Fast and Wild Summer Escapes
Be here now. (No, really.) With these 6 seize-the-day escapes, adventure is closer than ever.
Fat-Tire B&B - Mountain Biking
5 hours from Washington, DCElk River Touring Center, WV
THE PLACE: A perfect destination for spur-of-the-moment biking escapes, the Elk River Touring Center has out-of-the-door access to the 900,000-acre Monongahela National Forest, where trails explore creaking hardwood stands, cruise past gushing white-water rivers, and climb the slopes of the 4,000-foot Allegheny Mountains.
THE PAYOFF: Riding, gluttony, and rest. Guests can choose from some 200 miles of routes-ranging from singletrack plunges to riverside rambles-then unwind on Elk River's 145-acre farm, which features on-site fly-fishing, an outdoor hot tub, and seriously good grub.
THE PLAN: Just show up. Elk River-located in Slaty Fork, off U.S. Route 219-rents bikes, packs lunches, runs shuttles to off-site trailheads, and houses you in one of 13 lodge rooms ($55 and up) or five cabins ($100 and up). You can hire a guide ($180 day for two people) or just ask for a map and set out on your own. One of the region's best rides is Props Run, a 14-mile loop that plummets down an old narrow-gauge railroad grade. Or try the Tea Creek Mountain Trail, an eight-mile, half-day loop that ascends to a ridgeline in the high spruce country and returns on a 1,600-foot, rim-burning downhill. For more information, call 304-572-3771 or visit http://www.ertc.com/.
Summer Splashdowns - Whitewater Rafting
2 hours from Atlanta, GAOcoee River, TN
THE PLACE: With dozens of rambunctious rivers and steep creeks, the Tennessee-North Carolina region is arguably the white-water capital of the East. The area's most famous river is the Ocoee, site of the 1996 Olympic white-water events. With a wealth of outfitters in the region, even last-minute paddlers can usually find a spot on a boat to run this aquatic roller coaster.
THE PAYOFF: Concentration of power. Blasting through the 800-foot Ocoee gorge in the Cherokee National Forest, the river churns out 25 Class III and IV rapids in a nine-mile stretch.
THE PLAN: Rafters can take half-day trips on either the upper or middle stretches of the Ocoee or, better yet, a combo trip with lunch in between the two runs. The four-mile upper section has fewer rapids (eight), but it features the biggest drop of the day: Humongous, a hairy Class IV on the Olympic course. The first rapid on the five-mile middle run is just a few strokes from the put-in, and from there the cataracts continue ceaselessly-Broken Nose, Table Saw, Hell Hole, and so on-until the takeout. For guided trips, contact Quest Expeditions ($89 800-277-4537 http://www.questexpeditions.com/)
The Dream Streams - Fly Fishing
1 hour from Santa Fe, NMPecos River, NM
THE PLACE: From its headwaters high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Pecos River tumbles down through the Pecos Wilderness and into a series of narrow canyons-the scenic setting for some of the best trout fishing in the Southwest.
THE PAYOFF: In the Upper Pecos box, just south of the wilderness area, skilled fly casters can catch up to 30 wild brown trout a day (but keep only five). Farther downstream, south of the town of Cowles, anglers in the (lower) Pecos Box fish waters well stocked with both brown and rainbow trout.
THE PLAN: The Pecos is accessible, but not too-past the town of Pecos, State Route 63 leads to nowhere but great fishing spots and primitive Sante Fe National Forest campsites (505-757-6121), all in the shadow of forested summits soaring above 12,000 feet. If you're confident of your cast, camp at Jack's Creek, north of Cowles, and start fishing in the Upper Pecos Box, a short hike down from the road. The 12-inch browns lurking in the deep pools between plunges are wild and wary. Aficionados also salivate over Pecos tributaries such as Mora Creek. Professional guides offer the shortest route to gratification-not only for their fish-fooling acumen but for their access to private stretches of the river, some of which are wider and better suited to mere-mortal casters.
EZ Access Base Camps - Car Camping
5 hours from Salt Lake City, UtGreen River Lakes, WY
THE PLACE: The Wind River Range is spiked with 13,000-foot summits, cut by broad glacial valleys, and laced with tumbling alpine streams-and it receives far fewer visitors than nearby Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Parks. The Green River Lakes Campground, located where a gravel road ends and the Bridger Wilderness begins, is one of the most striking nooks of the Winds.
THE PAYOFF: Parting your tent's mesh veil at dawn, seeing Lower Green River Lake set in shadow and Squaretop Mountain rising above, and thinking. This is the ultimate in car camping.
THE PLAN: Hang close-canoe around the 453-acre lake, or fish its waters for trout-or head out. One excellent day hike is the trip through wildflower-dotted meadows to a natural rock bridge over Clear Creek. The best backpacking trip from camp is the 24-mile, three-day loop on the Porcupine, New Fork, and Highline Trails. The route climbs over Porcupine Pass, rounds several lakes, and skirts Squaretop Mountain and the headwaters of the Green River. For more information, visit: http://www.pinedaleonline.com/GreenRvrLkC&T.HTM.
Quick Crags - Scrambling
4 hours from Los Angeles, CAAlabama Hills, CA
THE PLACE: Think Joshua Tree parked at the foot of the Himalaya. The photogenic granite boulders of the Alabama Hills have starred in dozens of movies-from Gunga Din to How the West Was Won rising 11,000 feet directly behind them are the snowy parapets of the Sierra range, including Mount Whitney.
THE PAYOFF: Easy access to free camping (no reservations required) in an Ansel Adams setting-you can take in an alpenglow view of the highest point in the lower 48 from the comfort of your camp chair. Oh, and terrific crag climbing, bouldering, and hiking. And it's all only ten minutes from cold drinks and hot pizza in the town of Lone Pine.
THE PLAN: Get here on Route 395 (just west of Death Valley), then start clambering up, over, and around the Alabama Hills' 33,000 acres of sand- and wind-weathered boulders. Navigation in this maze of massive rock piles is a sport in its own right, with hiking, scrambling, and route-finding skills in equal demand. If pure-and more challenging-vertical sounds better, break out your climbing shoes and rope: The regions boasts 200 climbs, most in the 5.10 range (one classic: an arete route called Gone With The Wind, on Alabama Dome). Or head north an hour to the Buttermilks, located just outside Bishop, for world-class bouldering. As for hiking, well, let's put it this way: John Muir slept here. The most popular route in the Sierra is only ten minutes up the road from the Alabama Hills. Most Mount Whitney pilgrims tackle the 22-mile (round-trip) trail to the 14,494-foot summit in one day, but two-day assaults are also possible. For Alabama Hills information, call the Bureau of Land Management (760-872-4881) for Mount Whitney, visit the Inyo National Forest website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/
Speed Summits - Mountain Climbing
3 hours from Denver, COCrestone Peak, CO
THE PLACE: The jagged, red-tinted Sangre de Cristo Mountains stretch some 250 miles from Colorado to New Mexico and contain nine summits topping 14,000 feet. Perhaps the most impressive of them all-if you like your mountains saw-toothed and hulking-is 14,294-foot Crestone Peak, which ambitous hikers can climb in a day via a thrilling scrambling route.
THE PAYOFF: From the summit, climbers get a stunning, sampler-plate panorama of wild Colorad the Sangre de Cristos marching north, the San Luis Valley spreading west, and the twin-humped Spanish Peaks rising to the south.
THE PLAN: To reach Crestone, drive six miles south of Westcliffe on State Route 69, then head west on Colfax Road, which becomes increasingly rough as it approaches a parking lot. It's a two-and-a-half-mile hike (seven miles if your can can't handle the final stretch) to the South Colony Lakes, where you'll camp for the night. Try to hit the sleeping bag early-you'll want to start hiking before dawn. The nontechnical ascent route is unmarked but relatively easy to follow it crosses under the east face head up a steep couloir, then climbs a broken cliff to the summit. For a detailed explanation, visit http://www.summitpost.org/show/mountain_link.pl/mountain_id/294. Adventure Specialists leads ascents (http://www.adventurespecialists.org/).
Fast Track Trails - Backpacking
4 hours from New York City, NYNorthville-Placid Trail, NY
THE PLACE: Explore archetypal southern Adirondack country-marshes, meadows, and densely forested mountains-on a 24-mile stretch of the Northville-Placid Trail. Hking through a secluded, wildlife-heavy niche of the six-million-acre region, you'll be in the company of bears, moose, white-tailed deer, and eastern coyotes.
THE PAYOFF: The hike's charms are often aquatic in nature-you'll cross rivers, camp by lakes, skirt marshes, and bushwhack your way to off-trail cascades. And though it's just a few hours from Times Square, the trail is rarely crowded, even on summer weekends.
THE PLAN: This lowland path-1,300 to 2,000 feet-has little of the tough stair-stepping that typifies northern Adirondack hiking. Hence, it's ideally suited to a three-day backpacking trip. To reach the start point, turn west off State Route 30 and head toward the burg of Benson on County Route 125. Make a right onto Godfrey Road and begin hiking from the well-signed Upper Benson trailhead. On the first day, you'll pass Rock Lake and cross the West Branch of the Sacandaga River before stopping to camp at Silver Lake. On the following afternoon, you can take a detour past Big Eddy on a fisherman's trail to reach a series of five rushing waterfalls. The night's camp comes after you cross a suspension bridge at Hamilton Lake Stream. On the final, half-day leg of the trip, you'll pass Buckhorn Lake and marshy Priests Vly before finishing near Piseco, where you can camp or get a room at the Irondequoit Inn ($75 and up http://www.irondequoitinn.com/) For detailed route information, check out this website: http://www.avatar12.com/northvilleplacid/index.html
