Venture Outdoors Trail Mix

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2007-09-18T13:20:00.000-04:00

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Nature Poetry

2007-01-16T16:48:00.000-05:00

Sharon F. McDermott is a poet and an administrator at the Center for Environmental Oncology of UPCI. In 2005, her chapbook, Alley Scatting, inspired by the alleyways of Pittsburgh, was published by Parallel Press, University of Wisconsin, http://parallelpress.library.wisc.edu/about.shtml

Lunar Eclipse, 2005 (February 14, 2007)

"Poetry is tribal not material"
C.D. Wright, from Cooling Time: An American Vigil

and there we were laughing in the cab
of your truck, watching the luminous scoop
of moon melt down the long black throat

of the sky. We had learned by now not to force
our moments, not to chase meteor showers out of the city
only to wind up lost, a little creeped-out on a country road,

crawling with shadows and the scissoring of locusts. Here, on city
streets, we’d taught each other to look up, to leave the over lit
coffeeshop to its mugs and crushed beans and stand quietly

on Walnut Street, two stones in a moving stream
of window shoppers and dinner dates. I knew you were the one
friend who’d greet the sky’s latest show with awe

and a few silly jokes, the friend who wouldn’t scoff
at spending a hot Pittsburgh night craning our necks
to view la luna slowly whittling

down to a lit grin. We drove onto Howe, beneath the burnt out
lamp of streetlight. And as the earth tilted beneath us,
blotting out its lonely moon, silver

by sliver, I felt a shiver, the merest whisker of the fear
our ancestors must have felt when their numinous path-
maker erased itself and abandoned them in the wilderness

without any guides. But you were here with me, your glasses
tipped in light. And we’d learned enough in this city full of polite strangers, that one good friend meant the difference

between a life as small as a doused beam
and a life of blue fire.
~for Jeff

New Snow, Crabapples (January 31)

Cold walk with Rosie on tangerine trails,
snow in the shadow of tangling.

I watch sunrays ring old summer fruit
like bells. Though ice capped, still red.

Hikers pass quickly, hunched in their coats.
Bitter breeze. Nowhere to go but around

these familiar bends made magic
with shimmer and peaks. And what have I learned

up till now? Still circling, still hoping
to leave my mark. These winter walks,

I try to remember to lean into sparks
of ice on a branch or a crow’s

raucous swoop. Oh woods full of bootcrunch
and breath! Oh heart with its own wild fruit:

Beyond sidewalk grit. Chimney smoke.
Snow in its silverfall blues.

Crows: The Yard (January 17)

Here’s the digestible map: tracks of the great
black birds in the snow. You have fed the crows

of the winter trees shelled nuts, sunflower
seed, suet, and they’ve gone off to pray. The world

blizzards by, whitens like the knuckles of a fearful
hand. You have fed the black-coated warriors

grapes, dried berries, bits of days-old bread, and they
have gone off to battle. February carves itself

ice sculpture. Great clouds of crows eclipse
the falcon’s own lonely hunger which cries out

like a high wind: shree! shree! The map is a trudged
field, the snow fills footsteps behind you. You fed

the thieving humps, cloaked and hunkered down
in oaks and elms. You fed them all, driven simply

by their hunger, and they circled like a great smoke
ring. Here’s the digestible map: the cold world brings

out need, eyes that pierce like stars. You learn to feed
what cannot feed itself, the catcalling monks, the cassocked

friars. Call down the great black fire—trees will feather
into wings and move closer: the answered prayer, nearing.

A Year of Change

2006-12-19T09:51:00.000-05:00

2006
It's the end of the year and time to look back on 2006. It was a great year for Venture Outdoors...with a lot of change and growth. The staff and board of Venture Outdoors thank each of our volunteers, members, donors, partners and participants for their help in bettering VO and the Pittsburgh Region. Reminisce with us and look forward to an even better 2007!

January 1
Venture Outdoors rolled into 2006 as an official 501(c)3 non-profit, breaking away from its former parent organization, the Tides Center. Founder Mike Schiller stepped down as our Executive Director to blaze new trails (now in Seattle near Mt. Rainier). Wes Posvar, VO Board Member took over as interim ED for the following 6 months while a new ED was being found.

January 16
The 4th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the Park, a co-coordination between Venture Outdoors and the SCA, brought over 300 kids and adults together to celebrate diversity of people with a diverse number of outdoor (and indoor) activities.
Join us as we celebrate the 5th annual MLK Day in the Park!
(Sign up to be a volunteer by contacting Allison Ruppert: 412-255-0564 x26 or aruppert@ventureoutdoors.org by January 12.)

February 12
Member's Winter Party at Ohiopyle.
Featuring the 3rd Annual Camp Stove Cook-off!
It was one of the few weekends where we had a substantial amount of snow.

April 13 & 14
The 4th Annual Banff Mountain Film Festival expanded its stay in Pittsburgh for 2 nights with different films showing each night.

May 20
6th annual Venture Outdoors Festival draws over 5,000 people to the North Shore. This year featured a new addition to the Kayak Pittsburgh fleet, the hydro-bike, which our former Mayor Bob O'Connor tried out himself.

June 3
KP's second location, Kayak Pittsburgh North at the North Park Boathouse opens for business.

June 25
Venture Outdoors Birthday Party
On this day we celebrated 5 years of getting people outside.
The Boogie Hustlers helped us rock out at the North Park Boathouse!

July 10
The Home Run Derby sent over 20 baseballs into the Allegheny River...which sent Pittsburgh into the limelight as a kayaking destination as the flurry of paddles and bodies literally dove after their piece of All-Star history.

July 17
New Executive Director, Erik Lingren took over as head of Venture Outdoors.

August 2006
Once again, Venture Outdoors was cited as one sign that Pittsburgh is a great place to recreate. Pittsburgh was highlighted in the National Geographic Adventure Magazine as the top Adventure City in the U.S.

October 28
Both locations of Kayak Pittsburgh closed for the season with record numbers.

November 15 - 17
The VO office received a face-lift, as staffers replaced furniture and rearranged to provide a more efficient working environment and more space for classroom sessions.

December 13
The Holiday Housewarming party was well attended by the VO staff, board, volunteers, and friends.

December 31
Venture Outdoors will once again be running the Snowshoe Wonderland part of the First Night celebrations in Downtown Pittsburgh. Contact Allison (412-255-0564 x26 or aruppert@ventureoutdoors.org) if you want to Volunteer!

Unique Holiday Gift Ideas

2006-12-01T11:41:00.000-05:00

Do your holiday shopping online with iGive and V.O. will get up to 26% of each purchase at no cost to you! Scroll down to "Want to contribute to Venture Outdoors?" for more information.

Give the gift of adventure!
Need some help finding a gift for someone who has everything? Have a loved one who loves the outdoors? Or, are you just looking for an exciting new gift? We have the perfect gifts for you! New Venture Outdoors merchandise, an Adventure in a Bottle, Kayak Pittsburgh Gift Packages, and Support V.O. While Holiday Shopping are all listed below.

Present Puzzler...
(Scroll down for the answer)

How much do you think the average shopper
will spend this holiday season?

Venture Outdoors Gift Ideas
NEW Venture Outdoors Merchandise!
Just in time for the holidays...
New non-Cotton shirts! These are all synthetic fibers designed to wick away moisture while hiking, biking, kayaking, etc.

- Pictured on the left is a tight-fitting under-layer of a polyester/spandex blend. The white “Jo Outdoors” logo contrasts nicely against a Royal Blue background. Yours for only $25!

- On the right is a loose-fitting synthetic shirt that is 100% polyester. It is Navy with a “Carolina Blue” Venture Outdoors silkscreened logo.
Price: $25.

We also received 100 fleece vests from REI as part of a grant to our Youth Outdoor Adventure Program. All proceeds made from these vests will go directly to YOAP! It’s a win-win situation! These are high-quality REI vests, black background with the traditional VO logo embroidered in white.
Reserve your vest now for a donation of $35.

List of Merchandise

Royal Blue Venture Outdoors Under-layer

Loose-fitting Polyester Venture Outdoors Shirt

Venture Outdoors Fleece Vest

Kayak Pittsburgh T-Shirts

Venture Outdoors Ball Caps

Venture Outdoors Nalgenes

$25

$25

$35 donation to the Youth Outdoor Adventure Program

L & XL - $12
S & M - $10

$15

$10

Call Venture Outdoors at 412-255-0564 and place your order today! Please allow at least one week for deliveries.

Venture Outdoors Adventure in a Bottle
Buy a years’ worth of adventure for the whole family!
Our one-size-fits-all Venture Outdoors Adventure in a Bottle Holiday Gift Offer is an excellent $70 offer ($120 value), including a household membership to Venture Outdoors with discounts on hundreds of trips and activities. Plus, inside the bottle are:

- 2 free 2-hour passes to Kayak Pittsburgh during the 2007 season ($28 value)

- 2 tickets to the Banff Mountain Film Festival on April 5 & 6, 2007 at The Byham Theater (this premium will be mailed in late March/early April)

- Venture Outdoors window decal

- invitations to member appreciation events and member-only events

- merchant discounts

- priority seating on Venture Outdoors activity waiting lists

- subscription to Contours (e-newsletter) and Adventure Times (schedule of activities published 3X per year)

-All this adventure comes bundled inside a virtually indestructible Venture Outdoors
Nalgene water bottle!

Get this great gift for only $70, normally a $120 value (you save
$50)!

Note: This offer is ONLY available until December 31, 2006.
We cannot guarantee delivery for orders made after December 19th and unless
picked up from our office, are subject to extra shipping charges due to the customer.

Call Venture Outdoors at 412-255-0564 to place your order for this wonderful holiday gift offer. Order now to make sure you receive your Adventure in a Bottle in time for the holidays – remember it usually takes at least a week for deliveries. Hurry and order one for everyone on your list today!

Kayak Pittsburgh Gift Ideas
Just in time for the Holidays, Kayak Pittsburgh Gift packages!
These gifts are perfect for the paddling enthusiast or as a way to introduce
a beginner to the water (but they are such good deals that you may want to
keep them for yourself)! No one really needs another neck tie or sweater
and best of all these gifts are one size fits all. Spring is just one
cold winter away. We recommend this gift be accompanied with some strong
sun block and a good pair of sunglasses. Think SUN!

These gifts are available at the same prices for both the downtown and North Park locations.

Give the gift of adventure!
Kayak Pittsburgh Gift Book:
Individual coupons good for one hour rental each.
(Great for gifts or party favors)

-10 hours $110 PLUS a Kayak Pittsburgh T-Shirt
(regular price $152 you save $42)

-5 hours $60 (regular price $70 you save $10)

Kayak Pittsburgh Season Pass:
Unlimited usage for open rentals. Like owning your own Kayak without the lifting, moving, registration, expense, storage or cleaning. PLUS a Kayak Pittsburgh T-Shirt.

Member $200 / Non-Member $250
*Season Pass and Gift Coupons are not redeemable for group trips or guided tours.
*Season pass holders must present photo identification at Kayak Pittsburgh.

Call Venture Outdoors at 412-255-0564 and place your order today! Please allow at least one week for deliveries.

Want to contribute to Venture Outdoors?
Donations
You can donate to Venture Outdoors here.

You can also support Venture Outdoors by simply doing your holiday shopping online. That's right, go head and buy something for yourself or a friend – a new CD, the latest bestseller, essentials like toothpaste or vitamins, even a computer. But first join at www.iGive.com/VentureOutdoors.

Every time you shop at one of the over 600 name-brand stores in the Mall at iGive.com, we'll receive a donation of up to 26% of each purchase you make, at no cost to you. Membership is free and your privacy is guaranteed.

PUZZLER ANSWER:
About $791. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the average shopper is expected to spend approximately $791, which is up 7% from last year.
- Electronics to fuel Christmas shopping frenzy, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, November 24, 2006.

Remember to take a break from all your holiday shopping this year and get outside to enjoy a gift from Mother Nature!

Thanks to the Outdoors

2006-11-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving…
This year when you sit down to your Thanksgiving dinner, remember to thank the outdoors. Without the beautiful outdoors, the feast before you would not exist. Remember the Pilgrims, who without knowledge of their new environment, would not have survived if it wasn’t for the native Wampanoag people.

A Brief History

The Pilgrims sailed to America on the Mayflower to escape religious persecution in England. They planned to settle in the Hudson River region in New York State, which would have been considered "Northern Virginia," but they landed in Cape Cod instead. The Pilgrims migrated from there to Plymouth, where they decided to settle.

The first winter in the new land was harsh and only about half of the original pilgrims survived. In March of 1621, two Native Americans from the Patuxet tribe, Samoset and Squanto, introduced themselves to the Pilgrims, taught them how to plant and fertilize crops, and showed them the best places to catch seafood.

After the bountiful harvest in the Fall of 1621, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people joined together to thank the outdoors for their successful harvest. The celebration lasted three days and included games, music, and a small feast. Contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims did not celebrate Thanksgiving on an annual basis after this first feast. An annual Thanksgiving was not celebrated until the mid 17th century and did not occur on any set day or necessarily on the same day in different colonies in America.

Pilgrim Puzzler…
(Scroll down for the answer.)

The Pilgrims liked the wild turkey so much; they later wanted to give it what esteemed title?

Celebrate Outdoors…
Want to show your out-of-town relatives how beautiful Western Pennsylvania is in the fall? The Pumpkin Pie Hike is a great way to get some fresh air after the holiday. Come join us for a great hike through the local forests just before they go to sleep for the winter. After the hike we'll finish up with homemade pumpkin pie and other goodies, including our very own Trip Leader Council members Robyn Seminora-Morris and Mary Brenholts specialty pies.

When?: Friday, November 24, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Where?: Settler's Cabin Park

For more information or more activities check out the “Activity Spotlight” or “VO Activities” listing in the right column of our e-newsletter, Contours, or visit our website (www.ventureoutdoors.org).

Give Thanks
This year remember to give thanks to the outdoors. Show your appreciation by throwing trash in a garbage can instead of out the car window, pick up the trash you see to help clean up the outdoors, and remember to recycle and purchase products made from recycled materials. Take care of your environment and remember, every little bit counts!

Thanksgiving Links
The sources for the information provided in this article are listed below, along with some great sites for all your Thanksgiving information.

Thanksgiving/History

The History Channel.com – The History Channel provides some great Thanksgiving information, including myths & facts about the holiday.

Thanksgiving on the Net – This site has tons of great information!

Wilstar: Thanksgiving, Traditions and History – This family site has the wonderful Thanksgiving story and a quiz to see how much you really know about the holiday.

The Pilgrims' 1621 Thanksgiving – This page provides lots of information on the first Thanksgiving, including quotes from some of the Pilgrims!

Wikipedia – This article on Thanksgiving is informative and includes facts about Thanksgiving celebrations around the world.

The Pilgrims

Thanksgiving on the Net: Pilgrims – This article tells how the Pilgrims landed in Cape Cod and survived in their new environment.

The Pilgrim Hall Museum – The Pilgrim Story provides loads of information, articles, and more!

Pilgrim & Puritan History – This University of Virginia site is a fantastic scholarly article containing information on Pilgrim and Puritan history, including Thanksgiving.

Squanto

The Pilgrims & Plymouth Colony: 1620, Squanto – This site provides some great information about Squanto.

Squanto: The Thanksgiving Story - A Unique American who introduces a uniquely American Holiday: Thanks Giving, which, with out him would have never occurred in fact or in spirit.

Wikipedia – This article on Squanto provides tons of information about him and his impact on our history.

PUZZLER ANSWER:
The National Bird of the United States. Benjamin Franklin said, "I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country: he is a Bird of bad moral character: like those among Men who live by Sharping and Robbing, he is generally poor and very often lousy.
The Turkey is a much more respectable Bird and withal a true original Native of North America." (http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/turkey.htm).

For more information visit Thanksgiving on the Net.

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Stay informed on the latest Venture Outdoors news and offerings, plus other events and opportunities happening in the Western Pennsylvania region!

Be Prepared for Jack Frost

2006-11-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

Don't Get Stuck Inside...

Dropping temperatures shouldn't keep you from getting outside! You just
need to know how to venture outdoors safely in cold weather.

Polar Puzzler...
(Scroll down for the answer.)

An easy way to remember how to survive in cold weather is by using the word COLD. Can you guess what each letter stands for?

How Your Body Loses Heat:

Conduction - direct transfer of heat from the body to something cooler (major loss of heat when in cold water!)

Convection - loss of heat by circulation of air or water surround the body (watch out for the wind chill!)

Radiation - loss of heat through emitted energy (causes over half of the body's normal heat loss!)

Evaporation - heat lost when sweat or water on the skin is changed into steam (sweating or wet clothes increase heat loss!)

To Keep Warm Remember to...

Dress in layers to create air insulation, and you can remove or add layers
when you begin to sweat or chill. Avoid wearing cotton because it
easily absorbs water and can be difficult to dry, which will no longer keep
you warm. Breathable fabrics that don't absorb water like wool, polyester,
fleece, nylon, polypropylene, etc. will keep you warm, dry, and comfortable.

Wear boots with plenty of room to avoid cutting off circulation. Also, wear mittens instead of gloves to allow the fingers to keep each other warm.

Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration (which can increase the risk of frostbite!) and eat lots of nutritious foods to keep your body producing heat.

Cold Weather Links
For more information check these out!

SurvivalIQ Handbook - Survival IQ provides some great survival tips.

Wilderness Survival - Wilderness Survival has some useful information including some cold weather survival kit ideas.

The Farm: Cold Weather Issues - The Farm includes information about the different types of cold weather and how to strategize for each type.

Venture Outdoors - Don't forget to check out our site for some great activities in the beautiful Western Pennsylvania area.

PUZZLER ANSWER:
C - Keep clothes clean
O - Avoid Overheating
L - Wear Loose clothes and in Layers
D - Keep clothing Dry.

Remembering these basic principles will keep you warm when you're outdoors in the cold. For more information on cold weather survival, visit SurvivalIQ Handbook.

Coming soon!

2006-10-30T12:41:00.000-05:00

Coming soon to a blog near you...Venture Outdoors presents: Trail Mix!

In this blog, we hope to provide answers to concerns such as these:

Hiking in the snow? What do you think I am...a polar bear??
I am new to the region and do not know good bike trails, can you point me in the right direction?
You mean you can actually kayak on these rivers? Won't I grow a second head or something?
Where can I find some great information on buying cross-country skiis?
...and much more!

Want more information? Don't forget to sign up for our bi-weekly e-newsletter!
Click here to sign-up!