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CURRENT Features

Lost History: The Odd Trek to Remember the Odd Marshall Expedition

Why would the U.S. Chief Justice, at age 57, take on the treacherous New River in a batteau? And why would somebody do it again in the same kind of vessel, 150 years later?

Let’s Meet The People Of Fall!

Many of the region’s fall festivals remain in limbo as we go to press. These people will be diving into the cool season full force in their own ways just the same.

At Home in the Mountains: A Unique Builder

Banjo picker and builder Don Harrison turned his love of the mountains into his dream job.

New Research: Hiking Equals Health

From the hips and knees to the brain and the attitude and lots of places in between, new research makes a strong and positive distinction between just walking and hiking.

Maple Roots: A Business Seeded Deeply in Family

Western North Carolina brothers Matt and Tim Nichols say their natural nerdiness made moving from collecting action figures to some 1,200 cultivars of maple trees a natural.

Current Issue

Andrew Shaw and company run the New River Gorge’s class IV rapids to re-create the 1812 trek.

Lost History: The Odd Trek to Remember the Odd Marshall Expedition

Why would the U.S. Chief Justice, at age 57, take on the treacherous New River in a batteau? And why would somebody do it again in the same kind of vessel, 150 years later?
Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia, serves as both a place of employment and as a hobby for area native Paulita Cousin (inset).

Let’s Meet The People Of Fall!

Many of the region’s fall festivals remain in limbo as we go to press. These people will be diving into the cool season full force in their own ways just the same.
The Explore Park campground features several arch-design micro cabins. Inset: Don and Melody Harrison accept an award by Virginia Recreation and Parks Society in 2018.

At Home in the Mountains: A Unique Builder

Banjo picker and builder Don Harrison turned his love of the mountains into his dream job.
The uneven terrain of a trail requires you make hundreds of tiny adjustments to your gait, enhancing your brain power as well as your leg muscles.

New Research: Hiking Equals Health

From the hips and knees to the brain and the attitude and lots of places in between, new research makes a strong and positive distinction between just walking and hiking.
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Maple Roots: A Business Seeded Deeply in Family

Western North Carolina brothers Matt and Tim Nichols say their natural nerdiness made moving from collecting action figures to some 1,200 cultivars of maple trees a natural.
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Departments

Smith Mountain Lake Virginia is a hidden gem within the Blue Ridge Mountains. This beautiful area features boating, sailing, hiking, shopping, fishing, and much more.
From The Editor

Sarah Smiles: The Lake Effect

Growing up, many of my weekends were spent at my late step-grandmother’s house on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.

June 26, 2026

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