Week 4 of the ReFit Training was a different kind of week, with Memorial Day at the start. It also included a midweek escape to hike at the beach, and an accidental "underwater" hike. With 2 more weeks to go, who knows what we'll do next? You could join us :-) #Idratherwalk #GetOutside

ReFit Week 4: Making It Interesting

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – Week 4 of the ReFit Training began with a long group hike (<25 people in accordance with current restrictions) at Umstead State Park.

We hiked 8 miles on Company Mill trail to Big Lake and back on a combination natural trails and multi-use trails.

The route was designed to avoid the spots that were still muddy from last week’s rain.

I was starting to worry when we didn’t see our snake friend, but then we spotted him towards the end of the hike on higher ground.  

And the hikers who joined were amazing as usual! 🙂

A Different Sort of Week

It was a holiday week, since the work week started with Memorial Day.

For me, that meant an extra day to hang out with That Man and explore some new (to us) local places on foot.

Specifically, we spent time checking out the Rolling View section of Falls Lake.

View of Falls Lake from the Rolling View side.
View of Falls Lake from the Rolling View side.

Falls Lake State Recreation Area

Falls Lake State Recreation Area is made up of seven access areas scattered around the shoreline of an undeveloped 12,000-acre reservoir.

The Falls Lake Trail (a portion of the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea State Trail) can be joined at the Rolling View access – which was one of the places open despite COVID restrictions – so that’s where we started.

Map showing the Falls Lake Trail in Rolling View section
Map showing the Falls Lake Trail in Rolling View section

The Falls Lake Trail follows the entire south shore of the lake, traveling over 50 miles from the shore of the Neuse River below the Falls Lake Dam all the way to the Eno River.

We were only able to go a couple of miles before the trail was too flooded to pass, due to the high water from recent heavy rain.   

But we improvised on some other trails and got about 5 miles in anyway 🙂

Strength Building Hike – Bond Park, 6 miles

The middle of the week was dry (finally!) so I loaded 20 extra pounds into my pack on Tuesday for this week’s Strength Building hike in Bond Park, a 6-ish mile hike that included the Bond Park Lake Trail.

Midweek Beach Escape

After months of being unable to travel due to COVID restrictions, I decided to gamble on the weather and take a little overnight road trip to the Coast.

Though beaches and State and National Parks are still partly closed, some trails and facilities are available, and some coastal parks have beach access.

I booked a room in Atlantic Beach, and headed for Fort Macon State Park.

Fort Macon State Park map at the Visitors Center
Fort Macon State Park map at the Visitors Center

Fort Macon State Park

Nearly surrounded by water at the eastern tip of Bogue Banks, Fort Macon State Park is the site of a restored Civil War-era fort, a couple of hiking trails, and offers unspoiled shoreline for swimming.

Canons line the upper fort wall on the beach side
Canons line the upper fort wall on the beach side

Unfortunately, the interior of the fort and the Visitor’s Center are currently closed due to COVID restrictions, but the beach and trails are open.

There are also restrooms available.

Trailhead sign in the Visitors Center parking lot
Trailhead sign in the Visitors Center parking lot

Elliott Coues’ Trail – 3.3 mile loop

The main thing I wanted to do at the park was hike the relatively new Elliott Coues Trail.

I started at the trailhead in the far corner of the Visitor’s Center parking lot.

Raised boardwalk on the Elliott Coues' Trail
Raised boardwalk on the Elliott Coues’ Trail

The trail is a 3.3 mile loop that goes along the beach, through salt march and forest, and even along the road beside the Coast Guard station for a short time before returning to the park.

It’s a beautiful trail, with the beach side of the loop paved with a new layer of soft wood chips.

The wooded side is a combination of soft dirt and some boardwalks.

You can see different kinds wildlife from the trail:  there were a lot of different birds and I startled a young doe near the marsh side.

View of the beach from inside the upper fort wall.
View of the beach from inside the upper fort wall.

You can find a list of North Carolina State Parks, and a map that shows which ones are near the beach here.

Atlantic Beach

Atlantic Beach is one of my favorite North Carolina beaches, not in the least because I usually stay in a place where can get up in the morning and walk to the beach – without worrying about trying to move my car or pay for parking.

When I’m there I usually do about 4 miles on the beach in the morning, more if time allows. 

This time, I was able to get 4 miles in but couldn’t do any more because of  a fast-moving thunderstorm.

The rain wasn’t going anywhere, so after my run I packed up and headed back inland.

Storm rolling in to Atlantic Beach
Storm rolling in to Atlantic Beach

Company Mill Accidentally Underwater Hike – 6 miles

Friday was rainy at home, too.    But I decided to risk an afternoon hike between rain storms on the Company Mill Trail  in Umstead State Park anyway.

Unfortunately, a couple of miles into the hike a downpour started.

I was on the natural trail when the rain started, but the trail quickly became a raging stream.

Reedy Creek Lake and multi-use trail on a sunny day.
Reedy Creek Lake and multi-use trail on a sunny day.

So I diverted my route to get back to the the drier multi-use trails, and ended up with about 6.5 miles and lots of mud on my boots when I finished.

In addition to hiking at home and on the coast this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill , lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.

With 4 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape , I’m still not seeing  the kind of results the I’d hoped for, but I’ve still got a couple of weeks to keep trying 🙂

If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.

Looking down Atlantic Beach towards the pier.
Looking down Atlantic Beach towards the pier.

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂   To see more of them go to my Training Log.

Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see what other kinds of training I’m doing, and what other hikes I’ll have coming up.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time!  LJ

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LJ

LJ has spent much of her free time as a single Mom - and now as an empty-nester -  hiking in the US and around the world.  She shares lessons learned from adventures both local and in exotic locations, and tips on how to be active with asthma, plus travel, gear, and hike planning advice for parents hiking with kids and beginners of all ages.  Read more on the About page.