Today’s 90-Second Escape: Pining for a paddle

It happens every year: the first time the temperature gets into the upper 70s, as is forecast for later this week, https://www.wunderground.com/us/nc/havelock and there’s no way we can get out to fully enjoy. And by “fully enjoy,” I mean grab a kayak and head to the coast, to a favorite paddle: Milltail Creek in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

Instead, we do the next best thing: we trot out this Escape from a few years ago and enjoy 90 Seconds of tranquil paddling — and spotting for the refuge’s namesake reptile.

Enjoy.

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Coast

Come summer, we tend to loosen our definition of “weekend.” Shoot, lots of workplaces do the same, ceding employees a half-day head start on Fridays, knowing full well lots of us will be slinking off anyway.

That said, a great way to spend the Friday part of your summer weekend is on a guided canoe tour at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge between Columbia and Manteo. Every Friday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. between now and August, the refuge will lead two-hour tours, all equipment provided, on Milltail Creek, taking you “deep into the heart of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Paddle the shady blackwater canals; learn about the history of the area. Watch and listen for the Refuge’s secretive wildlife.” We can’t guarantee a gator sighting, but in hot weather odds are good you’ll spot one lolling along the banks.

You bring a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent and water, the NWR provides the canoe, paddle, pfd and wisdom.

Logistics: Fridays from now through August, 1-4 p.m., Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, off U.S. 64 between Columbia and Manteo. $40 for adults, $25 for kids 12 and under. Meets at the end of Buffalo City Road off US 64 west of Manns Harbor. Call 252.216.9464.

Friday forecast: Sunny, high of 85.

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Looking ahead: Let’s look way ahead to an event that always sneaks up on us, Wings Over Water. This six-day celebration of the coastal wild includes all sorts of programs, from canoe and kayak trips, to birding expeditions, to talks about nature and more. This year’s Wings is Oct. 20-25. For more information, go here.

Piedmont

Perusing the North Carolina Running Calendar, a pretty comprehensive account of the Tarheel race scene, we were stopped by one entry in particular: The Wilson Swamp Stomp. This year’s Stomp, the third annual, pledges to spend more time in the swamp, ensuring its spot in our weekly recommendations.

Held at Gillette and Toisnot parks in Wilson, the Stomp includes 5K and 8K versions, and, say race organizers, “Both courses are 65% in the woods or swamp.” They’ve even thrown in a few obstacles for those who don’t find running in a swamp challenge enough.

Awards, prizes, hoses at the end for contestants to tidy up. All proceeds benefit Hope Station, Wilson’s food pantry and homeless shelter.

Logistics: Saturday, June 13, waves of runners are sent off every 15 minutes between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sign up by the end of today and it’s $65 for the 5K, $75 for the 8K; register race day and it’s $75 and $85. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny with a high of 95, perfect swamp running weather.

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Looking ahead: Citizen science: you probably associate it with annual events such as the Christmas Bird Count and the Great Backyard Bird Count. But it happens every Saturday at the N.C. Museum of Natural Science’s Prairie Ridge EcoStation in Raleigh. A different project every week in which you — and your kids — can help make a difference. Learn more about the program here.

Mountains

Last Saturday was National Trails Day, this Saturday is National Get Outdoors Day. Mission of the latter: “… reaching first-time visitors to public lands and reconnecting our youth to the great outdoors.” Missions that mesh with our own.

Get Outdoors Day events are planned at more than 200 locations across the country,  including four in North Carolina. One of the four is Chimney Rock State Park, where from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. they’ll be doing all sorts of NGOD activities. According to the park’s synopsis: “See live critters, learn how to responsibly enjoy the outdoors with Leave No Trace, take a climb with Fox Mountain Guides, meet renowned Appalachian photographer Tim Barnwell and learn about N.C. State Parks Junior Ranger Program.”

Sounds like a jam-packed four hours and a good opportunity for connecting kids to the outdoor and introducing more folks to public lands.

Logistics: Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., Chimney Rock State Park, Chimney Rock. There may be costs associated with some events. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 85, mostly sunny.

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Looking ahead: If you’re the type that loves a good fireworks display, then think hard about the July 4 Independence Day Fireworks Hike to Sunset Mountain hosted by the Swannanoa Valley Museum. At 6 p.m., hikers will head out from Black Mountain on a “moderate one-mile hike” on the abandoned road that, a century ago, took travelers to Mount Mitchell. Then, catch the fireworks in the Swannanoa Valley below. More info: info@swannanoavalleymuseum.org; 828.669.9566; or at the Swannanoa Valley Museum website.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

The post This weekend: Paddle a swamp or run through one, but be sure to Get Outdoors! appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

The sponsoring American Hiking Society lists 31 National Trails Day events in North Carolina. From that list, which you can find in its entirety here, we’ve pulled three activities — at the coast, in the Piedmont and in the mountains — that we think you’ll find particularly appealing.

Coast

The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge occupies 153,000 acres of some of the most ecologically impressive terrain in North Carolina. Situated on a spit of rich organic and mineral soils on a peninsula between the mainland and the Outer Banks, the refuge is known largely for its diverse cast of critters, black bears, red wolves, coyotes and alligators among them.

But it also supports a range of ecosystems, including Atlantic white cedar forest, bay forest, brackish and freshwater marshes, cyrpress-gum forest, freshwater lakes and ponds, high shrub pocosins … the list goes on. It’s one of those places where you wish you knew at least a few of the key players.

That can happen Saturday, on a Plant and Tree ID Hike in the refuge. Local plant expert Bob Glennon leads a hike not only identifying plants but explaining the role they play in the overall scheme of things. The hike is on the half-mile-long, handicap accessible Creef Cut Trail.

Logistics: Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, off Milltail Road. For more information call 252.475.4180 or visit here.

Saturday forecast: High of 77, chance of rain.

Looking ahead: From National Trails Day this Saturday to National Get Outdoors Day next Saturday, the outdoors celebration continues. As part of NGOD, Dismal Swamp State Park is holding a Summer Paddle at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, all equipment included. More info by calling 252.771.6593.

Piedmont

Here in the U.S., we largely hike to forget. OK, perhaps “forget” is a little extreme, suggesting that we hike with a hiking staff in one hand, a bottle in the other. Rather, we hike to help cope with the stress of often chaotic lives. Put us on a trail, let our minds wander, we’re happy.

They likely hike for similar reasons in Germany and in the rest of Europe, but they also tend to hike with a sense of purpose, banding together into “volksmarch” clubs and hiking predetermined routes based on intriguing points of interest. And, they also like to get credit for their hikes, earning stamps, pins and patches on their merry, marching way.

Saturday, the Triangle Volksmarch will give locals a sense of the volksmarch ethic. Sponsored by N.C. State Parks, Public Lands Every Day and Great Outdoor Provision Co., this 5.6-mile hike will bridge the N.C. Museum of Art and Umstead State Park, with stops along the way at the Prairie Ridge EcoStation and N.C. State University’s Schenck Forest. Each location yields a learning experience — and a stamp! Afterwards, from 4-7 p.m., attend an after party at Great Outdoor Provision Co. in Raleigh’s Cameron Village.

Hike on your own anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or tag along with GetHiking! Triangle, which will start at 2 p.m.

Logistics: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., N.C. Museum of Art/Umstead State Park (Harrison Avenue entrance), Raleigh. For information on the hike and for related activities throughout the day, go here. If you’d like to march with GetHiking! Triangle, go here for details and to sign up.

Saturday forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 85 with, of course, a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

Looking ahead: Also on the agenda for National Get Outdoors Day: A 3-mile Get Outdoors Hike at Hanging Rock State Park to House Rock for a “free “Home Tour” of every room – rarely seen by visitors.” Intrigued? Call 336.593.8480 for details.

Mountains

We hate it when a trail network closes, even temporarily. We love it, though, when it reopens, new and improved.

Saturday is the grand reopening of the eight-mile Emerald Outback trail network at Beech Mountain. Initially a hiking trail, the trail has been redesigned to accommodate hikers and mountain bikers. The system is a mix of single- and double-track trail, and takes in lots of great views from Beech Mountain’s 5,400-foot summit (it bills itself as “one of the highest trail parks east of the Rockies”). In spots, you’ll be reminded of biking/hiking in the West.

The grand opening includes guided hikes and bike rides, food, live entertainment, clinics and if you don’t have a bike, demos will be available for loan.

Logistics: Saturday, 10 a.m. until nighttime, Beech Mountain. Free, for more information, go here.

Saturday forecast: High of 73, partly cloudy in the morning, a growing chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Looking ahead: Afraid that you’ve missed the spring wildflower season? They’re still out in the higher elevations, such as Mount Jefferson State Natural Area, site of a Wildflower Hike Saturday, June 13, at 2 p.m. Call 336.246.9653 for details.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

The post This weekend: Celebrate a trail! appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

It’s Labor Day weekend, so you’re probably kicking out a little early, right? Early enough to make it to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge for Friday morning’s canoe tour on Milltail Creek?

The trip runs from 9 a.m. to noon and is led by a naturalist who, among other things, will show you the difference between a downed log and a “downed log” that blinks. In other words, the preserver’s namesake reptile, the alligator. And there are plenty of ‘em lining the banks of Milltail Creek. Bring a telephoto lens (hats, sunscreen and lots of water are a good idea, too).

Logistics: Friday, Aug. 29, 9 a.m.-noon, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, $40 for adults, $25 for kids 12 and under. Meeting location revealed when you call to register, at 252.216.9464. If you can’t make it Friday, the tour runs every Wednesday and Friday through September. Find more information on this and other NWR trips, here.

Friday forecast: Sunny, high of 78.

Piedmont

Learning outdoor skills can be done one of two ways: based on your own mistakes or based on the mistakes of others. We prefer the latter, which is why we’re recommending Saturday’s Outdoor Skills: The 7 Priorities of Wilderness Survival at Charlotte’s McDowell Nature Preserve. The class is a mix of lecture and hands-on, a good combination for making skills stick.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2 p.m., McDowell Nature Preserve, Charlotte. $3. More info and to register go here and enter  #58424.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 94.

Mountains

Mount Mitchell State Park is a great place to explore, but because of its rapidly changing weather and rugged terrain, it can be intimidating. A good place to explore with the folks who know the area best, like the park rangers.

Saturday, you have two opportunities to safely explore the highest country east of South Dakota’s Black Hills. At 9:30 a.m., join a ranger for an hour-and-a-half hike out to Mt. Craig and back, learning about the flora and fauna of this alpine setting. Miss that hike, or simply want more? Another guided hike explores the Commissary Trail, starting at 11 a.m.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 30, 9:30 and 11 a.m., Mount Mitchell State Park. 828.675.4611 for more info, or go here.

Saturday forecast: High of 84, mostly sunny.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

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• 

  One, to expose the already adventurous to the multitude of opportunities east of I-95. For instance, the region includes more than 2,500 miles of mapped paddle trails. There are 10 National Wildlife Refuges protecting 365,000 acres and a national forest, the Croatan, covering 160,000 acres. Local land trusts lead by the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust have protected another 60,000 acres, much of which is open to exploration. You can take a long hike (the 20-mile Neusiok Trail), you can go backpacking (Merchants Millpond State Park), you can go mountain biking (The Bicycle Post trails northwest of town).

• We also want to provide a supportive and instructive environment for fledgling adventurers, those folks who are intrigued by the notion of outdoor adventure but haven’t taken those first footsteps into the wild. We’ll show you where to go, we’ll go there with you, and we’ll hang with you so you don’t feel abandoned.

You can learn more about the GetExploring! Greenville program in a post we wrote for the Great Outdoor Provision Co. blog. You can learn about our adventures, including a kick-off gathering Thursday evening at the Great Outdoor Provision Co. shop in Greenville, on the group’s Meetup page.
We’re looking forward to exploring more of Eastern North Carolina. We hope you’ll join us on the adventure.

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