Category Archives: Hiking

Take the fear out of summer stream crossings

This weekend GetBackpacking! pays a visit to the Wilson Creek area at the base of Grandfather Mountain. It’s a comparatively low-lying area but rugged, and acting as the drainage for massive Grandfather Mountain, it’s got water crossings galore. With our weekend trip in mind, and knowing a lot of you will be hiking along and in mountain creeks this summer, we’re rerunning this post on how to cross a stream. read more

GetOut! Your Nudge For Weekend Adventure

Haiku Hike, Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Eno River State Park, Durham. Literary hike / along the gorgeous Eno / read some, compose some. Learn more here.

Occoneechee Geology Hike, Saturday, 2 p.m. Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, Hillsborough. The massive slash on the north face of mighty Occoneechee, at 867 feet the high point of the Triangle, means the pyrophyllite peak has few secrets to keep. But despite begin an open book, what does it all mean? Geologist Jean-Michel Margot has studied the mountain for decades, and shares his findings in this monthly gathering. Learn more here. read more

Heat exhaustion: Recognize, treat, prevent

We’ve encountered our first 90-degree days on the trail. We’ve also encountered our first signs of heat exhaustion (on a sweaty trip deep into Linville Gorge this past weekend). 

Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke which can damage the brain and other organs and can lead to death. Fortunately, if you recognize and treat heat exhaustion at the outset you can keep it from devolving into something much more serious. read more

GetOut! Your Weekend Nudge — and a call to Ultimate action

We begin our thoughts on weekend adventure with an adventure three weeks out that you can start training for this weekend.

Raleigh/Umstead CureSearch Hike, Saturday, June 1, Umstead State Park, Raleigh. I started leading hikes in 2011 after being contacted by an endeavor called the Ultimate Hike, a new fundraiser benefitting a group out to end childhood cancer. The deal was this: lead at least six training hikes in preparation for a 28.3-mile hike (in one day) on the Foothills Trail straddling the North Carolina/South Carolina line. I’d been telling people where to hike through books and newspaper columns for 15 years, why not actually take them, I thought. So I did.  read more