[at-l] Cicadas

[buchanan at gtcinternet.com (S Buchanan)]

They're not locusts.  They're not dangerous, but I was around (in VA) 
for the last outbreak of this brood (Brood X - roman numeral 10) which 
is by far the largest one (different broods are on different year 
schedules - so you can get some of these every year). This one has 
infestation amounts of up to 100,000 per acre!  My kids were young 
(they're 23 and 20 now) and were in a Montessori preschool 17 years ago 
that was in a high infestation area (our apartment area a mile away was 
pretty bad, but not as bad as the school grounds).  I remember the 
difficulties that made because there wasn't a square inch of ground 
around the school that didn't have a cicada on it.  Every step went 
"crunch" and it was simply very gross.  And as they died it smelled 
pretty funky too.  Not all areas get that strong of an outbreak, but in 
the areas that do, you'll have to pitch tents on them, deal with them 
getting into your cook pot, much less the crunching underfoot and flying 
into your hair.

A good overview of these things is at
http://www.mda.state.md.us/press/cicada.htm

When the whole ground is crawling, it freaks me out!  And when you're in 
such an outbreak area, it can be hard to hear the person next to you 
talking, they are so loud.  But my understanding is that they only feed 
while underground for those 17 years, not as adults.  I wonder what 
caused the leaf stripping Old Ridgerunner experienced??

And since my April hiking partner has messed up her knee and needs 
surgery, I'll be on my own and don't need to head so far south anyway 
(she still lives in VA).  I'm thinking I might start at the Mass. border 
and head south, since this summer doing the LT I'll be heading north 
from that point.  And the trail shouldn't be too crowded that far north 
in late April.

suzie

PUDSCRAWLER@aol.com wrote:
> You are talking about locusts, right?
> 
> They came every year where I grew up, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of 
> Texas (Mexican border). 
> 
> You must see "Hidalgo" to appreciate their finer points.  You might be 
> able to leave most of your trail food behind.
> 
> My vote?  Don't let them, or the possibility of them, mess with your 
> plans.  You are bigger than they are.  And think of the trail stories 
> you could tell.  Otherwise, head south from Damascus.
> 
> Kinnickinic