“I ate 20 bananas today.” My friend Shane Robinson made this proclamation as we were sitting at his dining room table, packing our gear for an adventurous hike we were undertaking the next day. I had questioned his choice of food for the hike, which as far as I could tell consisted of a bag of apricots and a bag of… [Read More]

The Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone overlooks some of the most dramatic—and dangerous—hiking adventures. Photo by Tommy Pennick My brother and I had a simple out-and-back planned in a remote section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We would hike up to one of the shelters scattered along the Appalachian Trail. After spending the night we’d head back down the mountain. The itinerary … [Read More]