The Local Hiker Gets it…

Post 18

Having not given a presentation for near two weeks Becky and I practiced our talk on the drive down to South Carolina. The Local Hiker would be our host for our upcoming show and I can honestly say the enthusiasm and love that they have for the Get Out More Tour is only rivaled by Al’s Sporting Goods in Logan Utah. We arrived in Spartanburg SC the night before, in order to meet at the shop at 8am to shoot a series of short news interviews to promote our show that night. From there we rushed over to a separate television station where we shot a brief 6 minute talk with Jamarcus Gaston, the host of Studio 62.

With a short lunch break we then returned to The Local Hiker. A full city block had been closed down just for our show this evening. In the stifling humidity we worked to set up the tables and gear. Thunderstorms had been forecast for the evening, but now looked to be clearing. At least until the late hours of the day. Every employee of the small shop was on shift with orders to help us with whatever we needed.  What we needed was the humidity to drop and the weather to hold. Nearly 150 people showed up for our backpacking clinic. The owners of the local hiker had gone above and beyond to make this event a success. It is only the second year they have been in business and the second year they have hosted the Get Out More Tour. 

The store had rented a PA system including a hand held microphone for us to pass back and forth. In a presentation where you are used to using your hands to demonstrate gear this is not ideal, but in the small open street where our voices did not carry the microphone was a necessity. While we were finishing up the talk and giving away the last of our sponsors gear, it looked like we had dodged a bullet with the thunderstorms and rain. That was until the gusty wind blew in and rain began to fall threatening an imminent down pour. I quickly covered the computer and projector then struggled to find which cords belonged to which electronic in order to unplug them and run the tote holding the electronics undercover. As I lifted the totes and gear I walked them across the street to the cover of the buildings overhang. Dodging people trying to get out of the rain themselves, the computer slipped out from underneath the cloth that was covering it and landed on the pavement. Choice words came out of my mouth, at which time it was a good thing I didn’t have the microphone on me. I scooped up the computer and was relieved that it still worked. 

After the show and clean up the Silverman family, who are the owners of The Local Hiker, took Becky and I out to dinner. They are a wonderful family with a great store and considerable community support that was evident from the turnout at the presentation. 

The next morning my computer didn’t turn on… I hated that 6 year old piece of junk anyways. It constantly had to be restarted and would take years opening any of my photo files that were shot on RAW.