For instance, when we think of goals we tend to think in terms of physical goals. New Year’s goals have come to be associated with physical health, specifically with weight loss. So while our stated goal may not be to lose 35 pounds by swimsuit season by hiking, that may well be our underlying motivator. “I’m going to hike twice a week,” or I’m going to hike 20 miles a week,” may not be overtly about weight loss, but that might well be the underlying factor. The problem? Having such a metric-driven goal may diminish the joy you get out of hiking. Rather than looking for a 5-mile hike with lots of scenic stops for a given Saturday, you may opt instead for a longer hike where you’ll burn more calories, but derive less enjoyment. Eventually, it becomes like going to the gym. And we all know how successful that New Year’s goal generally is.

You hike because you want to. So make your hiking goal for 2024 in synch with your passion. Some examples.

Complete a hiking challenge

When you think of a hiking challenge, you likely think of things such as thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail or section hiking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. And what if you don’t have a half year to hike the AT, or a year or more to section hike the MST? You have reasonable and admirable options:

• South Beyond 6000 Challenge. There are 40 recognized peaks with elevations in excess of 6,000 feet in the Southeastern U.S.. Climb all 40 and you get not only bragging rights and a patch, you get to explore the 6 highest mountain ranges in the Southeast: Smokies, Plotts, Balsams, Craggies, Blacks and Roans. And if you think the challenge too widespread to complete in a year, consider: 39 of the 40 peaks are in North Carolina or on the N.C./Tennessee line (Mt. LeConte is entirely in Tennessee). Also consider that in one extremely vigorous day of climbing in the Black Mountains you could conceivably knock off nearly a quarter of them, from Mt. Hallback north to Celo Knob along the Black Mountain Crest.
• Pisgah 400. Maybe you’re more driven by the need to make sure you get to the mountains on a regular basis. The Pisgah 400 patch is awarded every hiker who completes every trail in the Pisgah Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest (Shining Rock, the Davidson River and North Mills River areas, Bent Creek, Lake Powhatan). Probably the best hiking in the Pisgah N.F.

You can find additional challenges at the Carolina Mountain Club website (see below).

Complete a long trail section

Again, recognizing that you have limited time — perhaps not enough to hike the 2,175-mile AT or the 1,200-mile MST — what about a section of a long trail. A popular goal in the Triangle, for instance, is to hike the 60-mile stretch of the MST along Falls Lake, or maybe the 120-mile run from the Pleasant Green Access at Eno River State Park to Clayton. Or perhaps the 90.3 miles of the MST along the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Devil’s Garden Overlook south to Beacon Heights. 

As for the AT, maybe you want to hike the 95.7 miles in North Carolina. Or perhaps the 224.7 miles that straddles the North Carolina/Tennessee line. Or both.

Complete a shorter long trail

There are a number of shorter long trails that offer challenge cache in their own right.

• 

  Neusiok Trail, Croatan National Forest, Havelock. This 21-mile trail could be done in a day. It could also be done in a weekend — preferably a weekend in winter, before it warms ands activates the local buzzing and slithering population.

• Uwharrie National Recreation Trail that now runs 20 miles north to south through its namesake forest. An advantage to this goal: it’s challenging hiking close to Charlotte, the Triad, the Triangle.
• Art Loeb Trail, Pisgah National Forest, Brevard. The perfect challenge for a week-long mountain vacation, this 31-miler includes the Shining Rock Wilderness and the Davidson River area. A mix of exposed mountain meadows, balsam forest and classic Southern Appalachian hardwoods.

Master a trail

Acquaintance of many trails but master of none? Wouldn’t it be great to be the go-to person for a given trail or trail network? “You want insight into hiking Hanging Rock? Well, you’ve absolute got to talk to Jane Doaks!” 

How to make this happen? You don’t need to hike an area exclusively, but you should hike it in all four seasons, and you should hike every trail in it in all four seasons. Again, using Hanging Rock as an example, there are 15 hiking trails covering roughly 25 miles (a little less, since about 7.4 miles of the MST, which is an official park trail, piggybacks on other trails). You should also plan to hike each trail in both directions (which you’ll likely do anyway, since most are out-and-backs). That commitment would definitely make you the go-to person for Hanging Rock.

Hike a different trail every time

Maybe that’s a bit extreme and a little counterproductive since most of us have a trail or two we love for various reasons (convenience, a certain scenic hook, etc.) But what if you vowed to hike a new trail a month, or every other week? A goal that would get you out of your been-there-hiked-that rut.

Figure out a schedule for getting new trails into your life.

Tackle a challenging, but realistic one-time goal

The one doable challenge that always comes to mind for me as a hiker: climb Mount Mitchell, the highest point on the Easy Coast, at 6,684 feet. And no asterisks here: summiting Mitchell from the mountaintop snack shop 50 yards from the summit does not count. 

This challenge involves starting at the Black Mountain Campground at the base of Mitchell and hiking the 5.5-mile Mount Mitchell Trail to the summit. If that doesn’t sound like much, we forgot to mention that the hike gains more than 3,700 vertical feet on its way to the top. You don’t just pass through an assortment of ecozones, from Southern Appalachian hardwood forest into a black balsam forest more commonly associated with Canada, you feel like you pass through epochs. 

There are other worthy climbs of note: for instance, in the Smokies, the 9.1-mile climb from Campsite 64 to the top of 6,643-foot Clingman’s Dome gains more than 4,000 vertical feet. But the cache of summiting Mitchell, the highest peak east of South Dakota’s Black Hills, puts this one atop our list.

Plan a mountain outing in the West

There’s not better motivation to get your mountain legs under you than the prospect of summiting 14,000-foot peaks. Granted, dealing with the altitude is another issue. But if you’re planning a weeklong vacation, say, to Rocky Mountain National Park, and your goal is to hike every day, then you better be in the best shape of your life to make that happen. And your preparation starts here, with regular hikes locally and frequent visits to the Southern Appalachians. In fact, a trip out West could be just the thing to help you meet one of the other goals mentioned above. Two birds! Can’t beat that.

Note: If you do decide on a goal such as Rocky Mountain National Park, check with the appropriate land manager now to see if they require a permit. A growing number of National Park Service properties do now, and many go early in the year.

Your goal, your motivation

These are just some goal suggestions, some ideas you might not have thought of. The goal of today’s post? To encourage you not just to set a goal, but to set a goal that taps into your true passion for hiking. If that’s losing 35 pounds so you can squeeze into a Speedo by summer, great. If it’s mastering your local state park’s trail network — and you just happen to lose 35 pounds in the process — all the better.

Whatever your goal, just make sure it’s one that will keep your attention.

* * *

More info

For more information on the goals mentioned above, click the appropriate link below:

• South Beyond 6,000 Challenge
• Pisgah 400
• Carolina Mountain Club Challenges page
• Mountains-to-Sea Trail
• Uwharrie National Recreation Trail
• Neusiok Trail
• Art Loeb Trail
• Mount Mitchell Trail
• Appalachian Trail

Make a commitment 

And to better insure that you get a jump on meeting your 2024 goals, consider committing yourself to our hike that start in GetHiking! Winter/Spring 2024 Hike Series. We do one guided hike the first Sunday of every month, January through June, and prescribe recommended hikes for the off weeks. Learn more about the series here.

The post Mulling a 2024 goal? Make it the right one appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

If you need a reason to run, you won’t find a much better one than Saturday’s Run, Roll & Stroll 5K, 10K and 1-mile fun run in downtown Wilmington. The reason? The race benefits Purple Heart Homes, whose goal is to “help reintegrate veterans into the community, and to proudly acknowledge the sacrifice they have made on our country’s behalf. Whether it is adapting an already owned home, building a home from the ground up, or adapting and modifying a foreclosed home, Purple Heart Homes is committed to guiding the veteran through the entire process.”

There are other reasons, including the fact the races are in scenic downtown Wilmington (including the waterfront) and that at race’s end, all participants of age will be treated to a cold one by Front Street Brewery. Another plus: if you’re an avid runner with a non-running spouse/partner/accomplice, it should be pretty easy to talk them into the one-mile fun run, considering the cause.

Logistics: Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m. (fun run is at 9:15), The Diligence in downtown Wilmington (Water Street between Princess and Grace streets). $40 for the 10K, $30 for the 5K, $25 for the fun run. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Temperature of 73 at race time, with a chance of thunderstorms later in the day.

* * *

Looking ahead: Kayaking the Creeks, BHI Conservancy, Bald Head Island, Saturday, Dec. 5, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. More info here.

Piedmont

Every four years, it intrigues us. Sure, the Super G, hockey and figure skating may get the lion’s share of attention when the Winter Olympics roll around, but face it, what you really look forward to is that oddball sport from the far north that involves only two pieces of equipment, both of which are remarkably simple: a broom and some polished rocks.

Yup, we flip open a Hamm’s (the beer refreshing) and watch transfixed as one person propels the shinny stone down a sheet of ice while two bebroomed teammates about 150 feet away sweep like mad to bring the stone home. And after the second or third Hamm’s (from the land of sky blue water), we are want to proclaim, “Shucks, I could do that!”

Could you?

Find out Saturday when the good folks at Charlotte Curling hold an Open House at their facility at 6525 Old Statesville Road. Try your hand, ask questions, hang out afterward.

Logistics: Saturday, Nov. 7, 1-2 p.m., Charlotte Curling Association, 6525 Old Statesville Road, Charlotte. Free. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 70, but rain all day.

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Looking ahead: Thanksgiving Day hikes, at your North Carolina State Parks. Find one near you, here.

Mountains

What do you do on a sunny, 55-degree fall day in November in the Southern Appalachians? You take a hike.

And if you choose to tag along with the Carolina Mountain Club this Sunday, you’ll be hiking an 8.5-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail between Sams Gap and Devils Fork Gap. Sunday’s hike takes in High Rock, Rice Gap, Lick Rock and Sugarloaf Gap as well. All, as we mentioned, under sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s.

Logistics: Sunday, Nov. 8, 8:30 a.m., Appalachian Trail off I-26 at Exit 3. Contact hike leader Bob Hysko, 828.243.3630 or rhysko@yahoo.com for details. Specifics on the route, here.

Sunday forecast: Sunny, high of 55.

* * *

Looking ahead: Sticking with the Carolina Mountain Club, they’ll be hiking a newer stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail on Sunday, Nov. 22, from Good Road to Bald Knob and back. More info here.

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

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The post This weekend: Curl up with a smooth stone appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

As far is Wings Over Water is concerned, your weekend started Tuesday.

Now in its 19th year, Wings Over Water is the coast’s premier celebration of the natural world. From Tuesday through Sunday, Wings Over Water events are held in a five-county region of northeastern North Carolina, an area that includes six National Wildlife Refuges: Alligator River, Pea Island, Pocosin Lakes, Mattamuskeet, Mackay Island and Currituck. There are birding events, there are paddling trips, there are photo safaris and this year there’s a new stand-up paddleboard tour.  If you’re curious about an aspect of nature at the coast, you’ll likely find a program to fill you in.

Logistics: Tuesday, Oct. 20 through Sunday, Oct. 25, five-country area of northeastern North Carolina. Fees per session are generally between $25 and $40. For a complete schedule and information about the program, visit the WOW home page.

Forecast through the weekend: Very fall-like, with daytime highs around 70 under mostly sunny skies.

* * *

Looking ahead: Bummed because you already have plans for the next few days and can’t make Wings Over Water? Then you’ll be cheered to hear that this year there’s a WOW Encore Weekend, Friday, Dec. 4 through Sunday, Dec. 6. Details here.

Piedmont

There’s more to fall than just the woods brimming with color. The bird population, for instance, is busy making winter travel plans.

Saturday, at Lake James State Park you can hang out with ranger Jamie Cameron and watch the fall migrants head south. Jamie can tell you which birds are which, as well as where they’re coming from and where they’re headed.

Logistics: Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 a.m., Lake James State Park, Nebo. Free. More information here.

Saturday forecast: A temperature of 53 at 8 a.m. under mostly sunny skies.

* * *

Looking ahead: Working on your Thanksgiving Day plan and realize it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get in a hike? See how your North Carolina State Parks can help, here.

Mountains

If you’re contemplating a trip to the mountains this weekend, it’s likely in hopes of catching a last gasp of great color as autumn’s road show moves into the Piedmont. We’re guessing that color is part of the motivation behind the Carolina Mountain Club’s trip to Big and Little Cataloochee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Sunday.

Another motivator: the chance to explore the trails less traveled. In this case, the old “dug roads,” which date back to the 1850s and remain as viable paths today. This 6.5-mile hike will stick largely to these old roads, starting from the church in Cataloochee and crossing Noland Mountain before returning.

Logistics: Sunday, Oct. 25, 8 a.m. (carpool meeting time in Asheville). For more info, contact hike leader Mike Knies at 828.628.6712, or knies06@att.net.

Sunday forecast: High of 65, chance of afternoon showers.

* * *

Looking ahead: Race to the Taps #5, Nov. 14, Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard: a six-pack of four-mile, chip-timed road races starting and ending at several of WNC’s premier craft breweries. Details here.

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

The post This weekend: Wing It appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Ah, that first post-Labor Day weekend at the coast, when the crowds have thinned and it’s safe to go back in the water. For, say, a bit of competitive standup paddle boarding!

Sunday is the Second Annual Carolina Beach SUP Challenge benefiting Ocean Cure, a non-profit that provides free surf camps and lessons to medically-fragile at-risk youth and adults. The Challenge includes two races — 3 and 6 miles — on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Been paddling for a while and like a good challenge? Race organizers say this event is for you you. New to SUPing? Again, grab your board and paddle and come on down. Really new to the sport? There’s a 1-mile Family Fun Race in which pets are encouraged to participate. (Pets? We can see a dog digging the surf scene, but a cat? A ferret?)

Logistics: Sunday, Sept. 13, 8 a.m., Carolina Beach Yacht Basin and Marina, 216 Canal Dr., Carolina Beach. $25. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 85, chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

* * *

Looking ahead: Curious about the coastal environment? On Sept. 25 join UNC Wilmington faculty from the departments of biology, marine biology, geology and geography for a Campus Nature Tour. More info here.

Piedmont

Fall means the return of hiking to the Piedmont, and our GetHiking! crew is rarin’ to go.

Saturday at 1 p.m., we’ll hike a section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake, from the Upper Barton Creek boat ramp to NC 98 and back. We’ll hike 2.1 miles out, 2.1 miles back, through a rolling riparian woodland. At the turnaround is one of the biggest white oak trees around. For a preview, check out this description of the hike on the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail website.

Sunday at 1 p.m., we’ll head to northern Durham County to explore the 708-acre Horton Grove Nature Preserve. Here, the Triangle Land Conservancy has built eight miles of trail exploring bottomland forest, mature hardwood forest, deep ravines and Piedmont prairie. Our hike will cover about five miles.

Logistics: For more information on both hikes and to sign up, visit our GetHiking! Triangle Meetup site.

Weekend forecast: Saturday, high of 83 with a chance of thunderstorms; Sunday, high of 78 and mostly sunny.

* * *

Looking ahead: Take a Child Outside Week commences the week of Sept. 21. Find a rundown of TACO happenings at your local state park, here.

Mountains

Again, the passage of Labor Day signals the start of the fall hiking season, to us, at least. The prospect of hiking in a light fleece only heightens our three Es (enthusiasm, excitement, expectations).

That could be the case Saturday when the Carolina Mountain Club hikes a 6.4-mile stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in the high mountains just south of Mount Mitchell (at 6,684 feet the highest point along the East Coast, in case you’re new to the region). This stretch of trail runs through old-growth balsam and spruce forests, with several scenic overlooks along the way.

And that fleece? You’ll want to pack it (and a rain suit, just in case) after reading the forecast below.

Logistics: Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. (meeting time to shuttle from the Folk Art Center at Milepost 382. For more on the route, go here.

Sunday forecast: High in the mid 60s, chance of rain.

* * *

Looking ahead: Tsali Adventure Triathlon, Oct. 3, featuring 3-mile paddle, 5-mile run, and 12-mile bike. Individual $45, team $95. Details here.

* * *

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

The post This weekend: Labor Day is past, let the festivities of fall begin appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

So here’s a plan: Sunday, Dismal Swamp State Park will conduct two of its popular Wagon Rides, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The ride lasts about an hour, covers a couple miles on the Canal Road, there are several educational stops along the way.

Go on the ride, get educated, then rent a kayak at the park for $5 for the first hour, paddle the canal and put your newfound knowledge to practical use. Exploring an area is all the better when you know a thing about it.

Logistics: Sunday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. Wagon ride is free, kayak rental is $5 for the first hour, $3 each hour thereafter. 252.771.6593 to reserve a spot on the wagon.

Sunday forecast: High of 83, chance of thunderstorms.

Piedmont

This weekend, The LandTrust for Central North Carolina celebrates its Third Annual Naturalist Weekend at its 1,300-acre Low Water Bridge Nature Preserve on the Uwharrie River. Hikes both days at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. will be lead by John Gerwin, ornithologist at the N.C. Museum of Sciences in Raleigh, while the Sunday hikes will include local rattlesnake expert Zach Orr. There’s a canoe trip as well, at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

A gorgeous area, a great organization.

Logistics: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., canoe trip Saturday at 2 p.m., Low Water Bridge Nature Preserve, Troy.

Weekend forecast: High of 86 both days, chance of thunderstorms both days.

Mountains

Love to explore new trail? Not all of Sunday’s hike by the Carolina Mountain Club is on fresh trail, but a fair amount is.

Hikers, lead by guidebook author Danny Bernstein, will start at Waterrock Knob and hike the Mountains-to-Sea Trail mostly downhill to Balsam Gap. The hike will pass through the Middle Prong Wilderness and stands of black balsam. Special guest hiker appearance by Kate Dixon, Executive Director of Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Logistics: Sunday, May 10, 8:30 a.m. Waterrock Knob. Contact Bernstein at 828.450.0747 or danny@hikertohiker.com to sign up and for additional details.

Weather: High of 80, chance of thunderstorms.

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

The post This weekend: A swamp tour, a naturalist weekend, a hike on new trail in the Mountains appeared first on GetGoing NC!.