Company History | Powderhorn Mountaineering - Anyone have the full story?

[JeffreyJim]

Curious if anyone here has any information on the history of Powderhorn Apparel (Powderhorn Mountaineering).

Here is what I know:

• -Company came into existence in early 70s
• -Started by John Horn
• -Strong Jackson following (being it was local), distribution spread throughout the Rockies
• -John died in a plane crash in ??? year. Anyone have any info on this? Name of the lake he crashed into? Was he flying? I can't find shit.
• -Company was sold to some Asian holding company. I guess they tried to restart it one year. Fell apart thereafter and the brand went dorminant until HotTate started modeling for them when the brand was restarted by an ex Spyder employee...

I hear John had a son that lives around Jackson...is this true? This story is becoming more and more "legend" and less and less fact as time goes on. Love it if somebody could fill me in...

If you want the "long form" of what I know (and the "new" Powderhorn) here ya go. I'm doubting many of you here will get into this but maybe you'll dig the old picts of JHMR ski patrol doing what they do... http://www.earlyups.com/featured/com...apparel-story/

[Choucas]

I had several jackets back in the day. My favorite was orange with purple sleeves, lime green inside the collar and a big yellow zipper. Very badass by 70's standards. I ordered a custom jacket for my wife. Was able to talk on the phone with one of the folks at the drive in and we went through every detail on the jacket and picked the color and material. Took a few weeks to get it but it was a definite one off. It could still be hanging in a closet around here.

[kmpwcb]

Has anyone had luck finding more out about the history of the brand? I'd also be interested in hearing from anyone who owned any of the Powderhorn Mountaineering gear back in the day. I'm working to collect a compilation of stories or experiences related with the brand.

[fatnslow]

I had some sweet Powderhorn down jackets back in the late 70's early 80's. You had to have one at my junior high and high school along with some Olin Mark IV's if you wanted to ride in the back of the ski bus.

[54-46]

I had a sweet Powderhorn jacket back in the late '70's/early '80's. IIRC, navy with a red horizontal stripe; down insulated, but smooth exterior; and knitted cuffs on sleeves and on bottom hem. Bombproof.

[skiing-in-jackson]

I have amassed a nice collection of vintage Powderhorn jackets and have skied quite a few days in them over the last few years. They are constantly popping up at JH yard sales. I find them hard to turn down.

Between my wife and I, we've got about eight or ten vests and jackets.

I do remember an old timer telling me that they were specifically designed for sitting on the chairlifts. The high collar snaps up (high) and allows one to hunker down when the wind is blowing.

Another old timer told me that many of them were home sewed by women in Star Valley as "work at home kits". She looked at one I was wearing and said she "had assembled dozens [just like the one] I was wearing].

Another Wyoming outerwear company, Wyoming Woolens, was founded -mostly- on the same sew at home principle.

[spudbumkin]

I had a Powderhorn down jacket in 10th grade (1980-81), it was a side zip pull over. Red with a navy yoke, stand up collar and knit cuffs. I tore up the shit out of Kelly Canyon and Targhee in that thing! Hair parted in the middle and feathered back. My Mom sewed gaiters for Wyoming Woolens in a little shop on the south side of Idaho Falls during that era also.

[hutash]

I have amassed a nice collection of vintage Powderhorn jackets and have skied quite a few days in them over the last few years. They are constantly popping up at JH yard sales. I find them hard to turn down.

Between my wife and I, we've got about eight or ten vests and jackets.

I do remember an old timer telling me that they were specifically designed for sitting on the chairlifts. The high collar snaps up (high) and allows one to hunker down when the wind is blowing.

Another old timer told me that many of them were home sewed by women in Star Valley as "work at home kits". She looked at one I was wearing and said she "had assembled dozens [just like the one] I was wearing].

Another Wyoming outerwear company, Wyoming Woolens, was founded -mostly- on the same sew at home principle.

I think someone who collects vintage 70's ski jackets is by definition an "old timer".