A variety of options await the weekend explorer in North Carolina this weekend. Take note of seasonal changes in a nature journaling class at Weymouth Woods, check out the overwintering bird population on Greensboro’s Lake Townsend, or take advantage of the recent cold snap and Ski North Carolina!

Coast

The natural world is ever-changing. While we may notice the more substantial changes from month to month, the more subtle shifts, from week to week, even day to day, often elude us.

Why?

Because we aren’t paying close attention. That’s part of the goal of the monthly Nature’s Notebook clinics at Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve in Southern Pines. Once a month, hikers head out into this 915-acre preserve known for its stand of regal longleaf pines (but home to more than 1,000 species of plant life), with nature notebooks in hand, to observe and “collect phenological data as part of citizen science and keep a scientific nature journal throughout the year.” The program lasts 90 minutes.

Logistics: Saturday, Jan. 9, 3 p.m., Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. More info here, or call 910.692.2167.

Saturday forecast: High of 62, 70 percent chance of rain.

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Looking ahead: 8th Annual Cold Stroke Classic standup paddleboard competition, Blockade Runner at Wrightsville Beach, Jan. 22-23. More info here.

Piedmont

Come winter, North Carolina’s coast is generally regarded as a haven for snowbirds migrating from the north. We speak of the feathered-and-winged variety, who settle in by the tens of thousands at Pea Island, Lake Mattamuskeet, Alligator River and the other National Wildlife Refuges dotting our coast.

But not all of these seasonals go to the coast. Find out who comes inland at Sunday’s Waterfowl Birding Pontoon Tour on Greensboro’s Lake Townsend. Explore the lake for 90 minutes with a seasoned birder who explains who’s on the lake and why.

Can’t make Sunday’s session? There are five more tours scheduled through March 27.

Logistics: Sunday, Jan. 10, 3 p.m., Lake Townsend, Browns Summit. $7, reservations required as space is limited. More information here, or by calling 336.373.3741.

Sunday forecast: High of 58, mostly sunny.

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Looking ahead: Another seasonal birding opportunity: Winter Birds of the Piedmont, Saturday, Jan. 30, 9 a.m., Falls Lake State Recreation Area, Wake Forest. More info here.

Mountains

Finally, skiing!

The balmy weather that dominated the region for a long while has been chased by a mass of cold air that’s been perfect for snowmaking. As a result, all six of North Carolina’s ski areas will be open this weekend, with bases of up to 56 inches! And it’s not like only a slope or two are open; most had at least half of their mountain open midweek, meaning there’s a good chance they’ll be running full throttle come the weekend.

Get the latest snow reports from SkiSoutheast.com.

Logistics: Your best bet for up-to-date reports from North Carolina’s — and the Southeast’s — ski areas is through the aforementioned SkiSoutheast.com.

Weekend forecast: Warming, but the base will already be down.

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Looking ahead: Frostbite 5K, 10K, Feb. 21, Fletcher. More information here.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

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Venture forth. And good luck.

Coast

It’s early in the season, you’ve been cooped up by the weather and haven’t had a chance to get many miles in. Still, your competitive side is yearning for a race. If only there were a non-timed, not-so-competitive trail race, perhaps on terrain I’m not familiar with … .

As luck would have it, this is your weekend. Saturday, the NC Rainbow Run will take place at Old River Farms in Burgaw, not far from Wilmington, closer still to the Holly Shelter Game Land. The course meanders through this working farm, which has an emphasis on herbs, vegetables and flowers, is put on by the Hoggard High School (Gay-Straight Alliance), and benefits the Open House Youth Shelter of Coastal Horizons.

Logistics: Saturday, March 7, 9 a.m., Old River Farms in Burgaw. Race fee: $15-$35. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 55, sunny.

Piedmont

Tuesday, a couple hundred people crammed into The Frontier in Research Triangle Park to check out the Triangle Land Conservancy’s Wild Ideas for Getting Outside symposium: five speakers discussing the great opportunities to explore in the Triangle, 20 local outdoor groups participating in the Outdoor Expo that followed.

To hold such an event and whip people into a frenzy of what they could do without actually letting them do it, would be inexcusable. So the Triangle Land Conservancy wisely designated Saturday as Wild Ideas Goes Outside Day, for the purpose of letting all those stirred up adventure hormones loose. Eleven events total, including paddle trips, hikes, birding expeditions, bike rides and more. The weather looks promising Saturday, you’ve got your pick of events.

Logistics: Triangle Land Conservancy’s Wild Ideas for Getting Outside, Saturday, March 7. For a complete rundown of the 11 events scheduled, head here.

Saturday forecast: High of 52, sunny.

Mountains

North Carolina’s ski areas have likely benefited the most from the recent run of intense winter weather, and SkiSoutheast.com reports the regions slopes are in great shape in early March. Great conditions won’t last forever, take advantage while you can.

Logistics: For the latest ski conditions in the Southeast, check here.

Weekend forecast: Sunny skies, highs in the mid- to upper-40s.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

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Coast

At the coast this weekend we’re looking at temperatures in the upper 40s on Saturday, possibly hitting 60 on Sunday, under mostly sunny skies. Looking a little further ahead, we see a high of 71 forecast for Wilmington on Tuesday. Is warm weather really on the horizon? If so, it might behoove you to get in a hike while the weather remains on the cool side (suppressing the bug and serpent populations) yand the sun appears to be a reliable companion.

Logistics: Lots of great hikes at the coast. We recommend the trail networks at Carolina Beach and Goose Creek state parks, the 20-mile Neusiok Trail in the Croatan National Forest mid-coast, and while this is in Virginia, it’s just barely: the extensive ditch trail network in the Great Dismal Swamp.

Weekend forecast: High in the upper 40s Saturday, near 60 Sunday (at least in the Wilmington area).

Piedmont

Two, four, six, eight,

How much snow do we anticipate?

The dart boards for our regional meteorologists have been especially ellusive this week. Tuesday’s snow overstayed its expected welcome by four hours, and it’s anybody’s guess what tonight holds in store. Tonight’s expectation has been narrowing, however: it’s more likely that we will see snow as opposed to other forms of wetness, and, again based on a forecast that presumably becomes more reliable as zero hour nears, there will be a fair amount of it (Two? Four? Six? Eight?) Couple that with forecast highs in the 30s for the next few days and whatever falls will likely stick around for a while.

Read a good book this weekend? you’re guessing. Nope, embrace a rare local opportunity to hike in the snow. The trails should be snowpacked with a minimal amount of overnight melt, meaning a good pair of hiking boots with new tread should be sufficiently grippy. If you’re concerned, swing by our favorite outfitter and pick up a pair of Yaktrax. Your biggest challenge: getting to the trailhead.

Logistics: Hard to say how North Carolina’s State Parks will fare after this storm. However, for the past two weeks they’ve done a great job of opening as quickly as possible after our numerous weather events. And, they’ve done a good job of keeping folks up on the latest at their website, NCParks.gov.

Weekend forecast: Highs in the upper 30s to 40, with rain possible Sunday.

Mountains

The mountains are getting snow, too. Between the real stuff and temperatures consistently cold enough to make snow, downhill skiing is an obvious choice. But a half foot or more of natural snowfall means cross-country skiing is a possibility. Didn’t know you could do that in North Carolina? Read on to find out everything you need to know.

Logistics: Learn everything you need to know about cross-country skiing, including where to go and where you can rent skis, at our GetGoingNC Guide to NC Cross-Country Skiing. Should you opt for the downhill variety, consult SkiSoutheast.com for regional conditions.

Weekend forecast: Saturday is your day to go, with temperatures remaining in the 30s and sunshine.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

The post This weekend: Go with the snow appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Like a little history with your hike? Saturday, at Carolina Beach State Park, Chris Fonvielle. history professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, will discuss the role that the park’s Sugarloaf Dune played in the Civil War.

If you’ve yet to visit Carolina Beach State Park, this is a good opportunity to remedy that situation. The 55-foot dune provided a natural watchtower for Confederate troops to watch for Union ships attempting to enter Wilmington via the Cape Fear River. This was especially important considering — well, that’s why you should attend the hike: you may know how this story ends, but Sugarloaf Dune plays a key role in the plot.

Logistics: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2 p.m., Carolina Beach State Park, Carolina Beach. The program is free, but space is limited. Reserve your spot by calling 910.458.8206.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 46.

Piedmont

Looking for a hike but not sure what kind? Do you want a real challenge? A mellow ramble? Something in between?

The Piedmont Hiking and Outing Club has all your bases covered this weekend. For those looking for a long but not-too-taxing hike, PHOC will be hiking 8 miles on the Lake Townsend Trail in Greensboro on Saturday, and 7 miles on the Laurel Bluff and Reedy Fork trails, also along Greensboro’s watershed lakes, on Sunday. Looking for a little more elevation? How about 11 miles Saturday at Hanging Rock? And if you’re looking for true adventure — and have crampons — the club will be doing a 13-mile assault on Mount Mitchell on Saturday.

Read on for more information.

Logistics: All of these hikes are detailed at the PHOC online hike calendar, which you can find here.

Weekend forecast: For the Triad area, high of 47 both Saturday and Sunday, clear Saturday with a chance of rain Sunday. For Mount Mitchell on Saturday, high of 42 and mostly sunny.

Mountains

If you’ve been bemoaning the cold, perhaps you haven’t been looking at it in the proper perspective. Let the cold work for you.

If you were a skier or snowboarder, you’d be appreciating the cold, especially going into this weekend. There’s a chance of light snow throughout the weekend in much of the high country, but more importantly it will be cold, allowing for continued snowmaking. SkiSoutheast.com reports conditions are already excellent at North Carolina’s ski areas and will only get better as the cold continues. As of Thursday, for instance, Sugar Mountain reports 20 of 21 slopes open, Ski Beech reports all 15 slopes open, and App reports all 12 of its slopes open.

Logistics: Check SkiSoutheast.com for the latest conditions.

Weekend forecast: Daytime highs in the mid to upper 30s, overnight lows in the low 20s. Chance of light snow.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

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The post This weekend: Hike a hill at the coast, ski one in the mountains appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Saturday, will be cool (50s) and rainy in the Piedmont. If you’ve got stuff you need to get done (yardwork excluded), this would be the day to get it done because —

Sunday will be dry, sunny and cool (50s) in the Piedmont. Sunday could also be your last chance to catch good fall color in the region. Wondering where to go?

* NCHikes November hike recommendations. NCHikes.com, our sister site, has just posted its six recommendations for hikes especially suited to November. Why November? You’ll have to go here to see. www.nchikes.com
* BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina Health & Wellness Blog recommendations, Piedmont. Earlier this month we recommended five hikes in the Piedmont with great color and minimal crowds. Check ‘em out here.
* BlueCrossBlueShield of North Carolina recommendations, Coast. On Wednesday, we recommended five hikes at the Coast that should be starting to pop. Check those out here.
* GetGoingNC. Earlier this week, we posted five short urban walks/hikes where you’ll find good color. Revisit that post here.
* Great Outdoor Provision Co. Online Hiking Guide. If a hike close to home is a priority there’s a good chance you’ll find one on the Great Outdoor Provision Co. Online Hiking Guide, which we collaborated on. Find that guide, with 55 hikes near the state’s major metro areas, here.

One last reminder that winter weather is hitting the high country starting tonight. That means:

* Drop the ropes! One or two ski areas could open. With as much as 10 inches of snow forecast for higher elevations, and snowmaking-friendly cold temperatures, we might see two north North Carolina ski areas in operation (at least briefly). SkiSoutheast.com will keep you updated on the situation, as will the two areas most likely to open, Cataloochee and Sugar Mountain.
* Travel may be affected. Snow will close the Blue Ridge Parkway, check its status here. Check road conditions on North Carolina roads and highways here.
* North Carolina State Parks at higher elevations may be affected. Check NCparks.gov before heading out.

Have a swell weekend!

The post Last call for fall, weekend winter advisory appeared first on GetGoing NC!.