Hundreds of mountain bikers will descend on the frozen trails of Fontana next weekend to brave the signature winter race: the Icycle Mountain Bike Event at Fontana Village Resort on Jan. 24. Racers will cover a 7-mile single-track course featuring rocks, roots, creeks and wideopen passing lanes — and likely some ice on the trail. For those up to the extra challenge, a nighttime downhill race will be held in the dark, but helmet lights are mandatory. The first race, the Icycle Cross Country Lemans, begins at 11 a.m., with sport, big bike and beginner categories. Expert and singlespeed categories will race at 1 p.m. The heartstopping downhill race will start at 5:30 p.m. Registration information is online at www.active.com by searching “Fontana Dam.” www.fontanavillage.com. Donated photo
Smokies makes must-see list of World Heritage sites
someone’s pets? How often does that happen? One out of a thousand, one out of 10,000, one out of what?” he asked. When incidents occur between hunting dogs and backcountry users out in the middle of the woods, whose story is the one that flies? Who’s to say who growled at who first, who instigated the fight? “I don’t think we should be held responsible for another dog that maybe just jumped on mine and he’s just fighting back,” Messer said. Besides, bear hunters are a responsible kind of folk. Bear hunting is more than just “turning your dogs loose in the woods and jumping on anything you come across,” he said. Hunters walk the woods and let the dogs loose when they come across a bear, then the dogs get to doing the thing that they love to do. When they’re done doing it, they’re ready to go home and take a nap. That said, Messer made clear, “My dog bites you, you don’t have to worry about it anyway. I’ll put him to sleep.” “Most hunters, I’d say 99.9 percent of all hunters, take care of their dogs and if anything happens they’ll be responsible for their own dog,” he added. Given that, Messer favors the personal responsibility form of dog regulation. Hunters, by and large, will do the right thing, but they should also be allowed the freedom to practice their hobby during the scant days of the year when they’re allowed to do so. In the western part of the state, the
2014-15 bear season only lasts from Oct. 13, when the attack happened, until Nov. 22. The season opens up one more time from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1. Those few weeks of sport are a window of time that sportsmen pay dearly to participate in, Messer said, though acknowledging that hunters are able to take their dogs on training runs beginning August 15 and can legally continue through March 15. “She’s got all that time to let her dogs run loose in the woods that she does for free, where I’ve got to pay for mine,” Messer said. Big game stamps, hunting licenses, yearround food and training for the dogs … it all adds up to thousands of dollars. “I’ve never kept track of it because I’m afraid to,” Messer said. “It’s a hobby that we got, and an expensive hobby, and we get dogs hurt too.” Anderson, however, is still working to right what she sees as an injustice. With the legislative session starting up this month, she’s hoping for some tangible progress in the near future. And then, a return to North Carolina to replace her last memory of the mountains with something better. “It’s a beautiful place, and also I feel like I need to go back and look at it from a different perspective,” she said, “but I can tell you I will have pepper spray and probably a firearm.” A link to Anderson’s www.change.org petition is online at www.facebook.com/justiceforkadie.
Frosty Foot race kicks off from Tsali The Frosty Foot Race will return to Tsali Recreation Area on Saturday, Jan. 17 this year, offering grueling foot races of 30 and 50 kilometers. Racers will enjoy a scenic, rolling course but
Sapphire Valley Ski Area is now open, thanks to chilly temperatures and round-theclock snowmaking. In addition to the typical skiing, snowboarding and tubing runs, a new zip line canopy challenge course premiers this year, the Vordach Zip Line Canopy Challenge Course. The small ski area is located on the border of Jackson and Transylvania counties near Cashiers. Skiers and snowboarders can make runs Fridays noon to 8 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Mondays 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Snow tubing hours are the same barring a 10 a.m. opening Saturdays and Sundays. Hours are subject to change depending on the weather. 828.743.7663 or www.skisapphirevalley.com.
Smoky Mountain News
sites’ significance and interesting facts about them. World Heritage Sites are areas that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, has determined to possess outstanding global value to humanity for their exceptional cultural and natural importance. www.nps.gov/nr/travel/worldheritagesites.
Sapphire Valley Ski finally gets cranking for season
January 14-20, 2015
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is part of a new online travel itinerary from the National Park Service that highlights the 22 World Heritage Sites in the United States. The listings, which include such diverse areas as Yellowstone National Park, Independence Hall in Philadelphia and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico, feature background information on these
should be prepared to be self-sufficient through its duration. The race makes a circuit on the trails at Tsali, known for its mountain biking. The entry charge is $1 per kilometer, with all participants receiving a custom race running beanie and 50K runners scoring a pair of arm sleeves. Foot Rx Asheville organizes the event. www.footrxasheville.com.
outdoors
Fontana bike races offer icy adrenaline
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