There’s a biathlon at the coast, a lucky bike ride in the mountains, and salvation — or at least a way to save yourself from getting lost — in the Piedmont.

Coast

Before you go tri, perhaps you should try bi.

It only makes sense that instead of going directly to three sports, you should ease yourself in with two. Say, standup paddle boarding and running?

If that sounds like a plan, then plan on entering Saturday’s 7^th Annual Wrightsville Beach Biathlon, combining a 4-mile flatwater standup paddle  course and a 4.5-mile beach run. The action commences at the Blockade Runner Resort, at Wrightsville Beach. An avowed one-sport person? No problem, find another similarly committed soul and enter as a team.

Logistics: 7^th Annual Wrightsville Beach Biathlon, Saturday, March 18, 10 a.m., Blockade Runner Beach Resort, Wrightsville Beach. $35. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 65, chance of afternoon rain.

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Looking ahead: Hike NC! Cliffs of the Neuse State Park Lake Trail hike, 2 miles, Friday, March 24, Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, Seven Springs. More info here.

Piedmont

Our GetOriented! program has declared this weekend Find Your Way in the Woods weekend, with classes in both the Triangle and Triad areas.

We start the three-hour session with a half hour of map-and-compass get-to-know-you. Then, we head down the trail, and off, in search of the hidden treasures that elude the trail-bound. The overall goal: to make you feel more comfortable about your ability to navigate the woods.

Our Saturday morning session is at Umstead State Park in Raleigh, Sunday morning we’re at Haw River State Park in Greensboro. Compass and map are included.

Logistics: GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods: Saturday, March 18, 9 a.m., Umstead State Park, Raleigh, more info and sign up here; Sunday, March 19, 9 a.m., Haw River State Park, Greensboro, more info and sign up here.

Saturday forecast: Saturday morning in Raleigh: Temperature in the 50s, chance of rain;  Sunday morning in Greensboro: Sunny, with temperatures in the 40s.

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Looking ahead: Hike NC! Celebrate the first day of spring with a hike along the Eno at Eno River State Park, Monday, March 20, 10 a.m. More info here.

Mountains

Talk about fortuitous timing: Saturday, it’s forecast to be rainy in the morning in Asheville. But the rain is expected to clear around noon, just in time for the 11^th Annual Bike of the Irish ride beginning and ending at the Wedge Brewing Company.

“We’re rolling through several historic places which have transformed with the times,” Mike Sule, executive director of Asheville on Bikes, told the Asheville Citizen Times. “The Wedge [Brewing Company], the [Wedge at] Foundation, the French Broad Greenway, downtown, and the Beaucatcher Mountain. They’re all old and new. We’re celebrating our dynamic city and rediscovering its nooks and crannies.”

The ride is 9.3 miles and gains 643 feet of elevation. Not bad for the Asheville area.

Logistics: 11^th Annual Bike of the Irish ride, Saturday, March 18, 1:30 p.m., Wedge Brewing Company, Asheville. More info here.

Sunday forecast: High near 60, partly cloudy at ride time.

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Looking ahead: Hike NC! Collier Cove Nature Preserve hike, Sunday, March 26, Arden. More info here.

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

Coast

The post This weekend: Variety is the spice of adventure  appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast: Wrightsville Beach Biathlon

The Wrightsville Beach Biathlon: get ready for the only race of its kind on the East Coast. A typical biathlon includes swimming and running, but what makes the Wrightsville Beach Biathlon stand out is the replacement of swimming with paddleboarding. The other unique feature: the run portion takes place entirely on the oceanfront sand. The event lasts two day: Friday, there’s a paddle technique clinic and packet pick ups, Saturday, is the race, fat bike demos and more.

Two-day forecast: high of about 56 each day, sunny on Saturday.

Vital stats: Friday and Saturday, Blockade Runner Beach Resort. For race fees, contact Beth Todd at beth.todd@blockade-runner.com or call 910.256.2251; go here for more info.

Looking ahead: U.S. Open Fat Bike Championship. Open to beginner, sport, and experts. Saturday, March 12. More info here.

Piedmont: Winter Walkabout

Come out to Great Bend Park in Burlington this Saturday to hike the Haw River and Island Trails. Dogs and children are welcome on this journey through the woods, that will satisfy your need to get out, to adventure, to explore. No matter what your reason, it feels good to go walk around. The hikes are free, but registration is required at least 24 hours in advance.

Saturday forecast: 58 degrees and mostly sunny.

Vital stats: Saturday, 10:30 a.m.- noon, Great Bend Park, 350 Greenwood Dr. Burlington. Sponsored by Burlington Recreation & Parks. Contact: 336.222.5135; for more info go here.

Looking ahead: 2nd Saturday Outing at Flat Shoals Mountain near Walnut Cove. Sponsored by Piedmont Land Conservancy, Saturday, March 12. More info here.

Mountains: Wilderness Skills Institute

Although the Wilderness Skills Institute is not until the end of May — May 23 to June 3 —  the deadline to apply is this Sunday. At this two-week institute, you’ll learn such skills such as sustainable trail building, land stewardship practices, axe-slinging and tree felling by cross-cut saw, wilderness first aid, bridge construction using traditional tools, wilderness interpretation and education, and more. The focus of the institute is on basic to advanced skills needed to work in a wilderness, where motorized equipment is prohibited.

Vital stats: Wilderness Skills Institute, May 23 – June 3, Cradle of Forestry, Pisgah National Forest. Apply online by March 6 here. Free camping is available. Contact: Leanna Joyner with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy at 828.254.3708, or Brenna Irrer with SAWS at 828.226.4320. To learn more about the program, go here.

Looking ahead: Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, April 19-April 23, more info here.

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The post Your weekend: A bi, a hike, a rare learning opportunity appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Here’s a good, coastal biathlon for these modern times: the 6th Annual Wrightsville Beach Biathlon, involving a 4-mile standup paddle and a 4-mile run on the beach. Hosted where all your hip beach adventure competitions are hosted, at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort. Competition in various categories.

Logistics: Saturday, March 28, 10:30 a.m., Blockade Runner, Wrightsville Beach. From $45 for individuals up to $150 for corporate teams. Details here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny with a high of 54.

Piedmont

Nature programs abound in spring, and understandably so: our world is coming back to life and there’s so much to see and figure out. All those emerging amphibians, for instance.

Saturday morning, get a feel for the amphibians at Lake Crabtree in Morrisville with Toadally Awesome Amphibians. According to the sponsoring Lake Crabtree County Park: “After the first week of spring, but before the April showers start, we’re hoping to catch some sleepy salamanders. This program will investigate the park’s amphibian habitats, show you how to create your own, and teach about the important ecological roles amphibians and the vernal pools they inhabit play.”

Logistics: Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon, Lake Crabtree County Park, Morrisville. $3 per person, $5 per family. Call 919.460.3355 to reserve a spot.

Saturday forecast: Mostly sunny, high of 50.

Mountains

We like Saturday’s Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5K in large part because it’s in one of our favorite places in the state: the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

The 5K stays on campus, the Half starts and ends on campus but spends most of its time along the Tuckasegee River. Racing in a gorgeous setting is always good, but especially early in the race season when distractions may be especially welcome.

Logistics: Saturday, 8 a.m., Western Carolina University, Cullowhee. Race-day registration is $80 for the half marathon, $30 for the 5K. Read more about the race in the Asheville Citizen-Times, visit the race website here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny with a high of 44.

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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.

The post This weekend: A bi, a sign, a race appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

If your competitive urges are coloring your outdoor urges, head to the coast. But if you’ve got an urge for more color, you can find it in the Piedmont and even in the mountains.

Coast

You love to run, you love to bike — alas, you’re a sinker. No triathlon for you. But you can participate in a duathlon, which taps into your two loves. And you can tap into one Saturday in Wrightsville Beach.

The Wrightsville Beach Biathlon consists of a four laps on a 6.32-mile course “on soft and hard sand,” followed by a 3.2-mile run to the south end of the island and back. A civil way to break into the duathlon world.

Logistics: Saturday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m., Blockade Runner Resort, Wrightsville Beach. $35/$45. More info: 910.256.2251, brittany.burdine@blockade-runner.com

Saturday forecast: High of 51, sunny.

Piedmont

Two weeks ago, we thought the fall color was peaking in the Piedmont. It hung on long enough to make us pretty certain it was peaking last weekend. Well, as of Wednesday it’s still going strong, which, coupled with the immediate forecast for sunny days and cold nights makes us now predict that color will be near peak — perhaps just past — this weekend.

All the more reason to take part in Saturday’s Yadkin River Fall Foliage Hike at Morrow Mountain State Park. On this 2.4-mile hike you’ll not only see color, but you’ll learn who’s flashing which colors. Wear hiking shoes, children are welcome if they are with an adult.

Logistics: Saturday, Nov. 15, 3 p.m., Morrow Mountain State Park, Albemarle. More info: 704.982.4402.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 49.

Mountains

There’s even, apparently, some color refusing to fade in the mountains. Even if there wasn’t, we’d recommend Saturday’s four-mile hike at Fontana Dam.

The hike departs from the dam on the Lakeshore Trail, which traces the shoreline through a second-growth hardwood forest. The views are great, and you’ll get additional insight on the area from hike leader J.P. Peoples, who will explain things like why a couple of rusted Model Ts are off the trail in a ditch. The hike is sponsored by Fontana Village.

Logistics: Saturday, Nov. 15, 11 a.m., Fontana Village. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 48, sunny.

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

The post This weekend: a bi at the coast, an eyeful elsewhere appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

A biathlon with running and standup paddleboarding, a half marathon on a NASCAR track, a hike in the snow — can a weekend get more North Carolina than that?

Coast

Running and standup paddleboarding — that’s a combination you don’t often see under the biathlon umbrella. But you will Saturday at Wrightsville Beach for the 4th Annual Wrightsville Beach Biathlon. Four miles of standup paddleboarding on a flatwater course followed by a 4-mile beach run, all in the hopes of scoring “the soon-to-be-coveted Masonboro Trophy.”

Logistics: Competition begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning from near the Blockade Runner in Wrightsville Beach. Individual $45, teams $250. More info here.

Sunday forecast: High of 61, 70 percent chance of rain.

Piedmont

Not all of Sunday’s North Carolina Half Marathon takes place on the track at Concord’s Charlotte Motor Speedway — you get to run on the nearby drag strip, too! The chance to start and finish on this 1.5-mile oval alone should inspire thoughts of a PR (though don’t expect to match Elliott Sadler’s qualifying record of 193.21 miles per hour).

Logistics: 7:30 a.m. Sunday, March 24, Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord. $85, here.

Sunday forecast: High of 55, 60 percent chance of rain.

Mountains

When I think of Kitsuma Peak near Old Fort, I think of mountain biking, specifically the Off-road Assault on Mount Mitchell. Sunday, though, the focus will be on hiking as the Carolina Mountain Club takes on Kitsuma and Young’s Ridge for its great views of Graybeard Mountain, Green Knob, Mount Mitchell and the Swannanoa Valley. A 10-mile hike with 1,150 feet of total climbing.

Logistics: Sunday, March 24, 9 a.m. Details, contact hike leader Lenny Bernstein at 828.236.0192 or lsberns@att.net

Sunday forecast: High of 37 with a 60 percent chance of snow.

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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.

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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