Osprey Brand Team
Our bloggers
Favorite Packs: All over the board!
http://blog.ospreypacks.com/
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Bio: Sheila Monahan
Sports: Snowboarding, Climbing
Favorite packs: Switch 36 and Xenon 70
Suffern, New York
Sheila started her life just outside of New York City, destined to become another city bound artist until life intervened. An open ended road trip across the US landed Sheila in Leadville, Colorado with a busted timing belt and a view of the Rockies.
She got a job at Copper Mountain where her passion for snowboarding was fanned into an obsession. Later, Sheila traveled alone to the French and Swiss Alps in order to experience the vast stretches of Alpen powder.
Sheila went down to Bariloche, Argentina with a guide to learn proper avalanche skills (and snowboard in August). Cat skiing abackcountry snowshoeing in British Columbia, Utah, Colorado, Vermont, New York, New Jersey. Sheila has hiked and snowboarded the glacier at Tuckerman's Ravine in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She now lives at the foothills of the Ramapo Mountains and runs to the Appalachian Trail whenever possible. Sheila is a member of NYSG and Outdoor Adventurers.
2009 Adventures:
• Kootenay BC cat skiing
• Jay Peak in Vermont
• Powder Mountain, Utah cat skiing
• Ski Arpa cat skiing
• Snowboarding, hiking, and mountain biking
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Bio: Philip Swiny
Sports: Climbing, Outdoor Education
Favorite Packs: Variant 37 and Switch 36
Las Vegas, Nevada
Philip started working as an outdoor educator while in college. He started out small, leading weekend backpacking trips and short climbing trips. From there he moved on to leading and coordinating conservation programs which enabled him to explore wild areas from Alaska to Georgia and points in between.
In 2005 Philip started working as a rock guide for Jackson Hole Mountain Guides. He is based primarily out of the Red Rock branch, in sunny Las Vegas, Nevada. Philip is on the AMGA track, having taken the Rock Instructor Course with plans to continue on towards certification.
Philip has had numerous other forms of employment which he feels gives him a well rounded view of life. He has worked as a: field archaeologist (both terrestrial and nautical), experimental ceramicist, EMT, expedition logistics coordinator, wildlife researcher and carpenter just to name a few.
2009 Adventures:
• Climbing in Joshua Tree
• Rock climbing in Yosemite, CA
• Trip to Squamish, BC
• Backcountry skiing in Jackson, WY
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Bio: Nick Spring
Sports: Mountaineering, Kayaking, Skiing
Favorite pack: Kode 38
Nelson, BC, Canada
Living in Nelson has Nick Spring spending upwards of 5-6 days a week in the mountains or on the rivers, while still maintaining a job and other life necessities. In addition to working at Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Nick is a member of Nelson Search and Rescue and is trained in ground searches across a variety of terrain and situations.
He is a Canadian Avalanche Association Level One certified avalanche technician and has SAR specific training in organized avalanche response. Nick spends one day per week ski patrolling up at Whitewater Ski Area. In the coming months he will be preparing for the Canadian Association of Ski Guides (CSGA) level one course and anticipate working in the mechanized ski industry in the coming seasons.
Nick holds a Wilderness 1st responder ticket, and has plans on expanding that to a Wilderness EMT as well. Nick graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from York University in Toronto and has been working in the outdoor industry for almost 10 years both on the retail and wholesale side.
2009 Adventures:
• Goat Range Traverse, 50 miles of big, wild and glaciated peaks.
• A week up at sol mountain lodge ski touring
• Further training with Nelson Search and Rescue exploring some of the lesser-known climbs in the Valhalla Mountains
• A trip to the Bugaboo’s but instead of going in the logging road we are planning on heading in from the backside up river
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Bio: Missy Prodoehl
Sports: Cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, climbing
Favorite packs: React and Kestrel 38
Acworth, New Hampshire
Missy brings a unique perspective to the 2009 Osprey Brand Team. As a mother of a two year old and with a second child on the way, Missy’s adventures are tinged with a mother’s unique take on the right gear and the necessities to keep her young daughter happy, warm, and safe. Missy is originally from Massachusetts, has lived in Nantucket, Colorado, Vermont and now calls Acworth, New Hampshire home.
A few summer's ago, Missy spent a season doing an Outward Bound course in the Rocky Mountains where she learned and became proficient in mountaineering camping, rock climbing, and testing gear in unexpected, burly conditions.
With her daughter Norah by her side, Missy is an avid outdoors woman doing anything outside in any season, passing her love for wilderness and adventure to her daughter. Missy is a nurse by profession and also enjoys snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, canoeing/kayaking, igloo building, and 4-wheeling.
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Bio: Joe Thompson
Sports: Climbing, Mountain Guiding, Skiing
Favorite packs: Variant 37
Erie, Colorado
Joe started his guiding career in 2000. An AMGA Certified Rock Guide and Top Rope Site Manager, Joe guides rock of all types, shapes and sizes and teaches instructional programs on rock climbing and rock rescue systems. He is currently pursuing full certification also in the alpine and ski disciplines to achieve IFMGA status.
Joe is a certified EMT-Basic and has completed the level 2 AIARE avalanche course, and is currently enrolled in the level 3 AIARE course coming up in Valdez, Alaska this February. In the winter, he also works as a ski patroller at Eldora Mountain Resort in Nederland, Colorado just outside of Boulder.
Joe's favorite places to climb and guide are Eldorado Canyon, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Boulder Front Range where he also lives. He has been working with Alpine World Ascents since 2005 and is also a full time guide with the Spot Gym in Boulder.
2009 Adventures:
• Guiding in Alaska
• Leading climbing trips this summer
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Bio: Jim Philpott
Sports: Skiing, Kayaking, Trail running, Surfing
Favorite packs: Agron 70 and Variant 37
Durango, Colorado
Being born and raised in Durango, Colorado outdoor adventures have been a way of life for Jim. Having learned to ski at three and how to kayak at eight his life has been centered on the outdoors and its endless possibilities all his life.
Jim attended college in Boulder, Colorado where he received a degree in Environmental Sciences with an emphasis on hydrology. He spent the final semester of college in Southeast Asia working to promote sustainable development in rural areas of Northern Thailand and Laos.
After he graduated, Jim moved out to Santa Barbara to work, surf, and explore the California coast line. He has recently moved back to Colorado for some long overdue powder skiing and some much deserved time in the San Juan Mountains and the Southwest.
2009 Adventures:
• Backcountry skiing in Wyoming and Utah
• Ski trip to Switzerland this spring
• Going to Hawaii for some surf in March
• Two week backpacking trip into the Grenadiers down here in Durango to climb some peaks.
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Bio: Craig Randall
Sports: Bike racing, running, Nordic skiing
Favorite packs: Talon 5.5 and Atmos 65
Boulder, Colorado
Craig has been involved with sports his entire life but his passion for the outdoors was solidified during his college years split between Gunnison/Crested Butte and Durango, CO. It was in Gunnison that Craig’s interest and skills in Nordic skiing and mountain biking were refined and nurtured. Riding Crested Butte’s world famous singletrack and skiing alpine and Nordic in and around Crested Butte Mountain Resort defined Craig’s early twenties. With a move to Durango to finish college at Fort Lewis, Craig joined the nationally ranked Fort Lewis Cycling team and developed into a strong road rider. Craig earned his degree in English and Writing in 2007.
Now living in Boulder, Colorado, Craig continues to road and mountain bike race in this thriving cycling community. As a rider for the Rocky Mounts – Izze racing team, Craig competes in a busy Spring-Fall racing program. With an excellent Nordic skiing area only a half an hour up Boulder Canyon, Craig peppers his cycling training with skiing at Eldora Mountain Resort.
In early 2009 Craig enrolled in massage therapy at Boulder College of Massage Therapy seeking to eventually work with like-minded endurance athletes to assist in performance, recovery, and mental/physical wellness.
2009 Adventures:
• Road racing all spring and summer
• Mountain bike race series in Vail, Copper, Breck, Crested Butte, Eldora
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Bio: Bill Grasse
Sports: Climbing, Mountain Guiding, Kayaking
Favorite packs: Mutant 38 and Exos 58
Durango, Colorado
Bill brings with him a wealth of experience in climbing and guiding and has climbed extensively around the western United States. From the walls of Yosemite and Zion to the towers of Utah, Bill has been passionate about climbing and the outdoors since the 1990s.
With this love of the outdoors and a love of teaching others, Bill has taught climbing and kayaking for Fort Lewis College and has been a major influence for many climbers introduction into those sports.
Bill has been a Senior Wilderness Therapy Guide in Utah and started guiding for Durango’s Southwest Adventure Guides in 2007. Bill holds a degree in English from Fort Lewis College, is WFR and Level 1 Avalanche Certified and has completed an AMGA Rock Instructor and Rock Guide Course in hopes of gaining a Rock Guide Certification.
2009 Adventures:
• Big walls climbing in Utah and Nevada
• Backpacking
• Fourteeners in the San Juan range
• Kayaking, mountain biking, river trips, and travel
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Bio: Karl Harrelson
Sports: Hiking, backpacking, biking, photography, sailing, geocaching
Favorite packs: Aether 85, Kestrel 48
Richmond, Virginia
You might find Karl on an obscure mountain peak with camera in hand. You might find him on an isolated beach on the Outer Banks, or even sailing across the Chesapeake Bay one warm summer night. Wherever you find him, you'll find his Osprey gear close at hand.
After high school Karl completed his first century bike ride. The next few years found him in the saddle more often than not. Bike touring his way around Virginia was an every- weekend event. About this time the outdoors became an integral part of his world. Richmond offered a good base camp for day trips to the mountains, the beach and the Chesapeake Bay. Purchasing a sailboat, he spent weekends plying around the Bay and it's tributaries. His love of the water led him to volunteer for the Coast Guard Auxiliary. After a tour of duty in the Florida Keys, search and rescue became a big interest. Backpacking and hiking soon supplied another outlet for his energy. The Blue Ridge Mountains offered endless vistas and enchanting forests with plenty of rocks to scramble over.
Karl's career in graphic design fueled his interest in the visual arts. Photography became his cold-weather hobby. Although Central Virginia offered a bounty of subject matter, he wanted something more. That led to several visits to Iceland, photographing the land of fire and ice. Scotland and Wales were next on his agenda. Who knows where the next journey will land him. For such an active person, good, sturdy gear is paramount. He requires good equipment he can rely on to keep his cameras safe and dry - that's where Osprey comes in.
2009 Adventure plans:
• Climbing Old Rag Mountain
• Backpacking trip into the George Washington National Forest
• Bike touring around Virginia
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Jason Mallory
Sports: Snowboarding, Urban and Backcountry Trekking, Skateboarding, Dancing,
Favorite packs: Switch 16 and Exos 34
South Lake Tahoe, Ca.
Jason is an avid snowboarder of 10 years, who enjoys making long and fast powder turns as often as possible. He has instructed snowboarding at Heavenly and Homewood Mountain Resorts, and resides as near to his favorite chairlift as possible.
In May of 2006, Jason earned a Bachelors degree in Business, with emphasis in Management from San Diego State University, with 2 years of Electro Acoustic Music Production, and 1-on-1 special studies awarded in Political Science, to write on his own work “An Upgrade to Capitalism.”
During High school, he was given scholarship to the Capital Focus government program, and he spent a summer trip in the Three Sisters Wilderness / Deschutes River Area, backpacking and white water rafting with the Outward Bound School of Wilderness Survival.
Currently, Jason is working part time as a DJ in the Tahoe area, and publishing his book, For Joy and Wisdom. The book is based on his travels from the summer of 2006, with a backpack, skateboard and tent, through New York and various countries in Europe. A cross country motorcycle tour is being planned to promote the release of the book during the summer of 2009. Music from his travels, and more information on Jason and For Joy and Wisdom, can be found at
www.ForJoyandWisdom.com
