Threading the Needle: A Letter From the President

You know that short window between the end of the crisp spring air and the start of the summer heat? The one between the stick season ending and full green plumage, and the ever-so-tender moment between a quiet view of the sunset and a swarm of mosquitoes too thick to see through?

We called it “threading the needle” as we hiked our 45lb loaded backpacks around the 35-mile trail loop over Memorial weekend here in the northeast MN Boundary Water Canoe Area. 

Threading the needle.

The hike took us to pristine lookouts and rocky ridges as well as through countless beaver dams and swamps. An exhilarating way to kick off the summer and put some key summer Wintergreen products to the test. My favorite was the Power Wool Climber Top, which proved to be just the right weight of material to keep me warm on crisp mornings as well as cool in the heat of the afternoon. 

Looking cool and staying cool on the trail in the Climber Top.

Speaking of needles and thread, boy have we been focused back here at Wintergreen making your garments and making progress. Not only have we fulfilled seasonal orders, we’ve managed to stock up on all of your favorites this year! From Shell Anoraks to Canoe Shorts, we are feeling ahead of the game and ready for our summer visitors. This has been no small feat: we’re expanding our staff, cross-training our sewing and prep team, leaning on regional partners, overhauling our store layout and facilities, cleaning and improving our software management systems, and organizing key data to help understand our customers' needs.

A look at our new Anorak section in our Ely storefront.

Meanwhile, with customer experience as a top priority this year, we’ve kept a focus on bringing much needed improvements to products and filling gaps in our product line that you’ve been asking for. Our product development process has become an ongoing and integral part of who we are and who we are becoming as an organization. Look for upcoming updates on exciting announcements that improve our sizing options and fit as well as offering alterations and gear repairs. We're excited to continue to tell our story with you both in our newly updated storefront and online - see you there!

We enjoy your comments and feedback as always. 

We’ll keep our needles threaded and hope to see you soon.