X-Awards“This climb pushed the line on the margins of safety that I usually keep,” writes Delap.
Surfing the skies: Gliders fly high above Mount Mitchell
More than just birds are soaring the winds above Mount Mitchell. Dozens of pilots from around the country will soon attempt to fly motorless gliders over 20,000 feet above the area’s highest peak. They hope to be propelled upward by a natural phenomenon known as wind waves, which crest when air currents blow against the mountain ridge from the northwest.
Tales from the Trail: Walking Appalachia from Georgia to Maine
Since its initial construction in 1937, 15,524 people are said to have completed the thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail — “2,000-milers,” they’re called. Inspiration behind embarking on such a physically and mentally challenging journey varies from person to person, but deep down it satiates core human needs for renewal and a reconnection with nature.
Zombies in the forecast? Former NASA scientist Marshall Shepherd at UNCA Feb. 23
What do zombies, sports and cola have to do with the weather? On Monday, Feb. 23, Dr. Marshall Shepherd — the director for the program in atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia — intends to tackle that question in a presentation titled “Zombies, Sports, and Cola: What does it mean for Communicating Weather and Climate?” The […]
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a sharpie artist’s quest to screen print her work and an outdoor learning space at Owen Middle School.
Grassroots group organizes against logging in Big Ivy
A tentative plan by the Forest Service calls for designating most of the Big Ivy area near Barnardsville as a timber production management area. Before finalizing the change, the Forest Service is accepting public feedback and is holding a Feb. 5 meeting at 7 p.m. at the Big Ivy Community Center.
Superbowl XLIX companion: a game day guide to Asheville’s cheap booze, good eats and big screens
While nacho stains are certainly more socially acceptable in the comforts of one’s own home, why not venture out for some game day antics this year? Super Bowl XLIX, New England Patriots versus Seattle Seahawks, kicks off Sunday, Feb. 1, at 6:30 p.m., and Asheville-area businesses have planned a variety of celebrations to suit your football fancy.
Smelling Asheville: Local candlemaker creates walking tour based on historic scents
The roughly two-hour tour, an elaborate twist on the city of Asheville’s Urban Trail, assigns a specific smell to each of 30 landmarks downtown.
From slip-and-slide to lanterns: Asheville rakes in the mini-festivals
Lantern Fest is to the night as Slide the City is to the day, and Asheville has popped up on both festival’s tour lists. Ticket-holders for Lantern Fest (date yet to be announced) will be provided a “s’mores kit,” along with a lantern, lighter and crayons for decorating their skyward luminaries.
Slide the City event set for May 23
Asheville is abuzz with news that Slide the City, nationally occurring mass slip ‘n’ slide event, is coming to Asheville on May 23.
Keeping our forests safe: Forest Keepers program provides eyes and ears for WNC’s National Forests
. Gathered on an unpaved road, beside a never-bridged brook, in a forest that’s never been logged, the group itches to begin — to explore and experience, assist and learn, and join with the world outside. These are the Forest Keepers, and the wild slopes of wooded places are their workspace.
MountainTrue presents two upcoming live shows celebrating John Muir
MountainTrue is presenting two upcoming live shows that celebrate the life and adventures of John Muir, an early advocate of wilderness preservation in the U.S.
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a documentary on the human-turtle bond, a libertarian political satire podcast and a seventh grade physics field trip.
Asheville Bicycle Company is rolling into North Asheville
Ski Country Sports is birthing an offshoot bike shop adjacent to its North Asheville store. The new outlet, Asheville Bicycle Company, will occupy about 3,000 square feet at 1000 Merrimon Avenue in a space that previously housed AAA Carolinas for 15 years. When renovations are complete this spring, the shopping plaza will house “two stores […]
Winterizing WNC: Slide into the snow season
The Appalachians may never rival the Rockies, but outdoor enthusiasts say WNC offers more opportunities for winter adventures than many residents realize. This year local ski areas are celebrating a long list of improvements and forecasters are predicting a cold, snowy winter.
Winter is coming: Forecasters predict cold, snowy season
The first official day of winter isn’t until Dec. 21, but Western North Carolina has already received an abundance of cold and snowy weather this year. And if a wealth of long-range predictions comes true, the early shots of snow could be harbingers of much more to come.
Get outside for winter activities
Are you packing on those extra pounds after gorging on office holiday cookies and sugared paraphernalia? Are you spending your evenings hiding under your blankets and waiting for spring? Then you may be missing out on the great outdoor events Western North Carolina has to offer. We’ve rounded up some options for activities and great-outdoors clubs that will keep you moving well into the early […]
Video: UCI Cyclocross races take over Hendersonville
This past weekend marked the 10th anniversary of the North Carolina Grand Prix cyclocross races. Lees McRae graduate — and Banner Elk native — Kerry Werner, took the win on both days in the professional men’s race, while BethAnn Orton doubled up in the women’s professional field.
Get outside this weekend: Dec. 13-14
This weekend is shaping up to be spectacular in terms of weather. I know a lot of you will be tying up traffic on Tunnel Road trying to snatch up a few Christmas gifts, but there are a few things happening worth checking out. For those who were proactive enough to get their Christmas shopping done early, or if […]
Asheville native hopes to battle water insecurity by dogsledding
Asheville native Amalia Rowan doesn’t know the first thing about dog sledding, but if her crowdsourcing plan works, she’ll be flown overseas to participate in a guided 300-kilometer expedition through Norway and Sweden next April. “I have to try new things, test myself, get dirt (or snow) under my fingernails,” reads her event application profile. Rowan’s […]
Visions of Tibet: Asheville photographer shares rare images of monasteries
Taylor Taz Johnson trekked through the Himalayan mountains of South Asia with Dr. Hun Lye, the founder of Asheville’s Urban Dharma Buddhist Center. They were granted unprecedented permission to photograph inside some of the most isolated religious institutions in the world, braving military interrogations along the way.