Gear Up For Ski Season...Scary good deals!

If you're like many people your alpine and nordic skis probably got put away without a good wax and tune before being stored for the season. Scary thought! Never fear... Solstice Outdoors can help get your skis in good condition and ready for the first snowfall with a wax and tune up. 

Now until November 15th SAVE 20% on all Wax and Tuning Services for alpine and nordic skis and snowboards. Check out our list of services...

Plus don't miss a great opportunity to get into a new pair of Fischer cross-country or skate skis. Our first big EARLY BIRD SKI SALE starts Thursday, November 8th through Sunday, November 11th. SAVE 20% on all nordic and skate ski packages next weekend only!

It's a scary good deal. Stop by the store and get geared up for ski season at Solstice.

 

WhistleStop Marathon Madness

With only days until the 15th Annual WhistleStop Marathon and Half Marathon we're gearing up for a busy race weekend. Solstice Outdoors is really excited to be a major sponsor this active community event that finishes just a block from our store on Main Street.

Come see us at the EXPO on Friday at the Bay Area Civic Center for all your last minute race day gear and nutrition. New this year are Big Expo Specials on The North Face, Salomon and Moving Comfort performance apparel, Smartwool socks buy three, get one free and more! Plus we'll have a large selection of race day nutrition from GU, Clif and Hammer all conveniently located in the Expo. 

Be sure to check the WhistleStop event guide for your discount coupon good for in-store purchases this weekend.

Race Weekend Store Hours

Friday 10AM-9PM

Saturday 9AM-5PM

Sunday 11AM-3PM

Happy running!

 

 

The North Country Trail...Hike the Northwoods

The North Country National Scenic Trail is America’s longest National Scenic Trail stretching from New York to North Dakota, linking 7 states and 10 National Forests and 150 Public Lands. Did you know there’s 110 miles of continuous North Country Scenic Trail in Northern Wisconsin? That's a lot of great fall hiking and leaf spotting right in our backyard. 

Strap on your hikers and hit the trail for a day trip or multi-day adventure. For a detailed trail map and everything you need to know about the trail check out http://northcountrytrail.org/trail/states/wisconsin/

Before you head out make sure you have the essentials: A Camelbak or Osprey hydration pack or day pack, water bottle  trekking poles, hiking socks, head protection, such as a Buff or Stormy Kromer cap and snacks. Stop by Solstice Outdoors to pick up any of these essentials and don't forget your camera!

If you get out on the trail, tell us! Share a photo with us on Facebook. 

What's up with SUP?

Solstice Outdoors is your stand up paddleboard rental headquarters serving Ashland, Washburn and the Chequamegon Bay region. Stand up paddle boarding or SUP for short is an old sport that is now one of the fastest growing watersports.  Join the revolution and experience gliding across the water and ride a wave or two!

Five reasons why you must try it:

It’s quick and easy to learn. Anyone can do it.

It’s super fun to do solo or grab a board and have the whole family give it a try

It’s a great cross training workout for bikers, skiers, runners…

It requires a minimal amount of equipment to get on the water whether that’s an inland lake or the Lake Superior.

You can’t lay on the beach all day!

Here are a few basics to get you started with your new Rogue Stand Up Paddle board or one of our rental boards.

How to get on the board:

Start by laying your paddle across the top of the board on the foot pad. Kneel on the board and find your center. Pick up the paddle and start to paddle.  If you paddle on the right side your right hand will be lower on the shaft of the paddle. Paddle until you find your balance.

How to stand up:

Once you feel stable place your paddle across the front of the board, position your hands on the pad parallel to your knees, grab your paddle and stand up. The front of the board shouldn’t be out of the water. If it is reposition yourself further forward.

How to paddle:

Put a little bend in your knee and place the paddle elbow out and dig into the water using your whole body, not just your arms. Start paddling at the front of the board and move to your feet. The shorter the strokes and the faster you go the easier it is to balance. To paddle in a line you’ll need to switch sides every few strokes. To turn do a standard sweep stroke.

Where to go:

It’s easiest to start on calm water. Many of our area inland lakes such as Long Lake or Lake Owen are perfect for paddling along the shoreline. On a calm day, Chequamegon Bay is also a great place to practice gliding across the water.  Lake Superior can is easily accessed from Main Street via the Pearson Plaza Park to the 6th Street Beach. Our picks include Maslowski Beach in Ashland and Bayview Beach outside of Washburn, WI.

New Mountain Bike Trail Building Project in Bayfield

Come help build the bike trail and get a $10 Solstice Outdoors Gift Certificate this Sunday!

Have you heard what’s happening in our backyard? A group of dedicated mountain bikers and community members have begun building a 2 mile single-track loop at Mt. Ashwabay in Bayfield. Check out the work that’s already underway…

 

Volunteers are needed to help with a trail building session this Sunday, July 15th. Anyone interested in helping move some dirt should meet at the mountain bike trailhead at 1:00 PM, which is located on the left of Ski Hill Road about 200 yards before the entrance to Mt. Ashwabay. Work will be done at the top of the tubing hill to the south of the Pines XC trail.

As an incentive Solstice Outdoors is offering a $10 Gift Certificate to everyone who comes out to move some dirt. Volunteers should bring gloves, water, bug dope, and an energy source for yourself. We hope to see you on out there!

 

Gear up for the weekend

It’s time to gear up for the weekend…and the official start of summer. Here are a few of our favorites that you’ll find at Solstice Outdoors for a day in the park, a day on the water or a weekend camping trip with friends and family.

GSI cookware and kitchen sets

Swedish Fire Steel no matches requiredGrandpa's Firefork, the coolest marshmallow stick ever!

Bugaboo Waffle Iron

Camp fuel and bottles

Whisperlite Universal stove and other MSR stoves

Therm-A-Rest sleeping pads

Seal Line dry bags

PackTowels

Stop by our store on Main Street downtown Ashland to check out our camping and paddling gear for your next adventure!

Ride the trails...Memorial Day Weekend

Looking for something fun to do Memorial Day weekend? Check out the CAMBA 4th Annual Festival of the Trails Event.  A fun weekend event for mountain biking abilities to ride the trails in the Cable Hayward area, taste, learn, and play!

WhistleStop Marathon & Half-Marathon

It’s May 1st and today is the early bird registration deadline for the 15th Annual WhistleStop Marathon and Half Marathon. Register today and save a few bucks! This year Solstice Outdoors is excited to be one of the sponsors of this premiere race that starts in Iron River, Wisconsin and ends just 1 block from Solstice in Ashland, Wisconsin. There’s plenty of time to start training…Stay tuned for more information about our Solstice 10K and Half-Marathon Training Team which will start in June! More information will be available soon.

We've got sole

Solstice Outdoors has partnered with Dimmi Shoes to bring another great footwear option to our customers. Dimmi are shoes with the sole purpose of funding medical research and care. 100% of the profits from Dimmi shoes are donated to medical causes including hospitals, research centers, and associations. Now that's something to feel good about!

Salomon XR Mission Rated Best Trail Running Shoe

Top Rated Kicks at Solstice...SHAPE Magazine recently rated the Salomon XR Mission  ($110) the best trail running shoe. Salomon known for superior door-to-trail running shoes kicked up the women’s specific design with a hard shell toe, grippy sole and great styling.

Solstice Sunny Spot of the Week...

You don’t always think green gear when you think rain shell, but check out the award winning North Face Venture Jacket.  Inside the jacket is a castor oil blend coating, which is used on the fabric to make it waterproof and still breathable.  By introducing this jacket last year, The North Face eliminated 50,000 lbs of petroleum-based production pollutants and we all know every little bit counts. Awarded Backpacker Magazine’s GREEN award the Venture Jacket is our pick for a waterproof rain shell at a nice price.

Solstice Outdoors Goes Global

From Ashland, Wisconsin to New Zealand our customers are on the move!

Thanks to Cyndy G. for sending us this beautiful photo with her Solstice clothing and gear in action while hiking on the Milford Track in New Zealand.  Love the Osprey COMET day pack!

 

Want us to feature you on our blog? Email us a photo of your Solstice clothing and gear in use and where it's been. We'd love to see where your adventures take you.

The Go-To Adventure Travel Bag

The Patagonia Blackhole Duffel is the perfect go anywhere bag for weekend trips or a week long trip when you need a super durable water resistant bag. Plus the duffel doubles as a backpack which makes it easy to check onto a plane, throw into a boat then on to your back for a short hike to your next destination.  It’s also the perfect bag when it’s raining, muddy and your taxi cab is a golf cart.

The duffel comes in three sizes 60L, 90L and 120L and fits fishing rod cases, snorkels, or just about anything. All three sizes are now available at Solstice for your next adventure!

5 Things We Love...

Only 5 days until the “day of love “ when St. Valentine reigns. Show and tell the one you love how much they mean to you with one of the five things we love!

#1 The all new Infinity Lyocell Buff.  It’s part infinity scarf, part chameleon…wear it as a wrap, shrug or head scarf it’s the perfect blend of fashion and function. Made from Tencel, a sustainable fabric, it’s also easy on the planet! $37-$57

#2 Two nesting GSI wine glasses, the Playty Preserve Wine Preserver and a bottle of wine for a mid-winter picnic or spring backcountry hike. $25

#3 For him…practical and stylish Patagonia boxer briefs $30

#4 A Solstice Outdoors Gift Certificate for a ski or snowboard tune and wax $20-$30

#5 A Princeton Tech headlamp...the Quad or the Remix will light up their world just like you! $35-$40

WINTER FUN

Rain, rain go away we need a snow day! It's time for some winter fun.

Thanks to our friend at Hired Lens Photography we now have some spiffy new posters for our ski and snowshoe rental and services. Thanks, Bob!

Got friends and family coming in to town and you're looking for something do to?  Rent some skis or snowshoes and go exploring. Prepare now for the white stuff.  Pull those skis out and get a tune up before mother nature gets the memo and starts dumping snow on the northland. 

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More Solstice Staff Picks

Jessica’s Wishlist…

Since I only work at Solstice on Fridays making my wishlist is a bit hard, because by the time I get to the store, there is always some awesome new thing that I would like to add to my list. But, alas, I will truncate my Christmas wishes (read: family take special note... Happy Holidays!

Down With It: It is a toss up here between the Patagonia Down With It Jacket… long - classy and keeps the back side warm, or the Vest - hard to pass up plaid. Both have yummy 600 fill down, really good for those cold morning when I slept in too late to warm up the car.

Ski Duds: Without a doubt in order to ski faster this winter, I am totally going to need new SmartWool thermal layers - both the full zip top and tights. Look at Jess go.

Gear: In about 2.5 months I will be dreaming of summer adventures, specifically my yearly canoe trip to the Boundary Waters. It would be awesome to lie on a new ThermaRest NeoLite and dream my summertime dreams about how my lighter my pack will be.

The Big One: So, if Santa was only to bring me one present this year, I would ask for a new set of Fischer Skis - Skate or Classic, I haven't decided yet.

Nori’s Wishlist…

Christmas is just around the corner and we are getting into the festive spirit here at Solstice Outdoors! Just look at our Christmassy window display.  Here are a few things that I have my eye on for Christmas!

We just got some awesome Haiku bags in, which I love! A girl can never have too many bags, am I right? They come in great colors and are a smaller size which is perfect for when you don’t want to lug around that small suitcase

All of the Pistil hats, please! Adorable styles and colors. I’ll take one of each.

Our CamelBak bottles come in great colors and are scientifically proven to increase the amount of water you drink with their Big Bite Valve. It practically does the drinking for you!These are perfect for even your most casual water-drinker

Mt. Ashwabay is opening this weekend which means it is time to break out the snowboarding gear! I am hoping for some SmartWool next-to-skin base layers so I don’t freeze my butt off on the hill this year. These lightweight tops and bottoms have odor control, moisture management, and temperature regulation all naturally built into the 100% merino wool.

 

Katie's Wishlist

Dear Santa…

First and foremost I wish for my family to be healthy and together this holiday season. As you know Dave and I host the holiday; although we’ll be busy Christmas Eve making many holiday wish lists come true there are just a few things I’ve had my eye on at Solstice… just in case you need a few hints of what to bring down our chimney this year.

*Since I’m a freeze baby I really could use one of the many cozy Royal Robbins sweaters or the PrAna Willow Duster that I’ve been eyeing up for the past couple weeks.

*To keep me warm skiing at Mt. Ashwabay or when I hit the ski trail in our field, I’d really like to be warm in a pair of the Smartwool Nordic Tights. They may also come in really handy if there’s also a winter yurt trip under the tree. Hint Hint!  

*Outdoor Research Adrenaline Mitts fit perfectly, breathe and still provide superior warmth. Dave would also like it if I had my own pair of good mitts so I wouldn’t keep stealing his.

*A GSI Coffee Mug…a one cup mug for my morning commute and a new GSI insulated French Press. Ours has been very well used and it’s time for a new one.

*Nothing is worst than cold or luke warm coffee, so I would also love an insulated Klean Kanteen bottle keeps anything warm for up to 6 hours.

*The classic green Stormy Kromer Carry All.  Enough said.

*Patagonia Re-Tool Snap T Pullover in any color! It’s super soft and will look great with jeans or a skirt.

*Salomon Emmy Boots have my name written all over them. Tall, warm and waterproof…not to mention easy to slip on all winter long.

Well, Santa these as just a few of my favorite things that you can find at Solstice Outdoors this winter.  Thanks for your good work and we’ll be sure to leave a little treat on the mantle for you and your reindeer on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas!

Solstice Staff Picks

Sarah's Favorite Things... 

 So I’m all for whiskers on kittens and crisp apple strudels, but I also have a few Favorite things that can be had at Solstice Outdoors this season (sorry no strudel!)…

*First off I’ll take any pair of cute and supremely functional Smartwool socks, but I really love to cozy up in a classy pair of their Ultra Comfy Tights

*Water Bottles just met their coolest member with the Bamboo Bottle made of nearly inexhaustible resources of bamboo and glass. It’s safe and uber stylish!  Plus it comes apart with ease making cleaning a cinch

*My seasonal choice for a new winter outer layer is the Patagonia Nano Puff jacket.  A wind-blocking, moisture-shedding , 100% recycled polyester shell holds a low-bulk PrimaLoft insulation layer that would keep me super toasty and dry (Prima Loft, unlike down, doesn’t stop heating you up when wet) when skiing or snowshoeing round the Bay this winter

* Of course, I’m going to need to accessorize with my new Nano Puff jacket with pretty much any of the super cute winter hats by Pistil or Ambler.

* Also wishing for some beautiful mitts by Lost Horizons knitted by a guild of Nepalese women who gain a valuable source of income from this cottage industry.

*In the gear department I think a MSR Miniworks Ex Microfilter Water Filtration System would treat me well when out on the trail.  Its compact size and non-disposable ceramic element make it a packable and eco-savvy backcountry option for clean hydration.

*For a little trail luxury, I’m jones-ing for the Thermarest Fitted Sheet  Set.  Since the only time I can run a marathon is apparently in my sleep, a smooth and cuddly base layer on my sleeping pad would keep me resting comfortably when I’m twisting and turning the night away in tent overnight  expeditions.

*Lastly the Manduka Blackmat PRO is the Cadillac of mats and this yogini wants to test drive the joint-supporting thickness and superior wear that this blingy mat can provide!

Well folks these are just some of my top choices from Solstice Outdoors for the 2011 holiday season, but there’s lots more goodies in store so stop by and shop for yourself.

We might even be able to wrap it up for you in brown paper packages tied up with string!