Another 10 Top NC Eats

Based on reader responses to the original Top 25 list of NC-based food items, the News & Observer published this list of another 10 great North Carolina food moments.

[1]

Tony's Ice Cream, Gastonia

If you're looking for a classic place for a hot dog and an ice cream cone, Tony's Ice Cream of Gastonia is a great choice. The ice cream plant is right across the street, and the red-vinyl booths have been a family hangout since 1947. But if you can't decide from the 30 or so flavors posted daily, readers can help: Go with the grape. It's like an ice-cold lick of a Concord.

Tony's Ice Cream, 604 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, 704-867-7085.

[2]

Texas Pete, Winston-Salem

No, Texas Pete is not from Texas. But it's found on tables all over the South. The classic bottle with the red cowboy is made by family-owned Garner Food Co. in Winston-Salem, which came up with the formula in 1929. With a flavor of vinegar, salt and peppers, it has a subtle heat that isn't as overwhelming as Tabasco.


www.texaspete.com.

[3]

Parker's Barbecue, Wilson

Speaking of barbecue institutions, readers reminded us that a meal at Parker's Barbecue in Wilson isn't complete without those corn sticks, sweet cob-shaped cornbread. To some, it is as blasphemous as eating Eastern North Carolina barbecue without sweet tea.


Parker's Barbecue 2514 U.S. 301 South, Wilson, 252-237-0972, 9 a.m.- 9p.m. daily, Cash or checks only.

[4]

Shelby Livermush Expo

Livermush, North Carolina's version of pâté, made from grits and pig parts, is available in grocery stores and restaurants all over the state. Mark your calendars, livermush fans: Shelby hosts a Livermush Expo on Oct. 23. A highlight - Mack's Livermush sells livermush sandwiches.



Shelby Livermush Expo, 10 a.m.- 5p.m. Oct. 23, Historic Court Square, Washington Street, www.TourClevelandCounty.com.

[5]

Fresh House near Albemarle

Fresh House near Albemarle is a combination bakery/candy store/toy store/cafe, started by the late Dave Hinson. But readers told us to go on the third weekend of the month for some of the best chicken and dumplings we've eaten anywhere: Rich broth, plenty of chicken and tender strips of dumplings. Hinson's 79-year-old mother, Tunnie Hinson, comes in to roll them herself.



Fresh House, 805 W. Main St., Locust, 704-888-1460; closed Mondays. Chicken and dumplings served on the third weekend of the month.

[6]

Sunny Side Oyster Bar, Williamston

We touched on steamed oysters before, but we neglected to mention the Sunny Side Oyster Bar, which has been operating in Williamston since 1935. It hasn't changed much since then. Sit down at the U-shaped bar and have your oysters shucked by men with names like "Jesse" and "Griff." This Eastern North Carolina institution opens for the season Friday.



Sunny Side Oyster Bar, 1102 Washington St., Williamston, 252-792-3416. 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5:30 p.m.-close Friday-Saturday; 5:30-8 p.m. Sunday.

[7]

Kyle Fletcher's, Gastonia

Here's another barbecue restaurant to add to your list: At Kyle Fletcher's in Gastonia, smoke pours out of a half-dozen cookers out back all day, turning out tender, chopped pork that is smokier than most Carolinas 'cue, with plenty of outside brown mixed in.


Kyle Fletcher's BBQ & Catering, 4507 Wilkinson Blvd., Gastonia, 704-824-1956. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday. Cash or checks only.

Peanuts

[8, 9]

How could we forget N.C. peanuts? Try the blister-fried beauties sold at Mackey's Ferry Peanuts in Jamesville. Or the Carolina Crisp Peanut Bar, a solid bar of double-roasted peanuts from the Golden Grove Candy Co., based in Warsaw, N.C. The peanuts come from company president Lee Swinson's farm.


Mackey's Ferry Peanuts, 30871 U.S. 64, Jamesville, 888-637-6887. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday; closed Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, shop.mfpnuts.com.


Golden Grove Candy Co., Warsaw. Carolina Crisp bars available at www.goldengrove.com; and Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, IGA, Kerr Drugs, Handy Mart, Handy Hugo, Short Stop, Mallard and the State Farmers Market in Raleigh.

Hot dogs, various

Yes, the chili dog is a Carolinas classic. We noted several great places. Readers wanted more: the classic hot dog stand Dick's in Wilson, the footlong dogs with multiple toppings at Jay Bee's in Statesville, and the unusual white chili on the dogs from Bill's in Washington.

[10, 11, 12]

Dick's Hotdog Stand, 1500 W. Nash St., Wilson, 252-243-6313, closed Monday; Jay Bee's, 320 Mocksville Highway, Statesville, 704-872-8033, closed Sunday; Bill's Hot Dog Stand, 109 Gladden St., Washington, 252-946-3343, closed Sunday.

[13]

Calabash-style seafood, Calabash

Fried fresh off the boat, abundant and reasonably priced. Its name comes from Calabash, a small town inland from Sunset Beach and close to the South Carolina line. So it seems appropriate to recommend the Calabash Seafood Hut, where the shrimp and flounder are popular. Specials before 4 p.m. cost only $7. Even at dinner, you won't pay more than $15 and you'll get a plate full of food.


Calabash Seafood Hut, 1125 River Road, Calabash, 910-579-6723, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; closed Monday.

NC Top 25 Eats

This list of 25 North Carolina-inspired things/places to eat appeared in the Raleigh News & Observer and Charlotte Observer this past summer.

[1]

Banana pudding has a place of honor all over the state, from barbecue restaurants to church picnics. But the banana pudding at Savor Cafe in Charlotte rises above the rest, with house-made vanilla wafers and custard topped with an artfully browned circle of marshmallow creme.

404 W. Morehead St., Charlotte, 704-334-0098, www.savoronmorehead.com.

[2]

Picking apples at Skytop Orchard in Flat Rock in early fall always feels as if you're standing at the top of the world. How do you top that? Follow the picking with the essence of apple: a cold cider slushy and a hot cider doughnut.

Pinnacle Mountain Road, Flat Rock; 828-692-7930; www.skytoporchard.com.

[3]

The famed Magnolia Grill in Durham puts an ingenious contemporary spin on a classic Southern menu item with its grits souffle. The dish is familiar and sophisticated, airy and creamy. The new South, indeed.

1002 9th St. Durham, 919-286-3609, www.magnoliagrill.net.

[4]

We're not crazy enough to pick just one N.C. barbecue. Instead, we'll suggest that both Eastern North Carolina and Lexington styles are perfect, and every place you love is the very best. If we had to pick, though, we'd go with the classics: Wilber's in Goldsboro or the Skylight Inn in Ayden for Eastern style (whole pig, sauced with vinegar and red pepper), Bridges Barbecue Lodge in Shelby or Lexington Barbecue in Lexington for Lexington style (pork shoulder, sauced with vinegar, red pepper and tomato).

Wilber's Barbecue, 4172 U.S. 70, Goldsboro; Skylight Inn, 4617 Lee St., Ayden; Lexington Barbecue, 10 U.S. 29-70, Lexington; Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge, U.S. 74, Shelby.

[5]

The menu changes daily at Catch in Wilmington, where chef Keith Rhodes cooks up what's fresh off the fishing boats and from the farms. Popular right now: grilled mahi-mahi, which is locally caught. It is served with a coconut black bean sticky rice cake and pineapple-lychee salsa with jalapeño oil. Whatever is being served there, you can't eat better seafood on the coast than what Rhodes cooks in his kitchen.

6623 Market St., Wilmington. (Original location at 215 Princess St. is aiming to reopen Tuesday after renovations.) 910-799-3847, www.catchwilmingtonnc.com.

[6]

Ever since the state raised the alcohol limit on beer, Barley's Taproom in Asheville has earned a reputation as the best taproom in the South. Take a seat and take your pick from 55 taps, including more than 30 made in North Carolina. Here's one to try: Vortex 1, from Pisgah Brewing Co. in Black Mountain, a fine blend of a hoppy pale ale and sweet, amber brew.

42 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 828-255-0504; www.barleystaproom.com.

[7]

The main star of the Snappy Lunch's pork chop sandwich is the battered pork loin chop as big as a pie plate and fried until golden crispiness. That's why there's a line out the door at this Mount Airy lunch spot made famous by "The Andy Griffith Show." All those tourists line up for their Mayberry dining experience, but the sandwich is enough of a draw for us.

125 N. Main St., Mount Airy, 336-786-4931, www.thesnappylunch.com.

[8]

From textile mills to tobacco fields, North Carolina has a history of inventing high-caffeine sodas, including Sun Drop. From there it was a simple step to the Cherry Lemon Sun Drop. It originated at R.O.'s Barbecue in Gastonia (Sun Drop, Cheerwine and a slice of lemon), then branched out to What-A-Burger in Mooresville (Sun Drop, Fanta cherry soda and a lemon slice). Either way, it's sweet, tart and refreshing on a hot afternoon.

What-A-Burger, 210 S. Main St., Mooresville, 704-664-5455

[9]

Speaking of R.O.'s Barbecue in Gastonia, you can't have a list of N.C. foods without R.O.'s slaw/sauce/dip. It's not shredded cabbage, it's not a salad. It's a mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, spices, relish and a few shreds of cabbage - so soupy, it's served in a cup with a spoon. People use it for everything from hot dog sauce to chip dip.

1318 Gaston Ave., Gastonia, 704-853-8788, www.rosbbq.com/whole.htm.

[10]

Whoever said Charlotte's banking towers have no soul never stopped on College Street for Mert's Heart and Soul. The little loaves of warm corn bread with honey butter warm more than our soul.

214 N. College St., Charlotte, 704-342-4222.

[11]

When spring brings the first whiff of honeysuckle, wise people head to Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill for the annual monthlong appearance of chef Bill Smith's honeysuckle sorbet. That first bite will leave you stunned that the fleeting honeysuckle essence could be translated to a taste.

610 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, 919-929-7643, www.crookscorner.com.

[12]

Don't let the rough look of Keaton's Barbecue outside Statesville fool you. It's a friendly place, and the chicken - fried, dipped in barbecue sauce and grilled - is a true original, spicy-hot and a little chewy from being soaked in sauce before it goes on the grill. It comes in a mild version, but we never bother. Get at least a half chicken - a quarter is never enough.

17365 Cool Springs Road, Cleveland, 704-278-1619, www.keatons originalbbq.com .

[13]

Fried-herring shacks used to dot the length of the Roanoke River, but the Cypress Grill is one of the remaining few. This Jamesville institution is only open during the herring run from early January to the end of April. Folks order herring either "sunny-side up," with white meat still seen; "cremated," the meat turns dark in the oil; or "hard-as-a-brickbat," for extra crispy. Herring, similar to sardines, can be an acquired taste, but the other fried fish on the menu, homemade pies and a dining experience only feet from the river make it worth the trip.

1520 Stewart St., Jamesville, 252-792-4175.

[14]

Since the beginning of the republic, politics and barbecue have gone together like pork and hickory smoke. The Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church barbecue in Charlotte is a church event, held every year on the fourth Thursday in October. But just as many people come to see the politicians who line up to press the flesh. We turn out for a plate of chopped pork and applesauce and their quirky version of Brunswick stew made with ground beef, chicken and pork.

600 W. Mallard Creek Church Road, Charlotte, 704-547-0038, mallardcreekpresbyterian.org.

[15]

You can't consider your Outer Banks visit complete without buying a piece of Gaynelle Tillett's fig cake from the Ocracoke Seafood Company. Tillett, like many of the island natives, has mastered this moist spice cake made from figs off trees that dot the island. If you're lucky enough to score a jar of her fig preserves, you can re-create it at home.

N.C. 12, Ocracoke, 252-928-5601, www.ocracokeseafood.com.

[16]

Juicy tomatoes. Salty bacon. Rich mayonnaise. That classic summer taste comes together on a single, double or triple (if you dare) BLT served at the Merritt's Store & Grill in Chapel Hill. It's a no-frills convenience store with a grill in the back. Remember to grab extra napkins on your way outside to sit on a bench and eat.

1009 S. Columbia St., Chapel Hill, 919-942-4897, www.merrittsstoreandgrill.com.

[17]

Price's Chicken Coop in Charlotte is a simple place where everybody stands in line and gets food to go. But it has made the list of the best fried chicken places in the country, for its authenticity and the crackling, deep-fried crust. (We still think the world should give the gizzards a chance.)

1614 Camden Road, Charlotte, 704-333-9866, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

[18]

Robeson County has its own baking tradition: The 12-layer cake, with thin layers of yellow cake separated by a rich chocolate frosting. Before we dig in to the country buffet at Fuller's Old Fashion Bar-B-Q in Lumberton, we always check the dessert table - just to make sure we need to save room.

3201 N. Roberts Ave., Lumberton, 910-738-8694.

[19]

You know those fake country stores designed to pull in tourists? Bradford Store isn't one of them. It's the real thing, right down to the woodstove. Even more real: owner Kim Bradford's dedication to local products. Pull up a rocker, open a Mooresville-made Uncle Scott's Root Beer from the cooler and sit a spell to think about that.

15915 Davidson-Concord Road, Davidson, 704-439-4303; unclescottsrootbeer.com.

[20]

No visit to the N.C. State Fair would be complete without a scoop of ice cream made by N.C. State food science students . No joke: It's made from milk from cows raised at the university's dairy. With 14 percent milkfat, it is lip-smacking goodness on those hot Indian summer days. Classic flavors include strawberry, cherry vanilla and butter almond.

Oct. 14-24, next to the Hobbies and Crafts building, State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, 919-513-2388, www.ncsu.edu/howlingcow.

[21]

The state is dotted with little lunch counters that have perfected the chili dog: Steamed bun, juicy dog, soft chili. Look for them all over, including classic spots like the Roast Grill in Raleigh, Ward's in Whiteville and Pulliam's in Winston-Salem.

Roast Grill, 7 S. West St., Raleigh; Ward's Grill, 706 S. Madison St., Whiteville; J.S. Pulliam Barbeque, 4400 Old Walkertown Road, Winston-Salem.

[22]

Pecan pie at Chapel Hill'sMama Dip's . It has the perfect ratio of crunchy pecans to the sweet, satisfying filling and, oh yes, it's served warm. You should know the pie's lore: Mildred Council, aka Mama Dip, refused to travel to Manhattan to be filmed making that pie for "Good Morning America" on Thanksgiving morning. So the crew came to Chapel Hill to film her.

408 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill, www.mamadips.com.

[23]

Here's a taste that hasn't changed for a couple of hundred years: warm Moravian sugar cake, fresh out of the brick oven at Winkler Bakery in the Old Salem Historic Site in Winston-Salem, all soft, warm and bubbling with molten sugar. They'll usually give free samples, and you can buy a whole cake for about $5.50.

Old Salem Historic Site, Winston-Salem; www.oldsalem.org.

[24]

October should not pass without making the trip to Brunswick County to shuck oysters elbow-to-elbow at the annual Varnamtown Oyster Roast. The congregation of the Dixon Chapel United Methodist Church has hosted the event for more than 50 years. The line of people waiting to eat their fill of roasted oysters, hushpuppies and sweet pickles is a testament to the eating experience. To look like a pro, bring your own homemade sauce and roll of paper towels.

190 Varnamtown Road, Varnamtown, 910-842-5530, The church has a Facebook page.

[25]

Down-home fried-fish restaurants called fish camps used to dot river towns throughout the South. Get a taste of the tradition at Twin Tops Fish Camp in Belmont. Skip the seafood and go with a plateful of salt-and-pepper catfish. The crunchy crust is dusky with black pepper and covers sweet, white flesh underneath. Save some change to blow in the incredible candy store.

4574 S. New Hope Road, Belmont, 704-825-2490.

Haw River Wineries - North Loop

The Haw River Valley is one of three official "viticultural areas" in North Carolina, and the closest to Raleigh. More info about NC wineries is at Visit NC Wine website.

I-40 splits the area in half. The wineries to the north of I-40 are approximately a 90-minute drive from Raleigh.

The map below suggests a loop of these Haw River Valley wineries that are north of I-40. Check their websites for hours and special events:

Grove Winery - Gibsonville, NC (point B on map below)

GlenMarie Vineyards - Burlington, NC (C on map)

Winery at Iron Gate Farm - Mebane, NC (D on map)

Rock of Ages Winery - Hurdle Mills, NC

Options:

Pack a picnic lunch, or buy one on your way, and have lunch at one of the wineries.

Visit Company Shops Market at 268 E. Front St. in Hillsborough on the way out or back for some local produce and hot- and salad-bar. Open 8am-8pm.

Have dinner at Hillsborough BBQ at 236 S. Nash Street, Hillsborough.


View Larger Map

Haw River Wineries - South Loop

So, it's autumn, and you'd like to visit some wineries. But you're in Raleigh, NC. What to do?

If you don't have the time to drive to the NC foothill wineries of the Yadkin Valley, you could still spend an afternoon visiting a few of the Haw River Valley wineries, which are about an hour's drive from Raleigh. I-40 runs right through the middle of the Haw River Valley, so access is easy.

The map below suggests a loop of these wineries south of I-40. Check their websites for hours and special events:

SilkHope Winery - Pittsboro, NC (point B on map below)

Wolfe Wines - Snow Camp, NC (C on map)

Benjamin Vineyards - Saxapahaw, NC (D on map)

Options:

Pack a picnic lunch, or buy one in Pittsboro -- perhaps at the Chatham MarketPlace -- and have lunch at one of the wineries.

The route goes through Saxapahaw, a picturesque village on the Haw River. Visit the River Mill Village complex or enjoy the farm-fresh flavors at Saxapahaw General Store.

On the way back to Raleigh, stop at Maple View Farm Country Store for ice cream (E on map), or perhaps after a dinner in Carrboro, visit their downtown Carrboro store.


View Larger Map

MST in the Triangle - Section 9 + 10

At just 0.5 miles long, Section 9 of the Falls Lake Trail/MST (Twin Creek section) is so short that I'm including it with section 10 (Quail Roost section - 2.5 miles). These sections start at New Light Road, and head mostly west to NC-50.

For a while, this section follows a branch of Falls Lake, but for most of the trail you are quite a distance from water, so if you're looking for great water views, this isn't the section for you. However, there is a lot of variation in geography and elevation here, so it's an interesting hike nevertheless. The first half is very hilly, and the second half is very flat.

You can park along the grassy shoulder on New Light Road, near where Section 8 ended. Walk a short distance north, and the trail enters the forest on the west side of the road. It's called the Twin Creek section because, you guessed it, there are two creeks to cross, both of which look alike.

The trail initially goes uphill, then back downhill to a bridge crossing of the first creek at 0.1 mile. Head back uphill to a bluff with a water view on your right, and a big house (with chicken coop!) on your left. The trail goes back downhill to a bridge over the second creek at 0.3 mile. Then, a sharp right as you walk along Ghoston Road, and back uphill to a crossing of that road at 0.5 mile.

There's really no place to park at the Ghoston Road crossing, and hey, you've only gone 1/2 mile, so just keep going straight onto Section 10 of the MST.

The trail is flat for a while, and then starts heading downhill. At 1.0 mile, you cross the outlet flow from a small pond, and soon after that you have a steep uphill to a bluff as you walk along a small arm of Falls Lake. At 1.3 miles, you cross a plank bridge, then uphill again for more lake views.

Soon, you turn left, away from the lake and follow a flat route along a creek. At 1.6 miles, you turn right to cross the creek on a bridge, and head uphill again. Soon, you start to follow an old road-bed, and the path widens out as you go steadily uphill. I saw some mountain bike tracks here, although I think this trail is off-limits to them.

At 2.0 miles, the trail gets wider as you pass and merge with several wide old road beds. Just keep going straight, until at 2.1 miles you get to a gate across the road. Turn right across a small bridge, and the trail goes around an old farmsite. You pass the remains of a tin shed. At 2.2 miles, you cross an old dirt roadbed and enter a thick pine forest. At 2.3 miles, you cross a creek.

At 2.4 miles, you come out of the forest to a cleared area, and you see the old dirt roadbed again. This time, you take a left, and follow the road. Someone has conveniently placed a bunch of rocks in the middle of the road so it looks like a left-pointing arrow. This road is used by horses, since I saw horseshoe prints here. The cleared-out area to your right must have been an old farm or homesite, since you can still see the remains of a 2-story stone fireplace in the distance.

At 2.5 miles, you turn left back into the woods, and enter a state park. At 2.6 miles, cross a gravel service road. Then, at 2.9 miles, cross a paved service road. At 3.0 miles, you cross another paved road (Falls Lake Info Center/NC State Parks Mgmt Center is down this road).

You go downhill, then turn left and go back uphill to NC-50 at 3.2 miles, where there's a gravel parking area. The next section, Section 11, starts across the street and just to the north.

Oscar Nominated Shorts 2009 - Animated

I saw the Oscar Nominated Short Animated features that played this past weekend at the Carolina Theater in Durham, NC. The show will also play at the Galaxy Theater in Cary, NC for one week starting Friday, March 5, 2010.

This year's features were interesting, as usual, with the highlights being a 30-minute (that's "short"?) Wallace & Gromit feature, and an astonishing feature called "Logorama" from a French studio.

You can watch a snippet of each of the five nominated films here at the official Oscar shorts website -- http://www.shortshd.com/theoscarshorts

Here's a list of the nominations:

"French Roast" -- This one's a CGI from The Pumpkin Factory, a French animation studio. Nice but slow story about a wealthy man who enters a cafe, and -- well, I don't want to give anything away, but the ending is perfect. The film is basically a silent movie, with just a few lines in French, with no subtitles, but it's easy to figure out what's going on. The film's website is here and I found the entire film on YouTube here.

"The Lady and the Reaper" -- After the relative calm of "French Roast", this one is a wild CGI romp, in the manic style of Warner Bros. old Merrie Melodies cartoons. Yes, there is a lady, and yes, there is the reaper, but there's also a heroic, if self-absorbed, surgeon trying to help the lady. I thought it was way too frantic to be funny. This film is from Spain, and is co-produced by, of all people, Antonio Banderas! The film's website is here. And they have graciously put the entire film in wide-screen glory online here.

"A Matter of Loaf and Death" -- What, more death? Well, humorous deaths. This is the central attraction of the animiated films -- a new 30-minute Wallace & Gromit feature! This time Wallace & Gromit are bakers, and there's a mad fiend out there killing bakers. Why? Who cares? Its dazzling wit is so wildly entertaining, if a bit silly. Because of its length, you're probably not going to find this one online, but the Wallace & Gromit website is here.

"Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" -- This Irish film was very clever and funny - a retelling of the Grimm fairy tale. Granny reads this bedtime story to her grand-child, and in doing so probably scars the child for life. I liked how the story-within-a-story had a different animation technique -- with whimsical hand-drawings -- while the main story was in pseudo-realistic CGI. The website of the film is rather amusing, since it includes Granny's reaction to being nominated for an Oscar. It's here. Oh, and the entire film is there too! Yay! Just follow "The Film" link there.

Yes, there are 5 nominated films, but after the 4th one, above, the film series took a break, and showed some of the 5 "highly recommended" films. There were films that made the Top Ten in the nomination process, but didn't make it to the Final Five.

"Partly Cloudy" -- You may have seen this Pixar release, since it played before the feature film "Up" last summer. Not my favorite Pixar short. Sure, it's big and colorful, but nothing much happens. Pixar's website for the film is here. But I doubt Disney/Pixar will allow a YouTube copy of this online.

"Runaway" -- This rather bizarre Canadian line-drawing cartoon is about a train that seems to be -- a runaway! There's some nice social satire here, as rich people are seen as obnoxious and uncaring, but ultimately get what's coming to them. The film isn't very successful, though, as there's no one to root for here. Everyone is twisted and ugly and distasteful, except for the cow. But the music (by Ben Charest, the composer of "The Triplets of Belleville" score) is certainly jaunty! The film's website, which has a short trailer is here.

"The Kinematograph" -- This Polish film is so stunningly beautiful, I wanted to like it more than I did. The story is of an inventor and his wife. The story is meant to have an emotional punch, but it's told in too clinical a way to be truly moving. Still, the graphics are wonderful. The website here has a trailer.

So, that's only 3 of the "Bottom 5". For some reason, perhaps time -- since the Wallace & Gromit film is so long -- or perhaps quality reasons, these two were left out:

"The Cat Piano" -- This hand-drawn Australian film is in mono-chromatic midnight blue. The beatnik-poem-style narration is interesting for a while, but if you own or like cats, you might not want to know how a Cat Piano works. You can see the full film here.

"Variété" -- I haven't seen this one. It's from the Netherlands, and is about a boy who spins plates -- and family members -- on top of long vertical sticks. I can see why it wasn't included. A film clip is here.

Finally, there was the last of the nominated films -- but it was preceded by a warning that the film you were about to watch was full of violence and profanity. Some folks in the audience cheered, for it was:

"Logorama" -- Directed by the H5 collective in France, this satiric send-up of Hollywood, rampant consumerism, "Pulp Fiction" style movies, and video games was the most astonishing film of all. Everything, and I mean everything, is represented by a corporate logo, in a city resembling Los Angeles. The police are Michelin men, and Ronald McDonald is a psychotic clown. So, is it an indictment against corporate world dominion, or does it revel in corporate culture? Who knows? That's the brilliance of it. It should win the Academy Award, but I think if it did, there might be legal battles over the inappropriate use of corporate logos. The film's website has the first 30 seconds or so (before all the swearing and mayhem starts) here. Warning: the preview automatically starts running.

MST in the Triangle - Section 8

Section 8, or Shinleaf Recreation Section, of the MST/Falls Lake Trail starts at NC-98, just west of the Falls Lake bridge, and goes west-north-west to New Light Road. The distance is 3.6 miles. It seems hillier than most sections. It reminded me of Section 4, because it also goes through a state park, and Section 6, through Blue Jay Point Park, because of its length.

Starting at a gravel pull-off on NC-98, the trail ducks into the woods and almost immediately passes a house on the left, and then at 0.1 mile crosses some power lines. Do those people in the expensive houses you pass care they are so close to the power lines?

At 0.2 mile, you cross a wide road bed, and go through a stand of pines. At 0.3 mile, you pass a very small bridge over a mostly-dry stream. You start going downhill, and at 0.5 mile, you cross another bridge with an oddly angled handrail, which looks as if someone or something tried to push it to the side. It's along here you also see a couple monstrously large houses on your left. One of them is so close, you feel as if you're walking through its backyard.

More downhill, and at 0.7 mile you cross your third bridge near a cove. You keep traveling up the cove past the bridge, and it takes quite a while to get around to the other side of the cove, since there are several ditches (or runoffs) that you have to go around.

You walk down toward the lake, and have some awesome views starting at 1.0 mile. The next section becomes progressively more hilly. You start back up another cove, and reach two bridges at 1.5 miles. You are very high above the lake at this point, and the second bridge is a multi-level marvel, with a couple sets of steps. You would swear you were in the middle of the NC mountains here.

At 2.3 miles you pass another bridge, and start wandering downhill to a stone-step creek crossing at 2.4 miles. A sign here says you're entering a state park, and dogs must be on leashes, but near here, I was attacked by two German shepherds owned by a woman walking the other direction. They ran away from her toward me, snarling and barking until they were within a couple feet of me. I shouted "No!" really loudly, and they seemed to settle. I told the woman I was really afraid of dogs. The woman said a half-hearted "Sorry!" as she walked past.

I also passed a couple with a cute Boston terrier on a leash, so I can't say everyone I have met hiking ignores the leash law. Yeah, maybe I'm too scared of dogs I don't know. Perhaps I should just ignore them. But I can't help but think -- what would have happened if I was walking with a young child, and those two German shepherds came up to us? Someone might have been hurt. It's not worth the risk.

After you enter the park, at 2.7 miles, you cross a rapidly flowing stream over a footbridge. It must be spring-fed, since it carried a lot more water than any stream that day. The trail follows the stream (on your left) uphill through the park. At 3.0 miles, you reach a gravel road at Shinleaf Recreation Center. A sign said they have walk-in campsites, so that might be nice for through hikers on the MST. There's also a large car park and restrooms here, but in late February, I saw no cars parked. I think the campsites are strewed along an isthmus that juts into the lake, so the views from the campsites must be nice, but I couldn't see them from the trail.

The MST continues left along the gravel road for a short distance, then crosses a paved road, and reenters the woods. You soon pass a tiny old cemetery, whose rusted iron gate has been smashed by a fallen tree.

The trail heads downhill (aw, you're about to lose all the elevation gain from the last section of trail), crossing a footbridge at 3.2 miles. Oddly, soon after this, there's a small signpost that says MST 3.5 miles. Not sure why it's there, as it's the only one of its kind I have seen on the trail.

You soon hear road traffic, and at 3.5 miles, you cross an old road bed, that is in quite a deep depression. At 3.6 miles, you reach New Light Road. Follow the road to the right to get to the next section.

MST in the Triangle - Section 7

Section 7 of the MST / Falls Lake Trail is in some ways the toughest section so far. You can tell it's less traveled than the previous sections -- it's the end of January, and the leaves that fell 4 months ago lie thick and undisturbed, so you need to pay close attention to the white blazes. On parts of the trail you're on a narrow edge of a hillside that slopes precipitously down to the lake. There are a couple of creek crossings that in previous sections would have had a footbridge. But the worst part is that there's a really muddy, difficult section underneath some power lines. However, there are some really awesome views of the main section of the lake which make this worthwhile.

This section, also known as the Upper Barton Creek section, starts at a gravel pull-out on Six Forks Road, just north of the Upper Barton Creek causeway. The trail goes mostly east and slightly north along the shores of Upper Barton Creek. After 2.3 miles, it ends at route NC-98.

To start with, you enter a pine forest, zigging and zagging around some large trees and a lot of rippled ground, that must be drainage into the lake during rainstorms. This doesn't last long, because at 0.1 mile, you arrive at the Overflow Parking Lot for Barton Creek Boat Access area. There weren't any cars parked there when I passed through (this being a Thursday afternoon in January, although nice with temp around 60). Walk directly across the gravel parking area, and re-enter the woods at a sign-board.

You're still in a pine forest, with lots of nice soft pine needles covering the trail. You drop down to a crossing of a creek, then rise again, and turn left onto an old roadbed, which continues through a young pine forest. Soon, I saw ahead of me a clearing (which is a power-line clearcut), and a small pond. You cross the power-lines at 0.4 mile. From here, look at the power-line tower across the water. That will be your second crossing of the power-line.

Continue back into the forest, turn left, and follow the power-lines on your left, and a cove of the lake on your right. At 0.5 mile, you cross an L-shaped bridge, and then a second one, which looks like it has a relatively new ramp attached. You start climbing a steep hill, and see a handful of homes at a distance.

At 0.7 mile, you cross a (usually) dry creek-bed. At 0.8 mile, you pass a narrow roadbed, and soon start following a creek away from the lake. You cross a branch of the creek at a small metal conduit (no bridge), and shortly take a right across a larger branch of the creek (again, no bridge). This right turn is easy to miss. I did miss it, and so continued to follow the creek until I saw an old footbridge across it. At this point, you're within sight of a house, so perhaps it is their bridge.

Once you cross the creek, you start uphill again (of course). At 1.0 mile, you cross the power-line again.

Soon, though, you get to a section I really hated. At 1.2 miles, you come back to the power-line again. But instead of crossing it, you are using it as a way of going around a creek at the end of a cove. So, you are routed left up a muddy steep hill, which has been denuded of vegetation (except for quick-growing grasses and thorny briars around you). Then, you turn right on a dirt road heading steeply downhill. It's very steep and eroded and muddy (You can really tell how much damage to the topsoil takes place when you pull out all the trees). You quickly take another right across a low spot that is extremely muddy. Someone has placed a dozen large branches lengthwise in the mud. It helps, but walking on wet branches is tricky. There really needs to be a boardwalk here. Yuck -- I hope you're not planning to wear white sneakers here. Finally, you climb steeply uphill to go back into the woods, along a narrow ledge at the edge of the water, so be careful.

It's actually worth the hassle, because the next section of the trail follows closely to the shore of the lake, and has some really great views. Boats frequently go by this section, and planes seem to frequently fly overhead. If you look behind you, you can see the Six Forks Road bridge near where you started this section.

At 1.5 miles, you drop down to a low area, and climb back uphill for more views. I thought I was miles from civilization at this point, but you do see another few homes on your left. You turn away from the lake again, and at 1.9 miles, you cross a creek. It's a steep descent to the creek, and no bridge across it. After the creek, you're walking along a narrow ledge above the creek, so be careful here also.

At 2.1 miles, you cross another creek, this time on a footbridge. You can hear traffic on NC-98 from here on. You start up a hill, and shortly reach the "old 98" roadbed. You turn right here, and follow this unused paved section of road, that was the original 98 before Falls Lake was constructed.

It's eerie to walk along this old road. You get the feeling this is what will happen to all roads when mankind is gone. Trees have grown in very close to the edges of the road, and there is very little pavement left. It looks as if the forest is taking over the road. I thought to myself, when will it disappear entirely?

At 2.3 miles, the trail turns left, away from the road (which continues its march down to the lake), and climbs up to a bluff overlooking the new NC-98. Because of the height, it feels like this would have been a wonderful place for a house. And there must have been a house here in the past, since you pass an unusually large double-trunk oak (or maple?) tree, and nearby, what appears to be a large magnolia. These trees generally would be planted near a home-site.

The trail ends shortly afterward, dropping rather ignominiously down a muddy slope to NC-98. There's no gravel pull-off here. Although it seems out of place, directly across NC-98 is the steeply rising Falls Glen Court, a new home development. From my vantage point at the end of the trail, I don't see any homes. Perhaps I'll see some on the next section, which starts across NC-98 at a gravel pull-off just a few hundred feet to the east.

MST in the Triangle - Section 6

Views, views, views! Oh, and benches.

Section 6 stays consistently closer to the lake than the other sections up to this point, so you get a lot of awesome (winter) views.

Section 6, also known as the Blue Jay Point section, is 3.1 miles long, and goes from one end of Blue Jay Point Wake County Park to the other. It starts at the northern end of the Lower Barton Creek causeway on Six Forks Road, and ends back on Six Forks Road, just south of the Upper Barton Creek causeway. The first half of the trail heads northeast, along Lower Barton Creek. The second half heads west, along the southern shore of Upper Barton Creek.

Besides the beautiful views, you pass lots of hills, bridges, benches, and side paths leading to other parts of the park. You'll also probably meet a lot of other people, as they are strolling from the park's parking areas down to the lake. What you don't see are any homes, at least until the very end of the section.

The trail starts at a wide graveled pull-off on Six Forks Road, just north of the Lower Barton Creek causeway. You enter the woods and take a quick left turn. In a very short while you cross several drainage areas. Then at 0.1 mile you walk across a plank bridge. You walk along an area with a steep drop-off on your right, just past what looks like a man-made berm for a short distance. Also in this area, I noticed a roped-off area on the left with a sign that says "This is not a trail". It doesn't look like a trail, though, so I'm not sure why anyone would want to go that direction.

Then, you start to pick your way down to a bridge for a creek crossing. You turn right and follow the creek back to the lake, walking uphill so some pretty good views. The next section consists of several crossings of creeks (some dry) by bridges and planks of various sorts. At 0.7 mile, you cross a wide footpath.

At 1.0 mile, you start a steep descent down some stairs to cross a creek over a footbridge. You turn sharply right after the bridge, and soon see the first of 16 benches. This is a novelty, possibly because this is a County Park. From here on, you see start to see some evidence of park development, such as cross-paths, and those benches. At the fourth (or fifth?) bench, you get a great view across the water to the Yorkshire Center, which is at the start of Section 5.

The next section is a little confusing, with several twists and turns. Just follow the white-blazed trail. At 1.3 miles, you cross a gravel blue-blazed trail that leads right to Blue Jay Point. I'll have to go back to the park sometime to see it, since I continued on.

At 1.4 miles, you cross another bridge, and turn right to join another trail. If you turned left here you would go uphill to a playground and restrooms.

At 1.6 miles, take a right to join a wide yellow-blazed trail that heads toward the lake. At 1.7 miles, the MST continues to the right. At 1.8 miles, there's another footbridge. At 1.9 miles, you intersect a wide blue-blazed path, and turn left to follow it for 100 yards. Then, turn left again. You start heading uphill to a signboard and parking lot at 2.0 miles.

From the parking lot, turn right to cross the road and re-enter the woods. This next section is extremely hilly. You are initially very high above the lake. At 2.2 miles you cross a bridge, and then head downhill. At 2.3 miles, you cross two bridges with a bench between them. One of the bridges is brand new -- it has a plaque that says it was built by an Eagle Scout Troop on January 10, 2010 (just 9 days ago!).

Back uphill you go, then downhill to cross another creek on a bridge at 2.6 miles. You start to hear cars on Six Forks Road, but you've still got a ways to go. Back uphill and downhill to cross a bridge at 2.8 miles.

Then, I encountered the first houses of this section. It's just two houses, but it's kind of jarring -- you're in a park after all. The first house has a couple barking dogs. The second house, which you pass extremely closely to, is bright yellow and seems to be brand new. You also get a good view of the boat ramp across the lake from here.

At 3.1 miles, you descend a set of steps and emerge from the forest onto Six Forks Road. The MST continues north along Six Forks for 0.3 mile.

MST in the Triangle - Section 5

Section 5 of the MST (also known as Loblolly Point) is a short walk -- just 1.2 miles long. It starts at the end of Bayleaf Church Road. Just past the massive, and somewhat aseptic, houses of Carlisle subdivision, Bayleaf Church Road ends at a State Park -- one I didn't even know was there, and doesn't seem to have a name. For a park, it's strange that it doesn't seem to have any amenities. No picnic tables, no ball fields. Just the terminus of two sections of the MST, and the site of a two (or three?) story building called the Yorkshire Center, which houses the administrative offices of the NC Division of Parks and Recreation. Oh, and the park is only open to traffic from 8-5 weekdays, when the Yorkshire Center is open. You can park on either side of the road, outside the gate, during other times.

It's a nice location for an administrative center, as it commands an excellent unobstructed view of Falls Lake.

Back to the trail -- it starts opposite a sign board just inside the park gates. This section of the MST stays mostly close to the lake shore on your right, and homes appear every now and then on your left. The trail heads mostly south-west, following the southern edge of Lower Barton Creek.

Walk across Bayleaf Church Road and enter the forest. At 0.2 miles, you cross a footbridge over a small drainage creek, and head uphill. At 0.4 miles, you cross a short plank over a dry creek. At that point, you leave the state park, and enter game-lands, where hunting is allowed, so be sure to wear bright-colored clothing.

At 0.6 miles, you come to a broad open area, and cross an angled footbridge across a nice creek, that wouldn't look out of place in the mountains. Walk uphill again. At 0.8 miles, another footbridge to cross. Soon, you can hear the cars on Six Forks Road ahead, even though you have a ways to go. The trail makes a sharp left turn, seemingly away from the lake.

As you approach another bridge at 1.1 miles, a blue house appears in front of you. At this point in my journey, a large domerman came running down the hill from that house, crossed the bridge, barking and snarling as it approached. I yelled at it ("Sit!" and "No!") to stop it from attacking me, and it stopped for a bit. Since couldn't see any human near, I screamed at the top of my lungs "Where is this dog's owner?" "This dog is attacking me!" The dog came very close and snarled menacingly. Finally, I heard the dog's owner say something, a long way off, and the dog ran back to its house.

That experience got me wondering -- do the people who live on land that borders the public land the MST crosses really think of this public land as an extension of their own land? Perhaps not, since some homeowners have surrounded their house with a fence, but a lot of them have no fence. I'm guessing they probably would have stopped the construction of the trail if they could have.

Anyway, after crossing the footbridge at 1.1 miles, you walk right, around the blue house, and climb a ridge. At 1.2 miles, you come to a steep, muddy and rocky set of steps up to Six Forks Road. Turn right on Six Forks Road and follow it across a causeway over Lower Barton Creek, the largest creek I've seen so far. After 0.3 miles, the next section of the trail turns right into the woods, into a Wake County park named Blue Jay Point.

MST in the Triangle - Section 4

Wow, another great section, at least from the point of view of varied terrain.

Starting at the Possum Track Road causeway over Cedar Creek, Section 4 heads basically northwest towards an intersection with the end of Bayleaf Church Road. It's also known as the Cedar Creek section since it, well, starts at Cedar Creek.

And considering how hilly the end of the previous section of trail was, the first part of this section is surprisingly flat. It starts out through a forest, occasionally coming within a few hundred feet of Possum Track Road in spots, as it heads west.

After about 1/4 mile, you enter a young pine grove, with pines planted extremely close together on each side of you. The slope is gradually upward. It gives you the feeling of walking through a tunnel. In the middle of this grove, at 0.4 miles, you cross a wide roadbed, and start a gradual descent.

After the pine grove, you turn gradually to the right, away from Possum Track Road, and directly toward the lake. At 0.6 miles, you pass alongside an open wildlife area (which looks like a wide road cut through the forest), and soon you pass a former homesite on your right (with a building still standing), and a rusted-out car very close on your left. Then, you come back to the wildlife clearing.

At 1.2 miles, cross a footbridge. You soon reach a creek that leads to a finger of the lake to your right, and at least 6 homes on your left.

At 1.5 miles, you come to a sharp promontory, with great lake views. The trail turns sharply left here, and goes along another finger of the lake. After crossing the dry stream at the cove, you walk through an area with a lot of ground pine (I think that's what it's called) -- a unique evergreen ground cover.

Then, you walk up a hill and soon enter an area with profuse holly and, surprisingly, mountain laurel. It must be the north-facing slopes here that allow the mountain laurel, which typically only prospers in the mountains of NC, to grow here.

The trail here is very rooty and rocky. You're walking along a narrow strip of land between some homes on your left, and the lake on your right. Parts of it seem as though they will shortly erode away down the hill. Finally, the trail leads down along a creek, and at 2.4 miles, you cross a footbridge over the creek, and a sign says you are entering an NC State Park.

Shortly you cross another bridge, and start uphill, then back downhill to another bridge. Then you start a long uphill climb, perhaps the longest climb on the trail so far (well, except for climbing the dam itself). Thanks to the city of Raleigh for not allowing developers to cover this ridge with homes!

You start back downhill again, and this section of the trail ends at 2.8 miles when you intersect Bayleaf Church Road.

I don't know if it's because this section of the trail ends in a state park, or because it was a pleasantly warm day, or the closeness of housing, but I did meet several people walking on this section. Two were walking their dogs (unleashed), whose dogs immediately left their owners and ran towards me. Both owners said they were sorry, but I still freak when a strange dog runs at me.

MST in the Triangle - Section 3

Well, another unseasonably cold day -- it was overcast, dreary day, with temps around 39 when I hiked this section. It is January 12, 2010, and this has been the 12th day in a row with unseasonably cold temperatures. Not that I'm complaining -- the brisk weather is a nice change of pace. Just dress in layers (and make sure the first layer isn't cotton, which tends to trap sweat close to your body, which makes you cold).

Section 3 is known as Neuse Bend Point. It starts at the end of Possum Track Road and ends at the Possum Track causeway over Cedar Creek. Instead of heading northeast as Section 2 did, Section 3 meanders mostly westerly, which is a good thing since this is the westbound MST after all! According to the sign on the trail, this section is 2.9 miles long.

There is no official parking area at the start of this section, but there's room for a car or two to park at the very end of Possum Track Road. The trail enters a pine forest on the north side of Possum Track Road.

For an interesting short side trip, after just a minute's hike on the MST, take the first cleared trail to the right (it is very broad, almost looks like a jeep trail) that leads down the lake. I was amazed that you get a very clear view of the back of the Falls Lake Dam. It seems very close! It's hard to believe after two day-hikes away from the dam, you are still this close to it! Well, that's because Section 1 of the trail goes down one side of a finger of the lake, and Section 2 goes back up the other side of that finger.

Just one more word about this section -- it's like getting two hikes in one. The first half and second half of this hike are very different. The first is relatively flat, with few rocks or roots to trip you up. It also has no lake views. The second half is quite hilly, with trickier footing, but has awesome lake views. Best lake views, of course, would be in winter, with no leaves to block your view.

Getting back on the MST, and heading west, you start going through a pine forest, with a nice flat trail covered by soft pine needles. It's the flattest section of the MST so far. So, it's surprising you cross two footbridges here, over mostly dry waterways. Just after the second footbridge, at 0.3 miles, you cross a paved access road which leads down to a processing plant opposite the main Raleigh Water intake structure in the lake. I'm not sure that is of any interest, or even accessible to the public, so I kept walking.

Just past this paved road crossing, there's a white sign saying you're entering wildlife game lands, where hunting is allowed in season, except on Sunday. So, plan on wearing something brightly colored. Until this point, you were on a trail section marked with red "wildlife" signs, meaning bow & arrow hunting only.

At 0.6 miles, you cross some former logging roads (dirt), and soon head into a cleared-out section of forest consisting mostly of pine, which lasts another 0.6 miles. There's a third footbridge at 0.8 miles. At 1.2 miles you cross the fourth footbridge and leave the cleared area. You catch your first glimpse of the lake, but soon leave it again. This is where the path starts getting more hilly and full of tree roots.

At 1.4 miles, there's another footbridge. You start to get some really nice views of the lake on the right, and some houses on the left. At 1.8 miles, cross another bridge. At 2.3 miles, another one. After each bridge, you gain some nice altitude, and have better lake views.

At 2.5 miles, you cross another bridge (your 7th bridge!), and a large embankment for Possum Track Road looms above your head on the left side. Resist the urge to scramble up the slope to the road here, and instead continue on the MST to the right for another half a mile until you reach a concrete drainage culvert. Walk up the culvert to the left to end the trail at Possum Creek Road.

The trail takes a right onto Possum Creek Road and follows it for 0.2 miles, crossing the picturesque Cedar Creek (which is much wider than Honeycutt Creek was at the end of Section 1) until it enters the woods again.

MST in the Triangle - Section 2

Section 2 (also known as Honeycutt Creek West) starts just west of the Honeycutt Creek "causeway" on Raven Ridge Road, at a small gravel pull-out on the shoulder of the road. It travels for 2.6 miles, mostly northeast along the shore of Falls Lake, and comes out on a private road that leads to the end of Possum Track Road. It has three bridges to cross, all of which are still there, unlike Section 1!

This section of trail initially hugs close to the lake shore, going up small hills and down through wash-out areas, most of which were dry. You turn away from the lake and start following a feeder stream, then cross it on the first bridge at 0.4 miles in.

Soon afterward, on your left you pass two very large manor-style homes, fenced of course. The trail starts to curve left around these homes, while you have good lakes views on the right.

At 1.2 miles, you come to another bridge across a sizable stream with some cascading water, and a huge black chain link fence comes within several feet of the trail. You follow this fence for at least 1/4 mile. In the winter you can catch a glimpse of the house in the distance, and it's a doozy. It has so many wings, it looks like a compound. Huge!

After you get past the fence, at 1.5 miles you come to a large pond on your left, and you travel on a berm between the pond and the lake. It looks you're walking across some kind of man-made dam. Not sure why it's there. After the pond, watch out for a fork in the trail, and keep to the left. I took the right fork by mistake (I wasn't watching the white blazes), which goes down directly to the lake.

From here to the end of this trail section, you don't get any more views of the lake. At 1.9 miles, there's a stream you have to rock-hop across, but it's easy. At 2.2 miles, you come to one more stream crossing by bridge, and then start uphill, then back downhill, and skirt a house very close on your left.

At 2.5 miles you exit the woods and come out at Red Fox Run, a dirt road that leads you to the end of Possum Track Road (at 2.6 miles), and the start of Section 3.

MST in the Triangle - Section 1

Well, I finished the first section of the MST through the Triangle on Jan 5, 2010. I almost delayed my walk, since although it was sunny, it was only about 37 degrees. But by dressing in layers, with of course a hat and gloves, I was fine. The distance one-way on this section is 3.5 miles.

Section 1 starts at the base of Falls Lake Dam, at a parking lot known as the Tailrace Fishing Area, on Falls of Neuse Road. Directly across from the bathrooms, follow the white-blazed trail into the woods. If you're tempted to see the dam itself, you could also hike directly uphill to the top of the dam for a great view, then take a left along the dam access road until you intersect with the MST, taking a right onto the trail.

In .25 miles, a blue-blazed trail bypasses the Visitors Center. Stay on the white-blazed trail. At just less than a mile, you arrive at the Visitor Information Center at Falls Lake Dam. This is also the headquarters building of the Army Corps of Engineers. It's quite an impressive building and parking lot, commanding a terrific view on a bluff overlooking the dam and a broad section of Falls Lake. With this magnificent view, it's hard to believe you're only a couple miles north of busy I-540! Or that you're surrounded by huge housing developments.

From the Visitor Center, follow the sidewalk counterclockwise around the loop parking area, then onto a short boardwalk that leads into the woods. There's an information board and map just past the end of the boardwalk. Follow the trail into the woods.

The trail is moderately hilly (for the piedmont) and generally follows the shore of Falls Lake at first, then turns away from it (and thankfully the winter wind-chill off the lake subsides as well). There's an intersection from the left of a blue-blazed trail that also leads back to the dam, but bypasses the Visitors Center. Continue on the main trail (right) toward Raven Ridge Road.

At 1.6 miles from the start, you cross a cleared area that resembles a road, although it isn't paved. I'm not sure what this is, although the pipes you can see poking out of the ground makes me think it is perhaps for a water or utility line.

With all this wilderness in sight, it's surprising to see, perhaps another 0.25 mile later, the sight of a beautifully manicured backyard of a huge house on your left. It's the first of several houses along this section.

At the 2.8 mile mark, you walk down to a broad ravine with a sizable creek. Unfortunately, the bridge over the creek has been washed away. But you can easily rock hop across the creek just upstream from where the bridge used to be. It's hard to believe this tranquil creek was once a raging torrent pushed the bridge downstream a hundred feet or so. A sign says the bridge will be fixed soon, but not sure when that will be.

After crossing the creek, the trail follows the creek right back to the lake, passing a couple architecturally interesting homes on the left. One is very contemporary, with what looks like a treehouse attached to the back, and the other looks like a grand European manor.

After another 3/4 mile, you reach Raven Ridge Road. There's another information board and map here. There's also a small parking area along the road. The trail follows Raven Ridge Road to the right past water on both sides of the road, then (after about 0.2 mile) re-enters the woods to start Section 2.

As for me, I turned around at this point, and retraced my steps back to Falls Lake Dam.

Hiking the MST in the Triangle

The MST (Mountain to Sea Trail) is a trail in progress. It will eventually stretch almost 1000 miles west to east across the state of North Carolina. It consists of hiking paths, and connecting roads.

In the past few years, there has been quite a lot of work done in building the MST section that goes through the Triangle. According to a sign at Falls Lake Dam, there are 39 miles of hiking trails that have been created (although I suspect there is more by now), that mostly hug the southern shores of Falls Lake.

The path starts at the Falls Lake Dam just off Falls of Neuse Road, and heads west from there. Eventually there will be a path that heads east from the dam, and follows the Neuse River through eastern Wake County.

I thought I would try a series of short day hikes, with the intent of walking the entire section of the MST through the Triangle. Actually, since I have just one car, I'll be hiking each portion of the trail twice, out and back to my car. From the map at the MST site -- ncmst.org -- you can see that the trail is intersected by a road about every 2 or 3 miles, so that seems like a logical way to split up the hikes. That is, just hike from one road intersection to another.