Alpenglow Sports' Gift Guide
This holiday season, let Alpenglow Sports guide you to the best gifts for your loved ones. Shop quick hits or go deeper with Men's and Women's Gift Guides.
Quick Hits:
Women's Gift Guide
Janice, Stef, Tracy, and Molly curated a women's specific Gift Guide for snow sports enthusiasts.
I have been working here at Alpenglow for close to 8 years. Besides helping customers on the floor I am the buyer for the accessories- belts, socks and insoles. I enjoy merchandising the clothes (my closet at home is color coded by style …so it comes naturally!). In the winter I am passionate about skiing both at the resort and in the backcountry - and over the past few years I have enjoyed learning to skate ski.
When there is no snow on the ground (and sometimes when there is) I enjoy trail running and backpacking. I recently started Wing foiling and it is so much fun to learn a new way to enjoy time on the water.
I love to hike, camp, backpack, and cross-country ski, and I feel so lucky to live in Tahoe, where I can do all of them…practically in my backyard!
I truly enjoy being part of a long-time, independent brick-and-mortar like Alpenglow Sports and how much we tie into our local community. It feels pretty unreal to look out our shop’s front windows and see beautiful Lake Tahoe and the Sierra within my reach!
I have been working here at Alpenglow for close to 8 years. Besides helping customers on the floor I am the buyer for the accessories- belts, socks and insoles. I enjoy merchandising the clothes (my closet at home is color coded by style …so it comes naturally!). In the winter I am passionate about skiing both at the resort and in the backcountry - and over the past few years I have enjoyed learning to skate ski.
When there is no snow on the ground (and sometimes when there is) I enjoy trail running and backpacking. I recently started Wing foiling and it is so much fun to learn a new way to enjoy time on the water.
I love to hike, camp, backpack, and cross-country ski, and I feel so lucky to live in Tahoe, where I can do all of them…practically in my backyard!
I truly enjoy being part of a long-time, independent brick-and-mortar like Alpenglow Sports and how much we tie into our local community. It feels pretty unreal to look out our shop’s front windows and see beautiful Lake Tahoe and the Sierra within my reach!
The Black Diamond Dawn Patrol 32 L Pack has everything you need for a day of touring. It comes in two torso lengths and at 5’7’ the Small/Medium size fits me well. There is a place for everything - your safety gear outer compartment, and a lined goggle pocket. There is a built-in helmet carrying system and lots of ways to strap skis to the pack.
-Janice
Dawn Patrol 32LI love Petzl’s Tikka Core as an all-around headlamp. The Tikka Core is reliable, lightweight, and packs a ton of value, including a rechargeable core battery and a storage pouch that effectively turns the headlamp into a pleasant, diffused lantern. The entire Core family of Petzl’s headlamps come with a rechargeable battery, also allowing you to use AAA batteries when needed. I try to always have one in my pack, even on day hikes; as one of the 10 essentials, it has proven clutch when a short hike turns into an unplanned long hike (box canyons can be tricky in the southwest)!
- Molly
Tikka Core 450I like the Stow 500 mL from Hydrapak because it is a lightweight and collapsible bottle that is great to toss in your pack whether you are on the trail or traveling. It has a spillproof cap and can deliver A LOT of water fast, packing down to practically nothing when you are done. My husband got one of these this past winter, and I immediately stole it from him! Now that they come with a mountain print, he can have his back and I get a new one!
Women's Gift Guide
I have to have a Jetboil on this list because I have been using one for over 20 years. A good friend knocked excitedly on my door at nearly midnight back in 2002; he knew it was never too late at night to show off a new, exciting piece of gear. All of these years later, Jetboil is still known for its all-encompassing cook systems that boil water and cook food fast, saving time, energy, and fuel on the trail. The MiniMo is lightweight, compact, and efficiently boils water in about 2 minutes; with a pushbutton igniter and a bottom cover that doubles as a measuring cup, the MiniMo system is a no-brainer for the trail. We pair ours with a Grande Coffee Press (sold separately) and take it on morning paddleboard trips; coffee can’t taste better than when you are sitting in the sun on the shore of a Sierra lake!
- Molly
Shop Jetboil Stoves 25% off
I have to have a Jetboil on this list because I have been using one for over 20 years. A good friend knocked excitedly on my door at nearly midnight back in 2002; he knew it was never too late at night to show off a new, exciting piece of gear. All of these years later, Jetboil is still known for its all-encompassing cook systems that boil water and cook food fast, saving time, energy, and fuel on the trail. The MiniMo is lightweight, compact, and efficiently boils water in about 2 minutes; with a pushbutton igniter and a bottom cover that doubles as a measuring cup, the MiniMo system is a no-brainer for the trail. We pair ours with a Grande Coffee Press (sold separately) and take it on morning paddleboard trips; coffee can’t taste better than when you are sitting in the sun on the shore of a Sierra lake!
- Molly
Shop Jetboil Stoves 25% off
I recently have converted to living year-round in North Lake Tahoe after a few previous years of spending winters in Tahoe and summers in the North Cascades of Washington. I enjoy pushing myself while climbing and mountain biking during the months without snow, though I truly am a skier at my core.
Backcountry touring and ski mountaineering have become deep passions of mine, and I enjoy the never-ending progression of building skills and awareness that leads to the hunt for deeper powder and bigger days on skis. I look forward to continual inspiration from the mountains and the people who play around in them.
The Blue Ice Akila LT Ice Axe is a revamped version for this year based on the classic Akila as a technical, compact, and lightweight tool. Blue Ice has chosen to forgo the steel spike of the OG and shortened the shaft to 43cm (from 49cm) to decrease the weight by 45g (adze - 290g, hammer 300g). Shortening the shaft makes carrying the Akila LT a breeze in or out of the pack under the shoulder strap for easy access when things get sketchy. The trigger rest’s positioning is easily adjusted and the steel head really improves the swing weight when climbing more technical terrain. A solid hammer gives you the force you need to slam pickets with confidence (or even light construction projects if that’s your jam). The Akila LT hammer is my go-to ski mountaineering axe if I am only carrying one, and it pairs wonderfully with the Akila LT adze the way a nice aged Gouda pairs with a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Shop Akila LTThe cuff of your ski boot is where a lot of the power is transferred from your lower leg to the boot, and the top power strap can make a significant impact on the feel of your boot. Most boots come with a static power strap, and an elastic strap like the Sidas Freeride Power Strap provides a more dynamic feel while allowing a tighter connection to the top of the cuff without creating a pressure point when you flex into your boot. Sidas has found a great balance between the direct connection that a stiff strap provides and the increased suspension and comfort of an elastic strap. The cam strap design is incredibly easy to use and adjust on the fly, and will be a noticeable upgrade from the velcro strap you might be used to!
Shop PowerstrapWe all know climbing skins grip when we push down so we can work against gravity, and it is equally important to keep our skins sliding when we step up. I keep a small chunk of this rub on skin wax in my repair kit when touring to scare the snow away from my skins so it doesn’t clump up. Nice bonus that this wax is plant-based and biodegradable!
Shop skin waxBonus! An Exceptional New Carbon Ski
I was able to test this ski last year for about 15 days. The snow was a mixed bag of firm and smooth, sastrugi, shallow powder and powder with a thin crust. I was quickly impressed by how the Helio Carbon 102 skied compared to its predecessors. I found it behaved well in all conditions while skiing with ease at speed. With the upgrade to a poplar core, I found it skied much more damp and planted than many skis in this weight class. If I only skied on 1 ski for a winter, this ski is at the top of my list.
- Alpenglow Sports Veteran Ski Buyer, Jeff Dostie
Helio Carbon 102 Skis
Pickup available at 415 North Lake Boulevard
Usually ready in 24 hours
Helio Carbon 102 Skis
164cm
415 North Lake Boulevard
415 North Lake Boulevard
Tahoe City CA 96145
United States
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