Interview with Adam Salinger from Alpine Adventure Coaching
Adam and I are on the way to the Lost Coast Trail in 2023
When I first met Adam in the middle of the Ruby Mountains in northeastern Nevada, it was instantly apparent how experienced he was. We both shared the same passion about the outdoors.
I've been backpacking with him at least 6 times now, and have found that he is one of the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic backpackers I've ever met. He's constantly researching routes, food, and gear, and derives great happiness from being on the trail.
He is eager to share what he knows. I am always amazed at how small his backpack is, but he still pulls out a tent, sleeping bag, and everything else he could possibly need. (Even a chair!) He really has it dialed in.
I've been backpacking for a long time (since 1983), but still ask him for advice often, since I know he's already thought of it, probably has already been there, or has already considered or used the gear.
He has recently started Alpine Adventure Coaching to teach people on how to be safe and prepared for backpacking into the wilderness. He believes that if you increase your backpacking skills, you’ll appreciate and enjoy those long trail that much better.
I can't think of anyone better-suited for coaching people who would like to learn more about backpacking.
Q: Adam, tell me a little bit about yourself.
A: I've been backpacking for almost 50 years and an Educator for nearly 30. I've been married to my beautiful wife for 30 years and have an amazing 19-year-old daughter. I grew up in Los Angeles until 12 and then moved to San Luis Obispo through the end of High School. I went to Chico State for a degree in Business and later earned my Teaching Credential, Masters in Education, and Administrative Credential.
Adam and family at the end of the Colorado Trail
How did you decide to become a teacher? Was it what you expected?
I graduated college with a Marketing Degree and went to work as a manager at The Gap. I worked hard, rose fast, and made a lot of money. But in the end, adding on a pair of socks or a belt to a customer purchase just didn't fill my soul.
I left and went to work with Disabled Adults for a couple years while, at night, I took classes towards my Teaching Credential. When I finished, I got a job immediately. At the time, if you were male and seeking a job at the elementary level, jobs came fairly easily. I taught loops of 4th/5th grades (where I stayed with the same group of students for two years) for about 20 years. For my first 15 years in education, teaching was exactly what I expected. Long hours, true personal connections, and not much money. I absolutely loved it. I had administrators that allowed me to be creative and teach to my strengths.
For a few years, my class revolved around the Sacramento Kings. We integrated the team and sport into everything we did. The kids ate it up. Other years my students virtually "hiked" the John Muir Trail while learning 4th grade curriculum around native tribes, geology, flora and fauna. The work was centered on a lot of Math, Reading, and Writing. Then, when those kids moved to 5th grade and were learning US History, we were able to "hike" the Appalachian Trail in a similar way.
In a later year, when I took a leave of absence to hike the AT, my students helped plan the trip before I left and kept in touch with me on the trail.
What is the most rewarding moment you've had as a teacher?
My first three years of teaching I had the same students. In our third year together, I decided to create a thematic unit, my first of many, and I sent my class on a hunt. We would start a non-profit business that would benefit someone in the local community. They worked for weeks plastering the walls of the classroom with ideas, having debates and votes, and conducting visits and interviews.
In the end, they decided to work with a family who had a son that had recently been diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer. They built an entire business profile around this family and raised money for their travels during his treatment. Towards the end of the year, the young boy passed away. We grieved together for weeks. It turned into the most powerful teaching experience that I ever had or likely will have.
How did you start your relationship with the outdoors and why is it still strong today?
Growing up in LA, with parents who had no interest in the outdoors, my relationship consisted of "escaping" on my bicycle into the city. Nothing more. But when I was 8 years old, my grandma announced she was going to send me to summer camp. Summer Camp to those from the East means that a child goes away for most or all of the summer. In the West, no such camps existed.
My parents found a camp that still exists today called Walton's Grizzly Lodge. It's in the mountains above Portola, CA in Plumas County. They had multiple 2- and 3-week sessions throughout the summer that parents would choose to send their kids. My parents chose all of them. I was the only kid that stayed at camp between the sessions. I'd have the whole place to myself on those days. It was magnificent. Even more amazing was that each session had a backpacking trip.
So in essence, I was able to go backpacking 5 times every single summer until I was 20. I began as a camper on these trips and ended as a counselor leading these trips. This camp was the first place I experienced the feeling of awe. Everything was new, and the feeling of awe was something I felt daily.
From the clear skies filled with stars, to the visiting bald eagles, the smell of pine trees and rainbow trout, the feeling of accomplishment when we got to our destination and were able to take off our backpacks filled with cast iron pans and coleman stoves.
That feeling of awe is what keeps me coming back again and again to the backcountry. It's the foundation for my connection to the outdoors.
Adam with the WGL for Walton’s Grizzly Lodge on his back
Could you share one of your favorite outdoor moments?
There are truly too many to sift through. My favorite moments are on long hikes of 100 miles or more. I've been out for days doing big mileage each 24 hours. Hours into a day, when I'm some or all of the following (tired, sore, in pain, injured, sunburned, itchy, bleeding, sleepy, dirty, out of breath, hungry, hangry, thirsty, cold, hot, wet) I find myself on the top of a ridge where I can see for miles. Once again, I'm bought into the present moment and understand how lucky I am to be in that place and how grateful I feel for all that I have and all that I am.
Adam atop Lamarck Col looking down at Darwin Lakes
Tell me a little bit about why you decided to create Alpine Adventure Coaching and begin coaching people on backpacking.
As I've said, I've been an Educator for nearly 30 years and a Backpacker for nearly 50. Both have truly been passions. I decided, with a combined 80 years of experience, it was time to put the two together. Backpacking over 20,000 miles, I've seen and experienced a lot.
One thing that nags at me time and time again, is how so many in the backcountry are so much less prepared than in years past. My belief is that this is in direct correlation with the age of technology and, more specifically, social media. While I'm not anti-technology or anti-social media, I do believe that the picture that most feeds paint of life on the trail is an over-embellished depiction of the day to day. In other words, social media sugarcoats the reality of what backcountry travel really is.
And therein lies the problem. When inexperienced backpackers follow these accounts, they get an unrealistic look at what backpacking truly entails and often enter the backcountry physically and mentally unprepared. Much of the time they don't seek out the knowledge and skills needed to be safe and confident in the backcountry. I want Alpine Adventure Coaching to be the place that fills that need.
What types of customers do you think would benefit from your coaching?
As I talked about above, one of the audiences I'm focusing on are those that have little to no backpacking experience. They watch a movie like Wild, read a book like A Walk In the Woods, or they follow influencers who have hiked or are currently hiking a long trail. They might think they have a pretty good idea about what they need to do, know, and work on.
Unless they have really gone for a deep dive, chances are they will be ill prepared. This is a group that I'd love to work with. Another target group would be those that have been backpackers for a while but maybe only on shorter trips. They are looking to "up their game," being able to hike longer trips that start to require resupply. A third group would be the parents of teens to early 20 year olds that have announced that they are going to hike a long trail. The parents might have little to no backcountry experience and are looking for ways to support their child. Just like parents pay for their children to take music lessons or martial arts lessons because parents might not have the skills to teach those things, the same parents could send their children to one of my month long classes to gain the skill, knowledge and confidence to safely complete a journey filled with diverse outdoor challenges.
How might your experience or approach provide your customers with a great learning experience?
I'm an educator at heart. I know how to deliver curriculum in an enjoyable, interactive way that allows my students to gain knowledge in a variety of different ways. I love working with people who are hungry to learn. I work hard to stay current in all new gear and technology on the market. I'm a certified Wilderness First Responder (WRF), and understand the importance and key tenets of proper nutrition while in the backcountry. Finally, I'm a firm believer that long distance is probably 90% mental and 10% physical. My approach focuses heavily on the mental side of backpacking so that my students have thought about and taken part in problem solving centered discussions so that they are well prepared to be problem solvers all day every day on the trail.
Adam teaching students at a lake
How can people learn more about you or your coaching?
My website is comprehensive and I'm on all social media platforms at Alpine Adventure Coaching. I encourage people who are interested in backpacking and just don't know where to start, to connect with me over social media or email. I'd love to discuss their own personal goals and share with them how I can help support them personally to help make their backcountry dreams come true.
