Trailheads

Greetings from Manchester, NH. It’s been a busy week for the Trailheads crew, as we just wrapped up a Switchback Roadshow in New England. If you’re not familiar with the Roadshow, every few months we visit various regions of the country to learn more about local outdoor retailers and their communities. 

Our New England road trip started several days ago in Franklin, NH. On a blustery, blue-sky morning, we pulled into the downtown area, which was still pretty quiet at 10:30 a.m. But over the next two hours, Main Street traffic picked up, and a steady stream of cars passed the front door of our first stop, Outdoor New England (ONE), which focuses on paddle sports  

We quickly struck up a conversation with Alex Stroshine, a store employee who knows the area well. He gave us good background info on Franklin (population 8,850), which sits at the doorstep of the state’s Lake Region and the White Mountains. It’s an old mill town that lay dormant for decades but has recently seen its population grow.  

Store owner Marty Parichand told us he left his engineering career to open ONE with a mission to revive the town. “I wanted to see if the thing I love most could bring this place back to life,” he told us. He explained that the store is the cornerstone in a larger plan to make Franklin an outdoor recreation hub.  

He wants to expand his product mix to serve more activities. Also, he aims to combine his shop with a nearby park on the Winnipesaukee River that features a manmade kayaking and surfing wave. Eventually, he’ll add other amenities to form a major destination for travelers.  

About 70 miles to the southeast, in Portsmouth, NH, we encountered another great effort to enhance New Hampshire’s outdoor community. Occupying the former malt room of a Brewery, Treeline Outfitters blends a small retail shop and beer tap room. Owner Cody Whelan says retail sales are important for his business, but his primary mission is to serve as a meeting place for people who love the outdoors. After in-store clinics or group outings, participants gather at the tap room to enjoy locally brewed beer, unwind, and discuss the issues of the day. “You’ll have 20-somethings talking to 70-year-olds,” says Whelan. “In most other scenarios, they might not even interact.”

In this corner of New England, the future of the outdoor scene looks promising. However, dealers in the area face headwinds, as we heard plenty of talk about tariffs and the drop in Canadian tourism. When we visited Nomads in Portland, ME, store owner Hannah Wolken said that she serves plenty of Canadian tourists;. hHowever, she expects that fewer cruise passengers will come ashore in Portland this summer. At the tail end of our week in New England, Maine Governor Janet Mills said the state might lose 225,000 Canadian tourists this year due to tensions created by the U.S. government.

From Portland, we headed north to central New Hampshire, where stiff winds whipped through North Conway and Intervale. The chilly air and frosted mountains made it seem as if the seasons shift a little more slowly up here. Mountain towns often feel timeless, so it was fitting that this stop included two of the industry’s older and more renowned gear shops.  

After passing through Ragged Mountain Equipment’s bright retail showroom, we climbed stairs and stepped back in time. Since the 1980s, the shop has manufactured its own apparel and soft goods onsite. Store owner Cort Hansen led us through a labyrinth of rooms packed with sewing machines, clothing samples, and cutting tables. We ascended rough wooden steps in a massive tower that felt like a castle  to eye endless bolts of fabric.  

For this age-old outdoor store, business is steady as a rock, but change lies on the horizon. Soon, Hansen will turn over the reins to Jack Smith, a longtime Ragged Mountain Equipment fan and efficiency expert who worked for a wide range of businesses. While Smith hopes to optimize operations, he assured us he’ll maintain the heart and soul of the business.   

Like Ragged Mountain, International Mountain Equipment keeps true to a long-established formula for success. A massive wall of carabiners, cams, and other hardware gave us a clear signal that climbing remains IME’s core business. “We want to do one thing really well, rather than trying to be everything to everyone,” General Manager Brady Callahan told us. The shop focuses on climbers’ real needs and avoids things sold by numerous other retailers. For example, IME sells no new apparel—just technical pieces sold on consignment.  

IME, like every store we visited during the week, had a compelling story and unique challenges and opportunities. As we left North Conway to begin the final journey home, we reflected on the many insightful conversations with shop owners and employees. The week reinforced our belief that you have tomust put boots on the ground and spend quality time with retailers to truly understand their world.  

In the coming weeks, we’ll post more stories from our New England Roadshow, and we’ll look forward to future road trips in other regions of the country.