hikes, bikes, and beyond
Lost trail The West Morris Mountain Trail was already lost by the time it appeared on a USGS quadrangle map in 1994. At that time, I was writing the first edition of the Uwharrie Lakes Region Trail Guide. I looked for the West Morris Mountain Trail as I pushed my measuring wheel along Camp Road, which leads from...
"Lost Uwharrie – West Morris Mountain Trail"Continue reading
Lost Camp? Was the northernmost camp along the Birkhead Mountain Trail really lost? Were we uncovering another mystery camp? On a recent hike in the Birkhead Mountains, I jokingly told someone "We're never lost - we're always right here." This camp might have been thinking the same thing as it watched us come and go...
"Uncovering Another Mystery Camp"Continue reading
What do you know about the historic camps along the Uwharrie Trail? One of these camps was recently re-discovered in the Birkhead Mountains Wilderness. Who built these camps? What makes them different from any other campsite along the trail? When Scoutmaster Joe Moffitt led Boy Scouts to create the Uwharrie Trail in the 1970's, he...
"Historic Camps Along the Uwharrie Trail"Continue reading
Jim was leading Joe and me to the grave. Or graves. I wasn’t really sure if there would only be one, or if there would be two. Either way, I had never been in this part of the forest before and didn’t really know where he was taking us. My phone was failing to connect...
"Lost Uwharrie – Tadlock"Continue reading
Some consider Shepherd Mountain part of the Caraway Mountain range. Others consider the Caraway Mountains to just be the northern end of the Uwharrie Mountain range. The summits in either range barely reach above 1,000 feet in elevation. At 1,157 feet above sea level, Shepherd Mountain is one of the tallest of these mountains, however you...
"Shepherd Mountain Hike"Continue reading
In 2016, Adventure Cycling Association promoted the first weekend in June as Bike Travel Weekend. They encouraged cyclists to get out for an overnight ride to somewhere, anywhere. The goal was to motivate more people to choose cycling as a mode for travel. You could ride to a friend’s house and spend the night or...
"2017 Bike Travel Weekend"Continue reading
Continuing on in the spirit of counting things, I’ve just released a few new items to further your own counting enjoyment. If you already have a copy of the Uwharrie Lakes Region Trail Guide, you know there are lots of trails detailed in the book. Now there’s an easy way to count your hikes on...
"More Counting"Continue reading
Did you know the state of North Carolina has exactly 100 counties? A nice round number like that can make for an irresistible target, especially for someone who remembers counting along with Count von Count, enjoys geography, and has a bit of a travel itch. NC’s 100 Counties first came into focus as a target while...
"Counting 100 Counties"Continue reading
Are you ready for a hike?! The Land Trust of Central North Carolina is hosting their fourth annual thru-hike of the Uwharrie Trail, May 19-22, 2016. Forty miles of backpacking over four days to raise awareness of the natural beauty of the Uwharrie Lakes Region and trail protection efforts of the Land Trust. If you’re...
"2016 Uwharrie Trail Thru-Hike"Continue reading
All Hallows’ Day dawned crisp and clear. Despite our anticipation and readiness for spooky hi jinks the night before, we were unable to conjure up any newsworthy phenomena. We loaded our gear on the motorcycles and rode a couple blocks down the street to the Ocracoke Coffee Company, a small shop we’d noticed the night before. A...
"Closing The Loop on OBX"Continue reading
