POWDERFIN.COM Memorial Day Sale

Clearwater River Cruise

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to check out a river here in Montana that was new to me. I travelled up to Missoula and met a friend who had some visitors in town from Greenville, South Carolina. We decided to rent a raft and head up to the Clearwater River, which feeds into the Blackfoot due East of Missoula.


We put in at Salmon Lake and rowed through it to the mouth of the river...luckily the wind was at our backs, or it would have been a looooooooooong day. It's a gorgeous lake, with some pretty impressive houses on it. Not exactly in the backcountry, but beautiful all the same. The river sections of the float between 3 different lakes were a lot of fun to row through, featuring some mild whitewater that bumped us around enough to soak the girls...making the rest of the trip a bit cold in the Montana spring wind.


Luckily, everyone on board retained great attitudes, including the dogs, Zeus and Cody. Our friends from SC, Lagare and Hunter enjoyed being on the river, and we all got to see a new section of Montana by raft...always a nice thing. Hunter (above) has a pretty cool gig going at home, where he started a website called www.whatsgoinongreenville.com... it's still under construction, but stay tuned to see how it develops.



After a day on the river in the wind and sun, there's nothing like a good meal at the campsite to re-fuel. On this particular night we dined on some Tenderloin Steaks cooked in butter and some instant mashers. It didn't suck.


We didn't do much fishing on this trip, mostly just sightseeing and hanging out. However, the water is gin clear while most other rivers are muddy right now, and I hear there's some Northern Pike in the upper stretches. Next time I'll be slingin' Yellow Bunny Strips and we'll see what happens

Yellowstone and Teton Adventure

Hello all,

If you’re lucky enough to live in Bozeman, you can make a trip down through Yellowstone and Teton in a day or two (more if you want to really get away). Abbey and I headed down on Saturday for our annual Spring hiking and picture taking adventure. If you make it down to Teton be sure to drive to the South Jenny Lake parking lot and do the hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. I think it was about 5 miles with a few detours. Spring is awesome because the animals are active and there is much less tourist traffic to deal with. Our longest wait was a heard of buffalo hanging out near the west entrance to Yellowstone. Abbey just got the Joby SLR Zoom Tripod and loves it.
Cheers

Tagged: Powderfin, Outdoors, Outdoor Gear, Yellowstone National Park, Teton National Park, Joby Tripods, Bozeman, Montana

In honor of Mother’s Day…

Wrinkle Neck Mules… what you’ve been missing

Let me start by saying I’m not a “country” fan, at least not by today’s standards. In fact I avoid most new popular country music like the plague. However, every now and then I find a bluegrass, jam-band, or down-home-country group that I can’t get enough of. I can’t even remember how I stumbled upon Wrinkle Neck Mules, but Wow. It’s music that represents Montana so well its ridiculous… and they’re from Virginia. Anyway, here is what I want you to do…

1. When you’re winding down after a hard day’s work or play with a beverage in your hand. Go to their My Space page.

2. First, click on the song “Push the Pedal” and listen to the whole thing (maybe 2 or 3 times).

3. Then, when you’ve gotten the vibe, click on "Sugar and Sunshine" and enjoy.

Ok, now that you get the idea and you’ve downloaded them from iTunes, or bought the CD. There are a few other tracks to check out as ranked by my favorites… “Minor Enough”… “Liza”… “San Gabriel”… “No Consolation”… and a few more that escape memory right now.

For more… here is their home page.

Tagged: Powderfin, Outdoors, Outdoor Gear, Wrinkle Neck Mules, Moboogie.com, Country Music, Bozeman, Montana

The Mighty Mo

As you can see from our kayaking/rafting posts, many of the rivers here in Southwestern Montana are pretty blown out right now, as runoff is in full swing. In order to try to find some trout in a period of high-water, my friends Jason, Jeremy and I decided to meet up with our guide buddies Zandy and Trevor over on the Missouri. They had just moved back to the area for the season, but didn't have any trips booked quite yet, so we thought we'd pay them a visit from Bozeman. Our ol' pal from Missoula, Jessica Hazzard Jones, brought her dog Ruby to round out the crew. We stayed over by the little town of Craig, and it proved to be an excellent place to kick off the summer here in Montana. The sun was high and bright, the wind surprisingly calm, and the fish were lookin' up!


Saturday (Cinco de Mayo) ended up being more of a booze cruise than anything else, but we loved every minute of it...caught a few fish on nymphs, then just played music and drank wine on our journey back down to Craig...(read - Local Joe's Bar). It was a hell of a float, and as shown below, Hazzard showed us how they do it over in Missoulatown.

1)
2)
Yep, that pretty much sums up Saturday. Sunday was a different deal, we were lucky enough to have Zandy and Trevor row us on their home water. They didn't dissapoint, getting us into a few beautiful rainbows and more than a few hungry, fiesty, gorgeous browns. Jessica caught her first trout on a dry, thanks to Zandy's instruction. Trevor gave me ample opportunities to poke sipping browns, a few of which I flailed on, but stuck enough to make my wrist ache by the end of it. All in all, we had an amazing day. One hightlight was a brown that jumped 3 or 4 feet out of the water after being hooked, something we rarely see. We caught several nice browns on dries that day...none of which were small.



It was the first weekend that we realized... "nice, the winter's really over". That's a great feeling when you live in Montana, and we're all psyched to have finally rounded the corner.

If anyone's interested in fishing the Missouri River with a seasoned guide, give these guys a call and they'll put you on fish.

Zandy Zechella (706) 614-0780 - Trevor Madden (406) 459-9221

Zandy has a new Montana Fly Fishing Guides website. Check it out to book a trip.

Crazy Creek now available at Powderfin.com

Today at Powderfin.com, we're proud to announce the launch of Crazy Creek Camping Chairs, a staple in the outdoor industry for 20 years. Located in Red Lodge, MT, we're excited to do business with another Montana company, especially one with such useful and innovative products such as Crazy Creek.
Below you'll find out more about the company, as well as some links to get you to the various new product categories we've added. Feel free to contact us with product questions!

The Crazy Creek Story

The idea for the Original Crazy Creek Chair came out of the rigors of a season teaching at Outward Bound. While appreciating a Spartan approach, Rob Hart (founder/owner) also wanted a "warm, dry butt and something comfortable to lean against" after a long day in the mountains.

So, in 1987, Rob adapted an old wooden canoe-chair design and updated it with high-tech materials. The rest is history - - the Chair has become a legend as one of the most inventive and versatile products on the planet.

Crazy Creek Chairs have revolutionized lightweight, portable sitting comfort - - wherever you are, whatever you're doing!

Outside Magazine wrote: "Our verdict was unanimous: the Chair is the greatest invention in camp comfort since the foam sleeping pad."

And the Chair has been proven by leading outdoors people throughout the world in every tough condition imaginable - - from the North to South Poles and from the Himalayas to Patagonia. Whether you're going for a day hike or to the stadium, out for a picnic or lounging at home, Crazy Creek has a chair designed just for you.

All Crazy Creek chairs feature innovative designs and meticulous attention to materials and workmanship.

Look through our products here on our website to learn more. And remember - - Don't Just Do Something . . . Sit There!

• Need a backpack chair for hiking or backpacking? Check out the Crazy Creek Adventurer Line

• Want Air Cushioned seating comfort? Try the Crazy Creek Air Line

• Need Kayak or Canoe Seats? Look at our Crazy Creek Canoe and Kayak Seats

• Camping Chairs for RVing or car camping? the Crazy Creek Crazy Legs Camping Chairs

• Watching the game at the stadium or field? Check out the Crazy Creek Stadium Seats

• Need the perfect lightweight tarp or hammock? We have 'em! Crazy Creek Tarps and Cribs

Beartrap Canyon Rafting/Kayaking

Hello!
Sunday was a great time in Beartrap Canyon. You know something crazy is going to happen when there is a raft with 3 foreign exchange students. The only major rapid at 1800 cfs was Kitchen Sink, a class IV shown in the video. It’s not a good place to swim because rescue is pretty difficult until the swimmer reaches calm water at the bottom of the rapid. Mica, the German exchange student and one of the strongest paddlers, got tossed at the beginning. She swam the majority of it before I was able to pull her out. A little shaken up, but still smiling! Other rapids like Green Wave and Kicking Horse were fun wave trains. As a whole, it was a great time with the sun shinning and good/goofy company. Rafting and kayaking at it finest.

Tagged: Powderfin, Outdoors, Outdoor Gear, Beartrap Canyon, Madison River, Kayaking, Bozeman, Montana

The Way We Roll

The Friends of Powderfin are at it again. We’ve been running the Gally for the last couple of weeks and yesterday was both the coldest run and the only time we convinced someone to take pictures and video of us. The Gallatin was running at 1,800 cfs… last year it got up to 4,500 and my knees get weak just thinking about it. Will it get that high again?

Tagged: Powderfin, Outdoors, Outdoor Gear, Gallatin River, Kayaking, Kayaking Video, Bozeman, Montana

The Gally Rising

It looks like spring runoff is here. I was on the Gallatin Wednesday evening at 2000 cfs and it was great to be back on my home river, it’s a lot like seeing an old friend. Last year the Gally reached about 4500cfs and was incredible ride. If you’re ever in the Bozeman area and get a chance to paddle the Gally at high flows you'll know what I mean. At this flow, I’d say the majority of the run fell into the class III+ range. Higher and it gets to be a solid class IV. All went well; with some fun play spots and one sort of beat down in a retentive hole, but I made it out ok. If you ever have any questions about paddling in the Bozeman Area, let me know. For those who haven’t decided to leap into kayaking, rafting the House Rock section of the river is also a great experience and there are a few excellent raft companies to choose from. I'm going to try to get out on Friday and hopefully I have some photos or video for ya!

Tagged: Powderfin, Outdoors, Outdoor Gear, Spring Runoff, Montana Kayaking, Gallatin river, Bozeman, Montana

Mt. Blackmore Backcountry Spring Skiing

Hi all,

In Montana seasons tend to blend together. Right now, we have a true Bozeman classic going on; Skiing and Kayaking at the same time. Does it get any better? This video is of Mt. Blackmore, a 10,154ft peak south of town. It was 75 degrees and we were skiing in our shorts and t-shirts most of the time. The warmth made it a beautiful day and difficult skiing. Of course, with the friends of Pfin things can get a little crazy, but they’re always fun.

Tagged: Powderfin, Outdoors, Outdoor Gear, Mt. Blackmore, Backcountry Skiing, Hyalite, Bozeman, Montana

Organic Brew and Bike Parts (as random as it sounds)

Beer: Perhaps it’s not as urgent as decreasing our gas consumption or finding cures for major diseases (although some would argue that beer and coffee make living on this planet much more enjoyable), but organic beer is growing in an important way. Thanks in part to the increasing awareness of organic and fair-trade coffee and other goods, brewers and enthusiasts are beginning to take note (our thanks again to Cafe Evoke).

I’ve only had the privilege of a single bottle of organic homebrew, but it was delicious. Tasting a finely crafted beer, and having made my own pathetic (read: tastes like vomit) attempt at home brewing, gave me an appreciation of the intricacies of a well done small-batch. If you get a chance to taste one, or you're thinking of going the home brew route yourself, I recommend going organic. It’s how beer was meant to be.
**Disclaimer: If you're under 21 don't drink, ok.
Interesting Links: BrewOrganic.com & The National Organic Program



Bikes: I love my mountain bike and use it every chance I get. Hey we’re in Rockies. I’ve also considered trying out road biking, although I may leave that until I’m too decrepit to get up a mountain on a dirt trail. With that said, my friends and I ride hard and we break bike parts with curious frequency. Usually this happens when we are at the farthest point from the car, and getting back involves some sort of improvised rigging with duct-tape and tree branches. Our local bike shops swap out the broken part(s) and we’re back out there in no time. But where does that broken part go? Here are a few ideas… http://www.resourcerevival.com/. I received a picture frame and the original model bottle opener for Christmas (Thanks Family!). Unique, functional, and the opener does a great job on your favorite post-ride beverage or organic homebrew. Recycled bike parts make cool gifts (no they didn't pay me to say that).

~Billy

Tagged: Powderfin, Outdoors, Outdoor Gear, Organic Beer, Fair Trade Coffee, Café Evoke, Bozeman, Montana

European Vacation Pfin Style

We love getting adventure pictures, especially when they involve us in someway. The shirts have been really popular (cool logo and all) and people are digging the Pfin vibe. Lets see who can send the craziest/most exotic/ intereting Powderfin related picture! Here are a few from the Sean, Katie, Jess on their European vacation. Also a good illustration of how the Powderfin Shirts look and fit.

Thanks Ya’ll!

~Sconnie


Also, Powderfin Stickers are in. If you'd like a few, drop us an email letting us know you'd like some stickers (while supplies last of course). Include your address. cs@powderfin.com.

Tagged: Powderfin, Outdoors River, Outdoor Gear, Picture Contest, Gallatin River, Bozeman, Montana

The Lochsa

Last weekend I managed to get to the Lochsa for the first time. What a river! Located on the Idaho side of Lolo Pass, only 2 hours away from Missoula by a ’78 Mercedes Diesel lays one of the neatest places in the western US. The forest is old, and the Lochsa runs down a canyon covered in mossy rock. The road runs by the entire length of the kayaking portion of the river, but doesn’t spoil it at all.

The water was crystal clear and freezing cold from the spring runoff. I was a little bit worried about being on a new river for the first run of the season, but the Lochsa allows a paddler to shake off the rust with a few easier class III before building up intensity to later class IV rapids. It was around 4,000 cfs the whole weekend, which is considered medium-low, and allowed some recuperation time between rapids. According to a few of the old-timers we paddled with, at flows over 10,000 cfs things really start to get interesting. The water gets fast, the rapids all run into each other, and the tales of carnage begin to fly.

The lower level made it a great “get to know the Lochsa” trip without causing any ulcers. I’ll be back when the water gets higher, hopefully with pictures next time!
~Sconnie

Tagged: Powderfin, Lochsa River, Kayaking, Fly Fishing, Gallatin River, Bozeman, Montana,Lochsa River

Spring Runoff Countdown...

Spring Runoff is a highly anticipated event in the Rockies. This marks the beginning off the rafting and kayaking season. The water levels rise in the rivers, making the water faster, bigger, and more fun. In Bozeman, we’re lucky enough to have access to incredible whitewater within a reasonable drive. The Gallatin, Madison, and Yellowstone Rivers offer great kayaking for nearly every level of paddler during this time.

For more info on Bozeman area rivers click here. For more on rivers in your area click here. The river links provide some description as well as pictures and movies. This is also handy information for fly-fishermen who buy from Powderfin!

As with the ski season, I prep myself by watching movies of guys doing lines I would never take, Hucking like I would never dream, and I look though last years pictures and think of my goals this year.

My 3rd year kayaking goals are…
1. Many trips down Bear Trap Canyon (Madison River)
2. Get on the Lochsa for my first time
3. First try at real creek boating (Hyalite?)
4. Alberton Gorge at high water.
5. Run the Swan?

I’ll keep you updated on my progress and beat-downs as they occur.

Happy Paddling,

~Sconnie
(the picture above is Mrs. Bubbles on the Yellowstone, when she’s perfect. After that… a Wavesport Z and a Piranha Sub 7 inside the Buick, and they said it coudn't be done… ha!)

Tagged: Powderfin, Lochsa River, Kayaking, Fly Fishing, Gallatin River, Bozeman, Montana,Madison River

Mountain-Link International Expeditions

Friends of Mountain-Link Special Gear Offer

Mountain-Link's sponsor, Ground, LLC has teamed up with Powderfin.com to offer a 40% discount on signature items. To view details about the promotion, click here. Please call 1-800-986-8656 with any questions, we'll be happy to help!

Select Ground products are endorsed by Mountain-Link, a premier international mountaineering guide service offering instructional seminars, guided climbs and expeditions.

For more information on Mountain-Link, please click on the logo.

For a limited time, we're giving away FREE Powderfin.com Logo tees with all orders over $100.00!

Just tell us what size you'd like at checkout, and we'll include the tee-shirt with your order.

Live To Ski Another Day

If you’re traveling west on I-90 toward Montana, you’ll see a lot of flat expanses, few trees, and sunflower and wheat fields… until you reach the Crazy Mountains. They’re your first encounter with the Rockies, and they jut out of the farm and ranch land like they’ve been misplaced by God. There is no build-up, they just appear. Also, they’re incredible.

We decided to ski there Saturday by climbing up the Big Timber Creek Drainage, and into the heart of the relatively small range. Big Timber Creek was a draw both for the skiing and to get an idea of the kayaking in the near future. It’s a sacred place that many class 5 kayakers (which I’m not… yet) look on with a mix of fondness and great respect, and like the mountains it’s impressive. There are some videos of kayakers running it on American Whitewater.

Our journey took us past the meat of the creek and up the eastern ridge. While making our way up, conditions quickly changes as the snow reacted to the increasing temperatures. The freeze/thaw cycle had consolidated the first 2.5 feet of the snow, but left a week layer about 6 inches deep right near the bottom to bear the load. Our tests gave some cause for concern, and similar slopes showed wet snow point-releases. We decided to retreat from the possibility of a wet slide after 4 hours of skiing and climbing. Live to ski another day.
~Sconnie

Tagged: Powderfin, Outdoor Gear, Backcountry Skiing, Big Timber, Crazy Mountains, bozeman, montana,Alpine Touring

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.

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.

"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:

Specially engineered waterproof earbuds

Neoprene armband

USB Cable

User Guide

Playlist Software (PC only)

Freestyle Audio 1 GB Waterproof MP3 Player Features:

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

PC/MAC Requirements:

Windows ME/2000/XP/98

Intel Pentium II 300mhz or above

128MB Ram minumum

USB port

Mac OS 9.6 and above

Waterproof Earbuds Features:

Waterproof, fully submersible up to 10 ft.

Form fitting, sizeable earplugs designed to keep sound in and water out

Adjustable over-ear wraps hold headphones in place

Ultra lightweight; locking synch keeps wires out of your way

Compatible with all standard 3.5mm audio jacks

Pair with Freestyle Audio’s waterproof mp3 player for optimal waterproof sound

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.

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

Tagged: Powderfin, Maui, Humpback Whales, Whale Video, Lahaina, bozeman, montana,Outdoor Gear

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).

Tagged: Powderfin, Montana Beer Fest, Broad Comedy, Johnny Cash, Bozeman Brewing Company, Bozeman, Montana,10 Foot Tall & 80 Proof

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!

Tagged: Powderfin, Steripen, Water Purifier, Safe Water, Backpacking Purifier, bozeman, montana,UV Purifier

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

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

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

Tagged: powderfin.com, maui, outdoor gear, internet retail, vacation, bozeman, montana

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.

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

Tagged: Powderfin, outdoor gear, frazier basin, backcountry skiing, avalanche, bozeman, montana,powderfin.com

Ski Jacket Sale

Tagged: Powderfin, outdoor gear, ski jacket, ski sale, winter jacket, bozeman, montana,powderfin.com

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

Tagged: Powderfin, outdoor gear, bridger bowl, backcountry skiing, snowboarding, bozeman, montana,powderfin.com

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