Great Outdoor Blog

Learn to tie seven traditional patterns that will give you a great start to a lifetime of tying.

The tips and techniques learned can be applied to virtually every pattern made. The class will be broken up into four 1.5 hr sessions. Space is limited to ensure a more personalized learning experience. Stop by or call the Raleigh shop to register.

• Admission: $100 (Four class series)
• Limit: 6 tiers
• All materials & hooks provided
• Vises & materials provided  or bring your own vise
• Learn 7 proven traditional flies
• New Tips & Techniques

When: March 10, 17, 24 & 31 @ 7pm

Where: Cameron Village • 2017 Cameron St • 919.833.1741

Dear Falls Lake MST Volunteer,

Several of you have asked about this Saturday’s workday with the prediction of rain.  Bruce and I will be there to run the workday and work as much as we can.  We have worked in light rain but if it’s a heavy constant rain then our work will be very limited.  In the past when we have had light rain we have cleared the trail of brush prepared the trail for the team of diggers for the next workday.  We have also performed light trail maintenance on existing sections.  Since 1997 we have never canceled a workday due to weather due to the fact that we have always had some willing volunteers show up to work.  As one worker told me after working in the rain all day, “I always wondered if this Gore-Tex jacket really worked.” And at times when the weather man said it was going to rain, it was sunny all day long.

Those of you that are driving from a far distance might want to really study the weather and make your own decision on what you would like to do.

Breakfast – We will not provide breakfast for this workday due to the weather.  I hate to order a huge number of biscuits only to see them go to waste.  We will have hot Starbucks Coffee for you to start off the AM.

In the end we are all volunteers working hard to build the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake.  Your work is appreciated as we spent over 6,000 hours working at Falls Lake last year.  Our next workday is March 21, 2009.

Thanks,
Jeff Brewer  – 919-868-6274 – jdbrewer@bellsouth.net

Carolina Godiva Track Club and Great Outdoor Provision Co. welcome Brooks Running to the 6th Annual Umstead Trail Marathon.   All 26.2 miles of the marathon will be run within the borders of William B. Umstead State Park on Saturday, March 7th.   We have 5 staff that will be running those miles in the Brooks Cascadia or Adrenaline ASR and SmartWool socks. Chuck Millsaps has considered one on each foot as he loves the performance of both shoes. “It’s a tough choice between the two.  During my training I have used 2 pair of Cascadia and 1 pair of the ASR.  I am currently running in the ASR but will it will be game day decision.”

Both the Brooks Cascadia (l) and Brooks Adrenaline ASR (r) are ideal for the terrain of the Umstead Trail Marathon.  The course consists of some technical single track covering portions of Company Mill and Sycamore Trails.   But most is on the park’s bridle trails which are the width of a single lane road and covered with fine gravel.  It’s a challenging course with many hills and the sections of single track include features such as “The Devil’s Spine” and “Shut In Simulator” that exact a toll on the runners.

A couple of trivia points if you are curious.

• The cut off time for the course is six hours.
• The course record was set in 2007 in a blistering time of 2:40:35 by Paul DeWitt.
• Previous course record set in 2005 by Mike Aldrink in a time of 2:50:59.  (Fun side note about Mike – he placed 3rd in the 2007 Krispy Kreme Challenge with a time of 28:14 after running 2 miles, eating 12 doughnuts and running  2 mile to finish.)
• This year’s Umstead race capped out with a field of 200 runners who will start at 9:00am on Saturday, March 7th.  Spectators are welcome and  may park at any of the Umstead paved parking lots and run, walk, or ride in the park to see the marathon.   Remember there are no bikes allowed on the hiking trails.  The Graylyn aid station is a good vantage point as you see both mile 6.5 and mile 14.8.  A course map is available at www.umsteadmarathon.com/umstead2006map.jpg

by Evan Thomas Moore, Winston-Salem Staff 

Now that you’ve tackled Jomeokee, the Great Pilot, and seen the white cliffs standing silently over the Piedmont Plateau and the raptors soaring around Big Pinnacle, it is time to venture northeast to Hanging Rock State Park, home to Moore’s Knob, Cooks Wall, and Hanging Rock, the tallest peaks in the Sauratown Mountain Range.

When I first moved to Winston-Salem, Hanging Rock fast became my initial impression of the North Carolina Mountains. Since my first day hike there with friends, Erica and Sarah, I have returned several times to explore the different trails and witness the Piedmont’s seasonal evolution. With trails of varying length and difficulty, plus plenty of opportunities for camping, it is the ideal park for family getaways.

The Hanging Rock Trail is easily accessed from the visitor center parking lot and is 2.2 miles, out and back. It is a steep and strenuous climb but well-maintained and worth the effort. In the summer, Hanging Rock is shrouded in haze. At 2,070 feet, even this jagged rock face cannot escape the southern humidity. But it was encouraging to find hikers scrambling up the trail, regardless! A lot can be said for a cool mountain breeze after a tiring ascent.

I returned in November, hoping to catch the sunset from Moore’s Knob, where an impressive, stone observation tower looms above the tree line. Sitting at 2,579 feet, Moore’s Knob is the tallest point in the Sauratown Mountains. The Moore’s Wall Loop Trail can be found at the second parking lot, just beyond the visitor center. On their way up, visitors will witness outstanding rock structures, such as Indian Face and Balanced Rock. From the summit, hikers can see Hanging Rock to the east, and to the west, Pilot Mountain, a faint bump on the cusp of the horizon.

When my old college buddies, Sherwin, Matt, and Robbie, came to visit this past January, Hanging Rock State Park once again seemed a good place to explore. We embarked down the Cooks Wall Trail, encountering dozens of fellow hikers with their dogs and stopping on our way at House Rock, a flat ledge with views to the southeast, and Cooks Wall, a popular spot for climbers. Shortly after, we arrived at Devil’s Chimney, where sunshine radiated through the clouds like the glow of Heaven. From this exposed rock face, Winston-Salem is visible on a clear day.

My most recent day hike in the Sauratown Mountains took me back to the summit of Hanging Rock, this time, with my good friend, Tim Bob. It was an especially frigid morning, and the parking lot was nearly deserted. From the summit, the Piedmont Plateau looked bare, radically different from its lush appearance in August. And rather than having to endure humidity, we were forced to take cover from cold mountain gusts strong enough to blow us over. Yet, despite the landscape’s transformative nature, the Sauratown Mountains remain a testament to the strength of these lands and the power of nature and heritage. The seasons may come and go, but the mountains will always remain.

Read More in PART I

Public Information Meeting on PCB contamination in Little Brier Creek, Little Brier Creek, Brier Creek Reservoir, Brier Creek and Crabtree Lake.  Learn how it affects people, pets and wildlife and about methods for eliminating the pollutant. Please join us on Feb. 26, at the Cameron Village Library, 1930 Clark Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27605. Time: 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

The event is free and sponsored by the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation. For more information please visit our website: www.neuseriver.org/pcbs.html; or contact Alissa at 856-1180 or email alissa@neuseriver.org

MSR’s HyperFlow Water Filter utilizes the latest Hollow Fiber Technology in a package so small and so easy to use it will change the way you travel in the backcountry. Its ergonomic design, diminutive size and tool-free maintainability make it just as appropriate on day trips as it is on multi-day excursions. Also included is a Quick Connect Bottle Adapter^™ — allowing direct connection to all MSR hydration products and a variety of other “wide mouth” containers — and an advanced prefilter to prolong the life of your filter. $99.95

This video demonstrates the swift pumping capabilities of the HyperFlow:

Great Outdoor Provision Co. & Patagonia presented the Carolina Climbers Coalition with a check for $350.

Robin Hannon, Shop Manager & Karen Staman, CCC volunteer.

About the CCC: “Since 1995, the Carolina Climbers Coalition has grown and expanded. Today the CCC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. We still hold onto the motto, preserving protecting and expanding you climbing opportunities, but that has taken new meaning. In 2005 Sean Cobourn, then president, and Jon Myers got wind of the opportunity to purchase one of the largest cliffs in the Southeast, Laurel Knob. With overwhelming community and industry support, the CCC made an offer to purchase the cliff.

The purchase of Laurel Knob transformed the the CCC from grassroots organization to landowners, land managers and advocates. This change allows us to be part of a growing movement of organizations that are truly preserving and expanding your climbing opportunities. We continue to work with local, state and federal organizations to help preserve and protect our climbing privileges.”

Recent parking bans at Umstead State Park have Raleigh City Council Members discussing alternatives. Citizens can direct their concerns to City Council members by contacting one or all of the following:

• Mayor Charles Meeker – charles.meeker@ci.raleigh.nc.us
• Mary-Ann Baldwin – mary-ann.baldwin@ci.raleigh.nc.us
• Russ Stephenson – russ.stephenson@ci.raleigh.nc.us
• Nancy McFarlane – nancy.mcfarlane@ci.raleigh.nc.us
• Rodger Koopman – rodger.koopman@ci.raleigh.nc.us
• James West – james.west@ci.raleigh.nc.us
• Thomas Crowder – thomas.crowder@ci.raleigh.nc.us
• Philip Isley – philip.isley@ci.raleigh.nc.us

View the petition. The accessumstead.blogspot.com is a local site that voices one opinion. The opinions of this site are not necessarily endorsed by Great Outdoor Provision Co.

For our paddling friends in the Cape Fear River area and the Morehead City area, we want to bring to your attention the following warning. We know of paddling customers who have been approached and inspected by armed US Coast Guard escort vessels when they were paddling near the channel where a naval cargo ship was being escorted up the Cape Fear River to port. These regulations came into effect as a result of the USS Cole incident and 9-11.

Read More in our Coastal Paddling Series

MOREHEAD CITY – Revenues from the N.C. Coastal Recreational Fishing License will pay nearly $2 million in the coming year toward projects to help provide coastal fishing access and fisheries and habitat research.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission announced today the approval of 11 grants totaling $1.99 million from the N.C. Marine Resources Fund. This is the first set of grants awarded from CRFL revenues, other than in-house projects of the Division of Marine Fisheries or the Wildlife Resources Commission.

“I feel we are off to a good start putting saltwater license money to work,” said Mac Currin, Marine Fisheries Commission chairman. “There is a good balance of new and improved angler access, research needed for better management and habitat enhancement.”

Wes Seegars is chairman of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

“The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the Marine Fisheries Commission staffs collaborated to review and recommend authorized projects funded from the sale of Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses,” Seegars said. “There is a tremendous need for public access to coastal waters, and three of these projects increase boating and fishing access.”

Grants were sorted into three focus areas: People, $947,500; Fish, $619,096 and Habitat, $422,970.

“These were the areas where we felt there was the greatest funding need,” said Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.

“We look forward to funding future projects that will benefit aquatic habitats, obtain important information on managing sport fisheries, and provide recreational fishing opportunities,” said Gordon Myers, director of the Wildlife Resources Commission.

North Carolina began requiring a license for fishing in coastal waters Jan. 1, 2007. Revenues from license sales go into two different funds, depending on the type of license. Expenditures must be used to manage, protect, restore, develop, cultivate, conserve and enhance the marine resources. Revenues from the sale of all lifetime coastal fishing licenses and a portion of the lifetime unified hunting and statewide fishing licenses go into a N.C. Marine Resources Endowment Fund. Only the interest of this account may be spent.

Revenues from the sale of annual and 10-day coastal fishing licenses and a portion of the annual unified hunting and statewide fishing licenses go into a N.C. Marine Resources Fund. Spending may come from the principal of this account.

Spending from either of the funds must be approved by both the MFC and the WRC.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries received 19 applications for grants requesting $2.2 million from the N.C. Marine Resources Fund.

“There was excellent cooperation and coordination between the two commissions concerning which projects should be funded,” Daniel said.

Projects chosen for funding are:
1. $25,000 for Take a Kid Fishing
2. $300,000 for a boat landing on Bricklanding Road in Brunswick County
3. $122,500 for a boating access site in Cedar Point in Carteret County
4. $500,000 for a Wildlife Resources Commission boating access area at Snow’s Cut
5. $98,828 for a N.C. State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology study of the movement and mortality of spotted sea trout
6. $496,527 for DMF to develop a comprehensive recreational fishing data collection program
7. $23,741 for a UNC-Wilmington king mackerel tournament text message catch and effort reporting program
8. $44,665 for an N.C. State University study of the spawning characteristics of blueback herring
9. $135,325 to enhance the DMF review of coastal development permits
10. $132,242 for a UNC Institute of Marine Sciences project to test alternative designs of planting oyster seed
11. $110,738 for the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program to develop a submerged aquatic vegetation monitoring program

For more information, contact CRFL Grants Coordinator Bonnie Jones at (252) 808-8113 or Bonnie.B.Jones@ncmail.net.