Your outdoor news bulletin for April 8, 2013 – the day Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s homerun record:
Appalachian Trail Gains a Chaplain
The Lynchburg News & Advance has the story of Josh Lindamood – Lindamood? More like in da mood? right? right? – who will be thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, while also acting as Trail Chaplain. The position was created by the United Methodist Holston Conference to expand the ministry of New Hope United Methodist Church just off the A.T. in Bastian, Va. ministry. Lindamood will become part of the Appalachian Trail Outreach Ministry started by the church to capitalize on all the thru-hikers that pass through its doors. He will provide a positive spiritual influence along the way. Given the types of people he is going to encounter during his six months on the trail, I’m sure this will be a difficult task. I would love to be a fly on the wall during all the religious discussions and debates that will happen around campfires this summer. Good luck to Josh.
Get Ready for Cicadapocalypse 2013!
It happens once every 17 years. No, not your mother-in-law coming to visit. The emergence of the Magicicada from its 17-year dormancy. The nitty gritty details of a cicada hatch are a little too complicated to lay out here, but just know that it’s going to rain big bugs this spring in parts of Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The good thing is they are harmless to us humans despite their slightly off-putting appearance. But the major benefit is the smallmouth bass topwater action. When these tasty treats start hitting the water, the smallies will be primed up for an easy meal. Make sure you get your gear in order and start tying some cicada patterns, because if you miss this, you may as well pack up your rod and go home.
Chattahoochee River Project FTW
This Memorial Day will mark the opening of the new and improved Chattahoochee River as it flows through Columbus in West Georgia. The $24.5 million Chattahoochee River restoration project includes the removal of the Eagle and Phenix Dam and the installation of a 2.5 mile whitewater course. The restoration will again open the river up to rafting and kayaking and its recreational activity is expected to generate an economic impact of $42 million annually for Columbus and Phenix City, with 188,000 people getting on the river. That’s a lotta Hooch.
