Trout lilies.

You may hear your first spring peepers as early as late January, and a daffodil or two may pop through the first week of February. The former is assuring, yet you still know that cold weather lies ahead (and this year, 14 inches of snow). They don’t even wait for Imbolc, for pete’s sake. The latter, the daffodils, carries with it an asterisk: it’s not a native plant; rather an ornamental that doesn’t abide by local rules of seasonality. Ah, but the trout lily: spring’s true first responder. Once the trout lily raises its lovely maroon-striped yellow petals to the sky, there’s no turning back.

For six years, I was fortunate to live in Hillsborough, where, early on I discovered the Poet’s Walk at Ayr Mont, a preserve that grew out of a former plantation. Today, while the focal point is the Federal style plantation house, the hidden gem is the mile-long Poet’s Walk, a natural surface path through maintained meadow and bottomland forest. 

This time of year, the half mile that borders the Eno River through floodplain hardwoods offers one of the best sites around to catch the first trout lilies of spring. Alas, since moving from Hillsborough four years ago, I’ve yet to find as reliable a source for my trout lilies as the Poet’s Walk. One year since I was lucky enough to stumble across some along the banks of the Cape Fear River near Dunn. Another, it wasn’t until May, in the Pisgah National Forest. Two years, I went without completely. That wasn’t going to happen this year.

I pulled into the half-full gravel lot around 11:30 on a Sunday morning and set out down the trail, which begins through a manicured meadow. A third of a mile in the trail entered forest and I was surprised by the sight of winter aconite at the base of an oak just off trail. An ornamental, but none the less, a “harbinger of spring,” as my PictureThis app informed me.

In another hundred yards, I slowed; here, the trail flattened and it was here that the spring wildflower show traditionally began. Sure enough, a half mile in I spotted my first yellow fronds. Five in all, all still bundled together. Sunlight had only recently penetrated this part of the forest floor; there was no reason to completely unfurl and gather spartan energy. 

I walked slowly and saw more trout lilies cautiously casting about. I also glimpsed a handful of spring beauties, usually the second wildflower to emerge along the Poet’s Walk. In a week or two, their delicate round petals would dominate the landscape.

I spent 45 minutes slowly walking back and forth along this stretch, hopeful that the prolonged sunlight would elicit a burst of yellow petals. They may have opened a bit, but it would be mid- to late-afternoon until they truly unfurled. And I had a house-load of spring chores to do. 

No matter. Spring, for me, was officially underway. 

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Find spring

Looking to find signs of spring? A few thoughts.

“Wildflower Walks to Take in the Triangle,” Walter Magazine. Five popular destinations recommended by a guy we know. Find it here.

Eno River Association Spring Wildflower Hike Series. For as long as I can recall, the Eno River Association has been conducting guided walks along the Eno. The scheduled is based on years of observation: if the ERA thinks there’s going to be wildflower action at Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve on March 15, you can bet there’s going to be a show. Learn more here.

The post Trout lilies! Let Spring Begin appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Actually, it’s a bit late.

Here’s how my spring countdown unfolds, beginning with …

Imbolc, Feb. 1. This traditional Gaelic observance marks the mid-point of winter, halfway between the winter solstice (Dec. 21) and the spring equinox (March 20).

Daffodil. I can’t call this the first wildflower of the season because the daffodil is an ornamental, embraced by early settlers because as soon as its cheery yellow leaves popped through the ground, they knew spring was nigh. Note: when you see a daffodil in the wild there’s a good chance you’ll find signs of an old homestead nearby. Weather dependent, the daffodil generally makes its first appearance between the last week of January and the second week of February.

Spring peeper. To me, this chorus frog is typically the first legitimate — that is, natural — sign of spring. They spend the winter hunkered down near a vernal pool — a depression that typically only contains water during the winter rains. A good rain coupled with warming weather rouses the spring peeper. I’ve heard spring peepers as early as mid-January; this year, my first “hearing” was on Feb. 17.

February 10. Pitchers and catchers report. When I was in second grade at Bellview Elementary school I spent an entire music class staring out the window at a ball diamond painted in grays and browns; would I ever again see the lush green outfield that had disappeared in October? The only thing that kept me going was a small blurb I’d read that morning in the Denver Post: “Pitchers and Catchers report today.” This year, pitchers and catchers, the first baseball players to start training for the upcoming season, reported on Feb. 10.

February 20. First spring training games of the season. Nothing says spring more than listening to a Rockies game from Salt River Fields in Arizona on the app.

Trout lilies, spring beauties.  Like pitchers and catchers, these are typically the first wildflowers we see report for spring in the Piedmont. Their appearance depends entirely on sunlight and warmth: I’ve seen both as early as Jan. 27, I’ve seen them as late as, well, as now (still waiting). Blame the lingering winter weather — but this weekend, with sun and temperatures in the 60s forecast, keep an eye peeled for both, especially in floodplains dominated by hardwoods.

March 8. Daylight Saving Time begins. Not coming home in the dark really makes it feel like spring.

March 20. The spring equinox, when there’s as much daylight as dark, marks the official start of spring.

Let the countdown begin!

The post From Imbolc to Equinox appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

So what makes for a good, early-season long hike? A variety of factors. Below, we list five of our favorite longer hikes and what makes them good for a first long hike of your hiking season.

1. 

   Horton Grove Nature Preserve, Bahama (north of Durham). A classic for a first long hike of the season because, with 7 connecting trails comprising 8 miles of hiking, if you get out there and discover you aren’t ready for a 5-miler, you can cut it short. Likewise, if you’re feeling strong after 5, why not hike every trail? Rolling terrain with no heartbreaking climbs.

2. Bunter-Falls of Neuse Game Lands, Bahama. Flat, no crowds. That should be enough — but we’ll give you a smidge more. The hiking here is open, on gravel access roads that pass meadows and impoundment ponds designed to attract wildlife. Especially good on cool days (the exposure), especially good on Sundays (these are gamelands; currently, there is no hunting on Sundays — or from Memorial Day through Labor Day). And again, flat and no crowds. Our guide highlights a 4.5-mile hike.
3. Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Day-hike Section L, Durham. This 3.2-mile stretch of the MST (6.4 miles out and back) is among the lesser-traveled stretches of the MST along Falls Lake in the Triangle. Why? Maybe because of its brief encounters with the lake? That’s the only reason we can figure; this gently rolling trail through maturing hardwoods is perfect for losing yourself (spiritually, not physically) in the woods.

4. 

   Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Day-hike Section P, Durham. Another great hike along Falls Lake that flies under the radar. From the Hickory Hill Boat Ramp head east through mostly hardwoods at first, mostly pine (in a pine savannah-type environment) after that. Flat, with foot-friendly trail tread throughout.

5. Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Day-hike Section S, Durham. Possibly our favorite stretch of the MST along Falls Lake, this 4.8-mile stretch starts and ends on Red Mill Road, making for a quick shuttle — or a vigorous 9.6-mile out-and-back. Lots of variety as the trail passes through wetlands, along meadows, through bottomland woods, along railroad tracks, past signs of the area’s pre-reservoir human past.

Hike ‘em

Intrigued? Below are links where you can find more information on each of the hikes. You can also download our GetHiking! Guide to 5 Longer Hikes for Getting in Shape. 

GetHiking! 5 Longer Hikes for Getting in Shape. Guides to each of the hikes listed, including an overview, recommended hikes, custom map, pertinent details (directions, facilities at the trailhead, etc.), and a short video introduction to the venue. Find it here.

• Horton Grove Nature Preserve (Triangle Land Conservancy), Bahama 
• Butner-Fllas of Neuse Game Lands, Main Depot off Brickhouse Road (N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission), Bahama
• Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Day-hike Section L, Durham
• Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Day-hike Section P, Durham
• Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Day-hike Section S, Durham

The post It’s Spring, hike longer appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Quick recap: hiking was pretty popular prior to March 2020, it became the go-to source of not only outdoor recreation, but recreation of any kind after March 2020, it being deemed the only safe form of recreation in the face of a global pandemic. While hiking no longer bears that mantel, scads of folks who discovered the joy of hiking over the past two years aren’t going away. And the beginning of spring is when you really begin to notice the increased number of hikers on the the trail. 

So, how to find a bit of the tranquility you seek in the woods? We share our thoughts on the subject, thoughts we’ve shared before over the past two years, thoughts we will share again, because the number of hikers out there isn’t going down soon.

• Hike early. Most N.C. State Parks open at 8 a.m. — a good time to go, especially on spring weekends with near-perfect weather. The morning chill — in the Triangle, it will be in the upper 40s Saturday morning, upper 30s Sunday morning— which should keep the numbers down at the trailhead. Sunday morning until noon-1 p.m. is typically a good time to be out, anyway.
• Hike late. State Parks are now open until 8 or 9, municipal and county parks, and nature preserves typically go dawn to dusk. (That’s open to some interpretation, but today, with twilight officially ending at 8:01 p.m., you should be safe hanging out until 8.) Take advantage of these later hours to get out. Remember to take a headlamp or flashlight. In fact, on a nice Sunday or Saturday, crowds generally begin to thin noticeably around 4 or 4:30 p.m.
• Avoid the main trailheads. Find the more remote trail access points for where you’d like to hike. In particular, look for trailheads that don’t: 
  • Have paved parking
  • Begin from a visitor center
  • Have restrooms
  • Have an address
  • Have access via a paved road. Especially attractive are trailheads off gravel roads. To find them, study the trail map, study Google maps, call the ranger’s office and ask about secondary and neighborhood entrances. You can find them.

• Avoid the main trails. Start from a more remote trailhead and you’ll be on a trail that likely doesn’t get much foot traffic — initially, at least. A lot of these trails connect with more popular trails eventually, often at spots that have fewer hikers. Also: remember that most “popular” trails are popular because they originate from an easy access point.

• 

  Avoid parks near urban areas. At the start of the pandemic on North Carolina, 12 state parks kept their trails open while the other 29 had to close. Why? Because they were in more remote locations, which doesn’t mean they’re a day’s drive away. For instance, one of the least visited state parks in North Carolina is just over an hour’s drive from Raleigh. Check out this map of North Carolina State Parks to see what’s near you, but not near a populated area.

In short, the better the weekend weather forecast, the more you’ll need to pay attention to ferreting out the trails less traveled. It’s a worthwhile investment of your time.

* * *

Ferreting out less-frequented trails, II

Finding those less-popular trails, those stealth trailheads, those spots that elude the masses, isn’t hard, but it doesn’t hurt to have a few extra insights into the topic. Our “Explore Your Neighborhood” guide can help you do just that. Written at the start of the pandemic, it was intended as a way to find hidden adventure gems close to home. But the tips that help you do just that also apply to helping you identify stealth spots at large. Learn more and check it out, here.

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