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1. Sycamore Trail (loop portion), Umstead State Park, Raleigh. 4.4 miles. We like to avoid the big crowds at Umstead by starting at the bike and bridle trailhead on the Glenwood Avenue side of the park. From there, pick up the the Sycamore Trail’s loop portion, a mile-and-a-half of which is along Sycamore Creek, the super hero of Piedmont Creeks. In dry times, its personality is likewise: a little flow here and there, some standing water. But when the skies empty the creek throws off its wan water-ways and impersonates a raging Appalachian whitewater creek. Probably the best water walk in the region.
2. Duke Forest, Korstian Division: Gate 25, Durham. 3.2 miles. The show stopper here is New Hope Creek, about 0.8 miles in. The trail parallels New Hope Creek for about three-quarters-of-a-mile, providing access to some of the best waterfall impersonations in the Triangle. A couple of boulders above the creek give especially good access to the action.
3. Little River Regional Park, Rougemont. 4.5 miles, with a 3.5-mile option. Hike either the North River Loop (1.2 miles) or South River Loop (1.4 miles) in summer and you’ll likely wonder how the Little River manages to maintain its “river” status. Ah, but after a rain, the north end of the North Loop in particular is mesmerizing as the current makes its way through several rocky channels. sycamore

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Research over the past six months increasingly supports the idea that, when it comes to staying safe from the coronavirus, your best bet is to be outdoors. To continue to social distance yourself — to keep a minimum of six feet between you and the next guy — and to wear a mask when you can’t, but otherwise, the outdoors is the place to be. (Of course, we’ve always known that, right?)

So, in an effort to reunite you — again, safely — with co-workers and friends, we’re introducing GetHiking! with Co-Workers and Friends, a customized hiking series that let’s you get together on a weekly basis to hike and catch up with your people on  hikes tailored to your group, based on the following:

• The number of people in your group (we recommend no more than 12)
• Where you prefer to hike (we will create a hike schedule based on your geographic preference).
• The kind of hikes you’re interested in. If your group is looking for an aerobic workout, we’ll go with longer, more challenging hikes. If it’s more of a social hike you’re after, we’ll prescribe hikes that fit that vibe. (This part may require a short phone conversation.)

After we get this information, we will send you a schedule for eight weekly hikes. (When you hike is up to you, though we recommend having a set day of the week and time for every hike.) The schedule will include a quick description of each hike, its location, its distance, its difficulty level.

Then, every Monday we will send your group a detailed eguide for that week’s hike, including a map and route description to help you easily follow the trail, and an overview, including trailhead location, amenities, a more in-depth look at the difficulty, a short essay describing the hike and a short video virtual tour. We will also send you a forecast for the weather for that week, and recommendations on how to dress for maximum comfort.

Guide for your first hike. To make sure you get off on the right foot, we will have a guide attend your first hike. A guide can be provided for additional hikes at $35 per hike.

Upon registering, we will contact you for the information mentioned above: size of your group, geographic area you prefer to hike, the types of hikes you’re interested in.

GetHiking! with Co-workers and Friends is a safe way to stay in personal contact with your people and get some great time in outside as well. Let us put you on the trail!

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