I’ll remember my three hikes over the weekend as such: long stretches of brown interrupted by flashes of the wrong kind of green, the less frequent wrong patches of white and one inspiring — but again, wrong — flash of yellow.
My objective on the trail this past weekend? Find signs of spring.
Ambitious, considering snow, ice and cold had dominated late winter until early last week. Then one 75 degree day, another in the 60s and — consarn it! — where’s spring? According to Carrboro naturalist Dave Cook and his “The Piedmont Almanac,” as early as the third week of February, “the first trout lilies and spring beauties might adventurously bloom” on slopes with southern exposures. By this, the second week of March, Cook writes, we should expect to see trout lilies in their “full glory.” Cook offers a caveat: your results may vary depending upon the weather.
Since second grade, I’ve avidly watched for the first signs of spring, though the cues have changed over the years. Beginning in early February I would rush home after school to rip open the sports section of The Denver Post, then an afternoon paper, and look for the first box score of spring training. Just seeing the early at-bats of Harmon Killebrew and Moose Skowran made me feel 10read more
Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease the transition, every Monday we feature a 90 Second Escape — essentially, a 90-second video or slide show of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s not under a fluorescent bulb.read more
A reminder that if you want to catch good fall color but don’t have time to drive to the mountains, nature’s autumn display is starting to play in the Piedmont. The N.C. Division of Tourism, Film and Sport’s Development is keeping tabs on the evolving fall show at Piedmont Foliage Reports, with various state parks, natural areas and recreation areas weighing in. According to the most recent reports, as of Wednesday Kerr Lake State Recreation Area reported it was “about 60 percent on the way to peak.” Pilot Mountain State Park is being to bloom as well, while at Mayo River State Park there’s still “some green, but we are beginning to see more yellow, gold and some orange in the foliage now.”
Find the full report here.read more
Conditions should be good on the slopes this weekend.
Race at a new nature park near Wilmington in honor of the groundhog, Bushwhack it on a mountain bike in the Piedmont, celebrate the cold in the high country in the most appropriate way possible. Another diverse weekend is on tap in North Carolina.
If you’re looking for something closer to home, check out the new weekly calendar listings at the Great Outdoor Provision Co. Three events every week near Great Outdoor Provision’s seven North Carolina markets: Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, Winston-Salem and Wilmington.read more
The forecast for this weekend could not be better. Early morning lows in the low to mid-40s, daytime highs in the mid-60s to 70. Sunny.
Perfect fall weather — but you never know how long it will last. Thus, you are obligated this weekend to take advantage. A reminder about some GetGoingNC.com resources to help you plan your fun.read more
