Never has there been more incentive to be outside than there is for the winter that lies ahead. We’ve always known that being outside is good for us; now we’re being told that it’s vital for our well-being.

For late fall we have three backpack trips suited to people who may have burned through their vacation, for the winter, we have three weekend trips to our most iconic locations. Here’s the lineup:

Weekend Quick Escapes

It’s the end of the year, you’ve burned through your vacation time, yet you’ve love to get in another backpack trip or two — maybe three. Our Weekend Quick Escapes are designed for just that: You can work until 5 on Friday afternoon, then drive to the trailhead for a short hike to basecamp and be set up by 8. Saturday is a long day hike, Sunday we do a shorter day hike, before heading home in the early afternoon. A lot of adventure in a little amount of time. 

• Rock Castle Gorge (Virginia), Nov. 13-15. From the primitive camp at the base of the gorge we’ll day-hike the 11-mile Rock Castle Loop on Saturday, then stop for a 5-mile hike at Fairy Stone State Park on the drive home. 10 hikers. THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT.
• Doughton Park, Dec. 4-6. We’ll hike in a mile to basecamp off Longbottom Road Friday evening, then day-hike the 16-mile Cedar Ridge/Bluff Mountain/Grassy Gap Loop Saturday. Before heading out Sunday, we’ll hike up Cabin Creek to the Caudill Cabin. 10 hikers. Learn more and sign up here.
• Birkhead Mountain Wilderness, Uwharrie National Forest, Dec. 18-20. Friday evening we hike in 3 miles to Camp 5; Saturday, we do an 11-mile day-hike exploring the wilderness; Sunday, we hike out, then do a short hike up to Little Long Mountain for the best view in the Uwharries. Learn more and sign up here.

Winter Series

We’ll do three backpack trips this winter, one likely to have winter conditions, one trying to avoid winter conditions, a third … well, we’ll see.

• GetBackpacking! Neusiok Trail, January 8-10. Our annual trip on this 21-mile coastal trail through the Croatan National Forest. Friday thru Sunday in a forest that ranges from pine savannah to coastal woods to rolling terrain resembling the Piedmont to a finale along beach fronting the mile-wide Neuse River. Registration opens in December. If you’d like early notice about when registration opens, email joe@getgoingnc.com 
• GetBackpacking! Appalachian Trail, Feb. 19-21. It’s our fifth year for this trip, which begins atop Max Patch and ends in the town of Hot Springs. We’ve had snow on this trip, we’ve had 70-degree days. 3 days, 2 nights, 21 miles. Registration opens in December. If you’d like early notice about when registration opens, email joe@getgoingnc.com 
• GetBackpacking! Linville Gorge, March 12-14. We didn’t visit the gorge in 2020 because of its pandemic-provoked popularity. We’re hoping that a visit early in the year will help us find the solitude we seek in this designated wilderness. We’ll basecamp atop Shortoff Mountain Friday evening, then spend Saturday day hiking the gorge’s east wall. Registration opens in December. If you’d like early notice about when registration opens, email joe@getgoingnc.com