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We sent our writer to train for and compete in a historic donkey race. My Jeep hangs at 45 degrees and creaks on its hinges on a steep pitch of road edging on a cliff. Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” blasts from my stereo … Go ask Alice, When she’s ten feet tall…  I take my chances, pop the gear into first and floor it as I turn the wheel right up the slope. The Jeep moves just enough to hook the back tire on a rock and prevent it from flipping. I jump out of its yellow door and start running as fast as possible straight down the steep hill to look for help. And if you go chasing rabbits And you know you’re going to fall   I reach the first portal into civilization—a museum in a cave—and run straight through the doors breathless and sweating. “Can I help you?” asks an old man with peppered hair and a pack of cigarettes in his breast pocket. I explain the situation and within minutes I’m sitting in Bud’s Subaru on the way to rescue my Jeep. “Girl, that happened to me once on Black

What do surfers, anglers, boaters and little kids in the shallow end of the pool know that the rest of us don’t? Playing in or near water is a surefire way to access creative states of “flow,” relaxation and bliss. I once knew this—most kids do—but was reminded on a recent family trip to western Maine. To research a book I was writing about nature and the brain, I had borrowed a portable EEG cap that measures electroencephalography, or electrical activity captured in neural oscillations, better known as brain waves. Early one morning, I slipped into a kayak and paddled out onto a small lake bordering the White Mountain National Forest. The boat nosed through a foot of soft mist resting on the water’s surface. I couldn’t see my paddle blade, but I could hear its drips, and the birds on the approaching far bank. Photo Credit: Florence Williams I’d been wearing the black plastic EEG cap around in other settings, notably while walking in a couple of city parks and along a rural road, all o

Whether you’re looking for a short walk or a full-on backpacking trek, here are the best trails on which to see the eclipse this month. A total solar eclipse will blanket a wide swath of the United States on Monday, August 21, 2017. Lasting roughly two minutes, it will be the first total solar eclipse visible in the continental United States since 1979. Visitor bureaus, law enforcement agencies and those in the accommodations industry are bracing for record-breaking crowds. Hundreds of thousands will flock to Missouri , 1  million visitors may descend  upon Oregon alone , and some say Wyoming’s population will  double .  (Grand Teton National Park will be almost square in the middle of the path, where the eclipse will be most visible.) If the upcoming eclipse has piqued your curiosity, but you’d rather not endure dead-stop traffic and elbow-to-below crowds, you’re in luck. We’ve compiled four hikes from coast to coast, each within the path of totality, that should deliver a solar spect

A pro photog’s top pointers for capturing better mountain biking shots and (maybe) racking up a few more double-taps on Instagram. I’ve been shooting action sports—from powder skiing to fly fishing—for over 10 years, and mountain biking is by far the hardest for me to capture well. Sure, anyone can get a decent picture of a rider in a beautiful landscape because, well, the landscape is beautiful—but those shots get old after scrolling through a few dozen Instagram posts. So what is it about mountain biking that makes it so hard to capture? Simply put, it’s really tough to convey action. Modern cameras (including your iPhone) shoot so quickly that even the best riders can look like they’re standing still in photos. Compare that to powder skiing, for instance, where clouds of snow distinctly communicate the speeds involved, and it’s easy to see that you’re working at a disadvantage when shooting photos of your fat-tire friends. It takes a certain set of elements to make an interesting mo

Off on your travels this summer? Whether it’s a dedicated fishing break, or just a rod snuck away on a family holiday, a lot of us will be on the road this summer. But if you want to get the best from your trip, you’ll need to be prepared. We’ve asked Dom Garnett for some timely advice. Here are his top 10 tips for the travelling angler. Successful fishing abroad just takes a little careful planning. Image courtesy of Dom Garnett. 1. Make a list Once you’re on the road, you can’t nip home, so be prepared. Make a list of all your basics, from rods and reels to lures and cameras. It’s worth doing just for peace of mind, and you’ll be able to use your list again next time. 2. Protect your neck There are things that save your neck time and again on long haul fishing trips. I always store a few essentials in the boot and they come with me on any holiday: Bottled water; a hat (wide brim is best); sun block; spare socks and a towel. Get a simple first aid kit too. Local tackle shops might n

And the importance of women climbing together Last fall, Quinn Brett and Josie McKee set five potential speed records in Yosemite during what they refer to as their “Tour de Ditch.” Over the course of a week, the two climbed El Capitan , Lost Arrow Spire , Leaning Tower , Mt. Watkins , Washington Column , Half Dome and Liberty Cap . That’s a grand total of seven Grade V or VI big walls in seven days, a feat the likes of which mere mortals (and even seasoned climbers) can barely comprehend. Quinn Brett and Josie McKee celebrate the completion of their “Tour de Ditch.” | Photo Courtesy “Similar projects have been done by male climbers, but I hadn’t heard of any females teams pushing the climbing endurance envelope in that regard,” Brett said of the project. Aside from a nod in Alpinist magazine , their accomplishment remained mostly unacknowledged. (Meanwhile, Adam Ondra or Alex Honnold might sneeze near some granite and get a New York Times mention.) It’s not as if Quinn and Josie ar

It’s much harder than you think to picnic properly.   Having a picnic seems easy, right? Just grab some food, a blanket and hit the nearest park. Think again. There’s a distinguished tradition of picnic planning to uphold that dates back to the Victorian era. Just take Donald Ogden Stewart’s words from his 1922 opus, Perfect Behavior, A Guide for Ladies and Gentlemen in All Social Crises : A day spent in the “open,” with the blue sky over one’s head, is indeed a splendid tonic for jaded nerves. But one should not make the mistake of thinking that because he (or she) is “roughing it” for a day, he (or she) can therefore leave behind his (or her) “manners,” for such is not the case. There is a distinct etiquette for picnics, and anyone who disregards this fact is apt to find to his (or her) sorrow that the “shoe” in this case is decidedly “on the other foot.” We’d never want you to be caught with your shoe on the other foot. Oh, heavens, no. Consider this our 2017 addendum to Stewart’s g

You’re unlikely to see the full potential of any carp water until you have night fished it. Image courtesy of Dom Garnett. Are you ready to tackle carp after dark? The small hours can be the best time of all to trick a wary specimen. We asked Dom Garnett to share some sound advice and practical tips for staying comfortable and catching carp at night. Establish your pitch Ready for the night: traps set and everything in position. Image courtesy of Dom Garnett. Even the most welcoming looking swim can become a dark, mysterious place at night. Get to know your swim by day before you go overnight. Have a cast around and take particular note of any snags. Arrive in good time if you can, so you are completely comfortable in the spot before nightfall. Bivvies and home comforts Look after your back with a high quality carp fishing bedchair. Featured product: TF Gear Dave Lane Hardcore Bedchair from Fishtec To night fish regularly with any success, you need to get tooled up for nights on th