Fall-like weather got you in a fall hiking mood? Perhaps a full day on the trail? Or, better yet, a full day on two trails?
You have that option this Saturday when the N.C. Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Hometown Strong initiative leads two hikes totaling 9 miles on two State Trails. The trails in question: the Fonta Flora State Trail west of Morganton and the Wilderness Gateway State Trail just south of Morganton. Let’s take those hikes in order.
Editor’s note: We run a tweaked version of this hike every fall to help you avoid crowded trails in this, the most popular hiking season.
Though most of us associate the start of fall with the passage of Labor Day, fall doesn’t officially start until Sept. 22, officially at 8:44 a.m. EST. This week has definitely gotten us in the mood, with high temperatures in the 70s, lows in the 50s.
Editor’s note: We run a tweaked version of this hike every fall to help you avoid crowded trails in this, the most popular hiking season.
Though most of us associate the start of fall with the passage of Labor Day, fall doesn’t officially start until Sept. 22, officially at 8:44 a.m. EST. This week has definitely gotten us in the mood, with high temperatures in the 70s, lows in the 50s.
This past weekend GetBackpacking! set an SKT — Slowest Known Time. In this case, the Slowest Known Time for a lunch break on a backpacking trip.
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Before we set out Saturday morning from our campsite at Yellow Mountain Gap on the Appalachian Trail, I outlined the morning plan. “We’ve got a long climb — 900 vertical feet in 1.7 miles — up to Little Hump Mountain. We’ll take a break there. Then head on to Hump Mountain for lunch.”
Fall, the best time of year to be on the trail, is around the corner. Are you ready?
I don’t mean do you have your gear ready: Rather, do you have your plan of attack in place?
Not to put too much pressure on the fall hiking season, but there is a fair amount of pressure to make the most of the next three months. Sure, spring has its obvious pluses — wildflowers, warming temperatures, rebirth — and winter has its subtle charms. But face it, the combination of a retreat from sweltering temperatures, low humidity, crisp blue skies, and fall color make this the best season to hike in the Southeast.
