Get Outside Expo Presenter – Scott Mansker, MR340 Race Director

Find out how the MR340 grew from 11 boats in 2006 to over 500 boats in 2019. The World’s Longest Non-Stop River Race has been listed as one of National Geographic‘s Top 100 American Adventures and it draws paddlers from around the world. Best of all, it happens right in our backyard.

Scott Mansker is the race director for the MR340 and will be presenting during the 2019 Get Outside Expo at noon on Sunday, March 3

Scott Mansker is the race director for the MR340 and will be presenting during the 2019 Get Outside Expo at noon on Sunday, March 3

From www.rivermiles.com:

Imagine a race across the entire state of Missouri, just you and your boat thrown against 340 miles of wind, heat, bugs and rain.

The Missouri 340 is an endurance race across the state of Missouri. Competitors will start in Kansas City and finish, some of them anyway, in St. Charles. With numerous towns and hamlets, the course offers plenty of opportunity for resupply while en route. The Missouri River is also incredibly scenic and isolated in some stretches, with wildlife and beautiful vistas to rival any river in North America. But if you’re trying to win this race, you won’t have time to enjoy any of it.

Participants are allowed exactly 88 hours to complete the course. There are nine checkpoints along the route where paddlers are required to sign in and sign out. Cutoff times will be associated with these checkpoints based on the 88 hour pace. Failure to miss two consecutive deadlines is grounds for disqualification. To finish this race in 88 hours is a huge accomplishment. Only 2/3 of the teams were able to do that last year.

There are no dams, locks or portages on this stretch of the Missouri. You could, conceivably, finish this race without ever having left your boat. (We don’t recommend it.) This doesn’t mean that the race is without danger. Any time you put yourself on the water, especially moving water, you assume a certain amount of risk. The Missouri 340 course is all on Class I water. The current is about 3 mph and there are no rapids. The biggest hazard to paddlers would be motorboats, mostly fisherman, and the occasional towboat pushing barges. In river obstacles would include wing dikes, buoys and bridge pilings.

DamNation – a Featured Presentation of the 2019 Get Outside Expo

On Saturday evening, March 2 at 7 pm, at the 2019 Get Outside Expo, Alpine Shop is proud to present – on the side of our building weather permitting! – DamNation, a feature film presented by Patagonia, on the impact of dams throughout our nation.

The film is FREE to all participants and will also feature a complimentary beer from Urban Chestnut Brewing Company for those 21 and older.

The Story

This powerful film odyssey across America explores the sea change in our national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. Dam removal has moved beyond the fictional Monkey Wrench Gang to go mainstream. Where obsolete dams come down, rivers bound back to life, giving salmon and other wild fish the right of return to primeval spawning grounds, after decades without access. DamNation’s majestic cinematography and unexpected discoveries move through rivers and landscapes altered by dams, but also through a metamorphosis in values, from conquest of the natural world to knowing ourselves as part of nature.

DamNation opens big, on a birth, with the stirring words of Franklin D. Roosevelt at the dedication of Hoover Dam, and on a death, as the engineer at Elwha Dam powers down the turbine on its last day. DamNation stints neither the history nor the science of dams, and above all conveys experiences known so far to only a few, including the awe of watching a 30-pound salmon hurtling 20 feet into the air in a vain attempt to reach the spawning grounds that lie barricaded upriver. We witness the seismic power of a dam breaking apart and, once the river breaks free, the elation in watching wild salmon – after a century of denied access – swimming their way home.

The People

DamNation’s filmmakers have done their documentary homework. Rediscovered archival footage and pristine vintage photography reveals the young archaeological “salvage” team working against time to recover priceless Anasazi artifacts before the flooding of Glen Canyon in 1958. We meet singer Katie Lee, who was among the last to experience the canyon and, at the age of 94, still recalls the vivid beauty of its walls. Her nemesis, Floyd Dominy, the long-time Bureau of Reclamation czar who dammed Glen Canyon, exudes pride in his power to alter a landscape. We also hear from dam defender Congressman Tom McClintock and dam critic, ex-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt.

Most of the voices in DamNation ring far from the lobbied halls of our capitols, and closer to the heart of a river. We hear the smoldering outrage of a Nez Perce elder recalling from his youth the flooding of his people’s sacred falls and fishing ground along the Columbia, and the quiet testimony of a river keeper who has manned his post 12 hours a day for 13 years to count, observe and protect a Rogue River steelhead run. And DamNation is not without its action heroes, including the activist/artist who two decades ago painted under moonlight a giant crack down the face of Hetch Hetchy’s dam.

The Shift

DamNation shows how far things have moved and how quickly, from the assumption 50 years ago that dams were always a power for good, to the first successful attempt to remove a marginal dam 20 years ago on the Kennebec River. The film highlights other dam removal stories, including the Elwha and White Salmon Rivers in Washington, the Rogue River in Oregon, and the Penobscot River in Maine.

Diverse interests across the country are coming together to remove obsolete dams and find more cost-effective options to meet power, shipping, irrigation and other needs, while helping to restore rivers, preserve tribal customs, recover fish stocks, revitalize waterfronts, improve recreational opportunities and render watersheds more resilient to climate change.

Dam owners, impacted communities, and politicians are now reevaluating the usefulness of certain dams and often advocating for decommissioning and removal. Some call it a movement, others call it a generational shift in values.DamNation documents both – and the undeniable momentum behind river restoration that has begun to take hold in our country.

Origins

When, as a young man, DamNation producer Matt Stoecker witnessed migrating steelhead jump at, and bounce off, Stanford University’s Searsville Dam, he recognized the destructive power of a single dam on an entire watershed and beyond. Matt is now a fish biologist, who has since spearheaded the removal of more than a dozen such barriers to migration and is actively involved in efforts to dismantle several others. He and Patagonia founder/owner Yvon Chouinard, a long-time “dam buster” who for years has supported groups working to tear down dams, share the desire to free our rivers. Together they decided to capture such efforts, and their healing effects, on film and share them with the world. Teaming up with Felt Soul Media’s Ben Knight and Travis Rummel, DamNation was born.

Join us on Saturday, March 2 at Alpine Shop Kirkwood at 7 pm for our presentation of DamNation!

First Schlafly Al-Pint Night Fundraiser of 2019

The 2019 Get Outside EXPO begins with the first of our 2019 Schlafly Al-Pint Nights at Alpine Shop Kirkwood. Join us on Friday, March 1 from 6 to 9 pm to raise funds for the Missouri Whitewater AssociationTeam River Runner and the St. Louis Canoe & Kayak Club to aid their continuing efforts to encourage the growth of paddling and the protection of our waterways.

$5 at the Pint Night gets you a custom plastic pint cup, plus two free pours of some fantastic Schlafly Beer.

We’ll also be pre-selling a brand new way to enjoy Al-Pint Night’s in 2019… More details will be coming on Wednesday, February 27! Stay tuned!

The Missouri Whitewater Association (MWA) is a public organization which exists to encourage the growth of paddling as a beneficial recreational sport and a recognized competitive sport, to teach paddling skills, river safety techniques, to sponsor river trips and other outdoor activities, and to educate club members and the general public about the sport and about river conservation. The MWA will be hosting the Missouri State Whitewater Championships on March 22-24 on the St. Francis River near Fredericktown, MO.

Team River Runner – St Louis (TRR) with ST. Louis VAMC gives military veterans and their family members an opportunity to find health, healing, and new challenges through whitewater boating and other paddling sports. The benefits of TRR have as much to do with social support, finding emotional strength and re-creating personal identity as they do with athletic activity.

The St. Louis Canoe & Kayak Club supports canoe and kayak related activities, trips and educational programs. The Club promotes safe and ethical use of our waterways. Other projects include helping to keep our waterways clean and provide instructional skills clinics through the year.

Find out more about the 2019 Get Outside Expo here!

Hit the Slopes with BURTON this Saturday

Alpine Shop, Burton, and Hidden Valley are proud to bring a brand new event to the slopes for 2019, the Inaugural King of the Mountain competition, on Saturday, February 2!

To celebrate, Burton has purchased 30 ski passes to Hidden Valley to give to customers who come into Alpine Shop’s Kirkwood store and answer the following question: “What was the name of the first snowboard built by Burton?” Just go up to the front cashier and let them know you’re there for a free pass and give them the correct answer. As long as we’ve got passes left, you’re good to go! FREE PASS!

(One pass per customer, per correct answer, please!)

We will be handing out these tickets until they are gone. On Saturday, February 2 will be on location for the competition where we’ll be giving away over $500 in Burton prizes.

Modeled on the Freeride World Tour, King of the Mountain will combine technical skiing and freestyle creativity to determine the best on the mountain. The course will be on Continental Divide and competitors will be judged on five categories and given 2 runs on the course.

The event is free but helmets and waivers are mandatory.

Registration will start at 11 AM in the Lodge and the event will run from 2PM to 4PM, with awards immediately following the conclusion at the Lodge. We will be crowning a King of Mountain skier and snowboarder as well as a Queen of the Mountain.


Inaugural King of the Mountain Competition

Date: February 2nd 

Pre-Race Briefing: 1:30PM

Competition: 2 PM – 4 PM

Slope Closure: Continental Divide

Format: 2 runs per competitor, best one counts – no time limit! Winner just has to cross the finish line – scoring based on points (score card to be posted) 

Award Presentation: 4 PM in the Lodge

King of the Mountain Skier and Snowboarder; Queen of the Mountain

Admission: FREE!

A KÜHL Start to a Black (Coffee) Friday

This Black Friday, wake up to a KÜHL morning with a FREE KÜHL mug to go along with some fresh brewed coffee.

Grab one on Friday, November 23, at Alpine Shop Kirkwood – quantities are limited!

Our KÜHL representaive, Brad Dailey, will be on hand with a limited number of KUHL mugs to give away at our Kirkwood location ONLY on Friday, November 23, 2018. First come, first served, and first caffeinated!

Our Kirkwood store will open at 9 am on Friday. See you then!

2018 Women’s Ski & Board Night Is November 16

Women's Ski & Board Night

Alpine Shop invites you to join us on Friday, November 16 at our Kirkwood location to help us kick off the 2018-19 winter season and get ready for another season on the slopes.

We’re hosting a party with this-night-only-specials, complimentary wine, chocolates, snacks, a fashion show and a chance to win over $2000 in prizes – including gear and apparel from Burton, Smartwool socks and apparel, Hidden Valley lift tickets and more.

We’re also helping to kick off Hidden Valley Ski Resort’s “Women’s Wednesdays” group ski program and will have representatives of the event on hand to give you more information.

Event Schedule:
6 pm: Event Begins! Drinks, Snacks & Drawing Entry forms are all available.

6:15 pm: Complimentary Custom Fit Appointments Available. While you’re here, get sized for your next pair of boots or for the perfect outfit.

6:45 – 7:30 pm: Alpine Shop Roving Fashion Show.

7 pm: Hidden Valley Ski Resort Instructor will introduce the Hidden Valley Women’s program for 2019 with a brief presentation and Q&A session

8 pm: Prize Drawings! Custom fits continue.

9 pm Time to go home!

It’s the 2018 Women’s Ski & Board Night and it’s only at Alpine Shop Kirkwood on November 16, 2018!

Thursday is Final Day to Check-In Your Used Gear

Alpine Shop’s 25th Annual Winter Swap is a combination of a consignment sale, a Winter Pre-Season Sale and a Summer Clearance, all wrapped up into one BIG event  at our Kirkwood and Columbia locations.

But if you want to get paid for your used gear, you have to get it checked in first! And you’ve only got until 8 pm on Thursday, October 18 to do that (or 6 pm if you’re participating at our Columbia store).

You can sell gear and clothing from any season of the year, provided it meets our standards. All gear will be safety checked before it is allowed in the Swap and Alpine Shop reserves the right to refuse any items for any reason we see fit. (For full information, please visit the official site here.)

What started out 25 years ago as an opportunity for our customers to outfit their entire family on a budget has turned into the Midwest’s Largest Consignment Sale for Outdoor Gear. It’s all going on this weekend at your local Alpine Shop!

 

Give a Little. Save Big. Glennon Card Discount Days are October 19-28, 2018

Back in 2011, Alpine Shop was one of the first retailers to sign on to assist SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital with their new “Glennon Card” promotion. Little did we know then just how big this would promotion grow!

Alpine Shop has been heavily involved with the Glennon Card from the beginning, including welcoming the photo shoot for the cover of Town & Style magazine in 2014!

From October 19–28, 2018, purchasing a Glennon Card from Alpine Shop gives you a 20% discount on almost everything in our stores (and a 10% discount on all regularly-priced boats, bikes, skis & snowboards) AND a 20% discount at more than 320 other retailers and restaurants throughout the Metro St. Louis area.

Glennon Cards are $50 and can be purchased at any Alpine Shop location through Sunday, Oct. 28.  Click here to see a complete list of merchants to choose from–like Alpine Shop!

Overall, since 2011, the Glennon Card Team have raised more than $1.25 million for use at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Alpine Shop is proud to have been the top Local Merchant for Glennon Card sales in 2017 and hope to remain the same for 2018. Please come in and purchase your Card anytime between now and Sunday, Oct. 28.

2018 GLENNON CARD RULES AND EXCLUSIONS:
The card can only be utilized by one individual; not groups. Only the card bearer and his or her minor children can use the card for discounts. The card bearer’s signature must appear on the card. The card must be presented at the time of purchase. Glennon Cards cannot be replaced if lost. Discount cannot be combined with other sales or previously discounted items. Internet items are not eligible.

*20% off promotion applies to the retail price on in-store apparel, footwear and camping gear only and is not eligible to be combined with other promotions or offers, except for clearance goods (marked with $_.97 pricing) which will be discounted from the lowest-marked price. Hardgoods such as bikes, boats and ski & snowsport hardgoods receive a 10% off discount. Online and Special Order items are not eligible.

Select brands and items are excluded. Please see an Alpine Shop outfitter for details.

Trail Run Series – Race 2! Wet Week Can’t Rain on Trail Series Parade

Note: This post originally appeared on the Off-Road Racing League site, home to Alpine Shop’s competitive but beginner-friendly race series, at www.offroadracingleague.com.

BALLWIN, MO. – Wet weather earlier in the week couldn’t knock Race 2 of the 2018 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series off of Castlewood State Park’s trails. However, a combination of the three “H’s” will make this race one that the record 248 people who finished the course will brag about for years to come – and by the three H’s we mean: hills, heat and humidity.

The course is one of the most difficult you can tackle in at Castlewood, featuring an immediate 15% grade climb out of the valley and to the top of the bluff and the River Scene Trail. Following one of the most exciting descents in the park on the Lone Wolf Trail, runners faced their second climb that grades out at 12% up the Midway/Office Connector Trail. Race officials listed the course as a total of 4 miles. Add in starting time temps still registering near 90 degrees and a valley saturated from two days of rain… yeah, the three H’s.

Benjamin Hudson running in Trail Run Series
Benjamin Hudson (St. Louis, 32) runs along the bluffs of the Meramec River in Castlewood State Park on his way to winning Race 2 of the 2018 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series on Thursday, August 16, 2018.

Benjamin Hudson (St. Louis, 32) won his second race in as many weeks, finishing the course in 27:21.6 with Jon-Paul LaVenture (Ballwin, Mo., 37), last week’s third place finisher, moving up to second place this week just 20 seconds behind. Daniel Welch (Clayton, Mo., 27), who took second last week, rounded up the top three just 16 seconds back of LaVenture.

Sunny Gilbert (Ellisville, 39) powers out of Kieffer Creek on her way to her division win in Race 2 of the 2018 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series.

Sunny Gilbert (Ellisville, Mo., 39) made her debut for 2018 in familiar fashion, winning the women’s division in a time of 30:53.7, continuing her domination in the Trail Run Series. Since the Series started in 2010, Gilbert has won every race in which she has competed. Second place went to newcomer Noa Heter (38), just 11 seconds back. Hannah Floyd (St. Louis, 32), last week’s winner, took home third place this week in a time of 34:38.6. In the Overall race standings, Gilbert and Heter finished in seventh and ninth place, respectively.

Chris Martel (at left, St. Louis, 52) makes his way into the creek before winning his sixth straight masters division win in the Alpine Shop Trail Run Series.

The Men’s Masters division standings look like a photo copy of last week’s results. Chris Martel (Webster Groves, Mo., 52) once more one his age group with his sixth straight victory going back to last year’s series with a time of 29:35. Eric Buckley (St. Louis, 55) finished second in the division at 33:11.7, and Keith Lyston (Chesterfield, Mo., 52) crossed the archway in 35:41.1.

Susan Richmond, the masters women’s division champion for the sixth straight race, makes her way through Kieffer Creek on her way to the finish line.

A similar situation played out on the Women’s Masters side, with the same three women grabbing top three finishes, but with positions flipped. Susan Richmond (Eureka, Mo., 57) , like Martel, won her sixth straight race going back to 2017 with a time of 41:18.1. Sophia Lin, (Chesterfield, Mo., 59) moved from third last week to second this time with a time of 47:05.8, and Rachel Hartmann (St. Louis, 52) rounds out the scoring with a time of 47:56.6.

Two lucky racers were treated to pairs of Altra Running Footwear as winners in the prize drawings, while everyone had the chance to grab some Urban Chestnut Brewing Company beers, food and other prizes, including hats from The North Face.

Next week, FITS Socks Co. will be at the races with 150 pairs of their terrific running socks to give away. More details to come on Monday, August 20.

Overall Results – Preliminary (Updated 08/16/18 9 pm)
Age Group Results – Preliminary (Updated 08/16/18 9 pm)
Photos- Facebook

 

2018 KT82 Race Report

 

Heading East to West from St. Louis to Hermann, Mo., on the 2018 KT82.

On Saturday, June 2, 2018, Alpine Shop employees, along with friends and family took off an an 82 mile relay run from St. Louis County to Hermann, Mo., in the Go! Missouri KT82 Trail relay.

The Leg Chart for the 2018 KT82. Runner #1 has legs 1, 7 and 13; Runner #2 has legs 2, 8 and 14, and so on.

Alpine Shop Marketing Director, Todd Oswald, Bike and Snowsports Hardgoods Buyer Mike Morin, along with outfitters Steve Worthy and Ann Mangin, and Chad Arnett and Sean Badock began the day at 4:45 am to start their journey from Parkway North High School in Creve Coeur, Mo. This is the third straight year Team Alpine Shop has participated in the KT82, which features six different runners each tackling total distances approximating a half-marathon over three separate legs on the longest Rail-to-Trail conversion in the United States – the Katy Trail.

Team Alpine Shop at the Starting Line for the 2018 KT82 Trail Relay. From left: Ann Mangin, Sean Badock, Chad Arnett, Mike Morin, Todd Oswald, Steve Worthy

Summer came quickly to the midwest in 2018. After a mid-April snowstorm kept winter holding on well into our normal spring, Mother Nature switched immediately into deep summer by early May with some of the hottest temperatures ever for the month. By the time the safety meetings for the KT82 happened at the end of May, all participants were concerned with weather reports indicating high temps in the mid-90s for the race.

The day bloomed warm and humid as the team set out from the track at Parkway North, but not overwhelming so, thankfully. By mid-morning, the humidity had reached its saturation point, however, and a race-pausing thunderstorm descended on the more than thousand runners spread out along the course.

The logjam of people at Exchange 7 as we wait for the go ahead to return to the trails.

The traffic jam that developed as the race was forced into a delay by a thunderstorm that rolled through around 10:30 am.

The storm would thankfully keep the temperatures from ever reaching into the 90s, but the cloud cover also dissipated, leaving runners to deal with the sun – and still considerable heat – for much of the afternoon.

The KT82 is a combination of hard physical effort out on the course followed by hours of downtime and socialization in between runs. Then repeat. The race becomes a favorite for many participants, not because of the runs – although the sense of accomplishment is very real – but mainly because of the fun and craziness of putting six people of varying states of exhaustion together in a vehicle for more than 12 hours together (provided you have a good team, I guess, which we’ve been lucky enough to have.)

The scene at Exchange 13 in Dutzow, Mo. At times, the crowds can make it difficult to actually make the exchange!

It’s also a combination of the most social run you’ll ever be a part of as well as the most isolated run you’ll ever do. The Exchange Zones are jam packed with people all day long. On this day, because of the storm, even more teams than usual were at the same exchange zones throughout the day. You become with friends with teams you’re leapfrogging with all day long as certain runners finish faster followed by a slower runner on the next leg. But when you get out on the course, it’s not unusual to have more than a half mile between participants. For runners who thrive on sticking with a pack, it can be an extremely lonely race.

A van full of food and drink for six runners.

The hardest part of the race for many is figuring out what, and how much, to eat and drink throughout the day to keep your energy levels as high as possible for your runs. Unlike a standard marathon where, for many runners, we can cruise on auto-pilot for the middle five to six miles after a three or four mile warm-up, and then just try and hold on for the final 5k; in the KT82, your first leg may be three miles, followed by a two and a half hour wait. Then seven miles. Stretch. Rest for two more hours. Run another five miles.

But as the team makes the final climb up over the Highway 19 bridge over the Missouri River into Hermann and all six runners meet up for the final quarter mile together, the struggles of the day quickly fade in the glow of the celebration at Hermann City Park.

Gear used that is available at Alpine Shop:
Yeti CoolersRoadie 20 Cooler, Tundra 65 Cooler, Hopper 30 Soft Cooler
Altra Lone Peak 3.5 Trail Runners – for single track trail
FITS SocksPerformance Trail Quarter Socks
Chaco Z1 Sandals – for in between runs
The North Face – Better than Naked Running T-Shirts
Alpine Shop Off-Road Racing League Race Shirts
Salomon Speedcross Trail Runners
Hoka One OneChallenger ATR 4
Saxx 2N1 Kinetic Run Shorts (not yet available at Alpine Shop, but check back soon – they’re awesome!)