Outside Magazine, Jun 2004
Stories
POSTs
Smart trend or exercise fad? We sorted out the tired and the wired to find 2004's fitness winners.
There’s more than one way to take in the adventure and splendor of America’s national parks. So we’re serving up a prize package of SECRET TRIPS—locals’ no-tell favorites, from Acadia to Yellowstone to wildest Alaska—along with a roundup of DREAM TOWNS nearby, the places to eat, drink, and dance after…
« April 1933: Though he has no flight or climbing experience, Briton MAURICE WILSON announces plans to crash-land a plane on Mount Everest and walk to the top. After two months of pilot training, he flies to India, where he’s forced to sell his plane and hoof it. Alas, his…
Adventure sings a bewitching song, and whether the challenge involves climbing a deadly mountain or plunging into a bottomless abyss, a few undaunted individuals hear the call and say, “Why not?” But you know all about that. What you may have missed is the rarely glimpsed world of obsessive superachievers…
Surviving Niagara? No sweat. The real challenge is figuring out what drove Kirk Jones over the edge.
Is time traveler Tim Severin the greatest living explorer? Probably—but you'll never get him to admit it.
In the red-rock high ground of South Africa, climbing still comes down to black and white. Greg Child goes on belay to explore the crags, boulder gardens, and post-Apartheid complications of the world's next climbing mecca.
The Dolores used to be one of the mightiest whitewater rivers in the West. Then politics and dry weather got in the way. But neither drought nor dam nor partisan bickering can stop Mark Sundeen from floating (and walking and driving) the entire course of the Rio de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores.
The Tour's new scandal: Elite cyclists are mysteriously dropping dead
F E A T U R E S
LET US NOW PRAISE CRAZY MOFOS
They’ve crossed the line from extreme to, um, extremely extreme. Meet the monk who jogged seven years straight, the Frenchman who walked across the Atlantic, the American who “vacationed” in Iraq, and a mob of other courageous kooks.
WITHOUT A BARREL
Wearing nothing but his street clothes, Kirk Jones flung himself over Niagara Falls. Why? He’s still trying to come up with an answer.
By Jake Halpern
TECHNICOLOR DARKNESS
South Africa is a promised land of pristine crags and soaring quartzite faces. But even on the high walls, the history of apartheid lingers like a bad dream, and the continent’s best climbers are still struggling to make their world colorblind.
By Greg Child
DRY RUN ON THE RIVER OF SORROWS
Colorado’s Dolores River isn’t dead, but it is dammed up, drought-stricken, and burdened by water-war politics. Why bother paddling, wading, and hiking it from one end to the other? To see the difference a decade makes.
By Mark Sundeen
2004 NATIONAL PARKS SPECIAL
THIS STASH IS YOUR STASH
PERFECT TRIPS
America’s grandest public playgrounds await your arrival, and we’ve mapped an array of custom-tailored, full-throttle adventures with nary an RV in sight. Get ready to paddle Yellowstone, trek Denali, sail Acadia, and lots more.
By Annette McGivney
TRIPPY TOWNS
Looking to chill out after your wilderness epic? Check out our hit list of nearby lodging, food, and fun.
By Jason Daley
PLUS: What to do if you’ve got only a day; the guide’s guide to park pleasures; and one parkophile’s picks for the most spectacular spots.
D E P A R T M E N T S
DISPATCHES
Pre–Tour de France excitement has been shadowed by the RECENT DEATHS of eight elite cyclists—including the great Marco Pantani. Anti-dopers blame drugs. Can they put the brakes on a problem that continues to tarnish the sport? Plus: Adventure stud WILL GADD becomes the first to paraglide over the Andes; the uncensored BOY SCOUT handbook; and more.
THE WILD FILE
Will the earth’s core ever go cold? How do parrots mimic so well? What’s the tallest iceberg ever seen? How much of the USA is paved?
By Brad Wetzler
THE HARD WAY
Irish explorer Tim Severin follows the routes of Sinbad, Odysseus, and Robinson Crusoe. Meet the modern-day time traveler.
By Mark Jenkins
REVIEW
Outfit your ride for the ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP with satellite radios, GPS units, MP3 players, and other auto swag. OUTSIDE STYLE: Sweet shades, cool sandals, and choice all-day beachwear. PLUS: the SEASON’S BEST SUNSCREENS .
BODYWORK
Can’t commit to another stale workout? Plug in to a new FITNESS TREND . From high-speed gyms to low carbs, we pick the plans that are worth your time, money, and motivation.