March 1995
Departments

Dispatches
As longtime sponsors pull out, Iditarod race organizers strike up a jingoistic refrain. Violence hits alarming new levels in California's crowded surf. Isabelle Autissier loses her mast, her lead, and almost her life in the BOC Challenge. Steger, Messner, and friends head toward an Arctic traffic jam. Plus: Paintball goes on safari in Africa; river bombers plea-bargain for mercy; an 89-year-old explorer finally summits his mountain; are Moscow's sewers the latest in adventure travel? and more.

Destinations
The best of Hawaii at the best time to go: where to mountain-bike, hike, dive, sea-kayak, and surf. Also: dollar-wise advice on hopping to and among the Islands. The traveler's guide to health clubs: visitor-friendly gyms in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Plus: A llama- and whitewater-equipped bed-and-breakfast in Maryland; where to get maps of the new coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail; and more.

Bodywork
Active rest: Why and how you should get your blood moving on your program's off days. Seven sure ways to know if your body is demanding total rest. Dave Scott's ten-day, active-rest-enhanced training regimen. Getting the most from energy bars: a nutritional-value breakdown. Plus: Skill-strengthening workouts for climbing season; perfect-fitting running shoes by mail; and more.

Review
A beginner's guide to rock-climbing gear: shoes, harnesses, ropes, hardware, and helmets. Climbing day-packs: the most comfortable hold-alls. Flexible layering: new and stretchy fleece from Mountain Hardwear. A lightweight four-season tent from Garuda Mountaineering. Plus: Hollywood takes on the wild dreamscape of Jim Harrison's Legends of the Fall; Reflections of Eden: My years with the Orangutans of Borneo, by Birute Galdikas; Women on Hunting, edited by Pam Houston; and more.

Between The Lines

Letters

Features
Trouble in the Land of Muy Verde
High in Mexico's rugged Sierra Madre, the Tarahumara Indians have for centuries endured the encroachment of the outside world. Now they face their sternest test, as both loggers and drug lords have moved in on their ancient forests--an invasion that's brought with it intimidation, torture, and even murder. A report from deep in the Mother Range, where both a fragile culture and North America's richest wilderness are up for grabs. By Alex Shoumatoff

Big Weather
Just pray it doesn't find you. A visceral salute to the most violent and capricious of nature's collisions: essays by Barry Hannah, Robert Stone, William S. Burroughs, and Jane Smiley.

Triathlon Been Very Very Good To Me
To Scott Tinley, forever his sport's most popular and prolific competitor, life after 20 years of hammering is still good. He has his eternal tan, his competitive edge, his six-figure income, and not the slightest intention of giving any of it up. By John Brant

Ride with Pride
A two-wheeler's almanac: essential techniques, progressive machines, and a dictionary. They say knowledge is power. Sixteen lessons to help you stand behind your skill and your steed.