William nealy biography
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“He was one of those characters like the Fonz … he was, in essence, cool.
How did william nealy die
William nealy river maps William nealy wife William nealy mountain bike William nealy death He was my inspiration.”
— author Daniel Wallace, Nealy’s brother-in-law
[Editor’s note: William Nealy was an illustrator turned outdoor-sports cult hero who mapped a host of southeastern rivers, including the French Broad, and recorded one of the first — and only — mountain-biking descents in the Smokies.
This year’s Mountain Sports Festival is dedicated to Nealy, who took his own life last summer.]
It was around 1979 — the dawn of the outdoor-sports industry — and William Nealy was looking for a place to climb.
He and pal Tom Schlinkert returned to the Great Smokies Hilton following an afternoon of pub-crawling in downtown Asheville. They headed for the lobby, where a giant stone hearth offered a variety of climbing handholds and routes.
Nealy planned to clamber up the fireplace, but a huddle of guests at its base sa
