Aries: Intro to Backpacking & Nature Connection
Thu, Apr 16
|Avery County
Aries season brings the energy of beginnings and Spring brings energy to the ecosystems we'll visit.
Time & Location
Apr 16, 2026, 2:00 PM – Apr 19, 2026, 1:00 PM
Avery County, Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina 28646, USA
About the event
April 16 - 19
The backpacking basics are simple to learn, but the real magic happens when we let ourselves be still with nature. Learning how to backpack, and safely, empowers you to find yourself in the middle of nowhere, to find peace in presence when we've grown accustomed to busyness.
Our route on the Tanawha Trail will explore Grandfather Mountain, found on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Grandfather Mountain was originally named ‘Tanawha’ meaning “fabulous bird” or “eagle” by the Cherokee people.
As a global biodiversity hotspot, this area's ecosystems are unparalleled, including my favorite, the Spruce-Fir forest. We’ll look for glow worms and salamanders, and if we're lucky maybe we'll see a flying squirrel or Saw Whet owl. We'll learn about Leave No Trace, wildtending, and plant identification.
While we’ll learn new skills and new knowledge, the heart of this backpacking…