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.

Click the links below to learn more:

Take a Hike
Plan a Trip
Hike the Mountains-To-Sea Trail

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.

>> Download Old Town Redemption Form
>> Download Necky Redemption Form

Limit one redemption per household. Offer valid in the U.S. and Canada. This rebate cannot be combined with any other offers from Necky or Old Town Canoe and Kayak. Void where prohibited by law. Noncompliant requests will be eliminated without response. Offer good while supplies last. Must be redeemed by January 15, 2012.

Congratulations to our winners! Trusty’s random generator has selected the following names from those who clicked through the Nov 10th email featuring Trusty’s Holiday Gift Guide. With so many great gifts to choose from we thought the best gift would be a $50 gift card so that winners can select the gift that fits their wish list.

Winners have been contacted via email

Geoffrey Hird
Kary Hill
John Bort
Greg Selzer
Karen Johnson
Lisa Moore
Richard Parker
Angelina Maletto
Chuck Brown
Jenn Feltis

On November 26, we ask you to Shop Small at you favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. When we all shop small, it will be huge.

The new GoPro HD Hero2 Professional has just arrived in select Great Outdoor Provision Co locations! This is the POV action cam to have for all active outdoor interests. It has the same waterproof to 197 ft housing as the HD Hero but is much improved over the older model. The new HD Hero2 Professional has a sharper optical glass lens and improved low light performance. The image sensor has increased to 11 MP. Perhaps even more importantly, you now get 3 field of view (FOV) options at native 1080p recording: 170 deg, 127 deg & 90 deg. The previous gen HD Hero only offered 1080p at 127 deg FOV. To get 170 deg FOV, you had to crop down to a 960p resolution recording. Attached is a complete comparison of the various GoPro HD cams. Put one of these on your gift wish list!

We stock the new GoPro HD Hero2 Professional in our Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem shops along with a variety of mounts and accessories including: LCD BacPac , Battery BacPac, Handle Bar Seat Post Mount, Chest Mount Harness, Suction Cup Mount, Surf Mount and Grab Bag.

Learn more or RSVP at http://bit.ly/uHi4Kc

It’s time to recognize another year of protecting safe, clean water in the Neuse River basin…but this year we have something special to add.

For years, the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation and other area environmental groups have been working to ensure the best possible outcome for Falls Lake through our work on the Falls Lake Rules. This year, the strongest water pollution cleanup rules in NC went into effect for Falls Lake and the cleanup finally began. Please join us for some outdoor family fun to help celebrate the future of a clean, safe Falls Lake!

12:30 – 3:30pm Falls Lake Social
The NRF will have a fleet of canoes and kayaks out of the lake for use, free of charge. Bring a picnic or grill out for lunch, play on the water, get to know other members and NRF staff, or stop in at the community building to watch “Gasland” and learn about a groundbreaking (literally!) new issue in the Upper Neuse.

4:00 – 5:00pm NRF Annual Meeting
Hear updates on the state of the river, join us in recognizing our dedicated volunteers, and learn about the plans and priorities for the coming year.

The staff from our Charlotte shop, sponsored in part by our friends at Ex Officio, was able to spend a chilly but exciting morning working together at the Team Development Center of the US National Whitewater Center on 30 October. Tucked into the woods above the man-made river, the Team Development Center offers 22 different ground-level Low Elements and a series of High Elements 32 feet above the ground.

Eleven staff members, whose tenures with GOPC range from 12 years to just one day, faced a variety of team and individual challenges. Our day began as the sun came up on a brisk, 30 degree morning, but we are fortunately all familiar with the advantages of good layering. Staying warm was the least of the challenges we faced!

After a short game to get the blood moving, our first challenge was the “Team Triangle,” which involved moving all eleven team members from a platform, around a steel cable strung between trees, and back to the platform, without touching the ground. As a group, we jumped right in, tackling the problem head-on and developing our strategy as we went. We had only one slight mishap (a team member touched the ground) with the consequence that another person was blindfolded for the remainder of the task. The challenge was one we all enjoyed, and were happy to see our well our trust and communication skills helped us succeed.

Next up was another of the center’s Low Elements, the “Nitro Swing.” This challenge involved moving each team member, one at time, on to individual platforms using a rope swing. Complicating matters, we were also challenged to move a cup of water from one side to the other. In this case, our challenge was to work together to enable every one to achieve the same goal. It was quickly apparent that each of us has different needs, and required a slightly different approach to the challenge. We were successful because we were able to acknowledge our own individual strengths and weaknesses, and use them to achieve our group goal. Things were a little dicey as we moved the water from one side to another, but we managed it without spilling a drop.

Feeling pretty confident in ourselves, we moved next to the High Elements. Properly harnessed up, we split into teams of 3 and 4 to move together across steel cables through a variety of obstacles. The high elements challenged us to navigate around and over various obstacles, leap from platform to platform, and do it all balanced on a steel cable 32 feet above the forest floor. We quickly realized that the key to success is our ability to rely on one another for support, both literally and mentally. Even though a few of us took some spills, everyone managed to reach the zip line at the end of the high ropes course and enjoy a quick ride back to the ground.

Angie, who was our facilitator for the day, and her assistant Gill were enthusiastic supporters, and with their encouragement we were all successful. The challenges we faced together at the Team Development Center reinforced for us the importance of communication and team work, and certainly renewed our sense of team spirit.

>> Learn more about the USNCW with this virtual tour

Trip photos on FLICKR

When: Tuesday, Nov 8th, 6pm-7pm
What: A casual meet & greet with local author Joe Miller and Kate Dixon who serves as the Friends of MST Executive Director.
Who: Welcoming all who love the MST and Backpacking North Carolina
Why: To celebrate the MST and those who completed our Backpacking NC Challenge.

We’ll honor our those who have hiked and select FMST Raffle Winners.

>> Check out Joe’s Trip Report for Merchants Millpond

Challenge participant photos: