A flat run at the coast, a rolling ride in the mountains and a thoughtful hike in between.
Coast
Looking for a fast race to get your season off to an encouraging start? Check out the 2nd Annual Brunswick Forest 15K/5K Sunday down Wilmington way,
Specifically, the 5K and 15K courses are in the Brunswick Forest neighborhood. Racing by gender and age category for more serious runners, or show up looking like Ludwig and perhaps win a prize. Food, adult beverages and more afterward. Proceeds benefit the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra.read more
Don’t let a lack of daylight (Sunday is the winter solstice, fyi) keep you from venturing out. In fact, a lack of daylight is the reason for getting out Sunday at DuPont State Recreational Forest.
Coast
Sometimes we head into the wild to free our minds, sometimes our goal is to fill it. Sometimes, you end up doing both.read more
A learning experience at the coast, stargazing in the Piedmont, and in the mountains, drawing inspiration from some true rock stars.
Coast
Can you tell an oak from a hickory, a beech from a boxelder? Maybe in summer, when a full canopy displays each tree’s distinctively shaped, tell-tale leaves. But in winter, when the leaves have vacated, identifying the dendrologic denizens of the forest can be more challenging.read more
Matt Wisthoff, Team Relay Champion, 2012 and 2013.
If your competitive urges are coloring your outdoor urges, head to the coast. But if you’ve got an urge for more color, you can find it in the Piedmont and even in the mountains.
Coast
You love to run, you love to bike — alas, you’re a sinker. No triathlon for you. But you can participate in a duathlon, which taps into your two loves. And you can tap into one Saturday in Wrightsville Beach.read more
The Neusiok trailhead at the Pine Cliff Picnic Area.
On trail or off, it’s a good weekend to take a hike in North Carolina.
Coast
One of our favorite hikes in North Carolina is the Neusiok Trail in the Croatan National Forest. Just not at certain times.
Like when the temperature is much above 60.
The Neusiok runs for 20 miles, from the Pine Cliff Picnic Area on the south bank of the Neuse River not long before the Neuse gives it up to to the Pamlico Sound, to the Newport River. Near Pine Cliff, the trail more resembles the Piedmont — even the mountains in spots. But once it crosses NC 306 headed east, it’s coastal forest all the way, passing through cypress swamps, bottom land forests and pocosins. Warm weather tends to arouse some of the regional denizens — some with little wings, some with no legs — that can make hiking an enjoyment challenge.read more
