After a rollercoaster-like opening three episodes, Alone Africa has finally slowed down. 　　In the fourth episode, which aired last Thursday, nobody caught a debilitating gastrointestinal illness or fired arrows into a fuzzy ungulate. Nobody called for a rescue, and nobody went home. 　　And with the six remaining survivalists looking confident and secure, we, the audience, finally got an opportunity to...

　　The Dragon Bravo wildfire continues to burn on the northside of Grand Canyon National Park, closing access to visitor services on the canyon’s North Rim for the remainder of the season. As of July 24, the blaze had scorched 23,082 acres, making it the largest active wildfire in a national park so far this season, and the fifth-largest in recent history....

　　There’s no humble way to say it: I was absolutely crushing the hike. Feet flying over open trail, I weaved my way in and out of casual walkers and the occasional leashed canine. The forest towered above as my track pitched upward, and I savored the extra burn while I pushed farther from the parking lot. 　　Mount Storm King on...

　　If I had a chance to be magically transported back to the American frontier in the 1880s, I’d leap enthusiastically into the back of the covered wagon. At least for a temporary stretch, I’d welcome life in simpler times. There are aspects of our modern day, especially as a parent, that I wonder would be improved by going back in...

　　The Mountain State, Almost Heaven, Wild and Wonderful, West Virginia has a few different reputations, all of which hint at the goods sandwiched inside this small state’s borders. And the state of adventure in West Virginia just seems to keep getting better with the addition of new public lands and fresh trail systems. 　　I recently spent three days driving through...

　　To those who don’t run, calling the act of running “fun” can seem absurd. Even for those who do understand, it’s not easy to define or explain. In the most basic sense, it’s just fun to move playfully through the world—running wherever you are—with just a pair of shoes and your body. You feel capable. Free. 　　And that fun extends...

　　I dont believe in ghosts, but the campsite where we stood felt heavy with loss. I glanced between the trees, the branches swayed, and a breeze whispered across my cheek. I had come to this remote island by boat with Jerry Schmanda, who had been a member of a search party 28 years before. He stamped a steel-toe rubber boot...

　　Even locals get inspired by the view from the top of Picacho Peak Trail. Below, adobe homes nestle into the piñon-juniper forests. Above, the sky often shows off brilliant shades of orange and purple. In the distance, mountains stack up on the horizon. It feels like you’re a world away—and yet you’re only a couple miles from Santa Fe’s historic...

　　Two summers ago, I was halfway up a scree-strewn slope in Californias Eastern Sierra when I noticed that my shirt was clingy with sweat and my face was the same shade as my dogs geranium-patterned collar. I made a promise: no more more hikes with the mercury pushing 90; future summer adventure planning would take temperature into serious account. 　　Im...

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　　Im not crying, youre crying. 　　OK—so were probably both misty-eyed. But how could you watch Alone Africas fifth episode and not tear up while watching the shows lovable and grandfatherly contestant battle his inner demons? 　　Spoilers ahead. Of course, Im referencing Douglas, the 57-year-old from North Carolina with the Santa Claus beard and folksy twang. On episode five, we spent ample...

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