Hi, I'm Luke
I moved to Truckee from Santa Cruz last summer and I'm excited to be back in the mountains. I have passions in trail running, climbing, and backcountry skiing and am stoked to be part of the Alpenglow family. You’ll find me at the shop helping on the floor and running trails with our Mountain Running Club.
My Story:
I found my way to Truckee for the most wonderful reason - to be with my partner, Kaela and to be back in the mountains. I grew up in Murphys which is right in between Tahoe and Yosemite. The beauty of Tahoe and the areas surrounding it quickly captured my heart.
Before my time at Alpenglow I worked in the Bay Area as a clinical exercise physiologist working in corporate wellness. My journey to Alpenglow was shaped by years of being immersed in outdoor pursuits on my weekends and the desire to be a part of the mountain community in Tahoe.
I love the outdoors and it was instilled in me by my family and friends who share a lot of my passions. Whether it was peak bagging with my Dad on Ebbetts Pass or running a 100k section of the PCT with friends, these experiences left an indelible mark on my soul.
Currently, my primary focus revolves around trail running. I've been on a mission to push my limits, striving for both speed and endurance on the trails. I have participated in some long runs/races in the area and know I can push it further and I'm so stoked to be in one of the best areas to train. In addition to my love for trail running, I’m equally passionate about backcountry skiing and super excited to be learning how to skate ski this year.
"I'm super happy to be here and to be fully immersed in the outdoor world. Whether its the thrill of a steep descent or the tranquility of a mountain trail, I can't wait to share these passions with you."
My Top 3:
Dynafit Radical Pro
I thought having great walkability meant that I wouldn't have as good rideability. This boot changed my mind. The Hoji lock system is insane, so insane you could go to a step aerobics class wearing these bad boys. The Rad Pro is one of our wider lasts in the shop and it definitely helps accommodate my hobbit feet.
ATK Freeraider 15
Last winter I switched to using the Freeraider and have been absolutely loving it. It's easy to transition from tour to ski and vice versa. They are lightweight and give me an advantage to somewhat keep up with Dostie on the uphill. I went with using freeride spacers which allows for great load transfer to the ski.
BCA Tracker 4
One of the easiest beacons I’ve ever used. It has a very simple layout with the search/transmit toggles, the screen is extremely bright, and the audio is extremely loud which I find helpful. I haven't needed to use it in a rescue situation (knock on wood) but in my mock searches it performed quickly. It can be a little more difficult once you have more than two burials, so you do need to know how to use the display and understand the symbols that will come up in that situation.
More top picks:
Black Diamond Traverse Pro Pole
I’ve been using these poles for quite a while. They’re great in the winter and in the summer. During the summer, I’ll remove the baskets and I'll use them to stand up my ultralight tent. During the winter you can use and abuse them and they will last. They have a nice rubber lip that can help flip your touring risers.
Atomic Redster S9 Gen S
I’ve been learning how to skate ski and the Gen S has been really accommodating. They have a wide sidecut in the tip and tail with the waist being the narrower part of the ski, it really helped with staying balanced throughout the learning process. Though I haven't been able to test how fast I can go (still getting passed by snowshoers) I can say it is giving me an opportunity to work on form and balance.
Hestra Wakayama
My palms are sweaty but my knees aren’t weak. My hands tend to run towards the warmer side and the nice thing is that these gloves have a removable wool liner that you can throw in the wash. I use these for longer and medium cold days and they hold up well with consistent use.
My secret weapons:
Garmin inReach Mini 2
I carry this on long runs and tours. It's great being able to communicate with loved ones and letting them know you’re running a little late. When I’m not doing either of those things it lives in my car incase of emergencies.
Sidas Dryer Bags
The dryer bags are nose savers. Throwing these into your boots post tour or ride. It makes your liners.. and your car smell like a fresh cedar forest. They themselve don't fully dry your boots overnight so it's still wise to take the liners out and put them in a warm dry environment. It really helps your liners not become a garbage disposal of smells.
Julbo Density
The Julbo Density with a Reactiv 1-3 High Contrast lens are my primary glasses for trail running. They are super light, you can barely tell they are there and the way the lens transitions when I move from a sunny trail to a forested section allows for perfect foot placement.
Ultratrail FX.One
I originally didn't have the Superlite version of these poles until recently and it was a drastic change. I didn't realize dropping around 50g in weight would have an impact on how sore my arms and chest would get, but it was well worth it. I’ve used these in the Tahoe 200 and UTMB: TDS and they’ve carried me to the finish line. The shark frame strap system is extremely helpful when hitting aid stations, you can easily disconnect from the pole and grab the items in your drop bag.
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