Tag Archives: October

Fall is near; Have you a plan?

Fall, the best time of year to be on the trail, is around the corner. Are you ready?

I don’t mean do you have your gear ready: Rather, do you have your plan of attack in place?

Not to put too much pressure on the fall hiking season, but there is a fair amount of pressure to make the most of the next three months. Sure, spring has its obvious pluses — wildflowers, warming temperatures, rebirth — and winter has its subtle charms. But face it, the combination of a retreat from sweltering temperatures, low humidity, crisp blue skies, and fall color make this the best season to hike in the Southeast. read more

October: made for hiking

Mount Jefferson (photo courtesy N.C. State Parks)

Some rue the passing of summer, some despair over the approach of winter.

Others — hikers — revel in the fact it’s October.

With cooling temperatures, generally sunny skies, dry air and the natural world in transition, it’s hard to imagine a better time to be on the trail. Early in the month, the change begins on mountain peaks above 5,000 feet. As the days progress, the palette of autumn slowly descends — 4,000, 3,000, 2,000 feet. Finally, it reaches the Piedmont. And by the beginning of November it’s at the coast. read more