Overmountain Victory Trail shelter where it intersects the A.T.
Land Protected Along Blue Ridge Parkway
The Conservation Trust of North Carolina has purchased a 128-acre property in McDowell County that not only buts up against Blue Ridge Parkway land, but also protects a portion of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. The property was purchased for $700,000 from John and Anna Watson of Atlanta and is located at milepost 326 at the Heffner Gap Overlook. The newly purchased tract contains a sliver of the Overmountain Victory Trail, used by colonial militia to get to the battle of Kings Mountain during the Revolutionary War, preserving another piece of the trail’s 230 year history.
Read more about the tract in the Citizen-Times.
Walk Bike School Commuting Better For You
Apparently both kids and adults can benefit from commuting via human power, that is walking or riding a bike as oppose to pushing a gas pedal. According to a study out of Portland State University’s urban planning school, commuting to work under your own power “increases commute well-being.” Basically, those who walk and bike are the happiest commuters; unfortunately a full 75 percent of commuters drive to work…alone…with only the morning disc jockey to comfort them in traffic. Along the same lines, a Danish study from late last year indicates that children between 5-19 years old performed better on school tasks demanding concentration if they walked or road their bike to school. So keep on pedaling to work, or at least force your kids too.
Vonn Injured in Crash
In national news, American skiing great and cover model Lindsey Vonn crashed and burned during the Super-G race during the Alpine world Championships in Schladming, Austria. Following a jump, Vonn landed awkwardly at high speed and was airlifted off the slope just one year from the 2014 Olympics in Socchi. The four-time World Cup champion and defending downhill gold medalist tore the ACL and MCL in her right knee and also broke her tibia. While there is a chance she could return for the Olympics, this is certainly a crushing blow for Vonn, who is one of, if not the, best skier in American history.
More: NY Times
