Triangle

Every month, Rod Broadbelt leads a long hike at Umstead State Park, a really long hike at Umstead. And the colder the weather, the longer the hike. On Saturday, January 16, he’ll be leading whoever shows up at 8 a.m. a 17-mile hike. Unlike some of Rod’s treks, this one is all on blazed trail. And if you’re not sure you have 17 miles in you, options of 4.5, 6, 9, 11 and 14 miles are available. Bring water and lunch (which will be consumed at the Visitors Center on the far side of the park). Rod keeps a brisk pace and figures the expedition should return by 2:45 p.m.
Specifics
Where: Umstead State Park, parking lot off Harrison Avenue at I-40.
When: 8 a.m. departure.
More info: Email Rod at rbroadbelt@nc.rr.com, or call him before 7 p.m. at (919) 363-6611.

Brevard / Davidson River

The Carolina Mountain Club, rumor has it, likes to keep a brisk pace as well. In fact, newcomers report having the sneaking suspicion that the club’s senior members take a certain pride in dropping the uninitiated. All of which is to say that if you want a good workout, you might check out this 5.7-mile hike of the John Rock Loop planned for Saturday. The hike is in the Davidson River area north of Brevard, where an abundance of trails explore the southern Blue Ridge escarpment. Read a trail description on HikeWNC.com here.
Specifics
Where: Trailhead is at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education Fish Hatchery. To get there from Asheville: Go south on I-26 east to the Asheville Airport (Exit 40). Go right on NC 280 for 16 miles to Brevard. At the intersection with US 276/64, turn right US 276. Go 5.2 miles; turn left on FR 475. Go 1.4 miles to the Center for Wildlife Education and Fish Hatchery. Turn left, cross the bridge and park in the parking lot.
When: Saturday, 10 a.m.
More info: Hike leader Victoria Tripp, (828) 348-4505, torrose@gmail.com

Cashiers
To folks who’ve been there, the mere mention of Panthertown Valley evokes a look of longing. It’s one of those places where, as soon as you’re back to the trailhead you can’t wait to go back. Panthertown has been called the Yosemite of the East. In fact, it’s more of a scale model. There are eight major waterfalls (Schoolhouse being the granddaddy), a granite dome in Little Green Mountain and white pines that soar, if not quite as high as Yosemite’s sequoias. It’s one of the state’s jewels, and the Carolina Mountain Club will explore 8 miles of it Sunday. Bring your camera.
Specifics
Where: Panthertown Valley, but the club will carpool from Asheville at 8. Check with the hike leader (see below) for details.
When: Meet at 8 a.m.
More info: Contact Hike leader Dave Wetmore at (828) 884-7296, dwetmore@citcom.net

Photo at top: Panthertown Valley, looking toward Salt Rock.

The post Next weekend, long hike appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Price Lake
Distance: 2.7 miles.
Type of route: Loop.
Getting there: Price Lake is at Milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway between U.S.321 to the north and U.S. 221 to the south. It’s near Blowing Rock. Here’s a map.
Map: A trail map is available at the campground registration kiosk opposite the parking area, on the north side of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Highlight: View across the lake near the parking area south to Grandfather Mountain is a classic on a clear fall afternoon.
Why it’s easy and what you’ll see: There’s virtually no elevation gain on this trail, which hugs the bank around Price Lake, part of Julian Price Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Parts of the trail are cozy, tucking under the protective cover of rhododendron tunnels, while other parts snuggle up to the bank offering wide panoramas. A couple of rock outcrops on lake’s east side offer good opportunities to spread out and soak up the sun. There are several good places to fish on the lake’s west side, and if you prefer viewing fall color from on the lake rather than from around it, a boat house near the parking area rents canoes. RomanticAsheville.com reports that color will be peaking this week between 3,000 and 4,000 feet; With Price Lake at 3,400 feet, the riparian hardwoods should be blazing. And don’t be discouraged if traffic is bumper-to-bumper on the parkway: Few of those people get out of their cars and of those who do, an even smaller percentage will take a 2.7-mile hike.
Be forewarned: The footpath around Price Lake is generally smooth, though it can get mushy in spots. Where Laurel Creek feeds into the lake at its south end is especially prone to wetness.
More info: 828.298.0398, or visit the Blue Ridge Parkway Web site here.

For other recommended autumn hikes and to find out where fall is peaking in the state, visit
RomanticAsheville.com and Ray’s weather.

The post Hikes You Can Do: Price Lake appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Of course I hadn’t, the timing belt being one of those crazy expensive procedures that involves taking apart the entire engine. “It goes, you need a new engine,” he was quick to note. Despite the fact the car was running perfectly, I had the timing belt replaced a few days later, giving little thought to the $650 price tag. A little preventive maintenance is worth not having the engine blow 50 miles from the nearest garage.

If only we viewed our personal health with the same practical concern. Worried by the recession, North Carolinians are putting off annual checkups, health screenings and other preventive medical procedures that can help flag a potential problem and nip it before it becomes a major health issue. That according to the 2009 State of Preventive Health report issued today by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. The report was presented this morning as part of a summit on the topic at the Raleigh Convention Center.

How much are we putting our health off? According to 501 North Carolinians surveyed for the report in April and May:

• 18 percent said they have put off visiting the dentist.
• 17 percent have put off scheduled physical exams.
• 36 percent are buying fewer prescription medications.
• 31 percent are refilling medications less quickly.
• 17 percent are postponing medical tests or operations.

“They’ll come in when they have no choice but to be cared for,” according to Dr. Karen Smith, a family pediatrician in rural Raeford, who was part of a panel at this morning’s summit. In short, more and more patients won’t seek medical help when they feel a pain in their side, but will when their appendix bursts.

According to the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, 17.2 percent of North Carolinians were uninsured in 2006-2007, a figure that no doubt has grown with statewide unemployment rate hitting 10.8 percent in August. No insurance, no visits to the doctor unless it’s absolutely necessary. Even people who are employed and have insurance may be reluctant to incur out-of-pocket medical expenses if they’re worried about their job status.

The recession is having another negative impact on our health, according to the summit. With money tight and more people pinching pennies, we’re keeping a tighter reign on our food budget. And since it’s cheaper to eat unhealthy than healthy …

“As long as I can get a Big Mac and a Coke cheaper than an apple and a thing of yogurt, we’ve got a problem,” said Dr. Don Bradley, BCBSNC’s chief medical officer and a member of the panel.

North Carolina’s State Health Director Jeff Engel said the availability of cheap, nutritionally deficient food is the next big issue that needs to be dealt with from a public policy standpoint.

“That’s the next industry we have to go after,” said Engel, who was also on the panel. “We need to change the availability to cheap, poor nutrition fast food. And, we need to look at a sugar beverage tax.”

Going after doesn’t necessarily mean banning or restricting fast food: A little truth in advertising can go a long way. On a recent trip to New York City, Engel said he ducked into a Starbucks and was about to order the spongecake when he saw that it had 430 calories. Restaurants are required to post nutritional information in New York City, a city Engel praised as a pioneer in health policy matters. (Because of the cigarette tax there, a pack sells for about $9.50, nearly three times what they cost here. “It’s the best way to discourage young people from starting smoking,” Engel said.)

Perhaps the most curious numbers to emerge from the 2009 State of Preventive Health survey pertained to how North Carolinians view themselves. Despite the fact that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  nearly 30 percent of North Carolinians are overweight or obese, that one in five North Carolinians smoke (Source: CDCP) and that the state ranks 46th in the number of physically active adults, 77 percent of survey respondents said they maintain a healthy diet, 70 percent said they are “actively learning about health conditions and diseases,” and nearly two-thirds said they get cardiovascular exercise three days a week. In short, the majority of North Carolinians don’t view themselves as part of the problem.

That gave BCBSNC CEO Bob Greczyn pause. After ticking off those statistics, he continued to stare at his notes, before finally adding, “I’m not sure I believe all that.”

* * *

I’ll look at more findings from the 2009 State of Preventive Health report and thoughts from today’s summit in the next few days.

The post The state of preventive health in North Carolina appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Panthertown Valley loop
Distance: 8 miles, with shorter options (see Why it’s Easy and What You’ll See).
Type of route: Lollipop loop.
Getting there: From the intersection of U.S. 64 and N.C. 107 in downtown Cashiers travel 2.0 miles east to Cedar Creek Road (SR 1120). Turn left and go 2.2 miles to Niocholson Lane (SR 1121). Take a right and continue 3.4 miles to paved parking, another 0.4 miles to gravel trailhead parking. If you’re coming from Brevard, Cedar Creek Road is just over 20 miles from the intersection of U.S. 64 and U.S. 276 in downtown Brevard.
Map: A new map of Panthertown Valley has been produced by Slickrock Expeditions guide Burt Kornegay and the U.S. Forest Service. Copies should be available at the Highland Hiker, U.S. 64 & N.C. 107 in Cashiers.
Be forewarned: Trails here are sparsely marked. The aforementioned map is highly recommended.
Highlights: Two waterfalls (Granny Burrell and Schoolhouse), great views of the valley looking east from Salt Rock and west from Little Green Mountain.
Why it’s easy and what you’ll see: There’s a relatively gentle half-mile descent to the valley floor from the parking area along an old dirt roadbed. From there, 2.3 miles of flat hiking will take you to Granny Burrell Falls, a long slide down smooth rock into a generous pool, and Schoolhouse Falls, which drops about 20 feet over a rock ledge, also into a good-size pool. If you’re up for a little climbing — about 370 vertical feet in 0.8 miles — Continue from Schoolhouse Falls up to Little Green Mountain (see photo), where exposed rock offers great views and good picnic opportunities on a cool fall afternoon. Total distance, trailhead-back-to-trailhead is less than 5 miles for Granny Burrell and Schoolhouse falls, and Little Green Mountain. The 8-mile lollipop loop takes in all of the above and includes a steep climb up 4,206-foot Big Green Mountain (no views, but some nice ridgeline hiking).
More info: Highland Hiker, 828.743.1732; The Nature Conservancy site for Panthertown.

For other recommended autumn hikes and to find out where fall is peaking in the state, visit RomanticAsheville.com and Ray’s Weather.

The post Hikes You Can Do: Panthertown Valley appeared first on GetGoing NC!.