Alpine Shop certified pedorthist and senior bootfitter Angie Bono shows how Alpine Shop custom fits the heel of a boot for one of its customers.
Using a sequence of heat, pressure and cold, Alpine Shop bootfitters can remold the shape of your boots to perfectly fit your heel and ankle.
Alpine Shop can also use different techniques to help you deal with problems like bunions, hammer toes, plantar fasciitis, tarsal tunnel and leg length discrepancies.
You can learn more from all of Alpine Shop’s boot fitters by stopping in any one of our locations in Missouri. You can also visit http://blog-alpineshop.com for continuing instructional videos.
Alpine Shop’s head bootfitter and Certified Pedorthist, Angie Bono, explains the main differences between a “Good” quality hiking boot and a “Bad” boot. Beware—Looks can be deceiving!
Back in the early 1900’s mountaineering and backpacking boots were built on steel shank. This was great for sturdiness and for protecting your feet from rocks and turned ankles. However, it was also heavy and unyielding—not quite the solution we are looking for today. With current technologies, the top quality hiking boots today are based on a nylon shank that runs the length of the boot from the toes to the heel. This stiff nylon helps to protect the hiker’s foot and ankles while also helping to keep weight down and comfort up.
All of Alpine Shop’s hiking boots will contain this feature. However, if you visit some other store that claims to sell hiking boots, watch out for cheap imitations that may put your body at significant risk. Once Angie shows you what’s inside two boots that look almost exactly the same on the outside, you’ll know where to look for your next boots—Alpine Shop!
Alpine Shop’s head bootfitter and Certified Pedorthist, Angie Bono, spends a few minutes on this video going over some easy and effective lacing techniques to help your shoes or your hiking boots fit better.
For problems with your heel slipping in your boot or shoe, the “heel lock” technique helps lock your heel into the back of your footwear. This prevents your foot from moving and reduces the chance of a blister forming on the back of your heel.
If you have problems with too much pressure on sensitive parts of your foot, Angie shows you how to use the “box lace” technique to simply go around those sensitive parts while keeping your footwear as snug as it needs to be everywhere else.
Finally, Angie demonstrates how the “surgeon’s knot” can be used to custom tighten the lower section of a boot for new boot wearers (and another great option to help with heel slippage).
We hope you enjoy the video. We apologize for the focus coming in and out on the boot. We’ll get it fixed before our next video later this week!
If you’ve come to this page thinking you’re about to find an information-packed morsel of trail running goodness in St Louis, well you’re right. It just might not be the information you thought you were getting.
Register today for the Off-Road Racing League Trail Run Series
Instead, I’m going to share the five things you should know about participating in Alpine Shop‘s Trail Run Series – part of the Off-Road Racing League in St Louis. This series already has hosted four full nights of bike racing during July and now we turn to trail running for the month of August. (It’s all part of the big plan!) Our mission is nothing short of turning St. Louis into one of America’s Top 10 cities for outdoor activities.
1. Yes, we know it’s hot.
That’s why we’re trail running! We’ll be running in the shade most of the time on the great course that Big River Running Company has helped us set up. Even better – we’re going to run through a cool creek twice! Seriously, we know this time of year the temperature can be a real issue; but it doesn’t have to stop us from enjoying the great outdoors, getting some exercise and having some fun. Please bring water bottles or a CamelBak pack and participate at your own pace. And then enjoy the food and drink following the race.
2. Set your own pace.
We’ll have everyone from experts to flat out beginners in this series. How seriously you take it is up to you. For some of you, the only thing that will matter is finishing in the top 10. For others, the only thing that matters will just be finishing – period. Whatever your skill level, whatever your fitness level, this series is about having fun.
3. Have fun.
In the mountain biking part of this series, we’ve had guys dressed as cheerleaders, we’ve had people riding on tandems, we’ve had kids of all ages. If you feel like running in
The Off-Road Racing League is all about having fun
a costume – more power to you! If you want to race in a giant Fredbird costume (hint, hint Cardinals), we urge you to do so. If you’re more comfortable running in your trusted workout outfit, we happen to be St Louis Magazine’s A-List choice for athletic and workout gear (another hint, hint)! And after the race, The Wolf provides the food and New Belgium Brewery provides the adult beverages. All you have to do is enjoy yourself.
4. Get registered.
So what are you waiting for? If you sign up for the entire race series, you can save $10 on the price of the four races. The first race starts this Thursday, August 4 at 6 pm at Castlewood State Park. You can find out all the information you need here. Register today!
5. Spread the word.
Invite your friends to run with you. Help us turn this event into the party it should be. Help us celebrate the outdoor life in our great city of St Louis!
As outdoor recreation lovers, Alpine Shop employees are naturally drawn to our national parks. As a company, we celebrate their existence, their protection and their continued preservation for our use and our children’s use and our children’s children.
The National Park Service consists of over 375 parks and historic sites covering an amazing range of landscapes, wildlife and history. Below are just a few of the most interesting facts on this expansive park system.
More than 300 million people visited our national park areas in 2010.
The first national park, Yellowstone, was created in 1872 through a law signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. The cavalry was the first caretaker.
The first nationally-proclaimed protected area of public land in the United States, Yosemite, was created in 1864 by the passage of the Yosemite Grant.
The largest living things in the world live in national parks; Sequoia Trees, and the world’s largest carnivore; the Alaska Brown Bear.
National park areas have volcanos, glaciers, white sand beaches, and dinosaur fossils.
Starting in 1910 with “The Immortal Alamo”, filmmakers have been coming to national parks year after year to capture majestic scenery for their productions.
While all of these parks are worthy of protection some hold a special place in the American experience. While there will never be a consensus on which parks are the best we have listed below the ones that have become part of our staff’s hearts and souls.
Bull Elk resting in Yellowstone National Park, Montana.
The 2,221,766 acres of this astounding land make up the world’s first national park. Created in 1872 the park features nearly a thousand miles of trails, over 280 backcountry campsites and 466 miles of roadways.
Within it’s boundaries you will find over 10,000 hot springs, geysers, and other thermal features, dramatic mountain ranges, beautiful rivers, hundreds of waterfalls and some of the best wildlife viewing this side of the Serengeti.
Much of the park sits in an ancient caldera of a super volcano resulting in over 2000 earthquakes in an average year.
The iconic face of Half Dome in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California.
This crown jewel of the National Park system in California was the first park to be protected by the American Government in 1864 with the passage of the Yosemite Grant.
Yosemite Valley is famous throughout the world for its waterfalls and the dramatic granite cliffs rising up, in some cases, 5000 feet above the valley floor. The iconic face of Half Dome in the southeast corner of the Valley can be seen on everything from the California quarter, the logos of such respected outdoor companies as The North Face and Sierra Designs and on countless tourist photographs throughout the world.
The park extends for 1169 square miles, 94% of which is wilderness.
The tranquil shores of Two Medicine Lake in Glacier National Park, Montana
This park in NW Montana is dubbed “The Crown of the Continent”. This mountain park lives up to it nick name featuring stark mountain landscapes, dozens of glaciers, and amazing wildlife.
The park has about 700 miles of trails with each one more beautiful than the last. It is a hiker’s paradise with many backcountry campsites to choose from. The Going to the Sun Road is one of the most beautiful drives to be had anywhere. This 52 mile long roadway was constructed in the 1920’s. There are many sheer drops sans guardrails to keep you holding tightly to the steering wheel.
The park is one of he last refuges of the great Grizzly Bear. Other wildlife includes Mountain Goats, Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Lion, Black Bear and deer.
The beautiful sandstone sculptures of Arches National Park in Utah.
While tiny in comparison to Yellowstone, Yosemite and Glacier National Parks, Arches packs a tremendous amount of things into its borders. Crammed into it’s 76,000 plus acres are over 2000 sandstone arches. Many of these outstanding geologic formations are easily accessible by car and short hikes. A couple of the more impressive arches include Landscape, Double and the states symbol Delicate Arch. The park is just a couple of miles north of Moab, Utah and features a small campground and picnic areas.
The beautiful walk up the Virgin River into the Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah.
Another “can’t miss” Utah park is Zion. This fantastic park offers canyoneering, waterfalls, great rock climbing, and unusual geologic formations. One of the most popular activities is a walk up the Virgin River into the Narrows. On this walk the canyon walls will tower over you rising up to 1500 feet from the canyon floor A convenient shuttle bus system takes you into and out of the canyon proper. There are two campgrounds, lots of trails as well as excellent opportunities for cross county travel.
Beautiful pictures abound in this third Utah National Park on our list.
The old story goes that if you cannot take a great photo in Bryce Canyon you may as well throw your camera away. The park is a series of horseshoe canyons carved out of the top of the Grand Staircase geologic formation. Trails will lead you though a fairyland conglomeration of brightly colored spires, walls, hoodoo’s, and fins.
Ready to Explore on Your Own
Alpine Shop offers a continuous series of programs on these and other of America’s incredible national parks. If you would like to learn all about these parks from people who know them intimately visit our Great American National Parks Programs by clicking here.
On Tuesday, May 17, Alpine Shop Kirkwood hosted a press conference organized by American Rivers, Friends of Ozark Riverways and Ozark Fly Fishers. The purpose of this publicity event was to announce that American Rivers – a national organization that protects and restores the nation’s rivers and the clean water that sustains people, wildlife, and nature – had named Missouri’s Ozark National Scenic Riverways one of the 10 Most Endangered Rivers in America.
Below is the press conference in its entirety broken up into four parts. Get informed and visit American Rivers’ Most Endangered List for information on how you can help the cause.
Winter is back and bringing a little snow our way. Whether you’ll be outside to shovel snow off your driveway, to take the kids sledding, to hit the slopes at Hidden Valley or even if your work takes you outside, Alpine Shop has three things you should do to keep yourself safe and warm as St. Louis braces for another winter storm.
First, Learn to Say “NO” to Cotton.
There is an old saying in the winter that “cotton kills.” That’s because cotton loses all of its insulation properties once it gets wet. So, if you’re skiing and snow melts on the jeans you chose to wear, you have no way of keeping your legs warm. Or, if you’re wearing a sweatshirt made from the “fabric of our lives” to shovel the driveway, if you start to sweat, you’ll lose your insulation once that sweat hits the sweatshirt.
Alpine Shop’s Tip: Wear either Merino wool or a synthetic undergarment instead. Merino wool is completely different from the old scratchy wool you may remember from year’s past. These garments are soft, comfortable and many times are machine washable, well. We recommend brands like Smartwool and Icebreaker. For synthetics, Patagonia’s Capilene is a long-trusted source of warmth and breathability and we also carry Under Armour. If you sweat while wearing either of these materials, that moisture will be spread out over the entire garment and will dry very quickly, reducing your chances of losing insulation
Don’t believe us? Try it out yourself. Go outside with a cotton t-shirt under your coat. Now, take a water bottle and drip enough to make a quarter sized spot on your shirt. You will immediately feel cold against your skin where the shirt is wet. And that spot won’t go away either. It may take hours for that small bit of water to dry. In contrast, redo the test with a merino wool or synthetic shirt. (If you need to be convinced, head into any Alpine Shop locations and mention this test. We’ll let you try it out yourself with a garment from our sales floor.) While the wet area may be cool initially, you’ll also notice that the quarter-sized spot begins to fade immediately. Both wool and synthetic base layers are designed to take moisture from your body and transfer it to as much surface area on the clothing as possible. That means it dries faster even while it’s holding on to it’s original insulation properties the entire time. That’s exactly what you need for warmth in the winter.
Second, Learn to Layer.
Start with the base layer we mentioned above. You want something that fits fairly closely to your body so it can pull moisture away from you to help keep you dry and warm. The second layer should be your main insulation. Depending on the winter temperatures you’ll be facing, this includes materials like wool and synthetics like your baselayer or also down in varying thicknesses. In fact, your insulation layer may actually consist of multiple layers especially if you’ll be active for time periods followed by times with little or no physical activity. The final layer should block wind and precipitation while allowing your sweat to evaporate through it. Other alternatives include garments that have zip openings under the arms and down the legs to vent heat and moisture.
There is no “one-warmth-fits-all” approach to this. The only person who can tell you how much insulation you’ll need during the winter is yourself. That’s why it’s so important to layer up. It’s just as dangerous to get too warm as it is to be too cold. If you find yourself getting too warm, simply take off one of your insulation layers. Or, if there is no wind or precipitation, simply take off the outer layer. Try not to allow yourself to sweat too much while outdoors during winter weather. That sweat can lead to hypothermia later on – when you’re not active – if you’re not careful.
Alpine Shop’s Tip: If you’re going to be away from any sort of building or warmth for a significant period of time, use a small backpack to store extra pieces of insulation. That way, you’ll never have to worry about having too little or too much with you.
Finally, Know When to Add a Little Warmth.
In extreme winter cold, or for those who just get cold easily, there are steps you can take to protect your extremities. Use hand and toe warmers when needed. Wear a balaclava for your face. Pair that with goggles and a cap and you won’t have to let any part of your body feel the cold.
Alpine Shop’s Tip: Buy Warmers by the Big Pack. It’s cheaper and you’ve got extras for the entire family!
As the coldest day of the year hit St. Louis, Alpine Shop Marketing Director Todd Oswald talked with local media about the weather’s effect on business and also why the Shop’s One Warm Coat Drive is so important.
For more information about Alpine Shop’s One Warm Coat Drive, see this article explaining the promotion. Currently, Alpine Shop has collected over 600 coats as they try to gather 1000 before Sunday, December 19.
There’s nothing more embarrassing during a St. Louis summer than finding you can’t paddle a kayak in a straight line. Well, there’s that and getting smoked by your eight-year-old while bike riding. Or maybe having to cut short your three-day camping trip due to an unfortunate tent-pitching accident that leaves you with a bad puncture wound.
Alpine Shop is here to help. “Be prepared,” we always say. (Okay, the Boy Scouts always say that, but we’re hoping they don’t have a patent on it.) Let’s handle the kayak scenario first:
Kayak Paddling: Similar to the less known “I’m from Missouri, paddling a canoe is ingrained in my genes so I never have to take a lesson” Syndrome, many Missourians mistakenly believe that paddling a kayak is akin to falling in the water – you know, it’s easy, not something you need to learn. Well, if you want to look like an idiot, feel free to flail around in the water. However, kayaking (like canoeing) is a skill best learned from a competent teacher – not by attempting to make yourself seasick. Solution: Take Alpine Shop’s Summer Kayaking Program. Our Intro to Kayaking: Dry Land Basics and our on-the-water Basic Kayaking class can get you straightened out in no time.
Biking: Next, protect your pride from little Timmy. You can’t let an eight-year-old do that to you. Never fear, you just need to get back in the saddle again. Solution: We have cycling programs running all summer long. Whether it be maintenance clinics to make sure your bike is in shape, weekly Tuesday night rides out of our Kirkwood store’s parking lot or even the now-famous Short Track Dirt Crit Series of mountain bike races every July. You and your bike will be BFF’s in no time. Visit Alpine Shops Calendar for more tips and trips.
Get Prepared for Camping:
Finally, let’s handle that unfortunate tent-pitching incident. To start with, you need to get some first aid training so that wound doesn’t get infected. We’ll cover that in our Wilderness First Aid certification program. It would also help to learn how to pitch the tent. Solution:Buy a tent from Alpine Shop and we’ll go over the process step by step so you know how to do it like a pro.
Join us next time for more worst-case scenarios and solutions with Alpine Shop!
Wood warblers begin to arrive in Missouri for courtship and nesting, and some may be just passing through Missouri to the northern states and Canada for nesting. A few older birds begin their trek from South America, the Caribbean, and Central America in early March. The courtship and nesting begins in early April in Missouri and continues through June.
Warblers are small birds usually colored grey, black, bluish, yellow or orange. They spend much time in the top of trees and along creeks and rivers. Vireos are much the same but often have a buff or greenish tint.
Their songs are buzzy, of low volume, and pretty; so they are not as prominent as the larger ground and bush dwelling bird common here year round.
To view warblers in Missouri, wear rain gear, a good pair of hiking boots, carry a wood warblers guide and a pair of binoculars in a fanny pack. It your plan to photograph them, it take patience and a very good lens of at leans 300mm due to their small size, and high activity. Find a trail along a creek or river; such as Castlewood State Park or the Rockwoods Conservation Area.
I have included a few pictures of some warbler photographed by me in March; a Yellow Warbler, Yellow Throated Warbler, a Common Yellowthroat (raccoon like face) a Northern Water Thrush (warbler), and a White eyed Vireo.
Follow this link to a check-list of Missouri’s 428 species of birds from the Audubon Society:
