Built For The Mountain Life

24 Hours of Horshoe Hell - a recap

MK Dealer Services rep Shelley Thornton spent a recent weekend in Jasper, AR for one of the nation's fastest growing, and most exciting climbing events.  She offered the following recap on one "hellateous" trip:

On Friday everyone commenced on the ranch, excited about the weather and the upcoming comp.    Climbers, dogs, horses…and other visitors to the ranch that had no idea about the competition but were along for the fun.

There was a spaghetti dinner at the barn, followed by a mini trade fair, slack line competition and a slide show by professional climber Jason Kehl.

Some of us went straight to bed, while others stayed around for the Whiskey Wednesday party afterwards…for cheap beer and very cheap whiskey.

Saturday morning brought more sunshine and very excited and anxious climbers.  Some who were out for the fun of it and some who had been planning the entire 24 hours for a year.  They knew exactly what routes they would take for the entire 24 hours. 

At 10:00, after all the climbers took a sworn oath to protect their partner, and not whine and bitch, the shotgun sounded and the comp began.

I hiked up to an area called the North Forty, where I knew some of the teams that were starting their 24 hours and it was really amazing.

MK Ambassador Jez Reflects on World Cup Win!

It all started off with a trip to the South East of the USA to instruct a bit at camps.

 

Then off to Europe I went. Into Prague and what a beautiful city it is. The location was great in the city and the feature was a hole with a stadium style grand stands all around. It felt like you were paddling in a grand final with the crowd basically right next t o you. Unfortunately the water quality was a little off with rain storms flushing everything down and this was the start of a month of sickness for many of us. It also rained for what seemed like forever, and this also took its toll.

 

Augsburg, Germany was next at the washing machine hole. This hole allowed for huge loops and super fast hole tricks. Once again the crowd could really get up super close to the action. If you were to sit on the side of the banks you could reach out and touch the paddlers in the hole, now you can’t get closer to the excitement than that.

I was fortunate to be able to ride around the city on a bike by myself and had an afternoon where everything just clicked. I just understood the way these people lived, getting around on bikes and living in a town with so much history and culture. That afternoon was by far a turning point in my trip as I did not enjoy the prior week, mostly I guess because of the sickness and rain.

 

The whitewater center was a green manicured lawn which made for a uniquely picturesque location to have a competition. Clay mentioned about this whitewater course, “I feel like a golfer kayaking here except I only play one hole.”

Once again the competition was fierce however the loops were ridiculously big.

Goodbye to an old friend

Grand Junction shop-dog Sal passed away last week after many good years of roaming the great state of Colorado.

Jen Taylor of Mountain Sprouts had this to say:

For those of you who had the pleasure of meeting Miss Sal, you knew what a special soul she was.  I was blessed with her companionship for nearly 17 years, and throughout those years I knew quite well that I was merely her keeper... her independent spirit knew no 'ownership.'

 

She never missed a day of work at Mountain Sprouts, and will be sorely missed by her many families.

No matter who you are, no matter where you live, dogs play such a special role in our lives.  They are as much a part of the MK brand as any trout stream, climbing crag, or single track out there.  Here at MK/MS, there are more than just a few proud owners of great dogs and we all sympathize with Jen's loss.

Dealer Profile - Black Squirrel Outfitters

MK Dealer Services Rep and Permanent Glow Kim Bruno offers some detail on one of her favorite and most successful dealers.

Black Squirrel is a premier men’s store located in Pelham, NY.  Anne Ainslie has created a very personal one on one experience for her customer.  The store is 8 x 30 feet (240 sq feet) and is the pure essence of a intimate experience.  She showcases high end lines that can cross over from the “rugged outdoors” to a night downtown and she keeps her offering tight – we are one of the premier lines located in Black Squirrel.  She is one of our better MK dealers and really knows how to take her customer to a new level of shopping.  Making each interaction and purchase extra special.  Thank you Anne for making Mountain Khakis one of your offerings.  You have definitely made the MK impact in the NYC area.

You can read a recent article about Anne and her shop here.

Benefit Auction for SPLORE.org

SPLORE is a Utah-based, non-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality adventure programs to people with disabilities and special needs. Since its inception in 1979, SPLORE has been a leader in creating opportunities for people of all abilities to participate in outdoor adventures by providing a safe, supportive and fun learning environment.

Mountain Khakis is proud to be a contributing supporter of their upcoming auction (see image).  For information on how to attend, how to become a partner, or how to bid on an item, please click here.

Another MK wedding

MK Vet Jordan Hauser served as a groomsman for best friend Aaron Saunders near San Diego, CA this past weekend.

On Saturday, September 20, 2008 Aaron and Jessica were married in a small ceremony on the beach in Oceanside, CA.  Although the ladies were lookin' lovely, the men were lookin' refined/relaxed/rugged with their Mountain Khakis Lake Lodge pants on!

Congrats and best of luck to Aaron and Jessica.  Have fun in Tahiti!

3rd Annual Whitewater Festival - Charlotte, NC

MK Employees Shelley Griffin, Lindsay Greenwood, and Morgan Moss ventured out to one of the South's premiere outdoor events as the USNWC near Charlotte, NC.  Here is a recap of their day.

On Saturday, September 13th, Mountain Khakis and Mountain Sprouts attended the 3rd annual Whitewater Festival at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC.  It was such a beautiful, sunny day outside. Over 6,000 people were in attendance. Activities included live music, kid’s zone, clinics from REI, kayak and raft races, rock climbing, pet adoption, wine and beer tastings, Jeep off road triathlon, high ropes/zip line, Catawba River tours, eco-catching, and flyball dog demonstrations. Vendors included Miller Beer,  Redwood Creek Wine, Mountain Khakis and Mountain Sprouts, Smoothie King, Subaru, Yakima, NOS Energy drink, Raptor Center, Earthfare, YMCA, and Petco just to name a few.

Ambassador Camila Zardo

Mountain Khakis ambassador Camila Zardo chimes in with an update from the great state of Colorado.

Checking in from Colorado -

There is something about the changing of the seasons that seems to revitalize the body and mind.  Looking out from my bedroom window each morning I begin to see the aspen change to their famous golden yellow…a sign that Fall is approaching.  Milder temperatures, noticeably crisper air, and countless weekends climbing… I live for this time of year.
I am blessed to live in state with such amazing climbing opportunities.  Sometimes I feel like a kid in a candy store with Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks Open Space in my backyard and Shelf Road and Turkey Rock only an hour or so away.

27th Annual Pocatello Pump

This weekend in Pocatello, Idaho, the 27th annual Pocatello Pump will take place on the basalt crags at Ross Park.  The oldest climbing competition in the United States features categories for all abilities and includes mens and womens as well as local and non-local divisions for each class.  There are also two kids competitions for the young ones.  Climbers receive 90 minutes on Saturday to attempt as many top-rope climbs as possible.  The top ten finishers enter the lead-climbing segment on Sunday.  The lead climbers receive five hours to attempt nine leads, of which the highest eight are scored.  The cumulative scores from top-roping and lead climbing determine the winners.  Routes range from 5.5 to 5.12

The Pocatello Pump also acts as a fundraiser for the climbing community.  $5 from each registration fee will be donated to the Access Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting climbers and preserving America's diverse climbing resources.  The Pocatello Pump will also donate $5 from each entrant to the Idaho State University Climbing Scholarship.  If you're in the area this weekend, go to Pocatello and climb away.  Registration starts at 7am Saturday.  Otherwise, get outside and do something fun. 

Photo courtesy ISU Bengal

The True Life Support

MK Ambassador, Search and Rescue member, avid mountaineer and teacher, Jonathan Willy reports here on a day-in-the-life in Bishop, California.

Phone calls at 1am are never a good thing.  At best it's a drunk dial, at worst somebody's died.  At our house, it can be anything in between, at any hour.  Just returning from summer in India, I needed time to adjust.  The faltering economy and high gas prices had other ideas.

Droves of tourists are flocking to the Eastern Sierra as an economical alternative to far off destinations.  With southern California tourists come Southern California issues.  Self-reliance is not a virtue shared by all.  The hustle and bustle of urban life seems to create human beings incapable or unwilling to deal with crisis in any fashion that doesn't involve a Mocha Chino and pharmaceutical escape.

Here in the mountains, reality and self-responsibility have a way of rearing their heads.  Enter the world of mountain town local.  Our livelihood rests with these people coming to visit and snap their photos.  Speeding down our streets, cutting us off in line, but bringing with them the almighty dollar.  Traffic jams caused by a photo opp with every mammal that crosses the road.  Pasty people in Hawaiian shirts chasing after bears.  Don't they know any better?  Or do they simply not care, as they are on vacation?