy dose of skepticism when looking for a place to eat. “Be aware, there are different levels of committing,” she said. “A lot of restaurants claim to be farmto-table and there is no real way to check it out.” There is no organization that monitors the authenticity of farmto-table claims. Some restaurants feature their farmers on their website or menus. But this is not always the case. If you are really looking for a restaurant that uses local ingredients, be prepared to do some of the legwork yourself. “You should not be afraid to ask 32

where it came from,” Charles DeBerry of DeBerry farms said. “I think the more people ask about it, and restaurants see that people are interested, they’ll work at it a little harder and see the value in it.” These three restaurateurs spoke about the unique challenges that come with running a farm-to-table establishment and the relationships they have established with their suppliers.

Hill and Hollow Morgantown, W. Va.

For Chef Marion Ohlinger, part of owning a farm-to-table restaurant means establishing a relationship with the people who provide the ingredients for his dishes. Cheryl and Charles DeBerry met Ohlinger through the Morgantown Farmers' Market. “He, as a chef, took the initiative to come to the farmers market to buy food for his restaurant,” Charles DeBerry said. Throughout their decade-long relationship, the DeBerrys have supplied fresh produce for two of Ohlinger’s restaurants. Ohlinger’s interest in opening a farm-to-table restaurant began in the late 1990s on the opposite coast. He was working in Seattle the first time he came across Herbfarm. Ohlinger,

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a twelfth-generation West Virginian, could not recall seeing a restaurant that placed such an emphasis on using local ingredients back in his home state. When Ohlinger and his wife, Alegria, returned to West Virginia in 2003 to open their own restaurant, the farm-to-table movement was practically nonexistent in the area. Restaurants may have been using local ingredients in their food, but they were not advertising it. The first place the couple opened, Solera, was a Spanish-Latin American restaurant in Morgantown, W. Va. The business was successful, but Ohlinger kept thinking back to his experience in Seattle. In 2009, the Ohlingers decided to transition their restaurant into the Richwood Grill, an all-out farm-to-table establishment. The change coincided with the 2008 economic collapse during which Ohlinger said he became disillusioned by the corporate greed that he saw as rampant among corporations. Ohlinger committed himself to using fresh, local ingredients in all of his dishes. He refused to sell commercial drinks like Coke or Pepsi to his customers, only offering organically made sodas. But the challenges that came with running a full-time farm-to-table restaurant began to take their toll. Ohlinger said people would walk out of B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

the restaurant when they learned they didn’t carry Diet Coke. “Trying to be militantly farm-totable was really hard,” he said. “Local costs way more than corporate does. We were there, and it was nearly impossible to maintain.” He struggled to find local farmers who were selling the products he needed. The ingredients he used each day depended on what was growing that season. The lack of a consistent and constant supply made it difficult to replicate the same menu every day. “People would ask why there are no tomatoes on the salad,” he said. “Well, we only have fresh tomatoes when they are in season.” When the Ohlingers learned they were expecting their second child, they realized that the 60 seats at the Richwood Grill would no longer be enough to sustain their growing family. When the space they were renting was bought out from under them, they were forced to find a new location for their expanding operation. In 2016, they opened Hill and Hollow. Located beside the Monongahela River in Morgantown, Ohlinger describes the restaurant as modern Appalachian, a fusion of traditional Appalachian dishes and cuisine from around the world. Although still farm-to-table, he is a little more flexible about the realities of sourcing local products while still G O O U TA N D P L AY

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producing a consistent menu. While Ohlinger still offers the organic sodas, he now carries Coca-Cola products because it is cheaper and that is what his customers want. Ohlinger estimates that the restaurant is about seventy-five percent farm-to-table in the spring and summer and closer to thirty-three percent in the winter. He said he is honest about this reality with his customers. “Farm-to-table is the single biggest lie being told in the industry today,” he said. “It is a huge problem on the restaurant scene because it is so trendy. If people actually want to know the food is local, they should ask the restaurant about the farms they get their products from and they should talk to those farmers.” While Ohlinger relies on larger distributors for a consistent cut of meat or produce out of season, he still tries to use local ingredients, within 150 miles, or regional ingredients, within 300 miles, as much as possible. Located 48 miles from Hill and Hollow in Oakland, Md., DeBerry Farm Fresh Produce is just one of the local farms Ohlinger buys from. The DeBerrys typically sell to other restaurants and stores through Garrett Growers, a farmer’s cooperative that helps connect local farmers with wholesale buyers. Although Hill and Hollow is outside of the cooperative’s delivery zone, Ohlinger picks up his order directly from the Morgantown Farmers Market because of the relationship he cultivated. “We love working with restaurants and being able to send customers to certain restaurants where they can eat our food,” Cheryl DeBerry said. Other places you can taste DeBerry Farm Fresh Produce: Morgantown Farmers Market (Morgantown, W. Va.) Highland Market (Davis, W. Va.) Mountain Fresh Farmers Market (Oakland, Md.) Brenda’s Pizzeria (Oakland, Md.) Browning’s Shop and Save Express (Oakland, Md.)

Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery Greenville, S.C.

Jac Oliver likens Swamp Rabbit to the “Home Depot of local food.” What started out as a cafe and grocery now includes a bakery, pizzeria, and butchery. All of the food is

made in house with the same products sold in the grocery. They host cooking classes in the evenings and monthly dance parties to benefit local charities. If that was not enough to keep Oliver and her co-owner, Mary Walsh, busy, Swamp Rabbit is also a food hub that helps local farmers distribute their products to other restaurants and stores around the region. Margie Levine, owner of Crescent Farm, sells her organic produce to Swamp Rabbit. Her vegetables may be used in the salads sold in the café, the pogachas sold in the bakery, or stocked on the grocery shelves. “One of the beauties of their success is that they are so supportive of local,” Levine said. “They are the backbone of the local community here.” In college, Oliver majored in biology and Walsh majored in engineering. They met working at a conservation non-profit and started talking about their shared interest in food. In 2011, the duo quit their jobs to open the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery. Named for the 22-mile multi-use trail that runs behind the building, the owners of Swamp Rabbit encourage patrons to “Eat Local and Ride Bikes.” They wanted to create a place where patrons could bike or walk to buy groceries. Swamp Rabbit received the gold level Bicycle Friendly Business designation from The League of American Bicyclists in 2018. Oliver said they source from over 300 local vendors, farmers, and artisans to stock their cafe and store. She qualified that they sometimes struggle to find a reliable local producer of certain items. They have yet to find anyone locally who makes butter. “There are some things, like lettuce, that you can get any time of year,” Oliver said. “Then there are products that are an act of love because they have a short season or few farmers specialize in that crop. If we can’t get local, we go regional. If we can’t get regional, we go organic.” In all that they do, Oliver said they try to keep the cost down for their customers. Farm-to-table restaurants have a reputation for being more expensive because of all the time and effort that goes into finding local products. “We’re trying really hard to be affordable,” she said. “We are cafe food, not fine dining.” Clinton and Jesse Pace, owners of Southern Berkshire Farm, sell their chicken, eggs, turkey, and pork to

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Swamp Rabbit. Their meat might be turned into breakfast links in the cafe or pork sold in the butchery. Clinton Pace said that selling through Swamp Rabbit’s food hub has allowed them to spend less time traveling to farmers markets. “When you do more markets, you’re taking more time off the farm. Your attention is away from the animals,” Pace said. “Swamp Rabbit has been a blessing to us. They really care about their farmers and reach out to them.” This is part of the reputation that Oliver and Walsh cultivated as they established and expanded Swamp Rabbit. Oliver said they try to be as environmentally conscious as possible. They repurposed an abandoned building into their retail space. Their ingredients come from sustainable farms that are committed to being good stewards of the land. The leftover food from the grocery may be used in their cafe dishes or donated to local foster families. For the owners of Swamp Rabbit, this is what it means to be a part of a local community. Other places you can get produce from Crescent Farm: Stella’s Southern Bistro (Greenville, S.C.) Farm Fresh Fast (Greenville, S.C.) The Kennedy (Spartanburg, S.C.) Hub City Co-op (Spartanburg, S.C.) Other places you can get meat from Southern Berkshire Farm: Farmacy (Easley, S.C.) TD Saturday Market (Greenville, S.C.) Piedmont Park Green Market (Atlanta, Ga.)

Red River Rockhouse Campton, Ky.

As the latest buzzwords, labels, and trends are thrown around in the restaurant industry, Aaron Brouwer is more concerned with the actual practice. In fact, he does not consider Red River Rockhouse a true farm-totable restaurant. “There are some places where every single thing is grown on the premise. If you are that person, doing it to the nth degree, that’s great,” he said. But for Brouwer, that level of commitment is not realistic for someone trying to support a seasonal staff and a family. Like many restaurant owners have found, it is rare to find local farmers who are growing the right products year-round and in the right amount without constantly changing the menu. “No one is growing 1,500 pounds of potatoes a week,” Brouwer said. Brouwer never planned to open a restaurant. He was a self-described jack-of-all-trades. He spent some time working as a park ranger in Yosemite National Park and then was a professional photographer with his wife, Tina. He worked in restaurants to make money but had not thought about running his own. “I was doing whatever I could to fund rock climbing,” Brouwer said. An avid rock climber, he spent a lot of time in the Red River Gorge. While the gorge attracts climbers from around the world, there were few eating options available nearby. When Brouwer saw the property where the Rockhouse is now, he knew it was the perfect place for a

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BRINGING THE FARM TO YOUR TABLE

Farm-to-table is not an affordable option for everyone. Menus change seasonally, sometimes weekly, depending on what ingredients are available. The additional time and effort adds to the price of the food. These organizations are working to make fresh and local food more accessible across neighborhoods, cities, and states. The driving force behind these mobile markets is that healthy food is a human right. B R E A K F A S T TA C O AT R E D RIVER ROCKHOUSE / PHOTO BY TINA BROUWER

restaurant. He remodeled the whole building himself because he could not afford to hire anyone. Brouwer ultimately wanted to create a place where adventure enthusiasts could grab something to eat before or after a long day outdoors. “I knew there was a high chance of success because I had my finger on the pulse of the outdoor community,” Brouwer said. Since the restaurant opened in 2011, climbing as a sport has exploded. All 20 of his employees, who are also climbers, spend their free time in the gorge. Brouwer said the Rockhouse serves burgers, burritos, and beer because “it’s kind of what everyone likes.” Because of where the restaurant is located in the Daniel Boone National Forest, he drives to each of the farms himself to pick up the food. Instead of trying to buy everything fresh from the farm, he focuses on where his animal-based ingredients are coming from and the amount of waste his restaurant produces. All of the protein he buys, including beef, poultry, and eggs, comes from free-range farms in the area that do not use antibiotics, steroids, or hormones. He is committed to buying products that alleviate animal suffering. “Everything lives and dies, but it shouldn't have to suffer its whole life,” he said. Over the last seven years, Brouwer has developed a relationship with Will Muerer of Wholesome Living Farm. Muerer’s mission as a farmer aligned with Brouwer’s vision for the ingredients he wanted to use in his kitchen. At Wholesome Living Farm, Muerer is concerned with the consequences that human actions have on animals and the land. He warned that eating 34

local does not always mean the farmers are using environmentally friendly practices. "Local food is automatically assumed to be more ecologically and nutritionally superior,” he said. “You can have locally sourced food that is not ecologically profitable.” Brouwer is willing to pay the higher cost for ingredients at Muerer’s farm for the knowledge that those products are coming from someone who is consciously raising animals taking care of the land. He is also aware of how much food goes to waste, especially off supermarket shelves and in restaurant kitchens. “It is a lot of work to do it right and not have a lot of waste,” Brouwer said. “We use pretty everything we bring in. I would much rather run out than throw out.”

ot every restaurant is this honest about where their ingredients come from. “There are a whole lot of people blowing a whole lot of sunshine about how hard it is,” Marion Ohlinger said. But the ones who truly care about the quality of their food and the quality of their customer’s experience recognize the importance of being open about the challenges that come with running a farm-to-table restaurant. For these restaurant owners, the farm-to-table model offers a sense of stewardship over the land that provides the food. There are regulations farmers must follow to become organically certified, but restaurants do not have to go through a similar process to claim the farm-to-table label. Without a universal set of criteria, customers will continue to rely on the restaurant’s word.

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N E W R O OT S (LO U I S V I L L E , K Y. )

After reading the Louisville Metro Health Equity Report, Karyn Moskowitz knew she wanted to do something. The report detailed how income, housing, education, transportation, community safety, and access to food affected the health and well-being of Louisville residents. Moskowitz, who grew up with regular access to fresh produce in upstate New York, had noticed the lack of resources in Kentucky. “I started to organize, which is what I know how to do,” she said. Moskowitz started New Roots based on the idea of cooperative economics. The community pools its money, paying on a sliding scale, allowing everyone the chance to buy the produce. Sixteen markets pop up every other week for 22 weeks across Kentucky and into Indiana. The shareholders work with the farmers to decide what to grow, volunteer at the markets, and attend Food Justice Workshops. New Roots also partners with larger companies, like Facilities Management Services, to host farmers markets for their employees. The market is set up at the office, allowing employees to shop during their lunch break. The corporations cover up to eighty percent of the cost. “Unless you have a lifestyle where fresh local produce is a part of your diet, it’s hard to know where to start,” Moskowitz said. T H E U R B A N F O O D P R OJ E C T (BIRMINGHAM, ALA.)

The Urban Food Project started with three farmers selling their produce from the back of Taylor Clark’s car. Six years later, Clark manages a network of 40 farmers, 35 restaurants, and nine stores. The Birmingham-based food hub now has its own warehouse and refrigerated

truck. The organization facilitates access to healthy food by connecting the farmers with local stores. “Food is leading entrepreneurship,” Clark said. “This program leverages local food for economic development.” The Urban Food Project is just one branch of REV Birmingham, an organization focused on revitalizing the city, neighborhoods, and businesses of Birmingham. The REVeal Kitchen is a space in the Pizitz Food Hall that offers a shortterm lease for up and coming chefs to run their own restaurants. Residents can borrow one of the 400 bikes at 40 different locations around the city through the Zyp BikeShare. A few times a year, the Woodland Street Market provides a venue for the community and local vendors to come together. BOUNTY AND SOUL (ASHEVILLE, N.C.)

Ali Casparian, a nutritionist and health coach, founded Bounty and Soul four years ago as a way to help people access healthier foods. Bounty and Soul is focused on more than providing access to fresh food. Executive Director Bruce Ganger said the organization takes a full body approach to health and wellness. “It’s being able to provide, not just healthy food, but resources to actually live a better life,” he said. In addition to the five mobile farmers markets, visitors are invited to participate in yoga and Zumba classes. The Rooted in Health series offers nutrition and cooking classes on a range of subjects, including stress management and selfcare. All of the food and classes are free for participants. With 150 volunteers, the mobile markets distribute around 7,500 pounds of produce and grain a week. “It’s the community of farmers, growers, and volunteers of all shapes and sizes that make this possible,” Ganger said. “They’re how we can reach over 700 people a week. We have this army of people coming together to take care of the community.” OT H E R M O B I L E M A R K E T S : UJA M A A F R E E D O M M A R K E T ASHEVILLE, N.C. F E E D M O R E ’ S M O B I L E PA N T R Y R I C H M O N D, VA . GREENSGROW P H I L A D E L P H I A , PA . LO W C O U N T R Y S T R E E T M A R K E T C H A R L E S TO N , S . C . C H AT TA N O O G A M O B I L E M A R K E T C H AT TA N O O G A , T E N N . G R O W O H I O VA L L E Y M O B I L E FA R M E R S M A R K E T W H E E L I N G , W. VA .

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OCTOBER 2018

The chill in the air means we’ve got pumpkins on the dashboard and cider in our fridge. Over the past seven months we have been on the road, adventured in 10 states, and hiked thousands of miles. Our tour comes to an end next month, but we still have plenty of exploring left to do! Let’s pull on those headlamps, puffy jackets and gloves, there’s fun yet to be had out there.

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Phantom of the Pines The Future of the Florida Panther BY KYLE RITLAND

It’s a story that might sound

familiar— similar versions have unfolded with only slightly different characters. The species that we now call the Florida Panther used to roam throughout the entirety of the southeastern United States, but due to conflict with humans and our penchant for development, by the 1970s it survived only in a single breeding population of about 30 individuals in Southwest Florida. In the 1980s, the state of Florida and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service initiated a research and monitoring program to determine the possibilities for a recovery of the species which would allow it to expand beyond South Florida. Recognizing inbreeding and a genetic bottleneck as the panther’s greatest threat, officials brought in eight female Texas Cougars, the closest living relative of the Florida panther and another subspecies of puma, which had historically bred with their Floridian counterparts. In 2003, after producing 20 kittens with the native Florida panthers, these Texas Cougars were removed from Florida and their kittens were left to refresh the genetic flow of the species. The combination of this new genetic diversity with the conservation of public land and the investment in coexistence programs enabled the Florida Panther population to continue on the road to recovery, climbing from its decimated population of 30 cats to an official estimate of 120-230 individuals. But the real boon came in 2016, when the first female Florida panther since 1973 was observed north of the Caloosahatchee River, which flows 67 miles from Lake Okeechobee out into the Gulf, effectively dividing Southwest Florida in half and marking an unofficial transition from the wilderness of the Everglades to the rest of the state. Male panthers have been known for years to cross the Caloosahatchee, but the movement of this first female was of incredible significance to those following the Florida panther’s story. It showed for the first time irrefutable evidence of the species’ northward expansion, and gave hope for its longterm survival. For a species whose individual male needs a 200 square mile home range, and whose numbers in South Florida have been steadily growing, the outlook has for some time been hopeful but uncertain: for the Florida panther to survive, it would need to expand north, across the river and beyond. While the Florida panther may not yet inhabit the hazy hills of the Blue Ridge, it would be short-sighted to dismiss this species as irrelevant to B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

the region. This is an animal that is representative of our species’ attempt to restore an ecosystem to balance. The story of the Florida panther reveals the level of cooperation and understanding necessary to achieve equilibrium between humanity and the natural world. ROOM TO ROAM The world of the Florida panther grew in size when the first female crossed the river, casting out years of scientific uncertainty of when or if females would overcome this obstacle. Now, with two confirmed broods of kittens born north of the river, Panther expansion throughout the state is inevitable— although this brings with it its own unique challenges. Chief among these challenges is the mechanics of the expansion itself. "If there's going to be a future for the Florida Panther, we need to save a wildlife corridor that keeps the Everglades connected to the rest of the state and the rest of the country," says Carlton Ward, Jr., founder of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a nonprofit organization that works with conservation organizations and private landowners to connect, protect, and restore an intact wildlife corridor through the length of the state. While about 9 million acres of the corridor are already protected, some of these connections are very tenuous. “There are places where the corridor is a half-mile or less in width, and it’s being squeezed off on all sides by development,” explains Lindsay Cross, executive director of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. “Road crossings, underpasses—fatalities from road collisions are one of the biggest threats to Florida panthers right now. Some of these places are really hanging in the balance.” BLOOD ON THE ROAD Jen Korn was Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's first wildlife biologist north of the Caloosahatchee. Today, she works for a private engineering firm and coordinates the construction of wildlife crossings with the Florida Department of Transportation. Instead of attempting to build the crossings from the ground up, much of their work revolves around utilizing what's already there. “We find places that already have a water-control structure like a bridge, a crossing that already may be being used, and just go in and make it a little safer—add ledges and fencing beneath it. It’s a lot cheaper.” G O O U TA N D P L AY

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

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Crossings like these are instrumental in preserving a functional wildlife corridor for panthers moving north. Death by road strike is arguably the greatest threat to individual panthers, with 30 panthers killed by vehicle strike in 2015 and close to 35 in 2016. But the crossing itself is only half of the solution—the land on either side still needs to be protected. Korn explains that for a wildlife crossing to be truly effective, it requires the cooperation of private THERE HAS NOT BEEN landowners, who could A SINGLE CONFIRMED hopefully put their INSTANCE OF land into conservation FLORIDA PANTHER easements to protect ATTACK ON A HUMAN IN OVER ONE it for the panther. HUNDRED YEARS. But in order for this to happen, these has provided landowners landowners must be with cameras to document amenable to having panthers the level of calf predation, on their land at all—a situation that to help expedite this process. often proves difficult to accept. Furthermore, Defenders works in suburban areas with families to prevent CAN WE COEXIST? depredations against pets and hobby It’s an unfortunate fact of nature which livestock. In cases of confirmed panther would be disingenuous to brush aside: attack, Defenders works with the Florida panthers are wild animals, Conservancy of Southwest Florida to and when looking for a meal, will fund the construction of livestock pens, hardly discriminate between wild and splitting the cost three ways among domesticated prey. Liesa Priddy is a the conservation organizations and the rancher in the heart of Panther country, family, and sometimes covering up to and has lost calves to predation. half the cost. “When my family started ranching This sort of outreach and support on this property in the 1940s, there is crucial for the panther's future as it weren’t any panthers—they’d been moves north. As Priddy warns, “until extirpated from this area," Priddy people see that their lives are not explains. "So it is new for us. I think going to be negatively impacted, you’re people need to be very open-minded not going to see welcome mats put as to what the actual situation is. out for Florida panthers north of the Panthers are beautiful animals, but you river.” Actions on the part of Defenders have to be realistic in this situation.” of Wildlife and other conservation Nearly all conservationists in South organizations can help landowners feel Florida will agree that ranchers are supported rather than abandoned, and incredible stewards of the land and can help them see the panther as an provide ideal habitat for panthers. But integral part of the environment, rather their willingness to do this relies on than an enemy or a nuisance. their opinion of the species, which can “I’m not happy that my goat’s been be hurt by panthers who take a bite out taken,” says Salem Philippi, whose of their living. family had one goat killed and another "I'm not going to underestimate the wounded by an interloping Panther. “But challenges," says Elizabeth Fleming, what am I going to do? Am I going to the senior Florida representative for go out there and kill every one of them Defenders of Wildlife. "If that's your because they did something to me? I livelihood, it can be expensive." don’t see it that way. Every animal plays There do exist government a part in the ecosystem. We support one programs for reimbursement in the another. We need each other to grow.” case of confirmed depredation, but Priddy warns of the difficulty in trying to ANTI-PANTHER comply with all of the red tape in these As the panther continues its northward circumstances. "It's very easy for the migration, coexistence is essential. federal government to say, 'we have But in order for residents in its path to programs that are going to help you,' but be open to the idea of coexistence, a what they don't tell you is how hard it is." full understanding of the species itself For their part, Defenders of Wildlife is necessary first. Misinformation has 44

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

place in our future.”

C A T S H AV E C R O S S E D T H E C A L O O S A H AT C H E E R I V E R .

been rampant in recent years, spread by a small but vocal contingent of panther opponents, who more often than not are more anti-governmentinterference than they are anti-panther. The transformation of areas like Big Cypress has led to a backlash from a few local residents and Gladesmen over land that they feel the panther now has more rights to than they do themselves. Media has been a powerful tool for the spread of this misinformation through various anti-panther Facebook pages which characterize panthers as dangerous predators, and a threat to every Florida resident. In fact, there has not been a single confirmed instance of Florida panther attack on a human in over one hundred years. But media can also be a tool for fostering understanding. For Carlton Ward, this belief is at the heart of his current work with National Geographic. His forthcoming Path of the Panther project aims to utilize extensive cameratraps and storytelling to bring about a more powerful and personal connection with a species known for its elusiveness. “The panther is a symbol,” Ward says. “It captures people’s imaginations.” By combining the tools of biology and photography, Ward hopes to shine a light on the unseen corners of his home state, and display the value of wild Florida to those who have not experienced it for themselves. “These parts of Florida are hidden in plain sight,” Ward says. “Not everyone has a chance to get out on a cattle ranch or head out into a swamp. Through media, we can bring these stories to people in a way that helps them understand what these animals and these lands mean to them—so that they can have the profile they need in people’s hearts and minds, and have a B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

THE FUTURE OF THE FLORIDA PANTHER It’s difficult to estimate the rate of the panther’s northward expansion. What we do know is that the Caloosahatchee has been crossed, and kittens have been born on the far bank. We know that male panthers expand their territory rapidly whenever they can, and that they have in the past been spotted deeper into Central and North Florida than they are currently confirmed to occupy. And we know that there does exist a Florida Wildlife Corridor stretching the length of the state, with biologists and conservationists working to ensure its continued existence. The Florida panther will move north as quickly as it is able to escape the congestion of South Florida. The future it will face is difficult to discern. Are we as a species and as communities ready for the panther’s return? Are we ready to practice what we preach, and live next door to these animals we claim to want back? There are clear preparations that need to be made—education and outreach are solid first steps, followed by coexistence plans that must be laid before the first panther leaves its print in fresh mud. But along with these concrete goals exists the foundation beneath them, which should by no means be neglected. And this foundation is the understanding that nature itself comes at a cost—but it’s a cost that we also must pay in order to survive ourselves. It’s easy to see our two species at opposite ends of a spectrum: competitors for the same resources in a limited space. But this is not a zero-sum game. What’s good for the panther is often good for the person. Setting aside wild land and clean water for the panther also safeguards our own future. Protecting ranch land—prime panther habitat—from development simultaneously preserves human heritage and vital food sources. Person and panther are linked closer than many might care to imagine, and what fate awaits the panther might likely await us as well. As the human race works tirelessly to transform the landscape to suit itself, the panther comes as a reminder for balance—our two species share the same needs for survival: clean air, fresh water, open spaces, and above all an understanding that we are in fact a part of nature, not apart from it. Watch an exclusive 10-minute video produced by BRO and filmed in south Florida about the future of the Florida panther. G O O U TA N D P L AY

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

THE GOODS

LOVE LOCAL OUR FAVORITE GEAR BASED IN THE BLUE RIDGE B Y G R A H A M AV E R I L L

e all do our best to go local when we’re picking our beer and veggies (nothing beats a local IPA/beets pairing), but you can also go local with your outdoor gear. The Southern Appalachians has a strong manufacturing tradition, and today, that tradition continues as some of the most innovative gear on the market is designed here and made here. Here is some of our favorite local gear.

BLUE RIDGE CHAIR WORKS $155

Former raft guide turned woodworker Alan Davis makes a variety of camp furniture that looks great in your Instagram feed. The original Blue Ridge Chair is still our favorite, though. It’s a two-piece design that slides together, sits low to the ground, and is made with American timber in Western North Carolina. It’s a nowaste factory too, so spare pieces of wood are turned into bottle openers.

MOUNTAIN LAUREL DESIGNS SUPERLIGHT SOLO BIVY $175

WATERSHED MACKENZIE From $130

Asheville-based Watershed has been making industry standard dry bags for decades, but with the MacKenzie, the brand is breaking into the bike category. The MacKenzie is a 10.5-liter handlebar bag built for bikepacking or just cruising around town that’s fully waterproof thanks to the Zipdry closure and roll-top design. There’s no better way to keep your gear dry and safe when you’re on the bike.

SIMPLE SHOT SCOUT $40

Virginia-based Mountain Laurel Designs makes a variety of tents, tarps and packs for the ultralight set, but this solo bivy takes minimalist freedom to the ultimate level. The Superlight Solo uses cuben fiber for a featherweight, water-resistant sack you can use on its own or under a tarp.

DIAMOND BRAND THE GREAT DAY ($250) AND THE DOUBLE TAKE ($79)

Asheville-based Diamond Brand is best known as a gear store, but they’ve been making gear for the military for years. Recently, they reintroduced a line of gear for the rest of us that ranges from dome tents to day packs. And they’re all made in the US. The Great Day is a retro-inspired day pack made from water resistant canvas—it’s your everyday carry thanks to the laptop sleeve and straps that convert from backpack to over the shoulder style. The Double Take is our favorite from the new line. Made from waxed canvas and 1000D nylon, this carry all is durable as hell and converts into a cooler with the inner Chilly Bag insert. Carry it over the shoulder or attach it to your bike.

Simple Shot, based in Western North Carolina, takes a childhood staple and reinvents it for adults. The Scout has a nearly-indestructable polycarbonate handle with textured imprints for your forefinger and thumb and an ergonomic grip that creates a sturdy slingshot platform. Take this puppy camping with you and spend all of your downtime revisiting your childhood.

EAGLES NEST OUTFITTERS SUBLINK SHELTER SYSTEM $250

Asheville-based ENO changed the way we camp (and nap) when they introduced the Doublenest hammock 20 years ago. Since then, their hammock systems have become the industry leaders. The Sublink is their best yet, matching their lightest hammock (the 9.8oz. SuperSub) with the Helios suspension and Sil Nylon Rain Tarp and Guardian SL Bug Net. Put it together, and it’s the lightest complete hammock system on the market.

MORE GEAR CASTELLI INFERNO BIBSHORTS $200

Designed to help riders handle the heat, the Inferno has perforated fabric on the side panels and mesh-like Giro Air leg bands, and the fabric on the front of the short actually includes titanium dioxide (the active ingredient in sunscreen) to help reflect UV rays and keep you cool.

ON CLOUDVENTURE TRAIL RUNNING SHOE $149

The rubber profile of this Swiss-manufactured shoe offers four distinct layers of grip, which enables it to perform in the toughest alpine conditions. Featherlight and comfy yet ultra-durable, it’s intelligently built for mountain running.

JUMPER PEPPERMINT TECH UNDERWEAR $28

Why peppermint? Peppermint leaf yarn is naturally antimicrobial. Everybody needs fresh undies, and these deliver. They’re soft, breathable, and super-comfy. You’ll feel even better knowing that the undies are also ecosourced and organic.

PRANA PILLAR PRINTED LEGGING

$79

The prAna Pillar Printed Legging is made with recycled polyester performance stretch jersey and moisture-wicking technology. The design features a mid-rise fitted legging with a wide waistband, hidden key pocket, active stitch construction, and a triangle gusset for added comfort and reinforcement.

OSPREY OZONE DUPLEX $220

This lightweight, carry-on-size travel pack is two-in one: one harness, two packs, and better overall load-carrying ability. The daypack frame supports and distributes the pack’s load through the comfortably padded hipbelt while the adjustable shoulder straps provide an excellent fit. Laptops, heavier essentials, valuables and everything you need on the plane stay close at hand in the daypack. The detachable cargo bag conveniently fits in the overhead, maximizing carry-on capacity.

YEVO AIR WIRELESS HEADPHONES $129

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Common Ground

An Unlikely Revival Takes Root on Appalachian Coal Mines B Y WA L L Y S M I T H

The dibble bar is a strange little tool, a half-shovel, half-spade hybrid that could pass as a medieval torture implement. But in spite of its weirdness, the dibble is a wonderful tool for planting trees, capable of digging a hole in the soil and sealing a seedling into it in three easy moves: jab, pull, and push. I'm planting trees with a woman I've never met from Kingsport, Tenn., on a former surface mine. "Feels weird, doesn't it?" the woman says. It does. For starters, the chestnut seedlings we’re planting aren’t really a part of our modern-day Appalachian forests. Ever since odd cankers first appeared on trees at the Bronx Zoo in 1904, American chestnuts have been decimated, the victim of a fungal blight from Asia. American Chestnuts can still be found in our woods, but they usually only grow a few feet before dying. Intentionally planting what should be a doomed hardwood seems at first glance like a waste of time and energy. And then there's the mine itself. To think of a coal mine is to conjure any number of descriptors—desolate, devastated, and poisoned, to quote several recent news articles—that speak to these lands' environmental liabilities. Old coal mines are places for strip malls and industrial parks, not nature preserves. Why are we there planting trees? Coal companies are supposed to restore mine sites to something resembling the terrain that existed prior

to mining, but bankruptcy and legal loopholes often result in abandoned, denuded mine sites. The use of heavy equipment to stabilize former mines creates compacted soils where young forests have difficulty taking root. The removal of topsoil and use of nonnative plants as ground cover just exacerbates that issue. “There’s no mechanism left allowing most reclaimed mines to regrow a native hardwood forest,” says Chris Barton, professor of forest hydrology and watershed management at the University of Kentucky. That’s where our volunteer planting group factors in. Our planting has been arranged by the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative, a group established in 2004 to not only aid in reforestation efforts but to link the expertise of scientists like Barton and colleagues to industry and community partners. “Here’s an issue that is very polar,” Barton says of surface mining, “but you can get both sides to come together and work side-by-side.” The Initiative has planted over two million trees on more than 3,000 acres since 2009. In addition, Barton says that industry groups are now using the same approach to jumpstart forest restoration on their own mines. The Initiative hopes to have 100,000 new acres reforested in the next ten years—a goal that includes planting over 60 million trees. That work includes the ridgetop mine where we've gathered on that winter morning. Our volunteer group is just one step in the reforestation process, which involved removing invasive plants and prepping the

TREE SHELTERS HOUSING AMERICAN C H E S T N U T S A N D O T H E R N AT I V E H A R D W O O D S C O V E R T H E F L O O R O F A F O R M E R S U R FA C E M I N E I N W I S E C O U N T Y, V I R G I N I A .

soil well before we arrived. But this particular mine has an added wrinkle: among the trees we're planting are those American Chestnuts, a new generation of trees selectively bred by the American Chestnut Foundation to be resistant to the fungus that all but killed off the species. If they're successful, the trees will be among the first in a century to grow to maturity in the Appalachian woods. It's not an overstatement to say that using the region's most looming environmental liability to resurrect a forest is packed with symbolism— something that comes up frequently as my planting partner and I figure out how to use the dibble bar. Her father used to talk about chestnuts, she says, but she's never really seen them up close until now. Over the course of the morning, we develop a rhythm: open up a pit in the soil, cradle a chestnut into it, and then seal it beneath the surface of the mine. "This feels like I'm giving something back," she says. Much has been made in recent years of the divisions Appalachia exemplifies: a rift between rural and urban cultures, the battle for the survival of the coal industry, contrasting B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

reds and blues on electoral maps. But those contrasts don't change the fact that our mountains are home to 1.5 million acres of former mines like the one where we've gathered that Saturday morning—an area nearly three times the size of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As Barton and colleagues are showing, rehabilitating that landscape might be the one uniting factor in a part of the country that’s often defined by its differences. During the planting, for example, there are about as many industry supporters present as there are members of environmental groups. But nobody asks me where I'm from or how I vote. I never even get my planting partner's full name, and there are no contentious arguments about environmental policy or the future of the Appalachian economy. Should there be? Absolutely; some of our best solutions can grow out of conflict. But our most important lessons about what it takes to move the mountains forward can be found in something as simple as spending a day on an old coal mine getting to know someone we've never met, learning how to plant a tree. G O O U TA N D P L AY

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

Hey, outdoor People— lose the ego BY BETTINA FREESE

The most dangerous part of

your next outdoor adventure isn’t a bear, snake, or psychopath: it’s your ego. And the hardest part of your adventure isn’t the steep climb: it’s being okay with failure. That means: just chill. Enjoy your ride, run, or ramble. Remember you are in the woods or on the water because you enjoy nature. Here’s what I’ve learned from many years in the saddle: Don’t get too caught up in proving yourself. Push your limits, be realistic, be willing to progress into new skills, and be mindful. Stay present. “I really don’t think ego can survive in total presence,” says Stephens Farrell, an Asheville mountain biker and road cyclist. “Being present is a great way to box ego out, but if he can sneak in there, he will.” Farrell learned this lesson the hard way recently while screaming down a steep mountain road at 35 miles per hour trying to beat his personal best on Strava. That’s when a squirrel dashed out in front of his wheel, resulting in road rash, bruised ribs…and a bruised ego. “I just got flung onto the ground,” Farrell says. “Thank you, ego. Who’s gonna take care of you if you kill the host? I want to say I learned something from my experience…but I was obsessed with getting my personal best on each section. Nobody was with me. Who else was I racing? Ego!” It’s okay to push yourself sometimes, but always remember why you’re outdoors in the first place. “When I’m in the woods, it provides a tranquil setting for me to be in a quiet place of reflection,” says Trey Thomas, a local mountain biker who works at Industry Nine. “When you’re trying to one-up, rather than being content and appreciative of that quiet space or just being with your friends, and feel you have to prove yourself and show how

IT’S OKAY TO PUSH YOURSELF SOMETIMES, BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER WHY YOU’RE OUTDOORS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

cool you are, that’s when you get hurt. That’s when mistakes happen.” Anxiety and shame—drop them. To cover their ego’s vulnerability, people say things out loud like, "I haven’t been riding much lately”…"I can’t afford to hurt myself"…"I’m really hungover"…"I’m old"…"something is wrong with my bike"…"My wheels aren’t as big as yours." “They’re being insecure of their own skills,” says Thomas. “They’re afraid of failing, and the company they’re keeping become aware of their insecurities as a rider.” What’s more embarrassing than not keeping up is making excuses for not keeping up. Truth is, the better the rider, the more inclined they are to kick everyone’s rump from the jacked up saddle of a 35-pound Huffy on its metal rims. Buying an expensive bike does not make up for lack of skill. Competition is a biological drive. It can be fun. It pushes us, it makes us better, and it feeds our insecurities. But also be mindful and aware of any dark secrets spurring it. The most dangerous boater on the river is the one who thinks he has to prove his knowledge and skills.

This guy isn’t taking in the magical mists on the river. He doesn’t notice the soaring osprey. He is only concerned with how knowledgeable and flawless he appears to others. “Ego will only get you in trouble with Lady River,” says raft guide Dan Caylor. “It’s all fun and games until you take that one scary swim, and then you can understand what the river can really do to you.” Randy Manuel, an EMT and Wilderness First Responder instructor, says many people who are rescued from the woods often underestimated the adventure—or themselves. They attempt an A.T. thru-hike without ever having spent the night in the woods before. Or they have never learned to properly poop in the woods and end up sick. Learn to laugh at yourself when you fail or suck. Know when to say enough so you don’t get sloppy and hurt yourself. Ask how to do it better. If you see somebody hit a five-foot drop, marvel, but if you’ve never tried it before, start off with learning bunny hops over small logs or maybe a one-foot drop. Enjoy being in the woods moving your body and doing something fun with your friends.

Truth is, no matter how great we are, there is always somebody better. It’s okay. So how can we lose the ego? Here are a few hard-earned hints: Stop and smell the roses. Your friends will wait for you at the next intersection. Find your pace and be willing to learn new skills patiently. Prepare yourself physically and mentally, so you can be more fully present and less focused on your fitness or limitations. When people with more experience offer advice, humbly thank them and ask more questions. Riding, running, climbing, hiking, and paddling with friends who possess better skills and stamina is a great way to get better quickly, but you also have to ask ego to take a back seat so that you can outwardly admit the truth: I’m not as fit as you are. I’m not as skilled as you are. I’m not as experienced as you are. Be willing to make mistakes. Be okay with fumbling around in an effort to learn something new.

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

TRAIL MIX

MARCUS KING SHARES CAROLINA CONFESSIONS BY JEDD FERRIS

TWO YEARS AGO MARCUS KING EMERGED AS a fresh-faced bluesy jammer with serious guitar chops and a soulful voice that sounded well beyond his years. The 2016-released eponymous debut album by his six-piece band was produced by Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes and featured King trading fierce licks with Derek Trucks. In the time since, King has been tearing up the festival circuit, sharing stage time with members of the Allman Brothers Band and touring with Chris Robinson in a project that revived the songs of the Black Crowes. This month King is expanding his musical reach even further with the release of his second album, Carolina Confessions. The new set (out October 5) was produced by Nashville go-to Dave Cobb and recorded at the city’s legendary RCA Studio A. Standout track “Welcome ‘Round Here” features swampy psychedelic riffs and funky horn vamps, while “Homesick” is an earnest retro R&B confessional. While King writes most

of his own tunes, "How Long" features an assist from the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Nashville veteran Pat McLaughlin. The new record will be celebrated with a two-day festival, the Marcus King Band Family Reunion, at Pisgah Brewery in Black Mountain, N.C., on October 5-6. Additional acts on the bill include the Revivalists, Billy Strings, Nikki Lane, and Carl Broemel. King will also play additional dates in the South later in the fall.

Gillian Welch to Receive Literary Honors

old—George Clinton—has put a time table on touring. Dr. Funkenstein will retire from the road next spring, so if you want to get down to “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker),” plus cuts from Medicaid Dog Fraud, Parliament’s first new album in 38 years, get to D.C. on Halloween.

Zappa is back to focusing on what he does best, exploring his prolific father Frank’s extensive catalog of zany, heady rock-fusion compositions, always including familiar favorites and deep cuts.

The folk legend turned gritty songand-dance man will play his first U.S. dates of the year this fall, and a big chunk of his upcoming run visits the South, including a Halloween gig in Knoxville. Dylan is 77, so stop complaining that he can’t sing “Blowin’ in the Wind” like he used to, and catch him while you can.

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These two iconic Texas troubadours have become frequent tour mates. Expect both to look back on the best of their respective discographies during an acoustic evening of swapping stories and songs.

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Another musician who’s 77 years

This Brooklyn indie pop crew always delivers a dance party, full of horn-fueled funky fun. This fall the band will be sharing tunes from new release Sun Machine and leading a triple bill that includes Diet Cig and Star Rover.

With his public family feuding seemingly in the rearview, Dweezil

Gillian Welch is well known for her ability to craft vivid snapshots of bygone eras through original songwriting. It’s not surprising, then, that academics in the field of literature would take notice of her lyrics that often tell engaging tales through an authentic old-time lens. This month the Nashville-based singer-songwriter will be awarded the Thomas Wolfe

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Led by the brother-and-sister duo of Tyler and Maggie Heath, this eightpiece indie folk ensemble makes joyful noise with swells of strings, sweet harmonies, and sing-along

Prize by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Department of English & Comparative Literature. Wolfe, the influential late author who died at just 37 in 1938, graduated from UNC in 1920. Established in 1999, the Wolfe Prize honors writers with distinguished bodies of work, and past winners include Jill McCorkle, Larry Blount, Jr., and Tom Wolfe (no relation). Welch, the first musician to receive the award, has released five albums since 1996, including the Americana landmarks, Revival, Time (The Revelator), and Soul Journey. On October 2, Welch will accept the award at a special event called “The Story in Song: Conversation and Music with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings,” alongside her steadfast musical partner at the university’s Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall. Welch will also headline one night of the Festy Experience at Infinity Downs in Arrington, Va., on October 6. choruses ready to turn your Halloween into a cathartic jamboree. L E T T U C E A N D T U R K UA Z : S A LVAG E S TAT I O N , A S H E V I L L E , N . C .

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Front Country is a string band with a fresh take on the genre, blending skilled fret work with pop songcraft, propelled by the soaring vocals of front woman Melody Walker. In a short time the group’s sound has earned honors at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and a growing legion of fans across the country.

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

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Brands To Believe In When it comes to the environment, which outdoor companies actually walk the talk? B Y R YA N W I L C H E L N S

BRO scratches beneath the greenwashed veneer to uncover the most environmentally conscious outdoor companies, including the brands that are most active in protecting public lands. THE ANNOUNCEMENT BLASTED THROUGH

the Salt Palace Convention Center’s speakers at a level that was hard to miss. By the third warning, it was clear what Outdoor Retailer and the Outdoor Industry Association wanted— everyone needed to be out in the streets, signs in hand, starting the march through Salt Lake City to the Utah state capitol a few blocks away. In about 2,500 ways, they got what they wanted—that’s the number of Outdoor Retailer attendees that made

the march uptown on a July day in 2017 in a pissed-off farewell to a city and state that the industry decided didn’t care about public lands, or by extension, them. But even as the large, boisterous crowd made its way up State Street toward the end of a week filled with impassioned speeches decrying the state of Utah and worshiping Bears Ears, despite the happy hours benefiting the Access Fund and Conservation Alliance, despite the buildup for the march and the palpable excitement to leave Utah in Outdoor Retailer’s dust en route to the more politically-hospitable Denver, the show floor of the Salt Palace seemed remarkably...unchanged. Showgoers hustled through the narrow corridors between booths en route to afternoon meetings, happy hours kept their taps flowing, and business continued as if the public lands debate weren’t even on their radar. For some, it wasn’t—they

inexplicably didn’t even know about the march. For others, their explanation of playing hookie on what seemed like required group advocacy time was as simple as a shrug. “It’s business as usual. Someone has to keep the lights on.” For some brands, it’s just that simple: Sure, without public lands, selling outdoor gear gets harder, but if we can’t sell gear because we’re too busy saving public lands, then what’s the point? Not everyone took that line, though. Scarpa’s entire booth was vacant, chairs blocking the entrance and a white sign with “GONE MARCHING” scribbled in marker. Other brands made their statements before the show, like Patagonia and Arc’teryx (a Canadian company), which quit the trade show months earlier over the Trump Administration’s decision to reverse President Obama’s designation of Bears Ears National Monument. Their goal? Pressure Emerald

F O R E V E R Y PA I R O F S H O E S I T S E L L S , M O N TA N A - B A S E D O B O Z P L A N T S A T R E E . S O F A R , T H E C O M PA N Y H A S H E L P E D P L A N T 1 . 9 MILLION TREES AROUND THE WORLD.

Expositions, the organizers of the Outdoor Retailer show, into fighting the state or leaving it. Their plan worked. But the march laid out in stark contrast the difference in environmental and political action across a seemingly (or at least, that’s what OIA would like you to think) united industry. On one end of the spectrum, Patagonia actively attempts to limit growth and profit. The idea is that by making their products last longer, repairable, or reusable, they’ll sell fewer and create less waste, put less in landfills, etc. Not to mention taking legal action against the government over environmental deregulation and bailing out of the industry’s biggest meeting in an effort to hijack the show from a state (and the economy of that state) that they don’t believe has the industry’s best

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

interests in mind. Before the decision was made to leave Utah, the OIA would have had brands and consumers believe the biggest change would be made by brands sticking around the show—fighting—marching—raising their voices. The majority of brands apparently agreed, and most would probably say they stuck around for those same reasons. “Now more than ever, we need to act together to advocate and find a common voice to protect our most important asset—our public lands,” REI CEO Jerry Stritzke wrote in a letter posted on the company’s website just after Patagonia dropped out, explaining why his company wouldn’t be following suit. But if you were standing on the show floor while the seminal act of outdoor advocacy was organizing just outside the Salt Palace’s not-verythick walls, you would be fair to think fighting for the outdoors is vital to the industry, so long as you didn’t already have a sales meeting scheduled. Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard told GreenBiz in 2013 that companies calling themselves “green” is just a buzzword that carries little weight, a marketing ploy targeted toward making consumers feel good about their purchases. Instead, he argues, brands should simply be making less product—“green” or not. That’s the basis of Patagonia’s environmental philosophy: encouraging their customers to buy less and create less waste. On the other end, The North Face looks to capitalize on that “green” idea in an effort to grow their piggy bank for environmental use on the back end. Last year, TNF launched its “Walls Are Meant For Climbing” campaign, donating $1 million to a trust dedicated to preserving public lands. And the fight for public lands might be the biggest window into brands’ motivations yet. Rather than universally supported causes like using recycled materials in product, supplying clean drinking water, or picking up trash, causes like the public lands fight and climate change are politically and culturally polarizing. While brands were, in the past, hesitant to endorse a single position on topics like this for fear of alienating a segment of their consumer base (especially for brands like Patagonia and The North Face whose customers extend far beyond the often politically homogeneous outdoor athlete), they’re more willing to take that potential hit in favor of the 54

O U T D O O R R E TA I L E R AT T E N D E E S M A R C H E D TO PROTEST THE DELISTING OF PUBLIC L A N D S I N U TA H — A N D E V E N T U A L L Y M O V E D THEIR SHOW TO COLORADO.

cause. Patagonia made headlines last winter for suing the Trump Administration over its delisting of Bears Ears National Monument, potentially the most effective yet riskiest method of securing America’s public lands. The listed defendants: Donald Trump, Ryan Zinke and a collection of other administration bureaucrats. While the statement was applauded by many of the brand’s customers, the hashtag #BoycottPatagonia began circulating online, an obvious sign that at least some potential customers were displeased. If a brand was willing to skip the march at Outdoor Retailer in favor of meeting with buyers, they likely wouldn’t be willing to sacrifice becoming the butt of a Twitter war with the Interior Department. Patagonia clearly didn’t care, pushing ahead with the suit. But then again, they want to sell fewer products anyway.

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Patagonia

While bringing out the big guns themselves, Patagonia also has a big belief in smaller, grassroots organizations, giving 1 percent of their sales (that’s more than just their profits) to these tiny, local groups annually. Grant winners include organizations demolishing dams, working on forest and waterway restoration, fighting climate change on a local level, protecting marine habitats, endangered plants and animals, and supporting local, sustainable agriculture. Over $89 million has gone out to groups like this since 1989. Plus, a new program called Patagonia Action Works gives everyday people who want to help out the resources to find local grant winners, encouraging more of their customers to give back too.

Oboz

For Oboz, the activist philosophy is simple: For every pair of shoes B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S

sold by the Bozeman, Montana boot manufacturer, they plant a tree. Since it was founded, the company has partnered with Trees for the Future to give a boost to biodiversity, food, crop windbreaks, mudslide control, and even tree-sourced medicine. As of August 2018, Oboz has spearheaded the planting of over 1,931,000 trees. At many Oboz retailers, you’ll walk out of the store with a sapling for simply trying a pair of boots on. “Like Dr. Seuss’ Lorax, I believed Oboz could speak for the trees,” said John Connelly, president and founder of Oboz. “The story was my favorite to read aloud to my kids and the tale has always stuck with me. So when we started Oboz, we could put the Lorax’s story into action and it was the right fit for our brand. People love trees.”

Aspen Skiing Company Who has more to lose from climate change than the ski industry? Sure, pushing for renewable energy, G O O U TA N D P L AY

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

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

funding climate change advocacy groups, and lobbying for political policy that acknowledges the risk of climate change does make good business sense for a brand like the Aspen Skiing Company (also known as Skico, which owns a collection of mountains primarily in Colorado), but they go above and beyond. The company has worked hard to diminish their own internal environmental impact, supported the advocacy group Protect Our Winters (POW), testified for the closure of two of Colorado’s coal power plants, filed legal briefs to the Supreme Court arguing that the EPA is required to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, and even boycotted Kleenex-brand products in their resorts over environmental concerns. “When it comes to sticking their neck out politically, [others] might not be as far out...Aspen Ski Co. has definitely been a leader in the industry,” POW’s executive director told the Denver Post.

prAna

Anyone who has worked in retail knows the waste that is shipped into each store from retailers. On days new shipments of apparel arrive, plastic “poly bags” used to package individual

garments pile up in garbage cans until they overflow. prAna decided to do away with the simple yet oftenoverlooked waste, instead rolling their garments and wrapping them in twine for shipment, a move the brand claims had kept 10.6 million poly bags out of landfills between 2011 and 2016— roughly the weight of 25 adult blue whales. But the brand doesn’t stop there. Sustainability is close at heart, with prAna making an effort to stick to organic cotton, recycled wool, hemp, recycled polyester, and responsiblysourced down in as many of their products as possible.

The North Face

TNF co-founder Doug Tompkins was a close friend of Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, and their environmental habits made that apparent, even if the brands utilize slightly different methods of advocacy today. Tompkins and his wife Kristine McDivitt Tompkins started spending their fortune (a total of $345 million) by buying large swaths of South American lands. Tompkins was killed in a kayaking accident in 2015 but earlier this year his wife finished the deal, donating 1 million acres to the government of Chile in exchange for

the government designating another swath of land (they ended up adding another 9 million acres) to expand the country’s national parks and create a handful of new ones, growing the system by 40 percent.

nonprofits. Plus, early this year, they announced that for every hammock sold, the brand would commit to planting two trees—one for each end of the hammock.

Hometown Heroes

With eight stores scattered across Georgia and South Carolina, the specialty outdoor retailer puts a high priority on sustainability. The chain’s second oldest shop is en route to being completely net-zero, meaning it produces roughly as much energy from rooftop solar panels as it uses. Another store features a large “tree” with metal limbs and solar panel leaves, aimed at powering a large part of that location.

FA R M TO F E E T S O C K S

These guys keep the sock business local by relying entirely on American materials (i.e. American sheep) and manufacturing done exclusively in the Carolinas. They claim to take “Made In the USA” one step further than most. R E C OV E R B R A N D S

This Hickory, North Carolina company makes shirts and other apparel entirely out of recycled materials. Postconsumer plastics (some of their shirts are made from water bottles—roughly 8 per shirt) and post-industrial cotton help keep these materials out of area landfills. ENO

Asheville-based Eagles Nest Outfitters is, alongside Patagonia, part of One Percent for the Planet, giving 1 percent of their sales to environmental

HALF-MOON OUTFITTERS

REPREVE

With aforementioned brands like Patagonia, prAva, Recover Brands, and more using their recycled fabrics, Greensboro, North Carolina’s REPREVE is a leading player in sustainable textiles. They’ve transformed over 18 billion plastic bottles into fibers and fabrics that then make technical wicking, cooling, and water-repellent materials popular within and without the outdoor industry.

C: 11.64 M: 86.93 Y: 100 K: 2.15

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

Fall Adventure

# 86

As the

water falls, your

spirits lift.

The Cherokees believe their waterfalls, such as Mingo and Soco, possess a spiritual power. Tap into it, along with all of Cherokeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fall leaf adventures, during your overnight stay. VisitCherokeeNC.com | 800.438.1601