I don’t really enjoy “tooting my own horn,” but I do enjoy writing and consequently this piece will likely run several sentences longer than necessary…  But let’s see if I can make this entertaining.  Perhaps I can manage to shed light on some of the more quirky “dynamics” of life as a “GOPC kid”…

Growing-up in the GOPC “family” often bestowed upon me the distinct displeasure of enduring awkward situations with both my friends and, more often, their parents.  By the time I was seven years old, I had practically memorized the following spiel: “Yes, I go camping — a lot.  No, I don’t get personalized discounts (really?  Did you just ask a seven year old about money???).  And no, I can’t help you get a discount, either…”

But life in the GOPC community also tended to be a fun and spontaneous affair.  No lazy weekends for me – every Friday, we’d pile into Pop’s rusty jalopy bound for some remote corner of the state, only to return Monday morning with an assortment of bee stings, nicks, bruises and bumps, and a hell of a lot of great storytelling material (as Dad has told me, time and again, in that Southern bass-tenor of his, “son, you have been blessed with a gift for lying.”  To which Mom always interjects in a voice so thick with irony it might just clog your arteries: “with no help from your Father, of course…”).  Growing up, the Good Lord always seemed to relish transforming our little family outings into harrowing odysseys filled with driving rainstorms, swarms of angry yellow jackets and even the occasional masked gunman (but that’s another story for another day!).  By the time I hit puberty, my conception of God was more akin to that of Zeus: a powerful, bearded figure (appropriately “ripped” and naked, of course) sprawled across a heap of billowing clouds, casually hurling bolts of lightning my way.  *For the record, I blame my dance moves – an amalgamation of flailing limbs and off-beat snapping — on this period of my life.*  When I first encountered Jonathan Edwards’ eighteenth century sermon “sinners in the hands of an angry God,” I felt a strange sense of connection to the man’s words (especially that bit about God suspending us over the pit of hell, “much as one hold a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire”…)  Now, I think I know why.

Fielder &  Sam Valone - circa 1998

The majority of my time today is spent indoors studying.  My evenings are rarely spent under the heavens – no, the majority of my nightlife consists of squinting at computer screens, bleary-eyed, well into the early morning hours.  Life as a student of History at the University of North Carolina has certainly taken a toll on my time spent in the great outdoors. Just toss a ball in my direction – any sized ball will do – and my total lack of coordination or athleticism becomes mercilessly apparent.
But even now, my “wild side” occasionally resurfaces.  Afternoon thunderstorms still possess a strangely transformative power over me (some of my friends have described such moments as “that rare opportunity to glimpse into the soul of a primordial being”).  And Jonathan Edwards’ sermon?  Oh, my…  

» READ MORE on his News & Observer Blog

Need to exercise?
Want to start a running/walking program?
Want to get back to basics?
Want to spend time w/ your family?
Don’t know how to get started?

Join us at Cameron Village for Fit-tastic!
Fit-tastic! is a 12-week program designed to take all levels of fitness (yes, beginners too) to the point where they can reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. Join with your family, friends or alone and along the way you will meet many striving for improved overall health and wellbeing. Just a few extra steps a week can make a difference.
All Proceeds benefit WakMed Just for Kids Kampaign

» Registration is open

» MORE INFO

July 9, 2008

Left 501 Shelter early, it was another hard day of hiking in the rain. The rocks are so slippery, really have to take your time. My feet are paying the price for these slippery rocks. I made it to Eagle’s Nest Shelter just before 5 pm. I am really wiped out today; spiders and mosquitoes were bad today – there has been so much wet weather. Mileage today was only 15.5.

July 10, 2008

Slid down the mountain today – like snow skiing. It was so steep, a mile straight down. Got in Port Clinton Hotel about 1 p.m. Nero day. Today, I did 9 miles – broke 1,200 miles!!! Leaping Turtle called me today because he read about me in the newspaper; he is at Delaware Water Gap. My shins are still hurting.

The Port Clinton Hotel is much nicer than the Doyle. The Port Clinton Hotel, served as a stagecoach stop between Sunbury and Philadelphia in the early 1800’s. Stagecoaches stopped at the Port Clinton Hotel, which was a great social center where news from other states and even foreign countries was exchanged. In fact, it became customary when signing the hotel register to add any news that they thought might be of common interest. The hotelkeeper and his family cared for the driver and passengers stabled the horses and entertained with a fiddler and dances.
The hotel’s birth name was the “Gately Hotel” and is now named the “Port Clinton Hotel”. Situated in southern Schuylkill County, the unique little town clings on the hillside and embraces the peninsula between the Little Schuylkill and the main river. Port Clinton takes its name from De-Witt Clinton on the Erie Canal, and was laid out in 1829. A thriving community for many years for large shipments of coal which was brought to Port Clinton by the primitive railroads and was loaded on canal boats for shipment.

Thursday, July 10, 2008, 7:30 pm
Landscaping and Gardening to Preserve Water

Wednesday, July 16, 2008, 9 a.m. - 5 pm
Green Design and Development Workshop

INFO: www.peanc.org

July 10-13, 2008 - Blue Ridge Parkway, US-421 to US-321 - Help the Chargers and Re-Chargers as they build the MST towards Blowing Rock. See the MST homepage for all of the details.

July 19, 2008 - Falls Lake Task Force, Durham County - Build trail with the Falls Lake Task Force as we continue west towards Durham.

July 19, 2008 - Central Blue Ridge Task Force, Morganton area - See the MST homepage for all of the details.

July 25-27, 2008 “MST BIG DIG” - Blue Ridge Parkway, near BRP overlook MP 264.5 - The goal is very simple — dig as much quality trail as we can for the MST along the BRP. Your help is needed and we always have a great time. We supply all of the tools and training for this event. Camp with us at Doughton Park campground (RSVP to get a campsite).

MST Thru-hiker News:

Scott “TABA” Ward is now past Stone Mt. State Park and I-77 heading east towards Pilot Mt. Check his journal out at www.trailjournals.com

Jordan King and Kyle Donaldson are now past the Falls Lake Trail heading west to the Greensboro section of the MST. Click on the following link for a news article about their trip:

http://www.fayobserver.com/article_archive?id=1211928

Because of the remarkable demand for this product, we have added it to the Greenville, Charlotte, and Chapel Hill shops.

• We saved 1.9 MILLION miles! That’s 270 trips to China!
• 86,485 GALLONS of gas — 13.3 tanker trucks full — were conserved.
• 865 TONS of CO2 were reduced, the carbon footprint of 43 Americans in a year!
• 77% of those surveyed said they will continue to SmartCommute at least once a week.

There’s more…

• Check out more interesting Challenge results.
• Find out if you know any of the prize winners.
• Watch the video! Larry’s story has a happy ending.

Keep up the GREEN work! Find out all you need to know about SmartCommuting at GoTriangle.org or call (919) 485-RIDE.

Capital Chapter Of The NC Wildlife Federation Announces the
1st Annual Canoe-a-thon Benefit on the Neuse River
Saturday, August 9, 2008

We will launch from the falls lake dam area and paddle down the Neuse River to Buffalo Road. Launch begins at 12:30pm. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Canoes/kayaks provided to those who don’t have their own. $50 Donation per person is suggested. All donations are tax deductible.

Team registration is encouraged! —Team tracking of donations will be available on the website

Advanced registration required, please contact the capital chapter at
info@ncwfcapital.Com for details or to pre-register.
* Kayaks welcome too!

END was born out of a novel idea — that better design through problem solving is the next step in making greener gear for the outdoor athlete. Not only does E.N.D. replace toxic or virgin materials with sustainable ones, the evolutionary design process – known as Co2ND — also begins at the design table. Here, E.N.D. question’s every seam, every stitch, every material and every step in the manufacturing process — All to minimize the footprint of E.N.D. products prior to manufacturing!

M’s Stumptown 12oz - $80

W’s Stumptown 10oz - $70

W’s Stumptown LT $85

Great Outdoor Provision Co. is proud to be one of the first companies on the East coast to carry this innovative and environmentally conscious company. Gear-up for E.N.D. — coming soon to Greenville, Charlotte, Cameron Village, and Winston-Salem shops!