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Outdoor Chattanooga News & Events January 2018
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Outdoor Chattanooga's newsletter highlights the awesome outdoor activities happening in and around Chattanooga that will connect you to the outdoors and inspire you to come out and play with us!
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Outdoor Chattanooga Events
Cumberland Trail Hiking Series
Begins: Saturday, January 13 to December 1, 2018
Outdoor Chattanooga
can help you fulfill your new year's resolution to hike more in 2018 with our new
Cumberland Trail Hiking Series
.
The
Cumberland Trail
(CT)
is a scenic footpath along the eastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau that begins on Signal Mountain in Chattanooga's backyard.
We want to connect you with this scenic trail, provide hands on experience to learn and improve hiking/backpacking skills, while encouraging stewardship of Chattanooga's local trails by offering 12 different short section hikes (4-7 miles each) throughout the year, including half-day hikes and equipped overnight backpacking adventures. On these guided hikes, we'll e
xplore unique geological formations, seasonal flora and fauna, trek over creeks and suspended bridges to the tops of ridges with waterfalls and scenic overlooks all while teaching you how to make hiking/backpacking more comfortable and enjoyable. We've carefully selected the one-way hikes to be mostly downhill and will provide a shuttle.
Need more incentive to hike? Participants
who hike with us will earn credit toward the
50 miler award
from the Cumberland Trail Conference.
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The guided hiking series begins January 13 and concludes on December 1, 2018. Registration is required in advance as space is limited.
Half day hikes are free. It's $65 per person for equipped overnight backpacking adventures. All details will be given to participants upon registration.
The CT is a remote trail over rugged terrain. We ask participants to have some hiking experience and be in good physical shape to hike 4-7 miles continuously on sections rated as moderately strenuous. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a participating parent or responsible adult.
For more info, click here or
email Outdoor Chattanooga or call (423) 643-6888.
Winter Workshop Series: Wilderness First Aid
Thursday, January 18th and 25th 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Outdoor Chattanooga's
Winter Workshop Series returns in 2018 to offer a series of classroom based, outdoor education and skill building workshops that are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. Reservations or experience NOT required to attend.
We start the series with a 2-part introduction to Wilderness First Aid on Jan. 18 and 25th (
**Non-certification course**). Wilderness first aid training prepares you for how to handle emergencies in the woods until you can get to definitive care. **These workshops are not for certification, but do offer insightful discussions for training and practice purposes.
Jan. 18 - Part 1: Participants will gain a better understanding on how to assess, treat, and contain emergencies related to soft tissue injury, fractures, trauma and building splints. Jan. 25 - Part 2: will cover emergencies related to environmental disasters, exposure, survival hacks, and hypothermia. Come for one or both. For more info email Outdoor Chattanooga or call 423.643.6888 to learn more.
Additional Winter Workshops occur Thursdays, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Feb. 1st through March 1st at
Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St.
in Coolidge Park. Click here to learn more.
Winter Workshop Series: Fishing 101
Thursday, February 1st 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Take your knowledge of fishing beyond a worm and cane pole in this beginner's basic class taught by the fishing experts at Bass Pro Shops. This workshop will dive into the different types of lines and lures, how the seasons and weather can change your fishing experience, and the ethics of fishing. No experience necessary, just an interest in learning more about casting a line and a lure into any of the streams, rivers or lakes that surround the Scenic City.
Click here to learn more. (RSVP not required to attend.)
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Community Events
First Day Hikes at Tennessee State Parks
Thursday, January 1st locations and times vary
Lookout Wild Film Festival
Thursday, January 18 to Sunday, January 21 times vary
For six yea
rs the
Lookout Wild Film Festival
(LWFF) has brought the best outdoor adventure and conservation films from around the world to Chattanooga for one awesome weekend. Enjoy compelling on-screen stories that celebrate wild places and the people they inspire alongside hundreds of other adventure enthusiasts from around the Southeast. The 50+ official LWFF 2018 selections feature Antarctic mountain climbing, rafting through the Grand Canyon, Himalayan honey harvests and more!
Purchase tickets here
and get inspired for your next outdoor adventure!
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In the News
How a midsize city became a mecca for recreation and conservation
December 24th, 2017
by Mark Pace
in Local Regional News
Read Time: 10 mins.
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Local Outdoor Adventure
New Year + New Way to Travel = New Adventures!
We've discovered a new way to get to and from some of our favorite local outdoor spaces and activities, all while saving money and reducing our carbon footprint. Similar to the Chattanooga Bike Share system, the
Green Commuter is a vehicle share system, but instead of relying on pedal-power to get around town, it's fueled by electricity. Chattanooga is the
first and only mid-sized city in the country to offer such a program.
About The Green Commuter Program
The
Green Commuter is a fully automated car share program that gives members 24/7 access to a network of electric vehicles. Members can rent a Nissan Leaf by the hour or by the day, paying only for the time they use.
Green Commuter pays for the electricity, insurance, parking, and maintenance of the cars, which makes car sharing a great alternative to car ownership, and can save thousands of dollars a year. Another benefit, e
ach car offsets the same amount of carbon as 100 trees per year.
How to Get Started
Must be 18+ years old and meet the membership requirements. Register online and pay a $25 non-refundable application fee. For a limited time, Green Commuter is offering a $30 driving credit for new registrations to use for future trips. Once your membership is active, you can start reserving vehicles through the smartphone app and hit the road! The hourly rate is $7/hour or $45/day.
Making Something Good Even Better
We loved the idea of using an all electric vehicle to go outside and play, but we couldn't take our gear with us. Being genuine problem solvers and doers of good, it didn't take us long to figure out how to make something good even better! We recently outfitted one of the cars with a roof rack, complete with a bike carrier, so now you/we can take our gear to the local trailheads and boat launches in full eco-friendly mode and get our play on!
Where to Go Play
The electric vehicles can travel up to 85 miles on one charge, which means we can't wander too far from home, but that's okay, because Chattanooga has plenty to do within a 30 minute drive from downtown. Here's a few of our recommendations. Better yet, come in to Outdoor Chattanooga and ask us for our recommendations in person, maybe get driving directions and/or pick up a trail map. We might even help you get loaded up and make your first reservation with "Philip" so you can try this months local adventure!
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Mountain Bike
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Paddle
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Climb
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Other Considerations
Your cell phone is your key to unlock/lock and start/stop the car; be sure to take your phone charger with you. If your cell phone goes dead, you're stranded. And if you find you've wandered too far from home and are running low on fuel, you can find charge points through this site.
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Looking Ahead...Upcoming Events
February
March
April
May
June
September
Find more community events here.
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