Great Outdoor Blog

Builder’s Peanut Butter – Best by: 19JUL09 to 30SEP09 and 05NOV09 to 18NOV09

Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch – Best by: 21JUN09 to 01OCT09 and 03NOV09 to 28NOV09

Crunchy Peanut Butter – Best by: 21JUN09 to 01OCT09 and 03NOV09 to 28NOV09

Kid Organic ZBaR Peanut Butter – Best by: 07JUL09 to 05SEP09 and 12NOV09

Peanut Toffee Buzz – Best by: 13SEP09

INFO taken from FDA Website

Getting cabin fever? Put your winter to use by preparing for your first multi-day kayak camping “expedition”. Join us at Great Outdoor Provision Co.’s Wilmington store for a class in Coastal Kayak Trip Planning and when the weather turns nice again, you’ll be ready. Check out the data:

What – This course is intended to give the intermediate kayaker the fundamental skills and knowledge to do multiday kayaking trips on protected coastal waters.

When – Mondays, 6:30-8:30, February 23rd, March 2nd, 9th, and 16th

Where – Great Outdoor Provision Co. @ Hanover Center – 3501 Oleander Dr. – Wilmington, NC 28403 – 910.343.1648

MORE INFO & ONLINE REGISTRATION

>> Also check out our Sea Kayak Navigation Course that starts Feb 5th in Charlotte

Chuck (our Minister of Culture) is getting in a few runs today before the Winter Outdoor Retailer Show.

Snowbird Area

7am atop Hidden Peak

Mineral Basin

Raleigh residents woke to a winter wonderland! Here’s a shot of Glenwood Ave.

What have I got myself into?  That was my thought as I stood at Grand Canyon’s South Kabab trail head April 9, 2005.  I new there was a canyon out there but I could only see heavy snow and cloud cover.  Luckily there were no issues with ice as the six of us started the long descent to the bottom.  After a couple hours into the hike it was like someone just pulled back a curtain.  There it is – the majestic Grand Canyon clear and sunny!  It is amazing how different the weather can be between the rim and the bottom.

Another ‘Cold Play Tale‘ from Keith G. – Statesville, NC.
Submit your tales of winter adventure here.

Keith G. – Scotts, NC

The three of us had been planning a night hike in the Shining Rock Wilderness (North Carolina) for weeks.  The plan was to hike to a SB6K peak to see the Leonids meteor shower between November 13th and 20th.  The forecast called for a cold front moving in on the night we chose but we were not going to let that delay our trip.  After setting up a base camp, we did an easy night hike to Little Sam Knob summit and stretched out on the rocks to view an awesome, clear, star studded sky.  After a couple hot chocolates we noticed what looked like a black wall approaching from the west, wind was picking up and the temperature was falling quicker than the shooting stars we were enjoying.  Hello cold front!  We hiked back to base camp and warmed up around a nice camp fire before calling it a night.

I woke up in the middle of the night to the sounds of sleet and snow hammering my tent.  By sunrise we had a significant amount of snow on the ground, strong wind and the temperature was in the single digits.  It was very cold but a beautiful scene!  When we hiked back to the trail head, the U.S. Park Rangers had left a note on the truck informing us that the Blue Ridge Parkway was now closed due to bad weather.  The note stated they had left the gate closed but unlocked for us to exit through.   After a few tense moments driving on the snow and ice covered parkway we made it to safety.

Have a ‘Cold Play Tale’ of winter adventure? Send it over

Tom Valone, Founder

In January of 1974 my business partner and I sponsored famous alpinist Royal Robbins for a slide show.  After the lecture, we hauled him off to Table Rock so we could sandbag him on climbs we had worked on for months and years.  After unfairly humbling him in our familiar backyard gym, we hit the sack in our tents in the meadow that then served as the Table Rock parking lot.  My zip-o-gauge said 4 below, and we could scarcely stand in the heavy winds.  I elected to cook my dinner stew in my tent.  Just as it came to a simmer, a huge wind gust blasted my tent, popped the stakes and lifted my legs. The stove with soup on top along with my gear was tossed up into the small enclosed space in the tent.  What a mess.  Not to worry; I got the stove put out, and thirty minutes later, I picked up the frozen “pieces” of soup and re-heated my meal.

Now for a southern boy, that was COLD!

Just in from a trail run with the crew at Umstead State Park. It was a bit nippy but exhilarating sort that reminds you your alive.  Todd’s (tallest on the right) car read 18 when we got out at 10am.  Did see 2 other folks while on our 11 mile run.   Ran into them at the intersection of Cedar Ridge & Reedy Creek and we all laughed “Didn’t think we’d see anybody else out here!”

Frost on Todd’s head!

A cold tale just in from Charles Bocholis who has worn Layers Thermion for years.

Several years back during a very cold snap in the North Carolina foothills, my friend Larry and I, and our two dogs Toby and Abby, loaded up his new Toyota Land Cruiser for a drive.  We first went to a favorite park in Danbury where we were suprised to find the Dan River partially frozen over.  Of course our dogs ventured out onto the ice and soon broke through.  We tried to remain cool while we pondered who would go into the river (very shallow there 2-3 feet).  Within a few minutes however, the dogs had scrambled onto the ice and were out. Now our worries were about the dogs and hypothermia.  Again the dogs proved to be tougher than us and shook off the icicles and jumped into the Cruiser.

We then drove down a road near Hanging Rock State Park and came across a closed restaurant/inn and met up with a man who was in need of a little help moving some heavy lumber.  We stopped, offered our help and were rewarded with a tour of his property, including driving through some frozen creeks, him showing where he would like to put in a ski lift and some wonderful homemade fresh angus beef hamburgers which he fixed at the restaurant/inn which happened to be his.  All in all, a great day in subfreezing temperatures.

When it is too cold to kayak, the next best thing is learning something new to expand your paddling adventures once the weather turns warm again. The Great Outdoor Provision Co. Charlotte Shop will be conducting a Sea Kayak Navigation Course this winter.

CLICK HERE for details & to register online