racing Archives - GetGoing NC!

90 Second Escape: Huck Redux

JoeMiller — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 14:09:06 +0000

Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease the transition, every Monday we feature a 90 Second Escape — essentially, a 90-second video or slide show of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s not under a fluorescent bulb.
Today’s 90-Second Escape: Huck-A-Buck Redux

Saturday was the 14th running of the Huck-A-Buck at Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville. The Huck-A-Buck is a tradition in Triangle mountain bike racing, born of the inspiration of Happy Fun Racing and its visionary leaders Pat Lundergan and Chris Pappas. Three years ago, its demise was rumored. Fortunately, the rumor proved to be just that.

Alas, we weren’t able to make this year’s race. Instead, we take a look back to the race’s 10th running, in 2011. Come along for the ride.

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This weekend: Cold stroke of fun

JoeMiller — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 16:01:21 +0000

Photo courtesy whatsonwilmington.com

We’ve got hikes in the Piedmont (along the Eno River) and in the mountains (up Little Pisgah Mountain), and a hike, of sorts (walking on water counts, right?) at the coast.

Coast

The Cold Stroke Classic is on our “Pushing-The-Limits-But-Certainly-Doable” lifetime achievement list. Now in its sixth year, Cold Stroke lets amateurs and more competitive types compete in standup paddleboard racing, on protected waterways, at the coast, in winter. There’s a 3.5-mile course for more recreational types, a 7-mile course for the “elite.”

I’ve only been on a SUP once, but it struck me as a beginner-friendly pursuit, and one that a newcomer could conceivably enter a race for (provided, of course, you have a wetsuit, and per race regulations, a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD). If you are of a similar belief, then check out the Logistics of participating.

Logistics: Saturday, Jan. 18, Blockade Runner Beach Resort, Wrightsville Beach. $55 for the rec category, $75 for the elite if registering online, an extra $15 and cash only if signing up on race day. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 43.

Eno Quarry

Piedmont

We’re hard-pressed to think of a better way to spend a winter weekend than by taking a hike. Unless, that is, the hike includes a guide who can enlighten you about the world you’re exploring.

That’s the case with the Eno River Association’s Sunday Winter Hike Series. Every Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., the ERA explores a different stretch of the Eno River with a hike leader who is intimately familiar with both the natural and human history of the terrain. This Sunday’s hike is at the Cabelands Access, an area rich in human and natural history.

Logistics: Sunday, Jan. 19, 2 p.m., Cabelands Access, Eno River State Park. For more info and to sign up, go here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny skies in the afternoon, high of 49.

Little Pisgah Mountain (photo courtesy Carolina Mountain Club)

Mountains

Who doesn’t want to be on this mountain top (see photo), on a similarly sunny day, on a winter weekend? Sunday is your opportunity to do just that, as the Carolina Mountain Club leads a hike up Little Pisgah Mountain (see photo), which is part of the Florence Preserve in the Hickory Nut Gorge area.

The hike is 10.5 miles and gains about 1,500 feet. The trail to the top passes through an open meadow, with the summit payoff — well, just look at the picture (see photo). And picture yourself on those rocks on Sunday, basking in the winter sun and eating a peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich.

Logistics: Sunday, Jan. 19, 9 a.m. Florence Preserve. For more information and to sign up, contact hike leaders Michael and Kathy Cornn, at 828.458.1281 or mcornn@aol.com.

Sunday forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 45.

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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 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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This weekend: Paddle for glory, hike for color

JoeMiller — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 15:24:23 +0000

Fall revs up in the high country with increasing color while paddling opportunities linger in the Piedmont.

Chimney Rock in fall. Photo by Chuck Hall

Coast

We venture into the wild for various reasons. One of those reasons: to learn about, and see new things. A visit to Lake Waccamaw State Park offers some especially interesting learning opportunities. For instance, the park’s website informs us: “Lake Waccamaw’s water quality contributes to an interesting mix of animal life in the park. Several species are found only in or around the lake and nowhere else on Earth. These species are known as endemics.” Among those endemics: Waccamaw darter, Waccamaw silverside, Waccamaw killifish, Waccamaw spike and the Waccamaw fatmucket.

How many opportunities do you get to experience a fatmucket? At least one, on Saturday’s Afternoon Paddle: Big Creek Adventure. Start on the creek, wind up in Lake Waccamaw, a Carolina bay, with lots of the unusual to see on the way.

Logistics: Saturday, Oct. 12, 2 p.m. Free. More info on the park here.

Saturday forecast: High of 77, mostly cloudy.

Piedmont

5Ks are a dime a dozen (closer to $35 a dozen, if you’re going by the entrance fee). But canoe and kayak races? And Saturday’s Fall Canoe and Kayak Race at Mayo Lake in Person County on Saturday isn’t just a race: you can race a canoe, you can race a kayak, you can race a technical course, you can race a linear course and you can race in your age group. That’s a whole lot of racing, especially for the modest $15 entrance fee.

Logistics: Saturday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m., Mayo Lake in Person County. Learn more about the race and find out where Mayo Lake might be, here.

Saturday forecast: High of 70, overcast.

Mountains

All hail the Waccamaw fatmucket (only at Lakw Waccamaw). Photo Courtesy N.C. State Parks.

The mountains are getting lit early this fall, with a blaze of red, yellows, oranges and hues in between. The report from Chimney Rock is especially enticing: “Splashes of red are appearing in the dogwood and sourwood trees, along with yellows in the poplars,” reports Chimney Rock Park. But wait, there’s more: “This is a very good wildflower season for goldenrod, snakeroot, Wingstem and a variety of asters. Brown-eyed Susans and sunflowers are also blooming, with some Pink Turtlehead remaining.”

Enjoy the show on your own on the park’s trail system, or tap into the 11 a.m. naturalist-led hike that will be occurring every Saturday through October, commencing from the Meadows area.

Logistics: Every Saturday at 11 a.m., Chimney Rock Park in Chimney Rock. Admission to the park is $12 for adults, $6 for 5- to 15-year-olds, and free for the 4 and under set. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 75, trending from clear to partly cloudy.

photo by Chuck Hill

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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 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.

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This weekend: It’s cooling off? Get out!

JoeMiller — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 09:53:48 +0000

Sure there’s a threat of rain — there’s always a threat of rain in summer; it’s the meteorologist’s ultimate hedge. But cooler temperatures demand that you start planning an active weekend earlier than usual.

Like now.

Young and old (I've done it several times) are embraced at the Huck-A-Buck.

Piedmont

I usually don’t throw out mountain bike races as a weekend option because they’re typically targeted to a more adrenaline-influenced crowd and they can be expensive to enter. None of that applies to the venerable Huck-A-Buck this Sunday at Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville. The Huck-A-Buck has a competitive element, to be sure, but race founders Chris Pappas and Pat Lundergan with Happy Fun Racing have done a great job ensuring that the Huck remain a Race for the People — meaning people like me, who can show up and not be obviously out of place in the aforementioned adrenaline-happy crowd. I’m especially glad to suggest the Huck-A-Buck considering last year’s 10th edition was rumored to be the last. Long live the Huck!

There’s racing in a variety of categories, from Kids and Juniors 11-18, to Clydesdales (200+ pounds) to Cat 1. The course is a 7-mile loop of fast, beginner/intermediate singletrack, and the entry fee is ridiculously cheap, at $25 ($15 for Juniors, free for pre-Juniors).

Logistics: Racing begins at 9 a.m., with categories going off at 9, 10:30 and noon. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Details here.

Sunday forecast: A brisk 82, “Mostly cloudy and cooler with some showers and storms possible,” according to WRAL.

Run for the mansion.

Coast

With cooler weather moving in, what better way to start a day at the coast than with a quick 5K around Wilmington’s Bellamy Mansion, which, according to itself, is “one of North Carolina’s most spectacular examples of antebellum architecture built on the eve of the Civil War by free and enslaved black artisans, for John Dillard Bellamy (1817-1896) physician, planter and business leader; and his wife, Eliza McIlhenny Harriss (1821-1907) and their nine children.” The Bellamy Mansion Race for History starts at 8 a.m. Do your 3.1 miles, then return to the mansion for breakfast before launching the rest of your day.

Logistics: Race is at 8 a.m., preregistration fee is $25, day of is $30. Details here.

Saturday forecast: High of 84, 70 percent chance of rain.

Racing, French Broad style.

Mountains

Unless you’re a bike racer (in which case you likely already know about this) this likely is more of a spectator event. But spectating often leads to involvement, so every once in a while we offer such an opportunity. This weekend, that opportunity is the French Broad Cycling Classic, three days of racing featuring top pro and amature riders. Racing is in the Asheville area. See “Logistics” for details on where to look for details.

Logistics: Go here for details.

Sunday forecast: Highs around 80, chance of precip ranging from 40 to 60 percent.

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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.

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.

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Picture a great weekend

JoeMiller — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:09:23 +0000

Are you the next Ansel Adams?

Can a camera lead to fitness? Is paddling in winter as cool (not cold) as it sounds? And whitewater racing? Really?

Coast

Sometimes all you need to spur you on to an active lifestyle is the right motivation, a motivation that, perhaps, hasn’t yet occurred to you.

Like a camera.

Think about it. You have a camera, you want new and unusual subjects to shoot. The outdoors is replete with new and unusual subjects. You start out with the new and unusual close to home. Soon you’re seeking out the new and unusual farther afield. Before you know it you’re doing 20 miles in the woods, being dragged around by your camera in search of the newer and more unusual.

First, though, you need to know how to use the camera. (Technically, first you need a camera.) Learn the basics of nature photography Saturday from 3-6 p.m. at a Nature Photography Workshop at scenic Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks. Says the sponsoring Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, come “learn about exposure, composition, and special techniques to improve your nature photography. Bring your camera gear and explore the outdoors of Jockey’s Ridge State Park in search of photographic opportunities.” And it’s the best kind of learning — free.

Logistics: The course is free, but preregistration is required, by calling 252.453.0221, ext. 1. For information on Jockey’s Ridge, go here. For information on the Outer Banks Wildlife Education Center, go here.

Weekend forecast: Saturday calls for partly cloudy skies (good for lighting) and a high of 50.

Piedmont

Dress appropriately so you don't turn blue on a winter paddle.

I have trouble passing on a winter canoe trip, in part because they’re hard to find, in part because winter is such a great time to be on the water. The world around you is stark, exposed and especially good for spotting critters that might go unnoticed under cover of summer undergrowth.

That’s the thought behind Saturday’s Canoe Nature Trip at Lake Norman State Park in Statesville. Join a ranger in search of birds, beavers and assorted other lake and lakeside wildlife. All pertinent paddling equipment is provided, you need to bring clothes appropriate to the weather, plus towels and extra clothes appropriate to the weather, “just in case.”

Logistics: The trip is free, but preregistration is required, by calling the park office at 704-528-6350. Also: each boat must have someone age 16 or older. For more on Lake Norman State Park, go here.

Weekend forecast: Saturday is looking cool (high of 50) but clear.

Mountains

Jennifer Singletary, racing C1W Whitewater Slalom.

Motivation, Part II: To pick up from our camera speech (see “Coast”), motivation can also come from watching others. Say, for instance, you’re a novice whitewater paddler. You’re comfortable on Class II water, successfully paddled Class III, though you wouldn’t go so far as to proclaim comfort on these waters. Maybe what you need to get you over the hump is to watch skilled paddlers handle more challenging waters. Or maybe you already are skilled and are looking for a new challenge. This weekend’s 2012 Glacier Breaker Slalom and Wildwater Races at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser, for instance.

There’ll be racing in the K-1, K-1W, C-1 and C-2 categories, racing is all in the vicinity of the NOC. For spectating purposes, racing begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday morning, 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

Logistics: $20 to race per class ($5 for each additional class), USACK membership required (one-day memberships available for $10). Registration is from 8:30-9:30 a.m. both days. For more details, visit the Nantahala Racing Club Web site here.

Weekend forecast: Cool and 45 Saturday, 54 on Sunday, no rain foreseen.

* * *

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.

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

GetGoingNC.com

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