Here are the articles you read the most in 2011. They are a mix of longform journalism and inspired service. We’re hoping this list will help you in 2012, whether you’re looking for a good read on your next flight or a new job.
10
Consumed
Whitewater kayaker Hendrik Coetzee had decided to call it a career after a decade of first descents on the wildest rivers in Africa. The river鈥檚 most feared predator had a different ending in store.
9
The 国产吃瓜黑料 Gift Guide
The 55 best presents for the outdoor junkie
8
Rage Against Your Machine
What is it about cyclists that can turn sane, law-abiding drivers into shrieking maniacs? The author ponders the eternal conflict with help from bike supercommuter Joe Simonetti, who each week survives the hostile, traffic-clogged rat race between the New York exurbs and Midtown Manhattan.
7
Chernobyl, My Primeval, Teeming, Irradiated Eden
Twenty-five years after the Soviet-era meltdown drove 60,000 people from their homes in the Ukraine, a rebirth is taking place inside the exclusion zone. With Geiger counter in hand, the author explores Europe’s strangest wildlife refuge, an enchanted postapocalyptic forest from which entirely new species may soon emerge.
6
Fair Chase
On the plains of New Mexico, a band of elite marathoners tests a controversial theory of evolution: that humans can outrun the fastest animals on earth.
5
The 10 Biggest Fitness Myths (From the January 2012 Issue)
Do you stretch before going on a run? What about 颅after? Do you guzzle electrolytes to stave off muscle cramps? Are you thinking about throwing your running shoes in the trash to go barefoot? Does your recovery meal 颅include ibuprofen? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are now under arrest for breaking the 颅basic laws of fitness.
4
Lance Armstrong and Tyler Hamilton Walk Into a Bar
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3
Best Towns
Discover your own perfect adventure burg. Use the sliding scales on the categories below to get a customized ranking of this year’s 19 Best Towns.
2
Greg Mortenson Speaks
The embattled director of the Central Asia Institute responds to allegations of financial mismanagement and that he fabricated stories in his bestselling book Three Cups of Tea.<
1
The 50 Best Places to Work
Just when we need it most, along comes a wave of enlightened companies that believe success starts with smiling employees. Which means lunchtime bike rides, flexible hours, and bringing the dog to the office can now be part of your job description. Presenting 国产吃瓜黑料’s 50 Best Places to Work.
–Joe Spring