The original version of this story was published onExplorersWeb. 　　On May 24, Benjamin Vedrines set a new speed record for skiing up and down Mont Blanc — 4 hours, 54 minutes, and 41 seconds. Then, just days later on May 31, mountain athlete William Boffelli of Bergamo, Italy, skied the route 11 minutes faster. 　　 　　(Photo/William Boffelli) Like Vedrines, the...

　　Picture this: Two wildland firefighters on their day off, racing back upstream to beat the setting sun, with an 5 a.m. start time for the next day, dragging an inflatable kayak up the last shallow section in the dark, while only semi-ironically belting out an original cadence musical rendition of David Goggin’s “Who’s Gonna Carry the Boats?”  　　I doubt this...

　　Bryson City, North Carolina, is more than just a postcard-perfect mountain town — it’s where Olympic kayaker Evy Leibfarth grew up learning to paddle the rapids of the Nantahala River. “I think it really instilled that love of being outdoors in me from a really young age,” she says.  　　Her days here are simple and stacked: lunch at River’s End,...

　　As the co-manager of road and trail running shoe testing for Outside, I receive almost every new shoe released. Despite the hundred or so running shoes in my office, however, I recently found myself buying running shoes in a store. My teenage son, currently a men’s size 12 and still growing, started high school track season and needed a new...

　　The first time Gabby Shepard sank below the ocean’s surface and took a breath from a scuba tank, her world changed. “Everything melted away,” she says. “I was mesmerized. Just totally captivated. I felt like I was doing something that was defying humanity in some way, like I was a superhero able to breathe underwater. I just remember thinking, ‘Im...

　　One of five all-electric models the Detroit automaker has so far announced, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is a larger-than-life EV that takes the classic, gas-powered Escalade to new levels of power, performance and refinement. 　　Offered solely in all-wheel-drive form, you’ll get up to 750 horsepower in Velocity Max mode, enough to hit 60 in barely 5 seconds. Drive more...

　　Back in 1969, naval researchers took blood samples from the crew of a Polaris nuclear submarine over the course of an eight-week patrol. Three-quarters of the sailors were smokers, so carbon monoxide levels were chronically elevated in the sealed confines of the sub. After a few weeks in this toxic miasma, the crew’s levels of hemoglobin, the crucial protein in...

　　A 61-year-old man survived a harrowing ordeal after he became trapped under a 700-pound boulder for hours in Seward, Alaskas Fourth of July Creek, authorities confirmed. 　　AP News identified the man as Seward native Kell Morris, who was hiking off-trail with his wife near Godwin Glacier on May 24. Morris told reporters that while hiking along the boulders, the whole...

　　No, the Trump Administration is not trying to sell 5,000 acres of Yellowstone National Park to build apocalypse-ready ranger housing. And no, there is not a company called Bunkers4Everyone lobbying Congress to begin construction on these eco-friendly housing solutions (even though youll find a very official-looking press release listed on the AP News site). 　　But even GearJunkie editors werent immediately...

　　It may be inspired by fiction, but HBO’s The Last of Us has a funny way of making me ask serious questions about real life. And Season 2, with its Seattle setting, has me wondering: Would this city really be the best place to live out the apocalypse? Given all the zombie drama, The Last of Us doesn’t exactly showcase...

　　After a hike and a hot meal, one of campings greatest pleasures is gathering around the campfire and sharing stories under the stars. For years, NEMO has produced a reclining chair that helps campers lean back and look up. 　　Now, the NEMO Stargaze EVO-X Folding Camp Chair makes it easier than ever to recline under a wide sky. 　　This new...

　　The seventh annual National Forest Week is from June 9 to 15 this year. Hosted by the National Forest Foundation (NFF), the week includes several community events, volunteer opportunities, and a photo contest. It is a great time to get out and explore the national forests near you — or go on a trip and visit one you’ve always wanted to...