Why do we backpack?
We could give you a bunch of words explaining why. Or, you could watch this quick video capturing our latest GetBackpacking! trip, the second weekend of May 2021, to the Shining Rock Wilderness Area of North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest.
The waterfalls, the mountaintop views, the wildflowers blooming in spring, the trees changing color in fall — all things I love about hiking and backpacking. But what I think I love most — and have missed the most in the past year — is gathering around a campfire at day’s end and simply talking. Talking about who’s having what for dinner, about past trips together, about the simple things … about then Seinfeldian nature of life. The Vicious Circle had their Algonquin Roundtable, campers have their campfire.
Wisdom? That may be a stretch (though it is alliterative). Every Wednesday we share our thoughts in rotating subject areas: gear, social media, hiking/backpacking/camping resources, and tips from the field. These items are culled from our weekly GetHiking! enewsletter, which also includes news and information on hikes and backpack trips in our GetHiking! and GetBackpacking! universes. Subscribe to our weekly enewsletter here.
The Pandemic has brought us closer to those who live with us.
Maybe even too close.
We know you all love each other. We know you would move heaven and earth to ensure each other’s health and happiness.
We also know that being in in close quarters 24/7 for more than a year adds up to a lot of togetherness. And you never noticed until now how your loved one could Breathe. So. Loudly.
We’ve already had a couple of good backpack trips this year, on the Neusiok Trail in the coastal Croatan National Forest in January, and on the Appalachian Trail in the Pisgah and Cherokee national forests in February. We have two more weekend trips planned, and will be adding longer trips shortly. So far, here’s our lineup:
