The year after that wasn’t a total wash — I did manage to get in three more trips. But it wasn’t the epic year I had planned and it made me a bit gun-shy for being too ambitious in setting goals for 2021. While speculation suggests it might be possible to safely take a longer trip requiring a shuttle beginning in mid- to late-summer, I’m making no assumptions. Rather, I’ve come up with a plan, a tentative plan, that I hope is realistic in the healing world that awaits.

There are five trips I hope to take this year — lead, actually, because I love having company. The trips are in chronological order, though with no specific dates in mind; flexibility is key when planning in uncertain times. The trips are a mix of quick overnighters (good to have on hand when a spontaneous getaway is in order) and longer trips that likely will have to wait until late summer or fall. All are trips I’ve done before, but it’s been a while for most and I’m eager to experience these hiked in different seasons and under different circumstances. More information on each trip is available in the “Going?” section at the end of the post.

Birkhead Mountain Wilderness

Uwharrie National Forest

Location: west of Asheboro

Length: 11.4-mile loop

Duration: One night (possibly two, with a basecamp hike option)

I can be to the trailhead in just over an hour from home, which makes this a perfect get-out-of-town-no getaway. From that trailhead, off Tot Hill Road on the north side of the Wilderness off NC 49, there are two camp options within about three miles, making a late-day departure reasonable. With lots of hardwoods, it’s a great winter escape, offering rare ridgeline views and peeks deep into the woods. For a one-nighter I would likely hike to camp late in the afternoon or at night, set up camp, day-hike a 7.2-mile loop made up of the Hannah’s Creek, Robbins Branch and Birkhead Mountain trails, return to my tent, break camp, hike out.  

Middle Prong Wilderness

Pisgah National Forest

Location: At the northwest corner of NC 215 and the Blue Ridge Parkway

Length: 13 miles

Duration: 2 nights

As wilderness areas go, Middle Prong lives in the shadow of its more brash, better-known neighbor, Shining Rock. It’s less than half the size of Shining Rock (at just under 7,500 acres) and it doesn’t have the spectacular views. What it does have are spectacular bragging rights. From the Sunburst Recreation Area off NC 215, climb the Green Mountain Trail (if you can find it: walk north from the campground along the west side of 215 and when you see a faint trail going straight up, that’s it) for 5.1 miles up to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Go west (right) and climb into boreal woods and through Buckeye Gap before returning down the Heywood Gap Trail. You may look at the 13 miles and wonder Two nights? but these are 13 rugged wilderness miles that you’ll want to enjoy.

Panthertown Valley

Pisgah National Forest

Location: Cashiers

Length: 1.5-mile hike to camp; 30 miles of trail.

Duration: 1-2 nights

Panthertown was made for basecamp hiking: from the Salt Rock Gap trailhead it’s a short hike to an ample camping area (including a large shelter) that’s in the heart of this 6,700-acre collection of outdoor greatness. There are 8 major waterfalls, including Granny Burrell Falls near the camping area, there’s trout fishing, there are several peaks, including Little Green Mountain with a west-facing slick-rock exposure great for capturing sunsets, and there are places with adventurous names — Bonas Defeat, Devil’s Elbow. It’s rugged, but it’s contained, making for challenging adventure without the threat of losing your way. That said, to make sure you make this most of your visit, invest in the trail map; the trails here can be tricky to follow.

Deep Creek Loop 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Location: Bryson City

Length: 13.5 miles

Duration: 2 night

The Smokies can be a bit intimidating, what with 800 miles of trail to choose from, the campsite reservation set-up, the lack of roads within the park. When we included this loop in our guidebook, “Backpacking North Carolina,” we were thinking it would make a great introduction to the Smokies for the novice backpacker. Now, I realize this loop can double as a great jumping off point for some great Smokies day hikes. For instance, hiking in 6 miles to base camp at Martins Gap, then day hiking up to Clingman’s Dome via Pole Road Creek and Noland’s Divide trails, or heading up to Mount Collins on Fork Ridge Trail, or trekking over to Newton Bald, or Little Creek Falls, or … well, you get the idea: lots of options.

North Carolina Bartram Trail

Nantahala National Forest

Location: Franklin, Wesser

Length 50 miles

Duration: 4 to 5 nights

Quick clarification: only 42 miles of this trip is on the Bartram Trail; also, this stretch is not connected to the southern end of the trail, which begins in Georgia. That said, this stretch does cover what was believed to possibly maybe be part of the route naturalist William Bartram took on his 4-year sojourn through the region to catalog the flora of “The New World.” Though the region has changed since Bartram’s day (the mid-1770s), it remains an ecological wonderland, and this 50-mile trip captures a good cross-section of it. It’s also a hike with some hearty challenges; for starters, from the Wallace Branch trailhead there’s no water for the first 11 miles. Then there’s the wild climb up Ledbetter Creek, topping out on Cheoah Bald, the Bartram’s northern terminus. The last 8 miles is a long descent down the Appalachian Trail to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where a burger and beer await.

* * *

Going?

Here’s where to find more information on each trip mentioned.

North Carolina Bartram Trail

• North Carolina Bartram Trail Society website

Middle Prong Wilderness Area

• Middle Prong Wilderness Area National Forest Service website
• Middle Prong Wilderness on Wilderness.net

Deep Creek Loop / Great Smoky Mountains National Park

“Backpacking North Carolina,” trip No. 20, page 22

Panthertown Valley

• Friends of Panthertown website
• Panthertown Valley Backcountry Area National Forest Service website
• “Backpacking North Carolina,” trip No. 28, page 157

Birkhead Mountain Wilderness

• “Backpacking North Carolina,” trip No. 35, page 193
• Birkhead Mountain Wilderness National Forest Service website
• Hiking Upward: Birkhead Mountain Wilderness

GetHiking! Southeast Podcast

This week on the GetHiking! Southeast Podcast we discuss the trips mentioned above plus three more backpack trips we hope to do in 2021. We also look at two recent land acquisitions that boost the total holdings of North Carolina State Parks past a quarter million acres. Give a listen here.

The post 5 backpacking trips for 2021 (we hope) appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

We’re here to help you realize that vision. We’ve been working on ways to help you spend more time outdoors in a variety of ways. Last week we talked about some of the more straightforward hiking programs we have planned for the new year (for those of you newish to the trail). Today, we look at two programs that let you spend the day and night on your adventure. And in the next couple of weeks, we’ll be unveiling even more programs.

GetBackpacking! 

Maybe you once thought that backpacking is only for the hardcore. And maybe you’re not feeling so hardcore. But backpacking can fit into your life, no matter what your age or current fitness level. We can help you get started or keep going on the trail.

• Intro to Backpacking: Folks who have never backpacked or haven’t in a while—say, since the days of the external frame canvas pack—are advised to start with our Intro to Backpacking class: three training sessions, followed by a weekend graduation trip to the mountains. Each training session focuses on a key element of backpacking: gear and proper packing; setting up and breaking down camp; food and its preparation. By the end of the course, you’ll be a confident backpacker.
• Intermediate Skills courses: Maybe you’ve done some backpacking but would like to be more confident in the backcountry. We have a series of Intermediate Skills courses that will build your skills in the areas of wilderness navigation, river crossings, solo backpacking, hiking and camp set-up at night, and winter backpacking.
• Trips: In 2018, we plan to do a trip a month. Some will be three-day weekend excursions, some will be longer. Most are great opportunities for both beginners, who can to hike with and learn from more experienced backpackers, and more seasoned backpackers, who can not only mentor newbies but also discover new places.

Learn more about these programs here.

GetHiking! Classic Escapes

Our Classic Escapes explore some of the best trails in the region. In spring and fall, the hikes, about 6-8 miles long, are usually limited to a day. Once the weather warms, we do weekend camping trips, establishing a base camp for two days of great hiking, about 10-12 miles total over the two days. On tap for 2018 are trips to Pilot Mountain, Rock Castle Gorge, Black Mountains, Linville Gorge/Wilson Creek, Mount Rogers, Grandfather Mountain, Peaks of Otter.

Learn more about these programs here.

We look forward to helping you make 2018 your year of adventure!

Happy trails

Joe

The post Escape with us into the Outdoors in 2018 appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

When Great Outdoor Provision Co. and GetGoingNC started the GetHiking! program in September of 2013, we did so on a hunch that more people would hike if they wouldn’t be left in the dust a mile down the trail. Thus, one of the key features of our hikes is that no matter how leisurely your pace, no matter how much you like to stop and smell the flowers, you’ll never look over your shoulder to find no one behind you.
The concept seemed to appeal: today, our Meetups in Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle have about 2,400 members.
Last year, we had a similar hunch about backpacking, so we started the GetBackpacking! program, a series of four training hikes capped by a three-day, two-night graduation trip to South Mountains State Park. We’ve done four sessions, all four sessions filled up.
Thus far, we’ve graduated about 40 backpackers through the program. Backpackers who are eager to keep backpacking. Today, we launch a series of monthly backpack trips throughout the region targeted to the emerging backpacker, but certainly suitable to those with more backcountry experience.
Here’s how the program will work:

Monthly trips. Initially, our trips will be three or four days: leave early Friday, return Sunday or Monday. We will post all trips on GetHiking! Triangle.
Destinations. Most of the destinations will come from my “Backpacking North Carolina: The Definitive Guide to 43 Can’t-Miss Trips from Mountains to Sea” (2011, UNC Press). We’ll also venture into neighboring states. Some trips will involve backpacking from campsite to campsite, for others, we will set up a basecamp from which we’ll do day hikes.
First trip. Our first trip will be May 1-3, in the Shining Rock area. Details of the trip are posted at our GetHiking! Triangle hike.
Trip size limited to 12. Each trip will be limited to a dozen backpackers. That’s in part to minimize our impact on the terrain, in part to maintain a collegial and supportive atmosphere.
Beginners welcome — and encouraged. We do require you to have some experience and the basic equipment (tent, pack, sleeping bag and pad). We’re hoping to attract the backpacker who is still filling out his or her equipment list, who isn’t comfortable going out on his or her own and likes the assurance of being with more experienced backpackers.
More experienced backpackers, too. We’re interested in building a strong backpacking community. As a result, we’d also like to see more experienced backpackers, folks who don’t mind sharing their expertise. Besides, these are the kind of weekend trips that you often don’t do — unless someone has scheduled one. If you’re up for big miles, remember that we will likely get into camp by early to mid afternoon; most of our trips will have day-hike options for folks who want more.

Physical demands. We will cover no more than 10 miles a day in full pack. On days that we day hike from base camp, we may cover 15 miles. These trips are not designed for the uber fit, though being in decent shape is always a good thing. We will try to be as forthcoming as possible about the difficulty of each trip. If you question your ability to do a trip, feel free to contact the trip leader and discuss.
Planning sessions. Two weeks before each trip we will hold a planning session at a Great Outdoor Provision Co. store. There, the hike leader will oversee a discussion involving all manner of logistics, from arranging carpools and agreeing on an itinerary, to making sure we have enough stoves and water filters. We will also take a look at the weather forecast and discuss specific needs (extreme cold weather gear, etc.) The sessions are mandatory for all participants.
Three-day update. Three days before each trip, we will issue an update, including finalization of car pool plans, the latest weather forecast, and more.

Trip leader development program. One reason you don’t see more backpack trips is because not enough people feel comfortable leading trips. We aim to remedy that situation by conducting periodic hike leader training sessions. There may even be a perk or two for those interested in leading hikes.

We’re excited about this new phase of GetBackpacking!, about the opportunity to help those new to backcountry camping feel more comfortable on the trail. And if you’re interested in our five-week GetBackpacking! training program, our next session will be in September; drop us a line at joe@getgoingnc.com and we will add you to our list.

See you on the trail!

The post GetBackpacking! Launches Monthly Weekend Trips appeared first on GetGoing NC!.