Not only does plastic threaten our landfills but a recently discovered area in the North Pacific Gyre, a place where 4 prevailing ocean currents form what is essentially a whirlpool, has been nicknamed the “Pacific’s Garbage Patch”.

The peculiarities of this location arise from the fact that four prevailing ocean currents–the North Pacific Current to the north, the California Current to the east, the North Equatorial Current to the south, and the Kuroshio Current to the west meet here and create a clockwise circular vortex, or whirlpool, that draws waste material in, and once in, traps it. Consequently, most of the trash that enters the Pacific eventually winds up here.

Here are some disturbing facts about this area of ocean which is approximately 540,000 sq mi:

• It’s also known as the “Eastern Garbage Patch” & “Pacific Trash Vortex”
• The location is between the equator and 50° N latitude
• In 2001, the mass of plastic particles in the area exceeded zooplankton (animal life) by a ratio of 6 to 1
• Area covered with trash is approximately twice the size of Texas 
• Occasionally currents will shift, releasing large amounts of trash that are deposited on land

I urge you to watch this short video below and think about where that next plastic bottle or grocery bag you are throwing away may finally end up.

Plastic Vortex

The packaging for a microwavable “microwave” dinner is programmed for a shelf life of maybe six months, a cook time of two minutes and a landfill dead-time of centuries.  ~David Wann, Buzzworm, November 1990

Have you been to the grocery store and observed someone loading up cloth bags instead of using the plastic ones the store gives you? If so, you have seen someone who is conscious about the environment we live in.

Reusable shopping bags are really easy to use and have a great impact on the environment. And they do not take up much room between shopping trips.

I have over a dozen shopping bags now. I simply fold them up and put them in a pile then stuff them into one of the bags. I keep them in my trunk and when I head into the store, pull out some or all of the bags. I also found some reusable bags that are insulated to help keep my food cold. And I will say, the insulated ones have been wonderful at keeping my frozen food frozen!

After paying attention on my shopping trips, I found that using one reusable bag can equate to 2 to 4 plastic bags. If you use just 3 bags on each grocery trip, you are saving 6 to 12 bags from being tossed into your landfill.

Why is it so important to keep plastic bags out of the landfills? I have a list and am sure you can find even more reasons.

1. They do not decay.
2. Plastic bags often blow around getting stuck in trees.
3. If they do not make it undergroud and blow around, animals can get trapped in the handles and possibly suffocate.
4. The base material in plastic is the same petroleum base our gas is made out of. Want those prices down? Use less plastic anything and recycle.
5. It is estimated that each year we throw away between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic grocery bags. Out of all those used, an estimated 380 billion are consumed in the US alone.
6. It is estimated that over 100,000 turtles, birds, seals, and whales are killed every year by plastic bags.

More stores offer these for sale for under $10 per bag. The Highland Hiker has partnered with the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust to help preserve the beauty around us. For a limited time, when you come into any one of the Highland Hiker stores, you can pick up a reusable shopping bag for just $5. By purchasing one of these bags, you are not only helping keep those nasty plastic bags out of landfills, but also helping preserve the Highlands & Cashiers, NC area we all love so much.

Cartoon provided by www.NaturalNews.com

Congratulations to Robert, Jason & David on their beautiful window display which took first place in the contest held by Mephisto Shoes.

We’d also like to welcome two new employees to our shoe store: Alyson Baumrucker & Paul Inman.

Some of you may know Alyson from our Cashier’s store and with her knowledge of the brands we carry, she will be a great addition to our shoe store staff.

Paul has an extensive background in shoe sales and we all look forward to having him with us this season.

Well I went out for lunch and it seems that people are already up here for Memorial Day! The entire Highland Hiker staff would like to welcome each and every visitor this weekend.

We will have our warehouse open today and tomorrow from 10am to 5pm. We have got some great stuff in the last few weeks so come and check it out!

If you are planning to get outdoors this weekend, the weather is due to be great for that! Sunday looks to be just beautiful with mid 70’s and sunny. I am going to the lake on Sunday and am so excited to get back on the water!

But don’t forget your personal safety while being outdoors. Wear clothing that will help block the sun. Put on sunscreen to keep the harmful rays off your skin. Wear your Buzz Off clothing or use some bug repellent.

If hiking alone or with others, always tell someone where you are headed and when you expect to return. Remember to take plenty of water with you. You may think it is not hot enough to dehydrate but dehydration can happen any time of year. If you are physically active, make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Wear comfortable hiking socks and shoes. And don’t forget your day hike guide!

While driving to work this morning, I saw a black bear just outside of Highlands on 28. It crossed the road in front of the truck I was following. I was very surprised at how it just doddled across the road and up the bank where it stopped and sat down.

This is the first black bear I have seen since I moved out here in April 2007. All I can say is WOW! That was amazing! If only I had had my camera with me to get a picture.

We are happy to announce we have Robert Graham shirts on our website! These styles have been discontinued and are in limited quantity so get them while you can! They are very attractive and sure to be a hit this summer!

 Beyond creating exquisite and intricately detailed fashion for men. Robert Graham is passionate about the many cultures around the world and the global situations that face us all. These influences and inspirations gave birth to the phrase “Knowledge Wisdom Truth”. This message is sewn into each and every Robert Graham garment sometimes hidden and sometimes obvious.

As each fashion designer is unique, so is the meaning behind “Knowledge Wisdom Truth”. These three words conjure up different and unique meanings to each individual who reads them. Like art, the definition evolves and changes with what is special to each observer.

Robert Graham uses the finest imported fabrics and combines different prints together to produce contrast details on the collars and cuffs, side v tabs and placket for a cohesive fashion statement. In addition to coordinated contrasting prints and solids embroidery plays a major role in fashion perception by incorporating the classic look of stylized embroidery with exceptional prints for an aesthetically pleasing fashion combination.

The Robert Graham Tan “Nash” - Was $170, Now $119
Features multi-colored stripes on a beautiful tan base. The cuffs and placket are patterned with brightly colored polka-dots.

The Robert Graham Blue “John D” - Was $160, Now $112
Featuresblue and white stripes and a colorful bold floral pattern on cuffs and placket.

The Robert Graham Light Blue “Sachs” - Was $170, Now $119
Features a light blue checked base pattern with striped detailing on cuffs and placket.

The Robert Graham Multi-Colored “Taylor” - Was $160, Now $112
Features multi-colored stripes and a colorful floral pattern on cuffs and placket.

The Robert Graham Blue “Becket” - Was $160, Now $112
Features blue stripes and a colorful pattern on cuffs and placket.

You might not think that you need a new suitcase, but think again. One of the worst parts of air travel is when your suitcase does not hold up. This can happen for a variety of reasons but the biggest reason is design. A poorly designed suitcase will not hold up to being tossed from cart to cart, into and out of the belly of a plane, and then tossed around while it gets to baggage claim. Your luggage could even fall off of the carts while being transported around the airport. You probably never thought about what your luggage goes through.

Help ensure your luggage is safe by purchasing long-lasting, durable luggage from manufacturers that know what your luggage is subjected to.

The Highland Hiker staff are partial to Eagle Creek luggage when they travel. Why? Because of the durability and the wonderful packing solutions that can help make packing, unpacking, and organizing your travel gear a sinch.

David Wilkes, owner of Highland Hiker, travels several times a year not only in the US but to places such as Oregon’s Rogue River, Alaska’s Wilderness, Magical New Zealand, and Solmo Patagonia. David is a fan of Eagle Creek travel gear not only for its durability but also the numberous travel accessories that complement his entire luggage collection.

David has just about mastered packing his belongings for his fly fishing trips and great outdoor adventures. David packs his shirts in the handy Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder to keep his shirts neatly folded. When he needs a clean shirt, he simply thumbs through the neat pile of shirts, pulls out the one he needs, stacks the rest back and closes up the folder. He has found that the Eagle Creek 2-Sided Half Cube and 2-Sided Cube are great for packing clean socks in one side and when his socks get dirty, he packs them into the other side. Then he can easily keep track of his socks and still know what is clean and what is dirty. Depending on the nature of his trip, David will accordingly use his various other Pack-It solutions to carry all his travel necessities with him.

We just introduced the new and improved Eagle Creek Tarmac Rolling Suitcase in 20 in., 22 in., 25 in., and 28 in. sizes. Now we also carry the Velocity Rolling Suitcase in 20 in., 22 in., 25 in., and 28 in. sizes. Both suitcases come in palm (green) & black, are highly durable and backed by Eagle Creek’s Lifetime Warranty so you no longer have to worry about what might become of your luggage while travelling the airports of the world.

The Highland Hiker is proud to announce we now are offering Anuschka handbags for sale on our website.

Why are Anuschka handbags so special? Each piece is hand painted — giving each piece the attention to detail a designer handbag should have. Since each bag is hand painted, every piece will have its own unique beauty. The vibrant colors on Anuschka handbags and accessories make them stand out like no other bag.

Fashion accessories let us display our own unique personality. Let your unique personality shine through with a beautiful, hand painted Anuschka handbag and the accessories to go with.

Here is a sample of some of the beautiful handbags that can be found at the Highland Hiker. To see all the Anuschka Handbags, click here.

Anuschka Premium Peacock Safari Shoulder Bag

Anuschka Abstract Classic Check Book Wallet

Anuschka Tattoo Butterfly Denim Small Tote

Our 1/2 Price Warehouse, located upstairs in “The Falls on Main” building, will be open every Friday & Saturday from 10am - 5 pm starting this weekend, until further notice.

If you are in Highlands or plan on coming soon, please stop by and check us out. We carry the same great brands as our retail locations all at half price! These items are either discontinued or have been moved out to make room for new inventory.

We can’t offer these items on our website due to supplier pricing restrictions on some. And the one-of-a-kind nature of others really doesn’t make it feasible either.

So if you need a break from the beautiful scenery of Highlands (doubtful), or just a place to hang out and relax after a strenuous hike come by and say hi. We look forward to seeing you there!

Welcome to the new look of
highlandhiker.com!

The owners David & Carol Wilkes would like to thank all of our past customers and welcome any new folks that may be finding us for the first time.

We have redesigned our website to make it more user-friendly, yet still retain the down home look and feel of our earlier version. We want it to remain an informational site where you can get the latest fishing, hiking and political news from the local area, as well as a place to find some of the great products you have come to rely on from the Highland Hiker.

We want to know what you think.
What are some of the things you’d liked to see us do here?
What products would you like to see offered on our website?

Your input is very important to us and we hope to be able to make this a place you will want to return to again and again.

Thank you