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
Tommy, his Mom and Cousin Megan
JY Joyner Elementary 5K Run
Andrew Skurka speaks at The Summit School. Photo by Student J. Golden
Ashley Williams just got back from his initial paddle of the Jackson Cuda and he was most impressed. Read on to learn what GOPC Kayak Fishing Team member, “The Druminator,” says about this new boat from Jackson.
This thing does it all! It’s quick off the start, turns and tracks very well, and is a great stand & fish kayak. Definitely use a 230cm paddle to accommodate the high or low seating position. Rod stagers kept two fly rods out of the way but in a ready position. Two rigged 7.5′ spinner rods were easily stowed away inside the rod hatch. The seat is super comfortable and it’s rear pocket held all my tackle. Goodbye milk crate!
Jackson Cuda Seat
Water may have come halfway up the scuppers so I left all my dry gear inside the boat instead of wearing it. The pull strap for standing worked great for getting up, sitting down, and dragging the kayak from one place to another. Also, this kayak is QUIET and there is no hull slap. Some kayak anglers find hull slap annoying and feel it scares fish.
Mine has a rudder for those nasty situations I may encounter, I paddled the Cuda with and without it deployed for some time today to get a good feel of it.
I think that most kayaks paddle “straight” at around 70-80% effort and with proper technique. When most people talk about their kayak not going straight they are generally pushing it too hard. Therefore, the kayak locks into an undesirable line and is hesitant to corrective strokes.
Rudder up this kayak paddles well and can hold a line so long as you don’t go overkill with the stroke. I found the sweet spot to be less effort than other kayaks I’ve had experience with. I felt I was only putting 60% effort into it and it reached maximum speed and stayed in line while also allowing sudden turns as needed. I found the Cuda to be more responsive to edging than other sit on tops. Turning was quick and there was a great amount of return for each stroke made.
With the rudder down was predictable. Turning was quick and flat as there was little lean needed when using the rudder. The rudder is also quiet and you hear very little disturbance from it. Jacksons’ choice of rudder allows for the cable length to be adjusted as needed rather than other rudder kits that crimp cables into a fixed position. I have this weird preference for having my left foot slightly forward of the right (don’t know why, don’t ask…).
High and low seating in the Cuda. At first I had to do some thinking as to how I was going to move this seat up into the high position. To solve this I put the seat in the high position and tightened the strap to about an inch of taunt. This allowed me to take the seat from the low position and move it up into the high position without it straying from the mounts. That inch of extra strap allows the seat to clear the grooves in the high position mounts.
Sitting in the high position felt awkward at first. It provides a noticeable change in center of gravity but it was not enough to worry about. I was able to reach the water and paddle with a 230cm paddle. Any shorter would have not worked.
The seat in itself is worth the price difference between the Cuda and others. I sweat just looking at someone being physically active. The seat in the Cuda provided venting and support like no other. You can feel the breeze coming through the back of the mesh paneling which will be a welcome relief when the heat and humidity come on full force. My Stohlquist Fisherman PFD cleared the back of the seat easily. As I always tell everyone, a full back PFD isn’t ideal for sit on top seats.
That’s it for now. If I think of anything I’ll add to this. Otherwise, ya’ll should respect this. After all, I found this important enough to type during The Walking Dead.
Ashley Williams is a pro kayak angler for Great Outdoor Provision Co and able assistant to Rick Grimes, former deputy sheriff of King County Georgia.
Great Outdoor Provision Co. has created a climbing team that will participate in a local charity Climbathon organized by Triangle Rock Club. Team members consist of current and former COPC employees as well as other enthusiastic climbers. We have all been training hard and look forward to climbing in the fundraising event.
As a team participating in the 1st Annual Triangle Rock Club Climbathon, our goal is to raise $1,000 for Durham’s Ronald McDonald House Charity. We are currently half way to reaching our goal and are looking for help raising an additional $500.00.
If you are interested in making a donation please visit the site below. You can also gather more information regarding the event from the same link.
You may also visit the Triangle Rock Club website at www.trianglerockclub.com for more information.
Again, our current goal is to raise $500 before the event date of March 2. We hope to have your support and if you have any questions about the event or the GOPC team please feel free to email Chance at dbeasley08@gmail.com
4,700 miles around Alaska in 7 months? You bet! Save the date, March 24, and join Great Outdoor Provision Co. and The Summit School in Winston-Salem, for an evening of amazing photography, video, and tales from Andrew Skurka. Presentation is planned for 7pm but stay tuned for details.
Young Naturalists Club Trips are for youth ages 12-18 who like exploring outdoors and learning about nature.
Saturday- March 17 – Show You’re Green on St. Patty’s Day.
9:00am-11:30 am at Walnut Creek Wetlands Center, a wonderful nature preserve in downtown Raleigh. Contact Ranger Sean Higgins for details at sean.higgins@ncdenr.gov. We will need a health form and participation agreement signed for each young naturalist.
The New Year. So fresh with opportunity. We move into 2012 with both fresh commitment along with the gnawing sense that our resolve will be tested. And time outdoors offers perspective and strengthens our resolve. That’s why many of us started the new year off with a hike, ride or some adventure that allowed us to clear the mind and think about the days ahead and what we hope to accomplish.
One thing is for sure, 2012 will hold new challenges. Some we welcome. Others will come as a surprise. For some- it’s a new job. Others – a growing family. Maybe it’s new hobby that you want to start or perhaps sharpen an old one. Whatever you’ve set out to do in the year ahead be sure to include some time outside. It will serve you well. We’ve put together a list resource on how you might want to spend that time. And as always, ask one of our staff about their suggestions for local adventure. See you out there.
Driving to the trailhead I wondered if we’d packed enough cold gear. Snow had been reported at Wilburn Ridge with an overnight low in the 20’s. My buddy and I have a crew of eight high school kids with a collective playlist of nearly 10K songs but did they pack enough insulation?
My concerns are dismissed once we reach Grayson Highlands. Our midnight arrival stirs a Park Ranger who provides an adequate shake-down of the party. She’s impressed to see a group of young people, 4 girls, 4 guys and two dads, out in the woods. She also cautions us to be careful – “Deer season opens tomorrow at sunrise.”
After finding gloves, hats and headlamps we hoist our packs and head north to connect with the Appalachian Spur Trail and over Wilburn Ridge. Our party carries a variety of packs – the majority being Osprey Packs. Two boys lead the way as they’ve hiked this area with their Scout Troop. The girls help with reading the map. Everyone is excited to get on the trail and enjoys the night hike experience. Jokes are passed down the line as we discuss who brought along a blaze orange vest and who brought the antlers.
I kid you not, a rifle shot awakens me just before dawn. Unable to return to sleep I decide to crawl out of a cozy MSR Carbon Reflex 2 and explore the area where we’d chosen to camp. The shelter was occupied when we passed it at 1am so we hiked a bit further before pitching our tents. The babbling of Big Wilson Creek has me digging out the Platypus Gravity Works (video demo here) as I do my best to appear non-deer-like making my way to the creek. Water filters as I fire up the MSR Pocket Rocket and take in the sunrise with a cup of coffee.
The next two days with the crew were great. These young people share a profound connection with this wilderness and each other. Away from our busy city life we can live in the moment – present and connected to the beauty all around. We talk about how the most difficult part of the trip is returning home. They want to do this again – soon – and bring along more friends. We all have a new sense of adventure – maybe it comes from the from the night hike, or stream crossing, or maybe from meeting the hunter who shared his story – but that sense of adventure remains with us long after we return home. Kids these days are eager to get outside and share that adventure with others. They are the next generation of conservationists and it was a privilege to join them on this trip.
Thanks to the folks at Outdoor Sports Marketing and my skillet carrying friend, Blake, who help to make this and many other Scout and Youth adventures possible.
Raleigh received a precious gift today. Our first Nature Preserve. The benefactress was accustomed to making special deliveries such as the Park dedicated in her honor today. As a pioneer in medicine Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD delivered over 8,000 babies. Dr. Annie was the first female doctor of obstetrics and gynecology in Raleigh and the first woman to serve as chief of staff at Rex Hospital and at Wake Med. She always put her patients first and the gift of this park provides a haven for generations to come.
View across the prairie at the Wilkerson Preserve
Dr. Annie passed away in 2005 at the age of 91 and in her will gave the City of Raleigh a 157-acre farm. The terms of the gift include: “That the property herein conveyed shall be maintained as a nature preserve park, and used for the primary purpose of nature and wildlife education, the study of research into methods of conservation, and shall not be used for general recreation or any other purpose inconsistent with the primary purposes set forth above.
The park shall be name the Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preseve Park.”
Located in at 11408 Raven Ridge Road, this park, as Raleigh Parks & Recreation Manager Stephen Bentley put it, “gives Raleigh a new sense of place.” A great lover of nature, Dr. Annie outlined specific themes in her will as goals for the park. Just walking from the Park Office (former family home) down to the pond you recognize that Mr. Bentley and the team at City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation have honored the wishes of Dr. Annie and the Wilkerson Family.
View of Wilkerson Preserve Pond
The preserve includes trails, prairie areas, picnic areas and thick forest to help visitors find their own sense of place. The preserve was designed using Low Impact Development (LID) and Sustainable principles. Permeable pavers are used as an alternative to more traditional hardscapes. The wastewater treatment and water reclamation system is unique and provides a model for future park projects. The system treats the wastewater from the Park Office and restrooms into recycled water used to flush the toilets and urinals in the restrooms. This is the first small scale Membrane Bio-Reactor reuse system of this type and application in the State of North Carolina. Visitors will also find a car charging station provided for electric vehicles.
But this is just the beginning. Phase 2 will bring additional features to the Wilkerson Nature Preserve as the park compliments and connects with the other services of the North district boundaries within the Falls Lake watershed. Discover the park yourself and take along a friend. Dr. Annie would like that.
