Check out the video below and the post HERE. Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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1 last minute invitation (to me! wahoo!)

2 backpacking greats (Glen Van Peski and Read Miller)

3 days of hiking (two full days plus a short morning)

4 new friends hiking with an amazing backdrop – swirled red canyon walls so high we couldn’t capture the rim and floor in a single photo

5 pounds was the average pack baseweight

8 pounds was the total WAG bag weight at the end of the trip (c:

20-something was the number of PROBARs that fueled us

30-something was the number of frigid pools we waded through in tight Buckskin Gulch where we looked up 60 ft to see debris from past floods

33 degrees was the temperature our first night

40-something was the number of miles hiked

100s was the number of river crossings

 Trip Report:

Early on our first morning Jeremy McAllister, Read Miller, Glen Van Peski and I lowered into Buckskin Gulch like we were headed to the Earth’s core. At one point the gulch was so tight we had to remove our packs to squeeze through. We continuously waded through the stagnant, frigid pools left from last season’s floods – one was waist deep. With cold feet and shaded hiking, we cherished each moment kissed by the sun (I believe there were only three) and squelched the fears of flash floods as we gazed up at debris lodged 50ft above. When we exited the gulch into the main Paria canyon 13 miles later, we stared up at the high red canyon walls, in disbelief of their immensity. The riverbed balanced the enormity of the canyon- an opaque knee-deep stream meandered unassertively between its walls. We had budgeted an extra day to explore the canyon, so we headed downstream (instead of upstream to our exit trailhead, Whitehouse) and took in all this canyon had to offer – concert-hall sized concavities in the canyon walls, singing swallows nesting in the cliffs, drinking from a gushing freshwater spring, ogling at rocks that fell and shattered from cliffs above. At noon of the second day, we halted at our turn around point and trudged back upstream to the trailhead. To our surprise, we saw the canyon in a whole new way – different ways the sunlight played on the canyon walls, different carvings that faced downstream, entire new amphitheaters. As the sun was setting, the canyon slowly widened, the wind picked up and the walls lowered. We cowboy camped four miles from the trailhead, excited about the native American wall paintings we would explore the next day on our hike out. We dozed warmly under the vast desert sky, listening as the wind rolled in from the distance and gently swept over our bodies with care not to whip up any sand.

As much as I love to be in the great outdoors, it’s always magnified by the connections to the people you are hiking with. The simplicity and wideness of the riverbed trail on this hike accommodated lots of great conversation. I loved to hear how Glen and Read began lightening their packs, the history of Gossamer Gear, and their kind-hearted banter awarding the other with the credit for all the clever ways they have lightened their (and a whole community’s) packs. I listened intently to Jeremy’s fountain of information on backpacking gear, albeit a newcomer to the sport, Jeremy has done more research than a girl with a crush on Facebook – he spawned so many great gear discussions for the group with his questions. And I, in turn, talked their ears off with stories of vagabond hiking in South America and the scintillating tax-exempt bond market. Overall, we laughed a lot. At the conclusion of the trip, after weighing our WAG bags (is that going too far?), we recognized what we were thankful for – good scenery, good people and good weather! Can’t ask for much more.

By:    Trinity Ludwig

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Gossamer Gear welcomes another outstanding group of new Trail Ambassadors including David Lintern, Guy Parker, Joe Jacaruso, Heather Knight, Whitney La Ruffa, Sheldon Feigel, Dan Bortz, Evan Chartier, Carrot Quinn, Jan McEwen, Brian Reyman, Dave Brunstein, and Bryon Solberg. 

“The most effective way to learn about carrying a lighter weight backpack is face-to-face from someone who’s been through the process in the context of a club hiking trip, a gear demo or pre-trip gear shakedown, or a scouting program.” says Grant Sible, president of Gossamer Gear. “The purpose of the Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador program is to support lightweight and ultralight hikers who are already teaching and mentoring others by providing them with teaching aids and demo gear, publicizing the courses or hikes that they lead, and to inspire hikers interested in lightening their packs by sharing our Trail Ambassadors’ experiences with them.”

Located throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, this new group of Trail Ambassadors holds leadership and teaching positions with organizations and hiking clubs including The John Muir Society, The Boy Scouts of America, Leave No Trace, the  American Long Distance Hikers Association, Big City Mountaineers, Colgate University, American Pilgrims on the Camino, and Meetup.com.

Gossamer Gear is expanding the Trail Ambassador Program to 100 people this year and there are still spots open for  qualified candidates.  For more information about the Trail Ambassador Program or to apply, please visit the program description and application page. 

Please welcome these new Trail Ambassadors to the Gossamer Gear family!

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Rob (QiWiz) Kelly

Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador Rob Kelly (aka QiWiz) will  be making a presentation on UL Backpacking for the North Country Trail Association Allegheny Chapter, with specific gear and preparation suggestions for those who are registered for the Allegheny 100 endurance event in June (http://www.northcountrytrail.org/anf/A-100/). A-100 participants can chose to do 25, 50, 75, or all 100 miles of the NCT in the Allegheny National Forest, beginning at 6 PM on Friday, June 7 and ending 50 hours later on Sunday, June 9. Rob did the 50-mile option last year and will be trying to do the 75-mile option this year.

His presentation will begin at 1 PM on Saturday, May 25th, at the Amsler Springs shelter on the NCT in SW PA. People can drive in to the shelter on the forest road, or hike in and out on the NCT.

Amsler Springs Shelter

The starting point of the A-100 is about 6 miles SW of Marienville PA (location A on the google map referenced below). The Amsler Springs shelter can be reached on a forest road or by hiking in (location B on map).

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=PA-66+N&daddr=Forest+Rd+145%2FSalmon+Creek+Rd&hl=en&ll=41.446201,-79.198036&spn=0.065752,0.152092&sll=41.417886,-79.210782&sspn=0.008223,0.019011&geocode=FQACeAIdqVdH-w%3BFR3HeAIdloNH-w&mra=me&mrsp=0&sz=16&t=m&z=13

If you have any questions, contact Rob through the link you will find on http://qiwiz.net/contactQiWiz.html

The post UL Backpacking for the Allegheny 100 Endurance Event appeared first on Gossamer Gear.

presented by

The Appalachian Ohio Sierra Club

Athens Community Center
701 E. State St.

Athens, OH 45701

Thursday May 2, 2013

Vicky Mattson, experienced thru hiker, Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador and local Sierra Club trip leader will do an interactive program on thru hiking strategies and Ultralight backpacking. Participants should bring their own gear to the meeting we will weigh our stuff and discuss what is really needed on a long hike. She will also demonstrate some UL gear from Gossamer Gear and other lightweight manufacturers this program will be a huge benefit if you would like a chance to lighten your load or are interested in a long hike like the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail.

Participants will be invited on an overnight backpacking trip in May.

If you have questions about this program please contact Vicky “Mamamoab” Mattson vicky.mattson@gmail.com.

You can also see some of Vicky’s photos and trip experiences on her blog vickyandjay.blogspot.com

The post Ultralight Backpacking Talk Sponsored by the Appalachian Ohio Sierra Club, May 2nd appeared first on Gossamer Gear.

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Travelling light on an event like this has to be a priority. I will be using a Mariposa backpack for this trek and took it for a training walk in the English Lake District recently. The mountains here close to the coast rise steeply up from the valley floor and give the backpacker a stern test in preparation for the mountains of Scotland that await.

The walk had tremendous vistas of the highest mountains in England with sunset views to make the cold high camp worth every effort to get to.

The dawn had a cloud inversion over Lake Coniston and I was soon up and over the mountains walking high alone.

My Mariposa carried my equipment with sublime comfort. It was as comfortable as my old Gorilla Pack, but has more volume and pockets, which I soon found useful and can see this as a ideal pack for 3 season backpacking in the United Kingdom. It’s light, durable and over rocky terrain climbing down rocky ridges it also proved to be stable. I have high hopes for this pack’s performance on the upcoming walk with Grant and Philip. I am excited to meet up with my teammates and look forward to our upcoming journey together.

Submitted by Trail Ambassador Martin Rye

The post First Steps with a Mariposa Backpack appeared first on Gossamer Gear.

BPL Northeast Meetup - UL Tarp Show and Tell

Gossamer Gear is making a big push this year to grow the lightweight and ultralight backpacking community by increasing the number of Trail Ambassadors it sponsors to 100 by the end of 2013. “The Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador Program”, says company president Grant Sible, “has been very successful in educating the wider hiking community about the benefits  of lighter weight backpacking gear. Our goal is to recruit more ambassadors so that hiking clubs, outdoor organizations and communities can tap into our Trail Ambassador network for advice or assistance in educating their members about lightweight backpacking gear and skills.”

Trail Ambassador JJ Mathes teaches female backpackers how to go light

“We have an amazingly diverse set of Trail Ambassadors”, says Glen Van Peski, Gossamer Gear’s founder, “and that’s something we want to preserve as we recruit more Ambassadors this year. Our Trail Ambassadors are Scout masters, hiking and backpacking trip leaders, Leave No Trace trainers, smokejumpers, packrafters, bushwhackers, mountaineers, ridge-runners, and trail maintainers. If there’s one thing they share, it’s a personal passion to educate, teach, and mentor others about the benefits of lightweight and utralight backpacking. Membership in Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador program gives us a chance to recognize their efforts to and to plug them into an international network of other Trail Ambassadors who are eager to share their experiences and knowledge with one another. ”

Be sure to visit the Trail Ambassador Program Description and Application Form for more information about the benefits of becoming a Trail Ambassador and to fill out the application form. If you’re active in the hiking and backpacking community and involved in teaching or mentoring other hikers about the benefits of lightening their pack weight, we encourage you to apply to the Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador program.

The post Gossamer Gear Wants More Trail Ambassadors – Apply Now! appeared first on Gossamer Gear.

Gossamer Gear welcomes 10 new Trail Ambassadors including Erin Saver, Dave Chenault, Liz Thomas, Martin Rye, Julie LePage, Rob Kelly, Christy Rosander, Jim Barbour, Paul Osborn and Vicky Mattson. Selected from hundreds of applicants, these individuals bring the total number of individuals in the Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador Program to 48.

“The purpose of the Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador Program”, says Grant Sible, president of Gossamer Gear, “is to sponsor people who are passionate about growing the lightweight and ultralight backpacking community and are already doing it themselves by mentoring and teaching others hiking and backpacking skills.”

Distributed throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, this new group of Trail Ambassadors brings a wealth of hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, packrafting, climbing and bikepacking experience to the Gossamer Gear community. In addition to their impressive hiking chops, they hold leadership and teaching positions with hiking clubs and outdoor organizations including the Appalachian Mountain Club, The Sierra Club, Leave No Trace, The Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America and Meetup.com.

For more information about the Trail Ambassador Program, please visit the program description and application page. 

Please welcome these new Trail Ambassadors to the Gossamer Gear family!

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The email my father Glen received from the “old intrepid”, long-time backpacker, Nimblewill Nomad, was so heart-warming I wanted to post it for you all to see. Check his website below for his impressive track record and current adventures.

Glen

I’ll be listing Gossamer Gear as one of my sponsors for Odyssey 2013–closing the loop on a 17,000-mile trek around this grand old USofA, the lower 48 (all four corners, all four sides). There’s an announcement up now on my Website.
What might be of interest to you: I’ll again be carrying my gear in a GVP/Gossamer Gear pack (the Murmur you modified for me last year will make this trip just fine) and upon completion of this year’s trek, your packs will have also completed the entire 17,000-miles with me.
Glen, over the years you have (personally) kindly and generously supported and encouraged this old intrepid. For that, I am most grateful–thank you!

God Bless,
Eb
www.nimblewillnomad.com

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