Christopher Percy Collier will be teaching three travel writing workshops in August at the Farmington Valley Literary Arts Center in the charming New England town of Farmington, Connecticut. Classes will run for two hours (two in the evening and one in the afternoon) at a cost of $50 each. For more information, visit the organization's website or call 860-677-9662.

Session 1 Thurs. August 6th, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
How to turn a personal travel experience into a compelling written story.

Session 2 Thurs. August 13th 7:00-9:00p.m.
Greater detail about the process. Narrative flow and the intricacies of weaving field notes, research and personal impressions into a story.

Session 3 Tues. August 4th, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Highlighting the structure of a travel narrative.

Christopher Percy Collier recently wrote a feature length story entitled "Saving Summer Camp" about Vermont's Craftsbury Outdoor Center, the oldest rowing camp in North America, which was recently purchased and converted into a non-profit organization. For the story, he interviewed retired Trinity Rowing Coach Larry Gluckman (who will work at the Center) and rowing greats Dick Dreissigacker and Judy Geer (who purchased the center). Collier has written about numerous outdoor sports including kiteboarding, kayaking, cycling, endurance running, hiking, mountaineering, fly fishing, windsurfing, surfing, and many others. His work has appeared in Outside, The New York Times, Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Backpacker, Runner's World, Field & Stream, The Nature Conservancy Magazine, and numerous other publications. Download the story here: CraftsburyOutdoorCenter.pdf

Christopher Percy Collier has written and photographed a feature-length story for The Tuck School of Business. It profiles residential life and varied experiences at this prestigious institution through the years. For the story, he interviewed leaders who attended Tuck as far back as the 1950s in addition to those presently enrolled. Collier has worked on numerous projects for this top ten business school. He has also written business stories Fast Company Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, the On Business section of Delta Sky Magazine and many other publications. And he has worked in a communications capacity for companies specializing in enterprise software solutions and travel. Download a pdf of the story here: Tuck.Village.pdf.

Christopher Percy Collier has just completed a feature length story about trying out the sport of sculling for the first time, a baptism in more ways than one. Hint, Hint. Under the tutelage of Rowing Director Brian Wendry, he launched out of the Greater Hartford Jaycees Community Boathouse into the wide, sluggish flow of the Connecticut River near the old stone arches of Buckley Bridge. The above photo, shot by Collier, has been released as a teaser in advance of the story. Wendry works for Riverfront Recapture, a program devoted reconnecting downtown Hartford to the Connecticut River. Collier has also written about learning to kitesurf, surf, windsurf, fly fish, whitewater kayak, canoe pole, guide a whitewater raft, ultralight backpack, road bike, ice fish, adventure race, and more. He frequently writes about travel, adventure, fitness, food, and business.

Christopher Percy Collier's recent New York Times story, "Chasing Rainbows, and Their Cousins, on North Caroina's Trout Trail," made the coveted "most emailed" list on The New York Times website. This is the sixth time one of Collier's stories reached this rank. His last two stories to make the list, Florida Glide and Ouch, My Knee! Is There a Bike Fitter in the House?, ran in November and January respectively. Other stories of his that have made this list include Riding Rapids on Deliverance River, Good Times at a Backpacker's Paradise, Florida's Flows of Cool, Clear Water, and The Unwashed Meet the Upper Crust in Connecticut. The above photo was taken by Christopher Percy Collier on the Nantahala River.

Christopher Percy Collier's story, Catching Rainbows, and Their Cousins, on North Carolina's Trout Trail, came out in today's Escapes section of The New York Times. The story chronicles a recent three-day fly fishing road trip he took through Western North Carolina. The expert guides services of Davidson River Outiftters and the Hunter Banks Company were employed. This is Collier's 28th contribution to The New York Times and the third time he has worked with noted photographer Chris Livingston. Collier has also written about fishing for Field & Stream, Executive Traveler, Trout Unlimited, US Airways, Four Season Magazine, and many others. He has written extensively on North Carolina for The New York Times, National Geographic Adventure, and a variety of other publications. Collier writes about all manner of adventure sports (fly fishing, whitewater paddling, mountaineering, backpacking, endurance competitions) and travel (luxury, budget, adventure, an ecologically themed). His work can be seen at www.christopherpercycollier.com.

Christopher Percy Collier has a story in the June issue of Runner's World magazine about pain. For the story, he interviewed top runners such as ultra endurance athlete Michelle Barton and elite marathon runner Matt Gabrielson. He also spoke with pain specialist Dr. Raymond J. Petras and sports psychologist Dr. Kay Porter. Collier has written numerous stories about fitness for Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Runner's World, The New York Times, and many other publications. For The New York Times, he has written about athletes and anger management. For National Geographic Adventure, he investigated the performance advantages of "flow state" and "getting in the zone." More about Christopher Percy Collier can be found at www.christopherpercycollier.com.

Christopher Percy Collier is putting the finishing touches on a story about western North Carolina fly fishing. His previous story about this area for The New York Times, "What Time Do They Turn the River On?," is about a dammed river that remained little more than an trench beside the road for over 70 years before becoming the most challenging commercially rafted whitewater river in the South. He wrote it and photographed it. Collier has written numerous stories about fly fishing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, long distance running, road biking, and numerous other adventure sports. Visit his website at www.christopherpercycollier.com.

Christopher Percy Collier has a story in the Style Section of The New York Times today, "Not Just Any Tent in a Storm" about expedition tents, designed for use in the harshest of conditions. He recruited Annie Trujillo, a guide with Sierra Mountain Guides in Bishop, California to test five tents made by The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, MSR, Black Diamond, and Marmot. Collier has written numerous stories for The New York Times that have reached the coveted "top 10 most emailed list." Collier writes about travel, health, fitness, adventure, sports, and business. His stories can be seen on his blog and website. Email him at colliertravels@aol.com.

Christopher Percy Collier has a story in the Style section of The New York Times today on mountaineering axes, which get much use in the springtime as mountaineers attempt to summit various snow-covered peaks around the country with a reduced fear of avalanches. This is Collier's 26 contribution to The New York Times. For this story, "Tools for Reaching the Top," Collier interviewed seasoned mountaineer Joshua Butson, owner of San Juan Outdoor School/Telluride Alpinism, based in Telluride, Colorado.

Christopher Percy Collier is in the process of finishing up his second story for Runner's World magazine, which is scheduled to hit newstands in June. His first story for this top tier fitness magazine, which was published in May, 2008, covered the subject of protein and new research suggesting that athletes may not being getting enough of it. The full text of this story, Got Protein?, can be found here. Collier frequently writes about health, fitness, nutrition, sports, and professional athletes for publications including The New York Times, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, and Men's Journal. Collier is a recreational runner, occasionally running longer endurance races. In high school, he ran track and cross country. His best half-mile time was two minutes and one second.

Christopher Percy Collier's latest story, It's Frightful Outside. Let's Walk, which can be found in the Health & Fitness section of The New York Times, is directed at a breed of fitness not fit for endurance athletes or die hard gym rats. Instead, it covers a type of exercise regimen suited for a far less niche population who may benefit greatly from simply going out for a walk on a regular basis, an endeavor that can reduce depression, diabetes risk and obesity. This is Collier's second story related to the issue of obesity and his 25 contribution to The New York Times. More about his stories can be found on his website and weblog.

Christopher Percy Collier has written many dozens of stories for US Airways and has traveled widely to do it. His previous cover story for the magazine, Raising Cain, involved an investigation into the origins of rum on the island of Barbados. Other cover stories for the magazine have involved traveling to Costa Rica (one of the birthplaces of ecotourism) and visiting eco-chic Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsula. This story, Sophistication Sans Affectation, is about how the island of Nevis stands as a testament to what all of the Caribbean used to be. Though the cover shot is not his, he shot all other photos for this feature story.

Christopher Percy Collier's story, Florida Glide, which ran on the front page of The New York Times Escapes section climbed to the "Top 7 Most Emailed" spot on the newspaper's website and then stayed on the Travel Section's "Top 10 Most Emailed" list for 10 days. This is the fifth time one of Collier's stories reached this coveted "Top 10 Most Emailed" rank. His last story to make the list, Ouch, My Knee! Is There a Bike Fitter in the House?, ran in November. Other stories of his that have made this list in include Riding Rapids on Deliverance River, Good Times at a Backpacker's Paradise, Florida's Flows of Cool, Clear Water, and The Unwashed Meet the Upper Crust in Connecticut.

Christopher Percy Collier's story, "Florida Glide," made the front page of The New York Times today (below the fold). The full story appeared on the front and back page of the Escapes section. This is a travel story about taking a series of short kayaking trips up and down the Florida Keys. Photographs of the author appear in three places in the story, one being on the front page. This is Collier's 24th contribution to The New York Times and the second time he has teamed up with notable photographer Chris Livingston. Links to more of Collier's stories can be found on his website or blog.

Christopher Percy Collier has written numerous travel stories about the state of Florida. He's written about slogging through its swamps in search of rare orchids (National Geographic Adventure). He's written about the Everglades (The Nature Conservancy Magazine, The Boston Globe, Backpacker). For the last story he wrote, "Florida's Flows of Cool, Clear Water" which was for The New York Times, Collier teamed up with photographer Chris Livingston to cover this state's numerous natural springs. The story, which was on the cover of the Escapes section, reached "top 4 most emailed" on The New York Times website. His second story with Livingston, also on Florida, will run in The New York Times tomorrow.

For the December issue Four Seasons Magazine, which can be found in Four Seasons resorts around the world, Christopher Percy Collier writes about the allure of bonefishing in the Bahamas, a premier destination for this highly addictive pursuit. This story was photographed by Andy Anderson. Read story here: fourseasonstory.pdf

Christopher Percy Collier has written a story about rum and surfing in Barbados, which can be found in the February Issue of Outside Magazine.

For the Thursday Style section of The New York Times, Collier writes "Taming the Wild with Bigfoot," a story about the ever increasing variety of snowshoes on the market. He commissioned the expertise of veteran snowshoe guide Andrew Williams with the Grand Targhee Resort in Atla, Wyoming. This is Collier's 23rd contribution to The New York Times.

For his 22nd contribution to The New York Times, Collier writes about amateur and professional athletes who utilize Sports Massage as part of their training, despite conflicting research related to its efficacy. It Hurts, but Is It Worth It? is Collier's second story about sports massages. His first story on the subject appeared in Men's Journal.

Collier's New York Times Bike Fit story, Ouch, My Knee! Is There a Bike Fitter in the House? that ran in the Thursday Style section clocked in as the top "4 Most Emailed" story on the Time's website by noon on Saturday and stayed on the top 25 "Most Emailed" for four days (this rating is found on right column of the website). This is the fourth time one of Collier's New York Times stories made the top ten list. Other stories that reached the top ten include Riding the Rapids on "Deliverance" River, Florida's Flows of Cool, Clear Water, Good Times at a Backpacker's Paradise, and The Unwashed Meet the Upper Crust in Connecticut.

Collier has written two stories in the Style section of The New York Times today (taking up the entire Fitness section). "Look Mom, Hands On" is a look at fitness products designed for kids. Collier has produced writing, photography, audio, and video projects for The New York Times. This is Collier's 21st contribution to this publication.

Collier has two stories in the Fitness section of The New York Times today. "Ouch, My Knee! Is There a Bike Fitter in the House?" is about cyclists who are able to reduce the pain of riding by booking a lengthy session with a professional bike fitter who, through the use of lasers or three-dimensional motion capture technology, makes adjustments to a bike measured by the millimeter. This is Collier's 20th contribution to The New York Times.

For the December/January issue of National Geographic Adventure, Collier writes a story about eating seafood in such a way that can increase health and athletic performance while not wrecking the planet while you're at it. Once available online, a link will be supplied to the text.

Collier's most recent Fitness story in The New York Times prompted a great number of reader responses, some of which were posted online and serve as an accompaniment to the story.

For the Fitness section of The New York Times, Collier writes a story about an issue that is typically overlooked when it comes to runner training: potentially dangerous exchanges with motorists.

Barbados is the birthplace of rum. To write and photograph this cover story for US Airways Magazine, Collier travels to this fabled island for a culinary investigation into its sugary origins.

Collier writes a story for Entrepreneur Magazine about recently revamped hotel meeting rooms that offer more than blank walls and a conference room table. Now "Budda Boards," Yoga, and toys help get creative juices flowing.

Collier teams up with The Travel Channel to create content for its new mobile division! He has been hired as a consultant to manage a project that involves assembling a team of writers and editors to create European travel content that will be tagged with GPS coordinates.

Collier writes and photographs a story about the allure of purchasing raw land. Though most have future plans of building a second home on it, some vacation on their crude plots in this primitive state.

They may be smaller in size than those out West, but that doesn't diminish the existence of the many federally protected Wilderness Areas throughout the eastern United States. It may even make them more valuable. This feature story takes a look at the wild, protected areas of the East and touches upon the eastern roots of the Wilderness Preservation movement. Among those interviewed: legendary environmental writer Bill McKibben.

Collier has a story today in the Thursday Style Section of The New York Times about triathlon suits: superhero-like, one-piece items of gear that enable athletes to avoid changing between the swim, bike, run stages of triathlon.

Collier wrote a story about the trend of ultralight backpacking in a recent issue of Backpacker Magazine. Ultralight backpacking involves, as the name suggests, traveling through the wilderness while carrying very little weight. This allows you to go farther, to be more comfortable while hiking, and to operate in a way that may make you less injury prone. The basis for the story involves the observation that it would be hard to imagine backpacking equipment getting much lighter than it already is. Therefore, whatever continued changes related to this trend will likely be more psychological rather than physical.

The Appalachian Trail runs through and near many towns as it winds its way from Georgia to Maine. But those found in Connecticut are perhaps the most fancy. This creates a fascinating dynamic of hobo hikers and upscale shoppers. Collier investigates how this plays out in his story titled "The Unwashed and the Upper Crust in Connecticut." This story was photographed by Christopher Cappoziello and rose to the Top 12 most emailed story on the Times website.

Collier has written and/or photographed countless stories about the Appalachian Trail. He has covered the beginning, middle, and end for a journalistic series (The Boston Globe). He has written about famous people along the trail and day hikes (Men's Journal, Executive Traveler). He has written about extensions to the trail (Outside). He has even written about what hikers eat (Saveur, Dallas Morning News). He's also done a photo essay on the trail (US Airways Magazine). This story, which reached the Top 4 most emailed story on the New York Times website, was about Damascus, Virginia. It is billed as the "Friendliest Town on the Appalachian Trail." As a prelude to another story about the trail running tomorrow on the Connecticut portion, here's a link to this past effort.

In a recent issue of Delta Sky Magazine, Collier writes an adventure travel yarn about trying out the ever-growing sport of kiteboarding. Try it. You'll like it. Can't wait to go again. Maybe someday I'll get John Kerry to go with me, after a few more lessons though.

It was very flattering to be interviewed by reporter Jennifer Saba for a feature story about inflight magazines that appeared in the Photo District News back in December, 2007 (the story recently became available online). As someone who has written and photographed features for US Airways Magazine, I attempted to convey to her what it is like to go on assignment with the responsibility of coming home with enough visual and written material to assemble a story of this length. In short, I end every day exhausted but exhilerated. Nothing beats the thrill of the hunt!

If you're flying US Airways in August, check out the inflight magazine for a story I wrote about GPS-enabled walking tours down in Key West. Pick up the device and it will tell you where you are, where you want to go, and even show you a picture of what you should be looking at before offering up an audio narrative.

In the June issue of Men's Journal, find a short story I wrote about "Sport Rafts," which offers a more intimate whitewater experience, an improvement upon your typical cattle car-style raft trip that packs the boat full of paying customers.

The waters we recreate in are changing in significant ways. Jellyfish populations have spiked; surfers are getting sick from the water; new research shows that sand may also carry high levels of bacteria. The August issue of National Geographic Adventure features a story I co-wrote about potential dangers at the beach this summer. The story was then picked up by The New York Times. Writer Paul B. Brown, who writes a column for the Business section titled "What's Offline," called attention to it under the heading "Shore Perils."

According to some, Missoula may well be on the verge. For the National Trust for Historic Preservation, I worked with long time friend and editor Margaret Foster, previously with National Geographic Magazine, on a story about how the Lolo Trail, which is part of the Lewis & Clark Trail, has been put on Missoula, Montana's "Most Endangered List." Local preservationists like Dan Hall and Janine Caywood in Missoula gave me an earful. It is a classic example of how a place can, if a community is not careful, be loved too much--and how preservation isn't only about the building itself. Sometimes it's also about what surrounds it.

For the Style section of The New York Times, I asked Tim Hawkes, owner of the Mountain Workshop, to try out the latest single person tents on the market. I've long been fascinated by this variety of tent as it seems like a true design contest (as in, who can do the most with the least). To do the test, I met him on the banks of Connecticut's Housatonic River. While there, I interviewed him, recorded audio, and photographed his assessment of these tents that are made to be extra light and pack down to the size of a coconut. Read the story here.

In the August issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, I write about how being environmentally friendly in the workplace isn't just a matter of installing a recycling bin. Those who are serious about it can borrow money from like minded financial institutions. Among those interviewed: Michael Whelchel with Watershed Capital who touts the triple bottom line; Dave Williams, CEO of Shore Bank, one of the few sustainable banks out there.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2008/august/195614.html

Here is a link to my first assignment with The New York Times back in 2005. I shot riverboarders on the Nantahala River in North Carolina with writer Dave Howard. I knew him before the assignment. I wrote some for him while he was an editor at Backpacker Magazine. I've continued to photograph riverboarders as I find the sport, and the assortment of gear, fascinating both visually and conceptually.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/05/27/travel/escapes/27river.html