This weekend, we’ve got something for folks in OK shape, folks looking to beat the heat, folks looking for a reason to do good.
Coast
You’re in pretty good shape; maybe not midseason form, but you feel you could take on a good challenge. The Carolina Beach Double Sprint 2016, perhaps?
It’s a pentagon, of sorts: swim 375 meters in the Atlantic, run 1.5 miles, bike 11 miles, run another 1.5 miles, swim another 375 miles. No individual distance is too daunting. Again, provided in you’re in “pretty good” shape. Sound like fun? Get out your calendar for some pertinent facts …
Pertinent facts: Carolina Beach Double Sprint 2016, Saturday, 7 a.m., Carolina Beach. $60-$95. More info here.
Saturday forecast: Racetime temps in the low 80s, chance of thunderstorms.
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Looking ahead: Kayak Eco-Tour, Halyburton Park, Wilmington, Aug. 16. More info here.
Piedmont
Too hot for a race during the days of summer? Maybe. But not during the nights.
Saturday, for instance, the temperature is expected to hit a steamy 90 during the day. But by 8:55 p.m., it will have cooled into the more exercise-tolerable mid-80s. Minus the sun, it will seem that much cooler. Good news if you’re planning to run the Fort Mill Bootlegger 5K in Fort Mill, S.C., on the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Run 3.1 miles in the dark (with a headlamp, of course), then cross the finish and celebrate “with cocktails made from handcrafted moonshine and a live bluegrass concert!” And you get to keep the Mason jar the aforementioned celebratory libation comes in.
Vital Stats: Fort Mill Bootlegger 5k, Fort Mill, S.C., Saturday, 8:55 p.m. $43. More info here.
Saturday forecast: High of 90, chance of thunderstorms.
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Looking ahead: Night Paddle, Lake Higgins, Greensboro, July 13, 27, Aug. 10, 24. More info here.
Mountains
Sometimes all it takes to join one of the non-profits you admire that makes our outdoor experience a better place is some good incentive. In the case of the Blue Ridge Naturalist Network, that incentive would be Friday’s Members Hike on the Little Cataloochee Trail. It’s described as a moderate-easy hike of 4.7 miles exploring the natural and cultural history of the Cataloochee area of the Smokies.
Vital Stats: Members Hike to Little Cataloochee, Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free to members of the Blue Ridge Naturalist Network. More on how to become a member by contacting Charlotte at BRNNetwork2013@gmail.com.
Friday forecast: High of 79, partly cloudy.
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Looking ahead: Lake Lure Olympiad, Chimney Rock State Park, Aug. 12-14. More info here.
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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed 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 coastal 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.
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
Great Outdoor Provision Co.
Calendar includes three weekly events for each of its seven markets: Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem. Search by market.
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.
U.S. National Wildlife Refuges
Rundown, by month, of regular activities at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuges in North Carolina.
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