Mountain Biking Gear

As the mountain biking programs wrap up for the winter we are gearing up for expanding the program for next year. As the holidays are fast approaching so are the dreams of new mountain bike gear. Below are a couple of links to some vital equipment to be better prepared for next riding season.

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/HY278A09-Camelbak+Kids+Antix+Pack+10.aspx   
Many campers inquired about my backpack this summer and this is a GREAT deal. Ideal for the trail whether you are hiking or riding.

http://www.hucknroll.com/giro-flume-helmet-kids 
Everyone who attended camps this summer and fall know that safety always comes first!!! Helmets are not an inexpensive piece of gear and this deal can't be beat! Two color choices for both boys and girls.

Riding trails is a passion! We hope you got 'bitten by the bug' over the summer and are anxiously anticipating next year's camps. If you are like me, you will take advantage of every warm day between now and then to get out on the trails. Have fun, stay safe, and remember GO OUTSIDE!!!

End of Fall

We had a great Fall here at Virginia Outside.  Lots of new programs and TONS of fun!

We introduced our new Preschool Enrichment programs, After school off-site mountain biking, and were jammed pack with Mountain Biking Enrichment programs!  

The preschool Program was a huge hit as we took turtles, fish, worms, crickets and lots of crafts to schools and ran a 6 week program with the kids! We also did scavenger hunts, nature walks and games!

The after school offsite mountain biking was a blast!  We hit the James River Park trails at Pony Pasture, Reedy Creek and Belle Isle and the kids loved it!  We had a great group of bikers and was great to see the kids enjoying the Park.  

The end of our on site Mtn Biking Enrichment programs are the most fun!  As we watch the kids grow week by week on the bikes and understand it a little more as the hours go by.  The last class is always everyone's favorite as we bring jumps and a balance beam for the kids to try out!

Another favorite this fall were our day programs when kids were out of school.  We offered a program on Columbus day as well as Voting Day!  We hit a couple private farms for fishing and mountain biking from 8:30-1:30.

We took a group of Collegiate School "Outdoor Club" students Fly Fishing this Fall in the Mountains!  We had a blast teaching them the basics and casting of fly fishing and then heading out to the river to put their skills to the test!  We all had a great time catching trout!

We had a wonderful time introducing some new programs and continuing others. Check back in January for updates on some new programs we have brewing!

Happy Holidays!

Fall Afterschool Programs

This Fall we have been very busy running our regular programs whilst also starting new ones!  You can find us all over Richmond; teaching kids to Mountain Bike at After school enrichment programs, taking kids to the James River Park for our Outside program, or going to Preschool's to run a nature based enrichment program!

Biggest Bass of the day

 Monday

There was no school Monday due to Columbus day, so we took full advantage and headed out with a group of kids to a private farm for some fishing and biking!  The kids had a wonderful time riding all over the farm while others decided to fish the whole time!

On Monday we picked up our group of Tuckahoe Elementary students and headed out to one of our favorite ponds to catch "big fish."  The kids had a great time fishing and just being out in the wonderful 80 degree weather!  We caught a bunch of blue gill and bass, plus the huge bass above!

Tuesday

Rock hopping at Pipeline

This was the second week for Fox Elementary's program.  It is a great program we have been running for 2 years now.  The kids love getting out into the James River Park since most of them visit it frequently.  It is fun to see how much they know about the area! Last week we headed down to Pony Pasture to climb everyone's favorite....the "vines."  After climbing we headed to the river for a lesson on rock skipping!  This week we headed to Pipeline to do some fishing and exploring.  Not many big fish but lots of fun and laughter going up and down the pipe and hopping from rock to rock!

We also have our enrichment biking at Jackson Davis Elementary on Tuesdays!  The kids are loving getting out and riding a true mountain bike and have been improving each week!  This week we learned to change tires!

Wednesday

Wednesday is our big mountain biking day!  We run 2 after school enrichment at Glen Allen Elementary and Echo Lake Elementary.  We have very enthusiastic kids that are ready to get out and ride.  Unfortunately we couldn't get outside on the bikes this week due to weather but they now know how to change a tire, fix a slipped chain, and tighten up anything that may come loose on their bikes!  

Thursday

Last Thursday was our first week of Preschool enrichment!  It was a blast for us as well as the kids.  We did a scavenger hunt and decorated bags!  The kids had so much fun finding all of our hidden treasures and even learned a "hidden" lesson!  This week we did a nature walk and worked on our 5 senses!  The stories that came along with the things they heard, saw or smelled were great!  

We also started our Mountain Biking Program at Springfield Elementary last week!  The kids were ready to ride the first day and are putting the little things together quickly.  We learned how to position their body on the bike last week and this week we added some relays, gear changing, and seat positions!  They are learning quick and will be ready for the trails in no time!

Preschool Enrichment

Setting up for the Scavenger Hunt

Last week  was our first week of Preschool enrichment! We are working with St. Stephens and St. Christopher's School this fall.   It was a blast for us as well as the kids.  We did a scavenger hunt and decorated bags!  The kids had so much fun finding all of our hidden treasures and even learned a "hidden" lesson!  This week we did a nature walk and worked on our 5 senses!  The stories that came along with the things they heard, saw or smelled were great! 

If you are interested in doing a Preschool Enrichment, Mountain Biking Enrichment or Outside Program at your school please contact Emily Gottwald at eocheltree@virginiaoutside.com

Fall is Here!

Well it's time of year again!  Where we trade our swim trunks and bathing suits for "school clothes."  If you are starting to see summer fade quickly from your rear view mirror don't sweat it, we have LOTS of programs this fall that will make it feel like summer never left!

We are gearing up for a busy and fun fall schedule.  Adding many more programs to our slate and expanding on the ones we already have!  Please check out our website and calender for details on all of our afterschool "outside" programs as well as biking and fishing!  

Afterschool Programs
Fishing- Our afterschool fishing program starts on September 28th and runs four consecutive Wednesdays through October 19th. Parents may drop off at the Village Shopping Center at 3:45 or at the Food Lion on Nuchols Rd. at 4. We spend the afternoons fishing private ponds for largemouth bass and anything else that will bite. Pick-up is available on Nuchols Rd. at 6:15 or at the Village at 6:30. Cost $150. Application is available at http://virginiaoutside.com/. 


Mountain Biking- We will be offering several mountain biking options this fall for 2-5th graders. One program will begin Oct. 26th and run four Wednesdays through November 16th. Pick up and drop off will take place at The Village Shopping Center. The program runs 3:45-6 p.m. Cost $125.  Our second program will run three Tuesdays starting  Nov. 8th and running through Nov. 22nd. The program runs from 2:10-5 p.m. Pick up and drop off will take place at Tuckahoe and Maybeury Elementary Schools. Cost is $75. We provide bikes and helmets. Applications for both programs are at available at http://virginiaoutside.com/.


Outside Program- Our outside program is a mixture of fishing, mountain biking, hiking, and general outdoor expoloring, most of which takes place in the James River Park. We will be offering several programs this fall. One program will run Mondays Oct. 10th - Nov.7th with no class on Halloween. This program is designed for 2nd through 5th graders. Cost is $100. Time 2:10-5 p.m. Pick up and drop off available at Tuckahoe and Maybeury Elementary Schools. The application is available at http://virginiaoutside.com/. We will also be running a program through Extended Day at St. Christopher's School. This program is available to all St. Christopher's Students. Registration takes place through Extended Day at St. Christopher's.
Additional information on all our programs is available at our Virginia Outside Website.
Please visit our website and check the calendar for specific dates of weekend fishing and mountain biking programs as well as onsite enrichment programs through area public schools. You may register for weekend programs by responding to this email.

 Also...Be on the lookout at LivingSocial  to purchase our weekend fishing and mountain biking trips at half price. An Ad should appear sometime next week.



We hope to see you this fall!!!

Fishing Camp Summer Update

It has been a great summer so far for our fishing campers! From Cobia in the Chesapeake Bay, to monster catfish in the James River, to lunker largemouth bass, the kids have been reeling them in all over the state.



James River Flathead Catfish

 The James River has been fishing very well this summer for smallmouth bass, especially within the Richmond City limits, so if you are looking for a way to beat the heat, head on down to the James River Park and try your hand for some bronzebacks. 

Our Adventure campers at Christchurch School had some great success out on the Chesapeake Bay fishing with Captains Neil Renouf and Tony Horsely of Old Domion Outdoors . If you are looking for a great day trip for kids close to Richmond, Neil and Tony can put you on some fish.



My Nephews with a lunker. Way to go Mac!


Our camps have been booming in Richmond and Northern Virginia.

We are looking forward to some declining temperatures in the coming week and some more bent rods. We only have a handful of spots left until the last few weeks of August when we have some more availability. If you have some openings in the calendars and are looking for another week of camp, check out availability on our website.

Stay cool out there!

Nice Cobia!



A couple tasty doormat flounder!



Mountain Biking Camps continue...

The past two weeks have been filled with riding and enjoying the beautiful trails Richmond has to offer.  We visited the James River Park numerous times riding at Belle Isle, Forest Hill Park, and The Wetlands.  The Wetlands served as a great place to cool off with a quick swim after exhausting ourselves on the trails. 



The campers also got to experience some new places like Poor Farm Park in Ashland, Powhite Park, Rockwood Park in Chesterfield, and Deep Run Park in the west end.  The riders really enjoyed getting on some new terrain, challenging themselves, and having fun riding their bikes.  



Riding the dirt at Rockwood Park



Crossing one of many bridges at Rockwood Park

It was great to see each rider learn about riding and progress in their own ways.  Everyone improved from the first week and really enjoyed getting dirty and tired each day!

Ready to Ride!!!

Getting through a rock garden at Deep Run




Picking up some speed at Deep Run Park

     Thanks to all the riders who came out to learn about riding and all the trails there are to enjoy in and around Richmond.  We are offering more week-long mountain bike camps in August too (weeks of Aug. 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd)!  If you didn't get enough riding in then sign up and come out for some more outdoor fun!!!  Keep pedaling and remember to GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY!                              

Summer Camp Begins!

 Mountain Biking Camp is our newest addition to the Summer line-up and boy was it a hit!  We hit lots of trails around Richmond and taught the kids to go over jumps, balance on their bikes, change their tires and many more things along the way.

The week began with a trip to Deep Run Park in Henrico County.  Many of our kids were not aware that Deep Run had true Mountain biking and not just paved trails.  We started out the day with a couple basic rules and tips for riding.  The kids caught on quickly so we hit the trails.  I think the one thing everyone learned this day was Mountain Biking takes a lot of patience.  There are many roots and after last weekends storms a couple more trees across the trails than we expected, but we quickly learned where they were and could jump right over them!  After a morning ride and snack in between , we had lunch then packed up the van to head to the Wetlands/Pony Pasture in the James River Parks.   Once we got to the park we hit the river for a little relaxation and cooling off! 

On Tuesday we decided to take the kids to the Wetlands for a full day.  The Wetlands again has many trails people don't know about.  We split up into our groups and as soon as the bikes were off the trailer hit the trails!  The main features that were the favorites at Wetlands were the boardwalk, the "big hill" and any small fallen tree they could jump over!  We hit the water again in the afternoon and then rode a little more before we headed home! 

Wednesday was the longest riding day yet!  I think most of the kids were a little tired from the previous days, but they were troopers and pushed through as it was the most fun!  We headed down to Reedy Creek where we parked and rode our bikes to Belle Isle.  We hopped on the gravel road leading to Belle Isle and biked on over.  Once we got the kids knew exactly where they wanted to start...."the jumps at the front of the island!"  They had a blast riding back and forth over the jumps then decided they were ready to ride the real trails!  Belle Isle has lots of trails with roots and trees on them so everyone had a blast maneuvering over those.  Once we made a couple loops around the Island we decided to head back for lunch.  While at lunch we were called by the James River Parks trail manager Nathan.  We have been talking with Nathan about "giving back" to the parks and we figured this was the perfect timing.  We chatted with the kids about the importance of giving back to the parks because there aren't many employees to keep up the over 600 acres of beautiful land we get to take advantage of everyday.  The kids agreed that giving back would be good so we headed to the 42nd street parking lot to help spruce it up a bit!  We got to paint lines for the parking spots, help repaint the gate and yellow curbs as well as paint the guard rails.  It's amazing how much work can be done in an hour!  After our volunteer work was over we headed down to the river to cool off before going home!

On Thursday we were a little worried about the weather as they were calling for thunderstorms.  We decided to head back down to Wetlands to ride since it is closest to our shop in-case of inclement weather.   The kids were excited to be back and we let them tell us where they really wanted to go.  Again the boardwalk, "big hill" and any fallen trees won the vote, so we were off to explore.  After the morning ride we had lunch and hopped in the water as the weather decided to turn out beautiful!  At the end of the day before we loaded up the van we let the kids vote on where they wanted to go Friday and with a unanimous vote they decided Deep Run!

The last day of camp was great!  We headed to Deep Run in the morning and rode hard!  Everyone was exhausted after the morning ride and decided they wanted to head down to Wetlands to hit the river early.  Once down at the Wetlands we had a group that wanted to ride a little bit more so a couple of us hit the trails for a little more riding before lunch. We took lunch down by the river to have a picnic and do some more swimming and fishing.  This was the best day yet for fishing!   At the end of the day we promised the kids we would show them how to change a tire.  We got out our demonstration tire and showed them so if they ever pop one remind them they know how to change it!

We had a blast on our first week of Mountain Biking Camp and look forward to many more weeks this summer.  To sign up for our camps please check out our website www.virginiaoutside.com

Look forward to seeing everyone out on the trails this summer!

Last Week of Spring Programs

We've had a blast this spring and are sad to see our Spring Programs come to an end!  We had lots of fun playing in the James River Parks this week and can't wait for summer!

Monday

First Fish Ever!

Monday we took a group of 18 Good Shepherd Episcopal School kids out to a private pond to fish.  The kids had a great time catching around 60 fish on the day!  We had lots of first time catches and I think the new fishermen and women were hooked.  Thank you Good Shepherd for making us a part of your "field trip" we look forward to many more!





Tuesday

Tuesday was our last day of our Fox and Tuckahoe Elementary Spring Programs.  The kids enjoyed 5 weeks of biking, hiking, fishing, swimming and lots of exploring!

With the Tuckahoe group we headed back down to the Wetlands since our biking the week before got washed out.  This week we ran into a little storm at the beginning but then the skies cleared and we were able to bike, swim and the new favorite activity...vine swinging!  We hit the trails on the bikes at the beginning and rode all over the wetlands.  Once finished biking we decided to check out the river to see if we could find a spot that wasn't too high or fast.  We found a little cove we could wade around in and it was the perfect cool down after the long bike ride!  On the way back to the van we found the perfect vines to swing on.  Only catch was having to jump up and grab the vine...it was great fun seeing the kids get so excited when they would finally latch on to the vine!

With Fox we decided to head down to Texas beach. We got lucky by the time our program started the storms had already passed, so we were ready to roll!   We had a great time seeing lots of wildlife, hiking and climbing all over rocks!   It's so much fun to see the kids explore the area and find lots of frogs, turtles and other wildlife we may not be able to see!

Thanks for exploring the James River Parks with us this Spring, we're already excited for our programs in the Fall!

If you would like for us to offer a fall program at your child's school please email our Afterschool Director Emily Ocheltree at eocheltree@virginiaoutside.com  We would love to offer our programs to other students around town and let them explore the James River Parks with us!


To see other pictures from our programs please friend us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Virginia-Outside/168025059887802

Rain Can't Stop Us!

We had a week of high water on the river and a few sprinkles along the way, but that didn't stop us from having a fantastic week!

Tuesday

Tuesday's weather was the craziest of all so we took our Tuckahoe group to the Wetlands to hike around and see what wildlife we could find!  We found lots of frogs in the huge mud puddles, a couple ducks and geese and a box turtle!  The kids loved jumping in the puddles to catch the frogs as well as getting to told the box turtle!

We decided to head down to Maymont with the Fox group since it is so close to school!  The kids loved it.  They got to see Bears, hike around, and climb over anything and everything along the way!












Thursday 

This was our last week with St. Christopher's groups.  The kindergarten group was ready to roll as soon as we pulled up!  We loaded up the bus and headed to Forest Hill Park for another day of zip lining with Riverside Outfitters!  The kids had a blast helping pull the zippers up the line and loved the "Special Camera Helmet."  Richmond Magazine was out with us filming the zip line and would put the camera on the kids as they zipped down. 




Friday


For the last program with our St. Christopher's older group we decided to head back down to Maymont!  This group loves to run so we thought it was the perfect place to let them explore and run around!  They had a blast taking in the sights of the animals and climbing on every rock in the park!

Saturday

Saturday Tee and Adam headed down to a private pond to help out with a group from Wounded Warriors.  They loved getting out to the pond and catching some nice size fish.  It's always great to listen to their stories and being able to thank them for everything they do for our country!

Sunday

Sunday we had a table set up at the 3rd Annual Round Up for Full Circle Grief Center at Innsbrook.  We had a couple rods at our table that people could use to fish the ponds!  We had a great time and enjoyed helping out for a great cause!

We would also like to introduce everyone to our new Shop "pet" Henry the Turtle.  Henry is a paint turtle that was found by the river and now resides in our Shop!  Next time you stop by be sure to tell Henry hello!

We have one more week of programs until a little down time before getting ready for summer to kick into full swing!  We are very excited for a great summer and hope to see some new and old faces out at camp!  Check out our websites www.virginiaoutside.com or www.virginiafishingadventures.com for all of our summer camp dates!  

Polar Bear Plunge and Zip Lining

We had a perfect week in the Parks!  With great weather, water levels and temperatures finally at a tolerable stage we hit the river, lakes, and trees for some great fun! 

Tuesday

Chilly water!

This past Tuesday we took our TES and Fox groups down to Pipeline to do some Cat fishing and some “polar bear plunge” swimming!  The water is starting to warm up a bit so we found it to be the perfect opportunity!  The kids had a blast floating in the rapids and we heard lots of squeals as they entered the water for the first time.  The cat fishing wasn't the best but we still managed to catch a few 5 pound blue cats!

Thursday

On Thursday we have a big group of St. Christopher Kindergartener’s.  With this group we have been trying to focus on a lot of wildlife and hiking.  This week we took them to University of Richmond Lake.  While at the Lake we split into 3 groups and would rotate.  We had a group fishing, hiking and one group was fish printing!  We saw lots of wildlife and caught a ton of bluegill.  The kids loved feeding the ducks and watching out for the large snapping turtle as we were fishing!

 

Friday

Lifting the Zip-liner up the rope!

 

Friday’s group went zip-linning with Riverside Outfitters this week.  We headed over to Forest Hill Park where everything was perfect for the ride of their lives!  They had it set up so the kids not zipping would be helping pull the zipper up the rope.  Once they were too the top the RO guide would lower them down at their requested speed.  At the beginning the speed most requested was super slow, but towards the end of the day we heard lots of “faster, faster” screams as the zipped down!

Trying out the balance beam

Saturday

On Saturday we had the privilege of setting up a table at the Dominion Riverocks on Brown’s Island.  There is fun for every age with kayaking races, ultimate air dog competitions, music and much more.  We set up our fishing target and our new biking balance beam to let kids and adults try it out!  The beam looks a little scary at first sight but once you get the hang of it, you usually never want to stop riding over it!  We had a great turn out despite the crazy weather!

Sunday

Not a bad catch for his first fish!

Sunday we had one of our famous fishing birthday parties.  For the parties we will take groups out to a private pond to fish or sometimes we will even raft down the river if it’s warm enough!  This weekend we had a group of boy’s head out to a private pond in Hanover.  They had a great birthday and had one of the boys catch his first fish EVER!  

 

 

Biking at Rockwood Park



Group picture during a quick break from pedaling!



Last week a group of enthusiastic, Chesterfield County campers came out for an afternoon of adventure at Rockwood Park in Chesterfield.  For anyone unfamiliar, Rockwood park is the oldest park in Chesterfield county and is a great place for all levels of outdoor enthusiast.  Today's adventure, though, was of the two-wheel variety!  Seven campers came ready for some biking and the group was eager to ride.  After some initial instruction on safety and basic bike mechanics, the riders warmed up on 1.3 mile paved outer loop.  This was a great way for each camper to get comfortable on their mountain bike before venturing off onto dirt.   



The group starting off on another loop from the parking lot



The park offers a variety of trail options including wider paved trails, gravel/dirt paths, and more rugged mountain bike trails.  The campers quickly warmed up to the idea of taking some more adventurous trails so we veered off onto the Yellow Diamond trail.  The campers had a lot of fun navigating the roots and rocks all the while keeping their balance.  The occasional "hoot" and "holler" of satisfaction let everyone know we were having fun.  We then worked our way back to the Rockwood Park Nature Center via the Purple Square trail.  The campers also enjoyed stopping at the many posted maps along the way to hone their orienteering skills and decide on what trail to conquer next.

Two campers earning the uphill before going back down!

The Nature Center is centrally located amongst the trails making it the perfect place to stop for a quick water break between loops.  At each stop for water, campers were comparing each trail we rode and debating which trail to ride next.  After everyone was warmed up and comfortable we decided to take some of the more challenging (and fun!) trails.  We started off on the Orange Circle trail which is 1.5 miles of smoother gravel/dirt that is a lot of fun to ride.  There is the occasional root thrown in for something fun to maneuver around or jump off of.  At the bottom of the first hill there are spectacular views of Gregory's Pond.  All the campers stopped at some point to examine the pond's edge for critters.  The orange trail ended up being the highlight and we decided to ride this a few more times.  On our last loop a quick moving rain cloud rolled in over the park and we ducked onto the trails to use the tree canopy as cover.  The campers didn't let this stop them from riding so we all enjoyed a little cool refreshing rain on our last loop.  All in all it turned out to be a perfect day to enjoy the great outdoors on two wheels.  The campers had a blast and we can't wait for our next outdoor adventure at Rockwood Park.

Heading down the Yellow Diamond trail!



The girls having fun on the dirt!  This crew was loving the off road trails and did a great job!



A big thank you goes out to all the campers for having such a positive, adventurous attitude (as well as being great listeners).  Also a big thank you to Kristi Ocrutt and the wonderful people of Rockwood Park for hosting and providing such a beautiful place for young people to get away from the TV/laptops/cellphones and enjoy the outdoors!

For more info on Rockwood Park (and other Chesterfield parks) visit theirr website... http://www.chesterfield.gov/content2.aspx?id=5921.   

In the meantime...GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY!!!