Or this, from a more contemporary purveyor of percipient thought:

“It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!”

— W. Pooh

But it’s writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, inspired by his New England home, that we think best captures the sentiment of the season: “I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. So I have spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air.”

That’s pretty much how we approach fall, and why we, too, endeavor to spend so much of it “in the open air” — by backpacking. Warm days, cool nights, cloudless skies and lots of autumnal color make this the season to not just to explore the backcountry, but to live in it. And while that autumnal sunshine is indeed intoxicating, the shoulder periods of dawn and dusk, not to mention those brisk, brilliant night skies, make fall the true season of backpacking.

How are we planning to spend as much of this fall as possible outdoors? In a variety of ways. And ways that nearly every one of you can be a part of, regardless of your backpacking experience — if any.

For the more experienced

Got a bit of backpacking experience under your belt? We have two four-day trips on tap.

• Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock/Citico Creek Wilderness, Sept. 16-19. On this basecamp backpack trip we hike in 1.5 miles and establish camp, then spend three days day hiking these adjoining wilderness areas. $195. Learn more and sign up here.
• Appalachian Trail at Standing Indian, Oct. 28-31. We spend Thursday evening at the Standing Indian campground, then head out Friday morning for three days on the trail, mostly the AT as it follows a horseshoe-shaped ridge over Albert Mountain and Standing Indian Mountain. $195. Learn more and sign up here.

For those short on time

Fall rolls around, you’re out of vacation time. With our Weekend Quick Escapes, you don’t need any PTO; these trips are designed to let you work a full day, then, when the whistle blows at 5, hop into your loaded car and drive to a trailhead requiring a short hike in to basecamp and two days of hiking in daypacks. Our three destinations for fall:

• Doughton Park, Oct. 22-24.  $105. Learn more and sign up here.
• Rock Castle Gorge, Nov. 19-21. $105. Learn more and sign up here.
• Birkhead Mountain Wilderness in the Uwharrie National Forest, Dec. 10-1. $105. Learn more and sign up here.

Backpacking for Non Backpackers

You’re an avid hiker but, for whatever reason, have yet to try backpacking. With our Basecamp Backpack option you can enjoy the best of both worlds: the solitude of a backcountry campsite plus the ability to hike miles on end without 40 pounds on your back. We supply the basic backpacking gear — backpack, tent, sleeping pad, cook stove and cookset, plus guidance on how to use it all and be a backpacker. This option is available on our Basecamp Backpack trips that require a short hike — between a quarter mile and 3 miles — to camp in full pack. We provide a list of everything you’ll need to bring.

• Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock/Citico Creek Wilderness, Sept. 16-19. $295. Learn more and sign up here
• Weekend Quick Escape: Doughton Park, Oct. 22-24. $195. Learn more and sign up here
• Weekend Quick Escape: Rock Castle Gorge, Nov. 19-21. $195. Learn more and sign up here.
• Weekend Quick Escape: Birkhead Mountain Wilderness in the Uwharrie National Forest, Dec. 10-12. $195. Learn more and sign up here.

Backpacking for backpackers-to-be

Not a backpacker — yet? In just three sessions you can become a bonafide backpacker in time for the prime fall hiking season. We start with a gear session via Zoom, then meet for a 5-hour, in-field training session before our weekend graduation trip to South Mountains State Park. Some loaner gear is available on a first-requested basis. We have four sessions scheduled for the fall. Click the appropriate link for details and to sign up. $225.

• Intro to Backpacking: Charlotte. Sept. 8, 11, 24-26
• Intro to Backpacking: Triangle. Sept. 8, 11, 24-26
• Intro to Backpacking: Triad. Sept. 8, 11; Oct. 1-3
• Intro to Backpacking: Greenville. Sept. 23; Oct. 9, 22-24

Of all the seasons, fall is the last you can afford to waste. As noted horticulture writer Elizabeth Lawrence — the first woman, in 1932, to graduate with a degree in landscape architecture from N.C. State — put it, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

The post Backpacking squeezes the most out of fall appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

One day, driving, you notice a glint of orange in the trees, a sourwood, you realize after a moment, reverting to its natural color.  Maybe a reaction to the stress of being along a busy roadway where the temperature is elevated. You’ve heard that can happen. Still … .

Then, one morning you step outside and — whoa! You’re on the verge of goosebumps. Not that it’s that cold, but the unexpected cool takes you by surprise. Indeed, there’s a slight chill in the air, and while the temperature is still expected to reach the mid 80s later in the day, there’s definitely a chill. Later, you check your app and learn it got down to  — 59! It hasn’t been that cool since spring!

It’s too early declare victory in the war against oppressive summer heat, but the tide is definitely turning. In our minds, Labor Day weekend marks the start of fall, while on the calendar fall doesn’t officially report for duty until Sept. 22. And while we’ll still have a hot day or two in October, the swing to cooler, drier days has begun.

Consider, according to weather.gov, the average daytime high at Raleigh Durham International Airport for today, Aug. 17, is 88.5 degrees; the overnight low, 68.7. Come Labor Day, Sept. 5 this year, the average historical daytime high will have dropped to 85.3, the overnight low to 65.4. Come the first official day of fall, the average daytime high is 80.5, the overnight low 59.8. By mid-October, our daytime highs typically are in the low 70s, the temperature drops below 50 at night. Plus, the humidity drops going into fall, the chance of rain diminishes. Could there be a better time to be outside?

We don’t think so.

Which is why we’re getting ready to celebrate fall big time.

A full lineup of our fall hikes and trips can be found here. But here’s a snapshot of what we’re up to:

Fall Weekend Escapes

Black Mountain Crest Trail, Oct. 15-17. The anchor hike of this three-hike weekend is a trek from the north end of the Black Mountain Crest Trail, at Bowlen Creek, to Celo Knob. It’s an awesome transition from a mature Southern Appalachian hardwood forest to a boreal forest of balsam and fir. Check it out here.

Appalachian Trail at Hot Springs, Nov. 12-14. Late Fall is a magical time: autumnal color lingers, the hordes who come to see it do not. We celebrate with two hikes on the AT in Hot Springs, one originating at Garenflo Gap and ending in town, the other from Tanyard Gap into town. Both hikes trend downhill. Check it out here.

Weekly hikes

Tuesday Night Hikes, Sept. 21 – Nov. 23. We love the night hike, and starting Sept. 21 we will revive our annual night hike series with 10 weekly hikes, each starting at 6:30 p.m. on a different Triangle area trail. Each hike is around 3 miles in length. Check it out here.

Friday Morning Hikes, Sept. 10 – Oct. 29. Can you be both a night owl (see Tuesday Night Hikes) and a morning person? Yup, especially on Friday, mainly because who wants to wait until Saturday to launch their weekend? Eight weekly Friday morning hikes beginning at 7:30 and ending around 9. Check ‘em out here.

Sunday Afternoon Hike Series, Sept. 5 – Nov. 21. Fall Sunday afternoons were made for hiking: the temperatures are cooling, the air is drier, the sky more brilliant and, oh, the fall color! If you love the idea of fall hiking but have trouble motivating yourself to get out every week, this is the answer. Check it out here.

Skills

GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods. In this three-hour class we spend 20 minutes going over how to use a compass and how to read a map, then head down the trail and off to discover how the compass, the map and reality all align. Three fall sessions are scheduled:

• Sunday, Aug. 22, Umstead State Park
• Saturday, Sept. 18, Eno River State Park
• Saturday, Oct. 9, Umstead State Park

See why we’re so excited about the fall? Hope you are now, too!

The post GetHiking! gets geared up for fall appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

GetHiking! Fall Sunday Morning Hike Series

• 11 hikes
• Sundays at 10 a.m., Sept. 5 – Nov. 21
• $125 for single hikers, $225 for couples and families
• 15 hiker limit

Make the most of the fall hiking season — the peak hiking season in the Piedmont — with our Sunday morning hike series! Eleven hikes on different trails each week, trails picked both for their esthetics and for their ability to escape crowds. Explore a different trail each week!

Learn more and sign up to join us here for single hikers or here for couples and families.

GetHiking! Fall Sunday Afternoon Hike Series

• 11 hikes
• Sundays at 1 p.m., Sept. 5 – Nov. 21
• $125 for single hikers, $225 for couples and families
• 15 hiker limit

The same hikes as in our Fall Sunday Morning series, but in the afternoon. Eleven hikes on different trails each week, trails picked both for their esthetics and for their ability to escape crowds. Explore a different trail each week!

Learn more and sign up to join us here for single hikers or here for couples and families.

GetHiking! Fall Friday Morning Hike Series

• 

  8 hikes

• Fridays at 7:30 a.m.
• $95
• 15 hiker limit

Fall weekends on the trail — who can wait for Saturday? With our GetHiking! Fall Friday Morning Hike Series you don’t have to. Our 8-hike series takes advantage of the early light, hitting the trail at 7:30 and finishing up around 9. Our hikes are on trails throughout the Triangle, a different trail each week!

Learn more and sign up to join us here.

GetHiking! Tuesday Evening Hike Series

• 10 hikes
• Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m.
• $125 / $225 for couples/families
• 15 hiker limit

The onset of cool fall weather and bright autumn color brings with it the hordes of fair-weather hikers who will soon be crowding our favorite trails — on weekends. Hike on a Tuesday — better still, a Tuesday after dark — and the trail is pretty much yours. In our Fall Tuesday Evening Hike Series, we hit the trail at 6:30 p.m. and hike into the night (literally)  Each hike lasts about an hour and a half; at the midpoint, we take a minute to savor the sounds of the night and the sights of the dark sky. 

Learn more and sign up for a single hiker here, a couple or family here.

GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods

• 3-hour hands-on, in-field map and compass training session
• $65
• Three sessions

Love the trail but uncertain about your wayfinding skills? This three-hour session goes over basic map and compass skills, then hits the trail to offer key tips on how to follow and stay on the trail, how to find it again if you stray, and how to explore off trail. We’ll start with a 30-minute map-and-compass introduction, then use that map and compass — and some Daniel Boone skills — to find our way in the woods. We’ll also do some off-trail exploring, with the goal of purposefully venturing off trail, then figuring out how to rejoin the trail. Our goal is to make you confident hiking alone or taking a novice friend on the trail — and a little bit off!

For more information and to sign up, check the appropriate link below:

• Sunday, Aug. 22, Umstead State Park
• Saturday, Sept. 18, Eno River State Park
• Saturday, Oct. 9, Umstead State Park

GetHiking! Fall Weekend Escape: Black Mountain Crest Trail

The mystery of the northern end of the Black Mountain Crest Trail is one we will unravel on this hike starting from the Bowlen Creek Trailhead and climbing just over 3,000 vertical feet in 4.5 miles to Celo Knob. There, we’ll take the Woody Ridge Trail down the east flank of the mountain for just over 2 miles. It’s a hike that begins in a lush, mature hardwood forest; traverses an exposed ridge with incredible views to the east and west; and finishes on a 2-mile descent through rugged terrain. We’ll do two shorter hikes as part of the weekend as well, catching the peak of fall color in the high country. Breakfasts and campfire smores included. Oct. 22-24.

Learn more and sign up here.

GetHiking! Fall Weekend Escape: the Appalachian Trail at Hot Springs

Late Fall is a magical time: autumnal color lingers, the hordes who come to see it do not. There’s a special quiet you won’t find at any other time of year. And one of the best places for a hiker to enjoy this quiet — and catch some great late fall color — is on the Appalachian Trail at Hot Springs, N.C. The weekend of Nov. 12-14 we will gather in Hot Springs for a weekend of hiking and enjoying the ambience of downtown Hot Springs (through which the Appalachian Trail passes). Saturday, we shuttle to Garenflo Gap and hike 7 miles on the AT back to town; Sunday, we start at Tanyard Gap and hike 6.5 miles on the AT back to town. Five meals and trail snacks provided.

Learn more and sign up here.

The post GetHiking! Fall 2021 appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

We start with our GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods class. Ever been hiking in the woods, drift into a little reverie, then emerge, look around and think, Where the heck am I? More often than not your still on the trail, where you need to be, just a little further along. But in those few seconds of being mentally misplaced, there’s a real panic. Will I ever see civilization again?

Not to sound like Ron Popeil about to sell you a Dial-A-Matic (“Makes a perfect gift!”), but you can erase that fear in just three easy and fun hours with our GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods clinic. We start with a quick overview of how to use a compass and read a map, then head down the trail and off to help you learn these new skills and navigate the woods with minimal fear of getting lost. Our next session is this Sunday at Umstead State Park, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Learn more and sign up here.

You’ll find 32 learning opportunities in North Carolina State Parks this weekend. Among them:

• Carnivorous Plan Hike, Saturday, 10 a.m., Carolina Beach State Park, Carolina Beach. The Wilmington area is one of the few places where you can find carnivorous plants. On this hike on the Flytrap Trail a ranger will help you identify several and explain why you needn’t fear these meat eaters but a fly shouldn’t get too comfortable around them. Free, but space is limited and preregistration is required. Learn more here.
• Appalachian Rainforest, Saturday, 11 a.m., Mount Mitchell State Park, Burnsville. Appalachian rainforest? Atop Mount Mitchell? You’d probably heard that Mount Mitchell, above 6,000 feet, was more of a boreal forest. In fact, the ranger leading this hike will talk about weather, climate, natural history, the local ecosystem and “what makes the Black Mountains to unique.” Learn more here.
• Mountain Stream Ecology, Sunday, 2 p.m., Grandfather Mountain State Park, Banner Elk. You love to hike along a babbling mountain brook; you’re soothed by its sounds. But do you know what it’s saying? You’ll find out on this ranger-led hike. Learn more and sign aboard here.
• The Amazing Mammals of Crowders Mountain, Sunday, 2 p.m., Crowders Mountain State Park, Kings Mountain. What mammals call Crowders Mountain home? Where do they live? When are they out-and-about? What do they eat? So many questions — and so many answers in this half-hour program. Learn more here.

Too hot for you to get out in the mid-day heat and learn? What about after the sun sets? Two options this weekend:

• 

  Nocturnal Nature Hike, Saturday, 8:30-10:30 p.m., Lake Johnson Park’s Thomas G. Crowder Woodland Center, Raleigh. Under a full moon, “We will call for owls and nightjars, look for evidence of mammals, and identify singing amphibians.” $4. Learn more and register here. 

• Stars and Planets, Saturday, 9 p.m., Mayo River State Park, Mayodan. The Greensboro Astronomy Club graciously brings out its telescopes and expertise to help you discover what’s twinkle twinkling up above the world so high / like a diamond in the sky. Learn more and sign up here.

Go forth this weekend and learn!

The post GetOut! And learn a thing this weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Why do we backpack?

We could give you a bunch of words explaining why. Or, you could watch this quick video capturing our latest GetBackpacking! trip, the second weekend of May 2021, to the Shining Rock Wilderness Area of North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest.

If you’re not a backpacker but watch the video and think you might want to be, we have an Intro to Backpacking class scheduled for June 2021. Learn about it and register here.

If you are a backpacker but are just starting out and appreciate a little direction, or you’ve been doing it a while and aren’t keen on the planning, check out our upcoming GetBackpacking! trips here.

The post Why backpack? Here’s why appeared first on GetGoing NC!.