| NC Triad Outdoors

A Fun Trail Section in Greensboro: Discovered and Recommended

Adam Shull — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 12:00:16 +0000

Add chairs to the list of what trail runners stumble upon.

By chairs, I mean the relaxing kind, the back-porch-on-a-Sunday-evening kind in which slowing down is possible.

Last summer, some gracious soul(s) left two of these chairs overlooking Lake Brandt just steps away from the City of Greensboro’s Palmetto Trail. I had made my run beginning on the Nat Greene Trail, connecting to the paved portion of the Atlantic and Yadkin (A&Y) Greenway and then to the end of the Palmetto.

Walking back along the Palmetto felt like only a slight run recovery. It was hot, somehow muggy and dry at the same time, and I wondered at how challenging the distance had been.

Then, I spied those chairs.

The stillness and relative silence while sitting there felt like a true rest – rare while we’re busy with work, family, deadlines, driving, endless social media scrolling, etc.

Bless whoever left these chairs steps away from the City of Greensboro’s Palmetto Trail overlooking Lake Brandt. A tired trail runner gives thanks.

And, like a good Millennial, I took a photo with my iPhone for an Instagram post, hence why you have the photo above.

The experience made me think of everything on the list of what trail runners come across:

Jutting roots and rocks.

Spider webs.

Squirrels.

Occasional snake.

Deer behind the trees.

A wild turkey journeying alone.

Once: a roughly foot-tall white mushroom shaped like the Holy Grail.

Entire trails can feel like unique finds when you just start running them one day. Among the many differences between trail running and road running is the feeling of arrival (hopefully not just your foot arriving at a thick tree root). Trail running feels like arriving a something new over and over again. The bends, hills, holes and sticks constantly present something fresh to process mentally and physically. Placement of each stride matters.

For me, running on the street or track for however long is linear. Your arrival in this sense is at the end of the 5K or half-marathon – the triumphant end point you’ve been daydreaming about for all those miles. It is beneficial to not dwell on each stride.

Whatever your preference is, I highly suggest that stretch of interconnected trails in Greensboro that includes the Nat Greene Trail, Palmetto Trail and the A&Y Greenway. The latter is paved along the Lake Brandt portion, so if that’s your flavor, you get the lake and wooded views all on a smooth surface. If you’re just getting into trail running or looking for a highly accessible trail running experience, the stretch I outline is a perfect four miles or so. I love a good long drive to a remote mountain trail as much as the next person, but more often I need to hit a trail on the same Saturday filled with my boys’ soccer games, mowing the yard, and grilling dinner.

The City of Greensboro has a webpage detailing the trails if you want to plan your visit: Hiking Trails | Greensboro, NC (greensboro-nc.gov)

I recommend parking at the Lake Brandt Marina (5945 Lake Brandt Road) to start at the Nat Greene Trail or start at the other end by parking in a small lot off Old Battleground Road and beginning down the Palmetto.

Enjoy the time if you make your way out there. The chairs are no longer in the same spot, but it will be interesting to see what else you stumble upon.

Mega Medals and Mega Fun in the Triad

Adam Shull — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 18:35:26 +0000

The reality is that Oak Ridge, N.C., resident Jonathan Beaver doesn’t need much extra incentive to hike or run on the many trails in the NC Triad.

Since his days as a track and cross-country runner at Western Guilford High School, he’s enjoyed wearing out shoes on trails from Pilot Mountain to Pleasant Garden and routes in between.

But now that he’s settled into a career and fatherhood in the Triad, having fun reasons to stay on the trail helps.

He’s found two: the North Carolina Trail Mega Medal Series and the fact that his 9-year-old son, Everett, routinely outpaces him.

“My son has been running with me for two years,” Beaver said. “I love seeing him do something that is good for him, and that he enjoys. Makes me feel great to see him falling in my footsteps, no pun intended. I believe his favorite part is waiting for me at the finish line to ask me what took so long.”

Race event company Trivium Racing organizes runs for all experience levels on trails throughout the Triad. The Trail Mega Medal Series consists of four events at different sites in Greensboro from January through October. Perks come with the full race package: food and drinks, race-specific T-shirts, and sponsor gifts.

“The scenery, people, charities, and community sponsors make these (races) enjoyable,” Beaver said. “Most runs are tied to a charitable foundation that gives back to those in the Triad. I enjoy giving back to the community that has helped me become who I am today.”

And don’t overlook the appeal of the finisher’s medals. Each runner who makes it to the finish line in the trail series gets a themed medal. The four medals collected at each race interlock to form a mega medal (hence the name). The combined mega medal can be as big as a dinner plate and dangles on necks like a blinged out chest protector.

A wall in the Beaver home looks like an entire country’s Olympics medal display from races over the years. They are reminders of fun father-son moments, as well as why the Triad remained home for Beaver after graduating from Appalachian State University in western North Carolina.

“The recreational choices available in the Triad exceed those of larger cities within North Carolina,” Beaver said. “Whether you are a beginner or an expert, there is something for everyone just a few steps from their door.”

For more about the N.C. Trail Mega Medal Series, visit Trivium Racing’s site. Though the series is underway, folks can sign up for individual races. The next is the Owls Roost Rumble at Lake Brandt in Greensboro on Saturday, April 29, 2023.