One way to make that happen? Become a hiker.

OK, maybe you have hiked. Maybe a friend convinced you to go for a short hike last year. Maybe you even did a New Year’s Day hike. We’re not talking about sampling the product. We’re talking about becoming an avid, hiking-boot-owning, guide-book-wielding, join-the-American-Hiking-Society hiker. A bonafide hiker.

Yeah, I dunno. Maybe …

On the fence? Well, let’s consider the myriad of benefits derived from hiking regularly, among them:

• Hiking reduces your chances of heart disease.
• Hiking on a regular basis can lower blood pressure by 4 to 10 points.
• A frequent walk in the woods can help reduce your chances of getting diabetes. If you already have the disease, hiking, combined with proper diet, can reduce or even eliminate the need for insulin therapy.
• As a weight-bearing exercise, hiking can help stave off osteoporosis.
• A regular exercise program centered around hiking, coupled with a sound diet, can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Depending upon your pace and other factors, you can burn up to 500 calories per hour hiking.

Those are just some. You can read about more here.

But probably the best health benefit of taking a walk in the woods? It clears your head.

When we started our hiking program in 2013, our goal was to give a physical outlet to people stuck at work all week, a chance to manage all of the above. To our surprise, we found that the vast majority of participants were there to simply zone out for a couple of hours. In the nine years since, we’ve found that the majority of our hikers are motivated by the mental benefits of hiking, of being able to detach for a while and let the mind loose to wander. The physical rewards — the weight loss, the improved cardiovascular health, the building of stronger bones — was gravy.

What we’ve also discovered is that the main thing holding folks back from getting involved was fear of the unknown. What do I wear for a hike? What should I take with me? Where should I even go? And will there be bears?

Which is why we started a program aimed at beginners that not only answers these questions, but builds the novice into a competent, confident hiker.

Our GetHiking! Series for the Aspiring Hiker starts with an introductory half-hour Zoom session designed to address basic concerns —clothes, shoes, bears — before the first hike. Then, over the course of the 10-week program we:

• Take weekly hikes at different venues designed to introduce you to the local hiking options and also to build your stamina: we start with a 2.5-mile hike and build up to 5 miles.
• Send a weekly enewsletter with tips, resources, gear recommendations, and a guide for that week’s hike
• Send you a Guide to 25 Triangle Trails to introduce you to even more trails
• Give you a copy of “Let’s GetHiking! A Quick and Comprehensive Guide for the Aspiring Hiker (Second Edition),” a 109-page guide with everything an aspiring hiker needs to know.

Best of all, you can get started right away: our next 10-week session starts Wednesday, March 23, at 6 p.m. and runs every Wednesday evening through May 18.

Spring officially begins Sunday. Make the most of it by becoming a hiker!

* * * 

GetHiking! Spring 2022 Series for the Aspiring Hiker

Learn more about our hiking program for beginners and sign up to join us by going here for individual hikers, here for couples and families. Starts Wednesday, March 23 and runs through Wednesday, May 18.

GetHiking! Spring 2022 Sunday Afternoon Hike Series

Already a hiker, but looking for a structured program to help you make the most of the spring hiking season? Join our GetHiking! Spring 2022 Sunday Afternoon Hike Series, with 10 weekly hikes at 1 p.m., each at different venues. Learn more and sign up to join us by going here for individual hikers, here for couples and families. Starts Sunday, March 20 and runs through Sunday, May 22.

The post It’s Spring: Become a Hiker appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

A few basic civilities to keep in mind on the trail:

• Yielding. Until this year, the simple rule of yielding when encountering other hikers on the trail, especially a narrow trail, was that the downhill hiker yields to the uphill hiker. That is, the person hiking downhill should step aside and let the uphill hiker have the trail. To that, we add these coronavirus addendums: 1. The downhill hiker should not just step to the side of the trail, but should step at least 10 feet off the trail (when possible); and, 2. Both hikers should also cover their faces (a bandana or a Buff can serve double duty here.
• Yielding on multiuse trails. On trails open to horses and mountain bikers as well as hikers, horses always have the right-of-way. When mountain bikers and hikers meet, mountain bikers yield to hikers. 
• Passing. Several years ago I was last in our group of eight when I heard footsteps rapidly approach from behind. I waited for an acknowledgement — a request to pass or at the very least, a throat clearing — as the footsteps neared. None came, so I stepped off the trail to my right; a young runner passed, not breaking stride, not acknowledging my action. When she caught up to the next hiker in our group, she simply stopped and walked tight on our hiker’s heels. Our hiker, sensing someone behind her, turned, stepped aside and said, “You’re welcome to pass.” The runner did, with barely a grunt of thanks. It’s not impolite to pass a slower party on the trail; just announce your intentions, ideally with a brief and robust, “On your left,” issued 15 to 20 feet before the passing zone.
• Thanks! Oh yes, and when someone does yield, please acknowledge their gesture with a “Thanks!”, a cheerful one.
• Stopping? Step to the side of the trail. If you stop to take a drink, check the map, or eat some gorp, step off the trail.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Good trail etiquette comes down to being aware of your surroundings and remembering that the quiet, the fresh air and the freedom that the trail offers you is why others are here as well. That said, two specifics that, alas, do need to be said:
  • Do not smoke on the trail. On a group hike a while back, a member of our party stuck her nose in the air, sniffed and said, “Is that cigar smoke?” Surely not, I said. It was more likely the rotting carcass of a woodland creature who had met its demise. Yet 10 minutes up the trail, off to the side, sat a 20s-ish fellow with a stogie. True, most trailhead kiosks don’t specifically address smoking — perhaps because common sense would dictate that the trail is not a suitable venue. 
  • No portable speakers. On the same hike that we encountered the smoker, we were shortly after treated to a tinny, scratchy, cacophony of quiet-shattering chaos, emanating from a portable speaker clipped to the water bottle belt of a young runner. If you want to listen to adrenalin-pumping music rather than soothing woodland noises, wear earbuds.
• Dogs. We love dogs, and we welcome them on our hikes (when permitted by the land manager). That said, a few key elements of dog-related trail etiquette:
  • Leash your dog. Most places where we hike — state parks, municipal parks, national parks, nature preserves — require that your dog be leashed, and many require that they be on a six-foot leash, not a 16-foot retractable tether that can wreak havoc for unsuspecting hikers, cyclists, equestrians. The reasons for leashing are many. At the top of the list is that some hikers aren’t comfortable with dogs, especially ones that come bounding up to them in the wild, friendly though they may be. There’s also the matter of protecting the dog from—squirrel! Fido’s primal olfactory instincts kick in and he may never be seen again. 
  • Pick up your pup’s poop. Everywhere you hike, this is the rule. But more than being a rule, it’s just common courtesy to your fellow hikers. Hopefully, we don’t need to elaborate.
  • … And take the poop bag with you. Actually, we do need to elaborate: After you have bagged said poop, take it with you, do not leave it packaged by the side of the trail. We’ve heard more than one hiker say, “I’ll pick it up on my way out.” If this is the explanation behind every trailside receptacle of refuse we spot, then somewhere deep in the woods are hundreds of hikers and their dogs wandering in search of the “way out.”
  • Seek permission before petting. I know: every dog looks like it wants to be petted. Even so, ask permission before taking a knee and diving into a rousing round of, “Who’s-a-good-dog?” with a dog you don’t know — and, perhaps more importantly, doesn’t know you.
  • Know your dog. Not all dogs like other dogs. Or people. If your dog has an iffy history with other critters, avoid heavily trafficked trails at busy times.

Observing a few simple, common sense rules of trail etiquette will come in especially handy as we, eventually, head into fall and cooler weather. Be considerate, and have a great hike!

Just getting started?

If you learned a lot from today’s blog, chances are you’re new to the trail. New, and perhaps eager to learn even more about how to become a competent, confident hiker. Our “Let’s GetHiking! An Introduction to the Trail for the Aspiring Hiker,” program begins Tuesday, Aug. 18 with an Intro to Hiking Zoom meeting from 6-7 p.m. (a link will be provided upon signing up for the class). We have sessions scheduled for the Eastern Triangle (Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Clayton, Knightdale), Western Triangle (Durham, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough), and Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point), with hikes scheduled for both Wednesday evenings (beginning Aug. 26) and Saturday mornings (beginning Aug. 22). 

Learn more and sign up by clicking on the appropriate link below. 

• Triangle: Eastern, Wednesday evenings
• Triangle: Western, Wednesday evenings
• Triad: Wednesday evenings
• Triangle: Eastern, Saturday mornings
• Triangle: Western, Saturday mornings
• Triad: Saturday mornings

The post Trail etiquette: Our yearly reminder on sharing the trail appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Of course, once you become a hiker you tend to forget about these benefits, because simply being on the trail is reward enough. (Did we mention that the endorphins released during a hike help relieve anxiety, reduce stress and simply make you happier overall?)

Hiking already had a lot going for it. Now, during the pandemic, it can play an even more vital role in protecting your health. Research suggests it’s perhaps the safest exercise you can do right now: it’s outdoors, it’s easy to physically distance yourself from others, it’s accessible — probably more than you know.

You’ve tried it, you like it

Odds are that even if you weren’t a hiker before the pandemic hit in March, you’ve probably dabbled in it since. With recreational and entertainment options limited, especially in the beginning, record numbers turned to the trail, to the point that some North Carolina state parks have had to close their gates on weekends — as early as 9 a.m. (or an hour after opening) —once they reach capacity. And judging from the fact this phenomenon has continued from the glorious days of spring, when it’s impossible not to love the outdoors, into the steamy days of summer, this is more than just a passing infatuation.

Intrigued … and intimidated

So, you’re intrigued by hiking. And a little intimidated. 

For starters, you’ve felt well equipped for your 1- or 2-mile forays into the woods: shorts, a t-shirt, sneakers — they seem to do the trick. But say you want to go longer. Your feet already hurt a bit at hike’s end, making you wonder about those sneakers. Your cotton clothes get sweaty-wet — and you stay drenched until you get home and shower. You’re also a little parched and hungry at hike’s end: you’d need more in the tank to soldier on, but what? The trail you’ve been returning to is nice, but certainly there must be other places to hike. And places with fewer people, too.

Hiking needn’t be complicated — that’s part of the stress-relieving joy. But with a little bit of direction, with a gentle push in the right direction, you can greatly lessen your learning curve. Which is why we’ve launched our Let’s GetHiking! Introduction to the Trail for the Aspiring Hiker program. 

Let’s GetHiking!

Our goal since we launched GetHiking! in 2013 has been to empower new hikers. Along the way we’ve learned a lot about how to make that happen. This class reflects what we’ve learned in these seven years, about what beginning hikers need, about what they respond to, about what they like, and about their limits.

Here’s how our Let’s GetHiking! Intro program works: 

• Let’s GetHiking! Intro to Hiking Zoom meeting. We cover the basics of hiking, of how to find trails suitable for beginners, how to dress, what to take, what to expect, how to start.
• Five hikes geared toward beginners. We lead 5 hikes ranging from about 2.5 to 4 miles at a leisurely pace. We provide custom maps and route directions for each hike, to help you get a better sense of the terrain you’re hiking and your pace.

In addition, you get: 

• “Let’s GetHiking! A Quick and Comprehensive Guide (2nd Edition).” This 110-page guidebook goes over all the essentials for becoming a confident hiker. The expanded Second Edition includes sections on next-level hiking, including hiking at night, hiking in the rain, and hiking in summer’s heat.
• “Explore Your Neighborhood: A Guide to Discovering the World Immediately Around You.” For those times when you haven’t the time to drive to a trail, this guide shows you how outdoor adventure can be had right out your front door.
• Guide to 25 hikes near you. You needn’t travel far to find good hikes. This guide identifies 25 hiking options close to where you live.
• GetHiking! enewsletter. Our weekly enewsletter keeps you updated on news and upcoming hikes, and offers hiking tips, resources, gear recommendations, hiking podcasts and videos that offer direction and information, and more.

One more thing to know about hiking: it’s a lifelong pursuit. Think about it: on those short hikes you’ve done since March, did age appear to be a barrier to getting out and exploring the trail? Better still, hiking is a self-perpetuating practice. The more you hike, the better condition you’re in, the longer you’re able to keep hiking as you age. It is the perfect workout. A workout, that is, minus the work.

You’ve taken the first steps. Let us help you complete the journey.

* * *

Learn more and sign up

Our “Let’s GetHiking! An Introduction to the Trail for the Aspiring Hiker,” program begins Tuesday, Aug. 18 with an Intro to Hiking Zoom meeting from 6-7 p.m. (a link will be provided upon signing up for the class). We have sessions scheduled for the Eastern Triangle (Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Clayton, Knightdale), Western Triangle (Durham, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough), and Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point), with hikes scheduled for both Wednesday evenings (beginning Aug. 26) and Saturday mornings (beginning Aug. 22). 

Learn more and sign up by clicking on the appropriate link below. 

• Triangle: Eastern, Wednesday evenings
• Triangle: Western, Wednesday evenings
• Triad: Wednesday evenings
• Triangle: Eastern, Saturday mornings
• Triangle: Western, Saturday mornings
• Triad: Saturday mornings

Already a hiker?

Already an established hiker but need the discipline of a scheduled hike to keep you hiking? We also have a GetHiking! Fall 2020 hiking program geared toward your needs. There are 12 hikes in the session, which begins Sunday, Aug. 9 and runs every Sunday through Nov. 1. We have separate morning (beginning at 10 a.m.) and afternoon (beginning at 1 p.m.) hikes. Hikes range from 3.5 miles to 8 miles.

Learn more and sign up by clicking on the appropriate link below. 

• Sunday morning series
• Sunday afternoon series

The post Not a hiker? It’s time you became one appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

While we haven’t been back to school in years, and the mere thought of making an open-field tackle has us reaching for the ibuprofen, we still see fall as a time for new opportunities and adventures. Cooler temperatures, drier air, fall color: there’s no better time for an adventure on the trail. A lot of you already know this. But many of you do not. To those of you in the latter category, we have three words of advice:

Take a hike.

Really, move away from your screen and take a hike this fall. Actually, take a bunch of hikes. At least one a week. It’ll do you a world of good, for a slew of reasons.

First there are the benefits to your physical health, a list that seems to grow by the day. Among those benefits:

• Hiking reduces your chances of heart disease.  
• Hiking on a regular basis can lower blood pressure by 4 to 10 points. 
• A frequent walk in the woods can help reduce your chances of getting diabetes. If you already have the disease, hiking, combined with proper diet, can reduce or even eliminate the need for insulin therapy. 
• As a weight-bearing exercise, hiking can help stave off osteoporosis.
• A regular exercise program centered around hiking, coupled with a sound diet, can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Depending upon your pace and other factors, you can burn up to 500 calories per hour hiking. 

Those are just some. You can read about more here.

But probably the best health benefit of taking a walk in the woods? It clears your head. 

When we started our corporate hiking program in 2013, our goal was to give a physical outlet to people stuck behind a desk all week. In fact, the vast majority of participants were there to simply zone out for a couple of hours. In the six years since, we’ve found that the majority of our hikers are motivated by the mental benefits of hiking, of being able to detach for a while and let the mind loose to wander. The physical rewards — the weight loss, the improved cardiovascular health, the building of stronger bones — was gravy.

We have two ways to help beginners discover the trail.

1. GetHiking! Meetup hikes. We have seven GetHiking! chapters, in North Carolina and Virginia. Each chapter generally has hikes on the weekends, especially in the fall. Not all hikes are geared toward beginners, but many are. Read the hike description and you should be able to tell (and if not, contact the hike leader to see if her/his hike is suitable for someone new to hiking). Find a list of our chapters (in Charlotte, the Triad, the Triangle, Western North Carolina and Greenville in North Carolina, and Charlottesville and Virginia Beach in Virginia), and links, here.
2. GetHiking! Fall 2019 Series for Beginners. Need a little more assurance that the hike you’re going on is indeed beginner friendly? Our Fall 2019 Series for Beginners is just that. Every Sunday afternoon beginning Sept. 15 and running through Nov. 17, we’ll meet at 1 p.m. at a different trail around the Triangle for a hike. The fist hike is 1.5 miles, the last is just over 5 (imagine being able to hike 5 miles by Thanksgiving!). And no hiker is too slow: we lead from the back, insuring that no one is left behind. You’ll also receive a guide to 25 places to hike in the Triangle, advice on gear, and a weekly enewsletter with details on the week’s hike and hiking tips. This 10-week series gives all the support you need to become a bonafide hiker. Learn more about the program and sign up here.

Fall is just around the corner. Recapture the fall of your youth by making it a time of renewal and rejuvenation, a time of adventure.

Join us on the trail!

Those GetHiking! links again

For more information about our seven GetHiking! Meetups in North Carolina and Virginia, go here.

For more information on our GetHiking! Fall 2019 Hike Series for Beginners, go here.

Not a beginner?

We’ll be back next week with a look at where we’re headed this fall on hikes for more advanced   hikers. Until then, check out what’s going on with your local GetHiking! Meetup here.

The post Rejuvenate yourself this fall: become a hiker appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

• Deb, who was eager to get her hiking legs prepped for trips this year to Africa and New Zealand.
• Vaughn, who’s committed to five backpack trips in just the first half of the year.
• Linda, a retiree, who’s booked three backpack trips for the first half of the year.
• Susan, who looks for any chance to hike.
• Amy, see Susan, above.
• Alison, who only discovered backpacking two years ago and is already leading trips and teaching backpacking.

So how do you proceed from here, from having taken a short but intoxicating New Year’s Day hike to wherever you’d like your hiking feet to take you?

By enrolling in our GetHiking! Winter Hiking Program for Beginning Hikers. This eight-week program begins Jan. 6 and runs every Sunday through Feb. 24. We hike at different locations around the Triangle for hikes that start at 1.5 miles in length and progress up to 4 miles. We take a leisurely pace — in fact, no pace is too slow because we lead our hikes from the rear, so no hiker ever gets left behind. To further help you develop as a hiker, we send you a weekly enewsletter that includes hiking tips, resources and gear suggestions, as well as a detailed account of that week’s hike. A fast learner (and hiker)? If you discover during the program you’d like to go farther and perhaps faster, you can transfer to our GetHiking! Winter Hiking Program for Experienced Hikers. Start now and by the time spring rolls around you’ll be ready for longer hikes on more challenging terrain. And if you’re perfectly happy with the type of hiking we do in this series, that’s great, too.

We’d love to help you develop a passion for hiking. On the first day of the New Year, a time of fresh starts and new directions, there couldn’t be a better time to join us on the trail. Click the link below for details and to sign up.

Join us

• For details on our GetHiking! Winter Hiking Program for Beginning Hikers and to sign up, go here.
• For details on our GetHiking! Winter Hiking Program for Experienced Hikers and to sign up, go here.

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