Bright Idea Outdoors Weblog

A Nice Day

The sun came out today, and the thermometer read 75 when I pulled up to the house.  I saw several boys in my back yard that I hadn't seen in months and a few I'd never seen before.

 

A lot of the boys, including myself, took advantage of the warm weather and wore shorts.  But for Brett, it was the standard cowboy boots and camo.

 

NVRPA Park With Campsites Draws Opposition

This article on the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's proposed park along the Potomac River north of Leesburg is actually not the latest one to appear in the Leesburg Today on the subject. 

I couldn't find the one from this week's paper online, but apparently opposition continues to run high among neighbors of the 300-acre park site, which would include a non-motorized boat launch, hiking trails and, in its second phase, camp sites and cabins.  According to article in the Leesburg Today, residents fear that local roads cannot handle the traffic the park would generate and would prefer that the land be used for a truly "passive" or undeveloped park.

I understand these folks concerns but agree with Loudoun Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) who the newspaper quoted as saying that the county needs campgrounds and that people enjoying the countryside shouldn't have to be "gone by dark."  Hopefully, the Board of Supervisors will approve the Special Exception needed for this park and give the people of Leesburg and the surrounding area another avenue for enjoying the outdoors.

Parkland Purchase is Great News for Loudoun Outdoorspeople

Leesburg Today reported yesterday that the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority plans to purchase 250 acres of land along the Potomac River in Loudoun County for future recreational uses that could include a campground, cabins and a boat ramp. (Click here to read the article.)

This is great news for outdoor enthusiasts in my neck of the woods.  I'm pleased that this historically significant land will be preserved and hope that the NVRPA moves fast on the camping uses and boat ramp, which are sorely needed here in Loudoun.

Terror on the Appalachian Trail

Kristine wrote a really good post this week on being prepared to deal with dangerous animals in the wild.  Rex followed up shortly after that with his take on the subject: don't panic.

But what if the danger came not from a wild animal but from a murderous human?

It's interesting that Rex likened staying calm in the presence of a dangerous animal to Tom Sawyer's nearly fatal run-in with Injun Joe.  I've always worried a lot more about being attacked by a serial killer or some other type of violent criminal than I do about bears or snakes.

For an example of the type of thing I'm talking about, take a look at these three Washington Post articles.  They tell the story of Randall Smith, who in 1981 brutally murdered two Appalachian Trail hikers in Giles County, Virginia.  Smith was convicted in the slayings, sent to prison and paroled after 14 years.  Then in May of this year, he struck again.  Smith met two fishermen not far from where his earlier crime took place, ate dinner with them at their campsite, casually got up, pulled a pistol and started shooting at them.

The July 9 article tells what happened on that terrifying May night.

I'm not writing this to scare anyone, and Will Haygood's articles (July 8 & 9) on the case emphasize that violent crime is rare on the Appalachian trail. But it's a good idea to keep in mind that sometimes there's more than wild animals to watch out for in the woods and to be prepared to deal with dangerous humans as well. 

Author's Note: The stories of Randall Smith's crimes also serve as a good example of why parole was abolished in Virginia.

Ih-don-git-no-bettrniss

If you can read the title of this post, and especially if you uttered the phrase repeatedly as you sat around the campfire Saturday night, you just might be a member of the Bright Idea Outdoors Hunting Club.