Tapping into the great outdoors

Spring recreation programs capitalize on warmer weather and open air

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
March 8, 2021

A Jan. 22 hike to Rattlesnake Mountain in Ridgecrest was part of the Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department Cabin Fever Defeater series. The department is offering five hikes as part of its Spring Ascension series. Photo courtesy of BMRP

As winter gives way to spring, temperatures begin their gradual rise, days get longer and more people emerge from their homes to soak up the sun. 

The season calls to people with a sense of adventure and yearning for the outdoors, and a variety of upcoming programs from Black Mountain Recreation and Parks are intended to tap into that spirit. 

Limits on public gatherings brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year created a need for new programming that allowed for social distance and open air. A variety of hikes, bike rides and river cleanups introduced by the town were well-received, according to recreation coordinator Clint Bowman. 

“We wanted to find ways to safely engage the community outdoors,” Bowman said of the 31 outdoor programs the department began introducing in August of 2020. “We limited the number of participants, which allowed us to keep everyone at a safe distance, and offered a chance for people to get outdoors in a safe, controlled manner.”

The department led 15 hikes, all within an hour of Black Mountain and many to view waterfalls, according to Bowman. 

“Every hike was different,” he said. “Some of that we were able to do through great partnerships with Ridgecrest, whose trails are normally closed to the public, but gave us permission to lead hikes on them. Christmount, which has a great trail system, introduced a new pass program, which requires a day pass or annual pass to use the trails. We partnered with them for a group pass, so whoever hikes with us there is covered on our pass for the year.”

A series of guided bike rides around Black Mountain emerged as a favorite in the fall and an indoor rock climbing program, introduced through a partnership with the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, attracted participants of all skill levels seeking a warm activity through the winter months. 

Public interest in hiking, biking and rock climbing drove the department to launch the 2021 Spring Ascension Series. The program, which requires participants to register in advance on the department’s website, consists of five hikes, two bike rides and a pair of outdoor rock climbing sessions. 

“We have essentially started an outdoor sector within our department since COVID-19 happened,” Bowman said. “This gives us an opportunity to get people exploring outdoors and discover places they might not have known about that are essentially in their backyard.”

Rock climbing events require a $12 registration fee to cover the use of the facility, while hikes and bike rides are free of charge.  

Indoor rock climbing, available through a partnership with the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, was a popular Black Mountain Recreation and Parks program in the winter. Outdoor rock climbing is one of the programs offered through the department’s Spring Ascension series. Photo courtesy of BMRP

The department has worked to introduce a new outdoor program every season since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Bowman. Regular river bank cleanups, which coordinate teams of volunteers to collect and remove debris around local waterways, have allowed socialization in a safe outdoor setting while serving the community. 

One of the largest litter sweeps conducted through the program brought approximately 15 volunteers from Warren Wilson College to the banks of the Swannanoa River in Riverwalk Park last October. Another group of volunteers returned to the site for a cleanup in late January and removed nearly a dozen bags of additional waste. 

The town has scheduled three similar initiatives this spring focusing on different sections of waterways in Veterans Park, the Flat Creek Greenway and Riverwalk Park. Volunteers can register on the BMRP website.

“Volunteers really get into this program,” Bowman said. “Obviously, the people who sign up want to do something good for the environment and community, and that really comes through in the energy of these groups. We collect a lot of trash, and people enjoy being a part of it.” 

River cleanups organized through the Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department have removed dozens of bags of litter from area waterways with the help of community volunteers. The department will host similar events at Veterans Park, the Flat Creek Greenway and Riverwalk Park this spring. Photo courtesy of BMRP

The popularity of disc golf was on the rise long before the onset of the pandemic, so as the need to expand outdoor recreation opportunities grew, the town launched its disc golf youth league in the fall. When play resumes for the spring season, Wednesday, March 24, the league will return with the addition of two new courses. 

“When we started this league in the fall we held all of the events at Veterans Park,” Bowman said. “This spring it will be split up into age divisions, but each week, through local partnerships, we’ll alternate sites between Veterans Park, Ridgecrest and YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly.”

Registration for the Youth Disc Golf League is $25 per child and currently available on the department’s website. Divisions are grouped by age, beginning at U11 for children ages 9 and 10.

“There are still plenty of slots left, but the younger divisions are filling up quickly,” Bowman said. 

Rounds are scored each week and the winners of each division are determined at the end of the season. All participants receive discs at the conclusion of the season and winners earn a trophy. 

The spring also marks the return of a long-established partnership between the recreation department and the Black Mountain Tennis Association, which facilitates youth tennis clinics at the Cragmont Park courts. Registration for the weekly sessions costs $30 and opened March 8. Instruction begins Tuesday, April 6 for 12 and under and Thursday, April 8 for 14 and under.

Adult tennis through the BMTA will resume for the spring season on Wednesday evenings from April 7 - May 12. For more information contact the tennis association.

To register for programs through the Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department, click here.