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　　Trail towns play an outsize role in a thru-hiker’s journey. Serving as celebratory checkpoints, physical pit stops, resupply junctions, med centers, and social refreshers, some mountain communities have gained a reputation as legendary, near-mythic stopovers. 　　But longtime trail town residents and veteran hikers say that far too many long-distance trekkers—and especially newbs—fail to fully capitalize on the resource. And that’s...

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　　The original version of this story was published onExplorersWeb. 　　On May 24, Benjamin Vedrines set a new speed record for skiing up and down Mont Blanc — 4 hours, 54 minutes, and 41 seconds. Then, just days later on May 31, mountain athlete William Boffelli of Bergamo, Italy, skied the route 11 minutes faster. 　　 　　(Photo/William Boffelli) Like Vedrines, the...

　　It’s easy to think Yellowstone National Park is all geysers and grizzlies. But for anglers, the park’s native cutthroat trout belong at the top of the to-do list. Just ask Austin Campbell. Fly-fishing transformed Campbell’s life, and now the angling guide and advocate loves to share his enthusiasm for visiting and protecting places like Yellowstone. 　　Campbell grew up fly-fishing with...

　　Back in 1969, naval researchers took blood samples from the crew of a Polaris nuclear submarine over the course of an eight-week patrol. Three-quarters of the sailors were smokers, so carbon monoxide levels were chronically elevated in the sealed confines of the sub. After a few weeks in this toxic miasma, the crew’s levels of hemoglobin, the crucial protein in...

　　A 61-year-old man survived a harrowing ordeal after he became trapped under a 700-pound boulder for hours in Seward, Alaskas Fourth of July Creek, authorities confirmed. 　　AP News identified the man as Seward native Kell Morris, who was hiking off-trail with his wife near Godwin Glacier on May 24. Morris told reporters that while hiking along the boulders, the whole...

　　The first time Gabby Shepard sank below the ocean’s surface and took a breath from a scuba tank, her world changed. “Everything melted away,” she says. “I was mesmerized. Just totally captivated. I felt like I was doing something that was defying humanity in some way, like I was a superhero able to breathe underwater. I just remember thinking, ‘Im...

　　Picture this: Two wildland firefighters on their day off, racing back upstream to beat the setting sun, with an 5 a.m. start time for the next day, dragging an inflatable kayak up the last shallow section in the dark, while only semi-ironically belting out an original cadence musical rendition of David Goggin’s “Who’s Gonna Carry the Boats?”  　　I doubt this...

　　No, the Trump Administration is not trying to sell 5,000 acres of Yellowstone National Park to build apocalypse-ready ranger housing. And no, there is not a company called Bunkers4Everyone lobbying Congress to begin construction on these eco-friendly housing solutions (even though youll find a very official-looking press release listed on the AP News site). 　　But even GearJunkie editors werent immediately...

　　The seventh annual National Forest Week is from June 9 to 15 this year. Hosted by the National Forest Foundation (NFF), the week includes several community events, volunteer opportunities, and a photo contest. It is a great time to get out and explore the national forests near you — or go on a trip and visit one you’ve always wanted to...