Registration for Spring Break Camp at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, with Discovery Camp registration following suit at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14. 

Mike Kesselring will show off his enormous fly collection and other gear gathered over 40 years of world-wide travel 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, at the United Methodist Church in Sylva, as part of Trout Unlimited Sylva’s regular monthly meeting. 

Winter hikes, winter lights, frosty runs and outdoor ice skating will offer ample opportunity for chilly fun in celebration of the N.C. Smokies Ice Fest Weekend Jan. 26-28. 

It takes something special to draw me out of Moses Creek — there’s so much here to see and do and write about.

Take a 4.6-mile hike to a spectacular view along the Bartram Trail near Highlands 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23.

Here's a roundup of things to do in WNC this weekend.

Catch a doubleheader in mountain education with a pair of programs offered through the University of Tennessee Smoky Mountain Field School Saturday, Aug. 19.

 The fifth annual Outdoor Economy Conference in Cherokee will serve as the backdrop to a convening of the Confluence of States and the State Outdoor Business Alliance Network.

What's going on this weekend?

I love coming across a large patch of mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) while walking in the woods in the spring. They are beautiful in all stages of growth. Early on, when they first emerge from the soil, they look like turtles poking their heads up. Fully open they look tiny umbrellas at a fancy beach. And as they start to fade, they turn a beautiful shade of yellow.