The following testimonial is a true account of events that took place in the mountains around Seward, Alaska in early February of 2002. It was written by Rocky Sandoval shortly after the events took place. He purchased an Elk River Jkt. (made with H2P® Fleece) from the Rivers West company store in Seattle in August of 2001. Hi Matt,
I bought an H2P® jacket from you this past summer at your company store in Seattle. The jacket is working great! In fact, I would like to share a story with you.
My brother-in-law and his buddy went on a day snowmobile trip that went bad. The destination was Lost Lake in the mountains around Seward, Alaska. Beautiful on a sunny day - Treacherous to say the least when the weather turns bad. The Elevation is 1970 ft. above sea level and the winds kicked up between 80-90 mph that day. Snow depth was about 20 feet, give or take.
Bad weather set in around dark and the party became separated. One machine broke down and the other got stuck in bottomless snow. Temperatures were 20 below + the chill factor. The two riders are now in terrible trouble - alone, stuck, and stranded in open wind-blown mountains. They immediately called 911 for help.
5 ½ hours later, a helicopter arrives to evacuate the frozen men. Although both men are safe, the snowmachines had to be abandoned. At about $10,000 apiece, this turned out to be an expensive trip.
This is where I come in.
I was asked to try and locate and retrieve both snowmachines. Remembering what you told me about the warmth, insulation, and 100% waterproof H2P® barrier, I thought this would be a great opportunity to really test the waterproof fleece jacket you set me up with.
We made it back to the machine by GPS device only to find it buried under 8 feet of fresh snow. Now the real fun begins. We dug and dug and dug for several hours until we got the machine free. The waterproof, windproof material in that fleece is incredible! And the venting is so sweet. I have never been so comfortable in such extreme temperatures - and I've lived in Alaska my entire life. I was so glad to have worn it that day. My buddies were very envious of my gear! They were layered to the hilt with large goose-down parkas that made it hard for them to dig. They looked like the Michelin Man. On the other hand, I wore a light sweater and my H2P® jacket. Movement was fine and I was completely comfortable.
We rescued 1 snowmachine, but the other remains in super deep drifts. I was worried that we might've had to spend the night on the mountain, but knew I would be OK because of planning and the gear I brought. Would I recommend your product? I'd bet my life on it!!! Thanks, Matt. I think I'll pick up some pants next time I'm in Seattle.
- Rocky Sandoval, Construction Worker
Anchorage, Alaska
February 11, 2002
