Now, with summer’s heat having set in, is a good time to talk about your drinking problem.

As in, you don’t drink enough. And in this heat especially, that’s a problem.

Here are some quick FAQs on staying hydrated:

How much do I need to drink? The Mayo Clinic says that for everyday survival, men need to consume about three liters (13 cups, three Nalgene bottles) a day, women 2.2 liters or nine cups. Bouts of exercise that make you sweat demands another 1.5 to 2.5 cups (roughly half a liter). Prolonged exercise — hiking, for instance — requires even more. How much, says the Mayo Clinic, depends on how much you sweat. On our hikes, of anywhere from 3 to 10 miles, we recommend you take two liters of water. (On longer hikes, we take a water filter.)

Does altitude affect how much I need to drink? Yes, says the Mayo Clinic, but usually only altitudes above 8,200 feet, which rules out anything in our region (Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet, is the highest point east of South Dakota’s Black Hills.) You’ll also want to drink a little more on an especially humid day.

What about sports drinks? “The basic guideline for most people is that if you are doing continuous exercise for 60 minutes or less, then water is fine,” Suzanne Girard Eberle, sport dietician and author of “Endurance Sports Nutrition,” tells The Washington Post. “But beyond 60 minutes and if the intensity is high, you should consider a sports drink.” Sports drinks include electrolytes, which help regulate nerves and muscles; carbohydrates, which help restore glycogen, sodium and potassium levels, as well as water. On a long hike, it might make sense to have one bottle filled with water, and one with a sports drink. And don’t flinch when you see the sodium levels: replenishing depleted sodium (as well as potassium) is crucial to keep you going — and to keep you from cramping.

So, just drink during the hike? No. Start the day before — even earlier — if you know you’re going on a long hike, especially on a hot day: your cells can absorb the liquid. And continue to drink and rehydrate after the hike.

What if I’m not thirsty? Are you not thirsty, or do you have no desire to drink tepid water? Our solution: If you use water bottles, fill them three-quarters full the night before your hike and stick them in the fridge. Then, just before heading out for your hike, top ’em off. You should have tasty cold water for a couple hours at least. If you use a hydration bladder, load the bladder with ice, then top off with water. If water sits in your tube long it will heat up; you may have to spit it out to get to the cold stuff. Also, according to Girard Eberle, cold water is more easily absorbed into the stomach

If I drink, I may have to pee. If you’re drinking enough, you will have to pee. That’s good. If you have a thing about peeing in the woods, well, we have a support group — talk to us. And when you do pee, make sure it’s clearish. If it’s obviously yellow, you aren’t drinking enough.

So drink up! You got a problem with that?

The post Now, a word about your drinking problem appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

I start most days with an early 3-mile hike. The walk often spells the difference between a good day and a really good day. The walk is important any day of the week, but it’s especially critical on Mondays. This past Monday when I checked the weather, it was 17 degrees out. 

Deterred? 

Nope. In large part because it was also sunny. And with only 9 hours and 43 minutes of daylight on this, the third day of winter, it was critical to take advantage of every precious second of daylight. 

North Carolina has, on average, 28 clear days every winter; only seven states see more cloudless days, according to data compiled from two climate agencies. Virginia averages 25 clear days. In short, you could live in much worse places to avoid feeling SAD in winter.

SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is a type of depression that can set in when the days are short and the sun sets early in the day. Once this mood-altering disorder takes hold, according to the Mayo Clinic, it can be hard to shake; it’s best to fight it off before it has a chance to make itself at home, leaving you hibernating in a stupor of despair.

One way to combat SAD, says the Mayo Clinic, is to go outside and move—the more regularly, the better. Even when it’s cold, a brisk walk in outdoor light can help. Another way to lift your mood is to be with other people; socializing with a dose of laughter helps you connect with others, an opportunity in short supply these days. Hiking regularly also can reduce levels of stress, which can contribute to SAD symptoms. According to psychiatry.org, 5 percent of Americans experience SAD, with the most severe bouts occurring in January and February.

Frankly, all of us could stand to reduce our stress levels. So, even if SAD doesn’t get you down, brisk movement and being with others is a great way to keep stress at bay by releasing endorphins and elevating mood.

So while the benefits of being out in the sun are beneficial year round, they are even more so in the short days of winter. But because of the cold, you sometimes need a little extra motivation to drag yourself outside and make it happen. And the best motivation? you ask. 

Hike with a group. 

It’s one time when peer pressure is a good thing. You wake up, you see it’s 28 degrees, you pull the covers back over your head and reach blindly for the snooze button. But then you remember the group waiting for you at the trailhead. You remember that Sue was supposed to hear about that promotion this week, that Jack was on the verge of adopting a shelter dog, that last week when Elliot failed to show he was the topic of discussion. You also remember that, once you’re 5 minutes down the trail and starting to warm up, you really love hiking this time of year. 

The obvious current caveat about hiking in a group: while being outdoors is still considered safe, you want to make doubly sure the group you’re hiking with is safe. With any group you join, be it a hiking-related Meetup or a group from work, find out what their policies are — Are they no-drop? Are they good about posting how challenging a hike is? Do they embrace newcomers? — and see if you’re comfortable with them.

It may take a hike or two to find the group that’s right for you. That’s fine. Because once you do find a group that works, you’ll find yourself spending a lot more time on the trail at a time of year when it will do you the most good.

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Our Meetups

GetHiking! has Meetup groups in XX locations. Click the appropriate link below for more information:

• Charlotte
• Charlottesville
• Greenville
• Triad
• Triangle
• Virginia Beach

Novice in the Triangle?

Looking for something more structured, something that caters more to the hiking novice? If you live in the Triangle, check out our GetHiking! Sunday program, which offers a mix of guided and self-guided (with experienced hikers) hikes from January through June. Learn more here.

The post Hike through the winter and keep your spirits up appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

“I recently had the honor of posting the turtle on the first state designated segment of the Wilderness Gateway State Trail,” she announced. 

Hello? I thought with surprise. This is news to me.

As to why I was surprised by this news, a quick explanation is in order. I work for the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, specifically with a unit called Hometown Strong that works with communities in North Carolina’s 78 rural counties to help them achieve their goals. We do this primarily by helping them find funding, typically in the form of grants, but also by helping them make the most of their resources. When those resources are trails, that’s where I come in, by helping communities promote and develop trails. Last year I did this through Year of the Trail, this year I’m working to promote North Carolina’s 14 State Trails. I’m doing that largely through guided events on each trail.

The challenge is that while some trails are complete or nearly so, some exist only on paper. The Wilderness Gateway State Trail, which dates back to 2018, is one of those on-paper-only trails. Or so I thought.

On paper, Wilderness Gateway will one day include 350 miles of trail linking the Hickory Nut Gorge area with South Mountains State Park, Bob’s Creek Natural Area, Morganton and several smaller towns to the east, including Valdese. Each of the State Trails, while part of the NC Division of Parks and Recreation, are administered by a partner agency, usually a local nonprofit. In the case of Wilderness Gateway, that non-profit is the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, which is working feverishly to both define the trail and get it off the ground — and on it. In my last correspondence with Foothills, in late Spring, the trail was still conceptual. Now, the first 2 miles, in Valdese Lakeside Park, have been officially designated. I was both pleased to hear this and bummed that I didn’t know earlier: If I’m trying to promote the 14 State Trails, I should have been on top of it. 

I’m vowing now to fix that. 

Another quick sidebar: Within the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, these trails are overseen by the NC State Trails Program, an exceptionally dedicated (and understaffed) crew tasked with creating this 3,400-mile network, about 1,000 miles of which has been officially designated. I don’t have time here to get into how much is involved with building what may seem like a “simple” trail; “simple” trails are not. Nor has it been easy to 

One of the few tasks they are not charged with is publicizing trail when it comes on line; that’s generally left to the partner agencies and the communities, like Valdese, that contribute trail to larger network. In fact, State Trails often piggyback on trail created by local entities. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the best-known of the 14 State Trails, piggybacks on local trail frequently on its 1,100-mile march across North Carolina. 

When new trail is added to the MST, you find out about it on the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail website. Most of the State Trails don’t have the resources to update you immediately on new additions, especially additions they weren’t directly involved with.

Wouldn’t it be great, you’re thinking, to have one location where you can find out about new additions to the State Trails network, a central location that’s easy to find and that not only has these updates, but general information on the trails as well?

That’s how I’m vowing to stay on top of developments on the trail system I’m trying to promote. Our State Trails page vows to stay on top of these developments, to let you know when and where new adventure options become available. One a week we all update the page, either with a detailed description of the new option or with a link to where you can quickly find that information.

We start right now, with the inaugural 2 miles of the Wilderness Gateway State Trail in Valdese:

Wilderness Gateway State Trail / Valdese Greenway

Where: Two trailheads: Valdese Lakeside Park, 1149 Lake Rhodhiss Drive NE, Valdese; McGalliard Falls Park, 1400 Falls Road, Valdese.

Distance: 2 miles

Difficulty: Easy, a relatively flat hike along Lake Rhodhiss and McGalliard Creek.

Surface: Crushed cinder

Added incentive: There’s an additional 4.2 miles of multiuser trail in Valdese Lakeside Park.

Find a map here

We will update this page every Friday with the goal of helping you get out and explore North Carolina’s 14 State Trails!

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Our State Trails page

Follow developments on North Carolina’s State Trails at our “Discover North Carolina’s State Trails Page,” here.

The post Keep up with the latest additions to North Carolina’s 14 State Trails appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Timing is important. Evening is good. So is early morning: Hit the trail at 7 a.m., be done by 11 and you can get in a decent hike before the temperature gets much above 80.

Distance. One concession you might make is the length of your hikes. If you love a good 10-miler in winter, maybe a 5- to 7-mile hike is more appropriate in hot weather.

Location. Select trails with high canopies: leaf cover can trim about 10 degrees from the heat. Also look for trails with minimal understory to allow better access to whatever breeze may be available. 

Location, location. Trails that are wide, preferably double track, provide superior air flow. And on early morning hikes, you’ll be less likely to Swiffer up a raft of spider webs.

Location, location, location. Especially at lower elevations, hike along water. If you start to heat up, shed the hiking shoes and wade in, and splash a little over your head and neck.

Dress appropriately. In summer, cotton can be your friend (for the very reason it is your enemy in winter): Cotton absorbs sweat and keeps it close to your skin; on hot days, this works as a personal air conditioning system

Hydrate! Of course you’re carrying water; make sure your water is cold. If you use a hydration pack, fill the bladder with ice, then water. If you use bottles: the night before, fill them 3/4 full and put them in the freezer, then top off before heading out. If you’re going for 5 miles or more, take an electrolyte drink (or water stir-in) to replenish your body with vital minerals including sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. 

Listen to your body. Stop, drop, and rest if you have any of these symptoms: you sweat more than usual, you have muscle pain or spasms, you feel nauseous or dizzy or get a headache, or have any of the heat-released illness symptoms you’ll find listed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention link below. Take further action as noted at the CDC site. 

Prepare for pests. Things that fly and bite and spread rashes are a few of our least favorite things about summer hiking. But if you plan ahead and prepare, you can make them a little less pesky. See our handy link below.

Back to location. Hike in the mountains! They’re cool in more ways than one. We have several trips planned this summer. Come join us: 

Don’t let the summer heat sideline you. Follow our advice and keep hiking!  

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Learn more

Find a comprehensive rundown of heat-related illness symptoms and how to deal with them on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web page, here.

Learn about dealing with summer’s pests, here.

The post Don’t let summer’s heat keep you off the trail appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Here’s a quick look at prevention and treatment for both.

Ticks & mosquitoes

Ticks and mosquitoes are being shown to cause a growing number of maladies, from Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (ticks) to viruses including Zika and chikungunya. Ticks, according to current thought, need to be attached for 24 hours before they become a problem (though removal as soon as possible is best); mosquitoes can do their damage immediately.

Avoid

• In summer, seek double track trail, especially trail piggybacking on old roadbeds
• Stick to the center of the trail, avoiding brushes with brush
• Wear long pants (tucked into your hiking socks) and long-sleeve shirts, especially in tight passages. Yes, we’re heading into summer, but there’s plenty of lightweight clothing out there that will create less of a sauna effect.
• Especially for mosquitoes, avoid areas that tend to be wet and boggy (remembering that wet and buggy can occur at even the highest elevations),

Repel

• Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours. Other options: Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD), 2-undecanone.
• Have the best camping hammock with mosquito net delivered to your house, as an extra layer of protection.

• 

  Follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.

• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin, which remains protective through several washings. 
• Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer. Farm to Feet, for instance, now has a No Fly Zone hiking sock that is, says the company, “treated with insect repellent that affects the insect’s nervous system causing ‘hot foot’, making it fly away before it may bite.” Greensboro-based Insect Shield not only makes a spray-on version and treats clothes for major outdoor clothing lines, but you can send in your favorite adventure clothing and have it treated. Prices start at $9.95 for a single item, drop two $8.33 per item for three to 19 pieces, and to $7.95 per item for 20 or more pieces of clothing.
• Unsure about the best repellant for your needs? The Environmental Protection Agency has an online tool to help you select the repellentthat is best for you and your family (see below).

Post hike

• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming off the trail, preferably within two hours.
• Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. If you have a close friend who can assist with the search, all the better. Parents should check their kids for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.
• Examine gear and pets.Ticks can ride on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs.
• Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes require washing first, use hot water.
• If you find a tick on your body, remove it immediately

If you find a tick

Follow this four-part removal process recommended by the CDC:

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
• Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
• After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
• Dispose of a live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.

Poison Ivy

ID the plant

Your best bet in avoiding poison ivy is to know what this culprit looks like (see photo) and steer clear — way clear. In general, the vine has leaves that grow in threes; usually, but not always, one side of the leaf is smooth, the other has three serrations. Also, the vine itself is furry: if you see a fuzzy vine growing up the trunk of a tree, resist the urge to pet it. A good rule of thumb is to avoid “leaves of three,” which also covers the poison oak and poison sumac.

Avoidance and prevention

• Again, do what you can to avoid contact, which includes:
• Avoid green ground cover along the trail
• Wear long pants. And immediately upon getting home, gingerly slip them off inside out and toss into the wash.

If you get it …

Even if you only think you’ve been exposed — keeping in mind that it may be hours before symptoms in the form of a rash and really itchy skin — clean the area thoroughly in question thoroughly. There are various recommendations on what to use, including:

• Soap and water. Preferably a soap with some grit in it to help remove the poison oils from your pores.
• Hand sanitizer. If you’re on the trail and think you may have brushed up against poison ivy, the alcohol in the hand sanitizer you may well have in your pack should help.
• Alcohol pads. Ditto the alcohol pads found in most first-aid kits.
• Tecnu Outdoor Skin Cleanser. Specially formulated to deal with poison ivy oils; keep a small bottle in your daypack if you’re hiking in dense, brushy woods. You can wash your clothes with it as well. Also comes in a scrub.

Treatment

If some poison ivy manages to penetrate your best defenses and you develop the really itchy rash, the more popular treatment options include calamine lotion, zinc carbonate, zinc oxide. Baking soda and colloidal oatmeal are also suggested itch remedies. Calamine lotion, though, is easy to apply (dab a little on a cotton ball and apply).

Learn more

Click on the following links for more in-depth insight into ticks, mosquitoes, and poison ivy.

• Wondering whether you really need to take precautions against tick and mosquito bites? Read this sobering piece — “Tick and Mosquito Infections Spreading Rapidly, C.D.C. Finds” — that appeared May 1, 2018, in The New York Times.
• Learn more about tick bites from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
• For details on dealing with mosquitoes, visit the Environmental Protection Agency here.
• Insect Shield
• On EPA insect repellant determination tool
• Learn more about more natural poison ivy treatments here and here.

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