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PETE'S PICKS
 You've spent countless hours enjoying the more than 600 miles of hiking trails in and around the Roanoke Region, but how many hours have you volunteered to help keep the trails in optimal condition?
Join outdoor enthusiasts this Sunday for a few hours of trail work. From 9 a.m.-1 p.m. volunteers will be working on the Four Gorges Trail at Carvins Cove. All tools, snacks, and water are provided ... just show up wearing sturdy shoes.Pack a picnic dinner and when you're done, head to the Roanoke Mountain Campground. Every Sunday throughout the summer you'll be treated to an hour of free local music (7-8 p.m.). Enjoy your picnic while listening to some great music, then let your food digest as you stroll along the Chestnut Ridge Loop Trail.
Get Outside!
Pete Eshelman
Director of Outdoor Branding
Roanoke Regional Partnership
  
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STAND UP PADDLE BOARD RACE & DEMO
 All rise ... and paddle.
Back Country Ski & Sports and Franklin County Parks and Recreation have teamed up to host the first Smith Mountain Lake Stand Up Paddle Board Race and Demo later this month at Smith Mountain Lake Community Park in Moneta.
The June 30 race will get underway at 9:30 a.m. with awards to be handed out at noon. For those who don't want to race, a paddle board demo will take place from 12:30 to 3 p.m., with vendors on site to answer questions and talk about the equipment.
The entry fee is $10 (and includes a t-shirt). The race is 3 miles long, with divisions for youth (age 15 and under), men, women, men over age 50, and women over age 50.
Register for the race at Back Country's Salem or Blacksburg location or print and return your entry form (and fee) to Franklin County Parks and Rec.
The demo is free and you do not have to register ... just show up!
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RUN DAILY AND RUN HAPPY IS FOCUS OF NEW BOOK
 Roanoker Judy Mick has gotten in a run every day since 1985 - every single day. Now she is sharing her story and tips with other runners in her book, "Runner for Life: Stories and Running Tips from the Streaking Runner." Mick also maintains a blog, where she details how she became the "streaking runner," namely because she has not missed a day of running since Nov. 20, 1985. Mick runs about 30 miles per week, depending on her training schedule, and tries to get in five to six marathons or half-marathons each year. She estimates that almost all of her runs, give or take 15 to 20 days each year, are outside. Mick's book though is about much more than her streak. She can be an inspiration for runners of any age or experience level. You can find Mick's book at Amazon.com, read more on her blog, The Streaking Runner, and sign up for her newsletter that includes even more tips. Continue reading about Roanoke runner Judy Mick and check out some of her running tips >>>
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COOL GEAR: REAR-VIEW BIKE CAMERA
By Stephen Regenold for Gear Junkie Dork factor or smart safety device? Like an automobile backup camera, the Owl 360 gives a small screen and a rear-facing lens to let a bike rider peek down and see an approaching car whizzing up from behind on a busy road. Announced at the Interbike trade show last fall, the Owl unit is just now coming to market at $199.
The company markets it as a replacement to a mirror setup or to the old-fashioned "craning your neck" technique to look back. It's sold as "the first rear-view camera and screen that can be easily mounted to any bicycle."
The camera system is "weather-resistant" and rugged enough for normal riding. (I.e., don't plan on taking it for anything serious off-road.) Its battery is rechargeable and lasts for 10 hours of use.
In addition, there are flashing LEDs on the camera, making the unit do double duty for adding visibility as you ride and letting you see what's coming up from behind.
Continue reading and see more photos of the Owl 360 >>>
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HIKING MAKES YOU SMARTER
by Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan for Backpacker Magazine
For a neuroscience lab, it sure is cold. Maybe 20 degrees or so, judging by the sting on my exposed cheeks. Indeed, an observer would be hard-pressed to see any traditional research going on here. There's not a single white coat, MRI, or PET scanner to be found. I don't have a sensor stuck to my scalp. Instead, I'm snuggled in a sleeping bag, surrounded by sagebrush and willow deep within a red-rock maze of hulking sandstone cliffs. But science will be done. It's my fourth morning in the wild, and I'm supposed to take a cognitive test that's part of a groundbreaking research project. And I will, as soon as my fingers thaw enough to grip a pen.
The sunrise colors the Ancient Puebloan ruin to the east, and I hunker down in my bag, waiting for the rays to reach my tent. When they do, I unzip the door so I can see the warming sky and unfold the test. Behind me, assorted rustlings and yawns tell me that my five campmates are doing the same thing. The six of us represent the very first step in a cognitive pilot study aimed at exploring one question: Does backpacking make you smarter?
Continue reading to find the answer >>>
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UPCOMING EVENTS TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON
Visit The RoanokeOutside.com Calendar of Events for details on these upcoming events!
- Moomaw Madness Sprint Triathlon - 6/23
- Eastern Divide Ultra Trail Marathon - 6/23
- Mountain Junkies Fat 5 Endurance Race - 6/30
- Stand Up Paddleboard Race & Demo - 6/30
- Four on the 4th - 7/4
- Star Gazing - Globulars Galore! - 7/14
- Art Market at the Vinton Farmers' Market - 7/14
- Blue Ridge Wildlfower Society Field Trip: Blooms & Butterflies - 7/14
- Alleghany Gran Fondo Cycling Festival - 7/14
- 3rd Annual New River Paddle Fishing Tournament - 7/21
- FloydFest 11 - 7/26-29
- Shake, Bake & Sprout at the Vinton Farmers' Market - 7/28
- Touch A Truck - 7/28
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Roanoke Regional Partnership · 111 Franklin Plaza, Suite 333 · Roanoke, VA 24011540.343.1550 X 104 · www.roanoke.org
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Thursday Night Ladies' Ride
