by Treas Manning

What's the scoop on down skirts? That was the question running through my head as I was rushing through the aisles of the Outdoor Retailer buying show in Salt Lake City. I kept noticing these super cute models trolling the convention center, turning heads while they were showing off their downright adorable insulated skirts.

Brightly colored duck down nylon skirts worn over warm wooly leggings dressed up with hip hugger belts, I couldn't take my eyes off them. As a buyer I am always on the lookout for something new and trendy. I was racing from booth to booth when I literally ran into my friend Lel Tone. Lel is one of those awesome gnar-gnar skier gals; pretty, blonde, sweet as homemade apple pie and skis like a woman possessed but with the grace of a ballerina. I'm sure you've seen her at Squaw, hanging with the best when she's skiing and throwing bombs when she's working. Lel even makes launching avalanche bombs look like the work of a goddess. If she wasn't so darn nice I'd hate her...just kidding Lel.

Anyway, when I bent down to pick up the bag that I knocked from her shoulder to my surprise she was sporting the very skirt I had been chasing. Just as I was about to ask where she got the skirt Lel grabbed my arm and said, "Treas, Granite Chief has got to carry these skirts, everywhere I go people stop me and ask about them."

I started laughing; I had been running all over the show looking for the vendor that came up with this great idea. I was pleased to hear they were distributed and marketed by a couple of gals from Anchorage, Alaska. They market the skirts as an everyday grab and go piece, dawn it to make a grocery run, snowshoe out the back door, chop wood, dog team the Iditarod. What girl doesn't want to be warm, sporty and a fashion trend setter? As it turns out the scoop on the down skirt is a company called Skhoop. The parent company is located in the mountains of Sweden. From Sweden, to Alaska, to the Sierra and Truckee; Skhoop down and insulated skirts are a mountain girl's must have.

The skirts come in several lengths, but here in the Sierra the mini and the shortie are best suited for our climate. The mini is a synthetic insulated skirt and the shortie is insulated with down. Now one might think that an insulated skirt would pack out the hips of even the skinniest mini but not so. They are in fact quite slimming and if I dare say so fresh and toasty even on the coldest days.

As cute as they are, they may not be for everyone, but if you're a fashionista come in and match them up with a pair of leggings, wool socks, chunky boots, and start doing a little trolling of your own.