A Tangent on Local, Reputable Gear Shops

Okay, brace yourself.  I'm on a soapbox. Just in time for your Black Friday holiday shopping spree.

Here's how a big box store (think, Walmart) works. 

A big box brings in SO much merchandise that the makers of said merchandise give them a killer discount for their trillion units. In turn, they put it on the shelves, sell a hundred or so at full price and it's enough to cover their costs. Everything they make after this point is pure profit and they still have almost all of their trillion units left. In turn, they mark them half off, make a dollar on each and WOOHOO, have still managed to walk away with a trillion bucks.  Because they sell so cheap, many of these stores (not all) could care less about customer service or knowledgeable sales staff. It's all about volume. Many of these stores hire anyone who can do the tasks of the job. Of course, they'd still like some employees with experience, but it's not the highest priority.

  Here's how your local gear shop works. Being small, they can only afford maybe 20 units of the same item, which isn't enough to qualify for a discount from their vendor. They pay full wholesale price for the items. They can sell 3 or 4 at full price but it's not enough to cover their costs on the initial 20. So, when it's time for this shop to sell them at discount, they can't go lower than maybe a 10 or 20% discount without taking a significant loss on the items. You can only take so many losses on products before you're out of business. The people who work here usually go through extensive training, generally work harder for your business and are often the last hold out in a great customer experience. In addition, these people have probably hiked in the shoes your about to buy on the trail you're about to take, they have traveled to areas you plan to go, read books about the experiences you want to have. They know their stuff (most of the time). They will often even know your face, if not your name and want to hear about your adventure when you get back. 

Here's an example (and also some information on buying technical shoes):

We’re all on a budget but if you’re going to spend a chunk of money on any piece of gear, it needs to be your footwear (and your pack). There are shortcuts for other things but take care of your feet! At the very least, get great insoles.

This is where a GOOD gear shop makes all the difference! They will take as much time as you need to find you the perfect shoe. It should be comfortable and you should be allowed to walk around the store for a while (I recommend 30-60 minutes. Seriously, build it in to your shopping). They will ask you if you feel hot spots (areas where your shoes rub). They will ask you to walk up hill and will often have a place for you to do it. They will watch you and be checking for heel slippage. They will ask you to STOMP downhill and make sure that your toes are not cramming. If you’re buying a serious leather boot, they will often put you in a loaded pack (30 lbs or so) and have you walk around in your boots, with the pack on. This is not the time to let impatience push you into the boot that looks the best. We used to tell people all of the time to ignore aesthetics (I’m talking to you, WOMEN) for quality and comfort.

  A good gear shop will ask where you're taking your footwear and encourage you to try on every appropriate pair they have for comparison. Your sales person will have a pair of good socks (or bring your own) to try with the shoes. These items are a unit, don't try on a boot without the sock you plan to use with it. Finally, if you can't decide, a good gear shop may recommend that you to take the shoe home, walk around (inside only please) in it for a few hours and really get a feel for it. Don't like it? They'll have you bring it back and keep trying with other boots until you find the perfect fit.

  See all of this customer service? It is part of what you pay for. Remember that when you are tempted to ask for discounts or price matching. Also, please remember this when you are really temped to bail on the store, with all of your new knowledge, to buy the same product online. This will really kill your local gear shop!

In customer service, managers need to know if an employee is not meeting a standard. It may not mean that person loses their job, it usually just gets them more training. You can also just ask to work with someone else in the store...it's really okay. We all had favorite customers and, in turn, customers that would come in looking for specific sales people. It was never offensive and actually proved to me that I had hired a great staff member!

As a final note: Never, EVER buy technical footwear online unless you know exactly what you're getting (which, I'll say again, should not be discovered by taking hours of an employees time at a gear shop. That's a kick to the gut of someone who just spent hours working with you).

This holiday season, please let your purchases work toward maintaining your local economy.  It can be part of the gift you give to your family and friends.

Disclaimer: I have worked for both a big box and an independent outdoor equipment stores. I am not currently employed or compensated in any way by either of them. These are very honest opinions from my time in both places.

For Work or Pleasure?

  Many of my travels over the past month and a half have been job related. About 4-5 times per year, I am asked to hit the road to drum up business and visit customers we already have relationships with. Personally, I find the travel to be a pretty fun way to break up the year. Particularly as most days, I am confined to my office, click-clacking on the computer and talking to people on the phone. I am always thankful for my job but it is far less relational that I'd like. It's hard to really connect with someone over the phone. When I travel, I get to look people in the eye and connect.
  Last weekend was one of those work trips. I flew up to Minneapolis, MN to attend the Midwest Mountaineering (that's a gear shop) Outdoor Adventure Expo. They hold this show in the Spring and Fall and it brings in all sorts of vendors and customers. The store puts everything on sale for these few days (even Smartwool!) and coordinates speakers, clinics etc for those who attend. In addition, this specific event was timed to coincide with the Banff Mountain Film Festival, showing nearby at the U of MN.
  It was bittersweet to watch all of these cool, outdoor folk scurry around the store. On one hand, I do not miss the insanity that comes with working retail during that type of event. On the other, I do genuinely miss the excitement that comes when you outfit someone in the perfect coat and somehow empower them to achieve their goal, whatever it may be. The gear world is a funny thing. Technology changes so quickly and in a matter of days, you can get behind in your gear knowledge. There were new brands that I'd never heard of that seemed to have quite a dedicated following. There were old standby brands that had reinvented themselves. There were new words to label what this shell did or that pant repelled.
  While I won't ever pretend to know all there is to know about gear, it was so fun to watch the customers of Midwest Mountaineering make their decisions. I eavesdropped on several customer/sales staff conversations and even had the chance to advise a friend of mine on her new purchases. It was as if I was remembering a part of myself that doesn't get much attention anymore. It was nice to know what I had retained after 2+ years out of outdoor retail. It was also fun to learn a few new things.
   I'm sure there are several of you out there wondering why this event would possibly have been so meaningful but I firmly believe that the years I spent in Outdoor Retail transformed me. I feel they were a few years that I was close to being the best version of myself to date. The relationships that developed within those four walls...and a few trails...are still some of my most cherished. I had the honor of assisting men and women from all walks and abilities in achieving their dreams, through the simple acts of listening and helping them choose a backpack.
  If you're ever in Minnesota, take a few minutes to check out Midwest Mountaineering. You know my heart is loyal to one Omaha shop (coughcoughBackwoodscough) but this is another great independent operation that deserves a look. I am thankful that I had the chance to find a little pleasure there...while at work.

Travel Fatigue

Photo-The Terminal

 For the past few weeks, I've wondered why I can't seem to catch up on sleep, reconnect with the friends I'd like to talk with and complete projects that need finishing. It's not time for year end wrap-ups just yet but today, I calculated that by the end of 2011, I will have visited:



Colombia
US
California- San Jose
Colorado
-CO Springs
- Estes Park
- Fort Collins (5+ times)
- Boulder
- Flat Tops Wilderness
- Paonia
- Redstone
- Telluride

North Carolina- Holden Beach/Greensboro
Minnesota- Twin Cities
Nebraska - Omaha (5+ times)
Nevada- Las Vegas/Hoover Dam
Oregon- (2 times) Astoria/Portland/Cannon Beach/Depoe Bay
Texas- San Antonio/Dallas/Ft Worth
Utah- Arches Nat'l Park/Moab/Horsetooth Canyon
Virginia- Alexandria
Washington DC
Washington- Longview

That's 9 states, a DC and a South American country. I have averaged 2 trips/month and 91 days on the road. Almost 1/4 of my time is spent traveling and of course, I've also had some great friends and family visit in between those trips too. If you ever hear me complain about feeling stir-crazy, you have my permission to throw this list back in my face and call me ridiculous. That's exactly what this list is: ridiculous! I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. I have so much to document from the last month but for today, I'm just exhausted.

How Hiking Led Me to Buy an IPhone

As I've mentioned, while staying in Depoe Bay, we were hoping to get out on the water for some expeditions. When that was thwarted by rain, wind and then some more rain, we decided to head out anyway. After all, it was only rain.
We had heard about an easy 3 mile hike to a waterfall a few miles north of our hotel. Having been warned that the road to the trailhead was winding and somewhat treacherous, we left the comfort of our lodging prepared to turn back if the road was too washed out for our little economy sedan rental. Thankfully, the 12 mile road was paved and it great shape and due to the rain, there was hardly anyone else out.

That morning, while having breakfast at the Inn, we had some discussion with a couple who had been staying there for a few days and had been guests in the area before. They had a LOT of advice to give about almost anything you could imagine (we all know those people). In particular, they advised us of friends of theirs who were "avid hikers" and got lost in the woods. They also told us about a wacky story in which a local (?) woman went missing in her "night dress and flip flops" in the middle of the night. As it seemed to be some sort of ghost story, I guess this was to make us worry for our lives, but it mostly made for some light fodder on our drive (I still haven't tried to look up to see if this is a real missing persons case. My apologies if it is).

Anyway, the rain fell consistently and intermittently hard, although mostly a drizzle. We bundled in our rain coats and in that the trail was short, well marked and very well traveled, didn't pack much else. We had no cell phone service but I opted to thrown mine in my jacket pocket anyway...you know, just in case we went missing or something, we could be located with CSI precision using my phone's GPS. I hiked almost the whole way with my hands in my jacket pocket. Over the 3 miles, my cell phone was drowned in water that had been running off my sleeve and into said pocket for the duration of the hike. No amount of drying out or smacking around was able to resuscitate it.

It was a great hike and a fantastic time talking and hanging out with Sarah. It always amazes me how much sharing and bonding happens on trail, while achieving a common goal. This hike did not disappoint in that area. We have a new great shared experience hiking in the rain on vacation and I had an excuse to get myself a new IPhone!

Bridge Creek Falls Trail (and uber cool suspension bridge)

Deschutes County, OR

Beach Jumpers

What do you do when it's windy and rainy and you can't get out on your whale-watching tour? Why, jump of course!

This is only a sampling of the dozens taken. It was incredible!

How I Ate My Way Across Oregon

       A while back, I took advantage of one of those Living Social getaway deals and purchased a 2 night stay at an Inn on the Oregon coast. The pacific northwest is one of my favorite places and I can never get enough of the dramatic coastline of Oregon. As soon as the purchase was made, I called up my best friend and requested that she accompany me on this mini-vacation. With my move west two years ago and her expanding family (in numbers, not waistlines), we haven't had many opportunities to spend quality time together. Don't get me wrong, I'd chase her daughter around any day of the week but its also nice to get a little one-on-one time together every now and then.
       Last weekend, we were finally bound for the Pacific. I had a bit of a harrowing drive to the airport as my 2 hour commute over Berthoud Pass involved several inches of heavily falling snow, an apparently shot snow tire and a lot of sliding. I just barely made it to my gate and am already annoyed with winter driving (I had another snow storm to contend with on my drive home). We had opted to add a day on to the purchased deal to spend some time in Portland. All of the friends we were hoping to visit came down with some horrible flu-like bug, which sent us fleeing from their company (bummer) but it did open up some extra time to sit with my BFF and have long conversations without worrying about planning around other schedules.
We had planned on several things that just didn't pan out. It was stormy on the coast, which thwarted our dreams of kayaking and whale-watching. We're just not tough enough to battle 12-17 foot swells. The illnesses. The rain. But, if I may say so myself, we handled it like champs and it was fun to roll with the punches, laughing ourselves to tears along the way.
       We staying one day/night in Portland and ate what might have been the best vacation food I've ever had. Shout out to Jade, Por Que No and Tasty 'n Sons. I would consider a move further west just to eat that these two restaurants consistently, especially Tasty (ahhhmazing). We hung out at Hip Chicks Do Wine (I mean, the name was TOO perfect. 6 for $7), Powell's Bookstore and just walked around a few cute neighborhoods. We got a GPS with our rental car and thank goodness we did. It was so nice to just plug places in and get the chance to go wherever we wanted. Portland is a very walk/bike-able city but with less than 24 hours to explore it, it was nice not to worry about getting lost or missing things we wanted to do because of distance or the need for direction.
     Sunday morning, we took our time getting to the coast. We drove south along Highway 101, which is one of the most beautiful drives in the country, and stopped for some cheese and ice cream at the Tillamook Factory and anywhere else that looked like great areas for pictures. Finally, we arrived at Depoe Bay, OR and the Harbor Lights Inn. Depoe Bay is the smallest harbor in the world and is also one of the whale watching capitals of the US. I was pretty disappointed that the waters were too choppy for us to experience that but I guess we'll just have to go back. We spent the next two days walking around Depoe Bay, hiking, jumping on the beach, exploring the Newport and Lincoln City areas and eating to our hearts content (apparently our hearts need a lot of food to be content). I don't know what it is about vacations that make them all about food. Seriously, I felt like we never stopped eating. I am a vegetarian but when traveling the world, I would rather explore a culture wholly than limit my diet. I ate a lot of seafood in Depoe Bay (fish/chips, clam chowder, salmon) and although my pants are stretched a little further this week, I do not regret exploring the culinary world of the Oregon seaside.
 A few places we visited and liked:
Gracie's Sea Hag: Dinner and Lounge-act entertainment
Blue Heron Cheese and Winery: BEST wine tasting of the trip and BRIE (S and I could eat Brie for days). Wine tasting was 5 for $5 and well worth it. They also have a petting zoo and lots of sauces to sample. A much more quaint feeling experience than Tillamook which is definitely a tourist destination.
The Flying Dutchman Winery: Right on the coastline. Decent wine and nice backyard area for sitting and relaxing. I'm not sure what the deal was with bottles of wine around here ($25-$40/bottle! $10 jsut for tasting- those are Napa prices). Must be a tourist trap thing. Their sea-spray fermentation was cool though.
Depoe Bay Winery: Getting a theme here? This was literally a hole in the wall ("the cave" as it names itself) and is on the main drag in Depoe. Again, decent wine. FREE tasting here.
Tidal Raves: Must have reservation. Pretty good food but the most expensive meal of the trip. Get a reservation for daylight hours-the view is the whole point, which we missed with our 7:45 meal.
       Our trip was just the perfect amount of time. Long enough to feel as if we got away (4 days) but short enough that Sarah wasn't gone too long from her family. I don't know exactly how  long Sarah and I could spend together before we start to get sick of each other but I do know that I never got there in 4 days. It was so amazing to connect with someone who's known me so long, create some new memories, hear about her life and family and to share about mine. We hope that next time, we can bring her little girl, B, and make it a tradition for our families. She's the closest thing I'll ever have to a sister and I am so grateful to have her. There's more to say about this trip but that's enough for now. Enjoy a few photos of the part of our country that has captured my heart.

 The view from our room

 The Devil's Punchbowl

 Yaquina Bay State Park and Lighthouse

 Up in the Lighthouse

 Best veggie tacos. Great margaritas. Long line

 Macaroons at Jade

 Cool double-decker vintage dress shop in Portland

 About to get our cheese on

 If you go to Tillamook, get the 5 for $5 or 3 for $3 scoop deals. A great way to sample.

 Wow. We're a little nuts

 Another view of Depoe Bay Harbor

 That's my bff! Probably "checking in" :)

 Is that a creeper? No, just Sarah.