Subaru Outback Lifestyle Camping Event

Last week we were invited to attend a camping event hosted by Subaru in Grand Teton National Park to celebrate National Public Lands Day. Subaru organized this event in order to provide an opportunity for journalists to experience what Subaru drivers do. Twenty folks from all over the country came together for three days of camping out under the stars while giving back to our nations public lands. We spent the nights camping in a couple of group campsites in the Colter Bay Campground on Jackson Lake. Our evenings were spent staying warm around the campfire talking about the Leave No Trace program, as well as the lifestyle of our Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer teams. Everyone was very impressed with our Team West, JD Tanner and Emily Ressler, who have been on the road teaching Leave No Trace for three years and have spent 150 plus nights sleeping in a tent in 2009.

We also managed to talk about camping in bear country, what to do if you encounter a bear and how to use the bear spray to fend of an unruly bear if we happened to have one wonder into camp at night. On the last night we were entertained with some outstanding guitar playing and singing by George around the fire.

We were happy to meet lots of new people from Subaru, as well as journalists from Better Homes and Gardens, Delta Sky, Road and Travel, Ask Patty.com, Fitness, Women-Drivers.com, and Drive Magazine. This group got the opportunity on day 2 to test drive the new 2010 Outback on gravel roads within the Jackson Hole Ski Area where we went for a tasty sack lunch. Afterward, we joined Don Wells and Gina MacILwraith, who work for The Grand Teton Lodge Company, one of our Partners, for an interpretive hike at Menors Ferry where we had the opportunity to learn the history of the area and ride the ferry across the Snake River.

On the last day everyone participated in a service project organized by the Grand Teton Lodge Company tearing down split rail fencing so that elk will not be hindered in their migration. This allowed everyone to get their hands dirty and helped make the connection to the Leave No Trace Principle Respect Wildlife. At the end of the service project we were all treated to a talk on the history of the Tetons, wildlife encounters and reasons for tearing down the split rail fence by the District Ranger.

I would like to personal thank everyone who was involved in making this event happen. I thought it was extremely successful and it is now one of my more memorable outdoor experiences! We were lucky to spend the week with great people and partners in the Tetons with such gorgeous fall weather.