It was a late November night in the late 1990s and Alan and I were hiking a stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake. Though we’d been mountain biking at night for two or three years, the notion of hiking in the dark had only recently occurred to us. Making our way through the woods in the quiet of night made us a bit giddy; instead of two guys in their late 40s, we were like a couple of 10-year-olds who’d snuck out of our bedroom windows on a clandestine adventure.

Clandestine, in part, because the end of Daylight Saving Time traditionally meant the end of getting in a midweek hike after work. We were supposed to concede to the night, to restrict ourselves weekend hikes only. We were expected to go into midweek hibernation.

Instead, we were reinventing the notion of winter hiking.

Cone of Solitude

On a night hike, your world is reduced to the 20-foot-or-so beam of light cast by your headlamp. Your world is shrunk to what your lumens can illuminate, and there’s a certain degree of comfort in that. Think of how overwhelming it can be navigating a crowded downtown street at lunch, or making your way through the mall on a Saturday afternoon. On the trail at night, your headlamp reduces your world to an impenetrable fortress. Maxwell Smart had his Cone of Silence, a night hike offers a cone of solitude.    

Another curious thing about your 20-foot world? It actually makes hiking safer. People fear they’ll be stumbling and bumbling down the trail on a night hike, that hiking in the dark isn’t only unsafe, it’s insane. In reality, with your world reduced to the 20 feet of trail in front of you, you’re less likely to be distracted by the visual temptations beyond. At night, it’s almost instinctual that you stop whenever you’re tempted to look off trail. You trip over far fewer rocks and roots in the dark.

That said …

Not every trail is meant for a night hike. Many, for instance, have hours and it’s considered trespassing if you disregard them. Trails that have steep drops or that aren’t particularly well blazed may be off the trail as well: there’s a good deal of looking down on a night hike, making it easy to miss a subtle turn. On a night hike, you stop and take stock of your location, checking for blazes more often than you do during the day. You do a number of things differently on a night hike (for tips on how to best approach a night hike see the link to a post from last year, below).

All of this is why we suggest you tag along with us on our new monthly night hike series, which begins this month and runs through the last week of Standard Time. We know the places that are legal to hike between dusk and dawn, and for the places where it’s not allowed, we get permission. We have extra headlamps, we have extra batteries, and we’ll share some thoughts about navigating at night. If you’re intrigued by the idea of getting in a midweek hike year-round, but are hesitant about hiking in the dark on your own, it’s a good opportunity. 

Besides, when was the last time you snuck out your bedroom window at night to have a little fun?

* * *

Come night hike with us

In the Triangle, we’re about to launch our Fall Night Hikes series, one night hike a a week, most on Wednesdays, at a different spot around the Triangle. It’s a good introduction for the night-hike curious. Learn more and register here.

Learn more about night hiking

Check out our post from last week, Fall on the Trail is even better with a Night Hike,, where you’ll find tips on night hiking, from the gear you need to evaluating a good trail for night hiking, to the assorted benefits of hiking under the stars. Check it out.

Cone of Silence?

See this marvel of Cold War spy technology in action here.

The post Enjoy the solitude of a night hike appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Why?

Because if I kick my day off any other way it doesn’t go as smoothly. Here’s what the routine of that walk, also 45 minutes, does for me:

• Gets my juices flowing. Both physically and mentally there are chemically related things going on that rev our bodies. I can’t readily explain them — but our friends at WebMD.com can; read about here. 
• Gets the day in order. In a previous life, I wrote a daily newspaper column, and I wrote it at 4:30 in the morning, while my mind was blank and before my brain had a chance to get in the way. Same here. Before the clutter sets in, I have a chance to plot the day.
• Establishes a can-do sense for the rest of the day. Though my ramble is rote, I still take satisfaction in the fact I’ve launched the day with a 45-minute aerobic activity. Even — especially! — on a cold morning, even on a drizzly morning. I’ve walked three miles — what else can I get done?
• Sets a healthy tone for the day. If I start the day with a brisk hike, I’m more likely to come home and have a breakfast of yogurt and banana, rather than a PopTart two-pack. That trend carries throughout the day. Part of the reason, in my case, is that I’m an anxious eater and if I’ve worked off some of that anxiety on a walk, that’s one less sleeve of Nutter Butters I’m likely to devour.
• Jumpstarts my energy level. It’s a curious thing that expending energy actually boosts energy. Again, not sure why energy begets energy, but it’s true. Granted, I may end up going to sleep a few minutes earlier by day’s end, but it will be a sound sleep.
• Sets a positive tone for the day. Based on all of the above, how could it not?

And frankly, heading out first — OK, second — thing is no hardship, especially come summer. Two main reasons:

• It’s the coolest part of the day. On a day that could top 90 you might start out in the upper 60s.
• Early morning light. The beauty of which can’t be explained. You simply have to see it for yourself.

That said, the sun rises right now shortly before 6 a.m. Imagine getting a hike in, every morning, before 8.

Try it and you’ll see how easy it is to make a first-thing hike a first-rate routine.

* * *

Hike with us!

Sound appealing but not sure you’ve got the discipline to make it happen on your own, at least not at the start? Then join us on our …

GetHiking! Friday Morning Hike Series. Every Friday morning, starting June 10 through July 29, we hike 3-4 miles starting at 8 a.m. at a different location in the Triangle. Learn more and sign up to join us here.

The post Hiking: The Routine Way to Start the Day appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Poppycock!

It’s simply a matter of where to go, when to go and how to prepare. Our summer hikes include morning and evening hikes to beat the heat, and a Weekend Summer Escape series that includes three memorable weekends of hiking on high country sections of the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

GetHiking! Summer Weekend Hiking Escapes on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail

June 10-12, July 22-24, Sept. 9-11

Spend the summer exploring North Carolina’s statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail with our Summer on the MST Weekend Escape Series. On three weekends, we’ll establish basecamp and hike three of our favorite mountain sections of the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Each weekend escape includes

• Friday evening hike of 3-4 miles
• Saturday hike of around 10 miles
• Sunday hike of about 5 miles
• Camping for the weekend
• Meals, including 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and dinner Saturday evening.
• An eguide for every hike, including important details about each hike (such as trailhead location), route description and custom map.

The summer’s three Weekend Escapes are listed below. Click the link for more info and to sign up.

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

Make this the summer you get to know the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in the mountains!

GetHiking! Summer Hike Series

June – August

Keep hiking through the summer with our GetHiking! Summer Series. The 8 hikes in our series are carefully selected to beat the heat. Some hikes occur late, some early, all, for a variety of reasons are cool. It’s a great way to keep your hiking mojo through the summer months. The hikes are in the 4- to 5-mile range, and are on different trails each week.  The series begins June 7 and includes

• Tuesday evening hikes: June 7, 21; July 12, 26; Aug. 16
• Sunday morning hikes: June 19, July 17, Aug. 7
• Weekly eguide for each hike, including a map, route description, overview of the hike and key details (such as how to get to the trailhead!).
• GetHiking! Guide to Summer Hiking, to help you deal with the heat
• A post-hike frozen concoction

For individual hikers, learn more and sign up here, for couples and families go here.

GetHiking! Summer Wednesday Evening Hike Series

Make the most of your summer evenings with this 10-hike series of weekly Wednesday evening hikes on various trails throughout the Triangle. Hikes are 3-4 miles each, on different trails each week, each well suited for evening hikes. The series begins May 25. This session includes:

• 10 weekly hikes
• Weekly eguide for each hike, including a map, route description, overview of the hike and key details (such as how to get to the trailhead!).
• GetHiking! Guide to Summer Hiking, to help you deal with the heat
• A post-hike frozen concoction

For individual hikers, learn more and sign up here, for couples and families go here.

GetHiking! Summer Friday Morning Hike Series

Make the most of your Summer weekends by starting them Friday morning, with this 8-hike series of wake-up hikes on various trails throughout the Triangle. Hikes are 3-4 miles each, on different trails each week, each well suited for a morning hike, each geared to hikers age 50 and up. The series begins June 3. This session includes:

• 8 weekly hikes
• Weekly eguide for each hike, including a map, route description, overview of the hike and key details (such as how to get to the trailhead!).
• GetHiking! Guide to Summer Hiking, to help you deal with the heat.

Learn more and sign up here.

GetHiking! Summer Hike Series for Clubs/Organizations/Business

If you’ve got a minimum of 8 hikers, we can craft a weekly Spring hike series to suite your needs, from mid-day during the work week, to evenings to weekends. Same as our Sunday series, but set up around your availability.

• 10 hikes
• Built around your schedule 
• $165 for single hikers, $295 for couples and families.
• 8 hiker minimum

For more information, email info@getgoingnc.com 

GetHiking! Piedmont Explorer

Maybe you’re new to the area, or maybe you’ve been hiking in the Triangle for a while and are ready to expand your horizons. With the Piedmont Explorer we take you to nine destinations, each no more than two hours away. Some you may have heard of but haven’t had a chance to visit. Some you may not know at all. All offer great hiking not far from the Triangle.

• 9 hikes
• Second Saturday of every month; most hikes begin at 10 a.m.
• Each hike is $85 for an individual, $135 for couples/families, or sign up for all 9, for $540 ($895 for couples/families), and save 20 percent.
• 12 hiker limit
• The hikes:
  • Morrow Mountain State Park (April 9). For this hike only, sign up here
  • Raven Rock State Park (May 14). For this hike only, sign up here
  • White Pines Nature Preserve (June 11). Registration tba
  • Hanging Rock State Park (July 9). Registration tba
  • Medoc Mountain State Park (August 13). Registration tba
  • Birkhead Mountain Wilderness (September 10). Registration tba
  • Uwharrie National Forest: Uwharrie National Recreation Trail (October 8). Registration tba
  • Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve (November 12). Registration tba
  • Merchants Millpond State Park (December 10). Registration tbas

To learn more and sign up for a Single hiker subscription, go here, for a couple/family subscription go here.

The post GetHiking! Summer 2022 appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Ah, Fourth of July Weekend! The fireworks displays, the Festival for the Eno, the cookout gatherings … .

OK, so maybe we can’t celebrate our nation’s independence the way we usually do. But we can certainly celebrate our independence by getting out and exploring. And this year in particular by doing so in the true American spirit of being a maverick, a lone wolf. Someone who likes to get out and take an adventure of their own. Alone. Or at least six feet from anyone else.

That could be particularly tricky this holiday weekend, when getting out is what’s on just about everyone’s mind. That said, we’re going to build on our advice from back in May, tweaked to reflect the realities of July, about how to enjoy the trail in solitude:

• Avoid peak hours. Don’t go when everyone else is. Umstead State Park, for instance, recommends avoiding the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. That said, most N.C. State Parks open at 8 a.m., a good time to go because the temperature is still relatively cool and, apparently, not that many people are there. At the state parks that have been closing when they reach capacity, most begin blocking the entrance around 10 a.m. Or, go late; again, with N.C. State Parks, most are now open until 9 p.m., some as late as 10. Take advantage of these later hours to get out. Remember to take a headlamp or flashlight.
• Avoid the main trailheads. Find the more remote trail access points to where you’re headed. In particular, look for trailheads that don’t have paved parking, are on gravel roads, don’t begin from a visitor center, don’t have restrooms. Study the map; you can find them. 
• Avoid the main trails. Start from a more remote trailhead and you’ll be on a trail that likely doesn’t get much foot traffic — initially, at least. A lot of these trails will hook up with more popular trails eventually.
• Avoid parks near urban areas. Twelve state parks kept their trails open while the other 29 had to close at the beginning of the pandemic. Why? Because they were in more remote locals. You might want to focus on trails in those outlying parks, which you can find here. Besides, you’ve got the time for a little drive, and there’s some good exploring to be done in these lesser-visited parks.
• Avoid water. If your primary goal is to hike, then avoid trailheads with access to popular watering holes: they will be overrun on what is traditionally the hottest weekend of summer. (The forecast calls for highs in the low to mid 90s.)

Plan it right and you can have a great adventure and celebrate your independence to boot.

Have a great 4th!

The video: Sunrise, Sunset

Today’s video is from Wednesday evening’s Sunrise, Sunset Summer Series hike at Seven Mile Creek Nature Preserve in Orange County. The series celebrates the cooler temperatures of the day and the best light of the season on two sunrise hikes and six sunset hikes. While our Wednesday session, which began this week, is full, spots remain for our Tuesday session, which starts July 7. Learn more and sign up here.

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