Coast

So many mysteries contained in Merchants Millpond, the nearly 200-year-old, 760-acre water assemblage that spreads throughout the State Park bearing its name. Is it a pond or a swamp (sure seems like the latter)? What are those weird, prehistoric fish you occasionally see near the surface? Are there alligators?

These questions and more answered Saturday afternoon on a 2-hour guided canoe trip on the pond. Canoe, paddle, pfd and guide provided free; you bring the sunscreen and questions.

Logistics: Canoe the Pond, Saturday, June 17, 1 p.m., Merchants Millpond State Park, Gatesville. More info and sign up — it’s free, but there are a limited number of canoes — by going here.

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

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Looking ahead: Black Bears of Pettigrew State Park, Saturday, July 1, Pettigrew State Park, Columbia. More info here.

Piedmont

Wondering what to get Dad for his big day, Father’s Day, which is Sunday? You know what he’d love, don’t you?

A big ‘ol hike!

For instance, the Father’s Day Jomeokee Hike at Pilot Mountain State Park. It’s the perfect hike for darn near any dad: it’s a mellow distance — just under a mile — and he’ll learn all sorts of facts that he can pepper his conversations with for years to come. Facts like where the trail got its name, how the Pilot Mountain pinnacle got its distinctive shape, why birds of prey are always circling overhead.

Logistics: Father’s Day Jomeokee Hike at Pilot Mountain State Park, Sunday, June 18, 10 a.m., Pilot Mountain State Park. More info here.

Sunday forecast: High of 85, chance of a thunderstorm.

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Looking ahead: Basic Orienteering, Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, Saturday, July 16, Southern Pines. More info here.

Mountains

You do the Sunday morning Father’s Day hike at Pilot Mountain and Dad emerges really jazzed about the outdoors. His sense of adventure kindled, suggest that you drive the hour and a half to New River State Park for the 2 p.m. paddle trip on the New River. You needn’t have paddling experience; you’ll get basic canoe instruction at the start. Then, enjoy a couple hours on this mellow mountain river.

Logistics: Guided Canoe Trip, Sunday, June 18, 2 p.m., New River State Park/US 221 Access. Free, but boats are limited; call 336.982.2587 to reserve a spot.

Sunday forecast: High of 77, chance of a thunderstorm.

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Looking ahead: Night Hike, Mount Jefferson State Natural Area, Friday, July 7, West Jefferson. More info here.

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

Coast

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Coast

WWJDD?

What Would John Denver do if he were still alive and living in the Wilmington area? We reckon he’d be taking part in Saturday’s F.A.R. Out Family Adventure Race at Brunswick Nature Park.

A total of four challenges —  trail running, mountain biking, “team challenges” and optional kayaking —of which family teams need only complete two. You get a map at the mass start, the rest is up to you. Courses differ by age category and are color coded. Plus food, vendors and more.

Logistics: Saturday, June 20, 9 a.m., Brunswick Nature Park, Winnebow. Race day registration starts at $75 (plus $8 if you need a one-day U.S. Adventure Racing Association membership). More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 90, chance of thunderstorms.

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Looking ahead: Into surfing — or at least surfing-curious? Check out the O’Neill/Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest July 17-19 at Wrightsville Beach. Details here.

Piedmont

What does the adventurous dad truly want for Father’s Day? To spend some fat time with his kids.

And that’s just what he’ll be doing if you take him to Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville on Sunday for this year’s edition of TORCFest, a k a the Triangle Fat Tire Festival. Put on annually by the Triangle Off Road Cyclists, this is a day of mountain biking fun. There’s a time trial (including categories for kids 12 and under and ages 13-17), group rides, bike demos, BBQ and a skills clinic (and knowing these folks, possibly a BBQ skills clinic). Plus, join TORC and get a free chiropractic adjustment!

Logistics: Sunday, June 20, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Lake Crabtree County Park, Morrisville. More info and to sign up, here.

Sunday forecast: Sunny, high of 98.

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Looking ahead: A night triathlon? There’s one in Cary, on June 28. Check it out here.

Mountains

Would dad mind celebrating Father’s Day a day early? Not if it’s as part of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s June Jamboree in the Roan Highlands.

Five hikes are planned as part of the Jamboree. Don’t quite have your full hiking legs under you? Try the Roll n’ Stroll in the Rhododendron Gardens atop Roan Mountain (11 a.m.). More interested in something the kids would dig? Try the Salamander Scavenger Hunt at 11 a.m. at Hampton Creek Cove. Something a little more ambitious? How about the Ed Schell Memorial Hike from Carver’s Gap to Grassy Ridge (9 a.m.). And for those of you seeking a true challenge, there’s the Challenge Hike starting at 8 a.m. from Hughes Gap and ending 15 miles later at Hampton Creek Cove. This hike includes the longest contiguous stretch of grassy balds in the world.

Read more about the Jamboree in the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Logistics: Saturday, June 20, hikes start at 9 a.m. in the Roan Highlands area. Free. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 83, chance of thunderstorms.

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Looking ahead: Celebrate your independence this July 4 with a mountain run in Lenoir — the Firecracker 10K, 5K and fun run. 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: Family adventure, a Fat day for Dad, high hikes in the Roan Highlands appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Two reasons to get out this weekend: Saturday is National Get Outdoors Day, Sunday is Father’s Day. And lots of options for observing both!

Coast

You’re 4 years old and a little short on cash. Still, you want to show dad a good time on his day, Sunday, Father’s Day. What to do, what to do … .

If you live in the vicinity of Wrightsville Beach, you can take dad to the Blockade Runner, where from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday all board rentals are free to certified dads (“father” to a Lab or Golden does not count). You’ve heard dad pining about wanting to ride the waves like Hawaiian royalty? Now’s the time to give him his shot. And if you can scrounge $3 in change, you can buy him a discount taco, too.

Logistics: Sunday, June 15, noon-3 p.m., Blockade Runner Beach Resort, Wrightsville Beach. More info here.

Sunday forecast: High of 82, change of thunderstorms.

Piedmont

Psst! Looking for a good paddle that not many folks know about? Saturday, the Piedmont Land Conservancy is sponsoring paddle suitable for beginners on the upper Haw River. The paddle begins at the Grove Winery and meanders about five miles downstream. A two- to three-hour trip, depending upon water levels and how many questions are asked about this intimate stretch of the Haw. Return to the winery put-in for a wine tasting.

Don’t have a boat? Don’t have a problem: call the PLC (see below) and they can hook you up.

Logistics: Saturday, June 14, 10 a.m. Grove Winery on the Haw River (here for directions). Call the Piedmont Land Conservancy to sign up: 336.691.0088

Saturday forecast: High of 85, mostly sunny.

Mountains

Not that you need one, but if you’re looking for a fun reason to visit Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet the highest peak east of South Dakota’s Black Hills, how about a scavenger hunt?

Saturday, Mount Mitchell State Park celebrates National Get Outdoors Day with a scavenger hunt. Stop by the mountain-top concession stand between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and pick up your list of things to find. When you’ve found them, return to the concession stand for verification and a Moon Pie (you’ll need to pony up for the MP). What you win is part of the mystery. A good way to explore a terrain unlike any other in the region.

Logistics: Saturday, June 14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mount Mitchell State Park. More info on the park here.

Sunday forecast: High of 78, mostly sunny.

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

The post This weekend: National Get Outdoors with Fathers Day appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Today’s 90-Second Escape: A Father’s Day Paddle.

Hana and I have a longstanding Father’s Day tradition: we take the Old Town Loon 138T out for a paddle.

I don’t recall how or exactly when this tradition began; like most traditions, I’m guessing it didn’t begin with establishing a tradition in mind. I bought the boat in the late 1998 thinking it was perfect for me and my then 3-year-old daughter. And it was: When her little arms grew tired of paddling, the boat was small enough that I could easily power it on my own. As the years passed, that became less and less a concern. What was a concern was that some day we would outgrow the boat; in anticipation I bought a used canoe a couple years back. By and large, though, we stick with the Loon 138T.

Perhaps what I love most about paddling together is that the confined space, the natural setting, the easy pace (we stick to flat water) combine for a good conversation. Nothing heavy, necessarily, more an opportunity to catch up on the smaller matters that help give a sense of the big picture. Yesterday’s trip was especially nice in that regard: Hana leaves for Western Carolina (go Catamounts!) in the fall and, if personal history is any indication, those conversations will become increasingly difficult to come by. So …

Background properly set, tag along for 90 seconds worth of our most recent Father’s Day Paddle, yesterday at Jordan Lake.

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