GetHiking! on Thanksgiving Day!?
Various North Carolina State Parks (see below)
When: Thursday, Nov. 26.
We have no hikes planned for Thanksgiving Day. That’s not to say we don’t plan to hit the trail. We just plan to hit it with someone else taking the lead.
Fortunately, North Carolina’s State Parks is stepping in with six hikes planned for Thanksgiving Day. The basics follow; click on the link above for specifics.
- Raven Rock State Park, Hike for Your Health, 9 a.m.
- Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Thanksgiving Day Discovery Hike, 10 a.m.
- Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Nature Hike on Old Oak Trail, 10:30 a.m.
- Grandfather Mountain State Park, Thanksgiving Day Hike on the Profile Trail, 11 a.m.
- Eno River State Park, Forest Bathing / Nature Hike, 1 p.m.
- Carvers Creek State Park, Gobbles and Wobbles, 2 p.m.
This week’s adventure: Tie one on
Do you have difficulty tying one on? A fly, that is. On a rod.
Then you should come to our Greenville store at 530 Greenville Blvd SE on Thursday at 7 p.m. for our free Fly Tying Clinic. One of our in-house experts will show you the basics and share a trick or two.
No gear or tying materials required, but do come prepared to take notes.
Sign up here.
Gear of the week: $10 Gizmo headlamp
You didn’t intend to be on the trail after dark. Who does when you set off at noon on a 5-mile hike? But then you got distracted by a trail you hadn’t noticed before, were wowed by the scenery, then before you knew it, the sun was setting and you were, what, 3 or 4 miles from the car. (Curse the end of Daylight Saving Time!) You have a good idea of how to get back. Now, if you could only see your way down this rocky and rooty trail.
Today, you have no reason not to, not with the number of ridiculously inexpensive LED headlamps on the market.
Starting Thursday, Nov. 19 and continuing for a week, we’re offiering the Black Diamond Gizmo headlamp for $10 a piece. 3 SinglePower LEDs, 35 lumens at max setting (options include strobe and dimming), uses just two AAA batteries. It’s light and simple, meaning fewer things
can go wrong. Makes for either a good main headlamp or a solid backup.
Learn more about the Gizmo here.
Tip of the week: In winter, too much is never enough
“Does everyone have enough food?” I asked. There was a general chuckle. “We’ve got more than enough food,” someone replied.
That was the correct answer. In fact, especially as winter approaches, as the days grow colder and daylight diminishes, you should have more than enough food. You should also have one more fleece layer than you think necessary, an extra hat, gloves, socks, water and an extra one of just about everything else you stuff in your pack for a day hike. Getting lost or simply underestimating your time on the trail is annoying in summer; it can become life-threatening in winter. Make a list of items to stash in your pack, keep it with your pack. Consider the situation — length of hike, difficulty, weather forecast, sunset, who you’re hiking with — and add accordingly.
There’s no shame in hitting the trail with a 15-pound day pack.
Resource of the Week: Winter packing list
The following link for SectionHiker.com is a winter gear list toward aimed at hikers in the Northeast, but hey, it gets cold here, too. Besides, who better to take winter hiking advice from than the cold weather experts. And again, better to be over-prepared than under.
Check out their recommendations here.