You know why you haven’t taken up backpacking?
Because you think you have to hike with 40 pounds on your back with every footstep you take.
Well, you don’t. If every backpack trip we took involved lugging a full pack for days on end, we wouldn’t backpack, either.
The following originally appeared Aug. 9, 2018, under the title, “Making Sense of a Weather Forecast.” It appears again, tweaked a bit, because knowing the forecast going into fall is especially important, as we’ll start encountering cooler temperatures that will affect how we prepare for a hike, and thus, our safety.
This morning I awoke to a temperature of 63 degrees. I couldn’t remember that last time it wasn’t in the mid-70s when I got up — weeks, at least — let alone in the low 60s.
It was a sign, a sign I always look forward to come August: that fall is on the way.
The following originally appeared August 15, 2018. We run it again because it’s a good reminder — to us especially — to always pay attention, to never get cocky out there, and that, nature is always in charge.
You learn a lot while backpacking, especially about yourself. I’m pretty sure the nine backpackers I spent this past weekend with in Linville Gorge know a lot more about themselves today than they did before our trip.
Last week we were hiking along the Eno River on a sunny, hot day: sunny, as in lots of azure amid a few harmless, billowy clouds; hot, as in seasonable, around 90. And yes, quite humid. A typical summer’s day. I loved it.
Why? It reminded me of being a kid.
Running a little behind this week, so, as we do on occasion, we proclaim this a DIY weekend: We provide the resources, you find your weekend adventure.
Enjoy!
Land trusts offer some of the best programs around, from the Eno River Association’s Sunday Hike Series to the Triangle Land Conservancy’s Speed Hikes.
