Great Outdoor Blog

The SmartCommute Challenge is an annual non-profit public service campaign that works to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. From April 15 – May 31, 2010, commuters who work in Durham, Orange & Wake Counties can participate by pledging to carpool, vanpool, bike or walk, ride the bus, or telework at least once.

Click here to TAKE THE CHALLENGE!

GOPC is a Silver Sponsor this year. We donated $250 along with a $750 “Commuter Treasure Chest” of great gear to include:

• Patagonia Sportswear Outfit featuring Sustainable/Recycle Fabrics
• Smartwool Socks & Keen Footwear
• Commuter Backpack
• Water Bottle, Headlamp, Camp Chair & Sunglasses

The SmartCommute Challenge is coordinated by GoTriangle and SmartCommute@rtp. The goal of the campaign is to encourage Triangle commuters to try an alternative commute (not driving alone) to work or campus such as riding the bus, carpooling, vanpooling, teleworking, biking, walking, or riding your electric scooter or Segway.

We need your help to make the 2010 campaign a success! Our goals are to:

• Help reduce the carbon footprint of Triangle commuters.
• Increase awareness of greener commute choices.
• Show Triangle commuters ways to save!

How to SmartCommute
Trade in that stressful, time-consuming and expensive drive to work for a smarter commute. It just takes one day to complete the Challenge.  If you’re really feeling up to it, pledge to change your travel to work several days throughout!

• If your company and supervisor allows it, working from home is the way to go. Go for teleworking!
• Make new friends or catch some zzz’s in the backseat. Pledge to carpool or join a vanpool!
• Get fit and have fun (save a trip to the gym)! Try biking or walking to work!
• Want to feel the breeze in your hair and catch some fresh air? Take your electric scooter or Segway to get around!
• Add a relaxing buffer to the beginning and end of your day, with time to read, listen to MP3s, or just take in the scenic view. Try the bus!

Changing your commute can reduce your carbon footprint while increasing your savings.  Each gallon of gas burned by your vehicle releases approximately 24 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. Taking a smarter commute two days a week can reduce your annual CO2 emissions by at least 1,590 pounds!  Together, we can make a difference.

Plus, with tax incentives, SmartCommuters can save up to $230 a month.  That’s over $2700 a year! To learn more about how a smarter commute can save you money, click here!

On Saturday, April 10, the Neuse RIVERKEEPER® Foundation will hold their Annual Neuse River Cleanup from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. River-lovers of all ages are invited to join us for a day of service and community. A thank-you picnic will follow immediately. Come get your hands dirty then join us for some relaxation and social time near the beautiful Neuse!

River cleanups are truly community efforts. The Foundation expects nearly 500 volunteers will participate this time, including youth groups, church groups, civic organizations, college students and river enthusiasts. The cleanup will cover nearly 50 miles of river between Falls Dam in North Raleigh and Smithfield Town Commons in Johnston County. The Counties of Wake and Johnston agreed to waive the landfill fees and the city of Raleigh will provide garbage trucks and staff to remove the trash at the Raleigh sites.

This event has become the largest single river cleanup in the State; over the past 7 years the Cleanup has collected more than 113,505 lbs waste and involved 1,663 volunteers. Volunteers have removed an amazing variety of items from the river, including appliances, car parts, disco balls, a Christmas tree with decorations, a check book, couches, coconuts, tires, buckets of paint, and syringes as well as plastic bags, cups and bottles. This year, for the first time, Spring Cleanup volunteers will be separating recyclable materials for diversion from local landfills.

To participate in the upcoming cleanup, go to the Foundation website at www.neuseriver.org and select a site location near you. Opportunities for paddlers, with or without their own boat, are available at the Falls Dam, Milburnie Dam, and Smithfield Town Commons locations; shuttles will be provided.

Clean-up Sites

• Smith Creek at Burlington Mills Rd., Wake Forest
• Falls Lake Dam Canoe Access – 12098 Falls of the Neuse Road, Raleigh
• Buffaloe Road Canoe Access – 4901 Elizabeth Drive, Raleigh
• Crabtree Creek at Raleigh Blvd. Raleigh
• Milburnie Dam Canoe Access- 1101 Old Milburnie Road, Raleigh
• Poole Road Canoe Access – 6501 Poole Road, Raleigh
• Hwy 42 in Clayton – 2075 NC Highway 42 E, Clayton
• Smithfield Town Commons – 200 S. Front St., Smithfield

Yadkin Riverkeeper’s Tour De Yadkin is well formed and now you can get a look at when you want to get on the “tour.”

http://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/tour2010schedule

Some of these dates have built in shuttle and rental opportunities. Otherwise the boats, (gear) and shuttles are the individual’s responsibilities. Make some time and get on the water with Dean this April.

Ward, Winston-Salem Shop

Raleigh, NC, January 28, 2010 – SNEWS and Backpacker honored Great Outdoor Provision Co. as the recipient of the 2010 Retailer of the Year Award for Conservation, a recognition given annually to the outdoor retailer who embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship and who serves as visionary for the outdoor market in the area of conservation.

SNEWS President Michael Hodgson and Backpacker Editor In Chief Jonathan Dorn presented the award on Thursday, January 21, the first day of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City.

“With sales of active outdoor recreation gear and accessories on the rise, specialty outdoor retailers are playing a significant and influential role in the growth and development of our outdoor community, “says Michael Hodgson, president of SNEWS.  “We’re happy to honor their efforts, not only on the retail level, but in the way they are making the outdoors more accessible to consumers.”

“We’re flattered and, quite frankly, stunned to be considered on a par with the other specialty outdoor retailers considered for this award,” said Tom Valone, founder and president of GOPC. “All the credit for earning this honor goes to our customers who are passionate about the outdoors and enthusiastic about supporting our outreach efforts to help the environment.”

The Second Annual Retailer of the Year Award for Conservation was carefully selected through a rigorous judging process that first began in July of 2009 with a call for nominations seeking the best outdoor retailers in the United States. Over 100 stores across the country received nominations. ? After reviewing all nominations, a slate of finalists—determined by a first round of voting by SNEWS and Backpacker editors—was then presented to a panel of judges who evaluated each store based on personal and customer experience, reputation in the outdoor community, quality of customer feedback from the nomination forms received, and overall store excellence based on demonstrated excellence in community involvement, sustainability efforts, store training levels and more.

About Great Outdoor Provision Co.
Founded in 1972 the Great Outdoor Provision Co. now has seven stores in seven North Carolina cities. The store sells clothing and equipment for outdoor enthusiasts, including those who enjoy hiking, backpacking, paddling, rock climbing and fly fishing. It also carries sportswear and shoes. Great Outdoor Provision Co. supports environmental, youth and human-services organizations in the communities in which it operates. For more information, go to greatoutdoorprovision.com/culture/wesupport.

To thank you for your support and show some love back to the community for being such great customers, we’re having a Customer Appreciation Party!

PLEASE JOIN THE CELEBRATION!
When: Tuesday, May 11th
4:30 – 7:00 PM

Where: Great Outdoor Provision Co.
2017 Cameron Street, Raleigh, NC 27605

What: Raffle Prizes, Free Giveaways, Food and Spirits, Live Music

Guilford County Public Meeting on the Morton/Richardson Open Space Tract and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail

Tuesday, February 16
7:00pm-8:30pm
Location:
Northern High School – Media Center
7101 Spencer Dixon Road
Greensboro, NC 27455
More Information:
Alex Ashton of Guilford County
(336) 641-3762 rashton@co.guilford.nc.us

The public is invited to hear a brief presentation, view maps and ask questions regarding properties in northern Guilford County recently acquired by the State of NC and Guilford County. This land is a wonderful new addition to the county’s Open Space Program and will help connect the Mountains-to-Sea trail to Haw River State Park. Representatives from the State, County, and City will be available to address questions, comments or concerns of the public. This is a preliminary meeting to solicit information and input before developing a formal plan.

Other MST Events:

MST Workdays across the state

FMST’s Annual Meeting
Saturday, February 6, 2010
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Haw River State Park, Brown Summit
Learn more about the trail and how to get involved
Cost: $10 for lunch
To RSVP or learn more, contact Kate Dixon, Executive Director
kdixon@ncmst.org

January 23, 2010
February 27, 2010
March 20, 2010
April 17, 2010

MST – Durham and Orange Counties – Eno River State Park
Location: Cabe Lands Trail Head off of Howe Street

Work is currently progressing on getting approval for the construction of the MST along the Eno River. We now have approval to construct a new section of the MST in Eno River State Park. The work involves constructing new natural surface hiking trail, and will involve clearing brush, moving logs, picking up debris, and constructing the trail surface. Tools will be provided. The Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail (FMST) will be hosting the above work day from 9AM to 4PM. Please RSVP to Fred Dietrich at fred.dietrich@duke.edu. Please wear appropriate work cloths, and bring a bag lunch, plenty of water, hiking boots, work gloves, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

All volunteers under the age of 18 will need a signed permission slip, and will need to be accompanied by an adult volunteer. Individuals and groups welcome.

Meeting location: Eno River State Park – Cabe Lands Parking Lot off Howe Street. Please car pool when possible. See info above where the dates are listed.

How we build trail at Eno River

Stage 1 – By the time you arrive at the worksite the approve flag line is done with surveys tape (pink or orange) tied to trees. Small “stake flags” are placed in the ground about every 8 to 10 feet to show where the trail tread is to be placed. All of the chainsaw work of major trees is complete as well.

Stage 2 – A team of people with fire rakes or garden rakes come along and remove the leafs and duff from the ground by following the small stake flags.

Stage 3 – A team of people with cutter mattocks come along and hand dig the trail tread into place at a width of two feet wide. The overall goal is to have a nice flat trail (with a small degree of slope to allow for waterrunoff) to hike on that is root and rock free.

Stage 4 – A team of people with fire rakes come along and do the fine detail work to remove any small roots or correct any tread issues that were accidentally left out from Stage 3.

Stage 5 – A team of two or four people remove the stake flags to be used further down the trail. At the same time white blazes are painted on the trees to guide a hiker on the final trail route.

Trail Quotes at Eno River:

“Water is the number 1 trail enemy” – Bad water erosion problems lead to huge trail issues. If the trail tread is constructed properly water erosion will not be an issue.

“Quality is better than Quantity” – Great quality trail means that we will not have so many future trail maintenance issues in the long term. We must build quality trail instead of seeing how far we can accomplish in one day.

Check out the current issue of thisisfly.com for an article out about “Redfish Can’t Jump“- A Documentary on the North Carolina Redfish.  This is Fly is a well-known online magazine that always has some cool stuff to read about.  Just go to the website and click on page 65.

Also noteworthy, the “Redfish Can’t Jump” release date is set for Thursday, January 21st in Wilmington.  The premiere will be hosted by City Stage at Level 5 in downtown Wilmington and the showing will begin at 8 pm. Admission will be $3 and you will be entered into a drawing to win some cool stuff. More on Facebook. Watch the trailer below:

Astral Limited Edition Green Jackets in stock at Charlotte and Raleigh

The next generation whitewater rescue jacket. The Greenjacket represents the most innovative and comfortable rescue PFD to date featuring a freestyle tectonic front panel, added back protection, and an internal back band for mid-back comfort. This jacket also provides a perfect fit for women who are looking to step up their creek game.

The Riverkeeper Film Festival celebrates its sixth year of showcasing some of the best in documentary and independent films from around the world. This coming January, Festival-goers will view French Academy Award nominated film Oktapodi, a short film about the adventure that ensues when an octopi couple is separated. Other films include Heather and Goliath, an inspiring documentary about a woman who puts her job on the line to protect her local river and Goldfish, the story of two girls, one mission and a lot of fish. These are just a few of the many independent and documentary films featured in the 2010 program.

Evening screenings (excluding Wilson) will begin with a wine and cheese reception, included in the ticket price.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 18 or students with a school ID.  The January 2010 schedule includes screenings in the communities of Durham, Raleigh, Smithfield, Kinston, New Bern, Wilson and Oriental.  Due to time constraints, the program selection will vary by venue.  For more details and to purchase tickets, please visit: http://neuseriver.org/events/filmfestival.html

December 4th @ 12 noon

The City of Greenville, NC along with Friends of Greenville Greenways (FROGGS) will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, December 4, 2009 at 12 noon for the South Tar River Greenway. Eventually the South Tar River Greenway will extend from Town Commons to approximately 5th and 10th Street, near Greensprings Park, connecting to the Greenmill Run Greenway.

The ribbon cutting location is at North Ash Street, across from the off-leash dog park. You are all welcome to attend.

And hey, what’s a celebration without some free food, huh?

So ride your bikes there, and after the ribbon is cut, be among the first to cross through. And if you do not have time to ride,jump in your car and come anyways!