Carolina Beach Double Sprint Triathlon: the triathlon so nice they let you do it twice. Plus, surviving the wilds of South Mountains and experiencing Mount Mitchell’s gentler side.

Coast

Loaded with energy? Say, twice the energy you typically have?

Then perhaps you’re up for Saturday’s Carolina Beach Douple Sprint Triathlon in Carolina Beach. Swim 375 meters in the Atlantic, run 1.5 miles, bike 20K. Then, instead of collapsing and kicking back a cold one, collect yourself for another 1.5-mile run, another 375 meters in the ocean. The course is described as flat.

Logistics: Carolina Beach Double Sprint Triathlon, Saturday, June 24, 7 a.m., Carolina Beach, $85. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Partly cloudy with a race start temperature of 79.

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Looking ahead: Sharks Tooth Island Full Moon Kayak Trip, Aug. 7, Halyburton Park, Wilmington. More info here.

Piedmont

You’re happily exploring, then, suddenly, you’re lost. Now what?

You’ll know what if you attend Saturday’s Wilderness Survival 101, which borrows a page — several, actually — from the Boy Scouts of America Handbook to cover basic first aid, shelter and a variety of other issues that can pop up in the wild.

Logistics: Wilderness Survival 101, Saturday, June 24, 2 p.m., South Mountains State Park, Connelly Springs. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Mostly sunny, afternoon high in the mid 80s.

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Looking ahead: Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2: the trails at Hanging Rock State Park’s Vader Mecum area are open. More info here.

Mountains

Pretty rugged terrain at Mountain Mitchell State Park, atop the East Coast. The rocky spine that defines the Black Mountains is a challenge to even the most experienced and nimble hiker. While the thought of hiking Mitchell is appealing, the reality can be intimidating.

Unless, that is, you drop off the ridge a short distance to the Commissary Trail. This former high country highway is flatter, friendlier and still takes in much of the high alpine, spruce and fir ecology that gives Mount Mitchell State Park its appeal. It’s also the site of a Guided Commissary Trail, a ranger-led hike Saturday.

Logistics: Guided Commissary Trail, Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m., Mount Mitchell State Park. More info here.

Sunday forecast: High at hike time of 60 with a chance of thunderstorms.

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Looking ahead: Riverboard Demo Day, July 22, Ledges Whitewater Park, Alexander (on the French Broad River). More info here.

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

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

Coast

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Coast

It’s Labor Day weekend, so you’re probably kicking out a little early, right? Early enough to make it to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge for Friday morning’s canoe tour on Milltail Creek?

The trip runs from 9 a.m. to noon and is led by a naturalist who, among other things, will show you the difference between a downed log and a “downed log” that blinks. In other words, the preserver’s namesake reptile, the alligator. And there are plenty of ‘em lining the banks of Milltail Creek. Bring a telephoto lens (hats, sunscreen and lots of water are a good idea, too).

Logistics: Friday, Aug. 29, 9 a.m.-noon, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, $40 for adults, $25 for kids 12 and under. Meeting location revealed when you call to register, at 252.216.9464. If you can’t make it Friday, the tour runs every Wednesday and Friday through September. Find more information on this and other NWR trips, here.

Friday forecast: Sunny, high of 78.

Piedmont

Learning outdoor skills can be done one of two ways: based on your own mistakes or based on the mistakes of others. We prefer the latter, which is why we’re recommending Saturday’s Outdoor Skills: The 7 Priorities of Wilderness Survival at Charlotte’s McDowell Nature Preserve. The class is a mix of lecture and hands-on, a good combination for making skills stick.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2 p.m., McDowell Nature Preserve, Charlotte. $3. More info and to register go here and enter  #58424.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 94.

Mountains

Mount Mitchell State Park is a great place to explore, but because of its rapidly changing weather and rugged terrain, it can be intimidating. A good place to explore with the folks who know the area best, like the park rangers.

Saturday, you have two opportunities to safely explore the highest country east of South Dakota’s Black Hills. At 9:30 a.m., join a ranger for an hour-and-a-half hike out to Mt. Craig and back, learning about the flora and fauna of this alpine setting. Miss that hike, or simply want more? Another guided hike explores the Commissary Trail, starting at 11 a.m.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 30, 9:30 and 11 a.m., Mount Mitchell State Park. 828.675.4611 for more info, or go here.

Saturday forecast: High of 84, mostly sunny.

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

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The post This weekend: A Labor of Fun appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

A glorious experience in a Dismal place, riding with the polar bears, avoiding getting lost (but what to do if you do). Just another diverse weekend of outdoor adventure in North Carolina.

Coast

“Remember that resolution you made to get outside and exercise more this year?,” asks Dismal Swamp State Park. (Hey, if companies are people and are entitled to a voice, certainly a great natural area is as well.) “There’s no time like the present to start!” And this chatty park would like you to start with its Resolution Hike this Saturday. Meet at the Visitor Center at 10 a.m., then explore what POTUS No. 1 and avid surveyor George Washington called “a glorious paradise.” The Great Dismal has a fascinating natural and human history (check out Bland Simpson’s highly entertaining “The Great Dismal: A Carolinian’s Swamp Memoir”) that can’t be captured in two miles, but it’s a start.

Logistics: Again, meet at the Visitor Center at 10 a.m., it’s free and there’s no RSVP required. For more info, call the park at 252.771.6593 or visit its Web site (where you can also find driving directions).

Saturday forecast: Clear and cold with a daytime high of 43.

Piedmont

Cyclists looking to have a Big Year generally can’t wait to get that first metric century under their insulated kits. It seems like such a good idea when you sign up — then the temperature turns out to be in the 30s, it’s windy and it snows. That’s what happened at last year’s Polar Bear Metric Century sponsored by the Rock River Road Club in Davidson. Fortunately, this years RRRCPBMC promises to be warmer, dryer and less windy (see forecast below). The ride departs Davidson and takes country roads north and east. If you’re content with just getting a half metric in, there’s a 50K version as well. The ride benefits the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson.

Logistics: $25 race day to ride, race day registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Rest stops and SAG support. Learn more at the club’s Web site.

Saturday forecast: Sunny with highs in the mid-40s and winds 5-10 mph.

Mountains

Here’s a scary feeling (or so, ahem, I’ve been told): You’re hiking in the woods, you get sidetracked onto a faux trail and suddenly — you’re lost. What now? You’ll know if you attend this Sunday’s Wilderness Survival program at Lake James State Park near Nebo. “Park Ranger Clay Veasey … will discuss survival kits, finding shelter, fire-building and much more,” says this also-talkative park.

Logistics: Meets from 10-11 a.m. Sunday at the park’s Catawba River Area Office. It’s free, no RSVP required. More info on the park and program by calling 828.584.7728 or visiting the park’s Web site.

Saturday forecast: True, the program is inside. But afterwards you’ll want to practice your newfound skills with a hike. Thus: A high of 45 is predicted under partly cloudy skies.

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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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