For much of the winter, the sun set long before we had a chance to enjoy it after getting off work. Now, it stays out later and later, and so do we. Sometimes later than we anticipated.  

When we become drunk on sunlight and it leaves the party before we were expecting, it’s good to know a thing or two about navigating in the dark, and near dark. Today, we share some tips based on our experience of leading night hikes for the past 10 years.

Before heading out

• Pack a headlamp. This is a must. Flashlights, work, but you want to keep your hands free. You can get a decent headlamp for as little as $15; note that LEDs cast a more hike-friendly light.
• Pack extra batteries and a spare light. Batteries can fizzle without warning and a spare light is a must (if for no other reason than to help you see to change batteries in your primary torch).
• Pick short hikes to start. Hiking in the dark takes some getting used to. Your world is confined to the glow of your headlamp, and it takes some concentration to focus on a limited portion of trail. It can be a sensory overload, as your other senses tune in to the world beyond the scope of your light, so don’t overstay on your first outing.
• Hike trails you’ve hiked in daylight. Even though it’s dark, familiarity is a huge plus. You’ll be amazed at how things you didn’t think you noticed during the day will pop out as key markers of where you are on the trail.
• Take a map and compass. You should already have these in your daypack as part of your 10 Essentials, but make extra sure you have them at night. If you become … misplaced, finding a point of reference that matches with your map will go a long way toward getting you back to your car.
• Take water and snacks. Just because it’s dark and likely cool doesn’t mean you can’t get dehydrated. And hiking in the cool air will burn some calories; you’ll be glad to have the extra fuel.
• Be aware of posted hours. Trails on certain public lands are closed from dusk until dawn. That includes state parks and nearly all municipal and county trails. National forests typically don’t have hours, nor do lands managed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. 
  • That said, March and the advent of Daylight Saving Time is when many parks begin staying open later. Eno River State Park’s main access, Fews Ford, which had been closing at 7 p.m. now closes at 9 p.m. Check hours before heading out.
    • And that said, just because a park is open late doesn’t affect actual sunset. While the Fews Ford Access above may now be open until 9 p.m., the sun today still sets at 6:17 p.m., nearly three hours before official sunset.

At the trailhead

• Bundle up. Nighttime is cooler than day, of course. Counter the chill with one more layer than you think you’ll need; you can always shed a layer later.
• Don’t hike alone. I do a lot of soloing, but not at night. Make sure you have a buddy with you.
• Take your phone. Another way to figure out where you are: call up your favorite map program, even one that focuses on roads. It may not show the trail you’re supposed to be on, but it will show the nearest road: Keep your blue dot headed toward it (which might require some timber-bashing).

On the trail

• Be vigilant about blazes. If you don’t see a blaze ahead of you, turn and check to see if you can spot one from the direction you came. .
• Hike by your feet. It takes a bit more effort to scout out the blazes at night. The best way to tell whether you’ve wandered off the beaten path is if your boots suddenly sink into soft, untrod leaf litter. Backtrack and seek out the firm footing of the trail.
• Stop, look, listen. Night hiking is a much different experience. Take the time to savor it.
• Appreciate the night sky. Because that’s one of the reasons you’re out there!
• Beware the gloaming. There’s a roughly 10-minute period before the end of twilight when there’s not enough light to see on your own, yet your headlamp is no help, either. This is a good time to stop, look and listen.
• Resist the urge to turn on your lamp prematurely. Especially if you are in a group, because once you light up, your light will cast shadows making it hard for the unlit to see.
• Stay within earshot of fellow hikers. It’s much easier to lose people in your group at night; make sure you can at least hear their footsteps.

Daylight Saving Time is nigh. Now’s the time to make the most of midweek adventure.

* * *

Weekend Escape in the Croatan

Looking to come out of hibernation? We’ve got just the trip the weekend of March 15-16  with two hikes in the coastal Croatan National Forest. 

• Friday evening. We start with a Friday evening sunset hike on the 1.6-mile Cedar Point Tideland Trail, which takes advantage of multiple boardwalk stretches to navigate a tidal wetland. An awesome spot to catch the sunset.
• Saturday, it’s our favorite hike at the coast, the 11-mile Weetock Trail. The first 6 miles of the Weetock is a rolling hike on easy-to-follow blazed trail through scenic coastal woods. The last 5 miles is a wild romp through coastal forest that will test your navigational skills.

It’s the ideal time to hike at the coast, before it warms up and brings out the bugs, and a great way to kick off your 2024 hiking season. Learn more and sign up here.

The post Tips for Afterwork Exploring Thanks to DST appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

At 2 a.m., we spring ahead, setting our clocks forward by an hour and advancing sunset accordingly. Today, the sun sets at 6:19 p.m.; Sunday, it won’t go down until 7:22 p.m. And that’s just sunset; we’ll still have lingering light for another 20-25 minutes or so. 

What does that mean for those of us who live to be outdoors?

Assuming the traditional notion of an 8-to-5 workday, it means we’ll have at least two and a half hours of sunlight remaining after the whistle blows to get out and play. 

How significant is two and a half hours? If you hike a mile in 20 minutes; that means you can get a 7.5-mile hike in after work. Perhaps a bit much for this early in the season, but good to know it’s possible.

A few things to keep in mind regarding the switch to Daylight Saving Time:

Park hours

In North Carolina, nearly all state parks close at 6 p.m. in winter. That changes come March. For instance, at Eno River State Park, the Fews Ford Access — the main access — is now open until 9 p.m. (from May to September it will be open until 10 p.m.). That means that on Sunday, when the sun sets at 7:22 p.m., you’ll still have more than an hour and a half to play in the park, a good chunk of which will be in the dark. Check out the closing times at N.C. State Parks starting here.

Virginia’s State Parks tend to have more set hours, with many open dawn to dusk. For more on their hours, start here.

County parks, municipal parks, nature preserves, land trusts: More often than not, these are open from dawn to dusk as well. Always a good idea to check ahead to be certain; if you’re inside after posted hours, you’re technically trespassing. 

Lighter later

Also of importance when the time changes is the hour of sunlight we lose in the morning. This morning, for instance, sunrise is at 6:33 a.m. Sunday morning, the sun won’t be up until 7:27 a.m. If you like to get that morning hike in before starting your day, plan accordingly.

Make the most of it

Some thoughts on how to make the most of your extra hour of afternoon daylight:

• 

  Have your gear ready. When the 5 o’clock whistle blows, switch into your adventure gear. Keep your gear simple: hiking shoes/boots, pants, wicking shirt, water.

• Pick a spot to explore. Make it close by: the less time you spend in transit, the more time you’ll have to explore. And staying nearby may force you to find venues you weren’t aware of. Try this: Go to Google maps, drop a pin on your location, then go out a mile or two. Blow up the image and look for blotches of green. You’ll likely find pocket parks you might not have known about, parks that likely have some sort of trail. Also look for dotted lines signifying trails.
• Don’t worry about repeating yourself. Say you find a spot nearby that has a nice, if short, trail. Run with it, again and again. One of the great things about spring is that it unfolds so quickly you’ll likely find something new — a just-emerged spring wildflower, a tree in bloom — every day.
• Consider it training. If you’re gearing up to do some serious mountain hikes this summer, now is the time to start getting your hiking legs back. Two miles every evening through March is a great start.
• Do it! Most importantly, don’t dawdle — take advantage of this extra daylight immediately — like Sunday.

* * *

GetOut!

GetHiking! Spring 2022 Aspiring Hiker Series. Spring aroused your interest in hiking? Our Aspiring Hiker series meets Wednesday evenings at 6, at different trails in the region, and works with you to become a bonafide hiker. We start with a 2-mile hike and build up over 10 weeks to 5 miles. Learn more and sign up here. 

“Explore Your Neighborhood: A Guide to Discovering the World Immediately Around You,” is a quick guide to finding adventures out your front door, just the thing for when you’ve got a little extra time on your hands thanks to Daylight Saving Time. Learn more here.

The post Sunday lights the way for after work adventure appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

This time next week, after Daylight Saving Time kicks in on Sunday, the sun will set at 7:21 p.m. By month’s end, it will set at 7:36 p.m. That extra afternoon sunshine, friends, opens our evening outdoor opportunities.

So, if you plan ahead (more about this below), you could leave work at 5 p.m. and have two hours of sun to play with. Depending upon your pace, that could be a 5- to 7-mile hike — a delightful midweek adventure! 

This celebration of after-work opportunity is boosted by our public playgrounds. Starting in March, most of North Carolina’s state parks are open until 8 p.m. Some are staying open even later: Eno River State Park in Durham, Hanging Rock State Park north of the Triad, and Carolina Beach State Park near Wilmington are all now open until 9 p.m. Most county and municipal parks continue to observe dawn to dusk hours, as do most greenways.

The key to taking advantage of this added afternoon daylight is planning. 

• Have your gear ready. When the 5 o’clock whistle blows, switch into your adventure gear. You can keep your gear simple: hiking shoes/boots, pants, wicking shirt, water. 
• Pick a spot to explore. Make it close by: the less time you spend in transit, the more time you’ll have to explore. And it might help you find some great venues you weren’t aware of. Try this: Go to Google maps, drop a pin on your location, then go out a mile or two. Blow up the image and look for blotches of green. You’ll likely find pocket parks you might not have known about, parks that likely have some sort of trail. Also look for dotted blue lines signifying trails.
• Don’t worry about repeating yourself. Say you find a spot nearby that has nice, if short, trail. Run with it, again and again. One of the great things about spring is that it unfolds so quickly you’ll likely find something new — a just-emerged spring wildflower, a tree in bloom — on it every day.
• Consider it training. If you’re gearing up to do some serious mountain hikes this summer, now is the time to start getting your hiking legs back. Two miles every evening through March is a great start. 
• Do it! Most importantly, don’t dawdle — take advantage of this extra daylight immediately. Start Monday. In fact, if you’re in the Triangle area, you can start with us. We’ll be hiking the Cox Mountain Trail at Eno River State Park Monday at 6 p.m. See below for details and to sign up.

Make the most of this gift of sunlight.

Happy trails,

Joe

Join us

To find out more about our Daylight Saving Hike at Eno River State Park and to sign up, go here.

The post DST: the gift of sunshine appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Here are a few things to keep in mind with the time change: 

• We have an hour more daylight in the morning. The extra hour is nice if you like to get in a morning run, ride or walk before work. On Saturday, sunrise is at 7:39:30 a.m.; Sunday, it’s 6:40:31 a.m.
• Plan your afternoon adventures accordingly. It’s easy to keep thinking, “Ahh, I’ll be done by 6.” But if you’re done at 6 p.m. on Sunday, the sun already set 45 minutes earlier and you’ll be 20 minutes past twilight. It will be dark. Better bring a headlamp.
• Don’t despair: it won’t last long. We will only lose another 15 minutes of afternoon sunlight before the tide turns. Though overall daylight keeps diminishing until Dec. 21, the first day of winter, we actually start regaining afternoon sun on Dec. 6. In fact, by the time December is over we will have gained back 10 minutes of afternoon sunlight.
• Don’t be afraid of the dark. We love going out at night, especially with the aid of today’s versatile and lightweight headlamps. Every other Tuesday from Nov. 20 through March 5, we’ll be doing a night hike that starts at 7 p.m. We’ll hike different spots around the Triangle, exposing you to some great night hike options. We’ve got loaner headlamps. And, this being GetHiking!, there’s no chance of getting dropped; we lead our hikes from the rear, so nobody gets left in the dark. It’s a great way to get on the trail during winter.
• You can put that time to good use. After the holiday hubbub settles, we’ll be doing weeknight seminars on a variety of hiking and backpacking topics. This is an excellent time to start planning what to do when the sunshine returns. Watch for details in early December. 
• March 10 is only 140 days away. March 10, at 2 a.m. — that’s when Daylight Saving Time returns.

Come explore with us on the dark side!

Happy trails,

Joe

Explore the night

• Read our post from two weeks ago about the joy of night hiking.
• Learn more about our Winter Tuesday Night Hikes Series and sign up here.
• Keep track of sunset (and sunrise) throughout the year, here.
• If you’re on our GetHiking! Charlottesville hike in the Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness this Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m., make sure you set your clock back before heading to bed Saturday night!

The post This Sunday’s fall back (and what it means to you) appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

That’s the short version of the real story. What I wanted to say was: Daylight Saving Time was conceived so we’d have more time to play in the evening. The advent of Daylight Saving Time opens a world of recreational opportunities after work. Consider: Just two weeks ago, the sun set at 6:09 p.m. in Raleigh. Today, thanks to DST, the sun will set at 7:22 p.m. And civil twilight, more-or-less the point at which sunlight completely fades, isn’t until 7:47 p.m.; if you’ve got good eyes you can eek out nearly another half hour of fun.

Some thoughts on how you can put this new-found daylight to work.

Ride a bike

Daylight Savings Time marks the start of the group riding season for cyclists. Bike shops and clubs will start meeting during the week promptly at 6 p.m. for rides that initially won’t go much more than 25 miles but by mid summer could top 50. A favorite is the weekly (every Wednesday) Oh Melo Velo ride (pictured) out of Cary’s MacGregor Village. Ride leaders David Cole and Fast-Eddy-turned-Crash-Eddy Downing figure out the distance its participants can go before sunset at an average speed of 18 miles per hour. Tomorrow, for instance, on the first ride of the season, the sun sets at 7:23 p.m. Starting precisely (and they do) at 6 p.m., that’s 1 hour and 23 minutes of sun-kissed riding time. Assuming an 18-mile-per-hour pace, that means a 24.84-mile ride. Cole and Downing then devise a 24.84-mile route, complete with cue sheets.

Can’t maintain an 18-mph pace? No worries: The routes are out-and-backs; if you haven’t reached the turnaround within 41 minutes and 30 seconds (half of 1 hour and 23 minutes), you simply reverse course from where you are and return by sunset.

For other rides, consult your local bike shop, which either has its own after-work rides or can direct you to a local club that does. Good starting points include BikeCharlotte.com in the Queen City, Carolina Tarwheels in the Triangle, and Triad Cycling in the Triad.

Hit a state park

All winter, from November through February, North Carolina State Parks close their gates at 6 p.m. But come March, with naturally expanding daylight getting a boost from DST, the gates stay open an extra two hours — closing time isn’t until 8 p.m. That’s a whole lot of extra playtime. At such popular parks as Crowders Mountain, Umstead and Eno River, that’s extra time for hiking or trail running (and in the case of Umstead, mountain biking the 14 miles of bike and bridle trail).

Visit a greenway

Most greenways are, technically, open dawn-to-dusk. Right now that roughly means 7:30 p.m.. Greenways are especially good for taking a walk or heading out with the kids for a bike excursion. Click here to find the nearest greenway in a few select cities: Raleigh, Cary, Charlotte, Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Winston-Salem.

Explore your neighborhood

OK, so you still have to put in an 8-hour day at the salt mine. When the whistle blows at 5 p.m. you may, justifiably, be too pooped to contemplate driving somewhere to recreate. You have to: Your own neighborhood likely makes one of the best venues for a good 30-minute walk. See what’s in bloom and find out what the neighbors have been up to over the winter. (Not to mention venting the tension from a day of work.) Do it before dinner and you’ll likely suppress your appetite.

Explore your own backyard

With, say, a spade, a gardening hoe, some clippers. Gardening is highly underrated and under appreciated as a form of exercise. It not only can give you a good full-body workout, it’ll get those springtime chores out of the way, freeing up precious time on the weekends for more recreational pursuits.

Perhaps the best reason to take advantage of this extra hour of daylight at the end of the day?

It’ll get your mind off the hour you’re missing in the morning.

The post DST: Let the after work fun begin appeared first on GetGoing NC!.