Oboz Footwear has selected sixteen hikers and dedicated outdoor adventurers to make up its inaugural Trail Team of ambassadors.
The sixteen ambassadors hail from around the country and were chosen from a large pool of applicants. The diverse and eclectic group includes ambitious hikers, trail builders, writers, peak baggers and adventurers who will go the distance and then report regularly on their travels and outdoor escapades on the Oboz Trail Tales blog as well as via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or #obozfootwear #truetothetrail.
“We think the Oboz Trail Team adventures will inspire,” said Josh Fairchilds, co-founder and Vice President of Oboz. “We’re excited to follow along, check out their stories and share them with the entire Oboz community.”
Meet the ambassadors:
Amy Whitley, Medford, OR. Amy operates Pit Stop for Kids, and is a traveler, hiker, skier, and more. She is the NWKids columnist at OutdoorsNW Magazine. In 2015, she and her family will hike the Na Pali coast trail in Kauai in March and she’ll also do a 7-day section of the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon with her 15-year old son. She’ll round out the year with cycling, kayaking and rafting, too.
Craig Romano, Mount Vernon, WA. Craig is a trail guide author and accomplished outdoor writer. For 2015 his plans include working on three more books that will have him hiking all over the Olympic Mountains and North Cascades.
Renee Patrick, Bend, OR. Renee plans to complete the Continental Divide Trail in 2015. She also founded Hikertrash, an e-commerce site for hikers with a sense of humor. In addition, Renee is a trail ambassador for the Continental Divide Trail Coalition.
Aaron Hussman, South Lake Tahoe, CA. Aaron's been wearing Oboz for years and hiked 500 miles in his Oboz in 2013. For 2015 he plans a 3-week trek to the Peruvian Andes. He works as an environmental advocate for the League to Save Lake Tahoe.
Karin Schwartz, Sacramento, CA. A serious peakbagger, Karin has tallied up nine of the biggest summits in California, and has also completed the John Muir Trail, the High Sierra Trail, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, and trekked the high peaks and passes of Nepal and Peru. For 2015 she’ll trek in Patagonia, complete Mt. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail and squeeze in a few other backpacking trips on the side.
Bret Edge, Moab, UT Bret's a professional photographer and avid outdoorsman who left “the soul sucking world” of corporate finance after 13 years behind a desk. He and his wife packed up everything and moved to Moab with no jobs and no place to live. Nine years later, he owns a successful photography gallery and enjoys the freedom and challenges of running his own business in a beautiful place.
Scott Linnenburger, Boulder, CO. A “professional bushwhacker,” Scott is a master planner who works nationwide designing and building trails. In 2015 he’ll be hitting the trails in Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Georgia.
Melynda Harrison, Livingston, MT. A social media maven and writer, Melynda is an avid backpacker and hiker with trips all over the world. She makes trail time a priority and Montana winters don’t deter her from walking and biking (and hanging out the laundry to dry) to keep her own carbon footprint to a minimum.
Fred and Debbie Beck, Gladstone MO. Married for 31 years, this intrepid couple goes the distance to go hiking. Loyal customers since Oboz’ first days in 2008, they’ve helped spread the word about Oboz, especially to thru-hikers Fred met on the Appalachian Trail in 2014. This year they plan to hike the majority of the AT.
Rich Van Antwerp, Cedar Rapids, IA. Rich swapped golf for hiking three years ago and never looked back. Now in his sixth decade, he’s planning trips to the Grand Canyon, the John Muir Trail, and more this year.
Jillian Bejtlich, Lichtfield, NH. Discovering Oboz turned Jillian into a hiker because they were the first boots that didn’t tear her feet apart. In 2015 Jillian plans to tackle many long snowshoe hikes, bag a few of the New Hampshire 4,000-foot peaks, and traverse the 21-mile Wapack Trail in the Monadnock region and the 23-mile Presidential Traverse.
Jason Phelps, Portland, ME. Jason literally walked his way to health. On his first hiking trip at age 29, he was extremely overweight, having never walked more than a mile. Now 45, he’s hiked all 48 4,000-foot peaks in New Hampshire, over 900 miles the Appalachian Trail, and, in 2012, the entire 2,660-mile Pacific Crest Trail carrying his carbon fiber guitar. He's also in a popular bluegrass band, “Jerks Of Grass” (jerksofgrass.com).
Shannon Reardon Bresett, Keeseville, NY. A licensed New York State guide working on getting her American Mountain Guides Association credentials, Shannon is a K9 handler for a very busy technical search and rescue team. She gets out nearly every day and is constantly looking for the next challenge. After hiking all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks (three times), she’s now hiking them in the winter.
Matt Allenbaugh, Roanoke, VA. A furniture maker and outdoors instructor, Matt also has an impressive hiking resume which includes a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, a winter hike of the Presidential Traverse, the Art Loeb trail and much more. Ice climbing, mountaineering, and cycling also add to his extensive credentials.
Anna Brunton, Asheville, NC. Anna discovered hiking in 2014 and is now gearing up for a 2016 thru-hike of the AT. What started out as a hobby has become the highlight of her week, and she explores new trails regularly.
