Great Outdoor Blog

The Great Outdoor Provision Co. office staff welcomes Molly to work on her 30th Birthday

Want to become famous (well sort of)? Send your outdoor related pictures + captions to: mulepics@greatoutdoorprovision.com

We’ll post them on our MULEpics Flickr Page & they might even make the homepage!

Here’s a pic from Winston-Salem Customer, Steve H. His son Tyler paddles his new Perception Acadia youth kayak on Old City Lake in Lexington, NC

Chuck takes us on another MULEteam Adventure to Umstead State Park. Check out the Reedy Creek Greenway Map (courtesy of News & Observer)

Jeff Brewer just sent over the following update:

March will provide several opportunities for trail work on the MST! All of the details are listed on the FMST website homepage: www.ncmst.org

March 3 and 15, 2008 - Central Blue Ridge Workdays near Morganton, NC

March 15, 2008 - Falls Lake workday in Wake and Durham Counties

March 22, 2008 - Carolina Mountain Club Workday near Balsam Gap South on the Blue Ridge Parkway

March 29, 2008 - Bald Knob workday near Marion, NC

Click to download the 2007 FMST Annual Report (PDF). I think you will be impressed with what was accomplished and we need everybody’s help in 2008. Come be a part of the FMST as we build North Carolina flagship trail across the state as the MST!

Applications for 147 license plates have been received. Be a part of the first 300 and apply for yours today!

The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation is now accepting applications and checks for the first 300 North Carolina State Parks license plates. In addition to supporting our Naturally Wonderful state parks system by displaying this license plate, a portion of the sale will benefit the Parks and Recreation and the Natural Heritage trust funds.

A minimum of 300 applications with payment, must be received prior to submitting to the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles. Once the DMV receives the initial order, the plates will be produced and mailed directly from the DMV within 90 days.

Plates can also be purchased for ‘weighted’ vehicles (including buses and camping trailers) from 7,000 pounds up to 26,000 pounds. The plate will not be marked weighted, but the registration will indicate its status.

» Download license plate application - pdf

Please download, complete and submit an application along with your check (payable to N.C. State Parks) to:

Adrienne McCoig
NC Division of Parks and Recreation
1615 MailService Center
Raleigh, NC27699.1615

Additional information and pricing are given on the application.

If you have any questions, please contact Adrienne McCoig at adrienne.mccoig@ncmail.net, or by phone at (919) 715-8710 or fax at (919) 715-3085.

Reports just in from Vic (GOPC staff) & crew. They are traveling from S. California to Patagonia, Chile. Read more on their BLOG: http://southbound-horizons.blogspot.com

» MORE PICS

1.19.08 - Chuck, Hola and greetings from Baja. Andrew, Anthony and I are down in Todos Santos… about 50 miles or so from Cabo San Lucas. We have spent the last 12 days or so bouldering, surfing and slowly making our way south through the Baja peninsula. We are planning on taking the ferry mainland in the next few days. - Adios, Vic

2.4.08 - Sunsets, sunburns, fish tacos, agavé fields, granite boulders, surf wax, fresh tortillas, papya and unexplored canyon walls… from hidden beaches to booming cities, we have made our way south through the rolling green hills of northern Baja into the sun-baked, boulder-strewn desert of central Baja, with its massive Cordón cactus, dusty roads and shells of trucks rusting into their final resting places. Here many days were spent with chalked hands, sore finger tips and wounds patched with climbing tape as the crew discovered untapped problems, hidden in the maze of the Cataviña boulder fields. Then it was off to the Sea of Cortez with its rocky peninsulas, beachside palapas and gorgeous islands within paddling distance. The wind blew strong, but our Black Diamond Megamid (thanks GOPC!) stood fast, sheltering us from dusty gusts. Moving south, the sun got hotter, the surf got better and we soon found ourselves on a ferry to mainland Mexico, with backpacks full of clothes washed in the ocean and cans of black beans, to visit with friends and family, explore the rivers and rope up on Mexican rock. With over 2,000 miles on the odometer, we rolled into the surf town of Sayulita, on the Pacific coast where towering palms, beautiful waves and friendly people were there to greet us. Here in Sayulita fate was on our side in meeting a traveling artisan, selling jewelry on the beach. He invited us to his home in Guadalajara where his crew of friends, putting up hard 5.13’s in the deserted climbing areas outside of the city, gave us a one week tour of the rock around Guadalajara which would put any guide book to shame. The experiences with the people here in Mexico have truly shaped our journey as we venture towards Central America and the vast unknown of overgrown rainforests, rutted roads and stretches of untouched landscape. - Vic

All proceeds benefit scholarships for Cape Fear Community College Boat Building Students.

Raffle Tickets are available our Wilmington Shop

Winning ticket will be drawn at the Wrightsville Beach Challenge Kayak Race to be held on Sat, May 10

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DONKEY - a kayaking horror movie

DVD available at your local Great Outdoor Provision Co. - $19.95

The quasi-sequel to Enter The Donkey, this movie brings back all the same characters and more for a horrific kayak thriller.
nightofthelivingdonkey.com for more info

“The Osprey was originally intended as my personal boat. It is what I perceive to be the ideal small solo canoe for Canadian wilderness travel. The designed displacement is adequate for a large paddler on a weeklong trip, or a smaller paddler for longer trips. Unlike most American solos, this boat is heavily rockered forward with slightly less aft. The combination provides good maneuverability in smaller streams and excellent tracking on open water.” - John Winters

This beautiful Osprey canoe was donated by new RRP Board Member Dave Schwartz of Greenville.

» Tickets are $5 each & available at our Greenville Shop

Drawing will be held at 2008 Paddle Days on April 19

Great Pics from marketing intern, JT

» Read more about the event here