Gregory Goes There

The majority of the things we take for granted are the ones, that if taken away, we would miss the most. And for those who enjoy the outdoors, losing the ability to see would be one one of those things.

At 35, Trevor Thomas went blind. For 30+ years, Trevor had been an avid outdoorsman, whose passions included skiing, running, and mountain biking. But after losing his sight to a rare eye disease, these pursuits no longer seemed possible.

However, after attending a motivational speech by Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Everest, Trevor resolved that the activities he could do, he would do extremely well. And in just five years, he’s accomplished just that. Trevor has become the first blind person to successfully complete an unassisted thru-hike of the 2,1755 mile Appalachian Trail- all with the help of his Gregory Z55. He’s also managed to summit, Mt. Mitchell, the tallest peak on the East Coast, as well as Mt. Evans and Longs Peak in Colorado.

Recently, Trevor has joined forces with Team Farsight in hopes of completing the 2800 mile Pacific Crest Trail, which stretches from Mexico to Canada. Their attempt in 2010 will mark the first time a handicapped person will lead their team along the 2800 mile journey. Trevor will also be the first blind person to complete the journey beginning to end. To aid Trevor, Gregory will be sending him a Z65 built with Gregory’s new 2010 redesign of the JetStream LTS suspension system.

Beyond his accomplishments, Trevor fills his time with rock climbing, long distance hiking, and adventure racing. See an interview with him on Blue Ridge Outdoors’ website.