outdoors
Freeze your icicle off at winter bike race
AT hikers to converge on Nantahala Gorge
Riders are invited to compete and spectators are invited to watch at the Icycle Mountain Bike Race at Fontana Village on Jan. 26. The seven-mile course consists of varied terrain with rocks, roots, creeks and open passing lanes that make up some of the most notable Western North Carolina singletrack. There will be two waves of cross-country racing, starting at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. followed by a nighttime downhill race beginning at “dark-thirty.” There will be an event after-party, awards and a bonfire. The race will have a variety of skill levels and ages. Entry fees for one event is $30 and $50 for two events. www.icyclerace.com.
Appalachian Trail hikers, wannabe hikers and fans will descend on the Nantahala Gorge this weekend for the annual Southern Ruck Gathering. The Appalachian Trail get-together will be held at the Nantahala Outdoor Center Jan. 18 through Jan. 21. Events include group hikes, an A.T. thru-hike preparation clinic, a women hikers chat with “whine, cheese and chocolate.” Trail gurus will give talks and host video presentations. A silent auction, raffle and gear swap will benefit the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association. www.soruck.net or hikertrash@gmail.com or 828.549.8820.
Fish for cash winnings in Cherokee Shiver
Smoky Mountain News
January 16-22, 2013
Thinking about an AT thru-hike?
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A free trail clinic for hikers planning to go the distance on the Appalachian Trail will be held at the Nantahala Outdoor Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 19, with a more expanded version being repreated from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 16. Former thru-hikers will help trail hopefuls prepare with the right type of gear, maps, packing tips and food and resupply planning. Bring your gear for a “pack shakedown” by the pros and get tips for lightening your load. lauren.dieterich@noc.com and 828.488.7244.
Take the 60-mile AT Challenge with Nantahala Hikers The Nantahala Hiking Club will lead a series of nine section hikes along the Appalachian Trail this year, covering all 60 miles of the A.T. that is maintained by trail volunteers with the club. The first hike is coming up Jan. 26 — a five-mile section between Rock Gap and Winding Stair Gap along the Appalachian Trail in Macon County. Since the A.T. is linear, the hikers will use the “key-swap” method, allowing them to do longer trail segments at a time without backtracking to their starting point. In a “key-swap” hike, two separate groups of hikers start at opposite trail heads and walk toward each other and swap car keys along the way so neither group has to backtrack. The club will start with the easier hikes first, allowing hikers to build themselves up and do some individual hiking preparation for the longer, tougher hikes toward the latter half of the year. To participate call 828.369.1983 by Jan. 25.
The Shiver in the River trout tournament will be held in Cherokee Feb. 1-3 with a shot at cash prizes for catching specially tagged fish. Hundreds of those specially tagged fish will be stocked in the
Cherokee public fishing waters. When a tagged fish is caught it can be redeemed for cash prizes ranging from $20 to $500, based on the color of the tag. The entry fee is $11 but there are $10,000 worth of tagged fish in the waters. Registration is necessary to participate. amy@cherokeesmokies.com or 828.497.6700.
Haywood soccer club ups the competition The Haywood County chapter of American Youth Soccer Organization has introduced two new tournament teams to the soccer line-up to meet demand from parents and players looking for a more competitive level of play. The teams were developed after tryouts this past fall. The result was an under-12-years-old girls team, the Haywood Hurricanes, and an under-14years-old co-gender team, the Thunderbolts. The all-girls team remained undefeated throughout the season while the Thunderbolts, who competed against all-boys teams, won a majority of their games. 828.454.0628.
Devil’s Courthouse logging proposal criticized by environmental groups
Proposed logging below Devil’s Courthouse in the Pisgah National Forest is being widely decried among outdoor recreation groups and environmental advocates. The towering rock spire of Devil’s Courthouse is one of the most popular and best overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway, straddling Haywood and Transylvania counties. The proposed logging would be visible from the top as well as impact popular hiking and biking trails. On top of impacting views and recreation, environmental groups claim endangered species could also be hurt by the logging. The forest service has attempted to dispel false visions of clearcut slopes below Devil’s Courthouse, however. Logging would be done on 472 acres — a small part of the more than 7,000-acre area on the southern slopes of the Parkway in Transylvania County. It would only consist of selective thinning, not clear-cutting. Thinning means loggers cut only large trees, leaving behind small and medium trees, which then have more room to grow. Oak trees in particular will be spared and allowed to grow bigger. Pockets of “young forest” within a more mature forest can also benefit certain species of wildlife. The selective logging is only one part of the overall forestry restoration of the area. The proposal also calls for: ■ Restoring native brook trout. ■ Removing invasive plant species. ■ Designating 127 new acres as official “old growth forest,” which protects it from ever being cut in the future. Micah McClure photo ■ Plant hybrid American Chestnut trees as part of long-range effort to return chestnut to Southern Appalachian forests. But the prospect of logging at all in this high-use recreation area and Parkway viewshed is being adamantly protested. Send public comments by Jan. 18 to comments-southern-north-carolina-pisgah-pisgah@fs.fed.us. Read the entire proposal at www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/?project=36287.
Global warming series aims to inspire change A six-week discussion course on climate change called “Global Warming: Changing Course” is being put on by the Western North Carolina Alliance Thursday evenings starting Jan. 24. Learn about the history and science of global warming, personal values and habits as they relate to climate change, and individual actions that can curb the effects of global warming. The course will also cover issues related to energy use and what individuals and communities interested in promoting energy sustainability can do. Held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Battery Park
Book Exchange and Champagne Bar in Asheville. $35 for WNCA members and $40 for non-members. Register by Jan. 18. 828.258.8737 or Rachel@wnca.org.
Get paid for your old refrigerator Duke Energy has launched a new program to pick up used refrigerators and freezers, providing customers across the Carolinas a convenient option for recycling outdated appliances The program targets older appliances typically kept in garages and basements for supplemental cold storage. The appliances must be in working
condition and between 10 and 30 cubic feet in size. A check for $30 will be given to participants. “The program is simple, easy and effective,” said John Langston, Duke Energy’s program manager. “We are focused on helping customers abandon as many of these energy-wasting appliances as we can. It will save our customers money, reduce energy demand and help preserve our country’s natural resources.” The technology inside older refrigerators and freezers is often so outdated it requires three times more electricity to operate compared to newer models. Unplugging these dinosaurs can save up to $150 annually on a customer’s energy bill. Call Duke at 855.398.6200 or visit dukeenergy.com/recycle to schedule a pick-up.