Written by: McKenzie Barney 　　New Zealand’s Te Araroa Trail is the world’s newest long-distance thru-hike. Stretching 3,000 km from Cape Reinga, at the top of the North Island, to Bluff, at the bottom of the South Island, the TA is defined by its challenging terrain, unpredictable weather and navigational obstacles, and just may be the toughest of the world’s major...

　　By Eric Larsen 　　 　　Some people look at winter and see bone-chilling cold, bad driving conditions and more, but if youre anything like me you see winter as the great leveler—literally. Snow evens out the bumps, stumps, roots and rocks of any trail, and covers up undergrowth and shrubs, making the wintry landscape beautiful and perfect for snowshoeing. Still, some...

　　Words and photos By Dustin Silvey, Ph.D 　　The sun beat down on our adventure team. The other kayak had pulled off a kilometer ahead in the shade of a rock to wait. As we caught up, movement in the water signaled action—on the other side of the rock, a pod of dolphins was hunting our bait ball. 　　We paddled over...