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 … ? 

Meaning that if you’re a clock-puncher, you’ll now have time to get in a little quality trail time before work! 

Why hike first thing? 

In addition to the obvious “Why not?”, here’s why:

• You get to see sunrise. It’s like sunset, only in reverse.
• You get to hear the day come to life. Even on a cold morning, there’s a good deal of woodland chatter as the natural world wakes up.
• Start cool, end less cool. There’s something about knowing you’ll likely get warmer as the hike progresses that makes heading out at dawn less daunting.
• It gets your motor revved for the day. You know how some mornings it can be 10:30, 11 by the time you’re fully engaged? A brisk hike in brisk weather will get your juices flowing pronto (and you can tell your boss that!).
• It sets an upbeat tone for your day. 

Tips for an early hike

A few quick things to keep in mind on an early hike.

• Check not only sunrise, but also the start of twilight. As we mentioned earlier, sunrise today was at 7:03 p.m., but twilight — first light — began at 6:36 a.m. Use sunrise as your ultimate guide for being on the trail, but keep in mind it will start getting light about 25 minutes before that. Unless … 
• It’s cloudy. Thus, you’ll want to do the same thing you do for an evening hike: take a headlamp.
• Check the hours of the trail you’ll be hiking. Nearly all municipal and county parks have hours, ditto state parks and national parks, as well as land trust preserves. Some of them have nebulous “dawn-to-dusk” hours, most employ actual hours. Some have gates, some do not. National forests and game lands are about the only public lands that generally don’t have posted hours. Technically, you are trespassing if you are on a trail beyond its posted hours.
• Be content with a shorter hike. Odds are if you’re hitting the trail early it’s because you need to be somewhere in the morning — like work or school. Be realistic about your morning hike.
• Know your pace. Part of being realistic about how far you can hike is knowing how fast you hike. Let’s put that 8th grade algebra to the test: If it takes you 25 minutes to hike a mile and you need to be to be off the trail by 8 so you can get to work by 9, starting at sunrise, how far can you hike if you start at 6:50 a.m. (Answer: 3.)
• Eat breakfast first! It’s likely been at least 8 hours since you last ate. Even if you’re not a breakfast person, you need some fuel on board for the hike.

One last thought for those of you who still mope about not having sunlight after work. The winter solstice this year occurs on Dec. 21 (at 10:03 a.m. EST). That’s the day we have the least amount of sunlight (9 hours, 42 minutes, 59 seconds). However, through a quirk of astrosomethingorother, the sun will actually start setting later beginning Dec. 7 (at 5:04:54 p.m. as opposed to 5:04:52 the day before). By Dec. 21 it will be setting 3 minutes and 57 seconds later, and come the last day of the year, sunset won’t be until 5:15:12 p.m. 

You’ll be hiking after work again before you know it.

The post Fall back — and hike in the AM appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Below are 10 tricks I’ve discovered over the years that make fall hiking all the better. They’re based on common sense, they’re easy to remember, and they’re short. The latter being the most important: It’s fall, who want’s to sit around reading when they could be on the trail!

Leaves on the trail can make it hard to follow said trail, Part I. One way to tell if you’ve left the trail: you’ll sink into the softer, untrodden forest floor. If you suddenly notice you’re sinking more than you had, you’re likely off-trail. Stomp around a seek firm footing.

Leaves on the trail can make it hard to follow said trail, Part II. Be especially vigilant about checking for blazes. If you don’t see a blaze ahead, turn around and see if you can find one from the direction you came. If so, the direction it’s facing should tell you where the trail is coming from. If you don’t see a blaze, keep heading in the direction you came from until you do.

Be aware of sunset. As we’ve discussed recently, sunset is occurring earlier and earlier on an accelerated schedule. Example: Last Friday the sun went down at 6:51; today, it sets at 6:41. Especially for those late-day hikes it’s time to start planning accordingly.

Be aware of the temperature. Again this is especially important for those late-day hikes. It could be 67 when you set out on a hike at 4 p.m. but could drop 10 degrees by the time the sun sets. Add the chilling psychological impact of a darkening forest and you’ll be darn glad you packed a light fleece.

Check the forecast. You should always check the forecast before heading out, but with cooler temperatures it’s especially important. Encountering a mid-afternoon rain in summer when it’s 90 is one thing; it’s something else entirely when it’s 60 — or cooler. Hypothermia can occur at surprisingly high temperatures, under the right — or wrong — conditions.

Ease in. Odds are you haven’t done much serious hiking since the more temperature-friendly days of spring. And nothing sounds more inviting when the forecast high is 65 than to spend as much time as possible on the trail. But remember, it’s been months since you took a long hike; don’t expect to head out and do a 10-miler from the get-go. For one, you likely don’t have as much daylight as you think (see above). And even if you’re capable of doing that long hike, it will take you considerably longer than it did in the spring. Ease i

Hydrate. With cooler temperatures it’s easy to forget to take a hit off that hydration bladder now and then. You may not be losing as much liquid through sweat, but you are drying out. Drink!

Seek the trails less traveled. It’s fall, when everyone becomes a hiker. Need evidence? Check the website of your favorite state park and see if there isn’t an advisory that you may need to wait in line to simply enter the park. Fortunately, that’s only at the main entrances; check out the lesser-known entrances — the ones without a visitor center or restrooms, or even paved parking — on the park’s website and start your hike from one of those.

Sock up! Come fall, it occurs to us to get out the fleece, the long hiking pants, the hat the gloves. But it doesn’t always occur to us to get out our thicker, cool-weather hiking socks. You may not need them immediately, but as fall progresses and the weather cools, you’ll want a thicker, warmer sock. If you forget, worry not. Your feet will let you know.

Don’t forget the sunscreen. Though the days are getting shorter, our neck of the hemisphere is actually getting closer to the sun. That coupled with the thinning canopy means we’re getting more sunshine. Slather up!

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Learn more

Interested in learning more? A few helpful sources we’ve found.

• Eat: 5 Food Tips for Hiking and Camping from EatRight.org cover the basics. Click here. WildBackpacker offers a more in-depth look into nutrition, here.
• Hydration: If you’re curious about why hydrating is so important, WebMD answers most of your questions in The Quest for Hydration
• Diminishing daylight: Find sunrise and sunset times near you, here.
• Avoid fall’s hot spots. To check on lesser-used access in North Carolina State Parks, go here, for Virginia State Parks, go here.
• Check the forecast. You probably have your favorite site for checking the forecast (we prefer WeatherUnderground.com). For mountain forecasts, we like mountain-forecast.com, which gives the forecast by elevation.

The post 10 Ways to Make Fall Hiking Even Better appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

True, the color change is yet to be pervasive. But there are a handful of places where you can get a feel for fall hiking right now. Today, we share some of our favorites. Most make the list because they’re along water, where fall color tends to first become evident. Some make the list because they have plenty of edge forest, where color also tends to pop early. All but one is in the piedmont — and the one that isn’t is pretty darn close. 

We use a bulleted, quick-hit format to share our findings. The less time you spend sifting through words, the more time that’s left for hiking. 

Falls Lake State Recreation Area

Durham, Wake counties

• Mountains-to-Sea Trail
• 60 miles of trail tracing the coves ducking in and out of this man-made lake.
• 14 access points, which stretches ranging from just under a mile to not quite 7 miles. Shuttles are easy to set up.
• Recommended stretch: Red Mill Road to Red Mill Road, 4.9 miles. Spends a little time on the north end along Falls Lake, spends a lot of time throughout clinging to edge forest. Very few hikers, making it and ideal hiking spot during the popular fall hiking season.

Details here

Greensboro Watershed Lakes

Greensboro

• Mountains-to-Sea Trail
• 42 miles of trail
  • Some multi-use, mostly the trail along the south shores of the lakes
• 14 access points
• Recommended: Piedmont Trail, 3 miles (one way), from near Strawberry Road, along north shore of Lake Brandt. Another generally quiet stretch of trail in fall, with constant exposure to Lake Bryant.

Details here

Lake James State Park

Nebo (Morganton)

Fonta Flora State Trail

• 30+ miles of trail
  • Some multi-use
• 3 access points
• Recommended: Fonta Flora State Trail leading east toward Morganton (it’s eventual destination to the east; to the west, it will extend to Asheville). Highlight: Right outside the park, the trail passes through the Fonta Flora Brewery!

Details here

Smith Mountain Lake State Park

Huddleston, Va

• 15 miles of trail
  • Some multi-use
• 8 access points
• 500 miles of shoreline (much of it, however, is private)
• Recommended: Striper Cove Trail, 3.1 miles, nearly all along the lake.

Details here

Lake Norman State Park

Troutman (Charlotte area)

• 38 miles of trail
  • Some multi-use
• 3 access points
• Cove hiking
• Recommended: Lake Shore Trail, 5 miles, most along coves

Details here

Moses Cone Memorial Park

Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 294 (near Blowing Rock)

• 25 miles of trail
• Access from the Manor House up top and Bass Lake at the base, in Blowing Rock
• Wide, smooth carriage trail paths
• Recommended: Bass Lake (bottom), Flat Top (top)

Details here

The post 6 Hikes for Early Fall Color appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

This year, though, we run it with added enthusiasm because one of the trails mentioned has just reopened after being closed for nearly a year: the Mount Mitchell Trail at Mount Mitchell State Park. A couple quick caveats:

• Until earlier this week, Mountain Mitchell had been closed because of damage caused a year ago by Hurricane Helene. The closure was the result of extensive damage to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the only way to reach the ridgeline park. This week, the Parkway reopened. Or a portion of it did.
• You can now get to Mount Mitchell via the Parkway, but only if you are coming from Asheville; the Parkway remains closed from just north of Mount Mitchell to milepost 334 near Little Switzerland. 
• And if you’re thinking, “I don’t need to drive up from Asheville, I’ll just hike up the Mount Mitchell trail from the Black Mountain  Campground,” well, that trail remains closed.

OK, all that said, now we move on to our fall hikes. Specifically, our 10 thoughts on the subject based on two thingsL

1. The temperature. Hike in the mountains and you could be starting out in temperatures in the 40s!
2. Fall color. Hike in the mountains, and high enough in the mountains (above 5,500 feet), and you could see the start of some pretty good color.

Now, our recommendations, all of which are all in the mountains. Enjoy!

North Carolina

1. Black Mountain Crest Trail

Mount Mitchell State Park

North Carolina

Might as well start at the top, atop 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, the highest point on the East Coast. Anchoring the north end of the Black Mountain Crest Trail, you can start from the state park’s snackateria and hit several peaks above 6,000 feet and see a good color show consisting of fire cherry, yellow birch, mountain ash and mountain maple. Note: the Crest rail is technically challenging, with mild scrambling in spots. Fortunately, the best view is from the nearest peak: Mount Craig.

More info here.

2. Tanawha Trail / Mountains-to-Sea Trail

Blue Ridge Parkway

North Carolina

The 13-mile Tanawha at the base of Grandfather Mountain is best known for its rocky southern half. But put in at Boone Fork and head north and you’ll spend time initially in a mature hardwood forest, later in small rolling meadows that offer intimate exposure to the Blue Ridge’s less aggressive side. You’ll also find more potential for early color on the northern end. Additional advantage: paralleling the Blue Ridge Parkway as it does, you’ll find it super easy to set shuttles — along the 13.5-mile length of the trail there are 11 access points.

More info here.

3. Linville Gorge

Pisgah National Forest

North Carolina

One of our favorite hikes in the state, the 2.2-mile trail up to Shortoff Mountain from the end of Wolf Pit Road is a good climb, but pays off in three miles of trail with repeated outcrop views up the gorge, down into the gorge and beyond, to Lake James. On a clear, crisp fall day you may not experience better color. In spots, the gorge rises 1,300 feet above the Linville River (which drops 2,000 vertical feet from the north end to the south), offering one of the most awe-inspiring views in the state. If you’re comfortable hiking in the dark (back to your car) and driving a windy forest service road in the dark, plan to be on Shortoff around sundown for one of the best sunsets around.

More info here.

4. Mountain Trail

Pilot Mountain State Park

North Carolina

Pilot Mountain, with its distinctive knob towering 1,400 feet above the surrounding countryside, is a hot spot when autumn’s colors heat up. Avoid the resulting crowds by picking up the 4.5-mile Mountain Trail from the little-used Corridor Access. The connecting Grindstone Trail takes you to the top, for great views. Another option for avoiding fall crowds: take the new 3.3-mile Pilot Creek Trail, which starts low on the north side of the park and connects with the Mountain and Grindstone trails for a trip to the summit.

More info here.

4. Uwharrie Trail: Sections 3 & 4

Uwharrie National Forest

North Carolina

So maybe you live in the Piedmont and don’t have time to visit the mountains but still want a mountain-like experience: you need to pay a visit to North Carolina’s under-appreciated mountain range, the Uwharries. Located within an hour and a half of Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle, the Uwharries offer peaks reaching 1,000 feet (hey, it’s the Piedmont!) and one awesome view, which you can reach from the Jumpin’ Off Rock trailhead. Take the Uwharrie Trail north following a creek for a ways, then climbing Little Long Mountain for the best view in the Uwharries. Continuing north, it tops out on 1,020-foot King Mountain, the highest point on the Uwharrie Trail. Lots of good fall hardwoods along the way.

More info here.

5. Summit Trail

Elk Knob State Park

Todd

Elk Knob is the perfect early season fall destination. At 5,520 feet, it offers unsurpassed views (nearly 360 degrees), but it’s the view to the north that’s especially captivating in fall. We’ll let the park website explain why: “Elk Knob contains an excellent example of a northern hardwood forest … typically found above 4,000 feet in elevation [are] sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech, and yellow buckeye.” That is, the trees that give forests in New England their vaunted glow. In addition, from atop Elk Knob you can see Three Top and Bluff mountains, Mount Jefferson, Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Mt. Rogers in Virginia and the Iron Mountains in Virginia and Tennessee. And it’s not just the summit: the 1.9-mile hike to the top is one one of the most well-crafted trails around.

More info here.

6. Moore’s Wall Loop Trail

Hanging Rock State Park

Danbury

Mountain-top 360-degree views are few in the Piedmont. At Hanging Rock, you have two. Hanging Rock proper is just 1.3 miles from the Visitor Center, making it a popular choice for the masses who descend on fall weekends. Less popular is the 4.7-mile Moore’s Wall Loop, which, regardless of whether you hike it clockwise (our choice) or counter, requires payment in leg labor for the resulting views. Ah, but what views they are: to the west (Blue Ridge) and north (Virginia’s George Washington National Forest) you can watch the color cascading your way. Or, hiked in late October into November, look south and east to see the Piedmont light up in the distance.

More info here.

Virginia

1. Hawksbill Mountain

Shenandoah National Park

Virginia

At 4,050 feet, Hawksbill is the highest point in the Shenandoah National Park, and thus, presumably, the first place to spot fall color. Take the steep 1.7-mile out-and-back or the 2.9-mile loop trail, from MP 45.6 on Skyline Drive. Connect to the Appalachian Trail to extend your hiking time. The hike is a favorite of our GetHiking! Charlottesville group.

More info here.

2. Rock Castle Gorge

Blue Ridge Parkway

Virginia

A hidden favorite that’s surprisingly close to the Triad area. Start from the base, at the VA 605 access and get your climbing out of the way early, with a 3-mile hike up the Blue Ridge Escarpment to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here, follow the trail south for 3.5 miles through mountain meadows (the cows are friendly), until a rocky 1.5-mile descent back into the gorge. Your last 2.8 miles is a steady descent on old roadbed along Rock Castle Creek. A 10.8-mile with enough distractions to keep your mind off the fact the elevation on this hike ranges from 1,700 to nearly 3,600 feet. Along the way you’ll pass through rhododendron hells, along a frisky mountain stream, past long-abandoned buildings.

More info here.

Peaks of Otter

3. Peaks of Otter

Virginia

It gets a little crowded, though the challenging terrain thins the crowds on certain trails. In fact, that’s one of the advantages here. Got a mix of hikers in your group? The die-hards head one way, the strollers another. The latter will also appreciate the civilities here: the visitor center, the lodge, the restrooms.

More info here.

4. Mount Rogers

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

Virginia

Mount Rogers and the adjoining Grayson Highlands State Park offer a trip out West in southwest Virginia. Rock outcrops and vast open spaces offer the type of wide-open experience folks head to the Rockies for. The only place you won’t find a view? Atop Mount Rogers, at 5,729 feet the highest point in Virginia.

More info here.

The post 10 of our Favorite Fall Mountain Hikes appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

From an astronomical standpoint, fall doesn’t begin until around 2:19 p.m. on September 22. That would be the autumnal equinox, that magical day when we have as many hours of daylight as dark. 

In the psychic realm, however, fall begins with the passing of Labor Day, the traditional end of summer. Goodbye pool parties and cookouts, hello fleece and football. The trouble with the psychological version is that the heat tends to overstay its welcome, lounging about into mid-September, into late September, into October. Mentally, you’re ready for changing leaves and a chill heading out the front door. In reality, you’re still in flip-flops and shorts. 

And so it goes, until that one day, usually in early to mid-October, when you head out the door one morning and — whoa! I need a coat. We may hit another day or two in the low 80s, but it’s pretty much 70s, then 60s, with the occasional “high” of 50 thrown into the mix. For the avid explorers among us, the cold air heats up our hiking genes. We want to get out and go long, to get our heart pumping, to savor the cool and quiet of fall. And there are so many great places in our part of the world to do just that.

In the Piedmont, for instance, the avid among us will ramp it up after Labor Day, the lingering 90-degree day or two be danged. By mid-October, we’re in mid-season form. Alas, that’s about when the promise of cool, colorful fall weather starts to come true, luring the the masses as well. When they’re headed through the front gate, we need to be hitting the trailheads off the roads less traveled. For instance:

• Pilot Mountain State Park, Pinnacle. In 2019, when this post first appeared, the park’s website this time of year often warned of a 30-minute wait simply to park in the main, mountain-top lot. Today, on a fall weekend you can’t even drive to the top on a fall weekend, you have to take a shuttle from the base. But if you know about the park’s secondary entrances, there’s no trouble parking and hiking straight from your car. Say, from the Pinnacle Hotel Road access, which feeds the Mountain Trail at the base of the mountain, or the Boyd Nelson Road Access, where you hike beneath stately hardwoods on the Pilot Creek Trail (which connects with the Mountain Trail, as well as the Grindstone Trail, which will take you to the top).
• Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury. More parking may not result in a 30-minute wait to park, but it does means more people. But you’ll find nary a soul at the Flinchum Road Access, where the 3.6-mile Indian Creek Trail quietly escorts you to the park’s Visitor Center (where you can sneak past the throngs heading up to Hanging Rock and instead take the 4.2-mile loop to the quieter viewscape on Moore’s Knob.
• Umstead State Park, Raleigh. Umstead is among the most visited state park in North Carolina. That’s especially true come the cool, colorful days of October. Cars park out the Harrison Avenue entrance back to the I-40 entrance ramp, and can be found helter-skelter on either side of the entrance off Glenwood Avenue. Psst! The Lake Crabtree neighborhood entrance is where the action ain’t. Hike in the bike & bridle trail to the less trod segments of the Company Mill and Sycamore trails in the middle of the park.
• Crowders Mountain State Park, Gastonia. Shuttle buses? Please. The Boulders Access has fewer visitors and you can pick up the Ridgeline Trail and hike into another state (South Caroilina). How’s that for escape?

They’re eager for fall hiking as well in Charlottesville, at the base of Shenandoah National Park.

“The cooler mountain temperatures make for great hiking days, plus there’s no bugs,” says GetHiking! Charlottesville Hike Organizer Pepper Ernst.. “Also, the changing leaves are beautiful and as they fall the trails take on a new look as views that didn’t exist in the summer open up: a ridgeline hike that was a green tunnel in the summer can evolve into 360-degree, long-range views in the fall.”

Two of our favorite mountain destinations in early fall: 

• South Mountains State Park, less than an hour and a half from much of the Charlotte area, offers one of the closest mountain-like experiences to the Queen City. It also offers a good opportunity for solitude: most visitors to South Mountains, with more than 18,000 acres North Carolina’s largest State Park, don’t make it past High Shoals Falls, about a mile in; with more than 40 miles of trail, that leaves a lot of backcountry to your lonesome.
• Panthertown Valley near Cashiers may offer the most scenic variety of any spot in the state: mountaintop views, multiple waterfalls, mountain creeks and vast stands of pines, all in about 10,000 acres.

Remember, too, that you’re welcome to sign up for trips in GetHiking! Meetups outside your region. Our weekly enewsletter keeps you up on who’s hiking where. If you don’t already subscribe, you can do so by simply emailing joe@getgoingnc.com.

Fall is almost here. Get ready to hike!

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GetHiking! Meetups

Here’s a rundown of our GetHiking! Meetups. Feel free to join one or all!

North Carolina

GetHiking! Charlotte

GetHiking! Triad

GetHiking! Triangle

GetBackpacking!

GetExploring! Greenville

Virginia

GetHiking! Charlottesville

GetHiking! Virginia Beach  

The post Fall is Nigh! Time to Ramp up your Hiking appeared first on GetGoing NC!.