The essay that tipped my decision was the Introduction, in which writer Ross Gay recounted some of his favorite trees, from “the chokecherry tree in Verndale, Minnesota, where my grandpa parked his hospital-green ’68 Chevy pickup,” to “the beech tree in Vermont I met on a night hike two summers back.” That night hike tree reminded me of the imposing white oak that once appeared out of nowhere on a favorite night hike of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. And that got me to thinking about some of my other favorite trees.

Cottonwood along Cherry Creek on the outskirts of Denver. Although I was just 7 or 8, this sprawling giant struck me first for its grandeur, then for its escape. Cottonwoods typically grow along water in the arid West; this one was along Cherry Creek as, at the time, it made its way northwest into Denver (the tree was later annexed and is now in Denver). It was no more than a half-mile from our house, yet it was an eternity away. It’s grandeur was heightened by the treehouse 10 feet up in its lowest branches: forbidden fruit for a chubby and fearful prepubescent. Eventually, though, I overcame the fear, if not the weight, to become a regular visitor. Initially, I was lured by the sweeping views from 10 feet up; soon, though, I discovered the real reason the treehouse was so popular: the stash of Playboys purloined by one Curt Bowen from his father’s collection.

White Oak atop Medoc Mountain. Typically, we associated summits with views. In the case of Medoc Mountain State Park, topping out on the 300-foot peak where the rolling Piedmont meets the flat coastal plain means an audience with a stately white oak. Part of its impressiveness is the surprise that a grand oak stands amid slowly maturing hardwoods. Age — losing a limb here and there — has diminished the oak’s presence. But to us old-timers in particular its sight still signifies the accomplishment of bagging the highest peak in Halifax County. 

The long-gone loblolly at Umsteadl. I must have hiked the Company Mill Trail at Umstead State Park 50 times between 1992 and 1996, yet every time the appearance of an abnormally large loblolly in a ravine about 5 miles in took me by surprise. Loblollies are revered by timber-types for their sprint to maturity, typically going from sampling to sawmill in about 40 years. I have no idea how old this one was, but its girth and height (I couldn’t even see where it topped out) were roughly twice that of its contemporaries. The last time I saw it was on September 3, 1996, two days before Hurricane Fran hit. I wanted to witness the before-and-after effect of a hurricane; it was substantial. It would be 9 months before that part of the park would reopen. When it did, I discovered that mighty loblolly, and most of its neighbors, were kindling.

The pin oak out back. A tree needn’t be a looker to hold a special place. I’m reminded of this every time I walk out the back door and see the giant pin oak standing guard over our backyard. A lone branch hangs too low, the next one up is dead and needs to come down. Smaller dead offshoots are scattered throughout. This tree has likely been here since the house was built nearly a century ago, and I can’t help but think it’s played a role in the structure’s survival. It blocks a brutal late day sun in the summer, serves as a windbreak from storms blowing in from the west, and likely protects us in ways unseen. And it does so without complaint, about the ivy growing up its trunk or the mass of brush crowding its base. The tree deserves more than just admiration; it deserves an arborist.

Doughton Park’s lone tree. The first time I saw Doughton Park’s lone tree I wasn’t sure what I was seeing. It was a good half mile off, lonesome atop the crest of a mountain meadow. A hiker — albeit a really big one? A camel (ditto)? A tree simply didn’t register. What kind of tree grows on its own in an otherwise well-forested part of the country? And why? I still don’t know, for the allure of this tree is from a distance. And even though you eventually pass this tree — the Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs within 20 feet — by the time you get there you’re distracted by another of Doughton’s beauties: more meadows, the endless sky, the isolated rock outcrops. Maybe next time I’ll remember to slow down and take the time to get to know this loaner. Or at least get its name.

The post These are a few of my favorite trees appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

In case you missed the weekend, here’s a look at how ours went: specifically, our Sunday GetHiking! hike at Medoc Mountain State Park.  And when you’re done kicking yourself for not taking advantage of this incredible, vow not to let it happen again. In fact, vow to not let it happen despite the fact we are heading into the busy holiday season. Because really, there’s no reason not to get out, especially since we’ve put together a holiday hiking package that includes 16 hikes in November and December on various days (and nights of the week): Sunday afternoon, Tuesday night, Friday morning — even a couple of Wednesdays at the end of December. You’ve got a free minute? We’ve likely got a hike planned. 

Check out our GetHiking! Through the Holidays program here for single hikers, here for couples and families.

The post Monday, Monday! Keep hiking thru the hectic holidays! appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

A person could get used to this weather, no? Temperatures in the 70s, sunny skies, crisp, dry air … . Just the incentive for getting out in the wild. We have some thoughts on the subject of where you might explore this weekend — and suggestions for where you can find more options. Just be sure to get out and enjoy!

Ranger-Led Hike on the Renovated Nuwati Trail, Saturday, 1-4 p.m., Grandfather Mountain State Park, Banner Elk. Storms a year ago put the hurt on trails throughout the high country, including those at Grandfather Mountain. The Nuwati and Cragway trails in particular were hammered, forcing their closure while they could be rerouted. That process has been completed, and Ranger Musumarra will be leading a hike on the new trail Saturday afternoon. Sturdy footwear, snacks and water are advised, as is clothing appropriate for the weather, which as of late Thursday was looking cool (low 60s) and sunny. Learn more here.

Wolf Rock Hike, Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap. At Stone Mountain State Park, Stone Mountain gets all the attention: it’s always “Stone Mountain this,” and “Stone Mountain that” … . Honestly, you’d think the park’s other mountains might develop a complex. Not Wolf Rock, another extensive slab surface which is accessed via a gradually climbing trail and offers great views to the north and west. About 3 miles hiking total, bring water and snacks. Learn more and sign up here.

Full Moon Hike, Sunday, 8 p.m., Medoc Mountain State Park, Hollister. If you’re one of those types who seeks to squeeze every last minute out of the weekend, then check out this last-call hike at Medoc Mountain State Park northeast of Raleigh. In fact, head up early, while the sun’s still up, and check out the park’s 10 miles of mostly gently rolling trails before hiking under the lights (those lights being the headlamps you provide). If you’re going, please let Heidi know by calling 252.586.1770. Learn more about the hike and the park here.

GetHiking! this weekend

What are our GetHiking! groups in North Carolina and Virginia up to this weekend? Plenty, thanks for asking … .

GetHiking! Charlottesville: Appalachian Trail to Rt. 60, Saturday, October 12, 8 a.m., Fontaine Research Park, Charlottesville. Strenuous. 11-miles. Hike highlights: Appalachian Trail, Cow Camp Gap Shelter, Cow Camp Gap. Learn more here.

GetHiking! Charlotte: Crowders Mountain Figure Eight, Saturday, October 13, 8 a.m. Crowders Mountain State Park, Kings Mountain. 8-miles through the peaks of Crowders Mountain and Pinnacle Mountain. Learn more here.

GetHiking! Charlottesville: Cole Mountain Hike, Sunday, October 13, 9 a.m., Barracks Road Shopping Center, Charlottesville. Moderately Strenuous. 6-mile hike leading up to the peak of Cole Mountain. Learn more here.

GetHiking! Triangle: Sunday Morning on the MST, Sunday, October 13, 9 a.m., Bayleaf Church Road, Raleigh. Moderate. 5.8-mile hike through flat terrain and cool air. Learn more here.

Live the video

The Wilson Creek area on the southeast flank of Grandfather Mountain doesn’t get near the attention you might expect, what with its view-giving cliffs, its ubiquitous waterfalls, it’s multiple pools. Learn about this awesome area, much of which is a Wilderness Study Area, and plan your own visit, starting here.

More weekend options

Looking for more options for weekend adventure? Check out our GetOut! Find An Adventure resource page here.

The post GetOut! Your Friday Nudge for Weekend Adventure appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

I’ve hiked, biked or run at Umstead more than 2,000 times since. While I have flash memories of several of those visits, it’s that first day in the park that bubbles to the top. That sense of discovery, the notion that a playground so vast could be right in my own backyard still makes me smile.

It’s a feeling we’ve all had, the feeling that makes us open to exploring new places. It’s a feeling we hope to share with you through our new Piedmont Explorer hiking series.

Piedmont Explorer is a series of monthly hikes designed to take you to places you may not have hiked — yet.

Medoc Mountain State Park, for instance. This 2,300-acre park is less than an hour and a half from the Triangle, and it’s got just about everything you look for in a hike. Its 10 miles of hiking trail (with another 10 miles of multiuse trail) wanders along the banks of Little Fishing Creek, tops a bluff 80 feet above the creek, climbs 160 vertical feet up mighty Mount Medoc (325 feet), and takes you back in time, to a Boy Scout camp dating to the 1920s, as well as through the first attempt in the New World at developing a vineyard (the park is named for the Medoc province in France, located in the Bordeaux wine country).

We’ll be hiking Medoc Mountain this Saturday. Here’s where else we’ll be hiking the first half of the year:

• Raven Rock State Park along the Cape Fear River near Lillington (February)
• Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center in the coastal plain just east of I-95 (March)
• Hanging Rock State Park north of Greensboro (April)
• Uwharrie National Forest southwest of Asheboro (May)
• Little River Regional Park on the Durham/Orange county line (June)

Some of these spots you’re probably familiar with. Hanging Rock, for instance, is on nearly every hiker’s list. But have you hiked it on trail that eschews the crowds yet still takes in the park’s sweeping views and intimate waterfalls? Likewise with Raven Rock State Park: lots of folks have descended the 135 steps down the park’s 150-foot namesake cliff face overlooking the Cape Fear, and we’ll do that, too! But have you experienced the serenity of the Campbell Creek Loop Trail as it makes its way through a mixed forest of pine and hardwood down to Lanier Falls on the Cape Fear, then back along mountain like Campbell Creek.

Some you may not know. Like the Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center, home to a swampy area of the Neuse River known as the Let’lones? Or Little River Regional Park, in perhaps the most hilly region of the Triangle. Or even the Uwharrie National Forest? There’s a National Forest in the heart of the Piedmont? Get out!

Hikes in the Piedmont Explorer series are typically in the 5- to 6-mile range. Our goal isn’t to march you down every trail. Rather, we want to expose you to the highlights of each area, to pique your interest. We want to get these spots on your radar for future adventure. Most of all, we want you to experience the thrill of discovery.

Join us as we explore the Piedmont.

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More info

• For more on the Piedmont Explorer series and to sign up, go here.
• For additional information on our other hiking and backpacking programs, explore the GetHiking! and GetBackpacking! categories on this page.

The post Piedmont Explorer: the thrill of discovery appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Have you been wondering how to combine your love of music, your paddling and Halloween? Probably not. But if you have, consider Saturday’s Spooky Sound PaddleFest 2015 in Wrightsville Beach.

Music: the event is sponsored by, and benefits, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. Paddling: the event itself is a non-competitive paddle open to canoes, kayaks, standup paddleboards and “other non-motorized craft,” starting and ending at Wrightsville SUP, with a turnaround at Palm Tree Island. Halloween: it’s on Halloween, with awards for best costume and strangest craft. If living to you requires a paddle in your hands, then this looks like a good way to launch your Halloween celebration.

Logistics: Spooky Sound PaddleFest 2015, Saturday, Nov. 31, 10 a.m. (check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., clinics and demonstrations at 9 a.m.), Wrightsville SUP, 96 W. Salisbury St., Wrightsville Beach. $15 ($5 for raffle tickets).  More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 69.

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Looking ahead: 5th Annual Surf to Sound Challenge, Nov. 6-8, Blockade Runner, Wrightsville beach. More info here.

Piedmont

Another thought you may or may not have pondered: as you’re walking down a trail, have you ever wondered about all the living creatures, flora and fauna, visible and non, around you?

Saturday at Medoc Mountain State Park near Hollister (which is northeast of Louisburg, which is not far from Wake Forest) follow a ranger on a 1.5-mile hike along Bear Swamp Creek to learn what’s in the creek, what’s along the creek, and what’s all the way up to the adjoining ridge … . Really, to learn about everything around you. Or as much as you can learn in an hour or so.

Logistics: Bear Creek Swamp Hike, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2 p.m., Medoc Mountain State Park, Hollister. Free. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 64.

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Looking ahead: Eno Quarry History Hike, Eno River State Park, Saturday, Dec. 26. More info here.

Mountains

Or, perhaps you’ve wondered if it’s possible to co-celebrate cycling and Halloween. Yes, Casper, it is possible. If you don’t mind heading to the high country.

The Asheville area has two such celebrations Saturday. Saturday morning, there’s the Bookwalter Binge Charity Gran Fondo in Black Mountain, with ride options of 30, 62 and 83 miles, while Saturday evening it’s the 9th Annual Asheville on Bikes Pumpkin Pedaller, a 9-mile ride in downtown.

Intrigued? Learn more in this article by Karen Chavez of the Asheville Citizen Times.

Logistics: Both rides are Saturday; again, for details consult Karen’s article, here.

Saturday forecast: Partly sunny with a high of 62, dipping down to 50 for the evening Pumpkin Pedaller

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Looking ahead: Naturalist Niche: Survival Skills, Saturday, Nov. 21, Chimney Rock State Park. More info here.

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

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The post This weekend: Trick or treat? Pedal or paddle? appeared first on GetGoing NC!.