The Competitive Edge

• Mountain Gobbler Half-Marathon and 10K, Nov. 21. Clay County Recreation Park at Lake Chatuge outside Hayesville. Great Smoky Mountains Triathlon Club. www.thebeastoftheeast.net/race_schedule.htm.

• Asheville Idiotarod, Nov. 22. Features teams of five pulling a decorated shopping cart as they race along a 5K course. Participants compete for various spoof awards. 11 a.m. along Riverside Drive in Asheville, ends at the Wedge Brewery with live music. 917.710.2805 or visit www.ashevilleidiotarod.com.

Outings & Fieldtrips

• Try A Tri, Nov. 19. The three-month program can be tailored to any skill level — whether you’re a beginner new to three triathlon disciplines of running, swimming and biking, or an expert looking to improve your time and performance. Flexible start dates. 7 p.m. at the Jackson County Recreation Center. www.gloryhoundevents.com or 400.5868.

• Off the Beaten Path Hike, Nov. 21. Try your skill at a woodland scavenger hunt that takes you among the trees, logs and rocks along the Four Seasons trail. Clues to find an assortment of destinations are provided, with a prize available to those who excel at the search. Natural history knowledge will be beneficial but not essential for this moderately strenuous 2-hour program. $20, $5 for Annual Passholders, $10 for ages 6-15, $3 for Grady’s Kids Club Members. 9 to 11 a.m. at Chimney Rock Park. 800.277.9611.

• Spoon Auger Falls, Nov. 21. Easy 1-mile hike with Nantahala Hiking Club. 10 a.m. Call 743.1079 to RSVP.

Programs & Workshops

• Forestland Improvement Workshop, Nov. 19. Designed for absentee landowners but is open to any landowner who wants to more effectively manage their forested land. The workshop is hosted by the Forestry Club at HCC and North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Topics will include: estate planning, forest medicinal plants, forest planning and management for tax purposes, black walnut production, and natural hardwood forest management. 5 to 9 p.m. at the HCC Auditorium in Clyde. Free of charge, dinner will be provided. To reserve a spot contact 456.3575 or Robert_hawk@ncsu.edu.

• Annual Dowsing School, Nov. 21. Program by the Appalachian Chapter of the American Society of Dowsers. Begins at 11 a.m. Ends at 5 p.m. Held at the Unity Center in Mills River. www.appalachiandowers.org.

• Energy Saving Classes, Nov. 21. Three adult education classes at The NC Arboretum this November provide participants with climate know-how and practical advice to save money and energy this season. Making Your Home Energy Efficient—Easy and Inexpensive Things That Make a Difference, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.; Harnessing the Sun’s Energy Affordably: Solar From Tiny to Titanic, 11 a.m. to noon; Western North Carolina Air Quality and Climate—Past, Present, and Future, 2 to 3 p.m. To register, visit www.ncarboretum.org/education/adult-programs or call 665.2492, Ext. 317.

Farm & Garden

• Farmer’s Market Displays, Nov. 19. Learn helpful tips on how to create an effective display and see a “mock demonstration” on booth set-up. Creating a sense of abudance, making your space customer friendy, labeling, use of color. 2 to 3 p.m. at the Jackson Extension Center and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Swain Extension Center. The workshops are sponsored by the N.C Cooperative Extension Service in an effort to build stronger local farmers markets. 828.586.4009 or 828.488.3848.

Group Meetings

• Group Runs begin at 7 a.m. every Wednesday start at the lobby of the YMC in Asheville. All levels welcome. 277.5151.

• Macon County Horse Association meets at 7:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Macon County Fairgrounds. Education program and business meeting. ddoster@fs.fed.us.

• HAYWOOD ALLIANCE, a local chapter of the WNC Alliance, meets at various locations each month. Get involved with protecting Haywood County’s environment, scenery and farmland from development, and encouraging politicians to take steps. Contact jeswan@gmail.com.

• Friends of Panthertown work days are held the fourth Saturday of every month (time and location varies). Volunteers needed to maintain trails. For more information, contact Nina Elliott at 526.9938 (ext 258), visit j-mca.org or email friends.of.panthertown@gmail.com.

• Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Fishermen from Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain welcome. Meets first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. United Community Bank on N.C. 107 in Sylva.

• Smoky Mountain Beekeepers meet at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month in the Whittier Community Building in Whittier. Open to anyone interested in honeybees. 554.6935.

• Swain County Train Runners. Long run group meets 8 a.m. Saturdays at the Deep Creek Trailhead Parking Area in Bryson City. All runs are on trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or Tsali Recreation Area. All distances, paces, ages welcome. More information at 399.0989, 488.6769 or wdtreern@yahoo.com.

• The Sylva Garden Club meets at 9:30 a.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the Presbyterian Church. hooperteresa@yahoo.com.