Bio- Bonnie Nork lives in Southern Oregon with her husband, Mike, and daughter, Elaina. Her son, Ryan, is in college. Being active in the outdoors has always been a big part of Bonnie’s life. With adventurous parents, she was always out and about as a child, either hiking, backpacking, river rafting, on horseback rides, on canoe pack trips, and more! When Grand Staircase Escalante was signed into a national monument in 1996, her parents planned a backpacking trip there. The whole family was smitten with the landscape, and now Bonnie relishes being able to share such special areas with her husband and children.

With such a soft spot for the southwest, Bonnie seems to be finding herself in southern Utah more and more. She landed a position with the Bureau of Land Management as a safety patrol volunteer for North Coyote Buttes, the wilderness area that is home to the famous Wave landmark. In 2023 Bonnie was able to split numerous patrols between three different trips, solo in April, with her daughter in June, and with her brother in September. She’s found this experience to be incredibly fulfilling, with each hike throwing interesting interactions her way (seasoned hikers, guides, unprepared tourists, law enforcement, influencers, etc!).

Bonnie also hikes in her own backyard, and really anywhere else she can carve out tile to do so! For example, she summited Mt Shasta, 14,179’ twice in 2023, with one trip being an overnight and the following done in one day! Crater Lake National Park, the Mountain Lakes Wilderness, and the Sky Lakes Wilderness are all favorite local hiking and backpacking spots.

‌Guest Links-

Bonnie on Facebook - Bonnie Nork's Custom Baked Goods | Klamath Falls OR

BLM Volunteer Opportunities - U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Volunteer Opportunities - VolunteerMatch

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Music provided for this Podcast by The Burns Sisters "Dance Upon This Earth"

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