Your daily outdoor news bulletin for November 20th, the day Cal beat Stanford and the Stanford band with “The Play”:
Marlinton Fire Update
For those who haven’t heard, a fire ravaged the small town of Marlinton, West Virginia on Nov. 11th. Aided by strong winds and persistent hot spots, the blaze swept through four structures downtown before firefighters, some of whom worked 18 straight hours, could get it under control. Included in the four small businesses and 13 residences that were destroyed was the coffee shop and bike shop Dirt Bean Ohana, a hub for the robust mountain biking scene in this town south of Snowshoe and Slaty Fork in Pocahontas County. Residents say the fire is devastating, but that it has been heartening to see the community rally around those that have been affected. The response has been immediate and overwhelming with donations pouring in from around the region in the form of clothes, supplies and money to assist the victims in getting back on their feet. The cause of the fire is under investigation and the buildings will be razed.
For more information on how you can help the Marlinton fire victims, visit the Go Marlinton page on Facebook.
ATC Names New Executive Director
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy has named Ron Tipton as their new executive director. Tipton was tapped to lead the main preservation and fundraising arm of the Appalachian Trail following the departure of Mark Wenger, who was only on the job for about 18 months – compare that to Wenger’s predecessor David Startzell, who was the ATC Executive Director for 25 years. Tipton was basically recruited by the ATC and is a no-brainer for the position given his background and history with the trail. He thru-hiked in 1978, is a member of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club – one of the largest trail clubs in the system – and was the senior vice president of the National Parks Conservation Association, a 350,000 member citizens advocacy group for national parks. He also holds an environmental law degree and has worked previously for the World Wildlife Fund.
Good luck Mr. Tipton!
Lindsey Vonn Injured in Crash
Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn was injured in a crash while training at Copper Mountain in Colorado Tuesday. Vonn was taken off the hill via sled and transported to her home in Vail where she was evaluated by Dr. William Sterett, the man who repaired her right knee following a crash in February. Vonn’s public relations manager issued a statement indicating that she suffered a partial tear to her ACL and a mild sprain in her right knee – the same knee she injured earlier in the year – along with facial abrasions and scapular contusions (read: scratchy face and shoulder bruise). There is now word on what this does for her World Cup and Olympic aspirations, but needless to say, this is not good on either front.
Good luck Ms. Vonn!
