Category Archives: Hiking

This weekend: Hop like a bunny — there’s lots going on

The view north from Elk Knob

Hey, like the headline says: find your adventure (below) and hop to it.

Coast

Fess up: how many plastic bags of shells to you have from beach foraging sessions past? Lots, no doubt.

Did you know there are things you can do with those shells? Crafty things, things you might not have thought possible that you could use to spruce up your home or office? Better still, for those long week beach vacations, things that could keep the kids busy for an afternoon or two. read more

Take the picture, then record the memory

Tennent Mountain

“You could take a picture of all this, but you’d lose the pictures. You look at it with your eyes instead, and it’s in your head forever. There’s not that many people can understand that.”
The sentiment was expressed by a hobo named Pete to apprentice hobo/author Ted Conover in Conover’s 1984 book, “Rolling Nowhere.” Pete made the observation as the boxcar livingroom they shared rolled through the northern planes of Montana.
Who needs a camera? philosopher Pete wanted to know. If you take in a scene, truly take it in, the image will last long beyond those Polaroids, those slides, even those digital images (which, yes, are ephemeral) that you shoot with abandon: five shots in a row — one is bound to capture the right light. But … what was the right light? read more

GetHiking! 2020

Hiking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake.

GetHiking! is designed to get you out on the trail, discovering North Carolina’s diverse natural areas on foot. We provide tips on the gear you need to get started, and we offer various programs taking you into the woods.

Hiking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake. read more

Help for the first-time hiker

Picture yourself here, on the edge of the Shining Rock Wilderness of the Pisgah National Forest, by summer.

Spring is the season of rebirth. Wildflowers have been popping up for more than a month now, the trees are a day or two from being in full leaf. With temperatures in the 70s and skies more blue than not, it’s no wonder that a young man (and woman’s) thoughts turn to one thing: read more

This weekend: Sunshine returns

Huggins Island (photo courtesy N.C. Coastal Federation)

The raindrops falling on many of our Tarheel heads (speaking of which, “Go Heels!”) as the work week draws to a close should dry up by the weekend. This week’s weekend recommendations come from the comprehensive events calendar kept by our friends at the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs. See the calendar section below for more info on the NCOEEPA. read more