Editor's Notes: There’s still plenty of time to visit our national forests  

By David Kennard

The Robesonian

Our country’s national forests are gems; each one with a unique personality, from the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest that borders Canada, to Long Key State Park in the Florida Keys.

Depending on your philosophic level, you may agree or disagree that our federally protected lands need more protection from development.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit many national forests and each time, I have come away enriched.

North Carolina is home to four national forests that span our state’s vast landscape from the Appalachian Mountains on the west side of the state to the Outer Banks that stretch into the Atlantic Ocean.

As a relative newcomer to the area I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Nantahala National Forest, but only briefly as I passed through. I look forward to spending more time there on a future visit.

The Pisgah National Forest, also on the west side of the state, is one of the most visited forests in North Carolina thanks to its location near the population center of Charlotte.

Uwharrie National Forest is one of the smallest National Forests in the country, but it offers an abundance of forest wilderness and varied uses.

Croatan National Forest is what some call the gateway to the Outer Banks. It’s a coastal pine forest that includes saltwater estuaries and low lying bogs, as well as wilderness galore if you stop, listen and watch.

Most recently, I’ve enjoyed exploring our outdoor world with my youngest child — and first mate — Sam.

Sam’s middle name is Christian — which comes from my love of the book “Mutiny on the Bounty.” Around our house when I need something from my first mate, I’ll frequently bellow in my best Capt. Bligh voice, “MIS-TER CHRIS-CHUN! The garbage needs to go out.”

A while back, my Sam — who incidentally just graduated from college — began a weekend trek to ride our mountain bikes through part of the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina.

The Swamp Fox Passage of the Palmetto State Trail proved to be formidable. We had hoped to complete most of the 47-mile trail in a weekend, but our excursion ended miserably when we were chased away by clouds of bloodthirsty mosquitoes that were unfazed by our layers of Deet.

Years ago I took a trip with a forest ranger who worked in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in northern California. You’ve not been on a hike until you’ve hiked (and by hike I mean jog) with a forest ranger.

Forest rangers know everything about the forests they manage. The plants, animals, trees and streams are their front yard. I learned a lot from my forest ranger friend that day, including that one of the original purposes of the U.S. Forest Service was to manage our forests to maintain an inventory of trees for lumber.

Sam, er, Mr. Christian and I saw first hand how some of the management is carried out as we inched our way through Francis Marion’s flatland forest.

Large sections of the forest had been purposely cleared and burned to weed out invasive plants and dead trees that prohibit healthy tree growth.

I’m not too concerned that we may never complete the last few miles of our original 47-mile trek, especially when there are so many more trails to wander in the wonderful national forests we have nearby.

David Kennard is the executive editor of The Robesonian. Contact him at dkennard@robesonian.com.