Mountain bikers, lights ablaze, head down a local trail.

We were on a post-sundown training hike for the Ultimate Hike last month when a beam  of bright light began gaining on us from behind. I turned and saw two headlights bearing down on us, still maybe 75 yards down the road.

“I’ll do the talking,” I said, since I was the hike leader and since I may have forgotten to mention to my fellow hikers that, technically, we were trespassing. We were hiking on a gravel road in a local forest where — again, “technically” — the gates close at sunset. I quickly relied this information to my hikers — then we waited a surprisingly long time for the two beams of light to reach us. When they did, they split, passed us on either side, and continued on their technically illegal way. It wasn’t a park ranger on patrol in a pickup; it was a pair of mountain bikers.

“Wow!” said one impressed hikers. “Those lights are really bright.”

“I can’t imagine riding a mountain bike at night,” added another. “That’s gotta be dangerous.”

“Actually,” I said, about to deliver a speech I’ve issued many times over the years, “It’s just the opposite.” I went on to explain that mountain biking at night is, in many respects, more safe than riding during the day because your world is restricted to this 20-foot-or-so world ahead illuminated by your headlamp. Unable to let your eyes wander off into the woods, or farther down the trail, you’re forced to focus on what’s immediately in front of you. That’s pretty much true of most outdoor activities done at night: they generally are more safe.

I’ve written a good deal over the years about getting out and exploring at night. And since I’d rather get out at night and do something than rewrite what I’ve written about before, I’ll just direct you to those previous articles. Enjoy.

Mountain biking

Since we’re already on the topic of mountain biking, let’s start there. An elaboration on why riding a bike through the forest at night is safe and scenes from a 24-hour race that runs through the night.

• Coping with Standard Time: Mountain Biking at Night
• Beer for Butter, Unprotected Support and Other Insights from the Burn 24

Hiking

One of my favorite times to take a long hike? In the dark of night. A 3- to 4-hour walk in the woods after the sun goes down can be aerobically aurally stimulating. Some tips on making a safe night of it.

• Enjoy the Night with a Hike
• Night Hiking: Beating the Standard Time Blues

Neighborhood walk

Spooked by the idea of hiking in the dark with ... who-knows-what that might be out there with you? Join the masses who bundle up and walk their neighborhoods in the dark.

• Night Moves: A Safe Walk in a Dangerous Place

Climbing

Of course, you can’t stay out every night. Which is why I find myself spending considerably more time at the climbing gym during the winter than at other times of the year.

• Climbing: Before You Go Up, You Gotta Learn to Come Down

Need more incentive?

Another reason not to taper off when the weather turns cold? It’s bad for your hrealth.  According to the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State’s North Carolina Research Campus people who don’t exercise in the winder are more likely to catch cold.

• Run from that Cold

In searching my archive of the past three years I notice one glaring omission: Nary a mention of paddling at night. I’ve mentioned guided paddles that occur at night, but nothing reflecting the experience personally. I’ve paddled at night: I still have vivid memories of being part of a flotilla that paddled to a remote part of Falls Lake one cold November night to watch a meteor shower. But that was years ago, and I can’t find a report on the event. And if that was the last time I’ve had a paddle in my hands in the dark (it was in the mid-1990s), that’s too long a time to go between night paddles.

I'll remedy that situation pronto.

Superdome.

The Louisiana Superdome, it turned out, had a generous eave rimming its 13 acres. It could be deluge outside yet under the eave it was dry. The valet told me one lap was roughly a half mile, which was either a slight overestimate or I ran especially well at sea level (I lived in Denver at the time).

I was reminded of the Superdome yesterday morning as I stood under the massive west-facing eave of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina headquarters in Chapel Hill. (Disclosure: This blog is sponsored by BCBSNC.) Outside, a steady rain fell; under the eave, it was dry. Earlier that morning I’d been bummed by the fact I was scheduled for an interval workout and it looked like I’d be doing it in the rain (see wet weather wimp reference above). Bummed to the point that I began imagining all sorts of aches and ailments to excuse me from a run, especially so close to Saturday’s race.

“Checking out the building?” Leslie asked asked as I checked out the building. Leslie, an employee, turned out to be something of a historian on the building: It opened in 1973, it’s a rhomboid, there are four stories above and a basement ... .”

“Any idea how far it is from end to end?” I asked.

She thought for a second. “It’s 500-and-something feet.”

500-and-something, I thought. That’s 1,000-and-something counting both sides, probably another 30 or so on each end, making a lap maybe a quarter mile? Four laps to a mile, about the same as a high school track. The perfect running venue for a rainy day. And that got me to thinking ... .

There must be other sheltered spots in the region suitable for a rainy day run. One immediately came to mind: A stretch of trail at Lake Johnson popular with local runners doing speed work. Local high school cross-country teams use it, local running clubs as well. It’s 1,000 meters long, the surface is foot-friendly, it’s wide (16 feet, perhaps), the tread is even (no tree roots) and it’s flat. Alas, that was all I could think of.

Certainly, though, you know of more. Got a favorite spot to run dry when the weather runs wet? Send me the details — location, type of run it will accommodate (short intervals/long intervals/climbs/distance), best times to run (and not to run), any extenuating circumstances (e.g., it’s on private property and guard dogs are involved) — and we’ll compile a list, so the next time Zeus threatens to ruin your run, you’ll have options for escaping his wet wrath.

Submit a venue and maybe win a relfective running vest!

As added incentive, our friends at The Athlete’s Foot in Cameron Village will throw in a door prize: a reflective vest, the perfect running accessory as Daylight Savings Time comes to a close (which it does this Sunday). You have until Nov. 14 to submit your wet weather running venues; the door prize winner will be selected at random from submittees.

I’ll run the resulting list on Nov. 15.

The problem up until now? We’d been hiking in the daylight.

Alan Nechemias and I had probably hiked this stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake — sections 10 and 9 — a couple dozen times over the past three years. But we could only recall hiking it once in daylight. The other times had been under conditions much like this: cool to cold late fall and winter nights once the sun had long since set.

Our night hikes were born of necessity a decade or so ago. Late one October we were lamenting the diminishing daylight and the coming of Daylight Savings Time, which would extinguish for several months any thought of getting in a bike ride after work. Ruing the seasonally imposed hiatus that loomed, we saw ourselves growing fat in our hibernating state. That’s when the idea struck: What about a hike, a long hike, in the dark?

Initially, early morning seemed a good idea. Start out in the dark, finish as the sun was coming up. Then, one morning as the world slowly began to take light we saw something up the trail, under a tree; It was a hunter with a shotgun, counting the minutes until sunrise and the legal start of deer hunting for the day. Since our primary venue for these long hikes was Falls Lake, portions of which are on gamelands, we decided to switch to night hikes.

Between now and the end of March, we’ll try to get out at least two nights a month. Monday’s inaugural outing was short by our night hiking standards, about 6.2 miles. Generally, we’ll go between 8 and 12 miles; our longest hike, I believe, was just under 15. We’re typically on the trail from 2 1/2 to 4 hours. On the nights we hike, we sleep well.

Night hiking isn’t for everyone. Those of you scared of the dark, for instance, might want to pass. Ditto those of you with poor night vision. Granted, you hike with a headlamp (more about that momentarily), but the headlamp offers no clue what lies beyond its 15-foot-or-so cone of illumination. (There’s nothing to harm you, frankly, but folks who may realize that on one level lose all sense of logic and reason in the dark.) Oh, and stickers for rules may not be cut out for night hiking. Technically, most trails on public lands are closed from dusk until dawn. That would include State Parks and nearly all municipal and county trails; national forests have no hours (and the trails are generally hard enough to follow in daylight, let alone the night), nor do lands managed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. I say that they are “technically” closed because ... what’s a legally correct way to put this? ... well, because I’ve only been escorted off a trail once for violating curfew. There, consider yourself warned.

OK, some tips for you potential night hikers (from a post we recycled from last November on the subject).

• For starters, you’ll need a light. Headlamps work best (leaving your cold hands free to tuck into your pockets), and you can get a decent one for as little as $30. LEDs cast a more hike-friendly light; be sure to take a spare light (a little pen light will do) and extra batteries. Wayfinding in the pitch dark is no fun, believe me. More information on the subject here.
• Pick short hikes to start. It’s a different game out there under the lights and it takes some getting used to. For one, your world is confined to the glow of your headlamp; beyond that is a dark world short on sights and long on curious sounds. Curiously, it can be sensory overload.
• Hike trails you’ve hiked in daylight. Even though it’s dark, familiarity is a huge plus. You’ll be amazed at how things you didn’t think you noticed during the day will pop out as key markers of where exactly you are on the trail.
• Hike by your feet. One thing you’ll notice immediately: There aren’t as many blazes on the trail as their seem to be during the day. The best way to tell whether you’ve wandered off the beaten path? If your boots are suddenly sinking into soft, untrodden leaf litter. Backtrack and seek out firm footing.
• Bundle up. It cools off at night and your daytime hiking partner Ol’ Sol won’t be there to counter the chill of winter.
• Don’t hike alone. I do a lot of soloing, but not at night.
• Again, take extra batteries. Your light goes out, you’re in for a really long evening.
• Again, take a backup light. Even a $5 keychain light can be a lifesaver if your main torch goes out. Even if you take extra batteries, take a backup light. (Ever try to change batteries in the dark?)
• Take a map and compass. You should be packing both in your daypack anyway, but make extra sure you have them at night.
• Take water and snacks. Just because it’s dark doesn’t mean you can’t get dehydrated. And if your night hikes turn into epics like ours have, you’ll need extra fuel along the way.
• Take a moment to check out the night sky.
• Take a cell phone, just in case.

Interested, but tentative? We’ll be doing another night hike in the next couple weeks. Drop me a line if you’d like to tag along.

Coast

It can be hard to find a foot race once sweltering summer settles in — but it’s not surprising that if there’s a race to be found, it’ll be at the coast. A breeze (hopefully) coming off the water and a flat course help compensate for the heat. Two reasons you might consider the 28th Annual Tri Span 5K and 10K Saturday in Wilmington. Starts at the Wilmington Hilton on Water Street, goes through downtown, hangs a right across the Memorial Bridge to US 421, crosses back over the 3rd Street Bridge to Front Street and eventually back to the finish. $30 for either race. More details here.
Oh, and another reason to run: the 7:30 a.m. start time beats the heat.

Mountains

Looking to escape the heat? Or at least a little bit of it?
The Chargers and Rechargers hiking club will, in its own words, not be charging up Rich Mountain from Trout Lake near Blowing Rock on Saturday. “This will not be an ‘aerobic’ hike,” cautions hike leader Danielle Catoe, “if you wish to race up the mountain, please do not come on this hike. This 8-mile roundtrip hike is rated easy to moderate, gaining a little over 600 vertical feet on the way from scenic Trout Lake up to Rich Mountain.
Departs from the Trout Lake parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Contact Catoe at 828-898-3072 or dmcatoe@aol.com for more specifics. (For more about the club, go here.)

Piedmont

Years ago a group of ex-pat Aussies would gather every so often at Jordan Lake to watch the sun set. The reason? It was one of the few places in the region where you could savor a long sunset unobstructed by rolling hills covered with trees. Another place: Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area in Hillsborough, where long-abandoned quarry operations sliced away a west-facing portion of the mountain making for — long sunsets unobstructed by rolling hills covered with trees.
Saturday evening at 8, join a ranger for a short hike to this blight-turned-vista to watch “the big orange ball in the sky disappear behind Hillsborough.” Because the event is limited to 15, pre-registration is required, by calling the park office at (919) 383-1686.

* * *
Care to choose your own activity? Check these statewide calendars.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Coast Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running.

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Chapel Hill’s Steve Rogers may be the most sought-after teammate in the Triangle. He’s a solid rider, his race resume including TORC’s local 6-hour endurance series, it’s cross-country race series, assorted 24-hour races, the Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race and the Shenandoah 100, to name a few. But the real reason to have Steve on your team: Risotto with shrimp in a light garlic sauce.

"I slave all day over a hot a stove and you complain because we're out of parm!?" Steve Rogers, left, behind hot stove, Kip Porterfield, lounging.

“When we first had kids,” Steve explained while slaving over a pot of pasta between laps for the Sofa Kings (34th out of 50, Male Team category), “the deal was, whoever got home first cooked dinner.” For the ensuing 18 years, Steve managed to get home first, and in the process became a pretty good cook. Still, you can’t always please the masses.
“We’re out of parmesan,” Steve announced shortly before dinner.

Teammate Kip Porterfield sighed. “Why do we even bring you?”

* * *
James Haskins is an animal on his single speed, but his true talent may lie in bartering. Steve Rogers’ aforementioned risotto was in jeopardy when he discovered he was short on butter. Off went teammate Haskins to score a stick in the tent city of roughly 1,000 (400 riders and at least twice that many support crew) that had sprung up on the infield for the weekend race.

When he wasn't searching for butter, James Haskins was sprucing up his all-white single speed.

“I found one at the second tent I went to,” said Haskins, who seemed more proud of that feat than of the laps he turned. What did he give up in return for the butter?
The ultimate currency among mountain bikers: A beer.

* * *

Late Saturday night (or was it early Sunday morning?) I awoke from a stupor to find the Triangle’s Wise Man of Wrenching sitting in the camp chair opposite. I’d heard a report that Team Cycle Surgeon had a team in the Coed category, and that the team was captained by the surgeon himself, Cary’s Matt Lodder. Still, it seemed like a dream that I now had direct access to one of the sharpest cycling minds of our time.
“I’m thinking about upgrading my road bike,” I said.
“How so?” Matt asked.
“A carbon fork, for one.”

John Holloway, left, and my knee listen as Matt Lodder dispenses his wisdom.

Matt thought for a moment, running my 1998 LeMond Buenos Aires through his databank. “Is the headset threaded or headless? And do you know if it’s one inch or an inch and one-eighth? Is your current fork steel or aluminum? Because if it’s aluminum, you may not notice much difference with a carbon upgrade.” On it went, until finally he issued his verdict: “By the time you get done upgrading your bike, it might be cheaper to just get a new one.”
We talked a while longer, then as quickly as he had appeared he was gone. Or had he really been there in the first place? Had I’d been dreaming? Had I conjured this Sermon on the (Bike) Mount?
Best not to take chances, I reasoned. The search for a new road bike begins this week.

* * *

Tent for people who fear laying down.

Chris White thought he was ahead of the game when he registered to ride the Burn last October. Then he got his pit crew pregnant. Chris, a member of the local IMBA mountain bike patrol, was planning on his wife being his support. But life happens, as the saying sorta goes, and Chris not only lost his support, he found what a lot of us already know: parenthood can put a crimp in training. In the last month, for example, he’d ridden a total of ... not at all. Yet, he managed to turn 9 laps and finish 26th out of 31 riders in the Men’s Solo division.

* * *

Best team name: “Are You Faster Than a Fifth Grader?” manned by four 10-year-olds: Tyler Spears, Jarred Blevins and John Hamby of Wilkes County, and Nathan St. Clair of Gastonia. They logged 10 laps in the Male Team category, and by all appearances may have had the best time of anyone.

* * *

Flaming Marshmellow Pierce Holloway oatmeals up for his last lap in the wee hours.

Had the Triangle-based Flaming Marshmallows been named “Are You Faster Than a Ninth Grader, the answer for 15 of the 21 teams competing against them in the Coed Team category would have been “no.” The FMs — consisting of Luke Vrouwenvelder, Pierce Holloway and Ben Rice, all of the Triangle, and Sophie Clyburn of the Bethlehem, N.C., racing Clyburn family — logged 31 laps to come in 6th in their otherwise adult category. Nice job, little dudes & dudette.

* * *

The family that bikes together ... Officially, their team name was Whitfield Family/Johnson Lexus. But ask anyone in the Triangle biking community and their name should have been Team Nicest People Ever. Congrats to the racing — and very nice — Whitfield family: Dad John, Mom Jill and daughters Elizabeth and Emily, who collectively turned 23 laps to place 16th in the Coed Team division. Now, about those 23 laps, Dad. The rules state that members of the minority sex on a coed team must ride at least two laps — did Team Nicest People Ever adhere to the rulebook?
“I think I’m good,” John said Sunday morning.

* * *

For most, an epic such as the Burn 24 is a goal. For Brian Martin it was a training ride. “He’s training for the Leadville 100,” support crew/wife Sarah said while standing with hubby after he’d turned a lap. What prompted that insanity? I wondered. “What made you decide to do that?” I asked. Brian shrugged and grinned. “The movie.” http://www.raceacrossthesky.com

* * *

Awaiting a teammate, sometime in the middle of the night.

The one person I wanted to talk to but didn’t get a chance: Lee Walker. That’s because Lee was busy pedaling 27 laps to win the Men’s Solo Division. That’s 27 laps on the hilly 7.4-mile course in 24 hours. His fastest lap: 41 minutes, 53 seconds, on lap 2. His average speed: 10.025 miles per hour — averaged, btw, over the entire 24 hours, assuming Lee never stopped. (I know he stopped once; his pit was across from ours.) Nice job, Lee.

Boot camp. For years, this approach to fitness was exclusive to the military. New recruits went into the service soft and squishy, got spit out six weeks later buff and tough. The idea got co-opted about a decade ago as gyms and private trainers began offering take-no-prisoners classes that gave a taste of the military experience, minus the two-year commitment and haircut. The workouts were popular because they were concentrated (perfect for people with tight schedules), intense (“guaranteed results” actually meant guaranteed results), and varied (each workout was different; you didn’t know what to expect from one day to the next). Over the past five years or so, the concept has been co-opted further, into a more ... civil version. Or, as Anne Triebert likes to call it, a Boot Camp for the Rest of Us.

Last spring, Triebert and fellow trainer Kathy Cassidy started “Boot Camp for the Rest of Us,” a focused, 50-minute exercise program. Initially, they met two mornings a week, at 6, in a parking lot at Raleigh’s Jaycee Park (the supplemental lighting, especially on cloudy mornings, came in handy). The class has since moved down Oberlin Road to White Memorial Presbyterian Church, where it has affiliated with the church’s Health Ministry. Though it’s moved indoors, Triebert still starts class promptly at 6.

“OK,” Triebert announces at 6 sharp, “let’s get going.” We form a circle with one class member in the middle and warm up — and wake up — by passing a small medicine ball. After we’ve all had a chance in the middle, Triebert adds a second ball to the mix, hastening the wake-up element of the task. A similar exercise follows before Triebert takes it up a notch and has us do three passes through a circuit that includes: 12 crunches on an exercise ball, 12 dumbbell curls, 12 twists with an exercise ball, 12 lateral lifts with dumbbells, followed by hopping/skipping/jumping through a rope ladder on the gym floor. Once we’re done with that set, she puts us through the circuit again, with four different exercises, again three times each. The 50 minutes is flying, but not so fast that we don’t have time for a 10-minute abs workout that elicits the most grunting and groaning of the young morning.

“I like the fact that it keeps you moving so the time really goes fast,” Teena Anderson, who is 62, says afterward. “And the instructors mix it up so it never becomes boring. No two workouts are the same.”

Therein lies the double appeal of such boot camp classes. For one, you don’t dread the workouts because you don’t know what to dread ahead of time. And, increasingly, exercise professionals are touting varied workouts because of their efficiency. With a set routine, muscles quickly adapt to the pattern and don’t work as hard. With a varied workout, muscles are doing something different every time.

In the case of Boot Camp for the Rest of Us, Triebert focuses on strength training for her half of the classes, Cassidy on aerobics. They compare notes on their workouts beforehand for optimum effect.

“Once,” says Triebert, “we didn’t check with each other and there were complaints of soreness, so Kathy had to modify her workout a bit or have mutiny.”

Another way civil boot camp differs from the military version is that while it is group exercise, this version is tailored to the individual. Weights of varying heft are available for weight-related exercises, for instance, and exercises can be altered to accommodate specific conditions, such as arthritis.

“I watch folks, especially if they just joined, to see what they can do and cannot do,” says Triebert, who is certified through the American Fitness Professionals & Associates. Which isn’t to say she gives free passes.

“If they have been there for a while, they I won’t let them use light weights, or I’ll tell them, ‘It’s a full pushup for [you]. No sneaking by me.”

A thought that, apparently, hasn’t occurred to Beth Pattillo. “Two days after the workout, I’m still feeling some of the effects, which just reminds me that I’m using new muscles and making my body perform at higher levels. I’ve lost weight, toned muscles, met new friends and feel really good.”

Melanie Gibson, who turns 43 today, seconds that. “I feel better than ever.

“One thing I have learned,” she adds, “it is never too late to start exercising. The body is very forgiving.”

* * *

Boot camps have become a stable of most gyms and parks and rec fitness curriculums.  To find out about boot camps and other fitness programs that can help get you through the dark days of winter, check with your local parks & rec. Links to some of the state’s larger p&r Web sites follow:

Asheville; Charlotte: Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation; Triangle: Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh; Triad: Greensboro, Winston-Salem; Wilmington.

* * *

Here are previous installments in our series on active ways to stay sane during Standard Time:

Nov. 12: Night moves: A safe walk in a dangerous place
Nov. 5: Night hiking: Beating the Standard Time blues
Oct. 30: Coping with Standard Time: Mountain biking at night

• When possible, walk with someone.
• Don't use headphones. You rely more on your ears at night.
• Avoid shortcuts.
• If someone in a vehicle asks for directions, answer from a distance. Do not approach the vehicle.
• Walk against traffic. It’s easier to take evasive action if need be.
• Be aware that there’s often a noticeable temperature drop after sunset and dress appropriately.
• When feasible, let someone know your route and when you expect to be back.
• Use a headlamp or flashlight when your route includes uneven surfaces.
• Take your cell phone in case you need to summons help.

That’s all I’ve got. If you’re a veteran night walker and have a tip, by all means share.

With the end of Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, GetGoingNC.com is looking at various ways you can keep active during the dark times ahead.

For maybe the fifth time in five minutes Alan stopped to comment on the trail. “This is a great trail,” he commented. And for the fifth time in maybe five minutes I reminded him that we had hiked this same trail maybe a half dozen times. His sense of discovery was justified, though. This was the first time we'd hiked the trail in daylight.

Several years ago, we both despaired at the end of Daylight Savings Time. The end of DST meant a sharp decline in our outdoor activity, primarily our after work bike rides. Long workouts only on weekends? That just seemed silly.

And it was. For just as advances in lighting have made it possible to ride a bike in the woods at night, so have these technological advances made it relatively simple to hike at night. And unlike the light systems for mountain biking that can set you back $200 to $600 or more, you can get a decent light set for hiking for less than $30. Most of the more simple systems run on AA or AAA batteries, power an LED light, and strap to your head, leaving your hands free.For more information on lights and what to look for, go here.

Some advice before you head out:

• Pick short hikes to start. It's a different game out there under the lights and it takes some getting used to. For one, your world is confined to the glow of your headlamp; beyond that is a dark world short on sights and long on curious sounds. Curiously, it can be sensory overload.

• Hike trails you've hiked in daylight. Even though it's dark, familiarity is a huge plus. You'll be amazed at how things you didn't think you noticed during the day will pop out as key markers of where exactly you are on the trail.

• Hike by your feet. One thing you'll notice immediately: There aren't as many blazes on the trail as you think. The best way to tell whether you've wandered off the beaten path? If you're boots are suddenly sinking into soft, untrodden leaf litter. Backtrack and seek out firm footing.

• Bundle up. It cools off at night and your daytime hiking partner Ol' Sol won't be there to counter the chill of winter.

• Don't hike alone. I do a lot of soloing, but not at night.

• Take extra batteries. Your light goes out, you're in for a really long evening.

• Take a backup light. Even a $5 keychain light can be a lifesaver if your main torch goes out. Even if you take extra batteries, take a backup light. (Ever try to change batteries in the dark?)

• Take a map and compass. You should be packing both in your daypack anyway, but make extra sure you have them at night.

• Take a cell phone, just in case.
  

One last thing. A lot – most, probably – of land managers don't like you hiking their trails at night. N.C. State Parks, for instance, maintain daylight hours and officially close at 6 p.m. from November through February. Gamelands and national forests are the notable exceptions. Inquire before you hike.

Share and Enjoy:

]]> http://getgoingnc.com/2009/11/night-hiking-beating-the-standard-time-blues/feed/ 2 http://getgoingnc.com/2009/10/coping-with-standard-time-mountain-biking-at-night/ http://getgoingnc.com/2009/10/coping-with-standard-time-mountain-biking-at-night/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:02:34 +0000 JoeMiller http://www.getgoingnc.com/?p=305 When I saw that Jeff LeBlanc was leading our ride, I knew that whatever he said was going to happen on the ride would be what would happen. Rare in group riding circles and reassuring, especially since this ride was at night, on mountain bikes, through twisty trail in the forest. While I’d done night rides before, this was a first for my 14-year-old stepson. The fewer surprises the better, and I knew from experience that LeBlanc, a retired Marine remained possessed of  Corps discipline.

Years earlier, I had been vacationing at Emerald Isle over Memorial Day and saw that the Downeast Bicycle Club was holding a century ride. I had my road bike, I called the contact — LeBlanc — who told me what the ride would be like: moderate pace, about 18 mph average; single paceline riding; a 15-minute stop for lunch; and everyone riding together, period, except for a stretch at mile 80 when we would be set loose. After seven miles we would regroup at a gas station and finish the ride as one. Any questions?

Ride leader Jeff LeBlanc

I figured if the ride went even remotely as advertised, it would be good. It went exactly as advertised, and remains the best century ride I’ve done. Mountain biking is one of the many activities I have come to love doing in the dark. Let me rephrase that: One of the many activities I’m more accustomed to doing during daylight that I now love doing in the dark. I go for three- and four-hour hikes through local woods after dark. I walk the neighborhood after dark. I run after dark and I even road bike after dark. And I do it all with zero added concern for my safety. Thus, whereas I used to dread the end of Daylight Savings Time — which comes to a close Sunday morning at 2 a.m. — I now accept the absence of afterwork daylight and keep moving.

Over the next few weeks I’ll take a look at various activities that increasing numbers of people are doing under cover of darkness, and I’ll talk about how you can do them safely. First up: Mountain biking.

Not a decade ago, mountain biking after hours was the sport of daredevil twentysomething guys who would gather clandestinely, switch on their sketchy lighting systems (often homemade and composed of pvc pipe, a fistfull of A batteries and a halogen lightbulb), and careen through the forest. Bouncing off trees and getting occasionally getting impaled is no biggy in your immortal youth. It's something altogether different once you get a mortgage. At Wednesday night’s right at Lake Crabtree County Park, at least half the riders were over 40, several of us past 50. There were women, and there was the aforementioned 14-year-old.

And there was no sneaking under a closed park gate; Lake Crabtree park manager Drew Cade greeted every rider (and had them sign a waiver). The main reason mountain biking at night has gone mainstream: advances in lighting systems. Gone are the schizo homemade lighting systems (although you may still see a diehard riding with one). In their place: A new generation of LED, HID (a k a metal halide) and Xenon helmet-mounted lights that create a cozy sphere of daylight letting you see a good 10 to 20 feet or more up the trail. Advances in battery technology mean burn times in the two- to five-hour range, more than sufficient to for the typical mountain bike ride. (And if it isn’t, special chargers can revive these batteries lickity split.) Here’s a good overview article on lighting systems to get you up to speed.

Most riders (based on conversations over the years) claim that riding at night is actually safer because you’re more focused. Instead of gazing off at a ridgeline 10 miles off, your field of vision is confined to the glow cast by your light. Fewer distractions, fewer forays into trail-hugging pines.

Despite the growth in mountain biking at night — night rides at Lake Crabtree typically draw 60 to 70 riders — it remains a fairly controlled activity. Most legal trail networks close at dusk; thus, most night rides are the work of local bike clubs making arrangements with land managers. The Lake Crabtree rides (there are two a month during Standard Time, on the first Tuesday and third Thursday) are the result of the Triangle Off-Road Cyclists working with Cade. TORC has a similar arrangement with Harris Lake County Park and is negotiating to hold night rides at Little River Regional Park and at the Beaverdam area of Falls Lake State Recreation Area.

That the majority of night riding is run by bike clubs is a good thing for riders new to riding at night. Thursday night’s ride at Lake Crabtree split into groups based on experience; We went with Jeff LeBlanc, who took out the beginners.

“I’ll be leading the ride,” he told us, “my son will be acting as sweep. No one will get dropped, which means that at every fork in the trail that we come to, we’ll wait until everyone catches up.”

I didn’t have to wonder whether our ride would unfold somewhat as advertised. I knew it would unfold exactly as advertised.

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Looking for a night ride?

Your best bet for tapping into local night rides is through your neighborhood bike club’s Web site. Here are some good ones to start with:

Asheville

Mountain Biking in Western North Carolina

Charlotte

Charlotte Mountain Bike

Tarheel Trailblazers

Triad

Greensboro Fat Tire Society (Dale Holder reports that night rides are generally held every Wednesday night week or two after Daylight Savings Time ends. He suggests checking in with biketriad.com or the club’s Facebook page for details.

Mountain Bike The Triad

Triangle

Triangle MTB

Triangle Off-Road Cyclists. (Rides are held the first Tuesday and third Wednesday of every month at Lake Crabtree, and the second Thursday and fourth Tuesday at Harris Lake. More rides will likely be scheduled. Consult Triangle MTB for details.  TORC's Tim Lee, as noted below, says all the group's organized rides, those in daylight as well as at night, are posted at the club's Meetup site.

Wilmington

Sir Bikes-A-Lot