Adopt-A-Highway

Adopt-A-Highway

We couldn’t be more excited about our new partnership! Earlier this year we put in a request to partner with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and their Adopt-A-Highway program. The Raleigh team recognized this partnership as a great opportunity to support of our mission to work with the community, and keep both Raleigh and North Carolina beautiful. This is just one more outlet we now have to help this cause.

With Adopt-A-Highway (AAH), we signed on to clean up a stretch of road that is about 3 miles long, at least 4 times per year. Since acquiring our road in late April, we have already completed 21 hours in two work days (May 1 & June 19). Our road way is not too far from our store, and when we get our sign, we will have another spot to give our store exposure in the city.

Seven associates have participated in our 2 clean up events. Both times, we have brought the Angstrom 25 and 30 along to carry water (for hydrating), work gloves, orange trash bags and blue recycling bags. The packs have been a great help. They were easy to carry, and acted as a light extension of the team member carrying it. The waist strap made it easy to pick up litter without the entire pack spinning around. This was great since we have, unfortunately, picked up a LOT of trash. To date we have collected about 3 bags of recycling and 8 bags of litter.

This has been a great project so far, and we look forward to helping NCDOT and Adopt-A-Highway in keeping Raleigh litter free! Check out some of the highlights from our first two cleanup efforts!

TNF Raleigh

Chris Rief

Carol Cashen

Mary Peck

Tara Kendrick

Makana Dumlao

Geoffrey Brown

Brad Muszalski

May 1, 2011

June 19, 2011

Never Stop Exploring

National Trails Day 2011

National Trails Day 2011

The North Face Raleigh was very excited about participating in National Trails Day! Since we are still a relatively new store, we wanted to make sure we jumped on board with an organized group early in the year. The event did not come together overnight, as we planned months in advance for our June 4^th workday. Chris led the project by checking on AmericanHiking.org to see if there were any events planned for the Raleigh-Durham area, and found one nearby at Falls Lake. The lead organization was affiliated with the North Carolina Mountain-to-Sea Trail (NCMST.org). After reaching out to them, a partnership started to bloom and we were on our way.

National Trails Day is an important event that needs support. Here in North Carolina, we are very fortunate to still have an abundance of open spaces, despite the fact that Raleigh is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. The trails are an investment in both our natural areas and our community. It takes hours upon hours to plan and maintain the trail systems. While we use these trails for our enjoyment, they are also a means to get outside, to explore, to learn about wildlife, to get fit and healthy, and so much more.

As June 4^th came, Chris, Geoff, Carol and Mary S were ready to take on National Trails Day! The team met up at the starting point just outside Falls Lake. The team broke up into groups to help assist different projects. Projects ranged from clearing paths, putting new trail markers in, and trash clean up. As seen, Geoff and Carol brought out the Angstroms to use for the day. Inside each pack, they carried water for this hot North Carolina day, lunch, and some TNF swag to hand out to fellow volunteers (PlanetExplore water bottles and stickers).

The team worked diligently to clear paths. Geoff found many random items along the way such as a dead fish with no water nearby, a freezer, and about a dozen ticks on him. (Geoff said he spent a good hour finding them and picking them off.) He did an awesome job clearing paths that should now stay clear for a long time, and he can now confidently declare that this area would be great for a trail run!

While doing her trash pick up, Carol had the find of the day! She found a Corona bottle! Not just any bottle, but a habitat for a spider. Looks like the spider had been spinning that web for years! Plus, that spider is HUGE! Such a creepy, but awesome photo! The clean up collected over 100 bags of trash and recycling.

Geoff and Carol had much success with the Angstrom packs. They found it easy to wear and carry, especially on the warm day. The light packs were very manageable for carrying water, snacks and swag for the event. We look forward to participating in more events like this, and of course, National Trails Day 2012.

TNF Raleigh

Geoffrey Brown

Carol Cashen

Mary Specyal

Chris Rief

Never Stop Exploring

National Kids to Parks Day 2011

National Kids to Parks Day 2011

Chris, Beth and Brad teamed up with Park Trust, Buddy Bison, and Central Park School for Children on Friday, May 20, 2011 for National Kids to Parks Day! The North Face Raleigh joined up with this 4^th grade class from Durham, NC, to explore West Point on the Eno river, just minutes away from their school.

The team met the class just after 9 AM. Beth and Brad were geared up, each with an Angstrom loaded with PlanetExplore water bottles and stickers (TNF red box and PlanetExplore) for the kids after our day of fun. Chris was packed full of camera gear, ready to document this day that was going to be awesome!

The day started with bird watching along the Eno River. The kids had mini posters with pictures of birds that could be found in the area. They were excited to find a heron sitting on rocks with a small waterfall to the left. Soon after bird watching, the kids regrouped for about 30 minutes of yoga. An instructor came to lead the very willing class. There was a focus on what was going to happen on the day and where they could find peace. The kids, amazingly, were very attentive with only the occasional distraction of a bug find.

After yoga, a small snack break was had. The energy snacks were provided by Park Trust, as were the awesome Buddy the Bison shirts they all wore. When the break ended, there was a mad rush to play Ultimate Frisbee. Some knew how to play, while others did not. Clearly that did not stop them from having fun and running back and forth.

Bird-watching… check! Yoga… check! Snack time… check! Frisbee… check! Next, we prepared for our hike through the woods. Chris looked for a volunteer to help him document the hike. A volunteer was found, and a GoPro camera was attached! It was powered and ready to record! Onward we went! We took a hike through the woods, over the river, (past Grandma’s house) on a bridge, then on a hiking path! We had plenty of shade on this warm Carolina summer day! On the hike we saw so many critters. We saw cicadas, worms, frogs, snakes and beetles! The kids were not afraid; they were so interested in learning and seeing more. You could tell that their teacher, Aaron, inspired their passion for the out doors!

After our adventurous hike, we arrived at a swimming hole! Faster than the blink of an eye, the kids were in the water. They had no fear of the murky lake water. They were quick to play and eager to explore. There was no shortage of fun! Everyone was exploring this peaceful place. The kids were sliding down water shoots and even seeing who could swim under water the longest. Needless to say, there were many smiles and happy faces. Not wanting to leave, we headed back.

We continued to see bugs of all types! When we got back, we gathered for a serious group shot followed by a dozen still-goofy photos! After that, we had the class sign one of the Buddy Bison shirts for the store. We look forward to getting the signed shirt in the store. It will be a sweet reminder of such an amazing day we had. Beth and Brad flipped around the Angstroms that they had been hiking with all day and started handing out the water bottles and stickers. It was a hit! Everyone loved the PlanetExplore water bottles and stickers!

For this event, we used the Men’s Angstrom 30 and the Women’s Angstrom 25. The bags worked out great for this event. It was perfect for the short hike. We were able to easily carry all the water bottles and stickers. In addition, there was still plenty of room for water and snacks for the team. A great recommendation for a light hike or trek! If you have kids, you can pack a lunch, the camera and a towel for that random water hole you find!

TNF Raleigh

Chris Rief

Beth Uydess

Brad Muszalski

Never Stop Exploring

Mt. Rainier: Fuhrer Finger to Gibraltar Chutes Link Up

The Fuhrer Finger on Mt. Rainier is a classic ascent route that offers direct access to the upper slopes of the mountain, via a steep 45 degree colouir. First climbed in 1920 by Hans Fuhrer, Heinie Fuhrer, Joseph Hazard, Payton Farrer, and Thomas Hermans, the route offers the most direct line of ascent to the summit. In previous years, while slogging up the Muir snowfield en-route to other objectives on Mt. Rainier, the Fuhrer Finger has beckoned me. The aesthetic nature of the line and position on the mountain begs to be skied and has became somewhat of a mountaineering goal of mine. I attempted to ski the Finger last spring but was turned around by adverse conditions and have been waiting for a chance ever since. Fast forward a year and the time had come to put a plan into motion.

In the Northwest, June has set up to be an epic month for ski touring with ample snow and a weather pattern that is beginning to change for the better. Early in the week, conditions for the first weekend in June were looking promising so my climbing partner Reid McCaul and I made tentative plans for an alpine style ascent and descent of the Fuhrer Finger. As the weekend approached the forecast remained stable and on the night of June 3 we clipped into our skis and began skinning up toward the Nisqually glacier. As we gained elevation, the sun gradually fell behind the sunset amphitheater on the western flank of Rainier. I remember feeling quite alone as the last bit of alpine-glow faded into the night. What lay ahead of us was 9200 vertical feet of one of the most technically demanding mountains in the Northwest.

In total darkness we ascended the lower portion of the Nisqually glacier and carefully picked our route onto the Wilson Glacier. A few hours into the climb the snow conditions deteriorated rapidly and we were forced to remove our skis and put on crampons. This slowed us down a bit, but soon we again found our rhythm and just before midnight we approached the entrance to the Fuhrer Finger. The steep walls of the cliffs on either side of the colouir created an eerie echo as Reid and I discussed our strategy for ascending the route. We quickly agreed that our best option was to stay on the left side to avoid rock and ice fall in the middle of the chute. As we entered the colouir we quickly found that the snow conditions were not ideal for cramponing. There was a 4 inch thick unsupported crust with approximately a foot and half of loose, unconsolidated powder beneath. In other words the snow sucked! Gradually we gained elevation and finally reached ideal snow conditions above the hourglass in the colouir. This firm snow and ice supported our crampons and we quickly regained speed. By first light we found ourselves at about 12,000 ft. in the middle section of the Wapowety cleaver. The warmth of the suns rays on my face was a welcome feeling after hours of enduring the cold darkness of night.

After reaching the top portion of the Fuhrer Finger Reid and I took an extended break on the first "flat" section we could find. At this point it was obvious to both of us that the route was not in ideal shape to ski. As disappointing as this was to admit, the top layer had formed slabby avalanche conditions that would be dangerous later in the day. We decided to continue the ascent and figure out a new line to ski upon reaching the summit. From the top of the Wapowety Cleaver we made a right turn and traversed the upper section of the Nisqually glacier. This slog was more typical of Mt. Rainier's standard routes and took forever. At nearly 14,000 ft and having not slept in 24 hours, the elevation was starting to wear on us. Finally after what seemed like an eternity we stepped over the summit rim and into the crater of Mt. Rainier. It was 11:00 and we had been going strong for the past 13 hours. The summit of Rainier is a magical place that brings out a lot of emotion after hours of climbing. This time was no different, however exhaustion was quickly taking over. We collapsed just inside the crater and hunkered down for a much needed rest.

We spent approximately an hour on the summit sleeping, rehydrating and trying to eat as many calories as possible. Without much of an appetite at elevation this is very hard to do. As we rested Reid and I devised a plan to safely get off the mountain. Our original goal of skiing the Fuhrer Finger was now out of the question due to increased solar radiation from the midday sun as well as the questionable snow in the lower reaches of the colouir. Having heard that the Ingraham direct had been closed by RMI (Rainier's premier guiding service) that decent option was out of the question as well. As we contemplated the thought of the long meandering descent of the Disappointment Cleaver route another party joined us on the summit. After speaking with them it was decided that the Gibraltar Chutes was the fastest and best option for descent. I knew a little about the route but failed to realize just how exposed to serac and rock fall the chutes actually were. With the decision made we quickly packed up and headed down the upper reaches of the Nisqually and Ingraham glaciers. Upon reaching the saddle where the Gib ledges route meets the upper mountain we spotted our line, a steep 50 degree chute that leads directly to the Muir snowfield. We dropped in one at a time and enjoyed one of the best ski descents of our lives. Reid and I met again on the Muir Snowfield, finally able to relax in knowing that we had just linked up two premier routes on the mountain and were finally out of harms way. Before we new it we were back at the car enjoying the views of our accomplishment.

Elevation Gained: 9,010 ft.
Elevation Lost: 9,010 Ft.
Duration: 17 hours

Jeff Schomaker
TNF Seattle