Guides Gone Wild

My guest today is Amy Wight Chapman, aka @hikelowandlocal and the author of a beautiful family memoir, Just Like Glass. 

Amy inspires me for so many reasons - the biggest, hugest reason being that she honors herself. She is creative, and knows she enjoys moving her body, so she keeps those two flames flickering at all times, even when she’s challenged by all the same things the rest of us are: family, injury, work, all the obligations that suck up our time and energy whether we want them to or not…

Amy’s book Just Like Glass: A Family Memoir is a one or two sitting affair, because you get sucked in from the start. Having grown up in a stoic New England family myself, Ruth’s approach to what was probably the biggest tragedy of her life reminded me so much of women I knew in my childhood. 

I laughed, I cried, I told everyone I know who’s in a book group about this book, because this family really got to me. And I’m going to leave it at that, so you head to your favorite book store and request this title, if it’s not already carried, or head to amywchapman.com and hit the Buy Now button to order it directly from the Bethel Historical Society like I did.

Be sure to stick around until the end to be completely and utterly impressed by Amy’s movement streak. I’m telling you, this is the episode you need to be reminded to honor yourself in all the smallest ways, it makes such a huge difference!

Get to know Amy and the places she loves!:

@hikelowandlocal

Order Just Like Glass: A Family Memoir from the Bethel Historical Museum!

AmyWChapman.com Substack

Museums of the Bethel Historical Society (Bethel, ME)

Buck’s Ledge Community Forest (Woodstock, ME)

Moody Mountain (Woodstock, ME)

Community Concepts (ME)

Maggie’s Nature Park (Greenwood, ME)

Lapham Loop (ME)

True North Adventureware

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Are you like me, struggling with the overwhelming urge to punch something about 25 times a day right now, for sure every time you read a news headline?!!? Time to put your foot down. Literally!

Today I'm catching up with Serena Ryan of Summits in Solidarity, to learn about the latest iteration of the grassroots hiking initiative she co-founded that continues to break down barriers to outdoor access by raising critical funds for BIPOC-led organizations.

The 2024 Summits in Solidarity Hike-a-Thon launched March 20th with an ambitious goal: collectively hiking 5,000 miles between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice to raise $50,000 for two remarkable organizations: MANA (Maine Association for New Americans), that supports immigrants in connecting with nature and community resources; and Unlikely Riders, that creates welcoming mountain sport spaces for BIPOC Vermonters in skiing, snowboarding, and beyond.

My 2025 hike-a-thon is underway, and I hope you’ll pop in @GuidesGoneWild on Instagram or Facebook to follow my progress this spring!

There will be no talk of FKTs or thru hikes or 24 hour traverses, and I might not even go to the White Mountains, because I honestly don’t have time for that right now! Instead, I’m going to be getting ALL of my 75 pledged miles on my local trail systems - a few of the hikes I intend to do are less than a mile long! 

Whether you support my hiking efforts, do your own thing solo or with a team, or donate to win some swank raffle items, it’s all good! Join me in supporting Summits in Solidarity, Maine Association for New Americans, and Unlikely Riders this spring over at summitsinsolidarity.org.

A few more useful links:

• Solidarity Night - June 7th - Join me!
• The Notch Hostel (N. Woodstock, NH)
• Hear the origin story of the Notch Hostel and Summits in Solidarity from Serena on Guides Gone Wild
• Read more about white supremacy, the impacts of colonialism and privilege here
• “Me and White Supremacy” Challenge - save the date for February, 2026
• Kokanee Trail Half Marathon (CA)
• Hayduke Trail (UT, AZ)
• Hyperlite 35L backpacks
• Arc’teryx Boston
• ULA Circuit Backpack (Serena’s current favorite!)
• Stio
• ”Finding Philip” Carcia - @findingphilip
• Presidential (“Presi”) Traverse (NH)
• The Roost Hike in Evans Notch (ME)

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Last Sunday, I stopped doomscrolling long enough to make it down to the Boston Outdoor Expo, and I can't overstate how great it was to spend a few hours fan girling with many a pod guest, including today’s repeat interviewee, Jen Klein!

I first spoke with Jen back during the early months of COVID, when she was with the Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts as the Director of Outdoor Experience. I realized I had to have her back on about six months ago, when I happened to see on LinkedIn that she had made a job transition, and was now Executive Director for the Friends of the Blue Hills. I have the utmost respect for smaller, member-funded non-profits that are enhancing conservation and stewardship efforts in public spaces - in this case for the Blue Hills Reservation, which is one of the largest parcels of undeveloped conservation land in the Greater Boston area.

So of course we are chatting all about the Blue Hills and the countless events and activities Jen and her team have been hosting there, as well as the super exciting new development that’s hopefully right around the corner. But we’re also digging deeper into the challenges of outdoor program administration and community engagement, the differences between statewide and local roles, and along the way, Jen drops a few kernels of hope and strategies for making an impact, even in the midst of the dumpster fire raging around us.

Regardless of where you live, I hope you’ll consider supporting the Friends of the Blue Hills with a donation or membership, or if you're local, please make sure to sign up for some programs or volunteer events over at friendsofthebluehills.org, or @friendsofthebluehills on Instagram and Facebook.

And don't forget to lock in to some of this local goodness!:

• Blue Hills Reservation (MA) - download guide & trail map
• International Women’s Day ‘Women’s Wave’ with Two Maine Mermaids - March 8, 2025
• The Trustees of Reservations (MA)
• Which Charles Eliot are we talking about?
• DCR (Department of Conservation & Recreation, MA)
• Elevate Youth (MA)
• NEMBA - New England Mountain Bike Association

Plus, more Outdoor Expo-related rock stars for your listening pleasure!:

• Jana Olenio, SupYo Adventures on GGW
• Traci Bisson, Golden Dog Adventure Co. on GGW
• Alicia Heyburn, Teens to Trails on GGW
• Mardi Fuller talks Winter Hiking for Beginners on NHPR
• Nicole Freedman, NEMBA on GGW
• Paula Burton, NEMBA on GGW

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I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately, waking up day after day watching the flames of the dumpster fire we’re living in get higher and higher… so today’s conversation is just the dose of perspective that I needed, and I’m guessing it’ll put a bit more of a smile on your face as well.

My good friend and pod partner Tricia Harmon is back to talk about life changes and new beginnings (and by new, I mean re-new, like deciding to start again for the 15bazillionth time!)

As long time listeners might remember, Trish is a 'hobby jogger' with 11 marathon finishes under her belt (!!), and the first person I tap to do whatever silly, stupid, and/or fun new thing I want to try... because even though she hates being seen in a bathing suit, and always thinks she’s the only newbie on the trail, she’s also the first to cold plunge, and she'll ride, hike or run-walk to the top of any hill, come hell or high water!

Trish is now managing the Marathon Sports specialty running store in downtown Portsmouth (104 Congress Street). Today we're chatting about what it means to start, re-start, and start again and again - doing hard things, doing things that make us feel good, you name it. 

Trish also fills us in on all of the community events and initiatives she’s got up her sleeve this year at Marathon Sports, so if you’re local to the Portsmouth, NH area and are looking for cool people to hang with, Marathon Sports might have to be one of your new weekly haunts!

Check it all out at MarathonSports.com, @marathonsports_nh on Instagram, or search for Marathon Sports or Runner's Alley on Facebook.

Plus a few more links from our conversation:

• Jen & Trish Talk About Vertical (GGW Episode)
• Heidi Myers on Guides Gone Wild
• The Winter Warrior Challenge with Asics 
• Market Square Day 10K (NH)
• Seacoast Half Marathon (NH)
• Sandy Hill Farm (ME)

P.S. Hi Molly!!!

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Let's kick off 2025 with this joyful conversation with an old pod friend, Caitlin Hopkins!

I first introduced you to Caitlin as one of the Two Maine Mermaids, way back in May 2021. At the time, Caitlin (aka Flow) and Kelsy Hartley (aka Ebb) were spreading the gospel of cold water dipping, which they’d started in earnest at the beginning of the pandemic. Since then, they’ve built a large and dedicated community around them in Portland with their dips, fun events and what’s become a total freaking movement, their International Women’s Day celebration held every March at Willard Beach in South Portland.

We’re going to talk about cold water again today, but for a very different reason - Caitlin is preparing to travel to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco next month to compete in the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) National Championship!!!

So we are talking about ice swimming, of course, but also oyster farming, lightning bolts, creativity, entrepreneurship, mentorship, joy, intention, alignment…. Caitlin has inspired some new thinking in me for 2025, and I know you’ll get something out of this too.

Give Caitlin a follow in one of her many places:

• @caitlin_virginia
• @twomainemermaids  - www.twomainemermaids.com
• @cascobaycuties
• @evenkeelcardco - www.evenkeelco.com

And of course, I hope you'll join me in supporting Caitlin's National Championship effort on February 8th:
www.spotfundme.com/MaineToMoroccoIceSwim

Finally, it wouldn't be a GGW pod without a few more fun links from our conversation:

• International Ice Swimming Association (IISA)
• Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival (VT)
• Coelle Travel
• Peaks to Portland Swim for Kids (ME)
• Alcatraz Open Swim (CA)
• Tri for a Cure (ME)

Happy New Year! Let me know what you thought of the episode, or let me know who else you'd like to hear from on the pod in 2025!!:

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A few weeks ago I was fortunate to attend the Maine Outdoor Economy Summit that was held at Sunday River, and not only did I run into SOOO MANY of my favorite pod people, I also had the opportunity to finally corral a guest I’d had on my wish list for a while - because celebrity fly tyer Selene Frohmberg, aka Selene of Maine, owner of Selene’s Fly Shop in Gardiner, Maine, led two special add-on sessions at the Summit, and was nice enough to sit down with me for a chat at Evans Notch Lodge before she left town.

So we’re celebrating Women-Led Wednesday and Small Business Saturday a little early this year! Selene and I talk about her fishing, tying and guiding origin stories, entrepreneurship and entomology, floods and flies - and best of all, she shares some awesome tips and gift ideas for the wanna be fly fisherperson on your list, even if that person is YOU.

Head on over to SelenesFlyShop.com to check out the huge variety of supplies, equipment, events and experiences that Selene has curated for us all, and make sure to follow Selene’s Fly Shop on all the socials as well.

And speaking of socials, I hope you’ll come on over to the Guides Gone Wild Instagram or Facebook accounts this week, I'll be fast-tracking you to hours of inspiring content to fuel your long drives and cooking marathons this long holiday weekend!

Whether you’re spending some special time with family or framily, I hope you get plenty of fresh air and take advantage of every opportunity to get a little wild this week!

Selene’s Fly Shop: https://www.selenesflyshop.com/

Selene of Maine: https://seleneofmaine.com/

@SelenesFlyShop: https://www.instagram.com/selenesflyshop

https://www.facebook.com/seleneofmaineflytyer

Links to fishy fun and more!:

• ‘Lefty’ Kreh
• Casting for Recovery
• Carrie Stevens
• Grey Ghost
• Dave Whitlock
• Gardiner Main Street
• Dette Flies (NY)
• Johnson Hall Opera House
• Trout Unlimited
• Echo Lift Kit
• Miss Mayfly
• Poly leader
• Angler's Entomology Podcast
• Sign up for Selene’s email newsletter here to keep on top of local hatches and conditions!

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Genuine Climbing: https://genuineclimbing.org/

Support climbing retreats for breast cancer survivors!: https://genuineclimbing.org/donate/

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!!

A few more links for you:

• Anyssa's first appearance on Guides Gone Wild
• Anyssa updates Guides Gone Wild on her diagnosis and first Climb for a Cause fundraiser
• Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care (NJ)
• GOAT Climbing Gym (NJ)
• Casting for Recovery

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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.

Enjoy this special Friday Funday Feature!

NEMBA (New England Mountain Bike Association) - https://nemba.org/

IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) - https://www.imba.com/

And a few more fun links:

• Thunder Mountain Bike Park (Charlemont, MA)
• Appalachian Mountain Club
• Connecticut Greenways Council
• George Waldo State Park (Southbury, CT)
• What is a pump track?
• Rockhouse Hill (Oxford, CT)
• What is a Class 1 Ebike?
• Bluff Point State Park (Groton, CT)
• Highland Mountain Bike Park (Northfield, NH)
• Pittsfield State Forest (Pittsfield, MA)

Building your Biking Bucket List? Paula’s recs:

• Baja California (Mexico)
• Bear Ears National Monument (UT)
• Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument (UT)
• Moab (UT)
• Grand Junction (CO)
• Fruita (CO)

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Today I am so ridiculously excited to be talking to Lia Lucine and Nicki Ripple, two of the three women behind a film project that is unfolding right now, somewhere off the coast of Maine - it's called Beyond the Compass, and is documenting a group of women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s who are on a four-day Outward Bound sailing expedition.

According to Nicki and Lia, ”this short film will chronicle the journey of an all-women crew on Outward Bound Hurricane Island’s Women over 65 sailing course - emphasizing their resilience through challenge and adventure, as well as the practice of enjoying life at any age. While mainstream media often underscores the importance of enjoying youth, these women serve as a reminder that while advancing in age presents its own difficulties, it does not preclude a fulfilling life.”

PREACH! Obviously as someone knocking on the door of 60 (albeit as gently as possible at this point), I am over the moon at the idea of these every-women’s stories being highlighted as they navigate the physical, mental and emotional challenges of this multi-day adventure.

So let's get this documentary onto the big screen already! You can support the production of Beyond the Compass at https://gofund.me/587bfc42 - make a donation, then tell your inspiring-story-loving-friends to do the same.

And bonus points, if you work for a brand or organization that plays in outdoor spaces, let your colleagues know about this awesome film, and maybe YOU will be the reason Beyond the Compass gets the huge corporate underwriter it needs to tear up the outdoor film festival circuit in 2025!

Links to learn more:

• Lia Lucine on Instagram: @lialucine (https://www.instagram.com/lialucine/)
• Nicki Ripple on Instagram: @nicki.ripple ( https://www.instagram.com/nicki.ripple/)
• Go Fund Me site for Beyond the Compass: https://gofund.me/587bfc42
• Short 2019 Maine Public piece about the Burnt Island sailing program  
• Hurricane Island Outward Bound School  (ME)
• Learn more about Burnt Island (ME)

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The Summer Olympics in Paris kick off in mere hours, so how appropriate that today I’m going deep with the first Guides Gone Wild former Olympian, Nicole Freedman, now the Executive Director of NEMBA, the New England Mountain Bike Association.

As you'll hear, Nicole’s Team USA experience is impressive, but even more amazing to me are the decades of devotion she’s applied to making bikes, and bike transportation, a bigger part of our everyday lives.

Nicole was the city of Boston’s first-ever 'Bike Czar'; during her tenure, she helped transform Boston from the three-times designated 'worst cycling city in the country' (according Bicycling Magazine), into a national leader in cycling accessibility and safety.

After some additional stints leading both urban and rural active transportation initiatives, in 2022, Nicole took the helm of NEMBA - only the third Executive Director in that  organization’s 35 year history. NEMBA is a community of mountain bikers committed to creating epic riding experiences, preserving open space, and guiding the future of mountain biking in New England through its 35 chapters across all six New England states.

It’s almost like we’re e-biking our way through this conversation, we cover so much ground! From metro-west to Stanford to Sydney to Seattle, with multiple boomerangs back to the Boston area, all with the goal of making bikes the new normal for commuters, conservationists, and casual riders alike (no hot dog costume required!!)

Links from our conversation (not chain, the other kind!):

• New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA): https://nemba.org/
• Elevate: https://elevatemtb.com/
• Guides Gone Wild talks with Sabra Davison, Little Bellas
• Vermont Mountain Bike Association: https://vmba.org/
• Kingdom Trails Association (VT): https://www.kingdomtrails.org/
• Hub on Wheels (not happening any more, likely a victim of COVID, sigh - but here's link to a Hub on Wheels FB page showing info and images from 2019): https://www.facebook.com/HubOnWheels/
• Toole Design Group
• Co2 Inflator Kits
• Bear Brook State Park (NH)

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