Outdoor Journal

Have life vest, can canoe: Kayaks and canoes are not exempt from North Carolina’s life-vest law. That’s the word from officers with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The law previously omitted canoes, kayaks (and rowboats, too) by focusing on motorboats. Now General Statute 15 NCAC 10F .0201 requires that all vessels be equipped with personal-flotation devices, particularly for passengers younger than 13.

All vessels are required to have at least one PFD (personal flotation device) for each person onboard.

For more recreational-boating information, visit www.ncwildlife.org or call (919) 707-0031.

The Olympics never end: Cheer up, Olympic dreamers. There’s another Olympiad coming, and it’s a lot closer than China.

The fourth annual Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad, Sept. 4 to 7 at Lake Lure, offers more than 20 competitive activities for all ages and ability levels. Dragon-boat racing and a cheerleading clinic are new events this year, and a former event—the opening-night run—has been revived.

The Olympiad’s opening ceremony on Sept. 5 starts at 6 p.m. with a show by the Lake Lure Ski Club, followed by a 1-mile family fun run and the 5-Mile Dam Run, which start at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit www.hickorynutolympiad.com or call 429-9011.

Pedaling to fun: Asheville on Bikes will host the bicycle corral at the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival on Sunday, Sept. 7. The ardent cyclists need volunteers and happy pedalers. If you’re interested in lending a hand to make Asheville an even better place to ride, contact ashevilleonbikes@gmail.com.

Asheville on Bikes is an advocacy group focused on advancing Asheville’s urban-bicycle culture.

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About Margaret Williams
Editor Margaret Williams first wrote for Xpress in 1994. An Alabama native, she has lived in Western North Carolina since 1987 and completed her Masters of Liberal Arts & Sciences from UNC-Asheville in 2016. Follow me @mvwilliams

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