Coast

You’ve heard the phrase, “Once in a Blue Moon,” referring to something that doesn’t happen often? Well, the event for which the idiom is named is happening this Friday, and Halyburton Park in Wilmington plans to take advantage of it with a Blue Moon Kayaking Adventure.

Shoving off at 5 p.m. from River Road Park, the paddlers will make their way to Shark Tooth Island, returning under the aforementioned blue moon at 9 p.m.

So what is a blue moon? In this context it’s when two full moons appear in one month, the later moon being the blue moon. And how rare is it? The next one won’t occur until 2018.

Logistics: Friday, July 31, 5 p.m., River Road Park, Wilmington. $45 if you need a boat, $35 if you bring your own. For more info and to preregister, go here.

Friday evening forecast: High of 87 at 5 p.m., chance of thunderstorms.

* * *

Looking ahead: Think you’re a pretty good beach volleyball player? Make plans to drop by Carolina Beach on Saturday, August 8, and catch the action at the Carolina Beach Pro-Am, featuring some of the best players around. More info here.

Piedmont

Bummed because you live in the Triad and you just read about the Blue Moon Kayak Adventure in Wilmington, which is just a bit too far a drive?

Does driving to Greensboro’s Lake Townsend sound more doable?

Then you’re in luck, because Greensboro Parks & Rec is also sponsoring a blue moon paddle, this one from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday evening. Not only do you get to paddle under this rare full moon, but you’ll enjoy the cooling temperatures of the day as well.

Logistics: Friday, July 31, 8-10 p.m., Lake Townsend, Greensboro. $15 for a single, $22 for a tandem, $8 to launch your own craft. More info here.

Friday evening forecast: Clear skies, high at 8 p.m. of 80.

* * *

Looking ahead: Really bummed because you can’t even make Friday night’s Lake Townsend paddle and the notion of a night paddle is really appealing? Worry not, Greesnboro has additional paddles planned for its watershed lakes on August 5, 12, 19 and 26. More info here.

Mountains

We couldn’t find any Blue Moon Night Hikes scheduled for the mountains, which leads us to suggest a DIY night hike from one of the best and most accessible spots for wide-open sky viewing: Shining Rock, in the Pisgah National Forest.

The Shining Rock area is known for its high, open expanses, which you can reach quickly from the parking lot (which itself is reached quickly off the Blue Ridge Parkway). Our suggestion: from the Black Balsam Access parking lot, go just past the gate on the Ivestor Gap Trail, take the Art Loeb Spur, on your right, up a half mile or so to Black Balsam and an ocean of open sky.

Logistics: To get to the Black Balsam Parking area, exit the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 420, on FS 816. Drive about a mile to the Black Balsam Parking area. Follow the trail instructions above.

Friday night forecast: Clear, temperature in the low 70s.

* * *

Looking ahead: Here’s the thing about signing up for a race early: pay the fee and there’s a much better chance you’ll train for the event. That said, registration for the Nov. 7 20-mile Shut In Ridge Trail Run opens Saturday. An especially good race to train for, since it gains 5,000 vertical feet on the way from the French Broad River to the base of Mount Pisgah on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Register here.

* * *

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

The post This weekend: In a blue moon appeared first on GetGoing NC!.