Come out to James Island County Park and immerse yourself in a full weekend of the history, technique, hands-on experience, and fun of canoeing and kayaking. The East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival includes lectures, on-water classes, and demonstrations directed to the novice and the experienced paddler.

The heart of the festival is 4 classrooms run simultaneously throughout the 3-day event. Refine your skills in a master class presented by many of the leading experts in the paddling world. Learn new strokes, rescues, or rolls with expert instruction . Meet other knowledgeable paddle sport enthusiasts.

Dozens of commercial exhibitors Including Outdoor Research will be on-hand to give you a chance to try before you buy. At the East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival, you will be able to test boats, paddles, and accessories on the water at the festival site. You will also have the opportunity to speak with equipment designers and manufacturers throughout the weekend.

For more information please visit:

http://www.ccprc.com/index.aspx?nid=472

NORTH AMERICAN TELEMARK ORGANIZATION
36th annual Telemark Festival
MARCH 12 & 13, 2011

Mad River Glen Ski Area, Waitsfiled, VT

Lift Tickets  *  Information  *  Registration
8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. daily  Top floor of Base Lodge.

PURCHASE OF THE TELEMARK FESTIVAL LIFT TICKTET INCLUDES ACCESS TO ALL FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES.

For more information please visit:

http://www.telemarknato.com/festival.html

The 5th annual Smuggs Ice Bash – the local’s ice climbing festival at the foot of Smuggler’s Notch. We are working out the details of this year’s Bash, be prepared for some great clinics, a wicked slide show by Ian Osteyee, and an indoor drytooling comp at Petra Cliffs on Friday night!!

The main venue this year will be at the Smuggler’s Notch Inn, right in the village of Jeffersonville. There are rooms available upstairs, a great pub downstairs, and all the vendors in the middle. Mention the Ice Bash for a room discount. The Brewski Pub and Grill has again offered FREE CAMPING out back, with showers!

Form more details go to:

http://www.sunriseadventuresports.com/ice_bash_page.html

Join the 13th Annual Catskill Ice Festival, January 21, 22, 23, 24, 2011.

Last year was again great fun. This year again will have multiple clinics on all the skills and techniques you need to get out on ice – from basic skills, to dry-tooling, to glacier travel techniques.

Slide shows on Friday & Saturday evening featuring ice climbing in the Catskills, and a special show by Jim Shimberg on Saturday. Slide shows will be held at Rock and Snow at 8pm.

Get more details at

http://www.alpineendeavors.com/schedule_events/catskill_icefestival.html

The 15th annual Adirondack International Mountainfest takes place January 14-16, 2011. This year’s event will kick off with a slide show by Freddie Wilkinson on Friday night. Saturday’s speaker will be renowned Exum guide and mountaineer Mark Newcomb, and Sunday’s entertainment is Vermont’s star climber and OR Ambassador Matt McCormick. Freddie, Mark and Matt will join local guides Chuck Boyd, OR Ambassador Emilie Drinkwater , Jeremy Haas, Carl Heilman, Matt Horner, Chad Kennedy, Colin Loher, Don Mellor and Jim Pitarresi to lead instructional clinics on ice climbing, mountaineering, snowshoeing and avalanche awareness on Saturday and Sunday.

More information on this event including the clinic schedule and pricing can be found at http://mountaineer.com/?page_id=83

The 18th Annual Ice Fest 2011
Friday, Saturday and Sunday February 4,5,6
Come join us for the 2011 Mount Washington Valley Ice Festival!
We’re hosting a long, fun filled weekend of ice climbing, mountaineering programs and skill clinics for all ability levels. There will also be gear demo programs (gloves, gaiters, and outerwear from OR), celebrity slideshows, and apres-climb parties. This years guest Guides and Instructors TBA.

The 2010 Nor’easter The Nor’easter, powered by Eastern Mountain Sports is a 3 day festival of Sport, Music and Conservation located deep in the heart of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. With a unique and eclectic mix of artists on the Nor’easter Main Stage, sports for everyone from top athletes to the very beginner just looking to get your feet wet, a conservation village supporting everyone who makes outdoor recreation possible, an innovation village with the future technology of outdoor gear on display, onsite camping and much, much more. The Nor’easter is a one of a kind festival and is not to be missed.

OR will be located in the vendor Village on Friday and Saturday. We will have a few of our Connectors competing in the Unified Bouldering Championships with DJ/ Connector, Tim Keenan on the scene. Stop by the OR booth to sign up for our raffle and get a chance to win a new piece of of gear!

The Charlotte Sailing Center

The old Mainer expression goes “ya can’t get they-ah from hee-ah”. This applied in more ways than one to my journey across New England. There isn’t a direct route anywhere in the northeast, but particularly not from anywhere on the New Hampshire seacoast going inland. Indirect highways that go north to go south and dirt roads labeled as state highways are what we crusty New Englanders use to get around. The other part of my traveling adventure was that the only major bridge crossing the Lake Champlain Region from VT to NY has been out of commission. I was left with no other choice but to take the road, or should I say ferry, less traveled and to be delivered not only across the water but to another state via boat. Having seen the boat symbol in the list of directions I was more than dubious. Generally speaking these ferries don’t run through the winter, but because of the amount of people needing to travel through this region, the ferries were running from Charlotte, VT to Essex, NY and for free because of the bridge’s demise.

My ride!

Cold winter crossing with a first-class view

As I headed south on Route 22, I couldn’t help but feel I had been taken back in time to when things were simpler, sturdier, and in their own way, more refined. From here it was a series of “state highway routes” (more like muddy, snowy, narrow dirt roads) and finally back onto pavement as I entered the Adirondack Park.

Historic house on the Exeter Side

Although I was very happy to be back in my old stomping grounds, I couldn’t wait for my journey back to the seacoast and the ferry again. There isn’t any substitute for being humbled by familiar surroundings that turn up an unexpected adventure.