This morning I went out for an early hike. The air was crisp and clear, not a cloud in the sky. The trees were just beginning to show color. And it was brisk: I could have used a long-sleeve shirt.

After a moment of blissful basking, I remembered a map I’d seen the day before showing the extent of the smoke from the western wildfires that so far have burned more than 3.7 million acres. The haze from the fires extended from coast-to-coast, blanketing most of the West and following the jet stream into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Much of the country is affected by these fires (there are 26 major wildfires burning in California alone). Fortunately, we are not.

We always feel fortunate when a fall weekend rolls around and graces us with sunshine and cloudless skies. It’s even better when the fall color display has gotten off to one of its earliest starts in years. Even before the first day of October, sourwoods, dogwoods, redbuds and others are flashing good color, especially in edge forests and along lakes. If you’re up for a bit of a drive, the color is already nearing peak hues in the highest of the high country. Check out this fall color map from exploreasheville.com.

Keep in mind that fall color brings everyone out, so seeking the trails less traveled will be even more important during October. Check out our tips for finding those trails in this blog post from May. Keep in mind, too, that the weekend forecast calls for temperatures reaching only into the upper 60s, with only a cloud or two in the sky.

We’re fortunate. In parts of the country, people are advised not to go outdoors because of the smoke. They might not go out anyway because of the blazing heat. Here, things couldn’t be better. 

GetOut!

Today’s Video …

… visits the 4.9-mile Day-Hike Section S of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail adjoining Falls Lake in Durham. Download our eguide to the hike here. Order by Monday, enter the code 8DZFHV4R, and we’ll waive the $0.99 feet.

Camping, anyone?

Are you a spur-of-the-moment type? The type who reads the weekend forecast on Friday and says, “Man! I should go camping!” Even though you don’t have any camping gear? Don’t let a lack of gear keep you from following through on your impulse, not when our new GetCamping! program lets you rent the key pieces of gear you need, from a tent and sleeping pads to rockin’ camp chairs, to a camp kitchen. Learn more about the program and how you can rent a GetCamping! Kit here.

The post GetOut! And be grateful for our gorgeous weather appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

There’s a biathlon at the coast, a lucky bike ride in the mountains, and salvation — or at least a way to save yourself from getting lost — in the Piedmont.

Coast

Before you go tri, perhaps you should try bi.

It only makes sense that instead of going directly to three sports, you should ease yourself in with two. Say, standup paddle boarding and running?

If that sounds like a plan, then plan on entering Saturday’s 7^th Annual Wrightsville Beach Biathlon, combining a 4-mile flatwater standup paddle  course and a 4.5-mile beach run. The action commences at the Blockade Runner Resort, at Wrightsville Beach. An avowed one-sport person? No problem, find another similarly committed soul and enter as a team.

Logistics: 7^th Annual Wrightsville Beach Biathlon, Saturday, March 18, 10 a.m., Blockade Runner Beach Resort, Wrightsville Beach. $35. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 65, chance of afternoon rain.

* * *

Looking ahead: Hike NC! Cliffs of the Neuse State Park Lake Trail hike, 2 miles, Friday, March 24, Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, Seven Springs. More info here.

Piedmont

Our GetOriented! program has declared this weekend Find Your Way in the Woods weekend, with classes in both the Triangle and Triad areas.

We start the three-hour session with a half hour of map-and-compass get-to-know-you. Then, we head down the trail, and off, in search of the hidden treasures that elude the trail-bound. The overall goal: to make you feel more comfortable about your ability to navigate the woods.

Our Saturday morning session is at Umstead State Park in Raleigh, Sunday morning we’re at Haw River State Park in Greensboro. Compass and map are included.

Logistics: GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods: Saturday, March 18, 9 a.m., Umstead State Park, Raleigh, more info and sign up here; Sunday, March 19, 9 a.m., Haw River State Park, Greensboro, more info and sign up here.

Saturday forecast: Saturday morning in Raleigh: Temperature in the 50s, chance of rain;  Sunday morning in Greensboro: Sunny, with temperatures in the 40s.

* * *

Looking ahead: Hike NC! Celebrate the first day of spring with a hike along the Eno at Eno River State Park, Monday, March 20, 10 a.m. More info here.

Mountains

Talk about fortuitous timing: Saturday, it’s forecast to be rainy in the morning in Asheville. But the rain is expected to clear around noon, just in time for the 11^th Annual Bike of the Irish ride beginning and ending at the Wedge Brewing Company.

“We’re rolling through several historic places which have transformed with the times,” Mike Sule, executive director of Asheville on Bikes, told the Asheville Citizen Times. “The Wedge [Brewing Company], the [Wedge at] Foundation, the French Broad Greenway, downtown, and the Beaucatcher Mountain. They’re all old and new. We’re celebrating our dynamic city and rediscovering its nooks and crannies.”

The ride is 9.3 miles and gains 643 feet of elevation. Not bad for the Asheville area.

Logistics: 11^th Annual Bike of the Irish ride, Saturday, March 18, 1:30 p.m., Wedge Brewing Company, Asheville. More info here.

Sunday forecast: High near 60, partly cloudy at ride time.

* * *

Looking ahead: Hike NC! Collier Cove Nature Preserve hike, Sunday, March 26, Arden. More info here.

* * *

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

Coast

The post This weekend: Variety is the spice of adventure  appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast / Coastal Plain

It is perhaps the most rewarding type of paddling — and the easiest: paddling the tidal flats and meandering backwaters of the coast. The ill-defined wetlands along the sounds, the narrow tidal creeks enveloped in lush maritime woods that feed into the sounds. So much to see just a paddle-length away.

The only hitch: you need to know where to go, or go with someone who does.

That’s why we like Saturday’s Roosevelt Natural Area Paddle Trip at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. The morning paddle is led by aquarium naturalists who know every twist and turn, and can help you make sense of this expansive ecosystem. Gear and guide provided

Vital Stats: Roosevelt Natural Area Paddle Trip, Saturday, July 23, 9-11 a.m., NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. $25, ages 12 and up. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 88, mostly sunny.

* * *

Looking ahead: Soundside Hike, Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Tuesday mornings at 9 a.m. More info here.

Piedmont

The temperature is forecast in the upper 90s for this weekend, which leaves one to wonder: why take a chance and wait for excessive heat when you can hedge your bets with an evening paddle now. As in this evening.

Tonight, the temperature will dip into the 70s for the Night Paddle on Lake Brandt. Picture yourself, the sun setting, paddle in hand, gentle waves lapping your bow, a cool breeze washing over you, washing away the stress of the day … .

BYOB or rent one at the marina.

Vital Stats: Thursday, July 21, 8-10 p.m., Lake Brandt, Greensboro. $22 per tandem kayak, $15 per single kayak, $8 if you bring your own boat. More info here.

Saturday evening forecast: Highs in the upper 70s, mostly clear skies.

* * *

Looking ahead: Meanwhile, on neighboring Lake Higgins, find night paddles on July 27, Aug. 10 and 24. More info here.

Mountains

You see standup paddleboard races at the coast, but not so much in the mountains. This weekend, however, you’ll see that very thing, when the Autism Society of North Carolina sponsors the inaugural Stand Up for Autism paddleboard race at Lake Julian in Arden.

A 3-mile race on the lake followed by live music, beer, food, and raffle prizes. Racing is in both the competitive and non-competitive categories.

Vital Stats: Saturday, July 23, 11:30 a.m. race start, Lake Julian, Arden. $25 online, $30/day of event. More info and to register, go here.

Saturday forecast: high of 94, mostly sunny.

* * *

Looking ahead: Sunday, Oct. 2, Fall Colors Hike (hey, it’s never too early to plan ahead), Grandfather Mountain State Park. More info here.

* * *

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

* * *

Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

The post Your weekend: Beat the heat with a paddle appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast / Coastal Plain

It’s every kid’s perfect summer night: wait until sunset, then grab a flashlight and wander through the local cemetery. A rite of youth fraught with the forbidden: sneaking out after dark, trespassing, cavorting among the dead … . No wonder it was a highlight of being a kid.

Now, those illicit evening romps are back, albeit with the edge replaced by education. Saturday evening, join local historians Dr. Chris Fonvielle and Robin Triplett, along with cemetery superintendent Eric Kozen on an Evening Flashlight Walking Tour through Wilmington’s Oakdale Cemetery. Learn about the history of Oakdale, Civil War veterans, funerary art and interesting Port City citizens, all while reliving those carefree days — nights, rather — of youth.

Vital Stats: Evening Flashlight Walking Tour, Saturday, July 16, 8 p.m., Oakdale Cemetery, Wilmington. $15. More info and to sigh up: 910.762.5682, friends@oakdalecemetery.org

Saturday forecast: 8 p.m. temperature of 82 with a 24 percent chance of rain.

* * *

Looking ahead: Kayak Eco Tour to Masonboro Island, Aug. 16, Halyburton Park. More info here.

Piedmont

Think of Pilot Mountain and you think of crowds. Of cars slowly making the two-mile drive to the summit, of trying to find a place to park, of elbowing your way down the Jomeokee or Ledge Spring trails.

Sunday, we invite you to experience a different side of Pilot Mountain on the trails less traveled. At 9:30 a.m., our GetHiking! Triad hiking group will take a 6-mile hike on the Mountains and Grindstone trails, circumnavigating the conical mountain’s base. We’ll avoid both the clouds and the heat.

Vital Stats: Pilot Mountain hike, GetHiking! Triad, Sunday, July 17, 9:30 a.m. More info and to sign up, here.

Saturday forecast: Temperature of 72 at the start, with a chance of rain.

* * *

Looking ahead: Occoneechee Geology Hike, Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, Hillsborough, Saturday, July 23. More info here.

Mountains

It may seem oxymoronic to put the words “sprint” and “triathlon” in succession. Most of us generally associate a triathlon with an endeavor of endurance: swimming, then biking, then running. In the case of an Ironman, that’s swimming 2.4 miles, then cycling 112 miles, then running a marathon, or 26.2 miles. Lordy.

In that context, then, the dimensions of Sunday’s Asheville Triathlon — a 400-meter pool swim, 11.6-mile bike ride, and a 5K (3.1 miles) — may indeed seem like a sprint. Which isn’t to diminish the challenge, a challenge taken up by up to 200 participants annually.

Feeling like a challenge? Details below.

Vital Stats: Asheville Triathlon, Sunday, July 17, 6:45 a.m., Asheville Recreation Park, Asheville. $60. More info here.

Sunday forecast: 63 degrees at 7 a.m. under partly cloudy skies.

* * *

Looking ahead: “Movie: Winter on Mount Mitchell,” July 31, 2:30 p.m., Mount Mitchell State Park. More info here.

* * *

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

* * *

Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

<!– Facebook Badge START –><a href=”http://www.facebook.com/pages/GetGoingNCcom/126888537412898″ target=”_TOP” style=”font-family: &quot;lucida grande&quot;,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; color: #3B5998; text-decoration: none;” title=”GetGoingNC.com”>GetGoingNC.com</a><br/><a href=”http://www.facebook.com/pages/GetGoingNCcom/126888537412898″ target=”_TOP” title=”GetGoingNC.com”><img src=”http://badge.facebook.com/badge/126888537412898.600.1935067892.png” style=”border: 0px;” /></a><br/><a href=”http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/” target=”_TOP” style=”font-family: &quot;lucida grande&quot;,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; color: #3B5998; text-decoration: none;” title=”Make your own badge!”>Promote Your Page Too</a><!– Facebook Badge END –>

The post Your Weekend: Adventure as different as night and day appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Have you been wondering how to combine your love of music, your paddling and Halloween? Probably not. But if you have, consider Saturday’s Spooky Sound PaddleFest 2015 in Wrightsville Beach.

Music: the event is sponsored by, and benefits, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. Paddling: the event itself is a non-competitive paddle open to canoes, kayaks, standup paddleboards and “other non-motorized craft,” starting and ending at Wrightsville SUP, with a turnaround at Palm Tree Island. Halloween: it’s on Halloween, with awards for best costume and strangest craft. If living to you requires a paddle in your hands, then this looks like a good way to launch your Halloween celebration.

Logistics: Spooky Sound PaddleFest 2015, Saturday, Nov. 31, 10 a.m. (check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., clinics and demonstrations at 9 a.m.), Wrightsville SUP, 96 W. Salisbury St., Wrightsville Beach. $15 ($5 for raffle tickets).  More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 69.

* * *

Looking ahead: 5th Annual Surf to Sound Challenge, Nov. 6-8, Blockade Runner, Wrightsville beach. More info here.

Piedmont

Another thought you may or may not have pondered: as you’re walking down a trail, have you ever wondered about all the living creatures, flora and fauna, visible and non, around you?

Saturday at Medoc Mountain State Park near Hollister (which is northeast of Louisburg, which is not far from Wake Forest) follow a ranger on a 1.5-mile hike along Bear Swamp Creek to learn what’s in the creek, what’s along the creek, and what’s all the way up to the adjoining ridge … . Really, to learn about everything around you. Or as much as you can learn in an hour or so.

Logistics: Bear Creek Swamp Hike, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2 p.m., Medoc Mountain State Park, Hollister. Free. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 64.

* * *

Looking ahead: Eno Quarry History Hike, Eno River State Park, Saturday, Dec. 26. More info here.

Mountains

Or, perhaps you’ve wondered if it’s possible to co-celebrate cycling and Halloween. Yes, Casper, it is possible. If you don’t mind heading to the high country.

The Asheville area has two such celebrations Saturday. Saturday morning, there’s the Bookwalter Binge Charity Gran Fondo in Black Mountain, with ride options of 30, 62 and 83 miles, while Saturday evening it’s the 9th Annual Asheville on Bikes Pumpkin Pedaller, a 9-mile ride in downtown.

Intrigued? Learn more in this article by Karen Chavez of the Asheville Citizen Times.

Logistics: Both rides are Saturday; again, for details consult Karen’s article, here.

Saturday forecast: Partly sunny with a high of 62, dipping down to 50 for the evening Pumpkin Pedaller

* * *

Looking ahead: Naturalist Niche: Survival Skills, Saturday, Nov. 21, Chimney Rock State Park. More info here.

* * *

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

* * *

Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

The post This weekend: Trick or treat? Pedal or paddle? appeared first on GetGoing NC!.