You’ll need a wet suit to participate in Saturday’s second annual North Carolina Surf to Sound Challenge, you won’t need a firearm to go on Saturday’s gunless deer hunt at Lake Crabtree, and you will need skis or a board but not a lot of money to go skiing in the mountains.
Statewide, and especially at the coast, there’s a good workout to be had as part of NC Big Sweep. Meanwhile, a new trail opens in the Piedmont and on Saturday you needn’t be a 737 to fly down the runway at Asheville Regional Airport.
Coast
As we discovered this past weekend in the yard, there is perhaps no greater workout than trying to tidy up the outside world. Which is why if you’re looking for a heckuva workout this weekend, you need look no further than your local NC Big Sweep event. Yes, it’s that time, the first Saturday of October, when volunteers in all 100 North Carolina counties will gather to clean up their local waterways. While the events are held statewide, they seem to be especially popular along the coast. In Brunswick County alone, cleanups are scheduled in a dozen locations. To find out what’s going on near you, see Logistics, below.
My life of late has been ruled by two pairs of Rs: Radical Reels and Roots Rated.
Radical Reels Tour 2012: Every year, the best action sports films submitted to the acclaimed Banff Mountain Film Festival go on tour. This year, the tour stops in Chapel Hill — tonight, in fact. I’ve written about the Radical Reels Tour and its offerings for Great Outdoor Provision Co. (read that here) and I interviewed one of the filmmakers, Rush Sturges, in this space a couple weeks back.
I began my journalism life writing about business, so sometimes, to my source’s surprise, I start asking more questions about marketing strategy and business plans than about nail-biting adventure. In some cases, my questions draw a blank stare. When that happens I make a mental bet with myself about how much longer this guy will be in business. Usually, though, there may be a brief blank stare — of surprise — before they light up and launch into all that is prudent to divulge about the business side of what they do.
Two paddle trips get you on the water on a hot Southern weekend, and there’s a classic 5K in the high country.
Coast
The only thing better than paddling a coastal swamp is paddling it with a knowledgeable naturalist who knows the terrain and can help make sense of what can be an overwhelming experience. Sunday morning, join said knowledgeable naturalist for a two-hour kayak trip up Goose Creek at Goose Creek State Park just east of Washington. Equipment — kayaks, paddles and pfds — provided.