We're off to the press! Our Fall 2022 issue is on its way 🍂

Sep 05, 2022 5:23 pm

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Happy Labor Day to all the hard workers out there!

Supporters of workers' rights, rejoice! Today's the sacred day when laborers around the U.S. of A. get a brief respite, a three-day weekend, and a chance to turn that ordinary case of the Mondays into an extraordinary case of the Fundays.


But many folks in the outdoor, tourism, service, and retail sectors don't get today off. Instead, they're busting their tails so those who are vacationing can have places to go and things to do. Let's be extra kind and tip our hats (and our dollars) to all the folks who are working hard today to make everyone else's day off even better. We salute you!


And yet, Highland Outdoors never sleeps! In a show of solidarity with those who are clocked-in today, I'm here at the helm, writing this newsletter to bring you some lighthearted reading material and some pretty photos. So, let's get to it!

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Working hard or hardly working?

OK, so that part about Highland Outdoors never sleeping was a tad misleading. Although Nikki and I are working today, it's because we just got back from a most-excellent and much-needed vacation, which we enjoyed on the quiet and serene shores of Ocracoke Island in North Carolina.


With a population of just under 1,000, myriad locally owned shops and restaurants, access to public land via the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and a relatively undeveloped vibe, Ocracoke feels a bit like home to us. In fact, we call it the Davis of the beach.


This gem of the Outer Banks is only reachable via ferry, so once you're on the island, you're truly disconnected (especially if you delete the email and social apps from your phone and go on airplane mode—a highly recommended vacation move).


A tanned gentleman with a calming demeanor we met on the beach said it best: "Years ago, my wife asked me if I wanted to go to Ocracoke. She said, "It's hotter than heck, the bugs are horrible, and there's nothing to do." We've been coming back every year since."


Enjoy these few cell-phone snaps from our time touring the island.


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Silver Lake, the lovely harbor on the southwestern end of the island.



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Majestic live oak trees line Howard Street, the first official street on the island.



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Sunset at Springer Point Nature Preserve—a must-do if you can stand the bugs.



I also lugged along the DSLR and am thrilled with some of the results!


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A willet feeding in the morning along the incoming tide line. As they say, if there's a willet, there's a wayet!



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A pod of pelicans on morning patrol, looking for schools of fish in the shallows.



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Northern sea oat (Chasmanthium latifolium), a beautiful native grass that stabilizes dunes and provides food for Ocracoke's numerous bird species.



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If this scene of Hatteras Island from aboard the Hatteras Ferry doesn't scream "Outer Banks," I don't what does.



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The beautifully colored buildings of the Hatteras Ferry Terminal on Hatteras Island. Us earth-toned mountain folk could learn a few things about home decor from our coastal cousins!



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A 20-second exposure caught quite the scene of the Milky Way and a distant oceanic storm from the serene beach of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.


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Fall mag is on its way!

We fired off the fall magazine prior to our vacation, sending it to the printer the night before we left. We can't wait to get it in your hands. This issue starts hitting shelves on September 12, so keep an eye out for a fresh copy at one of our 140+ distribution locations around the Mountain State.


With features on wicked witch paddling, ethical nature photography, mountain bike poetry, hellbender science, cloud walking, and a climbing photo essay, this isn't our best issue yet. Just kidding! It most definitely is. Props to the talented Karen Lane for the spectacular cover shot of Lindsey Frein climbing the sheer cliffs lining the rocky shore of Summersville Lake.


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Get the latest issue right at home

Hungry for the latest issue? Don't want to venture out to find a copy? Love checking your mail everyday in anticipation? Easy—subscribe right now! If you sign up in the next week, you'll get this issue as soon as it comes out. Or sign up whenever you're ready—you'll get the latest issue as soon as we receive your order!


Subscribing is the best way to support Highland Outdoors. If you love the mag and want it to continue, please consider joining our 290 subscribers (thank you!) to get each issue delivered right to your door—and to continue reading it in the future.


Subscribe Here


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Have you seen these yet?


imageHighland Profiles: Eric Lindberg

Eric is a consummate mountain biker and trailbuilder who's been a linchpin of the Pocahontas County mountain bike scene for decades. I'm also proud to call this local legend a good friend.



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Dolly Sods Wilderness Stewards: The Authority of the Resource

A group of dedicated volunteers is putting hiking boots on the ground in Dolly Sods to complete a slew of stewardship activities, including trailhead education, campsite inventory, and trail maintenance.



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The Lake Before Time

Did you know that the western portion of West Virginia was once covered by a massive proglacial lake that extended far into Ohio? Read on to learn more about this geological oddity named Lake Tight.


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Stay tuned for our next installment in mid September, which will feature a trip report from our upcoming excursion to British Columbia in Canada.


Enjoy, and thanks for reading #westvirginiasoutdoormagazine!


Dylan Jones

Editor-in-Chief

Highland Outdoors



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