From covering the rhododendron-lined trails of the Cherokee Nation’s Fire Mountain to dropping giant granite slabs in British Columbia, Issue 68 of Mountain Flyer, The Mountain Bike Journal, spotlights how mountain biking and the landscapes through which we ride have a way of bringing everything back into focus. Photojournalist Eric Mulder discovers the Nepali nonprofits that are using bikes to empower the nation’s citizens in the feature “Nurturing Nepal.” In his feature “The Warmth of Fire Mountain,” Eric Wallace writes about how the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is using its land preservation values to transform the Qualla Boundary into a mountain biking destination. Colorado trail advocates and builders make way for the Palisade Plunge, the state’s newest epic trail that drops 6,000 feet from the top of the world’s largest flattop mountain. And photographer Ryan Creary earns his wings while pedaling in “Slab Heaven” high above Powell River, British Columbia.

FEATURES

Slab Sessions
Photographer Ryan Creary gets a dose of humility while picking his way down the endless granite domes of "Slab Heaven" above Powell River in British Columbia.

The Warmth of Fire Mountain
North Carolina's Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is using tribal values to transform the Qualla Boundary into a mountain biking destination in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Nurturing Nepal
Kathmandu's busy, bumpy, dusty roads lead to singletrack, empowerment and happiness for citizens who take advantage of the outdoor organizations providing mountain bike instruction and support for residents.

Obscured in the Alps
When your hut-to-hut trip across the Alps gets squashed by snow—and you don't know where you're heading for the day—apply some arnica salve made from native flowers and pedal on to northern Italy.

DEPARTMENTS

Editor's Note

Letters

Gallery

Profile: Trailbuilder Jesse Livingston
How the Iraq War taught an Arkansas trailbuilder to live life on his own terms.

Chain of Fools: Belly Aches
Trina Ortega laments the 2020 season: stressed, bored, trapped, consumed, depressed and unfocused...and too many trips to the snack cabinet.

Trail Anatomy: The Palisade Plunge
A decade in the making, Colorado's newest epic trail drops 6,000 feet from the top of the world's largest flattop mountain.

Of Bikes and Beer: Florida Man
The best part of travel is interacting with the locals, and none are more entertaining than the men of Florida.

Effecting Change: Grow Cycling Foundation
From pumptracks to career inroads, Grow Cycling Foundation aims to build pathways into cycling for marginalized groups.

Tested: 2020 Canfield Balance 88 Tested: Yeti ARC

Tested: Chumba Sendero

Wrenched: Endura MT500 Jacket 97 Paraphernalia

Framebuilder: Monē Bikes
Monē's swoopy-lined, do-what-you-want frames are the perfect representation of its founder, Cjell Monē.

Tailwind: Jurassic Ride
Edward Ortega takes his first ride in Moab, Utah, where the canyon walls have witnessed all of the comings and goings of ancient beasts.

——

[Feature Contents] Matt Yaki explores the expansive granite world of "Slab Heaven" in the peaks above Powell River, British Columbia. [Photo] Ryan Creary