Trail Mix: Series gives cyclists leg up on racing skills

Practice the skills of bike racing in a safe and friendly environment during the new Clovis Criterium Training Series, sponsored by Fresno-area bike shops and USA Cycling.

Each day begins with a 90-minute skills clinic at 8:30 a.m., followed by practice criteriums with riders divided into age groups and ability levels. No results are recorded.

The series begins Sunday and continues Jan. 20 and Jan. 27. All crits are held on a closed half-mile course, and participants get coaching from local teams. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. at 300 W. Spruce Ave., Clovis. Fees are $25 for adults and $15 for juniors; riders 18 and under must have a signed waiver. Details: facebook.com/clovis.training.crits.

Events

McKenzie Preserve Open House

When: Saturday

Where: From the gas station at Auberry and Millerton roads, take Auberry Road 3.3 miles east (toward Prather) and look for the entrance sign on your left.

This year, the Sierra Foothill Conservancy is hosting four open houses on its signature 2,960-acre preserve in the Fresno County foothills — which means more opportunities for folks to hike to the top of a prominent volcanic mesa, check out Native American mortar holes or just stretch their legs.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and visitors will be charged $1 for parking. No reservations needed. Other open house dates are Feb. 9, March 9 and April 13. Details: sierrafoothill.org.

News & notes

– Registration opened Wednesday for the Color Me Rad 5K, to be held at Woodward Park on April 7. As runners make their way around the course, they’re blasted with non-toxic colored corn starch. More than 7,000 signed up when the race series first came to Fresno in September. Registration is $30 if you sign up by midnight Friday and use the promo code ROUND2. Details: colormerad.com.

– The Sierra National Forest is holding an open house (at 1600 Tollhouse Road, Clovis) on Jan. 17 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to solicit public input for its 2013 State Off-Highway Motor Vehicle funding application. Written comments will also be accepted until Feb. 14.

– Conditions are primo at China Peak, where 3-5 inches of fresh snow are expected today. The Huntington Lake resort has all seven chairlifts and three moving carpets open. Check out China Peak’s Facebook page for a discounted lift ticket good Saturday and Sunday only.

– Yosemite’s Badger Pass has three chairlifts operating, and fresh cross-country ski tracks were set to Bridalveil Campground on Tuesday night. Tracks were last set to Glacier Point on Dec. 30.

By Marek Warszawski