Submitted by Outdoor Chattanooga
News and Events Jan. 19
We’re hosting a free runners clinic this Thursday evening and we’re looking forward to our first beginner hike of 2010. Look for the lightning bolt ~to see new outdoor events and activities.
Winter Workshop – Runners Clinic Jan. 21
Our second free Winter Workshop will be a seminar on injury prevention and health for runners on Thurs., Jan. 21, 6 – 8 p.m. at Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St, in Coolidge Park. Keynote speaker Dr. Peter Lund will lead a discussion and Q&A; for people who run competitively or just for fun. Refreshments will be provided. To learn more, email or call Outdoor Chattanooga at (423) 643-6888.
~Winter Workshop – Make a Stove from a Coke Can Jan. 28
Don’t spend a bundle to pack light. Come learn how to build an ultra light backpacking stove from a 12 oz. soda pop can. Long distance hiker Eric Wiese will teach the third session in our free Winter Workshop series on Thurs., Jan. 28, from 6-8 p.m. at our building in Coolidge Park, 200 River St. To learn more, email or call Outdoor Chattanooga at (423) 643-6888.
Battlefield Beginner Hike Jan. 31
The Chattanooga Hiking Club will host an Outdoor Chattanooga beginner hike at Chickamauga Battlefield, in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA on Sun., Jan. 31 at 9 a.m. The 3.5-mile jaunt will meander through the easy, wooded trails which crisscross the historic battleground. Participants should meet at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitors center lower parking lot by 9 a.m. The hike is appropriate for adults and kids ages 8 and older. The hike will go in light snow or cold weather. Icy roads or hazardous weather conditions will cancel. An RSVP is appreciated. Call (423) 643-6888 or email Outdoor Chattanooga to RSVP.
~”Orchids 101” Seminar and Potting Demonstration Feb. 2
Learn how to grow orchids in your home at this free seminar on Tues., Feb. 2, 7 p.m., at Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St., in Coolidge Park. Geraldine Powell, winner of numerous American Orchid Society awards, is considered an expert at getting these plants to bloom. Powell's program will cover the history of the plants, what makes orchids different from other flowers, and how best to grow the most common orchids. For more information, email or call Outdoor Chattanooga at (423) 643-6888.
Wilderness First Responder Course at Outdoor Chattanooga May 1-8
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is the ideal medical training for outdoor educators, guides, search and rescue team members, and others who work or play in remote areas. Outdoor Chattanooga will host a WFR course May 1-8, 2010 at our facilities downtown and at Greenway Farm. The curriculum is comprehensive and practical, including the essential principles and skills required to assess and manage medical problems in isolated and extreme environments. For more information, email or call Marcus Hulsey at (423) 643-6888.
Events
~TenneSEA Caribbean Beach Party Jan. 29
The Tennessee Student Environmental Alliance will host a Caribbean Beach Party benefit on Fri., Jan. 29, 7 p.m., at the Bessie Smith Hall. The event will feature Caribbean music, food and drink, and a special auction. TenneSEA is affiliated with Caribbean SEA, and non-profit organization that empowers students to advocate for clean water world-wide. For more information about the beach party, email to: info@caribbean-sea.org or call (423) 605-3483.
Adventures
Lookout Highlands Dayhike Jan. 30
The Chattanooga Hiking Club will host a moderate, 5-mile hike at Lookout Highlands, a private development on Lookout Mtn., near Trenton, GA on Sat., Jan. 30. The hike features minimal elevation gain as the trail meanders along a creek bed, the mountain top, and ends at Singing Sisters Falls. For details, email hike leader Steve Barnes.
Hike with the TN Trails Association, Soddy-Daisy Chapter
The Soddy-Daisy Chapter of the TN Trails Association regularly hosts hikes along the Cumberland Trail and other areas around northern Hamilton County. Please pre-register. Schedules and meeting places are subject to change.
Sat., Jan. 30 – Clear Creek - Hike the Clear Creek Loop trail at Flipper Bend in Soddy Daisy. The hike will include a GPS exercise. Email or call hike leader Don Deakins at (423) 842-3140 for details.
South Cumberland State Park Activities
The rangers at the South Cumberland State Park host activities every weekend at park facilities near Monteagle, TN. Visit the Friends of SCSRA for a detailed calendar. All times are CDT.
Sat., Jan. 23
10 a.m. - Evergreen Hike - Join Ranger Jason at the Grundy Forest parking lot for a moderate 2-mile hike through hemlock, pine, fern, and moss.
News
~Cloudland Canyon Rangers Given Gift of Mtn. Bikes
On Tues., Jan. 26 at 2 p.m., Cloudland Canyon State Park Rangers will be given a gift of two mountain bikes by the Lula Lake Land Trust, SORBA-Chattanooga, private donations, and the Chattanooga Trek Store. Last Oct., the Land Trust turned over management of the Long Branch section of the Cloudland Canyon Connector Trail to the GA Dept. of Natural Resources. The Long Branch trail represents the first phase of what will ultimately be a 14-mile corridor trail stretching from Nickajack Rd. in Walker County, GA to Cloudland Canyon State Park. The bikes will be used by rangers to patrol the trail.
~Mountain Beautiful Trail Closed on Lookout Mountain
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park announces the temporary closure of the Mountain Beautiful Trail for construction, effective January 18, 2010. The trail is expected to be re-opened in mid-April. The Mountain Beautiful Trail is located on the east side of Lookout Mountain, above the Hardy Trail near Scenic Highway. For more information contact Sam Weddle at (423) 752-5213x113.
State Acquires 10 More Miles for Cumberland Trail
Gov. Phil Bredesen and Dept. of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke announced today the closing of a land acquisition that will add more than 3,200 acres and 10 linear miles of trail to the Cumberland Trail State Park. The property on Graysville Mountain will allow the trail to expand between Dayton, in Rhea Co., and Sale Creek in Hamilton Co. The acquisition was funded through a variety of sources, including a grant from the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund, federal grants and private funds raised by the Cumberland Trail Conference. It includes a significant conservation easement put in place by the Land Trust for Tennessee.
EPA’s Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest
The Environmental Protection Agency, Generations United, the Dance Exchange, and the Rachel Carson Council, Inc., have announced a poetry, essay, photo and dance contest. Entries must be from a team of two or more persons, a young person and an older person. The creative work should express the "Sense of Wonder" that your team feels for the sea, the night sky, forests, birds, wildlife, and all that is beautiful to your eyes. Submissions are due June 16, 2010. Finalists will be selected by a panel of judges. Then the public will be asked to vote for their favorites in each category: photography, essay, poetry and dance. The winners will be posted on sponsor websites and announced in October.
Website of the Week
The TN Wildlife Resources Agency has launched their new “Watchable Wildlife” site. We like.
Last Week’s Website:
Totcycle offers ways to get everyone in the family out by bicycle. We love the video, “Why we Ride.”
Coming Up . . .
February
4 Winter Workshop – Backcountry Cuisine
11 Winter Workshop – Bike Mechanics 101
13 Cupid’s Chase 5K Run/Walk
Urban Bicycle Ride
Stringers Ridge Hike
“Kilowatt Ours” Educator Workshop at CNC
18 Winter Workshop – Tea, Cookies, and Catholes
20 Winter Mountain Blast Mtn. Bike Race
21 Southern 6 Trail Race
25 Winter Workshop – Misunderstood Creepie-Crawlies
27 Scenic City Half Marathon, 5K & Charity Challenge
March
4 Winter Workshop – Tree Identification
11 Winter Workshop – Introduction to Wooden Boat Building
15 Fall Creek Falls Thaw 15K
18 Winter Workshop – Knots you Need to Know
20/21 Waterfalls Weekend at Fall Creek Falls
25 Winter Workshop – Planning Overnight Adventures
27 Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race
65 Roses 5K & Great Strides Walk
April
10 Outdoor Expo and Gear Swap (NEW DATE!!)
10/11 Wildflower Pilgrimage at Fall Creek Falls
16/17 Star Party at Fall Creek Falls
17 Chickamauga Chase Road Race
25 Cohutta 100 Mountain Bike Race
May
1 3State/3Mountain Challenge
3 SERC Mountain Bike Race
22 Scenic City Trail Marathon and ½ Marathon
31 BlueCross Chattanooga Chase 8K & 1-Mile Walk
June
4-6 TVCC Paddle School
Rock Climbing Workshop at Fall Creek Falls
11/12 Astronomy Weekend at Fall Creek Falls
11-19 Bike to Riverbend
18-20 Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race
July
9/10 Astronomy Weekend at Fall Creek Falls
11 Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon
23-25 U.S. Nat. Dragon Boat Championships /Chattanooga Dragon Boat Fest.
August
1 Smoky Bear Birthday Party at Ocoee Whitewater Center
6/7 Astronomy Weekend at Fall Creek Falls
7 Greenway 5-Mile Trail Race
14 Missionary Ridge Road Race
16 Fall Creek Falls Triathlon
September
13 Black Bear Rampage
13-16 Pro-Walk/Pro-Bike
19 Mtn. Top Marathon, ½ Marathon & 5K
October
2 TN River Blueway Canoe and Kayak Race
Rock/Creek Stump Jump
Sequatchie Valley Century
Tennessee River Rescue
9 Chattanooga Head Race
23/24 Fall Colors Weekend at Fall Creek Falls
30 Wild Foods Day at Fall Creek Falls
November
6/7 Head of the Hooch
Rock Climbing Workshop at Fall Creek Falls
13 Upchuck 50K
Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon
14-17 20th American Trails National Symposium
December
4 Triple Crown Bouldering Comp. – Stone Fort
18 Lookout Mountain 100K/10K
