May 2016 Table of Contents

FEATURES

Perfect Views
Discover the best vistas in the national parks. By Paul Chisholm

THE MENTAL GAME: Backpacker’s guide to your brain

Fail Like a Pro
The best trips aren’t always the ones that go well. By Mark Jenkins

Live Your Life List
Think you lack time, money, or confidence to embark on your dream adventure? Read this guide and think again. Edited by Maren Horjus

Fear Less
Confront what scares you in the outdoors. By Tracy Ross

THE PLAY LIST

Calloway Peak, NC
Cruise along a ridge above the spring-green Appalachians.

Life List: Gates of the Arctic National Park, AK
Explore this remote preserve for a peek into the past.

Insider’s Guide: Nantahala National Forest, NC
You’ll need boots, bikes, and boats to experience the best of these woods.

Havasu Creek, AZ
Calling all adventure junkies: This SUP trip is for you.

Done In a Day: Wildflower Hikes
These close-to-home spring hikes won’t disappoint even the pickiest petal peepers.

Hells Canyon, ID
Venture into the country’s deepest gorge on this picture-perfect overnight.

Weekends
Climb up, up, and away in Pennsylvania, check off the prettiest section of the Ozark Trail, and knock out a quick-and-easy canyon trip in Dinosaur National Monument.

The Experience: Serial Hiking
The best way to know a mountain? Keep going back.

Geopinion: Rainier Was Robbed
Elevation isn’t everything. The Lower 48’s fifth-highest mountain inspires a new way to measure.

SKILLS

Get Fit for Summer
Strengthen your hip flexors to avoid early-season injury.

Cheat Sheet: Beat altitude sickness
Expert tips for acclimatization

Pass/Fail: Hammock Camping
Swing low? Our scout tries it out.

Trail Chef: Camp Cocktails
Upgrade happy hour.

SURVIVAL

Out Alive: On One Leg
A disastrous fall leads to a record-setting thru-hike.

Saved By: Tent Poles
Make a blowgun and more.

Den Mother: Poison Ivy
Can the stuff ever kill me?

GEAR

Shapeshifters
The year’s most adaptable packs

Camera Gear
Upgrade your backcountry pics.

Field Notes
Top tester picks