Check out some of these athletes and sponsors on Ground's Athlete webpage.
Friday, March 30, 2007
The Ground Athlete Team
Providing some of the best technical outerwear in the industry, our friends at Ground have a stellar list of outdoor athletes who wear the gear (for a reason) and promote the Ground Philosophy... differentiate or don't bother!
Check out some of these athletes and sponsors on Ground's Athlete webpage.
Check out some of these athletes and sponsors on Ground's Athlete webpage.
Freestyle Audio MP3 Players
In the "cool outdoor gadget" department, Freestyle Audio Waterproof MP3 players are in the top tier. They're fully submersible up to 10 ft... meaning you can roll in your kayak, snorkel, bail off your wakeboard, fall out of the driftboat, or paddle out for the next set...all while listening to your tunes safely.
We like that idea.
I guess now you can do both at the same time. Why not?
Freestyle Audio Features two models, a 512 MB model and a 1 G model. Both are compact, rugged, lightweight, and fit into a neoprene armband that comes with the player.
Specially engineered waterproof earbuds Neoprene armband USB Cable User Guide Playlist Software (PC only)
Specially engineered waterproof earbuds Waterproof, and completely submersible up to 10 feet Holds and plays up to 350 songs USB Cable, user guide, and playlist software available (PC only) Easily download mp3 files with USB interface Rechargeable battery Up to 40 hours playtime per charge Ultra Lightweight - 35 grams It FLOATS Easy to use control buttons PC/MAC compatible Can be used with supplied waterproof earbuds, or with your favorite headphones
- "Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body." Oliver Wendell Holmes
I guess now you can do both at the same time. Why not?
Freestyle Audio Features two models, a 512 MB model and a 1 G model. Both are compact, rugged, lightweight, and fit into a neoprene armband that comes with the player.
Winner of the National Geographic Adventure Magazine's "Best of Adventure" Gear Award
Included Accessories:
Freestyle Audio 1 GB Waterproof MP3 Player Features:
PC/MAC Requirements:
Waterproof Earbuds Features:
Monday, March 26, 2007
Married at Big Sky
From the Bozeman Daily Chronicle... 3/26/07
Bride, groom say 'I do' on slopes of Big Sky
By MICHAEL BECKER Chronicle Staff Writer
Weddings are not unusual in Big Sky. The natural beauty of the place makes it an ideal setting for ceremonies year-round.So when Matt Dodd and Ashley Hegseth, both instructors at Big Sky Resort, decided to get married on the mountain, no one batted an eye.
That is, until they revealed the rest of the plan.
At about 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Dodd and Hegseth wed while traveling down the mountain, followed by about 30 guests and a minister on skis.
The idea for a moving wedding sprang from frustration. Dodd, a native of Georgia, and Hegseth, who comes from Northern California, had a hard time planning their big day.
"We had no idea how much work planning a wedding would be," Dodd said.
During one exasperated debate about two weeks ago, Hegseth left her fiance alone for an hour. Apparently it was enough time to come up with the idea of a moving wedding, something they had only joked about before.
"I sort of went back and forth on the idea," she said. "I don't want it to be a joke necessarily, but at the same time neither of us have been the kind of people to take things too seriously.
"Dodd said that once the couple's powder-hound friends learned of the idea, it took on a life of its own.
"There are a lot of things that spiraled widely out of control," he said.
The plan was to send the entire wedding party down the Mr. K run, a training slope at Big Sky. The guests would be arranged on either side of an "aisle." Since the bride is a snowboard instructor, her guests rode snowboards, and vice versa for her ski instructor groom.
The minister skied backward to face the crowd. The flower girl, the maid of honor and best man all skied in their own places too. The entire affair was captured by cameramen circulating around the party.
As for attire, they knew right away that tuxedos and a gown were probably out of the question. Dodd wore a black ski jacket and pants, and Hegseth wore a white ski suit with a small skirt. She did hold on to the tradition of a veil, though.
How did their families react to the idea?"Our family on both sides were a little surprised," Dodd said. "Surprise is the best way I can put it."
The Rev. Mike Boucher, who married the couple on Sunday, has known Dodd and Hegseth for four years and said the plan really didn't surprise him.
"Matt has some farfetched ideas that always sound a bit foolish at first to me, but the way he brings these together and he puts so much into these ideas and they always seem to work out in the end," Boucher said.
Boucher, who is also a ski instructor, wore a helmet camera during the ceremony and even built a lectern on skis that accompanied him down the mountain. The lectern housed the PA system and weighed 70 pounds.
"The hard part when we get to some of the steeper parts of the run will be keeping that from running me over," Boucher said Saturday.
Boucher said it was fitting that the couple's wedding would be moving.
"Them moving forward represents them moving toward something greater than each of them individually as they come together," he said.
Hegseth also explained that, given how their relationship has gone, a moving wedding made sense. The couple met while they were both traveling, and Dodd proposed while they were traveling in Las Vegas.
"So it makes sense that we get married while we're traveling," she said."I think we both kind of like to forge our own path," Dodd said. "I think that's one of the reasons we get along so well."
After the wedding, the couple held a reception at the resort for those unable to attend - or keep up with - the ceremony. Hegseth said they have also planned a more traditional ceremony that will take place in California in July.
Bride, groom say 'I do' on slopes of Big Sky
By MICHAEL BECKER Chronicle Staff Writer
Weddings are not unusual in Big Sky. The natural beauty of the place makes it an ideal setting for ceremonies year-round.So when Matt Dodd and Ashley Hegseth, both instructors at Big Sky Resort, decided to get married on the mountain, no one batted an eye.
That is, until they revealed the rest of the plan.
At about 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Dodd and Hegseth wed while traveling down the mountain, followed by about 30 guests and a minister on skis.
The idea for a moving wedding sprang from frustration. Dodd, a native of Georgia, and Hegseth, who comes from Northern California, had a hard time planning their big day.
"We had no idea how much work planning a wedding would be," Dodd said.
During one exasperated debate about two weeks ago, Hegseth left her fiance alone for an hour. Apparently it was enough time to come up with the idea of a moving wedding, something they had only joked about before.
"I sort of went back and forth on the idea," she said. "I don't want it to be a joke necessarily, but at the same time neither of us have been the kind of people to take things too seriously.
"Dodd said that once the couple's powder-hound friends learned of the idea, it took on a life of its own.
"There are a lot of things that spiraled widely out of control," he said.
The plan was to send the entire wedding party down the Mr. K run, a training slope at Big Sky. The guests would be arranged on either side of an "aisle." Since the bride is a snowboard instructor, her guests rode snowboards, and vice versa for her ski instructor groom.
The minister skied backward to face the crowd. The flower girl, the maid of honor and best man all skied in their own places too. The entire affair was captured by cameramen circulating around the party.
As for attire, they knew right away that tuxedos and a gown were probably out of the question. Dodd wore a black ski jacket and pants, and Hegseth wore a white ski suit with a small skirt. She did hold on to the tradition of a veil, though.
How did their families react to the idea?"Our family on both sides were a little surprised," Dodd said. "Surprise is the best way I can put it."
The Rev. Mike Boucher, who married the couple on Sunday, has known Dodd and Hegseth for four years and said the plan really didn't surprise him.
"Matt has some farfetched ideas that always sound a bit foolish at first to me, but the way he brings these together and he puts so much into these ideas and they always seem to work out in the end," Boucher said.
Boucher, who is also a ski instructor, wore a helmet camera during the ceremony and even built a lectern on skis that accompanied him down the mountain. The lectern housed the PA system and weighed 70 pounds.
"The hard part when we get to some of the steeper parts of the run will be keeping that from running me over," Boucher said Saturday.
Boucher said it was fitting that the couple's wedding would be moving.
"Them moving forward represents them moving toward something greater than each of them individually as they come together," he said.
Hegseth also explained that, given how their relationship has gone, a moving wedding made sense. The couple met while they were both traveling, and Dodd proposed while they were traveling in Las Vegas.
"So it makes sense that we get married while we're traveling," she said."I think we both kind of like to forge our own path," Dodd said. "I think that's one of the reasons we get along so well."
After the wedding, the couple held a reception at the resort for those unable to attend - or keep up with - the ceremony. Hegseth said they have also planned a more traditional ceremony that will take place in California in July.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Whale Video
This may be the last of the “look how cool Maui is” posts. I had to put this video up even though the frame skips from time to time and the quality isn’t ideal. It’s very difficult to record on the choppy ocean, but it gives you an idea. Although the breech shot are very similar, they’re all different whales. For some reason they were jumping and fighting each other all over the place. It was incredible to see, and sometimes we were very close to the action. There is one segment of a baby whale that lost its mother. It decided to check our boat out. After calling the Marine Sanctuary a trailing the whale for a while, it met up with its mother again and all was well. Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think!
~Sconnie
~Sconnie
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
First Annual: Montana Beer Festival
That's right, the Monatana Beer Fest is here! I don’t want to seem too excited about this and risk sounding like an alcoholic, but I like good beer, and I like Montana… so I’ll be celebrating two things I like on April 6th. If you read the blog and you’re in the Bozeman area you should seriously consider it. Powderfin will be represented in force. Two of my current favorite breweries will be there, The Bozeman Brewing Company, and Deschutes Brewing. Do I expand my horizons or stick with the brew I know is great? The potential boggles the mind.
Also, there will be more entertainment than the standard “beer drinkers congregated in one place” type of thing. A Johnny Cash tribute band and Broad Comedy Broads means it’ll be a good time… and 10 Foot Tall & 80 Proof (follow the link and check the lead singer Kris Clone’s tunes out).
~Sconnie
*If you’re under 21, I’m sorry but you can’t drink beer here. You’ll have plenty of time later in life to taste the deliciousness of a fine brew (in moderation of course).
New Product - SteriPEN Adventurer
If you've never checked out UV technology as a means to purify drinking water, it's time that you take a look. The SteriPEN will purify 16 ounces of water in 48 seconds...much faster than you can pump it! They've taken the travel and backpacking industries by storm, revolutionizing how water is sterilized. There are a few models on the market, from the Classic SteriPEN, to the SteriPEN Safe Water Pack, which includes a pre-filter and Nalgene Bottle, to the newest SteriPEN Adventurer, the smallest ad lightest of the bunch. There's also a SteriPEN Adventurer Solar Charging Case, allowing you to ensure there's always fresh batteries at hand for the unit.
The SteriPEN Adventurer is half the size of the original SteriPEN. SteriPEN purifies water using Ultraviolet (UV) light. Whether your source is a clear running brook or a hotel tap, SteriPEN™ destroys viruses, bacteria and protozoa including Giardia and Cryptosporidium in seconds. The Safe Water Pack includes 32 oz. wide-mouth water bottle, SteriPEN UV water purifier, Water Bottle Pre-Filter, Pocket-sized User's Guide, and carrying case.
So far we've shipped these items to folks travelling to Nepal, China, Africa, and India. Whether you're going to a place where the water quality is known to be suspect, or just want to avoid "beaver fever" in your local backcountry, the SteriPEN is the way to go!
The SteriPEN Adventurer is half the size of the original SteriPEN. SteriPEN purifies water using Ultraviolet (UV) light. Whether your source is a clear running brook or a hotel tap, SteriPEN™ destroys viruses, bacteria and protozoa including Giardia and Cryptosporidium in seconds. The Safe Water Pack includes 32 oz. wide-mouth water bottle, SteriPEN UV water purifier, Water Bottle Pre-Filter, Pocket-sized User's Guide, and carrying case.So far we've shipped these items to folks travelling to Nepal, China, Africa, and India. Whether you're going to a place where the water quality is known to be suspect, or just want to avoid "beaver fever" in your local backcountry, the SteriPEN is the way to go!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Maui Flower Drop
We have one more day in Maui. Its been a great trip. If you’re like me and can’t really afford to stay at a fancy resort or eat out for every meal, you can still do Maui reasonably inexpensively. With that in mind, anyone who reads this blog or shops at Powderfin should seriously think about it. We went on another whale watch yesterday and the whales were just as active as before. 
We also had a helicopter mission with our host/heli-pilot to do a “flower drop” for a firefighter son’s wedding (sort of a tradition around here). Basically it involved flying above the wedding ceremony and dropping a big bag full of flower petals over the guests. It’s more difficult than it sounds as we were 250ft above and we have to calculate for the wind of the blades and the northerly breeze, but we hit the target. Prior to the flight there was a strict warning not to let go of the bag, or it would get in the tail rotor and we’d all die, or it would fall on the wedding party. Everything went well and I had a death-grip on the bag, so no worries there. 
We’re going to head out for some ocean kayaking today, then pack up, return the rental car (if it starts), and get on a plane to Seattle… then drive to Bozeman. The pics are in a bamboo forest near Hana and from Maui airport pre-flowerdrop.
Cheers,
~Sconnie
We also had a helicopter mission with our host/heli-pilot to do a “flower drop” for a firefighter son’s wedding (sort of a tradition around here). Basically it involved flying above the wedding ceremony and dropping a big bag full of flower petals over the guests. It’s more difficult than it sounds as we were 250ft above and we have to calculate for the wind of the blades and the northerly breeze, but we hit the target. Prior to the flight there was a strict warning not to let go of the bag, or it would get in the tail rotor and we’d all die, or it would fall on the wedding party. Everything went well and I had a death-grip on the bag, so no worries there. We’re going to head out for some ocean kayaking today, then pack up, return the rental car (if it starts), and get on a plane to Seattle… then drive to Bozeman. The pics are in a bamboo forest near Hana and from Maui airport pre-flowerdrop.Cheers,
~Sconnie
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
More from Maui
I’m sunburned in spite of sunscreen, I got my butt kicked body boarding (like a true idiot tourist), and our rental car takes about 10 minutes to get started and has no A/C… but we’re still smiling. Our whale watch and heli-tour were amazing… the pictures below were taken by Abbey’s camera. The humpbacks were breaching all over the place.
~Sconnie
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Maui Dispatch
Hi all. We woke up to gray skies and rain today. In spite of the rain one tends to notice certain things about Hawaiians, and as a result the vacationers. They don’t let the rain get them down. We were talking to a guy who flies heli-tours and just had everyone cancel on him… he wasn’t down about it, he was just riding around in his golf cart talking to people with a big smile on his face. We saw a woman with waist length dreadlocks dyed light blue and elderly woman walking down the street in her yellow string bikini with her golf shoes and golfing gloves, carrying an umbrella. Tonight our hosts (who spoil us ridiculously) are fixing some baked sesame/soy/ginger chicken. We’re starting out with Pipeline Porter from the Kona Brewing Company, surprisingly good and made with coffee. If you get a chance, you should check it out. The scene is a far cry from a Montana winter, but the people have a similar groove.
~Sconnie
~Sconnie
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Boulder River Bows
My friends Eric and Jeremy talked me into getting out of the office yesterday afternoon, as it was 56 degrees and sunny, a welcomed warm-up. It didn't take a ton of convincing, really, since the forcast for the rest of the week is rain and snow. You can always make up work, right?
We headed over to the Boulder River, near McLeod, MT, home of the famous "Road Kill Bar and Grill". I had never been to the Boulder River Valley, so I was pretty pumped to see the river, check out Natural Bridge, and see if we could fool some early season trout.
It's a truly breathtaking area, even after last year's fire which wiped out much of the forest coverage in the area. It will grow back green and beautiful, there's no doubt. In the meantime, you can see the burn, but the river itself is gorgeous, with aqua green colored pools, interesting rock walls, and perfect weed beds for hiding rainbow trout. Natural Bridge was impressive as well, essentially a spot in the river where the water dissapears into a hole and emerges below in a falls, emptying out into a deep pool of cold, emerald water. It's definitely something worth seeing, even in the early season before runoff. At peak runoff levels, it would be an ominous sight.
We started our day with a bang, picking off 2 nice rainbows on beadheads in the first good looking hole. Eric got one on a streamer just down river, so things looked good from the start.
After he picked up a few more as we moved along, we decided streamers were the way to go, and all tied on some yellow ones.
They were ready to eat, that's for sure. I'm wondering if it wasn't the first batch of flies those fish had seen in awhile.
It was pretty windy (not a shocker for March in MT), so we never ended up seeing much surface activity, but the streamer fishing held out from beginning to end.
The dogs were going bonzo of course, which was great. Zeuser had been giving me dirty looks for weeks as I stared at my computer from morning 'til night.
Today he hasn't opened his eyes yet...
Right as we decided it was time to start heading out, I had a string of fly fishing fumbles, typical
to my style. Jeremy was fighting a good one as I hooked up for a double...about 4 feet in front of me before I could land the fish it spit the muddler and darted. Damn. About 3 casts later I hook into another one and broke it off instantaneously. I then cussed at myself as I watch this fish a foot under the surface look at me and try to shake my bug out of his mouth. Grrr... Fumble number 3 was right as we were about to leave. I hooked into a heavy fish, gave him some heat, and as he pretty much doubled over my 6 wt., the thing spit my fly as though there was no hook on it.
I was pissed. It had been a great day anyway, but that's still no way to end it. Then Eric told me to cast toward a tree stump and strip it back. I did, and I caught this guy...
As the photo indicates, I wasn't pissed anymore. We exchanged geeked-out angler high-fives and immediately headed over to the Road Kill for a round. Great way to end an amazing day on the Boulder River.
We headed over to the Boulder River, near McLeod, MT, home of the famous "Road Kill Bar and Grill". I had never been to the Boulder River Valley, so I was pretty pumped to see the river, check out Natural Bridge, and see if we could fool some early season trout.
It's a truly breathtaking area, even after last year's fire which wiped out much of the forest coverage in the area. It will grow back green and beautiful, there's no doubt. In the meantime, you can see the burn, but the river itself is gorgeous, with aqua green colored pools, interesting rock walls, and perfect weed beds for hiding rainbow trout. Natural Bridge was impressive as well, essentially a spot in the river where the water dissapears into a hole and emerges below in a falls, emptying out into a deep pool of cold, emerald water. It's definitely something worth seeing, even in the early season before runoff. At peak runoff levels, it would be an ominous sight.
We started our day with a bang, picking off 2 nice rainbows on beadheads in the first good looking hole. Eric got one on a streamer just down river, so things looked good from the start.After he picked up a few more as we moved along, we decided streamers were the way to go, and all tied on some yellow ones.
They were ready to eat, that's for sure. I'm wondering if it wasn't the first batch of flies those fish had seen in awhile.
It was pretty windy (not a shocker for March in MT), so we never ended up seeing much surface activity, but the streamer fishing held out from beginning to end.
The dogs were going bonzo of course, which was great. Zeuser had been giving me dirty looks for weeks as I stared at my computer from morning 'til night.Today he hasn't opened his eyes yet...
Right as we decided it was time to start heading out, I had a string of fly fishing fumbles, typical
to my style. Jeremy was fighting a good one as I hooked up for a double...about 4 feet in front of me before I could land the fish it spit the muddler and darted. Damn. About 3 casts later I hook into another one and broke it off instantaneously. I then cussed at myself as I watch this fish a foot under the surface look at me and try to shake my bug out of his mouth. Grrr... Fumble number 3 was right as we were about to leave. I hooked into a heavy fish, gave him some heat, and as he pretty much doubled over my 6 wt., the thing spit my fly as though there was no hook on it.I was pissed. It had been a great day anyway, but that's still no way to end it. Then Eric told me to cast toward a tree stump and strip it back. I did, and I caught this guy...
As the photo indicates, I wasn't pissed anymore. We exchanged geeked-out angler high-fives and immediately headed over to the Road Kill for a round. Great way to end an amazing day on the Boulder River.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Frazier Basin Backcountry Skiing w/ Video
Hi all,
We were up in the Frazier Basin area again last weekend backcountry skiing. I had a few friends down from Missoula... the type of people who make any day skiing a great day, even with bad snow. The avalanche danger was significant as indicated by the Gallatin Avalanche Center. We also dug a few snow pits and our test gave us cause for concern. We ended up skiing a couple of tame slopes. Two of the guys managed to break their poles during falls on the variable snow pack. Someone once said, “ski equipment is highly expensive disposable goods, get used to it”… when I was lamenting about a core shot in my new skis earlier this season.
In Frazier Lake Basin itself, we had noticed an avalanche crow from the trail head miles away. We decided to check it out by breaking trail up to the saddle dividing Frazier from the basin to the north that we had been skiing. The avalanche was huge, by far the biggest I had ever seen. The debris field bottomed out our probes and there downed trees all over. You can take a look at the avalanche center website by following the link and clicking on the Youtube video of Frazier: http://www.mtavalanche.com/data/Mar62007.shtml
Below is a video of our debauchery. We’re rating this video PG for language and goofy scenes.
~Sconnie
We were up in the Frazier Basin area again last weekend backcountry skiing. I had a few friends down from Missoula... the type of people who make any day skiing a great day, even with bad snow. The avalanche danger was significant as indicated by the Gallatin Avalanche Center. We also dug a few snow pits and our test gave us cause for concern. We ended up skiing a couple of tame slopes. Two of the guys managed to break their poles during falls on the variable snow pack. Someone once said, “ski equipment is highly expensive disposable goods, get used to it”… when I was lamenting about a core shot in my new skis earlier this season.
In Frazier Lake Basin itself, we had noticed an avalanche crow from the trail head miles away. We decided to check it out by breaking trail up to the saddle dividing Frazier from the basin to the north that we had been skiing. The avalanche was huge, by far the biggest I had ever seen. The debris field bottomed out our probes and there downed trees all over. You can take a look at the avalanche center website by following the link and clicking on the Youtube video of Frazier: http://www.mtavalanche.com/data/Mar62007.shtml
Below is a video of our debauchery. We’re rating this video PG for language and goofy scenes.
~Sconnie
Monday, March 05, 2007
Saturday, March 03, 2007
The Head of Pfin
Hi all,
Some bosses are all talk. Heads of companies are often guys who like to BS at the country club and have no idea how their company is functioning. Thankfully, Powderfin has a leader who uses the stuff we sell, and for a snowboarder, can get down a mountain pretty well. Here is a brief compilation of Jay and Zeus for those who want to make sure they’re not buying from a gaper/stuffy exec.
Sconnie
Some bosses are all talk. Heads of companies are often guys who like to BS at the country club and have no idea how their company is functioning. Thankfully, Powderfin has a leader who uses the stuff we sell, and for a snowboarder, can get down a mountain pretty well. Here is a brief compilation of Jay and Zeus for those who want to make sure they’re not buying from a gaper/stuffy exec.
Sconnie
Friday, March 02, 2007
The Cold Smoke
Wow...
I don't think there was a retail position filled in Bozeman, MT. yesterday. 35 inches of light, fluffy snow in 24 hours...and all the area boys and girls rushed up to the hill to enjoy it.
Including those of us here at powderfin.com...we live here for a reason, right?
Bottomless snow, chest high places. Face shots every line, all day. It was dreamy. A great introduction to March!
Check out Bridger Bowl's Daily Video!
Tagged: Powderfin, outdoor gear, bridger bowl, backcountry skiing, snowboarding, bozeman, montana,powderfin.com
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