Saturday is National Trails Day. OK, every day is trails day, or at least it should be. But things get in the way of us honoring trails on a daily basis, so for the last 40 years or so we’ve set aside the first Saturday in June to make sure there’s at least one day we won’t forget about our trails.
Category Archives: Hiking
No mystery with this snake
We’re getting to that time of year when the following debates occur on the trail: Is that a copperhead or a corn snake? A northern banded water snake or a cottonmouth? A black snake? Sure, but what kind?
Sunday, leading a hike in Panthertown Valley in far western North Carolina, there was no doubt about what was blocking the trail just 10 feet ahead. The markings may have been a bit murky, but the rattle sure wasn’t.
It’s a great weekend to blitz Panthertown Valley
Panthertown Valley near Cashiers in western North Carolina has been called the Yosemite of the East. Even its most ardent supporters will acknowledge that’s a bit of a stretch. Which isn’t to say it’s not a memorable place to explore.
At just 6,311 acres, this pocket of the Nantahala National Forest is full of great views, numerous waterfalls, and mountain streams noted for their trout. It also has 30 miles of trail to help you see it all. It may not be Yellowstone; rather, it’s a microcosm of what Yellowstone is known for. It’s also one of the most ecologically diverse areas of the country.
Tips for taking the fear out of water crossings
Today, we focus on the sometimes traumatizing prospect of hiking a trail with creek crossings — creek crossings that don’t have bridges, and sometimes don’t even have a decent rock-hop. Streams that may come above your knee, streams that may have a strong flow.
90 degrees? Our tips for hot weather hiking
We’re looking at our first 90-degree weekend of the year and it’s only mid-Spring! If you’re like us, your hiking hormones have only recently become activated. And since there’s no harnessing an unleashed hormone, there’s no sense canceling your hiking plans for the weekend. You just need to alter them a wee bit.