New Wave Shaper completed at the Nantahala Outdoor Centerpiece

After a monthlong construction process, Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) has finally completed installation of a world class wave shaper into the river. The river’s newest addition was created for the Kayaking World Championship which will come to Nantahala in September 2013.

The first group to break ground on the 2013 World Championship competition site will include the President and CEO of NOC, Sutton Bacon, teamed up with NOC Founder Payson Kennedy, Endless River Adventures Founder Juliet Kastorff, among others.

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At this deer camp at Hurricane Creek in Standing Indian, the structure is put up and taken down for deer season.

The hunters, mostly from Cherokee County, said they have been camping here for about 30 years and has become somewhat of a tradition.

Every year a little something gets added to it.

MedWest Health System is presenting the course “Wilderness Emergency and Survival Awareness” Saturday, Dec. 10, at the MedWest Health & Fitness Center in Clyde.

The course provides an overview of what can go wrong in the back woods and how to do deal with it. Instructor is David Bradley, who has more than 20 years of experience in outdoor emergency response, first aid, survival training and instruction. The course is appropriate for anyone who spends time outdoors for recreation or work.

Topics to be covered include snake bites, large animal attacks, extreme heat and cold conditions, high altitude illness, transports and evacuation procedures, insect stings and bites, survival of natural disasters, aquatic animal stings and bites, and infectious diseases.

Add a little outdoor-joy to the holiday season with a guided hike of the Mingus Creek Trail, followed by a trip to the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center for some Great Smoky Mountain history and holiday shopping. Friends of the Smokies members receive 15% percent off purchases—so bring your boots, your membership card and your wallet!

On Tuesday, Dec. 6, hiking enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein (Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Heritage) will lead this fourmile hike along the Mingus Creek Trail, interpreting the historic Mingus Mill, the Mingus family cemetery and a slave cemetery. The hike is easy to moderate in difficulty, has a total elevation gain of 700 ft. Hikers will also visit the nearby Oconaluftee Visitor Center, featuring interactive exhibits that tell the cultural history of life in the Smokies. The Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop within the Visitors Center features local foods, T-shirts, calendars and other fun gifts to help the Park and add a little Smoky Mountain cheer to your family and friends’ holiday celebrations.