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Thank you for being an ROC supporter!
Check out our website for this month’s events, information on the ROC Race Series, local trails, and more.
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Welcome to all of our new and returning ROC members and sponsors!
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The support we receive from memberships helps us to continue improving local trails, lead group hikes and river floats, and create new outdoor programs. Membership is only $35 for individuals and families, and $100 for businesses. We also offer multiple sponsorship opportunities for businesses to help expand and enhance outdoor recreation in Rutherford County.
Members get discounts at Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park, Barley’s Taproom, Copper Penny, Main Street Coffee, The Scoop, and recently added: Grumpy’s Bike Shop! Grumpy’s is located across the street from the ROC Office on W. Main St. in Spindale. Check them out for all your biking needs and great service!
Click the link below for more details about becoming a member.
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| Congratulations to ROC’s Volunteer of the Year… Christi Boothe! Christi has been a member of ROC for over two years and has been an avid volunteer from the very start. If you volunteer with us, chances are you know her. A regular at volunteer events of every kind, Christi has dedicated many hours at trail workdays, tabling events, dog walks, and more!
Trail workdays can be challenging, but Christi is always willing to be an extra hand. “When working on the ICC trails after Hurricane Helene, Christi’s reliability shined through when she was a swamper for chainsaw work. I knew I could trust her to be safe while making tough chainsaw cuts,” said Gabe Isaac, ROC staff.
To say ROC staff appreciates Christi’s commitment, calm and helpful presence, and willingness to volunteer across the board, would be an understatement. We were thrilled to honor her with the Volunteer of the Year award at our Holiday Party. As a small, grassroots nonprofit, volunteers like her make achieving our mission possible. Thank you, Christi! |
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| Exciting news – ROC events are back! Join us for the annual ice hike, a nature crafts workshop, dog walk, and more. You can also join our meeting about restoration efforts and returning regular trail workdays. |
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Heart of the Foothills Dog Walk
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| Walk a rescue dog with ROC and Heart of the Foothills Animal Rescue! Meet at the rescue to pick up the dogs, then drive down the road to the Thermal Belt Rail Trail to walk ~1-2 miles on paved trail. Registration is required to walk a dog, so be sure to sign up below.
When: January 4th at 10 a.m.
Where: Heart of the Foothills
Register: Click here! |
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Trail & River Restoration Meeting
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| Looking to get involved with trail and river work? Join us at Barley’s Taproom for an update on trail and river progress so far, our plans moving forward, and how to get involved.
When: January 7th at 6 p.m.
Where: Barley’s in Spindale
Register: Registration is not required, but if you’d like to ask questions submit this form |
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| Join us to hear about all the latest with ROC – including recent updates, upcoming events, how you can get involved with our mission, and more. All are welcome!
When: January 21st at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Barley’s in Spindale |
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| Come celebrate the winter season in a creative way! Join an instructional workshop to make crafts out of material we find in nature. The workshop will begin by walking the trails at Dittmer Watts and gathering supplies, and then we will learn how to create crafts with natural materials with guidance from ROC staff.
When: January 23rd at 11 a.m.
Where: Dittmer-Watts Trails
Register: Click here! |
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| Save the date! Our annual Ice Hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway is set for Saturday, January 25th. Sign up below and stay tuned for updates, as the date is subject to change depending on weather conditions and likelihood of ice formations.
When: January 25th at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Blue Ridge Parkway
Register: Click here! |
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| Dittmer-Watts Nature Trail Park & Lake Lure Green Space: OPEN!
Our local trails near Lake Lure are finally open for the public! The Dittmer-Watts trails and connecting portion of the Green Space are fully cleared of trees thanks to the Town of Lake Lure, volunteers from Camp Lurecrest, and the National Guard. However, the portion of the Green Space across the street near the Fire Department is still closed! Please avoid this area, as it is still being used for lake operations as they continue to recover and clean up from the storm. |
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| Thermal Belt Rail Trail: OPEN!
The Thermal Belt Rail Trail is clear of trees and now fully passable. Please proceed with caution as there are still overhanging and protruding trees remaining. Many thanks to Rutherford County Government, Town of Spindale, Town of Forest City, Town of Rutherfordton, and all who contributed to the re-opening of the trail! |
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| Purple Martin Greenway: OPEN!
The Purple Martin Greenway is clear of trees and open for use. Thank you to Ruff’ton Roots, Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, Town of Rutherfordton Public Works, and all who helped make this happen! |
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| Isothermal Community College: OPEN!
Good news! The ICC trails are now completely cleared of trees and debris and open to the public!
These trails were cleared by ROC with the help of many volunteers and students from Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy. Thanks to everyone who lent a hand! |
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| Buffalo Creek Park
The trails at Buffalo Creek Park are CLOSED.
There have been multiple landslides and many trees have fallen.
This trail will be closed for the foreseeable future. Stay tuned for updates as we find a path forward. |
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| Weedpatch Mountain Trail
The Weedpatch Mountain Trail is CLOSED.
Due to the high amount of trees and landslides, the trail is impassable. Stay tuned for updates as we find a path forward. |
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Buffalo Creek Park
& Weed Patch Mountain
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| During the first two months since the storm, ROC staff has been scouting and documenting damage on the Buffalo Creek Park Trail Loop and Weed Patch Mountain Trail. We are happy to announce that we have completed this data gathering project this past month! See a dashboard of the damage reported for each trail above.
With the information we have gathered, we will be working with our partners at the Town of Lake Lure, Conserving Carolina, and Chimney Rock State Park to decide the best steps forward for restoration/rebuilding.
While most of this work will likely be contracted out due to the need for larger machinery and the installation of trail infrastructure, there may be opportunities for volunteer trail workdays removing trees along the paths. We will give updates as we learn more.
Want to stay informed on these opportunities? Join our trail volunteer email list here and be redirected to our events calendar where you can learn about our upcoming Trails & River Restoration Update Meeting. You can also contact Maddie at trails@rutherfordoutdoor.org for more information. |
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| 1st Place winners of each age group |
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| 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winners overall |
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| This year’s race series was a success! With 13 races scheduled this year, ROC had the second highest turnout of the entire series. Considering the struggles that Western North Carolina faced this fall, that is an amazing feat. The winners (pictured) ran their way into trophies, gift cards, and even cash awards. We hope to see both familiar and new faces in the 2025 ROC race series. Until then, happy holidays and see you in the new year!
If you weren’t able to attend the ceremony and receive your award, please contact gabe@rutherfordoutdoor.org to coordinate getting it.
If you’d like to receive the Race Series Newsletter and stay in the loop, click here to automatically join the list. To volunteer with ROC at one of these races, contact Gabe at gabe@rutherfordoutdoor.org. |
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PO Box 1349
Rutherfordton, NC 28139
828-351-3235
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