Great Outdoor Blog

You wanted to take a whitewater kayaking course last year — but didn’t. You swore you’d finally spend that week on the AT you’ve been promising yourself since college — but didn’t. You also didn’t train for an ultramarathon, take a weekend canoe camping trip or climb Looking Glass Rock.

2012 — where did you go?

Disappointed with last year’s adventure resume? Don’t let 2013 be a repeat of 2012. Vow to make this your Year of Adventure. And start now by making a plan.

Now, a true year of adventure consists of numerous small adventures and maybe one or two big ones. (It is called a Year of Adventure, after all, not a Long Weekend of Adventure.) Say your goal is that epic backpack trip, a week — at least — on the Appalachian Trail. You just don’t go out and hike 15 miles a day, seven days in a row, with 35 pounds on your back. You lead up to it, with a series of smaller adventures in the form of training hikes.

But all the good places to hike are in the mountains, you grump.

Au contraire, mon adventurer-in-training.

Go to our Hiking Page and you’ll discover five hikes near each of our seven markets. Say you’re in Greensboro and your goal is to get in at least two hikes a month. On our Greensboro Hiking Trips you’ll discover five of our favorite hikes. Only got a couple hours? The Lake Brandt/Palmetto Trail and the Piedmont Environmental Center are good options. If you’ve got time for a day hike check out nearby Hanging Rock State Park or Mayo River State Park or the Birkhead Wilderness of the Uwharrie National Forest.

You start exploring our recommended trails and begin to feel good about your hiking. Time to add camping to the mix. Before committing to a backpack trip you’ll want to field test your equipment, not to mention your camping skills, in a more controlled setting. Check out our Camping page and you’ll find find five places to car camp near where you live.

Next step: a short backpack trip. Come by the shop to explore our map section and scout potential trips, or meander over to books and pick up a copy of “Backpacking North Carolina,” where you’ll find good warm-up trips of two, three and four days. Finally, you’re ready for your epic on the AT. Start planning with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s maps and guidebooks, which cover everything you need to know — from shelter and campsite locations to water sources — to plan and execute a trip capping your 2013 Year of Adventure.

Plotting an epic year is just as easy for other adventures, from flatwater paddling to whitewater, trail running to climbing.

Maybe you’re flummoxed by all the options in the adventure world and aren’t sure where to start? A good source of inspiration is your local Great Outdoor Provision Co. shop. Spend half an hour wandering the aisles and chances are you will find motivation in the most curious of places. Pick up some maps at random; A region you thought you were familiar with may reveal a valley or ridgeline you don’t know at all. Maybe you pick up a copy of the “Shining Rock/Middle Prong Wilderness Map”; you’re as comfortable at Shining Rock as you are in a 0-degree down bag on a January night. But Middle Prong? What’s over there? Or perhaps the quirky “The Linville Gorge Hiker’s Guide,” a grassroots effort with homemade maps, mimeograph (Google it, kids) quality and grainy pictures catches your eye. Start thumbing through and you quickly discover a ton of insidery information about one of the wildest places on the East Coast. Intrigued? You bet.

Motivation can come in unlikely places. A trip to the camping department reveals a titanium spork that suddenly makes you want to spend the evening huddled in the dark and cold over a can of beans. In boats you realize it’s been way too long since you’ve had yours out on a winter paddle, while a trip through outerwear makes you realize it’s rarely too cold in North Carolina to get out and explore. Maybe you discover something entirely new, maybe something you’ve thought about, but never pursued until you pick up a flier for a day-long fly fishing class on a nearby lake. A one day lesson, a handful of day trips to local hotspots and who knows, you could be fly fishing for cutthroat trout in the Rockies come July. Does a river run through you? You won’t know until you put a fly rod in your hand.

We’ve got the resources to help make sure 2013 doesn’t disappoint. Let’s get started on your Year of Adventure!

——–
curated by Joe Miller

Part of what makes the outdoor lifestyle special is time spent with friends who share the passion for adventure. As a locally owned outdoor shop we have the pleasure of spending time with neighbors who enjoy the outdoors and respond by giving back to the community.
This past week was a great example as more than a thousand folks gathered for a variety of events including live music with The Infamous Stringdusters, an AT thru-hiker send off, a 5K run along Raleigh’s Greenway and a fast hiking clinic featuring the Alaska/Yukon range. And not only did we have a blast together, we raised thousands of dollars for non-profit organizations who make a difference in the lives of others. Here’s a few pictures from this past week’s events.
Thanks for taking time from your busy schedule to participate. As a token of our thanks please use the link at the bottom of this post and download some free music from The Infamous StringDusters:

Hiking for the Stars- Celebration for AT Thru-Hiker Tommy Freeman

As a token of our thanks please use this free download link to enjoy music from The Infamous StringDusters-
http://soundcloud.com/thestringdusters/sets/snack-pack-ski-tour

Great Outdoor Provision Co. is excited to return as a sponsor of the River Bound Race Series, a joint production of N.C. Outward Bound School and U.S. National Whitewater Center. The four-race series takes place on the 400 acres/14 mile trails at the Whitewater Center as a fundraiser for the N.C. Outward Bound Scholarships.

For more information, please visit the official race site at www.riverboundrace.com.

>> Click here to register

Dates and Events:

• March 10th (5K)
• May 19nd (10k)
• July 21th (15k)
• September 22th (Half Marathon)

Sign up for all 4 races and save!

Kayak Fishing was the fastest growing outdoor activity in 2011 and the popularity continues to grow. Getting started is easy with the relative low cost of purchasing a kayak in relation to the cost of a motorized craft. And kayak fishing tournaments are a great way to to meet new people and learn more about the sport.

Most tournaments are “photo catch and release” meaning you will need a digital camera and a means to measure the fish. Below are several resources that provide information on area tournaments. These include the increasingly popular “online tournament” which allow anglers to fish according to his or her schedule and participants can submit their catches online for judging. Probably the most recognized of the online tournaments is the Kayak War series.

Each of our shop locations is staffed with kayak anglers that can provide more details on the sport and offer suggestions as to how you can participate. It is lots of fun and provides a great way to be outdoors.

Click on the links below to find out more about kayak fishing and local tournaments.

North Carolina Kayak Fishing Association

North Carolina Angler Online

Hardcore Kayak Fishing

Carolina Yakfish

River Bassin Forum

Kayak Bass Fishing

Kayak Angler Magazine Online

Kayak Wars

Thanks to Gwen Crabtree for this resource. Gwen is the paddlesports manager at our Charlotte location and a member of the Great Outdoor Provision Co. Kayak Fishing Team. Follow Gwen @CLT_Kayaker.

Bob Nelson, Captain of our Blue Ridge Relay team, reflects on this weekend’s accomplishment.  From start to finish Bob kept us organized, motivated and laughing.  Bob – Our thanks to you and Carolina Godiva for letting Great Outdoor Provision Co. join in this adventure.    Here’s Bob’s race recap from the 2010 Blue Ridge Relay.

The word “epic” is fairly overused these days. It seems that a weekend bike ride, an overnight backpacking trip or a Saturday morning trail run are now “epic”.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes the word “epic” as a) extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope; b) heroic.  On Friday morning, September 17, 2010 I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with twelve regular guys staring down 208 miles of Blue Ridge Mountain roads from the base of Mount Rogers in Virginia to downtown Asheville.   The twelve of us would trade off running a plastic slap-band up and down some of the toughest hills on the East Coast to arrive in Asheville with a goal time of 28 hours.

Our team, Carolina Godiva/Great Outdoor Provision Co. Open, was made up of twelve “regular” guys (if you can call anyone who wants to do this “regular”) and one brave soul that we bribed to help drive. The runners would run in order through the thirty-six legs of the race. Our team was made up of Chuck Millsaps, Colin Jones, Jason Clark, John Millsaps, Tom Kirby, Peter Millsaps, Harold Hill, Doug Hensel, Bob Nelson, Heiko Rath, Jeff Hall and Shane Slaven. Our driver was Steve Abbott, affectionately known as P.I.T.A.

We traveled to Boone on Thursday coordinating travel with the Carolina Godiva Mixed team. We arrived in Boone and chowed down at Black Cat Burritos before checking in to the Hampton Inn. After a trip to buy some team supplies we prepped the vans for the race and crashed. Six O’clock came pretty early for the first van. They hit the Hampton Inn breakfast and drove the hour to the start at Grayson-Highlands State Park in Virginia. Chuck Millsaps led-off with a fast downhill leg that put us on our way. The terrain was up and down but nothing too difficult in mountain terms. In other words, we don’t have anything to compare to these around here. The team moved the wrist band through West Jefferson before meeting up with the second van and getting a well deserved break back in Boone.

The second van members slept in a bit before leaving Boone at 10:30 a.m. After the exchange we carried the band through Todd, Boone and into Blowing Rock. The climbs began to get longer and steeper once leg 10 began. Heiko Rath climbed the first monster hill on the course while Jeff Hall and Shane Slave got to run the first two legs on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We met-up with the first van in Blowing Rock and took our own well deserved break back in Boone back at Black Cat Burritos.

Colin Jones ran a heroic 10 mile 14^th leg to the base of Grandfather Mountain followed by a fast descent by Jason Clark. It was dark when the two vans met in Linville to begin hop scotching our way to Asheville. The temperature dropped quickly as we forged on. Tom Kirby ran a really tough 17^th leg and Peter Millsaps burned through leg 18 to the half-way point. Doug Hensel ran a very dark, winding, up-and-down nine mile section through Pisgah National Forest passing off to me for an easy downhill section through a deserted Spruce Pine. From there, Heiko took us up to the Penland School and Jeff ran an unpaved section that vaguely resembled a road. Shane finished up the second van with a strong 24^th leg.

Two legs down for each of us, one to go. At this point it was around 2:00 in the morning. We were all tired and wondering how we would make it through our final legs. Meanwhile, Steve Abbott was fortifying himself with energy drinks and Skittles. It was a potent combination. Chuck and Colin made it through two short but fairly tough legs. Then Jason Clark just hammered the nine mile 27^th leg.   He was really impressive.

Not to be outdone, John Millsaps flew through the next leg before handing off to Tom Kirby. Tom powered through a really tough 29^th leg with a strong effort. Peter took over and well, let’s just say we know why his middle name is “Miles”.

At this point van 2 took over, van 1 had done their job and were beginning to relax. NOW THE FUN BEGAN! If you see Harold Hill, tell him that he is the man. He ran up the longest climb in the race, running 6.5 miles up a mountain. He held pace, never flinched and ran like a stud. You ‘da man Harold Hill! Harold passed off to Doug Hensel who screamed down a nine mile descent. It was an awesome performance. Doug actually opened up his stride on this leg. I was waiting for him as he finished the leg in less than an hour. Now it was my turn.

Before the race I asked people what a 13% grade looks like. No one could tell me. Well, it’s steep! It’s really, really steep. The climb started with a gentle incline then kept pitching upwards. When it got to 8-9% I began to shuffle. Both vans passed me and waited at the top of the climb. The elite Norm’s Maggots van passed me on the climb and gave me some encouraging words. When they reached the top of the climb they asked the guys if they were from Godiva. They said yes and asked how I was doing. The Maggots van said, “he’s moving, he’s kind of limping though. Is he O.K.?” I was moving in some semblance of a run but it was slow and excruciating. Finally, I saw the guys on top and trudged my way up, finally making to the top of this 3.5 mile climb before plunging downhill to the finish of my leg. As I reached the end I started to tear up. I hurt so bad but had done it. I had run the Blue Ridge Relay.

We still had three legs to go. Heiko rolled through leg 34 and passed off to Jeff Hall. Jeff climbed a 10% grade up two miles before getting some relief on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was another heroic effort. He then passed off to Shane Slaven’s very capable legs. My fellow Ball State University Alum carried the wrist band down to downtown Asheville to the finish. We all escorted him in and finished in a time of 25:23:50, 7:20 pace, over an hour and 35 minutes under our predicted time. We place eighteenth overall (of 100 teams) and fifth in the open category. Best of all we were the first of three Godiva teams to cross the finish line just a couple minutes ahead of the awesome Godiva Masters team and thirty minutes ahead of the Godiva Mixed team. It was so great to see all the Godiva teams finish so close to each other.

So…………..a bunch of “regular” guys ran 208 miles of Blue Ridge Mountain roads in 25:23:50. The team that included Chuck Millsaps and his sons John, a sophomore at Wake Forest University, and Peter, an eighth grader at Martin Middle School in Raleigh. Jason Clark, an EMT, Godiva legend Tom Kirby and Godiva newcomer, come backing Colin Jones. We had another Ball State grad in Shane Slaven, hashing greats in Doug Hensel, Heiko Rath and Steve Abbott, our new friend Jeff Hall and our old friend Harold Hill. We all extended beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size and scope and we were heroic. I want to thank my twelve brothers for the epic adventure and the comradery. Thanks also to the Carolina Godiva Track Club and to Great Outdoor Provision Company for helping to make this all possible. If you haven’t run in this event, well…………………..run this event.

For more than a decade, paddlers in the Triangle have worked with City & County governments to bring their dream of a whitewater park to the Neuse River below the Falls Lake Dam. With nearly $350,000 already allocated by local governments, the Falls Whitewater Park Committee is working to make this dream come true. Join the committee on Tuesday, July 27, to learn more about the plans for this project.

IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing
Surf City, NC
Atlantic Division
Competition Date: May 23, 2010

Registration and Captains Meeting: Begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 22
Location: Beach House Marina and Yacht Club
111 North New River Drive
Surf City, NC 28445
(910) 328-2628

Take-off: Location of your choice
Weigh-in: Great Outdoor Provision Co.
Hanover Center
3501 Oleander Dr (US 76)
Wilmington, NC
(910) 343-1648

More info at this link

SNEWS and Backpacker have 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.

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 11
4:30 – 7:00 PM

>> RSVP on Facebook

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

What:

• Raffle Prizes
• Free Giveaways
• Food and Drinks
• Live Music by Old Habits

About the Backpacker & SNEWS Retailer of the Year Awards

The Backpacker & SNEWS Retailer of the Year awards are given annually to outdoor retailers who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship and who serve as visionaries for the outdoor market and as leaders for the communities they serve.

The winners are selected through a rigorous judging process that begins with a call for nominations seeking the best outdoor retailers in the United States. This year, over 100 stores across the country received nominations. After reviewing all nominations, a group of finalists—determined by a first round of voting by SNEWS and Backpacker editors—is presented to a panel of judges who evaluate each store based on personal and customer experience, reputation in the outdoor community, customer feedback from the nomination forms, and overall store excellence based on demonstrated excellence in community involvement, sustainability efforts, store training and more.

To show your continued support for your favorite outdoor retailer, please go to http://www.snewsnet.com/roty to cast your nomination for the 2011 Retailer of the Year awards.

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

The UNCG Department of Campus Recreation presents its 1st Annual Spartan ThrowDown Disc Golf Tournament. It will be held at the Piney Lake Recreation Area and is open to UNCG students, faculty and staff, and the community. Divisions include Men’s and Women’s beginner, intermediate and advanced.

More info: campusrec.uncg.edu