May 2011

New River Gorge Bridge - West Virginia Lights on the New River Bridge? The West Virginia Department of Transportation may install lights on the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. The lighting would be turned on at dusk, then turned off after a couple of hours. “It’s still in the ‘idea’ phase,” says DOT project coordinator Rob Pennington. Not everyone is lighting up over the proposal. “This bridge is in a national park. You’ve got dark skies issues,” says Kenny Parker with the New River Climbers Alliance. “Plus, it’s just cheesy.” Paddle the French Broad River Trail Seven access points and campsites are being planned along a 117-mile stretch of the French Broad River by the Western North Carolina Alliance. Construction of the first campsite has already begun, and the entire paddle trail should be completed by next summer. New Species Found in Tennessee River A new species of giant crayfish was recently discovered under a rock in a stream bed that joins the Tennessee River. The new crustacean, dubbed Barbicambarus simmonsi, is five inches long, twice the size of most other crayfish found in the region. According to researchers, the discovery underscores the need for more scientific exploration of land and species in the U.S. Celebrate the new crayfish on the 22nd of this month, which has been declared International Day for Biological Diversity by the United Nations. "The woods and the wind will be good for their hearts and souls."—President Franklin Roosevelt, at the dedication of Shenandoah National Park in 1936. Shenandoah turns 75 this year. My Bike is Faster Than Your Car Bikes are faster than cars in downtown Chattanooga, according to a new study by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency. The study measured door-to-door travel time of driving, mass transit, walking, and cycling. Surprisingly, taking a car was the slowest mode of transport studied over a number of routes, due to the time it takes to walk to a car, stop at lights, park, and walk to the destination. Must Do Adventures: May Peep some pros in spandex George Hincapie’s backyard plays host to the top pro cyclists in the country as they battle for podium spots at the USA Pro Cycling Championship. The time trial and 112-mile road race both begin and end in biker-friendly downtown Greenville. May 28-30. Web Exclusive: See a short film about the U.S. Cycling Pro Championship in Greenville, complete with a Leipheimer interview. Boulder Now, or Boulder Itchy Summer means poison ivy and escalating temperatures. May could be your last chance to boulder the South’s best crags, like Rumbling Bald’s new West Side Boulders, before poison ivy season kicks into high gear. Shenandoah is on Fire Wildflowers make up more than half of Shenandoah National Park’s plant species, but May is pink azalea time, which bloom in abundance along Skyline Drive and on trails like Powell Mountain Trail. By the Numbers Transylvania Epic Mountain Bike Race May 29-June 4 7: Number of days you’ll spend riding Central Pennsylvania singletrack 235 Miles: Distance you’ll pedal, making it the longest stage race in the U.S. $10,000: Cash divvied up between the top five solo men and women to finish 13:11:56: Total time of overall winner Jeremiah Bishop, averaging almost 18mph 16:34:25: Total time of the only tandem mountain bike team to finish the stage race, powered by husband/wife duo Rob and Sara Lichtenwalner Marathon Man Stefaan Engels 365: Number of marathons Belgium’s Stefaan Engels ran in as many days 9,569: Miles run on his journey 2:56: His fastest marathon during the year 49: Age of Engels when he finished the last marathon 52: Previous record for most consecutive marathons 20: Number of Ironman triathlons Engels has completed in a single year (2007-08), also a world record

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