Outdoor notes

SKI SWAP

The 28th Annual Snowbird Ski & Sport Swap begins Friday and continues through Sunday in the Snowbird Center. Also, the race to Hidden Peak begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the Widowmaker Mountain Bike Race and Hidden Peak Challenge foot race.

The Snowbird Ski & Sport Swap provides an opportunity to pick up or sell used and new equipment at reduced prices while raising money for the Snowbird Sports Education Foundation. Twenty percent of all sales are donated to the ski program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the athletic training and development of Utah children and young adults.

The swap, located in the Peruvian, Rendezvous and Alpine rooms of the Snowbird Center, is open from noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $2 per person or $5 per family Friday. Saturday and Sunday admission is free. Equipment check-in begins at 11 a.m. Friday.

The swap features new and used snowboards, skis, boots, poles, accessories, clothing, climbing equipment, mountain bikes and much more at reduced prices.

Mountain bikers test their legs and lungs with the race from the bottom of Gad Valley to the top of Hidden Peak. This five-mile, 3,000-vertical-foot climb starts at 10 a.m., and registration is $35.

For more information on the races, call 801-583-6281 or visit www.sports-am.com.

BALLOON STAMPEDE

Antelope Island will be site of the Island Balloon Stampede on Friday and Saturday. Activities begin Friday at 5 p.m. Hot-air balloons will fly over the island and the Great Salt Lake. Family entertainment continues through 10 p.m. with a balloon glow at dusk and a performance by Mid-Life Crisis.

State park gates open at 5:30 a.m. Saturday. A flag-raising ceremony by the Clearfield High Cadets/Smoke Jumpers is at dawn, followed by breakfast by the Layton Rotary Club from 7 to 11 a.m. Balloons are expected to launch between 7 and 8 a.m.

All balloon events depend on weather conditions. The cost is $10 per vehicle. For more information, call 801-593-2200 or visit antelopeballoons.com.

STATE PARKS EVENTS

Free State Parks Day and National Public Lands Day will take place on Sept. 29. Day-use fees will be waived at all Utah state parks. Special fees, such as for golfing and camping, still apply.

• Antelope Island State Park will hold a volunteer project. Volunteers can help clear built-up soil along a new three-mile section of the White Rock Bay Trail. The project begins at 9 a.m. Call 801-773-2941.

• Wasatch Mountain State Park will hold a free apple-picking event at Huber Grove. Volunteers can join park staff at 9:30 a.m.There is a $3 per bag fee for apples. Call 435-654-1791.