This early run of fall-like weather has been both blessing and curse. After a summer of heat and humidity, the first half of September has been hiking-perfect: Sunny, dry days, coupled with clear, cool nights. The weather is inviting and the leaves are turning early. You can’t wait to get on the trail! Neither can the seasonal masses who discover hiking every year at this time. The trails are getting crowded.

Well, some of them.

In the first of our every-other-Thursday Lunch with GetHiking! Zoom gatherings, we’ll talk about  ways to find the trails less traveled. Some of our tips may be obvious — hike early in the day, hike late in the day — some not so much. We’ll discuss a couple examples of less populated trails at some of our most popular hiking venues. And we’ll take a few minutes to talk hiking gear with our friends at Great Outdoor Provision Co. Our first Lunch with GetHiking! is Thursday, Sept. 16 at noon. Find an exclusive invitation (our Zoom membership limits us to 100 participants) here. 

Why Lunch with GetHiking!? Mainly, because come fall and its ideal conditions we can’t wait for the weekend. That’s why we started our Fall Friday Morning Hike Series. But even Friday morning didn’t seem soon enough, so we’ve started posting our GetGoingNC.com GetOut! blog, with thoughts on weekend adventures, late Thursday afternoon. And why now we’re starting the weekend even earlier, at noon every other Thursday, with Lunch with GetHiking!

We’ll gather for a half hour or so, long enough for an informative talk, not long enough to irk Mr. Dithers if you’re on the clock. Our topics will all be hiking specific, and seasonally appropriate, when possible. 

Here’s a look at what we have planned (note: topics are subject to change; we see a shiny thing, we’ll be on it).

What’s for lunch

Sept. 16 — Finding the Trails Less Traveled. This early run of fall-like weather has been both blessing and curse. After a summer of heat and humidity, the first half of September has been hiking-perfect: you can’t wait to get on the trail — and neither can the seasonal masses who discover hiking every year at this time. Today, we’ll talk about  ways to find the trails less traveled.

Sept. 30 — Our Favorite Piedmont hikes (that aren’t crowded). As a follow-up to our first session, we look at some of our favorite trails that, for various reasons, don’t attract the masses. 

Oct. 14 — Fall color comes to the Piedmont. Color should be in full bloom in the region. We discuss where to find the best color.

Oct. 28 — Longer hikes. Maybe your hikes have been in the 3- to 5-mile category so far this fall. Lately, maybe feel the urge to hike farther (cool weather will do that). We discuss what to consider as you start hiking longer, including a look at some of our favorite hikes in the 5- to 10-mile range.

Nov. 11 — Coastal Hiking. It’s finally cool enough that the biting bugs and slithery critters are at bay. It’s time to look east for a hiking destination. We discuss 5 of our favorite coastal hikes.

Nov. 24 (Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving) — Where to take the visiting kin for a Thanksgiving Day/Weekend hike. Our shorter favorite trails that showcase the best the region has to offer.

Dec. 9 — Winter hiking. It’s a knee-jerk reaction: it’s getting cold, time to hang up the hiking gear until spring. Yet winter can be a magical time on the trail; we discuss how, and why you should keep hiking through this unjustly maligned season. 

Dec. 23 — Hike in the New Year. Where to hike in the new year and what to expect on a First Day hike. Plus, setting goals for 2022.

Join us for Lunch!

Again, we’ll meet every other Thursday at noon. Find your invitation here. And about the photo? The main course is John Marzetti, a mainstay of the lunch program in the Denver Public Schools in the 1960s. Mmmm … .