Goodbye summer, hello fall. And the start of the fall hiking season.
Labor Day is the ceremonial opening for fall (even though summer doesn’t actually hand over the keys until Sept. 22). It marks things that signify the end of summer: pools close, schools are just underway, football gets into full swing, and we’re done with summer vacationing.
In summer, many hikers say Get back to us when the weather’s cooler. Not everyone has a love of sweat and tolerance for cobwebs. Rarely do you see ads for outdoor gear featuring hikers with their hair plastered to their forehead and their eyes squint-shut with salty sweat. So, if you are among those who opted to avoid the heat and humidity of summer, now is the time to renew your relationship with the outdoors. And we’re here to help.
To get you stoked, let’s take a look at what September should bring, weatherwise, using Raleigh for example’s sake:
- Average high temperature for Sept. 1: 85; average high temperature for Sept. 30: 77
- Average low temperature for Sept. 1: 67; average low temperature for Sept. 30: 58
- Average humidity on Sept. 1: 64 percent; average humidity on Sept. 30: 25 percent
Daylight grows shorter — 12 hours and 54 minutes at the beginning of the month, 11 hours and 49 minutes by the end — but the quality of that daylight improves noticeably.
Our GetHiking! Triangle group optimistically welcomed the ceremonial close of summer with a 5.2-mile hike Labor Day morning on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake. The hike filled to its 20-person capacity shortly after being posted earlier in the week and it was one eager group of hikers. Admittedly, it felt like the epitome of summer. And though they may have developed a glow not long into the hike, their enthusiasm was strong, lingering heat be danged. The highlight? Popsicles at trail’s end. But that’s part of the joy as well: a chance to say goodbye to summer hiking and know that days like that are now numbered.
So, don’t shelve your shorts and favorite tech-Ts just yet. But it wouldn’t hurt to get your light fleece and convertible pants out of storage. Then pull out your calendar and plan an autumn full of hiking with the GetHiking! crew.
Happy Trails!
Joe
Join us!
- This weekend. There’s a cold front moving through the weekend this weekend, and while it brings with it a chance of rain, it also brings temperatures around 80. Find your local GetHiking! chapter here and see what’s planned for the weekend.
- Throughout the fall. We’ve got all kinds of weekend hiking and backpacking getaways planned for fall. Check ’em out — and join us — here.