What’s up in the GetHiking! and GetExploring! worlds this week and beyond
GetExploring! Greenway Bike and Brew
GetExploring! Greenville
When: Thursday, June 30, 6 p.m.
Where: Five Points, 5th and Evens, Greenville
The Bike and Brew is back! This time it’ll be an evening Bike and Brew on Greenville’s greenway system.
We’ll meet at the Five Points parking lot at 6 p.m. We’ll ride from the Five Points parking lot to the start of the greenway at Town Common. We’ll ride along the greenway, through ECU’s campus, and back to Five Points. After the ride, we’ll head to Winslow’s for a drink!
We ask everyone who participates to wear a helmet. Bring plenty of water as well!
Hike leader: Andrew and Lindsey
More info here
GetHiking! Summertime Fitness Hikes
GetHiking! Charlotte
When: Saturday, July 9, 8:30 a.m.
Where: Crowders Mountain State Park, 522 Park Office Lane, Kings Mountain
Got a summer vacation hike you need to train for? Our summertime fitness hikes are designed for all fitness levels; hike at your own pace, cover as much distance as you like. “Whether your goal is to become stronger, fitter, faster, or simply to get in a mile or two before lunchtime, you will enjoy these hikes!” promises hike leader Lisa.
Hike leader: Lisa
More info here
GetHiking! Southeast’s Classic Hikes: Standing Indian Area
GetHiking!
When: Saturday, July 8 thru Sunday, July 9
Where: Standing Indian Recreation Area, Nantahala National Forest
Our third Classic Hikes weekend trip takes us to the Standing Indian area west of Franklin for two days of hiking. Saturday, from the group campground, we’ll hike up the Kimsey Creek Trail to Deep Gap and go north on the Appalachian Trail. Views abound, especially from Standing Indian Mountain overlooking the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, one of the biggest expanses of undeveloped forest in the Southeast. We return down Lower Ridge Trail, for a total distance of 11 miles.
Sunday, we will do a loop in the Sassafras Ridge area of about 5 miles.
This hike is part of our 2016 GetHiking! The Southeast’s Classic Hikes series, sequel to 2015’s inaugural GetHiking! North Carolina’s Classic Hikes series. This is a fee program.
For more information and to sign up, go here.
GetHiking! Trading Boots for Boats
GetHiking! Triangle
When: Saturday, July 23, 9 a.m.
Where: Beaverdam Recreation Area of Falls Lake, Wake Forest
Every once in a while we need a change of pace. Ironically, while we will be trading hiking boots for paddling boats, the pace remains about the same — 2 to 3 miles per hour. Anyway …
We’re partnering with the folks at Frog Hollow Outdoors for a morning on the water at Falls Lake. Got your own boat? Swell, bring it. No boat, we’ve arranged for you to rent one through Frog Hollow.
We’ll be paddling a remote wetland area of the lake, an area verbotten to power boats.
Trip leader: Anne
More info here
Gear, Tips, Resources
Gear: Ogosport Ogodisk Mezo 15
You get into camp early, set up your tent, get everything settled — then realize you’ve got 5 hours of daylight left. Such is the case hiking during the long days of summer.
What to do with that extended daylight?
Try packing these Ogosport Ogodisks. You can play by your lonesome, play with a hiking buddy, play with your dog (though no guarantees on getting the fluffball back).
Check the Ogodisks in action here; look into scoring them here.
Tip: Training for the Big Hike
Got a hike vacation coming up and worried that you won’t be physically ready? Outdoor Project has you covered with a 10-week training program that involves starting with your ultimate goal and working backward. Using their example, say your goal is to hike the 11 miles from Paradise Park to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood, an elevation gain of 2,300 vertical feet. Under this plan, you would work backwards in weekly increments of 10 percent, for both distance and elevation. In Week One, you would hike 4.2 miles and gain 800 vertical feet; Week Two, you would hike 4.7 miles and gain 900 vertical feet, and so on.
Get a better sense of how to set up your own 10-week training program for your summer hiking goal by visiting Outdoor Project, here.
Resource: Summer hiking tips
How do you survive the summer heat on the trail? And the crowds that flock to high-altitude cool spots such as Shining Rock and the Smokies?
Prof. Hike from backpacker.com offers some tips, here.