|
Guest Contributor: Patrick McGrady Read Time: 4 mins  You've probably heard of the UTMB ... The 100+ mile trail race in Europe where people push their limit running a very long distance very fast. Not easy for us ordinary folk. Did you know that UTMB stands for Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc? The namesake, Mont Blanc is a mountain range that lies on the French, Italian and Swiss border. Chamonix, France is the most prominent town and primary start finish of this trail wraps around this range, stretching 103 miles with 30K+ elevation gain.
Guest Q&A: Matt King Read Time: 6 mins  Matt King is a seasoned vet when it comes to endurance efforts ... he has multiple 100 mile finishes under his belt, countless day-long shifts owning/operating his multiple restaurants, and has the tall task of chasing around his 5 kids on a daily basis!
His latest endeavor, however, was paying a visit to an old friend ... the Hell Hole Hundred in the low country of South Carolina and put on by Palmetto Ultras. This old friend graciously delivered a DNF (Did Not Finish) in 2023. With many lessons learned from the previous year and a reinvigorated supporting case of goons, Matt arose from the fiery ashes of hell to crush his latest challenge. It's been exactly 1 month from this 100 mile finish, and we tossed a few questions to get his perspective, revisit the experience, and see what's next on this man's never ending quest for finding out what's around life's next bend. Author: Adam Bratton Read Time: 3 mins  What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of Northwest Arkansas?
Likely Wal-Mart, Univ. of Arkansas, the Quapaw & Caddo Native American Tribes, and for all you cycle seekers out there, you’ve most definitely heard of the massive mountain biking scene that has exploded over the past decade in Bentonville. What you might not know is that the Buffalo National River, the first designated “National River” in our country, weaves, and winds for 135 eastbound miles in Northwest Arkansas and it’s an absolute jaw dropper of a river. Last March, I was fortunate enough packraft this amazing ribbon of water with an adventure buddy, and Commercial Outdoor Photographer, Samuel Martin and the images bring me back to this magical place every single time I flip through them. Here’s some background on the Buffalo and a visual recap to get your own daydreams fired up. Guest Contributor: Patrick McGrady Read Time: 3 mins - Short Film: 5 mins  When you surround yourself with people who do fun stuff … like a ride from NC to PA (“Why I Bikepacked 650+ Miles Through A Hurricane”), or are the videographer for a 100 mile race (“Belt Buckles & Beer or Cobwebs & Concussions: A 100 Mile Quest”) you get a certain itch to launch your own adventure. In June of 2023 I started formulating a plan to bike from San Diego to San Francisco and call this project “San to San”. Bikepacking up the California coast whilst filming the experience was the challenge, and completing a fulfilling project and making a film out of it was the goal. Every day certainly had its own physical and mental ups and downs, but looking back now, it was one hell of an adventure! It’s hard to sum it up into words, but here are the snippets from each day.
|