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It’s Dark at 4 p.m. and We’re All Spiraling. Our Winter Hiking Bingo Card Can Help. – Backpacker Magazine

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(Photo: Zoe Gates)
By many accounts, hiking season ends when Daylight Savings Time does. Even for adventurers who embrace cold temps and snowy excursions, it’s just plain harder to hit the trail in winter, when after-work hikes require a headlamp and an extra dose of motivation. But long nights don’t have to take all the joy out of being a hiker.

Need a little inspiration to keep getting out there, or at least dreaming of the trail during the dark days of winter? We created a bingo card with our favorite activities to get through (and even enjoy) the Big Dark. Think of it like your winter bucket list; go for five in a row, or try them all. Summer hiking season will be back before you know it—but with a to-do list like this, there’s no need to rush it.
Long nights may feel like a drag for enjoying nature, but they’re great for one thing: appreciating celestial beauty above. Certain astronomical sights reach their peaks in winter, and long, cold nights make for exceptionally clear viewing. Add a night of stargazing at one of our favorite dark sky destinations to your winter to-do list, but first, brush up on these tips for a successful night sky safari.
If the warmth and comfort of the indoors call to you in winter more than the trail, you can still keep the hiking spirit alive with some trail-themed crafts. Personalize your backpacking kit with a DIY project or two, like a hand-sewn stuff sack or customized ultralight sandals. Looking for an even bigger project? Hone your sewing skills and design your own ultralight backpack.
To get the most out of days on the trail and protect your body against injuries, it’s a good idea to hit the gym all year long. Not sure where to start? In our online course 6 Weeks to Trail Fit, coach and guide Jason Antin walks hikers through a progression focused on strength and endurance, no matter what fitness level you’re starting from. Keep it up all winter long, and you’ll be feeling better than ever on long hikes next summer.
This wouldn’t be a winter bucket list if it didn’t include a winter hike. If you’re ready to take it to the next level, sleep outside.
Books have the power to transport you to the top of the world’s greatest summits from the comfort of your living room. Our list of the 50 best hiking books of all time will get you through the longest, darkest of winters. Hitting these pages is the next best thing to hitting the trails.
In addition to getting stronger, increasing your range of motion can help injury-proof your body. Build a stretching and exercise routine now, and feel at your best for hikes to come. Here are five of our favorite mobility exercises for hikers.
It’s never too early to start getting ready for the next camping season, especially when it comes to meal planning. With a little forethought, you’ll never make a last-minute run to the freeze-dried aisle of your local outfitter on the way to the trailhead. Spend the off-season cooking and dehydrating your own backpacking meals with our how-to guide. Experiment with your favorite meals, tweak your recipes, and get ready to eat better than you ever have on the trail next summer.
What’s the off-season for if not dreaming about all of the adventures that await you in the future? Turn those dreams into reality by breaking out the map, scouting routes and campsites, and putting in the logistical legwork. Your future self will thank you. Looking to plan your first backpacking trip? Start here. Ready to finally take the plunge on that bucket list adventure? Read our planning guide.
In certain parts of the country, trail stewardship organizations are busy all year maintaining your favorite hiking paths. Joining a work party is a great way to pitch in and get out of the house even if the weather doesn’t inspire a big summit day. If your local trail crews are on hold for the season, plan ahead by signing up for a volunteer day down the line, and make sure you’re prepared.
If it’s too cold to hike, consider becoming an armchair naturalist from the comfort of home. Research the plants and trees in your area so you can see the trail with new eyes next season. Better yet, take in nature around your house by learning to identify birds in your region. Make a list and see if you can spot them all by spring.
Stuck inside? Might as well make inside look great. If your gear closet has seen better days, there’s no better time to give it a makeover. Sort your gear into bins or racks and get rid of hole-ridden hiking socks, and packing for your next trip will be a breeze. Need some inspiration? Take a tour of our editor-in-chief’s gear loft.
While the trails are frozen over, you can hike vicariously through the silver screen. We rounded up our favorite outdoor films (from awesomely inspiring to hilariously bad). Pop some popcorn and get lost in the adventure—no blisters required.
Your gear stinks. Do yourself and your future tentmates a favor by giving your kit a makeover: These are our best tips on washing your sleeping bag, puffy jacket, and waterproof layers. Bonus: Storing your gear clean will help it last longer and perform better.
There’s nothing better than a warm soak after a cold winter hike. You could hit the spa on your way home, but better yet, hike to the spa itself. A natural spa, that is. Here are a few of our favorite hot spring hikes for soaking all year.
Winter is as good a time as any to give your well-loved hiking gear some TLC. Repairing your own gear can save you money, improve your in-the-field troubleshooting skills, and is a great way to while away long evenings indoors. Here’s how to get started.
No snow in your neck of the woods? Hiking in the rain gets a bad rap, but embracing wet, muddy trails can lead to a whole new perspective. Throw on your best waterproof layers, pack a Thermos of hot chocolate, and jump in a puddle or two. But first, read up on our best tips for hiking in the rain.
Brush up on your skills, and you’ll be able to make the most of every trip once backpacking season comes back around. Knot-tying is the perfect skill to practice inside. These are the five knots we deem essential for any backpacker to master.
Winter is a great time to brush up on your emergency skills with a first aid course or just make sure your supplies are in order. Take some time to restock your first aid kit with any supplies you’ve used up over the past season, or build a custom kit from scratch.
Winter camping doesn’t have to be all about suffering. In fact, hiking can be cozy all year round. We dove deep into the Danish art of hygge, a.k.a. that feeling comfort you get donning your warmest socks around the fire with your hiking buddies. Learn how to make your next outdoor adventure cozy as can be with our guide to hygge hiking.
Deep snow may make the trail inaccessible, but it opens up a world of opportunity for outdoor play. Knowing how to construct a snow shelter could save your hide in a survival situation—but they’re also just fun. Build one in your yard or on your next hike, and if you’re feeling adventurous, spend the night.
We may be biased, but the next best thing to having a grand adventure is reading about one. We rounded up the 45 best adventure stories we’ve ever published. Read two per week, and the trails will be thawed by the time you finish the entire list.
Swap your boots for snowshoes, skis, or skates and get a whole new perspective on the outdoors in winter. You may find that you stop pining for summer hiking altogether.
If it’s going to be dark, you may as well embrace it. Night hiking can be intimidating, but it’s a chance to connect with nature in a new way, and move your body even when the days are too short for daylight hikes. Charge up your headlamp, layer up, and hit the trail.
Whether you’re huddled around a fire at your campsite, in your backyard, or simply beside your living room hearth, nothing quite caps off a day enjoying nature like a toasted marshmallow. Fire up some s’mores and relish that warm fuzzy feeling, no matter how many miles you’ve logged.

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North Alabama basketball rallies past Jacksonville State for rivalry win – AL.com

North Alabama used a strong second-half effort to pull away for a 73-66 road win over Jacksonville State on Monday.
The visiting Lions trailed by eight points heading into halftime, but outscored Jax State 47-32 in the second half to secure the victory.
Junior Canin Jefferson led the comeback effort with 14 of his 16 points coming in the second half, while Donte Bacchus added 12 in the second half to lead UNA to its first road win of the year.
Bacchus finished with 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Lions’ scoring efforts, and Corneilous Williams grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and scored 17 points.
North Alabama has now won three of the last four matchups against the Gamecocks. Jax State leads the overall series 59-38 in a rivalry that dates back to the 1949-50 season.
“Our guys today just stayed the course the whole time,” North Alabama coach Tony Pujol said on the radio broadcast following the win. “They locked into the scouting report — I thought they did a tremendous job there — and I thought what they did was they just had a no-quit mentality. It was great in the huddles.
“They just stayed positive the whole time, good or bad, they just stayed positive.”
The Gamecocks were held to a 12-for-35 mark from the field in the second half and just made three of their 16 shots from beyond the arc after going 6-for-9 from 3-point range in the first half of the matchup.
Jamar Franklin led Jax State to a first-half lead with 13 points, going 4-for-5 from 3-point range. Tulsa transfer Jaye Nash also dished out five of his eight assists in the first half of the matchup.
Louisiana transfer Mostapha El Moutaouakkil totaled 19 points — 15 in the second half — to lead Jax State in the loss, with Alabama A&M transfer AC Bryant scoring 18 points and logging a game-high eight rebounds.
“Whenever you’re playing a team that’s coached by coach Harper, you have to be ready,” Pujol said of Jax State. “You’re always going to get not only a coach that understands the game and coaches at a high level, but his players play to their identity, which is that they’re going to play hard, they’re going to really grind games out. If you’re not ready for that, they can make you look pretty bad.”
The Lions got their first lead of the second half on a 3-pointer from Tank Washington with 10:05 left to play before a 3-pointer from Bryant and a pair of free throws from Phenix City native Jacoby Hill.
After a back-and-forth period that saw four lead changes, a layup from Bacchus with 2:53 left to play gave the Lions a lead they never lost; Coffee Springs native Dallas Howell hit a 3-pointer a little over a minute later.
“We came in here with high energy and just stuck together,” Bacchus said. “Every day, this is brick by brick, just coming every day in practice, just competing and staying up, and it just paid off. I’m happy we were able to get this win and just stay together.”
North Alabama (4-4) will face San Francisco on Wednesday at 9 p.m. in California. Jax State (3-4) will host Division II AUM on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
Thomas is a sports reporter for AL.com, primarily focusing on the north Alabama area. Before joining AL.com in 2024, Thomas worked as a sports reporter for the Anniston Star. His work has been recognized by the…
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XRP ETFs Attract $648M in Assets Despite XRP Price Falling to $2 level – CoinCentral

Canary’s XRPC leads with $347M in assets under management
Total US XRP ETF value stands at $775M including REX-Osprey
XRP fell to $2 during broader crypto drawdown despite ETF inflows
Exchange-traded funds offering exposure to XRP have accumulated 318 million XRP in total holdings across several providers in less than three weeks. Based on current market prices, these holdings are worth about $648 million.
The data includes four major funds launched in the US—Canary Capital, Bitwise, Grayscale, and Franklin Templeton. Together with the REX-Osprey fund, total assets under management for US XRP ETFs now exceed $775 million, according to the most recent fund disclosures.
Canary Capital’s XRPC ETF currently leads with nearly $347 million in assets under management. It also posted the highest first-day volume of any US ETF launched in 2025. Canary executives said the strong debut shows strong institutional interest in XRP exposure through regulated investment vehicles.
“We’re seeing more than early adoption, it’s clear validation of investor demand,” said Steven McClurg, CEO and Founder of Canary Capital. He added that investors prefer the ETF model for XRP because of ease of access and regulated custody.
XRPC allows investors to gain exposure to the XRP Ledger’s native token without managing direct wallet storage. The fund tracks the price of XRP while maintaining secure custody through institutional-grade partners.
The expansion of XRP ETF products comes as the token’s price declined sharply during a broader market drawdown. XRP fell to around $2 after leveraged trading positions were unwound, leaving the token below its January 2025 price.
Analysts have pointed to over-leveraged conditions and post-launch selling pressure as likely reasons for the decline. The recent sell-off occurred during the anticipation of new ETF listings and has been described by analysts as a typical “sell-the-news” pattern.
XRP also saw a similar drop after the debut of Canary Capital’s ETF in mid-November. Bitwise followed with its own XRP product, which also experienced early volume before XRP dropped again during broader market weakness.
XRP ETF launches are part of a broader trend in the crypto ETF market. Managers are now preparing additional products based on other digital assets such as Solana, Dogecoin, HBAR, and Litecoin. Grayscale is also expected to launch a spot Chainlink (LINK) ETF in the coming days.
ETF managers are responding to investor demand for regulated access to a wider range of cryptocurrencies. Despite XRP’s underperformance year-to-date, institutional interest in spot XRP ETFs continues to grow based on the inflows and fund activity since launch.
Current flows suggest continued appetite for altcoin exposure through ETFs, even as the market adjusts from high volatility. XRP remains a key token in the payment and settlement sector, with Ripple Labs continuing to develop its cross-border payment technology.
Kelvin Munene is a crypto and finance journalist with over 5 years of experience in market analysis and expert commentary. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Actuarial Science from Mount Kenya University and is known for meticulous research in cryptocurrency, blockchain, and financial markets. His work has been featured in top publications including Coingape, Cryptobasic, MetaNews, Coinedition, and Analytics Insight. Kelvin specializes in uncovering emerging crypto trends and delivering data-driven analyses to help readers make informed decisions. Outside of work, he enjoys chess, traveling, and exploring new adventures.
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Winning Powerball numbers last night in Dec. 1 lottery drawing: Anyone win Powerball jackpot? – IndyStar

The Powerball jackpot continues to grow after no one matched all six Powerball numbers to win Saturday’s drawing.
Grab your tickets and check your numbers to see if you’re the game’s newest millionaire.
Here are the numbers for the Monday, Dec. 1, Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $740 million with a cash option of $346.1.
Monday night’s drawing will take place at 10:59 p.m. ET for the $740 million Powerball jackpot.
The winning numbers for Saturday night’s drawing were 19, 22, 30, 32, 59, with a Powerball of 1. The Power Play was 2x.
Results are pending.
Double Play results are pending.
The Powerball jackpot for Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, rises to $740 million with a cash option of $346.1 million, according to powerball.com.
Drawings are held three times per week at approximately 10:59 p.m. ET every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
You only need to match one number in Powerball to win a prize. However, that number must be the Powerball worth $4. Visit powerball.com for the entire prize chart.
Matching two numbers won’t win anything in Powerball unless one of the numbers is the Powerball. A ticket matching one of the five numbers and the Powerball is also worth $4. Visit powerball.com for the entire prize chart.
A single Powerball ticket costs $2. Pay an additional $1 to add the Power Play for a chance to multiply all Powerball winnings except for the jackpot. Players can also add the Double Play for an additional $1 to have a second chance at winning $10 million.
Friday night’s winning numbers were 6, 7, 13, 39, 48, and the Mega Ball was 4.
The Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday night’s drawing grows to an estimated $90 million with a cash option of $41.9 million after no Mega Millions tickets matched all six numbers to win the jackpot the Mega Millions jackpot, according to megamillions.com.
Here is the list of 2025 Powerball jackpot wins, according to powerball.com:
Here are the all-time top 10 Powerball jackpots, according to powerball.com:
Here are the nation’s all-time top 10 Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots, according to powerball.com:
Chris Sims is a digital content producer at Midwest Connect Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.

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Vanguard Drops Crypto Ban, Clears Bitcoin and XRP for Trading – BeInCrypto

Written & Edited by
Mohammad Shahid
Vanguard, the $8 trillion US asset manager, will allow crypto-focused ETFs and mutual funds to trade on its platform from December 2, ending its long-standing refusal to support digital asset products. 
The decision marks a major shift for the world’s second-largest asset manager and opens regulated crypto access to more than 50 million brokerage customers.
The firm confirmed it will support products that hold Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, and other regulated cryptocurrencies. 
However, it will continue to block funds tied to meme coins and will not launch its own digital asset products.
Starting tmrw vanguard will allow ETFs and MFs tracking bitcoin and select other cryptos to begin trading on their platform. They cite how the ETfs have been tested performed as designed through multiple periods of volatility. Story via @emily_graffeo pic.twitter.com/AKhMdR7pab
Vanguard spent years resisting crypto exposure and repeatedly framed Bitcoin and other digital assets as speculative. 
The company rejected spot Bitcoin ETFs after their January 2024 debut and even restricted customer purchases of competing funds. 
For years, Vanguard executives argued that crypto lacked intrinsic value, produced no cash flows, and did not fit long-term retirement strategies.
However, persistent demand pressured the firm to rethink its stance. Bitcoin ETFs became one of the fastest-growing product categories in US fund history, with BlackRock’s IBIT alone gathering tens of billions in assets. 
This scale, combined with a steady shift in investor preferences, weakened the rationale for exclusion.
Vanguard 2024: “#Bitcoin isn’t a store of value. We’ll never offer ETFs.”

Vanguard 2025: “Bitcoin trading starts tomorrow.” pic.twitter.com/dBysvngja7
The policy shift follows more than a year of internal debate. Vanguard’s former CEO, Tim Buckley, was widely seen as the main opponent of crypto adoption. 
His departure and the appointment of Salim Ramji — a former BlackRock executive with experience in blockchain initiatives — signaled a potential pivot.
Ramji did not push the firm toward issuing its own crypto funds but supported granting customers access to regulated products. 
That move aligns crypto with Vanguard’s treatment of other non-core assets, such as gold ETFs.
The reversal comes during a deep crypto drawdown and heavy ETF outflows since early October. Bitcoin’s market value has fallen sharply, and leveraged positions have suffered heavy losses. 
Yet Vanguard said digital asset ETFs have continued to operate smoothly and maintain liquidity through volatile periods.
The firm noted that operational processes for servicing crypto products have matured since 2024. It added that its clients increasingly expect access to a wide range of asset classes through a single brokerage platform.
Vanguard finally caves…

Will now allow spot crypto ETF trading on brokerage platform.

Includes btc, eth, xrp, & sol ETFs.

However, Vanguard reiterates that they have no plans to launch own spot crypto ETFs.

via @emily_graffeo pic.twitter.com/QFvF8BZTWt
Starting Tuesday, Vanguard customers can buy and sell most regulated crypto ETFs and crypto-focused mutual funds. The company will still screen products for compliance and will exclude any vehicle tied to SEC-defined memecoins.
Vanguard stressed that it has no plans to build proprietary crypto offerings.
Instead, it aims to accommodate diverse risk profiles while maintaining its conservative product philosophy.
The move is likely to strengthen digital asset legitimacy across traditional finance. It also marks a symbolic turning point for a firm long considered crypto’s most persistent holdout.
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