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 4th 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 4th 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
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