Sunday morning we undergo that annual ritual of falling back. Meaning, when the clock strikes 2 a.m., we wind the hour hand back an hour, to 1 a.m. So when what had been 7:42 a.m. rolls around, it will actually be 6:42 a.m.
Normally, we celebrate this occurrence with getting to sleep an extra hour. But it’s true import? Instead of the sun rising at 7:42 a.m., it will be up at 6:42 a.m. Meaning … ?
Every year around this time we rerun the following post about night hiking, with a few tweaks. Granted, we don’t switch back to Standard Time for another week (Sunday, Nov. 2 this year), but it doesn’t hurt to plan ahead. That said, we make our annual case for a night hike, and offer some tips on how to make it happen.
Hiking Thursday on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake I suddenly realized I couldn’t see the trail. The colorful fall leaves that had lured me were now messing with me by covering the trail and obliterating the path ahead. Years ago, I might have panicked. But years of fall hiking have taught me a trick or two — or 10.
The following piece first appeared in 2015, following author Kathryn Aalto’s appearance at Raleigh’s Quail Ridge Books to promote her then-new book, “The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh.” Aalto reflected on the joy’s of walking-at-will in her new home of England, about how little is off-limits in a country that grants a legal right to roam. Her observations and wanderings seem especially pertinent in fall, a time when all we want to do is roam and take in this season of color.
At the beginning of September we extolled the virtues of a passeggiata— an after-dinner stroll around the neighborhood. Good for digestion, good for winding down after a stressful day, good for getting to know your immediate surroundings. Besides, with daylight becoming more scarce it was a sensible option for getting out.
