A cool front moves over the land this weekend, meaning temperatures in the mid-80s throughout much of our posting area. Some thoughts on how to take advantage of the cool weather:

National Trails Day, Saturday, various events, various times, various locations. Since the early 90s, the first Saturday in June has been deemed by the American Hiking Society to be National Trails Day. It’s a day we officially celebrate the nation’s 200,000+ miles of trail, by exploring them, by tidying them up, even by building them. A total of 24 NTD events have been registered with the American Hiking Society in North Carolina, from maintaining the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in various locations to helping to rehabilitate the Appalachian Trail as it passes over Max Path near Hot Springs. Find an NTD event near you by going here. And if you’re outside North Carolina, find all 876 registered events here.

National Land Trust Day, Saturday. Also on the first Saturday in June we celebrate those outdoor playgrounds brought to us by your local land trust. Land trusts throughout the state (and the country) work to preserve special places threatened by a range of factors, and many of these places are open for you to explore. Learn more about our land trusts and how you can support them by visiting the Great Outdoor Provision Co. website. (On Saturday, fyi, Great Outdoor will donate 10 percent of all trails to local land trusts.)

Guided Balsam Nature Trail, Sunday, 2 p.m. If you have the good fortune to find yourself atop Mount Mitchell on Sunday, plan to tag along on the Guided Balsam Nature Trail Hike. Balsams are rare in the South; on this hike you’ll find out why, among other things. Learn more here.

GetHiking! this weekend

What are our GetHiking chapters in North Carolina up to this weekend? Quite a lot, thanks for asking:

GetHiking! Charlottesville: Appalachian Trail (South District),Friday, May 31, 8:30 a.m. Great Outdoor Provision, Charlottesville. Moderate. 9-mile hike exploring the southern district of the Appalachian Trail. Learn more here. GetHiking! Charlottesville: National Trails Day with PATC,Saturday, June 1, 8:30 a.m. Fontaine Research Park, Charlottesville. Moderately easy. 1.1-mile hike cleaning a section of the Great Eastern Trail, an emerging long trail that will link Alabama and New York. Learn more here. GetHiking! Triangle: Disaster and Wilderness First Aid,Saturday, May 25, 9 a.m. Umstead Park, Raleigh. Hands-on experience to survive injuries in the wilderness. Learn more here. GetHiking! Charlotte: Panthertown Valley,Saturday, June 1, 9:30 a.m. Ingles Market, Cashiers. Easy to Moderate. 7-mile hike exploring the four different waterfalls in Panthertown Valley. Learn more here. GetHiking! Virginia Beach: GOPC,Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. Belle Isle, Richmond. This is a true meander, with no set plan. Learn more here.

Live the video

This week’s video comes from last week’s hike at the Horton Grove Nature Preserve in northern Durham County. A good choice for exploring, with about 8 miles of trail, on Saturday, National Land Trust Day. Learn more here.