Most involve a short hike, followed by a little talk, maybe another short hike a little more talk. They are not strenuous. They will, however, get you moving.  And if they get you moving to the point you want to move more, I’ve included an option for doing that as well. Events are free unless otherwise noted.

For even more events, visit the state Office of Environmental Education web site.

Friday

Star gazing at the Boulders
Crowders Mountain State Park
Kings Mountain (Charlotte area)
8 p.m.

Doesn’t the weekend technically begin at 5 on Fridays? Which slips this event at the lone bouldering area in the state parks system under the deadline. Meet at the parking area, take a short hike (bring a flashlight or headlamp for the hike out) and check out the constellations.
Move more: You’ll have to come back Saturday to check out Buzzards Roost, where climbing on low rocks without anchors and other protection is allowed. Also: the 6.2-mile Ridgeline Trail, which will take you northeast to King’s Pinnacle, southwest into South Carolina.
Directions here, more info here.

Saturday

2010 Piedmont Earth Fair
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem
10 a.m.-5 p.m.

There’s no specific physical component to this event (although there are directions for biking to the fair), but you’ll easily put on some miles visiting the 100-plus exhibitors and teaching tents, rambling over to hear the live music (six bands representing everything from Old Time music to “Appalachian Punk”) and checking out the kids exhibits. And yes, while there’s the temptation of food, “The food vendors at the Fair are trying to use as much local produce as possible …” which should translate to fresher and healthier than normal fair fare.
Move more: Stay longer.
Directions here, more info here.

Hike to Sandy Cliff Overlook
Lake James State Park
Nebo
10 a.m.

What better incentive to hike than a vista at trail’s end? This half-mile hike (one mile roundtrip). A ranger shows you the way and shares insights about the lake.
Move more: Lake James has two longer trails, the 1.5-mile Lake Channel Overlook Trail and the 2.2-mile Den Loop Trail.
Directions here, more info here.

Nature Journal Hike — Spring Animal Tracks
Lake Waccamaw State Park
Lake Waccamaw
2 p.m.

The chance to record what you find in the wild — another good incentive that might take your mind off a potentially hot, potentially sweaty hike. Focus of this month’s monthly journal hike is on animal tracks.
Move more: Nothing makes an aspiring walker feel better than racking up the miles, and nowhere is it easier to rack them up than on flat trails, such as the 3/4-mile Sand Ridge Nature Loop, the 2.5-mile Pine Woods Trail or the mile-long Loblolly Loop.
Directions here, more info here.

Environmental Education Week Nature Hike
Mount Mitchell State Park
Burnsville
2 p.m.

In contrast to racking up the flat miles, there’s a certain cache in being able to say you climbed the highest peak east of South Dakota’s Black Hills, something you can say that after attending this 1.5-mile hike on the crest of the mighty Black Mountains.
Move more: Definitely don’t visit Mount Mitchell without heading out on the Black Mountain Crest Trail to 6,637-foot-foot Mount Craig and 6,568-foot Big Tom (the view from which can be seen above). They aren’t far, less than two miles, but it’s challenging hiking.
Directions here, more info here.

Wildflower Walk
Reedy Creek Nature Center
Charlotte
1 p.m.

Pretty things — another reason to hike. Take a “liesurely walk” with a naturalist and discover the story behind all those wildflowers poking through the forest floor.
Move more: In addition to nature, you’ll find an 18-hole disc golf course, two volleyball courts, a basketball court, a playground and swing garden, two softball fields, a soccer field — if you can’t find a reason to move more here, you aren’t looking hard enough.
Directions here, more info here.

Celebrate Earth Day: Get Your Green On
White Deer Park
Garner
9 a.m.-3 p.m.

One of the newest parks around (it opened in November), there’s lots to do here to celebrate Earth Day. Then, play on the new playground, or walk the greenway,  or — just go here to see some of your options.
Move more: Did you watch the video?
Directions here, more info here.

Sunday

Spring Tree ID, Ribbet-ing Frog Calls
Cliffs of the Neuse State Park
Seven Springs
1 p.m., 4 p.m.

Older nature lovers will like the short hike to check out the trees in bloom this spring and for the younger ones who appear glued to the video screen it’s hard to resist the prospect of tromping around in a creek and getting muddy.
Move more: Four hiking trails, all less than a mile, snake out from the parking area.
Directions here,  more info here.

High Shoals Falls.

The 10 Essentials
South Mountains State Park
Connelly Springs (south of Morganton)
2 p.m.

Afraid to go on even a short hike in the woods because you don’t know what to take and how to dress? Learn the 10 essentials from a ranger, then …
Move more: South Mountains is covered with trails; test your mettle on the High Shoals Falls Loop, which goes up and around an 80-foot waterfall. Lots of climbing but you won’t feel a thing thanks to the scenery.
Directions here, more info here.

Roland Smith

Smith’s adventures are born from a childhood of adventure, a childhood that was typical of most kids growing up in the 1950s. Smith grew up in Portland, Ore., walked most places, rode his bike when he wanted to explore farther than he could walk. At age 5, his parents gave him a typewriter; he quickly became taken by the “the sound and the look of the letters on the crisp white paper.” As an English major at Portland State University, he took a part-time job at the local children’s zoo. His work there would continued for 20 years and play a key role in informing his writing: Many of his novels involve the search for “cryptids,” critters such as Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster that are thought to exist, but haven’t been scientifically verified. His work has won a host of awards, most recently the 2009 National Parenting Publications Award and this year’s North Carolina School Media Association Young Adult Book Award.

Smith is in North Carolina this week to discuss his work at local schools, as well as at two public appearances (details follow the interview). We caught up with Smith at the small farm he shares with his wife, Marie, south of Portland to discuss his work.

GGNC: How did your childhood inform your writing? Were you like a particular character of yours? Or perhaps a composite?

Roland Smith: All the characters in my novels are composites.  They are made up of people I know, people I’ve read about, my imagination, and there is a small/large dose of me in all of the characters.  I think my main characters are idealized images of myself…meaning they are people that I would have ‘liked’ to have been when I was that age.

GGNC:I’m curious about how you come up with ideas for your books. Take “Peak,” for instance: A story in the current “Outside” magazine addresses the race to put the youngest climber atop Mt. Everest. Is this where the idea for Peak came from?

RS: The old adage “Write what you Know” is a misnomer.  I think you write about what is important to you, what interests you.  In the case of “Peak,” I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by mountains.  In my youth I was a climber, but not a high-altitude climber.  Years ago I saw an interview on television with a woman who was attempting to summit Everest for the third time (she failed the two previous attempts).  At the end of the interview the interviewer pointed out that she was a single mother of a 5-year-old daughter.  He asked her what she had done for her daughter in the event that she died on Mt. Everest.  The woman responded that she had written her daughter some letters.

This might have been one of the most outrageous responses I’ve ever heard.  I don’t know if the woman made it to the top or not, but if she died I’m sure her daughter would have much rather had her mother than a pile of letters.

I think climbing is a wonderful sport and that it can be done perfectly safely if you climb at the right time of year with the right gear.  The problem with Everest is that you don’t know how your body is going to respond to the rigors of oxygen deprivation.  And you cannot control the weather.  One of these conditions can kill you very quickly regardless of your conditioning.    Thousands of people have gotten to the summit of Mt. Everest.  Over 500 people made it to the top last year spending tens of thousand of dollars and weeks to get there.  And for what?  I guess so they can tell people they’ve been to the top, or for the egocentric satisfaction of telling themselves that they’ve reached the summit.

I understand why Sherpa’s climb.  They are at least supporting their families by doing so.  I think this might be worth the risk.  And to a much lesser extent I understand why expedition leaders climb.  They too are making a living.  But why do the “clients” do this?  In “Peak” I wanted to take a look at the “dark” side of Everest.  Most novels for young adults (and adults) are about conquering the mountain.  My novel examines the commercialization of the mountain.

GGNC: “Peak” is a good example for explaining how you research your books. Your account of the ascent is as vivid as any I’ve read from people who have actually been on the mountain. To what lengths did you go to create such an authentic, you-are-there feel?

RS: Again, I used to be a climber, but high-altitude climbing is very different than the sport I participated in.  I read dozens of books about climbing Everest. I know a few people who have reached the summit.  The trick with Peak was to use the climbing nomenclature so people who climbed knew that I knew what I was talking about, but not so much jargon as to detract from the story.  It took me a couple years to do the research and write the novel).

GGNC: How did your fascination with cryptids come about? And this is an obvious question, but I’ll ask anyway: How do you see these creatures as an effective way to pull kids into your stories?

RS: I grew up in Big Foot country. When I was young everyone was seeing Sasquatch in the PNW.  I even tried to catch one in my backyard (in the city) by digging a deep pit.  I caught my mother.  (A scene that I use in “Cryptid Hunters”.)
When I was growing up we believed in everything. Young people are a lot more skeptical these days. Looking for cryptids is not as much about the creature as it is about the journey.  If you aren’t out looking you can’t discover anything.
I was an endangered species conservation biologist for over a decade.  When I write about cryptids I’m really writing about endangered species. If one were to actually exist it would be one of the most endangered species on the planet. Using cryptids gives me an intriguing way to talk about conservation and endangered species biology).

GGNC: Do you have any personal cryptid experience?

RS: No.

GGNC: Your kid characters have great insight into how their parents and other adults think. How does that help in luring young readers into your stories?

RS: My characters are a lot brighter than I was at their age.  One of the interesting things about YA literature is that we have to get rid of the parents so our young protagonists can resolve their problems on their own and become the heroes of the stories.  In real life, if a young person has a problem they should it to take it to their parents and the parent’s resolve the problem. Of course this doesn’t work in fiction.  The stories would be about six pages long.  Therefore I (and all other YA authors) have to think of ways to get the parents out of the picture, or story).

GGNC: When we were kids, our parents would tell us to go outside in the morning and not come back until dinner. Today, parents are loathe to let their kids out of their eyesight. Is one of your goals to rekindle that sense of exploration and discovery, even if it’s looking for crawdads under a river rock and not Sasquatch in a lava tube?

RS: I was raised in the 50s.  The television was black and white [and had three channels].  I lived in Portland, but I never took a bus to school.  I walked or rode my bike, a three-mile round trip.  When I got home we played outside until dinner.  After dinner we played outside until dark.  On weekends we rode our bikes for miles, played with friends.  The “neighborhood” watched out for us.  We didn’t have fast food.  The closest burger place to us was four miles away.  If my parents decided to treat us to burgers we rode our bikes to the burger joint and rode back with our baskets filled with burger, shakes, and fries.  Like I said earlier it’s a different world now.  We didn’t wear seatbelts.  Our parents smoked and drank and all their friends smoked and drank.  I survived.  I didn’t feel as if I were in any danger because this is how we lived.  If we went on a long bike ride and something happened like a flat tire, we’d knock on the nearest door, and perfect strangers would let us use their phones to call home, or they would fix the flat tire, or they would throw the bike into the trunk and drive us home.

GGNC: You have a good kid perspective. How are you able to think young?

RS: I have children and grandchildren.  I don’t consciously try to get into the minds of my young readers. I don’t over-think the process.  I suppose I do pay close attention to people around me, but I’m not really aware of that, either. I just try to write the best novel I can by paying very close attention to the characters in that novel.

GGNC: What’s the main thing you hope to convey to young readers through your books?

RS: When I write a book I’m trying to create readers.  Being a reader is what made me what I am today. I can’t tell you how many gratifying emails I’ve gotten from parents and teachers saying:  “Bobby or Sue weren’t readers until they read your book.  Now they read everything.”  That’s the best reward and “award” there is.

Where he’ll be

Roland Smith will discuss his book at two events, both in Apex:

• Wednesday, 7 p.m., All Booked Up Bookstore, 104B North Salem St., Apex. 919.412.3135.
• Thursday, 6 p.m., Eva Perry Regional Library, 2100 Shepherd’s Vineyard Dr. 919.387.2100.

Weight training-related injuries up If you use free weights don’t drop them, especially on yourself. A just-released study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital finds that injuries from weight training increased nearly 50 percent between 1990 and 2007, largely the result of males dropping weights on themselves. The study, to be published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, found that of the 970,000 weight training-related injuries recorded during that 18-year span, 82 percent were suffered by males, 47 percent by lifters age 13 to 24. Ninety percent of the injuries involved free weights, 65 percent involved the lifter dropping said free weight on their person. Read more in this Science Daily post. (Similarly, injuries from rock climbing and the use of ladders and hot tubs were also up.

Soccer reduces risk of falls and bone fractures Playing soccer is good for a host of reasons you might not have suspected, according to the current Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. Research in these articles shows that playing soccer regularly can, according to a report at ScienceDaily.com, increase “both bone mass and bone density, cause a significant improvement in standing postural balance and improve muscle strength. Together, these effects reduce the risk of falls and bone fractures.” Read more here.

The 10-course Last Supper The more recently the Last Supper is depicted, the bigger the meal becomes, according to an analysis of 52 of the most famous paintings of the Last Supper from the book Last Supper. Analysis done by Brian Wansink, John S Dyson Professor of Marketing and of Applied Economics and director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, and his brother Craig, professor of religious studies at Virginia Wesleyan College, reveals that the more recent the painting, the more food on the plates (not to mention that the plates themselves are two-thirds bigger). Specifically, the entrees were 69 percent bigger and the bread portions 23 percent bigger. The paintings analyzed span 1,000 years. Read more here.

1. Paddle at Merchant’s Millpond

Merchant’s Millpond may be man made, but after 190 years the millpond has shed most signs of its civilized past. Today, the 760-acre millpond is much more coastal swamp than center of commerce. The pond’s dark, acidic waters meander through a forest of bald cypress and tupelo gums dripping with Spanish moss. Cooters, snapping turtles. water snakes and a host of vocal frogs add to this aquatic adventure, which is as easy as plunking down $5 for a canoe (for the first hour, $3 each additional hour). Easy paddling, no previous experience in a boat required.

More info, call (252) 357-1191 or go here.

2. Hike the Blue Ridge Parkway

The 469-mile scenic parkway connecting the Shenandoah’s in Virginia with the Smokies in North Carolina is known as a motorist’s dream. But there are hundreds of miles of hiking trail just off the parkway that offer the same guarantee of scenic satisfaction. A favorite trail: Bluff Mountain in the Doughton Park area. This 7.5-mile trail never wanders far from the parkway, yet it manages to escort you far from civilization. Start at Brinegar Cabin, a restored home from 1880s, hike through a mature white pine stand, stand atop Wildcat Rocks and check out the old Caudill Cabin far below and von Trapp your way through a high mountain meadow on your way to Bluff Mountain.

More info, go here.

3. Pedal the Railroad Grade Road

The Blue Ridge Brutal is a 100-mile bike race over some of the most brutal climbs in mountains of northwestern North Carolina. But there’s a 10-mile stretch of the BRB that even a tot on training wheels could do: Railroad Grade Road. This retired two-lane paved blacktop parallels the New River offering lots of scenery for precious little sweat. The road runs between Fleetwood and Todd, and runs atop an old railroad grade. Pick up the trail in Todd just off N.C. 194 (park at the Todd General Store, look for the red caboose near the church for the trailhead) or in Fleetwood off N.C. 221 just past the Fleetwood School.

4. Paddle the French Broad

Think of paddling in the mountains and you think of whitewater. Yet one of the most placid, peaceful stretches of river in the state is the headwaters of the French Broad near Rosman. Put in at Headwaters Outfitters on U.S. 64 and take a 3-, 4- or 7-hour paddle down the cozy French Broad. Need a canoe? Headwaters can put you in one, starting at $35 for the 3-hour trip. Shuttle service available if you have your own boat.

More info, call 828.877.3106 or go here.

5. Visit a theme park

A theme park? Isn’t this column about people power, not people being powered? Indeed, which is why this theme park — the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte (pictured) — is the perfect place to burn calories. Mountain bike on 14 miles of singletrack trail, take a leisurely paddle on the Catawba River, take a non-leisurely paddle on class II-IV rapids at the center’s man-made water park, climb at the massive man-made outdoor climbing center (including a 46-foot spire), take a hike or run on 14 miles of trail. Do it all for a $49 one-day pass ($29 for the 4-10 set); less expensive passes available for individual activities.

More info, call 704.391.3900 or go here.

If you aren’t familiar with Banff, it’s the Sundance of extreme adventure cinema. This year’s festival ran eight days at The Banff Centre and showcased the cream of the 277 videos submitted from 28 countries. The cream of those selected to run at Banff will appear at the North Carolia showings, which are part of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour.

Most of the films are short, 10 minutes or less in some instances. “MedeoZ,” for instance, is a six-minute film about photographer/mountain climber Tony Lamiche’s effort to catch climbing, skiing, snowboarding, speed riding, paragliding and BASE jumping in one shot. Some stories take longer to tell. “Take a Seat” is the story of Dominic Gill’s two-year, 20,000-mile ride on a tandem from  the northern coast of Alaska to the tip of South America. That film is 46 minutes.

Enough yakking. Here’s where the tour will show in North Carolina, followed by quick synopses of those films and, where available, links to trailers (be sure to check out the trailers). For a quick overview of the festival, check out this 6 minute, 29 second video — and be sure to stick around until the end.

The towns

Boone
March 26, 27
NC Farthing Auditorium, Appalachian State University
Films showing: Revolution One, Mont-Blanc Speed Flying, Take a Seat, Azazel, Signatures: Canvas of Snow, Rowing the Atlantic, Project Megawoosh, MedeoZ, Finding Farley, Kranked: Revovle, African Revolutions Tour, Deep/Shinsetsu, First Ascent: Alone on the Wall.
Info & tickets: Outdoor Programs, Appalachian State University, 828.262.2475.

Brevard
March 19, 20

NC Porter Center, Brevard College

Films showing: March 19: MedeoZ, Deep/Shinsetsu, Take a Seat, Azazel, Kranked – Revolve, Revolution One, First Ascent: Alone on the Wall. March 20: Hunlen, Finding Farley, First Ascent: The Impossible Climb, Signatures: Canvas of Snow, Project Megawoosh.
Info & tickets: 828.884.8330, djurenja@brevard.edu

Charlotte
March 24

U.S. National Whitewater Center

Films showing: Africa Revolutions Tour, First Ascent: Alone on the Wall, Deep/Shinsetsu, Pick-up Sticks, Take a Seat, Project Megawoosh, Kranked: Revolve.

Info & tickets: 704.391.3900

High Point
March 28

Sponsored by REI – Greensboro, showing at High Point Theatre.

Films showing: Africa Revolution Tour, Take a Seat, Alone on the Wall, Pick-up Sticks, Rowing the Atlantic, Kranked-Revolve, Project Megawoosh

Info & tickets: 336.323.3117

The films

Africa Revolutions Tour
USA, 2009, 20 minutes
Director: Rush Sturges
A group of friends kayaks across Africa, enduring crocs on the White Nile and executing big-water first descents along the way.
Take a peek here.

Azazel
France, 2007, 22 minutes
Director: Guillaume Broust
Four friends set out to open a route up the Trango Pulpit, a 6,000-metre tower in Pakistan. Pictured at top.

Deep/Shinsetsu
Japan, 2009, 3 minutes
Director: Masaki Sekiguchi
Skiing powder, deep powder, in Japan.
Take a peek here.

Finding Farley
Canada, 2009, 63 minutes
Director: Leanne Allison
Filmmakers Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison, their 2-year-old son Zev and dog Willow trek, sail, poratage and paddle their way across Canada to retrace the literary footsteps of Farley Mowat. Winner of Banff’s Grand Prize Award and People’s Choice Award.
Take a peek here.

First Ascent: Alone on the Wall
USA, 2009, 24 minutes
Directors: Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen
Free climbing Yosemite’s Half Dome.
Take a peek here (of the First Ascent series).

Kranked: Revolve
Canada, 2009, 11 minutes
Director: Bjørn Enga
A highlight reel of dirt jump, trail, freeride, slopestyle and downhill. (Warning: coarse language.)
Take a peek here.

MedeoZ
France, 2008, 6 minutes
Director: Guillaume Broust
Photographer/mountain climber Tony Lamiche tries to orchestrate climbing, skiing, snowboarding, speed riding, paragliding and BASE jumping in one shot.
Take a peek here.

Mont-Blanc Speed Flying
France, 2008, 10 minutes
Director: Didier Lafond
Speed riding — that’s people launching off mountains in flying squirrel suits — in one take, from the upper slopes of Mont Blanc down to Chamonix, the crazysport capital of the world.

Pick-up Sticks
Canada, 2009, 9 minutes
Director: Julia Szucs.
A look at the effects of climate change on an Arctic seabird colony.
Take a peek here.

Project Megawoosh
Germany, 2009, 4 minutes
Director: Minh Duong
German engineering at its finest. (Just watch the clip.)
Take a peek here.

Revolution One
USA, 2009, 10 minutes
Director: Dan Heaton.
Offroad unicycling. Need we say more?
Take a peek here.

Rowing the Atlantic
USA, 2009, 26 minutes
Director: JB Benna.
What happens when a management consultant spends 11 years inside a London cubicle? She rows a boat across the Atlantic.
Take a peek here.

Signatures: Canvas of Snow
USA, 2009, 16 minutes
Director: Nick Waggoner
A thoughtful, nontestosterone-injected look at skiing, snowboarding and noboarding in Japan.
Take a peek here.

Take a Seat
UK, 2009, 46 minutes
Directors: Ed Stobart, Dominic Gill
Chronicles Dominic Gill’s two-year, 20,000-mile tandem bike ride from the north coast of Alaska to the tip of South America. (Note: The advisory warns that there’s nudity; the clip shows a butt-naked Gill skinny dipping. Not sure if that’s the extent of skin in this film).
Take a peek here.

Here are five videos I found when the boss wasn’t looking that may inspire you.

“It’s a Mountain Bike Thing,” Vesrah Suzuki Offroad Team, 4 minutes, 11 seconds. This first video comes recommended by Levi Leipheimer and his Team Radio Shack teammate Lance Armstrong. Despite the title, this video isn’t about mountain biking, it’s about North Shore mountain biking, a whole other animal — part singletrack, part flying.

“Beyond Gravity,” Black & White Productions. 49:19. “It all started with mountains and the desire to get to the top,” narrator Greg Child begins in this documentary video that covers mix climbing — some hard rock, some hard ice — sport climbing and more. (GGNC’s favorite is the route called Caveman that, well, that you just have to see to appreciate.

“Rivermen — Kayaking Highlights,” WetVirginia.com. 5:58. Extreme whitewater kayak videos are as common as Class V rapids during fall release on the Gauley. Most are quick clips of a single crazy descent or a dramatic rescue. This is one is a highlight reel of some of the crazy things kayakers do in playboats. Lots of wild drops to be sure, but lots of rodeo tricks — and the occasional dryland stunt — as well.

“Scuba Diving Devils Cave System,” The ScubaGuys, 8:36. Did this once, under north Florida. Probably won’t happen again. If you’re not claustrophobic and hydrophobic, though, enjoy.

Hang Gliding Championships 2006, 3:50. Did this once before as well, at Kitty Hawk. Eager to try it again. Includes the hang gliding culture as well as the dramatic moment of running off a cliff to take off, the grace (usually) of the landing, and the airborne moments in between. A good gateway for other hang gliding videos as well.

If you want your kid to develop into a confident, motivated and fit adult, take them to the nearest climbing gym and hope it takes. There’s something about the physical and mental demands of climbing that causes a person’s decency genes to assert themselves. And climbing is such a natural thing to do. Consider: What do most toddlers-in-training do before they start toddling? They climb. They climb out of their crib, they climb out of their highchair, they climb down off the couch, onto the coffee table and, if you can’t get there in time to stop them, onto that heirloom Hepplewhite chair that’s prone to tipping over. We’re born to climb.

Winter break is a good time to introduce the kids to your neighborhood climbing gym. My gym, the Vertical Edge in Durham, has extended its hours over the break, opening at noon (as opposed to their usual 3 p.m. opening) and closing at 11 p.m. Now, perhaps you’re conjuring an image of a rock climber harnessed to a rope, 60 feet off the ground and are thinking, “You just can’t walk in and expect to do that.” No, you can’t. You need some instruction and you need a qualified person to belay you.

What you can walk in do, with no training, is boulder. Bouldering is climbing without a rope, usually no more than 10 feet off the ground. You have a spotter and crash pads to soften the fall, should that happen. Sometimes, you go up a short wall. More fun is to make your way horizontally across the wall. Vertical Edge, for instance, has a 500-square-foot bouldering cave that’s maybe seven feet tall and has manufactured holds screwed into the walls and ceiling. Beginners start out using any hold they can find. As your strength and confidence grows, try the various routes that have been marked: The only holds you may use are the ones marked with a certain color of tape. A plus at Vertical Edge: It’s only $7 to boulder vs. $11 to climb. To make it a good experience, pay an additional $3 to rent climbing shoes. They’re snug have have grippy rubber surfaces that help you cling to the holds. Learn more about rock climbing here.

Below is a list of some climbing gyms in the state. For a more comprehensive list of climbing walls and gyms statewide, visit indoorclimbing.com.

Asheville
Asheville’s Fun Depot , Roberts Road, Asheville
Rates: Call for information.
Hours: Mon.-Th., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 1-8 p.m.
Info: 828.277.2386, Web site.

ClimbMax Inc.
, 43 Wall St., Asheville
Rates: $12.50, $9 bouldering.
Hours: Tue.-Th., 1:30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Wed. & Fri., noon-10 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 1-6 p.m.
Info: 828.252-9996, Web site.

Charlotte

Inner Peaks Climbing Center, Charlotte
Rates: Adults (12 & up): $14; kids, call for information.
Hours:  Mon.-Fri., noon-10 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., noon-7 p.m.
Info: 704.844-6677, Web site.

U.S. National Whitewater Center , 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte
Rates: $13
Hours: Tue., Wed., Fri., Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Th., 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Info: 704.391.3900, Web site.

Triangle

Vertical Edge, 2422D US Hwy. 70, Durham
Rates: Adults $11, kids $7; Bouldering: Adults $7, kids $5.
Holiday hours: Dec. 21-23 and 28-Jan. 1, opens at noon, closes at 11(closes at 7 p.m. New Year’s Eve). Saturday: 10-10, Sunday: 2-7 p.m.
Info: 919.596.6910, Web site.

Triangle Rock Club, 102 Pheasant Wood Ct., Morrisville
Rates: Adults $17, kids $10; $4 shoes.
Hours: Mon.-Fri., noon-10 p.m.; Sat.: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-7 p.m.
Info: 919.463.7825, Web site.

Triad

The Ultimate Climbing Gym, 6904 Downwind Road, Greensboro
Rates: $10, $15 including rentals
Hours: Mon.-Th., 5-10 p.m.; Fri., 3:30-10 p.m.; Sat., 2:30-9 p.m.; Sun., 2:30-6:30 p.m.
Info: 336.665.0662, Web site.

Sorry.

Yes, with the holidays comes winter break and a good two weeks of the kids underfoot and constantly asking, “What are we doing today?” And a good two weeks of you saying, “Uh … .” Which is what I found myself saying just a few minutes ago. Which is why I’m here now, hoping that between us we can come up with a few things to do over break to keep the kids busy. And not just to take up their time, because as we all know, planting them in front of the TV for the morning may keep them occupied, but it won’t do anything to wear them out and make them go to bed at a decent hour. We need active options here, folks.

I’m going to throw out five options to get things started, you send me your suggestions and we’’ll keep a rolling list over the next two weeks. Think about things we can do with the kids as well as things they can do on their own. OK, some quick thoughts.

1. Take a wheeled-thing expedition. Every once in a while we gather up the kids and tell them to grab whichever wheeled contrivance they want for a trip around the neighborhood. Our options include skateboards (including my longboard), inline skates, a Waveboard, a Trikke and bicycles. Everybody wears a helmet, there’s frequently swapping along the way. We all keep an eye out for traffic, yelling “Car up!” when there’s a car coming toward us, “Car back!” when one approaches from the rear. It’s varied, it keeps the kids moving. If you’re neighborhood has more traffic than you’re comfortable with, pack the kids and wheeled things into the car and head to a local school, where there should be plenty of open pavement to roam.
2. Cul-de-sac Olympics. If you live on a cul-de-sac, you have a multi-sport arena right out your front door. You have a Velodrome (see how many laps the kids can turn in a half hour); you have a baseball stadium (Whiffleball, actually, with due respect to the neighbors’ windows); you have a kickball arena (again, because of those windows and other breakables, use a lightweight ball).
3. Visit your neighborhood park. We have a little park that’s a 10-minute bike ride from the house. It’s got a cool playground that none of us are too old to play on and it’s got lots of green space; I’ll throw a football, a soccer ball, a Frisbee and assorted other playthings into my daypack  to keep things interesting.
4. Go skiing/snowboarding. This assuming you haven’t already broken the bank on the holidays, because taking the brood skiing ain’t cheap. I suggest this option mainly because the current winter storm has created conditions you don’t often see in the high country. Wintergreen Ski Resort in Virginia (about three hours from the Triangle) has gotten 24 inches of snow in the past 24 hours. (That may be unprecedented.) In North Carolina, Sugar Mountain and Ski Beech are both reporting 14 inches of new snow, Appalachian Ski Mountain (a great place to learn) 16 inches and Cataloochee a foot. Most of these mountains should have all lifts and runs operating this week, and by Monday, road conditions should be good. If you live in the Piedmont or the mountains, there’s a good chance you can do a day trip to one of these mountains. For details on specific resorts visit the resort site, to keep tabs on overall conditions, visit SkiSoutheast.com.
5. Explore your neighborhood. Pack your daypack with water and snacks and lead your clan on an expedition into the wilds of suburbia! Think about it: How well do you know your neighborhood? On recent hikes in our neighborhood we’ve discovered: that the people two doors down have a leg lamp just like the one in “A Christmas Story,” the vacant house  at the end of the block just got the interior repainted, the split-level two blocks over always has a football game playing on the den TV, and that the reason the beagle three streets over never comes out of her yard is because the yard has an electric fence (we got close enough one day to see her collar). Start making such discoveries and it’s easy to see how a 10-minute walk around the block evolves into an hour-long anthropological  study of Piney Woods, Phase II.

OK, I got the ball rolling. So how do you plan to keep your kids actively occupied over the next couple of weeks?

Photo: And don’t forget indoor climbing gyms. I’ll touch on those later this week.