![]() As a group we tackled the climb leisurely, taking time to pause if we needed, to grab water or chit-chat or even just to play around some of the rocks leading up to the summit.īut that feeling you get when suddenly you emerge from the trees at the top of the cliffs and the whole world lies at your feet? Now that's an experience that beginners and experienced hikers alike can appreciate. It's a tough climb and if you're not familiar with hiking up elevation change it can be a shock, especially since you don't realize how close you are to the summit until it suddenly opens up to a panoramic view. I've encountered more than a couple first-time hikers having an emotional moment on the stairs. The stairs up to Hanging Rock can be brutal, especially if you do the trail back-to-back. And then soon enough we heading down the trail together towards our first summit: the iconic Hanging Rock and its tall rock cliffs rising above the horizon. The hiking group was set to meet up at 10am in the parking lot, and we milled around for a while, greeting friends as they arrived and putting names to faces seen around the office but with whom we'd never otherwise interacted. With a location finalized, a route planned, details sent out to hikers, and armed with a packet of waivers (hey, CYA!) I headed out Friday night to spend the night at McCrae's dad's house in Winston-Salem so I could get an early start to the park on Saturday morning. I proposed a more palatable route for our excursion: exploring the iconic summit of Hanging Rock and then skirting over to Wolf Rock and possibly other summits based on time and interest. It's possible to summit all five peaks in the park in one day, though at a little over 10 miles this can be quite a challenge. Airy, the real-life Mayberry) and Winston-Salem, so there were plenty of options for post-hiking merriment. Plus it's close to some cute small towns (including Mt. ![]() The boulders along the trail offer interesting hiking conditions, the parking is reasonable (though frequently crowded on busy weekends), and numerous trails create variety in mileage and scenery with a few waterfalls accessible via some trails. With the soaring rock walls and the surrounding Piedmont it offers great views of the area. It was just under two hours to the park from Durham, a reasonable distance for a day hike. As I researched, I was reminded of how perfect the spot is for beginners and experienced hikers alike. I had hiked at Hanging Rock before - mostly a few years ago when I was first getting into hiking - but it had been a while so I started doing some research to brush up on my knowledge of the park. The responses poured in! Beginner hikers, experienced hikers, and all levels in between expressed interest, and I realized I was in for a challenge. We sent out a poll for interest and waited for the responses. We can do outdoorsy things like hiking and backpacking - it'll be great!"Īnd the next thing I knew Eric and I were organizing our first group adventure for our co-workers. "A hiking group! Yeah, like a weekend adventures sort of group for the office or something and organize regular meet-ups with co-workers. "Liz!" Eric said, "We should start a group!" Eric, a co-worker of mine and a great soccer player, had also been going on hiking and backpacking trips and at some point I casually mentioned that we should go hiking together and maybe invite a few other people we knew who had expressed interest in hiking. I had received a few requests from friends and co-workers over the years - usually just expressing interest without any real commitment - and so, as part of my New Years resolutions to be more sociable with my outdoors adventures, I started approaching friends to actually do a few easy hikes together. Hanging Rock That awesome close-to-home hike that beginner and experienced hikers both loveĪpparently if you write about hiking enough times eventually someone will ask if they can come along on a hike.
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