Last weekend, we noticed a smattering of color in the Piedmont. By midweek, autumn was in full kaleidoscopic bloom, with a flush of reds (scarlet and red oaks), a flare of yellows (sycamores, poplars and ashes) and the occasional splash of brilliant orange, courtesy the sugar maple.
Tag Archives: Hiking
Let the mountains recover
Wondering where you might be able to hike in the mountains this weekend?
Nowhere. At least not in North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. For one, you’d be hard-pressed to find a trail that’s passable. More on that in a sec.
The main reason you shouldn’t hike in the mountains this weekend: You’ll only be in the way.
Fall is near; Have you a plan?
Fall, the best time of year to be on the trail, is around the corner. Are you ready?
I don’t mean do you have your gear ready: Rather, do you have your plan of attack in place?
Not to put too much pressure on the fall hiking season, but there is a fair amount of pressure to make the most of the next three months. Sure, spring has its obvious pluses — wildflowers, warming temperatures, rebirth — and winter has its subtle charms. But face it, the combination of a retreat from sweltering temperatures, low humidity, crisp blue skies, and fall color make this the best season to hike in the Southeast.
5 Hikes to Welcome Fall
I woke up Wednesday at 5:30, took Dog #1 out, checked the weather.
60 degrees!
I knew it was supposed to cool off this week, but 60? I couldn’t remember the last time it had been so cool in this summer of record heat. A good two months, at least.
A spirit-lifting temperature, but still shy of my fall benchmark. Then, an hour later I took out Dog #2 (she likes to sleep in) and it was 58. Within a half hour it would drop another degree, to 57.
Resources: Where to find the best hiking info
You need a new rain jacket, one that will keep you relatively dry but not cost a fortune. You want to know how to prepare for basic injuries on the trail, and how to deal with them when they occur. And those clouds gathering overhead: what do they mean — and should I be concerned?