I didn’t have to think long: the mountain portion of the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Now, I hike the MST nearly every day, since I can pick it up a couple blocks from my front door in Hillsborough. And while I never tire of this stretch, nor of the other 120 miles I hike with some frequency through the Triangle, there’s something about the MST’s nearly 350-mile run through the mountains that’s especially enchanting — and diverse, capturing both the rugged beauty of the Southern Appalachians and its moments of intimate calm. Here’s a look at three favorite sections, all along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Waterrock Knob to Pisgah Inn

63.6 miles

I fell in love with this stretch in an unexpected way: by getting lost. I was leading a hike here a decade ago where we inadvertently veered off the MST on its way through the Middle Prong Wilderness. Down, down, down, we went — and, subsequently, back up, up, up after encountering a foursome that assured us we were on the wrong trail. I loved the wild nature of this section, one of the rare untamed stretches of the MST as it passed through un-blazed wilderness. Then, magically, crossing into the Sam Knob/Black Balsam area, which was a bit more civilized, as it made its way through balsam woods on its way to Graveyard Fields and Yellowstone Prong, then escaped that popular area by crossing US 276 and dipping over the south side of the Blue Ridge escarpment above Pink Beds and on to Mount Pisgah. Great views and classic high mountain terrain, then long stretches of escape with no other hikers in sight. 

Beacon Heights to Trout Lake

20 miles

This is the glitzier stretch of the 90-mile run the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail refers to as The High Country. From Beacon Heights at Milepost 305.2 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the trail wastes no time delivering what you came for, passing through a dark evergreen forest, over a bridged waterfall, then under that engineering marvel, the Linn Cove Viaduct. You’re on the southeast flank of Grandfather Mountain, a tumble of rock and verdant hardwoods with a curious “Appa-tropics” feel. You’ll gain elevation and find yourself atop the Rough Ridge rock outcrop, with views and plenty of spots to stretch out and enjoy them. Descend to the Rough Ridge parking area, then head through an intimate forest of towering hemlock and hardwoods. Marvel at the quiet; “marvel,” because you’re not more than a half mile from the Parkway on this hike. You’ll emerge into small mountain meadows, you’ll follow rough-and-tumble Boone Fork, where you’ll need to navigate a ladder or two. Cross Boone Fork on a footbridge, make a steep climb, then descend to the dark green waters of Trout Lake.

Doughton Park area: South Laurel Fork Road to Devils Garden Overlook

18 miles

Most folks would say the highlight of this stretch is the roughly 2 miles through mountaintop meadow at Doughton Park, where you can see in all directions, a rarity in North Carolina hiking. And it is pretty special, especially the view from the Wildcat Rocks Overlook just down from the old lodge. From it you can look nearly straight down the Blue Ridge Escarpment to the tiny Caudil Cabin below, further down the Basin Creek valley, and on to the Piedmont beyond. But it’s the more subtle, subdued stretches that I find especially appealing. You cross the Parkway several times, and there’s a run-in with minor civilization. But for the most part the trail makes its way through woods undisturbed for more than a half century. You may not come away with searing memories of specific scenery, but you’ll definitely find the sense of serenity that drives so many of us into the woods. 

All 347.4 miles of the mountain MST are worthy of exploring this summer. But if you don’t have that kind of time, these three sections provide a worthy snapshot. 

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Explore with us!

You didn’t think I’d explore these sections on my own and leave you behind, did you? This summer, our GetHiking! Weekend Escapes will focus on the three sections mentioned above. For each Weekend Escape, we’ll do a short hike Friday evening, spend the day on the trail Saturday, and do a short-ish hike Sunday before heading out around 1 p.m. Each Weekend Escape is camping based, but if you’re not a camper, worry not: each basecamp isn’t far from roof-over-head lodging. Each escape includes breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning, lunch Saturday and Sunday, and dinner Saturday night. Here’s a quick description of each hike; click the link for more info and to sign up.

• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Doughton Park, June 10-12, 18 miles of hiking. Go here.
• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Mount Pisgah, 22.5 miles of hiking, July 22-24, go here.
• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Price Lake, 20 miles of hiking, Sept. 9-11, go here.

Explore on your own

If you’re interested in exploring these sections on your own, you’ll find helpful information for planning your hike at the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail website. Click the appropriate link.

• Segment 2: Waterrock Knob to Pisgah Inn 
• Segment 5: The High Country (including 90 miles from Beacon Heights to Devil’s Garden Overlook). Find descriptions of 18 day hikes here.

The post This summer, hike the mountains of the MST appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

I’ve stopped at the Pisgah Inn, bought the obligatory Moon Pie at the Country Store, hiked the Mountains-to-Sea Trail which runs past Pisgah. Every time I’ve stopped, spent a moment staring at Pisgah and it’s monstrous metal topper and thought, “Nah.”

But two weekends ago I was passing by, had some time on my hands and thought, “What the heck.”

The trail to the summit is only a mile and a half long (though it does gain 712 feet of elevation, most in the last mile. For the most part — for the first 1.49 miles — it’s a lovely hike. This time of year you hike through tunnels of blooming rhododendron and mountain laurel, with a carpet of wildflowers at your feet. An occasional break in the canopy affords a peek at the surrounding Pisgah National Forest.

Then you hit mile 1.49. Round a bend and —

Whoa!

“It’s something, isn’t it?” said Christine. Christine and Cindy constituted the Mount Pisgah Welcome Wagon. As they stopped for lunch they had situated themselves so they could catch the initial look of horror as hikers caught sight of the horror.

“Boy howdy!” I agreed. I stood and stared at the thing, this massive metal structure more than a football field high reaching into the stratosphere. A sign advised hikers to “Keep Off Tower.” I grew dizzy straining to see the top. I steadied myself against one of its metal legs and tried to look even higher.

“You know, the real view is that way,” Cindy finally said, a touch of annoyance in her voice.

“I think it’s disgusting,” she finally said, trying to break my spell.

“I know,” I tried to explain, “but in a fascinating way. It’s like a bad car wreck. You shouldn’t, and yet you do.”

Years ago I climbed my first 13,000-foot peak in Colorado. As we approached the summit, we could hear people — a lot of people — and music: on the other side of this “remote” peak were a half dozen jeeps and their inhabitants, partying. We had climbed for five hours, they’d driven 30 minutes. That was disgusting. This was beyond the pale. It was even more ridiculous than the “massively ugly” (Fodor’s words, not mine) condo atop Little Sugar Mountain. Who thought this was a good idea? (The U.S. Forest Service, the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Interior, it turns out.)

I joined Cindy and Christine for lunch, and we had a thoughtful conversation about the outdoors; I think I’d convinced them that I wasn’t some dig-we-must, development-at-any-cost, tree-feller. Until they got up to leave.

“Oh, oh!” I said, reaching for my camera. “Do me a favor before you leave!”

Christine shrugged. “Sure.”

“Take my picture with the tower?”

* * *
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Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease the transition, every Monday we feature a 90 Second Escape — essentially, a 90-second video of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s not under a fluorescent bulb.

Today’s 90-Second Escape: The Winter Hike.

For the last couple weeks we’ve been having trouble letting go of fall. Then, this weekend, we hiked the Mile-High section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail between Mount Pisgah and Black Balsam, and now we’re ready to embrace winter. Our 18.5-mile hike was a challenge, but it reminded us of the joys of winter hiking: the silence, the views, the cold, the stark beauty of a naked forest. Take 90 seconds to hike with us and you’ll be ready for winter, too.

The post 90 Second Escape: The Winter Hike appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

You could explore standup paddleboarding at Wrightsville Beach this weekend, you could take a  yoga hike near Charlotte. Or, you could join us on a GetGoingNC/NCHikes-sponsored, day-long hike along the mile-high portion of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail through the Pisgah National Forest.

Coast

You keep hearing about standup paddleboarding,  you keep meaning to find out more about it. You won’t find a much better opportunity than Saturday’s NC Surf to Sound Challenge & Paddleboard Expo In Wrightsville Beach. On tap: a pair of races — Elite & Intermediate Standup Paddling categories — and a Waterman’s Expo from noon to 6 p.m. featuring products, supplies and accessories for water sports including SUP, surfing, kayak, fly fishing, sailing, boating, and much, much more! (Sorry. Got carried away with our used car salesman pitch there.)

The Expo is free, ya gotta pay to race. More info here or by calling 910.256.2545. And for a refresher on what standup paddleboarding is about, go here.

Piedmont

Yoga Hike: sounds a little … off, at first. But if you think about why you hike (in part, to free your mind) and why you do yoga (in part, to free your mind), well … .

Judge this combination for yourself Saturday at 10 a.m. at Latta Plantation Nature Center when yoga instructor and Carolina Mountain Club member William DeGrauw leads a yoga hike through the 1,351-acre preserve. The hike, according to the sponsor, will “begin and end with a yoga sequence and incorporate poses along the trail as we stretch our body and mind.” Sounds good. “Further explore the fundamentals of meditation and mindful meditation as we discover the change of seasons within ourselves.” Huh.

$10. 704.8751391 to register, go here for more information on the Mecklenburg County preserve, at 6211 Sample Road in Huntersville.

Mountains

Thirty miles of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail — in the mountains — in one day? Who in their right mind would organize a trip like that?

That would be me. On the heels of two 28-mile Ultimate Hikes in the past month and a half, the urge to go long remains. So Saturday, at least three of my long-hiking brethren — Robert Williams and the Jons Cochran and Holiday — and me will set off from the Pisgah Inn and hike west to Bearpen Gap on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. You’re welcome to come along.

This is a scenically stunning hike. There’s high ridge hiking, there’s waterfall hiking, there’s Graveyard Fields, there’s a brush with the Shining Rock Wildneress, a climb through Black Balsam, and a nice stretch through the Middle Prong Wilderness. Much of the hike is above 5,000 feet; it tops out just below 6,214-foot Black Balsam Knob. And the forecast for Saturday couldn’t be better: a low of 41, daytime high of 55 and nothing but sun.

If you’re not up for all 30 miles, feel free to meet up with us along the way. The route follows the Blue Ridge Parkway, which offers several meeting points. By my rough estimate, we’ll pass just south of Wagon Road Gap around 8:15 a.m., Tunnel Gap at 9:30 a.m., hit the Black Balsam Forest Service parking area around 11:30, cross NC 2:15 around 1:30, emerge at Haywood Gap around 3 and finish up at Bearpen Gap around 5. (Follow along using the Trails Illustrated Pisgah Ranger District map from National Geographic.) If you’re interested in meeting up with us, leave a message below and I will make arrangements to put you on our contact list.

Scenic hike, great weather — it’s a can’t miss. And if you can’t make it, you can hike vicariously: I’ll be Tweeting along the way, where cell coverage allows; follow along at JoeAGoGo.

* * *

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.

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