The Pandemic has brought us closer to those who live with us.
Maybe even too close.
We know you all love each other. We know you would move heaven and earth to ensure each other’s health and happiness.
We also know that being in in close quarters 24/7 for more than a year adds up to a lot of togetherness. And you never noticed until now how your loved one could Breathe. So. Loudly.read more
Comer summer our hiking thoughts generally turn to the high country, but there’s plenty of great hiking to be had in the Piedmont — you just have to know when to do it and where to hike. Here’s our summer 2021 of hiking.
GetHiking! Summer Sunday Morning Hike Series
12 hikes
Sundays at 9 a.m., June 6 – Aug. 22
$125 for single hikers, $195 for couples and families
10 spots
Hiking in summer is a matter of when to hike (early!) and where (shaded trails and along water, for starters). We kept those factors in and when we came up with our 12-hike summer schedule. We also keep our summer hikes shorter, 5 miles at most. Learn more and sign up to join us here for single hikers or here for couples and families.read more
Summer is opening up: we’re beginning to travel again and, though our tendency is to still stay close to home, still focus on the great outdoors for our recreation fun. We hear you, folks. So far, here’s our regionally focused lineup for the summer of 2021:read more
We take a slightly different approach this week, inspired by what seems to be a greater-than-usual offering of intriguing critter programs this weekend in our state parks system. Today, we simply list the program title, the park hosting it, when it is, and a link. You have no reason not to learn a thing or two this weekend.read more
A GetBackpacking! class commences graduation at South Mountains State Park.
Ready to up your backpacking game in 2019? Or get a backpacking game going, period? We’re ready to help!
First, if you’re curious about backpacking but don’t have any experience, we have two courses designed to get you started.
GetBackpacking! Intro to Backpacking. More than 200 backpackers have come through this comprehensive intro course since it launched in 2013. We start with a two-hour gear session, going over the gear you’ll need, the gear options available, and how to get that gear into your pack. Next we have a five-hour, in-the-field training session in which we hike two miles in full pack, scout campsites, set up camp, cook a meal, break camp and hike out. Finally, we take a weekend trip to South Mountains State Park. Loaner gear available.
GetBackpacking! Overnight Sampler. Intrigued by backpacking but not ready to commit to our Intro class? This overnight session gives you a taste of hiking with a full pack and of spending the night in the woods. Backpacking gear and food provided.
Now, let’s get into our trips! Unless otherwise indicated, our backpack trips accommodate folks with a range of experience, from recent graduates of Intro to Backpacking through experienced backpackers. Newer backpackers learn from experienced backpackers. And, since we do all the planning, experienced backpackers will be able to get in more than a trip or two a year. Here’s where we’re headed the first half of 2019:
Appalachian Trail: Max Patch to Hot Springs, January 19-21. Get a taste of winter camping on one of the more winter-friendly 20-mile stretches of the AT in the state. Trip includes shuttle, and for folks with minimal winter camping experience, we will have a pre-hike winter-preparedness training session.
Croatan National Forest: Neusiok Trail, February 8-10. If it’s too cold for you to backpack the mountains in February, you’ll love the milder weather on this trip in the coastal Croatan. This 20-miler isn’t entirely flat: the northern six miles has some mildly rolling terrain,including a patch or two hinting of the mountains. The Neusiok Trail in winter is our most popular backpack trip.
Uwharrie National Forest: Dutchman’s Creek Loop, March 30-31. This is a good opportunity for warm-weather backpackers to shake off the winter cobwebs and get ready for the backpacking season. We’ll hike in 5.5 miles on Saturday, camp, then complete the loop Sunday with a 6.5-mile hike out. This trip is for women only.
Appalachian Trail: Carvers Gap to US 19E, April 5-7. Mile-for-mile, trail doesn’t get much more scenic than this 21-mile run that starts with three balds in the first couple miles, encounters two more about 8 miles in, and throws in additional great views along the way. We’ll be on the cusp of the spring wildflower bloom as well.
Intro to Linville Gorge, May 17-19. Full immersion into Linville Gorge can be overwhelming for the first-time backpacker: the trails are steep, rocky, rugged. On top of that, the gorge has a way of generating its own weather. In this introduction, we establish base camp on the east rim, atop Shortoff Mountain, then don daypacks to drop into the gorge itself.
Going Solo in Wilson Creek, May 31-June 2. In this weekend class, we hike in and spend the first night together. The second night, backpackers spread over a mile-long stretch of trail for their first overnight solo (with the trip leader not far away).
