MEET YOUR 2023 ADVENTURE AMBASSADORS!
BearVault believes in amplifying the voices of all those who pursue wild adventure! In 2023, we’re highlighting the unique stories of ten ambassadors who represent the limitless possibilities of what backcountry adventure can look like.
Follow along with updates from our ambassadors and find inspiration to pursue your own adventures by joining us on social media or our email newsletter!
Tap the picture to learn more about each ambassador!
BARRY AUSKERN
ELLE EBERTS
ROCÍO VILLALOBOS
GREG SAKOWICZ
MEITAL KUPFER
CASSIA RIVERA
KAYLEE LETTAU
THE URBAN FAMILY
ANJELICA AVELLA
JENNIFER DICIESARE
BARRY
AUSKERN
ELLE
EBERTS
ROCÍO
VILLALOBOS
GREG
SAKOWICZ
MEITAL
KUPFER
CASSIA
RIVERA
KAYLEE
LETTAU
ANJELICA
AVELLA
JENNIFER
DICIESARE
THE URBAN
FAMILY
BARRY AUSKERN
ELLE EBERTS
ROCÍO VILLALOBOS
GREG SAKOWICZ
MEITAL KUPFER
CASSIA RIVERA
KAYLEE LETTAU
ANJELICA AVELLA
THE URBAN FAMILY
JENNIFER DICIESARE
THE URBAN FAMILY
Hi! We are a couple of teachers who are raising their family with a lot of vitamin (N)ature. Living in Minnesota, we value the outdoors and teach our kids to embrace the activities of every season. Whether it is catching frogs, tackling new mountain bike trails, kayaking to a secret fishing spot, or being the first to cross country ski on freshly groomed trails, we believe that there is no better way to learn and grow than through having outdoor adventures as a family.
What adventures are you going on this year?
Our summer adventures include our annual month-long road trip to Crested Butte, Colorado to hike and mountain bike. We also plan to return to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota, this time with the littlest Urban and mom to experience 4 days of camping and canoeing.
What’s something you hope to gain from your adventure?
We hope to continue to provide memorable “screen-free” experiences with our family. Teaching them to appreciate an epic view, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, entertaining campfire tales and a great fish fry. Along the way, building a sibling bond that will last a lifetime.
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
We love coffee, cajun shore lunch, Clif Z-Bars, trail mix, dried fruits, s’mores and freeze dried camp meals when in the backcountry.
ANJELICA AVELLA
Hola! Soy Anjelica! When I’m not helping kiddos as a speech therapist, you can find me in the mountains; my home away from home. I’m a plus size Mexican-American outdoor explorer taking up space and saving it for you, to create a more diverse and inclusive outdoors for all. Backpacking has changed, saved, and made my life better in so many ways. Always remember your pace doesn’t matter, forward is forward.
What adventures are you going on this year?
Catching flights and heading to another state to take on The Long Trail! I’ve got an assortment of nerves and excitement about thru-hiking in another state so far away from home.
What’s something you hope to gain from your adventure?
I aspire to inspire others to chase after every outdoor dream they may have. I’m hopeful to complete the oldest thru-hike, while learning more about backpacking on the East Coast. I also want to encourage myself to remember just how strong I am. See y’all in Canada!
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
Give me all the Cheese-Itz! And Sour Patch Kids to balance it out. Peanut butter rolled up inside of tortillas never gets old either!
BARRY AUSKERN
My name is Barry Auskern. Years ago, in a former life, I guided trips for the Audubon Expedition Institute. I’ve trekked from the wind-swept coast of Labrador, to the hot sands of Death Valley National Park. And then I became an attorney. It’s been a good 28 years since I strapped a backpack on. I’m beyond excited for this summer’s adventures.
What adventures are you going on this year?
My wife, sister, and I will be trekking across western Iceland in June, and hopefully soaking in the natural hot springs each night. In July, my good buddy Dick and I will be backpacking in the heart of Colorado’s bear country.
My goal for this summer is to disconnect from the screens that are constantly in front of my face, and to experience again what it feels like to be in a wild, remote part of the world. Plus, I want to see the Milky Way in its full glory.
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
I’m a big fan of almond butter sandwiches. My homemade trail mix consists of walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, and those salty miniature pretzels! But honestly, at the end of a long day of hiking, I can eat anything! Having had bears get into my food bag years ago at Yosemite, I’m looking to not repeat that experience!
CASSIA RIVERA
Hi there! My name is Cassia Rivera and I’m a passionate wildlife conservationist, photographer, filmmaker, and bear enthusiast! I love to bring my passion for the outdoors and wildlife to others through the art of storytelling, and am grateful I’ve had the opportunity to do so through my photos and films. One of my favorite parts of this journey has been sharing my love for the natural world with my husband and two boys out on the trails!
What adventures are you going on this year?
I’m thrilled to hike the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the trails of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests! From waterfalls to meadows to mountain peaks, adventure awaits!
What’s something you hope to gain from your adventure?
I’m excited to push myself physically while learning more about the American black bear when hiking through many of their habitats in western North Carolina. Is there anything better than sharing the trails with these amazing animals?
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
I’m a huge fan of endurance fuel packets, electrolyte powder, trail mix, bananas and peanut butter sandwiches! Nutrient dense snacks are what help me push through when the miles begin to stack up!
ELLE EBERTS
Hello! My name is Elle Eberts and I have combined my love of outdoors and horses – I am a horse packer. I am committed to helping preserve wilderness with the responsible use of stock (horses and mules) in the backcountry. My horses and I spend our summers in the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex, Glacier Park, and the surrounding Montana wild spaces. When we aren’t out on the trail we are on the farm teaching leave no trace ethics, building saddles, and planning our next adventure.
What adventures are you going on this year?
I’m focusing this year on exploring with family and friends using the horses to help make the wilderness more accessible. We will be exploring in the sacred Badger Two Medicine, seeing how far we can go in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, and thinking about a jaunt down to Yellowstone!
What’s something you hope to gain from your adventure?
Every adventure is a gain, from learning more about the ecosystem to coloring in more trails on my map. That feeling of being present that I get in the backcountry is something I am striving to learn how to do in the front country!
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
I love dehydrating veggies from our garden and adding them to ramen or instant potatoes! Annnd motivational candy, of course.
Photo by Hope Carlin Photography.
GREG SAKOWICZ
Hi! My name is Greg Sakowicz, but I might be better known as the Fat Man. I started FatManLittleTrail.com a few years ago with the goal of inspiring other hefty hikers to get off the couch and make it to the trails! I only started hiking three years ago but have fallen in love with the mental and physical benefits of being in the woods. I have hiked over 1,600 miles and over 275,000 feet of elevation gain but there is one thing missing, backpacking!
What adventures are you going on this year?
My biggest adventure this year is my goal of taking my first overnight backpacking trip! I won’t lie, I am a little nervous, but I’ve spent a ton of time outdoors so this is the next step. I am also continuing my goal of hiking in every county of Colorado!
What’s something you hope to gain from your adventure?
Four years ago I didn’t have the confidence to hike because I thought I was too out of shape. Backpacking will be one step further away from the couch!
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
I love the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cliff Bars. Nakee Butter pouches are great for energy and have been my recent obsession.
JENNIFER DICIESARE
Hi! My name is Jennifer DiCiesare or Mahendra. I’m a mountain woman through and through, raised in the Colorado Rockies. I hike, climb, run, swim, bike, hunt, fish, etc. I’m also a momma to a sweet little boy who entered this world 3 months early. I love sharing my adventures with my little man. I’ve also struggled with self identity after becoming a mom and am continuously working on it through wilderness immersion. I spend my off time teaching people how to enjoy being in the wilderness and how to build and maintain trails (so basically I’m a wilderness junkie). Find me on instagram @mommainthemountains
What adventures are you going on this year?
I am thru-hiking the Colorado Trail, fulfilling a lifelong dream and working on self identity outside of motherhood. I also have several multi-day trail work projects throughout Colorado as a crew leader for Volunteers Outdoors Colorado. As an avid hunter, my fall will be filled with various backcountry hunting trips.
What’s something you hope to gain from your adventure?
I hope to regain a sense of self that I feel I’ve been lacking since becoming a mom. I know that if I can find my confidence and power in myself, then I will be a better mother, friend, and all around person.
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
I love foods that are easy. I’m a sucker for mint hot chocolate protein drinks, coffee, and goldfish.
KAYLEE LETTAU
Hello! My name is Kaylee and I’m a backcountry sports enthusiast with a passion for sustainability. I currently reside in the wonderland that is the Pacific Northwest. I’ve always loved the outdoors, but when I moved to Oregon from the Midwest in the summer of 2019 I quickly fell head over heels for our mossy forest and snowy mountains. When COVID hit in 2020 going to remote trails became a must and a weekly routine. This routine inspired me to follow my dreams by changing careers to accommodate my love of the forest.
What adventures are you going on this year?
I randomly learned about the Pacific Crest Trail while doing research on backcountry hiking spots and after doing more research I knew that a PCT thru-hike was something that I needed to do. Timing has worked out to allow 2023 to be the year that I get to accomplish that dream. My trek starts in May and I have big plans for it. I have always been a nerd about recycling and sustainability, so I have decided to apply those principles to my thru-hike. For me this looks like reusing and thrifting gear and, if I need to use single use products ensuring that those products are compostable or recyclable. I also have a lot of food allergies, so buying local produce and bulk foods to dehydrate has also been very important to me. This helps to lower the carbon emissions of shipping and the plastic waste of packaging
What’s something you hope to gain from your adventure?
While on my thru-hike I’m excited to gain the knowledge of what incredible things my body can do! I’m stoked to summit my first mountain, cowboy camp in the cold, hike my first 30+ mile day, and trek through the Sierras in a record snow year.
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
Almond Butter Chip IQ Bars, Joyride zero sugar Peachy Mango Rings, and almond butter & mango check roll-up
MEITAL KUPFER
I’m Meital Kupfer (they/them) and I’m an avid hiker and climber. I’ve spent the last seven years living and working in Uganda, but hail from Washington, DC. While I work in the development sector (focusing on gender, technology and climate change), I am a strong supporter of making the outdoors more equitable for all. When not examining spreadsheets or conducting research, I can be found camera in hand, or curating my next favorite playlist.
What adventures are you going on this year?
I am already several weeks into my Appalachian Trail thru hike, and loving it! Later in the year, I will be leading folks up Mount Moroto, in northeastern Uganda.
What’s something you hope to gain from your adventure?
Finishing the AT is a cardinal goal, but also the opportunity to take some time to solely focus on this one goal is important to me. I aspire to disconnect, take time for myself, and learn more about the land I traverse and recreate on.
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
My go-tos are squeezed applesauce, Butterfingers and Rx Bars. I need the fuel for the constant up and down climbs on the AT!
ROCÍO VILLALOBOS
My name is Rocío Villalobos and I am a Xicana Indigenous woman and trail runner who is passionate about the environment. My transnational childhood shaped my understanding of community, family, migration, inequity, and borders, all of which led me to my current position as Immigrant Affairs Manager with the City of Austin’s Equity Office. I co-founded Native Roots ATX, a running and wellness crew based in Austin, TX that centers Indigenous people and uplifts the belief that movement is medicine. In my free time, I volunteer as a Mentor with Explore Austin and board member at Ecology Action of Texas.
What adventures are you going on this year?
I have several trail races lined up, including a couple of half marathons outside of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. My biggest adventure will be taking on the Mt. Hood 50-mile race in Oregon.
What’s something you hope to gain from your adventure?
I want to continue building my endurance as a trail runner so that I can tackle progressively more challenging races. Ultimately, I just enjoy connecting with the land, wherever I am.
What are your favorite snacks to pack in your BearVault?
My new favorite snack is a dill pickle trail mix! I’m also a huge fan of chile-spiced dried mango.
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