As a fully functioning adult living in a world as a ‘normal’ person (of course, that could be debated) I never had the opportunity to spend any time with the developmentally disabled population until the creation of Search for Adventure (SFA). About 6 years ago, Horny Toad (Nau’s sister company) and Search, Inc. got together to create SFA. The big idea here is that people without disabilities regularly have experiences that shape them outside of home, work or family – the developmentally disabled are often dependent on the government for benefits and services – rarely do they get the chance to experience the world beyond their day to day regiment. The primary goal of SFA is to give access to life experiences based on what they want to do instead of on what others have thought they should or shouldn’t, could or couldn’t do.

I have learned first hand that these trips empower people with developmental disabilities. They are able to see the world outside of the daily routine; not just survive but thrive, learn and experience. In 2004, one of the first trips was to the Powderhorn Dude Ranch in Colorado. One of my favorite quotes from this first trip is from Ed.  Ed is a horse enthusiast and budding cowboy. He got off the plane, took in the scenery and asked, “Is this heaven?”. If I could share the twinkle in his eyes or the excitement in his voice… you would understand.

This program has been so successful that we would like to offer additional experiences to more people. In our dream state we conjured up the idea of the “Adventuremobile” – essentially, a modified van. This vehicle would allow more accessible and economical trips to the most severely and profoundly disabled individuals. Here’s the cool part – you can help us reach our goal with the simple click of a button. (Seriously, it is that easy.) SFA has applied for a grant and the one with the most votes wins. You can learn more and, of course, we welcome your vote.

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What does it take for a resort to win the hearts of ski and snowboard enthusiasts? A quick office poll revealed a wide variety of reasons- a memorable champagne powder day, challenging terrain, beautiful views, and the resort closest to home growing up. My favorite is the one that I know well enough to find a fresh stash of powder at the end of the day. What’s yours?

If you need to reach us between now and January, some of us will be testing product at the ski resorts that won us over. Check out the snow reports of our favorite ski area’s and come join us.

Mark: Alta & La Grave
Hal:  Bachelor
Tyson and Libby:   Ski Bowl
Susan:  Mad River Glen
Jamie and Eugenie:   Jackson Hole
Johanna:   Squaw Valley
Ian:  Purgatory
Kristen:   Killington
Josie:   Snowmass & Alpine Meadows

Friends of Nau:
Miriam:  Mt. Baker
Kim:  Big White, Lake Louise, & Zermatt

We love music. We love Portland. We love bikes. And that’s why we love Blind Pilot. Here is a great trailer for a documentary about of one of our favorite bands who took their tour on the road in 2008…by bike. Riding down the coast from Vancouver to San Francisco. These guys (and Katie) are a truly inspirational bunch. They just wrapped up their last tour in Portland with shows that benefited p:ear and the Oregon Food Bank.

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Unlike our dear sweet Peter, who unequivocally hearts it, I wrestle with New York.

I’m no country bumpkin, but still, the place overwhelms me. The people, the concrete, the noise, the haste. I don’t hate it, but it does make me weak in the knees, and not in a love way. More of a swaying-side-to-side-with-dizziness-as-the-world-swirls-around-me sort of way.

This is why it’s good to have friends.

Especially friends I can email with such random requests as, “Hey, do you know anyone in New York who could help me build a Christmas-tree-ish window display out of bike parts?” And who can write me back in less than a day with not only a,“Yes, totally,” but also a, “While you’re out there, do you think you’ll need a bike to ride?”

Which is how I met the crew at NYC Velo. Charged with the mission to pull together a new window display for here/nau/nyc that touched on alternative ways to move through the city, I arrived in NY with the name and number of one lone bike-enthused guy: Mike.

Mike introduced me to Andrew, owner of NYC Velo, and Andrew introduced me to Justin, one of his employees who held a special affinity for installing bikes in unorthodox, gravity-defying ways. Collectively these guys evolved my zoo-bomb inspired vision of a holiday heap of bikes into a much more elegant display using their own, personal frames (Surly’s, IF’s, and Civia’s among them), all swirling around our front window like a band of wild horses.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the crew at NYC Velo also turned me on to my two new favorite things to do in their fair city: 1) ride a Kona humuhumunukunukuapua with monster knobby tires through the narrow streets and sprawling boulevards, fearlessly dominating the cobblestone of Soho and the potholes of everywhere else, and 2) riding straight to the best americano the city has to offer, at the hole-in-the-wall café in the East Village, Abraço Espresso.

Thanks to my friends, and my friends of friends with bikes, I’ve seen New York in an entirely new light. Less about its world swirling around a static me, and more about me – on a bike – swirling around it. It’s fun. You should try it.

And if you’re in New York, you can see NYC Velo’s fine work in our window ‘til December 13^th. You’ll also find more pics of the display here.

(photo courtesy NYC Velo)

Har Mar Superstar played at an event in our SoHo store on Tuesday. Wednesday morning the emails and photo’s started pouring in from the crew in NYC about the party from the night before.  He played again last night and  I’m hoping he kept it PG-13 for our customers sake. Check this guy out:

I HEART NYC.

The day starts and you look to the window and determine what type of outfit you will need for the day, and what after work activities you are going to blend into once that time clock is shut off.

I have one outfit to protect me from the elements and keep me comfortable on my subway commute, and make me feel confidant, and  stylish after the work day comes to a halt.  Whilst in NY the temperature was unseasonably warm (mid to high 60’s ) and on and off rain.

I chose my outfit as follows; Mens Riding jacket,
M-2  stripe crew, organic cotton tee as an underlayer, Italian wool 2 tone scarf,  Slim  caviar wash denim and my leather side zip low boots. The perfect setup to conquer my NY day into night and protect me from the elements.

Did I mention I HEART NYC?

Now I go and conquer the new snow load distributed on Mt Hood.  Did I mention I HEART PDX!

As big as any so far…we’re officially opening our doors to New York City for 50 days of interaction, experience and education.

At Tuesday night’s private media opening, it was hard to tell which impressed the crowd more: the store aesthetic, the energetic vibe, or the Nau product itself.  The one thing that was clear – beyond the genuine enthusiasm of what we created and what was about to unfold in the coming 50 days – was that no one believed the space had been built in only 10 days, and that it was intended to be a temporary installation.

My favorite comment from the night: “You have to stay”.

Even our musical guests, Zee Avi and Will Dailey, had to outfit their bands in Nau for their upcoming tours before leaving, and they’ll now be making a stop to play Lizard Lounge the next time they pass through Portland.

Today we unveil our project to the public.  With the help of Secret Machines on stage tonight, the photography of our Grantees for Change Benjamin Drummond and Sara Joy Steele, and the support of a tremendous number of partners here in NYC and back in Portland, here/nau/nyc finally (officially) arrives.  We won’t be staying this time around, so make sure you come see us during the next two months if you find yourself within striking distance of 69 Mercer Street in Soho. Keep a close watch on the ever evolving calendar of events as we weave through the beauty, performance and sustainability themes with a dynamic list of community events, activities and charitable partnerships.

We look forward to seeing you there, and staying connected through Facebook and Twitter. And, whichever way you visit, we’d love to know what you think.

The latest and greatest from our crew in nyc, working around the clock for our opening this week. Check out the here/nau/nyc calendar for the complete schedule of events. All photos are by NY-based photographer Vina Parel Ayers, www.vinaparelayers.com.

We are officially on our way to SoHo for the holidays, ready to mix with the Collective that we have yet to meet – the artists, athletes, and activists of New York’s greater Metro area.

We signed a lease and started painting this weekend in a discreet space on Mercer, just north of Broome.

Why SoHo? We wanted to be in a space that would be convenient, easy to find, and welcoming to all.  And, we needed to find a space large enough to throw a party (or ten), play live music late into the night, and be open to creating a buzz.

After a pretty involved search this Fall, we found the perfect two-story space. For the street level, we’ve designed a clean, minimalist retail space to host Nau’s Fall 2009 collection, peppered with some of our favorite sustainable and socially responsible complimentary brands. Downstairs, we’ll have a coffee bar, lounge and gallery.

In a series of blog posts over the coming weeks, we’ll share details of the making of the pop-up, including the dumpster diving process we just went through to assemble locally sourced, sustainable store fixtures; the store design and our site specific art installation process; the line-up of music, featured artists and events; and the selection of our local charity and other partners.  Part store, part gallery, part event space, and with plenty of room for all things unpredictable, our NYC pop-up’s about sharing our approach to sustainable business and considered design with our friends out East in an unforgettable way. It feels great to finally see the first of our plans unfold.

We hope to see you there, and if you are not planning to be in NYC in the next two months, tell your friends to come say hi for you.

Our friends at Epicocity organized a 350.org event last Saturday.  Check it out:

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On Saturday, October 24, nearly 200 whitewater and sea kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and canoes converged on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon to form a giant floating 350 as part of the largest global day of climate action ever. Paddlers in this River of Action event joined more than 5,200 rallies in more than 180 nations to urge world leaders to take fast and effective action on global warming, to bring attention to the number 350. Scientists have insisted in recent years that 350 parts per million is the most carbon dioxide (CO²) we can safely have in the atmosphere. The current CO² concentration is 390 parts per million.

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day in Portland. The sunny, warm weather helped to keep folks in good spirits as they fought a strong current in the river channel to form the 350. But even with the current, everyone came together to make it happen. Paddlers were stoked to be out on the water taking a stand to protect the planet where we live and the rivers where we play. As paddlers, we experience the impacts of climate change firsthand. Less snowpack is drastically affecting our rivers and waterways. The climate is something we can get back on track. And after Saturday, there’s no doubt that we want to see real action from the world on climate change before it’s too late.

Around the world on Saturday-from the Willamette River to the melting slopes of Mt. Everest-people took part in the 350.org International Day of Climate Action.

The actions come six weeks before the world’s nations convene in Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to draw up a new climate treaty. Eighty-nine countries have already endorsed the 350 target, as well as the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, the world’s foremost climate economist, Sir Nicholas Stern, Nobel prize-winner Al Gore and hundreds of thousands of global citizens. All agree that current atmospheric levels of CO²-390 parts per million-are causing damage to the planet and to its most vulnerable people, and that government action at the Copenhagen climate conference is required to bring the earth’s carbon level swiftly down.