On this West Virginia Morning, dozens of BASE jumpers leap from the New River Gorge Bridge during Bridge Day each year. High school students Dylan Neil and Nella Fox of the Fayette Institute of Technology got curious about how to become a Bridge Day BASE Jumper. For Inside Appalachia, they talked with expert BASE jumper Marcus Ellison.
The mountains of Appalachia are home to some killer rock climbing, but they’re also accessible for some groups who’ve felt excluded in the past.
Adaptive Sports Reporter Emily Chen-Newton covers athletes with disabilities. She brings us this story, exploring why climbing festivals are making a home in Appalachia.
Removing Racist Language From Rock Climbing
In West Virginia, one of the most popular climbing destinations is the New River Gorge. Advanced rock climbers continue to pioneer new climbing routes there. The first people to climb these new routes are called “first ascensionists.” And they get the privilege of naming the routes. But what happens when dozens of those route names are plainly and clearly offensive?
In 2020 and 2021, Zack Harold followed the story of a climber at the New River Gorge who wanted to make the sport he loved more inclusive for his son.
Crafting A Classic Paddle
Appalachia has several huge rivers — the New River, the Youghigheny, the Pigeon — so, it’s no surprise whitewater paddling is popular across the region, but it wasn’t all that long ago that modern paddlers first started exploring these rivers, designing their own gear and even building their own paddles. Some of those DIY paddle makers became master crafters.
Folkways Reporter Clara Haizlett followed one.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Sturgeon Creek, Anthony Vega, Oakfield, the Delorian, Biba Dupont, Marissa Anderson, Tyler Childers, Jerry Douglas and John Blissard.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
On this West Virginia Morning, dozens of BASE jumpers leap from the New River Gorge Bridge during Bridge Day each year. High school students Dylan Neil and Nella Fox of the Fayette Institute of Technology got curious about how to become a Bridge Day BASE Jumper. For Inside Appalachia, they talked with expert BASE jumper Marcus Ellison.
When we talk about addiction, a lot of us think about opioids. But there’s another drug still circulating in communities — methamphetamine, or meth. The powerful stimulant could be manufactured in people’s homes, but after the US cracked down on the sale of meth making ingredients, the ways people make meth evolved. That history is the topic of a new podcast, called Home Cooked, produced by the Daily Yonder. Mason Adams spoke with the show’s host and producer, Olivia Weeks.
Human beings have used music to do everything from soothe children to sleep or to fire up crowds during football games, but there are other benefits, too. Folkways Reporter Liz Pahl explored them during an old-time jam session in Athens, Ohio.
Community members in one Brooke County town come together each year to advocate for an end to gun violence through prayer, public art and political activism.