Lake Lure Archives - GetGoing NC!

This weekend: Trees, stars, rocks

JoeMiller — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 18:01:32 +0000

A learning experience at the coast, stargazing in the Piedmont, and in the mountains, drawing inspiration from some true rock stars.

What’s the big tree on the left?

Coast

Can you tell an oak from a hickory, a beech from a boxelder? Maybe in summer, when a full canopy displays each tree’s distinctively shaped, tell-tale leaves. But in winter, when the leaves have vacated, identifying the dendrologic denizens of the forest can be more challenging.

All the more reason to take a break from the holidays and spend an hour on Saturday’s Winter Tree ID hike sponsored by Lake Waccamaw State Park in Lake Waccamaw. Says the park website: “Join a park ranger in using clues to identify trees by unique crown shape, fruit and/or their leftover containers, persistent leaves, live twigs and growth habit.” Conducted by a state park ranger but held at the Depot Museum in Lake Waccamaw (where you should plan to spend a little extra time learning about the human history of the area).

Sounds like a good investment of an hour, with takeaway benefits for subsequent visits to the woods.

Logistics: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2 p.m., Depot Museum, Lake Waccamaw. For more info: 910.646.1992

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 57.

Piedmont

Jumpin’ Geminid! (photo courtesy NASA)

Wednesday night, on a GetHiking! Triangle hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake, we paused in a clearing, flipped off our headlamps and took in a surprisingly vivid night sky. Hiker Ron mentioned a NASA website where you can plug in your location and will give you the best opportunities for viewing the International Space Station. I mentioned that it appeared we had just missed the Geminid meteor shower.

Turns out I was wrong. Turns out the annual viewing of this night sky spectacular is his Saturday. And it turns out that you can catch this year’s show at Medoc Mountain State Park between Louisburg and Roanoke Rapids. It’s a great spot to catch the show: the huge grass field at the park’s entrance is about as removed from light pollution as you can get in North Carolina. (A viewing is also scheduled, from 8-10 p.m., at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in the Triangle.)

Logistics: Saturday, Dec. 13, 5:30 p.m., Medoc Mountain State Park, Hollister. More info: 252.586.6588.

Saturday evening forecast: Clear, with temperatures in the upper 40s.

Mountains

Solving a problem. (photo courtesy Triple Crown Bouldering)

Historically, the Triple Crown Bouldering Series has had three fall events: in Boone; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and, Steele, Ala. This year, they’ve added a fourth, at Rumbling Bald in the Hickory Nut Gorge area near Lake Lure.

The series draws top boulderers — climbers without ropes, but only going about 15 feet off the ground (they fall, no biggie, especially since they land on a crash pad). Between 600 and 1,000 competitors are expected this year.

We suggest this spectator event primarily because, with the new year approaching, many of us are in search of new pursuits, new ways to push ourselves. New ways to live. Check these competitors out. We promise they’ll inspire.

Logistics: Saturday, Dec. 13, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Lake Lure. Go here for details.

Saturday forecast: Sunny skies, high of 59 (perfect weather for climbing, btw).

* * *

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 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

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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The post This weekend: Trees, stars, rocks appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

This weekend: Paddle up!

JoeMiller — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:24:48 +0000

Dragon boating Saturday on Lake Lure (see "Mountains").

Paddle a swamp, paddle someone else’s boat, paddle a dragon.

Coast

There’s great cache in being able to say you paddled the Great Dismal Swamp. After all, people have gone into the massive wetland in the northeast corner of the state (and southeast Virginia) and never come out. On Saturday’s Kayaking the Canal paddle at Dismal Swamp State Park you can earn both Dismal bragging rights and, since it’s ranger-led and on a canal, be assured that you will emerge unscathed (save, perhaps, a mosquito bite or two if you don’t later up beforehand).

Logistics: Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m. All equipment provided and its free, but space is limited and thus, preregistration is required. More info and to preregister: 252.771.6593.

Saturday forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 79.

Piedmont

Who doesn’t love to bogart a ride. In college, I became accomplished at worming my way into someone’s backseat to go skiing on weekends. A long-time devotee of the econobox, I’ve also been known to flatter my way into test-driving a sports car or two. More recently, I scout out the demo days and spend my time piloting pricey, state-of-the art crafts unlikely to find their way into my pedestrian recreational arsenal.

Take a boat for a spin before you buy.

Which is why this Thursday afternoon you’ll find me at Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville at the monthly Great Outdoor Provision Co. Boat Demo Day. GOPC brings out some of its more popular boats (if you’re interested in a specific boat, call 919.933.6148 beforehand and see if they’ll bring it out) and lets you paddle away (but not too far away; the lake is only 520 acres). Flatwater and whitewater kayaks, canoes, fishing kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, too.

Logistics: Thursday, June 13, 4-7 p.m., Lake Crabtree County Park, Morrisville. More info by calling 919.933.6148.

Thursday forecast: Partly to mostly sunny, high of 97! (Another reason to be on the water.)

An enlightening Dismal paddle (see "Coast").

Mountains

Here’s something you don’t get to do everyday: race a dragon boat. Dragon boat? you ask. Yep, a 30-foot boat (the smaller version of dragon boat) that holds 10 paddlers. Drums pound out the stroke cadence, you provide the man/woman power. Sounds grueling, sounds fun. And scenic, since it takes place on Lake Lure at the mouth of the Hickory Nut Gorge.

Even if there’s not time to put together your own dragon-headed, scale-sided boat (there’s a cap of 30 teams), you can join the other 2,000 spectators along the shore to take in this unusual spectacle that is, the Lure of the Dragons.

Logistics: Saturday, June 15. $20 per boat. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 81, partly cloudy.

* * *

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 costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

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.

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.

U.S. National Wildlife Refuges
Rundown, by month, of regular activities at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuges in North Carolina.

* * *

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

GetGoingNC.com

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