Letter From the Editor
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? Or, rather, what’s the riskiest thing you’ve ever attempted? For me it was taking a $400,000 Porsche Carrera GT up to 270 KPH on the Autobahn outside Munich. Or maybe it was the time I went bungee jumping at that derelict roadside outpost in Thailand. (Me: “Why is the pool under the crane empty?” Thai guy: “Won’t help you anyway.”) In any case, nothing on my list comes close to the gut-check insanity renowned kayaker Chris Korbulic does on a regular basis. That’s him on the next page, Peter-panning over a 45-foot waterfall at Agnes Creek in Washington…and the guy has 100 first descents to his name.
For something slightly less dangerous and almost as thrilling, check out your bikepacking and packrafting options in Chasing Doom. Doom just happens to be the nickname of the guy who runs the tours, which is as much about survival as it is about exploring Utah’s beautiful, rugged backcountry. But before you go, flip through our Gear section and suit up! Electric off-road bikes, waterproof earbuds, camp stoves, drybags—we’re talking life essentials here.
This issue also pays tribute to men on an altogether different kind of journey, those that have far-reaching consequences and last a lifetime. In The Protectors you’ll meet eight warriors who’ve made it their mission to protect America’s wildlife and wilderness. Kemp Burdette’s challenge isn’t a waterfall or a mountain, it’s Dupont and various meat processing companies polluting the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. And you’ve surely never stopped to think about the extinction of snow leopards, but thank God legendary conservationist George Schaller did back in the ’50s, because his work is why they still stalk the Himalayas. After more than six decades on sentry duty, George merely describes his job as “roaming around watching animals.”
Then there’s the job of killing zombies. That’s what Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character Negan does with brutal efficiency on The Walking Dead, which is currently filming its 11th and final season. Any human survivors oughta take refuge at The Old Forge bar in Scotland (p. 64)—the seafood is fresh, the beer cold and ain’t nobody ever gonna find them.
P.S.: Please tell us about the craziest adventure you’ve ever undertaken and we’ll post the top 10 on Mensjournal.com. The best gets a top-shelf bottle of Dewar’s. Email your yarn to editors@ mensjournal.com. Photos welcome!