blue ridge outdoors magazine january 2012

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DOLLY SODSBY BOOT, SKI + SNOWSHOE

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c o n t r i b u t o r sOutdoor resolution

for 2012?

l a u re n e l l e r m a nmore time outside in the winter... snow or no snow.

d a n i e l c o n w a yRescue barrel, avalanche victims, Swiss Alps. You do the math.

s a l r u i b a lBe more assertive in trail advocacy. Ride softly, carry a big stick.

c h r i s g r a g t m a n sOn the summer solstice, I will get up with the sun and do as many awesome things outside as I can

possibly think of until it gets dark. That’s 14 hours and 34 minutes of playing.

a n n e l u n d b l a dSolo runs across both Great Smoky mountains and Shenandoah National Parks.

j o h n n y m o l l o yTo disconnect electronically while reconnecting with nature.

PRINTED ON RECYCLED NEWSPRINT WITH 100% POST-CONSUMER CONTENT

E D ITO R I A LEDITOR IN CHIEF WILL HARLAN

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COPY EDITORS JULIA GREEN, ROBERT mcGEE

A RT + P RO D U C T I O NART DIRECTOR mEGAN JORDAN

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BLUE RIDGE OUTDOORS MAGAZINE116 West Jefferson streetcharlottesville, Virginia 22902p. 434-817-2755 f. 434-817-2760

56 college street, suite 303Asheville, North carolina 28801p. 828-225-0868 f. 828-225-0878

COVER PHOTO © Tom Daly / tomdalyphotography.comNathan Baker soaks in the scenery in shenandoah National Park, Va.

w i l l h a r l a nSpend more time skipping stones and splashing in the creek with my son.

m a t t k i r kTo further reduce my recreational footprint.

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Where fresh powder brings


j a n u a r y 2 0 1 2

departments

features13 FIRST DESCENTGonzo paddler chris Gragtmans plunges down two Alabama waterfalls, one of which snaps his paddle like a toothpick and nearly knocks him unconscious. Follow him over the horizon line in his gripping essay.

18 THE BRO 100regardless of the Mayan calendar’s doomsday predictions for 2012, our month-by-month calendar of must-do adventures will ensure that your final year on the planet is a memorable one.

25 SOUTHERN SKI CHEAT SHEETWhich resort has the most gladed tree skiing? The steepest black diamond? Best moguls? Take this five-question pop quiz to find the sweetest ski spots in the south.

43 DOG SLEDDING IN THE SOUTHMushers train and race in the Appalachians for epic Alaskan adventures like the Iditarod. And they don’t need no stinkin’ snow to be competitive with the big dogs up North.

6 EDITOR’S NOTEThe greenest man in the mountains (and he ain’t no tree hugger)

7 SWITCHBACKAre races too expensive? should college athletes be paid?

8 HIGH FIVEBigfoot in carolina / Biggest tire pile on the planet / The longest A.T. hike / Marathon miracles

9 TRAILHEADThe south’s best snowsports town doesn’t even have a resort.

10 THE MOMENTParalympic hopeful Heath calhoun lost his legs in Iraq but found new life in adaptive skiing.

WANT MORE?

Get a subscription to BRO (print or digital) by scanning here!

11 THE GOODScyclocross bikes guaranteed to bring you glory on the course.

12 CALENDARWax your skis and boards, tighten your goggles, and pin on a race bib.

45 FRONT PORCHThe sonic wilderness of Megafaun

46 HAPPY TRAILSexplore Dolly sods by boot, ski, and snowshoe

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He’s not a tree hugger; in fact, he cuts them down regularly. Nor is he a vegetarian. He doesn’t belong to the sierra club or any environmental group. He’s never seen An Inconvenient Truth or read any books by Michael Pollan, though he knows a lot about climate and where his food comes from.

I’ve met a lot of inspiring environmental activists protecting the planet and its people. I have spent time with the occupy crowd, tree-sitters, and activists who have chained themselves to bulldozers to prevent coal companies from blowing up mountains. The courage of these activists is as impressive as that of gonzo paddlers plunging off waterfalls. But in their everyday lives—where most of our environmental impact takes place—none have as much integrity as my neighbor, Bill Banks.

My family and I live a half-mile up the gravel road from Bill. We live on an off-grid organic farm, with solar panels on the roof of our green-built house. Yet even our solar-powered sustainability doesn’t measure up to Bill’s closeness to the land.

Bill Banks is an Appalachian farmer. He has spent almost 50 years in the same small house that he and his family built. He

e d i t o r ’s n o t e

grows most of his own food—corn, beans, squash, peppers, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, brussels sprouts—using heirloom seeds that his family and friends have passed down for generations. Most of his food is grown organically, although he doesn’t call it that.

A small herd of cattle roam his pasture; he and a neighbor slaughter the animals and butcher the meat themselves.

He heats his house with wood selectively harvested from the forest. For decades, he has used horses and chains to haul the logs down the mountain. In today’s eco-speak, that’s called sustainable forestry. He cuts, splits, and stacks all the wood himself.

He owns no computer, cell phone, or other electronic gadgets. Instead, he watches the clouds roll over the mountains and the squirrels gathering walnuts.

His house is surrounded by heirloom fruit trees, nut trees, and blackberry brambles, which today go by the environmentally fashionable name of edible landscaping. Though he has never heard of permaculture, he knows how to save labor, time, and money by using what’s available: manure from the cattle fertilizes his gardens; ash from his woodstove is used to make soap; rocks from the fields become walls for his root cellar.

Most impressive of all is that Bill has been living with the land for 76 years. unlike some well-intentioned environmentalists I know who are vegetarian (except on holidays and weekends) or carbon-neutral (except when jetting to the next conference), Bill has lived simply, sustainably, and self-sufficiently his entire life.

His carbon footprint is negligible. He doesn’t buy anything. He fixes everything himself. He doesn’t travel. He is content to spend his days on the farm or in the national forest across the creek.

“I don’t need to go anywhere,” he says. ”There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

He has explored the mountains of Pisgah National Forest more thoroughly than any outdoor enthusiast. He roamed the mountains as a boy, racing to the top of Pinnacle Mountain with his cousins faster than most trail runners today. He knows where to find native trout better than any guide, and even

as a septuagenarian, he can trek steeper and deeper into the mountains than most backpackers. He bushwhacks across ridgelines to find an old stand of chestnuts or a patch of ginseng, reading the cartography with his eyes and memory rather than a map or GPs.

Bill resembles many Appalachian folk; there are probably others like him in these hills. They don’t call themselves eco-anything, but they are greener than most environmentalists. They’re not members of nonprofits or co-ops, but they give all of their surplus harvest to neighbors in need. They’re not occupying Wall street, but they are bartering food, labor, and skills in their own self-sustaining community economy.

on our way to the trailhead in FlexFuel suVs loaded with bikes and boats, we drive by many Appalachian farmers who know and love the forest as deeply as we do. In the past, I’ve been guilty of dismissing rural folk as overly conservative anti-environmentalists. Admittedly, some of them fit this description. But most mountain folk, especially old-timers like Bill, are greener than Prius-driving, eco-conscious city dwellers. We mountain bikers and trail runners may know a few narrow ribbons of trail through the forest, but our knowledge is often superficial. Blinded by adrenaline, we blast through the terrain checking our wristwatches and odometers. We don’t take the time to observe the whole forest beyond the trail, to listen to the hidden springs gurgling beneath the rocks, to explore the steep, overgrown thickets off-trail where bears and old trees take refuge.

Bill is a born-again Baptist who wears overalls and is missing some teeth, yet I have learned more from him than any environmentalist about living sustainably in harmony with nature. He is also the most accomplished outdoor explorer I know, with seven decades of completely self-supported adventures in the wild.

Bill’s life has reminded me the hardest part about truly being green: living simply doesn’t mean living easily. The simple life means dawn-to-dusk days of backbreaking labor: hauling manure, splitting firewood, digging fencepost holes. It means eating only what’s in season, which can seem dull and repetitive to our supermarket stomachs. It means staying put, without escaping to the beach for a few weeks in the winter or planning an exotic summer adventure.

Bill’s wife Vernie, who passed away last year, worked even harder than him, he says. she taught him everything he knows, including life’s most important lesson: there is beauty everywhere if our eyes are open to it. Though Bill can name every species of tree in the forest and identify an animal by its tracks, he doesn’t claim to have any special knowledge or skills.

“I just pay attention, that’s all.”

Will Harlaneditor in chief

BIll BANks lIVes closer To THe lAND THAN MosT eNVIroNMeNTAlIsTs.

The Greenest Man in the Mountains

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Are Races Too Expensive?

Should College Athletes Be Paid?

YES: 77%

races have gotten increasingly more expensive, often pricing out newcomers or even those who enjoy racing but may not be on the podium. It also deters those that have to travel to races. The cost of traveling (fuel, food, lodging, etc.) is becoming so high that the extra cost of the entry fee might be enough to make me decide to just go out on the local group ride instead.

—Paul Muething, Richmond, Va.

I wish some runs would forgo chip timing and the short sleeve shirts that accumulate unused in my closet. If charity is the point, get imaginative and solicit donations on the entry form, sell higher-end gear, and advocate your cause. — Robert 2.0, Blacksburg, Va.

cost prevents me from participating in all the races I’d like to try.

—Robert, Hermitage, Tenn.

NO: 13%Most races donate some of the proceeds to charities, and it takes a lot of money to promote and plan an event like a race.They would be more expensive if they paid everyone who works to make them happen. —Virginia Faircloth, Charlotte, N.C.

It is easy to sit on the sidelines and say a race is too expensive without knowing the full realities of what it takes to put on an event. I am not a race director nor do I work in the industry. However, I participate in

and volunteer at enough events to know that race directors are not retiring at 40. In a lot of cases, rDs are volunteers themselves. Don’t judge a man/woman/race until you have run a few miles in their shoes.

—Jeremy, Brunswick, Maine

An entry fee is a small portion of the expense to race, and the money usually goes to a charity—or to putting on the future races.

—Rick Stein, Lynchburg, Va.

NO: 83%

The commercialization of collegiate athletics is deplorable. Who would get paid? Most likely, only football or basketball players. Instead of paying players, the NcAA should do something for the schools considering how much money they make off them.

— William O., Lynchburg, Va.

college athletes are getting an education that cost tens of thousands of dollars per year. That is their payment for playing sports.

—Jackie, Gallatin, Tenn.

Do division I schools pay or do all levels? Do you only pay those athletes playing the big sports or all sports? Is there a cap on paying

or do colleges with the cash pay the most like pro teams? Too many questions that can never be answered fairly for all.

—Bill, Raleigh, N.C.

YES: 17%universities and the NcAA make so much money off of the athletes that there is no good reason why they should not share the profits. Most of these young athletes do not have support from home to provide them wth a quasi-normal collegiate experience.

—Ryan, Kernersville, N.C.

Yes, colleges make billions and coaches make millions, but if athletes get injured, they lose their scholarships. If nothing else, put royalties from the video games that use their likenesses into a trust fund that they can get after college.

—ADK, Los Angeles, Calif.

Illustration by Wade Mickley

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3. Columbia, S.C.Tire PyreAuthorities discovered a mass dump of used car tires in south carolina so big it is visible from space. The pile of nearly 250,000 tires covers 50 acres in rural calhoun county, s.c. The maximum penalty the guilty party could incur locally is a $475 littering ticket. luckily, due to the extreme environmental hazard of the pile—including mosquitoes in festering rain water—the case was taken up by the Department of Health and environmental control, which can levy hefty fines and jail time. They recently issued indictments against George Brown of easley, and the tires are set to be recycled by a Florida company (hopefully into 250,000 tire swings for the kiddos.)

4. WaShingTon, D.C.iT Took hoW long? limestone springs Preserve faced a slippery situation when their inventory went out with the wash, literally. Flooding in eastern Pennsylvania caused the preserve’s quarry to overflow, sending their stock of rainbow trout into nearby rivers. Workers in wetsuits also flooded the rivers attempting to bait the freed fish and scoop them up with nets. limestone estimates that $400,000 worth of trout (that’s a lotta fish!) made a break for it during the flooding, which also caused millions of dollars in damage. unfortunately for the preserve, word of the jailbreak spread quickly. Fishermen from around the region flocked to the area in their own attempt to “rescue” the fish—right into the frying pan.

5. elkinS, W.Va.birD baTTleNearly 500 migratory songbirds were found dead at a wind turbine farm, but their demise was not caused by the spinning blades of the windmills. No, it was because someone left the lights on. The birds became disoriented in heavy fog by the lights left on overnight at the facility and circled like moths to the flame until they became exhausted and perished or flew into the building. This is not the first incident involving migratory birds, foggy conditions, and overnight lights; a similar incident was reported at a high school down the road in 2010. The benefits of renewable energy are undeniable, and the solutions are in the works, but in the meantime, can someone please hit the lights on the way out?

1. Troy, n.C.big on bigfooTPeople willing to ignore the critics, and shell out $300, will get the chance of a lifetime: to wander around the North carolina woods at night with a 70-year-old searching for…Bigfoot. Michael Greene has heard Bigfoot in the woods surrounding his home, caught his likeness with a thermal imager, and even bravely tempted him into his camp with a jar of skippy. Greene, now an “expert,” will lead a sold out, four-day hunt through the woods just south of uwharrie National Forest.

2. fairfax, Va.PooPer SCooPDog walkers, rejoice! A Virginia jury has found kimberly zakrzewski not guilty of violating a pooper scooper law in Fairfax, Va. Neighbor Virginia cornell dialed the police claiming zakrzewski neglected to clean up the business left behind by the Westie-bichon frise mix she was looking after. Following a review of photos of the alleged “violation,” the jury heard from the dog’s owner, who stated the doodoo in question was much too large to belong to her “wittle sweetie pie Baxter-Waxter.” After 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury agreed.

BABY ON BOARD27-year-old Amber Miller crossed the finish line of the chicago Marathon in 6:25, then gave birth a few hours later to a baby girl named June. This was actually June’s second 26.2 mile finish, as mommy also ran the Wisconsin Marathon while pregnant in May, giving baby June bragging rights over one-year-old brother caleb, who only got one marathon under his umbilical.

DISTANCE PERSISTENCE100-year-old Fauja singh, known as the Turbaned Tornado, completed the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, in just over 8 hours, rocking a “sikhs in the city” shirt and an impressive white beard.

EAST ROCK BOTTOMTwo Yale university students were charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and violating a city ordinance when they attempted to free-climb east rock in New Haven, conn. Without rope, helmets or climbing shoes, Peter kaufman and sarah Maslin attempted to scale the wall, but Maslin got stuck half way and had to be rescued by firefighters.

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All good snow sessions end with a craft beer…or two. Morgantown has you covered with not one, but two, microbreweries. Morgantown Brewing company, West Virginia’s oldest craft brewer, is run by WVu alum who have a knack for inventive beers. Try the coal city stout for the perfect winter brew, or hit them up on the weekend when they roll out their special small batch releases. morgantownbrewing.com Davis’ Mountain state Brewing has opened their newest location just down the street from Morgantown Brewing company. The copper top bar and wood-burning-pizza stove add ambiance, but you’re here for the beer, which is outstanding. Go with a Miner’s Daughter oatmeal stout, which is lighter than it looks, or, for an aptly named easy drinking brew, order the Almost Heaven Amber Ale. mountainstatebrewing.com

aPrèS-Ski

The Best of MoTown The south’s coolest ski town doesn’t have a resortBy Graham Averill

Morgantown, a small college town in the northeastern corner of West Virginia, is one of the best ski towns in the southern Appalachians. This might come as a surprise, since Mo-Town, as locals call it, doesn’t actually have a ski resort to call its own. Here are four reasons to back up our bold declaration.

MOTOWN THROWDOWNMorgantown is the only city in the south that shuts down its main thoroughfare to hold a sick rail jam. The MoTown Throwdown, on Halloween weekend, has become one of the region’s most anticipated events, attracting the Mid-Atlantic’s best new-school skiers and boarders. The city closes two city blocks for the event and churns five tons of ice into blown snow, enough to cover three rails lent from seven springs resort.

The Throwdown is a weekend affair, with a Friday night ski and snowboard film screening at the Warner Theater to get the kids pumped up, then a rail jam under the lights on saturday night. The event kicks off the season for many competitive riders in the Mid-Atlantic, offering enough prize money ($2,000) to attract talent from as far away as Vermont. Two years ago it featured a live show from Mix Master Mike, of Beastie Boys fame. This year, Fife from A Tribe called Quest, performed.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Morgantown may not have a ski resort to call its own, but the town has pretty much adopted

Wisp resort, less than 45 minutes away in Deep creek lake, Md. Wisp pulled in nearly 200 inches of snow last winter and almost 300 inches of snow the winter before that, making it one of the snowiest resorts in the south. even better, seven springs, in Pennsylvania, which has the biggest, most progressive park on the east coast, is just an hour north.

“We’ve had a lot of good riders come out of Morgantown mainly because of our proximity to Wisp and seven springs,” says Josh zerkel, a Morgantown native and West Virginia university sophomore. “During high school, I would bring my board to school and we would have a crew head straight to Wisp after class at least four days a week.”

Need more variety? There are six resorts within a three-hour drive of Morgantown, putting it in the center of the best winter terrain in the Mid-Atlantic.

SKINNY SKIS TOO coopers rock state Forest may be named for the fugitive who lived there for years (he sold barrels to locals while on the lam), but today it’s better known as a winter haven for cross-country skiers. The forest, 13 miles east of downtown, has 50 miles of interconnected trails and forest roads that see plenty of snow, particularly in the last two years. Get there early after a snow, or you’ll have to park a quarter mile from the gate.

“starting in November, we’ll get 50 days of cross-country skiing,” says Gwen Jones, an avid cross-country skier living in Morgantown. “It’s the biggest state forest in West Virginia, and the coolest thing about it is that they close the gate at the entrance in the winter. That makes it a winter playground.”

some skiers venture onto the singletrack, but it’s tight, twisting, and rocky. Most folks stick to the road, which rolls for three miles to the cheat river overlook. Jones says the snake Hill Wildlife Management Area, adjacent

to the state forest, is even more popular with skiers, thanks to the seven miles of unmarked forest roads and large meadow with 30 acres of rolling, grassy terrain.

NEW SCHOOL In a state that’s known for its conspicuous lack of young adults (youth between the ages of 18-35 typically leave the state in search of jobs) Morgantown has a hip, young vibe, which translates into a progressive snow sports culture. credit West Virginia university.

“The town has been insulated from the economic crisis because of the school, and there are lots of young people, also because of the school,” says Gwen Jones. Add it up, and you’ve got a lot of people with the time, money, and energy to ski and board during the winter.

The WVu snowboard team has become an incubator of talent, ranking as high as third in the country among college club teams in recent years. During big storms, you’ll find young skiers and boarders in the woods riding power line cuts, and in town tackling urban terrain. Two years ago, more than a foot of snow lingered in downtown Morgantown for a month, turning the city into a giant terrain park for local boarders.

“Typically, though, we get one big storm a year where we can ride in town,” Josh zerkel says. “If you’re feeling really ambitious, our local ice rink lets us take snow from the zamboni shavings. We’ve got a few backyard parks set up around town.”

see Morgantown’s board-wielding crew make the most of the city’s snow at

blueridgeoutdoors.com

always strapped

W-FlYING sNoWsPorTs AcTIoN To DoWNToWN MorGANToWN.


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Comeback KidA Warrior’s Path to Glory By Jedd Ferris

The journey of Heath Calhoun started simply in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. After growing up in the small coalfields town of Grundy, Va., Calhoun decided to follow a family path and enlist in the U.S. Army. His life changed forever, though, in 2003, when he was serving in Iraq and a rocket-propelled grenade struck his convoy’s truck. His injuries were so severe that both of his legs had to be amputated.

Upon returning home for intensive rehabilitation, Calhoun immediately found

solace in sports. In 2005 he hand-cycled 4,200 miles across the country to raise funds and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. He also excelled on the slopes. After taking part in a ski clinic in Colorado, it was apparent that Calhoun had a knack for adaptive mono-skiing, so apparent that coaches encouraged him to train seriously for competitive racing. In 2009, he placed first in the super G category of the U.S. Adaptive Alpine National Championships, and the next year Calhoun earned a spot on the U.S. Alpine Skiing Team at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver.

Now, in a remarkable twist of fate, this native of small town Appalachia has become a full-time professional ski racer, traveling around the world with the U.S. team for

training and competition. While it’s not easy for this father of three to be away from his current home in Tennessee, he’s focused on chasing a dream that will hopefully lead to a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

“soon after I was hit in 2003 and came back home from Iraq, I was taken to colorado as part of my rehabilitation. one of the first things I did was try skiing, and I picked it up quickly. It was a freeing experience for me. At first, being in a wheelchair without limbs, I was having a really difficult time getting around. As soon as I was strapped into the mono-ski and got onto the mountain, I could go anywhere anyone else could go. Whether it was the actual runs or the chairlift, I no longer had to look for the handicap accessible lane. Being on a level playing field was something that I hadn’t experienced since losing my legs. From that point on, it’s all I wanted to do.

A defining moment for me was carrying the united states flag at the 2010 Paralympics. I felt a tremendous amount of respect to once again be able to carry the nation’s flag, and the feeling was heightened knowing that the rest of the u.s. team voted to have me carry it. It brought me back full circle.

A typical day for me now involves waking up and hitting the slopes for three to four hours of skiing. Then I grab some lunch, and head to the gym for the rest of the day. That’s my schedule at least five days a week.

It’s amazing to be racing on a world level. Before getting hit in Iraq, I had only skied a few times in my life. I constantly think about how amazing it is that I am now on the world stage in this sport. It still feels odd being a southern skier. Most of the other guys on the team grew up skiing out West, so I’ve had to learn every aspect of the sport in a short amount of time.

I currently call clarksville, Tenn., home, but I travel all over the world, learning about it in a way that would have never been previously possible.

I don’t get to see my kids as much as I want, and as much as they want. I make sure the time that I have with them is quality. But I believe pursuing professional skiing is important because it sets an example for them. They’ve watched me overcome something traumatic and turn it into something positive. They were with me in Vancouver in 2010, and they’re planning to go to sochi. It’s not too often in life that you’re able to give your kids this type of experience.

The buzz for me definitely comes from the speed and adrenaline, but I am in this for the long haul. There’s nothing quite like finishing a run, passing through the corral, and turning around in anticipation to check your time and see how you did. That’s an incredible feeling for me. The goal is to keep getting better, and that comes from constant practice. I am competing against people that have been doing this a lot longer than me, so I have to keep working hard. This sport has given me a reason to try again.” •

FAST ASCENT: AFTer losING HIs leGs IN IrAQ, cAlHouN reHABIlITATeD HIMselF oN THe sloPes. He’s NoW A MeMBer oF THe u.s AlPINe skI TeAM.


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crosscomponentryYou know cyclocross is evolving when Shimano starts amping up its componentry for the sport. This fall the brand is debuting a high-performance line of cranks, derailleurs, and cantilever brakes made to endure the mud and pounding of ‘cross. The FC-CX50 and CX70 cranks (shimano.com) will feature powerful 46-36T gearing and provide the type of quick power transfer that’s necessary on an erratic course. And the new FD-CX70 front derailleur is designed to integrate with those new crank gear ratios. shimano beefed up the derailleur, too, since it’s one of the parts most vulnerable to failure in all the slop of cyclo-cross competion. And since mud is always on the menu, the new BR-CX50 and CX70 cantilever brakes offer higher clearance and feature easy-to-replace cartridge pads. As far as tires go, Michelin is back in the bike game and its new line of ‘cross tires allows you to switch out for different conditions with dry or mud treads ($57; michelinbike.com).

’Cross DressingMeet the rides sure to bring you glory on the cyclocross course.By Doug Schnitzspahn

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the belt1. Spot Mod SSsomehow the purity (and, um, insanity) of a belt-drive single speed ride seems a perfect fit for cyclocross, and this bike is, excuse the pun, spot on. Plus, the Mod’s dropout actually allows for the addition of a derailleur. But as a single-speed machine, the bike is surprisingly smooth and responsive. The belt means no mud in your chain (though we have had problems with dry grass) and it provides powerful strokes without all the drama of mid-race derailleur failure. $3,299; spotbrand.com

the deal2. Focus Mares AX 2.0 DiscYou won’t find a better ‘cross bike for your money than the reliable Mares. And unlike many cyclocross rides that don’t respond all that differently than a road bike, the Mares was built for the punishment of the sport. The alloy frame employs a carbon fork and tapered head tube to suck up some of the pounding. shimano 105 componentry provides reliable shifting on the fly. $1,740; focus-bikes.com

the fetish3. Fondriest RC6 Cross Carboncyclcross riders, in general, tend to favor aluminum bikes that run on the cheap side since they take so much damn abuse. But the light, smooth class of this machine is sure to make some carbon converts. The brand is the namesake of racer Maurizio Fondriest and the ride is made to race, with the frame weighing in at just under three pounds. The price is also quite reasonable for a carbon bike, ringing up at under 4k fully built with shimano ultegra componentry. $3,800; fondriest.com

the lady4. Giant TCX Wchamp racer kelli emmett kicked butt at the Teval Mountain Games over the summer. And guess what? The hammering Ms. emmett gave Giant input in designing this women-specific cyclocross ride, which is built with a shorter top tube for better handling on the dicey sections of a ‘cross course. It also features bars and a saddle built for the female form. $1,650; giant-bicyles.com


Down the Mountain ski races and snowboard comps in the south By Jedd Ferris

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Grab some wax, tighten your goggles, and pin on a race bib. Whether you’re into big air or scorching downhill speed, the southern slopes are ripe for unleashing your competitive side. From freestyle trick duals to tenths-of-a-second determined slalom runs, regional resorts have the snow comp for you.

CRESCENT SKI COUNCIL SLALOM AND GIANT SLALOM RACE Sugar Mountain • January 7-8 The nationally lauded crescent ski council, which comprises 22 ski clubs and nearly 5,000 members throughout the southeast, hosts a series of two-day races throughout ski season, held at resorts in North carolina and West Virginia. The races feature slalom runs on saturday and giant slalom runs on sunday with approximately 200 racers who are divided into two divisions with 10 flights each, based on a predetermined handicap. Additional races in the series take place at North carolina’s Appalachian ski Mountain on January 28-29, a return to sugar on February 11-12, and Beech Mountain on February 25-26. The final event takes place in the silver creek

terrain park tips According to the urban dictionary, a gaper is a skier or snowboarder who has no clue what they’re doing on the mountain. There’s no better place to spot a gaper than the terrain park, the freestyle zones where resorts feature slopes riddled with obstacles like jumps and rails. While the park can be intimidating, even to seasoned slope vets, Paul Moniuszko, the Virginia Alpine ski and snowboard Team’s Freestyle chair, has a few words of advice on how to ease into the action.

Scope out the smallest jump, specifically observing how big it is and what the lip of the jump and the landing look like. This will help you hit the jump with just the right amount of speed, which is important for a successful landing.

Keep your weight forward. A common mistake is leaning back and then launching off-balance into the air. The best stance involves keeping all of your weight centered directly over your skis and holding that posture while airborne.

Progress slowly to larger features. For rails, begin with boxes, because they allow more room for error initially and are much easier to slide off than rails. When hitting a box or rail, be sure to get your board or skis directly centered on the box or rail. This will allow for greater control, and as you progress, allow for easier spins while on the rail.

Ask questions. If you see another skier or boarder in the park and you’d like to get a more personal analysis of the jump, definitely do it. Most people in the park are more than willing to help people progress.

—Leah Chaldares

area of snowshoe Mountain on March 9-11. crescentskicouncil.org WINTERFEST WEEKEND Beech Mountain, N.C. • January 7-8 every year Beech throws a High country snow party that’s full of irreverent fun like the cardboard Box Derby and a Bathing Beauty ski contest. The real action will take place among the free-heelers at the weekend’s Telemark Festival and the N.c. championship snowshoe race, a qualifier race for the 2012 u.s. National snowshoe championships. skibeech.com

RYAN LICHTENBERG MEMORIAL RAIL JAM Liberty Mountain, Pa. • January 22 Bring your best moves to liberty Mountain for a rail jam to honor a fallen friend. The action takes place in the hardcore lower Vertigo section of liberty’s terrain park, where riders will land tricks on a range of killer boxes, big jumps, and rails. ryan lichtenberg was a former liberty employee who died after sustaining a head injury while snowboarding in colorado. A big part of the jam is promoting helmet safety awareness. libertymountainresort.com FREESTYLE DOUBLE CROSS Wintergreen Resort, Va. • January 29, February 12 and 25 strap into your board or click in to your skis and get ready for the fast-paced action of double cross. Four racers launch out of the starting gate at once, tightly fighting for space and aggressively rubbing elbows through a course of table tops, jumps, and whoop-de-doos. The top two then advance to the next round, until one winner is left. racers can accumulate points for an overall series win. wintergreenresort.com CUPP RUN CHALLENGE Snowshoe Mountain, W.Va. • February 6 If you feel the need for speed, cupp run is the most satisfying run in the south. ski

racers from all over the east coast come to snowshoe for the gnarly downhill slalom course on cupp—an epic slope that covers more than 1,500 vertical feet in a little over a mile. Big prize money is awarded in pro and amateur divisions. snowshoemtn.com.

SHRED FOR THE CUP SERIES Appalachian Ski Mountain, N.C. • January 22, February 11 and 26 There are three chances to show off your park prowess. It starts with Big Air, which features some of the High country’s hard core riders getting seriously vertical, as they spin off curved rails and huck 720s off bomber jumps. The series then continues with a rail jam and finishes with the dynamic spins and flips of slopestyle. overall series winners in three categories take home the coveted cup. appskimtn.com

HIT THE SLOPES: THIs MoNTH skI AND sNoWBoArD rAces Are PleNTIFul IN THe Blue rIDGe.

THAT SLOPE STINKSIt’s not everyday that you see crappers sliding down ski slopes, but that’s what you’ll get at sapphire Valley ski resort’s annual outhouse races on February 18. Just as it sounds, the event literally features outhouses racing on skis down one of sapphire’s hills. The strange tradition benefits a good cause: sponsorships for after-school ski programs. skisapphire.com


Adam Goshorn, a long-time paddler in that area, and he confirms my suspicion that Desoto will be at a perfect level in the morning. A quick call to professional videographer chris Gallaway, and the crew is in place for an attempt on the monster.

desoto fallssleep does not come easily when you are pondering falling 75 feet in the morning. A large waterfall is a funny thing: it represents the ultimate test of patience, finesse and water

s I sat in the college library distracting myself with a Google image search for “Alabama waterfalls,” I couldn’t believe my

eyes. The photos depicted massive punchbowl amphitheatres, overhanging cliff walls, and deep emerald green plunge pools. What I was staring at seemed too good to be true. As my eyes scanned the postcard falls, I whispered to myself, “Those are runnable.“ I promptly set one of the images as my desktop background.

The Blue ridge is a great place to be a kayaker. The scene is massive, so when

contemplating a first D, one must ask oneself, “Many good kayakers have looked at this. Why haven’t they run it?” Apart from the technical difficulties and dangers of the Alabama waterfalls, the challenges also include a six hour drive and properly timing the water levels. During a 2005 recon scout of the area, spencer cooke and I looked at the first of these monsters, Desoto Falls. It was definitely one of the largest runnable waterfalls in eastern North America.

Three years later, a window opens. several winter rainstorms have just bombarded the southeast. I have been in conversation with

by Chris GraGtmans

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reading. It can also, however, mean the end of your kayaking career, since mistakes from that height can result in a broken back or worse. Balancing the possibility of an ultimate experience in the present moment with the desire to kayak for a lifetime requires wisdom and the humility to throw in the towel when it doesn’t feel right.

chris and I are on the road before dawn. six hours is a long time to think about whether something is a good idea or not, but the Appalachians paint a gorgeous picture as the winter sun rises and burns off the clouds from the receding storm cell. The roads and rivers along the way tell the same story: the rain has been falling, hard.

As we enter Desoto Falls state Park, I see the brown floodwater pouring over the dam and into the abyss. shaking my head, I mumble, “This is actually happening right now.” As soon as the cars stop, we take off in a sprint to see what the river has in store.

are in place, and the moment has come. In times of apprehension on the river, I

always find it helpful to ask for a guiding hand from my uncle, who taught me how to paddle and perished shortly thereafter following a battle with cancer. I then affirm to myself that I have worked hard to be where I am, and have made every possible preparation. That’s all you can really do, and at that point you take a deep breath and trust yourself.

My boat carves into the current, a powerful conveyor belt that propels me towards the largest waterfall of my career. An overhanging branch serves as my reference point for the narrow line. I allow my bow to dip as I crest the first waterfall, and, just as planned, a small ledge halfway down projects my boat out and past the hydraulic at the bottom. As I skip across the short pool and towards the abyss of the main waterfall, everything seems to slow down. I am relieved to be lined up properly, and my focus shifts to that last stroke as the steep ramp

angle. I pick up speed at an alarming rate, but everything is silent. Gravity is an incredible sensation when experienced for that long, and as I fall I notice something that I’ve never experienced before: the solid sheet of water that started falling with me is now splitting apart and exploding into droplets and mist on all sides. I can hear and feel it transform, and it only adds to the otherworldly nature of the experience. As the pool rushes up to meet me, I quickly align my paddle parallel with my boat, and tuck my head in behind my elbow, making myself as streamlined as possible.

BooM! The impact is a violent snap back to reality. I explode out of my tuck underwater, and am laid out on the back deck as the force of deceleration tries to rip my paddle from me. I lose one hand’s grip but hang on with the other. Darkness surrounds me, and I am being driven to the bottom of the river by the torrent above, but I manage to regain my hand on the paddle. Just as quickly as it started, I feel the current lessen its grip, and the inversely powerful force of buoyancy propels me upwards.

I burst to the surface upright, downstream, and to the left of the waterfall. chris looks very small poised on the cliff above with his camera, and as my brain resets I am overcome with the most pure, gratifying feeling of accomplishment. The lip of the waterfall explodes in sunshine as if celebrating with me, and I can hear Adam hooting and hollering just downstream.

Accomplishing the first descent of Desoto was a peak experience of my kayaking career, and one that will always be remembered with pride and happiness. While it was excellent to relish in that accomplishment, the goal-setting personalities that we as kayakers have tend to keep our eyes faced forward.

only 30 miles south of Desoto, another un-run Alabama monster was quietly awaiting any takers.

noccalula fallsThe legend of this falls involves a cherokee maiden, Princess Noccalula, who was in love with a brave from her own tribe, but was forced to wed another. rather than enduring a life without love, she ended her life by casting herself into the waterfall that now bears her name.

With its deep heritage, high-profile location in the middle of downtown Gadsden, Ala., and massive proportions, Noccalula has long been grouped into the purely theoretical realm of southeastern kayakers’ consciousness. Its giant arcing curtain extends at least another ten feet above that of Desoto, and to add to the challenges, Noccalula’s wide lip requires even more floodwater to make it a feasible proposition.

“Do you want to run a 90-footer tomorrow?” The text appears on my phone from Isaac

levinson, and sends chills down my spine. I know exactly what he is talking about, and I too have been thinking that the storm that is soaking the region could bring Noccalula out of her slumber.

Before I have much time to think about it, I meet up with Pat keller and John Grace, and we

As I fall, the solid sheet of water that started falling with me is now splitting apart and exploding

into droplets on all sides.

The main drop is every bit as tall as I expected, and the entrance 20-footer presents an added challenge to the equation. kayaking is very different from sports like climbing and biking. You cannot ride into a jump to get the feeling of it and stop at the lip. You cannot reach the crux of a climb and get lowered down to rest and go for attempt number two. In a kayak, you need to line it up in the correct place, take the correct strokes, react to the unexpected, and fully commit to what you are doing the first time. Hesitation makes a poor paddling partner.

After a long period of self-reflection, I reconcile myself with the risks involved in the first descent of Desoto Falls. Media and safety

accelerates to freefall. This stroke is the crucial moment of any large

waterfall descent. It represents stability from side to side as well as a means to set your angle and pencil safely into the pool at the bottom. Too weak of a stroke, and you will pitch forward and over the bars, landing on your head off of 75 feet. Too powerful, and the kayak “boofs” out, resulting in a flat landing and a fractured spine. I place that stroke, and the canyon unfolds in front of me in a spectacular view.

The golden rule of any gravity sport is to always spot your landing. In this case, it scares me how far away my landing actually is. I lock my core, pull lightly on the stroke, and set my

TOP LEFT: PADDler cHrIs GrAGTMANs. TOP RIGHT: GrAGTMANs BeloW DesoTo FAlls. BOTTOM LEFT: GrAGTMANs oN DesoTo’s eDGe; BOTTOM RIGHT: FIrsT-DesceNT euPHorIA.

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are driving from Asheville to rendezvous with Isaac and his safety crew at the falls. In stark contrast to my Desoto journey four years ago, our trip is riddled with hammering rainstorms and lightning flashes. I keep a steady stream of beat-driven music going to calm everyone’s nerves and buoy our confidence.

Drizzle, a deep roar, and rising mist greet us when we get out of the car. upon reaching the overlook, we all have the same thought: “Holy sh-t, that thing is tall!” A wide, complicated lip makes the three foot wide line nearly impossible to make out from above, and even a perfect entry is subject to the uncertainties of 90 feet of freefall to drastically alter the boat’s angle.

After a great deal of deliberation, Pat and Isaac are ready, John is out, and I am very much on the fence. I have never had so much uncertainty about a waterfall. As my heart races, I alternate between telling myself, “I’m too old for this,” to “I know that I can stick that,” to “that is a career-ender with the slightest mistake.”

ultimately I walk silently back to the cars and start putting on my gear. “I’ll make my decision at the lip” is what I tell Pat and Isaac, who are somberly checking every aspect of their gear. After a stretching and warm-up routine, the three of us emerge from our stealth staging location in full view of rangers, tourists, and the rest of the

town. Pat walks confidently through the park and puts his kayak in the water. onlookers are visibly disturbed, and begin calling 911. our camera and safety crews are in place. It’s time.

As Pat cruises up to the lip, Isaac and I give away our nervous energy through a frenzy of narration. “come on Pat, you’ve got this!” “You’re going to crush this!” “Nice, right over that curler.” “Now turn and burn, turn and burn!”

Pat lines the drop up perfectly and smoothly stabilizes his kayak to vertical for 65 feet of freefall before flicking his paddle out and away, and disappearing into the maelstrom. A few tense moments later, and he surfaces upright with two fists raised in victory.

“YeAHHH!” After a few seconds of celebration, Isaac

and I are running for our boats. our cover is blown, and it’s only a matter of time before the police shut us down. Isaac is in his boat and in the current in no time. He has an identical perfect line and paddle toss, and I am once again floored by the hang time of the descent. Instead of appearing safely in his kayak, Isaac resurfaces swimming like a maniac away from the dangerous boulders on river right. Pat and fellow paddler Michael Montaigne pull him and his gear safely to shore.

“That’s okay, the drop is good,” I tell myself.

“Just stick to your original plan.” I put a gallon or so of water in my boat to help my bow angle down to vertical, and all of a sudden I find myself in a brown flooding river above a massive horizon line. It’s as if my body has delivered me here involuntarily, and I am calmly watching from outside.

I line up the reference wave, turn at the lip, and do my best to keep my composure as I plummet downward at a speed of 9.8 meters/second squared. Freefall is an exponential dynamic, and it is scary how quickly you gain velocity. A 90-foot drop equates to 2.4 seconds in the air, and a landing speed of 52 miles per hour. About 50 feet down, I can feel that I am going

SPOT YOUR LANDING: cHrIs GrAGTMANs PluNGes DoWN NoccAlulA FAlls. He WAs oNe oF THree PADDlers To successFullY DesceND THe FAlls lAsT NoVeMBer.

PADDler IsAAc leVINsoN’s HelMeT cAMerA cAPTures THe VIeW FroM THe lIP oF 90-FooT NoccAlulA FAlls.

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over vertical. I take two quick paddle strokes and crunch my knees up to my chest to bring the boat back to the correct angle, ready for impact.

The landing of every waterfall manifests itself differently, but the pool at the bottom of Noccalula hits me more savagely than anything I have ever experienced. My paddle is instantly snapped across my chest and ripped from both hands. I see stars as my upper body explodes backwards and the waterfall tries to rip me in half. The impact and subsequent beating is so violent and disorienting that I hardly notice when I am somehow upright and clear of the mist. I look upstream and see the massive veil of water sheeting off of Noccalula. It looks even bigger from down here! I try to focus, but I am still seeing specks of light in a dizzy state of disconnection. I raise my arms in victory, but a searing pain in my chest makes me drop them. The oxygen has been crushed from my lungs, and I cannot speak or breathe. It’s a strange realization to know that you have just had a brush with your knockout threshold. Pat paddles over and asks how I’m doing. As my chest recovers, I smile silently at him and give him a big hug.

We did it. While these two first descents occurred over

the course of four years, they underscore an interesting and somewhat alarming trend in the sport of kayaking. The world record waterfall descent now stands at 186 feet, set by Tyler Bradt on Palouse Falls in Washington state. Although Tyler drew on years of experience in making that descent, many of the young up-and-comers are now running waterfalls over 70 feet in their first two years of paddling. There seems to be some level of complacency accompanying drops of that size, and this has brought with it a plethora of spinal fractures, knockouts, and other injuries. As with any young sport, the limits are being tested before our eyes, and who knows where it will go from here.

As for me, I’m not sure if I will run a waterfall taller than Noccalula. It’s an incredible feeling to push the limits of what is possible, but I also want to kayak indefinitely. There’s no doubt that the stakes are high with these large freefalls.

Then again, it would be cool to become a member of the triple digit club. •

The pool at the bottom hits me more savagely

than anything I have ever experienced. my paddle

is instantly snapped across my chest and

ripped from both hands. I see stars as the

waterfall tries to rip me in half.

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Despite the doomsday prognostications, 2012 is gonna be a good year. It will be, in fact, a great year, with these 100 foolproof, failsafe, airtight, guaranteed, tried-and-tested things for you to do this year, from our calendar to yours.

JANUARY1. CHANNEL YOUR INNER ANIMAL. Polar bears may be disappearing in the Arctic, but their numbers are growing in the southeast. Take the Polar Plunge at lake lure, N.c., on January 1, or head to Blowing rock, N.c., on January 29 for a polar bear dip during Winterfest. 2. FREEZE YOUR PADDLE OFF. The 23rd annual chili run attracts paddlers from across the region to paddle the class II+ cartecay river on January 1. enjoy piping-hot chili afterward. 3. NEW YEAR, OLD RAG. A handful of hardy hikers head up to shenandoah every New Year’s Day to summit old rag Mountain.

4. GET TOUGH THIS YEAR. Train like a seAl. Former Navy seAl John McGuire has been helping people get into the best shape of their lives for over 10 years. Training as part of a team, you’ll get worked, you’ll get wet, and you’ll train hard–outside, nonetheless. sealteampt.com

5. SEE BLACKWATER FALLS—IN THE SNOW.Whet your winter palate with a visit to Blackwater Falls, W.Va., then enjoy the cold-weather paradise of canaan Valley area surrounding the falls.

6. EXPLORE THE SOUTH’S NEWEST NATIONAL PARK. congaree National Park, just south of columbia, s.c., contains some of the largest old growth trees in the eastern u.s. They also grow in a massive, swampy floodplain that you can canoe through year-round.

FEBRUARY7. SKI CUPP RUN. snowshoe Mountain’s top-to-bottom, two-minute big boy run is downhill racer David lippucci’s favorite run in Appalachia.

8. TRAIN FOR A MARATHON OR HALF MARATHON. Whether you’re training for the charlottesville Marathon and Half Marathon (April 7), the charlotte Half Marathon (April 14), the Blue ridge Marathon and Half Marathon (April 21), or the kentucky Derby Marathon (April 28), or the legendary Boston Marathon (April 16), February is the month to bulk up on mileage and get serious about training.

9. CATCH A BLUEGRASS SHOW AT THE PURPLE FIDDLE.

10. SKATE SKI AT WHITE GRASS. over in West Virginia near the canaan Valley area, chip chase has carved out the most impressive cross-country ski park in the entire region. Whether you’re cross-country skiing or you want to get some speed going, White Grass will satisfy your thirst.

11. PADDLE AT THE U.S. NATIONAL WHITEWATER CENTER. The center in charlotte, N.c., includes an artificial class II-IV whitewater river, along with hiking, mountain biking, and climbing on the 400 surrounding acres.

12. TRY SNOWKITING. Dolly sods and roan Mountain are ideal spots for wind-powered fun.

13. TREK THE A.T. IN WINTER ACROSS ROAN MOUNTAIN. The A.T. crosses the 6,285-foot roan High knob on roan Mountain. keep heading north and the trail covers 10 miles of balds with incredible views–often touted as the best section of the entire A.T. enjoy this winter wonderland on foot or on skis.

mARCH14. LEARN TO ROLL A KAYAK. Visit the Nantahala outdoor center or endless river Adventures in Western North carolina, D.c.’s Potomac Paddlesports, richmond’s Adventure challenge,

by Dustin Zarnikow

100 adventures, 12 months, 0 Excuses

the Bro

100


or join the Georgia canoeing Association in Atlanta.

15. CATCH A FLICK. And get educated while doing so. since 1993, the D.c. environmental Film Festival has showcased world-class outdoor documentaries and features.

16. BIKE THE VIRGINIA CREEPER TRAIL. Beautiful countryside, pristine creeks, and old bridges are highlights of this flat 34-mile ride.

17. READ THE COAL HISTORY OF THE NEW RIVER GORGE, AND THEN HIKE IT. The New river Gorge was once the heart of the Industrial revolution, supplying staggering amounts of coal to the entire u.s. Mining towns sprang up along the c&o railroad throughout the gorge. There are still ghost-town remnants of some of them.

18. GET TROPICAL AT THE SNOWY LUAU FESTIVAL. Timberline resort’s spring Polynesian fest is a must for anyone looking to cap off their ski season in style. The night-time torchlight parade, where skiers descend the mountain in unison carrying torches to form a fiery lava trail, is spectacle all on its own.

19. RUN AN ULTRA. Terrapin Mountain 50k in late March is an ideal ultra for rookies: it’s a scenic loop trail course in George Washington National Forest with challenging-but-doable climbs and outstanding race support.

20. THE COLD MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE. Hike in the footsteps of Inman. Made famous by the book and movie, cold Mountain is nestled in the corner of North carolina’s shining rock Wilderness. Take the Art loeb trail for a strenuous-yet-rewarding ten-mile roundtrip hike to the summit.

21. PADDLE THE LINVILLE GORGE. Massive holes, great rapids, unspoiled canyon.

22. RIM TO RIM ACROSS THE LINVILLE GORGE. Named for William and John linville, the father-son explorer team who fell to their fate when the area’s cherokee Indians scalped them in 1766, the gorge is as rugged as its history.

23. BIKE THE TRIPLE CROWN OF DIRT. Mountain bike three of the most popular fat tire destinations in the east—Tsali recreation Area, Dupont state Forest, and Pisgah National Forest—over three consecutive days.

APRIL24. RUN NAKED. The Fig leaf 5k at Paradise Valley in Georgia may be the best.

25. TEAM UP FOR AN ADVENTURE RACE. Bored of your standard routine? Try mountain biking, running, trekking, kayaking, canoeing, rappelling, orienteering, river crossings, climbing, mystery challenges—all with a team. The Blue ridge Adventure race, a 46-mile ordeal in Georgia’s chattahoochee National Forest, is ideal for beginners and experts alike.

26. RIDE DIRT ROADS. The Hill Billy roubaix is a southern take on a european road cycling tradition. The 70-mile bike race covers 60 percent paved roads, 38 percent gravel roads, and two percent completely trashed roads in northern West Virginia. Do: bring extra tubes. Don’t: bring your road bike.

27. LEARN TO FLY-FISH. If you’re anxious to get a line in the water but don’t know where or how to start, check out Fly Fishing Adventures in shenandoah Valley, Va. where you can schedule guided lessons or fishing trips year-round on

Buffalo creek, Back creek, and the Jackson river.

28. GET DIRTY. The Goodwill Mud run in Greenville, s.c. offers several race categories, including “out for Blood” for competitive athletes and “What Were We Thinking?” and “If We’re Not Back in an Hour and a Half, come Find us!” divisions for less experienced folk. April 14-15.

29. BACKCOUNTRY CAMP DOLLY SODS. The closest thing to canada you’ll find in the region, the Dolly sods Wilderness is truly something unique and spectacular. explore the sweeping, panoramic vistas from the 4,000-foot plateau.

30. SEE THE SOUTHEAST’S LARGEST FALLS. The 411-foot Whitewater Falls in Gorges state Park, N.c., are the largest falls east of the Mississippi. Head downstream to explore more fun falls, including Turtleback Falls, known to locals as “Bust-yer-butt” Falls.

31. HIKE CUMBERLAND ISLAND WILDERNESS. Paddle by sea kayak (or catch the ferry) over to cumberland Island National seashore and explore its 8,000-acre wilderness, which includes windswept beaches, alligator-filled lakes, and ancient live oaks just begging to be climbed.

32. RUN BAREFOOT. Barefoot running can offer health benefits that normal running cannot, but there’s more to it than just shedding your shoes and hitting the trail. step into a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes or the Merrell Trail Gloves. start with just a half-mile on grass or soft terrain to allow your body to adjust.

33. TAKE THE SOUTH BEYOND 6000 OR THE SMOKIES 900 HIKING CHALLENGE. There are a couple ways you can prove you’re worth your salt around here. climb all 40 of the 6,000-foot


Trail. 10.7 miles one way.

JUNE43. OVERNIGHT PADDLING TRIP. A canoe is the perfect craft for a summer adventure. canoe-friendly rivers include the French Broad, Tuckaseegee, New, and James.

44. GET YOUR SCUBA LICENSE. A few days of bookwork, pool practice, and open water dives and you’ll have yourself a lifelong scuBA dive license recognized worldwide. The great outdoors below the surface of the great blue seas may just be the final frontier.

45. SLEEP IN A HAMMOCK. string up a hammock between two trees and prepare for a night beneath the stars.

46. 24-HOUR BIKE RACE. The Dark Mountain trails in Wilkesboro, N.c. are home to the annual Burn 24 Hour challenge: 24 hours of mountain biking on a seven-mile singletrack circuit. Grab some pals and get a team together or take it on solo.

47. DO BONNAROO. ‘Nuff said.

48. THRU-BIKE THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY (OR SKYLINE DRIVE). “Be prepared to be in the saddle for four to seven hours a day, several days in a row, and riding a consistent pace,” says Paul Wood, owner of Black Bear Adventures, who offers guided Parkway thru-rides. “It’s up and down all the time. There are no flats. You climb for two hours and descend for five minutes, then do that again, all day long.”

49. STAND UP PADDLEBOARD ON A RIVER. The James and the Nantahala are paddleboard-friendly.

50. WRECKDIVE. The outer Banks is host to a plethora of historic sunken ships due to its treacherous weather, large shoals, and wars of the past. Dive down and get a closer look at one of these sunken graves; Nags Head Diving offers guided tours.

51. CLIMB LIKE A SOLDIER. An elite group of GI mountaineers referred to as ski troopers came to elkins, W.V., during WWII to train on the dangerous crag that is seneca rocks. The elite army Mountain Training Group was set up for low altitude assault training at the base of those powerful rocks that jut out of the earth in Pendleton county. There’s a reason they were sent here to train. seneca rocks ain’t no joke.

52. BE SELFISH…AND ECO AT THE SAME TIME. Get to work some way other than your car. It will make your day better.

JULY53. GET YOUR FESTIVAL ON. Floyd Fest 11: July 26-29th, at Milepost 170.5 of the Blue ridge Parkway in Floyd, Va. Headlining: Michael Franti & spearhead, Brandi carlile, leftover salmon, Matisyahu and many others.

peaks in the southern Appalachians, or hike the 900 miles of hiking trails in Great smoky Mountains National Park. or take it to the next level and create your own challenge.

mAY34. HIKE LINDY POINT. The lindy Point overlook near Blackwater Falls is a short, family-friendly hike offering stunning views of Appalachia.

35. EXPLORE THE A.T. Pick a spot anywhere along the 2,180-mile trail and get out there. The 72-mile stretch through Great smoky Mountains National Park offers the highest and most spectacular vistas. For a less crowded adventure, explore the A.T. near Damascus, Va., then celebrate at the Trail Days Festival afterward. 36. HIKE THROUGH JOYCE KILMER’S OLD-GROWTH FOREST. california has their giant redwoods and sequoias. We’ve got our 400-year-old tulip poplars and hemlocks. These old-growth wonders eluded the axe and stand mighty and proud in a secluded corner of North carolina.

37. BIKE FISHING. Throw your fly-fishing gear in the back seat of the car and your bike atop, grab a backpack, and head to Abington, Va. Here you can visit the Virginia creeper Fly shop before picking up the Virginia creeper Trail where you can bike and fish all day. There are even camping areas on the trail if you decide to make a weekend out of it.

38. EXPERIENCE A MUSIC FESTIVAL IN ITS

INFANCY. A celebration of life every Memorial Day weekend, rooster Walk remembers edwin “The rooster” Penn and Walker shank, two young friends and music lovers who passed away a few years back. This year they are expanding from two to three days of music and planning to include a 5k run.

39. DO THE ‘VOUS. The New river rendezvous climbing competition is celebrating its 10th anniversary in the New river Gorge, W.Va. live music, food, camping, videos, climbing clinics put on by pros, cash prizes, and all the climbing you can ask for.

40. HIKE IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BARTRAM. Between 1773 and 1777, America’s first naturalist, William Bartram, explored the south. Dive into the past and hike this 100-mile memorial trail from Georgia into North carolina.

41. FLY FISH THE UPPER CHATTOOGA RIVER. The Wild and scenic river passes ellicott rock, the marking point where Georgia, North carolina, and south carolina all come together. From ellicott rock to Highway 28 bridge is some of the best trout fishing in the southeast.

42. CLIMB A CONTINUOUS, VERTICAL MILE IN A DAY BY TRAIL. The best candidate in our region is Mount leconte (elevation 6,593’) from Gatlinburg (elevation 1,289’). This hike begins at redlight #5 in Gatlinburg and finishes at the summit of Mt. leconte gaining 5,302 feet. You start on the sidewalk, pick up the Twin creek Trail, then cherokee orchard road to rainbow Falls


54. CLIFF JUMP. Head up to st. Mary’s Wilderness in George Washington National Forest. Drive right up st. Mary’s road, park, and take the st. Mary’s Falls Trail for a mile to a refreshing and remote dip. You can get your cliff jumping jollies out here too.

55. HITCHHIKE. Here’s some advice from Virginia native Benjamin Jenks of Adventuresauce.com: “Be confident in yourself and in the goodness of people. The odds of you having trouble are small, especially if you say no to any rides that are fishy and are willing to let things roll off your back.”

56. SWIM THE HOLE AT WHITE OAK CANYON.

57. CLIMB RED RIVER GORGE. Hit the road, head to kentucky and take your pick of climbs—red river Gorge is a climber’s playground. The area is riddled with great cliffs and bolted routes that attract people from all over the world whether they seek out challenge or child’s play. Grab a slice at Miguel’s afterward.

58. SKYDIVE.

59. EXPLORE HUNGRY MOTHER AND OTHER UNUSUALLY NAMED PLACES YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT. Hungry Mother in southwest Virginia is one of the best places for a chill, laid-back weekend with the family, with lakes, hikes, camping, and cabins.

60. SKINNY DIP.

AUGUST61. STARGAZE. Bring a bit of strong drink, a pair of binoculars, and somebody close to you. North carolina’s Max Patch bald mountain provides 350 acres of open 360-degree views perched up 4,600+ feet. The views are spectacular. lie on your back looking at the stars; soak it in and contemplate complexity.

62. CANOE LAKE JOCASSE.

63. TAKE A BREWERY TOUR. Drive through the George Washington National Forest section of the Blue ridge Parkway, south to north, and arrive in Alcohol Valley. Beautiful wineries spread across the hills, along with a few breweries:

• Wild Wolf Brewing Company: Fantastic beers and a brand new location just opening. I recommend the Fresh Hop Alpha Ale. Their draft root beer is something to speak of as well.

• Blue Mountain Brewery: This place has a great patio and a handful of beers to match the quality of the view. I recommend the steel Wheels esB.

• devil’s Backbone Brewery: The lodge-style brewery is nestled against the Blue ridge Mountains and offers fantastic views of the valley. enjoy their classic Gold leaf lager.

64. SWIM ACROSS LAKE FONTANA OR SUMMERSVILLE LAKE.

65. HOWL AT THE MOON. run the cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness 50-miler in West Virginia. Follow a moonlit trail along the spine of 4,000-foot ridges on this 50-mile loop.

66. BIKE THE C&O CANAL. The canal runs 180 miles between cumberland, Md., and Washington D.c., roughly parallel to the Potomac river. The canal was built in the mid 19th century and its industrial livelihood now lies dormant, offering a long, flat straightaway for bike enthusiasts who want to do some long distance open trail riding.

67. HIKE OLD RAG. old rag is one of the better-known summits in shenandoah, yet it’s no sunday-with-grandma day hike. Be ready for a strenuous rock-scramble climb towards the peak.

68. RIDE CANAAN VALLEY.

69. NEW RIVER GORGE EXPEDITION. The New river Gorge has got it all: hiking, top-notch climbing and whitewater, mountain biking, even canopy tours.

70. BIKE THE SHENANDOAH MOUNTAIN 100. If you’re only going to ride in one mountain bike race your entire life, make it shenandoah. For 12 years, this has been the quintessential endurance bike event in the south. The forest road climbs, technical singletrack descents, lively crowds, and ridiculously fast pros at the front of the pack make this a must.

SEPTEmBER71. HIKE THE OTHER A.T. The 288-mile Benton Mackaye Trail runs from springer Mountain in Georgia to Davenport Gap on the northern edge of the Great smoky Mountains National Park.

You could refer to this trail as the sister trail to the Appalachian Trail–it was even conceived by the same man who inspired the Appalachian Trail. This trail crosses through some of the most secluded wilderness areas in Georgia, Tennessee, and North carolina.

72. A PADDLER’S WET DREAM. After derailing a dam project that would have changed the face of the Gauley river in West Virginia forever, a festival was started in 1983, and it was called Gauley Fest. Today it attracts thousands of people, offers top-notch whitewater adventure, and live entertainment.

73. BUILD A TRAIL. Join your local trail advocacy group and get involved in trail maintenance on your favorite trails.

74. TRY A TRI. And how about helping others while you’re at it! The Nation’s Triathlon held on september 9 benefits The leukemia and lymphoma society. You’ll swim the Potomac river, bike past the White House, and run past the Jefferson Memorial.

75. EXPLORE THE SOUTH’S NEWEST WILDERNESS.stone Mountain Wilderness lies in Virginia’s lee county and offers 3,270 acres of remote wilderness to enjoy and explore.

76. RUN THE OLDEST ULTRA IN THE COUNTRY. In 1963 President John F. kennedy wanted to get the country back into shape and challenge his military officers to meet the very fitness prerequisites Teddy roosevelt had set for his military officers at the beginning of the decade. Along with a handful of other 50-mile events, this Washington county, Md., ultra-marathon was created. later that year the president was


89. SqUIRREL-APPROVED ADVENTURE. Navitat’s zip lines, just 20 minutes north of Asheville, N.c., span over 1,000 feet of fall foliage canopy. For added thrill, try zipping at night.

90. WITNESS THE WEIRD.The best time to view the mysterious Brown Mountain lights is in the fall, so make it a Halloween experience.

91. HAUNTED HIKE. The Potomac Appalachian Trail club hosts 38 cabins that can be rented out, including the Jones Mountain cabin. legend has it that a local moonshiner’s wife died there. stop in Wolftown, Va., and pick up some local moonshine for a midnight toast to old man Nichols himself.

NOVEmBER92. WATCH RAPTORS MIGRATE. Hawk Mountain in kempton, Penn., is one of the best places to see golden eagles, goshawks, and other birds of prey passing through.

93. NIGHT RIDES. The edginess of night is often the best way to amplify any experience. And that applies to mountain biking as well. You’ll want a headlamp with at least 200-300 lumens.

94. SKI AT SNOWFLEX. This world-class skiing facility at liberty university will get you out on the slopes and hitting the jumps–without snow.

95. EXPLORE THE SWAMP. canoe-camp the okefenoke. The winter season means fewer crowds (and snakes), but you’re still likely to see alligators in November.

96. NEW RIVER GORGE EXPEDITION. The Gorge has it all: top-notch hiking, climbing, whitewater paddling, mountain biking, even canopy tours.

DECEmBER97. HOLIDAY HIKING. choose your favorite day hike trail and try it out in the winter.

98. GET A GYM MEMBERSHIP— AT A CLIMBING GYM.

99. WINTER CAMP SHENANDOAH. During the winter, the naked beauty of the forest reveals views previously covered by foliage and iced-over waterfalls, seemingly frozen in time.

100. SPELUNK. The geographic quadrant formed by Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia (TAG) has the highest concentration of caves in the country, while the Virginias and carolinas have their own fissures and caves. Join a club or hire a guide and go deep. Just make sure you follow protocol to avoid spreading White Nose syndrome among bat populations.

BONUS!101. TRY CYCLOCROSS. It’s high-intensity biking with obstacles and usually a bit of running on a spectator-friendly course. It’s adrenaline and anaerobic threshold packed into an hour or less.

assassinated and the race was changed from the JFk 50 Mile challenge to the JFk 50 Mile Memorial. Most others shut down, but this one remains as a test of posterity and ultra fitness. run it November 17.

77. BACKPACK THE JACK. The 16.3-mile trail in north Georgia’s cohutta Wilderness includes the Jacks river Falls and over 40 river crossings.

78. HANG GLIDE FROM LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. unleash your inner raptor at Tennessee’s lookout Mountain, which offers a world-class hang gliding aviation school where you can get one step closer to the heavens.

OCTOBER79. TACKLE THE TRIPLE CROWN. Three of the country’s best bouldering competitions raise cash for the southeastern climbers’ coalition and The carolina climbers’ coalition, both of which have been big players in developing the climbing sport in the region.

Hound Ears: Boone, N.c. – oct. 1Stone Fort: chattanooga, Tenn. – oct. 8Horse Pens-40: – steele, Ala. – Nov. 5

80. SWIM THE SUCK. This organized 10-mile open swim takes place in the Tennessee river Gorge outside of chattanooga. In 2009, thirty-three volunteers paced 21 swimmers in 71-degree water for up to five hours.

81. BUILDING. ANTENNA. SPAN. EARTH. (BASE).last year 800 people BAse jumped from the New river Gorge Bridge, W.Va. in one day. This is, of course, thanks to the massive Bridge Day celebration that takes place there every october. 82. LORD OF THE FORK. Nestled between Haysi, Va., and elkhorn city, ky., the russell Fork river

hosts an annual race held october 22-23. Named lord of the Fork for Jon lord who passed away in 2004, this race is a hardcore class V downriver race in a wild gorge.

83. THE FESTY: one of the south’s toughest 10k trail races is followed by one of the south’s best festivals on october 5-7th, 2012 at Devils Backbone in Nelson county, Virginia. The Infamous string Dusters are among the headliners.

84. WININ’ AND DININ’What better time to sit in the countryside sipping a glass of wine than when the fall foliage is at its best? Take a gorgeous drive out to Barboursville Winery in Barboursville, Va. Head up to Three Fox Vineyards in Delaplane, Va. or visit carter Mountain orchard in charlottesville, Va.

85. SURF ROAD TRIP IN OUTER BANKS. The outer Banks begins to get bigger swells in the fall, and the surfing gets serious. load the boards atop the car, throw in a few tents and hit the road to hang ten.

86. TOUGH MUDDER. Two english chaps created this 10-mile “run” dubbed as the toughest race on the planet. It includes barbed wire, huge logs, tiny confined tubes and hardcore camaraderie. Wintergreen resort oct. 6-7.

87. BOYCOTT THE INTERSTATE. Drive back roads only for a month straight.

88. RUN THE BLUE RIDGE BURN. This annual 5k/10k trail run not only features a scenic run up old logging roads and singletrack trails heading up Horseshoe Mountain, with a ridiculously fast finish at the bottom. The Festy experience is the perfect post-race celebration.

Blue Ridge Outdoors • JANUARY 2012 • RICHMOND VA EDITION 23

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PoP QuIz Which southern resort has the most gladed tree skiing? or the steepest black diamond? contrary to popular belief, southern Appalachia actually does have high quality ski terrain. Bumps, trees, jaw-dropping steeps, sick man-made features...all the expert terrain people feel compelled to head West for can be found right here at home. You just have to know where to look. so, where are the moguls? The happening apres-ski scene? The tree runs? Here’s a short quiz to see if you know where the toughest terrain in the south resides.

1. true or false: there are no lift-served tree runs in the southeast.FALSE. You can find tree skiing in abundance at West Virginia’s Timberline resort. The family-run mountain has always had legitimate fall line tree skiing, with a couple of designated gladed runs labeled on the map and plenty of locals-only stashes with tight, steep lines. But last summer, a dozen local patrollers and skiers took Timberline’s “sticks” to the next level by spending several weekends cleaning tree islands between popular blue runs, tripling Timberline’s gladed portfolio.

“We had several chainsaws working at once, putting in 120 volunteer hours this summer,” says J.r. Nolan, an expert tree skier who runs Timberline’s mountain bike program during the summer.

The result is a portfolio of professionally designed gladed runs, easily the most extensive tree skiing at any resort in the Mid-Atlantic and southeast. And these aren’t spruce-choked tree runs with super tight lines; these are wide-open glades with multiple options, most of which are sandwiched between intermediate runs, so the pitches aren’t too steep.

where’s the best ski terrain in the south? take this pop quiz to find out.

Southern Skicheat sheet

“I spent 15 years at Breckenridge and have skied all over, and these trees are as good as anything else I’ve found,” Nolan says.

While most resorts in our region do their best to minimize access to trees due to liability fears, Timberline has embraced its natural terrain.

“The difference is we’re privately owned, so we don’t have bean counters and lawyers to answer to,” Nolan says. “The resort is run by skiers, not a corporation.”

For a long, consistent run in the trees, check out the newly gladed tree island between Almost Heaven and Thunder. For the steepest woods at the resort, go to cherry Glades, one of the resort’s original glades that’s been reworked into 800 vertical feet of expert terrain.

LOCAL’S TIP: It’s going to sound obvious, but you have to ski the whites between the trees. so often, people obsess about the trees in their way. It’s called target fixation, and it typically ends badly. Try to ignore the trees and visualize the white line down the mountain. There’s more open space than you realize.

2. fill in the blank: the steepest terrain in the southeast is found at _________ and _________. A: SUGAR MOUNTAIN RESORT AND SNOWSHOE MOUNTAIN RESORT North carolina’s sugar Mountain tops out at 5,300 feet and has a total vertical drop of 1,200 vertical feet, one of the longest cumulative drops of any resort in the southeast. But vertical drop alone doesn’t belie a slope’s steepness. For that, you have to look at the slope’s actual grade or pitch. That’s where sugar shines, with three black diamond runs beginning a mile high in elevation with pitches greater than 40 percent. Both Boulderdash and Whoopdedoo have the steepest stretches of skiable terrain on the mountain

with pitches that max out at 48 percent, and Tom Terrific comes in a close second with a 45 percent stretch.

To put this in perspective, at most Western resorts, slopes are given black diamond status when they begin to tip 40 percent in grade, which puts all three of sugar’s expert-only slopes squarely in legitimate black diamond territory. The slopes are so steep, sugar has to hook their snow cats up to winches in order to groom the most vertical pitches.

“Boulderdash and Whoopdedoo are both straight fall line slopes,” says kim Jochl, a former member of the u.s. Alpine ski Team who now runs the marketing program at sugar. “They don’t curve around the mountain, they go straight down it.”

snowshoe Mountain, in West Virginia, has a few different slopes that measure in the low 40s,

by Graham avErill


but their toughest run, lower shay’s revenge, has been measured at a 53 percent pitch, making it the single steepest run in our region. For a bit of comparison, consider Tuckerman ravine, a ski mecca in the White Mountains of New Hampshire that’s famous for its sustained steep pitches of 55 degrees.

3. true or false: southern ski resorts groom their slopes so often, moguls are never allowed to form. FALSE.At least, that’s false for Winterplace resort in West Virginia. Winterplace doesn’t get the attention of some of the bigger resorts in the Mountain state, but one thing the smaller resort

gapers on high.

LOCAL’S TIP: understanding how to pick a line and stick with it is key, but it takes lots of mileage to ski bumps well. Maintaining contact with the snow is paramount. once you start to get air between your skis and the snow, you’ve lost control and it won’t end well. Winterplace offers bump lessons on request if you want to learn how to style Turkey chute.

4. essay: seven springs resort has the most progressive terrain park in the region. explain why. A: Because seven springs has not one park, not two parks, but six distinct terrain parks with more than 50 different freestyle features. The parks include kid-friendly fun hits to The spot, a full-featured expert-only park famous for its triple-line jump, urban rail, and super pipe. Quantity aside, what sets seven springs’ freestyle terrain apart from the competition is the level of professionalism involved in creating and maintaining the features.

“seven springs is willing to devote a lot of resources to their park,” says Bruce Persinger, a videographer who films at seven springs often. “They’ve got guys on staff building in the off season, and half a dozen groomers working full time during the winter to keep every single feature in top notch shape. The management team wants every feature, even the ride-on rail in the kiddie park, to look like it’s straight out of a magazine photo shoot.”

The attention to detail has paid off. For two years in a row, they’ve been voted by national snowboard magazines as the best terrain park on the east coast, besting bigger name resorts in the Northeast. The park crew is so talented and highly regarded, they were invited to build a unique feature at snowboard Magazine’s superpark at oregon’s Mount Bachelor resort, an honor bestowed on only a handful of park builders.

seven springs’ signature feature would have to be their super Pipe, a 550-foot-long half pipe with 18-foot walls, similar to the dimensions found at the half-pipes at the center of x Games competitions.

5. where’s the most promising apres-ski scene in the South?

A: DEVILS BACKBONE BREWERY, WINTERGREEN RESORT, VA. legitimate ski bars in the south can be tough to find. There are plenty of bars near our slopes, but none of them make you feel like you’re in an ‘80s ski movie. enter the Devils Backbone Brewpub, which sits at the base of Wintergreen resort, not 20 minutes from your last run, and was built to feel like a ski chalet stuck in the rocky Mountains with big timbers and beams, three grand fireplaces, and animal mounts on the walls.

“I got into brewing because of skiing,” says owner steve crandall, going on to detail a european ski trip during the ‘80s that changed his life. “I’m in the Italian Alps, skiing these beautiful mountains, and what makes the biggest impression? The beer. I took my first sip of the crisp hefeweizen they serve over there, and I had an epiphany. For the next 20 years, when my family and I skied out West, I hunted for the best breweries.”

crandall’s colorado-inspired brewpub has become the go-to destination for post-Wintergreen ski days, serving upscale pub grub and clean, Germanic style beers to a standing room only crowd sporting ski jackets and windburn. The location and style of the brewpub help attract a crowd, but the award-winning brew is the real draw here. Devils Backbone won the World Beer cup in 2010, besting 1,000 international breweries in the brewpub category. They’ve won more medals in their two years than any other Mid-Atlantic brewery. Devils Backbone beer is so well respected, they’re expanding with a production brewery that will enable them to produce 10,000 barrels and distribute throughout Virginia next year.

But don’t show up after a ski session looking for any trendy seasonal brews. “That flavored stuff is really popular, but that’s not what we do,” crandall says. “We’re a traditional brewery. None of that pumpkin stuff.”

can hold over its contemporaries is Turkey chute, perhaps the sweetest mogul run below the Mason Dixon. While most southern ski slopes pride themselves on consistently grooming all their runs, creating a more family friendly environment, Winterplace prefers not to touch the expert-only Turkey chute with a groomer unless absolutely necessary.

“We let it bump up early in the season and we won’t groom it unless it’s really nasty,” says Tom Peterson, director of Winterplace’s ski school. Not only does Winterplace let Turkey chute evolve into a mogul run every winter, the resort purposely crafts the moguls, one line at a time.

“We get the best guys from ski school and ski patrol out there early to set a pattern of good bumps,” Peterson says. “Moguls can be fun, or they can suck. It all depends on who sets them. If you get a bunch of people in there just hitting the breaks, there won’t be any rhythm to the run.”

But if the bumps are set with purpose, a pattern emerges and a good skier or boarder can tap into the flow that only bumps can offer. The result of all that hard work on the part of the patrollers is 400 vertical feet of bumpy goodness with killer flow, dropping off the north face of Winterplace between two islands of trees. even with the tree cover, you’re still within sight line of the lift, so your skills are on display for all the

extra credit: where is the best post-work shred-fest to be found? A: APPALACHIAN SKI MOUNTAIN. This small, local-heavy resort in North carolina’s High country runs their lifts from 5pm until midnight every Friday and saturday in January and February. Appalachian has one of the most progressive terrain park scenes in the south, and draws a strong university crowd from nearby Appalachian State. •

CAMPS GUIDE 2012 • SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre | 4000 Candlers Mountain Rd.Lynchburg, VA 24502 | liberty.edu/snowflex | (434) 582-3539

www.facebook.com/LMSnowflextwitter.com/LMSnowflex

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Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre | 4000 Candlers Mountain Rd.Lynchburg, VA 24502 | liberty.edu/snowflex | (434) 582-3539

www.facebook.com/LMSnowflextwitter.com/LMSnowflex

2012 Camp Dates

Ski and ride Summer Camp (Day Camp)may 25-29

next level (over night Camp)Session 1: July 15-19Sesson 2: Jully 22-26


“My sister and I learned so much during those “wonder years” at camp. We are who we are today because of the many summers we spent together away from our parents. Bunking with strangers who in six short weeks became our best friends for life. I insisted that my daughter start camp at eight years old. She was so shy. When I dropped her off, I was so sure that I would be taking her home for the summer, that I rented a motel room in the nearest town, even though we lived an hour away. The first night she bonded with two other shy campers, and by the end of the summer, she had seven new best friends. They wrote each other all year long until returning to camp the next year and ended up spending several wonderful summers together, as both campers and counselors. When my daughter got married last year, we rented out the camp and all of her girlfriends from camp came, from all over the country. Camp wonder years often create and foster lifelong friends and family.” —Laura Stephens

“This past September, my best friend and I went to our camp reunion. We had the best time catching up with old cabin mates and even some of our counselors. It was crazy to see how many of us could still remember all of the words to many of the old songs we would sing. Even a few we had made up. Those are memories I will carry forever.” —O. Heely

“The best thing about camp for me was learning to ride a horse. I continued to ride throughout my teens and now I teach young adults to ride.” —Laddie J.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS...

“I went to Davidson Tennis Camp when I was a teen. The coolest thing about it was that the same people came year after year. Now some twenty odd years later, I often run into some of the guys and girls for way back when, playing regional tennis.” —J. Gaines

“The best thing for me about camp as a kid, well it was always just happy and fun. To be honest, my best friends today are the guys I grew up with every summer at camp. I look forward to sending my kids off to summer camp in a few years, and I’m sure they’ll make friends for life, just like I did.” —James

camp. We are who we are today because of the many summers we spent together away from our parents. Bunking with strangers who

my daughter start camp at eight years old. She was so shy. When I dropped her off, I was so sure that I would be taking her home for the summer, that I rented a motel room in the nearest town, even though we lived an hour away. The first night she bonded with two other shy campers, and by the end of the summer, she had seven new best friends. They wrote each other all year long until returning


2012CAMP

LISTINGS:BURGUNDY CENTERLocated in a secluded 500-acre Appalachian wildlife sanctuary, this unique camp offers overnight nature studies interwoven with hikes, music, arts and games. Caring, knowledgeable, dynamic staff and 32 campers develop a lasting community that promotes high quality education, individual growth and challenge.YEAR FOUNDED: 1963STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 1:2DIRECTORS: Lavinia SchoeneADDRESS: HC 83 Box 38DD, Capon Bridge, WV 26711PHONE: (703) 842-0470EMAIL: [email protected]: burgundycenter.org

CAMP CAROLINAWHAT A DAY!! BOY AM I ENTHUSIASTIC! Since 1924 the overall purpose of Camp Carolina is to make a boy’s summer experience safe, fun, memorable and a valuable factor in his complete development. The key to camp is the staff. Our counselor’s most important characteristic is being a positive role model. We offer a large variety of activities including traditional American, international sports, music, arts and outdoor adventure. Our emphasis is to promote, inspire and reward good citizenship and sportsmanship.YEAR FOUNDED: 1924STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 3:1 DIRECTOR: Alfred ThompsonADDRESS: PO Box 919, Brevard, NC 28712PHONE: (800) 551-9136EMAIL: [email protected]: campcarolina.com

CAMP FRIENDSHIPCamp Friendship is a residential summer camp in Virginia, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on 520 acres of rolling hills and scenic woods. Since 1966 Camp Friendship has offered boys and girls, ages 7-16, an opportunity to experience the best summer possible. Summer Activities and Year Round Programs ranging from equestrian camp, Sports Clinics, field trips, and teen camp offer our camp families a well-rounded summer camp experience.YEAR FOUNDED: 1966STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 1:4 in Junior Camp and 1:6 in Senior Camp, Riding Camp, and VIVA!.DIRECTORS: Chuck Ackenbom, Executive Director and Founder & Samantha Leonard, Director.ADDRESS: 573 Friendship Way, Palmyra, VA 22963

PHONE: (800) 873-3223, (434) 589-8950EMAIL: [email protected]

CAMP HIDDEN MEADOWSSpectacular location, great staff, quality program! Coed, Ages 7-16. 1, 2, 3 and 4 week sessions. Beautiful Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. Horseback riding, whitewater rafting, arts, yoga, ceramics, theatre, sailing, mountain boarding, canoeing, climbing tower, organic farm, mtn. biking, rock climbing, fishing, sports, 1000 foot zip line, swimming and more! ACA accredited.YEAR FOUNDED: 1992STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 1:5DIRECTOR: Tom BryantADDRESS: HC 77 Box 117, Bartow, WV 24920PHONE: (800) 600-4752EMAIL: [email protected]: camphiddenmeadows.com

CAMP HIGHLANDCome join us this summer for the thrill of a lifetime! Enjoy outdoor adventures like never before at our 220 acre lakefront property nestled in the beautiful mountains of Ellijay, GA! Experience first-hand what it truly means to live life to the fullest and grow in your walk with Jesus! YEAR FOUNDED: 1993STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 1:5DIRECTOR: Bill & Betsy Chapman (founders)ADDRESS: 4305 State Bridge Rd., Suite 103-223, Alpharetta, GA, 30022PHONE: (678) 393-0300EMAIL: [email protected]: camphighland.comTWITTER: @CampHighlandfacebook.com/camphighland

CAMP JULIETTE LOWLocated in NW Georgia on Lookout Mountain and celebrating our 90th year of camping! A traditional girls camp which is ACA accredited and features swimming & diving, sailing & canoeing, ropes course & climbing wall, archery, tennis, outdoor living skills, horseback, crafts, singing, campfires, tent living and friendship!YEAR FOUNDED: 1922STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 1:4DIRECTORS: Nancy Brim and Kappy Kelly, Owned & Managed by a Board of TrusteesADDRESS: Located In Cloudland, GA (Off-season Address: P.O. Box 5113, Marietta, GA 30061)PHONE: (770) 428-1062EMAIL: [email protected]: CJL.org

CAMP MERRIE-WOODECamp Merrie-Woode is a rustic, traditional girls camp in western North Carolina. We are a noncompetitive

PHONE:(434) 589-8950EMAIL:

CAMP HIDDEN MEADOWSSpectacular location, great staff, quality program! Coed, Ages 7-16. 1, 2, 3 and 4 week sessions. Beautiful Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. Horseback riding, whitewater rafting,

Choosing the best camp for your child can seem overwhelming. Various camps offer an array of experiences and activities. It is essential that you find one that meets your child’s needs and will fulfill their interests. In choosing the right camp, consider the following:

Good Reputation and Qualified Leadership. Make sure that the camps that you are considering have what you are looking for in terms of their sense of place and that you have good references, from people you know and trust. Make sure the camp’s director and staff have ample experience.

Values. It’s important to ask camps for their mission statements. Do your research and make sure that the camp’s values are in line with yours.

Diversity. Campers need to learn the importance and value of cultural diversity and acceptance. A good camp should foster individuality and acceptance, allowing kids to be who they are and thrive in various environments.

Good facilities and varied opportunities in terms of programming and activities. Summer camps provide so many benefits. Including self-reliance, physical fitness and team building.

Location and Cost. It’s always important to consider where camp location and transportation, as well as the financials.

CHOOSING A CAMP...

Senior Program: 2-week sessions June-AugustJunior Program: August 19 - 25 Adult Weekend: July 27 - 29

Come join us for the 50th Season of Summer Camp at

Burgundy Center for Wildlife StudieS in CAPon Bridge, WV

Active days full of variety. Explore WV ridges and nature with dynamic and knowledgeable staff. Small groups, non-competitive attitude. Accredited by the American Camping Association.

BCWS 3700 Burgundy Rd., Alexandria VA 22303 burgundycenter.org • [email protected] • 703 842 0470


WHAT PARENTSHAVE TO SAY...“Summer camp changed my son’s life! My wife and I were worried about our son being able to adjust to a new school last year. He was shy and had some learning disabilities. We sent him to summer camp upon a friend’s recommendation and the results were amazing! He gained so much self-confidence and was able to make friends at his new school.”—Tony B.

“We sent Jack to summer camp for the first time last summer. He went for 3 weeks and we only herad from him twice…the first was a sweet ‘I’m kinda homesick, but not really’ kinda thing…the second time we hear from him, it was all bout the fun counselors that were just so awesome and cool and the new friends he made I his cabin! We’ve had fun helping him stay in touch with some of his new buddies and he’s already signed up and super excited for next summer!”—Tom and Kate

“I can not get over how much more self-reliant my twin daughters became at summer camp. They were in different cabins and all of their activities were separate. This gave them the opportunity to grow as individuals and make their own sets of friends.” —Ellen Freeman

“My son learned how to roll a kayak. Now the pressure is on me to learn!” —Bart C.

“We sent Jack to summer camp for the first time last summer.

the opportunity to grow as individuals and make their own sets

CONTACT US FOR AN ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME!800-551-9136

WWw.caMpcaRoLiNa.coM

CAMP CAROLINA

Boys ResidentiaL

Summer CAmPgrades 1st - 11th

Brevard, North Carolina

EST. 1924

WHAT A DAY!!!! BOY AM I ENTHUSIASTIC!!!!


such as paintball, swim, slip and slide, skateboard, rollerblade and much more.ADDRESS: 4000 Candlers Mountain Rd, Lynchburg, VA 24503PHONE: (866) 504-7541EMAIL: Snow� [email protected]: liberty.edu/snow� ex

PASSAGES ADVENTURE CAMPWE MAKE KIDS TIRED! Passages inspires boys and girls ages 5-17 through outdoor adventure. We whitewater kayak, rock climb, zip-line, mountain bike and rappel in and around the James River. Passages offers a wide array of day and overnight camps as well as 1/2 day camps for our youngest campers. Voted Best Day Camp 8 times as well as coolest Camp for Teens and Best Athletic Camp. Cost includes all gear, snacks, drinks and lunches. Come join us this summer, you’ll be glad you did!YEAR FOUNDED:1994STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 4:1DIRECTORS: Kevin TobinADDRESS: 11421 Polo Circle Midlothian, VA 23113PHONE: (804) 897-8283 ext. 310EMAIL: [email protected]: peakexperiences.com/passages/

ROCKBROOK CAMP FOR GIRLSAn all-girls overnight summer camp located in the mountains of western North Carolina. Established in 1921, it provides a diverse program of horseback riding, outdoor adventure activities, whitewater rafting, ceramics, crafts, and many other activities. Girls ages 6-16 attend for 2-, 3- or 4-week sessions.YEAR FOUNDED:1921STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 1:3DIRECTORS: Sarah and Jeff CarterADDRESS: P.O. Box 792, Brevard, NC 28712PHONE: (828) 884-6151EMAIL: [email protected]: rockbrookcamp.com

TALISMAN SUMMER CAMPTalisman Summer Camp is an adventure-based summer camp for young people with ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, and learning disabilities. Programs help children develop physical and social competence in an atmosphere that encourages increased self-regulation and self-direction. Activities include rock climbing, backpacking, kayaking, arts, and drama.YEAR FOUNDED:1980STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 3:8DIRECTORS: Linda TatsapaughADDRESS: 64 Gap Creek Rd., Zirconia, NC 28790PHONE: (888) 458-8226EMAIL: [email protected]: talismancamps.com

camp focused on fun, growth, and instruction. The 93 year old camp sits beside a lake, beneath a 1000 foot rock face. Camp’s programs are comprehensive with emphasis on backpacking, rock climbing, horseback riding, canoeing, and kayaking.YEAR FOUNDED: 1919STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 3:1DIRECTORS: Denice and Jim DunnADDRESS: 100 Merrie-Woode Road, Sapphire, NC 28774PHONE: (828) 743-3300EMAIL: [email protected]: merriewoode.com

CAMP MONDAMIN FOR BOYS & CAMP GREEN COVE FOR GIRLSSince 1922, these residential summer camps in North Carolina have emphasized horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, swimming, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and tennis. †Numerous wilderness trips are offered. The program is non-competitive and has an individualized focus. Join the adventure!YEAR FOUNDED:1922STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 4:1DIRECTORS: Frank Bell and Nancy BellADDRESS:PO Box 8 Tuxedo, NC 28784PHONE: (800) 688-5789EMAIL: [email protected] or [email protected]: mondamin.com or greencove.com

GREEN RIVER PRESERVESummer Camp for Bright, Curious and Creative children who love to explore nature. Daily field trips with professional naturalists - 3,400 acre wildlife preserve in Western North Carolina. Climbing, canoeing, painting, fencing, gardening and much more. Small, non-competitive, co-ed, rising 2nd through 9th graders. One, two, three week sessions, June 5th through August 8th. Expedition programs for rising 9th through 12th graders. American Camp Association Accredited.YEAR FOUNDED: 1987STAFF/CAMPER RATIO: 3:1 DIRECTORS: Missy and Sandy Schenck, Executive DirectorsADDRESS: 301 Green River Road, Cedar Mountain, NC 28718PHONE:(828) 698-8828EMAIL: [email protected]: greenriverpreserve.org

LIBERTY MOUNTAIN SNOWFLEX CENTRE SUMMER CAMPLMSC summer camp is a unique opportunity for all ages. Beginner, intermediate, or advanced; we have excellent certified instructors that teach all levels. We guarantee a great experience, while maintaining a good clean and safe atmosphere for all. Come join us this summer and learn to ski & ride, and do other activities

MEMORIES...backpacking, rock climbing, horseback

BOYS & CAMP GREEN COVE

emphasized horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, swimming, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and tennis. †Numerous wilderness trips are offered.

you’ll be glad you did!YEAR FOUNDED:STAFF/CAMPER RATIO:

ADDRESS:

WEBSITE:

An all-girls overnight summer camp

activities, whitewater rafting, ceramics, crafts, and many other activities. Girls

such as paintball, swim, slip and slide, skateboard, rollerblade and much more.ADDRESS: Lynchburg, VA 24503PHONE: (EMAIL:WEBSITE:

PASSAGES ADVENTURE CAMPWE MAKE KIDS TIRED! Passages inspires

“My favorite thing from last summer was going on the 3-day overnight backpacking trip in the mountains. It was the first time I ever hiked 8 miles with all my stuff on my back.”

“I was a counselor at Camp Kahdalea and I will

never forget the day I walked into my cabin and

found one of my campers sitting on the floor with

hair all around her and 2 of my other campers

bending over her with scissors in hand.”

— Amy A.

“My best friends in the world are my

camp friends. We still keep in touch

after all these years and we are all

planning to send our kids to the same

camp in just a few years.”

—J Lewis

“Week long climbing trips in Linville Gorge!”

“The dining hall was my favorite camp place. We spent lots of time there...eating as much as we wanted, learning camp songs and it’s where we had the dances too.” —Ben E.

INTRODUCING BASE CAMP, a rock-solid

foundation for building your child’s sense of fun,

exploration, and adventure. Half-Day and Full-Day

sessions run Monday through Friday, lunch included, with

activities that include climbing, a giant swing, a bounch

house, and water park visit - all with a 4-to-1 camper-to-

counselor ratio.

A Passages-designed program for

5-7 year olds held at Peak Experiences.

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Swimsuit. A must.

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Flash light and batteries. Flashlight tag!

Water shoes. Sandals get lots of use at camp!

Towels. At least two—one for the shower and one for the lake.

Toiletries. Toothbrush and toothpaste. Soap. Good hygiene supplies.

Sleeping bag. Some camps provide bedding, but extra sheets and blankets or a sleeping bag can come in handy.

Clothing/Gear with name labels. Keep your camper organized.

Supplies to keep in touch. Avoid homesickness. Send stationary so that kids can write home. Be sure to pack self-addressed, stamped envelopes and paper. Calling cards are also a good idea.

Comforts of home. Pack a small item from home such as a stuffed animal, a family photo, or favorite toy.

Spending money. Be sure to ask the director how much money your child will need for off-site trips, snacks, etc.

WHAT TO PACK...TO PACK...

Avoid the itch!

. At least two—one for the shower and one for the lake.

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Virginia Tourism Corporation901 East Byrd StreetRichmond, VA 23219Phone: 804.545.5500Fax: 804.545.5501

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Virginia Tourism Corporation901 East Byrd StreetRichmond, VA 23219Phone: 804.545.5500Fax: 804.545.5501

Diane BéchampsVice President of [email protected]

Cheryl ExleyGraphic Design [email protected]

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N , P L E A S E C O N TA C T

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Thad SmithDirector of [email protected]

in the Shenandoah Valley visitshenandoah.org

MassanuttenResort

1972 - 2012

Ski Seasonth

Massanutten Ski AreaOur 40th Season Celebration!

We are celebrating in a BIG WAY and YOU are invited!

Events Include:• 4 dates (Jan 8, 2012, Feb 5 & 12,

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For other great events visit our 40th page at:

w w w. M a ssResort.co m/40thWinter lodging and ski specials available at:w w w. M a ssResort.co m/Specials

Smartphone users: Scan our code and connect to us online!

S H E N A N D OA H VA L L E Y

March 28

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the City of WaynesboroParks & Recreation Department

RegisteR540-942-6735

[email protected]

Where Gardening Comes Naturally

Held at the

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In January of 2011, teams of sled dogs and mushers relayed down the 16-mile stretch of the Virginia creeper Trail from Abington to Damascus relaying fake serum. They were paying respect to the legendary Alaskan serum run of 1925 during which mushers navigated nearly 700 miles of the wild Alaskan wilderness, relaying a serum to stop the imminent diphtheria epidemic that was breaking out amongst villagers and surrounding native communities back in Nome. Although the Virginia re-enactment was a far cry from Alaska, it was one of the largest dog sledding events ever in the south—and it actually snowed on race day. “That was the only time I have run sled dogs in the snow in the south,” 2008 Iditarod contender rodney Whaley recalled.

each team ran a four-mile segment of the relay and hundreds of people were there to watch at every stop as southerners ran with traditional snow sleds through the white blanket covering the trail. They made history that day, a history that even made Alaskan newspapers.

“Virginia re-enactment of Alaskan serum run gets a rare treat: snow,” read the headline of the Alaskan Dispatch.

Virginia rarely receives enough low-elevation snowfall throughout the year for snow racing, but that doesn’t stop mushers or their dogs from adapting and innovating the classic adventure sport; a sport that seems to be as popular amongst the animals as the humans who train them.

“Those dogs were designed to see the wilderness,” said Bill Borden, the only Georgian to ever complete the legendary Iditarod race,

which he ran in 2002. “When those dogs turn a corner and get onto a new trail, they just get a burst of life—they’re looking for the next adventure around the next corner.”

Many people don’t understand the complexities of breeding dogs and assume that a dog is just, well, a dog and in turn that it’s cruel to make them pull a heavy sled. But every dog breed was created with some purpose in mind, and the history of sled dog breeds is a long one. Today the most common breeds are the siberian and Alaskan huskies and Alaskan malamutes, but they stem from a heritage that some sources date back to 4,000 years ago. All of these dogs were bred for their incredible strength, high energy, outstanding endurance, and tolerance of icy cold weather. They were bred as cold-weather working dogs.

Because of that disposition, many of these breeds have a lot of pent-up energy to expel and if it isn’t let loose, they can become restless, anxious, and sometimes destructive. A simple walk isn’t likely to cut it for them and sadly is exactly the reason that many of these dogs are abandoned.

“That’s part of the education of dogsledding: a dog that is a working-breed dog requires something besides take it for a walk. A happy husky is a tired husky,” says Marcia Horne, head of the Virginia-based not-for-profit siberian Husky Assist rescue center.

Many dogs are taken out on the trail where they can be in the wilderness and let off some steam. Watch any mushing team prepare for a run and you’ll see they literally light up, yipping, barking, and bouncing around with excitement

once the harnesses get put on them. They simply don’t want to wait any longer to pull and go. And that’s what they do. They just go, because they were built to do it.

THE BIRTH OF A COmmUNITYless than a decade ago, Marcia and her husband Bob adopted their first siberian husky from a rescue shelter. Having learned a lot about the breed and been interested in its history as a working dog, they began to explore dog sledding. Not long after they decided to do two more things. open their own siberian husky rescue shelter and start educating other people about mushing in The south.

“When we did our first event in January of 2004, we advertised that we were going to let people bring their huskies or their high-energy dogs, and we were going to let their dogs pull the sled with our dogs,” Marcia said.

The turnout was huge. About three-and-a-half hours into the event, Marcia and Bob had harnessed up dogs, 50 of them being Huskies. Not long after, Marcia met with fellow enthusiasts from as far away as Minnesota and began teaching more classes to eager dog owners—and sometimes even their children—who would bring their dogs to team up with a four-to-six-dog team to pull a sled.

They made the leap to go further. With the support of enthusiastic members such as rodney and his mushing pal Jeff Blewett of kentucky, the Blue ridge Dryland sled Dog club was created

mushers train and race in the appalachians for epic alaskan adventures like the iditarod. and they don’t need no stinkin’ snow to be competitive with the big dogs up north.

by Dustin Zarnikow


within the rescue center. It wasn’t long before mushing enthusiasts joined from Maryland, kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, North carolina, south carolina, Tennessee, and even Alabama.

A sled dog community in the southern Appalachians had been connected and established. It continues to grow as a handful of role models for the sport, such as rodney or Bill Borden (who started the cool Dreams Foundation which teaches Iditarod-based programs to children all over the country), teach young scout troops, school children, and other future mushers.

TRAINING FOR ADVENTUREIt doesn’t seem to be the least bit coincidental that the Iditarod continues to come up in regular conversation with most any mushing enthusiast. The Iditarod is like the Holy Grail of the sport, and with good reason. Billed as “The last Great race”, the 1,049-mile race across desolate Alaskan landscapes fuels inspiration for mushers, spectators, and admirers worldwide.

“I’m 59 years old, so I guess 50 years ago I was nine years old when I ran my first race. Me, a little sled, and one dog. Half a mile,” rodney recalls his childhood growing up in Alaska. “of course I’d watched the big races like the Iditarod, I’d go down to 4th avenue and it’d be on television and all that. As a little kid I fantasized of doing that someday. That was my dream.”

rodney was the only Tennessean to ever contend in the race and one of just a couple others in the entire south.

The urge to compete or even just push the sport to be more adventurous is driven by other big adventure races aside from just the Iditarod, such as the 1000-mile international Yukon Quest race (spanning the gap between Fairbanks, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon), the 400-mile John Beargrease race in Northern Minnesota, the Big sky in Montana, the uP 200 in Michigan, the Alpirod in europe, and even just personal adventures taken in snowy, remote locations across the Northern u.s and canada.

But the adventure starts at home. Guys like rodney and Jeff, who are always

interested in pursuing further adventures in the snowy North, take their dogs on multi-day mushing and camping trips in the south to build their endurance. of course, these trips are a little different in the south than in the snowy North.

Down in these parts mushers use dryland rigs, which refers to any wheeled craft built to be pulled by dogs. A standard rig can range from different configurations like a two-wheeled scooter, to what looks like a grown-up’s tricycle without pedals, to a rig that is essentially a snow sled but with wheels.

surprisingly enough, pulling these wheeled rigs is often tougher than pulling a snowbound sled. Many of the snow-less trails that are used for dryland running in the south have rough terrain and rough gravel as opposed to snow or even just crushed limestone, which is easier on the dogs’ feet. And even when the trails do have a little bit of snow, the wheels on dryland rigs often get more bogged down than a sled’s runners would, creating stronger resistance against the dogs.

The catch is that some of these factors can actually give the dogs a bit of an advantage over northern dogs that train mostly in snow. Huskies and malamutes are surprisingly versatile and

have the ability to slowly acclimate to warmer temps. When the southern dogs take to the comfortable cold and slicker snow, they find it easier than the warmer 30 to 40 degree temps and gravel they’re often used to, while Northern dogs find those temperatures discomforting if temperatures rise during a race, which sometimes even happens during the Iditarod.

“The rule of thumb is, you run a mile per dog. In other words, if I take a four-dog team out, about four miles is what I want to run,” says Jeff. “If you run four miles on dry land, you can automatically double that when you get to snow. Dryland is tougher, it’s harder, there’s so much more impact, and there’s so much more resistance as far as pulling a sled on snow or a cart with wheels.”

TRAILBLAZINGsome of the best places for mushing are rails-to-trails projects, thanks to their smooth, long, flat nature. The 184-mile c&o canal running from D.c. to cumberland, Md. has seen enthusiastic mushers as well as snow to mush in, along with the Virginia creeper Trail.

“Hands down, my favorite place in that region is the creeper Trail. The scenery is beautiful, the people there are so nice... if I didn’t live in kentucky, I’d live in Virginia,” Jeff says, recalling the numerous races he has participated in there.

others improvise using roads that are commonly shut down when winter strikes, serving as beautiful, perfect locales for mushing, such as the Blue ridge Parkway.

But perhaps one of the most exciting and progressive events taking place in the south this year is the land Between the lakes sled Dog Dash taking place in kentucky, nestled on the kentucky/Tennessee border at the land Between the lakes National recreation Area which has over 200 miles of gravel roads that can be used for training.

“A lot of us have aspirations to run some of those bigger races in a format like this one that we’re doing. It will give you a chance to overnight with your dogs, camp out on the trail if you want to, pay attention to their health and their welfare, so it kind of trains you in a lot of ways to get ready for some of those bigger races,” says race coordinator Jeff Blewett.

While the land Between the lakes Dash and other similar races are more what you might consider “fun runs” when compared to the bigger, longer races of the North, the race has caught the attention of a potential huge sponsor considering sanctioning the event and possibly spreading it to surrounding states, which could further change the future of adventure mushing in the south.

let’s just put it this way: snow, trails, speed, sleds, dogs, camping, wilderness… it’s kind of exciting.

“It’s nothing you can really articulate to anybody. It’s just a really different way to enjoy the wilderness,” Blewett says.

And nobody loves it more than the dogs themselves. •

dog sleddinghistory and highlights

• The original sled dogs of North America date back over 800 years, having been introduced in the Greenland area by the Thule Inuit culture.

• “Countless generations of Alaskan natives have used the dog for transport, and he is to Alaska what the yak is to India or the llama to Peru,” wrote Alfred H. Brooks, the head of the u.s. Geological survey.

• Sled dogs were an imperative part of the early gold rushes, including the klondike Gold rush of 1896, due to their incredible pulling strength.

• Thanks to the ability to traverse otherwise unnavigable terrain, the u.s. Postal service utilized sled dogs from the late 1800s until the last serviceman retired his team in 1963.

• The Iditarod race was first run in 1973, and The Iditarod Trail was declared a National Historic Trail used by sled dogs to transport freight, mail, and provide people access where motorized vehicles could not go.

• The New England Sled Dog Club was established in New Hampshire all the way back in 1924 even before the legendary serum run in Alaska brought so much press to the sport in the 1920s.


c u l t u re b i n

The Fuzzy Folk Dimensions of MegafaunBy Jedd Ferris

fron

tpo

rch

It’s rare for a band to be able to explore multiple sections of the vast sonic wilderness with tasteful restraint. on their latest self-titled album, Megafaun has found the way to expand the boundaries of American tradition with just the right amount of experimental weirdness. The indie folk expansionists deliver a satisfying base of harmony and song, while still wandering in a variety of free-form directions.

“Individually we’re each pretty diverse in our musical interests,” says drummer Joe Westerlund, who formed the band in Durham, N.c., with brothers Brad and Phil cook. “We listen to all kinds of music, and we’ve never tried to sift out things that some feel may not hang together well. It helps the diversity that all three of us write.”

The trio’s third full-length album—also called Megafaun—stays stylistically nimble. The effort starts with the slow-burning psychedelic rock waltz of “real slow,” which meanders with a familiar kinship to the Grateful Dead’s “Birdsong.” The piano-driven tone poem “These Words” is enhanced

with glitchy atmospherics and crashing industrial beats, while the following “Get right” cruises for over eight minutes with catchy alt-country pop punch. later in the set, the band simplifies things with the vintage sunny harmonies of “second Friend” and the mellow banjo ballad “state/Meant.” In the multi-layered jazz instrumental “Isadora,” it becomes apparent that no sound is too broad to be included.

“We grew up listening to a lot of music from the ‘60s, bands like the Grateful Dead, the Beatles, crosby stills, Nash and Young,” says Westerlund. “But in the van we’re always listening to all kinds of stuff, including jazz and different types of experimental music.”

Megafaun’s story goes back further than their 2006 inception. The cook brothers and Westerlund moved to North carolina from Wisconsin with their former band, DeYarmond edison, a four-piece jam outfit that also included Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon—now a wildly popular indie rock icon. Together for six years, DeYarmond edison built an impressive following in the Triangle and beyond, but ultimately musical visions were split. Vernon left the group to move back to Wisconsin and write the songs that became Bon Iver’s acclaimed debut For Emma, Forever Ago, and as a result Megafaun was born.

“The way things worked out makes a lot of sense,” says Westerlund. “That split needed to

Piano man Bruce Hornsby is embarking on a rare run of solo dates in February. leaving behind his usual big band, the Noisemakers, the Williamsburg-based musician will offer rare stripped-down takes on songs from his varied three-decade career—from his chart-topping pop hits in the late ‘80s with the range, a run as keyboardist for the Grateful Dead, and even a bluegrass collaboration with mandolin ace ricky skaggs. southern stops on the tour include the carolina Theatre in Durham, N.c., on February 14, the Peace center in Greenville, s.c., on February 15, and the Fergus center for the Arts in Newport News, Va., on February 25.

Hornsby Goes Solo

happen. We each needed our room to spread our wings and go into the territory, I think, to find what we each were after all along.”

Despite the musical differences, there was no loss of friendship. In fact, Megafaun made their new album at Vernon’s April Base studio in Fall creek, Wisconsin, close to where all of the band members grew up. DeYarmond edison also played a reunion show at the music industry’s biggest showcase, the south by southwest Musical Festival and conference, last year.

since releasing Megafaun, the band has been continuously developing their live show with tours across the u.s. and europe. evolving the live sound to match the expansiveness of the latest record has been a process, one that has included adding a fourth member for live gigs—Nick sanborn on bass.

“It’s freed us from multi-tasking, which has been a little bit of a hindrance in our live shows in the past,” says Westerlund. “It’s a much fuller, more classic rock band sound, which definitely goes with this record.”

The band is confirming a slew of tour dates for the spring, but when the road grind calms down they’re planning to revisit another project that took place closer to home. In late 2010, Duke university commissioned the band to perform “sounds of the south,” a concert based on the rural folk songs collected by the late ethnomusicologist Alan lomax. The band performed three shows at Duke with help from Vernon, singer-songwriter sharon Van etten, and the Virginia-based Fight the Big Bull jazz ensemble. The band recorded the shows and is planning a live release, in addition to touring with the concept at some point.

“It was one of those big events that felt like a wedding or graduation—so many friends and family around,” Westerlund adds. “We’re definitely planning to revisit it when everybody’s schedules will allow it.”

BON IVER BROS: NorTH cArolINA’s MeGAFAuN MADe THeIr lATesT AlBuM AT JusTIN VerNoN’s sTuDIo.


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Best in Snowexploring the Dolly sods Wilderness by boot, ski, and snowshoeBy Dustin Zarnikow

Perched high upon the Allegheny Plateau at 4,000 feet, Dolly sods offers sweeping, canadian-esque vistas and a destination that is (for most non-Nova scotians) seemingly out of this world. The Dolly sods Wilderness is populated by fields of cranberries, blueberries, and huckleberries, rhododendron, hardwood forests, marshy bogs, open grassy sods strewn with large boulders, and stunted and flagged red spruce trees gnarled from the strong winds of the high plains.

The ‘sods’ refer to the large open fields which were once used for grazing and blueberry harvesting by the Dollys, or Dahles, German descendents of Johann Dahle, who settled the area in the 1780s after deserting the British colonists. Hence the name, Dolly sods.

Here are three winter-worthy adventures in the sods:

1. snow cave camping in northern dolly sods You can backcountry camp anywhere in the sods, so long as you are 100 yards away from the road. our favorite spot is the upper red creek Trail. Because of high winds and snowfall, Dolly sods has many snowdrifts. Dig into the lee side of a drift, and you can dig a snow cave, complete with a kitchen and multiple bedrooms.

“It takes a while to dig a snow cave, and you get a little bit wet, but once you get in your snow castle, it’s worth it,” says chip chase,

owner of White Grass ski Area.Head to Timberline ski resort, grab a one-

way pass and take the lift up to salamander run, or ski-hike up from the bottom. Head to the large, sharp curve known as Governor’s Turn, and from there, a trail will head east for a short 150-foot jaunt through the woods that will drop you at a four-way trail junction in the Dolly sods Wilderness. Take Blackbird knob trail a few miles east to upper red creek Trail. Through the midsection of upper red creek Trail strong winds carve out incredible snowdrifts that can be ideal for snowcave camping as late as into the spring skiing season.

2. cross-country ski breathed mountain trailAlong Breathed Mountain Trail you’ll see gorgeous sections of lush green forests scattered among wide open plains and boulder fields left behind from the glacial era. With enough snow these large boulders will be buried in the snow so you can ski right over them. keep your eyes peeled for the rare snowshoe hare.

3. snowshoe red creek trailThe southern portion of Dolly sods is more thickly wooded, allowing the snow to be protected from the harsher winds of the open sods. From Dry Fork on lanesville road, take the red creek Trail north to the Fisher spring Trail. These two trails weave through thick red spruce forests dotted by occasional open mountain meadows. They often cross the (hopefully) frozen red creek.

CANAAN VALLEY STATE PARK is right next to the Dolly sods Wilderness and offers an equally impressive yet distinctly different geography laced with trails and adventure.

BLACKWATER FALLS lies just to the north, spilling its tannin-colored waters powerfully over the edge of the rocks–a sight that has attracted people for centuries.

Dolly sods is bordered by TIMBERLINE SKI RESORT as well as WHITE GRASS SKI AREA, a cross-country ski playland.

nearby winter WONDERLANDS

sNoWMelT GATHers IN reD creek, WHIcH FloWs THrouGH THe HeArT oF THe DollY soDs WIlDerNess.

COLDtruths

Bring a scraper for your skis. With the many creek crossings, they are likely to get wet and freeze up.

Exploring the Sods in winter is best after the snow has accumulated and hardened for a few days, allowing you to stay up on top of it easily. even more ideal is immediately after a fresh snowfall later in winter, allowing for fluffier snow to accumulate on top of the already established base layer.

The Dolly Sods is a federally designated wilderness. It is likely you won’t see other people, cell phone service is spotty, and the trails are often not marked or blazed at all.

An area trail map is an absolute must: try wvhighlands.org for some printable maps. You can also get maps at the u.s. Forest service in elkins and the Potomac ranger station in Petersburg.

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N o t a l l s n o w b i r d s f l y s o u t h f o r t h e w i n t e r .

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11-WVT-5558 Blue Ridge Country-JAN 2012-vf.indd 1 12/12/11 2:00 PM

blue ridge outdoors magazine january 2012

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