Marmot Mountain Works GOING OUT OF BUSINESS

Apparently they are CLOSING their doors in less than 2 months!?!



Very unfortunate news, I've gotten a lot of great ski mountaineering service there over the last 15+ years. Tried my best to support them, bought at least 3 pairs of skis and AT bindings over the years there. This will leave a big void in the local backcountry ski community.

Well fudge

downtown bellevue is losing a great shop but i'm sure a sturbucks will fill the void quickly.
b

Bummer!  This is by far my favorite outdoor store in the area, so much so that I'd specifically plan the trip to Bellevue from Seattle just for the service.  I've skied with a few of their employees in the past and they are great guys too.

Yup, I was very much saddened to learn of this impending event last winter. Didn't realize it was coming this quickly. I've bought 5 pairs of skis there (and my wife has gotten 4), 4 pairs of bindings, 3 pairs of ski boots, as well as a few daypacks, a few sleeping bags, a tent, and some other goodies along the way, and they have always gone out of their way for me, including some awesome "included in purchase price" multiple-round bootfittings. And they have stood fully behind the few items that have had any issues. And I love the community feel of the store - I always feel good when I go in there.

Very sad news! They've been worth the drive and we've long supported them. That's a significant loss as locally we're very lacking in retail that has knowledgeable experienced staff and a reasonable selection. Marmot was one if not the only shop to fill that niche for climbing and bc skiing.

I hope to someday read Lock Miller's story.  I don't know him well but first met him when he was bringing out the Marmot brand, selling, as I recall, only that brand (he owned it) at his store in Tacoma (can somebody remind me what the name was..?) on Pine Street (kinda funny with REI getting big from Seattle's Pine street), about a block north of 38th.  This was before he had partners, sold the line and fired up the the three MMW stores.

I bought my first Goretex jacket from him in that early store, a Marmot Alpinist (with the fishnet liner).  There were two carousels of clothing in the store - that's all, and he was the only employee.  Later, BackPacker Supply was my second home, as it was a valuable asset to many here, too.

Lock would be the first to tell you that times change, and on-line buying trends is part of that.  Again, you get the world you bargain for when you open your wallet.  I doubt he's bitter about it - he's had a great run, and there may even be more chapters.  Anyway, I hope someone with a priviledged insight is able to bring out what would no doubt be an interesting story.

And if you happen to read this, Lock, thanks for your focus and efforts to bring us the best gear, advice and service possible.    

Sad; we really appreciated Backpacker's Supply (MMW store in Tacoma), got good service, and did a lot of business there; MMW was a little far for us, but we still did some mail order from them; their service was pretty dependable; I have really mixed feelings about the other retailers in the area when it come to bc stuff. Maybe Evo will pick up the slack.

NOOOOO!! It was where my wife and I went on one of our first dates!

tay is going to lose a sponsor as well:-(
b

Thanks Amar!...Many may want to speak for themselves, but please let me say a few words on behalf of everyone that has ever worked with Marmot Mountain Works in Bellevue (and there has been A LOT  of very amazing people that have worked here over the last 30 years).  Right off the top…please let me say that I am very, very humbled by all of the dedication that so many of these folks have shown at our local store over its history to everything that all of us do…and dream of doing..., thank you so much for everyone’s support of Marmot Mountain Works!

Many of us, including myself, remember our early days of adventures in the local mountains of the amazing Pacific Northwest and beyond, involving those first or last minute trip(s) to Marmot for those all important mission critical items that we absolutely had to have for our trip.  No matter whether you needed a good lightweight rain jacket for a friend that was here from out of town for a “casual” day trip outing that you had been planning for “3 months” where the local weather forecast had “not turned out as planned”, or you needed something for “attempting” a new “ski” “descent” in the Cascades…Marmot was the place to go… While there was never any guarantee (ha!) that your last minute trip wish would be fulfilled (custom boot-fit tweak by Eric, esoteric broken binding part cannibalized out of store stock for you by Dave, specialty lightweight crampons that no one else had in stock custom fit to your boots after hours by ?)…whatever...Marmot was the most likely place that could make it happen for you.  And if they couldn’t make that wish happen for you this time, they definitely always remembered you and endeavored to make that same wish happen for the next person that came along.  What an amazing community resource that Marmot has been…and it has been a joint effort…no one single person…not me…nor anyone else, can claim credit for what Marmot Mountain Works has meant to our local backcountry community.

Lock Miller, founder of Marmot Mountain Works, certainly deserves most of the thanks for enabling many of us over the years at Marmot Mountain Works to be able to do what we do…to enjoy what we ourselves are passionate about doing, while being passionate about helping you to do it too... thanks Lock!  While Lock and myself have chosen to be relatively quiet in forums like this over the years, we certainly really do appreciate all of the love and support shown by many of you in our community…

…it is with great sadness and many heartfelt tears that we all bring this local iconic backcountry shop to it’s close…

- David May, store manager at Marmot Mountain Works

I too am saddened by the loss of MMW Bellevue Store. Since I moved away from the Seattle area, it has been the most common place for me to make a stop whenever I'm in the area. Over a quarter century ago Marmot became the inaugural sponsor of the telemark race at Stevens Pass and has stuck with it ever since. It was a great pleasure to work with Lock, Eric and others during my own tenure as head of that race. They always brought heaps of swag to give away and cooperated on funding and advertising.
The Marmot brand became an industry innovator and leader back when. And, with the store's support of other top brands, Marmot helped fuel the backcountry skiing stoke from its infancy.
I believe Lock once told me that he was one of the original Sunnyside Sliders at Crystal Mt. Those guys ROCKED! I used to watch Sliders tucking it from the top of chair two, just to get proper speed to hit Sunnyside with!!!
A big thank you to Lock, Eric, Dave and all the others at MMW over the years!!!!!!!

Sorry to hear this, it was my only salvation on those horrific days I got dragged to Bellevue square for shopping, meet you back here in an hour ok? Rented a lot of kit there, bought gear and the only place with some soul (for me) in the area.

Shame.

Well put David. When I read this last night it was a shock, even though I'd been hearing for some time it might be coming. Truly the end of an era for the back-country community around here. I've lived in many places, visited climbing/ski shops around the world (worked in a few too, including Marmot many years ago), Marmot is one of the best anywhere, and certainly is tops in this area.

Like Haggis, Marmot has always been my go to place when my wife had to hit the mall. I was first attracted to the extensive climbing department and customer service from fellow climbers and skiers who didn't just work retail, they lived the life. As a retired P.E. teacher I know the importance of life long sports for physical and mental health. Marmot has been an integral part of supporting that for the local outdoor community, and provided a real service and great hangout. Thanks to Lock, David, and all the employees, especially Eric, who has been the heart and soul of the shop for so long. We should have a big party on the last day!

Thanks to Lock Miller for keeping the shop on financial life support for so many years, for hiring staff who truly walk the talk of outdoor exploration, and for introducing North America to the Dynafit binding.  We are sorry for the loss of your pet, and wish you great happiness in your future. 

Sad news. Marmot has always been one of my favorite stores, bought my first tele boots there. Thank you for years of service. TAY thanks you for years of sponsorship as well.

Bummer. If I have to pick a single store to recommend for backcountry and cross-country ski gear, Marmot is it.

A big thank-you to everyone at Marmot -- you have changed a lot of lives and made a lot of people happy!

Marmot's summer touring ski rentals, in particular, have opened many eyes to the possibilities in the Cascades.

What will the great people Marmot has retained for years do next? Lots of great possibilities, in Seattle and beyond.

Wow sad news. Thanks to the folks at Marmot for the years of service and boot fits!

I'm so sorry to hear this.

Marmot has been serving backcountry skiers (and doing it well) since before backcountry skiing was cool.

One of the things that has impressed me about Marmot is how knowledgeable the staff is and how long most of them have been working there. I've never worked in retail, but my impression is that high turnover is the norm. It speaks volumes for Lock Miller and Dave May that they've retained such a great staff for so long. I always feel like I'm visiting old friends there.

The closure of Marmot will leave a hole in our local scene that will be hard to fill.

Thanks, Marmot, for all you've done for the community over the years.

That is a bummer. I got a few early set ups off of their demo rack and climbing gear too. I agree that it was one of the few east side stops with a soul. It was the main reason I could justify a stop over there.

Wow, what a huge bummer.  Change is always inevitable, but Marmot was as much of a community institution as any store can become, for so long.  The gear sold, made ready and repaired, community support and just plain fun of talking backcountry skiing, touring, climbing or hiking were all steadfast highlights of 'going to Marmot'.  One thing is for sure, we tend not to value something enough until it disappears, and this is certainly the case with Marmot.  I've taken for granted that it's there, and assumed it would be there.  I think Marmot's passing is also a keen reminder why shopping local, as opposed to hopping on the latest internet deal in order to save a dime or dollar, is so important.  Where do we now go for the screw, or part, obscure gear or advice?  A giant hole.  THANKS SO MUCH,  Lock, for all your years of service and business - we wish you the very best in all future endeavors - hopefully a lot of good travel and R&R.  And to David, Eric, Francis and all of the the other past and present great employees who've helped us select, fit and purchase gear, and to entertainingly pass the time - THANKS SO MUCH!!   Gerry and Linda Haugen

This is really sad news.

Eric was always especially helpful and supportive of me in the early years of telemark when the sport was evolving and the gear was not very robust. On more than one occasion he helped me through the waranty process coming good with replacements for broken Tuas and Merrell Supercomps. Thanks Eric!

Marmot stayed true to ski touring and climbing through the years and will be greatly missed.

Yeah. I had a pit in my stomach yesterday after talking to Lock. I was practically raised in that store (forced to xc ski as a child), bought my first everything-related-to-backcountry products there through high school and college, worked there and still have a working relationship and friendship with Lock, Eric and several others on staff. It may sound corny but I was looking forward to taking my little nephews there to get their first skis and bring a third generation of our family in to the store, hoping they would be greeted by Lock.

One thing I know for sure: Marmot was dedicated to AT equipment before any shop in the US and I'm talking about the 1980's. Neptune was a close second. I believe Lock was the sole US importer of Dynafit bindings and Pomoca skins before anyone in this country knew of those brands. Marmot is responsible for a lot more than just servicing this community, they introduced the US to backcountry skiing on equipment other than telemark through their widely-mailed catalog which "got hits" from all over the country. And when I say "they" I'm really talking about Lock-he was the one with the foresight to visit Europe and choose the right gear to import for his customers who lived all over the country. The term "Pioneering" is too weak. It's more like this: Marmot did to AT skiing what the Rolling Stones did for rock and roll.

I'm there with the rest of you old timers - bought my first set of AT bindings there (Silvretta 555's) and over the years, more gear than at any other shop in the NW. Eric in particular always went out of his way to keep me on the snow.

Best wishes to Lock, Dave, Eric and Francis wherever they may find themselves.

So sorry to hear this! When living in Portland, I would plan my backcountry excursions so I could hit Marmot on the way home. Best backcountry ski shop that I have been too. In an era when most shops completely stopped carrying telemark gear, Marmot still carries an impressive number of tele boots and bindings. That has always kept me loyal to Marmot even when shopping for fixed heel or climbing stuff.

Echoing what everyone has already said - the employees have always been knowledgeable and without attitude. Thank you Marmot - you will be greatly missed!

Wow, very sad news. A similar sense of loss to when Swallow's Nest or Olympic Mountaineering closed their doors. The loss of amazing staff. When you asked for advice it was from someone who had just come from some hair-raising adventure where they'd used the very gear they were selling and come out alive. There are certainly other ways to buy gear - but the quality people is what I'll miss most.

Thank you to all the Marmot staff that have helped me out through the years.

Bill G

Sad that it's finally come to this. I have no clue where else in the area has pins and big wall gear in stock, a broad/excellent crampon selection, and the vast assortment of AT gear and skis. I've whiled many hours away discussing the finer points of gear selection with David, Francis and Eric. Not sure what's going to fill the void... My best to all the staff for their fine advice and excellent service over the years.

Andy

Such a bummer. Ski shop had the only guys I really trusted to know what they were doing with AT, and many were the times they found something in those magical junk drawers for esoteric fixes or mods. Hope Dave May et al can stick a landing somewhere else around here.

Remember when Swallows Nest closed many years ago, a similar bummer for the scene, although in that case the real hardcore had already written them off after their move out from under the bridge. Losing MMW feels like more of a loss to me than that, both of resource and for the loose concept of a ski community esp over on the eastside.

Let me echo those senitments, and tell one of my favorite stories about my dad:

So it is 1985, and I ask for technical ice tools for Christmas. Only place you can buy them is at Marmot as back in the 80s many times Marmot was your ONLY choice for cool gear, no one else had it.

So for dad goes and buys me two ice tools, and then crosses the street to Bvue mall to shop for my mom. Well, the store has no bags (why would they) and he heads to the mall carrying around two ice tools.......in a suit and tie. How silly that must have looked. LOL.

Thank you Marmot for helping me to get in to AT in 1984.

This is a huge loss

I used to hit the website when I was still in FL. Moving to Bellevue several years ago I was so happy to be able to just drop in and chat with Eric and Francis whenever - certainly when I need anything AT and climbing related but also just to kill time while family is at the mall. My wife thinks I've bought a lot from MMW but clearly not enough...

Best wishes to everyone and thank you for the years of service and friendship
Ivo