Our next adventure: Medoc Mountain State Park
Our next adventure is a hike at Medoc Mountain State Park on Saturday, Sept. 5, in which —
September 5!? You scheduled a hike on Labor Day weekend? It’ll be a zoo!
It may be a zoo most places, but for reasons of geopolitics and subtle geography, it will be tranquil business as usual at Medoc Mountain. Located off the beaten path west of Roanoke Rapids and where the Piedmont fades into the coastal plain, this 2,300-acre sylvan playground has more than 10 miles of hiking trail (and another 10 of equestrian trail) taking you from Little Fishing Creek to the 325-foot summit of Medoc Mountain.
If your goal is to get away from the maddening crowds Labor Day weekend, your goal should be this hike.
Learn more and sign up at our GetExploring! Greenville Meetup page.
And if you’ve got your calendar handy, here’s our schedule for fall:
- Mountain Bike at Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills, Saturday, Sept. 26.
- Hike at Umstead State Park, Raleigh, Saturday, Oct. 3.
- Paddle at Devil’s Gut, Jamesville, Saturday, Oct. 10.
- Bike and Brew, Greenville, Saturday, Oct. 17.
- Hike at Raven Rock State Park, Lillington, Saturday, Oct. 24.
- Hike at Goose Creek State Park, Washington, Saturday, Nov. 7.
Last week’s adventure: Tranters Creek paddle
Sunday, our GetExploring! Greenville group paddled Tranters Creek west of Washington. The weather cooperated for a day on the water: it was warm and sunny. Reports trip leader Andrew: “We started at Mason’s Landing and paddled up Cherry Run.” The group was able to paddle about a mile before the intimate creek grew too intimate to paddle and it was time to retreat.
“Along the way we saw lots of turtles and herons,” says Andrew. “Once we got back to Tranters Creek, we paddled upstream to the Tranters Creek Campground, then headed back downstream to Mason’s Landing.”
Gear of the week: Pearl Izumi EM Trail N2 Running Shoes
For the next few weeks, our gear recommendations will come from Lindsey and Andrew in Great Outdoor Provision Co.’s store in Greenville. Their suggestions result from planning for their upcoming through-hike of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, scheduled for this fall. This week: Pearl Isumi EM Trail N2 Running Shoes.
We’re opting to wear trail running shoes instead of traditional hiking boots because they’re faster and lighter. Medium cushion makes this a great option for high mileage. Comfort straight from the box means no break-in time. This shoe has a low 4mm drop (the difference in height from the heel to the toe), which encourages natural running/walking motion. The outsole features big lugs for lots of traction! $120.
Tip of the week: Seize the moment
Meaning the fading moments of summer. If you haven’t looked up lately, Labor Day weekend is right around the corner and with that, the return to the more diligent routines of work and school.
But you still have time to get in an adventure or two before summer cedes. We share some thoughts on how and where you can do this on our blog. Check it out, starting here.
Resource of the week: Finding fall mountain hikes
As fall approaches, our thoughts return to hiking. And with the season’s changing color, we think of heading to the hills. A good online source for mountain hikes is HikeWNC.com, which has a pretty sizable database of hikes. Another great online source: the Carolina Mountain Club website, which keeps all the vitals on its favorite hikes (and they’ve been exploring for over 80 years). As for written hiking guides, well, I’m partial to two: “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina” (2007, Mountaineers) and “Backpacking North Carolina,” (2011, UNC Press), which has 43 trips, many of which can be done as long day hikes.
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Comments? Suggestions? Deep thoughts? Touch base at gopc101@greatoutdoorprovision.com.