Where to play, where to catch the plays, who made the plays and who didn’t. From pro athletes and teams to places to hike, golf, play tennis and fence.

Best Titan Who Outperformed the Team: Steve McNair It practically goes without saying that any Titan who had even slightly more than a mediocre season last year outperformed the team. But that’s to take nothing away from McNair, who racked up Pro Bowl-caliber statistics. When the running game sputtered (due to either Eddie George’s painful toe, the absence of a fullback, weak blocking in the O-line or all of the above), the team’s brain trust allowed Steve to start flingin’ the ball—and to reclaim the rightful “Air” that had been part of his college nickname. Some fans regarded it as a breakthrough year for McNair. Not us. We think it was a breakthrough year for the coaches.

—Randy Horick

Best Fishing Hole: The Caney Fork River The Caney Fork River is the closest thing Nashville anglers have to a blue-ribbon trout river like those found out west. Located just 50 miles east on I-40, the Caney Fork is the tailwater to Center Hill Dam. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout, the high quality of the water allows many of the trout to thrive for years—which makes for big fish. The oxygen rich water also breeds a prolific population of bugs not only for the fish to feast on, but for the angler to imitate. Fishing pressure at Caney Fork can be heavy, especially early in the season (late April and May) but the river fishes well in spite of it. To fish the Caney Fork, take the Buffalo Valley Road/Center Hill Dam exit off I-40 and follow signs to Happy Hollow or Betty’s island. Each is public land from which you can drop a boat or bank fish. The Caney Fork has a seven fish limit, but catch-and-release can cement this river as a premier local fishing destination for years to some.

—Adam Deal

Best (Women’s) Program that Deserves More Respect: Belmont Women’s Basketball If you want to make yourself nearly invisible in college sports, follow these four simple steps. 1. Play for a small school in a town with pro sports. 2. Play for a small school with notoriously small crowd support. 3. Play for a school that (temporarily) lacks an on-campus gym. 4. Be a woman. Or, play for the Belmont women’s basketball team! In just their second season in the league, the Bruins were the best team in the Atlantic Sun conference this year. But, playing before double-digit crowds in the cavernous Municipal Auditorium while they await completion of a new arena, they were unable even to draw any attention, much less respect.

—Randy Horick

Best Public Golf Course: Greystone Opened in 1998, Greystone Golf Course in Dickson—exactly a half-hour’s drive from Nashville—immediately secured a reputation for excellence. The Mark McCumber design, built on a cow pasture owned by John Duke (former owner of the nearby rock quarry), hosted the first round of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament within two years of opening. It’s also the home of the annual Men’s and Women’s Tennessee State Open. A target course that puts a premium on driving accuracy and shotmaking, perhaps the best thing about Greystone is the way it’s managed. Head pro Clay Blackburn and director of golf Bob Wolcott do a fantastic job of keeping players moving efficiently through Greystone’s many challenging holes (particularly the par-5 9th and 12th), making it that much easier to enjoy the round, the dramatic scenery and the numerous hawks circling on the updrafts above. Rounds are very affordable, and if you sign up for the electronic mailing list, you’ll regularly receive information on course specials. (Interesting note: Vince Gill holds the course record 62 from the blue tees. Vince would impress us more if he moved back to the tips.)

—Adam Ross

Best Place to Pull!: Nashville Gun Club Shooting well at sporting clays, skeet, trap or five-stand is as satisfying and challenging as golf. The swing of the gun, the flight of the clay target, the perfectly timed shot all require a Zen-like surrender to both time and space. To this end, Nashville Gun Club on County Hospital Rd. (Exit 25 off Briley Parkway) has established itself as a focal point for serious shotgunning in the Mid-South. Voted Club of the Year 2001 by NSSA/NSCA, the club will play host to both the Tennessee State skeet and sporting clay championships in 2002. Instruction and training are available year ’round. For more information, contact club manager Terry Hetrick at 742-5297 or via e-mail at nsvlgun@bellsouth.net.

—Marc K. Stengel

Best Place To Camp: Land Between the Lakes For a weekend warrior looking to commune with nature and get out of the city without a lot of hassle, Land Between the Lakes is the perfect retreat. Located just 90 miles up I-24 West, LBL lies between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, the latter one of the largest man-made bodies of water in the country. Both a popular tourist attraction and a beautiful peninsula with 170,000 acres of undeveloped woodland, Land Between the Lakes has numerous options to offer visitors. Stay in one of LBL’s four campgrounds and join the tourists for boat shows, parades, golfing or a Jazz and Blues Festival. If its seclusion you seek, LBL issues permits for backcountry camping on the lake and plenty of hidden coves for privacy. During the day, take advantage of world-class fishing, biking, horseback riding and hiking. Those who think Land Between the Lakes is only for the tourists just aren’t looking hard enough.

—Adam Deal

Best Nashville Sound: (Tie) Adam Hyzdu/Tike Redman The Pittsburgh Pirates—who need all the help they can get—have solid prospects and potential major jeague talent in Hyzdu and Redman. Redman, 25, is a speedster, a Deion Sanders type, who hit .304 with 42 RBIs, and stole 21 bases in 2001. Though he struggled with his glove work, he covers a ton of ground in center field. Hyzdu, 31, put together a minor-league-leading 25-game hitting streak last season coupled with 16 dingers and 45 RBIs. His greatest strength is his ability to hit to all fields. But his eye at the plate needs improving; he only drew 32 walks in 547 at bats in 2000. They both have jobs waiting on them in Pittsburgh. Get a look at them up close in Nashville first.

—Brian Blackwell

Best Place To Play Chess: Nashville Chess Center Held within a nondescript house at 2911 Belmont Boulevard are some of the best chess players in the southeast. They are ranked nationally, and often bring home championships. And here’s the best part—most of them still watch cartoons. Take Josh Gao, a 10-year-old prodigy from Meigs Magnet school, currently ranked 24th out of all chess-players his age in the United States. His training took place almost entirely at the Center, which runs weekly lessons and activities just for kids every Sunday. Membership is $25 a year. The Center can be reached at 292-7341.

—Deke Shearon

Best Road Race: The Boulevard Bolt Arguably no other Nashville road race has become as much a part of the city’s yearly culture as the Thanksgiving Day Boulevard Bolt. What the famous Peachtree Road Race 10K is to Atlanta, the Bolt is to Nashville—a popular, must-run event that adds local color to a national holiday and benefits Nashville’s homeless by raising money for organizations ranging from Oasis Center to Dismas House. Winding up and down the elegant Belle Meade Boulevard, the race features local hot shots and grandmothers alike, all of whom are proactively burning off the calories they’ll ultimately take in when they sit down for extra helpings of turkey and stuffing later that afternoon. Run it this year. It’s as fun as you’ve heard.

—Matt Pulle

Best Free Parking for Predators’ Games: In front of Cummins Station You can pay $10 for a place in a lot. You can circle block after block north of Broadway in hopes of finding an empty metered space. Alternatively, you can turn onto 10th Avenue, where free spots are almost always available (unless enough people read this). Sure, you have to walk about five blocks, sometimes in freezing weather. But the effect is salubrious, you bypass most of the traffic congestion on the way out and, most gratifying of all, you’ll enjoy the smug satisfaction of having refused to surrender to predatory parking prices.

—Randy Horick

Best Mountain Biking: The Bowie Nature Trail Talk to the experts at Nashville’s premiere cycle shops—Cumberland Transit, The Bike Pedlar, Nashville Bicycle Co. or Lightning Cycles—and the top riders on their staff will make the same recommendations when it comes to rustic places to rock-hop and stump-jump: Lock 4 in Gallatin, Hamilton Creek and Chickasaw Park in Columbia. But for sheer proximity and convenience, the best place to get mud on your clips is the Bowie Nature Trail in Fairview. Although the trail may lack the amplitude of the other three, the trail is well-marked and challenging for riders of all levels. The folks at Bowie request you call before coming to check trail conditions and park closings due to special events (799-5544). If, however, you want to “do an urban” check in with Dusty at Nashville Bicycle Co. (321-5510) about group rides around the city. Downtown, particularly the State Capitol building, is the best place to “get technical.”

—Adam Ross

Best Section 303 Taunt: “You Suck!” The Predators’ resident lunatics have taunts for every occasion, every NHL team and many specific players around the league. They’re indexed by category on Section 303’s Web site. For opponents, they range everywhere from “You malodorous heap of parrot droppings!” to “I looked up 'hockey player’ in the dictionary, and it said, 'Not you!’ ” Our favorite, though, is still the simplest: a singsong recitation of the enemy goalkeeper’s name, repeated three times and followed by a succinct “You suck!” that resonates throughout the building. Once you’ve heard it, you don’t forget it. Fortunately, neither do the visiting goalies. —Randy Horick

Best Vandy Football Standout: Dan Stricker Though it’s easy to shine when you play for one of the worst football programs in the country, wide receiver Dan Stricker could be a star in Gainesville, Knoxville, Athens or Baton Rouge. Even though Stricker was Vanderbilt’s only real open field threat last year, even though opposing defenses knew the ball was coming to him, he still managed to slip through SEC backfields with ease. With a new football coach who is about as distinguished as your average Metro Council member—and half as exciting—Stricker will be one of the only reasons for fans to show up at Dudley Field next fall.

—Matt Pulle

Best Bright Spot for Vandy Football: Gordon Gee For the short term, the outlook on the field isn’t very bright for Vandy. The good news is that, under Chancellor Gee, Vandy is finally seeking a remedy for its biggest long-term problem: a lukewarm commitment to football. Commitment translates into higher salaries to attract and retain good coaches; upgraded facilities to attract good players; and a little bit of personal leadership (which was entirely missing from former chief fundraiser Joe Billy Wyatt). Gee, unlike Joe B., is visible outside of Vanderbilt Stadium’s luxury boxes. He leads the band. He takes students on football road trips. And he invests money in the program. When the ’Dores finally attain their first winning season since 1982, they should name Gordo MVP.

—Randy Horick

Best Player the Titans Will Really, Really Miss: Blaine Bishop You’ve already seen the preview of a Blaine-less secondary. Without the injured Bishop last fall, the Titans’ pass defenders made mediocre NFL quarterbacks (not to mention a backup from Minnesota) look like Pro Bowlers. This year, it’s fair to wonder whether things will get much better. What’s less in doubt is that it will be difficult if not impossible to find a substitute not so much for their Pro Bowl safety’s physical skills, but for his less tangible qualities—his leadership, his knowledge, his confidence and swagger, and the glue he provided for the defensive unit.

—Randy Horick

Best Marathon Training Route: Percy Warner Park’s 11.2-mile Loop Typically, the best way to train for a marathon is to run all or part of the route before the big day. But given that the course of Nashville’s County Music Marathon inexplicably cuts through some of the ugliest and most congested parts of the city—MetroCenter, anyone?—we recommend that you do the bulk of your long runs in the placid confines of Percy Warner Park. The popular recreational area features a lightly traveled 11.2-road loop that is more than hilly enough to prepare you for the marathon. If you want to tack on miles, you can add another six by running up and down Belle Meade Boulevard or 12 by running to Radnor Lake and back.

—Matt Pulle

Best Municipal Golf Course: Harpeth Hills How do we love the MUNYs? Let us count the ways. We love McCabe because it’s the people’s course. Throw on some jeans and sneaks on a sunny afternoon and you’ll always be able to walk on. We love Ted Rhodes for its water hazards and predominantly African American clientele; Shelby for its hills; Two Rivers for its nickname (Les Deux Rivièrs) and Percy Warner for its drivable greens. But most of all, we love Harpeth Hills. Located in the heart of Percy Warner park, Harpeth is the eternal jewel of the MUNY system, boasting gorgeous views, abundant wildlife (the herds of deer that roam the course are practically domesticated) and a sternly challenging back nine. (The narrow uphill 18th is arguably one of the hardest finishing holes in Nashville.) Where else in the Music City do golfers rise at 5 a.m. to get in line for a tee time?

—Adam Ross

Best Underreported Sports Success Story (High School): The Mt. Juliet Girls’ Bowling Team Hey, bowling is hard. And to think these girls are competing sober in a sport better known for beer bums makes going 18-0 on the season extremely impressive. Paced by Jessica Miller, who holds a 170 average, Shannon Personius and Jennifer McDaniel, Mt. Juliet captured the inaugural Tennessee High School Bowling Championship. Coach Alexander and his troupe of pin punishers look to repeat in 2002 with all of last years undefeated squad returning. They practice hard, compete with intensity and roll over their competition. Great season ladies.

—Brian Blackwell

Best Underreported Sports Success Story (College): Vandy Women’s Tennis Quick, name the only Nashville collegiate team to play for a national championship in the past few years. OK, so maybe the headline above was a hint. But you probably wouldn’t have known the answer had you simply relied on coverage from the media (including the Scene). Fact is, the women’s tennis team from Vanderbilt made it all the way to the NCAA championship last spring before bowing to Stanford. This season, coach Geoff MacDonald’s outfit is rated second in the nation. But if you want to see them play, you’ll have to call Vandy’s sports information office for a schedule. It won’t be in the paper.

—Randy Horick

Best Local Pro Athlete Who has a Future in Broadcasting: Brad Hopkins He’s articulate. He’s funny. And, along with his size and strength, he has the physical gift—a smooth, golden voice—that is to broadcasting what being 7 feet tall is to basketball. There’s also a bonus. As an offensive lineman who has been in more than his share of multi-body pileups, Hopkins will have plenty of insights into the biting, eye-gouging, facemask-jerking, ball-grabbing, manhood-challenging and other little-reported high jinks that make football fun. —Randy Horick

Best Roster Move that could be Condensed to a Sensational Headline: Preds Trade Top Scorer for Heroin User Scratch the conditionality of the statement; that’s pretty much how the story played in The Tennessean when the Predators, just before the trade deadline, dealt Cliff Ronning for L.A.’s Jere Karalahti—a player whose troubled history of using heroin, cocaine and LSD was recently chronicled in Sports Illustrated. The story is a little more complicated, of course. Karalahti has been clean for five years. At age 26, he’s also significantly younger than the popular and productive Ronning, and he brings badly needed size and menace to the Preds’ defensive zone. Still, shipping off the fans’ favorite player while you’re trying to shore up ticket sales for next year? Maybe the headlines should have asked what the Preds were smoking.

—Randy Horick

Best Hit (Predators): Jere Karalahti And yet...in his first game as a Nashville Predator, Jere Karalahti absolutely leveled Colorado’s Bryan Muir. The hit echoed within the GEC, a bone-bashing thud so resounding it took the fans’ breath away—and Muir’s consciousness. Officials stopped the game, smelling sauce was administered to Muir and maintenance brought out a snow shovel to scrape the blood from the ice. It would have been truly terrible if not for one simple fact: This kind of savagery is exactly what the Predators need! If this hit is a sign of things to come from Karalahti, the Preds may want to buy a bigger shovel. And fans may want to take Leipold up on his “Playoff Pledge” after all.

—Brian Blackwell

Best Hot Dog Move: Zach Thomas From the home crowd’s point of view, it came from the wrong man, but they sure haven’t forgotten it. In the first game of the season, before a national TV audience on Sunday night, the Dolphins’ all-star linebacker picked off a Tennessee pass and rumbled untouched to the end zone. When he got there, he added a distinctive flourish: Thomas flipped head-first across the goal and landed on his feet. There was one small consolation for Titans fans. At least Thomas wasn’t a Baltimore Raven.

—Randy Horick

Best Five Seconds of a Game We’d Love to Take Back: The Final Play of the Titans’ Game Here Against Baltimore Brian Billick and all his wicked minions could not have devised a more painful torture for Titans fans than the conclusion of the Tennessee-Baltimore game at Adelphia last year. First, the Titans appeared to score with less than 10 seconds to play—only to have the apparently winning touchdown snatched away because a fat Raven defender had made contact with a Tennessee lineman while frantically trying to make it back onside. Then, with one final chance from the 1-yard line, the Titans’ staff ordered up a quarterback sneak—which the Ravens, not surprisingly, stuffed more totally than a Belle Meade shirt.

—Randy Horick

Best Broadcaster Whom We’d like to Share a Few Beers with: Terry Crisp On the air, the Predators’ color commentator and longtime veteran of the hockey wars comes across as your lovable Uncle Crusty. He also gives the impression, intentionally or not, that he enjoys his share of postgame festivities before it’s time to head home. From the references he makes, the people he knows and the length of time he’s been around the National Hockey League, you just know the man could tell some sea stories. We’d particularly like to hear the ones that aren’t suitable for broadcast.

—Randy Horick

Best Hike (International): KDavis Travels Karen Davis freely admits she has happy feet—and she’s eager to share the mirth. With KDavis Travels she has managed to transform a restless curiosity about the world into a business for herself and an adventure for her clients. The company arranges walking tours through some of the world’s choicest terrains. For the Spring of ’02, there are European hikes in Tuscany, Welsh Pembrokeshire, the Italian Riviera and the Normandy Coast. In the fall, Davis will return to Oaxaca in Mexico. A brochure is available by phone (385-9890), by fax (292-9221) or via e-mail (kdtraveler@att.net).

—Marc K. Stengel

Best Nashville Tennis Champion: Brian Baker Brian Baker may well be the best Nashville athlete you’ve never heard of. It’s tempting (and probably more polite) to attribute his local obscurity to the fact that this Hillwood High School 11th-grader is rarely in town. Accordingly, even the most avid sports hounds are unaware that he’s garnered an international rep and superior rankings in singles tennis—all before his 17th birthday. He’s been playing since age two and is currently ranked No. 1 nationally by the USTA in Boys 18 play and No. 7 and No. 15 in the world, respectively, for junior singles and doubles by the ITF. Since January, he’s played at the Australian Open, the Australian Hardcourts and the NASDAQ 100 in Florida. It should be obvious even to a team-sports fanatics that Baker’s one local athlete to watch—if only we knew where to look.

—Marc K. Stengel

Best Local Tennis Tournament: The Adult MUNY at Centennial Sportsplex Okay, so you’re not Brian Baker. But you’re a tennis enthusiast and a USTA member. In that case, gear up for one of the most exciting and fun competitions the summer has to offer local tennis fanatics. From June 21-25, the Sportsplex hosts the adult MUNY, an open tournament for players from 3.5 to Pro levels. Last year the event enjoyed over 190 entrants with stiff competition in each division. Entry fees are $40 for singles, $20 for doubles. This year’s additional event will include a party for participants and food will be provided for competitors. Format is a normal USTA limited back draw guaranteeing all singles players two matches. Doubles is single elimination. You don’t have to be ranked to play in the tournament.

—Adam Ross

Best Triathlon: Music City Triathlon Last year, a thunderstorm blasted through the launching area of the Music City Triathlon—one of the oldest competitions of its kind in the country—kicking up such whitecaps on Percy Priest Lake that when the competitors in the first stage swim took a breath they inhaled as much water as air. Conditions were so bad the rescue team had to pluck a nearly drowned triathlete from the waves, while dozens more simply had to drop out. The second and third stages, a legendary 26-mile bike ride followed by a 6.2 mile run, combine to make what is considered one of the hilliest triathlon courses in the country. At the finish line, the participants (over 600 last year) all but fall into the vast piles of bananas, watermelons, oranges and bagels, engorging themselves as the endorphins surge through their bodies. Truth be told, they’re experiencing another great feeling as well. Coming as it does in September, the Music City Tri is for many the last triathlon of the season. That means for at least a couple of weeks, an entire tribe of 5 percent body-fat work-out nutcases is going to be eating French fries and sleeping late for a change. Go to www.musiccitytri.com for complete registration and race information.

—Bruce Dobie

Best Fencer: Case Szarwark If Case Szarwark has a habit of lunging at what she’s reaching for, or if she tends to feint on a given day, it’s understandable. The 17-year-old 11th-grader at Harpeth Hall happens to be one of the nation’s top juniors competing in the exacting sport of fencing. Specifically, Szarwark is a devotee of the epée, and in a career that only began three years ago, she has thrust and parried her way to 16 national medals, including a gold in North American Cup competition in January and a bronze in the most recent Olympic trials. A member of Doug Harris’ Nashville Fencing Academy, she’ll join a select group this summer to train in Moscow with the Junior Russian National Team.

—Marc K. Stengel

Best Place to Speed: Nashville Superspeedway Big-time auto racing is the newest jewel in Nashville’s sports crown, yet it’s likely many folks still aren’t aware what an asset the Nashville Superspeedway represents. For 2002, the racing schedule picks up a second NASCAR Busch Grand National event, followed by an open-wheel Indy Car race and NASCAR truck racing. The sound of a superspeedway in full song is alone worth the price of admission. What’s more, the Monster Racing Experience (www.monsterracing.com) provides opportunities between race dates when fans can experience hot laps in a Busch stocker all by themselves. The Pepsi 300 is the season opener this weekend, April 11-13. For tickets, call 1-866-RACE-TIX, toll-free.

—Marc K. Stengel

Best Basketball Pickup Games: Parmer Park Nestled in Belle Meade, between Leake and Westover avenues, Parmer Park is home to one of the oldest and most prolific outdoor pickup games in Nashville. You can almost always find a full court game being run on warm, summer days. Competition can be intense, but always friendly, with players ranging in age from teenagers to adults, from former college stars (men and women) to local high school standouts to weekend warriors. Games during the summer last until the sun goes down, perfect for ballers who have to work a day job until the NBA calls.

—Adam Deal

Best New Venue for Sports: Vanderbilt’s Hawkins Stadium Vanderbilt’s $6 million dollar Hawkins Stadium is the perfect facility to host some of the best NCAA baseball players in the country. Named after Vanderbilt alum Charles Hawkins III—who pitched for Vandy from 1952-1954 and donated over $2 million dollars to the project—the stadium replaces McGugin field, an aging eyesore at best. The left field wall is gorgeous, rising 35 feet high—a mini Green Monster. Press boxes are state of the art, there are 1,500 chair back seats and the university has spared no expense to make sure this facility is top notch. Designed as a park for the baseball purist, Hawkins Stadium’s brick and iron features are a throwback to baseball’s golden era. See you at the ballgame this spring.

—Brian Blackwell

Best Sports Bargain: Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball In a pro sports town where taking your family to a game is an increasingly unaffordable proposition to people of ordinary means, Vandy women’s hoops is an extraordinarily attractive deal. It’s not just that you can see a game for under 10 bucks. (Vanderbilt men’s contests, by contrast, can set you back $25 per ticket.) It’s that you can see competition at the highest level of the sport, since the Commodores are a perennial Top 15 team and play in the nation’s toughest conference. Just as much, it’s the uncrowded general-admission ambience. You can find a seat—and, except when Tennessee’s in town, even find room to stretch out—relax and enjoy the game. —Randy Horick

Best (Men’s) Program that Deserves More Respect: The Vanderbilt Baseball Squad Perhaps even more than basketball and football, the SEC is loaded with super-strong baseball programs. Powerhouses like LSU and Florida regularly produce big time major league talent and contend each year for a trip to Omaha and the NCAA World Series. Give Coach Roy Mewbourne and Vandy credit. During their season they battle the best college baseball has to offer. Recently, Vanderbilt stole a road series against LSU—the first such feat since 1957—and crept into the national collegiate rankings at #29. Lead by freshman pitcher Jeremy Sowers—who has heat in the 90+ mph range—and senior Steven Faulkner, who led the SEC in starts and innings pitched in 2001, the Commodores are making some noise.

—Brian Blackwell

Best Stomper: Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball Coach Lots of basketball coaches get fired up, sweat buckets and scream at players and referees during games. Vandy’s Kevin Stallings, fittingly here in Music City, opts periodically for a more percussive form of emotional expression. When the moment is right—typically as his team is losing its collective concentration on the court—he’ll accompany his verbal tirade in the team huddle with a foot stomping so loud you can hear it in Memorial Gym’s upper decks. No word on how many pairs of Florsheims he goes through in a season.

—Bruce Barry

Best State Park: South Cumberland Recreation Area It’s not your normal park. Rather, it’s an agglomeration of 10 different areas located atop the Cumberland Plateau in four different counties. My personal favorite is Savage Gulf, which is comprised of three vast gorges or “gulfs” carved out of the earth tens of millions of years ago. Standing nearly in the middle of Savage Gulf is Stone Door, a huge, door-shaped hole in a slab of rock that was once a passageway for Indians from the top of the plateau into the gorges below. To get to Savage Gulf, take I-24 South; right before Monteagle (you can take one of several exits), go left (or east). You will eventually enter Grundy County, in which Savage Gulf lies. Better yet, call 924-2980 for a map.

—Bruce Dobie

Best Day Hike: Savage Gulf State Natural Area If it’s summer, you can’t beat the trek that begins at Stone Door (see “Best State Park” above) and follows the Big Creek Rim trail. To your left will lie the massive gulf created by Big Creek—a huge, breathtaking vista. If you follow the trail for nearly five miles, you’ll end up at Greeter Falls. There, you can eat lunch, and, if you’re so inclined, jump in the chilly pool that sits at the bottom of the falls. (It’s a kick to swim under the falls and get knocked around.) Once you’ve had enough of that, hike back the way you came in, but after about a mile, take a right down into the gulf along the Big Creek Gulf trail. (It’s well marked.) You’ll bounce along this for several miles, following the sometimes rollicking Big Creek. Eventually you’ll come to a connector trail, which will take you back up to Stone Door. At the end of a day, this part of the hike can flat wear you out. Once you reach the top, you can sit for a while and look at one of the greatest scenes east of the Mississippi.

—Bruce Dobie

Best Predator: Mike Dunham A no-brainer. Dunham’s game-saving goaltending prowess made him the Pred’s standout player this season, stopping over 1,370 shots—that’s a save percentage of .906—and recording three shutouts. He is on pace to win a franchise and career record number of games (23) in 2002. As an Olympian Dunham blanked Finland 6-0, the first shutout for team USA since 1992. Dunham is not only the best Predator; he’s our franchise. Hey Craig Leipold, let’s keep this guy around. Obviously, your precious “Playoff Pledge” begins and ends with the goal.

—Brian Blackwell