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• Land Navigation Clinic (August 22) in Roanoke.  The Odyssey Land Navigation Clinic will be beneficial to all outdoor enthusiasts! If you love the outdoors this clinic is for you! Learn how to explain different types of maps, how to use all the information on a topographical map, route finding skills and much more!
  
• Dressage Fun Day at Green Hill Park (August 22) in Salem.  Bring your horse and have a fun filled day at the Equestrian Center in Salem. Stalls are available - if needed - at $20 a stall.
• Microbrewer Tasting (August 22) in Downtown Blacksburg. Featuring several brews and barbecue. Brewers will be on hand to answer questions and talk about their products. $20. 2 to 6 p.m. Historic Smithfield, 1000 Smithfield Plantation Road, Blacksburg. 231-3947.
• Beach Bash Sip-N-Shag (August 22) at Smith Mountain Lake. Beach party music by Par Time Party Band, wine tasing, food, crafts, and more. 4 to 9 p.m. $15, advanced; $20, at the gate. Parkway Marine, Smith Mountain Lake. 586-9401.
  
• Xterra Triathlon (August 23) in Charlottesville. Swim 0.75 miles open water (lake), Bike 11.5 miles (trail), Run 4 miles (trail)
  
• For non-outdoor events visit
     

Pete's Pics

• Weekly happy hour float with Riders Up Outfitters on the James River
• Weekly bike rides throughout Roanoke & NRV Valleys
• Test Ride Bikes for Free (Demo Day) 8/30
• Veer The Movie (Taubman Museum) 9/11
• Conservation Celebration (Western VA Land Trust) 9/13
• Marine Corp 5K Mud Run September 19
• Trail Running Rampage at Douthat State Park 9/19
• Gauley Fest - worlds largest whitewater gathering 9/19
• World Carfree Day 9/22
• The Artie Levin Memorial Ride to benefit MS Society 9/26-27
• Big Lick Triathlon at Smith Mountain Lake 9/26
• Middle Mountain Mama Mtn. Bike Race at Douthat State Park 9/26
• Virginia 10-Miler 9/26
• Banff Radical Reels Film Festival & GET OUTSIDE Expo 9/30
• Poor Mountain Hill Climb 10/4
• Kid Bike Race (Bike Blast) 10/4
• Into The Darkness 4 Mile Trail Run (at night) 10/24
• Blue Ridge Marathon (full & half) April 24, 2010

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I bet you didn't know Roanoke has a Junior Cycling Team - neither did I until I met Wake Fulp!

Wake works at East Coasters Bike Shop and was inspirational in creating the Junior Cycling Team.  I think that it is businesses like East Coasters, groups like the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, and people like Wake that make our outdoor scene so great.
I asked Wake to share with me (and you) what the Junior Cycling Team is all about:


"In January of this year East Coasters Bicycles and the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club have partnered to form a Junior Cycling Team. The purpose of this team is to give youth an organized and viable outlet in which they can experience the joys of cycling here in the Roanoke Valley. We work with kids from the ages of 10 to 18, both boys and girls by providing weekly group rides that will accommodate any skill level..."

Read the full story on the Roanoke Outside Blog

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The American Running Association had these words to say about the Blue Ridge Marathon on the parkway:

"Several marathons entice you by claiming their race is the "Fastest qualifier for Boston" or the "Biggest Drop in altitude over 26.2 miles in the U.S."   Several marathons in the U.S. have taken that marketing slogan as a lure to bring in marathoners to their race.   Has it worked?   For Tucson (AZ) and Steamtown (PA)' marathon organizers, I am sure they would acknowledge that their marketing campaigns have succeeded.  Runners seeking PRs and Boston qualifiers have flocked to their locales.

The race committee in Roanoke Virginia has taken a different tack.   Their city and community are nestled in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains in Southwest Virginia.   It is considered one of the more beautiful spots in the U.S. to visit and for many to live.   The new marathon will embrace its local mountain chain and showcase one of the truly unique bi-ways in America, the Blue Ridge Parkway.   This two-lane interstate road traverses the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains beginning at the southern end of the Skyline Drive in Central Virginia all the way to the southwest North Carolina near Cherokee NC, a stretch of winding roads just over 460 miles in length.   The Blue Ridge Parkway was a public works project in the 1930s during the Great Depression.

Will marathoners flock to run either the Marathon or its planned half marathon in April 2010?   The challenge alone will attract attention and many dedicated runners.  There is risk in the planning a marathon that dares the slow runner to get in better shape and give this race a shot.  It is not always about being the fastest.  Roanoke's Blue Ridge Marathon will offer toughness, beauty and bragging rights.  That may be enough."


Visit the Blue Ridge Marathon website

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Here are a few outdoor social groups that allow you to meet other people and get outside!

• Meetup Roanoke Outdoor & Social Group this group seeks to bring together people from around Roanoke and the New River Valley who are interested in outdoor activities. They attract a wide variety of people with varying interests and experience levels and provide a mix of activities (hiking, backpacking, biking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, caving, etc.) that can be enjoyed by all. Events range from hikes to whitewater rafting to social mixers.
• Roanoke Cycling Organization, Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, and New River Bike Association are three great cycling groups to check out.
• The Creek Freaks is a local paddling club that does events throughout the year
• KIVA (Kids In the Valley Adventuring) is a group that helps families and kids connect with nature
  
• Roanoke Sunday Hiking Group (on Facebook only - request to join the group).This is a group formed by "people who don't have free time on Saturdays. We seek to create a group of friends who want to explore the world around us. Whether it is walking in the woods, cooking out, or visiting something new and exciting, we seek to do something other than just lay around on Sundays."
  

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Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine just launched its "Best of the Outdoors Ballot!" This is your chance to get the Roanoke Region of Virginia the recognition it deserves! Vote for your favorite swimming hole, best bike trail, favorite section of the AT, and more - VOTE NOW!

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Test Ride Road & Mtn. Bikes for Free! - Roanoke's Junior Cycling Team - 2nd Largest Conservation Easement in State History- Are You A Hardcore Women Hunter? - Trout Program Spawns in Classrooms - Mud Run! - Big Lick Triathlon - Roanoke City Adds 254 Acres to Park Land - & More!