A learning experience at the coast, stargazing in the Piedmont, and in the mountains, drawing inspiration from some true rock stars.

Coast

Can you tell an oak from a hickory, a beech from a boxelder? Maybe in summer, when a full canopy displays each tree’s distinctively shaped, tell-tale leaves. But in winter, when the leaves have vacated, identifying the dendrologic denizens of the forest can be more challenging.

All the more reason to take a break from the holidays and spend an hour on Saturday’s Winter Tree ID hike sponsored by Lake Waccamaw State Park in Lake Waccamaw. Says the park website: “Join a park ranger in using clues to identify trees by unique crown shape, fruit and/or their leftover containers, persistent leaves, live twigs and growth habit.” Conducted by a state park ranger but held at the Depot Museum in Lake Waccamaw (where you should plan to spend a little extra time learning about the human history of the area).

Sounds like a good investment of an hour, with takeaway benefits for subsequent visits to the woods.

Logistics: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2 p.m., Depot Museum, Lake Waccamaw. For more info: 910.646.1992

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 57.

Piedmont

Wednesday night, on a GetHiking! Triangle hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake, we paused in a clearing, flipped off our headlamps and took in a surprisingly vivid night sky. Hiker Ron mentioned a NASA website where you can plug in your location and will give you the best opportunities for viewing the International Space Station. I mentioned that it appeared we had just missed the Geminid meteor shower.

Turns out I was wrong. Turns out the annual viewing of this night sky spectacular is his Saturday. And it turns out that you can catch this year’s show at Medoc Mountain State Park between Louisburg and Roanoke Rapids. It’s a great spot to catch the show: the huge grass field at the park’s entrance is about as removed from light pollution as you can get in North Carolina. (A viewing is also scheduled, from 8-10 p.m., at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in the Triangle.)

Logistics: Saturday, Dec. 13, 5:30 p.m., Medoc Mountain State Park, Hollister. More info: 252.586.6588.

Saturday evening forecast: Clear, with temperatures in the upper 40s.

Mountains

Historically, the Triple Crown Bouldering Series has had three fall events: in Boone; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and, Steele, Ala. This year, they’ve added a fourth, at Rumbling Bald in the Hickory Nut Gorge area near Lake Lure.

The series draws top boulderers — climbers without ropes, but only going about 15 feet off the ground (they fall, no biggie, especially since they land on a crash pad).  Between 600 and 1,000 competitors are expected this year.

We suggest this spectator event primarily because, with the new year approaching, many of us are in search of new pursuits, new ways to push ourselves. New ways to live. Check these competitors out. We promise they’ll inspire.

Logistics: Saturday, Dec. 13, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Lake Lure. Go here for details.

Saturday forecast: Sunny skies, high of 59 (perfect weather for climbing, btw).

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