Built For The Mountain Life

Ben Peters Paddles Hard in Colorado

MK Junior Ambassador Ben Peters has been slaying the rivers in Colorado lately.  Here he checks in with some updates:

These past two weeks have been really hectic and fun!  I have learned and gained so much.  My first week in Colorado was in Salida for the 60th anniversary of FIBark.  The water was really high and cold, but I was certainly well-dressed and prepared for it.  I placed in the sport freestyle, slalom, sprint downriver, classic downriver, the infamous 26-mile downriver and the Hooligan Race.  During competition weekend I never had downtime, I was always competing in one event or another. 

I was really happy with my results!  Freestyle: 1st place, Downriver sprint and classic: 2nd place, 26-mile downriver: 4th place, slalom: 4th place, Hooligan Race = major carnage and entertainment.  I also made the Junior National Downriver Team, I am the second boat on the team.  It was a great festival once again and I look forward to it next year too!

Orvis Travel Days - Denver, CO

Jessica Hoffmann, Dealer Services Rep, checks in from Colorado:

I spent a great Saturday with Mike Pletsche and his crew at the Denver Cherry Creek Orvis for their Travel Days event.  The weather was gorgeous, the band had a good vibe, and the barbecue was delicious.  Mike even let me give a shot at casting their amazing Helios rod, which is dreamy compared to the one other fly rod I tinkered with 15 years ago.  I think my brother would be a lot less disappointed to see my progress with this lightweight version!  The Cherry Creek Orvis has some incredibly inviting leather couches by a stone fireplace, complete with colorful artwork, a knowledgeable and friendly staff, all of which truly lure customers into spending some extra tima relaxing in the store.  We sold quite a few MKs, with the lightweight Lake Lodge Twill Collection getting a lot of attention thanks to the warm temps.  Thank you to the whole crew who made this a fun day and who knows, maybe I will learn to fish one of these days!

Lauren Burress is a Kayaking Champion

Congratulations to MK Ambassador Lauren Burress for winning the 2008 Junior National Championship in kayaking.  Lauren competed in Slalom where she took 1st place and also won 1st in freestyle, to give her a clean sweep and make her the 2008 Junior Womens Champion.  She qualified for the World Cup and will head over to Europe for 3 weeks.

Hard work and dedication pays off.  Congrats Lauren!  Good luck in Europe!

Check out this highlight video from Lauren.

TIME Pro Cycling News and Updates

Follow TIME Pro Cycling at the American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania on VERSUS Network.

Tune in June 25th-28th @ 6PM ET and June 29th @ 5:30PM ET.

Two weeks ago, Eric Barlevav of TIME Pro Cycling won the Harlem Skyscraper Classic in dramatic and painful fashion.  Watch the video below.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=15OpLQOKQLk

MK Announces Addition of New Local Ambassador

Mountain Khakis would like to welcome Jackson Hole local Rob LaPier to our exceptional group of MK Ambassadors.  Rob is a native of New York who moved to Jackson to pursue his love for the mountains,  specifically skiing and mountain biking.  Rob is a local youth sports coach as well as a competitor on the US Freeskiing Series.  In 2007 Rob was named Amateur Freeskier of the Year at the Powder Video Awards in Aspen, Colorado.  In 2008 Rob took 3rd at the US Freeskiing Series competition held in Jackson Hole.

Rob is ambitious, hard-working and successful at the things he puts his time and energy into.  In March, Rob helped organize the first ever junior freeskiing competition at Grand Targhee, the "Targhee Tee-Off".  He gets his inspiration from old Warren Miller movies, exhausting physical activities, travel, his mom, the kids he coaches and more.  Outside of competing and athletics, Rob is passionate about video production in part because of its influential nature.  We'll be sure to keep everyone up-to-date on the happenings and successes of Rob in the near future, after his surgically repaired knee heals up.  Welcome aboard Rob!

Katabatic Consulting Returns Home

MK Ambassadors Kristin Peterson and Mike Tayloe, owners of Katabic Consulting, have recently returned from what amounted to 8 months of work and travel away from home.  Kristin and Mike spent roughly a month at Everest Base Camp assisting Dr. Luanne Freer with the Everest ER.  Before that Kristin was teaching in Nepal and Tayloe was in Antarctica.  Epic lives these two live.  Below are a few photos from Everest Base Camp.

Lhakpa Sherpa , Everest base camp managerKristin and Tayloe at Everest Base Camp

Ambassador Update from Summit County, CO

MK Ambassador Hunter Mortensen checks in from Colorado.  Hunter lives the mountain life to the fullest and is fortunate enough to get paid to do what others consider weekend recreation:

Can't say that I've been up to too much lately.  I might have to chalk this update up to taking advantage of summer.  Lots of short hikes with the dogs (because the snow line is only a few miles up each trail), cruising with friends on our townie bikes, watching fellow MK Ambassadors clean house at the Teva Mountain Games and FIBark, and a lot of PBRs in all of my favorite watering holes.

Search and rescue has, luckily, not been too busy even though people are still skiing lines that are never skiied this time of year.  Climbing schedule is starting to fill up so look for some updates and pictures to come.  Don't forget that the summer solstice is this Saturday, plan something epic!

Hunter

Summertime Mountain Life Revisited

New MK Sales and Operations Intern Kelly Harrell connects with the mountain life:

Last summer I had the opportunity to work at an outdoor adventure camp in Florissant, Colorado called Sanborn Western Camps.  The camp was spread out over 6000 acres of pine forests, rocky mountain bluffs, aspen groves and a variety of hiking trails and campsites - making it the perfect setting for almost any outdoor activity.  I worked at the female division of the camp, called High Trail Ranch for Girls. 

As a counselor there, I was responsible for leading young girls in outdoor activities both on camp property and out in the backcountry.  We rode horses, hiked, paddled, biked and even conquered a few 14000 foot mountains.  Some of my greatest memories from last summer come from the 5 days that I spent backpacking on the Colorado Trail.  During that time, three co-counselors and I lead a group of 9 campers on a 40-mile trek through the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area. 

First Trail Work Day a Huge Success

The following is a newsletter from Tim Adams, the Executive Director of Teton Valley Trails and Pathways (TVTAP):

Date: June 17, 2008

Dear Members and Friends of Teton Valley Trails and Pathways,

On Saturday, June 14th, TVTAP and our Title Sponsor Grand Targhee Resort, in partnership with the Teton Basin Ranger District presented the first of 3 "Trail Work Days" of the summer.  I am happy to report it was a huge success!  We had over 70 people working on trails for a total of over 400 volunteer hours!  Everyone worked very hard to complete a variety of projects throughout the day.  Thank you to everyone that came out.

A special thanks to Habitat and Wildlife Brewing in Victor for feeding and filling our bellies with great food and beer for the after work party.

Another special thanks goes to Mountain Khakis for providing us with raffle prizes and gifts, including two free pairs of pants to raffle off each day.  They have donated more of the same for the next two work days, so do not miss out.

Finally, remember we have two more work days, July 26 and August 16.  All volunteers receive a raffle entry for each day they participate in the work days.  Grand prizes include free ski passes and more.

I look forward to seeing you out on the trails.

Tim

www.tvtap.org

MK Ambassadors Finish on Top at FIBArk

Mountain Khakis was represented in a big way last weekend in Salida, Colorado at the FIBArk National Championship Kayaking freestyle competition.  Nick Troutman finished 3rd in the Men's Pro Finals, although it won't count for US Nationals because Nick is Canadian.  Regardless, this Canadian can paddle with the best of them.  Lauren Burress finished in 1st place for Junior Women and Ben Peters also finished in 1st his division.  Nice work everyone, makin' us proud!!  Keep it up.

Photo of Nick Troutman courtesy of World Kayak

Beginning a Himalayan Adventure

MK Ambassador and lover of all things mountainous, Jonathan Willy has recently embarked on a climbing trip to the Himalayas.  Here he checks in at the beginning of his journey:

6/13/2008  -  Just got here two days ago, headed to the mountains tonight - Dharamsala to acclimatize  and pick up supplies, then Manali to hit the hot springs and chill out.  From there its motorcycles over the pass, to the horsies that await to take us up up and away. 

6/15/2008  -  So we're here, as far as here gets anyway.  It looks like Indiana Jones' wild adventure complete with monkeys, llamas, a monsoon, cows and lots of craziness.  We're about to take a monk and a 6-year old to a monastery that sits some thousands of meters above town.  We're one hundred yards away from the tibetan freedom movement headquarters...this is insane.  More later.

MK Signs on with Colorado Relay 2008

The Colorado Relay is an epic and grueling 24-hour+ 170-mile team relay running race, and is considered to be Colorado's premier team race.  The 2008 Colorado Relay will be held on September 12-13 and will go from Georgetown to Carbondale, Colorado.  New for this year is the Colorado Relay Century, a 100-mile+ relay that goes from Frisco to Carbondale.  Mountain Khakis is excited to once again be on board as a sponsor for this event.  We'll be excited to get out and mingle with the world class runners and athletes who show up for the race, and we'll also outfit the the Safety Management Team (see picture below).

Both courses carry runners across mountain passes and through the beautiful Rocky Mountains.  Most teams have 10 runners who each run two or three segments.  If you're feeling up to the task, this is a prestigious event that is always executed to perfection.  We hope to see you in Colorado in September!!

Photos courtesy of Peter Mason and coloradorelay.com

Hook, Line and Sinker

MK Ambassador and professional tournament bass angler Sean McLoughlin checks in with an update:

Since I am about to kick-off my tournament season I thought I would check in and let everyone know what I have been up to over the last few months.  Fishing has become a part-time job for me, which is more than I could have imagined at this point.  Aside from continuing with Kaenon Polarized, I am proud to have SAC Fastener Company and my main sponsor (you can read the official press release here) and to be a member of the Vertical Lures Team for the 2009 season.  Add maintaining a blog and spending four or five days a week on the water to my already long list of obligations and you can see that I have been extremely busy.  No complaints though - I am lucky enough to have a supportive family, outstanding sponsors and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Below is my tournament schedule.  I will check back after each tournament and let you know how things went.  If anyone is close to these tournaments stop by and check out the action, or just say "hi".  I will be pretty easy to find - just look for the bright yellow Vertical Lures jersey with my name on the back.

BFL Empire Division tournament dates and locations:

Lake Champlain, Plattsburg Boat Basin - Plattsburg, NY - June 21st

1000 Islands, French Creek Marina - Clayton, NY - July 12th

Lake Chautauqua, Long Point State Park - Bemus Point, NY - August 2nd

Oneida Lake, Oneida Shores County Park - Brewerton, NY - August 30th

Lake Champlain, Plattsburg Boat Basin - Plattsburg, NY - September 20th-21st

Regional - Albemarle Sound, Waterfront Park - Elizabeth City, NC - October 9th-11th

Trip Report: Cycling Across Missouri

MK Ambassador Brian Dean lives in St. Louis, MO and is an orthopedic surgery resident at St. Louis University.  Brian reports on his recent adventure:

I spent last week on a self-supported cycling trip across Missouri on the wonderfully maintained Katy Trail with my (20 weeks pregnant!) wife.  Once again this adopted Midwestern home state in which I currently reside shocked me with spectacular expanses and abundant wildlife.  We rode for hours at times without seeing another human being, but more indigo buntings, Baltimore orioles, wild turkeys, deer, raptors, ground hogs, turtles and snakes than we could begin to count. 

The trail winds along the Missouri River floodplain, and with the extremely wet spring we've had the river  was running fast and high.  Despite riding into a soul crushing 30-40mph headwind for the last two days, the trip was a cinch, and we had no problems, aside from the inevitable flat tires and occasional broken spoke.  The only non-spandex pair of shorts I took along were my MK Teton Twills, which kept me looking nice in the evenings.

Nick Troutman Finds the Podium at Teva Mountain Games

Congratulations to MK Ambassador and Team Jackson Kayak paddler Nick Troutman for finishing in third place in the very competitive freestyle kayak event at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail.  Nick finished behind Eric Jackson and Dustin Urban in a close race.  For more coverage on the events, check out Jackson Kayak or World Kayak websites.

MK to Outfit COPMOBA Trailbuilders

With the seasons changing and the weather beginning to warm up (slowly), all of us living in mountain communities must make the switch from winter activities to summer activities.  For many of us, that means stashing the skis away (although not quite yet) and getting the mountain bike tuned up and ready for the trail.  However, the trails might not be ready for us.

This is where local trailbuilding events are more important than ever.  On that note, Mountain Khakis has signed on with the Colorado Plateau Mountain Biking Association (COPMOBA) as their official trailbuilding  pant, and we'll be enticing folks to sign up and work the trails by offering discounted pants upon registration, and even a few comp pairs to the first few to sign up.  COPMOBA works on trails on the western slope of Colorado, where some of the country's best singletrack and long-distance trails are located.  We commend COPMOBA for all their hard work and noble efforts and are happy to be on board. 

Winter? Spring? Summer?

June 6th, 2008.  Top of Teton Pass.  Yesterday there was no snow visible in this webcam.  Tough to convince anyone around here that Summer is only two weeks away!!

Team Timberline Defends Title at US Rafting Nationals

Congratulations to Team Timberline, who can again be called the USA National Rafting Champions.  The USA Women's Champs, known as Team Timberline, successfully defended their title at the USRA National Rafting Championships in Idaho and will represent the USA in Bosnia in May of 2009 at the World Championships.

Team Timberline, sponsored in part by Mountain Khakis, won every event, as did their men's counterpart, Team Behind the 8 Ball.  A clean sweep for the two teams.  They've posted a summary on their blog here.  Congratulations ladies!!

2008 IMBA World Summit - Park City, UT

Mountain biking enthusiasts, trailbuilders, bicycle manufacturers, land managers, resort professionals, tourism officials and more will all be calling Park City home for a long weekend as the International Mountain Bicycling Association, or IMBA, holds the 2008 World Summit in Park City, UT, June 18-21.  The event brings all participants of the mountain biking industry together for a weekend of collaboration, planning and celebration. 

The 2008 World Summit is organized around three themes: building a mountain biking community, managing mountain biking, and mountain biking's value proposition.  Keynote speakers include John Burke, President of Trek Bicycles, Mary Bomar, National Park Service Director and more. 

There is sure to be plenty of riding going on as well, as Park City has some world class singletrack and skills parks.  MK is excited to be a sponsor for the weekend, and we hope the weather cooperates.  We hope to see many of you in Park City in a few weeks.

Team Kobold/Cannondale Off to Strong Start

Professional mountain biking team Kobold/Cannondale, based in the Southeast, has been tearing it up lately, with top finishes in several recent races.  Most recently, the team finished 1st and 2nd at the AMBC Spartansburg, SC "Stump Jump".  This race was the official state championship, and Travis Livermon and Alex Ryan, both of Kobold/Cannondale, finished 1st and 2nd, respectively.  The same weekend, two riders from the team competed in the 4-man pro class of the 12 Hours of Tsali and finished in 3rd place.  Very impressive.

We look forward to seeing more strong results from Kobold/Cannondale and wish them the best of luck.    Mountain Khakis is proud to again be on board as an apparel sponsor for the team.  Go get 'em fellas!

MK Ready to Throwdown with World Kayak

Mountain Khakis is excited to join Smith Optics, Red Bull and others as sponsors of the World Kayak Throwdown program.  MK will have a presence at all 37 remaining events throughout the summer, spanning the country from east coast to west. 

World Kayak began in the early 90s and acts as a marketing and communications support system for kayak communities in 13 principal regions.  Through an ambassador program, web portals, and a camp initiative, World Kayak has been able to centralize the community and effectively formulate a marketing and event program.  The Hometown Throwdowns, as they are called, are grassroots kayaking competitions that consist of a freestyle and down-river event.  The vibe is more friendly then competitive at these events and everyone has a good time, regardless of skill level.

We hope to see you at one of many Throwdowns remaining this season.  Check the World Kayak website for details.