Explorer Spotlight: Gregg Boydston

Name: Gregg Boydston | Age: 28 | Location: Mammoth Lakes, CA.

What’s your day job?
I am on a Hotshot Crew for the United States Forest Service.

What are your favorite things to do outside?
My favorite thing to do outside is camping by far. I love being able to stay outside and not worry about anything else other than enjoying yourself and the people around you. I usually throw together some tasty treats over the campfire and have the cooler stocked.

What first drew you to the outdoors?
My family went camping a lot as I was growing up. It was always around me, and I just kept it going when I was old enough to do it on my own. I also went through Boy Scouts for a while which got me outside doing various activities.

What’s your favorite hometown adventure? ...and, almost as important, where’s your favorite spot to get a beer after?
There is so much to around here, it is hard to pick just one. I guess to keep it simple, I love going out to Convict Lake with some snacks and a cooler. It is a beautiful lake and is an easy to access place to hang out and even toss the poles out. Then I don’t have to go get beer after, I had it with me! the.

What’s your essential gear that never gets left at home?
I would have to say my camera. I love being able to document these places for everyone who isn't lucky enough to see them for themselves. My can coozie is pretty high on the list though.

What’s your favorite trail snack?
I really enjoy some good beef jerky. Cheez-Its are also a way top my heart.

Any go-to soundtracks when you’re hitting the road?
Music is pretty high on my hobby list. When I am driving I listen to a little bit of everything, but some sing along folky stuff is probably most common when flying solo.

What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened while you were adventuring? And/or, the funniest?
I was camped up outside of Bridgeport, CA. a while back and had quite the run in with bears that week. From them ripping doors off of vehicles throughout the campground to flipping our coolers over and taking all our bacon in just the time it took for me to go find a tree. When the bear was done we went and gathered all his trash and we counted 3 packs of bacon, sandwich meat, and 2 cans of ginger ale which really put a hurt on and made it a little tough to fall asleep in the tents.

Who’s your number one adventure partner-in-crime? Who inspires you?
I probably adventure most with my girlfriend Kristen or my good buddy Jon. We also have quite the group of “Instagram Celebrities” who met through Instagram, that get together and camp quite often in the Eastern Sierra.

What are your top destinations for adventure travel?
I would have to say I spend the most time in the Eastern Sierra and Yosemite NP. Lucky for me though, I get to travel all summer to some pretty back country type places. Unfortunately, I am there to put out fires and not take photos and drink beer.

What’s on the top of your must-do adventure list right now?
I really need to get to Alberta.

Show us your most memorable photo, and tell us about it!
I was actually here for work, believe it or not. There was a fire on the backside of Half Dome and we were sent up there for a week or so to help keep it from entering the valley or harming any of the park’s property. We hiked up the John Muir/Mist Trail with all of our gear and equipment. The first day and a half of work was put in just beyond the overnight campsite you would stay at for the Half Dome hike. Once we wrapped that part of the fire up, we were flown up to another huge granite knob just East of Half Dome. Here is where we spent the remainder of I think 8 days? While putting in 16 hours a day, I was still able to watch the sun rise and set everyday and usually ate our MRE’s around warming fire cracking jokes and talking about our experience. It was really great to spend a week in a part of Yosemite I probably never would have experienced otherwise.

And last but not least…What’s your personal motto?
I don’t really have a personal motto... But I do always try to be humble and be tough. I try to do what I need to, to live comfortably but also try to care for the people around me.