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.
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.
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.
If ever there was a winter to get over your dislike of the cold, this is it.
Without dwelling, cold weather historically drives people indoors, and, this year, indoors is where you have a significantly greater chance of contracting the coronavirus. The advance of fall is already seeing a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in North Carolina and nationwide. In response, on Tuesday North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper dialed back the cap on indoor group gatherings to 10 people. Staying indoors is trouble, especially if you like people.
Sometimes you just need a little outdoor time. Not a full weekend of exploring. Not even a whole day — even a half day. Sometimes just an hour, hour and a half will do.
That well could be the case this weekend, when temperatures are again expected to reach 90, when afternoon storms are again a threat. Under such circumstances, a quick outing into a scenic spot can do the trick.
After paying weekly visits to Seven Mile Creek Natural Area west of Hillsborough for eight months, last week I finally had the chance to share this find with other hikers. They were equally impressed.
It was the first of our weekly GetHiking Sunrise, Sunset Summer Beat the Heat Hikes, and it lived up to the hype. Thunderstorms that had been threatening to flare throughout the afternoon vanished by hike time (7 p.m.) and we were treated to the late day light that’s special to the season. As the light faded, over rocky Seven Mile Creek and the surrounding low hills, we could feel it taking the temperature with it. We weren’t exactly chilled by hike’s end — the temperature was 89 less than an hour before the hike — but between the sheltering canopy above and a 7-degree drop by hikes end, we were no longer melting into our boots. You can see a video of that hike last Wednesday on Friday’s post.
