True, the color change is yet to be pervasive. But there are a handful of places where you can get a feel for fall hiking right now. Today, we share some of our favorites. Most make the list because they’re along water, where fall color tends to first become evident. Some make the list because they have plenty of edge forest, where color also tends to pop early. All but one is in the piedmont — and the one that isn’t is pretty darn close. 

We use a bulleted, quick-hit format to share our findings. The less time you spend sifting through words, the more time that’s left for hiking. 

Falls Lake State Recreation Area

Durham, Wake counties

• Mountains-to-Sea Trail
• 60 miles of trail tracing the coves ducking in and out of this man-made lake.
• 14 access points, which stretches ranging from just under a mile to not quite 7 miles. Shuttles are easy to set up.
• Recommended stretch: Red Mill Road to Red Mill Road, 4.9 miles. Spends a little time on the north end along Falls Lake, spends a lot of time throughout clinging to edge forest. Very few hikers, making it and ideal hiking spot during the popular fall hiking season.

Details here

Greensboro Watershed Lakes

Greensboro

• Mountains-to-Sea Trail
• 42 miles of trail
  • Some multi-use, mostly the trail along the south shores of the lakes
• 14 access points
• Recommended: Piedmont Trail, 3 miles (one way), from near Strawberry Road, along north shore of Lake Brandt. Another generally quiet stretch of trail in fall, with constant exposure to Lake Bryant.

Details here

Lake James State Park

Nebo (Morganton)

Fonta Flora State Trail

• 30+ miles of trail
  • Some multi-use
• 3 access points
• Recommended: Fonta Flora State Trail leading east toward Morganton (it’s eventual destination to the east; to the west, it will extend to Asheville). Highlight: Right outside the park, the trail passes through the Fonta Flora Brewery!

Details here

Smith Mountain Lake State Park

Huddleston, Va

• 15 miles of trail
  • Some multi-use
• 8 access points
• 500 miles of shoreline (much of it, however, is private)
• Recommended: Striper Cove Trail, 3.1 miles, nearly all along the lake.

Details here

Lake Norman State Park

Troutman (Charlotte area)

• 38 miles of trail
  • Some multi-use
• 3 access points
• Cove hiking
• Recommended: Lake Shore Trail, 5 miles, most along coves

Details here

Moses Cone Memorial Park

Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 294 (near Blowing Rock)

• 25 miles of trail
• Access from the Manor House up top and Bass Lake at the base, in Blowing Rock
• Wide, smooth carriage trail paths
• Recommended: Bass Lake (bottom), Flat Top (top)

Details here

The post 6 Hikes for Early Fall Color appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Today’s 90-Second Escape: Ski Moses Cone

Last week’s cold made me nostalgic for the winter sports. Friday’s light snow got me to thinking about one of my favorite winter sports, one that doesn’t cost much but does require snow in quantities exceeding 6 to 8 inches: cross-country skiing.

There wasn’t enough from Friday’s weather event to actually go cross-country skiing, but there was enough to get me of a mind to go virtually. Thus, I’ve pulled a slide show from one the best cross-country ski trips I’ve taken, to Bass Lake and Moses Cone Park, in 2011.

Enjoy.

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The post 90 Second Escape: Ski Moses Cone appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

North Carolina has a spotty record when it comes to cross-country skiing. There are no givens in the state; that is, no places such as West Virginia’s White Grass touring center, which gets 160 inches of snow a year, enough to warrant 50 kilometers of trail, some of it groomed. At best, North Carolina has Roan Mountain, which gets about 100 inches (but is a bear to get to when it snows); much of the rest of the high country is lucky to get half that much in a season. But on those rare occasions when the minimal 6-8 inches fall, it’s worth the effort. Here’s a quick cross-country primer:

Ski rentals

Far as we know, only one shop in North Carolina rents cross-country skis, the Pineola Inn & Ski Shop in Pineola (it’s on U.S. 221 south of Blowing Rock). Skis rent for $18 a day, lessons are available for $40, $25 if you have a group. Obviously, when the conditions are as good as they are now, the skis are at a premium. 828-733-4979, or check out their Web site.

Places to ski

Old roadbeds (or, in the case of the Blue Ridge Parkway, new ones) make great cross-country ski trails. The minimal canopy allows the snow to reach the surface and pile, and because they are old road beds, chances are the grades aren’t severe. Thus, any hiking trail you’ve hiked that’s an old roadbed is likely a good cross-country trail. That said …

• Moses Cone Memorial Park With 25 miles of maintained carriage paths, this Blue Ridge Parkway venue is among the state’s most popular when there’s snow. Popular, too, because even if the BRP is closed (see below), there’s access from Bass Lake in Blowing Rock. Here’s a trail map.
• Blue Ridge Parkway With a minor exception or two, the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway — 252 miles of which is in North Carolina — isn’t maintained in winter. That means when it snows, the road is closed until the snow melts. And that means some long pulls on the Nordic skis. Check out the National Parks Service Web site for navigational help.
• Roan Mountain A favorite of more experienced skiers, in part because of the elevation (Roan tops out at 6,285 feet), in part because of the exposure and views (skiing atop three balds) in part because of the more intense climbing required. Hit Roan on a good day, though, and it’s a memorable experience.
• Beech Mountain Beech is know for being the home of the highest downhill ski area in the East, at 5,506 feet. But according to HikeBeechMountain.com, many of the town’s hiking trails double nicely as cross-country routes. Topping the list: the 4.5-mile Westerly Hills Trail, which takes in old roadbeds originally “roughed in for development.”
• Boone If road conditions are dicey and you’d like to avoid as much mountain driving as possible, check out the greenway trail in Boone. It may total just under 4 miles (3.84), but if you’ve never been on cross-country skis, prepare to have your sense of distance rescaled. (Read: Cross country is a solid full-body workout.)
• Mount Mitchell State Park / Commissary Ridge Trail This old roadbed runs just below the crest of the Black Mountains, the highest mountain range on the East Coast. The views of the South Toe River Valley below are stellar, there’s just one catch: Mount Mitchell is accessed off the highest section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a section that is frequently closed due to weather.  When there’s enough snow to cross-country ski, there’s more than enough to close the BRP.

Ski conditions

The trickiest part of cross-country skiing if you don’t live in the mountains is finding out the current conditions. Because there is no organized cross-country ski industry, there is no apparatus for getting daily updates. Thus, your best bed is word-of-mouth passed along by locals who happen to drop by their local outfitter and comment on the conditions. Not very scientific, not especially reliable, but better than nothing. A few numbers to call:

• Pineola Inn & Ski Shop Pineloa. 828.733.4979. The aforementioned lone-renter of cross-country skis in the state gets better feedback during prime conditions, such as these.
• Footsloggers, Blowing Rock. 828.295.4453. This popular mountain outfitter is a mile from Bass Lake and the Moses Cone trails. More importantly, the staff is well-connected, gets out a lot and is eager to share information.
• Footsloggers, Boone. 828-262-5111. The Boone store is bigger than its Blowing Rock satellite and has a broader geographic reach.
• ExploreBooneArea.com 828-266-1345. This arm of the Watauga County District Tourism Development Authority promotes the Boone area, and since the Boone area is all about outdoor adventure, it’s a primo source of information. Has one of the best rundowns of cross-country venues going.
• SkiSoutheast.com Is mostly about downhill skiing, but includes a helpful rundown of cross-country trails in North Carolina and throughout the Southeast.

Road conditions

You’re driving in the mountains in winter conditions. Two numbers you need to know:

• North Carolina Department of Transportation Find the latest on road conditions statewide online through NCDOT’s Traveler Information Management System or by calling the 511 Information Line.
• Blue Ridge Parkway Check the latest weather-related closures by calling (828) 298-0398; check for long-term construction and maintenance closures here.

Weather

Two good sources for checking the high country forecast:

• Ray’s Weather Regional service considered the most on-spot and detailed in the high country. Not as viewer-friendly as most weather sites.
• Weather Underground Good for a quick-hit glance at the forecast.

The post A timely (hopefully) return of our cross-country ski guide appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Think this weather is for the birds? Well … you’re right. It may seem cold to you, but for hundreds of thousands of birds from more northerly climes, North Carolina’s coast is to them what Florida is to humans. That makes this time of year ideal for getting out in the wild for some birdwatching. Here are three programs this weekend where you can go out with trained naturalists and learn just who likes to spend their winter at the coast:

Saturday
8:30 a.m., Merchants Millpond State Park, Gatesville.
9:30 a.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills.

Sunday
3 p.m., Goose Creek State Park, Washington.

Piedmont

The NHL All-Star game is in Raleigh this weekend, but with the possible exception of baseball, all-star games are rarely about the sport. They’re about the pomp, the pageantry and the multitude of ways to attract tourist dollars associated with the sport. In the case of this weekend, though, there’s also lots of hands-on potential for the active among us. Among other things Saturday in downtown Raleigh you can go down a giant sledding hill, ice skate or learn how to play hockey.

Intrigued? Some if it’s free, some of it not. Learn more here.

Mountains

Blowing Rock’s Winterfest, which begins today and runs through Sunday, isn’t so much outdoor-activity driven (unless you’d care to participate in Saturday’s Polar Plunge in Chetola Lake) as it is the perfect event for mixed relationships — “mixed” meaning those consisting of someone who loves to get out and sweat and someone who loves to get out and shop. While the shopper is guzzling free hot chocolate downtown, shopping ‘til dropping at The Tanger Outlet and wine tasting, the sweater can slip up  the road to Moses Cone Park for some hiking (or cross-country skiing), head over to Appalachian Ski Mountain for some snowboarding or do any number of the other high-country related activities you can do nearby.

The shopper can go here for more on Winterfest. The sweater is advised to check in at the Footsloggers on Main Street, where they’re always happy to make suggests on what you might do and where you might do it.

Photo: Come look for the yellow-rumped warbler Sunday at Goose Creek State Park.

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Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

The post This weekend: birds, pucks, a mixed getaway appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Weather.com and Weather Underground both see snow starting in the Boone area Friday and lasting at least through Wednesday of next week. The omnipotent Ray’s Weather, the definitive source for mountain weather, is likewise suggesting snow for the next week, and says some higher elevations could get a foot or more alone out of the system moving through today and Saturday. Along with the snow: dang cold temperatures, possibly not getting out of the 20s for much of the next week.

All of which couldn’t be better news for North Carolina’s cross-country skiing enthusiasts. If you have your own equipment, great, you’re ready to role. If you need equipment, the High Country Ski Shop in Pineloa is the only place in the state that rents or sells Nordic equipment, and even during the height of December’s cross-country frenzy, they still had plenty of skis available. (They also offer instruction.)

To further whip you into a frenzy, check out this slide show from my trip Dec. 29 to Moses Cone. Located just outside Blowing Rock, Moses Cone Memorial Park is an ideal venue for beginners to intermediates. Its 25 miles of carriage trails have mellow grades and enough tree cover to minimize the bare spots. On my visit, there were only two bare spots on a 6-mile loop, neither more than 20 feet long. For the most part, it was a foot or so of dry snow, ideal for cross-country skiing.

A couple quick reminders before the show. One, check out last month’s GGNC primer on x-country skiing in the state to find out where to go and who to check with for both snow conditions and road conditions before heading up. Of the former, ExploreBooneArea.com is running a Nordic Ski Report, which relies on reports from local skiers for current conditions. As such, you’ll get frank descriptions of what you’ll find.

OK, enjoy the show. May it inspire your own Nordic adventure.

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