Bigger is not always better. While we spend plenty of time oohing and ahhing over larger mountain towns like Boulder or Chattanooga, there are dozens of smaller hamlets with fewer than 6,000 full-time residents that offer the right combo of amenities and quick access to some of the best spots for outdoor recreation in the country. Here are my favorite small adventure towns across the United States, from minuscule hiking and climbing outposts to bustling ski towns.

Bethel, Maine

Population: 2,730

Why I Love It

Bethel is the kind of town that makes you consider relocating. Tucked into Western Maine鈥檚 Lakes and Mountains region, the village itself is super walkable with an eclectic array of restaurants, while being surrounded by public land, from the peaks that make up the expansive White Mountain National Forest to the less-intimidating Community Forest trails accessed directly from town.

The slow-moving Androscoggin River passes through the village (prime tubing in the summer) and an ever-growing is attracting more and more mountain bikers.

Oh, and Bethel is flanked by two ski resorts. is the larger of the two, with more than 2,000 feet of vertical and 750 acres of terrain (not to mention a couple of heated lifts), while is the mom-and-pop ski hill we all wish we had in our backyard, with $39 lift tickets every day, a friendly uphill policy, and a solid mix of terrain to keep it interesting.

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Most people come to Bethel to ski Sunday River. If you鈥檙e looking for a challenge, head to Oz, a zone loaded with steep double black runs, or take Lollapalooza to Blind Ambition, an expansive gladed run on the edge of Jordan Bowl. Bring your mountain bike during the summer. Mt. Abram has lift-served terrain, but you can hit a number of trails directly from the edge of town. is a fun, flowy three-mile loop in the center of the Bethel Village Trails on the south side of the village.

Where to Eat

has a genius cocktail menu, as well as a seafood chowder that hits just right on a cold winter night. If you鈥檙e looking for something more casual, has burgers and a rotating New England IPA on tap.

Where to Stay

The will put you on the southern edge of the village, within walking distance of restaurants, and direct access to some of the town鈥檚 most loved mountain bike trails (from $126 per night).

Stowe, Vermont

Population: 5,230 or 745

Why I Love It

Quite simply, Stowe is the East Coast鈥檚 best ski town, especially this winter as Stowe Mountain Resort has enjoyed 329 inches of snow (and counting) at the time I鈥檓 writing this article, and then you have the New England charm of the village itself, with its steeples, covered bridges, and brick federal architectural style. And all of this sits in the shadow of the massive Mount Mansfield State Forest and Smugglers鈥� Notch State Park.

Not cool enough yet? How about an aggressive and progressive local population that鈥檚 worked to preserve more than for public use while building out a growing system of singletrack and nordic trails that can be accessed straight from town. Is Stowe still a sleepy hamlet tucked into the hills? Yes and no. The village still feels small, but it can be expensive, and it can get crowded, but that鈥檚 the proverbial price you pay for being the best ski town on the East Coast.

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In the winter, you鈥檙e obviously skiing Stowe, which is one of the East鈥檚 best resorts, with more than 2,000 vertical feet of drop, and 653 skiable acres split between two mountains: Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak.When the snow melts, combine a slice of the and the for an eight-mile loop that climbs the 4,393-foot Mount Mansfield via a 2,000-foot climb that includes some ladders and scrambling before reaching the treeless summit, where you can see the surrounding Green Mountains and the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

Mountain bikers should pedal the Stowe Recreation Trail, a six-mile paved path along the What River, to access , Stowe鈥檚 signature trail network with 12 miles of purpose-built singletrack. Make sure you hit the mile-long Florence, considered by many the best flow trail in the northeast. And listen, everyone should make a point to visit Stowe during fall, when the weather is crisp and the hardwoods are popping off in a barrage of reds, yellows, and golds.

Where to Eat

is incredibly hip, incredibly good, and incredibly crowded, but get on the waitlist and when it鈥檚 your chance, order the Vermont cheddar fritters and their smash burger and listen to the DJ spinning from a wall of vinyl. And if you鈥檙e in Vermont, you have to stop by the and pick up a four pack of the beer that put the brewery on the map, Heady Topper.

Where to Stay

Stowe has resorts attached to the ski hill and quaint bed and breakfasts, but check out the new cabins and lodge rooms at a few miles outside of town, with direct access to Stowe鈥檚 Recreation Path. The lodge has its own bar, pool, and hot tub and a grassy lawn overlooking the West Branch of the Little River (from $151 per night).

Silverton, Colorado

Population: 713

Why I Love It

Sitting at 9,300 feet in elevation, Silverton is a former gold and silver mining town that has found new life as a basecamp for outdoor adventure, thanks to the surrounding San Juan Mountains鈥攁 hotbed of skiing in the winter and alpine adventure in the summer. If you鈥檙e standing in downtown Silverton, you鈥檙e within and 15 miles of seven of Colorado鈥檚 14,000-foot summits.

The entire town is a National Historic Landmark with buildings erected in the late 1800s that still retain their Wild West vibe. Greene Street, the main road through the heart of town, is the only paved street in the municipality. I鈥檝e visited Silverton during the winter, on my way to ski the backcountry terrain in the San Juan mountains, but I鈥檓 dying to get back in the summer and early fall to check out the growing network of mountain bike trails and see the aspens surrounding town turn gold.

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料s

Experience the best of the San Juans in summer by hiking the , located in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. The eight-mile out and back passes through meadows packed with wildflowers before delivering you to a trio of high-alpine lakes that are known to house rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout. The hike tops out at 12,000 feet in elevation, but you can climb higher by picking up the Continental Divide Trail above the lakes.

The local bike club, the Silverton Singletrack Society, is in the process of building out 30 miles of singletrack in a system called that you can pedal to from town. The first six-mile loop has just opened, offering a steep climb before releasing you to a 1,000-foot, flowy descent.

If you have the skillset, I highly recommend skiing , which is like no other ski 鈥渞esort鈥� in the country. A single chairlift rises from a warming hut, from the top you can skin out to a cornucopia of backcountry lines, all of which demand expert-level skiing. If that鈥檚 not enough terrain, Silverton Mountain also offers heli-bumps from the top of the chairlift.

Where to Eat

has great IPAs as well as a full menu, from cauliflower tacos to pizzas loaded with sausage and bacon.

Where to Stay

The has 15 modern rooms in a multi-story building that once housed a gas station, ballroom, and lodge hall. The hotel sits in the heart of downtown and every booking comes with a $10 drink credit in the lobby bar (private rooms from $176 per night; bunks in the 10-bed bunk room from $75 per night).

Highlands, North Carolina

Population: 1,110听

Why I Love It

Highlands, which is one of the highest incorporated towns east of the Mississippi (elevation: 4,118 feet), has been a mountain escape since the late 1800s, originally attracting wealthy travelers who flocked to the village for its clean air and pristine surroundings.

People today show up for the same reasons, and Highlands has grown into a cultural hub of the mountains, with a surprisingly robust art and culinary scene given its small footprint. Main Street is bustling with shops, galleries and restaurants, while the surrounding Nantahala National Forest offers fast access to hiking trails, mountain lakes, and waterfalls.

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Hiking Whiteside Mountain, a 4,903-foot peak named after the sheer, granite face that rises to its summit, is the must-do adventure close to town. The two-mile forms a loop that delivers you to the edge of this 700-foot cliff, one of the tallest in the eastern U.S.

You can actually drive your car behind Bridal Veil Falls, just outside of town, but for a more adventurous waterfall, head to Bust Your Butt Falls, a swimming hole just off Highway 64 on the Cullasaja River with a jumping rock and natural water slide at the base of the falls.

Where to Eat

You can鈥檛 turn around without stumbling into another fancy (and pricey) restaurant in Highlands, but I like for its to-go sandwiches and snacks that hit the spot on big hikes.

Where to Stay

Highlands has no shortage of high-end hotels and resorts, but I like the new , a 14-room motel that was recently renovated into a boutique stay where each room has its own typewriter and turntable with record collection (from $189 per night).

Kanab, Utah

Population: 5,200听

Why I Love It

You can鈥檛 beat Kanab鈥檚 location. Tucked into the desert of southern Utah, just north of the Arizona border, Kanab sits within striking distance of some of the Southwest鈥檚 most iconic landscapes. Bryce Canyon National Park is an hour north, Zion National Park is 45 minutes west. If you鈥檙e looking to take a dip, Lake Powell is an hour east, and drive two hours south and you鈥檒l hit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The town itself is steeped in Hollywood history, as more than 200 Westerns were filmed in the canyons around town. Kanab itself has a bit of a Moab vibe (think adobe buildings and streets sprawling through the desert floor) but it鈥檚 far sleepier than its gateway cousin, and in my opinion, has a much better culinary scene.

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料s

So many parks, so little time. For something unique, head to where you can sand-board the 75-foot tall dunes, made of grains of quartz coated with iron oxide, giving them a pink hew. You can rent sand boards or sleds from the at the park ($25 per board).

Hike Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch, considered the longest slot canyon in America. The is the fastest way into the gorge, a 3.4-mile round trip that delivers you to the canyon. From there, you can explore up or down the canyon to your heart鈥檚 content. The gulch is in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. You鈥檒l need a for the day hike.

Buckskin Gulch is more than 12 miles long, and 200 feet deep at its low point. The walls are never wider than 20 feet during its entire length.

Where to Eat

Kanab is a legitimate foodie destination with a handful of restaurants that punch above the weight of a town this size. If you鈥檙e looking for a memorable dinner, head to , where the menu revolves around a series of small plates, from foraged local mushrooms to chili-rubbed beef sourced just across the border in Arizona.

Where to Stay

There are plenty of hotels around town, but spend the night at , a glamping resort with geodesic domes that have king beds, their own kitchenette, and massive windows overlooking the red rock cliffs (from $170 per night).

Patagonia, Arizona

Population: 789

Why I Love It

Start in Tucson, then head an hour south (almost to the Mexican border) and you鈥檒l find tiny Patagonia, a former mining town that鈥檚 just starting to transition into a bonafide adventure town. This one-street village is surrounded by 10,000-foot peaks, and sits within striking distance of two state parks鈥擯atagonia Lake and Sonoita Creek. But the real draw here is the myriad of gravel roads that extend from main street into the surrounding hills, traversing an endless sea of desert grassland.

You鈥檒l hear both Spanish and English spoken throughout town, which also sports the tell-tale signs of a modern mountain outpost (like at the coffee bar with weekend food trucks), but is still hanging onto its blue-collar roots (and rooms are still relatively cheap).

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The 800-mile long Arizona National Scenic Trail, which runs the length of the state, can be found just outside of town. Head south for a meandering hike through rolling grasslands, or north and you鈥檒l tackle the Santa Rita Mountains, where steep climbs and granite peaks await.

But you鈥檙e probably here for the gravel riding, too. The options are endless, and the terrain is rolling instead of grueling, so plan for big-mile days. Start with the 30-mile Alto Ghost Town ride, which climbs through a series of canyons on its way to the ruins of a former mining camp. The undulating grasslands turn gold in the fall but form mesmerizing, shimmering waves regardless of when you ride through them. has rentals (from $125 per day).

Where to Eat

The has build-your-own pizzas, margaritas, and classy oil portraits of The King, while brews coffee in the morning, beer in the afternoon, and hosts rotating food trucks on weekends.

Where to Stay

Grab a spot in the nine-room hotel, which sits on main street within walking distance of everything, and has dedicated bike storage (from $125 per night).

Mazama, Washington

Population 200听

Why I Love It

There鈥檚 small, and then there鈥檚 Mazama, a hamlet in central Washington鈥檚 Methow Valley that has less than 200 year-round residents and a 鈥渄owntown鈥� that鈥檚 nothing more than a handful of businesses situated around a junction where two roads meet. But Mazama has everything you need鈥攆ood, beer, supplies, and a place to sleep.

More importantly, the town is surrounded by the , the largest network of nordic ski trails in the country (120 miles), all of which were created and maintained by a non-profit, also called . During the summer, there鈥檚 whitewater rafting on the Methow River, and trad and sport climbing on the Goat Wall, a 1,500-foot tall cliff overlooking the valley. Need more? Mazama is a gateway to North Cascades National Park, which has more glaciers than any park in the lower 48, and also happens to be one of the least visited parks in the country, with under 17,000 visitors last year.

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料s

State Road 20, a.k.a. North Cascades Highway, closes from Mazama into the park during the winter, but come summer, the two-lane offers a beautiful 90-minute drive west over Washington Pass. The of the park offers the easiest access to Mazama. There, you鈥檒l find three reservoirs of differing shades of milky blue. Grab a canoe ($75 a day) from and explore the lake, which is surrounded by steep, green mountains. Or hike the 3.5-mile to a prominent point overlooking Diablo Lake.

If you make the trek during winter, cross country skiing is the ticket. There are 120 miles of nordic trails throughout the valley, all of which are groomed nightly. Crazy right? Mazama has its own trailhead, where you can kick and glide along the 11-mile , which has minimal gain but big-valley views.

Where to Eat

There aren鈥檛 a lot of options, but the has to-go sandwiches and snacks and is the best example of what a modern general store can be. The has a taproom and patio with views of Goat Peak, not to mention craft beer, rice bowls, and even sushi.

Where to Stay

The has lodge rooms within walking distance of the Public House (from $182 per night).

Fayetteville, West Virginia

Population 2,900听

Why I Love It

In the 1800s, the New River Gorge area attracted lumberjacks and coal miners, as the river canyon was rich in both resources. Now, it attracts hikers, boaters, and climbers, and the New River Gorge has become one of America鈥檚 newest national parks.

The small town of Fayetteville has stood witness to it all, evolving into a world-class gateway community with a historic downtown square, and just enough in the way of restaurants and shops to keep visitors and locals satiated. Fayetteville still retains that sleepy, small town vibe, but just beyond the city鈥檚 borders lies some of the best outdoor recreation in the East, starting with the whitewater rafting and world-class climbing inside the New River Gorge. There鈥檚 also mellow paddling on Summersville Lake, mountain biking on the Arrowhead Trails, a hand-carved system built by Boy Scouts, and more whitewater action on the nearby Gauley River.

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料s

Most people show up to raft the , which runs for 53 miles through the heart of the 1,000-foot deep canyon. The river is typically broken down into two day-long runs. The Upper New is more family friendly, with 13 miles of class I-III rapids, while the Lower New has big hits that reach class IV plus.

The whitewater is exciting, but the climbing is actually better, with more than 1,500 established routes along the sandstone walls that loom over the river below. And that doesn鈥檛 even include the growing number of bouldering problems found in the gorge. The climbing isn鈥檛 easy (grades top out at ) but will put you on the right route if you鈥檙e looking for a guide (starting at $130 per person).

Where to Eat

Fayetteville鈥檚 downtown square sports a handful of restaurants. Operating out of a former church just off the square, has been the town鈥檚 go-to for breakfast and lunch for decades. If you ride a couple of hot laps on the flowy , make sure to stop by the for a cold beer and a brat (or taco) served al-fresco in their beer garden.

Where to Stay

The New River Gorge supports several adventure outposts, where you can find cheap campsites or luxury cabins. I like , which has options spread across a 350-acre campus with its own restaurants, a pool, and a stunning view of the gorge itself (covered platform tent sites start at $49 per night).

McCall, Idaho

Population: 4,066听

Why I Love It

The obvious draw to McCall is the skiing. The small town sits in the Cuddy and Salmon River Mountains of Idaho, collecting 300 inches of snow a year, with quick access to three ski resorts, Tamarack Resort, Brundage Mountain, and the aptly named Little Ski Hill, which has night skiing and just a T-bar for a lift.

But then you also have Payette Lake, a 5,000-acre beauty surrounded by green peaks and full of trout that have been beckoning anglers since the 1800s. Not to mention, whitewater rafting on the Middle Fork and Main Fork of the Salmon, and a growing portfolio of mountain bike trails, as well as ample hiking trails in Payette National Forest and Ponderosa State Park. Begin stacking all of these attributes up and it becomes obvious that the draw to McCall is鈥�everything.

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料s

Many will argue that has the best powder in Idaho, so skiers should head there during a winter visit. The mountain has almost 2,000 acres of front-side terrain to explore, but it鈥檚 the 18,000 acres of backcountry that you can access via the resort鈥檚 that are the real gem here (starting at $575).

Bring your bike in the summer as McCall is rapidly becoming a , earning a Silver Ride Center designation from IMBA, with a diverse suite of trails that鈥檚 rapidly approaching 500 miles large. Head straight for , a golf course resort that鈥檚 gone all-in on mountain biking with 17 miles of fast, flowy descents, some of which are packed with wooden features, all accessed via easy-to-climb fire roads or shuttle ($30 per rider).

Where to Eat

McCall is a bustling adventure town with plenty of options for a good meal, but has award-winning lagers to go along with their fried wild salmon and chips.

Where to Stay

takes modern Scandinavian-inspired design and puts it into a 1970s-era motel built with local timber. And the rooms walk out onto an expansive lawn with games and fire pits (from $131 per night).

Bigfork, Montana

Population: 5,249听

Why I Love It

At first glance, Bigfork is a lake town, sitting on the edge of the massive Flathead Lake, which has 200 square miles of water and 185 miles of shoreline. And it has plenty of kayaking and fishing for those that are water inclined. But it鈥檚 also a hiking town, with quick access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness, the Flathead National Forest, and numerous state parks.

Want a little adrenaline? Bigfork is also the basecamp for whitewater adventures on the Middle Fork and North Fork of the Flathead River. Oh, and Bigfork is just an hour from the West Glacier entrance to Glacier National Park. So is Bigfork a lake town? Yes, but it鈥檚 also so much more.

Signature 国产吃瓜黑料s

Head to the of Flathead National Forest, a 15,000-acre tract within the Bob Marshall Wilderness featuring more than 20 alpine lakes. Hike a 6.6-mile loop combining the (#717) and the Picnic Lakes Trail to the rocky summit of the 7,000-foot Mount Aeneas, where you鈥檒l find views of the Jewel Basin lakes below, and the ridges of Glacier National Park on the horizon. You鈥檒l occasionally find mountain goats on the summit too. Bring a flyrod and try to land one of the cutthroat or rainbow trout that thrive in the Picnic Lakes on the back end of the loop.

Flathead Lake has six state parks that protect its shoreline and the islands in the middle of the water. Paddle two miles across the lake from the boat launch in Dayton, Montana, to , a 2,165-acre state park in the middle of the lake that鈥檚 only accessible by boat. Instead of cars, you鈥檒l see feral horses and bighorn sheep. has kayak and paddleboard rentals (starting at $40).

Where to Eat

has views of the lake, 16 beers on tap, and a large pub-food menu that includes a burger topped with jalape帽o poppers. So, yeah. Yum.

Where to Stay

is an all-inclusive dude ranch on 2,000 acres running along the shores of Flathead Lake. You鈥檒l get access to the property鈥檚 15-mile private mountain bike trail system, canoes, hikes, and horseback rides to backcountry breakfast (starting at $5,103 a week). If you鈥檙e looking for less of a financial commitment, has cabins and Airstreams, all of which come with private access to the lake (from $210 per night).

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 been lucky enough to live in a few of America鈥檚 most fun (and expensive) adventure towns, and recently wrote about the country鈥檚 best mountain towns. He also recently wrote about the best national parks for spring break trips.听

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Mountain sports are听saturated with alcohol. Summit beers, lift beers, apr猫s ski, post-ride happy hours, whiskey around the campfire鈥攕ome days it feels like you could drink from beginning to end of your favorite outdoor activity. But as public health officials issue warnings over alcohol and younger Americans report that they drink less than previous generations, it鈥檚 worth asking whether our outdoor adventures should include so much booze.

On January 3, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for cancer warnings to be added to alcoholic beverages, citing research that shows there are around 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer-related deaths due to alcohol every year. Drinking has also been to problems with the heart, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal system, and immune system.

The advisory came at the beginning of Dry January, when many choose to give up alcohol for the month after indulging over the holidays. Even before Murthy鈥檚 report, U.S. alcohol sales were trending downward. But the percentage of American adults who drink has held relatively steady for decades. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just so built into U.S. culture,鈥� says Adrienne Webster, an addiction counselor based in Bozeman, Montana. 鈥淎lcohol is carcinogenic. It鈥檚 a neurotoxin. Those things are just facts. But we鈥檙e fed this B.S. that we should be doing it all the time. It鈥檚 probably the only substance that when you stop using it, people are like, 鈥榃hat? Why?鈥欌��

In my early twenties, I usually went skiing with a flask of Fireball or an unholy jungle juice of tequila and preworkout powder in my pocket. On hikes and bike rides, I would drink hard seltzers and beers that appeared from friends packs without much thought, and down a couple more in the parking lot at the end of the day. Then early last year, I started taking a medication that made me feel horribly sick if I had more than one drink in an evening. Suddenly, I had to get much more selective about my drinking habits鈥攁nd cut back, a lot.

Coincidentally, several of my friends and adventure buddies were also rethinking their relationship with alcohol last year, for various reasons. As I began trying to be more intentional about when and what I was drinking, it was nice to compare notes听with people who were going through the same process. Do I really want to be drunk right now, or is it just easy because everyone else is? If I just want a post-exercise treat, or to keep hanging out with everyone after the activity, could going out for ice cream or french fries be just as satisfying as stopping by a brewery?

I was lucky to have supportive friends, many of whom were in the same boat,听as I navigated cutting back on alcohol. Not everyone does. 鈥淚 see behind the scenes how many young people are trying to abstain, but nobody wants to talk about it, because there’s still so much stigma associated with it,鈥� Webster says. 鈥淚t’s still embarrassing.鈥�

For Nick Pearson, the founder of the Colorado-based nonprofit Sober Outdoors, carving out a space in nature free of the stigma around sobriety has been critical for his recovery from alcohol use disorder. He spent years working in sales for outdoor brands and drinking a lot in the process, which led him to see firsthand just how thoroughly alcohol and the industry are enmeshed.

鈥淲hen I finally got sober and went camping again, it was pretty nerve-wracking going with friends that drink,鈥� Pearson says. 鈥淚 was like, what am I gonna do while everyone鈥檚 sitting around the fire drinking? I wanted to create a space where people could experience the outdoors and not have to worry about alcohol being a part of the picture.鈥�

Pearson quickly found that he wasn鈥檛 the only person who wanted a substance-free outdoor community. Roughly 900 people have attended the 40-plus outings Sober Outdoors has hosted since it was founded two years ago, and the group is starting to branch out into states beyond Colorado. That community has helped fortify Pearson鈥檚 resolve when he goes out with friends who still partake, and he hopes that the broader outdoor recreation culture will take some cues from the growing听sober contingent.

鈥淢y biggest wish is that everyone takes a step back, looks at how substances impact them, and asks themselves, 鈥楬ow can we change to make the outdoors more inclusive?鈥� Because the sober audience is so much bigger than anyone even realizes,鈥� Pearson says. 鈥淎nd Sober Outdoors is the proof in the pudding that you can have a great time without drinking鈥攁ll these people that are hiking and camping and having a blast, without a beer in their hands the whole time.鈥�

Personally, I’ve found that an ice-cold root beer or coke from the snowbank next to the car after a long ski tour hits just as hard as a regular beer. The hardest part was breaking the habit. Sometimes I鈥檒l still take my favorite cider to savor at the top of a mountain, or split a beverage with a friend in the parking lot to celebrate a particularly stellar day on the slopes. But it鈥檚 a choice now, not a reflex.

Even if you feel comfortable with your current consumption habits, Pearson and Webster both have suggestions for ways everyone can help make a culture that鈥檚 welcoming and supportive of others鈥� sobriety: educate yourself, don鈥檛 make assumptions, and be inclusive.

鈥淪ometimes people aren鈥檛 sure what to do when one of their friends stops drinking,鈥� Webster says. 鈥淏ut just act normal and keep inviting your sober friends to things. They might not want to deal with being around alcohol, but it should be up to them.鈥�

Pearson emphasized that you don鈥檛 always know what someone is going through, and statistically speaking, there鈥檚 a decent chance someone you know and recreate with has an unhealthy relationship with substance use. The National Institute of Health that 28.9 million, or just over one in ten, teenagers and adults in the U.S. had alcohol use disorder in 2023. When you include all substance use disorders, that number jumps to . 鈥淪omeone may not tell you they鈥檙e trying to get sober, or they鈥檝e got a problem with it, or want to cut back,鈥� said Pearson. 鈥淏ut you need to just take people at their word. If they say, 鈥楴o, I don’t want it,鈥� don’t push it.鈥�

Occasionally, it鈥檚 still awkward or just a bummer when everyone I鈥檓 out with is drinking and I can鈥檛. And I have no doubt that it鈥檚 much harder to navigate sobriety in mountain culture, in so many ways, for people in recovery from a substance use disorder than it is for someone like me. But for the most part, my newly sober-ish friends and I have all been struck by the degree to which our experiences in the mountains haven鈥檛 really changed this year. Your real friends won鈥檛 give you a hard time for not drinking, non-alcoholic beers truly are pretty good these days, and often french fries actually are the more enticing post-exercise treat.

I鈥檓 not asking you to stop drinking, or even telling you that you shouldn鈥檛 drink. But I think anyone who participates in outdoor sports, and anyone who drinks alcohol while they do, could probably stand to reflect on when and why they鈥檙e partaking. And we would probably all be better off if we asked ourselves what we鈥檙e doing, and what more we could do, to make sober people feel more welcome and included.

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Dear Sundog: We recently went to a wedding in a mountain resort town. We rented a condo online because the wedding hotel was fully booked. I had qualms because I know that people like us are driving up the cost of living for locals, but didn鈥檛 have a better option so I swallowed the qualms. After a flight delay we arrived a day late. We saw a beat-up car parked in the driveway. As we approached, two young guys who looked like climbing bums tossed some gear into the car, took a look at us, jumped in and drove off. My husband thought it was suspicious and asked me to jot down their license plate number, which I did. Inside the condo it was clear that these kids had spent the night. We called the host, who came over immediately, did a quick clean and changed the entry codes. He told us he was not the owner but a professional host who managed a dozen rentals in town. The actual owner lived out of state. It sat vacant during the off-season.

Later, the host messaged us to say that the owner had filed a police report and wanted our help to identify the squatters. My husband thinks we should hand over the license plate number. I disagree. I don鈥檛 have much sympathy for the absentee landlord. The kids hadn鈥檛 actually damaged the condo, and frankly it鈥檚 not my job to get them in trouble. Who鈥檚 right? 鈥擵ery Resistant to Bending Over for Real Estate Barons Exploiting Locals

Dear VRBO REBEL: First let me commend you and your husband鈥檚 coolheadedness: you did not gun down these trespassers in cold blood, which seems an increasingly common response in our country of stand-your-grounders. It appears you have an ounce or more compassion for these loafers even if they made you uncomfortable.

First, let鈥檚 agree that this owner is fully within his rights to press charges against these guys鈥攊f he can find them. They committed a crime against his property. Your ethical quandary, VRBO REBEL, is a more interesting one: must you be complicit in this version of criminal justice, especially when you see ethical qualms in the behavior of the victim. Indeed, the American justice system has long skewed to value property more highly than humanity. Here鈥檚 an example: in the days of the frontier, out-of-state cattle barons owned herds of cattle numbering in the thousands that they hired cowboys to tend. It鈥檚 worth mentioning that the steers and cows could only stay alive by munching off grasses on lands that did not belong to their owners. The herds were too big to manage, and invariably some cattle wandered off. Along comes some hungry cowpoke or Indigenous person who seizes a beef and slices it up for steaks. Now he鈥檚 a guilty of a hanging offense.

In today鈥檚 West, now that beef and lumber and mining are past their prime, the most precious commodity is real estate, specifically rentable residences near some National Park or other natural wonder. When the pandemic brought historically low interest rates, speculators could snap up these properties for far more than locals could afford, and still rent them short-term for enough to cover their historically low monthly mortgage payment. Fill the place with some blonde-wood Scandinavian furniture and patterned shower curtains from Target and voil脿: an investment that not only yields monthly dividends but will also presumably gain value over the years. The speculator wins, the visitors like yourself wins, while the actual town residents are squeezed.

Getting back to the cattle analogy, if an AirbnBaron owns so many rental properties that he can鈥檛 keep them properly protected from the scourge of townies, then so be it. I guess I don鈥檛 see using police work and courts to punish the interlopers as a particularly ethical use of taxpayer money. Just as the cattle baron should have hired more cowboys to guard his cows, so should the rental baron hire a rent-a-cop to patrol his vacant structure.

As for your own question about ratting out these dirtbags, VRBO REBEL, I say hell no. Collaborating with police was not in the agreement you signed. By paying your nightly fee, you have fulfilled your obligations, both legal and financial, to the condo owner. You are not ethically bound to join his posse and help him rope the rustlers. Burn that license plate number with a clean conscience.

Got a question of your own? Send it to听sundogsalmanac@hotmail.com

(Photo: Mark Sundeen)

Mark Sundeen, aka Sundog, has done his fair share of squatting in vacant buildings, such as this cabin near Death Valley, circa 1998. He鈥檚 also had his share of strangers squatting in his un-winterized desert trailer. So it all sort of evens out?

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国产吃瓜黑料 spends a lot of time ranking the best mountain towns in the country, but which one is the worst? Is Aspen鈥檚 conspicuous wealth worse than Jackson Hole鈥檚 false modesty? How many billionaires does it take to ruin a local economy? Is there any hope for the ski-bum lifestyle? Paddy O鈥機onnell and Frederick 鈥淩ico鈥� Reimers bring us a debate you only win by losing.

The post Who鈥檚 Got It Worse, Ass-Pens or J-Holes? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The only thing better than waking up in a mountain town is overnighting within minutes of the destination鈥檚 best trails, waterways, and ski runs鈥攁nd I learned this firsthand on a June 2024 Alaskan getaway. I鈥檇 spent several weeks hopping between national parks, including bear watching in Lake Clark and . I wasn鈥檛 ready for the adventure to end, and a stay at the new Chugach State Park-adjacent instead of downtown Anchorage, meant it didn鈥檛 have to.

I spent the 48 hours before my homebound flight strolling the property鈥檚 trails, hiking the Chugach-view loop around nearby Eklutna Lake, and crossing off an exciting wildlife spotting: the trip鈥檚 first black bear.

That鈥檚 just the start of this list鈥檚 adventure-centered digs. I scoured Airbnb for other incredible stays in the nation’s beloved mountain towns, from a waterfront abode in my lucky lower 48 aurora-hunting perch鈥擬ichigan鈥檚 Upper Peninsula鈥攖o a postcard-worthy A-frame in my favorite fall hiking spot, the Adirondacks. Here are 12 can鈥檛-miss mountain-town Airbnb homes to add to your bucket list.

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Watch Stars Shimmer Above the Chisos in Terlingua, Texas

From this dramatic Stardust Big Bend Luxury A-frame, you鈥檒l be within minutes of Terlingua鈥檚 old-western ghost town, not to mention the Maverick entrance to Big Bend National Park. But the cabin鈥檚 dramatic Chihuahuan desert surroundings, and the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook it, make it hard to leave the property. Watch from bed as the rising sun paints the Chisos peaks hues of pink and peach, or relax on the spacious deck or hammock as the desert transitions from golden hour to star-speckled night鈥攁 signature of the region鈥檚 enormous Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. Your hangout is one of 11 cabins on the property, and it feels like a home away from home with a full kitchen, one bedroom, two beds, and one bathroom, for up to four guests. Meet your neighbors in the community game room, but note, pets are not allowed.

Squeeze in Ample 国产吃瓜黑料 Within One Hour of Anchorage Airport, Alaska

This handicap-accessible cabin is part of BlueWater Basecamp, a new collection of eight Scandinavian-style abodes set near Alaska鈥檚 Chugach State Park and roughly one hour from the Anchorage International Airport. With this proximity, you can spend your final days in Alaska hiking, biking, and wildlife watching instead of bopping between Anchorage gift shops. Teal-tinged Eklutna Lake, for example, is mere minutes from the property, with guided paddle trips and a 12-mile dirt loop around the water for biking and hiking. Wildlife such as moose and black bears are known to inhabit the area, and they may even stop by BlueWater BaseCamp for a porch safari. The pet-friendly property has three styles of abodes, including the handicap-accessible deluxe mountain cabin with room for up to six guests with two bedrooms, three beds, and one bathroom, as well as a full kitchen鈥攁 necessity given that the nearest main towns, Palmer and Eagle River, are 30 minutes away.听

Stay in a Taos Earthship Within Minutes of Stunning, Uncrowded Trails in New Mexico

This eye-popping Taos Mesa Studio Earthship is more than a place to rest your head. It鈥檚 a lesson in sustainable housing, with an off-grid design built to catch rainwater and generate its own electricity鈥攁ll while staying 72 degrees throughout the year, even on chilly desert nights. The Earthship lies 10 minutes from the , an eight-mile out-and-back route that overlooks the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument鈥檚 plains and peaks, with parallel views of the 800-feet-deep Taos gorge. Your one-bedroom, one-bathroom Earthship can welcome up to four guests thanks to a cozy, convertible daybed. Pets are welcome with a $50 fee, and the home comes with a full kitchen.

Snooze in a Snow Globe After Hitting the Breckenridge, Colorado Slopes

Enjoy endless fresh air among the Pike National Forest pines at The Deck at Quandary Peak, which allows for up to three guests. This backcountry Breckenridge home, which becomes its own glorified snow globe each winter, overlooks the Tenmile range鈥檚 highest peak, Mount Quandary. You鈥檒l have quick access to the Breck ski lift and town center within 15 minutes. The cabin, with its hygge-inspired aesthetic, includes one bedroom with two beds, one bathroom, and a full kitchen. Relax among the conifers on the fairy-light-adorned deck, or nap by the cozy indoor fireplace after a long day on the slopes. You鈥檒l need a 4WD vehicle to reach the home, and tire chains are required for winter visit. Pets are not allowed.

Overnight Beside a New York Adirondacks Lake鈥擪ayaks Included

New York鈥檚 Adirondack Park is a four-season getaway, and few overnights immerse you in the changing landscape like this picturesque Lakefront A-frame Cabin on Stoner Lakes. Enjoy the mirror-still water from the fire ring, or hop aboard the kayaks that come with the property for a scenic paddle. The mountain town of Caroga Lake, set in the Adirondack foothills, is a 15-minute drive south. Head there for , fishing, or snowmobiling. Or, travel 10 minutes north of your cabin to tackle the steep 3.5-mile out-and-back up Good Luck Mountain. Royal Mountain Ski Area鈥檚 13 trails are a short 20 minutes south of you, too. Up to six guests (and pets) can enjoy this two-bedroom, three-bed, and one-bath getaway. (Note: this is a three-night minimum stay.)

Catch Shut-Eye in a Treehouse Near Park City, Utah鈥檚 Best Runs

Park City鈥檚 Dreamy Living Cabin puts the 鈥渢ree鈥� in treehouse, with a 200-year-old fir jutting up through its airy wood-paneled interior. The getaway, which glows with natural light from the 270-degree glass windows, sits at 8,000 feet elevation. It鈥檚 just north of the protected woodlands, where hiking trails give travelers the chance to spot moose, porcupines, and eagles. Park City downtown and its many ski hangouts, such as , lie roughly 30 minutes south of your stay. The property is also less than one hour from the Salt Lake City Airport. It鈥檚 a great getaway for two, with one bedroom, one bathroom, a full kitchen, and a large deck that overlooks the soaring Uintas. Pets are not allowed. (Note: this is a two-night minimum stay.)

Doze Beneath the Tetons in Jackson, Wyoming鈥檚 Dreamy Geodesic Domes

A sprinkling of 11 heated geodesic dwellings, known as Tammah Jackson Hole Domes, plunge guests into Wyoming鈥檚 jaw-dropping wilderness, with views of the jagged Tetons best enjoyed from your cozy king-sized bed. Overnights at this Airbnb include free breakfast, in-dome telescopes, and ensuite bathrooms. The property also has a shared sauna and firepit鈥攖he perfect way to share stories after a in Grand Teton National Park; its Granite Canyon entrance is five minutes north by car. For skiing and snowboarding, is also a five-minute drive away. Each 540-square-foot dome fits two guests maximum; pets are welcome.

Overnight in a Grain Silo in Kalispell, Montana

Add some farm feels to your mountain-town escape by sleeping in a converted grain silo with views of Montana鈥檚 peak-laden Flathead Valley. These metal accommodations have it all: a kitchenette, loft bedroom, two beds, and one bathroom, not to mention an outdoor fire pit for watching the Rocky Mountain landscape change from blue-sky day to gold-tinged dusk. Don鈥檛 head to sleep early on the star-splashed night skies, either. Start the day with a stroll along the 80-acre farm鈥檚 walking trails, or, when the powder hits, try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing the farm routes. Glacier National Park is a 30-minute drive north, while 3,000 skiable acres are around 50 minutes northwest. Downtown Kalispell鈥檚 delicious breweries are a 10-minute drive from your silo. Pets are not allowed.

Crash Beside the Tennessee River in This Cozy Chattanooga Cabin with a Watchtower

Soak up the Tennessee River Gorge鈥檚 grandeur from a pet-friendly waterfront cabin in the heart of this dramatic river canyon. The two-bedroom, five-bed, and one-bathroom Chattanooga-adjacent house can welcome up to eight guests with plenty of water adventures onsite, from angling on the Tennessee riverbank to paddling with the property鈥檚 rentable kayaks. Climb the cabin鈥檚 scenic watchtower to scout for wildlife like ospreys, bald eagles, and deer, or catch more flora and fauna from the nearby hiking jaunts, including six-mile out-and-back Snoopers Rock Trail, roughly a 30-minute drive away. Snag a view of the 100-foot-tall Julia Falls roughly 20 minutes to the east; it鈥檚 among the most scenic stops on the over 300-mile .

Bunk-Up Near Trailheads and Slopes in Picturesque Stowe, Vermont

Sleep within steps of your hiking path at the Cady Hill Trail House, a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guesthouse in the quintessential New England town of Stowe, Vermont. The two-guest home, complete with a full kitchen, is surrounded by the charming , home to over 11 miles of trails鈥攁nd a profusion of color when the leaves change each fall. Stowe鈥檚 many breweries, cafes, and restaurants are just five minutes away; the 116 ski trails at are within 10 minutes driving, too. Guest have ample outdoor space to store gear like bikes, skis, and snowshoes. In addition to ambles, the Cady Hill trail network welcomes skiers, snowshoers, and mountain bikers depending on the season. Pets are not allowed. (Note: this is a two-night minimum stay.)

Sleep in a South Dakota Firetower Near Mount Rushmore

Play fire lookout for a night鈥攐r week鈥攆rom this firetower-inspired getaway within minutes of South Dakota鈥檚 Custer State Park, where bison now abound. An array of park trails are within a 25-minute drive of your tower, including , which weaves by dramatic van-sized boulders for three miles, or the take the route up , South Dakota鈥檚 highest point. Cross Mount Rushmore off your bucket list while you鈥檙e here; it鈥檚 30 minutes northeast by car. This one-bedroom, 1.5-bath tower, built for two guests, comes with a full kitchen, wrap-around deck, and a common area with a firepit and yard games. Pets are not allowed.

Catch Zzzs After Watching for Northern Lights Near Michigan鈥檚 Porcupine Mountains

One of Michigan鈥檚 best-kept secrets, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (better known as the Porkies), lies within 15 minutes of this Lake Superior Beach House鈥攁 two-bedroom and two-bath abode with a full kitchen and sweeping turquoise water views. The Porkies offer all sorts of Great Lakes adventures: ascending the world鈥檚 tallest artificial ski jump, ; fishing or taking a dip in the photogenic Lake of the Clouds; or schlepping up the steep half-mile route to the , which offers views as far as Isle Royale National Park on a clear day. Back at the cabin, relax by the indoor fireplace or hang outside after dusk to watch for one of the Upper Peninsula鈥檚 greatest treats: the aurora borealis. Select pets are allowed upon request. (Note: this is a four-night minimum stay.)

Want more of 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 travel stories? .

When she鈥檚 not staying in cool places around the world, adventure and astrotourism writer Stephanie Vermillion chases comets and northern lights, and hunts the best stargazing in dark sky zones. Her upcoming book will be out December 3.

The post The 12 Coziest Mountain-Town Airbnbs in the U.S. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Kudos to The Wall Street Journal’s real-estate reporters for unearthing some of the juiciest stories set in ski towns. Earlier this year, the newspaper reported on a between a millionaire and a billionaire over a disputed property line and two furry dogs. Then, just last month, the听WSJ told us about the equipped with a private ski gondola. We all had a good laugh at that one.

The latest story is just as goofy. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that homeowners across the West are spending tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars into their abodes to ease the effects of the thin air on their bodies. These devices鈥攁nd the system of pipes, tubes, and ductwork that deliver the enriched air鈥攕tart around $30,000, and can run well north of $250,000. According to the WSJ,听these systems can effectively lower the perceived altitude of a bedroom by thousands of feet.

Yep, if you’re rich enough, you can now disrupt the effects of high altitude on your pulmonary system. And this technology is only going to to become more accepted in ski towns, the newspaper said.

“Home oxygenation is where motorized shades and lighting control were 15 years ago,” David E. Luckan, the president of a company called Invigor8 Air Design, told the newspaper.

My initial reaction after reading this story was, of course, to barf just a little bit in my mouth. Anyone who lives at high altitude听knows that the side-effects of the thin air鈥攖he dizziness, lethargy, and insomnia鈥攇o away after your body produces a few billion extra red blood cells. This process can take a few days or weeks, and afterward, you can sprint up staircases or shotgun beers without keeling over.

My assumption is that the homeowners in question don’t spend enough time in their fancy mountainside chalets to acclimatize. After a few days on the slopes, it’s back to the Bloomberg Terminal in New York City or Dallas. Meanwhile, their multimillion-dollar homes sit there uninhabited, while further down the hillside, local restaurant workers and ski lift operators pack themselves into sardine-can condominiums, or , due to the dearth of affordable housing.

After calming my frustration, my next feeling was confusion. For years, top cyclists, triathletes, and Himalayan mountaineers听have purchased systems that remove oxygen from the air to trick the body into thinking it’s at high altitude. But these systems require the athlete to seal herself in an airtight plastic to prevent O2 molecules from entering and escaping. How could a typical bedroom trap air like a hypoxic tent?

And finally, I wondered about the massive amount of electricity these devices must consume. Do the streetlights in Aspen flicker every time the billionaires fire up their oxygen engines?

With so many feelings and questions swirling in my mind, I decided it best to phone up one of these companies: Altitude Solutions, which is based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The company’s founder and chief operating officer, Adam Roberts, told me that he’s been installing oxygenation systems in Colorado homes for the last 20 years. The demand for the systems ramped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, with so many people from sea level moving to the mountains.

“We used to install one or two systems a year, and now it’s that many in a day,” he said. “Ten years ago people thought we’d be out of business.”

I asked Roberts how his system compares to a hypoxic tent, and why an oxygen-enrichment system听can function in a normal room while an oxygen-deprivation machine cannot. He told me that most homeowners need to install airtight gaskets and window coverings to eliminate major leaks. But his machines pump out so much oxygen that they simply overcome the air that escapes.

“It’s like pouring water into a bucket that has holes in the bottom,” he said. “If you flood enough oxygen into a room, you’ll get ahead of the leaks.”

I also asked him about the electrical consumption. One of the oxygenation units uses 1,100 watts from a typical 110-volt outlet to provide enough oxygen for a typical bedroom. Using one is kind of like running your microwave or blowdryer all night long鈥攜eah, not something any of us would do. But also not enough to drain the local electrical grid.

OK, but what about the moral conundrum? Should we really create technology that allows the mega-rich to pursue a lifestyle that erodes the social fabric of mountain towns, chases out middle-class workers, and leaves millions of square feet of valuable real estate unused for most of the year?

Roberts was silent for a few seconds when I brought this up. But then he chimed in with some additional data points. Yes, some of his clients are wealthy out-of-towners who want to enjoy those two weeks out of the year when they visit their fifth home. But not all of them.

“There are locals who have grandkids who comes in for a few days each year and they just want that person to be able to sleep at night,” he told me. “Or they want grandma to come up and visit for another five or ten more years. For them, this can be life-changing.”

Roberts said that the annoying side effects that people experience at higher elevation鈥攕pecifically the insomnia鈥攊mpacts young, old, sick, and healthy. For these unfortunate souls, an oxygenation machine can make a vacation to the slopes actually enjoyable. “Imagine coming up here and you’re so sleep-deprived that you can’t get off the couch,” he said. “It ruins the experience for anyone.”

And then Roberts laughed and told me about a subset of clients who install the systems for an altogether different reason. No, it’s not to help them ski better.听 “We do have clients who bought the systems because they are heavy drinkers,” he said. “They feel better in the morning because their hangover went from a ten to a seven.”

Alas, when I added boozehounds, small children, and the elderly to the customer list, I found it much harder to detest oxygen-enriching systems and the people buying them. Yes, they are absolutely a luxury item鈥攐ne that burns through a ton of electricity and, at the moment, serves mostly wealthy.

But a private ski gondola they are not. Talking to Roberts reminded me of scenes from my wedding, which my wife and I held at 9,000 feet elevation in Colorado’s Sawatch Range. More than a few of our out-of-town guests staggered around the ceremony, bleary eyed, having tossed and turned the previous night with headaches. If I’d had the ability to erase their altitude hangovers, I’d have gladly done so.

Thus, while oxygen-enrichment machines do make me cringe, I’m inclined to place the technology alongside snow-making cannons, infinity pools, and chairlift loading carpets鈥攕ki resort technology we love to hate, but grudgingly accept. And sometimes use.

The post Rich Mountain Town Dwellers Are Pumping Extra Oxygen into Their Homes appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The Storm Hits 听

I wake up at dawn on Friday, September 27, because the wind is howling around my house and trees are snapping at their trunks and being pulled out of the ground by their roots. From the window I watch the treetops sway and listen for the crack of wood. I hope I can echo-locate the snap so I know where the giant timber is going to fall. At every sound, I worry something will land on my house.

Two large white oaks, one of which is at least a hundred years old (I count the rings later) are pushed over by a massive gust and careen towards my neighbor鈥檚 house, where three little girls under the age of 10 live. As one barely misses the walls and crushes a trampoline outside, I slump in relief.

Rain is coming down in a steady stream. The power goes off a few minutes after I wake up. Water is the next to vanish, an hour later. Cell service disappears in the early afternoon. Asheville has wind gusts of 46 miles per hour.

Nobody expected a storm like this in western North Carolina. Hurricanes usually hit the state鈥檚 coastal regions, not the mountains. We knew there would be rain and flooding, but nothing at all as catastrophic as what came. My wife and I lived through Asheville鈥檚 last hurricane flood, in 2004, when the French Broad River surged into low-lying parts of town. Meteorologists called that event a one-in-100-year flood. They鈥檙e saying this storm is a one-in-1,000 year event. I don鈥檛 know a single person who evacuated, nor did I ever hear any calls from officials to do so.

When the worst of the storm abates, around noon, I walk into the street and gather with neighbors to make sure everyone is O.K. Kids are crying. People have huddled in their basements. A neighbor who鈥檚 a doctor walks up saying a woman at the bottom of our hill has a gash in her neck that won鈥檛 stop bleeding because the roof of her house fell on her in bed. Trees are down all over and there鈥檚 no clear path to get the woman to a hospital, so I run around looking for a way that a vehicle could get through the carnage. So many power lines are down, so many cars are smashed, so many trees are leaning on homes, and stunned people are standing in their yards. My neighborhood of 19 years feels foreign.

I find the safest way to walk the woman with the neck wound to a point where I think a car could meet us, and I reach a friend who鈥檚 headed into my neighborhood with a chainsaw, already out trying to cut through the madness, and have just enough service to tell him where to go before my phone dies. I walk the woman up a hill, with the doctor who鈥檚 telling her not to remove the bandage from her neck because you don鈥檛 mess with neck wounds, and the woman is crying. She鈥檚 afraid of the wind and the trees鈥攁fter the roof of her house just fell on her.

My friend with the truck and the chainsaw is there, exactly where I told him to meet us, and the woman enters the vehicle and they head towards the hospital. I don鈥檛 hear how she is for another three days because there鈥檚 no cell service, and nobody hears from anyone unless in a face-to-face conversation.

I go back to my own house to assess the damage and hug my wife and children.

By the end of the day, a crew of men in a truck I鈥檝e never seen before have chainsawed their way through half of the downed trees in the neighborhood. These aren鈥檛 city crews or electric-company employees. These are dudes in trucks doing what they can to help.

This is just day one.

The Aftermath of the Storm

Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina, turning the city of Asheville, the South鈥檚 greatest outdoor-adventure town where I have lived for 20 years, and the surrounding mountain communities into a federal disaster zone. The French Broad River crested at more than 24 feet, wiping out the entire River Arts District, a collection of restaurants, breweries, hotels, and art studios a mile west of downtown. Biltmore Village, a hub of higher-end hotels and restaurants and shops, is similarly trashed, whole buildings gutted by the force of the river. Entire neighborhoods have been washed away, with houses and trailers floating downstream and piles of broken lumber everywhere.

I鈥檓 incredibly fortunate. Our basement flooded, but no trees hit our house. Nobody in my family was hurt. We live in higher terrain and not along the river corridor, where the worst flooding occurred. So many people are in far worse shape. As I write, 71 people have been confirmed dead across the county. Search and rescue helicopters and ATVs are still looking for missing people every day.

The first few days after the storm were isolating. Navigating the roads was tough because of the downed trees. Nobody had cell or internet service, so we couldn鈥檛 check the news or message anyone. I didn鈥檛 know the extent of the destruction beyond my own neighborhood. Eventually, we learned to get in the car and listen to the city鈥檚 press conferences at 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. every day to grasp the context of the storm. I worked on cleaning up my neighbors鈥� yards and some trees in the road.

I was lucky in another way, too. We have an old hot tub in our backyard that became our sole source of gray water, and remains so. I used five-gallon buckets to move water from it to our bathtub so we could flush toilets. I cooked meals on our propane grill, pulling food from the fridge before it went bad.

At some point, I learned that the Chamber of Commerce a mile up the street had power and their WiFi was radiating into the parking lot, so twice a day I walked up there to send messages and check the news. I started a fire in the wood stove in our basement to try to dry the water out. Of all the damage Hurricane Helene caused, this is as minor as it gets.

In talking with neighbors, we heard there was no gas for cars because the stations had no power, and that none of the interstates or highways were letting vehicles in or out. We heard other towns鈥擟himney Rock, Burnsville, Spruce Pine, more鈥攄eeper in the mountains fared even worse than Asheville. We learned that the city had organized points of distribution for water and food.

Besides the destruction, mostly what I saw is people taking care of each other. The guy who owns the trendy cafe on the corner a few blocks from my house cranked up his giant pizza oven and served free burgers and chicken sandwiches, feeding 1,500 people. Other neighbors chipped in, setting up stands with free stew and hot dogs.

We were all walking all over the neighborhood and town, asking people we didn’t know if they needed anything.

Almost two weeks after the storm, we still have no power, internet, or running water. I鈥檓 still moving water to flush toilets, getting drinking water from distribution points, trying to keep a fire in the basement stove. Cell service came back about six days after the storm.

Every state and federal agency is on the ground. Cops, firefighters, and search-and-rescue teams have come from Indiana, New York, Ohio. There are well-organized official disaster-relief stations and smaller stations set up by civilians. There鈥檚 a hard 7:30 P.M. curfew. I鈥檝e heard isolated events of attempted muggings, but mostly it鈥檚 peaceful.

Unable to work as a writer without internet or power, I spend my days volunteering. One day I鈥檓 cooking burgers at a community center, the next, knocking on doors around Buncombe County doing wellness checks. If you can鈥檛 reach a cousin or aunt or spouse in Asheville, you call and ask for someone to check on the person. Volunteers go out to people鈥檚 last known addresses and see if they鈥檙e OK.

Most of the people I check on are OK. I work on developing the friendliest of door knocks,听 something that says, 鈥淚鈥檓 here to help.鈥� Only one person answered the door with a gun in a holster.

I鈥檓 having a hard time putting this into words, but in the midst of all of the destruction and despair that I鈥檝e seen, I鈥檝e also been overwhelmed by a sense of hope and gratitude. Is it cheesy to say this disaster has renewed my faith in humankind? Probably. But that鈥檚 fine.

Without water and power, schools are closed, so my kids spend their days volunteering or helping friends clean up their yards. They have sleepovers and walk a mile into town together, just for some semblance of normalcy.

Grocery stores opened on a limited basis a day or so after the storm. One person in, one person out, long lines. Cash only because there was no internet. Now the stores are taking cards again, and you can get much of what you need or want. Most gas stations are open again. The two coolers on my back porch are full of food, and I am still cooking all meals on the propane grill. I鈥檒l need to find more propane soon.

Downtown is a ghost town. Asheville is a tourist draw and obviously there are no tourists right now. A lot of people have left town temporarily as well. Some businesses have boarded up, and only a few shops are open.

My hot tub is almost empty, which means I鈥檒l have to figure out another source soon for non-potable water. I saw the destruction to the reservoir system. It鈥檚 extensive; the transmission lines, which carry the water out of the reservoir, were washed out after more than 30 inches of rain fell. The bypass line, which was built as a redundancy measure, also washed out. That particular line was buried 25 feet deep, but the land eroded so much that the pipe was carried away. Crews are working on rebuilding that pipe right now.

The Outdoor Community Steps Up

The day before the storm, I went to to drop off a couple of things for resale. Second Gear is a consignment outdoor-gear shop that gives gently loved items like camp stoves and fleece and tents a second life, an effort in sustainability and in making things affordable to people who want to go outdoors and may lack good gear and equipment. It has a great location in the River Arts District, about 100 yards from the French Broad River.

The next time I saw Second Gear, it was in a video on social media, being swept away by the river. The entire building.

A number of guide services, like paddle-board rental shops and shuttle operators like French Broad Outfitters and Zen Tubing, that were located on the river suffered similar fates. Wrong Way Campground saw massive damage, the river breaching several of their cabins.

The local climbing gym, Cultivate Climbing, closed their flood doors, which would typically keep water out of the building. The river level was so high the waters crested the flood doors, poured in, and turned the building into a swimming pool.

Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are closed. There鈥檚 no telling what sort of damage those mountains have suffered, because all resources right now are still dedicated to helping people in need. I鈥檝e heard of groups of mountain bikers from the local bike club, called SORBA (for the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association), hiking into small, isolated communities and chainsawing a path for those residents to get out to the nearest fire station.

I鈥檝e heard of fly-fishing guides leading search-and-rescue efforts in the steep mountain hollers where they typically head up fishing adventures.

Several small towns, such as Barnardsville and Spruce Pine, in western North Carolina are isolated, the roads covered in mud and a tangle of pines and hardwoods. Nonprofits and small-town fire departments have been organizing groups of hikers to take supplies into people deep in the mountains who are cut off from the outside world. Volunteers with ATVs are incredibly sought after because they can get into remote places that normal vehicles can鈥檛 access.

The French Broad River Keeper, Hartwell Carson, who spearheads stewardship when he鈥檚 not assessing storm damage and reports of toxic sludge, mobilizes a crew of volunteers to cook burgers and hot dogs for various communities throughout the region. He鈥檚 lobbying for millions of dollars to be allocated to the area specifically to put out-of-work river guides on the job of cleaning up the French Broad.

Astral, an Asheville-based shoe brand that makes popular water shoes and hiking boots, is focusing on supporting remote mountain communities that saw severe hurricane damage. This week, Astral will take a van load of six generators to the tiny town of Buladean, which sits below Roan Mountain in North Carolina鈥檚 High Country.

The director of North Carolina Outdoor Economy, Amy Allison, is trying to coordinate coat donations from gear companies outside of the region. It鈥檚 warm today, but the temperatures are dropping next week. Many families here don鈥檛 have adequate winter gear, and will need coats, hats, and gloves as they navigate the new reality of going to distribution points for drinking water and moving flush water into their homes.

What鈥檚 Next for Western North Carolina听

Almost two weeks later, I still try to turn the light on when I walk into a room. According to local press conferences, we鈥檒l probably get power back some time this week, which is great. I鈥檝e heard that the city is sending trucks to take out household trash. There鈥檚 no timetable as to when water will be restored. It could be weeks.

Living without running water for a couple of months is hard to fathom, largely because our kids can鈥檛 go back to school without it. Schools must have working sprinkler systems in case of fire.

Several families we know have already moved temporarily to other cities and enrolled their kids in schools. My wife is looking into home-school scenarios.

For a couple of days right after the storm there was a constant stream of sirens and chainsaws, but that stopped. Now it鈥檚 silent at night. It鈥檚 the kind of quiet you get camping in the middle of the woods, but I live on the edge of downtown Asheville. With no lights in my neighborhood, I can see the stars at night. I don鈥檛 think any of us will begin to understand the impact of what鈥檚 happened for months, when it鈥檚 safer and the destruction and loss of lives isn鈥檛 so palpable.

In the meantime, we carry on. I have a wood stove. I鈥檝e hooked up a solar shower. I鈥檓 trying to work again. Tomorrow I鈥檓 cooking burgers for the small town of Barnardsville, 45 minutes north of Asheville. After that I鈥檒l help a friend salvage the fence on his farm, then later in the week help another friend repair his campground. I think I鈥檝e come up with a solution for water to flush my toilets, too. There鈥檚 a creek at the bottom of my neighborhood. I鈥檒l put my cold plunge tub in the back of the truck and fill it from the creek with five-gallon buckets, then drive back up to my house and put the water in the hot tub.

It feels good to have a plan.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national-parks columnist. He鈥檚 lived in Asheville for more than 20 years. If you want to help locals, lost its warehouse in the flood, and is still distributing food to those in need.

For more by this author, see:

9 Beautiful Mountain Towns in the Southeast

9 Most Underrated National Parks for Incredible Fall Foliage

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Each morning, the 国产吃瓜黑料 staff meets to go over the day’s news, and a topic that comes up again and again is the housing crunch gripping mountain towns. Every week, it seems, a different mountain community or aimed at increasing the paltry number of low-cost dwellings. But nobody really knows how to make these towns affordable to crucial workers who live there: you know, ski lift operators, or a town’s

And then, a few times a year, a news story hits that makes us all wonder if the whole effort is an exercise in futility, and that every ski town, from Bozeman to Big Bear,听is destined to become an enclave just for gazillionaires.

The latest: about a seven-story, 21,000-square-foot megamansion that’s about to hit the market in Park City, Utah.

The WSJ estimates that this gargantuan dwelling鈥攚hich sits on 2.6 acres on the slopes of Deer Valley Resort鈥攚ill list for $65 million, which would make it the most expensive in state history. Constructing the home required 60 full-time workers, the newspaper听reports. The publication then quotes the executive who had the thing built, a financial-tech guy named Doug Bergeron.

“I think I personally increased the GDP of Utah,” Bergeron told the newspaper while laughing. Ha, indeed. The听Journal听didn’t ask Bergeron if the home’s spare bedrooms (there are seven in total) would be available for low-income renters during off-months.

But the price isn’t why this home has garnered so much attention. You see, this home has a private gondola. Yep, it’s a bona fide听ski gondola, mounted to an electric track. The private cabin whisks the owner to the top of nearby Bald Eagle Mountain, and from there, it’s just a short ride on a quad to visit Utah’s most famous landmark: the bunny slope where Gwyneth Paltrow collided with that grumpy optometrist.

Hitting the Market in Utah: A $65 Million Ski Home With a Gondola

鈥� Randall Kammerman (@RandallK33)

As I read the听Journal story, my emotions went on something akin to a gondola ride: I felt anger and resentment, and then yes, jealousy and finally grudging appreciation. My initial question (Why didn’t they build high-density, low-income condos there?) quickly gave way to an altogether different one听(Does the gondola have heated seats and Bluetooth speakers?)

Passionate skiers are undoubtedly familiar with this cocktail of feelings鈥攊t’s the one you experience whenever a headline pops up about the Yellowstone Club, or some other private ski operation. Sure, the concept of ski experiences for the one percent is off-putting, but damn, you’d totally , if you could. It’s the skier’s version of this classic story in The Onion: .

Eventually, even I had to admit that I would absolutely love to zip around in a private ski gondola. You get to cut the line, you avoid those awkward chairlift conversations, and you generally get to act like a big-shot. But as I daydreamed about owning this garish ski house, I came up with a longer list of reasons why having your own gondola would absolutely slap.

For us plebeians, riding a ski resort gondola means adhering to a lengthy set of rules. But private gondolas do not have such regulations. And there’s a whole code of social norms you adhere to within a gondola that I assume would vaporize inside a private, rich-guy gondola.

So, here are ten things I would totally do in my personal gondola if I somehow acquire the financing to purchase the $65 million Utah mansion:

Bring my dog:听Most resorts prohibit you to bring your canine on board a gondola鈥攎y home resort, Keystone, specifically forbids it. That’s not the case with my gondola! My nine-pound Schnauzer, Beau, is always welcome. Your dog can come, too.

Fart:听If I’m rich enough to afford a $65 million house then I really don’t care if I pass gas in public. In fact, wealthy me probably loves the smell of my own flatulence.

Discuss politics: What’s worse than farting in a gondola? You guessed it: sharing your hot takes on the upcoming election. Too bad鈥攊f you ride in my private gondola, then you’re going to have to weather my opinions on national, state, and hyper-local politics. The town dogcatcher will never recover from my blistering critique.

Keep snow conditions to myself: Unofficial chairlift etiquette requires you to discuss the weather, traffic, and snow conditions with your lift-mates. The latter topic is paramount鈥攊f you’ve already done a few runs, you must divulge where the good snow is, and where it isn’t. This rule does not apply to riders on my private gondola, however. So, you can forget about me sharing my secret stash in Deadman’s Glades.

Leave my pole-straps ON:听This ubiquitous rule that governs all chairlifts, surface lifts, and gondolas (remove your ski pole straps) no longer applies to me. So when I step into my gondola, my ski poles will be strapped to my wrists no matter how much clanging and fumbling it causes.

Horseplay:听The rules for riding the chairlift at California’s Palisades Tahoe specifically forbid being a general nuisance: throwing stuff, pushing, and generally acting like a 11-year-old boy hopped up on Mountain Dew. On my gondola, however, horseplay is not only encouraged, it is required. So, when boarding, welcome to the Thunderdome.

Sleep overnight:听Do you remember the poor gal who was trapped in a gondola at California’s Heavenly ski resort overnight? Well, I want to experience her plight鈥攐nly in a heated gondola that’s connected to my mansion with plenty of heat, food, and booze.

Drink alcohol: Speaking of booze, drinking alcohol in a gondola is another across-the-board no-no at North American resorts, even if it’s rarely enforced. But my gondola will have a minibar, and happy hour goes ’round the clock.

Smoke marijuana:听Look, I’m a lame suburban dad who wears imitation Crocs 24-7鈥攎y pot-smoking days are long behind me. But if I had access to my own gondola, you’d better believe I’d hotbox that thing. I cannot guarantee I’d actually make it to the slopes鈥攅specially if I had a pint of Cherry Garcia in my freezer and The Hunt for Red October on the cable box. But hey, if I get too high to actually exit my gondola, I can simply ride it back to my living room.

Swing and bounce: Another cardinal sin for resorts鈥攄on’t swing or bounce the chairlift! I have no clue how to budge a gondola that’s mounted to a metal track, but I’d find a way. After all, in this scenario I’m rich, so the rules don’t apply to me!

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They don鈥檛 call it lifestyle property for nothing. Anyone who is fortunate enough to live in a beautiful place can expect visitors and a lot of houseguests. I know because I live in a mountain town.

When I was younger and living in a shared house in Aspen, I rashly, widely urged friends to visit, to crash in sleeping bags. But then there were more and more. Someone who supposedly knew my brother from college called and asked if she and her brother could stay a few days. (It鈥檚 always 鈥渁 few.鈥�) One of my housemates had a romance with a visiting British guy, who came back the next winter with two of his friends. By then she鈥檇 met someone new, and so she left the three Brits sleeping in our living room for days, until I was elected to tell them to decamp.

In those days of land lines, one time when I came back from work, a visiting friend said, 鈥淚 called Russia.鈥�

鈥淵ou 鈥� what?鈥�

鈥淚 had to call Russia. You can tell me when you get the bill.鈥�

Of course, I鈥檝e stayed in many a friend鈥檚 house, and I love having people for dinner and to visit. But early on in Aspen, my housemates and I realized we had to manage the situation. I started warning people ahead to say I would be working and couldn鈥檛 ski with them every day, nor go out every night. Guests who are on vacation and locals who are not are fundamentally at cross purposes.

Eventually I got married, moved 30 miles down valley to Carbondale, entered many years of kids and schools, and had visitors, but not the same sort of volume. Lately, though, they are surging anew.

Friends are taking early retirement. Some are self-employed or have reduced their hours, and some are working 鈥渧ery part time.鈥� And there are always teachers with summers off, or just people on breaks: lighthearted, blithe.

Recently a friend said he was coming to town and asked to stay. My husband and I said sure. 鈥淚鈥檒l get there Monday or Tuesday,鈥� the next text said. He arrived Sunday morning: 鈥淥h, I thought it was Monday.鈥�

Friends pass through on long road trips, with loaded roof racks and bike racks. People I haven鈥檛 seen in years write, 鈥淗ow are you?鈥� and I know what that means. People ask all the time if I can take time off or do things on weekdays. But I work full-time, and in the last month we鈥檝e had six sets of visitors. I wanted to see every one of them (and insisted on hosting some for certain events), but PTO is finite.

The other change is this: now I work at home. The pandemic. A friend who also works at home recently told her nephew sorry, no, he and his wife couldn鈥檛 come stay on a Tuesday through Thursday. Her old guest room is now her office, which she must use to work. It鈥檚 always easier to have friends on a weekend, but visitors forget, because they鈥檙e on vacation.

So, a few suggested tenets for visiting friends in mountain towns and other beautiful places.

1. Ask your hosts well ahead of time if a date works, and offer an easy option to decline. I.e.: 鈥淲e can also camp, so no worries if you have too much going on.鈥� A dear friend came through last week, knew we had our son and his girlfriend here in addition to two people in a van in the driveway, and mercifully said, 鈥淐an you come meet us for dinner one night?鈥�

2. It helps to keep your stay to three nights, per the old saying about fish. (An exception is family, especially our now grown kids 鈥� er, and all their friends.)

3. No one was ever anything but pleased with a thoughtful house gift. Anything鈥檒l do. And/or bring food! A cooler is good, too, so you can bring more!

4. Offer to contribute to meals and cover at least one dinner, whether it鈥檚 cooked in your host鈥檚 house鈥攖hat鈥檚 fine! that鈥檚 heaven!鈥攐r at a restaurant.

5. Please put your dishes in the dishwasher. They can鈥檛 make it there from the counter on their own.

6. On leaving, put sheets and towels in the laundry room, and clean up the bathroom a little.

7. Aim to visit on weekends. At the end of 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 Free to Wear Sunscreen,鈥� Baz Luhrmann says, 鈥淭rust me about the sunscreen.鈥� Trust me about the weekends. Midweek is tricky when people work.

8. Help me out. I work a lot. I prefer people not bang on my office door shouting, 鈥淭ime to stop!鈥� Or chide, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not working again, are you?鈥� or ask, 鈥淲hen are you going to retire?鈥� I like my job, and I鈥檇 like to keep it.

Last, I practice what my brother and his husband鈥攚ho hosted me and everybody else under the sun while they were in the State Department in embassy housing overseas鈥攁lways called benign neglect. Make your own plans, come and go as you like. I鈥檓 glad to see you and will join in if I can, but mostly give you a hug and a house key.

Alison Osius, a senior editor at 国产吃瓜黑料, lives in Carbondale, in Western Colorado. Having stayed with her brother and his family in Indonesia and Vietnam, she hopes they will take her up on visiting her to ski in Colorado next spring break. She鈥檇 hit the slopes with them on the weekend.

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My mountain town is a vacation destination, and we have a tiny house on our land that we rent out via Airbnb, usually for longer stays. Lately, most of our guests have been remote workers who stay for a month or two at a time, then move on.

The problem is that I鈥檓 beginning to resent them. I鈥檓 a friendly person, and I always offer to show them around on the first day or two鈥攂ut after that, it feels like some of the guests expect me to be their friend for the duration of their stay. For instance, one woman kept joining me when I was walking my dog in the mornings. We had some great conversations, and I liked her, but I find it frustrating and disheartening to put a lot of time into building a relationship with someone who鈥檚 going to leave. (Still, this is much better than the other side of the coin, which is guests who are disrespectful. One guy literally vomited in our hot tub.)

This town has had a big influx of remote workers since the pandemic, and not all of the locals like them. Technically, I work remotely too, but I鈥檝e been here for over a decade and plan to stay forever, so it鈥檚 not like I鈥檓 just here for a few weeks before jetting off to the next 鈥渁uthentic鈥� destination. However, the fact that I didn鈥檛 grow up here myself makes me particularly sensitive to the idea that these new visitors are giving all outsiders a bad name. How do I avoid projecting this resentment onto guests in our cabin when I know that they usually mean well, and haven鈥檛 actually done anything wrong?

It sounds like you care deeply about where you live: you found your way there, bought a house, and plan to stay for the rest of your life. This is your home. Of course it stings to see outsiders disrespect it鈥�and not just that, but treat it as disposable, as one more trendy destination for their list. Somewhere to come, explore, take photos, and leave, all without changing the course of their lives. They even have a built-in friend鈥攜ou鈥攖hat they can dispose of just as quickly when they move on.

I don鈥檛 know if this is an accurate representation. But I can see how it feels that way.

You鈥檝e done the work to learn this place, and it鈥檚 frustrating to see other people who just鈥on鈥檛 try. Or, worse, don鈥檛 care. As if the work you did doesn鈥檛 matter. As if outsiders can never really fit in. As if locals鈥攜our neighbors, your friends鈥攚ill look at you and see them.

In fact, I think it鈥檚 the other way around.

Compared to these short-term visitors, you鈥檙e as local as they come. You鈥檙e committed to your town; your roots grow deeper by the year. You volunteer at the library and the local fire department. (Or if you don鈥檛, you should鈥攏ot at the library and fire department, necessarily, but you should be involved in local projects and institutions, in whichever form you choose. That鈥檚 how communities take care of themselves, and you鈥檙e part of this one. You should give back to the place that takes care of you, too.) Your Airbnb guests throw up in someone else鈥檚 hot tub, then run away. One of these things is not like the other.

Let鈥檚 talk for a moment about what it actually means to be local鈥攁nd what it means to be on the fence, unsure of which side is yours. You clearly value feeling connected to your town, so you should respect the people who have lived there longer, for decades, generations, or more. Their history means something. It has, in many ways, shaped the place you鈥檝e come to love. That doesn鈥檛 make you inferior, but it should make you grateful. That said, there will always be people who want to rub in your outsider status simply to be rude, or as a patch for their own insecurities. So your goal, when it comes to local clout, should be practical rather than universal. Do you feel at home? Have you found your people? If so, opinions beyond that don鈥檛 matter. Haters might hit a sore spot, but that doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檙e right.

Now, what to do about guests who want to be friends?

You can be warm but not open, friendly but not inviting; there are ways to make clear that you鈥檙e around when your guests need help, but that help does not extend to companionship. That said, if you鈥檙e feeling social and have the time, there鈥檚 no harm in hanging out, as long as you keep your expectations realistic. These people will be leaving. Their agenda is different from yours. They鈥檙e looking for a nice week, not a new best friend. And if you do hit it off, remember that even a short friendship can be beautiful. You might lose touch, but you鈥檒l leave each other changed.

Maybe someday a guest will fall in love with the place. Like you, they鈥檒l recognize home when they find it. Like you, they鈥檒l put down roots. If that happens, I hope you鈥檒l welcome them as you wish you were welcomed, or as people welcomed you.

And until then, if someone throws up in your hot tub, charge them a hell of a cleaning fee.

writes our听Tough Love听column. She lives in a mountain town, too鈥攌ind of. Her town is called Mountain, but it鈥檚 completely flat.

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