Raven’s View

The results are in: You can indeed put Smartwool base layers in the dryer. I know, after an initial test machine dry and then an accidental second machine dry.

I purchased a black Smartwool� men’s shortsleeve lightweight tee, a rather stylish one that I plan on wearing out on the town as much as in the woods. I’d been told the company uses a special treatment to make its fabric machine washable and dryer-safe, so I decided to test this claim for myself. Being somewhat forgetful, however, I left the shirt and some other clothes in the dryer for a couple of days and let them wrinkle. Actually, I’m extremely forgetful, and I forgot there was wool in the dryer when I put everything on a second dry cycle to rid the garments of the wrinkles.

No worries: My Smartwool tee barely shrunk. A five percent reduction is to be expected, according to the manufacturer, on the initial run. I’d say I hit about 3 percent — only because I think the sleeves are a lttle higher.

Pretty impressive, I must say.

Well, the Reel Rock Film Tour was a success! We almost sold out the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company, and the crowd was really into the films. We raised nearly $500 for the Carolina Climbers Coalition.

Now, we’re turning our attention to Timmy O’Neill’s visit on Nov. 16 in Asheville. If you saw the film First Ascent at the festival, you’ll recognize O’Neill as the nerdy (and hilarious) Montessori teacher who extolls the virtues of climbing. When he comes to the North Carolina Stage Company, he’ll praise the merits of environmental activism.

Tickets go on sale soon at our stores.

Black Dome hosts the climbing film tour at 9:30 p.m. Thursday at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company. Tickets cost $8 at the door. Raffle tickets cost $5 or two for $8.�

Top Ten Reasons To See The Reel Rock Film Tour:

10. Watch the trailers. You’ll have to come.

9. You can drink beer and eat pizza while you watch.

8. A who’s-who of WNC climbers will be there (inluding MC Matt Gentling, Black Dome’s lead climber).

7. The proceeds from the raffle sales and Black Dome’s share of the ticket sales will benefit the Carolina Climbers Coalition.

6. Fall is such a great time to climb, and you need something to motivate you.

5. The raffle prizes are sick! (Check back tomorrow for a prize list.)

4. You need vacation ideas, and these films feature exotic locales.

3. Your girlfriend/boyfriend will thank you for the nice date.

2. There’s nothing on TV that night.

1. Directors Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer will be there,� looking for beautiful people for their new reality TV show on NBC. (Just kidding.)

In honor of last week’s news about the wilderness bills in the U.S. Congress, here are some interesting numbers to think about:

1,000 – Acres of private land at Chimney Rock we are fighting to protect in Western North Carolina.

76,000 – Acres of public land up for wilderness designation in New Hampshire and Vermont. The U.S. House of Representatives adjourned last week before approving a bill to protect these lands.

177,768 – Acres of public land already designated as wilderness area in North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. The federal “wilderness area” designation gives public lands the maximum amount of environmental protection.

310,000 – Acres of new wilderness area approved for Idaho by the House last week.

4,388,330 – Acres of wilderness area already existing in Idaho.

Sources: Associated Press, Wilderness.net