Category Archives: Hiking

The Haw River: Hiking and paddling through history

On track, on the Haw River Trail.

I thought we had lost the trail but in fact we were smack dab on course. The Haw River Trail was intended, it turns out to meander through the Glencoe neighborhood of restored mill homes.

Yet another attraction of this 70-mile work-in-progress that runs from Haw River State Park above Greensboro to its namesake river’s exciting conclusion — especially after a good rain — in Jordan Lake. In addition to showing off the natural beauty along — and in — the Haw — the trail is intended to showcase, and in the process help preserve, the remarkable human history that has evolved along the river. (Check out yesterday’s 90 Second Escape along the Haw for a video perspective.) read more

90 Second Escape: Spring blossoms along the Haw


 

Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease the transition, every Monday we feature a 90 Second Escape — essentially, a 90-second video of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s not under a fluorescent bulb. read more

This weekend: Get a workout and an education in nature

Venus Flytrap

The approach of spring apparently means two things in North Carolina: Get out and learn.

Coast

Learn about the wild habitats that make up Carolina Beach State Park at 10 a.m. nature hikes both Saturday and Sunday. The meeting place of this ranger-led hike — Flytrap Trail Parking Area — should provide some clue about the ecodiversity at Carolina Beach. “Wear good walking shoes and dress for the weather,” advises the park. More about the weather momentarily. read more

Shuttle Diplomacy

The Blue Ridge Parkway is never far from the Mountains-to-Sea Trail near Boone, making for the ideal shuttle marriage.

When I wrote “Backpacking North Carolina” and “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina,” I focused on loop trips and hikes whenever possible. The reason? Simple: Shuttles are a pain.

For the traditional shuttle you need two cars; you can’t do a point-to-point solo. If there are just two of you, you both have to drive. That’s not only a waste of gas, it eliminates catch-up time on the drive (not that you won’t be talking on the trail). Setting up a shuttle also eats into valuable hiking time. And what if something happens to the shuttle car or driver? In November, four of us were hiking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail west of Mount Pisgah. As the trail crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of our party suddenly decided he was through. He flagged a passing car and before we knew it he disappeared down the road — to his/our shuttle car at trails’ end. Now what? read more