There was a peppiness about them, a lightness fueled by the realization that having gone this far and only having 3 miles to go, they were going to finish. They knew what 3 miles felt like, they knew they had it in ‘em. 

What they didn’t know was another 7 miles felt like, and 7 miles, I just realized, was the actual distance we had left. Their leader had advertised a 7.2-mile hike, but their leader had made a slight miscalculation.

 * * *

I started leading hikes a dozen years ago, first as part of a fundraising effort, later as a way to simply get new people on the trail. After years of writing about ways for newbies to get out and explore, now, I was going to take them myself. In August of 2013 we held an introductory meeting for the new GetHiking! program at the Great Outdoor Provision Co. store in Raleigh; that gathering drew nearly 90 people. The following Saturday we held our first hike, on the Company Mill Trail at Umstead State Park. Fifty-five people signed up. 

Part of the program’s appeal was that we catered to beginners: start hiking with us now and come November we’ll have you ready to do complete a 7-mile hike.

That fall we hiked every other weekend, we did midweek, after-work hikes in the early fall that turned into night hikes come November. We hiked the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, along the Eno River, at Hanging Rock, at Harris Lake. By mid-November, the hikers were ready for their test in the Uwharries. Forty-six hikers signed up to hike the Birkhead Wilderness of the Uwharrie National Forest west of Asheboro on Nov. 16, a hike advertised as 7.2 miles long.

The route was one I had done numerous times. It was Hike No. 36 in my 2007 guidebook, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina,” which came out in 2007, it was Trip No. 35 in my “Backpacking North Carolina” guidebook that came out four years later. I’d hiked the route at least twice with a GPS, the distance coming out at a little more than 7 miles both times. It was, I knew, a 7-mile hike — if you started from the Robbins Branch trailhead.

About a week before the hike I was driving back from Charlotte on N.C. 49 when I remembered hearing about a new trailhead opening on the north end of the Birkhead Mountain Trail, off Tot Hill Road. If that was true, it would shave a good 20 minutes off the drive for hikers coming from the Triangle: Tot Hill was just west of Asheboro off 49 — on paved road. Getting to Robbins Branch was trickier, requiring a counterintuitive turn off 49, finding a dusty two-lane called Lassiter Mill, then keeping an eye peeled for the gravel road that quietly came in from the left and lead, over rocky terrain, to the Robbins Branch Trailhead. If the Tot Hill Trailhead and parking were open, that would make the hike so much easier to get to. So I watched for Tot Hill Road, turned, and in less than 2 miles came to a gleaming new trailhead complete with gravel parking lot. It was a good find. It would have been better if I’d parked and taken a minute to hike even a short distance down the trail.

* * *

The beauty of the Robbins Branch Trailhead was that once you finally found it, it was right on the Birkhead Wilderness Loop. Park, pick up either Hannah’s Creek Trail headed east, or Robbins Branch Trail headed north. Both connected to the Birkhead Mountain Trail to complete the 7.2-mile loop. 

When hike day arrived, we gathered in the new Tot Hill lot, discussed the hike, then started hiking south on the Birkhead Mountain Trail. I quickly became engaged in conversation, the time and scenery passed. How much time I wasn’t quite sure when we reached the junction with Robbins Branch, though it did seem like we’ve been hiking for a while. In fact, we’d been on the trail for a good 45 minutes — or 2 miles — and we were just now getting to the route.

But it was a gorgeous fall day and the distraction of crystal blue skies, waning fall color and the bonhomie of my new hiking friends distracted me from facing the truth. It wasn’t until around Mile 4, just past Camp 5, that I began to emerge from full denial; it was another 15 minutes, now on the Hannah’s Creek Trail, that I was forced to come clean.

“Hey, my watch says we’re at mile 7 — we must be near the end,” someone behind me announced. Several hikers whooped in response.

“Well, here’s a funny thing,” I began, then proceeded to explain that I’d failed to take into account the two miles of trail just to get to the actual route.

“So … that means in addition to the extra 2-mile hike in, we have another extra 2 miles headed out?”

“That’s 11 miles,” someone else chimed in.

“More than 11 miles,” added added a third, the “more” delivered in an ominous tone.

* * *

Revenge, as the French saying goes, is a dish best served cold. 

A couple weeks later we were hiking the New Hope Overlook trails at Jordan Lake, a surprisingly hilly 5.4-mile route. We were on the Blue portion of the hike, trudging up a long climb when someone asked, “How much farther?”

“Maybe a mile and a half,” I said.

“Is that in real miles,” asked one of the hikers from the Birkhead hike, “or ‘Joe miles’?”

“Ha ha!” I said. OK, fair enough.

But two weeks later at White Pines, my mileage estimate drew the same response: “Are those actual miles … or Joe miles?” And again the following week at Little River Regional Park, the week after that on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail … . More than 7 years later, 7 years after that one slight miscalculation, I still get that response: Are those real miles? Or Joe miles? 

For the longest time, I tried to keep close track of where we were on the trail and not give an answer unless I knew exactly where we were and how much farther we had to go. Made no difference: the more I tried to defend my estimate, then more Joe miles I got in return. Now when they ask? 

I turn, give a sly grin and answer, “Joe miles, of course.”

* * *

GetHiking! Southeast Podcast: the Uwharries

Intrigued by today’s mention of the Uwharrie Mountains in the Uwharrie National Forest west and south of Asheboro? On this week’s GetHiking! Southeast Podcast we talk with Don Childrey, author of the “Uwharrie Lakes Region Trail Guide.” First published in 1996, it was updated in 2014 and today includes 113 named trails covering more than 215 miles of trail. Better still, it includes 95 multi-day trips. Listen to our conservation with Don here.

GetHiking! Guide to Exploring the Birkhead Wilderness

Check out our 7-page guide to exploring the Birkhead Wilderness, including some off-trail adventure, here.

The post Joe Miles in the Uwharries appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Winter is a season disliked more in anticipation than in reality.

That dislike begins the first day of summer. Though we generally do spend the summer solstice reveling in the most daylight of the year — 14 hours, 35 minutes and 8 seconds — in the back of our minds we know that it’s all downhill from here. The day after the solstice we’ll be down to 14 hours, 35 minutes and 6 seconds, two seconds that we won’t actually notice, but two seconds that we’re shorted all the same. 

Sunlight’s demise continues, a matter of mere seconds a day at first, but by a minute a day come mid-July and two minutes a day by the end of August. Before you know it we’re back to Standard Time and you’re leaving work in the dark.

Meanwhile, something else is happening that puts winter in a new light: perihelion. That’s the point at which Earth’s slightly elliptical orbit brings us closest to the sun. Not appreciably closer, thankfully, or there’d be trouble. But just enough that the sun’s rays are a bit brighter. Coupled with it’s more southerly arc through the sky, an arc that lets sunshine knife sideways through the forest rather than from overhead and you’ve got a winter forest brighter and more vivid than at any other time of the year. Think about it: little if any canopy overhead to block the light, light bypassing what canopy there is by sneaking around the side.

Sunday afternoon we hiked the popular Buckquarter Creek/Holden Mill figure-8 loop at Eno River State Park. About half the hike is along a ridge, the other along the Eno. On the Buckquarter Creek ridge segment I stopped and looked down to the Eno, engorged by two days of rain. It ran fast, it churned, it was alive. A lone canoe made its way cautiously downstream. In summer, the view would have been blocked by green, what chatter there might be from the summer-choked Eno absorbed before it could reach the ridge. The season also let me see across the river to the rise leading up to 690-foot Cox Mountain, the highest point in the park. Climbing the Cox Mountain Trail you get a sense of its nearly 300-foot elevation gain, but seeing it in its entirety you appreciate the rise even more so. 

Later, on the longer climb up Holden Mill Trail the trunks of the mature hardwoods cast surprisingly long, surprisingly distinct shadows across the slope rising up from the river. Along the river, the whitecaps off the roiling water managed to sparkle.

Winter isn’t a season enjoyed exclusively along this stretch of the Eno. Other spots where winter is especially good at working its magic:

• Birkhead Mountain Wilderness of the Uwharrie National Forest, Asheboro. More than once I’ve heard the Birkhead area denounced as “not very intersting.” Try it in winter, when long views expose the ancient mountain chain’s still robust slopes. A particular favorite is the Camp 3 Trail, hiking up from North Prong. It’s a gradual mile-long rise through a nearly all hardwood forest nearly devoid of downfall. 
• Eno River State Park: Pump Station Trail, Durham. This trail is best-known for the sheltered basin it skims, which hosts one of the best spring wildflower shows in the region. In winter, you fully appreciate that shelter, in the form of a steep, wooded rim rising high on its south side. How high is a mystery: you can’t see the top.
• Pilot Mountain State Park: Mountain Trail, Pinnacle. Circling much of the base of the mountain, the southern and western exposures capitalize from the direct, sideways sun to illuminate a hardwood forest dominated by chestnut oak, which can grow to more than 100 feet in height. Another plus: most visitors stick to the top of the mountain, further enhancing the winter quiet below.
• Crowders Mountain State Park: Ridgeline Trail. Like Pilot Mountain, the two “peaks” here — The Pinnacle and Crowders — attract the bulk of the adoring masses. That leaves lots of quiet time on the 6.2-mile Ridgeline Trail linking the main part of the park with South Carolina. As its name suggests, it’s ridgeline passage allows plenty of downslope views, to the north and south.
• Butner-Falls Lake Game Lands, north of Raleigh. When we can’t get to the coast for our fix of flat hiking through wide-open spaces, we head to this 40,000-acre preserve located largely along the north shore of Falls Lake. A network of limited-access dirt and gravel roads take you past open fields of corn and millet and through bottomland forest dominated by elderly behemoths, all under a vast, usually blue, sky.

Winter is here, the anxious anticipation is over. Get out and savor the season.

More info

To learn more about the places mentioned today, click the appropriate link, where appropriate:

• Eno River State Park
• Pilot Mountain State Park
• Crowders Mountain State Park
• Birkhead Mountain Wilderness. Your best bet for navigating the entire Uwharrie National Forest, including the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness, is with the “Uwharrie Lakes Region Trail Guide,” by Don Childrey (Earthbound Sports). Learn more here.
• Butner-Falls Lake Game Lands. Resources for exploring any game lands in North Carolina are limited; generalized maps showing boundaries and access points can be found on the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission web site, here. Because getting around here can be a challenge, we’ve added it to our GetHiking! Winter Wild series of (mostly) off-trail hikes. Our Butner hike is this Saturday (Jan. 11). Learn more and sign up here.

The post Winter: Dread it, enjoy it appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Where? you inquire.

Here are 10 spots where we think you should head based on two things:

1. The temperature. Hike in the mountains and you could be starting out in temperatures in the 40s!
2. Fall color. Hike in the mountains, and high enough in the mountains (above 5,500 feet), and you could see the start of some pretty good color. 

Based on those two criteria, most of our recommendations are all in the mountains. Enjoy!

North Carolina

1. Black Mountain Crest Trail

Mount Mitchell State Park

North Carolina

Might as well start at the top, atop 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, the highest point on the East Coast. Anchoring the north end of the Black Mountain Crest Trail, you can start from the state park’s snackateria and hit several peaks above 6,000 feet and see a good color show consisting of fire cherry, yellow birch, mountain ash and mountain maple. Note: the Crest rail is technically challenging, with mild scrambling in spots. Fortunately, the best view is from the nearest peak: Mount Craig.

More info here.

2. Tanawha Trail / Mountains-to-Sea Trail

Blue Ridge Parkway

North Carolina

The 13-mile Tanawha at the base of Grandfather Mountain is best known for its rocky southern half. But put in at Boone Fork and head north and you’ll spend time initially in a mature hardwood forest, later in small rolling meadows that offer intimate exposure to the Blue Ridge’s less aggressive side. You’ll also find more potential for early color on the northern end. Additional advantage: paralleling the Blue Ridge Parkway as it does, you’ll find it super easy to set shuttles — along the 13.5-mile length of the trail there are 11 access points. 

More info here.

3. Linville Gorge

Pisgah National Forest

North Carolina

One of our favorite hikes in the state, the 2.2-mile trail up to Shortoff Mountain from the end of Wolf Pit Road is a good climb, but pays off in three miles of trail with repeated outcrop views up the gorge, down into the gorge and beyond, to Lake James. On a clear, crisp fall day you may not experience better color. In spots, the gorge rises 1,300 feet above the Linville River (which drops 2,000 vertical feet from the north end to the south), offering one of the most awe-inspiring views in the state. If you’re comfortable hiking in the dark (back to your car) and driving a windy forest service road in the dark, plan to be on Shortoff around sundown for one of the best sunsets around.

More info here.

4. Mountain Trail

Pilot Mountain State Park

North Carolina

Pilot Mountain, with its distinctive knob towering 1,400 feet above the surrounding countryside, is a hot spot when autumn’s colors heat up. Avoid the resulting crowds by picking up the 4.5-mile Mountain Trail from the little-used Corridor Access. The connecting Grindstone Trail takes you to the top, for great views. Another option for avoiding fall crowds: take the new 3.3-mile Pilot Creek Trail, which starts low on the north side of the park and connects with the Mountain and Grindstone trails for a trip to the summit.

More info here.

4. Uwharrie Trail: Sections 3 & 4

Uwharrie National Forest

North Carolina

So maybe you live in the Piedmont and don’t have time to visit the mountains but still want a mountain-like experience: you need to pay a visit to North Carolina’s under-appreciated mountain range, the Uwharries. Located within an hour and a half of Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle, the Uwharries offer peaks reaching 1,000 feet (hey, it’s the Piedmont!) and one awesome view, which you can reach from the Jumpin’ Off Rock trailhead. Take the Uwharrie Trail north following a creek for a ways, then climbing Little Long Mountain for the best view in the Uwharries. Continuing north, it tops out on 1,020-foot King Mountain, the highest point on the Uwharrie Trail. Lots of good fall hardwoods along the way.

More info here.

5. Summit Trail

Elk Knob State Park

Todd

Elk Knob is the perfect early season fall destination. At 5,520 feet, it offers unsurpassed views (nearly 360 degrees), but it’s the view to the north that’s especially captivating in fall. We’ll let the park website explain why: “Elk Knob contains an excellent example of a northern hardwood forest … typically found above 4,000 feet in elevation [are] sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech, and yellow buckeye.” That is, the trees that give forests in New England their vaunted glow. In addition, from atop Elk Knob you can see Three Top and Bluff mountains, Mount Jefferson, Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Mt. Rogers in Virginia and the Iron Mountains in Virginia and Tennessee. And it’s not just the summit: the 1.9-mile hike to the top is one one of the most well-crafted trails around.

More info here.

6. Moore’s Wall Loop Trail

Hanging Rock State Park

Danbury

Mountain-top 360-degree views are few in the Piedmont. At Hanging Rock, you have two. Hanging Rock proper is just 1.3 miles from the Visitor Center, making it a popular choice for the masses who descend on fall weekends. Less popular is the 4.7-mile Moore’s Wall Loop, which, regardless of whether you hike it clockwise (our choice) or counter, requires payment in leg labor for the resulting views. Ah, but what views they are: to the west (Blue Ridge) and north (Virginia’s George Washington National Forest) you can watch the color cascading your way. Or, hiked in late October into November, look south and east to see the Piedmont light up in the distance.

More info here.

Virginia

1. Hawksbill Mountain

Shenandoah National Park

Virginia

At 4,050 feet, Hawksbill is the highest point in the Shenandoah National Park, and thus, presumably, the first place to spot fall color. Take the steep 1.7-mile out-and-back or the 2.9-mile loop trail, from MP 45.6 on Skyline Drive. Connect to the Appalachian Trail to extend your hiking time. The hike is a favorite of our GetHiking! Charlottesville group. 

More info here.

2. Rock Castle Gorge

Blue Ridge Parkway

Virginia

A hidden favorite that’s surprisingly close to the Triad area. Start from the base, at the VA 605 access and get your climbing out of the way early, with a 3-mile hike up the Blue Ridge Escarpment to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here, follow the trail south for 3.5 miles through mountain meadows (the cows are friendly), until a rocky 1.5-mile descent back into the gorge. Your last 2.8 miles is a steady descent on old roadbed along Rock Castle Creek. A 10.8-mile with enough distractions to keep your mind off the fact the elevation on this hike ranges from 1,700 to nearly 3,600 feet. Along the way you’ll pass through rhododendron hells, along a frisky mountain stream, past long-abandoned buildings.

More info here.

3. Peaks of Otter

Blue Ridge Parkway

Virginia

It gets a little crowded, though the challenging terrain thins the crowds on certain trails. In fact, that’s one of the advantages here. Got a mix of hikers in your group? The die-hards head one way, the strollers another. The latter will also appreciate the civilities here: the visitor center, the lodge, the restrooms.

More info here.

4. Mount Rogers

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

Virginia

Mount Rogers and the adjoining Grayson Highlands State Park offer a trip out West in southwest Virginia. Rock outcrops and vast open spaces offer the type of wide-open experience folks head to the Rockies for. The only place you won’t find a view? Atop Mount Rogers, at 5,729 feet the highest point in Virginia.

More info here.

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Especially if you head off the beaten path. 

Now, there are good reasons why that path is beaten. Not everyone is interested in a more raw form of adventure, fewer still are equipped. Whatever innate navigational skills our species may have had have since been relegated to the recesses of our brains in favor of more modern survival skills. Touch typing with our thumbs, for instance.

Relegated, maybe, but not deleted. 

Every year around this time, because the woods become more open and welcoming, we rev up our GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods program. We start with a basic introduction to map and compass and how to use the two in tandem. Then we head down the trail, and off, to match the imagery of wavy topo lines with the reality of a rolling landscape. At some point, those dormant navigational skills are retrieved from deep storage and our students experience an “Aha!” moment. Nothing makes sense, then — well, maybe not everything makes sense, but you can hear the tumblers fall into line. 

Why is this skill important? 

Think about a trail you hike on a regular. Your hike may vary by season, it may vary by time of day and by the weather. But you’re still walking along the same stream, climbing the same long hill, passing the same dilapidated tobacco barn and seeing the same view of the lake. Nothing wrong with this familiarity. But haven’t you ever wondered what lies beyond?

At Eno River State Park in Durham, for instance, the Cox Mountain Trail is a popular hike. It involves crossing a swinging bridge, it follows a rocky stretch of the Eno, and it has some good elevation through a maturing hardwood forest. It all makes for a good hike. Yet when you reach the summit of Cox Mountain, you notice that, to the south, the mountain plateaus for a third of a mile or so before dropping off on three sides. From your park-issued trail map you notice what lies beyond — about 600 acres — is in the park. Since it’s parkland, you figure it’s probably pretty wild (in fact, the tract is known as the Eno Wilderness). The unknown beckons: What’s over there? 

At Umstead State Park in Raleigh you stand on the bridge spanning Crabtree Creek and look downstream. According to the park map there’s a sizable area that, again, isn’t served by trail but must harbor some hidden treasure, right? (Right: a stand of ancient beech trees, a former Civilian Conservation Corps camp, a short-lived Boy Scout camp.)

At Hanging Rock State Park you hear tale of a Cessna that crashed on the mountain more than a half century ago. Where? you wonder. And, Would anything be left after more than 50 years?

Sometimes you need these basic navigation skills just to find the trail. At the coast, in the Croatan National Forest near Maysville you’ll find the Weetock Trail. Well, you’ll find the northern and southern trailheads, both off NC 58, but sometimes finding the 11 miles in between can be a challenge. When blazes abandon you, a map, a compass and a basic understanding of topography can be the difference between a fund day of navigating the woods or an unplanned overnight.

Most people who take our Finding Your Way in the Woods class do so because they simply don’t like the feeling of getting discombobulated in the outdoors. Almost all leave the class with this goal accomplished. But they also leave intrigued by what lies beyond the confines of the blazed trail, by the treasures, natural and cultural, waiting to be found. They may not be inclined to abandon the trail entirely, but they know that if something does beckon from beyond that they can venture a little ways off the trail and find their way back. Navigational skills come in especially handy in this part of the country, where our state parks and our national forests in particular are criss-crossed with long-abandoned wagon roads and cart paths. Crossing one such path in the woods it’s impossible not to wonder where it leads — and where it once led. 

Winter’s the ideal time to find out.

Happy Trails

Joe

GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods

Our basic intro to map and compass course goes over basic map and compass skills, then hits the trail to offer key tips on how to follow and stay on the trail, how to find it again if you stray, and how to explore off trail. We will offer it at least four times in December. Click on the following for more information and to sign up.

• Saturday, Dec. 1, 1 p.m. Umstead State Park, Raleigh. Go here.
• Sunday, Dec. 2, 1 p.m. Haw River State Park: Iron Ore Belt Access, Greensboro. Go here.
• Thursday, Dec. 27, 1 p.m. Umstead State Park, Raleigh. Go here.
• Friday, Dec. 28, 1 p.m. Haw River State Park: Iron Ore Belt Access, Greensboro. Go here.

GetOriented! Intermediate Skills: Finding Your Way on the Weetock Trail

The northern and southern trailheads of this coastal trail are easy to find; it’s the 11 miles in-between that can be a challenge. Armed with maps of the area and our compasses (provided if you don’t have one) on this day-long trek to solve the mystery of the coastal Croatan National Forest’s second longest trail.

Learn more and sign up here.

GetOriented! Winter Wild hike series

We’re especially excited about this new series of winter hikes that will take you off trail to give you a new appreciation of some of the places you most love to hike. Basic map and compass skills will make these hikes more enjoyable, but are not required. Our destinations:

• Umstead State Park, Raleigh, Saturday, Dec. 29, 10 a.m. Objectives: a mature beech grove, the park’s CCC camp, a short-lived Boy Scout camp. 6-8 miles.
• Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury. Saturday Jan. 5, 10 a.m. Objectives: Backside of Hanging Rock, a 1963 plane crash. 7-9 miles
• Eno River State Park, Durham. Saturday, Jan. 26, 10 a.m. Objective: Eno Wilderness. 6-7 miles
• Uwharrie National Forest, Asheboro. Saturday, Feb. 16, 10 a.m. Objective: Birkhead Wilderness. 7-9 miles
• Raven Rock State Park, Lillington. Saturday, March 2, 10 a.m. Objective: The North Side of the River. 8 miles 

To learn more about this series and sign up, go here.

For more information and advice on exploring off trail, check out this blog from 2015.

The post Winter: a great time to stray off trail appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

We’re all about challenges this year, and are keen on the hikes near home that offer good preparation: Lots of distance, with as much elevation as you can find near the Piedmont’s metro areas. Here’s a look at five of our favorite challenging trails.

1.Uwharrie Trail, Sections 4-7 (NC 109 to King Mountain Road/Joe Moffitt Trailhead).

11.4 miles.

Uwharrie National Forest

Asheboro

Point-to-Point (shuttle)

People scoff at the Uwharries — until they hike ‘em. The relic mountain range tops out at just over 1,000 feet, but located as it is in the low-lying Piedmont, that can result in climbs gaining up to 500 vertical feet in a relatively short distance. And on this particular stretch of the Uwharrie Trail, the trail is constantly going up or down. As training hikes go, this is one of the best. You can build up to the whole 11.4 miles by starting with the NC 109 to Tower Road Stretch (6.3 miles), or continuing on to the Jumping Off Rock Trailhead on Flint Hill Road (8.3 miles). This is also one of the rockier trails around. Shuttle required.

2. Company Mill / Sycamore Figure 8

9 miles

Umstead State Park

Raleigh

Figure 8 loop

This trail gets a lot of tough love from backpackers training for a trip to the high country. It doesn’t have the elevation you’ll find in the Pisgah or Nantahala national forests, but the ongoing ups and downs coupled with the distance give you a good workout and a sense of a long miles carrying weight. It’s also a scenic hike. Starting from the park’s Harrison Avenue entrance, the Company Mill Trail crests three small ridges before crossing Crabtree Creek. There, the trail loops; go left(you’ll be returning on the trail to your right) for a short walk along the river before a gradual climb of a mile or so. Cross the bike & bridle trail for more quick ups-and-downs, before transferring to the Sycamore loop at its namesake creek. More up and down and up and down on this 4-mile loop that reconnects with Company Mill for a return with — you guessed it — more ups and downs.

3. Mountain Trail / Ledge Spring Trail / Grindstone Trail

9 miles

Pilot Mountain State Park

Pinnacle

Loop

Experienced hikers tend to shy away from Pilot Mountain in good weather because of the website warning that it can take up to 30 minutes to simply score a parking spot. That, however, is in the main lot, up top. Start from the Pinnacle Hotel Road Access at the base of the mountain and you’ll have your choice of primo spots (and a privy, too!). Start on the Mountain Trail, hiking clockwise, through some mature forest and rock outcrop as you wind your way up the mountain. At the Grindstone Trail, hang a right and then climb, climb, climb to the summit parking area. The Ledge Spring Trail (great views, check out the climbers) returns you to Grindstone, which connects to the Mountain Trail at the ranger office. From there, enjoy a comparatively mellow mile-and-a-half back to the trailhead.

4. Ridgeline Trail / Pinnacle Trail

8.2 miles

Crowders Mountain State Park

Kings Mountain

Point-to-point

One of the advantages here is that on a nice day when the park’s main parking is packed, you can usually find a spot at the remote Boulders Access. From there, take the Ridgeline Trail north over rolling Piedmont terrain to The Pinnacle. Take the spur to the summit, check out the views, return to the Pinnacle Trail and take it to the Sparrow Springs Access and Visitor Center. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, you can return to the Boulders on the Ridgeline Trail, for a roughly 15-mile day. This is a good opportunity to log miles with a weighted pack.

5. Cedar Ridge Trail / Bluff Mountain Trail / Flat Rock Ridge Trail

17 miles

Doughton Park

Roaring Gap

Loop

Our favorite training hike — and yes, it’s technically a mountain hike, located as it is on the face of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. But it’s easily doable in a day from the Triad, Triangle and Charlotte, qualifying it for our purposes. Plus, it’s one of our favorite hikes. If 17 miles seems like too long a distance, consider the layout. You start from the base of the escarpment, from the Long Bottom Road Access, and climb the Cedar Ridge Trail. Cedar Ridge pulls no punches, starting with some challenging switchback climbing. But before you can say uncle, it eases up the remaining ridge to the Bluff Mountain Trail: about 95 percent of your climbing for the day is behind you. Here, go south on the Bluff Mountain Trail (also part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail), which begins in a hemlock woods, then spends most of its time rolling through scenic mountaintop meadows. Another climb or two awaits before you hit the Flat Rock Ridge Trail, which has one short but steep climb initially, but then is a delightful long downhill back to the trailhead. One of the best circuits you’ll do all year.

* * *

Challenge yourself

We’re planning to do several Challenge hikes this year, hikes that live up to the label of “epic.” We launched our Challenge series earlier this month with a series of training hikes that will help prepare hikers for March 10th’s Five Peaks Challenge at Hanging Rock State Park. We’re also looking at a hike in the Shining Rock area of around 15 miles in June and an end-to-end hike of the 13-mile Black Mountain Crest Trail, from Bowlen Creek to the summit of Mount Mitchell, in July. We’re also looking at a hike in the Slickrock Wilderness area of the Nantahala National Forest in late summer/early fall.

We’ll announce dates for these hikes soon. If you’d like to get on our early notice list (each hike will be limited to 10 participants), drop us a line at joe@getgoingnc.com.

Learn more

Learn more about the trails listed above:

Uwharrie Trail: “Uwharrie Lakes Region Trail Guide,” by Don Childrey (Second Edition, 2014, Earthbound Sports).

Company Mill Trail

Mountain Trail

Ridgeline Trail

Doughton Park

Happy trails,

Joe

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