Your outdoor news bulletin for April 30, the day Hitler committed suicide:
Hostel Denied on A.T.
Last year, Front Royal and surrounding Warren County were named an official Appalachian Trail Community, one of only 15 such designations along the trail. Unfortunately, they do not appear to want anything to do with the world’s most famous long distance hiking trail. Last week, the Board of Supervisors denied a request from a couple living 700 feet from the trail a permit to build a hiker’s hostel on their property, which was already zoned for a bed and breakfast. Showing supreme ignorance (I’m looking at you Cindy Tewalt), many residents signed a petition against the plan, voicing concerns over “squatters” who “would have access” to the children at busstops. Saying you don’t want stinky thru-hikers wandering through your neighborhood on their way to the super market is one thing, but accusing all hikers of being pedophiles is another. May want to rethink that Trail Community designation, Front Royal doesn’t seem like they want any hikers anywhere near their town.
X-Games Coming to the Blue Ridge?
The city of Charlotte and the Charlotte Motor Speedway are in the running to be the next host of the ESPN Summer X-Games. Charlotte is up against 3 other cities for the honor of scoring the next three-year hosting contract with the World Wide Leader, and it could be an uphill battle against Austin, Chicago, and Detroit. The summer version of the X-Games has been held in Los Angeles, but that contract expires this year (the winter X-Games are also up for grabs: Aspen’s contract runs out in 2014). Charlotte has certainly been making moves, hosting the Democratic National Convention in 2012, and aims for a Super Bowl and possibly the Olympics at some point. ESPN will announce the new host city later this summer according to their press release.
Assault on Everest
A group of climbers and a group of Sherpas went all Sharks and Jets at 22,000 feet, brawling at Camp II over the weekend. It all started when a group of three climbers (Simone Moro, Ueli Steck, and Jonathan Griffith) who were attempting a new route sans oxygen, climbed around a group of Sherpas who were fixing ropes to Camp III. The Sherpas alleged that one of the climbers hit them with ice and rallied some troops who met with the climbers upon their return to Camp II, where they allegedly assaulted them with fists and rocks. No word on blades or zip-guns. As if climbing the world’s highest mountain wasn’t dangerous and stressful enough.
Apparently, all that beef has been squashed though as both parties have signed a peace accord, and all is right again at the top of the world.
