blue ridge outdoors magazine march 2012

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T H E C A N O E ’ S C O M E B AC K S K U R K A’ S N E X T ST E P T H E S O U T H ’ S H A R D E ST C L I M B D I RTY D E E D S

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runwild5 FAVORITE

FOOTPATHS

trailmonogamy

IN DEFENSE OFBLIND FAITH

running on a shoestring

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SubARu Of AmeRiCA”TERRiBLE WASTE”-DC DEALER REquEST

• All line art & logos are repro • Unless specified by workorder, all other images

are FPO

Scale: 1” = 1”

PRODuCTiON NOTeS

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

The all-new 2012 Subaru Impreza. Made to help you make the most of winter. Symmetrical

All-Wheel Drive and 36 mpg* put any destination within reach. Stability and traction control

keep you on course. It turns winter into the best season of the year. Experience love that

lasts. Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

Winter is a terrible thing to waste.

* EPA-estimated hwy fuel economy for 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i CVT models. Actual mileage may vary. †MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title and registration fees. Dealer sets actual price. 2012 Impreza 2.0i Premium 5-door pictured has an MSRP of $21,295. Vehicle shown with accessory crossbar set-fixed and ski attachment.

Impreza®. Well-equipped at $17,495†

WE’RE LOOKING FOR LOCAL GUIDES.

WE’RE NOT LOOKINGFOR LOCAL GUIDEBOOKS.

In 2010, we rocked Boulder, Colorado. Last year, we hit Hood River, Oregon. This year…the destination is up to you. We’re checking into outdoor meccas across the states all spring in search of the perfect place to continue our story. Is your hometown on the list? If it should be, let us know. Submit your town to [email protected]. This is your opportunity to represent. This is the Locals Only Project.

Get started at facebook.com/NativeEyewear.

/ NativeEyewear

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c o n t r i b u t o r sWhat is your favorite race?

d a n i e l c o n w a yI think the Charles Town races are pretty good. I can live without the slots though.

p e t e r b a r rBearwallow Beast 5K in the Hickory Nut Gorge. One of the most brutal short races in

the Blue Ridge and the best finish: a scenic bald with a Honey & Hops Festival.

c h r i s g r a g t m a n sThe Green River Narrows Race. Nothing can compare to the amphitheater of spectators

surrounding a remote class-V creek and 150 racers battling for the coveted stained glass trophy.

j o h n n y m o l l o yThru-hiking the AT. Some go fast, some go slow, some finish, some don’t.

PRINTED ON RECYCLED NEWSPRINT WITH 100% POST-CONSUMER CONTENT

E D ITO R I A LEDITOR IN CHIEF WILL HARLAN

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CONTRIBUTING EDITOR GRAHAM AVERILL

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 is the property of SUMMIT PUBLISHING, LLC. ©2012 No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

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 © Erik Isakson / Aurora PhotosA trail runner glides across Tennent Mountain near Shining Rock Wilderness, N.C.

w i l l h a r l a nDepends on the season. Winter: Mount Mitchell Challenge—breathtaking. Spring: Fig Leaf

5K—balls-out hard. Summer: Springmaid Splash 10K—wet n’ wild. Fall: Shut-In—classic.

c h a r l e s l e o n a rdI completed the Tough Mudder at Wintergreen last year—a unique challenge that

will be hard to top.

g r a h a m a v e r i l lPisgah Stage Race. It’s like a tour of Pisgah’s best single track. Brutal, but beautiful.

9th Annual Sprint Triathlon • June 23rd, 2012 Part of the Virginia Triathlon Series

750 meter open water swim • 20k Bike loop on closed roads • 5k RunPrizes and Awards • Free Post Race Meal

Hosted by: Bath County Chamber of Commerce, County of Bath Office of Tourism, & Setup Events

Famous for its mineral springs, outdoor recreation and cultural arts, the County of Bath

is a captivating, four season destination nestled in the scenic Allegheny Highlands of

Virginia. This picturesque mountain region entices visitors with its breathtaking beauty.

What will you find here? You will find scenic vistas, local flair and exciting adventures

just waiting to be discovered.

Registration & Info: SetupEvents.comFor Lodging Info & Things To Do During Your Stay: DiscoverBath.com

MARCH 2012 • BlueRidgeOutdoors.com 5

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departments

features21 RUN WILDFive legendary trail runners reveal their favorite their favorite wilderness treks. Follow in their footsteps on these five rugged, remote mountain running routes

29 COMING HOMEAfter a long separation, a Virginia native returns to the mountains and knows them for the first time.

31 TRAIL MONOGAMYDiscovering new terrain is grand, but there’s something to be said for devotion to the same backyard running trail.

33 UNTANGLEDWanna fly fish but worried about technique? Unreel with Tenkara—a simple, streamlined, singlespeed fly fishing.

6 THREE-SIXTY°A blind runner’s faith in a thin blue shoestring.

7 SWITCHBACKResort vs. backcountry skiing

9 HIGH FIVECaving crisis / Parachute accident / The second-best bike city

11 TRAILHEADThe canoe’s comeback / The South’s hardest climb

13 THE MOMENTPro hiker Andrew Skurka’s life-changing moments on the trail.

17 CALENDARTop race series for every sport and skill level.

19 THE GOODSAction cameras put to the test by pro photographers.

45 FRONT PORCHMoon Taxi: Nashville’s newest jam band.

46 HAPPY TRAILSExplore the outdoor oasis tucked between Cashiers and Highlands, N.C.

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Tim Willis’ life hangs by a string — a blue shoestring wrapped around my index finger. “It’s like a leash, and you’re my seeing-eye dog,” Tim says, pinching the other end of the shoelace and wiping sweat from his sightless eyes. I’m Tim’s guide runner this morning on a six-mile loop around his neighborhood. By tugging on the string, I signal to Tim which direction he needs to turn. We wind through subdivision streets for the first few miles, then cross a major four-lane highway. “Step up,” I shout, pulling the shoestring tight. Without breaking stride, Tim leaps over the cement curb and back onto the sidewalk.

Tim’s high school coach developed the

e d i t o r ’s n o t e b o o k

shoestring technique so that Tim could run cross-country. Fifteen years later, Tim became one of the world’s fastest blind runners. Our six-mile run this morning is the first of two workouts he has scheduled for today. Tim has been consistently putting in 70 miles a week to prepare for his third straight Paralympic appearance.

“When I lost my sight, I decided that’s all I would lose — and nothing more,” he explains. As a child, he was diagnosed with Coats’ Disease, a retinal blood vessel disorder that gradually occluded his vision. By age 10, he was completely blind in both eyes.

But that didn’t stop him from wrestling in high school or running in college. He competed in Division I cross-country for Georgia Southern University and won the World 10K Paralympic Championships. He currently holds 13 national records and two world records, including a blistering 32:27

personal best in the 10,000 meters. “Let’s pick it up a bit,” Tim says, four

miles into our loop. We’re already running six-minute miles, but Tim wants a little more tempo this morning. I open up my stride and try to hang with him.

Without sight, Tim’s other senses are sharpened. He hears approaching cars several seconds before I do. He smells flowers in neighborhood yards and identifies my deodorant by brand name. He even knows when I’ve missed a turn.

“I think we were supposed to make a left on that street back there,” he observes, only a few yards after I pass it.

Tim has run this same six miles with dozens of different guides over the past 15 years. When he can’t find a guide, Tim gets in a treadmill workout or runs hundreds of laps by himself around his small, grassy front yard.

“I usually run the yard at night so my neighbors don’t think I’m crazy,” Tim says.

He holds my elbow as we cross the four-lane highway again. Once we’re back in the subdivision, I pull on the shoestring, and we veer left up a steep hill. I call out potholes, storm drains, overhanging limbs and cars parked in the road. He puts his complete trust in me -- a stranger he has never seen -- to guide him through the bumpy boulevards and crowded, curb-cluttered streets.

We finish the final two miles of the loop at a pretty good clip. Tim hopes the speed work at the end of his runs will improve his kick, which faltered in the final laps of the 10,000-meter run in the last Paralympics. He and a Mexican runner broke away from the pack early, and Tim took the lead midway through the race. But with six laps to go, the Mexican caught him. Tim couldn’t hold the pace in the final mile and ended up with a silver medal.

Afterward, we cool down with a few 100-meter strides at the park near his house. The basketball rims are busted, and the ball field behind the playground is now a parking lot. But Tim still remembers what the park looked like before he lost his sight. The 29-year-old runner still sees the world through a 7-year-old’s eyes.

We stride back and forth, side by side, across the old ball field. For a few seconds, I close my eyes and run in the dark with him. Instantly, I’m lost and frightened and vulnerable. It feels like I’m about to collide with a tree or a telephone pole any moment. Five seconds feels more like five minutes, and the slender shoelace becomes my lifeline. Finally I snap open my eyes, flooded now with safe, secure sunlight.

For the rest of the workout, I’m not sure who’s guiding who. Tim seems to know every contour and crevice of the field. His eyes may not work, but he still can see — with his feet, his skin, his ears, his memory. We run a couple more strides together, the blind leading the blind, the blue shoestring hanging loosely between us. •

The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes is always looking for guide runners: usaba.org

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Blind Faith In the dark, a runner sees the lightBy Will Harlan


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Resort vs. backcountry skiing: which do you prefer?

RESORT: 28%Resorts are still the best places for honing downhill skills and getting real speed. Nothing beats flying down a groomed slope with the wind in your face, going full-tilt, holding a tight line, and barely breathing as you screech down the mountain.

—Chris McMonagle, Boone, N.C.

My family loves skiing, but we also enjoy the after-skiing part of our vacations. After skiing all day long, there isn’t much better than relaxing with the family and enjoying a nice meal in the lodge. — Tucker Greer, Chantilly, Va.

Resort skiing offers a convenient place to get

warm afterwards, rest, and spend time with family or friends talking about how much fun we had skiing together.

—Nicolette Terenzi, online

Resort skiing is best, especially early in the morning before the crowds arrive. That’s when it’s most laid-back and peaceful.

—Aaron Nehilla, South Park, Pa.

BACKCOUNTRY: 72%Backcountry is best. This country has too many locations that are absolutely special and untouched by developers.

—Gil Borrero, Atlanta, Ga.

Resort skiing is okay, when that is all that is available. But skiing began in the forests before resorts were ever thought of. Being by oneself or with a few friends on a cross-country trail is a chance to see and experience things that are not possible at resorts.

—Tom Dillon, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Respond online to our next Switchback question

and you'll be entered to win a prize package from Peter Glenn Ski & Sports. For more prize package info, go to BlueRidgeOutdoors.com

What do you think?

Backcountry skiing takes you away from crowds and back to nature. It’s a more peaceful experience, full of untouched beauty.

—Gary D. Free, Goose Creek, S.C.

There is nothing better than getting first tracks in a pristine backcountry setting. Resorts are great places to learn and hone skills, but backcountry skiing is where it’s at. You find out how good you really are when you’re sluicing through forests and boulder-strewn glades. And you touch something far more beautiful when you’re alone in the wild woods, just you and your skis.

—Mike Schneider, Whitesburg, Ky.

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Blue Ridge Outdoors • PRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED PAPER8 01.30.12 - JOB#: ODR-013 - S’12 Print Ad / Nik (Climbing) | Client: Outdoor Research | Publication: Blue Ridge OutdoorsTRIM SIZE: 9.125”W x 5.75”H (1/2 page horizontal ad)HAMMERQUIST STUDIOS: [email protected], 425.285.3372

Nik Berry | Aspiring RN | Big Wall Free Climber | Salt Lake City, UT

At OR we know fi nding balance takes hard work. So does Nik Berry, an aspiring RN who traded the nomadic climber’s lifestyle to burn through pre-requisites on his path to nursing school. For a guy who redpointed Yosemite’s “ledge-to-ledge” version of the Salathé Wall as a fi rst “team-free” ascent (VI 5.13d), camping out in a library to study for Anatomy and Physiology midterms was a bit of a mindshift. But the Utah-only limit forced Nik to climb locally, leading to the fi rst free ascent of Wonderboy (5.13c) on Lone Peak and Lunar X (5.13) in Zion. This dual focused lifestyle has given him a new appreciation for time on the rock, and a fl exible profession he can take from town to town. Learn more at outdoorresearch.com.

04.14.2012VirginiaMud Warrior

mudwarrior.orgMUD WARRIOR VIRGINIA WILL BE THE MUDDIEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE! 8K Mud Run � lled with 20+ Obstacles!! Expect to be covered in mud from head to toe, from start to � nish in this mud race. Every Warrior who conquers this course will be talking about it for the rest of their lives. A day to race, endure, and survive. Mud Warrior is here! Giving Hope a Hand.Also check out the Indie Music Festival! Enter “BRO” when you register for a chance to win VIP tickets and a catered lunch. FOR MORE RACE DAY INFORMATION CHECK OUT:


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2. Renick, WVcaVing RescueThree college aged cavers were found uninjured by Search and Rescue teams in the Bone-Norman Cave system. The trio set out to camp overnight in the caves and traverse the 15-mile system by way of an eight-inch crawl space appropriately named “The Devil’s Pinch.” After camping, they were unable to find the exit or the entrance the next morning. Rescuers eventually found them hunkered down at their campsite. The amateur spelunkers were in the cave system a total of 48 hours, 5 minutes and emerged with 1,000 “Three guys walk into a West Virginia cave” jokes.

4. Washington, DcWe’Re numbeR 2! The Alliance for Biking and Walking released a report that ranks Washington, D.C. as the number two city in the U.S. for biking and walking (Boston topped the list). The report was based on how friendly cities are to pedestrians and cyclists; biking and walking fatalities; and American Community Survey data for its rankings. D.C. earned its lofty ranking because of its innovative bikesharing system, its culture of safety for cycling and pedestrians, and its high percentage of people who walk to work. This is certainly good news for a city with residents who hold the purse strings to nationwide transportation funds and have the power to impact the conversation on safety, health, and energy.

3. mount aiRy, mDtechnology giVeth, anD taketh aWayA hiker in Maryland was saved when he was able to flag down a rescue helicopter using the flashlight app on his iPhone. The catch? It seems a map application got him into the pickle to begin with. Christopher Tkacik was hiking with his dog, Boo, in Gambrill State Park. After crossing the same creek four times, he realized he was lost. He had been led astray by his “smart” phone app. With darkness closing in, he decided to call for help. Tkacik was able to dial police, who sent the chopper and dropped in two escorts for the hike out. The flashlight app enabled the rescuers to find him easily.

5. WaynesVille, nclong anD WinDing RoaDsPotholes and gravel riddle the roadways. Tractor trailers whiz by too close. And once-wide shoulders taper to nothing at all: riding a bicycle down some roads in Western North Carolina can be downright harrowing. But the Land-of-Sky Regional Council aims to change all that. Awarded a $250,000 grant, the organization plans to develop a regional bike plan that connects the seven westernmost counties in western N.C. with bike-friendly roads. The finished plan will include a list of recommendations for road improvements and bike lanes, as well as a map of roads deemed high-priority for their proximity to parks, schools, hospitals, grocery stores and employment centers.The Council welcomes input at public meetings and help with tasks such as bike counts this spring.

1. RichmonD, VaDRopping fRom the sky A commercial film shoot for the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond narrowly avoided disaster when a parachutist got off course and ended up in a tree. The clever ad for the race depicts a man jogging down Monument gradually joined by more people, dressed more outrageously. It culminates with a parachutist dropping from the sky and joining the throng. While shooting, a last-minute gust of wind sent the stunt man into a tree where he landed eight feet above the ground before dropping to safety. The shot worked despite the mishap, but it’s unlikely he’ll be in next year’s commercial featuring a shark, catapult, flame thrower, and wrecking ball.

Let my people go…surfingCHICAGO, ILA man in Chicago is in hot water after he was busted surfing in...Lake Michigan? Rex Flodstrom was catching a windswell when he was arrested at Oak Street beach, where surfing is illegal. Surf legend Kelly Slater leapt to his defense, but it was not enough as Flodstrom had his board confiscated and was held, in his wetsuit, for four hours.

Heating this place costs a fortuneMT. RAINIER, WAA snowshoeing hiker lost in Mount Rainier National Park for two days was forced to burn socks and cash to stay warm before being rescued. Taking a page out of Sly Stallone’s book, Yong Chum Kim torched $1 and $5 bills to fend off freezing temps. Luckily his billfold was as large as his brain and lasted long enough for searchers to find him.

Wait for us!PALM SPRINGS, CAWhen shutting down an aerial tram because of dangerous weather conditions, it’s probably a good idea to make sure everyone is off the top. Lesson learned at San Jacinto Mountain’s aerial tram. Over a dozen hikers were stranded in 100 mph winds for 16 hours when officials stopped the tram. By the time they realized it, conditions were too dangerous to get them off the mountain. The hikers and one park ranger sheltered in a utility shed until the weather calmed. The stranded were reimbursed, but the real storm will start when they try to divide the movie rights.

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Comeback of the Canoe Edgy young paddlers tackle big water with big holes in their boats.By Graham Averill

Dooley Tombras was kneeling in his boat at the top of Triple Falls last spring when he became convinced he was going to paddle off the edge of the earth. Triple Falls is a three-tiered waterfall that drops 125 feet inside North Carolina’s Dupont State Forest. Occasionally, a brazen kayaker runs the falls, but nobody had ever done what Tombras was about to attempt. The 29-year old Knoxville paddler was about to bag the first descent of Triple Falls in a whitewater canoe.

“It’s really intimidating to be in a boat at the top of a set of massive waterfalls,” Tombras says. “I’ve never had that perspective before, where it looks like the world just ends. The tourists standing there were looking at me like I was crazy.”

It was just another day of work for Tombras, star of Canoe Movie 2: Uncharted Waters, the second whitewater canoe film produced by paddling collective Amongstit (the same group that puts together the popular Lunch Video Magazine). The movie follows Tombras and other whitewater canoeists as they systematically knock out first

canoe descents of burly creeks and waterfalls all over North America and Mexico.

Whitewater canoeing was relatively popular until the early 2000s when kayaks evolved into smaller, lighter, and more stable boats, which allowed paddlers to run more advanced water. Whitewater canoe design didn’t progress as quickly. Open boats were markedly slower and less maneuverable than kayaks. Whitewater canoes nearly became relics of a bygone era.

“Suddenly, it was much easier to run hard whitewater in a kayak, so everyone abandoned their canoes,” says Tombras, who’s been paddling whitewater in a canoe since the mid 90s. “People were fleeing the sport. All I ever heard were stories about people ditching their open boats.”

Luckily for Tombras and other die-hard open boaters, the paradigm shifted again two years ago, when Canadian canoe manufacturer Esquif developed the L’Edge, a shorter, more stable canoe with a radical rocker that allows a skilled canoeist to run hard whitewater almost as easily as a kayaker.

With the original Canoe Movie, which was released in 2010, the Amongstit crew wanted to introduce the world to whitewater canoeing, detailing its history and some of the key players in the niche sport. With Canoe Movie 2, Hunter Davis, one of the owners of Amongstit, hopes to show the world exactly what can be done in an open boat.

“Anything you can do in a kayak, these guys can do in a canoe. You can run class V. You can run waterfalls,” Davis says. “With Canoe Movie 2, we want to blow the doors off of adventure canoeing. We want to show them running these huge drops, and show that they’re not just daredevils throwing themselves off of waterfalls. They’re making big, beautiful moves just like a kayaker.”

In the process of filming Canoe Movie 2, Tombras and his cohorts have notched out first descents all over North America, including 40-foot waterfalls in Mexico and wilderness runs in the Carolinas’ Jocassee Gorge. One of the most impressive first descents has to be Road Prong in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s a skinny tributary of West Prong that’s accessed from the Chimney’s parking lot. It’s only runnable after a massive rain, and by all accounts, it’s the steepest river ever run in a canoe. The Road Prong drops 750 feet per mile with no necessary portages. By comparison, the Green River, arguably the most famous steep creek in the country, drops only 300 feet per mile.

“It was scary,” Tombras says. “To be honest, I only ran it because the film was rolling.”

While the new boats are more maneuverable on the water than the older models, they’re no lighter. Esquif’s L’Edge comes in at 70 pounds, and canoeists often have to carry on their shoulders for long hikes if they want to bag the more remote rivers in

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Hard Rock Climber tackles South’s toughest route.By Eric Crews

A 26-year-old from Lexington may have notched the South’s hardest climb to date. Adam Taylor ascended an extended Southern Smoke Direct route in the Red River Gorge, the South’s first climb believed to be 5.15.

Taylor’s direct start adds a difficult bouldering sequence of climbing to the existing route, which is 5.14c. While Taylor is hesitant to suggest a definitive grade for the entire 100-foot route, he believes the initial boulder problem is “a hard v13.”

Taylor equates the opening boulder problem to a runner squatting a large amount of weight before trying to run a 5K.

“This is the hardest route I have ever attempted,” he said. “The route begins with a very brief powerful sequence and moves to a long, endurance-oriented section.”

It didn’t come easy. A few days before his successful ascent, Taylor fell just prior to reaching the anchors at the end of the route.

Taylor, who works as a research analyst in a biochemistry lab at the University of Kentucky, has been pushing the limits at the Red for years now with groundbreaking first ascents. In 2009, Taylor punched his own Golden Ticket, a 5.14d first ascent. Since then, Taylor has repeated several other of the Red’s high-end climbs, as well as seeking out new climbs, such as The Tube, a 5.14b that he recently established in the area.

Taylor said he enjoys climbing at the Red River Gorge because the steep sandstone walls make for a very physical type of climbing.

“For me, the steeper the climbing, the better,” he said. The Red’s overhanging routes force climbers to shift more of their weight from their legs to their arms. “This style forces a more tactical approach to climbing. You have to stop and rest your arms, sometimes in rather creative ways.”

Taylor, one of the strongest climbers in the South, has yet to sign a sponsorship deal.

“I climb because it is what I really enjoy doing,” he said. “There is a perfect balance of physical exertion, mental toughness, teamwork, and danger. I’ve had my foot in the door to get sponsored, but I feel that the pressure might throw the balance off.”

Taylor first started climbing in a climbing gym when he was 12 years old, but before long, the Greenville, S.C., native said that he and his father were making frequent trips to Looking Glass Rock near Brevard, N.C., where he learned the technical aspects of rock climbing.

“My dad told me that if you’re going to spend the time to do something, you might as well do the best that you possibly can. I have stuck with this motto and haven’t wasted much time climbing only halfway.”

Taylor is now turning his attention to a new 150-foot route that he believes will be even harder than his previous accomplishments.

“Locally, pushing into new territory is very difficult,” he said. “Simply finding a line that could potentially be of the right difficulty is hard enough, much less actually doing it. It takes a lot of work and dedication—and some luck.” •

the region. For the Road Prong descent, Tombras had to lug his boat up a hiking trail that gained 1,000 feet in elevation before he could dip his paddle in the water.

Beyond the added weight, there are still some performance limitations to open boating. Canoeists still only have one paddle and they still have a big hole in the top of their boat, so they’re always going to take on water. It’s a trade off, according to Tombras, who never once considered abandoning his canoe for a kayak.

“I like the added challenge and the aesthetic value of running a river in a canoe,” Tombras says. “It’s like telemark skiing or fly fishing. Yes, it’s harder, but that’s part of the beauty.”

More paddlers are drawn to the aesthetics of canoeing now that the boat designs have caught up to kayaks. Canoeists are now able to style big drops and tight creeks as well as most kayakers, pushing the limits of what people thought was possible in an open boat. More often than not, those limits are being pushed right here in the Southeast.

“There are small pockets of open boaters all over, but the Southern Appalachians are a mecca,” Davis says. “The guys who are pushing the sport are doing it right here in our backyard.”

The majority of Canoe Movie 2’s footage was shot on Southern creeks, and it wasn’t just a matter of convenience. According to Tombras, Southeastern rivers are ideal for open boating.

“It’s the geology. We have drop and pool rivers, where you can run a big waterfall, then recover in an eddy and dump the water out of your boat before moving on to the next big drop,” Tombras says. “In the Rockies, though, the whitewater is more continuous, so if you’re in an open boat, you could easily get beat down for a mile of nonstop whitewater.”

As for Davis, he’s excited about being able to show off some of our local rivers in a cutting-edge film like Canoe Movie 2.

“You see a lot of adventure films set in places I’ll never get to go,” Davis says. “New Zealand looks amazing, but I’ll probably never get to paddle there. But I know I can get to the West Prong, which looks just as amazing, and I’ve never seen a film like this set there until now.” •

ADAM TAYLOR CLIMBED THE SOUTH’S TOUGHEST ROUTE IN RED RIVER GORGE, KY.

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The Ain’t Louie Fest (ALF) is a nine-day gathering where whitewater canoeists hit the Southeast’s most storied creeks en masse. Nearly 200 open boaters camped, drank, and paddled together last year. Find out details about the 2012 fest (March 10-18) at waldensridgewhitewater.com/ALF

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Skurka’s Next StepHighlights of a Professional Hiker By Jedd Ferris

Andrew Skurka is one of the few people who can claim backpacking as an occupation. The Duke University grad is a professionally sponsored hiker who bushwhacks in the backcountry instead of pencil pushing in an office.

Skurka’s obsession with backpacking started with a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Since that initial jaunt, he has completed the 7,775-mile, 11-month Sea-to-Sea Route, which connects a string of long-distance trails between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop—a circuit around nine states that includes 12 national parks and 75 wilderness areas.

Most recently, Skurka completed a six-month Alaska-Yukon Expedition, which covered 4,680 miles, largely off-trail, through

some of the most rugged uncharted terrain in the world. More impressive, the outspoken ultra-light packing advocate completed the journey with just 10 pounds on his back. At age 30, he has covered more than 30,000 miles on his adventures.

Since his last big trip, Skurka penned a book, The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide, which offers advice on maximizing experience while keeping pack weight down.

“Like a lot of kids at Duke, I was Wall Street-bound. I spent two years working at a camp in Brevard and that opened my eyes to the outdoors. After completing the Appalachian Trail, I gradually became more ambitious about taking my life in this direction. I’m able to make a living as an adventurer because I don’t have a mortgage, wife, and kids. I’ve made choices that allow me to maintain a lifestyle that is simple and inexpensive. If I spent as much money as a normal 30 year old, I would not be able to

live this way. My lifestyle has always been motivated by what’s keeping me happy. I’ve chosen not to give myself too many distractions, responsibilities, or excessive stresses. It’s important to me to be able to sleep on the ground for four or five months out of the year, and by keeping things simple, I’ve been able to make that happen.”

“The alone factor has always come down to: how many friends do I have who are willing and able to take these kinds of trips with me? The answer is none, so by default I go alone. I’d rather do that than force a hiking partner. It won’t end well.”

“Most of these trips are so engaging that I really don’t ever have to worry about entertaining myself. On the Alaska trip, 2,100 miles was off-trail, so I was constantly looking at my map, avoiding the thickest brush, and trying to figure out the landscape. I wasn’t on trails with long sections to put my brain on autopilot. If the adventure is interesting enough, you constantly have something to think about.”

“Picking a favorite adventure is like asking which one of your children you love the most. When I look for a trip, I’m looking for something that’s going to challenge me and force me to use the skills I’ve acquired on past trips in a more extended way. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to top the impressiveness of the Alaska-Yukon Expedition. I skied the first 1,200 miles and started with 25-degree-below-zero weather. I had daily run-ins with grizzly bears and traveled through areas that no one has traveled through since the Klondike Goldrush. It was epic in so many ways.”

“A lot of backpackers don’t have the knowledge that will allow them to best enjoy long-distance hiking. I used to be one of them. When I started the Appalachian Trail in 2002, I went out there with very conventional gear—a big seven-pound suspension pack, a double wall tent, and a thick self-inflating sleeping pad. By the first hill climb, I realized my full pack was killing me. I figured out how to make hiking fun by lightening my pack. It took a lot of skills to make that happen—learning about different types of fabrics and creating clothing and shelter systems that were both versatile and adequate for the conditions I’m facing.”

“A heavy pack is a function of not knowing enough about an upcoming adventure. People shouldn’t be packing for ‘what if’ or ‘just in case’ situations. People should give themselves the knowledge to make appropriate choices to be safe and comfortable, yet traveling in a way that doesn’t make hiking such a chore.”

“I don’t have a next big adventure to reveal yet. Between writing the book and starting a guide business, I’ve been busy in different ways. Taking eight people into the wilderness at a time has been a new type of challenge. I also just celebrated my one-year anniversary with my girlfriend. Turning 30 and being in a long-term relationship has me rethinking things, but I don’t think I’m totally ready to give up the transient life.” •

ANDREW SKURKA HAS HIKED MORE THAN 30,000 MILES.

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Going the Dirty DistanceFinish an Off-Road Race Series By Jedd Ferris

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If too much pavement gives you the blues, then it’s time to take to the trails. Fortunately the region is packed with plenty of off-road action. Lace up your shoes or grease the chain and join one of these trail series for a full season of dirt-raising fun. backyaRD buRn tRail Running seRiesHEMLOCK OVERLOOK PARK Clifton, Va. • March 4 One of the best examples of urban escape in the region, the Backyard Burn is a series of four trail running races in the Metro D.C. area. Using the best wooded sanctuaries surrounding the nation’s capital, each race in the series features both 5- and 10-mile courses that wind through twisty singletrack, traverse grassy fields, and climb forested fire roads. After the series opener at Hemlock Overlook, additional races take place at Wakefield Park (March 11) in Annandale, Va., Prince William Forest Park (March 25) in Triangle, Va., and Fountainhead Regional Park (April 1) in Fairfax Station, Va. ex2adventures.com

West ViRginia mountain tRail RunneRs seRiesHAULIN’ IN THE HOLLER 25K/5K Eleanor, W.Va. • March 24 This Mountain State crew of hardcore trail runners often eschews fierce competition in exchange for the fun of group-based extreme challenges. Notable races in their annual series include the Dirty Dog 15K (May 19), where you can run with your favorite furry friend on the trails of the Kanawha State Forest; the epic Highlands Sky Trail Run in the Monongahela National Forest in the summer;

and the tough Helvetia 10K Mountain Run that coincides with the annual fall fair in the hilly village. Last year the club also started the West Virginia Trilogy, three days of epic consecutive runs (50K, 50 miles, and a 13.1 miles) in the Mon’s Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, which will return October 12-14. wvmtr.org

the beast TERRAPIN MOUNTAIN 50K Sedalia, Va. • March 24 It takes a special breed of runner to conquer the Beast. None of the series’ six featured races has a distance shorter than 50K on courses that traverse the most rugged sections of Virginia Blue Ridge backcountry. With most of the courses initially designed by ultra legend David Horton and now directed by his protégé Clark Zealand, the Beast races are not for the faint of heart, especially the burly terrain of longstanding Mountain Masochist 50-miler (November 3) and the Hellgate 100K (December 8), which starts at midnight in early winter. Additional races include the Holiday Lake 50K, Terrapin Mountain 50K (March 24), Promise Land 50K (April 28), and Grindstone 100 (October 5). eco-xsports.com geoRgia off-RoaD Duathlon seRies DIRTY SPOKES DUATHLON AT FORT YARGO STATE PARK Winder, Ga. • March 10 Trail runners and mountain bikers in the Atlanta area can get a fix in the city’s wooded outskirts. With moderate distances on terrain that mixes plenty of challenges with opportunities to catch your breath, this is an ideal series for new racers to break into the off-road scene. The first race at Fort Yargo State Park features a 3.8-mile run, followed by a 10-mile bike ride and another 2.1-mile run, covering a mix of rooty singletrack, rolling hills, and wider doubetrack jaunts. Expect

similar challenges at the following races at Mt. Tabor Park in Dallas, Ga., on April 14 and the series finale at Tribble Mill Park in Grayson on May 12. Racers accumulate points throughout the series. dirtyspokes.com

southeasteRn Regional championship seRies TSALI KNOB SCORCHERBryson City, N.C. • March 31-April 1 There’s still plenty of time to make your mark at this regional 10-race mountain bike series that covers much of the classic singletrack throughout the South. With each event containing courses for every level from beginner to expert, riders of all abilities can accumulate points per race as they pedal some of Dixie’s best off-road terrain. The series’ second race (March 31-April 1) covers the legendary trail system at the Tsali Recreation Area in Western North Carolina, while race number three takes place at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, which held the 1996 Olympic mountain bike action. Later in the series riders will tackle Tennessee’s Tanasi Trails (May 6), which features epic climbs and an infamous scorching downhill stretch known as Thunder Rock Express. Clemson, S.C. June 24. goneriding.com

Rock/cReek tRail seRies ROCK/CREEK RIVER GORGE TRAIL RACE Chattanooga, Tenn. • March 24 Trail runners in Chattanooga never have to wait long for their next race. The active organizers of the Rock/Creek Trail Series keep local striders satisfied with a wide variety of challenges on the city’s vast network of surrounding trails. Races include the beginner-friendly River Gorge Trail Race, which offers both 10.2- and 6.5-mile options on Signal Mountain’s Mullens Cove Loop and delivers amazing bluff views of the Cumberland Plateau. Those looking to cover some serious distance will find what they’re looking for during the three-day Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race (June 15-17), as well as the rough and rugged Stump Jump 50K (October 6) or the aptly named Upchuck 50K (November TBA), which traverses some of the most technical sections of the Cumberland Trail. rockcreek.com

A RUNNER TACKLES THE TOUGH TRAILS OF THE LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN 50K, PART OF THE ROCK/CREEK TRAIL SERIES.

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In the old days (like two or three years ago), shooting video or still photos of yourself surfing, kayaking, mountain biking, or any other action sport involved more than a little trouble. Special mounts, wide lenses and wired or wireless shutter tripping devices were needed, and you had to figure out how to mount your camera without it getting smashed, dirty or wet.

Then along came the first GoPro, a small, helmet-mountable, waterproof camera capable of shooting video and stills. Other manufacturers got in on the game, a floodgate of personal action sports imagery was opened, and you can now document every adventurous move you make.

1. GoPro HERo2THE CAMERA: GoPro is the company that started it all. The HERO 2 is the third version of GoPro and their best to date. It shoots a variety of video frame rates at wide to medium angles. It also shoots 11MB stills and has the capacity to do bursts of ten frames a second. The camera is small and comes with a waterproof-shockproof housing and a variety of mounts for helmets, kayaks, and bikes.

THE VERDICT: I’ve been hooked on GoPros since the first model came out two and a half years ago. The HD version was a quantum

leap with sharp, clear video and stills that are actually hi-res enough for publication. The Hero 2 is even better, and it even comes with a menu that a normal person can comprehend (unlike the previous model, which was very user un-friendly if you ever needed to change settings without a newspaper-sized instruction sheet handy). All the video modes look good and crisp, although maybe not quite as sharp as some of the other cameras. Low-light recording is improved as well as the still photo quality. This is the big guy on the block that all the others are trying to match up to. $299

2. contour Roam THE CAMERA: Bullet shaped, cool looking, easy to use, mountable, waterproof (up to one-meter submersion) without a special housing. THE VERDICT: It’s good for shooting 1080 HD video with 170-degree coverage at a variety of frame rates. But it has no LCD screen, camera menu, or controls of any kind other than an on-off switch. It does have a laser leveler. To change modes, you have to hook up to a computer and run a program, which is practically insane. Try doing that in the field, on the fly. If you’re only interested in video and want to keep things simple, this might be the camera for you. It comes with a variety of mounts and uses Micro SD cards. $199

3. Drift HD170 StealthTHE CAMERA: The Drift is similar in shape and size to the Contour and is the only camera with integrated LCD screen for both live monitoring and playback. It shoots 1080,

170-degree video, and stills.

THE VERDICT: It’s the sharpest video of the lot, although a bit oversaturated. The Drift has easy menu controls for switching between video and still modes and the built-in screen is small but handy for live viewing and composing. It has a rotating lens, which is pretty cool for level shots no matter what angle the camera is mounted. Still photos are decent, but not as good as the GoPro. It comes with a wireless remote for off-camera triggering. 1/4 “ tripod thread is handy too. $179

4. Swann Freestyle HDTHE CAMERA: This GoPro wannabe looks good out of the box with waterproof housing, wireless remote, detachable LCD screen and an array of Go Pro-like mounts. It shoots 1080 HD (130-degrees) and stills in a variety of resolutions and intervals.

THE VERDICT: Swann is a leading maker of security cameras, and the Freestyle HD is a first foray into the action sports market. The camera suffers from a bunch of problems, beginning with inferior optics. The menu controls won’t hold certain settings once powered off. And you need the LCD back to adjust the menu but it won’t fit in the housing. The stills are lousy, owing to a lens that’s not sharp from side to side. Plus the slightly larger housing is even more prone to fogging than the GoPro housing. This could be a good camera if it had a better lens and a re-engineered menu. I’d wait for the second version to see if the bugs get worked out. $279

Up Close and PersonalZooming in on Action Sports CamerasBy Skip Brown


SHAMROCK 4 MILER PRESENTED BY CRESTPOINT HEALTH AND JOHNSTON MEMORIAL HOSPITALMarch 16, 2012 | 7 PM | Abingdon, VA Come celebrate St. Patty’s Day with us and run through through beautiful downtown Abingdon past the historic homes. Beer and BBQ post-race. Race me I’m Irish! Email: [email protected] Details & Registration: werunevents.com BEL MONTE ENDURANCE RACES50M, 25M, 25K RUNS50M MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE March 24, 2012 | Wintergreen, VACelebrate the coming of spring with either a 50 mile mountain bike race or trail run through the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of VA. Races start at Love Campground and mountain top finish to Wintergreen Resort. No race day registration. Special room rates at Love Campground/Cabins and Wintergreen Resort for athletes and their families. Details & Registration: belmonteraces.com

THE NATIONAL COLLEGE BLUE RIDGE MARATHON April 21, 2012 | Roanoke, VALocal runners have crafted one of the most challenging and beautiful marathons on the east coast. The 2012 course includes 3,620 feet of total elevation gain and 7,234 feet of total elevation change. Kind of gives new meaning to runner’s high.Details & Registration: blueridgemarathon.com

BILL GATTON HONDA MEMORIAL FREEDOM 5K May 26, 2012 | 8 AM | Bristol TN/VA Help us get the Memorial Day weekend started with a thrilling run through downtown Bristol with journey’s through both Tennessee and Virginia. Email: [email protected] Details & Registration: werunevents.com

CRESTPOINT HEALTH BLUE PLUM 5K June 2, 2012 | 9 AM | Johnson City, TN It’s Plum Fast! Flat and fast course, stick around for Johnson City’s fantastic Blue Plum Festival.Email: [email protected] Details & Registration: werunevents.com MORRIS BROADBAND LIVE UNITED 10K & 5K June 23, 2012 | Hendersonville, NC Come enjoy everything WNC has to offer runners; a country setting on paved and gravel surfaces, a portion of both races on a creek bordered trail and an exciting finish on the track in the High School Stadium. North Henderson High School, June 23, 6:00pm. Register early for free Smartwool socks (first 24 to register) and a chance to win a free year-long internet package or a weekend ski getaway!! All proceeds go to United Way of Henderson County. Details & Registration: active.com

INDIAN PATH MEDICAL CENTER & CRESTPOINT HEALTH CRAZY 8S 8K RUN July 14, 2012 | 9:58 PM | Kingsport, TN Run the World’s Fastest 8K on the world famous figure-8 course where both men’s and women’s 8k world records were set. Beautiful candle-lit streets, huge crowds, spectacular stadium finish, and unique 8-man medals. Email: [email protected] Details & Registration: crazy8s.org THE PEOPLE’S BANK MIDNIGHT FLIGHT | ANDERSON AREA YMCA August 31, 2012 | Anderson, SC Three races: 1 mile, 5K and 10K – all Chronotrack timed. Grand Prix certified courses. Cash prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the 5K and 10 K in Open, Masters and Grandmasters. Awards to overall male and female winners in 1 mile. Details: andersonareaymca.org Registration: active.com PARDEE HOSPITAL APPLE FESTIVAL 8K September 1, 2012 Hendersonville, NC Henderson County Chamber of Commerce presents Pardee Hospital 2012 Apple Festival Road Race - On Saturday, September 1st; starting at 8:30am. The details for the 8K run are on the Henderson County Chamber website.Details: hendersoncountychamber.orgRegistration: active.com VIRGINIA TEN MILER September 28-29, 2012 Lynchburg, VAJoin more than 3,000 runners on a historic course that has hosted participants from around the globe. The 10 mile race, 4 mile race, and Amazing Mile Children’s Run invite men, women, and children of all ages and abilities to participate.Details & Registration: virginiatenmiler.com

FREEDOM’S RUN MARATHON, 1/2 MARATHON, 10K, 5K KIDS RUN October 13, 2012 | Shepherdstown, WVJoin us for the 4th Annual Freedom’s Run. 5 events welcome runners & walkers of all abilities. The signature event is the scenic point to point marathon spanning 4 National Parks. RRCA Regional Marathon Championship Details & Registration: freedomsrun.org

HAUNTED HALF MARATHON...ALSO, BOO TO BREW 4-PERSON RELAY October 27, 2012 | 3 PM | Kingsport, TN It’s wicked fast! Flat and fast double-loop half marathon through downtown Kingsport. Dress up in costume for our famous costume contest. Music on the course, beer and BBQ post-race.Email: [email protected] Details & Registration: whauntedhalf.com

Run On


We are wild beings, with wild instincts. So it seems fitting that while practicing one of our most primitive and beloved instincts—running—we might crave a wild place in which to run. Here are five of Appalachia’s elite ultra champions and race directors sharing their most cherished places to run.

annette bednoskyLINVILLE GORGE WILDERNESS, N.C.“It was wintertime, and we were trying to cross the Linville River at the Spence Ridge. The rocks were covered with ice and the consequence of falling in the water there—we would have probably died,” says Annette Bednosky, recalling a particularly memorable moment in the Linville Gorge Wilderness.

She and her friend lived to tell the story, but those feelings of desperation are often part of running in the wild. Bednoksy especially loves the danger and beauty of running in the jagged,

gaping, solid-rock Linville Gorge that gouges deep through Pisgah National Forest. It is the third largest wilderness area in the state. Trails are steep and rugged, and the land is accessible only on foot. This is where Bednosky comes to find peace.

Bednosky directs the New River Trail 50K, which runs in the New River State Park along an old railroad bed. But unlike her New River Trail 50K, her personal wild runs in the Linville Gorge Wilderness are anything but fast and flat.

The gorge is expansive and jarring as you first climb the trails on the ridgelines and peer over into the sheer drops from the rim. Just as when one peers over the edge and into the Grand Canyon for the first time, there is no question that you are looking at something unmistakably wild as you gape at the abyss of the gorge below. Its rocky landscape includes thousands of acres of old-growth forests.

“This is where I really started these multi-hour running adventures and going places by myself,” says Bednosky. “I was figuring out that this ultra running thing—as much as it is a great

experience of running and being fit—it’s this total adventure.”

Clearly the sport stuck. Bednosky was the second American in the Team USA World Challenge 24-Hour in Italy in 2009, 9th overall in the National Team USA World Championships 100K in the Netherlands in 2011, and the 4th woman in the World Masters Marathon in California in 2011.

But when Bednosky is not running around the world, she comes back to Linville Gorge to find solitude in her home wilderness.

“Sometimes running in this area you’ve got to look at your feet, because it’s pretty technical in areas. But also on a clear day you can look up and see Grandfather Mountain. You can see Mount Mitchell, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. You can look down from parts of the route and see the foamy whitewater of the Linville River.”

Here, wild running means dodging rocks, climbing crags, sliding through crevices, running along steep drops, or scrambling across rocky terrain. Wild running means technicality. Wild

T R A I L RU N FAV E S

RunWild Explore the favorite wilderness routes of five legendary trail runners

by DUSTIN ZARNIKOW


running means perseverance. The danger element is real, and Bednosky

knows it. But that is part of the appeal, and part of the challenge that Linville Gorge Wilderness has to offer.

DIRECTOR’S CUTBednosky’s 22-Mile Wilderness RunPark at Spence Ridge Trailhead. Run the FS Road to the Table Rock parking lot. Cross through paved parking lot and continue east through the campground and along Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) to Shortoff and beyond. Continue on the MST and prepare for a wet crossing of Linville River. Then run on to Pinnacle Trail and ascend. Head west on Kistler Memorial Highway, a sometimes rutted and steep road with great views. At Connely Cove Trail leave KMH and descend to Linville River Trail (LRT), and follow it west for a short period of time. There are no signs (carry a map), but a short spur trail leaves LRT and goes to the Spence Ridge Trail river crossing access. Once crossing river, follow Spence Ridge Trail back to your vehicle.

dan lehmannROARING PLAINS WEST WILDERNESS, W.VA."Dan, you're going to get somebody killed running up here," a friend told 61-year-old Dan Lehmann when he brought the first group of people to run the Roaring Plains West Wilderness with him nearly 10 years back. While urging caution, he laughingly admits that not a single person has yet to die while running with him up there.

Lehmann didn’t even begin ultra running until his mid 40s. But a lot has changed for Lehmann since then, having completed many ultra runs from 50Ks to 100Ks without yet receiving a single DNF (Did Not Finish). He’s completed nine of David Horton’s vigorous Hellgate 100K races, and even coordinated and ran his own 120-mile trek across the West Virginia Appalachians.

On top of being an aggressive runner, Lehmann is an individual full of character.

"I love to dance," Lehmann says “I think that dancing gives you a certain amount of agility and ability to move around fluidly and lends itself very well to trail running. Plus it's a lot more fun because you’re with a gal."

As president of the West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners club, which has cultivated a trail-running community in West Virginia, Lehmann directs his own races, including the 40-mile Highlands Sky Trail Run which crosses through parts of Roaring Plains West Wilderness, the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, and Canaan Valley. He is no stranger to running in areas that can potentially render a man helpless when running alone.

One of Lehmann’s favorite wild runs is in the Roaring Plains Wilderness, a world of strong winds, high elevation, giant boulders, red spruce, and open-brush terrain, perched on the high-

elevation plateau in the Monongahela National Forest of West Virginia.

“The trails are not highly developed,” Lehmann says. “You often get off course a little bit, but you’re finding your way as much as you are trail running.”

The Roaring Plains is a place of grandeur and harsh, wild landscapes. The rocks that have been strewn across the plains and trails of the 4,000-foot plateau beckon injury. Many of these rocks are enormous, still sitting exactly where they were deposited by the colossal strength of the glaciers that left them there eons before. The trees are often flagged and stunted from high-velocity winds—winds that can be as brutal and cold as the stones themselves and deliver powerful and dangerous snowstorms in the winter. The vistas are unbeatable and spread across a plateau where you can run quite far without losing the view.

"Wilderness running has a little bit of intrigue, a little bit of danger to it. You’re far enough away from civilization that you’re maybe slightly at risk, particularly if you’re by yourself.”

DIRECTOR’S CUTLehmann’s 21-Mile Wilderness RunPark at the Red Creek trailhead lot behind the Laneville Wildlife Cabin just past the metal bridge crossing Red Creek at the end on Laneville Road.

From the Wildlife Cabin run downstream on Laneville Road and take a hard left on Bonner Mountain Road. Pass the Flatrock Trail parking and continue to the Flatrock Trail on right. The first mile of Flatrock Trail passes through private property and is marked with blue diamonds. After crossing into USFS property and into The Roaring Plains Wilderness most of the blazes are gone. Flatrock climbs for 2,700 feet over five miles and to Roaring Plains and then becoming the Roaring Plains Trail. Here the trail is open, windswept and rocky, with magnificent views. Continue to the gas line and the trail’s end. Turn right, then immediately left on FR 70. Continue on the gravel road and turn left on the Boars Nest Trail. Climb slightly, then descend steeply down 1,000 feet to old railroad grade and turn right. Proceed on the grade to intersect the South Prong trail and bear right. Climb two-and-a-half miles crossing FR 70 and continue up to Red Creek Plains. The trail passes through boulder sections, then the “ten bridges section” through wetlands to emerge at South Prong Trail lot near top of FR 19. Turn left on FR 19 and descend the three miles back to Wildlife Cabin.


Blue Ridge Outdoors • MARCH 2012 • RICHMOND VA EDITION 23

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Up for the challenge? For more information, including registration details, team relay and half marathon options, visit www.blueridgemarathon.com.

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Only 2.7 percent of the contiguous U.S. is protected as wilderness. East of the Missisippi, less than 1 percent is protected. Most Eastern wilderness is found along the Appalachian spine, and it includes some of the most dramatic and difficult trail runs. Here are some excellent wilderness areas that may inspire you to build your own wilderness runs.

SHINING ROCK WILDERNESS, N.C. The Shining Rock Wilderness is one of the country’s most popular wilderness areas—and for good reasons: panoramic vistas from 6,000-foot balds; pristine creeks; Cold Mountain, made famous by the blockbuster book and movie; and the Shining Rocks themselves—stunning quartz outcroppings near 6,000 feet. The best trail to run is the 31-mile Art Loeb Trail, which follows high-elevation ridgelines with jaw-dropping views and summits three peaks exceeding 6,000 feet. The Blue Ridge Parkway wraps around the southern and eastern borders of the wilderness, allowing easy access to many of the best areas.

COHUTTA WILDERNESS, GA.The Cohutta Wilderness is home to the Cohutta Mountains, an extension of the Great Smoky Mountains. This is the second largest wilderness area in the region (only the Okefenokee Swamp is larger). Easy-access spots of the Cohutta can be crowded

more wilderness runs

francesca conteSUGAR HOLLOW, VA.Francesca Conte co-owns and operates Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports with Russell Gill. She directs a handful of top races, including the Ultra Race of Champions (UROC) 100K. She has finished the Badwater ultramarathon. Known as the ‘world’s toughest foot race,’ Badwater is a 135-mile monster, running from Death Valley to Mount Whitney, Ca. She has won a handful of 100-milers. She has won the USA Track and Field 50-mile Championship. An Italian national, Conte has run in wild places all over the world, yet her favorite runs are in Sugar Hollow, a wild river corridor near Shenandoah National Park. Sugar Hollow is bisected by the North and South Forks of the Moormans River. "For me wilderness is, first and foremost, a place where I can be alone," she explains.

"I've seen Sugar Hollow when it was scary. In the winter, once you start through the mountains, you could be 50-60 miles in without seeing anybody. You put the elements on top of that: if the water gets really high, you might not be able to cross it, so how do you get back? Or the weather might change. All of those factors that are part of being in a wilderness totally change the equation."

Yet while danger is always present, the trees, the trails, and the river that calmly meanders through Sugar Hollow offers a tranquility that any trail runner can savor.

DIRECTOR’S CUTConte’s 19-Mile Wilderness RunThe run begins at Sugar Hollow on the North Fork of the Moormans River Road. Run up the double-track trail that climbs for five miles to the Appalachian Trail. Continue left to head south on the A.T. for nine miles. These nine miles have three major climbs and the terrain is hilly even

up on the ridgeline. The A.T. intersects the river at Jarmans Gap and makes a left onto the South Fork of the Moormans River road. The South Fork of the Moormans river road is a double-track trail that follows the South Fork of the Moormans river. It descends for five miles back to Sugar Hollow and the intersection of the North Fork and South Fork of the Moormans river.

clark zealandRAMSEY’S DRAFT WILDERNESS, VA.Clark Zealand is a tough, talented, and thoughtful individual. But you don’t have to know that he’s had 17 career wins and 12 career course records, finished in the top three in nearly all of his races, and set the 5th fastest time in Canadian history for running 100 miles to see that. Or that he directs some of the toughest races in the country through his Eco-X Sports, including the grueling 50-mile Mountain Masochist race. He exudes a tranquility as peaceful as the forest around him. Not suprisingly, he loves to run in one of the most peaceful and remote areas in Virginia: the Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness of George Washington National Forest.

"For me, wilderness and wild places are also cultural places," Zealand said, sitting on the foundation of an old home that once existed in the middle of the Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness.

"Long before Europeans came to live here, indigenous people lived here. So we create these places—and they're really important to protect, super important to protect—but being able to see the obvious cultural artifacts is an important reminder about how these are cultural creations."



One of his favorite trails passes through an old-growth forest of Canadian hemlocks. Zealand loves ridge-running along the gorgeous pine-lined, snow-coated ridgelines of Ramsey’s Draft. The draft—a regional term for a creek—sings through the valley. He often sees tracks of bears and bobcats along the trails.

While he loves to return here, drawn to the incredible beauty of Ramsey’s Draft that ease the tensions of his own life, he does it to ease somebody else's life too.

Zealand’s 10-year-old son, Coleman, is autistic. And while the hustle and movement of many human-oriented environments can often turn into a sensory overload for the mind of an autistic child, the still beauty and serenity of places like Ramsey’s Draft contain the ability to put Coleman at ease, even “bringing him to life.”

“A lot of little boys like bugs and insects and things like that. But Coleman will avoid them

because it might be too much stimulation for him,” he said as he described one of the most memorable times taking his son into the wild. “He actually picked up one of those really furry caterpillars and he was fascinated by it. We were just in awe of how not only did he tend and give focus to this little creature, but he could actually touch it and he was feeling it and exploring it with his fingers—something he had never done before."

So at the heart of it all, Zealand often visits wild places to find peace within and bring solace to the fragile mind of a child.

DIRECTOR’S CUTZealand’s 17-Mile Wilderness RunStart at the Mountain House parking area of Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness. Run northbound on Ramsey’s Draft Trail to the intersection of Hardscrabble Trail and turn left. Continue onward to the 4,282-foot summit of Hardscrabble Knob with great views from the high-elevation trail along the way. Return to the intersection. Hang a left on Ramsey’s Draft Trail and continue onward to intersection of Shenandoah Mountain Trail where you’ll turn left to head south on Shenandoah Mountain Trail to continue onward to Jerry’s Run Trail. Make another left to head northeast on Jerry’s Run Trail and continue to intersect with Ramsey’s Draft Trail. Take a right on Ramsey’s Draft Trail and follow it back to the parking area to finish this 17-mile circuit.

david hortonCOLD MOUNTAIN, VA."Listen! What do you hear? You hear the wind. Do you hear any cars? Do you hear any people? Do you hear any traffic? Do you see stop signs? Do you hear any cell phones ringing? Do you hear anybody doing anything? The answer is, no. That's what I like. I like being out in the mountains, in God's creation," David Horton says, gleaming, perched atop highland balds with the wind blowing in his face and the ominous gray clouds sweeping by in his favorite spot at Cold Mountain, Va., in the George Washington National Forest.

David Horton is the godfather of ultra running in the South. In 1979 he ran his first ultra marathon. Since then, he's run 160-plus marathons. He's set the speed record on the A.T. He's set the speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail. He's set the speed record on the Long Trail. He's directed over 65 ultras and continues to direct the Hellgate 100 each December. Running has defined David's life—his life up until now, that is.

"I turned 60 on February 28, 2010. Six days later, I was running along and my knee started hurting,” Horton recalled. “I stopped. I felt it. It was right in my joint and I thought, I think that's a torn meniscus."

It was. After numerous MRIs, surgeries, and rehabilitations, he found that nothing could be

in the summer, like Jacks River Falls. But most of the area is rugged and remote, ideal for long trail runs. The Conasauga and Jacks River Trails offer an ideal summer trail run; both require dozens of wet-footed river crossings. The Cohutta offers a full spectrum of color: the flowers of the flame azaleas, lady’s slippers, the blue cohoshes, and more than 100 species of birds. It also contains some of the state’s best trout rivers tumbling through rocky gorges. Furthermore, if you steer clear of the Jacks River Trail, you’re likely to find peace and quiet with very few people on your wilderness runs.

JOYCE KILMER-SLICKROCK WILDERNESS, N.C.On the western edge of the Nantahala National Forest sits the 17,394-acre Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness. There are some great views of the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests from Hangover Bald and Stratton Bald, but the Joyce Kilmer Forest itself is the true running highlight. One of the oldest tracts of virgin old-growth forest in the East, the Joyce Kilmer Forest is home to massive yellow poplars 20 feet in circumference and over 100 feet tall, towering over a quiet, mossy forest floor loaded with wildflowers and ferns. Many of the trees in this section (including poplars, hemlock, red and white oak), are over 400 years old and are living proof of a history nearly forgotten. Run the two-mile memorial trail as a warmup, then follow the Naked Ground Trail deeper into the wilderness.

ELLICOTT ROCK WILDERNESS, N.C. The Ellicott Rock Wilderness spans over 8,000 acres and straddles the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The landscape is wild and rugged, with tall peaks like Georgia’s 3,672-foot Glade Mountain or South Carolina’s 3,294-foot Fork Mountain. The best running trail is the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River Trail, which runs right through the middle of Ellicott Rock Wilderness. The Chattooga River Trail is roughly 40 miles of river-hugging beauty that runs along ridge lines, rapids, and deep coves that occupy a river that has remained protected and virtually unharmed by man. The Chattooga River Trail connects with the Bartram Trail a few miles below the wilderness, enabling you to expand your adventure into a multi-day epic. The wilderness protects the headwaters of the Chattooga, made famous by the 1970s book and movie Deliverance. Today, Deliverance River’s biggest threat isn’t squeal-like-a-pig backwoodsmen, but encroaching second-home development and runoff. Thankfully, the river is federally protected as Wild and Scenic, which prohibits development within its corridor. •


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done and that, to his dismay, running was out—for good.

But here sat the driven running legend at Cold Mountain in the tawny, bald-mountain grass fields of the fall, talking about his favorite Virginia wilderness where he still comes to let go.

Horton “shed about two tears" before making a quick transition to a sport that didn't cause him so much pain in his knee: mountain biking. Horton biked 110 days in a row without missing a beat to develop the habit so that he could now replace his previous title as a ‘runner,’ with a ‘cyclist.’

Now he finds himself still drawn to his favorite wild spots, pedaling to them instead of running, unable to turn his head away from the great outdoors. What is it that reels him back in every time?

The wilderness means two things for Horton. It means sheer beauty and it means self-challenge. The emotion of dramatic landscapes combined with the self-sufficiency that you develop when you have to survive them—that's what it is about for him.

"I like being outside in all seasons—all weather. I think it makes you tougher. This is home," he told me. "I love being in places where, if you mess up, it may take a while to get out. That's ok."

Cold Mountain offers 360-degree views of Mount Pleasant and Mount Pompey in the distance, along with gusty winds and rolling, lullaby-fields.

"When I run through here, I think I'm running in The Sound of Music," Horton said, recalling the iconic scene of Julie Andrews running and spinning through a field in the Alps. But he wasn’t in the Alps. He was atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.

DIRECTOR’S CUTHorton’s 17-Mile Wilderness RunStart at the Long Mountain Wayside on highway 60 where the Appalachian Trail crosses, about 15 miles west of Amherst, Va. Head north on FS 520 to FS 48 and turn right on 48 taking it to the Henry Lanum Loop Trail. Do the five-mile loop counterclockwise, following FS 48 around the mountain to Salt Log Gap. Follow FS 1176 north for about a mile and turn right on the A.T. Follow the AT back south to Long Mountain Wayside going through Salt Log Gap. Go up and over Tar Jacket Ridge with great views. Descend to Hog Camp Gap at 3,500 feet and then ascend to the open fields of Cold Mountain. Descend to Cow Camp Gap and then ascend to the top of Bald Knob at over 4,000 feet. Then descend 2,000 feet in three miles back to the start and Long Mt. Wayside. •

Freedom’s runSerieS of eventS ê ê ê ê

Races of Historic ProportionsShepherdstown, WV • Harpers Ferry, WVf r e e d o m S r u n . o r g

Great Family Trail Runs through the NCTC campus. Proceeds from this event benefit Potomac Valley Audubon Society’s environmental education and outreach for children and adults in our community—the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia and Washington County, Maryland.

4+ MileTrail Race* 7+ Mile Trail Race* 2 Mile “Eagle Nest” Jog/Walk** 1 Mile “Fun Run” for children under 10

* 4+ and 7+ Trail races are limited to a total of 400 Runners — Race Day Registration for these events may not be available.

** Jog/walk is a baby jogger and walker friendly — self timed

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 7:30-8:45 am Registration & Number Pick up 9:00 am Start 7+ & 4+ mile Trail Races 9:05am Start 2 mile jog/walk (self timed) 10:45am 1 mile “Fun Run” for children under 10. 11:15am Awards Ceremony

AMENITIES & FACILITIES Shower/Changing facilities Aid station located at miles: 1, 3 & 6 (approx.) Post-race snacks and beverages.

DOOR PRIZES AND AWARDS — MUST BE PRESENT FOR AWARDS Trail Race Awards: Champ & Runner-up for Top Overall, Grand Masters (70+), Masters (40+), Age Groups Prizes for all kids in Fun Run! REGISTRATION FEES:

Visit our Website! raceforthebirds.org

Register Online! active.com Online registration open thru April 16

unless events are filled earlier.

Multi-child discount: $5 off for 2nd & each additional child under 18.

Pre-registered: (postmarked by 4/2) 2 Mile jog/walk: $15 (self-timed) 4.9 Mile race: $20 7.7 Mile race: $25 1 Mile Kids Fun Run: FREE

Race Day Fees: (add $2 after 4/2) 2 mile jog/walk: $17 (self-timed) 4.9 Mile race: $22 7.7 Mile race: $27 1 Mile Kids Fun Run: FREE

Adult Pre-registrants are guaranteed a free t-shirt; others will get them as supplies last. Make out tax-deductible checks to PVAS. EXTRA DONATIONS WELCOME!

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WAIVER: In consideration of my application and permitting me to participate in this event, I hereby take action for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf: (1) Waive, release and discharge from any and all liability from my death, disability, personal injury, property damage, property theft or actions of any kind which might hereafter accrue to me including my traveling to and from the event, THE FOLLOWING ENTITIES OR PERSONS: event coordinator; event director; event committee; Potomac Valley Audubon Society; The Nature Conservancy of West Virginia; the United States Government; including but not limited to the Department of Interior, the Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Conservation Training Center; Jefferson County, WV; volunteers; event sponsors; their directors, officers, employees; volunteers’ representatives, and agents, and the event holders; (2) Indemnify and Hold Harmless the entities or person mentioned in this paragraph from any and all liability or claims made as a result of participation this event, whether caused by the negligence of releases or otherwise.

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Race for the BirdsApril 21 • raceforthebirds.org

7mi, 4 mi, 2 mi, kids run

Inaugural Two Rivers Heritage Half Marathon at Harpers Ferry

May 12 • harpersferryhalf.org1/2 marathon, 4 mi, kids run

3rd Annual Freedom’s RunOct 13 • freedomsrun.org

Marathon, Half, 10k, 5k, kid’s run

Race HQ Two Rivers Treads Center for Natural Running and Walking

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Experience the best views in the Shenandoah Valley on this 13.1 mile point to point course connecting Waynesboro’s Ridgeview Park to Augusta County’s Stuarts Draft Park. Gently rolling hills, mountain vistas and beautiful serene river crossings make this a must do spring race! Racers get a technical tee, finishers medal, fully stocked aid stations, post race food & drink and the satisfaction of helping out a great local charity.

Registration Fee:$50 through March 16 $60 March 17 - April 13 $70 April 14 - April 25 $80 April 26 - Race Day

Saturday - April 28, 2012

Waynesboro Parks & Recreation

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I spent the first 21 years of my life within a 70-mile radius. Born and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia, I only got as far as Charlottesville when it came time to go

off to college. As a kid, I took the landscape for granted; as a teenager, I predictably wanted nothing more than to put as many miles as I could between myself and my hometown. It wasn’t until college that I actually came to appreciate this place.

That was when I began to notice things that had escaped my attention before. The dusky, metallic smell that comes with the first drops of a summer rain. The deep-space silence of a snowy winter day; the soaring parkway views over grassy valleys and distant, peeling farmhouses nestled in the shadow of the Blue Ridge. The way the Virginia land begins at the sea as a swampy plain and then races west to crumple into mountains. Those mountains themselves, ageless, immovable, and so ingrained in my understanding of the outdoors that anywhere flat, regardless of population or architecture, seems to me desolate and unnerving.

But still I wanted to see the world, leave that 70-mile corridor for something utterly foreign. My newfound appreciation of my own surroundings crashed up against my teenage wanderlust, and I knew that I had to see what else was out there, even if it sent me right back to Virginia at the end of it all.

So a month before I turned 22, I boarded a

plane that took me 7,000 miles away from the only home I’d ever known. When I finally arrived in Busan, South Korea, the sun had set and the city was bathed in the twilight of a neon haze. Glowing red crosses dotted the rooftops above rows of concrete buildings that clustered in the craters among the surrounding mountains like colonies on a distant planet. For the first time, I knew what it was to be away, truly away, from home.

As I got to know the place, I never lost the dual sense of the known and the deeply new that can only come with being far from home. The mountains were so familiar, and on some summer days, when the cicadas would shriek and the moist heat would cling to my skin and the clouds would billow over the ridges in thick blankets, I could almost be back in Virginia. But the rocky coast and the Chinese juniper and the itinerant monks who roamed the streets at night, twirling ratchets and calling for alms, always broke that illusion.

I spent three years in Korea. I made friends: foreigners and locals. I learned the food and as much as I could of the language. I learned how to teach. I fell in love. I sat up at night and watched the wind rip the leaves from the trees as the light from squid boats shone phosphorescent off in the sea. Oppressive summer; windswept fall; raw, chapped winter; spring with its drizzle driving green shoots from black, rain-slick branches; summer again.

I finally returned to Virginia with the Canadian

girl I’d fallen in love with. We came back to the last gasps of a Virginia summer. Straight away, I found things I didn’t even realize I’d missed. Trees were one of the most surprising pleasures. Without even realizing it, I had spent nearly three years in a country where I didn’t see a single tree over two or three stories tall. The trees in Virginia were leafy and impossibly massive: great, ancient behemoths bursting with fractal branches and broad, variegated leaves. The sky was another surprise. Vast and filled with enormous, kingly cumuli and scraggly tussocks of cirrus, the sky bled crimson and orange and purple as day gave way to night. I hadn’t even noticed in all that time that in neon Busan, the sun just fizzled and died each night.

None of this is to say that Korea didn’t have its natural beauty—far from it, the country is filled with mountains tumbling dramatically into the sea. But it wasn’t the beauty I had grown up with.

Two days after getting off the plane from Korea for the last time, I went walking along the trails around the Potomac with my parents and that Canadian girl, the one I’d soon marry. I let them go on ahead while I slowed my pace through a meadow that ran right up to the river. A small sea of waist-high grass roiled in the wind. Bullrushes quivered at water’s edge, and a florid smell hung heavy in the air. For the first time in three years, I felt a sense of permanence. A rabbit stirred in the grass and then froze. I was home. •

Coming Home

by KylE DAly


Where’s the sense of discovery? I may not be notching conquests in my

GPS like some other runners, but devoting my running life to the same system comes with its own sense of adventure.

Peruse our history together: This is the trail where I took my golden retriever running almost every day of his adult life. This is the trail that I ran for two hours, crying the whole time, the day that same dog died. This is the trail I ran the day I heard my wife was pregnant. Then again when I heard we were having two babies instead of just one. This is the trail where I trained for my first ultra. I stashed water bottles in these bushes! It may sound boring, but I know every inch of this trail. I can knock out a winter night run just by the light of the moon. I know what stretches are flat enough for speed. I know I need to conserve a bit of energy for that last road climb back to my house. I know Betty’s secrets, the way I know my wife secretly likes trashy vampire TV shows. I know how long she takes to dry out after a rain (the trail, not my wife). I know where she’s expanding from overuse. I know that bizarre tree sculptures are hidden behind certain bushes. I know on Wednesday afternoons, a strange-but-friendly man does tai chi while listening to Bon Jovi in a corner of the forest. I know if I can run a certain loop in under 30 minutes, I’m in shape. If I have to walk a certain hill, I’ve been watching too much SportsCenter.

It helps that Betty is a kick-ass trail system. Monogamy is a little easier when you’re married to a supermodel who can cook. My “one true run” has a little bit of everything. A couple of miles of easy doubletrack, some super-tight singletrack that twists like an intestine, and steep road climbs connecting it all. There’s even a track near the middle for speed work. Please, don’t think me crass when I say this trail system has curves. But she’s not just about flow. She’s complicated too, with algebraic rock gardens and quick pitches almost too steep to run. Even after years of use, a run there can still be exciting. I typically come out of a run even more devoted to Betty than before. It’s like going to church and coming out more in love with Jesus.

With more than half of marriages ending in divorce, an argument could be made that monogamy doesn’t work. Feel free to discuss that with your significant other. But in trail running, monogamy is necessary. Sure, jumping from one hot piece of dirt to the next sounds fun, but look closer and you’ll see it’s actually just exhausting. You summit new mountains, but where’s the deeper connection?

Runners need familiar ground. We need consistency. Running the same trail over and over establishes a union that goes beyond the superficial, a rhythm that you can tap into when you know the ground so well. What I’m talking about here is understanding. My trail and I have a beautiful rapport, the sort of back and forth you can only find in a committed relationship or an Aaron Sorkin movie.

By all means, play the field. Spend some time experimenting with various trails to see what you like. Be promiscuous. But eventually, choose a partner. Settle down. Find yourself a Betty. Run her over and over. Take care of her, and she’ll take care of you. •

iven our current tell-all culture, I feel obligated to use this forum to update my status. Graham Averill is in a relationship. Yes, I’m still happily

married to my beautiful wife, but there’s another in my life. She’s a small forest at the bottom of my neighborhood with a beautiful little six-mile trail system winding through a hardwood canopy. This is where I sneak off to day after day for 45 minutes of sweating and heavy breathing. I guess in the classic sense, you could call this trail system my mistress. But not the sort of cheap mistress that Americans have. She’s more like the mistress of a French politician. The kind you buy villas for and take to state dinners.

Not only are we in a relationship, but I’ll go a step further and say we’re monogamous. I don’t like to run anywhere else. Sure, I’ve had dalliances with other trails. I lust after exotic

singletrack just like any red-blooded American runner. Thin strips of dirt winding sinuously through dank foliage. Rocky, rough tread that rises over bare mountains. I’m tempted by skinnier trails. Trails with foreign accents. I’ve been known to ogle glossy magazine spreads. I’m human. When I travel, I occasionally even find myself lacing up my shoes for a jaunt on other paths, but it’s meaningless. It’s just exercise.

A run on my home system, we’ll call her Betty, is more than exercise. It’s a sacrament, like marriage or a Saturday afternoon of SEC football. And though I may lust after other trails, I find myself loyal as ever to Betty, that lovely mix of singletrack, doubletrack, and paved road connectors that completes me.

Where’s the sense of adventure in running the same trail over and over, you may ask.

in defense of monogamy

by GRAhAm AvERIll

Discovering new terrain is grand, but there’s something about running the

same trail over and over.

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omewhere along the skinny Rose River in Shenandoah National Park, Travis McDowell lost count of the number of fish he’d caught.

“Forty? 50? I’m not one for keeping track anyway, but I know I saw action in 80 percent of the pools I fished,” McDowell says, describing how he spent the majority of his day scrambling over boulders and sneaking from one tiny pool to the next, moving up the headwaters of a stream.

Most anglers stick to the larger trail-side portion of the Rose, a stretch listed in plenty of Mid-Atlantic fly fishing guide books, but McDowell wanted something more remote. He consulted his topo, followed the blue line as it curled away from the trail, and set out for an adventure. His only company the entire day were the fish he caught. And he landed them using the most rudimentary fly fishing set-up imaginable.

“Just a rod, line, and fly,” McDowell says, naming the “trinity” of tenkara, an ancient style of fly fishing practiced for centuries in the mountains of Japan. It’s a streamlined version of the sport that’s similar to Western fly fishing, but with one significant difference: with tenkara, there’s no reel. Instead, a fixed line is attached to the tip of the rod. According to tenkara enthusiasts, the lack of reel simplifies the experience, boiling fly fishing down to the bare necessities.

“It’s like single speed mountain biking,” says McDowell, an unofficial “tenkara ambassador” and former mountain bike racer who has all but abandoned his Western style fly rods for their

streamlined Asian cousins. “The singlespeed is light and gear-less, so you don’t have to worry about the drivetrain. You can focus on the experience. That’s tenkara.”

Tenkara rods are typically longer than their Western counterparts, but because there are no eyelets, you can telescope each rod down to around 20 inches. The line is also lighter and braided to reduce drag on the water. Add some tippet and a fly on the end of the fixed line, and that’s your whole system. It’s an almost complete lack of clutter that puts as little as possible between you and the fish.

“For me, it’s the simplicity,” says Daniel Galhardo, founder of Tenkara USA, the only manufacturer of tenkara style rods that distributes in the U.S. “The idea that I can fish anywhere and not have to fumble with the reel, and passing the line through the eyelets...all these little things that end up taking up an enormous amount of time. There’s none of that frustration because there are so few pieces to deal with.”

While the minimalist art form has been around for centuries in Japan, originating with poor, professional fishermen who had to catch fish with only the most rudimentary equipment at hand, it’s just now beginning to gain popularity in the United States. Tenkara officially made its way to the U.S. in 2009, when Galhardo founded Tenkara USA. The 28-year-old avid rock climber and backpacker spent months studying with the Japanese masters of Tenkara and is hell-bent on spreading the tenkara gospel to the Western world, mostly through an

by GRAhAm AvERIll

Untangle with Tenkara—a simple, streamlined, singlespeed fly fishing

unreelYou can get into this sport for relatively cheap, and you’ll only need a few things.

TENKARA ROD They range from 11 to 14.5 feet. The Iwana (named after a wild Japanese trout) is 12 feet long and collapses to 20.5 inches. It’s a relatively stiff rod built specifically for tight mountain streams. $158,tenkarausa.com

LINE Tenkara line is tapered and braided to minimize drag. The length is fixed, either 10.5 feet or 13 feet. Most anglers use a line the same length of their rod, then add four feet of tippet. $20, tenkarausa.com

TIPPET Any tippet from a fly shop will work, as will Western style flies.

There’s only one authorized Tenkara USA dealer in our region, Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg, Va. (mossycreekflyfishing.com), but you can order direct through Tenkara USA.

TENKARA GEAR


TENKARA STREAMSTenkara is made for tight mountain streams that support wild brook. The sky’s the limit in Southern Appalachia. Here are a few favorites: PINEY RIVER Shenandoah National Park, Va. The Piney Branch Trail crosses this wild trout stream a couple of times, allowing for relatively easy access. Hike to the second trail junction and begin bushwhacking and fishing your way upstream.

HAZEL CREEK HEADWATERS Great Smoky Mountains National Park, N.C. Head for an elevation above 3,000 feet to avoid the non-native rainbow and brown species that have been introduced to the park. Hazel Creek is the perfect example. Where this famous stream hits Lake Fontana, it’s filled with browns and rainbows, but if you head to the stream’s narrower, steeper headwaters below Clingman’s Dome, you’ll find tiny, shifty brookies, and far fewer anglers. NORTH HARPER CREEK Pisgah National Forest, N.C. North Harper Creek begins near the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Wilson Creek Area of Pisgah National Forest and runs fast and cold before it joins the Wild and Scenic Wilson Creek. The stream is full of gin-clear pools that house mostly rainbow and brown trout, but the occasional native brookie can be found. Access the creek via the North Harper Creek Trail, a rugged and secluded path that crosses the river half a dozen times, so both access and solitude are plentiful.

CONASAUGA RIVER Chattahoochee National Forest, Ga. The headwaters of the Conasauga River are so tight, a new angler might think the creek wouldn’t hold trout. In fact, this is one of the most beloved native brook streams in North Georgia. Almost 15 miles of the crystal clear Conasauga run through the Cohutta Wilderness Area of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Most of that stretch is accessible via the Conasauga River Trail, which crosses the creek almost 40 times in 13 miles. Consider an overnight trip, as the river is remote and backpacking sites abound.

NOONTOOTLA CREEK Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area, Ga. Noontootla starts as as a spring on Springer Mountain and drops steeply through the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area on its way to the Toccoa River. Larger rainbows and browns can be found down low, but if you stick to the high elevations where three tributaries (Chester Creek, Stover Creek, Long Creek) feed Noontootla, you’ll find native brook. Access the creek from Forest Road 58 inside the Blue Ridge WMA and head upstream.

online community and grassroots devotees like McDowell. Tenkara has yet to hit the mainstream, but just three years after its introduction there are almost as many tenkara anglers in the U.S. as there are in Japan. The sport is growing steadily in mountain communities where backpackers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, and paddlers are drawn to tenkara’s zen-like simplicity.

“Younger athletes in particular are picking up tenkara, even though Western fly fishing didn’t resonate with them,” Galhardo says. “Simple things have their appeal, and a certain kind of person is attracted to the philosophy of tenkara; the notion of relying on technique instead of gear. We’re going against the grain in the U.S. Look at a fly fishing magazine and you’ll see all this complicated stuff. Twenty different fly lines for different sizes of trout, vests, floatants, split shot...why do you need all these things? All that gear is intended to make fishing easier, but all of

a sudden you’re cluttered and the gear actually makes the sport more difficult.”

Don’t let all the philosophical talk fool you. Tenkara is as practical as it is peaceful. Even though tenkara rods are two to four feet longer than Western rods built for cold water, tenkara anglers insist they’re actually better suited for the tight, brush-choked streams found on the sides of mountains. While the rod is longer, the top third is remarkably pliable and the line and fly are much lighter than a Western set up. The result is a tighter, less dramatic cast.

“I fish small brook trout streams and I’ve yet to have a problem with the rod being too long,” says Tom Sadler, a Virginia-based fishing guide and an early adoptee of tenkara. “Since you don’t have to load the road as dramatically, you can keep the rod in front of you and out of the brush behind you.”

The longer rod also means you have an extended reach across the stream without the

need for extra line. When all is said and done, a tenkara cast looks a little different than a conventional fly cast. The physics are the same, but there’s less motion, and much of the cast is performed with a flick of the wrist. Typically, you’ll end your cast with your elbow in front of you, your arm held high to keep everything but the fly and tippet out of the water. And your

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left hand, or non-casting hand, is completely still since there’s no reel or extra line to manage.

“With small mountain streams, you don’t need all that extra line you find in a Western fly fishing system,” says McDowell. “You’re not performing big River Runs Through It casts. There’s no room for that, so the reel basically becomes a fancy line holder.”

The minimalist nature of the sport also means anglers can go deeper into the backcountry with less gear to carry and fret over. Moving from stream to stream is a cinch because the rod telescopes to pocket size, and minimalist anglers can get away with carrying nothing more than the rod, line, and a small can of flies.

“When I saw tenkara for the first time in Japan, I knew immediately is was perfect for backpacking,” Galhardo says. He tells a story about exploring a remote canyon in Japan, wearing a wetsuit and rappelling down a series of waterfalls to fish for a rare native trout species inside shallow pools completely enclosed by mossy rock walls. The scene is similar to the streams you’ll find dropping into Lake Jocassee on the border of North Carolina and South Carolina, or the tiny creeks that fall from the ridges of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Most anglers never set foot in these tough-to-access headwaters, but tenkara fishermen seem to pride themselves on fishing gnarly, technical water.

“Hike one mile from the access point and you’ll lose 90 percent of fishermen,” McDowell says. “Hike two miles and you’ll lose the other 10 percent.”

Because of the supreme packability and minimalism of a tenkara system, McDowell sees big potential in the outdoor community. “Tenkara is the perfect complimentary activity to the things people are already doing. It packs down to a few inches, weighs next to nothing. You can fit it in the hull of a kayak. Slip it into your daypack. Mountain bikers could even fit a Tenkara rod in a hydration pack. Fly fishing tends to be gadget heavy. A vest, a chest pack, shoulder bag, waders, more flies than I can count. But now I just throw the rod, line, and a tiny fly box in my day pack and hit the woods.”

The streamlined system also makes tenkara more approachable for beginners and, ultimately, easier to learn. In Western fly fishing, managing the line on the water with your left hand and reel is a big part of success and often a tough obstacle for beginners to overcome, but in tenkara a beginner only has to worry about his cast. Even the cast is easier to pick up because of the long rod and short line.

“Tenkara doesn’t put a premium on casting techniques,” says Tom Sadler, the only recognized guide who’s teaching tenkara in the Southeast. “It’s easy to get the fly line in the water, raise the line out of the water and follow the fly with the tip. You learn quickly and catch fish quickly. Tenkara is getting people into the sport of fly fishing, and they’re sticking with it.”

Sadler, who teaches out of Mossy Creek Fly Shop in Harrisonburg, Va., estimates the store is selling more tenkara rods than conventional rods at this point. Tenkara’s potential to attract new users prompted Patagonia founder Yvon

Chouinard to proclaim, “Tenkara will be the salvation of fly fishing.”

It’s winning over long-time Western-style anglers as well. Sadler himself is convinced he’s catching more fish since switching to tenkara, a common observation shared by long-time anglers turned tenkara devotees. Sadler explains his greater success not with mysticism, but with math.

“With tenkara, you only have a few inches of tippet in the water leading to the fly. With Western fly fishing, you have six feet of line leading to the fly. The lack of line in the water reduces drag and allows the fly to behave more naturally,” Sadler says. “It leads to a better presentation for the fish.”

And a better presentation of the fly means more fish rising to take that fly. Or, as McDowell puts it: “The more line you have in the water, the more the fish knows you’re full of shit.”

Combine the simplicity of tenkara with its effectiveness, and you get a small-but-rabid population of anglers who often come across as zealots. Passion exudes within online tenkara forums and stream-side conversations. One fisherman even got the Tenkara USA logo tattooed to his arm. It’s an enthusiasm that’s similar within the fixed gear bicyclist crowd.

“I fished with one guy in California who says tenkara changed his life,” Galhardo says. “He’d always been a backpacker, but I think tenkara gave him a purpose in the backcountry. It gave him a pursuit and changed his outlook on the outdoors.” •

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1. COHUTTA FISHING COMPANYcohuttafishingco.com • 770-606-1100Cartersville, GeorgiaAt Cohutta Fishing Company we offer a full range of high quality fly fishing products and tying materials from manufacturers such as Simms, Patagonia, Filson, Hardy Greys, Scott Fly Rods, Jackson Kayaks, and more. We are dedicated to customer service and providing knowledgeable information to our customers.

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19. PAGE VALLEY FLY FISHINGpagevalleyflyfishing.com •540-743-7952 / 540-742-9723 Luray, Virginia We offer wade trips for Shenandoah National Park brook trout, as well as wade trips and float trips for Shenandoah River smallmouth bass. We also offer fishing trips for mountain brook trout in select, private brook trout water locations in the Shenandoah Valley. Tackle and equipment provided if needed

20. ESCATAWBA FARMSescatawba.com • 540-962-6487Alleghany County, Virginia (12 miles East of White Sulphur Springs, WV and 12 miles West of Covington VA)Escatawba Farms is a carefully-manicured, well maintained fly fishing haven with an abundance of heavy rainbow, brook and brown trout. Located in Alleghany County, VA, Escatawba is situated on Dunlap Creek, a spring-fed stream which runs between 500 acres of wooded mountainsides and fenced pastures. It’s the perfect balance of superb angling and picturesque scenery that will keep calling you back, time after time.

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22. NEW RIVER FLY FISHINGnewriverflyfish.com • 540-789-7811Floyd, VirginiaWe provide fly fishing float trips for smallmouth bass and muskie on the New River and James River. Striped bass trips on the Staunton River and Smith Mountain Lake, and wade trips for trout on private waters. We also offer fly fishing instruction and lodging. Fishing the New River Valley for over 35 years!.

23. ROSE RIVER FARMroseriverfarm.com • 703-209-2832Syria, VirginiaRose River Farm is the premier private water, trophy trout, fly fishing destination in Virginia. We feature guided and unguided fly fishing, fly fishing lessons and luxury rental cabins. The private water is cold, crystal clear, with a river rock base. The water is rich in natural trout food which produces trophy conditions, including wild rose rainbows, wild brook trout, wild brown trout and stocked jumbo rainbows.

24. HARMAN’S LUXURY LOG CABINSwvlogcabins.com/fishing • 800-436-6254Seneca Rocks, West VirginiaHarman’s Luxury Log Cabins and fly shop are located on the banks of our privately stocked trophy trout stream. The stream is managed by catch and release rules with trout ranging from 2 to 5lb range. Harman’s has become a favorite of Curtis Fleming host of Fly Rod Chronicles TV which broadcasts on the Outdoor Channel. Guide services and stream fees are available.

Check out these great Fly Fishing locations across

the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic!



c u l t u re b i n

Moon Taxi The New School of Southern JamBy Jedd Ferris

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It’s no secret that Nashville is a lot more country than rock ‘n’ roll. But Moon Taxi is helping to cultivate a new scene in Music City, where the guitars have more reverb than twang. For the past five years, the dynamic quintet has built a loyal grassroots following behind an expansive live show that finds balance between rock’s experimental outskirts and tuneful center.

The band formed in 2007 when they were students at Belmont University. Soon after, they started building crowds around the Southeast with a steady touring regimen.

“We used Nashville as a good springboard and then cut our chops on the road,” says lead singer and main lyricist Trevor Terndrup.

While country hit makers on Music Row may dominate Nashville’s music landscape, Moon Taxi has won over sizable crowds at longstanding clubs like the Exit/In with irresistibly energetic live gigs that blend high-minded jam-band bombast with fist-pumping sing-alongs.

“In Nashville it’s not easily handed to you with this type of music,” adds Terndrup, who’s flanked on stage by bandmates Tom Putnam (bass), Spencer Thomson (lead guitar), Tyler Ritter (drums), and Wes Bailey (keys). “It’s not easy in a town that’s dominated by country, but a good rock scene has definitely developed. We carved it out through hard work and years of playing in town.”

A few weeks ago, the band released a new album, Cabaret, which is ripe for a national breakout. While the group’s sound lands squarely between the worlds of jam and indie rock, the new effort leans toward the latter. The

record was made at Alex the Great Studios in Nashville with help from producer Hank Sullivant, whose resume includes work with the Whigs and MGMT. As a result, the songs on Cabaret are concise and catchy, while drenched in experimental studio effect.

The huge soaring chorus of the opening track, “Mercury,” is enhanced with distorted synth walls, while “Radio” sparkles with an infectious garage pop stomp. On the gritty hip-hop flavored “Hideaway,” Thompson added samples of a chant he recorded on his laptop at an anti-war protest in New York City.

“It’s the first time we’ve tried to think about a good studio record on the whole,” Terndrup explains. “We wanted to challenge ourselves with this record to make something cohesive and concise. We’re listening to more current popular music, and that found its way into how we wanted to make the record. We wanted to find unique sounds that we’d never experimented with before.”

Even with a wash of hipster edge in the sonic mix, lyrically, Terndrup leans more toward the soul of the South. “Whiskey Sunsets” romanticizes adventurous long nights with a buzz in front of anthemic arena rock riffs, while the intoxication in “Southern Trance” comes just as much from being “naked, lit up by moonshine” as it does from “Georgia jasmine blooms.” Terndrup says his songwriting is influenced by the literary work of Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut, and authors “that stretch your imagination and put together wacky metaphors that you wouldn’t think about in a normal state of mind.”

With a broad arsenal of appealing sonic characteristics, the band is poised to infiltrate a diverse range of music scenes. The group already has firm footing in the jam band world—sharing the stage with the likes of Gov’t Mule, Umphrey’s McGee, and Perpetual Groove—and they don’t want to alienate that

In late April, 80,000 acoustic music fans will flock to Wilkesboro, N.C., for Merlefest, the Americana extravaganza hosted by bluegrass legend Doc Watson. For fans who would rather play than watch, the festival is offering a Bluegrass Jam Camp (April 23-26) the week before the main event. The four-day instructional camp, held in Boomer, 10 miles from the festival site, will be led by banjo ace Pete Wernick of influential bluegrass crew Hot Rize. With programs for all skill levels, both novice players and skilled pickers can get pro instruction on group jamming with fellow musicians. Campers are welcome to bring a range of instruments, including guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and bass. merlefest.org

bluegrassBAND CAMP

supportive crowd. But with the new album, the band members believe they can reach new audiences, like they did when they opened for Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu, who delivers a rhyme on the track “Square Circles.”

“He’s a really great performer that I’ve always looked up to,” Terndrup says. “Even though he’s coming from a very different genre of music, he gets off on the very same thing that we do, which is the live performance and being there in the moment.

“With our live shows we have catered to the jam crowd, and there’s an expectation when people come to our shows for over the top guitar solos and a crazy light show. That’s not something we’re going to aim to change in the future.” •


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Cashiers-Highlands PlateauBy Chris Gragtmans

The Cashiers-Highlands plateau of Western North Carolina is an off-the-beaten-path oasis of incredible beauty. A long-time destination for the Greenville, Asheville, and Atlanta retirement communities, the area also draws outdoor athletes of all ages. Often referred to as the “Land of Waterfalls,” the area boasts abundant rainfall and unique geology, which creates some of the most spectacular cascades in the South. No matter what your outdoors passion, this area has something to fit the bill. Here are a few of our favorite getaways.

whiteside mountain hiking and climbingWhiteside is a marquee feature among the stacked list of natural scenic attractions in the area. Its massive North Face is impossible to miss by anyone making the drive on 64 between Cashiers and Highlands. While this mountain hosts some of the most challenging and committing trad and sport climbing routes in the South, it also has beautiful hiking options available to hikers of all skill levels.

HIKINGThere are several options available to hikers wanting to access the top of the granite escarpment that reaches 4,930 feet of elevation.

The most popular is a two-mile loop that utilizes an old roadbed to wind up, and a steeper trail on the way back down to treat visitors to one spectacular view after another. From these vantage points, hikers can gaze into the piedmont of South Carolina and Georgia and view peregrine falcons nesting in the cliffs. These are actually the fastest animals on earth, capable of diving for their prey at speeds of 200 miles per hour. Another option is to visit the Devil’s Courthouse, where you will be treated to 360-degree views, and the loop will be extended to four miles. Access to Whiteside can be obtained in Wildcat Cliffs Country Club for a $2 fee.

CLIMBINGWhile the hiking on Whiteside Mountain caters to people of all fitness and ability levels, the climbing is not for the faint of heart. Whiteside is known as some of the most challenging and dangerous climbing in the South. The routes have a runout character, and some have 10 or more pitches, so bring your game face, and go with climbers who have prior experience out there.

The North Face is the most visible, but the majority of climbing occurs on the South Face. This is a plus for year-round climbing, since the sun keeps you warmer in the winter. The most popular route, Original Route, is a 5.11a, or a 5.9a if you use the bolt ladder at the crux. Be wary of the first pitch, which is comprised of 140 feet of 5.7 with no protection.

Additional options include the three-pitch ice climbing routes available on the North

Face, and a number of 5.11 routes up to Devil’s Courthouse.

One other consideration is the falcon nesting grounds. Parts of the mountain will sporadically close to climbers as the birds move around; check CarolinaClimbers.org to stay updated.

cullasaja riverwaterfall tourThe Cullasaja originates near the town of Highlands, and is one of the epicenters for recreation in the area. The river offers excellent options for waterfall viewing, trout fishing, swimming, and picnicking. One popular pastime is the waterfall tour starting from Highlands and consisting of Bridal Veil Falls, Quarry Falls, Dry Falls, and Cullasaja Falls.

Bridal Veil is located on the way from Highlands to the Cullasaja on Highway 64. This waterfall is a classic because it is possible to drive your car underneath the drop for a photo op. Visit in the wintertime for impressive icicle displays. Quarry Falls is the classic Cullasaja destination for picnics and swimming. The multi-tiered 20-foot drop is usually bathed in sunlight, and if you are lucky, you may catch a view of kayakers descending the drop as they paddle this class IV section of river.

Continuing on, Dry Falls is a special one because of its ease of access, and the very intimate way in which you can experience it. While it is possible to view the waterfall from the top and side, you can also walk behind the curtain and soak in the feeling of an entire river cascading 75 feet over your head. More great views are available on the other side after passing underneath the falls.

Cullasaja Falls is the largest waterfall on the river, but is logistically more challenging. It is best to approach this one from the Franklin side, and there are a couple of primitive parking spaces on the side of the road. Once there, you will be treated to views of a multi-tiered, 250-foot cascade. The road here is almost a destination unto itself as it carves through the steep gorge.

panthertown valley hiking and campingPanthertown is a picturesque valley flanked by granite domes and sheer slopes, and is dubbed by locals as the “Yosemite of the East.” This area, which is the headwaters of the Tuckaseegee River, is a true adventurer’s destination. The trails are not marked, and it’s easy to get lost in the 30-mile network. A map can be obtained from the U.S. Forest Service Office in Highlands. Hiking and biking abound amid the myriad falls and overlooks of the area, and primitive camping is also allowed within the 6,700 acres of protected land. Rare ferns, mosses, and liverworts are part of the mountain bog ecosystems, and you may be lucky enough to see one of the protected members of this bear sanctuary. •

LAND OF WATERFALLS: A HIKER GAZES AT 40-FOOT DRY FALLS, NEAR HIGHLANDS, N.C.

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blue ridge outdoors magazine march 2012

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