The Mountain Sports Festival kicks off this weekend, May 27-29, with live music, outdoor-sports competitions and a variety of free gear-and-sports demos. Focused on “all-things outdoors,” the three-day event is based primarily in Asheville's Carrier Park, just minutes from downtown in the revitalized Amboy Road area. The riverfront park offers participants a chance to walk, […]
When the rivers run full and the trees and flowers blossom,
when the world wakes up to the sounds of birds singing,
That’s the feeling of the new season springing.
photo by Eric Crews
The stars are still bright in the sky and a tiny sliver of new moon hovers as, just before sunrise, Ron Funderburke trudges through the freshly fallen snow with a backpack full of climbing gear. The record-breaking cold means conditions should be perfect for leading an ice route he’s been itching to tackle for weeks. […]
Scott Lipscomb, an instructor with North Carolina Outward Bound, was leading a course near the headwaters of the Chattooga River when one of his students complained of a stomach cramp. Most people probably wouldn't have thought too much about it, but Lipscomb knew it could be something serious. After comparing the student’s symptoms against a […]
On Friday, it was hams from Paula Deen for the local nonprofit MANNA FoodBank. On Saturday, Jan. 22, it was a polar plunge for Meals on Wheels: As morning temperatures teased the freezing mark, 27 perky souls — including Buncombe County Chair David Gantt, pictured here in a photo by Jerry Nelson — dove into the Asheville Racquet Club’s outdoor pool. Here’s more about their polar plunge, from super heroes to … well, there are some interesting costumes.
"Every mile is two in winter." So wrote 17th-century Welsh clergyman and metaphysical poet George Herbert, and it's easy to see where he was coming from. Anyone who’s ever trudged any considerable distance through even marginally deep snow knows full well that traveling through a snow pack is hard work and not easily enjoyed — […]
On the first Saturday of every November, each year, paddlers not only paddle but race down the rowdy Green River, intimidating Class V rapids southeast of Asheville. This year’s event is Nov. 6.
For most folks, surfing evokes images of sandy beaches, early mornings and long, peeling waves. But while forecasting technology has improved, those predictions are still pretty unreliable. In summer, East Coast swells are few and far between, and if one does materialize, chances are Atlantic beaches’ unruly winds will make even a good swell turn […]
Over the past few years, visitors to Rumbling Bald, a popular climbing and bouldering area in the Hickory Nut Gorge near Asheville, have witnessed some major changes. In 2005, the state of North Carolina purchased the land as part of one of North Carolina's newest state parks, Chimney Rock State Park. Last year, the state […]
Asheville's Mountain Sports Festival has grown into one of the city's most popular festivals. Last year, more than 15,000 people attended the multi-day happening, and organizers hope the action-packed weekend of outdoor sports-oriented events will be even more popular this year. With nearly a month's worth of activities packed into one party-like, music-filled weekend of […]
There's a cold wind blowing on the hopes of wind-energy advocates in Western North Carolina, thanks to a pending bill in the N.C. General Assembly. As early as May 12, state legislators will take up Senate Bill 1068 when they reconvene in the short session. The bill — which would establish a regulatory system for […]
"Are you ready?" asks the Navitat Canopy Adventures tour guide. Standing on a wooden platform 50 feet off the ground, surrounded by a lush verdant canopy, I nod, and a thrilling ride directly through the heart of the forest begins. Going down? Abby Burt (below) zipping through the forest on a Navitat Canopy Tour, which […]
A 6-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville will likely be closed for several months due to a landslide threat. photo by Danny Bernstein.
For most people, canoeing is a leisurely way to spend a sunny day of the weekend. But for the 30 paddlers who took to the French Broad on Saturday morning for the first stage of Asheville’s latest canoe and kayak race — the inaugural French Broad Classique — canoeing is a fast-paced sport with no down time.
photos, story and video by Eric Crews
