Category Archives: Hiking

Gate 35: Gateway to Solitude

Gate 35 appeared almost as a dream.

I was driving north from Chapel Hill to Hillsborough on Old NC 86 late one afternoon in early December, a time of fading light known as the gloaming. The sun hadn’t officially set, but with a mostly cloudy sky it might as well have. Little light remained, but just enough that, passing by at 55 miles per hour, I thought I glimpsed what appeared to be dirt road guarded by a familiar gate, a chalk-white chain-link iron bar suspended between two forest green posts. I made a mental note of the location, and a Post-It Note to return and check it out. read more

GetOut! Eno Outback, Rockin’ Occoneechee, Birds

Our favorite place in Eno River State Park is likely a place you haven’t been, let alone heard of. Rocky Creek has a short run in the park, running for not much more than two or three miles through an area devoid of trails called the Eno Wilderness. Most maps show it as a broken blue line — an intermittent waterway. When it’s running, though, Rocky Creek a sight as it works its way through a beech forest that’s tight in spots, widening just enough in others to accommodate a narrow bottomland forest. As its name implies, it carves its way rough and tumble through rocky terrain. read more

Warm up to winter hiking with a few simple tips

We believe in being out in the cold. We want you non-believers to believe as well. 

Last week, we shared what it is we love so much about the winter woods. Today, we share some cold-weather-coping — nay, cold-weather-embracing — tips from our GetBackpacking! Winter Camp tips sheet. (These tips related more to the hiking end of the experience; the 8-page tips sheet covers cold-weather camping tips as well.) read more

GetOut! This weekend, hike a land trust near you

It’s looking like a pretty nice weekend to be out in the woods, with daytime highs into the low 60s both Saturday and Sunday. There’s a chance of rain Sunday; otherwise, a good-looking December weekend is on tap.

First, a couple of off-trail adventures, both intended to keep you off pandemic-popular trails. read more

Winter’s Milky Skies, Monochromatic Lands, Marvelous Meandering

The following post originally appeared Dec. 12, 2016. We rerun it today, with a tweak or two, because it expresses our appreciation of the season that lies ahead.

Winter’s skies are milky, indifferent. Its landscape monochromatic, a wash of grays and browns. Its weather harsh at times. And Lord knows the season is stingy with sunlight. The stuff of travel & tourism ad campaigns winter is not. read more