Six Moon Designs • 20th December 2024

Water in the Desert by Ashley Manning

I open my eyes after what felt like a lifetime of silence and solace to a desert view complete with twenty story tall red and sandstone walls. It’s still dark out, but the sky is no longer black but a nice light hue that hangs over the canyon that we are comfortably tucked away in. My feet are cool in the sand and my muscles tell me, “Stretch, please, stretch!” 
My Lunar Solo shelter flaps in the slight breeze behind me. 
The water in my bottle sloshes as I tilt it up to take a swig from my bott...

Darby Communications • 16th January 2023

Coffee Talk with Ashley Manning of Ashley's Adventure - Darby Communications

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Ashley Manning in our Asheville office. The first thing you notice about Ashley is her outpouring of positivity – Ashley’s smile is infectious; she’s open and honest in her stories and also when it comes to talking about working in the outdoor industry.


This month, she was kind enough to join us for Coffee Talk with Darby. Ashley opens up to share a bit about her life as a guide, an outdoor industry influencer, and a teacher as well as why, after all of...

FarOut • 1st August 2022

My Grand Canyon Whitewater Rafting Trip by Ash Manning

Head On a Swivel
After the cold night, we set off. This day was to be uneventful, just one rapid that’s easy to navigate and the canyon walls to rise above us as we dove into Marble Canyon. However, the very first rapid, we had a boat flip from running the wrong side of Bager Rapid. The flip happened as half of the trip floated downstream, forgetting one of the number one rules on the river: Head On A Swivel.
“I think there is a boat upside down.,.” Chris, a boater from Washington, said.
“There’...

SHOUTOUT COLORADO • 6th July 2022

Meet Ash Manning | Outdoor Professional & River Guide - SHOUTOUT COLORADO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ash Manning and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Ash, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
The most important lesson I’ve learned being in the Outdoor Industry and especially as a guide is to not listen to others’ opinions of you. Opinions and thoughts of other people seem to constantly be swirling no matter how good or bad you’re doing, so just keep going and who cares what they think?

Alright, so let’s move ont...

toughgirlchallenges • 4th March 2021

Ashley Manning - A plus-size adventurer who promotes body inclusion, equity and diversity

Ashley has been dreaming about hiking the Appalachian Trail ever since she was a little girl when her and her father would pick up thru-hikers and give them lifts into town. After graduating college in 2018, it was the right time to commit to taking on this challenge. Ashley was sponsored by the Thru Hiking Syndicate which is where she got her gear from. After a false start on the AT, and forgetting her pants! Ashley soon got into the rhythm of daily hiking, gaining a trail name and a trail fami...

Curvicality - Where your curves are an asset • 6th August 2020

Taking Up Space Outdoors: White Water Rafting

Even after earning her certification and guiding for a year, Manning was removed as a guide because of her unconventional way of getting into the raft: She uses a rope system to help get herself into the boat and one manager told her she couldn’t be a guide because of that. “The more research I did, I found out people on other rivers do this too, but it was a no-go. I had to face the fact that I didn’t feel wanted as a guide. On top of being female there is the plus-sized aspect,” Manning says....

Watershed Drybags • 12th December 2019

The Undisclosed Soul Of a Multi-day Rafting Trip - Watershed Drybags

By Ashley Manning“Goodbye! Talk to you in three weeks!” I type out a text to my family’s group message. I’ve found myself on the way to Lee’s Ferry, the put-in for the Grand Canyon. At that moment, I sat in the rig truck with a couple of others, making its way to the put-in before the rest of the 15 person crew. We all kind of knew each other, I had actually been down the canyon with two of the people with me in 2016. The pre-rig crew was Dannie, Chloe, Crystal, Kenny, and myself. My eyes took i...

Astral • 25th February 2019

Breaking the Stereotypes of Raft Guides - Astral

Author: Ashley ManningWhen you think “whitewater raft guide” I know the kind of person you’re thinking of: Strong white male with an unkempt beard and wild eyes. Maybe he smells a little strange and he has an impossible tan. He carries himself as confidently as he carries his sticker-covered Nalgene. He’s yelling out loud and smiling from ear to ear, eager to begin his day. This is the guy you came for, this is your idea of what a whitewater raft guide should be. However, he’s not the only perso...