When you’re a guidebook writer doing trail research for days on end in all kinds of weather, you sometimes wonder—is it all worth it? Sure, you get to learn a lot about the terrain yourself and see some amazing places.…
The year was drawing to a close. The weather for the first day of 2017 looked iffy. So December 31 seemed the perfect time to hike to the nearby Wesser Bald Fire Tower in Nantahala National Forest to survey the damage wrought…
Over the course of a year, I spend a lot of time in the backcountry. Many a night I'm sleeping on the ground or suspended between two trees in my hammock. I love it, and I swear it’s much better…
Most professional photographers, and plenty of serious amateurs, carry professional equipment. That means large tripods, SLR camera bodies, and bulky lenses. But many of us who hike to photograph wildflowers and other natural features don't have the luxury of toting so much weight,…
The photo above shows a perfect cloudless day—great for spending time outside. But when it comes to photographing wildflowers, direct sunlight is not your friend. Of course you need light to take a photo, but direct sunlight is not your friend. This translates…
If you want to photograph wildflowers in the Southern Appalachians, you have to go where they're blooming. And to learn where they're blooming, you have to be thinking about altitude. As outdoor writer Danny Bernstein notes in her first guidebook,…
In a six-week summer window between mid-June and the end of July, tens of thousands of workers near our office are busy creating a rare Southern delicacy. Made in tiny batches in the smallest facilities imaginable and produced only in the region where North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and…
I’ve always believed that if you’re going on a hike, it’s a lot more fun and a lot more interesting if you have an exciting destination in mind. This could be a good view off the top of a rocky…