I love the outdoors – it’s where I want to be. I loved our family trips to the local state parks, but my favorite outing was our yearly vacation in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. We would go swimming, ride mountain bikes, and explore the hiking trails. Something was always missing though; I wanted to see the view from the top of the ski mountain, Mt. Tecumseh. I wasn’t a skier and there were no scenic lift rides up the mountain, so I knew that one day, I was going to hike up.
After college, my parents and their friends bought a condo in Waterville Valley – finally! Not being a skier, I bought snowshoes. My dad followed suit and the two of us headed up the retired, much smaller ski mountain, Snows. We’d been on the chair lift for scenic rides and mountain biking before, but never like this. All it took was that one hike – we were hooked. Next thing I knew, my dad was researching more mountains for us to hike and suddenly we were working on peakbagging the forty-eight 4000 footers in New Hampshire.
We started reading Outside Magazine and Backpacker. We would talk to the staff at every local outdoor store. It got to the point where I decided to get a part-time job at an outdoor store to fuel my gear habit. Dad and I kept hiking year-round and I was learning as much as I could about gear. In between trips to New Hampshire we would explore other hiking areas around New England. I even took a trip out west to hike South Sister in Oregon, Mt. St. Helens in Washington, and camp at Mt. Rainier.
Soon it became apparent that I should quit my day job to get into the outdoor industry full-time. That was five years ago. I now work as the Community Relations and Events Manager for Denali, an independent outdoor retailer based in Connecticut. I love to keep up on the latest gear so I can spread my knowledge through our social media channels and events. I don’t just want to work in the outdoor industry, I want to live the outdoor life and spread my joy for the outdoors to everyone!
Oh yeah, and my dad and I still hike together a few times a year.
