The Alpine Shop is full of awesome people who help make this place the best it can be! Russ Tamm has been gracing the floor of the Kirkwood location for almost four years and he will soon be leaving us for his home state of Washington! Here’s a quick way to meet him and join us in giving him a warm farewell. (1) Nickname - If you go by one / prefer one / wish you had one Russellmania! (2) Describe what you do at Alpine Shop. (Or at least what you like to tell the people you meet at cocktail parties.) I do a little bit of everything here! I'm currently working as our training manager, coordinating both vendor and in house clinics on new product and general outfitting. I love hiking, kayaking, and snowboarding. If folks are getting geared up for outdoor adventures, I can usually get them pointed in the right direction. If you need a pack fit, wanna get the lowdown on down sleeping bags (har har) or are trying to figure out the right board or skis for you, I'd love to help out! I'm also one of the Shop's ACA certified kayaking instructors, so summer time means I get to go play on the water. (3) Identify where you are from. Provide some background on a favorite thing to do or a place to visit in your hometown. Seattle, Wash. The mountains and ocean (and coffee!) are the things I love the most about the Pacific Northwest. I always take at least one trip back in the winter to snowboard at Stevens Pass or Crystal Mountain. Kayaking the San Juan Islands is an incredible adventure, definitely worth the trip. I also try to work in a trip to my favorite college hangout, Cafe Solstice in the U-district, for blueberry cream cheese coffee cake and the world's best straight espresso! (4) What are some of the current outdoor sports/activites you enjoy? What got you started (or how did you get started) doing outdoor activities? My parents had me out of the house as much as possible when I was a kid! I loved reading about and practicing survival techniques and native american woodcraft. In high school, I got my Eagle Award and was involved in search and rescue ground team ops with the Civil Air Patrol. (5) Where is your favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself?" Describe why. I love paddling the Meramec and Missouri Rivers for quiet beauty and fun with friends. Johnson's Shut-Ins for easy family camping and cool fun in the summer. Hidden Valley Ski Resort gives us a chance to go skiing and snowboarding right in our back yard. Love to catch midnight sessions after work with a mob from the shop! I'm probably the most "me" hiking and camping in Olympic National Park, Wash. Wandering mossy damp forests of evergreen, canoeing the glassy waters of Lake Ozette, or hiking the kelp littered coastline to booming breakers and the cries of gulls. (6) What is an outdoor adventure you want to go on some day? Describe why. Week-long sea kayaking tour through the San Juan Islands in Washington's Puget Sound! Beautiful protected inlets, challenging open water, and quaint laid back island communities. The San Juans sit in a triangle between Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Harbour seals, orca whales, and bonfires on the rugged coast make paddling in the Pacific Northwest pure magic. That or heli snowboarding in Alaska. Maximum gnar. (7) Name and describe your favorite outdoor gear, product or brand. (If possible, provide link to said products on Alpine Shop's website.) Marmot, Arc'teryx, Wilderness Systems, Burton, and Lib Tech are some of my favorite brands at the shop. These guys are pros when it comes to making stuff that works great, and looks cool while doing it! Here are some of my personal favorites: Marmot Aura 2P Tent. Expertly constructed, great in wind and rain, and still fairly lightweight. Roomy vestibule space and double entry make this tent a no-brainer for 3 season backpacking. Arc'teryx S220LT Climbing Harness. This harness offers simplicity, light weight, and crazy comfort that belies its minimalist design. Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145. This versatile kayak has the carrying capacity to take you on touring daytrips and overnighters, for casual paddling or an expedition! Easy to handle and predictable, but will also perform more advanced techniques. Burton Barracuda Snowboard. Amazing powder and free ride board, with one of the best graphics I've seen in a while. (8) What's your favorite thing about Alpine Shop? (The people you work with. The customers. Being around cool stuff. Seeing the latest gear. A certain department. Other. You tell us.) I love hearing about and helping folks get ready for awesome adventures! We have a great community of people who love the outdoors here at the Alpine Shop and it's truly a privilege to be a part of it. Going to work inspires me to learn more every day, and to get myself back out there! (9) Describe why outdoor activity is so important to you. Mind, Body, and Spirit. They are one. The outdoors refuel me wholly. What's one activity that you enjoy that has nothing to do with the outdoors? Playing and listening to music! Guitar, banjo, penny whistle. Anything I can make some noise with. Provide any personal family information you wish to share. (10) Kids, married, professional hot dog eating champion, etc? What else should people know about you? I have an amazing wife and two great little girls. We're learning how to be an outdoorsy team! We also have a pug. He's pretty lame in the wild. I just completed my Masters of Divinity at Covenant Seminary here in St Louis. I enjoy seeing the outdoors open people's eyes to bigger things. I'd like to bring those two loves together, inspiring people to find meaning, purpose, and hope in this often crazy world. [caption id="attachment_2058" align="alignnone" width="300"] My daughters out on the water![/caption]