As J.R. Harris likes to tell it today, the first time he saw grass, he tried to smoke it. He’s joking, of course, but the rib illustrates how shocking an introduction to the backcountry…
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How to Love Winter
The first snow has fallen. Temperatures are dropping. For many people, this time of year comes with a low-key sense of dread. You bundle yourself into thick layers, dig out the ice scraper and shovel,...
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One million animal and plant species are on the verge of extinction, according to a United Nations report released in May, and we humans bear much of the blame. Climate change, overfishing, pollution, and urban…
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The Northeast abounds with ponds, rivers, and streams that beckon both aspiring and veteran fly-fishers alike. To get started, it’s important to know the four core components of a fly-fishing rig—rod, reel, line, and flies—and…
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A man stands at the edge of the campfire, illuminated by the orange glow of an ever-growing flame as it licks the rock ring surrounding it. I’m nervous for his safety. He has been drinking…
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From its headwaters in Crawford Notch, N.H., the Saco River flows 130 miles to Oxford County, Maine, and on into the Atlantic Ocean. With gentle water in some places and fast-paced rapids in others, there’s…
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This story was originally published in the Summer/Fall 2019 issue of Appalachia Journal. The fight broke out on a narrow ridge somewhere high above Davenport Gap, and I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit the first…
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With nearly 400 miles of coastline, it’s easy to understand how Rhode Island got its nickname, “the Ocean State.” Horseshoeing around Narragansett Bay, the U.S.’s smallest state provides plenty of places to explore, both on…
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What might be the most successful river cleanup you’ve never heard of just received a big assist from Washington, D.C. By the 1960s, the Nashua River—which runs between Worcester County, Mass., and Nashua, N.H.—had earned…
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Do you enjoy the challenge of negotiating bumpy slopes or tight treelines on skis, staying in perfect control, even when obstacles and gravity conspire against you? Do you love riding roller coasters? Or getting…
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