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!.

But, a mile down the trail, I noticed the steady buzz of happy hiker chatter. Our more experienced hikers had adopted the newcomers and were making them feel at home. When we finished our four miles and returned to the trailhead, it was near dark and the temperature was rapidly dropping, yet no one was in a hurry to leave. The conversation continued another 10 minutes or so until we had trouble seeing one another. I knew the newcomers would be back.

Since the launch of GetGoingNC a decade ago, our goal has been to get more people moving, primarily through hiking. 

Our overriding goal has been to make hiking attractive to people who

• have little outdoors experience and may be intimidated by the very thought of heading into the woods;
• are worried that they’ll get lost in the wild; and
• don’t want to hike alone, but don’t want to head out with strangers with no guarantee that they won’t be left behind.

We address all three concerns by offering beginner-friendly options and by making sure there’s always a hike leader at the back of the pack — even if there’s only one person “leading” the hike. (Yes, leading from the rear sounds odd, but it works.)

In addition, on this site and in our weekly enewsletter, we provide guidance in the form of tips, recommended resources, gear suggestions and more. We realized these tips, resources, and recommendations — gear and otherwise — were scattered over a decade’s worth of blog posts (1,600!) and the enewsletter. We decided it would be good and helpful to collect this information into a concise guide.

So we have compiled all those beginner-friendly tips in one handy resource, the just-released “Let’s GetHiking! A Comprehensive Guide for the Aspiring Hiker.”

We’ve kept it short — 55 pages covering 18 topics ranging from “Am I Too Old?” to “10 Essentials for Your Pack” — so you can spend less time reading and more time hiking already. The topics address what we’ve found to be the main concerns newcomers face when they show up for their first hike with us. Of course, we’re always glad to answer questions on the hike, but we know that it can be reassuring to show up for that inaugural run with a sense of what to expect.

For those of you who are already experienced hikers, we’ve got books for you as well (see below). Also, you may have friends who are hiking-curious, but perhaps you don’t want to strain your friendship by taking them on their first outing (Remember when you started and learned that hiking miles were longer than sidewalk miles? And you might’ve wanted to whine a little?) Remain on speaking terms; give them a copy of “Let’s GetHiking!”

And then follow up by pointing them toward the Hiking for Beginners hikes (link below). Or just forward this enewsletter to them. 

We look forward to hiking with you all soon!

Happy trails,

Joe

For the beginner

“Let’s GetHiking!: A Quick and Comprehensive Guide for the Aspiring Hiker,” 2019. Interested in becoming a hiker (or even just taking a hike) but aren’t sure where to start? “Let’s GetHiking!” succinctly answers the basic questions any first timer has — from what to wear and what to take to, “Is it OK to go alone my first time?” (short answer: no). We make quick work of your queries because we know you aren’t here to read, you’re here to hike! Learn more and purchase a copy here.

For the experienced hiker

“Backpacking North Carolina,” 2011, UNC Press. A collection of 43 of GetBackpacking!’s favorite backpack trips in North Carolina. Includes maps, navigation information (including water sources and camping spots), and trip highlights. Learn more and purchase a copy here.

“100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina,” 2007, Mountaineers Press. GetHiking! regulars will recognize some of the hikes in this collection, but we’re pretty sure they’ll find some they don’t recognize. Great hikes at the coast, in the Piedmont, and in the mountains. Learn more and purchase a copy here.

“Adventure Carolinas.” 2014, UNC Press. Expand your horizons with this examination of some of the other outdoor adventures to be had in the Carolinas: rock climbing, mountain biking, flatwater paddling, whitewater paddling, scuba diving, downhill and cross-country skiing, and more. Learn more and purchase a copy here.

Hiking for beginners

We still have a few spots open in our spring Intro to Hiking series, which includes eight 2- to 4-mile hikes on Sunday afternoons from March 17 through May 5 at different locations around the Triangle. Learn more and sign up here.

The post Hey, aspiring hikers! ‘Let’s GetHiking!’ appeared first on GetGoing NC!.