Your outdoor news bulletin for May 2, the day the Loch Ness Monster was sighted in 1933, creating a media – and marketing – frenzy:
2013 Appalachian Trail Hall of Famers Announced
The third class of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame will be inducted on June 7 at the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, and it’s a doozie with five honorees. Ruth Blackburn, David Field, David Sherman, David Startzell, and Eddie Stone will all be honored for their service to the A.T. and dedication in perserving it. The class is highlighted by Blackburn (1907-2004) who served the Appalachian Trail and the Appalachian Trail Conference for 50 years. In 1983, she was cited by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as “the single most influential volunteer in shaping the successful National Park Service protection program.” The inductees will be honored at the Appalachian Trail Museum in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Pa.
West Virginia Fly Fishing Tournament Draws Big Name
The Harman’s North Fork Invitational Fly Fishing Event draws anglers from across the country to the two-day fly fishing tournament, and now it is drawing one of the biggest names in outdoor media. Curtis Fleming, the host of the Outdoor Channel’s popular “Fly Rod Chronicals” show will be participating in this year’s tournament, happening this weekend in West Virginia, and he’ll be bringing his film crew along for the ride. The tournament pits teams of two against each other over two days of fishing on the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River, known for holding large rainbows. Fleming is a West Virginia native and routinely participates in the tournament, but this is the first time he’ll be bringing along his posse of cameramen. This will certainly add a bit of spectacle to the event, which is open to the public, and bring some attention to the great trout fishing the Mountain State has to offer.
Chattooga Court Decision
This one is a touch old, but still very important to all the paddlers down South. In mid-April a federal judge ruled to uphold the current U.S. Forest Service policy of allowing paddling on Georgia’s Chattooga River for December through April, above 350 cfs, on 15 miles of the 21 miles of upper Chattooga. You may remember that the world-class upper Chattooga was closed to paddling from 1976 to January, 2012, much to the chagrin of paddlers everywhere. This court ruling was a win-some, lose-some decision for paddlers who wanted the river open year round, but faced the chance of the upper Chattooga being shut down again due to the concerns of Georgia Forest Watch and private property owners. American Whitewater has been the main driving force in getting the river back open to boaters, and they have the story here.
