Built For The Mountain Life

Let Your Voice Be Heard: Rants and Raves

As we approach the weekend, a sense of calm begins to settle over us here at MK as we prepare for whatever the weekend has in store: skiing, hiking, plans with the family, Sunday night hockey, beers with friends, and all the good things that weekends have come to stand for.  Allowing our minds some freedom from the daily working grind, we'd like to open up our blog to allow you all to leave some feedback for us.  Tell us what your favorite style of MK is, least favorite, rants, raves, love and hate, we want to hear it, and we care, as long it's truthful.  What recommendations do you have for us?  We value the opinions and feedback that we receive from our loyal customer base, so leave a comment and let us know what's on your mind.  Have a great weekend!

Barkley Robinson Joins Ambassador Team

If you live in Colorado or the Rocky Mountain region and are an avid mountain-biker, you've likely heard or read about Barkley Robinson at some point.  Our newest MK Ambassador resides in Steamboat Springs and has all but claimed the Town Mountain Bike Series as his own, winning the overall championship 4 years in a row.  Barkley is a pro level mountain biker and a category 1 road racer, a former member of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team and most importantly, an active member in the community and a role model to local athletes of all ages. 

Other than ripping the single track, Barkely is an alpine and nordic skier.  The nordic skiing is excellent training for mind and body and a great way to keep in shape.  Barkley supports his outdoor addictions by slinging homes as a Broker Associate in Steamboat.  We look forward to tracking Barkley's success throughout the upcoming biking months and wish him the best of luck. 

MK to Sponsor Asheville Mountain Sports Festival

Where will you be the weekend of May 30 - June 1st?  We know where we'll be...in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina.  Mountain Khakis will be sponsoring the Mountain Sports Festival this year as a Corporate Partner and Mountain Sprouts will also be involved as Friend of the Festival.  We are to excited to be a part of such a successful and fast-growing event.  Asheville is the perfect setting for a Southeast mountain festival, as there are rivers, mountains, rocks and everything needed for 3 days of great events and competitions.  For more information visit their website at www.mountainsportsfestival.com.  We hope to see you there.

Scared Yet? Gelande Quaffing Getting Serious...

This photo is of the Mountain Khakis championship Gelande Quaffing Team from the Outdoor Retailer trade show.  It is meant to scare and intimidate anyone and everyone who will be competing tomorrow in the World Championships at Teton Village.  See you there.

(L to R): Jordan "The Dawg" Hauser, Joey "How you like me now?" Norman, Doug "E. Fresh" Ellis, Bill "The Chill" Mueller

Volunteering with Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

The sheep in Chaffee County, Colorado have been a part of the DOW's Sheep Bait Project for over 25 years.  What they do is "bait" the sheep at various sites with alpha and apple pulp.  Generally the bait program is administered in January and February.  Once the herd has increased in size, the DOW officers and a few volunteers medicate the pulp to treat lung worm disease.  The sheep ingest the medication and the disease is treated.  I have been a volunteer with the DOW for almost 10  years.  Last year in February we ear-tagged and collared the sheep and the DOW staff took blood and fecal samples of the sheep.  I ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and managed to get head-butted by a ram...that is another story all together...

This post came from a MK fan, who liked her pants so much that she thought we should see them in action.  Leah Cerise is a volunteer with the Department of Wildlife and works as a fly fishing guide in the Leadville, CO area. 

MK Promo Video by FIVEIGHTWO Productions

MK Ambassador Accolades

Congratulations to MK Ambassador Hayes Wauford for being selected to the National Skeet Shooting Association's Second Open All-American Team for the second straight year.  This is the 6th All-American Team selection for Hayes in the 6 years that he's been shooting.  Way to go Hayes, keep up the good work.

MK Featured in DNR Magazine

DNR Magazine, a weekly publication and industry leader for men's fashion and trends, recently featured a full article on Mountain Khakis in their February 11th issue.  The article includes a brief history of the brand as well as mentioning that MK has branched out from an outdoor-exclusive brand to one that is fully capable of selling in the boutique channel and more traditional retailers.  A testament to the versatility of MKs.  Below is a clip of the article.

Ambassador Update from Patagonia

I arrived in Patagonia toward the end of a month of hot, dry weather - an anomoly for the Aisen region of Chile, which few locals I talked to could recall previously.  As a result, rivers that should have been in the peak of their season have been low and warm.  Many of the smaller, more intimate flows I'd been wanting to revisit would have to wait until Fall rains begin to kick in, and we've been focusing instead on the larger, faster-flowing  waters and lakes.  The fishing has been decent, with fish always being caught, but few true Patagonian fatties yet to be found.  My guess is they're hanging in the deeps waiting for things to cool off, and when they do, the fishing is going to be back to normal, which is to say excellent (this has become my daily mantra).  More to come...

MK Ambassador Bruce Smithhammer reports from Patagonia, where he spends part of our winter and spring (their summer and fall).  Visit Bruce's website here to read more of his trip reports.

MK Ambassador Finishes Strong in ABS Nationals

Congratulations to MK Ambassador Kyle McFarland for his 6th place finish in the youth division of the ABS Nationals in Boulder, CO last weekend.  The bouldering competition was at The Spot climbing gym and saw hundreds of spectators come out to support the climbers.  Kyle recently took third at the National event in Salt Lake City and was named to the USA National Team.  Nice job Kyle, and keep  working hard.

MK to Sponsor Sawtooth Mountain Film Festival

Mountain Khakis and Mountain Sprouts are excited to be a sponsor for the 9th annual Sawtooth Mountain Film Festival in Boise, Idaho.  The festival is organized by the Boise State University Outdoor Program and will be held on March 7th and 8th. 

The selected films, both national and international, will highlight the spirit of adventure that is driving the cutting edge of adventure sports.  Films will be shown in the evenings, and the for the first time, a daytime rail jam event will be held to compliment the films and bring out more participants.  The event will require 5 semi-trucks to transport snow to the city, and the rails, jumps and party atmosphere are expected to bring out around 2,000 spectators.

We are thrilled to be a part of such a great event, with the net proceeds from the event used to provide quarterly expedition-based leadership training opportunities to 25 students per year.  If you are in the Boise area the weekend of March 7-8, be sure to check out the film festival and rail jam.

Baxter Flies in Venezuela

MK Ambassador and BASE jumping instructor Baxter Gillespie recently returned from a trip to Venezuela to BASE jump off Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall at 3,272 feet high.  He styled it, and did it while wearing a helmet cam.  To watch the video, click here.

Photo courtesy of venezuelatuya.com

Trip Report: Climbing in Thailand

I recently got back from spending 5 weeks climbing all over Thailand, with a few of my closest friends.  We spent 4 weeks climbing on the beaches of southern Thailand.  Then headed up north to climb at Crazy Horse for a week, outside of Chiang Mai.  This was my third trip to Thailand and I will return again

Jackson Hole Winter Travel Woes

When the weather gets nasty around here, with the wind howling and the snow pelting you in the face, the roads in and around Jackson close in a heartbeat.  Although the Wyoming and Idaho Departments of Transportation do a great job keeping things safe and open, mother nature wins the battle when visibility turns to zero and traveling by car becomes treacherous.  At times it's a struggle to get anywhere, especially considering that Teton Pass separates many of us from our homes.  But such is the case when you live the mountain lifestyle.  Check out this story on Cloudveil's blog by David J. Swift.  It will give you a pretty good perspective of traveling around this area in the winter.

Recap: UNCC Climbing Competition

Our friends over at UNC-Charlotte's Venture Outdoor Recreation Department recently hosted the Taming of the Wall Climbing Competition.  Mountain Khakis, along with local MK dealers Jesse Brown's Outdoors and Great Outdoor Provision Company were on hand to sponsor this first annual competition.  Turnout was great for the event and the excitement level was high.  Congratulations to Thomas and the folks at Venture for organizing a fine event.      

                      

Dealer Shout-Out: Brush Creek Dry Goods

Mountain Khakis would like to congratulate Brush Creek Dry Goods of Edwards, Colorado for being selected in the Best In Vail Valley Contest for "Best Men's Store 2008" by readers of the local newspaper.  This is a major accomplishment for Brush Creek, seeing as they compete with Pepi's, Gorsuch and other well established, highly visible, long-time retailers in the Vail/Beaver Creek area.

Brush Creek Dry Goods is going on their 9th year of business at the Riverwalk complex in Edwards, a small town (although not for long) outside of Avon, near Vail and Beaver Creek.  Congratulations to Brush Creek Dry Goods, we're proud to do business with you.  Keep up the good work.

Serving it up Right, New Mexico Style

Closed.  Everything out of the Rio Grande Valley was closed, our hopes of getting back to Colorado looked bleak.  Every pass that would take us home was shut down due to "adverse conditions".  My wife and I weren't all that upset, another day skiing Taos would be fine with us.

We went to Taos to celebrate my wife's birthday with friends and the best snow that Taos has had in twenty plus years.  Neither of us had ever skied there and have only heard amazing reports.  Steeps, deep base, no crowds, narrow chutes, great powder lines, and until March, no snowboarders, sounded like a great way to spend the weekend.  Side note, I am a certified snowboard instructor and have no issues with snowboarding; I just can't remember skiing a mountain with only skiers.  Here is what I learned this weekend: if you haven't been to Taos, the time to go is now.

Get Stoked - Here & Now coming soon

Kayakers and action sports fanatics will dig the new film from Nick Troutman and FIVEIGHTWO Films, Here & Now.  Nick is an MK Ambassador and a key member of Team Jackson Kayaks.  The film will be released in March, and Mountain Khakis is very excited to be a sponsor. 

Nick is a stud in the kayak world, and already has several accomplishments to speak of.  Now, with the release of his first movie, things are really looking up.  We'll post more information as we get it, but keep your eyes and ears open for this sick new film from FIVEEIGHTWO Films.

Check out the movie trailer here.

SDS - The Relationship Crusher

Last weekend I was skiing at The Village with some friends in town from San Diego.  One of my friends, a great snowboarder who grew up in Colorado, was being held back by her boyfriend who was out riding deep powder with us in only his 4th time on a snowboard.  The bickering began, and me and a few others started talking on the chairlift about the regularity of quarrels and fights stemming from a day on the slopes with your boyfriend/girlfriend who doesn't ski/ride as well as the other.  Outside Magazine currently features an article on SDS, or Skills Deficit Syndrome, and it's crippling effects on a relationship. 

There is no doubt that SDS is a factor in every relationship that involves spending time in the outdoors, whether its skiing, snowboarding, climbing, running, or even hiking.  When one partner in the relationship is holding the other back, fights and disagreements are bound to take place.  Never is this more true then on a powder day.  As they say "There are no friends on a powder day".  But does that statement hold true for girlfriends and boyfriends too?  It's a sticky situation and one that is best handled before the powder starts piling up.  My recommendation:  Hit the powder hard and early, ski until your legs are burning, and meet up with the slower half for some runs towards the end of the day.  But then again, what do I know?  Have any thoughts or advice?

Deep Thoughts, by Jesse Malman, MK Marketing Assistant, whose lack of a girlfriend prevents him from dealing with SDS and it's relationship-hindering side effects.

New Lake Lodge Twill Pants and Shorts

We are excited to announce that Mountain Khakis will launch a brand new style for men in early March.  The Lake Lodge Twills will be our third distinct offering in the twill category, and will feature the lightest weight fabric in our product line. The Lake Lodge will be the perfect choice for the warm days of spring and summer.  Made from MK custom 6.3 ounce twill with 2% Lycra, the Lake Lodge line is perfect for vacations to warm destinations, a day on the golf course, or really any time where a lighter material is preferred.  The Lycra provides ample stretch that we know you will love, making the pants and shorts more comfortable and adding to the degree of mobility you receive.  Of course, standard MK features such as triple-stitching, a riveted metal button, a hidden pocket and reinforced cuffs won't be left out.

The Lake Lodge Twill will be offered in pants and shorts, and will include Navy (shown) and Classic Khaki.  Keep an eye out in the future for a Women's Lake Lodge Twill short.

Pheasant Hunting in the Midwest

I recently spent a fantastic day afield with some friends, including Tom Schlafly, founder of St. Louis' best brewery.  While South Dakota is known to be the Mecca for ringnecks, there are some to be found further  south, though they are few and far between.  Luckily with top dogs like Abby and Skye we were able to arrive at a small degree of success, though the shot-to-kill ratio was so dismal we were all wishing MK Ambassador Hayes Wauford was along for some shooting pointers!

My MK Original Mountain Pants kept me toasty warm in the frigid wind and completely protected me for the occasional cat-claw thorn bush encounter, with no evidence of fraying or other wear.  Best of all, they still looked good enough that when I met my wife and some other friends for drinks that evening she didn't even comment.  I am confident I would never have been able to pull that off had I been wearing my more traditional upland hunting pants.  Thanks for making such a great and practical product.

Brian Dean is an MK Ambassador, and spends his free time fishing, hunting, cycling and playing outside.  He is a resident orthopedic surgeon in St. Louis and for whatever reason, repairing shattered human bones with plates and screws gives him satisfaction like no other.  Yikes!

Ambassador Photography

Below are some photos that have been submitted by a few MK Ambassadors.  Thanks guys!

                                          Jonathan Willy, CA backcountry

                                           J. Willy, ascending ruins in Mexico, sporting MKs

                                  Albert Nugue climbing in Thailand

New MK Cottonwood Cord Short

Mountain Khakis will be launching a few new styles this Spring, with one of them being the shorts version of our popular Cottonwood Corduroys.  The Cord Shorts are a nod to classic coastal surfer style - they make a pretty durable pair for mountain lifestyle pursuits as well.  The shorts will feature an 11 inch rise and a 10 inch inseam, a full cut leg and diamond gusset.  The fabric is 10 ounce 11 wale, 97% cotton with 3% Lycra.  That's right, the Lycra provides a degree of stretch that adds immensely to the comfort and mobility of the shorts.  Of course, they will also contain standard MK features such as triple stitching, bar tacks in stress areas and a hidden pocket on the right front side.  Look for the Cord Shorts in early March.

Gelande Quaffing footage

Check out the video below to view highlights of the Gelande Quaffing event at Winter OR between teams from Cloudveil, Smith Optics, Horny Toad, and Mountain Khakis.  The competition featured MK versus Smith Optics in the final round, and MK came out on top.  Great video !

Video: David Gonzales, www.thesnaz.com

MK Enters into Relationship with Headwaters Institute

Mountain Khakis is thrilled to announce that we will be a co-sponsor of several Headwaters Institute (HWI) watershed education seminars across the country in 2008, including Jackson's very own "Summit on the Snake".  HWI is a non-profit organization that seeks to "provide education that inspires individuals and communities to care for and connect with their local watershed."  The seminars provide natural history, conservation and interpretative trainings for professional guides.  These sessions also stress the importance of healthy rivers and watershed ecosystems from ridgeline to coastline.

Lindsay Green, sponsorship manager for HWI, recently checked in with some photos of her "testing" her new MKs in the field.  Thanks Lindsay!

Congratulations to Jari Kirkland

MK Ambassador Jari Kirkland has been named to the 2008 US Randonee Team and qualified for the World Championships in Switzerland.  These competitions consist of racing uphill with special randonee ski equipment and then skiing downhill, usually in challenging terrain.  Jari is the 2nd MK Ambassador to qualify.  Congratulations Jari and keep up the good work.

Meet Brian Dean, New MK Ambassador

Brian hales from Laurinburg, North Carolina and currently resides in St. Louis, MO where he is currently an orthopedic surgery resident at St. Louis University. 

Brian grew up hiking and camping, and spent a year in the Turks and Caicos Islands working as a boat captain and divemaster at a marine biology research station.  In the islands he started fly fishing and now considers that a major hobby.  He also met his wife there, so clearly a productive year.

We are excited to have Brian on board, as he will help MK represent in the Midwest and he is the only M.D. on the team.  Brian is very passionate about his work, but somehow still finds time to ride his bike, go fishing, hunting, and hiking/camping.  He is a triathlete, a sailing captain and a divemaster.  So yes, Brian is indeed Built For The Mountain Life, as well pretty much any life you can think of.  We look forward to more from Brian in the future.  Welcome!

WWA Backcountry Film Festival Movie Trailer

Mountain Khakis is a sponsor of the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival, which is currently touring around the country.  The festival is showing several different ski flicks, while promoting backcountry awareness, safety and conservation.  Check out the website for more details, and watch this trailer.