Adventure
ArchiveOutside magazine, July 1998 Review: The Small-Boat Revolution Single-handed sailing’s golden age is upon us, thanks to the wonders of plastic By Mike Steere SAILBOATS | SUNGLASSES | THE OTHER STUFF…
Outside magazine, August 1995 Mountain Biking: It Is Just Like the Other One, No? The off-road Tour de France is indeed a tour. And it is in France… By Martin Dugard We are going to bring an original touch to [the sport…
Outside Magazine, November 1994 Politics: How Green Was My Stump Speech An insider’s tout sheet to elections with environmental impact By Ned Martel Ah, election season. are environmental issues playing big at a poll site near you? If not, you could probably…
Winter Olympics Preview, February 1998 THE DREAMER My Snakebit Career The Hard Luck Kid of skiing takes another — and perhaps a final — run at the glory that’s long eluded him By Craig Vetter THE DOPE ON…
March 1996 Features: The Highly Civilized Fat-Tire Primer Front-Suspension Symbiont, Meet Ms. Controlled Abandon Cross-country world champ Alison Sydor demonstrates the essential riding skills. By Andrew Tilin More Bike for the Buck…
Outside magazine, May 1996 Gone Reading By Larry Burke Few genres of writing can match the world of outdoor literature for richness, exuberance, or sheer eclecticism. Whether it’s the novels of Herman Melville or the travel epics of Paul Theroux, the Boy Scout Handbook…
Outside magazine, May 1996 Mastering the Finer Points For Robyn Erbesfield, precision is the surest route to perfection in any discipline. “Think of the best athlete in your sport,” she says. “It’s the precision that defines the distance between our level and his.” What she…
 Outside magazine, June 1999 A Long and Brutal Assault First fiction 93 years ago, Frederick Cook became the first person to reach the difficult summit of Mount McKinley. Presumed fact Actually, he faked it. Second fiction…
Outside magazine, June 1999 Lifestyle Home on the Range—for Just $5 Million a Pop America’s newest haven for the ultrarich prepares to say, “Howdy, neighbor. Can I see your wallet?” The massive stone-and-lodgepole…
Outside magazine, August 1995 The Marvelous, Manic Drive of Juli Furtado What fuels the world’s most dominant mountain-bike racer? Doom and gloom and a steady flow of French roast. By Sara Corbett “On my god,” Juli…
Outside magazine, December 1996 Better Get a Big Sleigh Not even the Grinch could make off with this season’s bounty By Bob Howells Harley-Davidson Limited Edition by GTSettle into the soft leather saddle, grab those swept-back bars, strap a…
Shwoosh! All You Need is Dirt The Hysterical Parent A medical emergency You would be a fool to venture into the wilderness without someone in your party being certified in first aid. Call your pediatrician or hospital for information…
Outside magazine, July 1996 Mountaineering: Who, Moi? A year after Alison Hargreave’s tragic death on K2, Chantal Mauduit stakes claim as the sport’s newest star By Lolly Merrell “I admired her, but you see, we are very different,” says French alpinist Chantal…
 Outside magazine, April 1995 In Hunza They Live Forever Is it the water? The apricots? The sublime mountain scenery? Is it all in their heads? High in the Himalayas, looking for a prodigal son who might have the answer. By Rob…
Why does Miguel Indurain keep winning the Tour de France? In Spain, at the start of the season that could bring an unprecedented fifth straight victory, only one answer makes sense.
Outside magazine, September 1999 MARKETING Hakkalüugi Be Thy Name The etymological quest to conceive hot new taglines for the latest gear Yes, it’s that time of year again: the gear world’s annual silly season, when companies must conjure up…
Outside magazine, September 1999 FRONT LINES The Wild Bunch A dozen threatened Edens, peaceable kingdoms, and unspoiled Nirvanas: Outside’s roster of great places that deserve the ultimate protection—wilderness designation POLITICS |…
Horse Sense Cowboy vs. Dude By Ryan Underwood t h e f u n f i l e: Outback Boredom Busters Watch Birds Pack binoculars…
Outside magazine, October 1995 Scandal: Cook, Cook, He’s Our Man… By Laura Billings Fifty-five years have passed since Frederick Cook–polar explorer, former Leavenworth inmate–stepped onto that great ice floe in the sky, but a steadfast brotherhood is still working to thaw his reputation. This…
Outside magazine, November 1995 Cycling: Now He’s Won One By Todd Balf (with Joe Glickman) At the U.S. Cycling Federation’s glitzy Night of Champions last year in Hollywood, Lance Armstrong was introduced as the best one-day classics rider that America has ever produced. To…
Outside magazine, February 1996 Books: The Feral Sons By Miles Harvey Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer (Villard, $23). In the January 1993 issue of Outside, in an article that was nominated for a National Magazine Award, contributing editor Krakauer…
Outside magazine, March 1999 Review: Always in Touch (if, That Is, You Want to Be) The latest mobile electronics put the backcountry online By Brent Hurtig ELECTRONICS |…
Outside Magazine, December 1998 Winter? These Guys Made Winter. Seven Olympic venues, one charming Main Street, and a host of High Peaks — it all adds up to Lake Placid, America’s original snowbound resort By Bill McKibben Lake Not-So-Placid All…
Family Vacations, Summer 1996 Howdy, Dude Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys–but it’s okay to pretend By Nancy Debevoise Our Favorite Places | The Hysterical Parent | Inside…
Dispatches, July 1998 Rodent Rights Why Is Everybody Always Pickin’ on Me? They’re cute and furry, yet they get no respect. A look at the star-crossed plight of the American sod poodle. Yes, it’s now official: prairie dogs have become…
Outside magazine, July 1996 Sloth: Then Again, There’s Always Pop-Tarts By Adam Horowitz With apologies, I ask all you connoisseurs of fine food to hold the outrage. Blasphemous though it may be, someone has to stand up for the more practical-minded among us.
Dispatches, May 1997 Physics: Bloody Idiotic, As You Chaps Might Say The (possibly apocryphal) tale of British Rail’s chicken cannon misadventure By Shane Dubow By now, anyone who’s gone on-line knows the Internet is great at hatching all manner of…
Outside magazine, August 1996 Rowing: Odds That… The U.S. women’s eight will break six minutes…..3-1 The U.S. men’s eight will win a gold medal……..10-1 Redgrave and Pinsent will remain undefeated…….1-1…
Outside magazine, August 1996 Good-Bye 1996, Hello 2004 As the sun descends on Atlanta, an anxious world turns its eyes to…Puerto Rico? By Stephanie Gregory While Boston elbows into position in the race for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the dash for the…
 Outside magazine, October 1994 Welcome to Gun Camp In the sport of shooting, proficiency means not only winning, but getting good at killing. Welcome to Gun Camp, where the question is, Do I want to do this? and the answer is, a little sadly, You…
Outside magazine, October 1995 Cycling: A Race to Remember, Sadly By Todd Balf (with John Alderman) Miguel Indurain’s unprecedented fifth straight victory in the the Tour de France last July was indeed impressive, but the race probably won’t be remembered for Big…
 Outside magazine, November 1996 Peruvian Gothic Don Benigno Aazco carved his way 36 years deep into the green heart of the Andean forest, founded 14 settlements, abandoned his wife and many children, married his daughter, slew his son-in-law, fought drug peddlers, tamed…
Outside magazine, November 1997 Chin Up — There’s Always Next Year The latest on a not-so-successful expeditionary season By Andrew Tilin Since explorers typically utter “uncle” about as often as Jackie Chan, one has to wonder what dark cosmic forces…
Dispatches, December 1998 Sport Hey Bob, Can You Tie Me Off to That Pika? Climbing’s uphill battle against a proposed ban on fixed anchors By John Galvin Idaho’s Sawtooth Wilderness is a region of such overwhelming natural grace that…
Dispatches, April 1998 SPORT These Guys May Be on EPO, Does Anyone Care? Despite the promise of an effective new drug test, the USOC drags its heels By Paul Keegan At 53, Allen Murray swims five times a week,…
Fitness ’97, February 1997 Above All Else… Endurance Allen’s long-and-slow approach to endurance training won’t work if you violate its main tenet: Stay below your maximum aerobic heart rate at all times. If you find yourself impatient and compelled to cheat by doing…
Outside magazine, May 1998 Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your stunning achievement (damn you) A few heartwarming tales from the annals of high-minded competition By Florence Williams Did. Did not. Did too. How rich…
Outside magazine, May 1999 Trends How Green Is My Mini-Bar? A reduced, recycled, reused sojourn at America’s most guilt-free upscale hotel Ever since its grand opening in late January, guests have been flocking to…
Outside magazine, June 1994 Mountaineering: Queen of Solo By Todd Balf (with Martin Dugard and Eric Hagerman) French sport-climber-turned-mountaineer Catherine Destivelle, who has spent the last several years soloing some of Europe’s most venerated peaks, usually in spectacular fashion, knocked off another in…
Outside magazine, August 1996 Et Tu, Mr. Foreman? “The environmental movement is like a bunch of alpha dogs, always trying to establish dominance,” explains Victor Rozek of the Native Forest Council, an antilogging group based in Eugene, Oregon. “And some just can’t handle it when others…
Vacation Special, August 1997 C O T T A G I N G I N O N T A R I O A Piece of the Shore Skinny-dipping under the stars, and other reasons to go cottaging in Ontario.
Outside magazine, October 1995 Let There Be Light It’s the latest in evening wear, and the world will never be the same By Randy Wayne White I was surprised it wasn’t easier to convince my old friend Elston that if he joined…
Dispatches, November 1998 Environmental A Delta Insurrection A band of renegades struggles to bring back the Mississippi Hood forest By Jonathan Miles More than 45 years ago, when John Price was a Southern boy pursuing squirrels, deer, and ducks…
Out Front, Fall 1998 Virtual Wilderness What outdoor aficionados will be reading, viewing, and downloading this season By Laura Miller and Sarah Horowitz The Road Home, by Jim Harrison, (Atlantic Monthly Press, $25) Old myths of the…
Outside magazine, January 1995 Triathlon: The Man Just Won’t Go Away By Todd Balf (with Barry Lewis and James Raia) Ten miles from the finish on a sun-baked highway on the Big Island of Hawaii, Dave Scott, competing again after a three-year “retirement,” was…
Outside magazine, January 1996 Crimes of Passion A glimpse into the covert world of rare butterfly collecting By Caroline Alexander There were few spectators present in the San Jose, California, courtroom to witness the sentencing of two convicted felons who faced up…
An innovative platform brings Spanish shipwrech spoils to intrepid divers in the Florida Keys
Dispatches, February 1998 TRAGEDY A Pole Too Far Three skydivers die in Antarctica, leaving the world to ask, “Why?” By Susan Enfield ‘There’s no rhyme or reason for doing something like this,” Ray Miller, a 43-year-old Ohio marketing…
Outside magazine, March 1995 Symptoms: Seven Reasons to Stop, Period By Ken McAlpine Active rest may satisfy your compulsions, but there are still times when complete rest is best. “Injury and breakdown are right around the corner from success,” warns trainer Diane Buchta. “Fortunately,…
Outside magazine, April 1996 Redemption on Wheels By Todd Balf and Paul Kvinta While the sight of a longhaired man carrying a cross at Eastertime may be a little disconcerting, don’t worry: The fellow tromping around Madagascar this month with a 12-foot-tall rolling crucifix…
Outside magazine, July 1996 Surviving the Drive Through By Lisa Twyman Bessone Ever notice how a long road trip brings out the James Dean in us all? We act rebellious, even a little dangerous-driving fast, howling along with the tunes blaring, wolfing Big…
Outside magazine, July 1996 Calculations Sports by Calories By Katie Arnold Counting calories, we admit, is really Jenny Craig’s gig. But outdoor athletes might take note–to make sure they’re getting enough fuel for their pursuits. “You shouldn’t get hung up on numbers,”…
Outside magazine, December 1992 Triathlon: Ask Mr. Ironman By Todd Balf (with Martin Dugard and Alison Osius and Terry Rutlin) If you placed bets on last year’s triathlon season, Andy Carlson was the ultimate preseason gamble. In 1990 he was Triathlete magazine’s Rookie of the…
Outside magazine, December 1995 In This Corner… By Todd Balf and Paul Kvinta Score one for the mighty green and golden bell frog. Since 1993, Australian officials have tried to relocate the endangered thimble-size creatures from a trash-filled brick quarry that’s slated to become…
 Outside magazine, February 1998 Yes, it is a Lovely Morning. Now Why Don’t You Just Go to Hell. Drop 28 virtual strangers at the South Pole. Blend in eight months of mind-numbing darkness. Fold into extremely close quarters. Add a pinch of…
Outside magazine, April 1996 Environment: Lock and Load! Industry Goon at 12 o’clock! Meet Rick Valois, commander-in-chief of the first eco-militia By Bill Donahue He’s probably the only environmentalist in the United States with camo-clad, gun-toting foot soldiers at his command, and…
Outside magazine, March 1995 Ride With Pride: Practice Rolling Acts of Kindness Harmonious trail riding in five friendly steps By Sara Corbett As anyone with a set of knobbies knows, there can be trouble out in the hills, as mountain bikers are…
Outside magazine, March 1995 Running: Hey! You! Get offa my singlet! By Todd Balf (with Jim Kelly, Martin Dugard, and Alison Osius) As the unusually large five-man pack jockeyed for the final sprint at the 10,000-meter U.S. cross-country national championships last December in Portland,…
Outside magazine, April 1997 Another Herbal Wrap, O Immortal One? Should fortune, fame, and flabby acolytes be your heart’s desire, the first American sumo champion suggests thinking really, really big By Brad Wetzler When he…
Outside magazine, July 1996 Paddling: Mission Uncomfortable Mark Robbin’s lonely quest for the other side of the continent By Bill Donahue The setting is bleak–a Motel 6 in the middle of nowhere–and Mark Robbins is weary. “This isn’t fun,” he laments, sprawled…
Outside magazine, October 1996 Sport: From Wurst to First Propelled by Eastern Bloc training methods and a zest for junk food, a trio of Germans looks to sweep the Ironman By Lolly Merrell It’s midnight in Worms, Germany, and European Ironman champion…
Outside magazine, May 1995 Little Rascal A harmless pleasure cruise this was not By Randy Wayne White When my friend G.M. asked me to crew from Colombia to Panama and through the canal aboard his 35-foot Morgan sloop, I grudgingly consented–though I…
Outside magazine, March 1995 Movies: Legends of the Fall By Michael Paterniti As a minor literary movement unto himself, writer Jim Harrison has invented a cult of brazen heroes who live for the roar of fanged animals in wild places. To date, film versions…
Outside magazine, May 1995 Ballooning: The Legend of Steve the Adventurer By Todd Balf On the surrealness scale, it was off the charts: a 50-year-old Chicago securities dealer in the gondola of a hot-air balloon that he’d flown only once before, readying for takeoff…
Outside magazine, June 1996 Politics: Do Unto Endangered Species… With the environment up for grabs, God send in a green army By Bill Donahue And on the eighth day, after he had created Gingrich, Dole, and other democratically elected foes of the…
Dispatches, July 1997 S P O R T Where No One Has Gone Before? Mehgan Heaney-Grier’s precocious quest to become the world’s deepest free diver By Paul Kvinta The most peaceful part of Mehgan Heaney-Grier’s life begins at 40…
Dyn-O-Mite!, October 1997 The Illustrated History of Hat Head By Andrew Tilin and Mike Grudowski Who could have guessed, way back at that family reunion when your cousin Larry snuffled down one Schlitz too many and ended up with a Styrofoam cooler…
Outside Magazine, October 1998 Inspriation Enlighten My Load Sometimes you find yourself in the most predictable places By Pico Iyer I am sitting on a high hill above the dusty passageways of Ganden Monastery in Tibet. The sky…
News from the Field, December 1996 Sport: Why Is This Kid Grinning? Because 15-year-old Chris Sharma is the future of American sport climbing By Todd Balf “I think most people are past the age thing,” says Chris Sharma, 15, after another…
Outside magazine, December 1997 Enterprise: Eureka? Above the din of doubters, a prospector swears a filthy Canadian river will make him filthy rich By Trevor Curwin ‘Oh, it’s down there, all right. that gold is definitely there, as we speak,”…
Outside magazine, June 1996 Wildlife: Marty Stouffer’s Apocryphal America After a raft of allegations, his peers ask: Has the popular PBS filmmaker gone too far? By John Tayman When 50 filmmakers settled into missoula, Montana, last March for the 19th annual International…
Outside magazine, March 1996 Communications: Talk Alien to Me An Everyman’s plan to mingle with the stars By Paul Kvinta “If that call comes and you don’t answer, you’ll regret it,” trumpets astronomer Paul Shuch, in a wobbly impression of Humphrey Bogart…
Outside magazine, May 1995 Night Calls It was the last of its kind. When the red-crested heron vanished deep in Africa’s outback, a girl and her father traced the lonely rise and fall of their lives by its fading song. By Lisa…
Dispatches, June 1997 Jurisprudence: Hey, Get Your Ropes Off My Cathedral! A Wyoming judge is left to answer a thorny question: To whom does Devils Tower belong? By Bill Donahue For The Record…
Outside magazine, July 1999 BUSINESS Wall-to-Walls Climbing gyms go high-tech, top-dollar, and mainstream I’ll Stick with the Miso Soup It sounds like a Zen riddle: When is a sumo wrestler too fat? Recently, sumotori who…
Outside magazine, September 1996 Books: A Lyrical Turn to the Epic By Miles Harvey Accordion Crimes, by E. Annie Proulx (Scribner, $25). From Homer’s Odyssey to Dante’s Divine Comedy, perhaps the purest genre of literature is the travel…
October 1999 F E A T U R E S Adventure at the End of the Century The sight of George Leigh Mallory’s well-preserved body on Everest confirms that adventure, like life, is not always pretty. It means risking all on a mountain—as…
Outside magazine, April 2000 Snows of Yesteryear Mckay Jenkins’s article about the avalanche tragedy that struck Mount Cleveland 30 years ago (“And None Came Back,” February) was spare, elegant, and riveting—so much so that I told my…
Cycling Special, March 1997 Surviving the Mean Streets You can’t outrun all the obstacles you encounter in the city. You have to outsmart them. By Alan Coté Your Tutor: Mike Downey, 29, commutes three miles six days…