April 24, 2020

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY THREAD...

Time to Read: Tewe minutes, seven seconds

A Tale of Two Woolen Cities

America's wool mills have been around for almost 200 years. In that time, two names dominate the pasture - Woolrich and Pendleton. Pennsylvania's John Rich founded Woolrich in 1830 to outfit rough and tumble trappers, hunters, and loggers. Later, Rich's clothing was ewesd (used) in the Civil War and the first government financed Antarctic Expedition.

Thomas Kay founded Pendleton Woolen Mills in Oregon smack in the middle of the Civil War - 1863. He produced colorful printed blankets for the local Native American tribes. These blankets are still Pendleton staples.

Pendleton had some baaaad times in the early days while Woolrich boomed. Eventually, Pendleton turned things around. Their popularity soared in the early sixties thanks to the Beach Boys. Few know that the original name of The Beach Boys was the Pendletones.

These days, Pendleton is spinning wool and Woolrich is spinning tires. In 1990, Woolrich had 2,600 employees. The employee count is 450 right now. The company closed their last US mill in 2018 and sold to a private equity firm. Sadly, Woolrich popped a ewe turn and pivoted to street wear.

On the other side of the pasture...ahem, country, Pendleton is stilled owned and shepherded by the Kay family. Their mills in Pendleton, OR and Washougal, WA are some of the only woolen mills operating in the US.

Pendleton stayed true to their roots and continues to provide high quality gear for the adventurous life.

I picked one of these shirts at thrift store outside Asheville, NC about four years ago. It is still one of my favorite pieces in the closet. Over the years, it has evolved into an incredible level of softness.

The lightweight fabric is easy to wash and keeps you cool on hot summer days. And right now, it's 25% off. Use the code CYBER25 at checkout.

By the way, unlike their usual sales, blankets aren't excl-ewe-ded. Hot Lamb that's a good deal.

4 Tries for Grimshawes & Fresh Bear Paws

I've been trying to hike to a place called Grimshawes from the house for weeks now. Today's video tells the story of the fourth and final try. You won't believe what I found at the end.

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