Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 28, 1994 TAG: 9411290055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Bikers this weekend have the opportunity to ride a scenic blacktop loop one day then tackle off-road terrain the next, thanks to the variety of the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club's ride schedule.
The 16-mile loop is scheduled Saturday in scenic Catawba Valley, where the terrain is rolling and there is one significant hill. Participants are asked to meet 10 a.m. at the Catawba Recreation Center. The leader is Jore Nash, 989-7514.
On Sunday, riders switch to their mountain bikes for a technical ride in the Jennings Creek area of the Jefferson National Forest. This is an advanced, 20-mile ride, led by Bob Renaud, 992-4416. Meet 9:30 a.m. at Arcadia.
7 - Skiers talk about weather
The December meeting of the Roanoke Ski Club will feature a program with an enticing title : "Skiing and Weather."
Maybe that should have been "Skiing and the Lack of Weather." November has been so balmy that ski resorts in the Southeast are well behind last year's early season pace. Snowshoe-Silver Creek finally fired up its snow guns last week, for a Thanksgiving Day opening. That was twelve days later than last year.
So now is a good time to talk about the weather and skiing, how good it was last year, and what might be expected following this year's sluggish start. The meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood. There is no charge, and guests are welcome.
11 - Archers aim at Christmas joy
It has been almost three months since the Sherwood Archers have had an organized shoot at their range near Hanging Rock. For good reason. Many members have been spending their free time hunting.
But on Dec. 11 they will come out of the woods for the annual Toys for Tots Shoot. The entry fee is an unwrapped toy, which will be donated to a needy youngster. The shoot starts 1 p.m. at the club's indoor range.
For additional information, contact Steve Smith, the club's vice president, 345-4945.
17 - Counting birds at Christmas
Birders in the Roanoke Valley, and across the continent, will be afield for the annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. It is the premier birding event of the year, made even more special locally by the "Woodpecker Stew" served by the Roanoke Valley Bird Club.
The club traditionally has three counts: the Roanoke count, Dec. 17; the Fincastle count, Dec. 18; and the Peaks of Otter count, Dec. 20
The "Woodpecker Stew" will be served following the Fincastle count at Berry Kinzie's house on Woodpecker Ridge.
Peggy Spiegel is a source of information on the counts. Contact her at For the Birds, 345-9393. If you want to be part of the Fincastle count, and the stew, contact Kathy Summers, 890-4984, until Dec. 4, then Kinzie, 992-2743, after that. Don't ask how many woodpeckers it takes to make a stew.
18 - Why not go take a hike
You still have Christmas shopping to do, so what? An afternoon hike in the woods is far more refreshing than a walk in a shopping mall. And less crowded, too.
Even on McAfee Knob, which can have mall-like mobs in October. But they are gone by December. In fact, now is an excellent time to savor the area's premier hike.
You can do that with good companions by going to the knob with members of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club. The club has a hike scheduled Dec. 18. Meet 1 p.m. at the Orange Market in Hanging Rock. The leaders are Linda Akers, 384-6429, and Marge Griffith, 774-0693. It is a seven-mile round trip that is rated moderate.
19 - Don't overlook striped bass
Most anglers are aware of the the magnificent recovery of striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay, but few, other than old-timers, know about the late-season ocean run.
"If you look back traditionally, the majority of our catches came from an area called Smith Island Flat of the Eastern Shore," said Claude Bain, director of the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament.
The ocean fishing season opens Dec. 19, which is the day after the bay season closes. It offers an opportunity to catch big stripers that migrate down from New England.
Sure, the weather can be nasty, but the action takes place only about a half-mile run off the shore. It can make a great Christmas to New Year's outing, Bain said.
by CNB