The more time we spend in nature’s unconfined and varied spaces,the more unconfined we become too, both in our minds and our actions.We learn self-reliance and gain confidence – tools that we can carry over into other areas of our lives.
Here at Fjällräven,we’ve been close friends
with nature for over 60 years and encourage everyone to cultivate their own long-term relationship with nature.With a little knowhow,the right clothing and equipment,you’ll be set for many years of personally rewarding experiences in the outdoors.
You’ll want gear that fits perfectly, feels
comfortable and will last for the long haul. We hope you’ll choose gear that also holds sustainability in the highest regard.
Finding what works for you and your plans in nature might take a while. But we think it’s worth it.And if we’ve done our job properly, you won’t be thinking about your
gear at all once you’re on the move,leaving you to explore everything that outdoor life has to offer – at your own pace and unconfined. See you out here!
Stephanie Gilmore –Sally Fitzgibbons –Kelly Slater
MOST PEOPLE would agree that any Zoom meeting that runs past 15 minutes starts to turn deadly fast, with everyone thinking the same thing: “That’s not germane to this conversation! Spit it out! No one cares about problems with your gutters, for the love of God!” However, during one recent meeting a young guy asked a question that turned the conversation into an explosive debate that lasted more than an hour: What’s the greatest sports moment in history?
Not surprisingly, even agreeing on the top 10 was an almost-impossible, expletive-filled task. Older guys on the call immediately zeroed in on the Miracle on Ice, when the U.S. hockey team defeated the four-time defending gold medalist Soviet Union at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. (And let’s be real, that is numero uno.) But for a 30-something woman on the call, her picks were Serena and Venus Williams’ last title match at the Australian Open in 2017 or Nadia Comaneci’s perfect 10 score at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
A Brit made an impassioned case for Leicester City F.C. winning the English Premier League in 2016 for being the greatest sporting achievement of all time. Just a year earlier, Leicester was so shabby that the club was nearly relegated to a lower division. And when their Cinderella season began, the odds of their winning the championship were 5,000 to 1. But somehow, some way, the team beat unbeatable powerhouses like Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal to grab the silverware.
“Soccer!” exclaimed one offended baseball fan. The winner had to be either Jackie Robinson becoming the first African-American MLB player or Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record. To bolster his case, he introduced a video of the Atlanta Brave hitting number 715 on April 8, 1974. Legendary broadcaster Vin Scully called the game and here is some of what he had to say moments after Aaron rounded the bases and was mobbed by teammates, the press and fans: “What a marvelous moment for the state of Georgia, the country and the world. A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking the record of a longtime baseball idol. It is a great moment for all of us and particularly for Henry Aaron.” Watch the clip if you want your faith in humanity temporarily restored.
OK. The reason this charged “Greatest Ever” question was asked in the first place is because a squeaky millennial mentioned that in the two years Tom Brady has been with the Buccaneers he’s already thrown half as many TDs as (boomer) Troy Aikman did during his entire 12 years as a Cowboy. Insane. More on that on p. 66.
JAMES HEIDENRY Editorial DirectorTake a short flight to Belize and discover the world’s second-largest barrier reef, miles of untamed rainforest, acres of Maya historic sites and thousands of locals waiting to guide you to it all. Visit Belize and Grab Life. TravelBelize.com
Some connections are invaluable—take the highly advanced LS as proof. Its 12.3-inch touchscreen display seamlessly connects to all of your favorite apps, and its available Adaptive Variable Air Suspension dramatically enhances your connection with the road. In the Lexus LS, every move you make is more brilliant
Vehicle shown using visual effects. ©2022 Lexus, a Division of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Each fall in Montana, cowboys and cowgirls still lead cattle drives pretty much the way they always have. With grit, guts and gumption.
Ahorseshoe’s toss from the Canadian border, the northern lip of Montana is one of the most isolated places in the Lower 48. You have a better chance of crossing paths with a rattlesnake than an automobile. The landscapes are an enormous canvas of natural minimalism. Spin around—all you’ll see is miles of empty land. And sky. And cows.
In fall, ranchers move cattle from seasonal grazing
grounds to ranches. Cattle drives are between a few miles and 50 or 60 miles, which can take a week or more to complete. That’s not nearly as many hard yards as their grandfathers and their grandfathers once put in, but today’s cattle drives still cover a lot of ground. Especially when you’re in a stiff leather seat on the back of a quarter horse and exposed to sun, rain, snow and winds that cut like a blade through heavy coats and thermal layers.
Montana is home to more than 28,000 farm and ranch operations that cover 63 percent of the state’s land.
Like a flock of starlings in slow motion, cattle move across the oceans of grass, which sway in rhythm to those bitter winds sweeping off the Rocky Mountains. The movement is at once graceful, methodical and coarse. There’s a constant rumble and an aroma you either get used to or learn to love. Men and women drive and tend to the herd while riding horseback. Or sometimes in the seat of an all-terrain vehicle, respectfully referred to in these parts as a “Japanese quarter horse.”
Cattle drives were common in the late 1800s, when millions of cows were driven across America’s open range from Texas to rail heads in places like Kansas and Montana. Those cattle were usually headed for stockyards and processing in Chicago. These days, cows are sold at auction before making the trip in a truck instead of a train to feedlots in places like Iowa and Nebraska. After being finished off with a diet of corn, they’re processed for human consumption near the feedlots. Unless they happen to be grass fed, in which case they might be processed anywhere.
In winter, cows feed on hay, which is cut, rolled and baled in summer. Those bales of hay are kept near the main ranch so it’s easier for ranchers to keep livestock fed in winter. Ranchers also want to keep cows close to home
when they give birth, usually January through April. In spring, herds of cows and calves are driven cross-country back to grazing grounds, once again rich with native grasses.
Red River. Lonesome Dove. City Slickers. Popularized in fiction and film, the cattle drive helped transform the cowboy into an American icon. In fall and spring it’s possible to visit places like Blaine and Phillips counties in northern Montana—where these photos were taken—and catch of a glimpse of a cattle drive. It’s a living reminder of a way of life that dominated the West for a flicker of time. And a legacy protected by the kind of men and women they’re making damn few of these days.
YOU EITHER GET USED TO THE CONSTANT RUMBLE AND AROMA OR LEARN TO LOVE IT.Rounding up slackers from the rear of the herd near tiny Cleveland, MT.
Sophisticated
urrounded by the Southwest’smostimpressivered rock scenery, Moab has long been a crossroads for gritty climbers, bikers, paddlers and hikers who rank a simple shower among life’s luxuries. So it’s fitting that basic chain hotels and diners have dominated Moab’s downtown. But a smattering of new, high-end hotels have created polished oases within this sandstone outpost. As for the adventures just beyond city limits? They remain as essential as ever, but with new regulations.
A seasonal nonalcoholic cocktail and chilled hand towel welcome wanderers checking in at the Radcliffe Moab, a 38-room boutique hotel that opened in 2022. All rooms include a gear storage wall, meaning you can sleep within sight of your wickedly expensive mountain bike. Baths are fitted with sunflower showerheads and plush Cariloha bamboo towels. Suites feature wraparound outdoor balconies. The outdoor pool is flanked by two hot tubs and garden-covered walls. Even the on-site restaurant aims high.
The Mediterranean-inspired menu at 50-seat Il Posto serves humanely raised beef from the Radcliffe’s Idaho ranch and produce from farms surrounding Moab. From $469 a night
Hoodoo Moab
Opened in late 2019, the Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton offers amenities favored by travelers accustomed
to corporate expense accounts. The 117room hotel includes a fitness center, 4,477 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor pool and hot tub, and a spa with six treatment rooms. Josie Wyatt’s Grille serves the best cocktails in Moab on a patio with views of red-cliffed buttes. From $138 a night
Utahraptor State Park OK, we’re still in Moab. It’s not like the entire place has become Park Avenue North. But the former boondocks zones around Dalton Wells and Willow Springs roads 20 minutes north of downtown had become so overrun with RVs that in 2021 Utah converted them into the new Utahraptor State Park, where designated, first-come-first-serve campsites cost $15.
One of Moab’s top attractions instituted a pilot timed-entry system in 2022 that regulated traffic entering the park from April until Oct. 3. If the system returns in 2023, visitors to the park must reserve tickets at recreation.gov. Or dodge the requirement by booking a ranger-led hike at Fiery Furnace. Hikers here don’t have to abide by the timed-entry restrictions, but they do get to wriggle through a twisted labyrinth of sandstone fins that ranks as one of Arches’ most gratifying experiences.
Happiness is a journey, not a place with great bars, cool bike trails and low divorce rates. But don’t tell that to the consulting firms that annually spew out lists of best places to live. According to a recent study, that place is Overland Park, KS. Or Columbia, MD. Or Ron Burgundy’s San Diego.
These are among the top entries on the 2022 Happiest Cities in America list from web-based finance company WalletHub. Financial news site 24/7 Wall Street recently put out its own 50 happiest U.S. cities list. Curiously, most of the top-placing towns from the WalletHub rankings didn’t make the cut—San Diego aside. Wellness company Mindbody ranked Detroit as the 10th happiest city in America—WalletHub placed it dead last at #182.
Methodologies for calculating happy cities generally involve compilations of community statistics—air quality, nightlife, schools—“scientifically” pinpointing where you stand the best chance of living your best life.
“It’s complicated,” says Reeshad Dalal, professor of psychology at George
Mason University. “It’s important to understand there’s a lot more variability in happiness within any given city than between cities.”
Stats or not, happiness rankings are pretty arbitrary. Overhauling your contentment isn’t as easy as relocating to any of the five wealthy California towns (duh) that hog WalletHub’s top 10 spots. Even if you could.
“Affluence matters, but its effects are complex,” says Dalal. “As one’s income rises, people tend to keep comparing themselves to wealthier people.”
WalletHub annually updates its methodology to reflect lifestyle trends. “California cities tend to rank near the top, while cities such as Detroit, Cleveland or Birminghamareamongthebottomones,” says Jill Gonzalez, a company analyst.
Should it bum you out if your city lands at #174 on someone’s happy chart? Or put an extra bounce in your step to find you’re living in #3? Probably not.
“The more we try to find happiness, the more we suffer,” writes Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap. “This psychological trap is so well hidden, we don’t have a clue that we’re caught in it.”
Probably even in San Diego.
In search of geographic joy? Consulting firms who think they have the answers take the wrong approach.
To safeguard beer against the climate crisis, brewers are embracing resilient grains.
Summer is steamier. Winter is snowier. Spring is soggier. And autumn weather is falling out of whack. As climate change accelerates, the steady drumbeat of grim environmental news can leave us lunging for a beer. But even that cold comfort is no longer a given.
Silver Bullets et al. are the end product of agriculture, and no raw material in beer is more vital than barley malt. It’s the bedrock ingredient of most every beer, from tailgate lagers to your local brewery’s haziest IPA. In recent years, however, barley farmers have dealt with drought, heat waves and deluges that can negatively impact quality and crop yield.
“You’re at the mercy of the climate,” says Jason Sahler, owner of Brooklyn brewery Strong Rope, which uses New York State hops and grain.
To better navigate an environmentally uncertain future, and keep beer flowing, some farmers and brewers are turning to alternative grains and newly developed barley breeds better suited for an uncertain world. Origin Malt in Ohio is working with farmers to plant nutty Puffin, a hardy winter barley suited for harsh Midwestern weather. Bred by Cornell University in Ithaca, Excelsior Gold barley excels in New York’s wet spring.
Earlierthisyear,DogfishHeadpartnered with Patagonia Provisions on a pilsner containing topsoil-sustaining Kernza, a
trademarked, perennial grain with deep roots that sequester carbon in the soil.
“We found Kernza has these beautiful peppery, earthy undertones,” says Dogfish HeadfounderSamCalagione,whopromotes the beer’s mission with a slogan: drink up to draw down. “It’s an easy proposition for consumerstounderstandthatittastesgood and it does good.”
Dogfish
Released in conjunction with Patagonia Provisions, this pilsner contains organic Contessa hops and perennial grain Kernza, a relative of wheat whose roots efficiently draw nutrients from deep underground.
Seismic Brewing Company Sebastopol, CA
California farmers practicing no-till agricultural methods, a sustainable procedure that minimizes soil erosion, grow the 100 percent organic barley that forms the foundation of this award-winning light lager.
Nocterra Brewing Powell, OH
Named after slang for nailing a rock climb, the citrusy Beta Flash hazy IPA is brewed with Origin Malt’s Puffin, a proprietary winter barley variety that grows well in Ohio and elsewhere in the Midwest.
Bugatti Veyron seem a bit boring? Why not try something with nearly the same ungodly power output… with a look from 1968? Such is the vibe at SpeedKore, the Grafton, WI, speed shop that’s in the contact lists of celebs like Kevin Hart, Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., who patronize the outfit for its ability to do one-off resto-modded Detroit metal at a level pretty much without parallel.
Take, for example, SpeedKore’s latest creation: “Hellucination” is a 1968 Dodge Charger that’s been thoroughly worked up. Emphasis on thoroughly. Just about the only parts remaining from its donor car are the firewall, its eight pillars and roofline. The rest were put aside in favor of fully modernized go-fast parts, chief among them a 1,000hp Dodge Hellephant 7.0-L V8 crate engine. A ZF eight-speed automatic helps corral all that power, as do a reinforced frame (with a concealed roll cage), double A arm front suspension and four-bar diagonal link rear. Like a modern race car, most of the body
What can you do with 1,000 horsepower and a carbon fiber body? This guy’s about to find out.
is carbon fiber, including the entirety of its floor and wheel tubs, lending it strength and lightness. The interior is light-years better than anything MOPAR put out in the 1960s, with hand-stitched leather seats, a 3D printed console and a 2,000-watt sound system.
The name of the buyer on the Hellucination order sheet isn’t your average rich guy. This custom job belongs to Ralph Gilles, chief design officer at Stellantis, which designed notable rides like the Chrysler 300 and 2014 SRT Viper. Gilles says his intention was to “honor the forefathers” who created this machine 54 years ago by tastefully modernizing it from tip to tail. And increasing its speed.
Gilles isn’t a typical SpeedKore client. The firm’s resto-mods are so pricey and
exotic—Hellucination, for example, is a two-year, seven-figure build—that they often get treated like show horses and are sometimes called “trailer queens.”
Rides like this often get carted from car show to car show instead of being driven. Not Hellucination. After accepting delivery, Gilles immediately took it to GingerMan Raceway in Michigan for six sessions. Then he hit the road, putting over 2,000 miles on the car in a little over a month.
“Gilles was a tough client, but also a dream,” says SpeedKore’s Tom Porter, who managed the project. “He knew exactly what he wanted—a true ’68 Charger in every sense, made modern all the way. When we build these cars we want to see them driven. Ralph does just that.”
For years, men’s mags like this one have been championing high-dollar resto-mods from boutique manufacturers like Singer, which takes vintage Porsche 911s and makes them drive as if they came off the line in 2022, rather than 1972. Now SpeedKore is showing American metal the same kind of overthe-top love. We’re all for it.
All SpeedKore vehicles are built to order per customer specifications.
HELLUCINATION IS A SEVEN-FIGURE BUILD. BUT IT’S NO “TRAILER QUEEN.”
When did you start to believe in life beyond Earth?
These topics were often dinner table conversations at the home I grew up in. As an early teenager, I discovered the works by Erich von Däniken (author of Chariots of the Gods?) and that was it for me and I became a heat-seeking missile for anything extraterrestrial. It also helped that I grew up in Switzerland where Erich was/is and was able to meet and work with him very closely ever since I was 16 years old.
What’s your favorite pop cultural representation of alien life?
My favorite as far as the ancient astronaut theory is concerned is the 1978–79 Japanese Toei anime called Captain Future, which, at its core, explored the idea that humanity’s greatest secret is that our DNA was manipulated by non-terrestrials thousands and thousands of years ago.
Are people ready for the U.S. government to reveal everything it knows about aliens?
Of course the people are ready! We are ready! Are you kidding me?
Any reason aliens might be reluctant to make contact with Earth?
n 2009, the History Channel premiered Ancient Aliens. Over 200 episodes later, the show is still drawing appreciative nods from fans and ire from critics who harsh it as clown science. Regardless, November brings the 10-city Ancient Aliens LIVE Tour. As its leading expert and irrepressible co-executive producer, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos has emerged as the face (and definitely hair) of the show.
What’s made Ancient Aliens so successful?
The show asks questions. Some seem to ignore that the show’s narration rarely ends in a period, but rather ends in question marks. Giant question marks, in fact. To explore and figure out how it
all began and where we’re headed is the ultimate quest.
Can you summarize the “ancient astronauts theory” that drives the show? Ancient astronaut theory explores the question whether or not flesh and blood extraterrestrials visited Earth in the remote past. These visitors left clues behind in the form of ancient texts and physical renderings. Our ancestors refer to them as so-called “gods.” It goes without saying that “gods” as we think of them today never existed, do not exist and never will exist. Archaeology specifies that most of the ancient structures were built to honor these gods. Then they slap each other’s backs proclaiming, “Mystery solved! It was all done for worship!” They go home to have a beer, case closed. I say, not so fast.
We are the grandchildren of apes running aroundwithguns.Whowouldwanttomake officialcontactwithanout-of-controlbunch of gun-toting, nuclear-bombs-wielding chickens? I apologize to the entire poultry family. It’s possible until all of humanity figures out how to interact with each other with respect and altruism there could be an embargo against Earth imposed by an “intergalactic club” that some say exists out there. So, it’s up to us, frankly.
“WE ARE THE GRANDCHILDREN OF APES RUNNING AROUND WITH GUNS.”
Style is all about the details and one of the easiest ways to elevate your look for a cool, classic vibe is with the perfect eyewear. Whether you’re looking for blue-light blockers, a practical prescription pair or for suave sunglasses to accent your outfit, Cloos x Brady may be just what you need to go from style chump to champion.
That’s right—seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady has brought his onthe-field excellence to eyewear with a commitment to timeless menswear and environmental sustainability.
The Cloos x Brady collab is a line of 100 percent eco-friendly eyewear, perfect for bringing an air of elegance to any arena be it a day at the office, a tropical vacay or guys’ night out.
Take a page out of Tom Brady’s playbook and score a pair before they’re gone!
Classic with a Modern Twist
Cloos x Brady in Grey Tonic (Blue Light & Prescription, $179; Sunglasses, $189)
With an attention to detail like no other, Cloos x Brady combines classic elements with a modern take on sustainability. These flawless frames are biodegradable and planet-friendly —what’s more stylish than sustainability?
Cloos x Brady Pacifica in Noire (Blue Light & Prescription, $169; Sunglasses, $179)
Vintage rounded edges with durable stainless steel meets total retro coolness for the perfect ode to Tom Brady’s Bay Area roots. These feelgood frames make you look good instantly.
Cloos x Brady Hermosa in Noire (Blue Light & Prescription, $189; Sunglasses, $199)
A nod to Hermosa Beach in Costa Rica, these frames are perfect for recharging in style. Made for the minimalist in you, these glasses are composed of Mazzucchelli acetate and ensure chill vibes wherever you go.
Tom always has more wins up his sleeve—Cloos x Brady is coming back with two NEW launches this year. Did someone say “touchdown”?!
Even for the most heel-hardened trail runners, Malawi’s lit tle-known Porters Race is a 25K rite of passage like no other. Especially in an old pair of Crocs.
Deep in southern Malawi on a fogged-in, red-dirt trail, a patter of footsteps grows louder. Out of the peasoup,arunnerappears, flashes a peace sign and blazes past on the steep downhill. Another runner pops into view and vanishes just as fast. And another. All of them are pushing the final half-mile to the finish line of the Porters Race—the most grueling 25K trail running event you’ve never heard of.
Virtually unknown in the running world, Malawi’s Porters Race features crippling technical terrain and agile racers to match. Even more impressive? Look down. Some local competitors whizzing by are barefoot. Others are armored in beat-up Crocs or flip-flops MacGyvered with chicken wire.
“They’re not used to wearing shoes,” saysracecoordinatorKondwaniChamwala about many of the Porters Race competitors. “Many of them go barefoot because
they just run better that way.” Others, however, simply cannot afford shoes.
TherouteloopsupanddowntheMulanje Massif, a granite- and jungle-blanketed behemoth rising from the southeastern African plains. Sapitwa, its highest peak, soars7,500feetaboveasmatteringofvillages. Hyenas loiter on the mountain’s flanks. So dotrekkersandadventureseekersdrawnto the area. Many of them hire porters from area villages, who tote 100-pound loads up steep trails for their clients. These porters are the backbone of the race, which dates to 1996 when it was a loosely organized, almost entirely shoeless event.
First prize back then was a Sony Walkman cassette player. While the purse is cash prizes these days, many of the 319 runners partaking in this year’s 24th annual Porters Race (revived after a two-year pandemic hiatus) are competing for the pride of simply finishing.
Most are now wearing shoes—or some form of them. The first three miles con-
tain 3,000 feet of gain on boulder-strewn trails, which turn to slicked-out mud for the next 2,000 feet of vert. The final three miles plummet 5,000 feet across wet, 40-degree granite slabs laced with multiple river crossings. Shoed or not, the porters are flying.
“They straight-up float down the trail,” says Matthew McGeever, a seasoned trail runner based in Colorado, marveling at the local talent. Would McGeever ever consider trying it barefoot? “This is the most technical trail race I’ve ever done. Without shoes, my feet would be worn down to the ankles.”
Atthefinishline,acrowdof 4,000cheers on competitors stumbling in—collapsing in the dirt, absolutely gassed. The course record of 2 hours, 4 minutes remains unbroken,despiteavalianteffortbyfirstplace Jafali Jossam, from nearby Likhubula, who clocks a superhuman 2 hours, 7 minutes, 13 seconds. “I believe someone can run it in under two hours,” says Chamwala. “Every year people get close.”
Tereza Master, a Mulanje-based local and Olympic marathoner, arrives at the finish line in a blistering 2 hours, 57 minutes—bagging second place. She’s won the women’s side six times.
Hershoes?Aqua-blueChampionsneakers with gaping holes in the sides. Master’s second-place prize money of 300,000 Malawian kwacha (about $300) should more than cover some new kicks. But in impoverished Malawi other staples come first, even for a famed, local Olympian.
As Master puts it, “This will help put food on the table.”
“THIS IS THE MOST TECHNICAL TRAIL RACE I’VE EVER DONE.”Mulanje Massif looming (top left); future competitors assessing; rugged porter making do.
Men’s Journal Everyday Warrior with Mike Sarraille inspires you to live your best life. The series features advice, key interviews, and tips to live a life of impact, growth, and continual learning. Learn more about the stories of everyday warriors who achieve peak performance and balance through physical, mental, and spiritual fitness.
Zombie crush: Where giants have fallen, Cohan has remained strong through the TWD bloodbath.
AMC’s The Walking Dead is wrapping after 12 years. But you didn’t really think the zombie apocalypse was over, did you? Our favorite lurker-slayer breaks down her next moves.
The final episodes of TWDdropped in October. Is the end of the world finally over?
Everyone must make peace with the fact that there will never be a clear-cut solution to life. I will say the story lines we address in the last couple of episodes are definitely some of the best in all these years. And there’s always a glimmer of hope. Is that a good enough tease?
Rick Grimes disappeared in season 9. Is he alive, dead or a walker?
There might be some really great information about what happened to Rick. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything more.
Favorite zombie kill?
I like the bloated well-walker from season 2. I didn’t kill him, but it was just one of my favorites because of his decrepitude—I’m pretty sure that isn’t a word. But you’re so used to seeing the zombies wasted away. And this one had been soaking in water and was puffed up.
Tips for surviving working outdoors in the Georgia summer?
You just layer up every day. You put on more clothes than people want to wear in that much heat. Then you spray on sunscreen and bug spray—and it doesn’t do any-
thing. You feel very alive. And you feel very dead, too. I’ve been so hot and so beaten up that I can’t even think. But it’s OK because everybody’s in it together. So you just sort of learn to love being in your own sweat.
Age: 40.
Hometown: Born in the States, raised in England, New Jersey girl at heart.
Fun part of TWD: The MacGyver element.
Ride or die castmate: Marcelle Coletti, my stuntwoman. She makes me look badass.
#TWDfamily that sweats together, stays together. The idea of the #TWDfamily started early because we were all in a satellite location in a remote part of Georgia. It was like having an amazing summer adventure with the same people every year. Obviously, cast and crew have come and gone. But the core agenda was to put our heart and soul into this. We knew how precious it was and that it would not last forever.
Key to a Southern accent: Think of “E” as three Es.
solo adventure. I can only liken it to a wedding and a funeral at the same time—the passing of an era.
You and Jeffrey Dean Morgan star in an upcoming spinoff, Isle of the Dead. This time you’re battling flesh-eating Manhattanites. We’re filming the new show already in New York. It’s funny. When I’m not filming deep in the woods, I’m like, “Where are the trees?” The new show goes beyond simply living to keep meeting the challenges of defending yourself and your loved ones. And, sadly, as strong as Maggie is, she’s never been able to do that. She’s lost almost everybody.
Is it strange when you’re without Maggie’s knives and guns?
Last scene, last shot. What happened after the director called “cut”? Getting to the moment when this show was over was surreal and overwhelming. It’s not like graduating college. Or saying goodbye to a boyfriend or going off on a
As the time playing this character goes on, you think, “Where are my weapons? Where are my boots and spats?” My brain is now attuned to the practicality of survival, keeping my senses on and being generally prepared.
If walkers ever do take over, you’ll be our leader.
It’s funny because during Covid19 everybody said, “Well, ask Lauren. She knows what to do.” But I was overshopping for canned goods, just like everyone. I didn’t know what I was doing. But I’ll be an apocalyptic consultant if I have to.
Set out on a multiday bikepacking trip with subpar tools and you’ll suffer on the bike and off. Here’s everything you need to dial in your kit.
You can try to cram your old backpacking tent into your bags, but the new Sea to Summit Telos TR2 Bikepack is designed specifically for bikepacking with shorter poles that fit onto your handlebars. The tent also is packed inside two waterproof dry bags, so you can split the load and face rainstorms or puddles worry-free. It’s also roomy thanks to near-vertical walls. $649; seatosummit.com
Don’t try to pigeonhole the Topstone Carbon Lefty 2 from Cannondale. Sure, it’s a drop bar bike built for gravel, but it has 30mm of travel across the board courtesy of the Lefty Oliver fork up front and innovative Kingpin suspension in the rear. Add the 45mm-wide tires and a dropper post and it’s obvious that this bike can rip singletrack, too. $4,250; cannondale.com
Specialized partnered with Fjällräven to build a suite of bikepacking bags. Our favorite might be the Snack Bag, which attaches to your handlebar post, giving you easy access for a beverage or snacks. Fjällräven added a layer of foam around the entire pocket to give the bag structure, and a cinch closure at the top of the bag keeps the contents safe if the trail gets rowdy. $45; fjallraven.com
Racks might look like an old-school bike touring move, but the Old Man Mountain Divide is built for modern whips with an attachment system that works on any bike, even full-suspension mountain bikes without braze-on points and behemoth fat bikes. The addition of the rack will give you a full top deck for lashing awkward gear and room for two side panniers, which allows you to move your heaviest items lower on the bike. $168; old manmountain.com
Built from recycled sails and plastic bottles in Portland, the Venture from North St. is eco-friendly, lightweight and cavernous, with 30 liters of waterproof space. Beyond the main compartment, two deep side pockets are built in so you can carry extra water bottles, and a waterproof zipper pocket on top of the flap is ideal for smaller items. $185; northstbags.com
You can fit a lot of gear into this 13-liter, waterproof bag that hooks onto your seatpost, acting like a trunk for your bike. But it’s the stability that sets the Ortlieb Seat-Pack QR apart from the crowd. While most seatpost bags sway when you hit twisty trails, the QR locks to your post while compression straps tighten the load. $190; ortlieb.com
You need more than just a light sleeping bag when you’re bikepacking; you need a bag that compresses as small as possible so it can squeeze into a small pack. The Western Mountaineering Flylite weighs
just 14 ounces and crushes down to the size of a Nalgene bottle, and yet it’s stuffed with 850-fill down to keep you toasty down to 36 degrees. $470; westernmountaineering.com
Heritage-style boots mix classic looks with modern materials, creating long-lasting footwear that’s sharp and solid.
Danner has long been the go-to brand for heritage-style, handcrafted-in-theUSA boots that can be resoled after years of use. The newest line, the Evergreen Collection, doubles down on that promise with the Pine Grove Chukka—these casual boots are completely “recraftable” from the outsole and midsole to the lace hardware and stitching. Plus, the soft leather upper is mated to an oil-and-slip-resistant wedge outsole for all-day comfort.
$220; danner.com
Fans of Old Rip Van Winkle’s legendary and super-scarce Pappy Van Winkle whiskey can pay homage to the lusted-after bourbon by picking up a pair of the Wolverine 1000 Mile x Old Rip Van Winkle collab boots. Not only do they boast classic style and sophisticated looks, but the heel stacks are made by layering pieces of oak barrels used to age Pap’s whiskey. The Horween leather upper is dyed a deep gray and the tongue is uniquely numbered.
$415; wolverine.com
Sometimes you want to rock boots that are great looking but also really comfortable and easy to put on—no having to mess with a mess of laces. Not only do Chippewa’s Edge Walker Wedge PullOns feel plush with an open-cell foam footbed and Vibram wedge outsole, but they also have a waterproof leather upper and come with an inner liner made from a performance fabric that will wick away moisture to keep your feet dry, no matter the toil or task. $200; chippewaboots.com
Footwear based on the boots roughnecks wear when working all day manhandling dangerous oil rigs are by design going to have to be a burly brute, and the new Red Wing Roughneck is no exception. The moctoe upper is full-grain and waxed, and it’s mated to the heavily lugged Vibram outsole with triple stitch construction. Other premium details on the made-in-the-USA boots include nickel eyelets and a sturdy steel shank. $300; redwingshoes.com
You can’t get much tougher or classic than footwear inspired by the tall and stout boots worn by lumberjacks in the mid-19th century, which is exactly why Thursday Boot Co.’s Logger is featured here. But not only do these waxed Horween leather kickers have a rugged lineage, they also have a unique Cuban-style heel of stacked leather that has a subtle curve in the back—style and substance meld into one handsome and functional boot. $285; thursdayboots.com
Once a go-to pursuit of senior living communities, pickleball is now the cool court sport. Here’s the gear to get you started.
Don’t tote all of your pickleball essentials in an old tennis bag. Rock a dedicated piece like the Franklin Sports Pickleball Sling Bag to show you’re a serious contender. Not only will it carry up to six paddles and balls with room to spare, but it also boasts a soft phone pocket and a nifty hook to hang on the fence while you stylishly destroy the competition. From $35; franklinsports.com
Arguably the most important piece of equipment in the game is the paddle. The Ashbury from Nettie is built on a lightweight polymer honeycomb core with a 13mm thickness that will make your shots pop, and it’s designed for players of all ages. An octagonal grip and 5-inch handle should elevate your backhand game and help drop dinks all day long. $80; playnettie.com
The seamless, one-piece design of Onix Dura Fast 40Pickleballs allows for straighter, more precise shots, along with enhanced durability. Machined holes offer better bounce and they’re designed to handle outdoor weather. Dura Fast 40s are also the official ball for multiple official tournaments. $13; onixpickleball.com
Show your allegiance to your favorite pastime with an Oversized Vintage Varsity Pickleball Sweatshirt. The soft, oversize top has a cool ’70s retro logo and sporty red, black and white accents that’ll make a statement on and off the court. Bonus: Hipsters new to the game will ask where you got this fashionable piece of picklewear. $65; varsitypickle.com
You’ve got to be quick on your toes on the court, which is why you should invest in a pair of Skechers Viper CourtPickleball Shoes. These lightweight sneakers have a mesh upper and a removable arch that molds to your foot to reduce sole shock. A genuine Goodyear outsole enhances traction and stability. $95; skechers.com
Hit the fields this fall with the latest upland hunting apparel to bring down more birds.
When shotguns are swinging at head level all day, it’s crucial to have on a blaze orange lid like the First Lite Brimmed Merino Beanie. Not only is it made from soft, odor-resistant merino wool, but the hat will keep your head toasty even when soaked in morning dew. $30; firstlite.com
Warm hands are vital for getting off accurate shots in chilly temps, which is why Orvis Uplander Shooting Gloves should be a staple in your gun bag. Crafted from super-supple sheepskin, these barely there gloves maintain dexterity while warding off cramping cold. $79; orvis.com
Wearing Filson’sUpland Guide Strap Vest when bird hunting means you can bring along all your esssentials—shells, first aid, water, etc.—in its numerous stash
spots. The wide waist belt and low-profile shoulder straps ease load carrying while still allowing for restriction-free shooting. Unzip the lined rear game bag for easy cleaning after the hunt. $295; filson.com
Tromping through upland habitat like lumpy, mucky fields demands serious footwear like LaCrosse’s Lodestar Boots. These 7-inch-high sodbusters have a burly Vibram outsole, 100 percent waterproof Gore-Tex lining, and durable leather/ textile upper capped off with a rubber toe guard. $250; lacrossefootwear.com
The four-way stretch nylon clad Grinder Pants from Sitka offer comfortable and warm protection while ambling through prickly fields in search of hidden quarry. A plethora of pockets—including two zippered, diagonal ones on the thighs—keep necessities close. $199; sitkagear.com
Love audiophile-grade vinyl? Build a great sound system around it with the best bang-for-buck hi-fi gear.
MoFi’s UD1S, or UltraDisc One-Step, is an unprecedented vinyl pressing method, using just one step (versus the standard three) to minimize “generational loss” and give listeners the closest sound to the original masters. This means a disc with the lowest noise possible outside of the studio. Our pick? Charles Mingus’ masterpiece Mingus Ah Um $125; mofi.com
Want a world-class turntable ready to rock right out of the box? The C-Major is it. The acclaimed European Audio Team’s entry-level offering—based off its most popular and lauded C-Sharp player—is the last turntable most enthusiasts will ever need to buy. A high-end cartridge, needle and record clamp are included—and in a groovy twist, the platter assembly itself is made from recycled vinyl. $3,349; europeanaudioteam.com
For a truly immersive 3D experience, you want floor-standing speakers that deliver natural, musical, room-filling sound. And among the best are those from Marten. Luckily, with the Oscar Trio, the company has created an incredible speaker set worth twice its asking price. Yes, it has very cute (sound-isolating) feet, but we love it for its huge dynamic range and deep bass. $11,000 a pair; marten.se
One of the most advanced integrated amplifiers available, offered at half the price of its competitors? Yes, please. The NAD M33 is most notable for its precision-timing, or self-clocking, technology, which delivers extremely low noise and distortion for an incredibly accurate soundstage. Musical details flow smoothly and naturally, and on top of the three analog ports it can connect up to six digital inputs. Prefer headphones? A dedicated amp will drive even high-impedance studio cans. $5,999; nadelectronics.com
E.A.T’s Jo No. 5 was made in cahoots with Denmark’s Ortofon, arguably the world’s premier maker of turntable cartridges. The big sell here is that this moving coil (i.e., higher-fidelity) cartridge outperforms competitors that cost almost five times as much. Plus, it’s pistachio green, has a whole diamond stylus and is built with—no kidding—the help of frickin’ laser beams. $1,199; europeanaudioteam.com
Today’s cordless power tools have gone smaller and lighter, without sacrificing capability, thanks to punchy brushless motors.
There are plenty of uses for a lightweight, batterypowered driver like the Craftsman 4-volt Max Cordless Screwdriver. It’s less than half a pound, charges by USB and comes in handy to remove screws and bolts that don’t require a heavy torque load. Once charged, it will last about a year, perfect for stashing in the kitchen junk drawer. $38; craftsman.com
Shave some weight off your tool kit with the compact DeWalt Xtreme Max 5-3/8 inch Cordless Circular Saw. The 5-pound saw will chew through plywood, 2x4s, plastic or metal for long enough to complete most DIY projects. The saw is easy to handle one-handed, and internal LEDs light up pencil lines. $240; dewalt.com
Strapping a battery to a ratchet makes wrenching as easy as pulling a trigger. At 18 volts, the Ridgid Cordless ¼-inch Ratchet zips off bolts at 325 rpm and
A cordless table saw might not be the tool you pick for every project, but the Ryobi 18-volt One+ HP Table Saw will slice through 240 feet of wood per charge—perfect for medium-size workloads. And the 33-pound saw’s rack and pinion fence system—a pro-grade feature—helps trim boards more accurately. $399; ryobitools.com
The Milwaukee M12 Fuel Installation
Drill/Driver is designed to get into tight spots with its four removable heads. Along with the standard fittings are an offset attachment for use in corners, and a 90-degree attachment. The 12-volt system provides enough juice to excel at smaller tasks. $229; milwaukeetool.com
45 foot-pounds of torque with a variable speed trigger that’s easy to reach with one finger. And the directional switch is recessed to better slip into a tight engine compartment. $229; homedepot.com
by RIANN SMITH I Photography by MICHAEL MULLER
But more on that later, because he’s back from the Great Beyond to answer a gravely important question: What the hell is that new tattoo? It looks like he’s planning to cheat on an AP Geometry quiz at Pink Floyd University.
“Ha,” he booms, squinting down at the overlapping prisms, circles and parallelograms inked inside his right forearm. “I listen to a lot of Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon. ‘Time’ is great, ‘The Great Gig in the Sky,’ that whole album is pretty fascinating.” He pauses. “You a fan?” he asks, and it feels like we’re having beers at a pub, even though we’re on different continents, with the sun rising in America and the sky darkening outside of his hotel room in the center of Sydney, Australia.
It’s disarming, this level of laid-back geniality from a deity (Thor, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock named Korg) with the No. 1 movie in the world at press time (Thor: Love and Thunder; see aforementioned rock), which, with his previous three films in the franchise, has grossed over $2.5 billion globally—and that’s not even counting clams from the other five Avengers films he’s graced in the nearly $30 billion-grossing MCU machine. Multiply that by the crowd-pulling power of his other ass-kicking hero, Tyler Rake in Extraction, Netflix’s most-watched original film ever, and it’s clear the world is mainlining Hem’s freshly cut content faster than a Dhaka drug lord.
What’s more, the guy who seemingly has all the time in the world to chat has spent his entire day sweating it out on the set of Furiosa, the hotly anticipated 2024 prequel to Oscar-winning Mad
Max: Fury Road Furiosa will be the biggest film ever made in Australia, with a $185 million budget, 528 times that of the 1979 original in the saga. Meanwhile, my humble new mate is still contemplating his tattoo. “Y’know, my buddy came up with this thing, we were having a few beers.” He stops, breaking into laughter. “I told him to start drawing some stuff and the next day I was like, ‘Ah yeah, what is that?’
I wish it had a greater meaning, but maybe that’s it. There was an acceptance and surrendering to whatever the hell this is.”
FAST AND FURIOSA
Hemsworth is in wind-down mode before hitting the sack, which, at 39, happens earlier these days. “I used to run on four, five, six hours, and then you start getting eight hours’ sleep and you realize, ‘Oh my God, this is what it feels like to run at a hundred percent.’”
Still, he admits to being a 2:30 a.m. worrier. “I’ve always had that, ever since I was a young kid, I would sort of do something through the day that I wasn’t proud of, I’d fight with my little brother, and then in the middle of the night I’d feel guilty and wake him up and apologize,” he says. “It was always the nighttime for me where there was a real honesty, and it was quite abrupt. It still happens now.”
The last thing that kept him up was Thor. “You’re waking up worrying, ‘Is the film gonna work? Have I let people down? Did I do a good enough job? Did I promote it properly? Are fans responding?’ Just all the stuff I like to think I’m beyond, but it’s a very tricky thing to care about something so much, put your heart and soul in it and then let go and not care about the result.” He calls
it “almost PTSD” from years of coming up in the business, facing criticism and judgment. He’s learned to deal with it better over time, thanks to pivotal advice from his mum, Leonie, “but there are some old scars that pop up.”
But there’s no time for licking battle wounds tonight, because tomorrow he’s due back on set. “We’re in the thick of it with Furiosa and it’s fantastic, so much fun,” he says. “I came into this film pretty exhausted, just off the back of a few press tours and a few other films, but reinvigorated. [Director] George Miller is just incredible. So I’m all good, long day, but I’m happy,” he says, and you get the sense he’s almost amused that his eyes are still open.
On tap for tomorrow: more “character and world building” after his daily postapocalyptic prosthetic makeover to transform him into the warlord Dementus. Hemsworth’s stubble is shorter than usual, because the glue for his yak hair—yep, Dementus’ wild red ZZ Top beard is made from sheared yak tresses—is a pain to remove when his own beard grows beyond three days. Does he scare himself in the mirror? “Nah,” he says, though he warns there’s “some pretty shocking things and quite a few variations” with his look in the film.
Anyone who remembers Hemsworth’s hypnotic rattlesnake of a cult leader in the 2018 neo-noir Bad Times at the El Royale and his psycho prison warden in last summer’s sci-fi thriller Spiderhead knows Dementus won’t be his first villain rodeo. He finds playing against type liberating. “You’re allowed to be completely unhinged,” he says. “You don’t have to apologize or play it safe as far as offending anyone, you can kind of just go for it. Especially coming off the back of playing superheroes and heroic characters. It’s kind of why I got into acting. Same as when I was a kid in the backyard, playing dress-up or
Chris Hemsworth is dying. He’s just blasted through Sunset Pines Retirement Village on a gurney, ambulance lights flashing. The defibrillator paddles fail; all that’s left is a long, flatlining beep. Then darkness. A death doula hovers over his head.
make-believe, having all sorts of crazy characters and your imagination’s allowed to run wild.” He cites The Hobbit, The NeverEnding Story and The Princess Bride as early favorites, and played a lot of war games, where he mimicked his fair share of Rambo-isms and Van Damme fly kicks.
Call it fertile training ground for leading a Biker Horde as Dementus, which he says was another attraction for jumping into Furiosa. “I had an old Yamaha DT-175 when we were kids, and then a Pee Wee 50, which we’d fang around on through the forest where we lived, dodging the rangers.” The “we,” of course, being his Melbourne-born, outback-raised brothers, Luke, 41, and Liam, 32. “As we got older, I’ve gotten a Ducati Scrambler and a couple of Aprilias,” he says. “Our dad raced motorbikes and still does, historic bikes from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, and is up on the podium every couple of months, so a lot of that bike riding influence came from him.”
Following Hemsworth’s career is like watching his character James Hunt beating it around the track in his 2013 Formula 1 drama, Rush. It’s dizzying, even record-shattering, but you start to wonder how much the pace has worn on the superstar. Two and a half years ago, which he says feels more like 10, he nearly hit a wall.
“It was right before Covid, I was really exhausted,” he remembers. He’d done film after film while raising three kids (daughter India Rose, 10, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, 8) with his wife, actress Elsa Pataky. “It was crazy and has been the most incredible experience, but really taxing at times trying to juggle everything. Just a constant influx of adrenaline and stimulation through different pressures and so on, and the physical toll my body was taking from going up in weight and then taking it off for another role. I wanted some downtime.”
But an opportunity surfaced that he couldn’t pass up: a National Geographic series focused on health and wellness, a world Hemsworth knew intimately. “Originally, it was a three-week shoot,” he says, “a pretty simple kind of docuseries. Darren Aronofsky was heading the whole thing, so I thought, ‘Great, it should be fun.’” But then Covid happened, and three weeks turned nearly three years. One thing was for sure: This was going
to be a lot more intense than a male version of GOOP.
Called Limitless with Chris Hemsworth, it drops this November on Disney+. Among the feats Hemsworth performs in pursuit of longevity: walking across a crane 88 stories in the air overlooking Sydney Harbor, doing a Navy Seal–style drowning simulation, putting out a raging fire, pulling a vehicle with his own bodyweight, fasting four days, rope-climbing 1,000 feet over a ravine, being aged into an octogenarian… and, well, dying.
“I’ve always thought, ‘Oh yeah, I’m not gonna die,’” he says. “I remember in high school, thinking I could survive a car crash, a plane crash, whatever. I’d
figure it out, right? I remember telling my grandpa about it, and he had the same thing. It wasn’t arrogance; it was just a very positive attitude about life. Like, I’ll figure it out, I’ll work it out, I’ll overcome that, I’ll succeed. So it never scared me. And then as I approach 40, I’m all of a sudden going, ‘Oh my God, I’m potentially halfway there.’ It was all very confronting.”
Couldn’t he have just bought a midlife crisis Ferrari and called it a day?
Apparently not. Turns out, the only way to turn back the clock is to subject the body to extreme conditions and ask it to adapt (damn). But luckily for the rest of us, the six-episode series is the
perfect level of pulse-pounding. You feel like you’re finally meeting the real Hemsworth, without a gun or a hammer or CGI. The Hemsworth who has nothing in his tool kit but breathing techniques and a prayer. The mortal, like you and me. Well, except for superior genetics. And that’s when you realize what a badass he really is.
“There was no faking what I was going through,” he says. “I tore ligaments in my ankle, I hurt my back, I was training nonstop for both Thor and different episodes, it was full-on. But there’s an authenticity to it. If we’d shot in that three-week period, it wouldn’t have turned out that way. The running joke
win? “Bale, I think, can play soccer. Crowe is rugby, so I think we’d be able to take him. But Hiddleston’s a distance runner, he’d run circles around us,” he laughs.
Looking back, Limitless put everything into perspective, he says, even an afterlife he can’t comprehend. “It was the most beautiful appreciation for life and then a real hope that there is some sort of continuation. I was like, ‘Man, I hope there’s some version of all this continuing in any shape or form, I don’t know what
and barbecuing with friends and family. He may even slip into a local music festival in disguise. And before the rest of the world wakes up, he’ll be catching clean five- to six-footers along Byron Bay’s coastline, as the sun rises from the easternmost point on the planet. “I can just sit at peace, in the stillness of those early hours,” he says. “I’ll send you a photo of it from my roof.”
Wait—wasn’t he chucking his phone?
or when or how.’”
between me and my mates was, we were gonna call it Limited, ’cause we were capping out,” he laughs.
When I ask which challenge was the hardest, he says the “Shock” episode, when he surfs the Norwegian Arctic, followed by swimming 250 meters in 37-degree water. “It was insane,” he remembers. “Halfway through, my brain felt like it was being stabbed by a thousand knives.” But there are lighter moments, too, like when Chris pulls Luke and Liam into a polar plunge and soccer match. “We used to go on surfing trips together and this felt similar, but in a place so removed from everything. We were wide-eyed and fascinated.” In Hemsworth’s eyes, he and his brothers will always be 12, 18 and 21 to each other. “That period to me, just finishing high school, Luke’s already finished, Liam’s coming up, when we were our most active and surfing and talking about acting and all the things we wanted to do, is so vivid in my mind. As we get older and we’re supposed to be men, when the three of us hang out, it feels like we’re back there, kids still.”
Which begs the question: If the bros took on his Love and Thunder castmates Christian Bale, Russell Crowe and Tom Hiddleston in a three-on-three, who’d
It was also a wake-up call. “Hey, soak it up, enjoy it, ’cause the clock’s ticking. I like the fact that it scared the shit out of me at times, and now also has become a friendly reminder,” he says. “You hear it all the time: It’s been right in front of us the whole time. The now, the moment, the present, it’s right in front of us, and we’re so distracted and caught up in these future goals, or past experiences, that we’re not appreciating what’s right here.”
He pauses, taking in his own words. “And that was the moment where I thought, once I’m done with the next run of films, which are taking me through to now, I’m having some time off.” When he reemerges, he’d like to dig into a smaller, contained drama or love story, without all the special effects. But don’t mark your calendar. “I’m gonna throw my phone away and remove myself from all of it for a while,” he says. “I’m not saying years and years, but I would love a little distance to soak up some time with my family, my kids.”
So while fans get their next fix when Extraction 2 hits screens next spring, you’ll find Hemsworth at home in the coastal suburb of Broken Head, noshing on his favorite steak, bacon and cheese pie and almond latte from Suffolk Bakery, reading The Untethered Soul, a book he heard about on Russell Brand’s podcast,
“Ah, right, I’ll take it with old-fashioned film then,” he promises with a laugh. We both know he won’t, but an image instantly develops anyway: all 6-foot-3 of him, floating in the waves, surrendering to whatever the hell this is, just like his tattoo, as the circle of sun shoots a gold triangle over the ocean from a razor-sharp horizon line, its own trippy sacred geometry.
Nothing beats this basic bodyweight circuit 5 to 6 days per week:
5 rounds of all, in this order: 10 squats 10 chin-ups 10 lunges, each leg 10 pushups
10 side lunges, each leg
10 bicep curls into shoulder presses with dumbbells (he uses 22 lbs. each)
10 bear crawls up and back 15 feet
Follow with 30 reps of each: Russian twists Bicycles
Leg raises Standard crunches Side crunches
*For more training tips, check out @centrfit
and
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Fall gathering time has been stoking our palates since Neolithic days, and we still haven’t tasted the half of it. From bird to bacon, citrus to cider, and shellfish on a whole other scale, this artisanal lineup takes harvest season to infinity and beyond.
BY ADAM ERACEWhen most people think of the best season to be eating lobster, summer springs to mind. According to Ben McKinney of Luke’s Lobster based in Portland, ME, “Fall is when landings and taste hit a perfect balance.” While the company ships frozen lobster year-round all over the country, early fall is when you should be logging on for the new shells. Starting in September, the crustaceans begin molting into the next stage of their lives. The delicate exoskeletons “mean that the meat is almost marinated by the cold Atlantic Ocean,” adds McKinney. “So this is arguably the best tasting lobster of the entire year.” lukeslobster.com
Most of the yuzu you get in the U.S. comes from California. But the very best of this hauntingly floral citrus favored in Japanese cuisine is grown just outside of Trenton, NJ. Here, in a container orchard that moves between an outdoor field and a greenhouse powered by landfill emissions, Wall Street financiers turned farmers Vivek and Seema Malik raise dozens of uncommon citrus varieties—from finger limes, sudachi and calamansi to at least a half-dozen kinds of kumquats.
The undisputed queen of the harvest here is their baseball-sized, yellow-green
yuzu. Loosely described as a mash-up of more common cousins like lemon, grapefruit and mandarin, yuzu is the citrus outlier that launched Bhumi. The couple first tasted it
at Nobu in New York, inspiring them to grow some themselves. In the fall at their Jersey grove, Bhumi’s original yuzu trees still bear bountiful stock of their star player. bhumigrowers.com
Snake River Farms out of Idaho is the pioneer of American Wagyu, but it also trades in fantastic Kurobuta (aka Berkshire) pork—available in mail-order cuts including spare ribs, sausage, chops and, of course, bacon.
“Sourced from Berkshire hogs, Kurobuta is a heritage pork with close ties to Japan,” says Snake River Farms’ Dave Yasuda. “It’s world-renowned for its rich marbling and deep pink color, providing exceptional flavor and tenderness—the pork equivalent of Japanese Wagyu beef.” Made from brown-sugar-cured and hardwood-smoked belly, Snake River bacon comes sliced nice and thick—a cut above the usual pedestrian strip curled next to your eggs. snakeriverfarms.com
By the hazelnut orchard at the legendary Blackberry Farm in the lush blue-green hills of Walland, TN, half a dozen hives percolate with about 50,000 bees each. While serving as key pollinators for the resort gardens, the bees produce incredible honey in shades of amber, gold and blonde. Blackberry’s apiary team begins harvesting intermittently in the spring, with the honey reaching its richest apex in the fall when the nectars get jarred and placed for sale both in the property’s gift shop and online. blackberryfarm.com
Ben Wenk grows over 50 kinds of apples on his family’s generations-deep Three Springs Fruit Farm just outside Gettysburg, PA. For fresh eating, but also pressed and fermented into Ploughman Ciders. His award-winning line focuses on single-variety bottlings. “Most cider in the U.S., you can’t find the apple variety on the label,” says Wenk. “We focus on the unique characteristics that different varieties impart to the cider.” One due out this fall is Stayman Winesap Mixed Culture, starring an heirloom dating to the early 1800s. For this limited bottling, Wenk collaborated with Lovedrafts Brewing in nearby Mechanicsburg, which provided a carefully nurtured yeast culture to complement the cider’s wild strain. ploughmancider.com
If you’re eating the same old turkey on Thanksgiving, you’re doing it wrong. Especially when poultry can be as succulent and deeply flavorful as the KellyBronze. A proprietary Virginian breed with noble British heritage, KBs grow on pasture in Crozet, near Charlottesville at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. From hatch to harvest, they spend their lives at the Kelly Turkeys farm, and have been tapped as the “best of the best” by chef Jamie Oliver. That’s why we’ve already preordered our KellyBronze, which starts shipping Nov. 14. kellybronze.co.uk
Like proper Wisconsinites, the cold doesn’t scare Upland Cheese’s hardy, athletic herd of dairy cows. They live outside year-round on Andy Hatch and Scott Mericka’s acres of pasture
an hour west of Madison, WI—feasting on grass in the spring and summer, then hay as the weather drops. “When the cow starts eating hay, the milk gains a lot of weight and texture because the fat con-
tent skyrockets,” says chief cheesemaker Hatch, who bought Uplands with Mericka and their wives, Caitlin and Liana, from its original owners in 2014. “It’s perfect for a soft, unctuous, rich cheese.” That cheese is Rush Creek Reserve, a spruce bark-banded puck of fudgy, lactic magic aged in Upland’s cave for six to eight weeks. The first round of Rush Creeks typically roll out in November. Like a rare whiskey, the stock is spoken for months ahead by cheese counters around the country, but Hatch and Mericka hold a stash for direct orders. “It’s become a family tradition for a lot of our customers. They get one for Christmas, one for Hanukkah, and other gatherings.” No judgment if you devour yours on an ordinary fall weekday.
uplandscheese.com
The Axis deer have become a unique problem in Hawaii. Wait—you’re thinking, deer? Hawaii? These fourlegged lawn mowers are not generally associated with tropical isles, so you might be wondering how in the world they got here. Arriving as a gift to King Kamehameha V from India in 1867, the animals would become particularly problematic on Maui after being released into the wild nearly a century later and doing what deer do. Devoid of any natural predators, the animals have overpopulated and pose an ongoing threat to the lowlands ecosystem.
Enter Maui Nui Venison. Unlike the great majority of venison available for purchase in the U.S., this meat is truly wild, not farmed. It’s also carefully managed under a humane harvest plan that involves nighttime hunting and infrared scope technology to avoid stressing out the animals. Not only is this technique more ethical, it results in meat with better taste and texture— which you can sample for yourself by ordering from Maui Nui’s virtual butcher shop. From tenderloin to soup bones, chops to osso buco shanks, they ship across the country. mauinuivenison.com
The reputation of Beaujolais Nouveau—France’s contingent of first harvest gamay released each year on the third Thursday of November—has risen and fallen over the last several decades. At best, B.N.s are swift and sprightly. At worst, so fruity and sweet they might as well be Hawaiian Punch, which is the industrial style that came to dominate American imports in the 1980s and ’90s. But lately, California producers have been rethinking and rehabbing the maligned wine, which dovetails nicely with the zeitgeist’s affection for young, natural juice. This fall, we’re looking forward to the ninth vintage of 100 percent pinot noir, naturally fermented nouveau from Sonoma’s Scribe Winery. “The goal every year is to make a vibrant, juice, high-energy celebration wine,” says Andrew Mariani, who owns Scribe with his brother, Adam. “The year’s first bottling is a glimpse of the quality of the vintage and offers a fun counterbalance to our far-reaching pinot noirs,” Mariani adds. “It’s all about capturing juicy fruitiness, carbonic crunchiness, vibrant acidity, and freshness without tannin. And it’s meant to be drunk immediately.” Yeah, pour us a glass. scribewinery.com
GAME Maui Nui Venison
“It’s all about juicy fruitiness, carbonic crunchiness, vibrant acidity, and freshness. And it’s meant to be drunk immediately.”
The roots of the maple trees stretch down deep in the colonial-era graveyard on New Hampshire’s Great Hill Farm, their sap producing a lustrous amber syrup of, shall we say, otherworldly excellence. When October rolls around, this distinctive cemetery syrup infusion with Tamworth Distilling’s rye whiskey emerges from three years in oak as limited-edition Graverobber Unholy Rye. The backstory may be just ghoulish enough for a macabre marketing catchphrase—“I drink dead people”—but never mind all that. The resulting whiskey is just plain delicious. Its persistent black pepper-and-spice notes are laced with the mature sweetness of New England autumn. tamworthdistilling.com
From September through November, Bwana Mohammad and his fellow farmers at the 1001 Organic co-op on Pemba, the spice island northeast of Zanzibar, harvest the
magenta buds of the clove tree right before they flower. They then sun-dry them in a jungle clearing for a few days before sorting, bagging and boating them to New York, where Ori Zohar and
Ethan Frisch bottle them for their sourcing-obsessed spice company, Burlap & Barrel. “Pemba is world-famous for cloves because of their high essential oil content,” says Zohar. “You can press into them with your fingernail and they’re just glistening with oil.” On his last visit to Pemba, Zohar brought home two duffel bags filled with spices—and got stopped by the Zanzibari authorities. Spices here are regarded like gems and gold, as they have since the days when Zanzibar served as a key trading post for the Omani Empire. Fortunately, Zohar had all the proper paperwork. Extra fortunately, you don’t need to jump through any hoops for a taste of the harvest—an instant upgrade to your holiday baking. burlapandbarrel.com
If it seems like you can’t open a web tab without being conned into signing up for a monthly shipment of something you don’t need, these quality culinary subscription box services are the cure, offering both great value and delicious discovery.
Four and a half pounds of sustainably harvested, flash-frozen Alaskan seafood arrive each month in three price-tiered options. Think spot prawns, Coho salmon, sablefish, Dungeness crab and more. sitkasalmonshares.com
South Carolinian Jimmy Red grits, Canadian maple
mustard and other inspired global goods arrive four times a year from Ann Arbor’s Zingerman’s Delicatessen—famous for it’s myriad deli offerings, farmhouse cheeses and specialty items. Each product comes complemented with its own unique backstory. zingermans.com
A collection of rare, idiosyncratic, delectable treasures straight from Japan to your door each month have been carefully curated by owner Danny Taing around a monthly theme—e.g., mochi, Okinawa, the moon festival. bokksu.com
JUSTIN’s Cabernet Sauvignon is America’s #1 luxury Cabernet due to the bold flavors derived from our artisanal approach and the naturally limestone-rich soil of Paso Robles, California. Every bottle is crafted with care— hand-harvesting, hand-sorting, and oak barrel aging—to produce a balanced, elevated red. Exceptional from every angle.
Don’t look down! Actually, do. If you believe that every journey should include an awe-inspiring vista, we’ve got your vertigo-inducing guide to the planet’s best lookouts.
by STEVE RUSSELL
You know how it goes, you’re motoring along Sogn og Fjordane County Road 243 in western Norway, wishing for a better gander at the immense fjord. Luckily,
the Norwegian Highway Department granted your wish with the Stegastein Viewpoint. The 14-foot-wide platform, handsomely constructed of laminated pine, juts
100 feet from mountainside treetops, 2,000 feet above the village of Aurland. It feels like you’re treading toward the apex of the world’s prettiest roller coaster, and indeed you could tilt over the curved end if not for a glass pane.
Scene stealer: For a somewhat different experience of the view, hit the site’s restrooms, which poke over the edge, and ranked fourth on a 2106 list of best public toilets in the world.
Fjord tough: Even at 18 miles long, Aurlandsfjord is just a branch off Norway’s longest fjord, Sognefjorden.
The world’s tallest structure, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, would fit below Skywalk—with room for about 90 more stories
Some say that cantilevering a massive viewing platform off the western rim of the Grand Canyon is a clear case of gilding the lily. But the throat-
catch thrill of staring through the structure’s three-inch-thick glass bottom onto the canyon’s rusty-striped glory is a damn compelling counterpoint. Seventy feet out and 4,000 feet above the snaking Colorado River, the experience speaks to that odd urge one
feels to step out from the edge of the world’s most famous chasm—or is that just us? Scene stealer: Did you say glass floor? Don’t fret—the Hualapai tribe, which owns this swath of land, made sure its design can support the equivalent of 70 fully loaded jumbo jets.
China was a bit late to the platform-building party, so overcompensated not just by building the largest one in the world in 2016, but by making it resemble a futuristic spaceship about to zip back to the cosmos. The 1,350-square-foot structure, appropriately constructed of aerospace-grade titanium alloys (and a lot of glass),
hangs off one of the highest peaks of rugged Stone Forest Gorge, known for forested, oddshaped rock formations.
When the sun sets, the view includes the lights of Beijing, 70 miles to the southwest. Scene stealer: Undertake the two-hour hike up to the platform and you also pass a dramatic waterfall and mineral-tinted pools not visible from the cable car.
The platform’s UFO vibe is accentuated by a central hub that’s a dead ringer for a 1950s B-movie flying saucer.
Getting to this platform is half the freak-out, as it is accessed by a long, steep ascent on a cable car from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen ski resort to the Osterfelderkopf mountain
summit. Walk the short distance from the top station onto two curving platforms that overlap to create a soaring “X” extending over the panoramic abyss. (Pro tip: The Alps are pretty.) A
semi-transparent bottom adds to the sensation of flying 3,200 feet above a rocky gorge—especially if a wind is whipping up through the steel mesh. Scene stealer: To work the wobble out of your knees, hike a mile-long trail to a lower station where a different cable car will handle the rest of the way down.
Formula One is shifting its plan to conquer America into high gear. Homegrown driver Logan Sargeant is gunning for the inside track.
by CHRIS MEDLAND
In the countdown hours before a Formula One race, the long rectangle of pavement wedged between team garages and temporary HQ units, dubbed “the paddock,” is a busy place, an inner-sanctum crossroads of cars, drivers and pit crews. In-house celebrities are a given, with the likes of Mercedes team icon Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the current world champion, on hand to prep for another tire-shredding showdown.
But this particular paddock is the backstage of F1’s first-ever grand prix in Miami this past May, with Hard Rock Stadium transformed into the nucleus of a sprawling raceway complex that includes concert stages and a faux marina where high rollers will watch the action from non-faux yachts. The buzz is amped, the glitz
near blinding. LeBron James, David Beckham and Michelle Obama are on the guest list. McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo, famous for his good-natured hogging of the camera in Netflix’s F1 reality series Drive to Survive, chats up Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Then Michael Jordan is escorted inside and the entire paddock tilts toward him, the atmosphere revved into the red zone.
Things are a bit more sedate on the other end of the paddock where the Williams Racing team is based, and it’s from here that Logan Sargeant, one of the great hopes for putting an American butt into an F1 car, observes the scene. Sargeant, 21, currently competes in F2, basically F1’s minor league, for U.K.-based Carlin Motorsport, but is part of a Williams program that grooms promising drivers for that next, heady level.
While Sargeant hovers a bit outside the paddock’s fame bubble at the moment, he’s more of an insider than
Previous: Sargeant in a rare still moment. Above: The Miami Grand Prix. Opposite: Sargeant celebrates a win.
any driver present when it comes to the ground beneath their feet. His career path launched with kiddie kart races growing up in nearby Boca Raton, winning state and national championships before he turned 10. And even as Sundays typically now find him rocketing around a track somewhere between Belgium and Bahrain, he maintains die-hard support for the Miami Dolphins.
“It takes me 30 minutes to get here, so it’s pretty much my backyard,” he says. “Being at a home grand prix for the first time—really home—is so cool.”
He pauses as his own mother, who he just treated to a tour of the Williams garage, wanders off toward the paddock’s buzzier side.
“I want to get there one day,” he says. “I want to race here and be
able to make someone’s day by them meeting me.”
Even with his dream literally in sight, bridging that next gap is easier said than done. Much. Make no mistake, F1 drivers are the most exclusive group of professional athletes on the planet. By design, F1 comprises just 10 teams that each field two cars, meaning there are only 20 drivers at any time—no less, no more. Precious few seats open up between long, 22race seasons, with underperforming drivers living in fear of getting axed by teams willing to take a flyer on rookies making noise from a feeder class. As much as 220-mph action, such high-drama dynamics propel F1’s global popularity. Races draw an average of 80 million worldwide TV
that the final domino could be giving those fans a red-blooded, flag-draped American speed-demon to cheer.
F1’s current roster includes drivers from Great Britain, France, Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan and Thailand. But there have been no American drivers since Alexander Rossi warmed a seat in a handful of races in 2015. Two recent, F1-rocking developments are likely to help end that drought.
Most significantly, Colorado-based Liberty Media, already the owner of
an aggressive push that spawned this year’s Miami Grand Prix and in 2023 the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix— in short order making America the only country hosting three F1 races.
Liberty’s goal has been abetted by Drive to Survive, which stylishly mixes on-track action with peeks into drivers’ lives and a big dose of the cutthroat rivalries that fuel both top-tier and less well-heeled teams. (The show’s producer has called it “Game of Thrones in fast cars.”) The 2018 debut season was a surprise hit with American viewers, and subsequent seasons have nurtured the phenomenon, with F1 insiders crediting the show for increased stateside awareness. Into this turbo-charged moment arrives Sargeant, who may be the right driver at the opportune time. Love for racing has so guided his life that when he was just 13, he and older brother Dalton relocated to Europe. And while Dalton eventually returned home to race stock cars, Logan doubled down, climbing through Formula classes while basing himself in London (where, ironically, he just acquired his first personal car).
Sounds exciting, but the quest often leaves him working long, hard hours on his own, far from the land he still considers home. He eats and breathes racing, and unlike many F1 drivers, doesn’t travel with a model girlfriend in tow. And the plan hasn’t always gone according to script. After mixed F3 seasons in 2019–21 and a financial scandal that rocked his moneyed family, Sargeant was scrabbling for the funds needed just to remain in F3. Then the phone rang.
viewers, and top teams such as Ferrari and Red Bull inspire fan bases that rival soccer for chest-beating fervor.
F1’s roots are deepest in Europe, but recent years have brought significant expansion into Asia and the Middle East. The next big prize is the full attention, and deep consumerism, of sports fans in the United States. To win both, F1 brass know
SiriusXM and the Atlanta Braves, purchased F1 in 2017 for $4.6 billion. (The core Euro fan base was fairly sanguine about this acquisition given their displeasure with previous ownership, though there are grumblings about too much “Americanization.”)
Liberty unabashedly desires a U.S. presence larger than the decade-old United States Grand Prix in Austin,
“My manager called, and I wasn’t sure if he was winding me up or not!” he recalls of learning that Williams Driver Academy was offering him a spot—and a seat with Carlin for 2022, making him F2’s sole American driver.
Sure, it could be purely coincidence that Williams Racing, a British concern with a storied history in F1, also recently had been acquired by an American investment firm. Then again, probably not.
The Williams partnership allows Sargeant access to F1-level training
facilities, simulators and mentors. It also schools him on other responsibilities incumbent on F1 drivers, namely schmoozing sponsors and engaging in endless promotion. As part of the Miami festivities, Red Bull and Ferrari drivers toss first pitches at Marlins games, Hamilton appears on Good Morning America and Ricciardo flashes his trademark grin on The Daily Show. For his part, Sargeant accompanies Williams’ F1 drivers, Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi, to a high-end team event at the W Hotel South Beach. However, as they are mobbed, local-boy Sargeant leans unmolested against a wall and is told by handlers to do as he pleases. Such anonymity would vanish overnight if he’s bumped up.
“I’m going to do everything I can to get to F1, because that’s what I’ve been aiming for since I was a little kid,” he says.
The early part of his first F2 season hasn’t exactly greased that path. He crashed in Saudi Arabia, and in a pair of races in Italy, a tire snafu caused him to surrender his lead position off the starting line, then he blew a second-place finish by running wide in damp conditions.
“He’s had the preparation, he’s done the karting, he’s done the whole ladder in peak form,” says Carlin team boss Trevor Carlin. “And I think in a way that’s why a couple of mistakes have crept into things, because he’s so desperate to do a good job, he’s probably driving over his comfort level. He just needs to relax and do what he does, which is drive a race car fast.”
As Sargeant watches the Miami race unfold on screens inside the Williams garage, the rewards and risks of driving a race car fast are reinforced. The huge crowd cheers wildly as the starting grid piles into turn one, some cars three wide, but a later roar causes him to suck air through his teeth as young McLaren driver Lando Norris throws a tire and crashes in spinning, spectacular fashion after contact with another car.
Though no F2 race was staged in Miami, the weekend spent on his home turf seems to mark a turning point for Sargeant’s season. In Barcelona, he claims third place in the preliminary Sprint race, the Stars and Stripes displayed behind him on the podium for the first time in F2.
Three weekends later, he lines up in seventh place for the start of the Feature race on a tough street course, complete with looming medieval castle, in Baku, Azerbaijan. He has a strong start, charging ahead two spots in the first lap, and steadily climbs to third. “I was hanging with the leaders quite comfortably, so I knew I needed to execute a good rest of the race—good pit stop, good
Miami Grand Prix scenes: His Airness scopes the paddock, avid American fans, Ferrari’s iconic red blur.
pit entry, good out-lap from the pit stop,” he says.
Then, in the closing laps, race leader Jüri Vips pushes the track’s tightest turn and bounces off the wall. Sargeant nimbly dodges the splintering wreckage as it careens across the track directly in front of his car, and claims second place at the checkered flag.
“Sometimes you smile inside the helmet when you pass a car that has dropped out ahead of you, but that definitely wasn’t one of those occasions because I was trying to not hit him myself,” says Sargeant. “I feel for Jüri, but at the end of the day, a position is a position and you’ll take it.”
Even better is the next race at Silverstone, England. He starts in pole position and never surrenders it, de-
spite a late-race challenge from Théo Pourchaire, another top F2 driver. “I told myself there’s no one or nothing that’s going to come between me and this win,” says Sargeant. “I’ve never wanted a win as much as this one.”
He apparently takes that attitude into the next round at Spielberg,
France, where he again wins. The run of good finishes pushes him up to third in the overall F2 standings at just over halfway through the season.
It’s well-timed, as news breaks that Colton Herta, currently driving the IndyCar series in the States, is testing for McLaren, sparking speculation
that he could jump the queue as the American most likely to clinch an F1 seat. Deepening the intrigue, the rumor mill whispers that Latifi, suffering a lackluster season, will be booted from Williams before next season despite his billionaire father’s company being a team sponsor. The move likely would cut short Latifi’s F1 career, but as Sargeant says, a position is a position to be taken.
That seat is by no means reserved for an American. But even McLaren CEO Zak Brown acknowledges that Sargeant is well situated. “If you look at the success F1 is now having in the States, I don’t necessarily think it’s necessary,” he says, “but I think a U.S. driver certainly would continue to build the momentum.”
Closer to Sargeant’s inner circle, Williams sporting director Sven Smeets is even more bullish. “Having American owners is a fantastic opportunity for us, and also for Logan,” he admits. “He has that possibility to become an American driver. The last two were at a time when F1 didn’t have the potential it now has in the U.S. It’s a different world this time.”
No one sums up the moment better than Sargeant himself. “It would be massive for F1 in America if I make it,” he says. “Throw them an American driver to cheer for and I think there’s nothing bigger than that.”
Meanwhile, the wrap of Sargeant’s latest win is a reminder of how far he still has to go, as the champagne is quickly mopped and the winners ushered off the podium so that the main draw, the F1 race, can soon get underway. Afterward, he witnesses the whole, crazy circus as it packs up and moves on to the next raceway on the next continent.
Wherever that is, he’ll climb into the cockpit and push the laws of physics to the edge, fully aware that each race is a high-stakes chance to pass not just other cars, but also any driver chasing the same F1 dream. Miami was a tantalizing taste of what might await next year, and Sargeant wants more. Just like F1 wants more of America.
QB gains right to throw the ball away without being flagged for intentional grounding, sparing sacks and INTs, helping stats and spines.
Low hits outlawed “when a rushing defender has an opportunity to avoid such contact.” Shoulders, hands and ankles are still QBs’ most injured body part.
Defender “cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if he is being contacted by another player”—aka, the Brady Rule, after TB12 missed 2008 season with ACL injury. Don’t worry, he bounced back.
HEAD 2002
NFL bans helmet-to-helmet collisions with QB after a turnover. In general, this is get-outof-the-way time.
2007: Illegal cut block becomes 15-yard penalty, instead of just 5. 2009: 15-yard penalty for hitting defenseless receiver in head or neck.
Completing passes is way easier when your best receivers are around to catch them.
As a rookie in 1969, Cowboy Roger Staubach earned $25,000. He retired after 11 seasons to become a real estate magnate now worth $600 million. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco has a decent shot at $200 million in career earnings— not Staubach money but pretty good.
In November 2020, Bengals QB Joe Burrow’s rookie season ended when his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus were torn in a game against Washington. The next season he almost won a Super Bowl. Joe Theismann is extremely jealous.
It’s not just new rules. These changes have also contributed to the dominance of quarterbacks.
Not only are QBs paid a ton, so are the guys who keep them upright—witness San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams averaging $23 million per season.
NFL
152 career TD passes. Brady threw 83 in his first two seasons as a Buc.
We all know about Tom Brady’s avocado ice cream. Whereas in the ‘70s, Hall of Fame QBs like Lenny Dawson huffed smokes on the sidelines and Kenny Stabler happily discussed spending his off-season boozing in the “Redneck Riviera.”
153 career TD passes. Manning has 366. Eli, that is. Peyton has 539.
173 TD passes, 220 interceptions. Fur coats, bold predictions and great nicknames are sometimes more important than numbers.
legends whose numbers now look paltry.
pack.
Theproblemwithflying into Cusco, Peru, with a planeload of disassembled mountain bikes is that you then have to commandeer the modest airport’s parking lot to bang those bikes back together. The chore is probably a good thing, though, to help us acclimate to the 11,000-foot altitude—and to the challenge ahead. I’m one of 16 seasoned North American riders who have traveled to this region of the Andes in southeastern Peru to log six days of rigorous descents as we explore an ancient trail system in the Sacred Valley of the Inca, with a side trip to Machu Picchu tacked on for good measure.
With all wheels and handlebars matched to corresponding frames and the bikes secured atop three vans, we shuttle through the colonial city’s twisty streets and farther up into surrounding green mountains to stage our first descent. We unload and, despite our stoke, try to pace ourselves as we pedal to an even higher starting point. Huffing on the thin air, we’re surprised to encounter a group of colorfully attired Quechuans, direct descendants of the Inca, singing
and dancing along the otherwise lonely pass. They weave through our ranks, smiling and clasping our hands, then drift past. As welcoming receptions go, it’s pretty unbeatable.
Our inaugural downhill, a llama-blazed, 9.3-mile trail known as La Maxima, is locally infamous. It starts as a track of Andean red dirt bordered by tall, yellow grass. The path is steep and fast before transitioning into rugged rock gardens and scrabbly switches that
over celebratory cervezas, we assess that this “shakeout ride” was already the equivalent of several typical rides back home—and we’re set to tackle 16 more such descents in the days to come. I make a point of clinking longnecks with my friend Dillon Lemarr, manager of a riding team for bike brand Commencal, and pro freeride mountain biker Aaron Chase. This whole traveling, spoke-spinning circus has been envisioned by Chase after seven previous trips to ride the
require constant vigilance to keep from washing out. After about two hours of technical maneuvering, nearing the bottom and fatigued from the long flight and the ride, I unceremoniously tumble off my seat. I slide feetfirst over loose, jagged rock that scorches my backside, praying I don’t become a speed bump for the bikes barreling down behind me. Disaster narrowly averted, I grunt off my scrapes and finish the descent. Laughing
Sacred Valley. He’s dubbed it “The Inca Flow.” And right now, I’m wondering if I’ll survive it intact.
We wake early in the nearby tiny village of Ollantaytambo, site of the oldest occupied dwellings in the Americas, with stunning views of Wakaywillque, a towering glacial peak, and Pinkuylluna, a steep mountain
I SLIDE FEETFIRST OVER LOOSE, JAGGED ROCK WHILE PRAYING THAT I DON’T BECOME A SPEED BUMP.The start of the Inca Avalanche Race is a risky dash to lead the
carved with the enormous face of the Incan god Tunupa.
A second cup of thick local coffee would be nice, but cut short by orders to load up the vans shouted by Will “K.B.” Janecek, lead guide of KB Tambo Tours, an adventure-travel outfitter founded after the Minnesota salesman visited this very spot in 2002 and decided to completely change his vocation.
We again aim for higher elevation, our drivers executing low-gear climbs and honking around hairpin switchbacks to warn the occasional big rig appearing from the opposite direction. I avoid paying too close attention to the sheer cliffside drop-offs. Instead, I listen to a primer on how the Incas established an extensive network of trails to send messages via runners through their sprawling empire, trails further established by the sure-footed, two-toed hooves of goods-hauling llamas, which cause minimal erosion damage. These same trails have become a godsend to
Peru’s burgeoning mountain-biking community.
Starting now, we plan to rack up several descents a day, including this morning’s outing on the legendary Inca Avalanche Trail. Unfortunately, after starting from a misty mountaintop and rallying through a forest, the skies darken and start to rain—heavily. Traction over slick rocks and road crossings becomes sketchy at best, stomach-flipping at worst. Still, we make the most of a rowdy, 4,700foot descent, the trail enhanced by local bikers with showcase jumps, side hits and landings for large drops. We zoom through several distinct ecosystems, and near the bottom finally enter a relatively dry zone. We will circle back here later in the week to participate in the big, annual Inca Avalanche Race, and I get an early start on crossing my fingers for improved conditions.
After a couple more similarly intense rides, we’re starving, and basically take over a pizza joint’s ovens to keep up with our quest for calories. As becomes our custom, once plates are cleared, revelry continues with local brews and pisco until the place turns off the lights.
The Abra de Lares pass at 14,635 feet of elevation is a highlight. Our guide, Yannick Wende, a pro downhiller from Bolivia, explains that this Incan commerce trail is so intact that we’ll find ourselves bunny-hopping 600-year-old drainage systems. Bikes
As if the sweeping view over Cusco isn’t impressive enough—double rainbow!
A group of Quechuans greets the visiting riders as they begin their adventure.
slung over shoulders, we march up a vertical slope to various drop-in-points allowing us to freeride the valley below. I watch in awe as Chase rides a rocky flank to execute an aggressive drop into an open bowl below. On the other side of the mountain’s shoulder, American pro Garret Mechem, who has added freeriding big terrain to his more known mastery of slopestyle contests, lays a fast line and carves his way down the slope, scattering buckets of dirt with each turn. We continue down on sections of S-shaped Incan stone staircases along a riverbank.
Mountain bikers work downhills much like snowboarders, pulling ollies off natural surroundings and striving to connect trail features with fluidity. (Of course, the potential bad landing is less powdery.) It’s not about being the fastest—though that certainly provides fuel for the inevitable ball-busting on return shuttle rides.
In the middle of such trails, we often come upon Quechuans tending to crops and animal herds. Several days in, we’re invited to a local barbecue. A feast of chicken, gold potatoes and green chile sauce is still being prepared
when we arrive, so we jump right into a kids’ soccer match. This brings out the village’s older soccer aces, leading to a hard-played locals vs. foreign bikers match that taxes our lungs as much as any ride. Luckily, the next day’s sojourn to Machu Picchu is taken via train and bus winding for several hours through jungle canopies and along the Urubamba River before we arrive at the site’s gate.
We head directly to the base of Huayna Picchu, the site’s highest peak, and
upon this paradise while subduing so much of the Incan empire. On the train back to Ollantaytambo, we reflect on how much we’ve learned, and how much more time it would require to truly comprehend it all.
RejuvenatedbyourMachuPicchu excursion, our next big mission is to further scout the course for the upcoming race on the Inca Avalanche Trail, identifying hazard
in a reverse of our usual direction on this trip, begin the 850-foot hike up its steep staircases. We’re rewarded with a ridiculously epic view overlooking Machu Picchu’s condor-shaped royal estate. Renowned for precision stone masonry, Incan architecture still connected harmoniously with the area’s topography. It’s gratifying to learn that Spanish conquistadors never stumbled
spots and stretches to pick up pace. Sounds simple enough, but each rider must handle race speed while 200 other competitors simultaneously launch from the starting line. The battle to be near the front of the pack before bottlenecking onto single track will undoubtedly send some veering off course.
Veteran downhiller Wende has raced this event almost every year since 2007,
THE BATTLE TO BE NEAR THE FRONT BEFORE BOTTLENECKING WILL SEND SOME RIDERS VEERING OFF COURSE.
and won it twice. He’s generous with his insights, which include that the unpredictable riding lines at the start can be slick with moss, that the trail frequently crosses sections of active highway, that the forest zone is particularly draining, and that he once had to jump over a cow to maintain his momentum. “To win,” he advises, “you must be psychologically ready because the last bit is all pedaling for max speed. You must endure and be determined to suffer more until you pass the finish line.”
Moss. Trucks. Cows. Got it. I’m somewhat reassured by the fact that despite his alarming brief, Wende will be riding next to his 9-year-old son this year.
We arrive on race day to find riders fanned out along the pass. This annual event brings out much homegrown talent and a smattering of international pros.
The spectrum of gear is eye-catching, including vintage-engineered bikes and brands of which you’ve never heard. No matter, what counts is the desire to ride and push—everyone vibes the intent to go hard. Racers hike up llama paths toward the start line, some letting local porters carry their bikes for a handful of coins.
I grab a photo at the start, putting me among the last riders to drop in. But I’m familiar with this trail now, and it’s drier than earlier in the week, so within minutes I start catching up to
the pack, shouting “Andale! Andale!” as I pass. Soon, I encounter a fellow tour group member helping our lead guide, K.B., hobble off the course after a hard wipeout. We deploy my radio to summon medical attention, then I continue and spot several other groups
assisting riders who have blown up or experienced mechanical issues. When I catch up to a stranded local rider I briefly met at the starting line, I toss him the multitool he needs to fix his bike, but don’t stick around to get it back. Despite all the distractions, I feel confident in my speed and understanding of the terrain. When I reach the lower sections, my flagging energy gets a boost from spectators lined up to cheer us on, and I cheer right back at them. Finally, I cross the finish line, not last, and in one piece.
I wasn’t the only rider who came from behind. Kilian Bron, a Frenchman who has been riding in Peru a lot, made a sprint from the back of the pack by choice, picked off the rest of the field throughout the descent, and snagged first place, a truly impressive feat of riding.
With the race over, my crew will soon need to hustle back to the hotel to pack and prepare to disassemble our bikes for our return flight. At the moment, though, two kids are jockeying to wash the dust off my bike, and I hire them both to share the task. While they get to it, I lose myself in the milling crowd, lean in to hear everyone’s stories, and try to figure out a way to make all this happen again.
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The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics.
IT MIGHT SEEM like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” This modality is known as eccentric isometrics, aka the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindless, slow-tempo reps, you’re using TUT to fine-tune body mechanics, which requires more mental engagement,” he says. Do this 10-move eccentric isometrics workout to forge functional full-body mass and strength.
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells. Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top. Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
MyhomehasaroomwhereI’mcompletely surrounded by books, including the first one I bought when learning to climb called Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. Reading initially inspired me to become a climber. I read a National Geographic story about the first American to climb Mount Everest and wanted to be like him. That guy was Jim Whittaker, and little did I know he’d be the leader of our first American ascent of K2 in ’78. It was around the time of my own K2 ascent when another book came out called The Snow Leopard. The main character, naturalist George Schaller, became my mentor and one of my best friends. I set up an expedition with Galen Rowell, Conrad Anker and Jimmy Chin for the purpose of finding the birthing ground of the chiru, an endangered Tibetan antelope, to support George’s research and help protect the animal. It was the most meaningful trip of my life.
I don’t remember any of my friends who were climbing back in the ’60s or ’70s ever going to a gym. None of us had a training regimen. We just climbed and went on long hikes to get to the mountains before expeditions. The on-foot approaches to the landmark climbs were a lot longer than they are now. That was our boot camp experience, whether it was hiking from Kathmandu to Everest or up to K2.
I did start going to the gym in the ’80s. I learned the benefit of doing low weight with high reps to keep the lean mass I needed. I do that about three times a week these days. I always valued fitness, even as a teenager. I got in shape in high school and never fell out of it. I weigh exactly the same as I did back then, 157 pounds. I know to some it may sound like a brag, but I’m proud of that fact. That commitment to physical health is one that’s served me well over the years.
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way Over 20 years ago, my hips were making problems for me, causing terrible discomfort. It was only getting worse over time. I met with a doctor who advised me to get a hip replacement. I was in my 50s at the time and worried about the recovery and complications. I discovered yoga through [Patagonia founder] Yvon Chouinard shortly after meeting [surfer] Gerry Lopez. I could see how beneficial yoga was to maintaining world-class surfing skills at an older age. It seemed like he was getting better every month, and he attributed it to yoga. I was working at Patagonia when I started my practice, and would go to the classes we had at the office. I started to see the benefits pretty quickly and was able to avoid having the surgery. Being flexible and limber while staying strong is crucial at my age. I’ve created my own routine that I do at home around three times
a week. It’s a good time for me to find peace. I do it in the afternoon, because I can clear my head of noise and finish my day in a better mindset.
I was always a surfer as much as I was a climber—an ocean and a mountain person. It was important for me to live somewhere I could do it all. I stayed in Malibu in the ’70s, but over time was disenchanted with the number of poseurs. I started visiting the Ventura and Santa Barbara area to surf when I first met Yvon. Eventually we started climbing around there and I discovered it was a much better fit for me personally. I asked Yvon to keep his ear to the wind for a place I could call home. It didn’t take him long to find one, and I moved a few doors down from him. Over the course of my career, I estimate I’ve slept about five years of my life in tents, and I can say it’s nice living somewhere you’re happy to come back to. I’ve gotten just as much enjoyment going out to the wild areas in my backyard as I have in the farthest reaches of the world.
I started trail running in my early 20s, and it’s still one of my favorite activities. I first began when I was traveling a lot, because it seemed like an easy way to get outdoors and stay in shape no matter where I was in the world. All I needed was a pair of shoes. These days I do most of my running at home in Ojai. I live right next to Los Padres National Forest. There’s an incredible network of trails right off my backyard. I’ve been on those trails every day this week, and I plan on staying on the trail as long as possible.
While you’re hoisting up to 200 pounds of cable resistance generated by Tonal’s two extendable arms, proprietary sensor technology within the 24-inch touchscreen analyzes your movement patterns. The machine’s AI provides feedback for improvement, like “Drive your hips farther back to get lower.” Because it tracks speed, resistance and form, Tonal can add weight during reps if you’re crushing a set or scale back when you’re flagging. It’s the most reliable spotter you’ll ever have. From $2,995; tonal.com
IF YOU THINK hiring an overenthusiastic personal trainer is the only way to get fit, make like Joaquin Phoenix in Her and lean on artificial intelligence. (Just don’t fall in love with your new virtual BFF.) It’s baked into “smart” gym equipment, making home workouts about as personalized as one-on-one training. That’s a good thing, because “technology gives you metrics that are very objective,” says Rahul Rajan, chief artificial intelligence officer of Uplift Labs in Palo Alto, CA. “They also can spot population-based patterns that could predict injury,
which is very powerful.”
That’s not a replacement for human expertise and intuition, though. “Technology can throw numbers at you, but how do you contextualize them with how you’re feeling that day?” says Rajan. There’s no algorithm (yet) that can account for stress, illness and other factors that influence fitness.
Using these devices alongside a personal trainer who can use that information to program dynamically is likely the best application, he adds. Here, our favorite AI-enabled devices.
Lifting heavy at home can be intimidating, but the Vitruvian Trainer+ acts as a coach and spotter. What looks like a futuristic aerobic step hides 440 pounds of resistance and adaptive weight technology. The machine’s AI learns from your workout behavior and adjusts weights accordingly, increasing load if you’re banging out reps and decreasing if you’re struggling to reach full range of motion. Use the app to make workouts or choose from classes created by elite coaches. From $2,495, vitruvianform.com
A motion sensor camera inside this easel-sized structure hones in on 25 essential joints as you move to produce a 3D model of your body on its 42-inch HD screen. AI measures range of motion to provide real-time visual feedback, personalized technique tips, recommend weight and tailor training around your progress. During live classes, instructors cue similar form corrections and use heart rate data, rep counts and any other feedback from the system to coach you accordingly. From $2,495; tempo.fit
Peloton’s voice-activated, webcam-like camera beams your image onto a screen next to the instructor’s so you can mimic movements and correct your form.
Meanwhile, the AI-powered Movement Tracker feature counts reps and the Body Activity feature highlights which muscle groups you’ve recently worked. (The more you work a muscle, the darker blue it will appear.) Based on that data, Guide can recommend classes focused on other muscle groups for a more well-balanced regimen. From $295; onepeloton.com
Artificial intelligence is changing the game. Question is: Are you up for the challenge?
Meet Dr. Sean Levchuck, who makes a difference in a NEXT LEVEL way, changing the lives of children by donating life-saving surgeries. Dr. Levchuck believes in paying it forward in whatever way he can. After seeing the sacrifices that others made for him over the years, it was only natural that he too would give back—it just so happens that his career as a pediatric cardiologist gives him the ultimate way to make a difference. Helping children and their families through difficult times is at the heart of everything he does.
“Since 1996, I have been involved with the amazing Gift of Life organization. With their help, I have been able to donate hundreds of surgeries at St. Francis Hospital to children in need without
Dr. Sean Levchuck, chairman of pediatrics and pediatric cardiology at St. Francis Hospital, and Polina Shchepaniak
cost to their families. So, what began as a FaceTime call with a doctor in Ukraine, ended up being another very special story.”
Meet 9-Year-Old Polina
Dr. Levchuck and his team stepped in to help Polina and her family when the Ukrainian Children’s Hospital was no longer operational due to the invasion. The Gift of Life stepped in to provide safe passage to the United States through Poland. Polina is recovered and now has the opportunity to live a long and healthy life.
Dr. Levchuck, St. Francis Hospital, the Gift of Life and other organizations work together for children like Polina from all over the world. They are an inspiration, and a reminder that together we can change the world and make it a better place.
NEXT LEVEL FITNESS WATER is proud to shine the light on people making a difference. We are committed to helping everyone get to their next level. Our next level is giving back. We donate a portion of all profits to autism and the blind. Together we can all make a difference.
TO LEARN MORE about Next Level Fitness Water, Dr. Sean Levchuck or the Gift of Life, reach out to: Info@drinknextlevel.com
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WHETHER YOU VOLUNTEER, DONATE OR PERFORM RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS, IT’S EASY TO SEE THAT CHANGE STARTS WHEN WE ALL DO OUR PART.
“IN THE END, IT’S ALL ABOUT GIVING BACK. IT’S A GREAT FEELING TO KNOW I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD.”
If you’ve been fighting an infection and your doc recommends antibiotics, consider waiting until after your triathlon or half-marathon to begin taking them. Researchers at the University of California at Riverside found that, in lab studies, a 10-day course of antibiotics decreased aerobic performance by 21 percent. “Antibiotics can kill many, if not most, bacteria in your gut that play an essential role in normal bodily functions,” says co-author Theodore Garland. Antibiotics don’t just kill off harmful bacteria causing your infection, they also remove important bacteria that provide energy for muscles. Weigh the severity of your symptoms against the importance of your event. If the race takes precedence, hold off until after you cross the finish line.
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It’s been a wild, gritty, triumphant ride for The Karate Kid’s ageless hero—punching in with a new autobiography and season 5 of Netflix’s smash hit Cobra Kai
Waxing On is a kick-ass title for a Macchio memoir. Did Cobra Kai light a literary fire or had this book been percolating for a while?
I’d been approached by publishers over the years, but the timing never felt right. Then a pandemic happens, Cobra Kai is between seasons and I’m sitting inside. It seemed like a good time to start jotting down thoughts.
Did it all come flooding back? It’s been quite a trip for you and Daniel LaRusso since 1984’s The Karate Kid. It was cathartic putting into words this 40-year journey—which all started with a phone call that the director who made Rocky was doing another underdog movie about a kid getting picked on; then taking the train into New York City, meeting with [director] John Avildsen, landing the part, and all the magic and life lessons that ensued.
Can you hit us up with a few of those important life lessons?
Don’t assume you have it forever. Seize the moment. Youth is wasted on the young. That last one I mention at least once in the book.
There’s gotta be an upside to all that. Not every chapter is gonna be great, but you can still stick the landing. Good timing can happen at any point. After saying no to 30 years of Karate Kid pitches, along comes Cobra Kai and now I look smart.
Does that viral YouTube video Daniel is the REAL Bully, which pegs you as a “violent sociopath” and rival Johnny [William Zabka] as the wronged hero, make you wanna hurt someone?
At this point, if people are still debating all that stuff, it’s mainly just kinda awesome. For the record, everyone was rooting for Daniel LaRusso back in the ’80s.
Is this the staying power of the franchise? Inviting fans to turn things on their ear? That’s what the creators and writers of Cobra Kai do so beautifully. Shifting your allegiance from week to week. The show has evolved way beyond two dudes who can’t get past a high school rivalry.
What’s scarier, Broadway with De Niro or being on trial in rural Alabama with My Cousin Vinny’s Fred Gwynne presiding?
I was crapping a brick before that De Niro audition, but I’d have to go with Gwynne.
When does looking young for your age start getting good? Around 35.
Favorite blues guitarist? Too many. I’ve been listening to a lot of Joe Bonamassa.
Do you still wash your own car? Not in about 20 years. Was the kick legal? Yes! He was being attacked and just defending himself.
Has “Daniel” ever been challenged on the street?
An assistant director of the original film
warned me it could happen. It wasn’t that bad. They’d look at me and go, “Ehh, you got one kick. Never mind.” Zabka got it worse, for sure.
Was making your own Funny or Die short—Wax On, Fuck Off—as therapeutic as it is funny?
It was a blast, and it still holds up. I think I’ll watch it again after we’re done here.
You and Phyllis [wife of 35 years] were intro’d by your grandmother at age 15. True? Secret to marital success?
Yeah, just have grandma set you up. It’s that easy. She had birthday parties for the grandkids in her basement. Phyllis was a guest of one of my cousins. Not exactly a setup. But that was the time and place.
by JORDAN RANE
