Blog
Leaf Season is Coming!
Learn when and where to expect peak leaf color this fall, and our tips and tricks for making the most of your fall visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains!
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Best Day Hikes Near Asheville
I get asked a lot from friends visiting Asheville what recommendations I have for hiking trails in the area. To be honest, the suggestions have evolved over time, partly because my knowledge of the area has grown, and partly because Asheville’s gotten a lot (LOT!) more popular in the last 15 years, especially during and after COVID.
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On Section Hiking the AT
I’m not a section hiking pro. I’ve done 3/4 of the Appalachian Trail as a section hiker so I guess you could say I’m three quarters of a pro.
But I have done a lot of thru-hiking besides the AT, spent a lot of time on trails with Jennifer and our two kids, and have written a couple of books. I’ve also been around and listened to people more knowledgeable and experienced than I am- which is what you’re doing here so good for you!
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Conversation with Guide Gary Eblen
Gary has been backpacking for 50 years. In the 1970’s he led campers on trips in Pisgah, Shenandoah, Sierras, British Columbia, the Smokies, and Joyce Kilmer. A former trail maintainer, he’s focused most of his backpacking in the last 10 years on trails in the Smokies.
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Conversation with Guide Kacie Ross
Kacie guides day hikes and private backpacking trips for Blue Ridge Hiking Company when she's not working as a Trauma Nurse. She is also guiding our upcoming Black Mountain Crest/ Mount Mitchell Backpacking Trip.
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Maintaining a Creative Practice on the Trail
Spending time in nature is a great way to decompress from the stress of everyday life and feel present in the moment. It is also a great opportunity to reconnect with your creative side, whether that be through music, poetry, or in my case, painting.
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How to Tell if a Trip Distance is Right for You
If you don’t live in a mountainous area of if you aren’t used to carrying a backpack with weight, it can be difficult to tell if a specific trail or trip is the right fit for you. In addition to understanding the experience levels and fitness levels we use, there are a few ways you can assess your own abilities compared to the trip you’re planning to join.
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Experience Levels for Backpacking Trips
Along with Fitness Levels, one other rating system you'll see on our trips is experience level. This refers not to your physical fitness level, but to your experience in the outdoors. We are primarily focused on experience with hiking/backpacking, but skills from other outdoor sports can translate well (multi-day canoeing or bikepacking, for example). We describe our trips either as Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced.
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Fitness Levels for Backpacking Trips
Backpacking is a life-changing experience, and we want hikers of a wide range of fitness levels to know they can participate in one of our trips.
Fitness Level continues to be one of the hardest things to describe or define in an objective way. We describe fitness level on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being least fit and 10 being most fit. Some examples of those levels are listed below.
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How to Choose a Backpacking Trip: Experience Level vs. Fitness Level
We get a lot of questions about how much experience is needed to participate in one of our guided group backpacking trips. We also get a lot of questions about how fit someone should be to join us. The answer is... it depends on the trip!
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