For a few decades now, the first Saturday of June has been National Trails Day. It’s a day when we celebrate our trails, sometimes by doing maintenance, sometimes by simply taking a hike. In North Carolina this National Trails Day, 15 events have been registered with the American Hiking Society, which sponsors the annual event.

Probably the biggest event is the N.C. Trail Days Festival in Elkin. Guided hikes, horseback rides, paddle trips, and a trail dedication are among the events scheduled for the trail town of Elkin (it’s on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail as it makes its way from the mountains to Piedmont). Learn more here. 

A variety of work days are scheduled, from Stone Mountain State Park to Eno River State Park, from the Mountains-to-Sea Trail to the Carolina Thread Trail. Odds are you don’t need to look for from where you are to find an NTD event. Find the NTD events listed on the AHS site here.

Not every NTD event in the state is listed on the AHS site. For instance, there are four hikes with National Trails Day in the title in North Carolina State Parks on Saturday, including hikes on  the Profile and Nuwati trails at Grandfather Mountain State Park. Check out the National Trails Day hikes in our N.C. state parks, here.  

There’s a good chance you’ll also find NTD events are you local and county parks, as well as at nearby nature preserves. In fact, Saturday is also Land Trust Day. As it has every first Saturday since 1992, Great Outdoor Provision Co. will donate 10 percent of sales on Saturday to the work done by local land trusts. So if you need new boots or a pack, it would be advantageous to make that purchase Saturday. Learn more about that effort at the Great Outdoor Provision Co. website, here.

As for the weather, after a rainy Thursday and Friday, the weekend is looking warm and sunny, with temperatures ranging from the upper 60s to mid 80s. There’s still time to make it a camping weekend — even if you have no camping gear. Check out our GetCamping! program for details. 

This weekend, GetOut! And enjoy.

The post GetOut! Celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

I awoke to gray skies, a steady rain and temperatures in the upper 50s.

Perfect day for an off-trail hike.

Alas, only nine other folks shared my feelings for Rod Broadbelt’s annual Wilderness Hike at Umstead State Park. The hike, 98 percent of which is advertised as being off-trail, has in the past attracted more than three times as many hikers. Through the Raleigh Recreational Hikers Meetup alone, at least 25 people were signed up. Yet the prospect of 10 miles in the rain off-trail apparently dampened the spirits of the masses. The weather only made me that much more excited. There’s something more intimate about the forest when it’s dripping wet, especially in winter. The season’s drab brown leaf-littered floor takes on a coppery glow, gray tree trunks take on a metallic sheen and the close, wet air adds an intimacy, a coziness if you will that makes hiking the woods a more personal affair.

I was excited by the weather for another reason: I’ve got the gear for it. Trust me, if I didn’t I would have stayed snug in bed, stirring about the time the hike was returning to the trailhead. I hate being wet. But the seductive allure of a cozy, gray rain forest has forced me to seek a solution. That’s why I have the essentials for staying dry in the rain:

Waterproof/resistant shell. You can spend $500 on a shell absolutely positively guaranteed by the manufacturer to keep the rain out and let your body breathe — and you’ll still get wet if you don’t carefully manage what you’re wearing underneath. Despite advances in breathable rain gear, I have yet to hear anyone rave about a particular garment. If the temperature’s much above 70, there’s a good chance you’ll produce more sweat than any miracle fabric can vent. That said, one of the best recent advances in the fight to stay dry is the Patagonia Supercell Rain Jacket. The jacket is endorsed by Lindsey and Andrew, with Great Outdoor Provision Co.’s store in Greenville, who will be relying on the Supercell to keep them dry on their upcoming assault on the entire Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Say the duo: “This jacket is comfortable, breathable, and GoreTex makes it truly waterproof!  This is great for backcountry endeavors because of the oversized hood (can fit a helmet underneath) and the harness-friendly pockets.  So you can access your jacket pockets without taking off your pack.  The pit zips help ensure that you won’t get too hot during the summer.  And the colors are pretty awesome!” Retails for $269.

Rain pants. You can spend a bundle on rain pants as well, but, for me at least, sweaty legs aren’t an issue. A pair of  coated $99 Patagonia Torrentshell rain pants keep the rain and related trail slosh out. I wear regular hiking pants underneath; at hike’s end I peel off the rain pants to keep the car seat dry and clean on the drive home.

Pack. I get especially giddy over rainy day hikes now that I’ve added the Mountain Hardwear Scrambler OutDry 30 to my arsenal. Designed for rock climbing, the pack has a retro simplicity that keeps it light and the OutDry coating means you don’t need to keep a wary eye on the sky so you can slip your pack cover on in time. Retails for $130.

Hat. I wear a waterproof ($20) ball cap, mainly to keep the rain off my glasses. If the rain picks up, I flip my rain jacket hood over top.

Wool socks. I remember having to enroll in group outdoor retail therapy the first time I dropped $20 for a pair of socks. Until then, I probably hadn’t spent $20 on athletic socks in my entire life. (Hey, I can score tube socks 6 for $6!) But what a difference a great pair of socks make: They get wet, they dry out. No more wet foot/blister guarantee. Lots of good options with American roots to chose from, including Fits, Farm to Feet and Smartwool.

Boots. Pardon me if I get misty here. Until recently, I thought heavy leather boots were the only way to keep your feet dry in wet weather. Even then, they required a good deal of maintenance, spending the evening before a big trip working a goopy waterproof treatment into their skin. And even then, leather boots were known to crack. Over the last several years, though, I’ve noticed an increasing number of folks going the fabric boot route, not just on day hikes, but on backpack treks of three and four weeks duration. I’ve experimented some over the past several years with the growing number of lighter weight, comfy and dry options, most recently treating my feet to the Merrell Capra Waterprooof. Easily the most comfortable hiking shoes I’ve encountered to date.

Back to the hike with Rod: a great day on the trail thanks to my high-tech, not-all-that-high-cost wardrobe, and only good memories and photos to show for it. Nary a blister or sniffle to be had.

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Coast

Technically, the summer beach season ends Labor Day. At least that’s what the masses think. In fact, with the masses thinking that and the water temperature still summer-friendly (84.2 degrees as of this afternoon at Wrightsville Beach) it’s hard to imagine a better time to hit the coast: All you need is a reason. Saturday’s 9th Annual Longboard Classic, perhaps? You don’t actually need to compete on your Supertanker (12-feet plus in length), one of 11 categories of competition, you just come on out to the north end of Wrightsville Beach (Beach Access #4), wear your suit, wade in and enjoy the action. The action begins at 8:30 a.m.

More info: 910.616.9675 or visit the Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association.

Piedmont

Rare is the event that offers a walk for folks who don’t like to ride (or visa versa). Such an event is Saturday’s 8th Annual Nicki’s Ride & Walk, a mile-long walk for the walkers, rides of 25 and 50 miles for the bikers. Rides begin at 9:30 from Greensboro’s Bur-Mil Park, the walk is a do-it-yourself kind of event. There’s no official fee — but if you donate $30 you’ll get a T-shirt (while supplies last). That $30, btw, goes to CureSearch, part of the National Children’s Cancer Foundation.

More info: Visit the Nicki’s Ride Web site.

Mountains

Sunday is ECO Whitewater Day in Saluda, benefitting the Environmental and Conservation Organization in Hendersonville and its water quality monitoring program. What that means for you: A chance to do one of three paddle trips. For the more adventurous, there’s the Upper Green River Rush (you must be 12 or older), which takes on a particularly cantankerous stretch of the Upper Green, and there are two more mellow trips on the Lower Green. Cost ranges from $35 to $65 depending on the trip you take. Lunch is included.

More info: Call ECO at 252.692.0385 or visit the ECO Web site.

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Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Know of a good outdoors calendar we should include? Pass it along and we’ll plug it in.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

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