Angie Bono

Store Manager - Head Reindeer in Charge - Certified Pedorthist and the shoe guru. AKA: The BOSS!

Alpiner since: 1999

Bonus: Certified Pedorthist and Joy Coordinator

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself:" Cave Springs on the Current River or anywhere she can take her three Schnauzers (Wolfie, Boo Ninny, and Dirty Gerty) to go Morel hunting.

Secret Hobby: Making eclectic "wind chimes"

Favorite Book: "The Stand" by Steven King

Favorite Gear:

• Superfeet Insoles
• Patagonia because of their mission statement
• The entire footwear department

 

Teri Rudelic

Assistant Manager in charge of operations

Alpiner since: 2015

Bonus: Competed and finished in the MR340 for the last 2 years!

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself:" Believe it or not my favorite place to "Get Outside Myself" is my 4 mile trek to and from work. I love getting up early to walk to work and unwinding at the end of the day walking home.

Where'd you learn to love the outdoors? I am from Louisville (Lou-a-vul), KY. I grew up one mile from Churchill Downs but spent weekends and vacations on the Ohio River at our cabin in Hanover, IN.

What do you do when you're not "getting outside yourself'? I love reading, cooking and spending time with my family and 8 grandkids.

Favorite Book: "Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurty

Favorite Gear:

• Salomon
• Patagonia
• Chaco

Cathy Blaies

Inventory Specialist

Alpiner since: 2013

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself": The Cedar Mesa region of Southeast Utah. "The first time I experienced the high desert region of Utah I was hooked. The colors, the big open skies, the smell of sage and pinon pine..."

What's your passion?  My passion is being in and sharing the outdoors with my friends and family. Whether I'm in my backyard or on a trail in Utah I love taking pictures, especially close up work. My lifelong passion of all things "outdoors" began with my Dad and Grandpa. My love for photography was a way for me to share my adventures with them. 

Favorite Book: My favorite collection of books is from author Nevada Barr. Best known for her Anna Pigeon series of mystery novels set in national parks in the United States.

Favorite Gear:

• Patagonia
• Osprey
• Oboz

Marcus Miller

Bike Shop Manager

Alpiner since: 2015

Bonus: Former Wilderness First Responder

What's your passion? My passion would have to be Mountain Biking, Skiing, and Back Country Camping.  I engage in all of these activities at least once a year.  My brother moving to Colorado almost 10 years and me visiting all the time got me into the Mountain type activities.  Also, a family trip to Lake Tahoe in the winter starting around the same time  really got me into skiing.  I enjoy being outside and having a job that revolves around that.  Learning and engaging with all the different outdoor brands is a great interest to me.    

Where'd  you learn to love the outdoors? I am from Ballwin, Missouri, a small township within St. Louis County.  I have access to great mountain biking in the area with places including but not limited to Castlewood State Park, Greensfelder Conservation Area, and the Zombies Trail at Rock Hollow.

Favorite Book: Arc'teryx brand catalog ;)

Favorite Gear:

• Arc'teryx

Beth Rutledge

Accessories Area Coordinator - Outfitter - Supplier of Supreme Baked Goods

Alpiner since: 2012

Bonus: Scout leader for 17 years

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself:" My absolute favorite place to hike is in Colorado but, around here, I think my favorite long hike is at Hawn State Park. It almost feels like Colorado with the pines and the rock.

What's your passion? I like resetting my soul in the outdoors. It sometimes takes a really long hike to get my psyche back to a normal level. I also like kayaking but am by no means an expert!

What do you do when you're not "getting outside yourself'? I am a musician by education and still teach private flute and classical voice lessons. I also do stained glass, quilting and sew.

Favorite Book: "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Favorite Gear:

• I love almost all things Columbia in clothing. They are cut to fit real people - not just a very select super fit few.

Joseph Beckerjeck

Assistant Manager / Training Manager

Alpiner since: 2014

What's your passion?  I'm passionate about pretty much all sports. I played volleyball in high school and I still play in a weekly sand league. I've also ran a half marathon.

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself"?  I have to go with Breckenridge, CO. The mountains are so calming and it's a great place to go off the grid for a while.

Favorite book? Harry Potter! I go back and read them every year!

Favorite Gear:

• Patagonia

Danny Boyce

Area Coordinator - Men's Outerwear

Alpiner since: 2019

What is your dream adventure?  IOne day soon I hope to take The Blue Train. This is a legendary train that runs in South Africa between Pretoria and Cape Town. It is a 1600 km journey through some of the most breathtaking scenery the world has to offer.

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself"?  IFor close and convenient day trips I will go and disappear out at Innsbrook.

Favorite book? Balanced Accountability: Leadership Secrets to Win Hearts and Maximize Performance By Hernani Alves

Favorite Gear:

Patagonia
Arc'teryx 

Joe Stryjewski

Bike Mechanic - All-around good guy

Alpiner since: 2005

Bonus:

• Two Time, Undefeated Castlewood 8-Hour adventure Race Family Division Champion
• Top 20 In The C Race Of A Dirt Crit
• Two Time, Undefeated SIUC Intramural Canoe Race Champion
• WEA Certified Outdoor Expedition Leader
• Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Outdoor Recreation

What's your favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself? Bash Bish Falls

Favorite Book: "The Stinky Cheese Man" by Scieszka

Outdoor Meet-up Groups:

• If you use trails in the St.Louis area you should belong to GORC. They build and maintain the trails that all types of users use and enjoy. Plus they're pretty nice people. https://gorctrails.com/

Favorite Gear:

• I think everyone should be wearing SuperFeet in all of their shoes. 

 

 

 

Mike Prasse

Manager - Wears child size clothing

Alpiner since: 2012

What's your passion?  I grew up Skateboarding and Surfing and continue to due both when I can yet my passions have expanded to Mtn Biking to Climbing and Snowboarding along with enjoying a summertime float down our local rivers!

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself"?  The Chubb Trail in Castlewood State Park

Favorite book? "The Skeleton Crew" by Stephen King

Favorite Gear:

• ENO Double Nest
• Patagonia

 

 

 

Emily Woll

Store Manager

Alpiner since: 2016

What's Your Passion? My zeal for the outdoors started when I was a wee thing, camping with my family. But the grand adventure I'm on now began with a fateful orienteering excursion where I learned I could teach others about the wild wonders of nature. Since that day I have been an environmental educator, naturalist, kayak instructor and trip leader, gear outfitter, and certified interpretive guide.

Where is your favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself"?: I love paddling small and windy rivers, like the Current and the Big River. My favorite river is actually up in Minnesota, the Root River, so windy with giant bluffs and eagles on both sides. My favorite hiking spots are Guilda Young and LaBarque Creek Conservation areas.

Favorite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, if I had to choose one book. Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs if I could choose more.

Favorite Gear: Black Diamond trekking poles are this girl's best friend. 96% certain I will buy only Dovetail Workwear as my jeans ever again. Werner Paddle's Shuna bent shaft...yaaas.

Jeremy Corn

Manager

Alpiner since: 2016

What is your passion? I have a passion for travel, my family, backpacking and enjoying life. 

My uncle got me hooked on backpacking when I was in college and it's been a big part of my life ever since. Travel has always been important to my wife and I and we strive to show our daughters how big and diverse the world really is. 

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself": Domestically it is either backpacking in Colorado or hanging on the Central Coast of California. 

Internationally, it's a tie between Paris and Amsterdam. 

Favorite Book: "On The Road" by Jack Kerouac and "Wind, Sand and Stars" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Favorite Gear: 

• Patagonia
• Oboz
• MSR Windburner

Caleb Siler

E-Commerce Assistant

Alpiner since: 2017

What is Your Passion? Fishing, and just generally being around water. I got started with my father, who has been taking me fishing since I can remember so it has a very fond place in my heart.

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself:" Potato Lake and Big Sand Lake in Park Rapids MN. I also really enjoy Bull Shoals Lake in AR.

Favorite Book: Anything by Charles Bukowski, or Neil Gaiman

Favorite Gear: Yeti

Todd Oswald

Marketing Director

Alpiner since: 2001

What's Your Passion? 

I love to paddle. Haven't been able to do it as much as I used to be able to due to the birth of my daughter in 2005. I got started, as many Missourians do, on the Meramec (and it's tributaries), the Current and the Big Rivers as a kid with the boy scouts. In 1999, while in Santa Rosa, I began kayaking extensively along many of the rivers along the Northern coast of California. I started white water kayaking in 2000 and fell instantly in love.

My family loves to camp so we try to get everybody out into the "wild" a few times a year (as time allows us). I've also hiked and backpacked extensively in Yosemite National Park in California. 

Over the past five years, though, my passion has really turned to trail running and pushing my special needs daughter on road courses. I've run six half marathons and one marathon on the road and countless other distances on trails.

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself:" 

Yosemite National Park in California. There is no other place in the world like it. I'll never forget the first time I took my family there. Watching the kids' mouths drop open as we came around the bend and Yosemite Valley spread in front of them. It was priceless.

I discovered more about my self in that place then probably any single location I've ever visited. Yosemite taught me that my body could handle 16-20 miles of hiking in a single day, that I could take on the mountains and be okay, that I could accomplish things I had only dreamed about.

A close second place would be the Saint Francis River near Fredericktown, Mo. The "home" whitewater river for most St. Louisans. A gorgeous taste of rushing water less than the 100 miles from our home.

Favorite Book: Not sure I can pick just one... Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections"; Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One"; Stephen R. Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and Stephen King's "Bag of Bones".

Little Extra:  I'm married to my wonderful wife, Michele, with six kids, including our youngest who is one of only a handful of people in the world with a specific deletion on chromosome 6. She has been a constant inspiration for our family and for people around the globe. If you do any running, you may find us all on the course with "Team Katy" bibs on our backs and a big stroller in front of me.

Favorite Gear:

• In clothing: KUHL, The North Face, Saxx and FITS Socks.
• In footwear: Altra, On and Chaco
• In bike: Specialized
• In paddle: Werner Paddles

Jared Snyder (Rowdy)

Events and Race Director

Alpiner since: 2019

Bonus:

• NOLS Wilderness First Aid
• Certified in All Things Summer Camp
• Dog dad to Shiloh

What's Your Passion? I love working in outdoor education setting. I got my start working at Wyman Center in Eureka!

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself:"  Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Favorite Book: Mike and Allen’s Really Cool Backpackin’ Book

Favorite Gear: Patagonia

Perry Whittaker

Whipping Boy

Alpiner since: 2012

What's Your Passion? I'm a kayaker, a hiker, and a biker (road and mountain). I'm also heavily involved with organizations that clean our local rivers and build hiking trails.

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself:"  I paddle on the Mississippi River a lot. I frequently paddle between St Louis and Cape Girardeau and there aren't words to describe the peace I find while I'm out there. I've taken a bunch of Scout troops on that trip and I really enjoy teaching them about the history of our awesome Mississippi (native Americans, early explorers, steamboats, and ghost towns).

Favorite Book: I mostly read books about science or history, but I'm a huge fan of Mark Twain.

Favorite Gear: My garage and basement is full of the awesome products we sell! I can't pick a favorite.

Angela Roam

Camping / Climbing Buyer

Alpiner since: 2007

Bonus: Graduated from University of Missouri in Fisheries & Wildlife

What's Your Passion? I enjoy fishing, paddle boarding and gardening. Also observing wildlife is a hobby of mine.

My parents got me started with fishing and gardening when I was a small child. 

Paddle boarding I started thanks to the Alpine Shop!

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself:"  Currently...Minnesota

Favorite Book: Any Dan Brown book

Favorite Gear: I swear by Eagle Creek Pack-It accessories when traveling. They help keep everything organized and easy to locate. Plus if TSA has to check your bag you can rest easy knowing all your items won't fall out all over the place!

Annie Wardenburg

Buyers Assistant

Alpiner since: 2016

What's Your Passion? I love hiking and camping and snorkeling. I recently went whitewater rafting for the first time in 20 years and now I'm trying to figure out how incorporate that into every vacation I take.

What is your Dream Adventure? My dream adventure is to snorkel in Hawaii.

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself:"  Close to home, nothing clears my head like a walk through Queeny Park. I also worked as a park ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park so that is a place that's near and dear to my heart.

Favorite Book: "The Ruins" by Scott Smith

Favorite Gear: Eagle Creek packing cubes and folders.

 

 

 

Jake Roth

Alpiner since: 2012

What's your passion?  My favorite outdoor activities are skiing, hiking, camping, and kayaking. I became interested in the outdoor while I was away at college.

Favorite place to "Get Outside Yourself"?  The slopes of Breckenridge, CO.

What is your dream adventure? Exploring Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.

Favorite book? "Oblivion" by Dave Foster Wallace

Favorite Gear:

• Patagonia