When Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina last September, we were awed by the destruction. How would places such as Lansing and Chimney Rock and Marshall, to name a few, get back to a semblance of normal?
Normal may still be a ways off in some cases, but the recovery has been remarkably swift. From what I’d seen of Hot Springs, a town that I’ve been leading hiking trips to for years, I was certain it could be years before we would return to hike on the Appalachian Trail, which runs through downtown.read more
Panthertown Valley near Cashiers in western North Carolina has been called the Yosemite of the East. Even its most ardent supporters will acknowledge that’s a bit of a stretch. Which isn’t to say it’s not a memorable place to explore.
At just 6,311 acres, this pocket of the Nantahala National Forest is full of great views, numerous waterfalls, and mountain streams noted for their trout. It also has 30 miles of trail to help you see it all. It may not be Yellowstone; rather, it’s a microcosm of what Yellowstone is known for. It’s also one of the most ecologically diverse areas of the country.read more
What’s more important to nurturing Mother Earth than anything?
Water.
So in a way, it’s appropriate that we shall spend Earth Day this year getting drenched. A week of sun, a day of rain: What better prescription for the planet we love?
That being the case, instead of kvetching about our plans for tomorrow — which is Earth Day, btw — on the verge of being rained out, we instead make the most of what, in Mother Nature’s view, is a good thing, we make the proper adjustments. In our case, that means tweaking the Year of the Trail Weekend Trail Days Festival we’ve been planning with the city of Eden, the county of Rockingham, and the Dan River Basin Association over the past eight months. (“We” incidentally, being the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Hometown Strong initiative, of which I am employed.)read more
Weekend trail festivals — a weekend devoted to all things trails — are great fun. Trouble is, what trail festivals there are in the area — AT Trail Days in Damascus, Va.; NC Trail Days in Elkin — are few and far between.
Until this year.
This year, as part of North Carolina’s observance of Year of the Trail, among the hundreds of Year of the Trail events are 11 weekend trail festivals. Most will follow this format:read more
