Great Outdoor Blog

For those of us who were born to fish, paddle, camp, hike, or just wile away the hours tossing frisbees, the outdoors is not just another venue for recreation – it is our very lifeblood. This month, the Piedmont Environmental Alliance will provide the Triad several opportunities to give back to that ultimate playground – the natural world, and every splendor within – from which so many of our most cherished memories and moments originate.

Thursday, July 10, 2008, 7:30 pm
Landscaping and Gardening to Preserve Water

Wednesday, July 16, 2008, 9 a.m. - 5 pm
Green Design and Development Workshop

INFO: www.peanc.org

Below is a list of upcoming workdays on the MST. We have lots of opportunities for volunteers at multiple sites, so please join us for one or more workdays? Visit the MST website for more info
July 12, 2008 - Blue Ridge Parkway, NC-16 to US-421 - Meet at THE LUMP Overlook, MP 264.5. We will be doing general trail clearing and grading in some pretty easy terrain. Contact: Jim Hallsey (336) 877-8831

July 10-13, 2008 - Blue Ridge Parkway, US-421 to US-321 - Help the Chargers and Re-Chargers as they build the MST towards Blowing Rock. See the MST homepage for all of the details.

July 19, 2008 - Falls Lake Task Force, Durham County - Build trail with the Falls Lake Task Force as we continue west towards Durham.

July 19, 2008 - Central Blue Ridge Task Force, Morganton area - See the MST homepage for all of the details.

July 25-27, 2008 “MST BIG DIG” - Blue Ridge Parkway, near BRP overlook MP 264.5 - The goal is very simple — dig as much quality trail as we can for the MST along the BRP. Your help is needed and we always have a great time. We supply all of the tools and training for this event. Camp with us at Doughton Park campground (RSVP to get a campsite).

MST Thru-hiker News:

Scott “TABA” Ward is now past Stone Mt. State Park and I-77 heading east towards Pilot Mt. Check his journal out at www.trailjournals.com

Jordan King and Kyle Donaldson are now past the Falls Lake Trail heading west to the Greensboro section of the MST. Click on the following link for a news article about their trip:

http://www.fayobserver.com/article_archive?id=1211928

The FiveFingers craze has hit our Raleigh and Wilmington shops. New shipments of the Sprint and Flow are here plus we added a new style, the KSO.

Because of the remarkable demand for this product, we have added it to the Greenville, Charlotte, and Chapel Hill shops.

The Challenge was a great success with 12,210 participants.

• We saved 1.9 MILLION miles! That’s 270 trips to China!
• 86,485 GALLONS of gas — 13.3 tanker trucks full — were conserved.
• 865 TONS of CO2 were reduced, the carbon footprint of 43 Americans in a year!
• 77% of those surveyed said they will continue to SmartCommute at least once a week.

There’s more…

• Check out more interesting Challenge results.
• Find out if you know any of the prize winners.
• Watch the video! Larry’s story has a happy ending.

Keep up the GREEN work! Find out all you need to know about SmartCommuting at GoTriangle.org or call (919) 485-RIDE.

Capital Chapter Of The NC Wildlife Federation Announces the
1st Annual Canoe-a-thon Benefit on the Neuse River
Saturday, August 9, 2008

We will launch from the falls lake dam area and paddle down the Neuse River to Buffalo Road. Launch begins at 12:30pm. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Canoes/kayaks provided to those who don’t have their own. $50 Donation per person is suggested. All donations are tax deductible.

Team registration is encouraged! —Team tracking of donations will be available on the website

Advanced registration required, please contact the capital chapter at
info@ncwfcapital.Com for details or to pre-register.
* Kayaks welcome too!

When John Cale said “I want to get it lean and mean, keep it minimalist,” it is unlikely he was referring to the brand new outdoor footwear company, E.N.D. (“Environmentally Neutral Design”). But considering the philosophy of E.N.D., which exhorts a minimalist design geared toward top-notch performance, Cale might as well have been speaking about this new, exciting, and innovative product. E.N.D. (pronounced E-N-D, not end) is a brand-new outdoor footwear company out of Portland, Oregon. With a “Why can’t less be more?” attitude, E.N.D.’s “Minimalist Design” approach allows them to focus on only what the athlete MUST have in order to perform at high levels.

END was born out of a novel idea — that better design through problem solving is the next step in making greener gear for the outdoor athlete. Not only does E.N.D. replace toxic or virgin materials with sustainable ones, the evolutionary design process – known as Co2ND — also begins at the design table. Here, E.N.D. question’s every seam, every stitch, every material and every step in the manufacturing process — All to minimize the footprint of E.N.D. products prior to manufacturing!

M’s Stumptown 12oz - $80

W’s Stumptown 10oz - $70

W’s Stumptown LT $85

Great Outdoor Provision Co. is proud to be one of the first companies on the East coast to carry this innovative and environmentally conscious company. Gear-up for E.N.D. — coming soon to Greenville, Charlotte, Cameron Village, and Winston-Salem shops!

July 4, 5 & 6 - On the banks of the fabulous Eno River!

Earlybird Tickets available NOW on-line

Presented by the Eno River Association, the Festival features a variety of activities, all with an environmental or cultural connection to the river. The Eno River Association is committed to the preservation of the nature, culture, and history of the Eno River basin. To learn more about the Association, click here.