October 14
posted October 14, 2008
This weekend is the busiest of the year. If you can’t find something to do outside, you are not paying attention. Watch that lightning bolt ~to see something new.
Pictures from a New Building
The plumbing and electric are in, and the insulation and vapor barriers are going up on the roof. The New Outdoor Chattanooga Center is taking shape. Check out the progress on our Picasa Web photo album.
Chickamauga Battlefield Bicycle Ride Oct. 18
Bring your bicycle and join Outdoor Chattanooga and Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park on Sat., Oct. 18, 9:30 a.m., at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitors’ Center for our last history tour by bike for 2008. The 7 to 10-mile bicycle ride will feature flat to moderately hilly terrain, last approximately three hours, and will be appropriate for adults and children ages eight and older when accompanied by an adult. All participants are required to wear helmets. Loaner bicycles from the Outdoor Chattanooga Bicycle Fleet will be available for riders 5’ tall and over. Reservations will be required for use of these bicycles by calling the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitors Center at (706) 866-9241.
~Touring Kayak Clinic Oct. 18
Outdoor Chattanooga OutVenture and the Tennessee Aquarium will host a touring kayak clinic on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Participants will learn proper paddling techniques, how to adjust, enter and exit a boat, safety guidelines and what to do if the boat turns over. The clinic is appropriate for adults and kids ages 14 and older when accompanied by an adult. Cost is $30 ($20 for Aquarium members) and class size is limited to 12. Call (423) 265-0698 to learn more.
Events
Child Health Week Family Park Day Oct. 17
To celebrate Governor Bredesen’s 2008 Child Health Week, the City of Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Department and Hamilton County will hold a Family Park Day on Friday, Oct. 17. The event will highlight healthy and fun activities in community parks. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Coolidge Park, activities will include group games and information booths. At Chester Frost Park, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., activities will include disc golf, fly casting, and orienteering. For more information, call or email Hamilton County Step One at (423) 209-8090.
Festival of Jack ‘O Lanterns at CNC Oct. 18-19
The Chattanooga Nature Center will celebrate their annual Festival of Jack ‘O Lanterns on Sat., Oct. 18, from 2 to 9 p.m., and Sun., Oct. 19, from 1 to 6 p.m. The festival features pumpkin carving, hay rides, a petting zoo, games, story telling in the tree house, live music, a fun house, and lots more. Cost is $12 for adults, $10 for children, $2 off admission for CNC members. Call (423) 821-1160 for more information.
TN Bouldering Authority Competition Oct. 18
The Tennessee Bouldering Authority will host the second in a series of American Bouldering Series competitions on Sat., Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Competitors will have the chance to be ranked regionally and nationally. For more information about the series, email Luis Rodriguez or call the TBA at (423) 822-6800.
The Signal Mtn. 10K Pie Run Oct. 18
This 10K run, hosted by the Chattanooga Track Club, goes along the rolling hills of Signal Mountain's East Brow. The event begins at 8 a.m. on Sat., Oct. 18 at the Signal Mtn. Middle School, 215 Ault Rd. The name comes from the homemade pies that are awarded to the winners of each age group and also as door prizes. Online registration for the Pie Run is open until 10 p.m. Oct. 16.
Chattanooga Flying Disc Club 2-State Race Oct. 18
The Chattanooga Flying Disc Club will host the 2-State Ace Race on Sat., Oct. 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tournament, which is open to only 45 participants, will take players to four regional disc golf courses. Interested disc golfers can register at the Grapevine, 2601 South Broad St. More information is available by calling (423) 266-2700.
YMCA Strong Adventure Race Oct. 18
The YMCA Strong Adventure Race will take place on Sat., Oct. 18, beginning at 9 a.m. at Camp Ocoee, in Ocoee, TN. The event features a 6-hour or 12-hour format for adults, and a 1-hour or 2-hour format for kids. Competition will include mountain biking, trail running, flat water paddling, orienteering points and some special surprises. The event benefits the North River Family YMCA & Aquatic Center's Strong Kids Campaign.
Fall Colors Weekend at Fall Creek Falls Oct. 18-19
Fall Creek Falls State Park will host bicycle rides, hikes, and other special fall activities during their annual fall colors weekend, Sat. and Sun., Oct. 18 and 19. Details about the event are available by calling the park at (423) 881-5298.
~Chattanooga Asthma Walk Oct. 23
The American Lung Association of the Midland States will host the Chattanooga Asthma Walk, at the Chattanooga Zoo, 110 McCallie Ave., on Thurs., Oct. 23, at 5:30 p.m. Individuals and teams can register to raise pledges for research and education for lunch disease. Day of registration begins at 5:30. The walk begins at 6:30.
~Wild Foods Day at Fall Creek Falls Oct. 25
Fall Creek Falls State Park will host special hikes, nature walks and activities on Wild Foods Day, Sat., Oct. 25, in Pikeville, TN. Activities will include field trips to identify edible wild plants and workshops on preparing wild meats and breads. The day will end with a wild feast. To learn more, call (423) 881-5298.
Adventures
Cumberland State Park Activities
The South Cumberland State Park in Monteagle, TN offers special hikes, seminars, and other activities every week. Visit the Friends of South Cumberland Park for a complete calendar.
Fall Creek Falls Events
Even though summer is over, Fall Creek Falls State Park keeps a full calendar of activities going during the weekends. If you haven’t been to Pikeville lately to check them out, you should.
~Open Gate Day at Lula Lake Oct. 25
The Lula Lake Land Trust will open their gates to the public on Sat., Oct. 25 for hiking, mountain biking, and picnicking, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The family dog is welcome as long as he’s on a leash.
News
~Pictures from Our Twilight Paddle
We had a sublime evening on the water last Friday, as we paddled around downtown Chattanooga at twilight for our last official BYO-Boat paddle for 2008.
~Bicycle Commuter Act Passes w/ Financial Bailout Package
Part of the $700 billion financial bailout package that Congress passed last week was the Bicycle Commuter Act, a federally-funded tax incentive program for employers to offer the same fringe benefits to bicycle commuters that are offered to transit commuters. Read a League of American Bicyclists FAQ’s page to learn more. The Act goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2009 as part of larger Renewable Energy Tax Credit Initiatives legislation.
~Teaching Garden Grants Available
Hamilton County Step ONE, in partnership with the Junior League of Chattanooga, will provide 10 grants for the establishment of teaching gardens throughout Hamilton County. The $1,000 grants are earmarked for churches, schools, social, community, and neighborhood organizations, to be used in planting and tending of community gardens. The teaching gardens are part of the Eat Smart Healthy Starts program, which addresses childhood obesity by encouraging families to make better food choices. Application deadline is Nov. 3. Email John Bilderback or call (423) 209-8090 for an application or to learn more.
~River Rescue Picks up Tons of Trash
Over a 1,000 volunteers picked up tons of trash on Saturday, Oct. 4, during the 20th annual Tennessee River Rescue. Just one of many cleanup sites was an illegal dump behind a night club on Bonny Oaks Drive. In the course of five hours, a group of six volunteers picked up hundreds of bottles, approximately 40 tires, numerous televisions, a living-room couch, packing material, mattresses, carpeting, and waste products of every description. See before and after pictures.
~TPL Needs $300,000 for Stringers Ridge
Last week, the Chattanooga City Council voted to grant the Trust for Public Land $150,000 toward the purchase of 92 acres on Stringers Ridge. The TPL is now seeking an additional $300,000 by Oct. 31 to continue their effort to turn the acreage into a nature park. To learn more, call (423) 265-5229.
~Stump Jump Raises $9,000 for Trail Building
The 8th annual Rock/Creek Stump Jump on Oct. 4 raised $9,000 dollars for local trails and trail building projects. The 50K and 11K trail race attracts cross country runners from all over the U.S. This year, funds raised from entry fees will go towards the Cumberland Trail Conference, the Run in the Boonies Trail Running Association, and the construction of a new cross country course for the Signal Mountain High School cross country team.
New Boat Launches on South Chick
Thanks to the City of Chattanooga and the TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation, there are now two new boat launches on South Chickamauga Creek. One is next to the S. Chick bridge on the Tennessee Riverpark. The other is on Old Harrison Pike, next to the Waterhaven subdivision. Find a map here. Happy paddling, everyone!
Volunteer Opportunities
BMTA Georgia Work Trip Oct. 25
The Benton MacKaye Trail Association will host a trail work trip on Sat., Oct. 25, beginning at 8 a.m., on sections of the trail near Bryson Gap. Volunteers will refresh some side-hilling and create water diversions. To volunteer or get more information, email Tom Keene.
~Reflection Riding and TRGT Singles Work Days
Reflection Riding Arboretum and Botanical Gardens will host a monthly workday for singles on Sat., Oct. 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. Trail or garden maintenance will be followed by light refreshments around the fire. The second singles work day will take place at Pot Point with the Tennessee River Gorge Trust on Sun., Nov. 23 from 2 to 5 p.m. Email or phone Sarah Quattrochi to reserve a spot at (423) 653-0091.
~Head of the Hooch Volunteers Oct. 30 – Nov. 2
The Head of the Hooch Rowing Regatta needs an army of volunteers to help with their annual event, beginning Thursday, Oct. 30 and continuing through Sunday, Nov. 2. Jobs to be filled include directing trailer parking, course installation, launch boat piloting, dock master, crowd control, and directing teams at the course put-ins and take-outs. Interested volunteers can email Ann Cater or call (423) 653-4504.
Website of the Week
TVA’s new environmental information center, which is staffed by TVA’s Office of Environment and Research, has been established to answer questions about topics like recreation, shoreline actions and issues, reservoir land plan information, permitting procedures, water quality, renewable energy, and other environmental issues.
Last Week’s Website:
October is the best time to go kayaking and canoeing on the rivers and creeks around Chattanooga. Before you go, however, know how to dress and how to assist you and your partners in rescues, should you wind up in the water. This series of articles from Paddling.net can help.
Coming Up . . .
November
1-2 Head of the Hooch Rowing Regatta
5 Chris Sharma at Rock/Creek
7 Bike2Work
7-9 TN Mountain Bike Summit at Fall Creek Falls
8-9 ~Backpacking Trip at Fall Creek Falls
8 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon & 10-Mile Race
9 Beginner Hike w/ Chattanooga Hiking Club
11 ~Bicycle Task Force Meeting
15 Upchuck 50K Trail Race
High Heel Race
27 Thanksgiving Dinner at Tennessee State Parks
29 Belch'n Turkey VI "Smashed Potatoes" Disc Golf Tournament
December
5 Bike2Work
6 Triple Crown Bouldering Competition
Beginner Hike w/ Chattanooga Hiking Club
~Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge by Kayak
13 Wauhatchie Trail Run
20 Lookout Mountain 100K & 10K Trail Race
2009 . . . What are you Doing?
Believe it or not, it’s time to find out what everyone’s doing in 2009. Send us your events, so we can get them on our calendar. ruth@outdoorchattanooga.com
January
February
March
April
4 ~Rock/Creek River Gorge Trail Race
18 ~Chattanooga Dragon Boat Races
May
2 ~3State/3Mountain Challenge
23 ~Scenic City Trail Marathon & ½ Marathon
June
19-21 ~Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race
July
12 ~BMW of Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon
August
8 ~Greenway 5-Mile Trail Race
October
3 ~Rock/Creek Stump Jump 50K
10 ~Chattanooga Head Race
November
14 ~Upchuck 50K Trail Race
December
19 ~Lookout 100K & 10K Trail Race
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