Here’s our annual note for when the temperature seems too cold to hike.
Tomorrow morning the forecast calls for a temperature in the upper teens, rising to maybe 40. But it will be sunny, and a little sun can make up for a lot of cold.
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
It was coming up on 4 p.m. on New Year’s Day when I got the nagging feeling I’d forgotten something. Black-eyed peas, check. Resolutions for 2026, check. Sticky notes all around to remind me to write “2026,” check. What could it —
Oh yeah — a hike!
Last week we got ahead of ourselves with “5 Ways to Enhance Your Off-Trail Adventure,” a piece that assumed you might already have some experience venturing off trail. So this week, we go back a decade to a piece we wrote offering advice for those of you thinking about venturing off trail. Read it, then read “5 Ways to Enhance Your Off-Trail Adventure.”
I got into exploring off trail more than a decade ago because after a while, hiking the same blazed trails over and over became surprisingly routine. When I began veering off trail, every outing became more of a true adventure. With no script, these freelance adventures revealed new discoveries every time.
The days are growing darker by … well, by the day. And while most folks don’t see this situation improving for another 20 days until we hit the low point with the Winter solstice, the optimists among you no doubt have your hopes pinned to this Sunday, Dec. 7.
