The standup paddlers takes to the chilly waters of the Intracoastal Waterway, runners take to the trails of the National Whitewater Center, and nature lovers learn a thing or two at Grandfather Mountain. There may be a little rain in the forecast, but that’s no reason to stay inside on an active North Carolina weekend.

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Think of it as a race and go for the cash prizes, think of it as a tour and get a wintry view of Wrightsville Beach by water.

It’s time again for the Cold Stroke Classic out of the Blockade Runner at Wrightsville Beach. The race begins on the protected waters behind the beachfront Blockade Runner and takes a meandering loop on the Intracoastal Waterway. The Short Course is one lap, the Long, two. There’s a $1,250 cash purse for the Long course, $5,000 in prizes for both the Long and Short. And, this year they’ve added a Run What You Bring (shouldn’t it be “Brung”?) category: “ … surfskis, outrigger canoes, unlimited paddleboards, kayaks, etc. If you can paddle it, you can race it.” Water temperature as of Thursday morning: 54 degrees.

Logistics: Ninth Annual Cold Stroke Classic, Saturday, 10 a.m., Blockade Runner, Wrightsville Beach, $55 Short Course ($25 kids), $75 Long ($25). More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 67, storms developing in the afternoon.

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Looking ahead: N.C. Birding Trail Hike, Feb. 16, Halyburton Park, Wilmington. More info here.

Piedmont

If you’re a runner, it’s nice to establish a baseline at the beginning of the year (translation: your times can only get better from here). We can’t think of a better place to start than the Charlotte Running Company Trail Race Saturday at the National Whitewater Center. Haven’t been running much? Do the 4-mile race. Gotten the year off to a pretty good start, training-wise? Perhaps you’re up to the task of the 9-miler. Feeling particularly bold? There’s a 13-mile option as well. All on the well-groomed, nicely rolling trails at the whitewater center.

Logistics: Charlotte Running Company Trail Race, Saturday, 9 a.m., National Whitewater Center, Charlotte, $50, $55, $65. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 66, 13 percent chance of rain at race time.

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Looking ahead: Cupid’s Undie Run, Saturday, Feb. 11, Uptown Charlotte. More info here.

Mountains

It’s one thing to ID a tree by its distinctive leaves, quite another to identify it by its more subtle bark and limb patterns. That’s why we recommend you head to Grandfather Mountain State Park Sunday for its Winter Tree ID Hike on the Profile Trail. “Participants will learn how to identify local trees without the aid of leaves by learning differences in bark, limb, bud and branching patterns.”

Expect to hike a mile and a half over about two hours.

Logistics: Winter Tree ID Hike, Sunday, 1-3 p.m., Profile Trail, Grandfather Mountain State Park. More info here.

Sunday forecast: High of 52, pretty good chance of rain.

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Looking ahead: Winter Boat Tour, Feb. 4, Lake James State Park, Nemo. More info here.

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

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Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird —
Yes, but what kind?
It’s a question that perplexes many of us when we spy an avian friend flying overhead. And it’s a question you can find answers to Saturday at 9 a.m. at Hammocks Beach State Park. There, a ranger will lead the group in identifying and counting birds as part of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. It’s a massive exercise in citizen science, as people around the country report who’s flying in and out of their backyards. Binos and bird guides available, bring your own if you’ve got ‘em.

Logistics: Saturday, Feb. 14, 9 a.m., Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. Free, 910.326.4881if you have questions.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 51.

Piedmont

When most of us think of looking for signs of spring, we think about looking for those first wildflowers of the year — your trout lilies, your tootworts. But really, it’s the amphibians that are the true bellwethers of spring.

Come celebrate the Year of the Amphibian and learn who to look and listen for in the days ahead at Sunday’s Crafty Critters program at Umstead State Park in Raleigh. Targeted to 1st thru 6th graders, everyone welcome.

Logistics: Sunday, Feb. 15, 10:30 a.m., Umstead State Park, Raleigh. Free, but space is limited; call 919.571.4170 to score a spot.

Sunday forecast: Mostly sunny, high of 30.

Mountains

Our look-and-learn theme continues, at Grandfather Mountain with a Winter Tree Identification Hike.

Anyone can identify an oak when it’s in full leaf; how about after winter has stripped most of our trees of their ID badges? That’s when we need a guidebook and a savvy ranger to help us distinguish a sweetgum from a sourwood, a sumac from a sassafras. What better place to identify trees than along the base of the Profile Trail on Grandfather’s west flank?

Logistics: Sunday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m., Grandfather Mountain State Park, Linville. 828.963.9522 to call and confirm if weather is an issue.

Sunday forecast: On the plus side, it will be sunny. It will also only get up to 16 degrees.

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

The post This weekend: Learn, learn, learn appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

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You wouldn’t think that a nature preserve would be a suitable venue for a “brawl.” But when that   preserve is the Brunswick Nature Park in Winnabow, with nine miles of singletrack mountain bike trail, then the venue does indeed seem appropriate for Saturday’s Brunswick Brawl endurance race.

Sponsored by Cape Fear SORBA, the brawl consists of six-hour, three-hour and one-hour mountain bike races. Racing is by sex and age group, and registration includes food and a T-shirt for all who preregister. How do you do that? you ask. Keep reading …

Logistics: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 11, Brunswick Nature Park, Winnabow. Registration ranges from $40 (for the one-hour race) to $100 (for duos in the six-hour race). Find out more about the race and sign up here.

Saturday forecast: High of 85, sunny.

Piedmont

Now’s an especially good time to get to know your trees, what with them changing color and all. Instead of returning to work Monday and saying, “Yeah we went for a hike and saw all these purty-colored trees,” you can say, “The deep crimsons of the sourwood were a sight, and the resplendent oranges of the sugar maples may have been the richest hues I’ve yet witnessed in the woodlands.” Or something like that.

Saturday, you can put a name to the color on a Tree ID Hike at South Mountains State Park south of Morganton. We were there last weekend and the color was just beginning to pop, boding well for this weekend. The hike is on the Hemlock Nature Trail; we suggest following that up with a loop hike on the 2.7-mile High Shoals Falls Trail. Lots of great scenery in an under-appreciated state park.

Logistics: 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 11, South Mountains State Park, Connelly Springs. More info at 828.433.4772.

Saturday forecast: High of 75, chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

Mountains

Ever on the lookout for new hiking trails? Especially in the mountains?

Saturday, help christen the new Beech Tree Trail at Elk Knob State Park with a ranger-led hike at 10 a.m. After helping to break in the new trail, hike the Summit Trail which takes you to great 360-degree views atop 5,520-foot Elk Knob. A good hike any time of year, especially rewarding with fall color beginning to peek in the area.

Logistics: 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 11, Elk Knob State Park, Todd. More info at 829.297.7261.

Saturday forecast: High of 70, chance of thunderstorms.

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

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