From The Editor

CURRENT From The Editor

Virginia’s Cold Mountain is a timelessly great walk, as witnessed by Editor Kurt Rheinheimer upon its bald around the time of the magazine’s 20th anniversary.

Best of the Mountains: Walking on Sunshine

As our readers weigh in with their picks in many categories, here are five personal picks for the great walks in the mountains.
Bluets along the trail are a welcome to springtime.

Birds, Wildflowers: Ageing In

A boy in the woods with his parents is not thinking about trying to call a bird or identify a flower. No, years must ripen to allow such appreciations.
The big rocks atop Virginia's Mt. Pleasant make for great viewing.

Big Rocks and Other Natural Wonders

Plus a sneak peek at new content in this and the rest of our 2018 issues.
049fe8f8-bb17-11e7-b010-121bebc5777e-From-Ed

Stringing the Beans: A Practice Lost?

How to honor your grandmother by confessing to your carelessness.
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A Short History of the Ice Cream

You start early enough in life with way too much at one serving, you could well be hooked for life.

Departments

At Coopers Rock State Forest, new Stargazer cabins invite guests to look up through skylights and telescopes.
Country Roads

Even Closer to Almost Heaven

New Stargazer cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest offer a skyward escape in the mountains of West Virginia.

©Duncan Seaman
Country Roads

A Mountain Tradition Turns 90 

Visitors flock to Galax, Virginia, each summer for the Old Fiddlers’ Convention, a days-long celebration of Appalachian music.

Synchronous Fireflies
Creature Feature

The Light Fantastic

Fireflies are struggling with the effects of artificial light.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS