MountainOps — Local services in Stowe

TL;DR - location great, employees even better; highly recommend. Visited this store 1/14/2023 to purchase downhill ski equipment as beginners to the sport transitioning from snowboarding. Location was great as it's close to Stowe Mtn, and it also seemed to have a good selection of items. But what really makes this place 5 stars were the employees - HUGE THANK YOU to Mike, Don, and Antonio. As newbies to skiing, Mike took a lot of time in getting us the perfect boots with the perfect fit; he was referred to as the boot doctor, and I see why. Then him and Don helped us with boards, bindings, poles, and installation so we were mountain ready. When I was looking at bindings and changed my mind on colors, Don was getting the new color but came across a different color that matched my skis perfectly and wanted to see if I was interested - he was patient with my indecisiveness and was thoughtful enough to suggest something I hadn't thought of which was awesome. We visited the next day after skiing with our new gear because I had bent my ski pole, and Antonio was there to save the day - at no cost, to boot! We didn't walk in to buy anything, but because we were happy with our experience from the day-before and the fixed pole, we decided to buy boot bags and I bought new ski googles. He was even kind enough to talk a little about xc skiing since we were curious. All three guys were very knowledgeable, patient, and friendly. We dropped a few grand here, but from the few price comparisons we did against online manufacturer prices they weren't marked up, so I think it's worth it to buy from a local business that has friendly staff with so much experience/knowledge to help you make the...

Knowledgable and credible. Along with helpful, friendly, cheerful service. That's a winning formula for success. Don and his team have it dialed. Don acknowledges that the customer's needs comes first. He took his time (2+ hours) and displayed that his expertise is in fact veritable. He went through the whole boot fitting process on each individual boot and accommodated foot beds and different sock options. Truly a subject matter expert on ski boots, as well as, on ski touring bindings. In regards, to the shop...I haven't found a better selection and assortment of equipment in a retail outfit on the East Coast. If you need ski touring equipment, visit Mountain Ops. I am a firm believer in that Dynafit isn't for everyone. Salomon isn't for everyone. Black Diamond isn't for everyone. Marker isn't for everyone. But, the store has a plethora of options with knowledgable staff to point you in the right direction. One of the options is bound to be the golden unicorn. Additionally, the product selection is definitely boutique. It's awesome to see a shop support the small brands and international brands. Too many shops carry North Face, Patagonia, dead bird (Arc'teryx). But, it's refreshing to see a shop carry brands like Strafe, Norrona, Ortovox...brands that are small and loyal (Strafe) or big dogs in Europe (Norrona, Ortovox). I miss...

MountainOps has a lot of great gear and very helpful employees. Unfortunately, the management is focused more on my wallet than my loyalty.

I went here specifically for alpine touring gear on a recommendation from a friend. Robby did an excellent job with his knowledge and his patience as my boot fitter.

I ended up buying an $800 pair of boots and $60 foot beds (plus tax). Although they told me on the phone when I called before my visit that adjustments are free, the shop still decided to charge me to adjust my bindings. I was promised them by 10 am the next morning, although I said I didn’t need them until 2 pm.

When I stopped by around 2 pm to retrieve them, the shop had not started on them. In fact, they were irritated that I even expected them to have been completed at any point that day, stating the order came in late the day before. It was at this point they were told the order came in late because it was part of a $950 purchase made the evening before. They completed the service later that day, which required a trip back after I had already planned to be on the road.

In summary, they have a good supply and knowledgable staff. What they don’t have is my loyalty. Expect good service and also expect them to charge for every line...