Hiking the Highlands
Best Birding Spots in the Southern Appalachians
Brasstown Bald, Georgia: Species sighted here include Canada warbler, black-throated blue warbler, rose-breasted grosbeak, blackburnian warbler, scarlet tanager, and blue-headed vireo, ravens, and winter wrens. Mount Mitchell, North Carolina: There has been massive and visible die-off of Fraser Fir here, making the mountaintop home to birds that prefer shrubs and thickets like the hermit thrush,…
Read MoreThe New River
“Hey Jeffrey, take a look at that water – is it fishable?” asked Judson, not taking his eyes off the narrow, winding and fog-covered road ahead. “Looks a little dingy, but it’s not a mud ball,” answered Jeffrey. “I’m not happy with it yet.” At 7:00 am, somewhere along the New River near the Virginia-North…
Read MoreWest Virginia Accomodates Anglers
images/voice_uploads/FishermanCirc.gif With honor-system-style catch-and-release trophy-fish recognition programs, states in the Southern Appalachian region are allowing anglers to receive a memento of a memorable catch, without killing a fish in the process. Anglers in North Carolina, for instance, can obtain a memorable fish citation by sending in a picture of the fish or a statement of…
Read MoreAsheville’s Bike Shop Owners
Recreational biking is all the rage in the Southern Appalachians, and for good reason, mountain biking here is among the best in the country. Bicycling for transportation in the cities can be an altogether different story. In Asheville, for instance, daily challenges to commuter cycling may include: a hilly terrain that limits finding alternate bike-friendly…
Read MoreBirds on the Wing
Spring is perhaps the best time of year for watching birds, and, ironically, is one of only a couple times each year one might actually see a Tennessee warbler in Tennessee or a Nashville warbler stop to rest its wings on a WSM transmitter. There is no better time to watch birds than when they…
Read MoreElkins, West Virginia
Make two lists: one of the top outdoor recreation destinations in Appalachia and a second of the natural wonders surrounding the town of Elkins, West Virginia, and you’ll notice the two lists have a lot in common. Within an short drive of Elkins, you’ll find many of the most treasured wild places in Appalachia, places…
Read MoreUrban Wilderness: Birding in a National Airport’s Shadow
images/voice_uploads/ContentsHeron.gif You may not think of the booming Washington, D.C. metro area, with its population of 5 million, as part of the Appalachian wilderness experience. Think again. If business or political activity takes you to the capital, be sure to seek out one of the most satisfying wildlife experiences possible: observing hundreds of bird species,…
Read MoreIs Your Dog a Trail Dog?
As the trail finally leveled off at the valley bottom, Kane trotted further in front of me, his swaying gait interrupted by ever more frequent investigations of sounds and smells. Finally, with his inner-wolf awakened – and unaware of the incongruity of being wolfish while wearing a bright red doggy pack – Kane dove into…
Read MoreWomen Paddlers Take On Appalachian Whitewater
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – Milia Boiroyevich learned how to canoe with her family on the Danube river in her native Russia. Today she spends many of her Wednesdays plying the rivers and streams of Southwest Virginia with a group of friends. Boiroyevich is part of an all-woman canoe group founded by a retired physical education…
Read MoreMuskie Mania!
Most people go fishing with the expectation, or at least the prospect, of catching a fish or two. Muskie fisherman, however, are a different breed altogether. Anglers who pursue the mighty muskellunge — a toothy member of the pike family that grow locally up to 35 pounds and reach lengths of 50 inches — come…
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