Built For The Mountain Life

Lauren Burress Going Big

12-year old MK ambassador Lauren Burress recently checked in and sent along a great photo of her dropping a good-sized waterfall in her kayak.  Pretty impressive.  Thanks Lauren

Happy Holidays

From everyone here at Mountain Khakis, we'd like to wish you all Happy Holidays and the best of luck in the New Year.  We've had a wonderful year and look forward to great things in 2008.

Santa came to Jackson in a big way!

Powder Day in Jackson

Photo by Jesse Malman, Ferry Peak

We are in the midst of a serious storm cycle right now.  35 inches in the past 6 days, and it is dumping right now.  Get your powder boards out and throw on your hood, the snow is stacking up fast.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort - 20" in past 72 hours

Grand Targhee - 15" in past 72 hours

MK Photography Search Continues

Mountain Khakis is on a search for quality photography depicting your adventures in MKs.  We're officially inviting you to submit any and all lifestyle images for consideration by us.  We are always looking for images that help define our tagline, "Built For The Mountain Life" both in and outside of the traditional mountain town environments.  All submissions should be lo-resolution JPEGS and be emailed to me, MK Marketing Manager, Shannon Brooks Hamby, at shannon.hamby@mountainkhakis.com.  All submissions become the property of MK, and we're willing to trade usage for free pants.  For all of you budding lifestyle photographers, take a tip from one of the masters - Steve Casimiro gives some great photography advice on the NGA website as a follow up from his trip to Patagonia.

Teton Pass, WY: Coming to a Crossroads

Teton Pass, WY is a mountain pass 15 miles west of Jackson and is a popular spot for backcountry skiing and touring in the winter.  This year the parking lot at the top of the pass is reaching capacity on a daily basis, and is often full by 7:30am.  What happens once the lot is full is people park in several different turnouts along the road, turnouts that are there for the snow plows and emergency vehicles.  The parking situation on the pass is starting to become an problem.  Another issue to face is a common one when considering any backcountry location: safety.  The more people that hike the pass, the more likely you are to have someone trigger an avalanche by skiing somewhere they shouldn't.  Too many skiiers and boarders are riding this terrain without proper avalanche knowledge and equipment, and sooner or later somebody is going to get hurt.  The problem here is that people assume that because there are several other people around or someone else has recently skiied a line, it must be safe.  This is just not the case, and the chances for an accident only increase as more people hit the backcountry each year

Making The Move: Part II

Written by MK Dealer Services Representative Jessica Hoffmann

We made it to Wydaho!

Yes we made it from the Charlotte MK office to the Jackson MK office!  It took 5 days instead of the 3 we had hoped for, but we made it safe and sound.  Both Kansas and Wyoming had hurricane force winds (seemingly), which made whomever was driving the Uhaul feel like they were in a serious fistfight.  It was best when the wind came straight on, but it felt like trying to drive into a brick wall.  There was a time when my husband  proposed ditching the Jeep on the side of the road so that we didn't both have to drive.  But, the Jeep (aka Earl) won the argument, and he made it all the way here being towed in style.  The worse stretch of road was between Cheyenne and Laramie, where there were winds, snow, ice and significant grades.  Our least favorite thing was seeing signs that said "Strong Winds Next 5 Miles."  I swear the signs were every 6th mile.  One of my favorite things was that my Berry MK Cords kept me warm and looking good despite repeated wear and no washings!  The lycra made me feel like I was losing weight whilst sitting on my butt for 5 days, since it stretches a little with wear.

Dealer Profile: Yostmark Mountain Equipment

Written by MK Dealer Services Rep Jessica Hoffmann, the newest addition to our Jackson Hole office.

I accidentally had a great experience with one of our newest dealers, Yostmark Mountain Equipment, last weekend.  As a dealer services rep covering the Rockies, Idaho is actually not part of my territory.  So Yostmark was a new name to me.  Last weekend at Grand Targhee Resort, I found myself woefully lacking in winter sports equipment, and thus was a regular throughout the weekend at the Demo Days tents, sponsored by Yostmark.  I met a lot of friendly faces and learned that a great deal had changed since my last skiing excursion nine years ago.  After the Demo Days closed, I wandered into Driggs, ID on my way home and decided to check out what looked like a newly opened gear shop.  I found many of the same friendly faces in the store who had been up at the demo, and when I saw the fresh Mountain Khakis display, I eventually relinquished my identity as an MK employee. 

Ski Competitions Begin For MK Ambassador Lorin Paley

MK Ambassador Lorin Paley, alpine and telemark racing phenom, recently checked in with race results and some press she received.  Lorin has recently finished in the top 10 in an FIS Alpine race, the Colorado Junior Ski Cup, and therefore is FIS auto, meaning she will be invited to many more races this season.  To read Lorin's press from the Steamboat Pilot, click here.

2007 World Skeet Doubles Shoot-Off

Watch MK Ambassador Hayes Wauford win the World Championship Doubles Shootoff

Team River Left Tackles Pringle Run - Cheat River Tributary, WV

Written by Art Barket, Team River Left Kayaker                    Photos by E. Bradtke

The weekend starts as it always does, staring at the gauges, precipitation forecasts, and weather predictions.  Northern West Virginia had a healthy six inches of snow on the ground, and with the weather for the weekend shooting to the upper 50’s and rain on the way, I predicted a good weekend for creeking. 

We drove out Saturday night so we could strike out early on Sunday to get a full day in.  This means paddle as many creeks as possible.  Our first stop for the day was to check the gauge of Roaring creek, a tiny steep class 4+ tributary of the Cheat River.  This was running, but on the low side.  This ruled out some of the smaller creeks that were on the target list such as Greens Run, Bull Run, and Daugherty.  I figured we still had a chance to get Pringle so we headed there next.  At the takeout you can see one of meatiest parts of the run, a continuous series of boofing over the tops of boulders.  The level looked to be medium-low.  By the time I decided I was going to run it Kevin and Sam were dressed heading up the hill.  There is no shuttle for this one, you just shoulder you boat and walk up to a bit above the falls. 

My Moustache is Bigger Than Yours

Our Australian MK Ambassador and kayak-addict Jez Blanchard sent us an update about the goings-on down under:

MOVEMBER at Penrith Whitewater Stadium

So for those who are living under a rock, Movember is an annual month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November.  The event originates from down here in Oz.  Go Australia!

At the start of Movember guys register with a clean shaven face.  The Movember participants known as Mo  Bros then have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their moustache and along the way raise as much money and awareness about male health issues as possible.  Basically a way to have a month of quotes such as, "Negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full," and "I love lamp". 

For the past month kayakers and raft guides at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium have been growing Mo's.  Some good, most not so good!  However if you were to go for a boat at the Stadium during the month of Movember you would be boating back in time as the 70's Mo's took over.  Bow-chick-a-wow-wow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movember

http://www.movember.com/au

MK Ambassador Nick Troutman Checks In

I just returned from a vacation up to Ontario with Emily.  We went to visit my family and celebrate an early Christmas since we will be in Tennessee for Christmas.

I love my new MKs.  They are awesome!!  Honestly, they are the first pair of pants that finally fit me.  I don't even have to wear a belt.  They are actually the best pants I have ever worn, seriously.

Well, if you you were wondering if there is any snow in Canada the answer is yes!  There was already about a foot of snow when we arrived, and then it snowed for two days, bringing another 1-2 feet of snow, and then it snowed some more.

We brought our kayak gear in the hopes of getting some last days on the Ottawa, but there was too much ice and the temperature never came above -10 celsius.  So instead we headed to the hills for some snow kayaking.  I wore my Mountain Khakis and they kept me warm and dry.  We had a blast in the snow, sliding, wrestling and making snow angels.

 

I was also able to get some Video work done with Joel for our upcoming film, "Here & Now", including our DVD cover which will be posted soon.  It was a great trip and I was so glad to see my family.  Happy Holidays

Nick Troutman

A Word from The Winner

Mountain Khakis recently donated a ski weekend in Jackson Hole and 6 pairs of Mountain Khakis to an auction to benefit 1% For The Planet.

1% For The Planet is a growing global movement of nearly 800 companies that donate 1% of their sales to a network of more than 1,500 environmental organizations worldwide.  Mountain Khakis is a member and supporter.

The winning bidders, Ben Muldrew and his wife Ulli Heregger, live in Boston.  We asked Ben to write a quick post after he won the auction...

Hey everyone.  We're excited to be the winning bidders on the 1% FTP/Mountain Khakis auction.  It's really a good cause, and since we've never been to Jackson Hole, we thought this would be a perfect excuse to get out there this winter and make some turns.  We're also excited to get our first pairs of Mountain Khakis and start putting them to work.  And while we probably won't test the durability too much in downtown Boston, we spend as much time as we can outdoors here in the northeast, backpacking in the summer and skiing and snowboarding in the winter.  (If anyone ever needs recommendations out this way, drop me a line at bmuldrew@gmail.com.  I'm happy to point you towards some of the best hiking trails in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  The skiing and riding...well, you're probably better off out west).

Area Local Bruce Smithhammer is Newest MK Ambassador

In our search for a new local MK Ambassador we couldn't be more pleased with Bruce Smithhammer and all that he represents.  Bruce lives in Victor, Idaho, just over Teton Pass from Jackson and is enthusiastic about his new ambassadorship.  Bruce has lived all across the West and has chosen his destinations based on outdoor opportunities.  He is a 12-year outdoor educator with NOLS and teaches sea kayaking, sailing, flyfishing and backpacking, specializing in the Chilean Patagonia.  When not in South America Bruce splits his time between working at High Country Flies in Jackson and writing - he is a regular contributor The Drake magazine, and has also been published in Fly Fisherman, Canoe and Kayak, Mountain Gazette and more.

Bruce views the "Mountain Life" as a mentality and a lifestyle, not necessarily a physical representation.  This mentality can just as easily be formed from "extended time in the desert, on the ocean, or in any challenging natural environment."  He also had a quote that we really like: "It's (the mountain life) an approach to life that encourages independent thinking, calm in the face of adversity, both a confidence and a humility born of living and dealing in a place where the elements outweigh the attempts at civilization."  In a world where the elements are rapidly changing with serious effects on civilization, this quote couldn't be more true.  Visit one of Bruce's blog on The Drake website.  The other can be seen here.  Welcome Bruce!

And the Mountain Khakis He Wore Didn't Hurt Either

Dressing for job interviews in Jackson Hole can be particularly challenging.  Wear a suit and risk offending the casual atmosphere of the office.  Show up in a fleece and your potential employer may not realize just how motivated you are to shed your three part-time positions.  Wear a tie...and, coincidentally, "that position was filled last week."

One of our Mountain Khakis shutterbugs, Keith Cozzens, has recently departed the part-time photographer/writer realm for a "real" job with my alma matta Base Camp Communications.  I can vouch for the non-necessity of considering one's wardrobe when interviewing with Founder Mike Geraci (as long as you can think, write and edit while your officemate plays a full drum set just inches away from you), and I am quite thankful that this was not part of the hiring process back then.  Congratulations to Keith for getting the job via the best "why you should hire me pitch" I've seen in a long time.

The Alpinist Burns

Our local friends at Alpinist magazine have had a tough week.  Do what you can to help them out.

www.alpinist.com

Trip Report from MK Ambassador Jez Blanchard

Highest Run on the Leven River, Tasmania

The Leven River is a very demanding, very committing river that starts with a 6 meter seal launch.  When you drop in you are surrounded with huge 70 foot cliffs as far as you can see.  While in Tasmania shooting footage for our up-coming film for Skippy Films, a group of us headed over for a run and found the levels a substantial amount higher than we would have hoped for.  This made for an interesting hour of "should we?", "You think it's runable?" and the classic "Will we live?".  After a bunch of chatting, the group dropped from 12 to about 8 and we headed down the river.

1% For The Planet Online Auction a Success

The first annual member auction from 1% For The Planet has closed.  Thanks to everyone who participated, the auction was a tremendous success.  In total, $18,944 was raised to support the planet.  There were a total of 321 bids, and 80% of the items were bid on.  We are proud to be a member of 1% For The Planet and we appreciate everything they do.

Mountain Khakis Teams Up with Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department

Mountain Khakis has recently been in touch with the boys down in Sewanee, TN at the University of The South.  They have a volunteer, student-run fire department and search and rescue team that operates in the woods adjacent to Sewanee. 

These guys are good at what they do and partake in extensive training and operations.  We are proud to have the Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department  sporting MKs while working for a great cause in their community.  We will be posting more pictures and stories as we get them.  Thanks guys!

Yellowstone Debate Rages On

For those who are unaware, the nation's first national park, Yellowstone, has recently been under debate regarding the access and restrictions of snowmobiles.  The National Park Service (NPS) has a mandate to give highest priority to conservation of national park resources.  Recently the NPS has decided to allow a maximum of 540 snowmobiles to enter Yellowstone each day, dramatically expanding the portion of the park where visitors are expected to hear snowmobile noise.  Conservation agencies have been pushing for the use of snowcoaches and a full restriction on snowmobiles.  Noise pollution, air pollution, soil pollution and wildlife disturbance are a few of the concerns.

"The quiet magic of Yellowstone in winter is like no place else on earth," said Winter Wildlands Alliance Executive Director Mark Menlove.  "It's for that quiet, magical experience that skiers, snowshoers and winter hikers visit Yellowstone in winter.  Unfortunately, the Park Service has chosen to degrade that experience by allowing noise levels that clearly exceed the park's own standards."

The Park's own scientists recently concluded a three-year study recommending capping traffic at its much reduced level to protect winter-stressed animals from being disturbed and harrassed.  Instead of listening to its scientists, the Park Service has elected to double snowmobile use from those levels.

Yellowstone National Park is an incredible and vast area that is a phenomenal place to snowmobile.  However, with so much open space and National Forests adjacent to the Park, is it necessary to  snowmobile inside the park?  Is snowmobiling any worse for the environment and wildlife then the thousands of diesel trucks and RVs that travel through in the summer?  What do you think?

Mountain Khakis Makeover Contest

Mountain Khakis Makeover Contest

Welcome to the first ever MK Makeover Contest.  Do you know someone who has been wearing torn or worn out pants for too long?  We are giving you the opportunity to nominate a friend or relative who is in dire need of new pants that are Built For The Mountain Life.  Show us, through photos and an entertaining written explanation, why your nominee is most deserving of a Mountain Khakis makeover.  The winner will receive a gift certificate good for 2 pairs of pants from Mountain Khakis.

Rules:  You cannot nominate yourself.  All guidelines must be met for nominee to be considered.

Guidelines:  All submissions must include pictures of old pants (any brand) on and off the nominee (the more photos we see the better chance you have of winning).  You must also include a write-up featuring a) a brief bio including your relation to the nominee and what the nominee does for work and for fun b) why you think they truly deserve to win and c) what MK style or feature you like the most.  Somewhere in your write-up please include contact info for both yourself and the nominee.

Submissions:  All submissions should be sent via email to MK Marketing Assistant Jesse Malman at jesse.malman@mountainkhakis.com.  Photos must be JPEGS or GIFs, write-ups should be in MS Word or related format, and email size must not exceed 10MB.  Please make sure your pictures are not so big that you can only send one at a time.  Low to medium resolution photos work best.

Deadline:  Submissions must be received by December 28th.  A winner will be selected in the following week.

LET THE NOMINATIONS BEGIN!

Meet New MK Ambassdor Zach Matthews

We would like to take a moment and welcome Zach Matthews to the MK Ambassador team.  Zach is a professional journalist and photographer of all things flyfishing and has been published in American Angler Magazine (featured article in current edition), Fly Fisherman, The Drake and several others.  He also runs a website called the Itinerant Angler which features photos, blogs, forums, chat, and other networking tools for fly fishermen. 

Zach loves his remote fisheries and it isn't uncommon for him to hike 6-8 miles in waders  to get to his stream.  In particular Zach enjoys hunting the "big brown trout" and his favorite fishery is a remote, unnamed mountain stream in Appalachia with runs of large trout.  We are excited to have Zach as an ambassador and we look forward to his trip reports and beautiful photography in the future.

Jackson Hole Movie Premiere!!

Arris Presents:

CASTEL Episode 1: India * Kashmir - The newest cinematic adventure by Arden Oksanen and Trask McFarland.

World Premiere Saturday December 8th, 2007, Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Showtimes at 6:30 and 9:00 at the Playmill Theater, across from the Wort's Silver Dollar Bar.

Travel to find, explore to realize, and live to learn are mottos inclusive to the modus operandi of this C.A.S.T.E.L. (Culture, Adventure, Sport, Travel, Education, Life) film.  Visit Kashmir with all of its hostility and kindness in the unique setting of a massive ski area with a single lift, a French gondola that takes you to the top.  Friendly Kashmiri faces mix well with untracked powder.  This is Gulmarg, a destination not to be missed by world travelers.  Gulmarg rests on a military line of control at the highly disruptive border between Pakistan and India.  Needless to say, any adventure away from a well-traveled path is a risky endeavor. 

Lower in the valleys and seemingly worlds away, a different image of India lives and breathes.  Barefoot cricket matches ensue within the legendary landscapes of India and the Taj Mahal.  Fruit and vegetable markets overwhelm ones senses and "community" reveals a new definition.  If smiles were the currency of happiness, then here, as seen in this film, live some of the richest people on Earth!

Come and check it out!

$10 at the door.  All proceeds go to Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR).

Raffle prizes from Cloudveil, JHMR, and Mountain Khakis.

Plus slideshows by Wade McKoy and TCSAR.

Retro-post: Land Rover Rendezvous Death Valley, CA

The following is a retro-post from our former Built Tour blog, originally posted on 5/2/2007 by Jordan Hauser, MK Account Executive.  Enjoy the great photos and fun links.

Rule 1:If you have a toaster and never use it to make toast,
then it would be considered a waste of a good toaster.
Therefore, if you have a Land Rover and never drive it off road,
it must be considered a waste of a good Land Rover.

Rule 2: Newton's III Law of Motion-For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Well thanks our friends at Southern California Land Rover, Land Rover Lifestyle Magazine, and Off Roving.com the Built Tour was able to get the tires of our Land Rover off the pavement and onto some terrain in which our LR3 could feel more at home.

This Land Rover Rendezvous took place in Death Valley and was a two day adventure exploring the hidden secrets of the Panamint Mountains. There were over 100 Rovers in attendance and they could choose from any of the 10 trails ranging from beginner to extreme.  The trail-rides departed at 8am in the morning from the campsites in Panamint Springs Resort and were led by an experienced trail leader who was familiar with the individual trails.

Day One was a warm up with Cottonwood Canyon, which starts in Stovepipe Wells and follows an 18-mile trail up the magnificent rocky canyon that is lined with Cottonwood trees. It took about five hours and was completed with no hick-ups. We followed Adam from Off Roving and Roger from Hot Bodies Racing. Thanks for the walkie-talkie Roger; it really turned out to be a good thing.

Day Two came and went with some amazing views and two minor hick-ups that put the weekend in its proper perspective. 

Pleasant Canyon trail follows a 50 mile loop through some deserted mining towns, over Rogers Pass (about 6500ft) and back down through South Park Canyon.  At the top you can look over into Death Valley  and really come to grasps with the "deathliness" of the valley.  It was an awesome day but it meant "side-walling" two tires and a 5hr tow truck ride to a Land Rover dealership in Pasadena. For those of you who dont know the definition of a side wall "it is the most vulnerable part of your Land Rover" according to Adam from Off Roving. True story.  Other then being stranded in Death Valley with no cell phone service and having to get towed 250-plus miles, it was an amazing weekend.

Thanks Roger and Eunice, Adam, Doug, and everyone else who helped us and let us be apart of such a fun weekend. Hope to see you all again soon. We have a ton of pictures; check out our photo site to see more.