A new statewide race series — The Virginia State Parks Adventure Series presented by Appalachian Power — offers competitors a unique way to compete in triathlons in six state parks.

Races will be held at James River State Park on April 22, Smith Mountain Lake on May 6, Hungry Mother on May 13, Claytor Lake State Park on Sept. 9, New River Trail State Park on Sept. 16 and Pocahontas State Park on Oct. 14.

Registration for an individual race automatically enters competitors into the series.

Winners are determined by mileage, not time or finishing place. The races cover a total of 156.7 miles of biking, running, and either canoe, kayak or swim stages.

Prizes will be awarded to the male and female Adventure Series champions who cover the greatest mileage and compete in at least two races. Prizes include an REI half-dome tent including footprint ($240 value), $100, a JetBoil Zip cooking system and a CamelBak Rogue hydration pack.

Prizes will be awarded to individuals or teams who compete in at least two races and cover the most miles in each stage: bike, run and water (canoe, kayak or swim leg). Prizes include a $100 Virginia State Parks gift certificate, an ENO SingleNest hammock and a Petzyl AKTIC 300-lumen headlamp.

Everyone who enters at least three Adventure Series races (solo or team) will receive a Virginia State Parks annual pass ($66 value) and be entered into a drawing for a $250 Virginia State Parks gift certificate for cabins and camping.

“As the vacation and recreation destination of more than 10 million visitors last year, at Virginia State Parks we strive to provide guests with unique and innovative ways to enjoy the outdoors,” said Virginia State Parks Director Craig Seaver. “We’re proud of the new Adventure Series and look forward to many successful races in the years to come. We appreciate our partners, Appalachian Power and REI, who are helping us make our inaugural season a success.”

On Saturday, April 29^th the Friends of the Lower Appomattox River will stage the 3^rd annual Appomattox RiverFest (with co-sponsor Fort Lee). This day long family event is great for nature lovers, birders, history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts and anyone who wants to spend a beautiful day outdoors enjoying the scenic and historic treasures of the Appomattox River.

Fishing lessons are among the many offerings at FOLAR’s Appomattox Riverfest on April 29th.

From 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Appomattox Riverside Park – at the rocky rapids where Dinwiddie, Petersburg and Chesterfield meet – RiverFest will offer these activities and more:

o  Obstacle course and climbing wall with Fort Lee

o  Youth Fishing workshops, provided by Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries

o  Kayaking workshops with certified instructors

o  Archaeological activities and demonstrations with Fort Lee archaeologists

o  For nature lovers – view rare fauna along the trails with a Master Naturalist

o  See and learn about the fish, reptiles, amphibians, bugs and birds that help keep the river healthy with Environment Education Specialists and Thunder Eagle Wildlife Rescue

o  Stroll or ride a tram along the River Walk Trail that provides great views of the river

o  Learn the history of the river and batteau with the Virginia Canals and Navigation Society

o  Food Trucks and Live Music by the Fort Lee Band and Mike Packer & Johnny Holt!

There will be plenty of parking with shuttle buses running throughout the day at four locations:

o   Bank of McKenney, (6300 River Rd., Petersburg VA 23803)

o   Matoaca Baptist Church (6409 River Rd., Petersburg VA 23803);

o   Matoaca Elementary School (6627 River Rd, Petersburg, VA 23803); and

o   Matoaca United Methodist Church (6301 River Rd., South Chesterfield VA 23803)

The event is free and open to the public. Additional information can be found at www.folar-va.org or Facebook, or email,GetInvolved@folar-va.org or by calling (804) 543-0325.

A standup paddleboarder at last year’s James River Rundown. Credit: Jameson Brunkow

2016 marked the third year of the James River Rundown, an annual event organized by the James River Association. The James River Rundown’s popularity has grown since the inaugural 100-mile race in 2014. Nearly 100 individuals from across Virginia and the United States participated in last year’s event.

The 2017 James River Rundown features a grueling two-day 120-mile endurance race that begins the morning of June 24th at Riveredge Park in Lynchburg, Virginia. The 120-mile race is one of the longest of its kind on the East Coast.

According to Justin Doyle, Community Conservation Manager of the James River Association and one of the event’s organizers: “The James River Rundown showcases the beauty of the James while promoting river recreation. It’s an opportunity for participants to explore the James while racing through rapids in canoes, kayaks, and even on standup paddleboards.”

In addition to the 120-mile race, this year’s event also features a one-day 50-mile race starting in Scottsville on the 24th, a 25-mile race on June 25th starting at Cartersville and ending at Goochland County’s Tucker Park, and also on the 25th a 5-mile float starting at Powhatan State Park.

All three races finish at Goochland County’s Tucker Park for a family-friendly post-race celebration featuring food, beverage, and live music on Sunday, June 25th.

Registration for the 2017 James River Rundown is open! Visit www.JamesRiverRundown.org to register. Proceeds from the James River Rundown benefit the James River Association.

Connor Riley attaches the new sign to the downstream side of the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge.

Yesterday was an exciting day on the river for RichmondOutside.com.

For a couple of years now we’ve batted around the idea of putting a camera on an osprey or eagle nest somewhere in Richmond. Yesterday we got serious. Together with Dave Fary of Riverside Outfitters and local climber/data science entrepreneur Connor Riley, we headed out onto the James from Tredegar Beach with two missions: 1) Reinstall the sign under the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge that led boaters to the safest passage through the Vepco levee and 2) begin preparations for mounting an osprey cam on one of the old Richmond-Petersburg Railroad Railroad bridge pilings.

Both missions were huge successes. The second we think will allow us to show off not only downtown RVA’s abundant wildlife in an intimate way, but the abundant human activity taking place on that stretch of the river as well. In short, we think this osprey cam will be a one-of-a-kind addition to RVA’s river scene.

Riley rock climbs to the top of a Richmond-Petersburg Railroad Bridge piling in the James River.

For mission one, Fary guided our company raft through the Vepco levee underneath the T Pot and into an eddy below one of the bridge pilings. Dozens watched from the above as Riley, a former Navy demolitions expert and experienced rock climber, repelled from the bridge and hung a blue “Falls of the James” sign in place of the “Ashland” sign that had hung there for years.

To get to mission two, Fary navigated the boat through a few small rapids to the now-defunct Richmond-Petersburg Railroad Bridge piling that we’d been told has had an active osprey nest for the past few years. (If you’re standing on the T Pot, it’s the fourth stone piling from the north bank of the James). We’ll eventually need a camera, a solar panel and the battery that the panel charges up there, and the goal for the day was to secure a reliable route to bring the hardware up to the top of the piling.

First impression: this granite beast looks much taller when you’re standing at the base of it. It must have been close to 40 feet to the top. It was slow going, as we set a 27-foot ladder in place and Riley attached anchors to the granite wall. When he reached the top of the ladder, Fary belayed for Riley, who rock climbed the remaining 10-12 feet to the top. From there he could set anchors for the hardware we’ll install hopefully later this week. When we were done, we ran Pipeline Rapids to our takeout at 14th Street.

I’ll be writing more about the osprey cam as we get closer to the launch date. If you happen to be down on Brown’s Island or on the T Pot during the day on Friday, look for us out on the water. We’ll be the guys climbing a giant bridge piling trying to give all of us the best view of bird life — and river life — in Richmond.

The cargo raft on its way to the 14th St. takeout after a successful day on and above the water.

Local filmmaker Brandon Montijo and a crew of stud SUPers went out to Bosher’s Dam a few weeks ago to put shoot this short video. If you’re not familiar with Bosher’s Dam, it’s the one you see when you look upstream while crossing the Willey Bridge. This is definitely a “don’t try this at home” type of video, but man is it cool that these guys are trying it!

You gotta love the crew at Riverside Outfitters — crushing it on a river swollen well past flood stage is really just a day at the office. Check out this video of the boys rafting the James at 14.5 feet (12 feet is official flood stage). It’ll either make you want to get out there with them, stay as far from the river at that level as possible or play the Legend of Zelda on your original Nintendo. Or all of those. Somehow. Trust me…

When avid paddler Kevin Odberg approached the James River Association with the idea to create a long distance paddle race a few years ago, James River Association staff members jumped at the opportunity to organize and host such a unique event.

Competitors in the inaugural James River Rundown. Credit: James River Association

Last year’s James River Rundown marked the sophomore year of the event organized by the James River Association, an organization known for protecting the river that runs through the heart of Virginia. In the words of Justin Doyle, Community Conservation Manager: “The James River Rundown showcases the beauty of the James while promoting river recreation. It’s an opportunity for folks from across Virginia and the United States to explore our scenic and historic river.”

More than 100 paddlers coming from as far away as Florida, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Colorado participated in the 2015 James River Rundown. The 2016 James River Rundown features a grueling 140-mile endurance race that begins the morning of June 11th at Riveredge Park in Lynchburg, Virginia and ends at American Legion Post 354 in Chesterfield, Virginia the following day. The 140-mile course is the longest navigable section of the James River and is one of the longest races of its kind on the east coast.

This year’s event also features a 100-mile race starting at James River State Park on June 11th and a 20-mile race starting at Powhatan State Park on June 12th. Competitors will navigate the James River in kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards, either as solo paddlers or in teams, and pass by historic river towns such as Howardsville, Scottsville, and Cartersville. Designated checkpoints will be setup along the way, offering paddlers opportunities to rest and camp during the event. All three races will culminate near Robious Landing at American Legion Post 354 for a family-friendly post-race celebration featuring food, beverages, and live music.

The James River Rundown is a Waterkeeper Alliance SPLASH Series Event, Presented Nationally by Toyota benefiting the Upper and Lower James Riverkeepers®. Additional sponsorship is provided by Richmond Outside, Huguenot Trail Rotary Club, L.L. Bean, Mid-Atlantic Paddler’s Association, Cudas, and RVA Paddlesports. All proceeds from the event benefit the James River Association.

For more information on the James River Rundown, or to sign up to race or volunteer, visit www.jamesriverrundown.org.

Credit: Rivanna River Company

This one’s a little farther afield than our usual Richmond-centric stories, but, considering how often Richmonders either pass through Charlottesville or make it their destination, I think it’s some news worth sharing.

Former RVA residents Sonya and Gabe Silver moved back to their hometown almost three years ago. They’ve spent the past year preparing to launch a business that would connect Charlottesville residents and tourists with the Rivanna River. The Rivanna River Company launches this spring, offering canoe, kayak and standup paddleboard rentals, guided trips and more.

Cvilletomorrow.org featured the Silvers and their soon-to-be venture in a lengthy piece recently.

“Our long-term vision is to create a hub that’s a place where people can gather and get information about the river, rent equipment along the trail and river system and potentially get a bite to eat and hang out in the outdoors,” Gabe Silver told the online magazine.

“You can have an adventure and a unique experience without flying or driving far away,” said Sonya Silver.

Credit: Rivanna River Company

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Charlottesville is full of outdoors lovers, but you get the sense that it’s not as connected to the river that runs through it as it could be. The Silvers are hoping to change that, according to the article:

Woolen Mills resident Bill Emory played in the James River while growing up in Richmond. He said he is hopeful the Charlottesville community can accomplish what the state capitol has done with their natural resource.

“The area was vastly underused by the general populace and signs were posted, saying, ‘Stay out of the water,’” Emory said. “The city of Richmond since then has turned back to the James, built a nationally recognized river parks system and has taken huge economic advantage. Now it is the play-ground for many people in the city.”

So if you have friends in C-ville or have a trip planned there this spring/summer, a sojourn on the Rivanna should be on your list activities. For more info: www.rivannarivercompany.com