Outdoors Back to Nature

Summer is not my favorite season, but many families enjoy spending summer vacation in North Carolina’s Great Outdoors(from the Mountains to the Coast). It is a great time for a host of water activities: white water rafting/kayaking/tubing, water skiing, sailing, surfing, boogy boarding, fishing, canoeing, pleasure boating, etc… and North Carolina has some great recreational Streams, Rivers, Lakes, Sounds and Beaches. The word is Flounder fishing is still productive at Carolina Beach, the Cape Fear River, and Tubbs Inlet(southern coast). All the Piers on the southern coast are reporting decent catches of Sea Mullet, Pompano and Spots. The Oak Island & Topsail Island Piers are reporting decent catches of Spanish Mackerel. Specaled Trout fishing is improving in the southern portion of Cape Fear River, with the bonus of good Red Drum catches. The John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center (Lake Rim, Fayetteville, NC) is hosting two events in September. The first event is Ducks Unlimited’s David Varnedoe Greenwing Adventure on September 13th(2-5 pm). This is a fishing day for children under 17 yrs.old. The cost is $20.00/person, which includes: rod&reel, tackle, T-shirt, hat and 1 yr. membership in Ducks Unlimited Greenwing(call 910-237-5951). The 2nd event celebrates National Hunting & Fishing Day(September 26th). The NC Wildlife Resources Commission is sponsoring a Wildlife Expo. Families are invited to come learn about Wildife Conservation, with 14 exhibits and demonstrations and enjoy fishing at the old Hatchery. Call Kris Smith @ 910-868-5003, ext. 14.     
 

A little news for canoe and kayak enthusiests. The Sampson County Parks and Recreation and Friends of Sampson County Waterways are teaming up again to offer another Community Paddle Trip, on Sunday, September 13th. The trip will be on the South River, for more information call 910-299-0924. The Cape Fear River offers a decent whitewater trip(for the Peidmont) between Buckhorn Dam and Erwin. A good place to put in is the Ross Road Wildlife Ramp. The 7.9 mile trip starts off slow and speeds up several miles down stream with more rocks and faster current. The last 2miles are the most exciting, where the river drops 10 feet/mile and some ClassII rapids. Of course the Mountain Rivers offer big fun and challenges to more adventurous paddlers. Rivers of note are: French Broad, Nantahala and the New River(preported to be one of the oldest rivers in the World). The coast is also a fun place to KAYAK. On September 19th, the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation is offering kayaking trip to Zeke’s Island, which is close to Fort Fisher. Interested people ages 8 & up must pre-register by September 4th. The group will leave at 6:15 am and return around 7:00 pm. The cost is $45.00/person, which includes all equipment and transportation. For more information, call Lake Rim Park @ 424-6134.   

 This year is the 75th anniversary of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The park covers 520,000 acres on the mountainous border of North Carolina and Tennessee. It boasts one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth(designated an International Biosphere Reserve). A September 2nd ceremony at Newfound Gap will celebrate the park dedication by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The park offers over 800 miles of hiking trails including a long section of the famous Appalachian Trail. If you love camping, there are four different types of camping: Front Country(10 areas, near parking, bathrooms, fire grates & picnic tables); Back Country(17 sites,for back packers, shelters, reservations #865- 436-1297); Group Campgrounds(7 sites, tents only, reservations #877-444-6777) and Horse Camps(5 sites, reservations #877-444-6777). For people who want more amenities, they can hike 5-8 miles(depending on the route)to Le Conte Lodge, at the summit of Mount Le Conte(elev. 6,593 Ft.). For reservations call 865-429-5704.