Monthly Archive for June, 2009

Ishikawa returns to the Western States 100

After last year’s wildfires canceled the race, the Western States 100 is back, and so is Hiroki Ishikawa, a Gregory ambassador and one the inspirations behind this year’s Active Trail pack line, especially the race-ready Rufous. The 100-mile race starts tomorrow, June 27th, in Squaw Valley, CA. with a grueling 2,550 vertical foot climb in the first four-and-a-half miles. The race ends in Auburn, CA.

Hiroki, along with all 2008 competitors, will be returning this year for what’s likely to be the most competitive WS 100 to date.  In order to earn a spot at this year’s event, you had to be one of the top three finalists of a 08-09 Ultra Cup qualifying race. So expect to see to best of the best wrangle trail passes, rugged territory, and relentless terrain.

The top ranking male and female will win the Ultra Cup Championship trophy and walk away with $2,500. This race is not for the ill-prepared. No, it’s for super-human athletes like our friend Hiroki.

Good luck Hiroki!

Published
by
Lauren
 on June 26, 2009
 in Athletes and Sponsorships
. 0 Comments

Putting packs through the paces in Yosemite

Gregory recently held its annual sales meeting about an hour or so from the home office at a small resort on the California Coast that’s a great spot to combine work and the outdoors. Reps from around the world converged for a couple of days to talk business, see preliminary designs for next season, and of course hike, mountain bike, surf and sea kayak.

Really, business did get done …

Some of the reps from farther afield often take the opportunity of being in California to make a more full trip of it. Harry Kondo, the company’s Asia Pacific sales and marketing manager, based in Japan, headed south after the meeting to surf.

Being an avid climber, Thomas Strobl, from Invia, Gregory’s distributor  in Germay, Austria and Switzerland, often takes advantage of trips to Gregory HQ by building in a few extra days and making the pilgrimage a few hours south and east to one of the meccas of the climbing world, Yosemite Park.

On this trip, before headed to the park’s granite walls, Thomas in the name of product testing stole (OK he did actually ask and got the green light with the condition that he report back with his feedback) a Serrac 35 sample from Gregory’s forthcoming Fusion LTS pack line for 2010.

Here’s a couple shots of Thomas sorting gear and eyeing a certain iconic rock route.

Published
by
Dave
 on June 25, 2009
 in Adventure travel, Gregory Goes There and Gregory world
. 0 Comments

Apps for your pack

As far as backpacks go, the crew over at Gregory’s pretty into technology. Other than that, we mostly rely on the basics to get out and explore the woods. But, we have to say, we’re pretty into a little piece of technology you might have heard of called the iPhone.

Yeah, yeah, does Apple really need us calling out  the iPhone too? Nope, and we wouldn’t, if it weren’t so dang cool. And not just cool, but useful even for the outdoors. As usual, it’s all about the apps.

Out of the 15,000 apps to choose from, the outdoor world claims more than just a few. Yes, this expensive-but-worth-it piece of technology could simplify your next backpacking ‘to bring’ list. There’s applications like AccuTerra, which won the ‘Best iPhone 3.0 Beta app’ and includes 3-D mapping content of the Bay Area and Yosemite National Park and a library of U.S. national state parks and forests for each state. You download the maps beforehand, and then you don’t rely on cell coverage to access them in the backcountry (battery life is a separate issue!).

The application also allows you to take photos and save them to the map with the elevation and location of where the photo was taken- your map, journal, and camera all in one.

And that’s just one of the many outdoor-specific applications. Not too long back, National Geographic Adventure West Coast Editor Steve Casimiro ran down the list of what he thought were the 25 Best Outdoor iPhone Apps on his blog, the Adventure Life. Definitely worth a read, if you haven’t already.

Course there’s also times when it’s good just to leave the tech at home - other than the tech in your backpack, of course. But for those who just can’t do that, the iPhone’s got it going.

 

Published
by
Lauren
 on June 23, 2009
 in Adventure travel, Gregory world and Hiking resources
. 0 Comments

Gregory Diablo makes the big screen

Well, not exactly. But in our world, it kind of is.Outside Magazine has amped up its online counterpart with video reviews of editors’ favorite 2009 summer gear. And the Diablo got a cast as one of the best packs of the season.Here, Associate Editor Justin Nyberg covers the Diablo’s most innovative features, including Bio-sync suspension, which helps the pack mimic body movements while running, biking and so on.Outside’s one of a handful of magazine’s that’s really making much more of concerted effort over the last year or so to keep their site fresh with daily outdoor news and content. Nice to see the video content expanding into gear. Click here to check out their blog.

Published
by
Lauren
 on June 19, 2009
 in Awards, Backpack tech and Gregory world
. 0 Comments

Four of five - not too bad in Patagonia

Did a post a while back on a group of climbers based in Chamonix who Gregory sponsored on a visit this past winter (their summer, if you can call what you’re about to see summer) to the Fitzroy/Cerro Torre area in Patagonia, those being the two most famous peaks in the region.

These guys are members of the Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute-Montagne (PGHM) of Chamonix, the group responsible for mountain search and rescue operations in that area, also supported by the famous Compagnie des Guides (interesting piece a while back in Outside Magazine on that group), the Ecole Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme and the Ecole Militaire de Haute-Montagne.

Here’s the story of how that group got their start, from PisteHors, which blogs about skiing-related news in the EU (good site if you’re interested in that sort of thing).

Anyway, this crew decided the right way to celebrate their mountain rescue units 50th anniversary was to head off Patagonia and bag five pretty challenging summits in one trip, one for each decade of the unit’s existence. Sure, why not? Sounds good to us … Continue reading >>

Published
by
Dave
 on June 17, 2009
 in Gregory Goes There and Sponsorships
. 0 Comments

R+D meeting on Mt. Lassen

Here’s some photos of a couple of the folks from the Gregory R+D department, who last weekend headed up north from Sacramento for a little skiing on Mt. Lassen.

Now if this doesn’t quite look like June,  it didn’t exactly turn out to be a hunt for spring corn skiing.

It’s been cool and rainy (and snowy at these elevations) across much of the western U.S. this spring, and that translates to powder skiing (uh, well, OK, skiing on new snow anyway) up on higher peaks like Lassen.

CJ in R+D (shown below getting ready to ski)  has been on a bit of a mission this spring. He headed up to Rainier for another ski mission a few weeks back.

Apparently moving to the West Coast from Utah, he’d heard about the spectacular spring corn season in the Sierras and on the northwestern volcanoes. Yeah, it exists. Maybe try again in July?

Published
by
Dave
 on June 15, 2009
 in Gregory world and Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Ask George: There’s only one thing worse than an ill-fitting pack …

George has a few opinions.

While there’s that saying about opinions - something about everyone having one? - we thought it’d be worth asking the man behind ‘Ask George’ what’s worse on a backcountry trip than a pack that doesn’t fit right.

And he had an opinion - as well as some advice.

What’s worse than an ill-fitting pack?  Ill-fitting boots. Or at least it’s arguable.  Back when I led people into the backcountry, I noticed one of the biggest mistakes people make when preparing for a trip is buying brand new boots only a few days before the trip.

When picking out your footwear of choice, you might be overwhelmed by the plethora of options. Our founder and spiritual leader Wayne often offers the advice, “fit a pack like a good pair of shoes” (hence our ‘fit’ philosophy). But, unlike a pack, most boot and even some lighter weight hiking shoes require a break-in period.  That break-in period will vary in relation to the individual as well as the kind of hiking boots chosen, as there are so many variations to soles, uppers, materials, etc.  I would allow a few weeks (up to 6) to break in a more supportive boot.

When hiking or training, you may feel pressure points. It is important to stop and treat, in order to prevent the formation of a blister. Let’s not be fooled: even a well broken in, good-fitting shoe can cause a blister in the right conditions.  There’s nothing worse than dealing with a debilitating blister on one of your stank doggies.

So what’s the root cause of blisters? Friction.  You can expedite the formation of blisters with moisture and sweat.  I’ve seen some serious blisters form in a matter of only a few minutes while the repercussions could last hours, if not days.  There are many different and often conflicting ways to go about treating a blister, but there are some definite standards you can follow. Continue reading >>

Published
by
Lauren
 on June 10, 2009
 in Ask George, Hiking and backpacking, Hiking resources and How to...
. 1 Comment

13,525 miles and counting

At Gregory, we like trails (to state the obvious).

And we like to see more trails come on board.

It’s kind of like wildlife habitat (often found in the same place as trails): We’re not making any more (for the most part), so it’s nice when some is set aside, or at least recognized as having value to an established network of trails.

In that vein,  late last month (in advance of National Trail Day) the new Secretary of Interior designated 525 miles of new trails the list of National Recreation Trails.

Since 1971, the National Recreation Trails system has recognized existing trails and trail systems that connect communities to recreational zones in public lands and local parks around the country. A network of more than 1,000 previously designated trails in all 50 states totalling more than 12,500 miles already exists in the NRT system.

Make that 13,525 miles …

Here’s a list of of the new additions to the new system.

Published
by
Dave
 on June 8, 2009
 in Hiking resources and Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Walking is great, but it’s even better when it involves raising money for a good cause

When it comes to giving back, the outdoor community has no shortage of helping hands. Gregory’s participation in and support of the Sacramento Walk-A-Thon for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation is another example of just that.

Luckily, here at Gregory, we consider ourselves pros at walking (and carrying things while walking). So when there’s a good cause that also happens to involve walking or hiking, it’s a natural.

On May 16th, 500 people, including a number of volunteers from Gregory, showed their support for advancing awareness and treatment of Angleman Syndrome by participating in the Sacramento Walk-A-Thon for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. Along with participating and raising $1,250, Gregory sponsored the lunch after the three-mile walk just around the corner from our offices.

Angelman Syndrome is a little known and often misdiagnosed disease that causes developmental delay, lack of speech, seizures, and balancing and walking disorders. The Foundation seeks to raise awareness of the syndrome through education, research and support for people with the disorder.

Including Sacramento, the Walk-A-Thon was held in 24 locations across the country.  Over 5,800 people gathered to walk in support of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation and raised a total of $780,000. Donations for the 2009 walk will still be accepted through September 30, 2009.

Published
by
Lauren
 on June 3, 2009
 in Events, Gregory world, Hiking and backpacking and Sponsorships
. 3 Comments

Did you know June 6th is National Trails Day AND National Doughnut Day?

Nowadays, there’s a holiday for practically everything. Like this Saturday, June 6th. I guess no one noticed when they named the first Friday of every June National Trails Day, that it was also named National Doughnut Day. Whoops. But, just because these two worthy causes don’t seem to go hand in hand, it doesn’t mean there’s not enough time on June 6th to celebrate both.

Here at Gregory, we celebrate any day we can get outside and put our boots to trail. This June 6th marks the 17th year that we will officially celebrate our National trails. More than 1,500 events around the country including trail maintenance, hiking, paddling, biking, horseback riding, and running will take place to celebrate.

It all started in 1987 with Ronald Reagan’s President’s Commission on Americans Outdoors, which, according the American Hiking Society, stated that “all Americans be able to go out their front doors and within fifteen minutes, be on trails that wind through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing steps.” Sounds nice, right? Well, in 1993, the American Hiking Society built on Reagan’s idea and launched National Trails Day.

As you know, trails don’t just appear out of nowhere. It took some serious planning and labor to create our 200,000 miles of trail. So, this Saturday, say thanks, and get out your front door to explore the trails that wind through your cities, towns, countrysides and mountains. And, if you’re into it, grab a doughnut along the way.

Published
by
Lauren
 on June 2, 2009
 in Events, Gregory world and Hiking and backpacking
. 6 Comments