Coast

Normally, when we think of paddling we think of an intimate escape on placid waters, perhaps with a friend or two, perhaps alone. We usually don’t think of rubbing blades with several hundred fellow paddlers. But if you plan on participating in Saturday’s Annual Paddle for the Border, you best change your mindset.

Now in its 12th year, the paddle attracts hundreds who make the 7.5-mile trip on the Dismal Swamp Canal from South Mills in North Carolina to Chesapeake in Virginia. It’s a paddlepalooza, a celebration of paddling that includes a shuttle and an apres paddle picnic.

Logistics: Saturday, May 2, 8 a.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. $40 registration includes shuttle and picnic lunch. For more information, go here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 72.

Piedmont

Friday kicks off the 10-day celebration of cycling known as the Oaks & Spokes Festival in Raleigh.

A range of events are on tap (as are a range of beers, in some instances), from Friday’s Capital City Ride and Raleigh Bikes Art Show, to Sunday’s Crit de Mayo and Triangle Tweed Ride, to a Bike-In Movie, a Bike Prom, a FrankenBike Block Party and more. If you like bikes, you’ve got 10 days of celebrating ahead of you.

Logistics: The 3rd Annual Oaks & Spokes Festival starts Friday, May 1, and runs through Sunday, May 10. For a complete rundown of events, visit the Oaks & Spokes website.

Weekend forecast: At present, WRAL says rain should leave the area by noonish Friday, leaving clear skies and temperatures in the mid 70s to low 80s into midweek of next week.

Mountains

Like to explore the lesser-visited features of the North Carolina high country? Then check out the High Peaks Association, which, among other things, leads regular hikes to some of the mountains’ less-appreciated sites.

This Saturday, for instance, the High Peaks Association will lead a 5-mile hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail over Blackstock Knob in Yancey County. Blackstock tops out at 6,320 feet, and in addition to the potential for great views, the spring wildflowers are just beginning to pop at this altitude.

Logistics: Saturday, May 2, 8:30 a.m., meet in Burnsville and shuttle to trailhead. $5 covers cost of shuttle. For more info and to sign up, go here, or call 828.675.9384 or email mikew3000@gmail.com.

Sunday forecast: Sunny, high of 70.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

The post This weekend: Boat, bike, hike appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

The notion of paddling in a swamp is at once intriguing and slightly terrifying: People go into swamps and never come out, don’t they?

Those would be the folks who go into the swamp without a guide.

Imagine the Monday morning bragging rights of being able to tell folks you paddled the Great Dismal Swamp, which got its name from the first wave of vexed European explorers who tried in vain to enter, but was more accurately characterized by George Washington as “a glorious paradise.” Saturday is the park’s Fall Paddle: the first eight parties to register get to go on a ranger-led paddle on the Dismal Swamp Canal. All key paddling equipment provided on this trip that is “appropriate for beginners and families.”

Logistics: Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. Free. Pre-registration required, by calling Dismal Swamp State Park at 252.771.6593. Learn more about the canal, the park and the swamp here.

Saturday forecast: High of 83, 50 percent chance of rain.

Piedmont

One of the advantages of a ranger-led hike is that occasionally you get to peek behind the curtain and get a glimpse into a world few people know about.

That’s part of the attraction of Sunday morning’s Morning Hike: Cole Mill & Bobbitt Hole at Eno River State Park. On this nearly 3-mile double loop hike you’ll get a chance to see just around the bend, to Bobbitt Hole, one of several deep pools on the Eno River. Learn the facts and lore of Bobbitt Hole on this 8:30 a.m. hike.

Logistics: Sunday, Sept. 14, 8:30 a.m., Eno River State Park, Cole Mill Access. Free. 919.383.1686 to register. More about the park here.

Sunday forecast: High of 69, 50 percent chance of rain.

Mountains

Every year for the past decade, Elk Knob State Park has celebrated the heritage of this mountainous region with Elk Knob Headwaters Community Day. Live music, games, nature activities, wagon rides, crafts, cultural demonstrations, hands-on activities, history, food … let’s see, anything else? Oh yes, hikes!

It’s a pot luck, so bring a dish. Festivities run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Logistics: Saturday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, call 828.297.7261. For more on the park, go here.

Sunday forecast: High of 67, 40 percent chance of rain.

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The post This weekend: September is for State Parks appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

One of the things we love about paddling the eastern part of the state is the intimacy. Swamps and waterways rimmed with giant bald cypress and tupelo gum escorting you through some of the wildest terrain on the East Coast. Just you, an amazing assortment of critters both seen and unseen, and, this Saturday at least, several hundred of your paddling brethren. (And sisteren, since paddling is gender neutral.)

The anomaly this Saturday is the 11th Annual Paddle for the Border, in which a whole bunch of kayakers (and some canoeists) will put in on the Dismal Swamp Canal at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center in South Mills (Camden County) and paddle north to Chesapeake, Va. It’s BYOB, with breakfast and lunch included in the registration fee. A great opportunity to paddle some water you might not otherwise paddle.

Logistics: Saturday, May 3, 8 a.m. Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, South Mills. $45. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 73.

Piedmont

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Carolina Thread Trail, the 15-county effort to weave trail throughout the Charlotte area. But do you know much more about it? Like, where the trail will run and, more importantly, where it runs now that you can hike? Or, as is the case Saturday, run?

Saturday, you can experience a prime stretch of the existing Thread Trail at the Tread The Thread 5K and 10K. This fundraiser for the trail explores the 390-acre Buffalo Creek Preserve in Mt. Pleasant, taking in a restored oak savannah, active farmland and forested bluffs along Adams Creek. Live music, too.

Logistics: Saturday, May 3, 8 a.m., Buffalo Creek Preserve, Mt. Pleasant. $30 for either race. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Partly sunny, high of 74.

Mountains

Got a friend who’s been boasting about all the great trail race times he/she has been posting? Then suggest the two of you run Sunday’s Bearwallow Beast 5K. As the website notes, “ … the Bearwallow Beast 5k features one of the most unrelenting climbs you’ll find in the Appalachians — over 1,400 feet. Traversing asphalt, forest service roads and single-track trail, the course will offer a challenge for even the most experienced runner.”

And since the Beast climbs Bearwallow Mountain, you’ll be assured of great scenery (if you dare to look up) as well. Bearwallow Mountain is gorgeous part of the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge that was conserved by the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy in 2009. You can learn more about Bearwallow Mountain and the CMLC’s other handiwork in the high country here.  Live music and a complimentary beer await at the finish.

Logistics: Sunday, May 4, 2 p.m. (late registration commences at 11:30 a.m.), Gerton. More info here.

Sunday forecast: Sunny, high of 76.

* * *

Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

The post This weekend: A prolific paddle, a beastly run appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

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.

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.

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.

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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.
* * *
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The post This weekend: wildflowers, a wild ride, a ride into the wild appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Despite its name, George Washington once referred to the Dismal Swamp as a “glorious paradise.” If you’ve only driven past, the rationale behind President Washington’s praise may escape you. But plunge into its lush depths on a kayak and the father of our country’s reasoning will be perfectly clear.

You’ll have a chance to do just that Saturday at 10 a.m. on a ranger-led kayak trip of the Dismal Swamp Canal. The trip samples a small portion of this massive quagmire, which is 37 miles long and reaches a width of 12 miles, in the Dismal Swamp State Park. But at two hours, it’s adequate time to get a feel for this wild area in northeastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia.

The trip is free, and kayak, PFDs and paddles are provided, but you need to reserve a spot in advance, by calling 252.771.6593. It’s from 10 a.m. to around noon. For more information on the park, go here.

Piedmont

I lived in Dallas for five long years, and in the month of August I found relief from the heat only once: on a nighttime sailboat trip across Lake Ray Hubbard. It may have still been 104 degrees at 9 p.m., but on the lake it felt like a brisk 85. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

My sail down memory lane was stirred by our current heat wave, our first of the season, and word that the Lake Townsend Yacht Club is hosting a sail-along Saturday at its namesake lake north of Greensboro.  Take a ride, watch expert sailors put a boat through its paces — and refreshments!

It’s free and goes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. out of the Lake Townsend Marina. Go here for more information on the event, here for more info on the Lake Townsend Yacht Club.

Mountains

If you live for the outdoors you should be living in Asheville this Memorial Day weekend, specifically at Carrier Park, home base for the three-day Mountain Sports Festival. Among the activities scheduled: Friday’s Rock2Rock 10K Trail Run at Camp Rockmont, Saturday morning 100-mile Wheel Ride for Food, the three-day Disc Golf Challenge, second-annual French Broad Challenge Triathlon, cyclocross, a longboarding/skateboarding competition and clinics on everything from chi running to fly fishing to ultimate Frisbee.

Live music, food, vendors and more — too much more to mention here so I’ll turn you over to the Mountain Sports Festival Web site for more info.

* * *

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.

The post Weekend plans? Three days for adventure appeared first on GetGoing NC!.