Explore every episode of the podcast Guides Gone Wild
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Climbing (and Creating Rainbows) with Breast Cancer Survivors: Anyssa Lucena & Dr. Moira Christoudias, GenuineClimbing.org
Join Anyssa & Moira at Climb for a Cause, October 23rd from 3-9pm at GOAT Climbing Gym, Hackensack, NJ
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, today I’m talking to my long-time pod friend Anyssa Lucena of Genuine Climbing, as well as Dr. Moira Christoudias, a breast surgical oncologist with Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care in Paramus NJ.
Anyssa and Moira have joined me today to talk all about their amazing new initiative, Genuine Climbing.org, which will be providing FREE climbing experiences to women affected by breast cancer.
Genuine Climbing's mission is hugely personal for both of these women, as you’ll hear - as Anyssa writes on the website, the lump she felt became the seed for this vision. And now that vision has turned into lots and lots of action - as of early fall 2024, they’ve achieved non-profit status for Genuine Climbing, they’ve got all their ducks in a row, and are now accepting applications for the three amazing climbing retreat events they’ve got confirmed on their calendar already for 2025. I hope you’ll join me in supporting this wonderful organization, the link to donate or volunteer is above - get on it!!
Even if you’re not a climber, you’ll want to listen in today - Dr. Christoudias drops more than a few truth bombs and dispels many myths about breast cancer risk. One in eight (!!) women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Let’s all educate ourselves on our risks, encourage our friends and family to do the same, and do everything we can to detect it as early as possible!!
Just Start Showing Up: Paula Burton, NEMBA's Trail Blazing Trail Builder
20 Sep 2024
00:37:11
Back in July, I posted my episode with Nicole Freedman, the executive Director of NEMBA, and she was the one who introduced me to Paula Burton, a long-time mountain biker, NEMBA CT chapter founder, and instructor for NEMBA Trail School.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to meet Paula in person at the trail school I attended back in June, but we did connect over Zoom for an article I was writing for the NEMBA Single Tracks newsletter.
We hadn’t been talking for long before I realized that Paula was just the kind of guest I love, love, LOVE to have on this podcast - a real person doing really integral work that is constantly improving the outdoor experience for newbies and weekend warriors like me!
Paula’s been riding since before mountain biking was really a “thing”, and she’s got tons of stories to share that serve to highlight how far we’ve come in outdoor representation in the last 30+ years…. but also how not everything has changed quite so much.
Build a Community of Support OUTdoors: Rae-a Moughty, Campfire Institute
05 Feb 2024
00:44:11
Today we head OUTside with another fabulous wild guide, Rae-a Moughty, Founder and Director of Campfire Institute, an amazing organization that offers wilderness enrichment adventures for girls and LGBTQIA+ youth.
I connected with Rae-a right after she’d wrapped up the Institute’s OUT on the Snow program held at Evans Notch Lodge over MLK weekend. We were both so fired up by the great time had by the teens, and we wanted to harness that energy to try to spread the word about Campfire Institute and all of its programs still on tap for 2024.
Rae-a is an educator, registered Maine Guide, and all around ray of sunshine, as you’ll hear. Her passion for her work literally pours out of her, and she can’t grow her programs fast enough to keep up with the demand from all corners of Maine.
After you're done tuning in today, make sure to click on the link below to watch the beautiful video Jenny Woodward created with Rae-a (aka "Cricket"), featuring some of the teens that have found their voice and powerful connections through Campfire Institute programs. These kids are amazing and totally, authentically themselves, right down to the classic teen eyerolls!
It is NOT too late to sign up for Campfire Institute’s fabulous 2024 programming, so head over to CampfireInstitute.org - and even if you aren’t actively looking to register YOUR child or young adult for a program, you might just think of smashing that DONATE button and helping to sponsor another.
Please also follow @campfireinstitute on Facebook and Instagram - and there’s even a @campfireinstitute TikTok for the youth in your life to get their stoke on without having to stoop to joining you on the old folks’ socials!
And finally - if you are a retreat leader or guide looking for a low-key, affordable and comfy place to basecamp YOUR next group adventure, I hope you’ll check out Evans Notch Lodge - it's a sweet spot for groups like Campfire Institute, and we will work with you to achieve your vision for your event, retreat, bootcamp, whatever. Contact @evansnotchlodge on Instagram or Facebook, or come on over to EvansNotchLodge.com for more info.
Make sure to check OUT these links from our conversation!:
Where There's a Will, There's a (Vagabond) Way: Tiffany Soukup, Vagabond Way
10 Feb 2022
00:56:41
I'm coming in HOT today with my guest, Tiffany Soukup.
Tiff is a fireball of energy and positivity, and will probably be #lifegoals to any of you who aspire to a life filled with travel and the outdoors.
Tiff and her husband are Park Rangers (aka Park Managers) within the Vermont State Park system, and have also served as the managers of the AMC’s Little Lyford Lodge & Cabins in Greenville, Maine for several winters. Although not this winter - and we’ll get into why in our conversation.
But if that wasn’t interesting enough, Tiff is also an inveterate world traveler during the stick and mud seasons, a photographer, a writer, and the #1 evangelist over at VagabondWay.net, as she terms it, a site about "a deliberate way of living, allowing the freedom to travel".
And because we covered some ground, links for everyone!!:
Cultivate Tomorrow's Wild Guides: Amanda Hatley, She Summits Co. [encore]
03 Feb 2022
00:55:25
Ignore that pile of snow by the driveway, today we are talking SUMMERTIME…… and summer camp! Like, unbelievably awesome summer camp that makes me FOMO even as an adult!
Amanda Hatley of She Summits Co. was on the pod waaaay back in September of 2020. At the time, as you’ll hear, Amanda was reeling from the impact that COVID was having on her new business -- but she was walking her talk, being brave, and figuring out her next pivot(s).
Fast forward to February, 2022 - She Summits is no fly by night startup.
Despite, or maybe I should say in spite of, all that is going on in the world -- ever-changing COVID restrictions, the Great Resignation, the uncertainty that’s been overwhelming pretty much every area of our lives -- Amanda and her She Summits team executed on a 2021 season of life changing, next level camp experiences.
Backpacking through and exploring all the hidden corners of Acadia. Hiking the AT, summiting Katahdin, white water rafting. Even kayaking with day campers in the Bangor area.
And She Summits Co. will be firing on all cylinders again in 2022, with day and overnight camps for girls in 1st through 12th grade. They even have a Junior Maine Guide program for 4th to 12th graders, how cool is that? Get out there, girls, we need more Guides Gone Wild in Maine!
She Summits Co. is so buttoned up. Their camp programs and trips are amazing, and they take great care to hire exceptional people and give them tons of training and support. I hope you will join me in spreading the word about this amazing organization, right now - because as anyone with kids knows, if you want to secure some safely supervised, electronics-free summer outdoor activity for your kid, you have to have it planned out by February break these days... #kidding not kidding.
Get over to SheSummitsCo.com and check it out, share it with your friends and family - let’s make this the best summer ever for Amanda, her company, AND the budding wild guides in your lives!
Lean Into Your Life (AND the Downhill): Christsonthy Drellos, Blue Sky MTB
27 Jan 2022
00:45:12
Today we’re going to try to break this arctic freeze streak we've been stuck in lately with a blast of FIRE from my guest, Christsonthy Drellos of Blue Sky MTB.
Christsonthy is the powerhouse mountain biking coach and instructor that Trish and I went on and on about back in the September 16th episode, when we recapped our amazing Vertical experience. If you are even vaguely interested in mountain biking OR fly fishing, I recommend you go back and listen to that one, so that I can make sure you come with us and amplify the fun for next year’s Vertical event!
And if you are slightly MORE than vaguely interested in mountain biking, you will love this conversation with Christsonthy. She is a certified mountain bike instructor and coach, and a positive force of nature.
Like, every sentence on her website ends in an exclamation point, and she’s smiling ear to ear in every picture you’ll see.
But that is entirely her persona - she and Blue Sky MTB bring the fun, whether to her base in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, or her winter home trails in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Christsonthy drops some great technique tips and gear recommendations, and her laugh is infectious, so drop on into this episode and get airborne with Christsonthy Drellos of Blue Sky MTB! And of course, make sure to follow Christsonthy @blueskymtb.
A sampling of the things we talk about (come on over to the Guides Gone Wild website to see the rest!):
Kingdom Trails - Sidewinder Trail (side note, we all need to tell Christsonthy to do some POV videos on her favorite Kingdom Trails for YouTube next summer so I can replace this bruh video with her!)
Blaze the Path (or Trail!) That Serves You: Victoria Amico, Plus Sized Outdoors
19 Jan 2022
00:55:59
Today I’m joined by Victoria Amico, the brilliance behind Plus Sized Outdoors - a curated online resource and blog for hikers, an instructional YouTube Channel, and now, an inspiring PCT Thru Hike you can follow along with starting this spring!
Victoria and I met cute during a Zoom class hosted by our mutual friend Emily Holland, the host of the Nature Untold podcast, and a former guest of this very pod. When Victoria talked a little bit about what she was working on, I started private messaging her, just to find out that she’s also currently living 30ish miles from me here in Mass. Next thing you know, we are on a socially distanced library date to chat all things outdoor inspiration, and I knew right then she was THE ONE…. for an upcoming episode! (OK, yes, I know, overkill on the rom-com metaphors).
Anyway, Victoria’s story is one of repeated disappointment and rejection while following "the path" that most of us have grown up thinking we needed to be on.
That kind of beat down takes its toll, as we discuss, but Victoria has lived up to her name and come out the other side victorious, ready to take on some huge things, and support lots of friends in the process.
I hope you’ll also head over to plussizedoutdoors.org, where you’ll find her beautiful site with all the fantastic resources that I go on and on about in this episode, I promise you’ll be just as impressed as I am.
And the rest of your required reading from this episode:
Go All In (and Bring Your 'Sisters' Along): Heather Kinal, Ride Cosmic Dirt & Rooted MTB Festival
13 Jan 2022
00:43:26
Today’s fabulous guest, Heather Kinal, is going to fuel our PLAN-UARY mojo!
Heather is the organizer of the Rooted Women’s Mountain Bike Festival that will be happening in July; she’s one half of the super-terrestrial force behind Ride Cosmic Dirt, a new women’s mountain biking clothing brand that’s launching its Kickstarter any day now; she’s the founder of the Instagram community Sisters in Singletrack; and not surprisingly, she’s also an all around lovely person who loves connecting women to each other, and to new experiences.
Heather and I caught up right before she left her home base in the Buffalo New York area for a cross country traverse to meet up with Ride Cosmic Dirt’s co-badass, Ashley Duffus-Jambor. Even before her trip commenced, Heather and I covered a lot of ground - we talk about getting started in mountain biking, building confidence, yelling at the internet, launching an apparel company during a pandemic, and why we need Rooted in our lives.
If the Sign Looks Interesting, Take the Exit: Ranger Emma Mitchell of the Lowell National Historical Park
06 Jan 2022
00:53:20
Happy New Year! One of my 'resolutions' for this podcast way back when I first started it was to broaden the definition of adventure. I want everyone to reimagine what outdoor experiences look like, to bring a new appreciation of the small moments or unique connections with nature that you can have right where you are now, that can bring so much joy and fulfillment.
You don’t need to be 17 miles into the backcountry, surrounded by woods and megafauna, to have a fulfilling outdoor experience!
So to kick off 2022, I’m sharing my conversation with Emma Mitchell, who is a National Park Ranger. You might think that means Emma spends her days dodging elk in Yellowstone, or recommending day hikes in Acadia, but no - Emma is stationed at the Lowell National Historical Park in very urban Lowell, Mass.
If you’re not familiar with Lowell, it’s a mid-sized city along the Merrimack River that was one of the first planned industrial cities in America. In the first half of the 1800s, Lowell was an important center of textile production it’s canal-powered manufacturing became a model for urban development across the country, for better or worse.
Today’s Lowell benefits from the diverse ethnic and cultural makeup that is the legacy of employing successive waves of immigrants, but has had to grapple with the environmental disaster that was the industrial revolution, and the economic fallout of all of the city’s foundational industries moving south or overseas over the last century.
Emma’s chance visit to Lowell as a child actually set the stage for her applying to be a ranger at that park, as we’ll hear. But we talk about a whole heck of a lot more - so if you’re a jack trapper, get ready to rumble. And even if you have zero idea what I’m talking about, I know you’ll want to listen in to this fun one.
Make sure you follow @RangerEmma406 on Instagram, and check out some of the other links from our conversation:
Build a Community that Makes Your Soul Sing: Lessons from the MAP
30 Dec 2021
00:32:58
I’m sharing something a little different with you today, to close out COVID Dumpster Fire Year version 2.0......
Back in November I had the awesome opportunity to be on the other side of the mic as a guest on the Lessons from The MAP podcast, hosted by Jamie Blackburn.
Jamie is a somatic wellness educator whose mission is to help people decrease their anxiety and chronic stress by teaching them tricks to create a more Mindful, Active, and Present (MAP) life- that’s where the M-A-P comes from, Mindful, Active and Present.
I met Jamie through a podcaster Facebook group I’m part of (that was created by none other than Emily Holland, my guest on GGW back in May of this year). On her podcast, Lessons from the MAP, Jamie interviews female outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers about how adventures in the natural world have shaped their inner landscape - so of course I was honored to participate and share a little bit of the origin story of Guides Gone Wild!
A quick note before we dive into this conversation - you’ll hear us talking about the Guides Gone Wild Giving and Gifting guides - and guess what, even though the holiday season is winding down, there’s still PLENTY of time to make some year-end donations to a few more worthy causes! Or better yet, find a few organizations to support on an ongoing basis in 2022 - every little bit makes a difference, so whatever your giving goals are, I hope you’ll head to GuidesGoneWild.com/Giving to learn about the causes that are closest to our guests' hearts.
Also be sure to check out Jamie Blackburn’s work at InnerMapProject.com - you can listen to all of the episodes of her podcast and check out the wellness programs and resources she has available there.
Listen in as I take the hot seat and talk about finding new purpose and inspiration through conversation.
And while you're at it, let's raise a glass (bubbly, sparkly, kombucha, whatever) to 2022 - may this coming year create opportunities for all of us to forget, for a minute, what the potential viral load exposure of every freaking activity might be, so that we can grab a few friends and try something new - in community!
Be Kind To Your Mind: An Inspiring Chat with Some of the Leaders Behind TriState Hikers
23 Dec 2021
00:54:00
Feel like you can't find any moments of rest in all the craziness leading up to the holidays? Craving some clarity around what you want your 2022 to look like?
Today’s guests might just help with that. A few weeks ago I aired an episode with Ava Baptiste, the founder of TriState Hikers based in Brooklyn New York, and I hinted that I might have a little surprise coming up related to that conversation.
Ava delivered on her promise to set up a Zoom chat with several of her inspiring friends and fellow hikers, who are now helping her build out the new, formal, non-profit organization that Ava has just created, to serve as a solid foundation for the future of TriState Hikers.
This was super-spontaneous and casual, so apologies for some occasionally wonky audio. Not all of Ava’s team was able to jump on the call, but you are going to get a chance to meet and hear from Ingrid Neverson (Director), Maurisa Adams (VP), Wendy Brown (Secretary), Eustecia (Tessa) Herman (Pro), and of course, Ava Baptiste (Founder/President).
Almost without exception, these women tell stories of putting themselves, and their affinity for being outdoors, on the back burner of their busy lives for far too long. This is the perfect time of year to remind ourselves that putting yourself, and your mental health, last in a long line of priorities is a recipe for disaster.
So we’re gonna do what Ava preaches - we’re going to stop and check in on ourselves. Alot. Feel the feels and go find some joy. Do the things that serve us, because we can’t take care of others if we’re not taking care of ourselves.
The TriStateHikers.com site is live and ready for building community, scheduling hikes, sharing amazing photos, and most importantly, taking donations to support TriState Hikers’ amazing work around mental health awareness and creating opportunities for adults and kids to get into nature more.
Here are all the ways you can follow and support TriState Hikers!:
(And I'm sure they won't mind if you start harassing @Merrell about sending TriState Hikers some free gear for their winter hikers!!)
Don't forget to head on over to GuidesGoneWild.com, I’ve got some additional links to check out all the cool (and freezing cold) spots these ladies have adventured lately - and if you haven't already listened to my first episode with Ava, catch it there!
Heat Things Up with a DIY Adventure: Trish, Paula & Jen Visit Cedar Grove Sauna
16 Dec 2021
01:02:56
Come along as Trish, Paula and I ease on into the Cedar Grove Sauna, head out to the plunge tub, and then get inspired hearing where Jackie Stratton of Waterways Guiding was back in January of 2021, long before she knew she’d be creating such a magical experience from the ground up for a bunch of Massholes.
And while you've got fun on your mind, it's not too late to stock up on fun gifts and experiences to share this holiday season - head to GuidesGoneWild.com/Gifting for a little something for everyone on your list!
Make (and Claim) Space for Yourself: Ava Baptiste, TriState Hikers
09 Dec 2021
00:56:15
Today I’m delighted to be introducing you to Ava Baptiste, the founder of TriState Hikers.
Ava grew up in the Caribbean island nation of St. Vincent and The Grenadines, where being outdoors year round was the status quo. But in adulthood, as a single mom relatively new to NYC, her busy urban existence started sucking her into a darkness that she was finding harder and harder to shake.
When she walked over to a local park one day to try to clear her head and get some fresh air with her young son, Ava realized that that tiny dose of nature therapy had started to let a little light into her again, and she wanted more. And connecting those dots between her mental health and her time spent in Prospect Park was just the beginning.
I don’t want to spoil too much of the story, because listening to Ava is like getting a warm hug and I know you’ll want to hear it all from her.
Suffice to say this is a woman who has built something powerful and important from nothing, all while working 6 days a week and raising her son. Ava’s still working on her official New York guide license, but let me tell you, she can light a fire under entire communities, any one, any time, no matches required.
I hope you’ll follow TriState Hikers on Facebook and Instagram. And I really hope that after the holiday chaos subsides, when you start planning and organizing your trips and adventures for 2022, you’ll clean out your gear closet and dig out all those things you’ve used a few times (but maybe not lately), that have plenty of life left in them, and send them Ava’s way…. along with a big fat check to help her get more kids out hiking this winter.
Contact tristatehikers@gmail.com to arrange donations, or you can PayPal Ava and her TriState Hikers team using that same email.
And check out some of the other great stuff Ava and I talked about:
Fireside Chat with Trish & Bethany - and Announcing Last Tuesday Meetups!
25 Jan 2024
00:11:48
What you need to know RIGHT THIS SECOND is that we are kicking off the Last Tuesday of the Month Virtual Meetup - for any and all Guides Gone Wild peeps - starting NEXT TUESDAY, January 30th, at 7pm.
At this first meetup, we will be talking about visions and goals and hopes for 2024 - and the rest of the year, we’ll be inviting in the guides and conversations and accountability we need to actually get all the fun stuff done!
So where did this idea come from, you might ask?
Well, grab a cup of hot tea, close your eyes, and picture yourself cozied up by a lovely woodstove in the Maine woods.... That’s where I was a few weeks back with my trusty sidekick Trish and Guides Gone Wild all star listener and guest Bethany Cass, on a spontaneous adventure at the Flagstaff Hut (Maine Huts & Trails).
I just happened to bring my little recorder with me so I could pick their brains about what they find valuable about these little adventures.
Apologies for the janky audio, but I hope you enjoy a little eavesdropping into why little spontaneous spurts of nature are so AMAZINGLY amazing!
And in case you want to hear more of us talking all the feels!:
Biking Through Loss and Building a Legacy: Sandy Noble
02 Dec 2021
00:52:35
I had the monumental good fortune to meet today's guest, Sandy Noble, at the Vertical biking and fly fishing weekend I went to a few months back in the Northeast Kingdom (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, make sure to listen back to the recap episode I did with my friend Trish on September 16th, it’ll make you want to join us next year for sure.)
This was the classic case of meeting someone, and hearing a little kernel of back story that piques your interest.... once upon a time, I would’ve left that weekend thinking Sandy was cool and a decidedly bad@ss biker, and would have wondered about the rest of her story, but left it at that.
But now I have this podcast (aka excuse to be aggressively nosy with strangers) so I dove in all guns blazing and stalked her online to hear more - that’s what I’m sharing with you today. And I definitely wasn’t disappointed, I think you will enjoy this deeper dive with Sandy too.
Sandy and her husband Tom were pioneers responsible for building some of the first skate parks on the East Coast, back when skateboarding was considered a fringe activity, and skateboarders were the pariahs of urban centers and suburban downtowns. So that was already cool enough.
Then I find out that Sandy isn’t just a recreational mountain biker, but has raced the 12 Hours of Temecula, has raced cyclocross, and even dabbled in enduros and hare scrambles on motorbikes - I had to Google that last one, but holy crap, did I have even more respect for Sandy when I saw some of those videos online!
But wait, there’s more!!!! Sandy has also managed to raise four kids to functioning adulthood in her spare time. And by functioning, I mean they all have pursued their passions and achieved extraordinary individual success, while being amazing humans as well.
We cover a lot of ground in today’s episode - loss, grief, recovery, legacy, the power of the little guy, perseverance, parenting, flipping off the patriarchy….. And of course, Sandy telling me how she didn’t think she was that interesting. Seriously…
Lots of fun links from this conversation, here's a sampling (come on over to GuidesGoneWild.com for a complete list!):
Except....ok, for SEO purposes only.... For today’s episode, in honor of #WomenLedWednesday that's just gone by, and the onset of the holiday run-up madness, I did NOT stalk some new amazing woman on the internet for an interview, but instead, reached out to all of the amazing women I’ve already had the privilege to get to know here on Guides Gone Wild, and I asked THEM how we might be able to support their businesses and the causes they love this season and into the new year.
The response I got was fantastic, so THAT’s what I want to tell you about today - I’ve got two giant lists of amazingness compiled at GuidesGoneWild.com/Gifting and GuidesGoneWild.com/Giving. We are not making it hard for you, you now have the single link you need so you can perform a surgical strike and save your fingers from all that scrolling.
What do you remember most from 10 or 20 or 40 years ago - the random thing from Toys R Us, or your first camping trip, your first rope swing, or your first time trying something new and hard that you accomplished? I'm guessing it wasn't the EZ Bake oven.
Ok, maybe that's an unfair comparison, of course you remember your first EZ Bake, but you know what I'm getting at here.
Anyway - please think twice about your holiday spending this year. As the sun sets on COVID Thanksgiving 2.0, with supply chain issues being talked about every day on the news, guess where I want my holiday focus to be? Small, local businesses! Bonus points if they're women-owned! I hope you’re with me!
Also - because I’ll probably still be doing dishes from today on Tuesday, I’ve early dropped my Giving Tuesday link. Head over there to check out all of the causes that mean the most to the extraordinary people we talk to on the Guides Gone Wild podcast. Every little tiny bit counts, so I hope you’ll join me in reconsidering where you direct my end-of-year donations.
So that’s it. I hope you’ve had a restful, fantastic day, I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend to come, and I look forward to bringing you another fantastic guest next week. But until then, stay the hell out of the malls. Please, please spend the weekend with the most important people in your life, getting a little wild.
Whether you’re an aspiring guide or aspiring adventurer, today's episode has something for you - my guest is Shay Bellas, the founder of a travel technology company called Navitour, based out of Portland, Maine.
I first reached out to Shay because I wanted to hear about her long-ago decision to jettison law school and found a professional women’s football team, the Maine Freeze. But when we started talking about her most recent venture, Navitour, I completely lost my initial train of thought, because Shay’s applying her serial entrepreneur skills to a cause near and dear to my heart - supporting and promoting local guides.
Navitour is developing an app that hopes to elevate the experiences of both the adventure participant AND the guide. From a traveler’s perspective, Navitour will be a go-to resource for all kinds of experiences that will allow an interested participant to get a good overview of the adventure and get to know the guide or leader before committing to the trip. But the part that’s super exciting to me is the way Shay and her team are building out the guide support.
Navitour aims to provide guides with the resources and tools they need to build out a liveable business around their adventure passions. Instead of spending time monkeying around trying to get a website up, or figuring out how to do online payments, or finding a place to get insurance, a guide can spend their time creating and delivering an awesome experience, and let Navitour help them with the rest.
One of my main goals with this podcast has been to introduce you to some fabulous guides, so the idea of this multi-faceted tool for building a guide business has me stoked. I’m excited to support Shay and the Navitour team as they ramp up their business and get the app launched this fall!
If you’re a guide or thinking of becoming one, I hope you’ll check out Navitour at MyNavitour.com and see if their model makes sense for you - even if you aren’t looking to guide as your primary profession, it seems like Navitour will provide some great exposure and access to tools, marketing, and clients that will help you maximize the impact of the time you DO want to spend on guiding.
Look for the Navitour app coming very soon in the Apple store, with an Android version right on its tail. And if you’re not a guide, and you don’t play one on TV, you can still reap the benefits of Navitour - sign up to be a tour tester now, who knows, you might find out about something fantastic you never knew about, and you’ll get to vet it and recommend it, so others will get the opportunity to enjoy it too!
Plan Some Post-Pandemic Play: Jen Hazard, The Maine Play Book
11 Nov 2021
00:41:27
Today, let's break through the darkness that has descended upon our days since the end of Daylight Savings Time with some inspiration and motivation to get outside and PLAY from Jen Hazard, author of The Maine Play Book.
When Jen first transplanted to Maine and had a young family, she started a blog to track and share all the fun adventures she went on with her kids. Fast forward a decade or so, and her kick-butt women’s writing group convinced her to share all that amazing content with the rest of humanity by curating it all into a super-duper easy to use guidebook, filled with creative ideas for day trips, activities, food stops, you name it, all over Maine.
The Maine Play Book is in its second printing already, and since we’re about to dive into the thick of holiday gift giving season, I think it’s the perfect time to introduce you to this amazing local author so that we can keep the positive momentum going. I also see myself Santa-ing a few of these guides into stockings this year, everyone I know could use a reminder to get out there for some post-pandemic fun!
Be on the lookout for more from Jen Hazard at JenHazard.com, and by following @JenHazardMaine on Instagram. And of course, pick up a copy (or 10!) of The Maine Play Book through Islandport Press, your local independent bookseller, or even Amazon if you must.
Be Your Own Hero: Lori Steere, Butter Hill Hideaway
04 Nov 2021
00:49:25
Today I'm thrilled to introduce you to my other-end-of-Notch neighbor, Lori Steere of the Butter Hill Hideaway.
Lori first came onto my radar when I saw a few posts she did on Instagram, talking about how she kind of impulsively bought a property in the middle of nowhere because of some indescribable connection she felt when she saw it. I have a bit of a history of impulsively dumb real estate purchases myself, so I was hooked, and kept following along as she started fixing the place up for rentals, and later started adding tent sites and making the property into a woodsy wonderland.
I finally ambushed Lori for an interview last month - I’d started messaging with her, and invited her to stop by when she was heading through Evans Notch on the way back from helping out a friend. She was a little caught off guard when, all of a sudden, I was trying to mic up someone (her) I had barely just met, but she was a super good sport and rolled with it.
Over the last few years, Lori has turned her acres of overgrown hillside farmland into a cozy homestead for her family, and a peaceful, amenity-filled camping experience for complete strangers. But like all good Guides Gone Wild stories, there were a few twists, turns, broken bones and electrical fires along the way….
I think if I keep doing this podcast for much longer, I’m never going to want to spend a weekend at home ever again - even though it’s getting mighty frosty in the mornings around here, I am DYING to get up to Butter Hill to spend a weekend hiding out in Lori’s super-cool tent village. If you are too, be sure to follow Butter Hill Hideaway on Instagram and Facebook, and get your getaway booked asap!
(Re)Treat Yourself to a Bigger Life: Carrie Hoffman, Bigger Life Adventures & Grand Canyon Eco-Retreat
28 Oct 2021
00:56:07
Today I've got a question for you.... What would happen if, instead of fitting your outdoor passions around your 'real' life, you made a conscious effort to make your real life support and sustain your outdoor passions?
We’ve been examining different approaches to this challenge the past few weeks - first there was 'Tall' Ashley Leedberg, who literally walked out on her so-called 'real life' to start over in the outdoor industry. Then there was Briana Sullivan, who's negotiated a way to take a few extended breaks from the real world in order to do some thru hiking.
Today we’re talking to Carrie Hoffman, who has made her passions for yoga and outdoor, eco-friendly living into her full-time profession as a yoga teacher, adventure leader and eco-retreat owner. It hasn’t been all savasana, though - Carrie’s life adventure has taken some pretty crazy hairpin turns.
Whether it’s outwitting a bunch of raiding baboons, towing cattle tanks of fresh water for guests, or fighting her way through recovery toward sobriety, Carrie has proven more than woman enough to get sh*t done. I loved letting her positive spirit wash all over me, and I think you will, too.
I hope you enjoyed this one - if you dig hearing about the ins and outs of outdoor hospitality, you might also enjoy my episode with Serena Ryan of The Notch Hostel in North Woodstock, NH.
And get a close-up view of Carrie's beautiful bell tents and tiny structures @GrandCanyon EcoRetreat on Instagram, although fair warning, once you see how amazing her spot is, you might just find yourself booking a trip to the desert soon.
Get Lost to Find Yourself: Briana Sullivan Treks El Camino (Plus Teeny House Intel!)
21 Oct 2021
01:04:43
I'm bringing you a fun little (or should I say teeny) little diversion today with my encore guest Briana Sullivan.
Briana first joined me last December, when I interviewed her and her daughter Cambyr about their AT trek, completed during the craziness of early COVID pandemic. (If you haven’t caught that one yet, make sure to go back later, I’ve got it conveniently linked up for you here.)
I’ve been wanting to bring Briana back because:
A) she and Cambyr were good to their word and did a Camino de Santiago trek this summer that I have been FOMO-ing for months; and
B) I wanted to have an excuse to visit her floating tiny home, now that we’re all vaxxed up and before the weather got too cold to risk a Merrimack River paddle in my janky old Loon.
I’m still not sure it was the smartest move to be paddling out to visit her in the dark, which I wound up having to do, and I’m still going to have to go back during the day to appreciate the tiny completely, since Briana was having issues with her solar battery and only one party light that rotated between fuschia, blue and green was working while we chatted…. But since I talk a big game about everyone else getting wild, when the opportunity presented itself, I went for it!
As you might remember from the first episode we did, Briana is a whirlwind of energy on her down days, so you won’t be surprised by the enthusiasm she brought to a conversation about some of her recent favorite things. Enjoy!
Selected links from our convo (want the full list? Come on over to Guides Gone Wild and check out the episode page!):
El Camino de Santiago - Camino del Norte - Camino Primitivo - Camino Francés (*NOTE: I’m sharing links from this site because it has a decent overview of the various options, but reader beware, I have no idea whether the specific tour companies they recommend are good/bad/indifferent. Get a taste of it here, do your own research, and enjoy!)
Keep Things in (Outside) Perspective: Lauren Humphrey, Outside Perspectives
14 Oct 2021
00:45:21
My guest is Lauren Humphrey, the Community Outreach and Development Director for an nonprofit called Outside Perspectives that partners with youth development organizations in Connecticut to create immersive wilderness experiences for kids.
As we talk about in this episode, Lauren first came onto my radar when she was the Northeast Regional Coordinator for an organization called Adventure Mamas. So given all this, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that we’re talking about getting your kids, my kids, any kids into nature today.
Oh, and I didn’t mention that Lauren was also a special ed teacher, so she drops some amazingly tactical advice for those of us who’ve got some littles or not so littles we’re trying to convince to be our outside sidekicks.
But what surprised me was the added benefit/inspiration that Lauren’s story brought me that I wasn’t even counting on - basically, here’s a woman who moved cross country twice, picking up new activities and interests along the way…. Except when she’d get settled in her new home, she’d have to start all over again finding people who shared her passion to get out and climb or bike or snowboard with.
It’s all about the community, people, can you relate?
I hope you’ll head on over to outsideperspectives.org, check out all the great work this program is doing in Connecticut, and maybe do your part to make Lauren’s new development gig a tiny bit easier??
You can also check out Outside Perspectives in the wild, literally, over on Instagram or Facebook - Lauren’s already doing a killer job of sharing beautiful images and inspiration from this year’s trips, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the upcoming winter season!
Places and things worth checking out (or at least Lauren and I think so!):
FINALLY- if you want to borrow a page out of Lauren’s playbook and be a beginner again, AND have a shit-ton of fun doing it, my good friends the Two Maine Mermaids have a cold water challenge going on from now through the end of 2021 featuring lots of great Insta-worthy ideas for chilly dipping, whether in honor of the upcoming full moons or accompanied by hot cider, cocoa, or something a little stronger… Check out my episode with Kelsey and Caitlin here, or head to TwoMaineMermaids on Instagram to get more info on this fun (and f-ing freezing) challenge!
Seek (and Find!) Sanctuary Where You Least Expect It: Jennifer Klein, PhD, The Trustees of Reservations
07 Oct 2021
01:04:08
Today I’m joined by Jennifer Klein - make that DR. Jennifer Klein! - the Director of Outdoor Experiences for the Trustees of Reservations, an innovative land trust that shares a Massachusetts home base with 'that other Jen' (yours truly).
Whoever is behind the Trustees' lovely web presence deserves a lot of credit for their copywriting skills, because one of the first headings you see does a fantastic job of summing up what the Trustees of Reservations stands for - People. Places. Perpetuity.
Before we dive in, a quick history lesson - let’s take it back to the late 1800s, when the so called 'robber baron' industrialists were focused on extracting economic value from nature, and gridding out open spaces with railroads and buildings. A landscape architect named Charles Eliot recognized the benefits of preserving natural spaces for use for something other than lining pockets, and ideated and created the country’s first land trust, which was then called the Trustees of Public Reservations. As Eliot and others observed at the time, the ‘public’ was urbanizing fast, factory jobs were replacing farming, and they believed that the ability to spend time in nature would provide a very necessary respite from hectic, dirty, loud city life.
Now let's fast forward back to my new friend, Dr. Klein. She's no small-town-girl-livin'-in-a-lonely-world.... (you're welcome for that brain worm!) Dr. Jen grew up a city girl, spending vacations with her grandmother, enjoying the natural wonders of.... downtown Detroit. Cue record scratch.
So how did Jen Klein become interested in nature or outdoor recreation at all? That’s why we’re here, folks!
I hope you’ll check out the Trustees at thetrustees.org, and if you’re a full-fledged or proximate Masshole, please join me in the HikeTrustees Facebook group so we can get more intel on some fabulous spaces we haven’t yet discovered.
And speaking of discovery - I just KNOW you’d love to support the Guides Gone Wild podcast, and help more people discover all the cool, amazing women we talk to every week! PLEASE tag a few friends on one of our inspiring Instagram posts, or scroll down right here on your player and share your favorite episode!
Find (or Make) Your Own Happy: "Tall" Ashley Leedberg
30 Sep 2021
00:56:57
This week, we’re chatting with Ashley Leedberg, otherwise known as Tall Ashley, who’s a paddling and rec guide, yogi, mistress of the SUP, snowmaker, and all around badass - but none of those reasons were what got me to start internet stalking her for real.
I set out on a mission to meet her when I happened to read an Instagram caption she’d written in February of 2020 that was like a gut punch. You'll have to listen in to hear all of her actual words, but this line pretty much sums it up: "Never let your comfort zone become home to complacency."
BAM! She doesn’t realize it, but that post was one of a million little things that came to me at around the same time, that led to me starting this podcast and dreaming of a Guides Gone Wild community. Talking to her (finally) for the pod got me thinking again about the stuff that really matters.
But please don’t think this one is all seriousness - Ashley is a hoot, super fun and creative and up for anything. She was a blast to talk to, I know you’ll love her too.
Do we get a little salty? Yeah, we do, but you would too if you were talking about being wet and cold all the time, with no bathroom access, and only a Kia Soul to sleep in at the end of a long day...
So there you have it, more than a few teasers here - listen in and get the full fantasticness!
Make sure you follow Ashley’s kickass Instagram, @TallAshley, and if you want to become the proud owner of some super cool wood art home decor, keep an eye on her @WithTheGrain207.
We've got lots of fun and adventure in the works over at GuidesGoneWild.com, make sure you come over and subscribe so you'll be the first to hear about it!
If you or someone you know wants to learn more about the GearME business sale, please contact Michael Hall, Commercial Real Estate Broker with The Jordie Lee Company: 207-773-1111 (office) or email mhall@jordielee.com
**
Way back in March 2021, I talked to Emily Kirkton, the owner of GearME, a fabulous outdoor consignment gear and apparel store in Freeport, Maine.
As of this month, after 5+ years of running this awesome business, Emily has made the difficult decision to move on to new challenges (and honestly, more family time), so she is looking for a buyer and starting to plan for a transition toward the end of February.
I would love to help Emily in any way I can - so I’m replaying this conversation in the hopes that I can make one of the following options manifest:
Someone listening will know someone who would be STOKED to take over this amazing business;
Someone listening will be STOKED to take over this amazing business themselves; and/or
EVERYONE listening makes a point of getting to GearME in the next month to stock up on their outdoor needs, support the circular economy, and give Emily the most financially rewarding send-off possible!
Plus, this conversation is tons of fun to listen to - whether you’re a newbie adventurer, a small business owner, or a grown-up trying to get a kid outdoors, Emily shares great tips and tricks that are as applicable today as they were back in March 2021.
** Timestamps for the impatient :-)
0:02 -- GearMe Outdoor Consignment Store Transition 10:15 -- Overcoming Challenges in Becoming a Guide 14:32 -- Starting an Outdoor Retail Store 27:29 -- Outdoor Adventure With Kids 33:30 -- Changing Perspectives and Parenting Outdoors 38:09 -- Gear Recommendations for Outdoor Activities 42:01 -- Consignment and Gear Buying Tips
Give the People What They Want: Kelley Cullenberg & Sarah Doscinski, Spandits
23 Sep 2021
01:04:10
How many times have you put on a piece of athletic or outdoor gear and been totally annoyed at the fit, colors, lack of quality, etc? Probably a bunch, but if you’re like me, you yank the waistband up to your boobs and just go on your merry way complaining.... or if you’re REALLY like me, you take off the offending garment, grab a snack or a beer (or both), and flop on the couch/bail on whatever the activity was that you were going to be uncomfortable or look like a doofus doing.
Thankfully, Kelley Cullenberg and Sarah Doscinski aren’t like me. At all.
A decade ago, when the track teams Kelley and Sarah were coaching asked for some sassy team tights to run in, they found some options, but each one was worst than the last - the fit would be off, or they would fall apart immediately, or the full-length tights would be like capris on their runners.
Instead of just going back to buying the blah black or navy ones that were the norm, these two enterprising women decided to make their own. Never mind that they had basically zero experience designing or stitching garments. And basically zero spare time.
That scrappy side hustle is now Spandits, a fun and functional Maine brand that has achieved a national footprint through its devoted brand ambassador evangelists and its internet and social media presence.
You can find Spandits online at Spandits.com, as well as at selected retailers. Also make sure to follow Spandits @spandits on Instagram and Facebook, and who knows, you just might see some familiar faces from previous episodes of the podcast popping up in their feed!
Just Show Up (Rocking That Hardtail with the Pull Brakes): Vertical Weekend Recap with Trish and Jen
16 Sep 2021
00:48:43
This week I welcome back my friend Trish for a reunion episode, because we literally just got home from a super fun event in the Northeast Kingdom with a bunch of bad ass women and we can’t shut up about it already...
We spent the weekend at the Vertical event, organized and hosted by Heidi Myers of Rasputitsa and Mary Zider and Ande Smith of Colavita, which on the face of it, was about gravel and mountain bike riding and fly fishing. But as you’ll hear, there was SO much more going on, and we left with a whole lot more than sore legs and tushies.
If Trish and I have done our job right, you will end this episode on the edge of your seat wondering how you can get in on all of the Vertical fun the next time, so you'd better start following @rasputitsagravel on Instagram, and keep up with all the good stuff on the Rasputitsa Gravel website.
Last but not least, if you haven’t yet listened to my episodes with all of the amazing women who were directly involved in this weekend, you really should get on that RIGHT THIS SECOND!:
Customize Your Life (And Your Chalk Bag!): Erin O'Toole, Oterra Designs
09 Sep 2021
00:44:00
I'm coming at you today with an interesting case study in risk taking, or should I say, the perception of risk taking.
My guest this week is Erin O’Toole. Erin’s an avid rock climber, as well as an entrepreneur; and not just some kind of internet digital entrepreneur, she actually founded and runs a small manufacturing company called Oterra Designs.
Now, I’m not sure which would scare me more, hanging from a granite rock face, or saying sayonara to my stable 9-to-5 to start a product company right before a global pandemic shutdown; both sound pretty terrifying to me. But as you’ll hear, Erin is taking it all in stride, and is enhancing the outdoor pursuits she loves with beautiful, functional and meaningful products.
One person’s risk is another person’s affirmation of life, after all. Every new challenge you undertake and persist through will leave you with a story to tell. So enjoy this storytelling with the brave and creative Erin O’Toole of Oterra Designs.
And if you’re interested in hearing more about our upcoming the Guides Gone Wild meet-ups we’ve got in the works, drop your email into our contact form and I’ll make sure to keep you in the loop as plans firm up!
Heal Some Souls and Change Your Life: Bonnie Holding of Casting for Recovery
02 Sep 2021
00:43:51
Today I’m honored to introduce you to Bonnie Holding, who is - literally - a legend walking among us.
Despite hating bugs and bad weather, Bonnie has been a Maine Master Guide for over 30 years, and was the first ever female recipient of the Wiggie Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award in 2019. But that wasn’t even the reason I was most interested in talking with her.
For many years, Bonnie has also been the Maine program coordinator for an absolutely wonderful organization called Casting for Recovery, which creates opportunities for women who have or have had breast cancer to get together for small group retreats where they learn how to fly fish. As you’ll hear in this conversation, these retreats are both all about the fishing, and not at all about the fishing.
Bonnie is not only a legendary guide, but the personification of the eclectic mix of knowledge, skills and interests that successful women outdoor guides possess - equal parts entrepreneur, creative, short-order cook, tech support, community builder, teacher and hospitality pro. Oh, and did I mention she does fine art commentary as well?!?
Grab Your Hot Saw and Show Them How It's Done: Alissa Wetherbee of Axe Women Loggers of Maine
26 Aug 2021
00:56:07
I'm taking you down another one of my personal fixation rabbit holes today with the awesome Alissa Wetherbee from the Axe Women Loggers of Maine!
I was first introduced to the Axe Women Loggers of Maine when they were on the program at the Topsfield Fair, here in Massachusetts where I live most of the time. My dad has been involved with the fair forever, I grew up kicking around in the vegetable building helping to set up and break down every October, and even though my days of growing championship veggies are long behind me and my kids are only interested in the midway rides and ripoff games, I still try to get there every few years to get my fix of greasy pole climbs and fried food (and maybe a little bit of tractor pulling or demolition derby!)
Which brings me to today’s guest, Alissa Wetherbee. A few months back I saw something on Instagram that reminded me of the one time I saw the Axe Women Loggers at the Fair, so me being me, I went into web stalker mode.
Alissa’s logging sports domination came pretty organically, since she spent a lot of her childhood and teenage years cutting and processing wood for her family’s use. When she got a little bit older, instead of taking some thankless waitressing job in the summer, she parlayed her chainsaw skills into being the token girl in a local tourist trap lumberjack show. Eventually she realized that there were actual timber sports competitions that had actual prize purses, and even though it was a lot of the same women competing in all of those competitions, there were other women - period!
Alissa made some great friends on the circuit, and as she looked around at what some of the guys were doing in their off season, namely getting paid to demonstrate logging skills, her creative juices started flowing…
You can find more information about the Axe Women, becoming an Axe Women Pathfinder, upcoming events, all the things on the web at Axewomen.com, and you can follow them @axewomen on Instagram and Facebook as well, they share all kinds of pix from their travels and you might just be the first to know the next time Alissa has one too many shots and rolls a log down the Erie Canal or whatever...
Reuse, Recycle, and Remember That Time You Didn't Wreck Yourself: Mischa Ostberg, Eastern Mountain Designs
19 Aug 2021
00:58:10
I’m amping up the creativity and inspiration today with my guest Mischa Ostberg of East Mountain Designs.
Mischa was a language polymath, lapsed artist, and occasional car camper who thought that ‘backpacking’ meant ‘wearing a backpack on a day hike’ - fast forward barely 5 years, and today's Mischa is an avid climber and new Maine transplant who just completed a celebratory trans-Acadia hiking traverse, and is feeding all of our outdoor FOMO with the most amazing pieces of upcycled art on their Instagram feed, @east_mountain_designs.
And yet, Mischa didn’t understand why I’d ever want to talk to her for the podcast. Like, really?!?
I think you’ll all agree that Mischa belongs on the pod (just like the rest of you do!)
Mischa really is the personification of one of their delicate line drawings - magnificent when viewed as a whole, but also comprised of all these minute but important details; the closer you look, the more interesting they get!
Emphasize Organic Fun (and Don't Worry About the 'Game Plan'): Sabra Davison, Little Bellas
12 Aug 2021
00:50:08
Today my guest is Sabra Davison, one of the founding powerhouse trio of women behind Little Bellas. Little Bellas should sound familiar to you by now if you’ve joined me for a pod or two before - it’s an organization creating opportunities for girls to build life skills and confidence through mountain biking fun.
As Sabra and her sister Lea started getting serious about mountain bike racing in college, they also started noticing what an anomaly it was to see more than a few women involved in most races. One fateful day, Angela Irvine happened to line up at a start with them (or should I say lined up behind them), and the conversation they struck up with her after the race turned into lots of Thai food and brainstorming about how to create a welcoming, supportive space for girls and women in the sport they all loved.
From its humble beginning in rural Vermont, Little Bellas has grown into a nationwide program that has served over 4,500 girls through camps and weekly programs for riders of all skill levels.
But don’t let all the bikes fool you - while programs encourage and support skill progression and developing greater comfort on two wheels, Little Bellas make just as many memories at snack time and through crazy games they make up and play in their groups.
I hope you’ll follow Little Bellas on Instagram or Facebook - you can also get tons of information about Little Bellas programs and mentorship opportunities on their website, LittleBellas.com.
Lea Davison (@leaeatsalot) on Instagram (forgot to mention, Lea is a two-time Olympian and has hit podiums at multiple World and National Championships. No moss growing on the Davison family!)
Listen to Your Body: Acadia Gantz, 'TrailRunningBabyCatcher'
05 Aug 2021
00:43:54
We are back in Maine this week with the kind of guest that made me start this podcast in the first place!
Acadia Gantz is an ultrarunner and running coach with the all around best Instagram handle I’ve ever heard - she’s also a certified professional midwife practicing in the Bridgton area with Sacopee Midwives, so she’s on social media @TrailRunningBabyCatcher. It didn’t take much arm twisting for me to want to talk with her, because really, how awesome is that?!?
Acadia started trail running about 5 years ago to dissipate some of the stress from the midwifery program she had come to Maine for, and proved to be quite the overachiever, moving quickly through the marathon distance and taking on increasingly longer ultra distances. But honestly, the whole midwife/home birth thing was so interesting, we barely scratch the surface of her athletic achievements.
I hope you’ll find this conversation as fascinating and informative as I did. Even if you’re like me and the ship has most definitely sailed on your childbearing years, Acadia’s advice about listening to your body and becoming your own healthcare advocate is still worth hearing and heeding.
Take a Leap of Faith and Put it Out There: Hayley Diep, "If You Give a Girl a Bike"
29 Jul 2021
00:35:02
We’re leaving New England and heading west this week to talk with teacher, author, and all around activity enthusiast Hayley Diep.
This year on March 8th, not coincidentally International Women’s Day, Hayley released her first book, an illustrated kid’s story called If You Give a Girl a Bike. The book takes you along on a fun romp with the main character and her two friends as they try new things, fail, learn, and try again - which all starts when a girl is given a bike. If the littles in your life have ever been obsessed with Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a Moose a Muffin, you can probably guess what the girls are still doing at the end of their adventurous day.
Hayley’s journey to being a published author was hardly a straight, flowy line, though - more like an off-camber rock garden that had to be powered through. But just like her protagonist, Hayley didn’t let a few setbacks keep her down; she just picked herself up, regrouped, and tried a new line.
I love Hayley’s story; it’s not too hard to see where the inspiration for her tenacious main character came from!
Finally, school is starting soon, I hope you’ll think about picking up a few copies of If You Give a Girl a Bike and donating them to your local elementary or public libraries! Head over to hayleydiep.com, order there and throw a little extra toward one of her charity partners.
Storytime with Mr. Limata (in addition to his book reviews and live story times he hosts on Facebook, Mr. Limata has assembled an amazing linktree of social justice and literacy links - check it out!)
Be Your Own Advocate (and Someone Else's Too): Jenn Minery
22 Jul 2021
00:46:03
Bringing you episode ‘Jen Squared’ today! My guest is Jenn Minery, a mountain biking coach, gravel biking phenom, Regional Coordinator for Little Bellas, Creator-In-Chief of Indigo Sole, and Fun Team Hall of Famer...
I’m going out on a limb here with my similes, but talking to Jenn is like looking through a kaleidoscope that’s stuck in a salad spinner - she is all energy and rainbows and dynamism! Her commitment to the communities she loves shines through in her role with Little Bellas, her product company side hustle that’s designed around helping others, and her tireless efforts to bring new riders of all ages and stages into the biking fold.
Make sure to follow Jenn @MudSpeckledMin on Instagram, check out all of her fun and colorful products at Indigo-Sole.com, and last but certainly not least, head over to the Little Bellas website for more information about programs in your area that are perfect for all the 'Wild Guides In Training' you have in your life!
Links to some of the other people, places and things we talked about (come over to GuidesGoneWild.com for a complete list!):
2023 Year in Review: Gift Ideas, Goings-On, and Gritty Inspiration for Solstice and Beyond!
21 Dec 2023
00:16:23
Hopping into the Wild One Wayback Wagon this week to take a quick look back at 2023 - and while we're at it, grab some last minute gift ideas, giving thoughts and gritty inspiration to take us through this darkest day and into the light of the new year!
Great Whites, 'That Other Kayak' Curriculum, and VHS Superstardom: Cathy Piffath, H2Outfitters
15 Jul 2021
00:50:41
Have you ever stopped to wonder when your favorite outdoor activity or hobby became mainstream? How lesson and training programs get started? Where the threshold is that gets crossed, making it apparent that training instructors or guides has to happen so that newbies stay safe and maximize their enjoyment?
My guest today, Cathy Piffath of H2Outfitters in Harpswell, Maine, is ready to fill you in.
Obviously people of the Wabanacki Nations had been paddling the coasts of New England for centuries before outdoor enthusiasts decided that sea kayaking was a hot new thing. But when those of us who didn’t have generations of experience to fall back on started tempting fate off-shore in tiny little plastic or fiberglass boats in the 80s, someone had to step in to protect us from ourselves.
Cathy Piffath and her partner, Jeff Cooper, were the people that The American Canoe Association turned to for intel specific to sea kayaking, since they had recently started taking groups out to paddle the waters around their home base on Orr’s Island. So if you’ve ever gone out sea kayaking, or taken a lesson from an ACA-certified sea kayaking instructor, you’ve got Cathy (and Jeff) to thank!
I so so SO love hearing and sharing stories from women who are just quietly living their best life, doing things they love, with people they love, in places they love! Totally got all the feels from this one.
I hope you’ll check out all of Cathy and Jeff’s cool offerings at H2Outfitters.com, or @H2Ooutfitters on Instagram and Facebook - they’ve got a very fun sounding Women’s Retreat coming up in mid-August, among a million other things. But be forewarned, once you go out with H2Outfitters you’ll probably be hooked, and have to go scrounging around for your own gear.... And kayaks are kind of a b*tch to squeeze into the gear closet, just sayin.
Learn How to Read the Map (and Maybe Leave the Pearls at Home): Laura Beebe, Sterling College
08 Jul 2021
00:42:17
Bringing you a little backcountry inspiration today with my guest, Laura Beebe!
Laura is on the faculty of Environmental Humanities at Sterling College in Vermont, and you might recognize that name, because I was introduced to Laura by Heidi Myers of Rasputitsa fame, whom I interviewed back on Earth Day. I've linked my conversation with Heidi up here because I just know you’ll want to go back and listen to that one too!
Anyway, I was fortunate to catch Laura in between a semester she spent in the desert and a field program she was heading to in Colorado for the summer. That’s already a super-cool reason to be connecting with Laura, but to make it even more incredible, wait until you hear the story of her first backpacking trip in the Tetons…. Let’s just say she was Reese Witherspoon’s doppelganger. Maybe I’m talking about Wild, maybe I’m talking about Legally Blonde, maybe I’m talking about some preternatural melding of the two - you’ll have to be the judge.
But all kidding aside, Laura’s story is a powerful testament to the importance of the right mentors and messaging, and how difficult it can be to see, never mind overcome, all the barriers we tend to build in front of ourselves.
I had the privilege of hosting some of the amazing members of LAC at Evans Notch Lodge back in early June for a weekend of hiking, biking, camping and chilling by the fire. I was so impressed with the way the weekend flowed, with the members dropping in and out, taking part in the stuff that was interesting or new to them, and not worrying about whether they were going to be able to keep up, or if they brought the right gear.
On Sunday of that weekend, I had the chance to hike Blueberry Mountain with the group. I decided to bring my little hand-held recorder with me so I could talk to some of the Ladies about the club, and a fantastic new initiative that LAC is involved in. The audio from these chats is what I’m sharing with you today.
If a weekend like this sounds like fun, and you want to pull together a group of YOUR besties to DIY some adventuring, I’d love to host you all at Evans Notch Lodge! We’ve still got a few open weekends left this summer and fall that will be perfect for biking, fishing, camping, hiking, and of course plenty of rosé-swilling around the campfire.
I’ve got about a million ideas for activities in the Evans Notch area, so if you’d like some help pulling together the perfect ladies weekend, or if you want to bring your neighborhood or your extended family somewhere new for some outdoor fun, drop me a line and we can start planning - email visitevansnotch@gmail.com, or come on over to evansnotchlodge.com and fill out our contact form, and let’s get your next group adventure on the calendar!
Find Something To Look Forward To: Paige Emerson of Chubby Hiker Reviews
24 Jun 2021
00:31:58
My guest today is Paige Emerson, the mastermind behind Chubby Hiker Reviews on Instagram and Facebook.
Paige’s story really resonates with me, because she took some hard stuff she was working on, mixed it with a dose of COVID, and is coming out the other end with an amazingly engaged and fast-growing community full of kind, fun, outdoorsy women – ummmm, sounds familiar?!?
Anyone who’s ever used AllTrails or read an AMC trail description knows that it can be hard to really know what you’re in for when you head to a trailhead. Sometimes you come out of a hike thinking the person who wrote the description or graded the trail difficulty had likely run across and consumed a few hallucinogenic mushrooms along the way, because the description bears little resemblance to what you just put yourself through.
Paige Emerson and Chubby Hiker Reviews to the rescue!
When Paige started writing about her hikes and trying to set realistic expectations, she struck a nerve with thousands of people who’d been feeling like the hiking community was giving them the cold shoulder.
Trying to figure out where to raise your Summits In Solidarity flag this weekend?? Paige has got you covered - she gives advice on where to go, which clothes to wear, and most importantly, where you can bring your 28-toed co-hiker cat!
Waiting is the Worst Thing You Can Do: Rebecca Sperry, Socked In Hikes (Part 2)
21 Jun 2021
00:51:27
Before you launch into Part 2 of my conversation with Rebecca Sperry, aka Socked In….. if this is the first time you’ve listened to Guides Gone Wild, or if you missed my last episode, I HIGHLY suggest you go back and listen to the last episode first.
This is the second part of a long-form conversation I had with Rebecca, and while you don’t necessarily need to hear her back story to appreciate what you’re about to hear, it will (for sure) give you even more context and make this episode that much more powerful and inspiring.
I also want to throw a trigger warning out there. Rebecca and I talk about cancer in this one. A LOT.
Please, please, follow Rebecca @SockedInHikes on Instagram, and from there you can access all of her good stuff from her bio links.
And please, PLEASE, get your mammograms and other preventative tests. A lot of us, myself included, put stuff on hold during COVID, but it’s time to stop making excuses, pick up the damn phone, and get on the schedule.
I hope you’ll share this episode with friends or family members who might need to hear Rebecca’s message, or direct them to RebeccaSperry.com. Don’t forget, she writes about all the things over there - hiking AND heroism.
A few more links to whet your appetite (come on over to GuidesGoneWild.com for the complete list):
You Are Capable of More (Than You Acknowledge to Yourself): Rebecca Sperry, Socked In Hikes (Part 1)
17 Jun 2021
00:28:22
This week I’m doing something unprecedented in our short Guides Gone Wild history, I’m presenting a part one, and I’m going to keep you on the edge of your seats until Monday to hear the rest of the story.
My guest for the next two episodes is Rebecca Sperry, otherwise known as Socked In, from the phenomenal blog and Instagram account Socked In Hikes.
As you’ll hear in this conversation, Rebecca has gone through A LOT in the last 5 years. I’d originally set my sights on her for the podcast because of the inspiring, raw, truth-telling way she has been attacking a recent health crisis during COVID. But as I was editing our audio to prepare the episode, I realized that Rebecca’s ‘story before the story’ was just as compelling and inspiring.
Hearing Rebecca’s first-hand account of the mindset shifts and setbacks and cleared hurdles that led to her becoming a prolific solo hiker, the ways she has allowed her definition of achievement to evolve, is an amazing story in and of itself. And if you meet Rebecca this way, and then spend a few days letting some of the stuff she shares knock around in your brain, it’s going to make the stories she shares in Part 2 all that much more amazing and inspiring.
Listen in, let it marinate in your brain a bit, and be sure to come back on Monday for the rest of the story....
Selected links from our conversation (TONS more over at GuidesGoneWild.com!):
Live Mindfully (and Build Creatively!): Jen Deraspe of Nurture Through Nature Eco-Retreat
10 Jun 2021
00:48:51
Today we’re diving back into some of my favorite topics: outdoor business building, life-long learning, and personal evolution! My guest is Jen Deraspe, owner of a lovely off-grid retreat property called Nurture Through Nature, located on Pleasant Mountain in Denmark, Maine.
Jen is truly the hostess with the mostest when it comes to all she offers through NTN - healing arts workshops and retreats, wellness coaching, qi gong, sauna, as well as more (so-called) traditional outdoor pursuits like camping, hiking and paddling.
I’ve had Nurture Through Nature on my radar for a long time, since my early days of yurt obsession (like 15 years ago?!?), so it was a true honor and privilege to get a back-stage pass to hear Jen’s stories about living more intentionally, listening to her heart and honoring her feelings, taking leap after leap into new and different things, and starting over again and again.
She’s also my new Maine-resourcefulness idol, as you’ll hear! (Got some cable? Drop it here!)
You can get all the details on Jen and her team, her Spirals of Wellbeing coaching services, her adorable yurts and cabins, and everything else NTN has to offer at NTNRetreats.com.
Ally, Amplify, and Open Your Wallet Already: Summits In Solidarity, Serena Ryan
03 Jun 2021
00:40:06
We are coming up fast on June 19th, which marks exactly one year since I pushed ‘publish’ and officially released Guides Gone Wild into the world and pretty much threw up in my mouth.
I hope you are all also aware that June 19th is also Juneteeth. Some think Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the so called end of slavery, but it actually commemorates the day that a group of slaves in Galveston, Texas were finally informed by Union troops of the fact that they’d been, at least statutorily, emancipated by President Lincoln over two years prior.
Juneteenth is a celebration, but also a very sobering reminder of how far we still have to go as an American society to achieve true emancipation from the social, cultural, political, academic, financial, white-centering factors that have anchored systemic racism so firmly in our country.
So today I’m bringing back Serena Ryan to the pod. Serena first visited us last November on Episode 24 to talk about white mountain hiking and her business, the Notch Hostel in North Woodstock NH. Serena is also one of the founders of a racial justice movement called Summits in Solidarity, which is organizing its second annual education, awareness and fundraising event that culminates with a hike day on June 26th. I mentioned Summits in Solidarity briefly when I talked to Serena last year, but we didn’t get a chance to get into it then, and I felt like it was high time.
One BIG thing worth noting - Serena and I talk about being an ally and an accomplice, and Serena shares some great resources for getting more informed and involved in social and racial justice initiatives. But please, please keep in mind - listening to a couple of white women prattle on about these issues is not enough. You really need to seek out, and LISTEN TO, the voices of the people who are directly impacted by our continent’s 500 year history of colonialism, racism, and white supremacist ethos.
Serena’s got some suggestions on her Resources page, but that should only be your jumping off point. I hope you’ll get your 28 Day Challenge underway, and head on over to SummitsInSolidarity.org to join the movement and most importantly, donate to support the great work that Panther and the Cowasuck Band are doing in NH to bring black and indigenous people’s voices and experiences forward.
Eavesdrop as my friend Trish and I head to/from the recent BOW (Becoming an Outdoors Woman) Spring Mini. As a first-timer, Trish shares her perspectives on what she thinks she's in for, and what she wound up getting out of the day. Plus we re-hash some of our glory days, like 50-somethings do. And of course we take a stab at all the significant questions of our time:
Does taking a day for yourself mean you don't love your family?
Is it Lake Christopher or Bryant Pond?
Do I have the loudest car in America?
Are mini-marshmallows acceptable bait?
Should Trish get chickens?
and much more....
Buckle your seatbelts (literally, we're in the car) and get ready for a wild (and loud) ride!
Do Something For Yourself: Emily MacCabe, Becoming an Outdoors Woman/Maine IFW
27 May 2021
00:50:03
Today I have the distinct pleasure of being able to fawn all over the woman behind one of my most favorite things in the world. I feel like I talk about the BOW, Becoming an Outdoors Woman, at least once every 3 or 4 episodes, and Emily MacCabe, who is the Director of Information and Education for Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is the wo-MAN when it comes to BOW.
Emily grew up loving the outdoors, and thought she’d have to become a game warden if she wanted to make a career out of that. Good thing for all of us that she got into education and communications along the way - Emily’s happier, because she gets to stay in her warm bed when some knucklehead hiker gets lost on a winter night; and any of us who’ve enjoyed a BOW day or weekend are happy, because we’re able to push ourselves and try new things through the program that Emily helped steward and grow over the past 15+ years.
One minute we’re talking parenting, the next it’s Northwoods Law, and then she talks me into a trip to Montana and drops a gear recommendation that had my credit card out before I was even off the Zoom call… so much good stuff.
If you're as excited about BOW as I am, I hope you'll keep an eye on Becoming an Outdoors Woman - Maine for upcoming dates and offerings.
And while you're online, check out these other fun links from our convo:
Break Toxic Patterns and Rediscover Your Strength: Kat Ripley, Juniper Moss Guide Services
07 Dec 2023
01:01:03
Today we get back to my wild fan-girling business with Renaissance woman and Registered Maine Guide, Kat Ripley.
Kat and I recently worked together on an amazing event hosted by Anna Heath and We Built This, where eight wanna-be carpenters were brought together for a weekend of learning, building, mending, yoga and outdoor mindfulness - that last part was where Kat came in for this event.
One of Kat’s most potent talents involves bringing people into nature in a meaningful way, which she’s now doing through her Juniper Moss Guide Services. Kat walked us all through an amazing exercise at the end of our weekend, which she is generous enough to share again today.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of value and inspiration this exceptional woman brings - Kat’s many interests and multiple resets and restarts might just get you fired up to try something new yourself in the new year, or at the very least, start putting yourself first in ways that truly matter!
As a gift for yourself this holiday season, make for darn sure that you follow Kat Ripley everywhere: check out her website, JuniperMossGuideServices.com, where she’s already got some very fun-sounding stuff brewing for 2024; then head over to Instagram and give her a follow @junipermossguideservices and @kat_rip so you can bask in her thoughtful longer-form captions and the fun pix of her adventures and yurt life!
**IMPORTANT NOTE: Content warning for this episode - we don’t get into a ton of detail, but we do discuss domestic abuse and child abuse. If those topics will be hard for you, maybe take this week off - but let me also say that your home should be a safe place, and if you ever feel even remotely like that is not the case, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Help is available, please keep yourself and your family safe this holiday season and always.
Send It! (And Tell All Your Friends): Katie Wolitarsky & Katherine Englishman, The Send
20 May 2021
00:56:27
I’m in dynamic duo mode again this week for a fun convo with the powerhouse promoters behind "The Send" newsletter, Katie Wolitarsky and Katherine Englishman.
Katie Wolitarsky is a PR pro who landed (willingly!) in Maine after stints in Denver and Jackson Hole and isn’t looking back, but instead is steeping herself in all the creative, foodie, beery, outdoorsy excellence her new home has to offer.
Kat Englishman is the personification of All.The.Things..... Writer, copywriter, yoga teacher, surfer, and now one of the (co-)super stars of the "WeGo" video segments produced by Maine magazine.
K2, as I’ve taken to calling them, have created a fun little value-filled nugget of an email newsletter called The Send that has been the highlight of my inbox since I subscribed last year. The Send has it all, from catchy subject lines and cool photos, to discount codes and easy-peasy-links to every cool thing K2 digs up - you’re going to want to make a special new Gmail folder to save them all in for your every-Friday reference!
"Hey honey, what should we do this weekend?" "Um, I don’t know, probably whatever The Send says"...... Can I get a heck yeah?!?
So what are YOU doing this weekend? No plans yet? Get on over to sendthenortheast.com and get yourself some cool ideas already!
You should also make sure to follow The Send on Instagram (@sendthenortheast ) too, so you are in the know when all the cool, in-person sh*t starts happening again all over New England - it’s soooo clooooose!
More Send-iliciousness (Send-eliciousness? Does it even matter?!?):
Go With the (Ebb and) Flow: Kelsy Hartley and Caitlin Hopkins, Two Maine Mermaids
13 May 2021
01:01:34
Today my guests are Ebb and Flow, otherwise known as Kelsy Hartley and Caitlin Hopkins, otherwise known as Two Maine Mermaids.
In yet another case of me disappearing down an internet rabbit hole, I somehow saw a post about an ocean swim in honor of the pink full moon in April, and the next thing I knew I was doing a deep dive into the back stories of these two creative and inspiring young women.
What started as a mood enhancing lark has attracted a groundswell of support and interest, and taken on a life of its own, creating an in-person community smack-dab in the middle of one of the longest stretches of forced solitude in modern memory.
It’s no fluke that I found these two hugely fun and entertaining…. See what I did there? (cue cymbal sound)
Or as always, you can take the easy way out and come on over to the episode page on the Guides Gone Wild website for all the links, info and goodness, we’ve compiled it all there for you.
Some other fun links from our convo:
Examples of UK 'Dip a Day' inspiration here and here
SPECIAL EPISODE! Today I’m letting you listen in on the awesome live Q&A event we hosted last week with three new(ish) Maine Guides - Jackie Stratton, Travis Clough and Cathy Hill.
It was so awesome to see some audience faces and names on my Zoom screen, and to moderate this fun and informative chat.
It turned out we had a few new guides in the audience, as well, so everyone was dropping value bombs and tips.... I think the soon-to-test guides in attendance got more than their money’s worth from this free event!
If you’re interested in accessing the resource list and links from the live event, head on over to the Guides Gone Wild events page, drop in your deets, and the link will be on its way to you shortly.
Get your Maine Guide journey started today at the Inland Fish and Wildlife website. And make sure to support our generous guide participants and Q&A host venue: