Since entering the 9 to 5 world I’ve discovered that wanting to and being able to are two very different things.

Since 2013 I’ve run a weekly Sunday hiking program, divided into the seasons. Each season consisted of 12 weekly hikes. Not a big thing to me, even when I was doing both a Sunday morning and and Sunday afternoon hike. Turns out, though, that not everyone, even the most devout hiker, can commit one Sunday every week to hiking. It took me a surprisingly long time to figure that out.

But I have, and I think I have a solution: a program that gets you out twice a month, once on a Sunday, once on a Tuesday evening (or “night,” as will soon be the case). A guaranteed day hike once a month, a shorter midweek evening hike once a month as well. Less a commitment, more something to look forward to. Here’s how it works:

Sunday hikes

The first Sunday of the month we gather at a different trailhead to hike 5 miles or so. Those trails are:

• October 4  Horton Grove Nature Preserve, Bahama, 5 miles. A GetHiking! favorite, this Triangle Land Conservancy property north of Durham is good in any season, but especially in autumn, where a rich mix of hardwood canopy and understory gets an early start on fall color.

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  November 1 Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area: Peach Orchard Trailhead, Snow Camp, 5 miles. This is the third area of Cane Creek to open in six years. A mix of hardwood hiking, including a nice ridgeline run.

• December 6  Butner Game Lands: Flat River Access, Bahama, 5 miles. Part of the 40,000-acre Butner Game Lands located along the north shore of Falls Lake, we hike the Brickhouse Road parcel, which includes wide open stretches, ponds, and encounters with the Flat River and Falls Lake.  
• December  27 Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, DH-R,S Redwood Road to Red Mill Road, Durham, 6 miles. A mix of forest and meadow, this hike includes a brush or two with Falls Lake, an old railroad trestle, a long-abandoned barn. Our favorite Winter Hike along Falls Lake.

Thanksgiving Friday

• November 27 Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, DH-H, Shinleaf Recreation Area, Wake Forest, 6 miles. Duck in and out of several coves, disappear into upland hardwood forests, catch good views of Falls Lake on this out-and-back hike.

Evenings

• September 8 — Brumley Forest North, Hillsborough. 3 miles. Sunset: 8:35 p.m., twilight ends: 9:03. p.m.. A mix of meadows, ponds and mature forest make ideal features for enjoying sunset.

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  October 13 — Pennys Bend Nature Preserve, Durham. 3.2 miles. Sunset 6:44 p.m., twilight ends: 7:08 p.m. A lollipop loop that goes out along the Eno River, returns, in part, through a Piedmont prairie.

• November 10 —  Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Dayhike Section M, Durham County. 3 miles. Sunset: 5:13 p.m., Twilight ends: 5:39 p.m.. We hike west on the MST through one of the more mature forests the trail encounters along Falls Lake. There’s a small waterfall a mile in.
• December 8 — Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, Dayhike Section T, 3 miles. Durham. Sunset: 5:13 p.m., Twilight ends: 5:38 p.m.. A hike we recently rediscovered after a long absence, we begin at Red Mill Road and hike west on the MST, mostly through bottomland forest until a climb takes us to our turnaround and a bluff overlooking the Eno River. 

It’s a good mix of trails, a good mix of times to hike, a good way to make sure you get your hiking fix this fall.

Learn more and sign up to join us here.

The post Get your Fall Hikes in with GetHiking! appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

The first day of summer? What kid dreads the start of summer? 

Not summer per se. Rather, what that “start” represented. 

The demise.

The demise, curiously, of sunlight. For June 21 (or thereabouts) marks the longest period of daylight of the year: 14 hours and 39 minutes. But from then on we start getting shortchanged, imperceptibly at first, on sunshine. A few seconds a day at first. At the end of June, the sun set at 8:37 p.m.; tonight (Sept. 3), it will be down at 7:42 p.m. By the end of September the sun will set at 7:02 p.m. and come Halloween it will be down at 6:22 p.m. Let’s not even talk about November and the end of Daylight Saving Time.

Suffice it to say we are losing our chance to play after work. And we need to embrace these waning hours of midweek opportunity. Below, some tips to help you do so:

• Get a headlamp. Just because it was still light on your evening hike last week doesn’t mean it will be this week. That rapidly diminishing sunlight coupled with distractions along the way all add up to finishing in the dark if you aren’t paying attention. You can get a decent headlamp for as little as $20. Note that LEDs cast a more hike-friendly light. Be sure to pack both extra batteries and a spare light (a pen light will do) so you can see to change out your batteries should the need arise.

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  Pick short hikes. Reduce the odds of getting short-changed on sunlight by choosing shorter trails. Right now, a good length for me personally is 2-3 miles.

• Hike trails you’ve hiked in daylight. Familiarity is a big plus. You’ll be amazed at how things you didn’t think you noticed during the day will pop out as welcome landmarks on an evening hike.
• Beware the gloaming. There’s a curious period between official sunset and the disappearance of twilight, about 15 minutes or so, when seeing can be a challenge. Too much natural light for the headlamp to help, not quite enough to see well on your own. Go slow during this period. Better still, stop, look and listen to this transitional time in the natural world.
• Hike by your feet. In fading sunlight it takes a bit more effort to spot blazes. The best way to tell whether you’ve wandered off the beaten path is if your boots are suddenly sinking into soft, untrodden leaf litter. Backtrack and seek out firm footing.
• Pack a layer. Nights are cooler than days; you’ll be especially cognizant of this as we head into fall. Counter the chill by packing an extra layer — and don’t be afraid To throw it on at the first sign of cool.
• Don’t hike alone. I do a lot of soloing, but not with the prospects of dark looming.
• Take a map and compass. You should already have these in your daypack, but make extra sure you have them in the evening, even on a trail you think you know well.
• Take water and snacks. Just because it’s the cool of the evening doesn’t mean you can’t get dehydrated. Nor does it mean you couldn’t use some extra fuel.
• Take a cell phone, just in case. Besides, most phones have a flashlight function that could save you in a pinch.
• Appreciate the evening sky. We get some great sunsets this time of year, often highlighted by billowing clouds. Take a minute to appreciate the end of another day. 

An end of day made even more special on the trail.

* * *

More info

• GetHiking! Guide to Night Hiking. For more tips on hiking in the evening and at night, check out our GetHiking! Guide to Night Hiking. Find it here. Download by Sept. 10 and enter NightFree at checkout to get the guide at no cost: 

• 

  “Explore Your Neighborhood with A Passeggiata.” Looking for something shorter and closer to home? This post explores the joys of a passeggiata, an after-dinner evening walk. Find it here.

• “Explore Your Neighborhood: A Guide to Discovering the World Around You.” Looking to keep your evening adventures close to home, but still want it on the wild side? Our guide offers tips on how to find these gems plus tips on local exploring. Find it here.

The post The Evening Hike appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

I was behind a low rock outcrop; the minimal understory was letting shafts of sun in here and there. Where it could, vivid orange strips lit the forest floor. I watched for about five minutes, an unusually long time for me to be still on a trail. But I had good reason.

When will I have this experience again? I wondered.

The following evening, it turned out.

I was in Asheboro for a conference and was eager to check out the (somewhat) new 5 miles of trail at the (somewhat) nearby Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area in Alamance County. Though the Peach Orchard Access opened nearly a year ago, I’d been remiss in visiting, unlike when the first two sections of Cane Creek opened.

The first section, the Pine Hill trailhead, had a curious opening in late spring of 2020. The 5-mile addition was especially welcome, coming at a time when the Pandemic was driving record numbers onto trails. Curious, in that social distancing was all the rage; numerous trail networks were closed to avoid the risk of hikers bunching up; Alamance Parks cleverly dealt with the dilemma by instituting a reservation system, setting hikers down the trail at given intervals.

The Oak Hill Trailhead, just up Bass Mountain Road from Pine Hill, opened a couple years later. In both cases I was sampling the tread within the week.

Peach Orchard was to reveal a different personality — at least at first. 

Pine Hill and Oak Hill waste little time introducing you to the “Mountains” element of Cane Creek. Though the compact relict chain, which is mostly confined to Alamance County, tops out below 1,000 feet, there is some good climbing; within a half mile on Pine Hill’s Northern Approach Trail, more quickly on Pine Hill’s Lookout Trail. Pulling into the Peach Orchard parking lot I though I was embarking on a hike on the coastal plains. 

That feeling continued as I began hiking, counterclockwise, on the connected Varnals Creek and Mountain View (“view” as opposed to “experience”) trails. Mature hardwoods with minimal understory, the occasional remains of a past life (a homestead foundation and crumbling chimney, an abandoned Studebaker) and numerous dry creek crossings. A mile and a quarter in a bench before a scrub clearing provides a comfortable view of twin peaks. This civil welcome lasted until the 2.5-mile mark. After stout but short (300 vertical feet in three-quarters of a mile), you achieve the ridge and, if you time it right, awesome sunset hiking.

About that timing. The hours here accommodate a visit in the gloaming, with the gates closing about an hour after sunset. Plan to hit the ridge maybe 10 minutes before official sunset, allowing you to enjoy another 20 minutes of the most civil twilight around.

Linger. Marvel over the bright orange strips that streak across the forest floor. Enjoy the brilliantly lit canopy. And, in late summer, appreciate the breeze that accompanies the shift change from day to night. Another plus: When you do begin your descent you’ll encounter some rocks and roots for a half mile or so, then smooth tread back to your car. Still, don’t forget the headlamp (and a backup).

The next evening, after conference festivities had concluded, I drove 15 minutes to the Tot Hill Trailhead at the northern tip of the Uwharrie National Forest’s Birkhead Mountain Wilderness. I wasn’t expecting a repeat of Cane Creek, but that’s what happened/

A mile to the top, then more of a plateau than a ridge for about a mile. Accommodating hardwoods allowed a similar sunset light show as I’d had at Cane Creek.

We’re all looking forward to fall. But there’s still, meteorologically speaking, about three weeks of summer left. 

Make the most of it.

***

Heading out?

For more information, click the appropriate link:

• Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area
• Birkhead Mountain Wilderness, Uwharrie National Forest

The post Savor Summer’s end on a ridge appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Certainly doesn’t inspire thoughts of a day on the trail. A long day, at least.

That’s why this time of year we pull out our Summer Shorts: hikes long enough to sate your thirst for trail, but short enough to prevent heatstroke.

I got into shorter trails when I moved north of Greensboro four years ago. The reason? There were no long trails close by. Initially, the Shorts came in handy when I simply didn’t have the time to invest a half day, drive included. They become even handier when the heat settles in. 

Today, a salute to Summer Shorts. Five hikes I turn to when the heat gets turned up.

MST James M. Johnston Nature Preserve

Hillsborough

320 Elizabeth Brady Road

2 miles out and back 

Just across from Historic Occoneechee Speedway, now part of the N.C. State Parks system, sits a small preserve that clings to a bluff overlooking the Eno River. And clinging to the bluff is a mile-long stretch of trail that includes elevation (150 feet), floodplain forest, and rhododendron and mountain laurel stretches that’ll make you swear you’re in the mountains. 

The trail itself is a mile in length; to get there from the Occoneechee trailhead you’ll need to tack on another mile (out-and-back). This flat stretch makes for a nice warm-up, especially in summer, for short-but-steep climb that awaits. Looking for more mileage? A loop on the speedway adds a half-mile; tack on another 1.5 miles on the MST west into Hillsborough, and another half mile, still on the MST, to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area. What you wind up with here is a hike with a length for all seasons.

More info here

Seven Mile Creek Nature Preserve

Hillsborough

2187 Moorefields Road

1.5 miles

I’ve been hiking Seven Mile Creek for a decade now and I still think only a handful of us know about this 360-acre gem. Granted, it’s small and with a mile and a half of trail it may not be worth a drive across the Triangle, especially if you’re looking for miles. But in summer there’s passage along the preserve’s namesake creek, which, like the Eno it deposits into a mile downstream, is more montane than piedmont. A mature forest offers a sun-sheltering canopy and good sightline through the understory. Get ambitious and you can cross the creek at low water and pick up an old roadbed across the way. Or head upstream for a little timberbashing. Even with those additions, don’t expect to hike much more than a couple miles total. 

More info here, at the Orange County website

Take a 87-second virtual video tour here

Richard P. Gravely Jr. Nature Preserve

Ridgeway, VA

2525 Eggleston Falls Road

2 miles

This was quite the unexpected find when I moved to Eden. I don’t what I expected to find on this 75-acre preserve just a 17-minute drive from home, but what I found was an outer loop that spends part of its time along a stretch of the Smith River rich with rhododendron and mountain laurel. A connectoin trail runs along a ridge with lush hardwoods and a cemetery dating back to the mid-1800s. Depending upon the time of year you’ll find a range of wildflowers — including trillium, bloodroot, and wild orchids— ferns and mushrooms. It’s also got some elevation, topping out at just under 750 feet.

More info here

Knight Brown Nature Preserve

Stokesdale

221Waterfield Lane

3+ miles

The hike: Few places do as good a job of quickly escorting you from civilization as the 189-acre Knight Brown Nature Preserve. Take the Beechwood Bottom Loop Trail from the trailhead and hike clockwise, and you quickly descend to Belews Creek. (As soon as you reach the creek, look across, to the north, for a cascade tumbling down the far slope.) Large sections of three trails run along the creek, which has forged a surprisingly deep valley: in just over a tenth of a mile, the terrain rises 80 vertical feet above the creek. The east-facing slope probed by the Leatherwood Loop Trail has some understory growth, but for the most part, the high canopy provides a protective roof above open terrain below. Nice in summer because it blocks out the sun but not the downslope breezes, nice in winter because the leafy canopy disappears letting the sun’s warming rays penetrate. Belews Creek, which runs west, then north through the preserve, offers rocky relief, spilling over car-size boulders in spots, before mellowing out on its journey to the Dan River. An exceptional hike in all seasons.

More info here

Hickory Creek Access: Mayo River State Park

Stoneville

Tyne Road (off of Bennett Road),

GPS: 36.5093, -79.9984

This access is so new it’s barely on the park website. It’s so new it doesn’t even have an address. It’s so new that to get there, you need old-timey written directions (from US 220, take the NC 770 ramp and head west on NC 770 for 6.8 miles; turn right onto Victory Hill Church Road for 3.1 miles; turn right onto Bennett Road for 0.6 miles; turn right onto Tyne Road and into Hickory Creek Access). The trailhead is atop a subtle summit where you’ll seem to have options: only one, well marked, is the actual trail. Take it for a leisurely 0.8-mile hike down a mellow ridge to the Mayo River. Much of this hike is on an old, barely detectable, roadbed. Reaching the Mayo is a bit anticlimactic as the river bottom is densely vegetated and views of the river are limited. Turn and hike back to the trailhead. Up for another mile or so? Just before where you parked is a gated dirt road which offers a half-mile or so of easy hiking before “No Trespassing” signs suggest it’s time to retreat. If the heat has yet to defeat you, it’s three quarters of a mile down the access road to the park entrance. All told, you can get in about 4 miles of quiet hiking.

More info here.

The post 5 Summer Shorts appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

As we’ve settled in to summer’s steady drumbeat of 90/90 — temperature/humidity — days, I’ve been trying to sort out what I don’t like about summer hiking, as well as what keeps me on the trail. The latter first.

The case for summer

• No crowds. Summer hiking is an acquired taste, a taste even some of the most ardent hikers haven’t acquired. But here’s the thing: if you’re not into sharing the trail, it’s the best time to be on it.
• The intimacy. Come summer, every nook of the forest is adorned in green: a rich canopy, a robust understory, a thickly carpeted forest floor. All help insulate you from the world beyond, and when it comes down to it, isn’t being shielded from the outside world a big part of why you like the outdoor world?
• Hot bod, I. As you age and your body stiffens, nothing works out the kinks like the heat. On a 90-degree day those stiff joints all-but-disappear within minutes of hitting the trail. Think of it as the benefit of a steam bath while enjoying a walk in the woods.
• Hot bod, II. Hiking is a good way to firm up and lose weight. Hiking in hot weather accelerates the process.
• It makes you a kid again. For most of us as kids, summer was our favorite time of year. No school, all play, all day. Recapture that feeling with a summer hike. And maybe to capture that feeling of summer youth throw a little water into the mix. One of the best days I’ve had on the trail was nearing the end of a 14-mile loop at Doughton Park and pausing to remove my hiking shoes and dip my feet in the cold water of Basin Creek. Had there been a pool deep enough I would have been all in. 

Pretty good case for a summer hike, I believe. Now, on to the downside and how I deal with it.

The downside (and dealing with it)

• Sweaty eyes. There’s an easy solution to keeping salty sweat from dripping into your eyes, obscuring your vision, and making you crabby: a bandana, or Buff. You could use a ball cap, relying on on the headband to absorb your salty discharge, but the closed top causes heat build up. Solution? A wrap-around cloth that lets heat evaporate but catches sweat. When it reaches maximum capacity simply remove, wring, replace.
• Dehydration. You need to replace all that sweat leaving your body, lest you succumb to a summer swoon. Take a minimum of two liters of water, regardless of how long and far you plan to hike. Of course, simply having water doesn’t mean you’ll drink it. Which leads to …
• Make it a cold one. One of my favorite songs as a kid growing up out West: “Cool Water,” the Marty Robbins version. Clear, cool water to be precise. Which is why every night before a summer hike I stick a couple of three-quarter-full water bottles in the freezer. Next morning I top them off with cold water and I generally have clear, cool water for most of the hike — water I look forward to indulging. 
• Pack extra socks. Always pack an extra pair of socks and swap ‘em out before you hear the tell-tale squish-squish-squish of your feet swimming in your socks. When that happens, take the socks you’ve just removed and tie ‘em to the back of your pack. Within a half hour or so a pair of wool socks will dry just enough for you to put back on, should the need arise. (Help yourself even more by wearing lightweight summer hiking socks.)
• Vanquish the pests. I use DEET, deemed safe in concentrations of less than 30 percent, to rid myself of most summer pests. Most, but not all. …

Quick story: Years ago I was complaining to a former superintendent at Umstead State Park in Raleigh about her horse flies. “I’m on my mountain bike,” I explain, “trying to outride this especially pesky horsefly. I’m peddling like mad, but it keeps nipping at my ears. I look down at my speedometer and I’m going 35 miles per hour!” 

“The park speed limit is 20,” she replied. 

In fact, it wasn’t until recently that learned of the one thing that does seem to keep horse flies at bay.

Vinegar

Vinegar.

Like, a dab behind the ears?

Exactly. Although if the thought of smelling like a tossed salad on the trail doesn’t appeal to you, any essential oil — citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint — will do. A spritz or two about the head and summer hiking’s real nemesis will be someone else’s problem.

So, in addition to your Ten Essentials, add an 11th.

A spritz of white vinegar.

The post Embrace the Summer Hike: Here’s How (and Why) appeared first on GetGoing NC!.