Ten years ago, we ran a weekly series of posts called “Hikes You Can Do.” They were hikes across the state, seven in all, that weren’t long (though some included longer options), that weren’t necessarily strenuous (but would still get your heartbeat up), and that just about anybody could do.
GetOut! Your Friday Nudge for Weekend Adventure
Consider the coming weekend as preparation for the winter ahead: high temperatures throughout much of the region won’t get out of the 40s. That makes it an opportune time to dig out your cold weather gear, see what works, see what needs replacing. Make good use of this test-run weekend and you’ll be ready for the winter months ahead!
Expand your horizons this winter hiking season
When it comes to winter hiking, we tend to develop a circle-the-wagons mentality: Who knows what might happen with the weather. Better keep my winter hiking close to home.
It’s a valid thought. But it needs tweaking.
True, if you live in the Piedmont, the weather is a bit more predictable than in the mountains. We learn this in summer when there’s no rain in the forecast, and then — boom — darned if a thunderstorm doesn’t roll through mid-afternoon. A drenching rain in the heat is one thing. A cold rain-turned-sleet-and-snow in winter is a much more formidable, and potentially life-threatening, matter. So why take the risk?
GetOut! Your Friday Nudge for Weekend Adventure
Today’s a good day to root around in your gear closet for your gloves, your heavy wool socks, your toboggan, because you’re gonna need ‘em this weekend. Saturday will dawn with temperatures in the 20s across much of the region and won’t get out of the 40s. Sunday will be a tad warmer, but not by much. All the while, the sun will be shining bright. So, with those conditions ahead, here’s what we recommend in terms of weekend adventure.
Warm up to cold weather hiking with these strategies
If you’ve been hiking in the last couple days, you’ve likely walked out the front door on hike morning and had your first Aha! moment of the season.
Aha! as in, “Aha, I need to grab another layer or two!”
As Aha! moments go, it’s one of our favorites. We love hiking late-fall-into-winter: the air is typically dry, the diminished foliage lets you see deeper into the woods, the increasingly angled winter sunlight seems to lite the forest from the ground up.