After warming up, it's time to evaluate.

I was talking to Steven Wheelock, a wellness instructor at Rex Wellness in Raleigh, about stretching for a story coming soon to a McClatchy Newspaper (Charlotte Observer/News & Observer) near you when he sought to put the practice in perspective by anatomizing the four phases of the workout: 1. Stretching/warmup, 2. Evaluation period, 3. The workout itself, 4. Cool down.

1, 3 and 4, I was familiar with but 2 was a new one. “Evaluation period?” I said. “What's that?”

“That’s where you see where your body is in relation to your workout,” Wheelock began.     Basically, a quick personal assessment of where you are and what’s best for you on this particular occasion. “Say you feel you’re at 85 percent and the instructor tells you to give 100 percent. Well, you give 100 percent of that 85 percent.”

As the math sunk in a smile spread across my face. “So I’m back in high school, at football practice, we’ve just warmed up, I go through my ‘evaluation period’ and tell the coach, ‘Coach, I’m just not feelin’ it today. I’m gonna slack off.’ I’m having trouble picturing that.”

Wheelock, who played college football in the late 1980s, returned the smile. Then he shared some common sense.

“Our bodies don’t like to be shocked,” he explained. Say you warm up and your body is feeling sluggish and blah. Maybe your muscles are tight. Maybe your joints are a little creakier than usual. Maybe you had a hard workout the day before your body is telling you to cut back. Listen to it, Wheelock urges. A hard workout may not benefit you and may actually cause harm in the form of a muscle strain, a tear, or some other injury. Going out and pushing it could be the worst thing you could do. Honest, coach!

Made sense, I agreed. But what’s to keep you from giving yourself a slack evaluation day after day?

“At Rex we administer a test called Microfit,” Wheelock said. “We test for your body mass, the circumference of your measurements, your blood pressure, your height and weight, we have you sit and reach [to assess flexibility], we have a bicep curl test. You do the test, then you do it again in six months. The proof is in the pudding.”

The bottom line is, figuratively and literally, the bottom line. if you give yourself too many lenient evaluations, you’ll shortchange your workouts and you won’t see the results you want, whether you’re taking a TRX class in the gym or training for a marathon.

Trying to weasel your way out of your workouts could be indicative of something else, suggests Wheelock. A critical element may be missing.

“You need to be having fun,”  says Wheelock. If you’re not, you need to reevaluate, ask why you’re doing this particular activity and if you don’t come up with a good answer, perhaps move on to something else. Something you do enjoy that you won’t be inclined to shy away from.

Alas, there is no set checklist for the evaluation portion of your workout, no formula to tell you whether you’re at 85 percent or 72 percent or 58 percent. “It’s an entirely different thing for each person,” says Wheelock. “You need to give yourself permission about what’s possible.”

In short, you’re on the honor system. Evaluate consciously.

Saturday: a good time on the Dismal Canal.

I know it’s just Tuesday, but what better time to start planning for the weekend ahead than while the memory of the weekend past is still fresh

Coast

Two great options at Dismal Swamp State Park this weekend. Saturday, it’s Bike to the Bull North Burn, an 8-mile round-trip bike ride to the site of last year’s Bull North Fire. There’s a 20-minute program at the site, followed by a box lunch. Brink your own bike or rent one on site (make arrangements when you call to register). Starts at 9 a.m.

Sunday, it’s Kayaking the Canal, a 1- to 2-hour paddle of the Dismal Swamp Canal. Paddle gear provided, you bring the sunscreen, bug spray, water and appropriate paddle clothing. Starts at 10 a.m.

Logistics: Saturday’s bike program is free (unless you need to rent a bike), helmets are required. Sunday’s paddle program is likewise free. Preregistration is required for both, by calling 252-771-6593.

Weekend forecast: Saturday: overcast early, then partly cloudy with a high of 77; Sunday: partly cloudy with a high of 79.

Leopard's Bane (photo courtesy Eno River Association).

Piedmont

Need a little extra incentive to get out and walk? How about the peak of the spring wildflower season? This 1.5-mile hike at Eno River State Park will go by in a flash as a naturalist fills you in on all the wildflowers filling out the forest floor. Bring a camera.

Logistics: Free, preregistration required, by calling 919.383.1686. Begins at 11 a.m.

Weekend forecast: 68 and partly cloudy.

Assault on the Carolinas

Mountains

Ah, the spring cycling classics. Not the pro European classics; rather, the classic spring mountain rides in North Carolina’s high country. Rides such as this Saturday’s Assault on the Carolinas out of Brevard. Put on by the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club, the ride is actually three rides: a 40K (25 miles), 60K (37 miles) and 100K (65.8 miles). The latter includes a classic Southeast climb, the six-mile grind up Caeser’s Head south of the border in South Carolina. Added incentive: training guru and Lance buddy Chris Carmichael will lead the 100K and raffle off a $1,000 Carmichael Training Systems camp session. Starts at 9 a.m. followed by live music until 8 p.m.

Logistics: Register online through April 11 for $40, race day registration, from 7-9 a.m., $50. More info here.

Weekend forecast: 75 and partly cloudy.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.
* * *
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GetGoingNC.com

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A sure sign of warmer weather: Tuesday, I saw this baby copperhead sunning himself on a log along the Haw River.

North Carolina’s diversity shows this weekend. At the coast, you can look for signs of spring, in the Piedmont you can run a venerable 5K and in the mountains, you can take a hike — possibly in the snow!

Coast

This is about the time the natural world starts to awaken from its cold winter nap — or as much of a nap as you can work in with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Most people assume that wildflowers such as the hepatica and trout lily represent the vanguard of spring, showing, typically, at the beginning of March. But knowing that spring is on the way is really a matter of knowing where to look. Under a log, for instance, which is where they’ll be looking for harbingers of spring on Saturday at Dismal Swamp State Park. Take a hike, find a log, flip it and see what scurries about. (Salamanders, millipedes and assorted insects will be your likely subjects.)

Logistics: Hike commences at 11 a.m. from the parking area. Targeted toward kids 3 and up. Dress to get dirty. More info at Dismal Swamp State Park.

Weekend forecast: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain in the morning, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon.

Piedmont

Another sign of spring, in the Triangle, at least: the Second Empire Grand-Prix Spring Race Series, of which Sunday’s Run for the Roses in Raleigh is a part. In its 32nd running, Run for the Roses is one of the region’s oldest 5Ks and draws a good early-season crowd for its run through the streets of off-downtown) Raleigh. And since it’s a winter race it has the added attraction of of starting at 2 in the afternoon. The race benefits Canines for Veterans.

Logistics: $25, onsite registration, at the Halifax Community Center in Raleigh. More info here.

Weekend forecast: Sunny and cool, with a high of 43.

Lake James, as seen from Shortoff Mountain on the east rim of Linville Gorge.

Mountains

Like hiking newly minted trail? Saturday you’ll have a chance to hike 1.5 miles of new Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail out of Lake James State Park. Get in a nice hike, learn about the plants and animals in the area, maybe stick around afterward and check out more of this park at the south end of Linville Gorge. Who knows, you may even get a chance to hike in snow! (See “Weather forecast” below.)

Logistics: Begins at 10 a.m., from the park’s Paddy’s Creek Area bridge parking lot. Here for more details.

Weekend forecast: Cold, high of 43, 20 percent chance of snow.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

* * *

Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

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Boot Camp Moms stay warm by constantly moving.

(I wrote the following story for The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer; it appeared in both papers on January 31, 2012. It appears here, with links.)

Used to be that neighborhood moms got together for lunch or a game of bridge. Today, they’re increasingly likely to gather for burpies, squats and to work up a good sweat.
The boot camp workout, born a decade ago and initially targeted to hard-core fitness buffs, is moving out of the gym and into local neighborhoods, where it’s finding a growing following among busy moms struggling to juggle work and family, let alone find time for a workout.
The workouts incorporate a variety of intense strength and aerobic exercises jammed into a half hour or hour. Boot camps continue to be one of the nation’s most popular group exercise programs, according to the non-profit American Council on Exercise, ranking with Zumba, TRX suspension training and interval training as 2012’s hottest options.
That boot camps are now coming to your neighbor can only enhance their attraction.
“One of the most commonly cited barriers to working out is that the gym is too far, it’s not convenient,” says Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist with ACE. “The workouts are fun, they’re convenient and they have the added social element of catching up with friends, of seeing your neighbors, of being part of something active.”
Fun?
Thirteen women from North Raleigh’s Harrington Grove neighborhood who gathered in 25 degree temperatures for their regular Saturday morning Boot Camp Moms workout a couple weeks back might take issue with that notion.
“My hipbone hurts!” complained one during a bout of figure-eight crunches.
“That’s because you have tiny butts,” shouted instructor Kyle Gill Furlow, attempting to spin the pain.
“Yeah, right.”
“We lie to them all the time,” joked fellow instructor Jennifer Pinder. “We find it motivates them.”
Friends Furlow and Pinder came up with the idea for Boot Camp Moms when both emerged from pregnancy five years ago, Furlow carrying an extra 45 pounds, Pender an excess 80.
“Kyle joined Jenny Craig and I joined Weight Watchers,” says Pinder, “but we knew we needed to exercise, too.”
They got in shape and in the process realized that other moms were in similar condition. Both got certified as group fitness instructors through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and hung out their shingle — via fliers placed around the neighborhood and word-of-mouth. The response surprised them.
“We had 22 women at our first session,” says Pinder.
The path for Missy Isom, founder and owner of Moms Evolution in Cornelius, was similar.
Prior to having her first child in 2008, she was a financial adviser by day, a body builder by night.
“But I always wanted to take my love of fitness and turn it into a job,” says Isom.
She, too, got certified through AFAA and initially struck out with Baby Boot Camp, a San Francisco-based franchise operation. But she found the focus was “less on the moms, more on the baby and the social aspect. My true passion,” she says, “was on taking these moms and helping them get fit.”
Which isn’t to say that baby doesn’t play a key role in her workouts. For some of her exercises the baby is integral to the exercise.
“We use the baby as weight,” says Isom. For curls, for overhead presses, for lunges ... .
Matthews, the ACE exercise physiologist, says that’s smart for two reasons.
“That movement, that up and down: out of the crib, into the car, how many times do you do that in everyday life?” she says. “Those are very functional movements.”
Further, she says, “In working with people who specialize in new moms, from a psychological standpoint that face-to-face eye contact is important for bonding.”
Isom’s group, which started in 2008 and averages 30 moms at any one time, uses space in a neighborhood fitness studio. Furlow and Pinder, who currently have 40 signed up in their year-and-a-half-old program, meet on the outdoor tennis court of the Harrington Grove neighborhood community club.
On that 25-degree morning, the 13 Boot Camp Moms who braved the cold for an hour-long workout that began and ended with aerobics (jumping-jack-infused sprints, running a circuit course) with strength training wedged in between. For strength training, the women rotated among eight stations, doing TRX, Bosu Ball pushups, snatches, equalizers, rowing, squats with a medicine ball, resistance bands, more squats.
“Your mind is going to give up before your body does,” yelled Furlow, the self-appointed drill sergeant of the duo (Pinder is the cheerleader). “Don’t let it.”
Melissa Diana didn’t let her mind give up, despite being “scared” at the group’s very first session.
“I tried everything,” she says of what Furlow and Pinder threw at her on day one. “I couldn’t do many reps.”
But Diana, who is 33, kept coming back. Within a year, she had lost 80 pounds. More importantly, she’s kept it off and she’s embraced an active lifestyle.
“I went from exercising zero days a week to exercising six days a week,” she says. “I like the group atmosphere. I like that we’re all in the trenches, doing it together.”
Julie Nelson, at 52 one of the group’s advanced moms, echoes the sentiments of several fellow boot campers. “I like that I have much more energy. I like the way I feel.”
That, says Furlow, is what ultimately counts: how you feel, rather than how many dress sizes you drop.
“Strong,” says Furlow, “is the new skinny.”

* * *

More info

• Boot Camp Moms meets Mondays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. at the Harrington Grove Clubhouse in North Raleigh. Cost is $8 per class, 10 classes for $50 through Feb. 1. More info at Bootcampmoms@gmail.com or here.
• Moms Evolution meets Mondays at 9:30 a.m. and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. at KadiFit in Cornelius. Cost is $8 per class, $50 a month, or $40 a month for a six-month commitment. More info at MomsEvolution.com.
• Another option for mom/baby workouts is Stroller Strides, a franchise that operates nationwide with several offerings throughout North Carolina. For more information go here.
• If you don’t live near one of the above options, the American Council on Exercise offers two free parent-oriented workouts you can do at home. Postural Workout for Parents “is designed to help people who have postural imbalances resulting from carrying unbalanced loads (e.g., children, a heavy shoulder or computer bag) for extended periods on a regular basis.” Total-body Conditioning Workout for Parents “is designed to improve muscular endurance and strength through exercises that focus on the correct execution of the five primary movement patterns (bend-and-lift, single-leg, pushing, pulling, and rotational movements) in all three planes of motion.”

The start of last year's RRRCPBMC.

A glorious experience in a Dismal place, riding with the polar bears, avoiding getting lost (but what to do if you do). Just another diverse weekend of outdoor adventure in North Carolina.

Coast

“Remember that resolution you made to get outside and exercise more this year?,” asks Dismal Swamp State Park. (Hey, if companies are people and are entitled to a voice, certainly a great natural area is as well.) “There's no time like the present to start!” And this chatty park would like you to start with its Resolution Hike this Saturday. Meet at the Visitor Center at 10 a.m., then explore what POTUS No. 1 and avid surveyor George Washington called “a glorious paradise.” The Great Dismal has a fascinating natural and human history (check out Bland Simpson’s highly entertaining “The Great Dismal: A Carolinian’s Swamp Memoir”) that can’t be captured in two miles, but it’s a start.

Dismal Swamp Canal.

Logistics: Again, meet at the Visitor Center at 10 a.m., it’s free and there’s no RSVP required. For more info, call the park at 252.771.6593 or visit its Web site (where you can also find driving directions).

Saturday forecast: Clear and cold with a daytime high of 43.

Piedmont

Cyclists looking to have a Big Year generally can’t wait to get that first metric century under their insulated kits. It seems like such a good idea when you sign up — then the temperature turns out to be in the 30s, it’s windy and it snows. That’s what happened at last year’s Polar Bear Metric Century sponsored by the Rock River Road Club in Davidson. Fortunately, this years RRRCPBMC promises to be warmer, dryer and less windy (see forecast below). The ride departs Davidson and takes country roads north and east. If you're content with just getting a half metric in, there’s a 50K version as well. The ride benefits the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson.

Logistics: $25 race day to ride, race day registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Rest stops and SAG support. Learn more at the club’s Web site.

Saturday forecast: Sunny with highs in the mid-40s and winds 5-10 mph.

Mountains

I got woefully ... misplaced on this "trail" to London Bald a year ago.

Here’s a scary feeling (or so, ahem, I’ve been told): You’re hiking in the woods, you get sidetracked onto a faux trail and suddenly — you’re lost. What now? You’ll know if you attend this Sunday’s Wilderness Survival program at Lake James State Park near Nebo. “Park Ranger Clay Veasey ... will discuss survival kits, finding shelter, fire-building and much more,” says this also-talkative park.

Logistics: Meets from 10-11 a.m. Sunday at the park’s Catawba River Area Office. It’s free, no RSVP required. More info on the park and program by calling 828.584.7728 or visiting the park’s Web site.

Saturday forecast: True, the program is inside. But afterwards you’ll want to practice your newfound skills with a hike. Thus: A high of 45 is predicted under partly cloudy skies.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

* * *

 
Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

Today: Explore the winter woods

You may think there’s nothing to see in the forest come winter. In fact, there could be more. True, the leaves are gone, the wildflowers in retreat, and a good number of critters are chilling — literally. But what is out is exposed and so much easier to see in the barren woods. Train your eye to pick up on what nature doesn’t have to hide come winter at a ranger-led hike such as the one today at 2 p.m. at Fayetteville’s Lake Rim Park, 2214 Tar Kiln Drive. Advises the park: “Bring binoculars to view birds and learn about a variety of evergreen plants that bring color to the forest even in winter.” It’s free.

* * *

Previously in our Holiday Escapes series ...

Dec. 19: Go paddling
Dec. 20: Hit your neighborhood park
Dec. 21: Climbing the walls
Dec. 22: Take a guided hike
Dec. 23: An educated walk
Monday: Go play in a parking lot
Tuesday: I spy a bufflehead
Wednesday: Explore your neighborhood

Today: I spy a bufflehead

Great blue heron, spotted earlier this month at Jordan Lake.

Kids are easily distracted: Throwing a tantrum over a new toy not living up to expectations (specifically, expectations virtually assured by Saturday morning TV cartoon advertising)? Look! Shinny thing! Or, for our purposes today, Look! An American bald eagle, once on the verge of distinction now making a heroic comeback and, in 2007, removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants! Kids love discovering stuff, and this time of year there’s no better place to discover stuff with wings than at a local, sizable, lake. Today, for instance, at Jordan Lake on the southern fringes of the Triangle, join ranger Steve McMurray for an hour of waterfowl ID at Jordan Lake. Spotting scopes and expertise provided in this free program, which commences at 9 a.m. at the Ebenezer Church Recreation Area.

A fine activity, btw, with or without expert assistance. Pick up a guidebook at your local library, grab the binos, head to your local (sizable) lake and see what you can see.

* * *

Previously in our Holiday Escapes series ...

Dec. 19: Go paddling
Dec. 20: Hit your neighborhood park
Dec. 21: Climbing the walls
Dec. 22: Take a guided hike
Dec. 23: An educated walk
Monday: Go play in a parking lot

Today: An educational walk

What the heck is that? (Photo courtesy North Carolina Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs)

Did you know there are about 200 environmental centers throughout North Carolina, from the Agape Center for Environmental Education in Duncan to the YMCA Camp Hanes in King? And all of these centers, dedicated to enlightening us about the world around us, have public programs not just on weekends, but daily? Between now and the end of the year, there are 24 programs on the calendar, the majority aimed at kids.

Today, for instance, if you happened to be on the Outer Banks at 11 a.m. you could take a Maritime Forest Walk through the Currituck Banks National Estuarine Research Reserve, courtesy the Corolla-based Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education. Like many EEC programs, it’s free.

Find out what’s going on through year’s end at an environmental education center near you, by going here.

Starting Monday and running through the end of the year, we’ll help you fill in that blank. We’ve come up with 10 days worth of active options guaranteed to both bond the clan and tucker them out. Here’s a sneak preview of what’s coming next week:

Monday: Go paddling
Tuesday: Hit your neighborhood park
Wednesday: Climb the walls
Thursday: Take a (guided) hike
Friday: Go for an (educated) walk

Gone for the winter (good news for your hike around Lake Waccamaw).

This weekend, avoid alligators, avoid trails, but don't avoid the first big weekend of the Southeast ski season.

Coast

Remember the old Peter, Paul & Mary hit, “Where Have All the Reptiles Gone?” No, wait. That wasn’t PP&M in the 1960s. That’s Lake Waccamaw State Park this Sunday at 2 p.m., when a ranger explains why the park’s alligators are no longer on the prowl, why the turtles aren’t out catching some rays ... basically why the entire reptile population is laying low. A great opportunity to learn a little something, then take a long (Lakeshore Trail, 5 miles) or short (Sand Ridge Trail, 0.75 mile) hike to look for the reptiles that aren’t supposed to be there.

More about the park, including directions, here.

You won't need no stinkin' trails Saturday at Crowders Mountain.

Piedmont

Trails are good, but off trails are better. At least when you’re in the company of someone who doesn’t need a blaze and solid tread under foot to find his way. Saturday, tag along with a ranger to explore the lesser-known nooks of Crowders Mountain State Park. These rare excursions give you a chance to get to reknow a place you might have thought you knew, plus, especially in the case of popular Crowders Mountain, a chance to escape the trail-bound crowds.

Saturday’s off-trail hike starts at 3 p.m from the visitors center. Sturdy hiking boots and clothes you don’t mind getting ripped (briars) are recommended. Here for more information.

Mountains

Snow guns a blazin' at Appalachian (though the Boone ski area doesn't plan to open this weekend).

Not only has cold weather in the North Carolina high country gotten the ski areas’ snow guns going, but they’ve had the real thing as well — four inches total the past couple of days at Beech Mountain! Thus, you can add skiing/riding to your list of options this weekend. Beech, Sugar and Cataloochee all expect to be open this weekend, according to SkiSoutheast.com. How much of each mountain will open remains to be seen; we suggest checking SkiSoutheast.com Friday evening before making definitive plans.

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Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.