Chattanooga Outdoors News and Events September 30

[Bob]

News and Events September 30
October is the busiest month of the year for outdoor events and
activities. The air is cool and the sun is warm. So what's keeping you
indoors? Watch that lightning bolt ~to see something new.

Pictures from a New Building
The new Outdoor Chattanooga Center is beginning to look like home. The
interior wall studs, plumbing and electric are going in. Check out the
progress on our Picasa Web photo album
picasaweb.google.com/outdoorchattanooga/OutdoorChattanoogaBuildi
ngUnderConstruction .

~Bike Polo Oct. 1
An informal bicycle polo pick-up game is being held every Wednesday
evening, at 6 p.m. at the Ross' Landing Green at the corner of
Riverfront Pkwy. and Chestnut St. The level of play is suitable for
anyone interested in trying bicycle polo. Players should bring bikes and
clothes that they don't mind getting dirty. Helmets are strongly
recommended. For more information, email Minya James
mailto:[e-mail] or call [phone].

Bike2Work Oct. 3
Gas prices are back up . . . if you can find the stuff. So what are you
waiting for? Join Chattanooga's bicycle commuters for coffee, breakfast,
and good conversation at Bike2Work www.bikechattanooga.org/ on
Friday, Oct. 3, from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the south end of the Walnut
Street Bridge in downtown Chattanooga. Come meet some folks who are
already pedaling to work. Email or call Chattanooga Bicycle Coordinator
Philip Pugliese mailto:[e-mail] at (423)
643-6887 for more information.

Save the Gorge Kayak Eco-Tour Oct. 5
Get out your kayak and join the ChattanoogaHasFun.com GreenTeam
chattanoogahasfun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsect
ion&id=25&Itemid=216 and River Canyon Adventures
www.rivercanyonadventures.com/ , as they host their first
kayaking eco-adventure on Sun., Oct. 5, at 11 a.m. in the Tennessee
River Gorge. River Canyon Adventures will provide kayaks for those who
do not have them, guides, and gear for participants to paddle through
the Gorge to collect trash. Chattanoogahasfun.com will provide lunch and
special volunteer t-shirts. Additional t-shirts will be available for
sale with all funds benefiting the Tennessee River Blueway
www.outdoorchattanooga.com/1314.htm . Sit-on-top Kayaks are
available on a first-come, first-served basis with reservation. Email
Rebecca Cruz mailto:[e-mail] to make a reservation
or learn more.

Beginner Hike at Chickamauga Battlefield Oct. 5
The Chattanooga Hiking Club hiking.chattanooga.net/ will once
again join Outdoor Chattanooga for a beginner day hike on Sunday, Oct.
5, 9 a.m., in the lower parking lot at Chickamauga Battlefield. Leader
Tony Cook will take hikers on a gentle 3-mile loop trail that runs
through the woods and fields of the national park. There will be several
rest stops along the way where participants will discuss historic
features, as well as hiking, exercise and nutrition. The hike is free,
but an RSVP is required. Email Outdoor Chattanooga
mailto:[e-mail] to make your reservation.

Events
Champion Duck Caller Buck Gardner at DU Banquet Oct. 2
World famous call-maker and duck hunter, Buck Gardner will be on-hand at
the Chattanooga Ducks Unlimited 2008 Fall Flight
chattanoogaducksunlimited.huntfishgrill.com/2008-Fall-Flight/Spe
cial-Guest-at-Fall-Flight.html banquet fundraiser on Thurs., October
2, at the First Tennessee Pavilion. Gardner won the 1994 World
Championship, and in 1995 he captured the ultimate duck calling trophy,
"Champion of Champions", which forced him into competition retirement.
He now participates as a judge in contests around the country. Banquet
tickets can be purchased online
www.ducksystem.com/cgibin/www.cgi?tp=IS&pg=SPW048X&ab=1&kp=TN000
82009001&ex=TICKETS at Chattanooga Ducks Unlimited.

~Tennessee River Rescue Oct. 4
Individual volunteers and community groups will spend Sat., Oct. 4, from
9 a.m. to 1 p.m., cleaning up trash from the Tennessee River watershed
during the 20th annual Tennessee River Rescue. It's not too late to
volunteer. Email the River Rescue
mailto:[e-mail] or call the Rescue hotline
at [phone] for more information.

~Tennessee Valley Start! Heart Walk Oct. 4
The American Heart Association will host the Tennessee Valley Start!
Heart walk on Sat., Oct. 4, from 9 to 11 a.m., to support the fight
against heart disease and stroke. The scenic 2.7-mile downtown walk will
take participants over the Tennessee River, into Coolidge Park, and end
at AT&T Field for post-walk festivities. The event is free. Participants
are asked to raise a minimum of $100 in pledges to receive an event
t-shirt. To learn more or register visit the Heart Walk home page
tnvalleyheartwalk.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=262895
&lis=1&kntae262895=E29300C7396249D6822FA45A2CD1517F .

Sequatchie Valley Century Oct. 4
Don't miss one of the prettiest supported rides in East Tennessee, when
the Chattanooga Bike Club hosts the Sequatchie Valley Century
www.chattbike.com/events/SeqVal/seqval.htm on Sat., Oct. 4,
beginning at 8 a.m. at Marion County High School, in Jasper, TN. The
event offers 100-mile, 64-mile, or a beautiful 25-mile valley ride. All
pre-registered participants receive a long-sleeve T-shirt. A post-ride
meal will be provided from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Online registration
www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1617736&assetId=f
b8ec8ce-13cc-4385-90e3-a699257d7310 is open until 9 p.m., Thursday,
Oct. 2.

Discraft Ace Race Oct. 4
The Chattanooga Flying Disc Club will host the 2008 Discraft Ace Race
www.titledisc.com/eventDisplay.php?eventid=361 at the Sinks
Disc Golf Course on Access Rd., Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. Each
pre-registered player will receive a players package including two
proto-type discs, a full color mini and a Discraft ball cap. Online
registration is open until 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2.

Walnut St. Bridge/North Shore Walking Tour Oct. 9
The Chattanooga History Center www.chattanoogahistory.com/
will present its third walking tour based on Maury Nicely's "Chattanooga
Walking Tour and Historic Guide" at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 9. The
History Center's Curator, Dr. Daryl Black will serve as tour guide.
Black will highlight Chattanooga's transportation and geographical
history as it pertains to the Walnut St. Bridge and North Shore. Cost is
$3 for adults and $1 for youth aged 6 through 18. Registration deadline
is Oct. 8. For more information, or to register, call [phone].

~Joe Johnson 10K Oct. 11
The Chattanooga Track Club www.chattanoogatrackclub.org/ will
host the Joe Johnson Mental Health 10K run on the roads of Moccasin Bend
on Sat., Oct. 11, beginning at 8 a.m. The course is a fairly flat, even
out and back on roads around Moccasin Bend National Park. Cost is $20
pre-registered, $25 the day of the race. A dowloadable race application
www.chattanoogatrackclub.org/races/applications/227.pdf is
available Online.

~Chattanooga Head Race Oct. 11
Rowing teams from regional colleges, high schools, and clubs will take
to the Tennessee River for the 16th annual Chattanooga Head Race
www.chattanoogaheadrace.com/ on Sat., Oct. 11 at Ross' Landing
in downtown Chattanooga. The 5,000-meter downriver race will take 2-man,
4-man, and 8-man rowing teams along Chattanooga's south shore and the
Tennessee Riverwalk. The event is free and open for spectators. Racing
begins at 9 a.m. and goes on all day.

~North Chick Family Reunion and Greenway Farm Festival Oct. 12
The North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy www.northchick.org/
will celebrate their 15th anniversary on Sat., Oct. 12, from 2-5 p.m.
with the North Chick Family Reunion and Greenway Farm Fall Festival at
Greenway Farm, in Hixson, TN. The event will feature free cake and ice
cream, live music, and outdoor fun. The reunion is co-hosted by Friends
of the Cumberland Trail www.friendsofthecumberlandtrail.org/
and Outdoor Chattanooga OutVenture
www.outdoorchattanooga.com/446.htm . Each visitor to the
festival is asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to
the Chattanooga Area Food Bank www.chattfoodbank.org/ . For
more information, call Susan Bryant or Larry Cook at [phone].

Adventures
~"Walk With Your Dog" Fitness Walk Every Tuesday through Nov. 18
Archer Physical Therapy www.archerpt.com/ will host a weekly
30-minute Walk with Your Dog every Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., weather
permitting, from Sept. 30 - Nov. 18. Bring comfortable walking shoes, a
6-foot leash, bags for poop clean-up, and water for you and your dog.
Walks begin at the Absolute FIT Fitness & Weight Management Center,
located just north of the Chickamauga Battlefield on Hwy. 27 at 3012
Lafayette Rd., in Fort Oglethorpe, GA. For more information, call (423)
693-5490.

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 www.friendsofscsra.org/activities.htm for a
complete calendar.

Open Gate Day at Lula Lake Oct. 4
The Lula Lake Land Trust www.lulalake.org/ will hold their
monthly open gate day on Sat., Oct 4. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public
is invited to hike, mountain bike, picnic, and even bring the family
dog, as long as he's kept on a leash.

News
~TN River Blueway Race Photos
Outdoor Chattanooga hosted the 2nd annual TN River Blueway Canoe and
Kayak Race on Sat., Sept. 20 at Ross' Landing. Check out race photos on
our Picasa Web photo album
picasaweb.google.com/outdoorchattanooga/TNRiverBluewayCanoeAndKa
yakRace and from race photographer Bob Edens
www.bobedens.com/2008/CanoeKayak2008/index.htm .

~T-shirts to Shopping Bags at Rock/Creek
Bring and old t-shirt to the Rock/Creek store
www.rockcreek.com/icebreaker/baggingcotton.asp on
Manufacturer's Rd., now through Oct. 31, and they'll turn it into a
reusable shopping bag, for free. On Oct. 3, noon-6 p.m., a seamstress
will be present at the store to convert t-shirts for the Rock/Creek
Stump Jump www.rockcreek.com/stumpjump/default.asp pre-race
fair.

~TN State Natural Areas Conference Oct. 14-17
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
www.state.tn.us/environment/ will host the 35th annual
Tennessee State Natural Areas Conference in Nashville, Oct. 14 - 17,
co-hosted by the Natural Areas Association www.naturalarea.org/
and the National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils
www.naeppc.org/ . The focus of the conference will be on
climate change and invasive species.

Registration Now Open for Chattanooga Dragon Boat Fest. April 18, 2009
Registration is now open for the 3rd annual Chattanooga Dragon Boat
Festival chatt.racedragonboats.com/ presented by General Shale
Brick, on Sat., Apr. 18, at TVA Chickamauga Reservation on Chickamauga
Lake. The festival will once again benefit the T.C. Thompson Children's
Hospital Foundation. Last year, 44 teams raised $113,000 for the
Foundation. To get a team in a boat or learn more about sponsorship,
contact Penny Behling mailto:[e-mail] at (877)
580-7223.

Classes and Clinics
~Street Smarts Oct. 11
On Sat., Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the downtown Development
Resource Center, Bike Chattanooga will offer their monthly Street Smarts
class www.bikechattanooga.org/CourseSchedule.html . The course
is a great resource for adults and teenagers who may be new to road
cycling, or who want to pull the bike out of the garage after a hiatus.
League of American Bicyclists www.bikeleague.org/ -certified
instructors teach cyclists the rules of the road in Tennessee, as well
as basic bicycle maintenance and how to handle on-road situations. More
information is available by emailing Philip Pugliese
mailto:[e-mail] or calling [phone].

Volunteer Opportunities
Rock Creek Stump Jump Oct. 4
Registration is closed, but volunteers are always needed for the annual
Rock/Creek Stump Jump www.rockcreek.com/stumpjump/default.asp
50K and 11-mile trail race on Saturday, Oct. 4, beginning at 8 a.m. The
event raises funds for the Cumberland Trail Conference. To learn more,
email race director Jamie Sanders mailto:[e-mail] .

~Cumberland Trail Conference Work Days Oct. 6 - Nov. 9 and College Week
Oct. 9 - 16
Volunteers are invited to join an AmeriCorps NCCC team for bridge
building in the Possum and Rock Creek Gorges with the Cumberland Trail
Conference www.cumberlandtrail.org/ , Oct. 6 - Nov. 9, and
during a special College Week, Oct. 9 - 16. Volunteers are needed to
pack in the bridge components, materials for bridge footings,
scaffolding, tools, and to participate in bridge construction. Food and
lodging will be provided at the Lutheran Camp located in Soddy-Daisy,
Tennessee. For more information, email CTC
mailto:[e-mail] or call [phone].

Website of the Week
Our friends at the Tennessee Clean Water Network www.tcwn.org/
came to help us with the TN River Blueway Canoe and Kayak Race. They're
doing great work for the water that we drink and play in.
Last Week's WebSite and Water Saver Tip:
The Tennessee River Rescue www.tennesseeriverrescue.com/ was
started by a small group of Chattanooga citizens who got fed up with
garbage in the river. The event has now grown to include hundreds of
volunteers, supported by dozens of organizations, collecting tons of
trash. To see about participating, as a group, individual, or sponsor,
email the River Rescue mailto:[e-mail] or
call the hotline at [phone].

Weekly Water Saver Tip
See above . . .

Coming Up . . .
October
18 Festival of Jack 'o Lanterns at Chattanooga Nature Center
www.chattanooganaturecenter.org/
Sublime in Art and Nature Scavenger Hunt - Greenway Farm
www.huntermuseum.org/
Signal Mountain Road Race
www.chattanoogatrackclub.org/
Battlefield Bicycle Ride www.outdoorchattanooga.com/

~Chattanooga Flying Disc Club 2-State Race
www.noogadiscgolf.com/
Toyota of Cleveland/YMCA Strong Adventure Race
www.strongadventurerace.com/
18-19 Fall Colors Weekend at Fall Creek Falls
www.fallcreekfalls.org/
23 Chattanooga Asthma Walk
www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=2038
25 Wild Foods Day at Fall Creek Falls
www.fallcreekfalls.org/

November
1-2 Head of the Hooch Rowing Regatta
www.headofthehooch.org/
5 ~Chris Sharma at Rock/Creek
blog.rockcreek.com/archives/chris_sharma_coming_to_rockcreek_nov
ember_5th.html
7 Bike2Work www.bikechattanooga.org/
7-9 ~TN Mountain Bike Summit at Fall Creek Falls
go.imba.com/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=103881&JServSessionIdr0
12=n00awklx83.app8b
8 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon & 10-Mile Race
www.chattanoogatrackclub.org/
9 Beginner Hike w/ Chattanooga Hiking Club
hiking.chattanooga.net/tentative.htm#current
15 ~Upchuck 50K Trail Race
www.rockcreek.com/upchuck/default.asp
~High Heel Race
www.chattanoogatrackclub.org/races.cfm?contentID=eventDetail&rec
id=348
27 Thanksgiving Dinner at Tennessee State Parks
www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/
29 ~Belch'n Turkey VI "Smashed Potatoes" Disc Golf Tournament
www.noogadiscgolf.com/

December
5 Bike2Work www.bikechattanooga.org/
6 Triple Crown Bouldering Competition
www.triplecrownbouldering.org/
Beginner Hike w/ Chattanooga Hiking Club
hiking.chattanooga.net/tentative.htm#current
13 Wauhatchie Trail Run www.chattanoogatrackclub.org/
20 Lookout Mountain 100K Trail Race
www.runintheboonies.org/

Ruth Thompson

Events Coordinator

Outdoor Chattanooga

1250 Market Street, Suite 1006

Chattanooga, TN 37402

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail] mailto:[e-mail]

www.outdoorchattanooga.com www.outdoorchattanooga.com/