Built For The Mountain Life

Happy Halloween from Mountain Khakis

Meet SpiderDog, clearly Built For The Mountain (and Halloween) Life.

One Nightstand

Making The Move

Written by MK Dealer Services Representative Jessica Hoffmann:

As I approach the one month count down before my husband, our two dogs, and I move from scenic Tuxedo, North Carolina to scenic Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I find myself getting nostalgic about our local area crags. Western North Carolina is a fabulous area to learn how to trad climb, if you don’t mind sometimes scant pro and the local aversion to bolts. As the fall weather finally reaches the South, I am enjoying astonishing colors, the opportunity to wear my MK pants, and, of course, the perfect climbing conditions. Rumbling Bald is quite close to my house, and is part of NC’s recent land acquisitions in the Hickory Nut Gorge and Chimney Rock area surrounding Lake Lure, which is soon to become a public park. The Bald is a perfect winter crag, as it faces south and gets plenty of sun. I presume my number of days climbing in a tee are numbered for the rest of the year as we get settled in Wyoming. I am going to have to toughen up quickly! Still, I got to send what I thought would be my winter project, Southern Boys Don’t Wear Plaid, one of the classic steep lines in an area that is actually known for slab. I guess soon I will know what it is that southern boys wear in Wyoming….

MK Ambassador Looks to Ride to Olympics

 

Jonathan Holling has high hopes; hopes of finding himself in Beijing next year as an American Olympian for Event Riding.  Holling is a new MK Ambassador and a professional 3-day event rider.  He has been a consistent top-finisher in nearly every major event he has competed in in the past 4 years.  Jonathan has two shows left for this year, one in Georgia and one in Ocala, Florida, where he resides.  The Ocala event is the Fall Championships, and Jonathan is looking for a strong finish.  He will spend the off-season training and will be competing again in January.  We will keep you posted on his progress and quest for the Olympics.  Visit Jonathan's website.

Lorin Paley Continues to Shine

Mountain Khakis Ambassador Lorin Paley has a lot to look forward to this winter.  She was recently profiled in Telemark Skier Magazine and also received press in Ski Racing Magazine for her incredible accomplishment in telemark racing.  At the tender age of 15, Lorin has already secured her status as one of the top telemark racers in the US.  Last winter, in Steamboat Springs, Lorin finished 2nd in the US National Championship, racing among people who have been skiing for longer than Lorin has been alive.  More recently, Lorin placed second in the Ramapo Swimming Championships while competing against athletes who train for swimming all year long.  Lorin's natural athleticism and competitive nature are sure to lead to great things in her future.  Keep up the great work Lorin!!  To read more on Lorin and the other Outdoor Idols for Winter 2007, go to www.outdooridols.org

Upcoming Events

Mountain Khakis will be sponsoring a few events and tours coming up soon, and we want to let you know about them:

Winter Wildlands Alliance Presents the 3rd Annual Backcountry Film Festival

An evening of backcountry skiing films that will surely leave you dreaming about the winter ahead.  Enjoy great prizes from industry sponsors, beer, wine, food, and fun.  Proceeds will benefit WWA and its mission to promote and preserve winter wildlands and a quality human-powered snowsports experience on public lands.

Here are a few dates to look forward to:

Boise, ID              November 16             Egyptian Theatre

Pioneer, CA          January 11                Snowlands Network

Steamboat, CO     February 7                 The Mountain

For more info and an updated schedule, go to WWA online. 

17th Annual Uwharrie Mountain Run

Also, those of you who run and enjoy doing it on the trails will be interested in the 17th Annual Uwharrie Mountain Run, located in the Uwharrie National Forest near Troy, North Carolina.  The Uwharrie Mountain Run has been rated by Trail Running Magazine as one of the Savage Seven trail races in America.  Like the Western States and Leadville races, this is a serious trail race.  Uwharrie offers runners 8, 20 and 40 mile options.  The 40-mile course includes over 12,000 feet of elevation gain.  This is one tough race.  Online registration starts November 1st.  Start training now!

                                                

MK Goes College Vol. 2

Starkville, MS - Home of Abner's Famous Chicken, Reed's of Starkville, and the Bulldogs of Miss. State.... and some great weather for fall football.  The MK Team posted up a tailgate in front of Reed's in historic downtown Starkville and helped support their business on gameday (vs. Univ. of Tennessee).  We played some cornhole, threw the pigskin around, and made some friends along the way.... well, actually The Buddy made friends... we just tagged along and pretended to be cool. 
    Just before kickoff we made our way to "the Junction," a green near the stadium where there are enough people outside partying to fill the stadium twice.... easily.  The atmosphere was great, and you're never more than an earshot away from a portable-gasgenerated- flatscreen-satellite-tv (see picture).  Many thanks to the Reed's staff (Lex, Bo, Lauren, Candi) for being such great host(esse)s, all the new Mk fans, all the guys we bumped into that already owned MKs, and all the girls in high-heals and cocktail dresses who really gave us a whole new perspective on tailgating in the south - Classy.  Next stop: Auburn, AL home of the Tigers.

Jari Kirkland Wins Two Major Competitions

Mountain Khakis Ambassador Jari Kirkland has had an unbelievable summer.  She recently checked in to let us know that she won the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race.  That's right, Jari took first place for the solo women's category and placed second overall, with only 7-time champion Chris Eatough completing more laps.  This is an amazing feat in one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world. 

As if this was not enough, Jari and her team, Team Salomon/Crested Butte finished in first place at the Moab 12 Hour Adventure Xstream competition.  This is a 300 mile adventure race featuring bikes, boats, and shoes.  What an accomplishment.  We look forward to a first-hand account from Jari when she returns from Europe.  Congratulations!

New MK Ambassador Hunter Mortensen

Mountain Khakis is proud and excited to announce Hunter Mortensen as our newest MK Ambassador.  Hunter was born and raised in Colorado, and while growing up he was "taught that respect of people and environment is paramount."  This mindset lead Hunter to where he is now, living in Summit County as a professional ski patroller at Breckenridge Ski Resort, a volunteer for the Summit Rescue Group, and a high school outdoor trip leader. 

Hunter is a perfect fit in our Ambassador program because "my work, my play, my passion is being and living in the mountains."  Hunter views the Mountain Life "as my good fortune to get paid to do what others consider weekend recreation."  When not working or volunteering, Hunter spends his time traveling with his wife and dogs, mountain biking, climbing, trail running and basically any other outdoor activity.  We look forward to hearing more from Hunter and we welcome him to the team.

MK Gets Some Play From Golf Industry

Some recent publicity highlights the Teton Twills from Mountain Khakis as the perfect pair of durable khakis for foul-weather golfing, scottish-inspired courses or those with a tendency to search for balls in the rough...

Resort Sports Network included them in their Summer Golf Gear round-up (at minute 1:30):

And Golf Illustrated ranked them "tough as a 2 dollar steak" - a comparison we don't have much experience with out here in cattle country:

Welcome New MK Ambassador Jonathan Willy

Jonathan Willy is one of those quality, all-around type of guys who does a lot of good for the community he lives in.  Jonathan is currently an 8th grade science teacher in Bishop, CA.  He was born in Pittsburgh, and has slowly migrated west, stopping in Bozeman for 5 years before making it to California.  Outside of teaching, Jonathan is... a teacher.  He is a mountain guide, both for general rock climbing and ice climbing.  He founded Bishop's first kids climbing team this year, and also coaches the cross country team.  It is obvious that Jonathan has no problem keeping busy.  As if all this teaching and coaching weren't enough, Willy is the team leader for his local Search and Rescue team. 

Jonathan lives an awesome lifestyle, and is very humbled and appreciative of the terrain that he works and lives in.  Jonathan's view on the mountain life: "Mountain life isn't always easy, in fact most of the time it's not.  However, it does tend to bring out the true inner being in people who pursue this lifestyle.  Those who stick it out through the lonliness, injuries, disappointments, and failures tend to have an inner flame.  That passion that you just can't put into words."   We couldn't agree more, and we are excited to have Jonathan on board.

Jez Blanchard Reports on Two Gnarly Descents

Mountain Khakis Ambassador Jez Blanchard recently contacted us with news of a few exceptional kayak creek decents in Australia.  Below is his account:

"I decided that any boating is better than no boating, which meant I would take my slightly abused playboat down a few creeks in the Snowy Mountains of Australia.  This is by far the coldest place I have ever been.  After running the Snowy River, we took on Finn Creek.  This creek has been run by less than five people and this was only the third time anyone had hiked up to it.  It is extremely consistent with no flat parts at all and at times you really have to work for eddies.  I found that paddling over waterfalls unintentionally backwards or on my head made for a very interesting day.  Despite a bent stern on my Jackson Kayak, everything went well.

We also completed a first descent of Perisher Creek, a creek that is low volume, very narrow, steep and technical.  This one of the highest altitude creeks in Australia.  Some amazing low volume rapids were hit up and I have to admit that after taking out, I found myself in a very cold position.  Bloody cold indeed.  You will have to wait to see the best pictures of the run in Kayak Session Magazine."

Well done Jez, way to get after it.  Keep up the good work!

Built for the Mountain Weekend

Below are some photos from last weekend, in chronological order:  Fishing the South Fork on Saturday, Skiing on Sunday, sunset on Monday

notice bald eagles in tree

MK at University of Georgia

Mountain Khakis recently wrapped up the first leg of our SEC College Tour.  We spent a weekend with the Dawgs at UGA in Athens, Georgia at a football game against Ole Miss.  The MK team visited with three of our dealers in Athens on a sunny Friday afternoon - George Gibson's Menswear, Charbon's Outfitters, and Kinnucans.  We spent the day Saturday amongst tailgaters, students, alumni, and other fans.  We had a great time spreading the good word about Mountain Khakis and enticing the crowd with our "coozies and croakies" promotion.  Look for Mountain Khakis at an SEC school near you this Fall as we continue our college tour with stops at Mississippi State, Auburn, and Clemson.  Thanks to all who helped out, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Thoughts on The Mountain Life #2: The Commute

Today it took me three hours to get to the Mountain Khakis office in Jackson Hole. 

Over a 17 mile stretch of road called Teton Pass. 

We're in a typical October storm cycle that contains no less than five varieties of precipitation, depending on your elevation and your proximity to the western side of the valley.

I'd like to add a disclaimer to this post right off the bat: this in no way serves to illustrate any foul-weather driving bravery on my part.  If you had met me as a 20-something JH newbie 11 years ago, you might have identified me as someone who was more than likely to be in an accident (driver from MA, need I say more?).  And you would have been right.

It only took me about three weeks to t-bar the Start Bus, the largest passenger vehicle on the road in Jackson.  Luckily the driver was in training, and the bus was empty.  He did not continue with his training, I taking his dreams of bus driving away as violently as I dismembered the back staircase and door of the bus.  The result of this fenderbender, in addition to my totaled car, was the onset of the "sweaty palm phenomenon": my fear-induced pavlovian response to any inclement-weather driving, abrupt changes in visibility, or roads that were the slightest bit shiny.  It would be three years before I attempted driving Teton Pass, in good weather or bad.

Now I live in Victor, Idaho, and have been commuting over Teton Pass daily to Jackson Hole since '02. "The Pass" is a two-lane road that travels over the Teton range, between Wilson, WY and Victor, ID.  In addition to it's serpentine turns, avalanche paths and sheer cliffs, the Pass features 10% grades.  A 10% grade, for those not geometrically-inclined, is steep enough, on icy roads, to send an ill-equipped Mitsubishi Eclipse flying backward for lack of traction.  It is steep enough to blow out the brakes on a potato-filled eighteen wheeler, and create a unique perfume of burning metal and rubber near The Heidelberg during the summer months, the result of tourists hitting their brakes with an overzealous leadfoot.

It's not all bad, of course, really quite a beautiful drive through lodgepole pine-covered mountain glades and forests.  And I only get sweaty palms a few days each winter, when the right combination of horizontal falling snow and vertical blowing wind takes the visibility to zero (to envision this close your eyes - all that black?  picture it white).  Once the snowbanks build up in the winter, the fear of careening off the side of the mountain is considerably reduced.

And, as guard rails were recently added, this might be the winter I experience no sweaty palms at all.

MK Ambassadors Take To The Air

We recently heard from MK Ambassadors Baxter and Molly Gillespie, and boy are they having some fun.  Since returning from the Himalayas, where Baxter summited Mt. Everest, he has been teaching many BASE jumping courses for Morpheus Technologies up in Idaho.  Baxter had the privilege of teaching one of the top UK stuntmen, Kai Martin, who did a lot or work in the James Bond movie 'Casino Royale'.

The Gillespies are currently on their way to West Virginia for the annual BASE jumping event known as Bridge Day where they will jump from the highest span bridge, the New River Bridge, for one day out of the year.  Baxter was recently in a photo in Stuff Magazine as one of several jumpers in a multi-way wingsuit jump.  Nice work!

Finally, Baxter is preparing for a trip to Venezuela in January, where he will BASE jump from Angel Falls,  the world's highest waterfall.  Incredible, we can't wait to hear about that one.  The Gillespies are going to keep themselves busy this winter with skiing, ski touring, and Ironman races.  Stay tuned for more details on these exciting MK Ambassadors.

Photos courtesy of Morpheus Technologies

Thoughts on The Mountain Life #1

Torres Del Paine, Chile

Here at Mountain Khakis, we live the mountain life.  After all, we are based in Jackson Hole, a rugged and adventurous mountain landscape surrounded by miles of the same.  As a result, we can safely say that our pants are Built For The Mountain Life.  But what does this mean exactly?  Our goal here is to determine, suggest, philosophize, and better understand just what it means to be Built For The Mountain Life.  I would argue that you don’t have to physically be in the mountains to live the mountain life. It is as much a mental thing as it is anything else.  The question that these statements beckon then is what is the mountain life? 

Living the mountain life means enjoying serenity, whether you are in the city or relaxing on the beach.  It also means caring about nature and the environment, getting outside to play when you have the chance and appreciating the different seasons and the variety of activities that accompany those seasons.  Of course, the occasional or frequent trip to the mountains is a necessity for anyone who strives to live the mountain life.  Those who aren’t able to be in the mountains as often as they desire have skiing and climbing movies, the internet and guide books to help fix the craving. 

Whatever it takes, we acknowledge that living the mountain life is possible away from the mountains, and Mountain Khakis is here to make sure you are Built For The Mountain Life.  So go out and get those pants dirty, and know that wherever you are, Mountain Khakis hopes to be there with you.

Party on Mont Blanc

A group of climbers carried a portable jacuzzi and all the supplies needed to fill and heat it, to the top of Mont Blanc in France.  The jacuzzi had to be able to work in a depleted oxygen zone under freezing conditions.  It appears it was a success, and mother nature greeted them with blue skies.  Check out the photos here

Pack & Paddle - BFTML Southern Louisiana Style

John and Becky have put their hearts, minds, and spirit of the outdoor lifestyle into their shop in Lafayette, LA.  No where will you find a store that epitomizes more perfectly the essence of adventure, escape, and nature.  Last week they held a large event to christen the opening of their newest store addition - a massive room that doubles as both retail space and event venue.  Mountain Khakis played a small part, partnering with Patagonia and Chaco to provide some great giveaways for the 200+ in attendance.  Read about the event HERE, read their blog HERE, and learn about P&P HERE.

Props to Two Old Men

Lower Mesa Falls

Last weekend I had the pleasure of having my dad and uncle in town to do some flyfishing.  Unfortunately, they were only here for three days and it snowed and rained for two of them.  However, I was impressed by their toughness and willingness to go out anyway.  We fished two days, both of them in temperatures around 40 degrees or less.  Friday afternoon we hit the Teton River, outside of Felt, Idaho.  We went to a beautiful section of the river, didn't see one other person, and we all caught a few Cutthroat trout.  Saturday it was around 32 degrees all day, with lots of snow.  Therefore, we opted for poker and college football instead.  Sunday the precipitation ceased and we again went out in very cold weather and fished the Henry's Fork River.  I caught a lot of fish, while my dad and uncle didn't do so well.

The point of the story is that I was impressed on their toughness and ability to get out in the cold and  have some fun.  Both of them live in Colorado, so flyfishing and cold weather are nothing new.  However, neither of them do much fishing in this type of weather.  Good for them.  Talk about being Built For The Mountain Life.  Many folks around here consider themselves pretty tough regarding the activities or adventures that they partake in.  But the real tough guys are the old school warriors, the ones who don't care how they look or how well they do, but get out and do it anyway.  Props to these two old men, both 60+ in age.  And here's to the hopes that I can do what they do when I am 60!!

KGB Production Presents "The Sublimation Experiment"

Mountain Khakis is proud and excited to be a sponsor for KGB Production's new ski movie, "The Sublimation Experiment".  This movie is a candid look at a handful of athletes as they showcase their skills while struggling to intergrate their passion for skiing and snowboarding with a sustainable lifestyle.  "This is not a story of big name pros, but rather a story of people that are devoted to the sport and struggle to make it work, just like you and me."

The premiere was shown to a full house at the Playmill Theatre in Jackson, WY.  I was a part of that full house, and the movie is excellent.  Great perspective, good skiing and videography, and a fun soundtrack that won't cause you to leave with a headache. 

KGB Productions is taking their show on the road, go see the movie and get stoked for winter!

October 5th - Colorado Springs, CO - Colorado College

October 19th - Aspen, CO - Wheeler Theatre

October 20th - Carbondale, CO - Dos Gringos Burritos

October 27th - Missoula, MT - Roxy Theatre

Early November - Telluride, CO - Sheridan Opera House

November 10th - Salt Lake City, UT - UVSC Ballroom

November 11th - Rockland, ME - Strand Theatre

November 15th - Waterville, ME - Colby College

November 16th - Boise, ID - Egyptian Theatre

November 27th - Durango, CO - Abbey Theatre

MORE TOUR DATES COMING SOON

Happy Birthday Mountain Khakis

A message from Ross Saldarini, one of our enthusiastic founders and partners:

Happy Birthday to Us, Happy Birthday to Us...4 years ago last week, we shook hands, wrote some checks, opened a bank account and started in earnest down the Built For The Mountain Life path.  That's right, Mountain Khakis is now 4 years old.  It has been a wild ride and we are anticipating great things in the future.  Thanks to all our loyal customers and hard-working dealers and reps, we wouldn't be here without you.  Here is a look at some of our highlights:

March 2001 - Mountain Khakis concept is first sparked in the Shady Lady Saloon in Jackson Hole, WY

September 2003 - Official incorporation of Mountain Khakis with backing of veteran entrepreneurs

March 2004 - Highest quality domestic "Army Duck" cotton fabric located and purchased for initial products

November 2004 - Mountain Khakis sell at retail and online for the first time

January 2005 - Outdoor Retailer Show in SLC sees official brand launch and product debut for Mountain Khakis LLC

September 2006 - Shipped 100,000th pair of Mountain Khakis

July 2007 - Shipped 200,000th pair of Mountain Khakis

September 2007 - MK welcomes Mountain Sprouts into the family of brands and launches Kids & Youth channel initiatives

                           

Kayaker Jez Blanchard Takes To The Snow

Mountain Khakis Ambassador Jez Blanchard reports on his latest adventures:

Well, after a decade of following the summers between Australia and North America, yep that's right a  decade of endless summers, I headed down to the Australian Snowy Mountains to see this white snow stuff that people always talk about. Yea, it's ok if your into that kinda stuff. I'm not one to be waiting in long lines to get a chair lift to the top though. So instead I took my Whitewater Kayak playboat, I called a mate with a snowmobile, attached the yack to the back of the snow mobile and drove off to find a few sweet places to snow boat down. Yep, I definitely found a few places.

The snow was a little icy which meant that it was a little difficult to turn and when you point your boat down the mountain, expect to go fast, way fast. I can honestly say that besides straight drops I have never gone faster in a kayak than snow boating. I have also never been as out of control in a kayak than snow boating. In fact, it probably was one of the more dangerous, slightly stupid things I have done as you find yourself continually wanting to go higher up the mountain. So a few blistering 300 meter runs were not enough. Instead I found a few near vertical drops which were awesome. Then I saw one amazing run I just had to do! This included another huge run down some very steep parts of the mountain. The only problem was there a split between two rocks that I had to make. I made a mark in the snow as a guide so that it would be fairly easy to follow and make the split, no worries. I just didn't count on going at warp speed. Carrying this speed was not conducive to turning. Actually there was no possible way of turning. Bugger. So before I knew what was happening I hit one of the rocks which was thankfully covered in snow. It launched me up and I got air. The front of my boat got caught in the wind and started going up to a point where my nose was past 45 degrees and I could not see where I was going. Thankfully my tail touched the mountain and I landed stern first with the rest of my boat hitting the mountain a little harder than I would have liked. I messed up my knee in doing this as the force was quite amazing.

You will have to see the result on our up coming DVD from Skippy Films called "we're going there anyway" http://www.entropygear.com/dvd.htm To be released..... whenever we get around to it.

As for my MK's well they were awesome even in the snow. My recommended pants for the Australian  Snowy Mountains, very durable.

jez

MK hits Yosemite!

Jessica Hoffmann, part of our MK Dealer Services Crew, recently spent nine days in Yosemite with her husband Phil and some climber friends from North Carolina:

I was the only one on the trip who had never been to Yosemite and it was certainly everything and more than what had been described. It is incredible, inspiring, humbling, at times terrifying, and chock full of visitors from around the world. While we did climb every day of the trip, I can’t say we climbed anything hard enough that you will be seeing us in the magazines soon. The Yosemite granite is famous for spitting out 5.12 climbers on supposedly straightforward 9’s and 10’s. Our campsite was lively at night thanks to bear visits and subsequent bear patrollers, who literally patrol the campground and set off firecrackers at the bears as needed. By the end of the week, I barely noticed the booms and the sniffing of large creatures outside my tent.  Talk about living the mountain life, gotta love it! 

Our longest route was a Yosemite classic called Royal Arches and I think everyone’s favorite climb was Serenity Crack, a busy but beautiful crack near Royal Arches. We had climbers from France, Spain, and even Jackson Hole on our tails as we jammed and finger- locked through the incredible routes. We had fabulous weather most of the week, and loved watching parties’ progress on El Cap. Maybe next time….