Devil's Backbone 50 & 25 Miler

Just got back from the Devil's Backbone race this weekend in the Gallatin Mountains. It was a gorgeous weekend with absolutely perfect weather. Warm at the trailhead and nice and cool up top.

Congrats to all the racers who endured this punishing race and thanks to race directors Tom and Liz for all the hard work pulling this year's race together! This is truly a grassroots event of monumental proportions (50 miles to be exact).

Northern Lights is proud to be a sponsor of this and other great events in Bozeman. Racers: if you were (un)lucky enough for me to capture you on film, please click over to our flikr page

and see a sampling of the photos I got from the race. If you would like a full-resolution photo, please email me at matt@northernlightstrading.com

Mike Garcia's Full Length River Safety Video

River Safety with Mike Garcia from Matt Parsons on Vimeo.

High Water River Safety from Mike Garcia

Mike Garcia gives KTVM a quick river safety lesson.

"I think we all hurry to our recreation and in the water I think that's a little problematic, so you want to make sure you are properly prepared for anything the river throws at you. As the river rises and gets to historic highs it picks up all the debris, new trees fall in the river...that type of floating debris is a real big danger in the river, you want to stay away from wood at all costs", Garcia said.  "To stay safe you need a properly equipped boat, a properly equipped body and always check the water levels before you leave."

Mike's checklist for river safety:

1. Life jacket, life jacket, life jacket!
2. Helmet
3. Throw bags for each person on the boat
4. Float bags
5. Dry bags with warm, dry, synthetic clothes. (Leave the cotton in the car!) You should also have some food, energy bars, etc in there.
6. Dry top & bottoms
7. Fleece top & pants
8. Neoprene booties & gloves
9. Rescue knife
10. A paddling parnter

For more info on river levels, visit http://mt.water.usgs.gov/

The Barn's Annual Boat Swap

The 2011 Boat Swap is May 7th! Get out your boating gear and see what you want to sell and what you need to buy! The Barn will have a bunch of boating gear on sale as well. This is THE annual event for unloading and reloading your boating quiver. Call 585-2090 for details.

For the 2013 Boat Swap click here!

Electric Peak Ski - April 29, 2011

Amazing day. Highly recommended ski if you've got all day to enjoy it. Spectacular views on top!

Lynn Hill in Bozeman

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=196454780387470

Bridger Bowl Pow Day

"Ski Demo" with our G3/La Sportiva Rep, Vince Close, at Bridger Bowl.

Whale T's Finally Here!

$5 from each T-Shirt will go to Bozeman Eagle Mount!  Men's & Women's Styles available.  Congrats again to our contest winner, Lawson Maclean.  Get yours today at Northern Lights or Barrel Mountaineering!

Art Contest Winners Announced!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the art contest. We had an overwhelming response and had votes coming in from as far away as London, England! Look for the winning design "Salute the Whale" on a t-shirt coming soon to Northern Lights.

1st Place:  Salute the Whale by Lawson Maclean

2nd Place:  Mount Blackmore by Jim Harris

3rd Place:  Bridger Chair by John Canfield

Email Your Votes!

Vote for your favorite artist! Click the link to the right and send us an email. Simply give us the name of the artist who's design you like best. Please, only one vote per person. Don't have an email account? You can also vote with a paper ballot at Northern Lights (1716 W Babcock) during regular business hours. Look for the poster in the store, pick your favorite artist and write them in. Voting ends October 15th.

Hyalite Weather Station

The Friends of the Avalanche Center has purchased the weather station on Flanders Mountain to ensure its continued use. As most of you know, weather in Hyalite can be dramatically different than in town. So check out the link near the bottom of the page before you head out to hike, ski or climb ice.

And don't forget to thank the FAC for making this all possible. You can do that by showing up at the Friends of the Avalanche Center's Annual Powderblast fundraiser - Friday, October 22nd in the Emerson ballroom. Tickets will be available soon at Northern Lights. Music, food and beer - almost as good as the skiing in Hyalite!

Journey Through the Arctic Refuge

Kit Des Lauriers joins The North Face and Northern Lights at The Emerson to present the story of her journey through the Brooks Range of Alaska, towing sleds through polar bear country and skiing some of the most impressive peaks in Alaska.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 @ 7pm

The Emerson
Tickets are FREE at TheNorthFace.com

OR join us for a special meet and greet with Kit, complete with beer, wine and light food.  This VIP Party begins at 6pm in the Weaver Room at the Emerson and includes a preferred seat at the show.  Tickets for the VIP Party are $20 and 100% of the proceeds support the Hans Saari Memorial Fund.  Click here for tickets.

Tour de Hyalite 2010

2010 Tour de Hyalite - Bozeman

It is that time again.... Time to run to the top of Hyalite Peak (and back down) then do some climbing. The Tour de Hyalite will be held on September 25th this year. Registration begins at 8:00am and the event will start at 9:00am. We are doing a suggested donation of $25 for SMCC members and $35 for non-SMCC members (includes t-shirt, raffle prizes, and food). The Nova Cafe has generously donated their space for the after party (6:00pm).

The Quick Run Down:

8:00am - Registration begins
$25 SMCC members
$35 non-SMCC members
9:00am - Event begins
6:00pm - After party at the Nova

REEL ROCK Bozeman

Friday, September 17, 2010 
7pm @ The Emerson!
Don't miss this year's REEL ROCK Tour.  A measly $10 gets you through the door and opens your eyes to a world of crazy people pushing the limits of ice, rock and alpine climbing.  All your buddies will be there!  Don't wait and watch it on your laptop.  Experience the sights, sounds and the smells of 300 climbers stuffed into the Emerson drooling over routes you could only imagine in your wildest dreams.

Watch the trailer, buy a ticket and prepare to be on the edge of your seat!



Tickets are $10 at Northern Lights or Barrel Mountaineering, $12 at the door. Doors open at 6:30pm, so get there early and snag a good seat!

Bridger Ridge Run

Check out our forum for Ridge Runners, fans and the curious.  Read the story of one Ridge Runner here.  Post your comments and let us know how YOUR Ridge Run went.

This year's race was rainy, but overall fairly warm.  The rain, mud and fog affected many runners, including some of the top ten finishers.  Share your story with us.

View the full results of this year's race here.

Mike Garcia Back at Northern Lights!

Northern Lights Trading Company has new owners. Mike Garcia, founder of Northern Lights, and a partner recently purchased the company back from Jay Allen. The purchase agreement includes all three Northern Lights locations in Bozeman, including Barrel Mountaineering and the e-commerce site, NorthernLightsTrading.com.
“I’m excited to be back with Northern Lights,” Garcia said. Since founding the company in 1979, Garcia grew the company into one of the Northwest’s premier outdoor retail companies...

Read more at NorthernLightsTrading.com

Old Gabe 25/50K

The Old Gabe brought out over 90 racers this weekend for the 25 and 50K. Conditions were ideal for this grueling race, with a cool morning and a warm, dry finish. Although the runners weren't exactly dry, with plenty of stream crossings, mud and lingering snow at higher elevations. Full race results can be found here. Congratulations to everyone who finished or even attempted the most difficult 50k in the country!

Rausch/Volkening Conquer Mooses Tooth, AK

Loren Rausch just recently returned to Bozeman from his trip to the Ruth Glacier, Alaska. He and Kevin Volkening finished their second attempt of the Mooses Tooth. Congrats guys!
The photo to the left is of Kevin Volkening on the last pitch of the Tooth, photo by Loren Rausch.
Read Loren's blog here: http://www.yerbaman.blogspot.com/

Summer is Here!

Summer is Here! Or is it? All I know is that it's getting warmer and people are getting out, even as the rain pelts our newly-tanned skin. What are you doing outside these days? Is it kayaking, climbing, hiking, or seeking out those ribbons of snow? We want to hear your stories!

Welcome to Northern Lights Blog!

This is a community forum for all things outdoor. We are planning big things for our blog, so stay tuned and let us know what you're up to.

Our blog is only as good as the folks that participate in our discussions. So, please, visit often. Put your blogging helmets on and get ready to launch...into the Blogosphere we go!