Camp Stove Cook-off: CHEFS NEEDED!

It’s an annual tradition, the Camp Stove Cook-off! Featuring anything from roasted pears to an entire rotisserie fired chicken, this custom is one that is sure to make your mouth water and get your taste buds excited!

This year’s event will be Saturday, February 6 at Winter Members Day and we’re looking for more culinary expertise. Make us your favorite entree, appetizer, dessert or most creative smore cooked over an open fire and we’ll pick a winner for each category!

To participate in the Camp Stove Cook-off call the Venture Outdoors office (412.255.0564 ext.21) by Wednesday, February 3 to reserve your spot as a chef. Please specify the category you wish to compete in when you call.

Click here to register for Members Day. It’s free for all Venture Outdoors Members and their guests!

Check out some photos from last year’s cook-off below:

Celebrating on Ice: MLK Day 2010

It’s one of our most hectic events of the year, but always one of the most fun. Our 8th annual MLK, Jr. Day in the Park celebration was Monday, January 18 at the Schenley Park Ice Rink.
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Board Member Bio: Todd Owens

This week in Board Member Bios meet Todd Owens, Chair of the board. Todd also represents Dewey & Kaye, the great organization responsible for helping us find Erik Lingren, our Executive Director.
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Cast on for Grand View Scenic Byway Park

Can you cable knit, purl or preform a yarn over? Yes, then volunteer this winter for Grand View Scenic Byway Park without even leaving your house! The Park is seeking anyone who can knit or crochet to make trail markers that will be tied around trees to display the park’s trail system.
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Sign up starts now for 2010 bike tours

Registration is now open for our first bike tour of 2010, the NYC 5 Boro Bike Tour: a 42-mile car free ride around the Big Apple. This year we’ve lengthened the trip to give you more free time in NYC.

We’ll leave from Station Square on Saturday morning, May 1 to allow for free time that evening, giving you the chance to explore NYC on your own. Sunday we’ll join the 30,000 other riders from across the country for the 5 Boro Bike Tour. On Monday, May 3 we’ll leave NYC at noon and return to Pittsburgh around 7:00 PM.

This trip usually sells out 30 to 60 days in advance so reserve your spot today!
For more information on the tour and to sign up: CLICK HERE

Meet Chris Corbran: now with business cards!

As Venture Outdoors’ best, (and first,) Trip Leader Specialist Coordinator, you can expect more than a ruggedly handsome face to hike, paddle, and fish alongside. Joking aside, you will see me on future Family and Community Programs leading groups of first timers and seasoned adventurers into the deep, dark woods of Pittsburgh’s City Parks.
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Snow and Hot Cocoa at Highland

So what’s better than going for a snowy ramble through Pittsburgh’s Highland Park? Getting to drink hot cocoa afterward of course! Thanks to everyone who came out on our Hot Cocoa Adventure this past Saturday. The day proved to be quite cold with fresh snow up to most of our shins and, for some of us, our knees!
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8th Annual MLK, Jr. Day at Schenley Park

Venture Outdoors and the Student Conservation Association will commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King’s life by hosting the eighth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the Park Monday, January 18 at Schenley Park Ice Rink from 1 to 4 p.m. The celebration is one of the largest in the city and provides a platform for children of different backgrounds to learn about their commonalities by having fun together in the outdoors.

“We wanted to recognize Dr. King’s message of peace and equality which is as relevant today as it was during his life,” Sean Brady, Assistant Executive Director at Venture Outdoors said. “The commemoration is about enabling kids from different walks of life to get together and realize the things they have in common. It is much easier to make connections like this when you are having fun.”

Activities and entertainment are the foundation of the celebration. Outside, children and families will enjoy ice skating and sledding, while inside they will participate in children’s art projects and crafts taught by local artists. Food and beverages will be provided throughout the afternoon for everyone to enjoy. And thanks to the sponsorship of Dominion Foundation and Pittsburgh Citiparks, participants can take part in the festivities at no cost.

“More than 300 children participated in last year’s event,” Walt Burlack, Regional Director of the SCA said. “Every year we work with groups like the East End Cooperative Ministries, Gwen’s Girls and various local Girl Scout troops to involve children from all over the city.”

To reserve a space for your group or for an information packet with parental permission forms, please call 412.325.1851×21 or e-mail lcosta@thesca.org. All children under 18 must bring signed parental release forms to the event. Release forms can be found online at www.ventureoutdoors.org/MLKDay.aspx.

Board Member Bio: Todd Becker

Folks, meet Todd Becker. Like many of you, Todd’s rewarding professional life fuels his love for the outdoors and his belief in the importance of our mission. “I spend a lot of time on planes, in meetings and behind a computer,” Todd says, “so on my free time just being outside is my greatest passion!”
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Family Snowshoeing Brings Low Temperatures and High Spirits

If you really like being outside on a freezing, blustery day, you sure missed a great chance during last Sunday’s Family Snowshoe Intro and Hike! Temperatures in the low teens joined forces with significant winds to make it feel a steady zero degrees. This didn’t stop our fearless participants from trekking around the snowy, frozen trails of Schenley Park though! Read more

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