Great Outdoor Blog

The Chargers and Rechargers Hiking Club, part of the Watauga Task  Force, is sponsoring MST Big Dig #2 on September 20 (Saturday) and 21 (Sunday).  All tools and equipment  will be furnished. Work site on the Blue Ridge Parkway is in scenic Goshen Creek Gorge, four miles north of Blowing Rock at milepost 287. Volunteer headquarters is in Price Park Campground, south of Blowing Rock. (All  access to the work site is from Blowing Rock because the Parkway is closed north of Goshen Creek Gorge.)

Contact Allen de Hart at email: adh4771@aol.com, or tel: 919-496-477l by September 8 if you plan to volunteer work (Saturday 8:30 a.m. to noon, or l:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. or both; and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to noon, or l:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m or both). For a reserved free campsite  at Price Park Campground indicate how many in your party and if for Friday or Saturday or both nights. After your response, detailed directions and answers to any questions will be provided.

September 11 and 13, 2008 - South Ashe Task Force workdays on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

September 27, 2008 - National Public Lands Day - Falls Lake Workday - Durham and Wake Counties.  At the last workday the Falls Lake Section of the MST has reached the 40 mile mark on it’s way to Durham, NC.

greatoutdoorprovision.com/mst

Hard to believe summer is almost over, but like our founder says: it’s “Christmas every morning when the UPS man (brings) us new inventory” …

Incredible technical & casual outerwear from The North Face, Patagonia (check out the great new kids line), Mountain Hardwear & Columbia is already out on the sales floor. New styles from Arc’Teryx & more are on the way. Here are a few pics of the hot new products!

by Todd Hancock, Cameron Village Staff

Through the years I have participated in, competed in and been a spectator of many events that involve an aspect of sport. Last month, after the recommendation of friends, I decided to participate in something that was quite different than anything before. Still sport, I guess.

Muddy Buddy is an event that occurs in some 9 locations nationwide. Lucky for us, one happens to be close by in Richmond, VA. This ‘race’ involves you and a partner covering 6-7 miles by foot and bike. You share one bicycle. There are 5 legs and at the completion of each leg you do a quick obstacle. Then, you change to cycling or running from what you just did on the last leg. The course was crazy. Lots of people were running with bike helmets on, wearing wild outfits, having fun and pushing themselves to the limit.

At the end, you find out where the name of the event comes from. One last obstacle awaits you. You and your partner rendezvous and join up together for the first time in the event. Only 100 feet remains until the finish line. However, there is a military style crawl through a giant mud pit that leaves you no hope but to be covered in mud, with your buddy, by the time you reach the line.

My partner and I are quite competitive and decided to give the event a solid go. At no point, were we not having tons of fun. The nice part is you yo-yo with your partner as you switch running and cycling multiple times, communicating along the way with yells and words of encouragement. There were balance beams and military style wooden obstacles. My favorite was towards the end as you climbed a rope to slide down a big inflatable slide.

After the event, you get to hang out in a huge water hose station where people just try to get cleaned off. It is not until you actually shower that you get rid of the mud behind your ears and underneath your fingernails.

I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an event unlike any other. It is as hilarious to watch, as it is to participate in. We are already planning on doing it again next year. We will be looking to stand a top the podium next year!

Check out muddybuddy.com

» Download the Govenor’s Proclaimation

Mountains to Sea Trail Month set for October

Guided hikes, trail building and raffle tickets for outdoor equipment will launch the first Mountains to Sea Trails Month in October co-sponsored by Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail (FMST) and Great Outdoor Provision Co.

The Mountains to Sea Trail is a linear state park that will eventually stretch from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. Approximately half of the 1,000 mile length has been completed, most on federal and state lands.

“October is one of the best months to experience the trail,” said Kate Dixon, FMST executive director. “The temperature is cool for hiking or trail building and the fall colors will be terrific.”

Throughout the month FMST will offer guided hikes at some of the most scenic spots along the trail. There will also be trail construction days. Some of the handful of people who have hiked the entire trail will be making presentations across the state. The trail is roughly the equivalent of the distance from Raleigh to Boston.

Great Outdoor Provision Co.. a local outdoor retailer based in North Carolina, will conduct a raffle during the month with all proceeds going to help pay for additional construction of the trail. Great Outdoor Provision Co. will raffle prizes with a total value of more than $5000.

“The Mountains to Sea Trail is everything that’s good about the outdoors,” said Tom Valone, president . “It provides opportunities for families for a great selection of day hikes and the challenges and multi-day wilderness experience that backpackers are seeking. Our company is pleased to be part of this effort.”

More detailed information about Mountains to Sea Trail Month is be available on the FMST website of ncmst.org and greatoutdoorprovision.com/mst.

Our kick-off event will be Vertical Ethiopia with Majka Burhardt - Tuesday, September 30 @ Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh

A few more updates just in from Wilmington artist & customer James Davis. Follow his adventures at myxolydian.com

Thursday, August 14
No rain today!! Good day. We went about 12 miles today. We are still exhausted from the past week; so we are shorten up our miles per day. A radio announcer from Prince Edward Isle in Canada (Mitch Comier) called Serene to tape an interview from the trail. He also interviewed me. That was fun!!

Friday, August 15
Another sunny day!! We hiked 11.8 miles today. We are still keeping our miles down so we can get healthy. Only 450 miles to Katahdin!!! We must get healthy so we are taking it slow the rest of the month of August. We figured we will be in Maine on September 1. And we have realized we cannot make it to Katahdin by September 14 & 19 for our birthdays. We will probably make it by the last week of September

Saturday, August 16
Up from the loft of the barn early today. Sure enjoyed the beauty of the end of Vermont. Got to Hanover early afternoon. What a great college town this is. I am definitely coming back here. Got a free piece of pizza at Roma Bitsies and it was really good. Went to the outfitters and got a new pair of boots. A stick went through my boot today and I literally had no shoe left. That pair went over 700 miles. I think the rest of my equipment will last for the remaining 442 miles. There is a hostel here that Serene and I will stay tonight.

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Offer good on purchases made 8/15/08 - 8/30/08

» Check out the Yakima Rack Configurator

Ride for the Land 2008
Nearly 200 cyclists rolled out July 19 for Ride for the Land 2008: The Little River Roll. The tour brought attention to TLC’s Little River Priority Area and raised awareness of our efforts to preserve this critical piece of our natural heritage. While we at TLC have packed away the water jugs and signage until next year, you can reminisce about this year’s ride by reviewing our photos online.

Burrito Bash - Sept 9
TLC is teaming up with Haw River Assembly and the General Store Cafe of Pittsboro for a Burrito Bash! Join us on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at the General Store Cafe (39 West St, Pittsboro) for music, dancing, a silent auction, and of course, burritos! If you are interested in volunteering at the event or would like to donate an item to the silent auction, please contact Marisa Bryant at mbryant@tlc-nc.org or 919-833-3662 ext. 111. For tickets and to view the growing list of auction items, click here.

Haw River Paddle Day - August 30
Join us for an all-day paddling extravaganza on the Haw River at the Lower Haw State Natural Area upstream of the Bynum Dam. We’re offering a different kind of paddle trip on August 30 — six different two-hour trips allowing different ways to see the Haw River. Some of the trips will be themed guided trips: birding, natural history, and geocaching. Others will be “freestyle” do-it-yourself explorations. Details and registration

Hot off the Press - The Raleigh News and Observer is doing a 4 part series about the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Click Here for all of the articles, video’s, and interviews about the MST.

Falls Lake Trail Workday - August 23, 2008

Come help FMST extend the Falls Lake Trail to Durham. Great Outdoor Provision Co. will be providing Chick-fil-a breakfast for the workers! Great Outdoor Provision Co. also joined forces with Patagonia to purchase a trailer to store & transport all the Trail Crew tools.

Meeting Location: Rolling View State Recreation Area - MST Parking Lot at 9:00 AM for the start of work.  Please RSVP this week with Jeff Brewer (jdbrewer@bellsouth.net) so we put the finishing touches on our projects for this workday. With a good turn out we will reach the 40 mile mark at Falls Lake as we close the gap at Santee Road. Once we close the gap at Santee we will move over near Patterson Road and start building the trail to Hickory Hill Boat Ramp - about 7.2 miles. We have some trail work to do at the dead end of Boyce Mill Road  for a group of about 10-12 workers. Your RSVP is a huge help in knowing our total attendance for the workday.

» MORE INFO

Late this afternoon, we received the following video dispatch from Lin Peterson at Great Outdoor Provision Co. Marketing. He was on the summit of Middle Teton with Chad Baird (Footwear Product Manager), and took time out to enjoy some of the Trail Mix Crunch that samples that Grassroots retailers passed out this summer.

In June, Grassroots Retailers worked with Post Cereal to promote Trail Mix Crunch to benefit the environment. Grassroots Outdoor Alliance and Post Cereal partnered to benefit American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Program. In a joint effort, Post Cereals donated $50,000 to American Forests-enough to plant 50,000 trees in 2008. The partnership brings together the effort of 34 independent retailers across 22 states to lend support to the program.

The effort is highlighted in Grassroots’ member stores across the country in conjunction with the launch of Post’s new Cranberry Vanilla cereal. Customers will receive samples of the new cereal and learn more about getting involved with the American Forests restoration program in each location. American Forests is a world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration, a pioneer in the science and practice of urban forestry, and a primary communicator of the benefits of trees and forests. The joint effort is kicking off this weekend with National Trails Day and Land Trust events at Grassroots’ retailers throughout the U.S.

Grassroots President, Dave Matz says of the partnership, “We were approached by Post to help them develop a conservation program in all of our member locations, and we are excited for the opportunity.” About the restoration initiative, Matz says, “We are committed to supporting conservation efforts, and helping companies do their part for the environment. Post has pledged to donate $50,000 to plant trees via Global ReLeaf, and we are happy to be the leaders helping them coordinate this outreach.”

For more information on the Global ReLeaf Program and to support local Grassroots’ members, please visit, www.americanforests.org

Picture your self standing in a river hip-deep in water, rod tucked under your arm trying to force open a jammed zipper. The frustration mounts as you drop your rod in the water because of the battle you are waging with a fouled zipper. Now picture your self in the same situation as you casually reach down and pop open your pack with a simple pull of one hand. Slide what you need out of the pack and with a simple push closed you are back to the action. A dream, you ask? Well, to some maybe. However, the good people at William Joseph have done it again.

After years of R&D, the ZipNo™ closure system has finally been perfected and is ready for release. This patent pending technology utilizes a system to extrude rare earth magnets thus allowing them to be sewn completely around all openings on the pack, eliminating the need for zippers. This provides all the functionality of a zippered opening without any of the hang-ups (no pun intended). This closure is impervious to corrosion and damage from debris and provides a near water tight seal.

» MORE INFO