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April 24, 2006
RockCreek Switches to Wind Power for Earth Day
PrAna’s Natural Power Initiative Replaces Traditional Energy at Rock/Creek Locations
10 April 2006
Chattanooga, TN- In honor of Earth Day this year, Rock/Creek Outfitters (RockCreek.com) has partnered with the prAna Natural Power Initiative and is proud to announce that all the power used by Rock/Creek’s retail operations now comes from green-e certified wind power. As the PNPI literature states, “Wind generated power is a clean, renewable source of energy which produces no greenhouse gas emissions or waste products. prAna is an ancient sanskrit word which is often defined as pure energy, vitality of the spirit and most notably breath.” It naturally follows that wind energy would be perfect for such a company, and its retail partners. “Rock/Creek Outfitters is excited to participate in this important program,” said Dawson Wheeler, owner and President of Rock/Creek.
In order to facilitate the switch from traditional power, prAna has committed to purchasing 6 million kilowatt hours of US EPA approved Renewable Energy Certificates or “Green Tags.” Because generating electrical power from wind sources still costs more than the more harmful but cheaper traditional methods, these Green Tags provide a much-needed financial incentive for energy producers. Currently only about 2% of the energy produced in this country comes from renewable sources, so efforts such as the PNPI are important to fuel further program development and foster public awareness of alternative energy sources.
Rock/Creek Outfitters has posted signs at its brick and mortar locations that say “100% of this store’s energy use is offset by certified green-e wind generated power,” and we are spreading this message on our Web sites, www.rockcreek.com and www.climbinggear.com as well. Clark Luckmann, Internet Customer Service Manager, echoed the reaction of many Rock/Creek staff members in saying, “It’s important to me that as a company we reduce our ecological footprint, and this is a great step in that direction.”
For our complete environmental statement, please visit www.rockcreek.com/customer_service/environmental.asp. To learn more about prAna’s initiative, visit www.prana.com/naturalpower.
About Rock/Creek Outfitters:
Rock/Creek Outfitters is a specialty outdoor retailer with two decades of brick and mortar experience. We are committed to personal and professional leadership in the outdoor industry and the larger community, especially with regard to environmental initiatives. We use outdoor retail as a platform to encourage all people to get outside and become active. We know that in order to make a positive impact on the environment, we need to share our own love of the outdoors with others. For this reason, our sponsorship and environmental efforts are aimed at permanently improving access to the backcountry.
As a critical element of our environmental mission, we sponsor various charitable foundations (The Southeastern Climbers Coalition, The Access Fund, the Cumberland Trail Conference) and host two major outdoor events each year (the StumpJump 50K trail race and the Triple Crown Bouldering Competition). In the last year, we built a parking and camping area at the Tennessee Wall, one of the best sandstone climbing areas in the nation. We also rebuilt a bridge at the Lula Lake Land Trust to restore access to a trail system running along Rock Creek on Lookout Mountain. We remain committed to the Land Trust’s mission to preserve and restore the Rock Creek watershed on Lookout Mountain.
Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:54 AM
April 17, 2006
Preserving Rock Creek Watershed
RockCreek.com Partners with Lula Lake Land Trust to Preserve the Rock Creek Watershed
10 April 2006
Chattanooga, TN- As Earth Day rolls around again on April 22nd, we at RockCreek.com have been thinking about ways to celebrate. Last year we established a new tradition of taking this time to share our own commitment to the environment with our customers. We hope that through our efforts to permanently improve access to natural resources, more people will get outside and learn why we all need to personally commit to the environment. 
One key element in our environmental mission has been to help the Lula Lake Land Trust in their efforts to preserve the unique and diverse ecosystems of the Rock Creek watershed. Rock/Creek Outfitters takes its name from this beautiful drainage running along Lookout Mountain in Georgia and Tennessee. This past weekend the Trust hosted us for a staff retreat on the property, and as I contemplated the history of the property I began to think of the Trust as a paradigm for effective environmental initiatives.
In several important ways, the history of the Lula Lake Land Trust mirrors the history of many of our most valuable privately-held natural resources. The progress that has been made since 1992, when Robert M. Davenport established the Trust, serves as an example of what dedicated private citizens can accomplish when they turn their resources to environmental initiatives. The Lula Lake story begins with the geology of the Appalachians, which formed millions of years ago as Africa collided with North America. In the time since then, erosion has worn these mountains all the way down to the sandstone and conglomerates that make the spectacular cliff lines and rock bands that make Chattanooga a world class destination for climbers.
Fast forward to the Industrial Revolution, and Chattanooga had become an important gateway city due to its strategic location on the Tennessee River. Lookout Mountain served as a weekend getaway or a summer retreat from the long, hot Southern summers. During the Civil War, Union soldiers used the land that now makes up the core property of the Land Trust as a retreat from the crucial battles going on in Chattanooga and Chickamauga. As automobiles eventually began to dominate the landscape, the mountain became a suburb of Chattanooga. 
Before the various social revolutions of the 1960’s and 70’s in America, the general public did not value the environment or understand the enormous impact they were having on their planet. Clear-cut timber harvests, mining, garbage dumping, and unrestricted public access had made a mess of much of the rural areas that would become the Lula Lake Land Trust’s core property.
By the time Earth Day came about in 1970, Mr. Davenport had already been quietly acquiring land on Lookout Mountain for over a decade, purchasing parcels as they became available over the years. The low value of the land due to the damage that had been done by insensitive land usage allowed Mr. Davenport to amass several hundred acres of land through the 1960’s and 70’s. He closed the property in the 1980’s and worked to restore its natural beauty by replanting clear cut areas and cleaning out trash dumps. By the time Mr. Davenport died in 1994, he had pieced together over 1200 acres. Today the Trust rivals long-established public lands in beauty and environmental health. Decades of hard work and focused attention have resulted in over 4000 acres of currently protected lands in the Rock Creek watershed. The property serves as a research site for experimental hybrid trees. The Trust works with a variety of educational and non-profit institutions such as The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Chattanooga Chestnut Project, The Nature Conservancy, Tennessee Wildlife Center, Georgia Land Trust, Tennessee Aquarium, and The American Chestnut Foundation. The federally threatened plant Virginia Spirea (Spiraea virginiana) grows on the property and is only found in twenty-three other sites in the country. The only other population in Georgia grows in Cloudland Canyon State Park and is threatened by high tourist traffic.
This morning I had the opportunity to speak with Adelaide Bratcher, the Interim Director and daughter of the Land Trust’s founder, about her vision for the Land Trust and how Rock/Creek Outfitters fits in to the Trust’s mission. Last year Rock/Creek Outfitters and Chaco Sandals donated $1500 to rebuild a footbridge that had been washed away by floodwaters. Patagonia also provided a significant contribution through Rock/Creek. The next several years’ donations will go toward completing a connector trail that will link Cloudland Canyon State Park to Nickajack and High Point, creating miles of trails and opening up over 1000 acres to public, year-round access. This project came about as a result of a Land Trust survey sent out to the nonprofit’s supporters. “We realized that our user groups were screaming for more access and we needed to go ahead and open up that property,” Bratcher explains, “the core property is environmentally sensitive, so we have to limit the people coming in there, but as a result we were telling our supporters, ‘You can only come in the Land Trust two days out of the month,’ and they wanted more.” The Board of Directors realized that access is critical to funding, and in an attempt to meet the needs of their supporters, the Trust has prioritized the Cloudland connector trail.
All told, the project will take about $500,000 to complete. The Lyndhurst Foundation has already granted $50,000 to the effort, and the first part of the trail has been completed. The primary goal is to create a multi-use core trail for mountain biking, hiking, trail running, and horseback. SORBA, the Southeast Off-Road Bicycle Association, also wants to build a singletrack trail exclusively for mountain biking in the area.
Many of the local outdoor associations and clubs have volunteered their time recently at the Land Trust. The Southeastern Climbers Coalition recently completed a work day and took some time to climb at High Point. The American Hiking Society also organized a trail day recently. We hope that as more people become aware of the Land Trust's mission, more acres of land will be protected and opened up for properly managed access on Lookout Mountain. This is one of the truly unique natural resources in our beautiful country, and it is our duty to protect the land that gives us a venue for all the outdoor activities we enjoy. As Patagonia's founder Yvon Choinard said, "Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. Without a healthy planet there are no shareholders, no customers, no employees." It is our mission at RockCreek.com to do what we can to keep the earth healthy and to educate people about the benefits of regulated access and the joy of outdoor recreation.
See our environmental statement for details.
To learn more about how you can participate in the efforts of the Lula Lake Land Trust, visit their Web site.
You may also be interested in reading last year’s Earth Day article on Sam Evans’ “Eco-Taxi.”
About the author: Mark McKnight has been with RockCreek.com for two years since graduating from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. He has been a committed outdoor enthusiast and environmentalist from a young age, thanks to his mother. He can be reached at mark @rockcreek.com
Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:40 AM
April 11, 2006
Rock/Creek Outfitters Sponsors Tour de Georgia
Rock/Creek Outfitters to Sponsor North America’s Premier Cycling Event
Chattanooga-based outdoor specialty store will be sponsoring two King of the Mountain Climbs during the annual 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia from Tuesday, April 18th to Sunday, April 22nd
Chattanooga, TN - Rock/Creek Outfitters and RockCreek.com is proud to announce their sponsorship of two King of the Mountain Climbs (KOM) during the annual 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia. The Tour de Georgia is recognized as North America’s premier cycling event and rolling festival. 
The six-day, six-stage event draws the many of the best international and national cyclists cycling teams and showcases some of the unique towns and terrain in Georgia and Chattanooga Tennessee. “We’re psyched to have the opportunity to work with the Tour de Georgia again this year,” remarked Rock/Creek owner and cycling enthusiast Dawson Wheeler. This is Rock/Creek’s second year to be involved in sponsoring a KOM event.
The 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia will begin in Augusta, Georgia on Tuesday, April 18th, and the 600-plus mile cycling course will end with a grand finale in Alpharetta, Georgia on Sunday, April 23. This event is owned by the Georgia Partnership for Economic Development (GPED) and governed by the GPED Board of Directors. As a 501c(6) non-profit entity, GPED’s mission is to develop the Tour property as an economic and marketing property for the state of Georgia and for the benefit of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
Stage Four of the Tour de Georgia is a 118.9 mile stretch from Dalton to Dahlonega taking place on Friday, April 21. Rock/Creek Outfitters and RockCreek.com will be sponsoring Stage Four’s first KOM climb to the top of Fort Mountain, a 2875 foot (876 m) tall mountain. The KOM finish line is located 23.8 miles into Stage Four and is a Category 2 climb. The first rider to cross the line will be awarded $1,500 from Rock/Creek Outfitters.
The second KOM climb sponsored by Rock/Creek Outfitters and RockCreek.com will be held on Saturday, April 22 during Stage Five of the Tour de Georgia. Stage Five is a 94.5 mile stretch from Blairsville to an epic finish atop Brasstown Bald. The KOM will share a finish line with Stage Five. It is a Category 1 climb up Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia that has been compared to Alpe d’Huez of the Tour de France. The first cyclist to cross the finish line will be awarded $1,500 from Rock/Creek Outfitters.
About Rock/Creek Outfitters and RockCreek.com:
Rock/Creek Outfitters is a specialty outdoor retailer with two decades of brick and mortar experience. We are committed to personal and professional leadership in the outdoor industry and the larger community, especially with regard to environmental initiatives. We use outdoor retail as a platform to encourage all people to get outside and become active. We know that in order to make a positive impact on the environment, we need to share our own love of the outdoors with others. For this reason, our sponsorship and environmental efforts are aimed at promoting outdoor recreation and permanently improving access to the backcountry.
For more information, see our Tour de Georgia page or contact Katherine Nielsen at (423) 265-0406 ext. 1113 or katherinenielsen @rockcreek.com.
Posted by Mark McKnight at 4:48 PM
April 5, 2006
Legendary Ski Mountaineer Doug Coombs Killed in LaGrave Accident
It saddens us here at Rock/Creek to report that the legendary ski mountaineer Doug Coombs has passed away in a tragic accident while skiing in La Grave. Doug visited us for a slideshow back in November and he was a pleasure to have around. He will be missed.
Doug is survived by his wife Emily and young son David, and the Doug Coombs Memorial Fund will help provide for them during this time of mourning and in their future.
Pistehors.com has more details.
(Photo c. Marmot/ Ace Kvale)
Posted by Mark McKnight at 4:18 PM
April 3, 2006
River Gorge Race Results
The 2006 Rock/Creek River Gorge Race turned out to be a great success, with over 200 runners competing. The course was wet and we had a couple injuries and many falls, but most runners found the race to be fun and challenging.
Be sure to check out these photos from the race >>
(try this link to Wilderness Adventure Photography if that does not work)
Here are the preliminary results (scroll down for 6.2 Mile results).
2006 RIVER GORGE TRAIL RUN - 10.2 MILE COURSE
PRENTICE COOPER STATE FOREST - SIGNAL MTN, TN
April 1, 2006
Sponsored by Rock\Creek Outfitters & The Chattanooga Track Club
PlaceNameAgeSexCityStateTime
1 Barry Lucas 39M1:14:44
2 Jonathan Krichev 29MHuntsville AL1:19:08
3 Geno Phillips M1:20:21
4 Michael Green M1:22:28
5 Cory Hall 30MChattanooga TN1:22:53
6 Bill Fletcher M1:24:52
7 Benjamin Myers 28MMcMinnville TN1:25:52
8 Matt Sims M1:26:23
9 Kevin Boucher M1:26:28
10 Mike Berry M1:27:20
Continue reading "River Gorge Race Results"
Posted by Mark McKnight at 11:08 AM
Come and Celebrate the 6th Annual High Octane Climbing Competition!
Tennessee Bouldering Authority is inviting the public to join them in their newly renovated climbing gym on April 15, 2006 for a killer climbing competition
Chattanooga, TN - The Tennessee Bouldering Authority (TBA), in cooperation with The North Face and Rock/Creek Outfitters, is proud to announce the 6th Annual High Octane Competition. On April 15th, 2006 at 11:00 am, TBA is inviting the public to join them in their newly renovated gym located at 3804 St. Elmo Ave, Suite 10. Three Divisions of Competitions will be held, including Unleaded, Super-Unleaded, and High Octane. Prizes for the winners of each division will include LaSportiva and Five Ten climbing shoes. The cost to compete is $25.00, and there is a spectator fee of $10.00.
These entry fees include a free entrée from Mojo Borrito as well as access to the 6th Anniversary Dub and Groove After-Party. There will also be plenty of door prizes and swag from the broad spectrum of sponsors. In addition, Michelle Smith will be sharing a slide show presentation that covers her two week road trip sponsored by Red Chili and Wild Country. The road trip included eight people in one RV. They began in Salt Lake City went to California and ended the trip back in Utah. Smith has conquered numerous V8's and V9's as well as bold trad leads, and high scores including several 1st place finishes in comps.
Following the days events, the gym will be transformed into a studio for the 6th Anniversary Dub and Groove After-Party. According to TBA’s Luis Rodriguez, this year is going to be, ‘especially festive.’ The entry fee for the celebration is included in the High Octane Competition entry fee or there is a $5.00 entry fee at the door. Entertainment will be provided by DJ Mafioso (hip hop), DJ ArchBishop (Progressive House), and DJ HeavyWeight (Dub & Reggae). There will be cocktails available in exchange for small donations.
For more information, please contact Luis Rodriguez at 423-822-6800.
About Tennessee Bouldering Authority
Bouldering is the essence of rock climbing, allowing the mind and body to learn the basic tenets of moving over stone. TBA is a training facility specifically built to develop climbing strength and challenge the mind. All the tools are available to take you from a novice to an expert level in a comforting, appealing environment. TBA is an indoor bouldering gym unlike any other.
Posted by Mark McKnight at 9:42 AM
