Why Guess? Test! Alpine Shop’s Demo Days May 14-15

Alpine Shop's Demo Days at Creve Coeur Lake

Come on out to the north end of Creve Coeur Lake Park for Alpine Shop‘s annual Demo Days on Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15, 2011. Not only is this our largest paddle demo weekend of the year, we’ll also have the demo team from Specialized Bicycles on hand to give you your first shot at riding our newest line of bikes!

There’s no reason to guess at which boat or bike will work best for you. Just come out this weekend and test to your heart’s content. Registration is just $5 AND you’ll receive a free $10 gift card to Alpine Shop at the lake just for signing up. (You’re making $5 on the deal!)

Alpine Shop's Demo Days at Creve Coeur Lake
More boats than you can paddle in a day? Let's find out!

Paddle Demos:

If you’re in the market for a new kayak or canoe, you’ll have a chance to paddle more boats this weekend than you will have at any other point for the rest of this calendar year. While we continually hold demo nights throughout the summer, those events won’t have any where near the same amount of craft at your paddle-tips as you’ll find here.

We expect to have representatives from Current Designs, Dagger, Hobie, Perception, Wenonah and Wilderness Systems. And we’ll also have boats from Jackson, Old Town, Native and LiquidLogic at the lake as well.

There is no better time to try before you buy.

Bike Demos:

Specialized Hotrock Bicycle
Try out our newest line of bikes: Specialized!

As many of you know, Alpine Shop is now one of St. Louis’ newest Specialized Bicycle Dealers. This weekend, Specialized’s demo crew will be at Creve Coeur Lake with us, giving you a chance to pedal your next new bike.

We’ll be featuring hybrid bikes this weekend, so if you’re in line for a bike that you can use for fitness, work commuting or just playing with your kids, these bikes are perfect for you.

Did we mention free hot dogs for all?

On-Line Registration

This year, for the first time, you can save time on-site and register on-line! All you need to do is register below, print and fill out your waiver form and bring it and your ticket to the event and exchange it for your wristband. If you don’t feel like that helps you at all, feel free to register with us at the lake on the day(s) of the event.

Save time and avoid waiting by bringing your own personal flotation device and/or paddle. Cyclists should bring their own helmet.

Alpine Shop’s Demo Days

Saturday & Sunday, May 14 & 15, 2011
Creve Coeur Lake Park – Tremayne Shelter at Sailboat Cove
11 AM – 4 PM on both days
$5 Demo Participation Fee (Includes FREE $10 Store Gift Card) – Register in advance by clicking here!

Alpine Shop’s “Meet Our Mom” Photo Contest

Alpine Shop's Mother's Day Photo Contest 2011

This Mother’s Day, simply take a photo of you and your Mom (or Mom’s – of you and your family) doing anything outdoors. Then just post it on Alpine Shop’s facebook wall and you could win up to a $50 gift card! It’s that simple.

Just post your photo by Monday, May 9 at 5 pm, along with information on who’s who in the photo and what you’re doing and we’ll pick five random winners.  We’ll announce those winners the next morning at 9 am.

So, kids, take your Mom outside this Sunday and snap a couple of shots of everyone together. It may just make this Mother’s Day even more special for her!

For those of you who won’t be able to spend this weekend with your Mother, or if Mom can’t make it outside anymore, or for whatever reason, this weekend just won’t work – we encourage you to get creative! Find some old photos of your family – even if it’s not from this weekend. Or cut-and-paste some old photos together to give yourself the perfect Mother’s Day on the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite Park!

Just have fun with the idea of Mother’s Day this weekend!

 

Alpine Shop Asks: Where would you celebrate Earth Day?

A year ago, I wrote this post on What Does Earth Day Really Mean.  I’ve decided this year, I have no interest to get into any political discussions. All I’d like to see is Alpine Shop’s customers’ favorite places on earth.

Because what good is Earth Day if we can celebrate our planet’s most beautiful locales? So whether you’re a mountain lover, a beach comber, a prairie dweller or an ocean-goer, visit our facebook page here and post your pics or video of your favorite places on Earth. If you could celebrate 4/22 anywhere on Earth, where would it be?

My favorites? Well, here you go…

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park - from Glacier Point
The view of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, from Glacier Point.

Yosemite holds such a spell on me, it’s difficult to describe. (If you’re interested in learning more about it though, join me on May 26, 2011 for a clinic on the park at our Kirkwood location.) Yosemite Valley may be overrun with tourists, but I still love it. And I love getting out of the valley and exploring miles of trails that are virtually deserted. Pure paradise.

Castor River Shut-ins / Amidon Conservation Area
The Castor River Shut-Ins near Fredericktown, Mo.

Most people don’t know about the Castor River shut-ins at Amidon Conservation Area near Fredericktown, Mo. In all honesty, I’m not sure I want more people to know about it. I was married about 100 feet to the left of the spot where this photo was taken. My wife and I love it. Our kids love it. It’s just a magical, beautiful place. Go during the late spring when floods have scoured the pink granite walls clean but the mud has had a chance to dry!

The beach at Bloody Bay in Negril, Jamaica
Bloody Bay in Negril, Jamaica.

In honor of my wife who taught me to relax on a beach and just enjoy the waves rather than immediately get into a kayak and go paddle away into them, I have to put Negril, Jamaica on my list of favorite spots on this earth.

What are your favorites? Don’t forget to post your photos and/or videos on our facebook page before Monday, April 25 at Noon CDT, for your chance to win a gift certificate.

 

Swap’s Friday Night First Choice – Video

If you’ve never been with us in Kirkwood for the opening night of a Swap, then this video is for you. We want you to know exactly what you’ve been missing out on.

This video shows footage just as we’ve opened up the tent for customers. Everyone has a great time. We gave away a bunch of great prizes to people standing line. Thanks to Columbia Sportswear and Marmot for providing many of the prizes.

If you weren’t able to join us tonight, we hope you’ll come by sometime this weekend and join in our official kickoff for spring!

Panoramic View of the Inside of the Swap Tent

Alpine Shop Swap Tent Panorama
Alpine Shop Swap Tent Panorama
Full 360 degree view of the Swap Tent Pre-Swap

Lighting isn’t the best, but this will give you an idea of just how many bikes and other gear are just sitting in the Swap Tent waiting for the mad rush this evening. Don’t wait around, get in line as soon as possible!

Friday Night = First Choice at Great Deals

Kayaks for Sale at Alpine Shop Swap
Kayaks anyone? They're each $250 starting at 7 pm tonight, April 8, 2011

With just over five hours to go until we open the Swap tent up to the public for the beginning of Alpine Shops’ Spring Swap, we have a great collection of used boats, bikes, camping gear and clothing for everyone this weekend. As we’ve said before, though, once the deals are gone, they’re gone for good. Like the picture on the left here. Each one of the boats on the rack are on sale for $250 this weekend at the Swap (assuming they last the entire weekend).

We’ve also got another “sneak peek” video inside the Kirkwood tent for you. After two and a half days of accepting gear, we have the tent pretty much full, with the biggest rush of gear still to come (the two hours before the Swap).

So come on out and join us tonight! The line will be forming any minute now and by the time we open up the tent at 7 pm tonight, we’ll have four or five hundred close friends in line just waiting to grab ahold of some new gear. See you then!

Celebrate Good Deals and Great Outdoors at Spring Swap

Alpine Shop's Swap - Friday Night First Choice
Alpine Shop's Spring Swap
The line forms for Friday Night's first shot at the used goods at Alpine Shop's Spring Swap.

Now in its seventeenth year, Alpine Shop’s Spring Swap Festival gives area families an opportunity to sell their used outdoor gear while also helping the store provide tens of thousands of dollars to worthwhile organizations.

Alpine Shop’s 17th Annual Spring Swap Festival begins Friday, April 8 at 7 pm at our Kirkwood and Columbia locations and continues through Sunday, April 10. Customers can begin bringing their used gear to sell on Wednesday, April 6 to those locations only.

The Spring Swap Festival is a consignment-based sale the Alpine Shop hosts each April. Anyone is invited to bring in used warm-weather outdoor gear or clothing to sell for two and a half days in a 10,000 square foot tent in the South parking lot of our Kirkwood location. Alpine Shop’s Columbia location will also feature used gear, as well.

The first night of the Swap festival is also the main fundraising effort of the weekend. Everyone 13 years or older pays $5 to get into the tent. Every penny of that money goes to a particular charity. This year that organization is Trailnet – a St. Louis-based not-for-profit organization with a 20-year history of promoting active living, a way of life that encourages people to integrate physical activity into their daily routines. Alpine Shop is proud to assist them in their efforts.

Customers bring in an average of over 2,000 total items to the Swap tent each Spring Swap Festival, with an emphasis on bikes, boats, camping gear and warm-weather clothing for the whole family.

Items that find new homes during Swap not only make some extra money for the seller, but also help save gear from our trash dumps. Even items that don’t sell can make a difference. Participants can mark on their consignment contracts that they would like Alpine Shop to donate the gear to the charity of Alpine Shop’s choosing if the item doesn’t sell.

For more information on specific times and Swap rules, please visit alpineshop.com.

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s going on inside the tent…

Still Time to Find the Perfect Gift for Every Adventure

There's Still Time! Alpine Shop has Extended Hours and FREE In-Store Pick-up

No matter what day of the week Christmas falls on, it always seems like I never have time to finish everything I’d like to get done before the day is here. This year, at Alpine Shop, we’re trying to help you put the perfect gift for your outdoor adventurer under your tree with extended shopping hours all the way up until Christmas Eve, Free in-store pick-up at our Kirkwood location for items purchased on-line, expedited shipping and  outdoor adventure gift guides available at alpineshop.com as well.

For a complete listing of Alpine Shop’s store hours from now until New Year’s Day, check out our location information page. Complete with almost day-by-day hour listings along with directions and phone numbers, we’re trying to make your Christmas gift shopping as easy as possible.

Getting a late start on your shopping? In the St. Louis area, you can shop for great outdoor adventure gifts on-line at alpineshop.com and then pick up your gifts at our Kirkwood location. Just choose In-Store Pickup for your delivery option when you complete your purchase. In most cases, we ask you to allow 12-16 hours for your order to be processed. However, if you order by 2 pm on Christmas Eve, we guarantee we’ll have your order ready for you to pick up at Alpine Shop Kirkwood before we close at 5 pm that day. More information on our in-store pickup policy can be found here.

If you’re closer to one of the other Alpine Shop locations – or just don’t want to deal with the crowds, we can offer Overnight shipping with any order received as late as close of business on Wednesday, 12/22. Get the perfect gift without any hassle!

Have other questions or just need some tips for the adventure-lover on your list? Just give us a call: 1-888-347-2879. We’re here and happy to help!

Free Socks to Help Soldiers Feel Good this Holiday Season

American Troops in the field can only go as far as their feet can take them. That’s why durable, quality socks have always been one of the most important items in any soldier’s locker. This weekend, Alpine Shop, in cooperation with SmartWool and the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, will participate in a program designed to get our troops at least one pair of the finest socks available to them.

Smartwool Hiking Medium Crew Sock- Winner of Backpacker Magazine Editors' Choice Award

Now through Tuesday, December 21, as part of the Feels Good promotion, SmartWool will donate a pair of the brand’s Hiking Medium Crew Socks for every two pairs of any SmartWool socks sold at one of the three Alpine Shop locations or on-line at Alpineshop.com.

Product will be distributed to soldiers in Southern Afghanistan in the Kandahar Province along the grueling mountains of the Pakistan border. Socks will go to numerous Forward Operating Bases where soldiers are performing at their limit day in and out. Upon returning to their bases for re-supply, etc, the soldiers will receive a new pair of Smartwool socks.

Feels Good starts Friday, December 17th and will last until Alpine Shop sells its allotment of promotional socks from Smartwool. The goal of the promotion is to provide customers with an opportunity to participate in something that Feels Good for those who are far away from home this holiday season.

About Alpine Shop
Alpine Shop began life in 1973 as a small climbing shop. Today, through its three locations in Kirkwood, Chesterfield and Columbia, Mo., it serves almost every type of outdoor enthusiast—be they backpackers, campers, cyclists, hikers, paddlers, skiers, snowboarders or climbers—with a friendly and knowledgeable staff, cutting edge products and a wide variety of how-to clinics for all activity levels.

About the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance unites independent outdoor retailers as a strong voice to protect and promote the experience of outdoor enthusiasts across the United States. We enable access to best business practices for our retail members, to the best equipment and apparel brands for the public, and to the backcountry for all.

About SmartWool
Based in Steamboat Springs, CO, SmartWool is an apparel brand whose products are inspired by living and playing in the mountains.  The company offers year-round apparel for an active life lived in unpredictable mountain climates.  SmartWool products are created to get the most out of the inherent benefits of Merino wool while delivering extraordinary comfort through intelligent and thoughtful products, allowing mountain athletes to do what they love to do longer.

Columbia Sportswear’s OMNI-HEAT – We’ll Let the Videos Talk for Themselves

So have you heard of Columbia Sportswear’s new OMNI-HEAT technologyAlpine Shop began carrying the little silver dotted-liner this fall.

Columbia Sportswear OMNI_HEAT Heat Elite Jacket
Using small silver dots covering the entire liner, Columbia Sportswear claims their new OMNI-HEAT liners are 20% warmer than conventional liners.

Basically take the concept behind an old Alpine Shop staple – the emergency space blanket for warmth – a reflective surface inhibits heat loss. Columbia’s in-house testing has indicated 20% greater warmth using this new technology than a conventional lining. The difference, though, compared to the old space blanket, is that Columbia doesn’t coat the entire lining in silver. Rather, they have coated the lining in little silver dots. That way, the theory goes, moisture and excessive heat can pass through the gaps between the dots, giving you a)warmth and b) breathability. So, repeat Alpine Shop’s winter mantra for fun and safety in the outdoors: Stay warm. Don’t overheat.

Has Columbia succeeded? So far, reviews have been very positive. Try one on at your closest Alpine Shop or pick one up on-line at alpineshop.com.

Until you get here, though, you’ll just have to enjoy a few of their commercials!

Have a favorite? Let us know!