Guides Gone Wild

*BONUS EPISODE, WOOT WOOT!*
I’ve been sitting on this recording for almost six months now, because it was a complete and utter tech train wreck from the startup phase of this podcast. I’d been hoping to redo it before I shared it, but then, well, COVID life....

But I literally just got an email from my lovely friend, Tracyn Thayer, about her Seams Unfinished side hustle, and I thought, "F-It, this is the time of year I should be airing this"... so I’ve done the best I can to make it listenable. This isn’t NPR after all, so I’ve gotten over myself and am inviting you into the great room at Evans Notch Lodge, where this was recorded back in July.

It just so happens that Tracyn is one of the most interesting and fit real-life 50-somethings I know - she’s a seismic engineer, has worked on oil rigs, been on a sh*t-ton of adventure race teams, managed Spartan® race festivals, is a registered Maine guide, yoga instructor, SUP maniac, was on a reality TV show where she paddled across Canada, yada yada yada… AND she has a kegerator at her house. 

She is my idol, full stop.

Suffice to say, as you’ll hear, the 'smartphone plus long-distance-two-way-wired-lavalier' set up I attempted for this interview did not exactly turn out decent audio quality, but hopefully you’ll catch most of it. Or at least what I was able to record before my phone just crapped out altogether; I lost the last 15 minutes or so of our conversation, which was SUPER. AWESOME.

Anyway, in the same way the above comment was made with tongue firmly planted in cheek, Tracyn’s Seams Unfinished website that we talk about toward the end of our conversation offers the 'Smaht Tahp' - I’m not going to spoil it for you, you just absolutely need to visit their website, seamsunfinished.com,  and at least read about it. It might just make your week.

If you want to absorb more of Tracyn’s ordinary extraordinariness, check out her website. She’s @TracynThayer on Instagram and Facebook as well (when I say I stalked her, I have to be honest, for a reality TV show star it wasn’t that hard).

And last but not least - The Brigade is now on AmazonPrime - the heck with Hallmark movies, THIS is perfect holiday family screen time!

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We’ve got a timely special treat for you today in honor of Giving Thursday. Wait, what’s up with Giving Thursday, you say? You thought it was Giving Tuesday?

Well here’s what I have to say about that - who cares what day of the week you do your giving, honestly!??! It’s never a bad day to support the causes and organizations you value.

My guest today is Joy Massicotte from Lifted Outdoors, a phenomenal new organization that’s begun partnering with outdoor-oriented retailers to gather point-of-sale donations, in order to provide much-needed support to grassroots charitable organizations that are working to get kids outside.

I feel like a broken record when I say that 2020 has been a bit, um, challenging for Joy and Lifted Outdoors - what was started with the greatest of intentions and enthusiasm in 2019 has had to cool its jets considerably while retailers tried to figure out which end is up because of the pandemic.

But Joy’s commitment to breaking down the barriers of affordability, access, awareness, and discrimination in the outdoors has been stronger than 2020 so far. Tune in as Joy walks me through the evolution of her idea for Lifted Outdoors, how she managed to pull together her inaugural partnerships, and how YOU, my kind listeners, can get involved.

I really hope you’ll check out the LiftedOutdoors.com website, where you can make a donation that will go directly to their 2020 program support. I would also encourage you to spread the word about Lifted Outdoors, and see if your local gear shop or outdoor retailer might be interested in partnering with Joy on a check-out charity campaign in 2021.

And while you’re in a Giving Thursday mood - the Guides Gone Wild and I have a few more ideas for you!

Head to GuidesGoneWild.com/giving to see which organizations and charities are near and dear to the hearts of my guide guests this year. I was bowled over by the variety and scope of their suggestions, and got tons of great ideas for my own donations of money and time this holiday season and beyond.

Other useful links from my conversation with Joy:

• Lifted Outdoors on Instagram, Facebook
• Guides Gone Wild - Alicia Heyburn 
• Bay Area Wilderness Training
• Mt. Fuji, Japan
• World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
• New England Disabled Sports
• Youth Enrichment Services (Boston)
• Burton Chill Foundation
• Woods + Waters Gear Exchange
• Guides Gone Wild - Jenna Vanni 
• Kingdom Kids (Vermont)
• Teens To Trails (Maine)
• Venture Out Project

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It’s our first Guides Gone Wild Wednesday! Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I decided to push ‘publish’ a day early so you had something to listen to on your way to visit your family later, or more realistically, while you bang out a socially distant virtual Turkey Trot tomorrow morning….

Today my special guest is Jenna Vanni, the founder of Woods + Waters Gear Exchange in Brunswick Maine. Woods + Waters is a specialty consignment shop focused on outdoor gear and clothing. It’s also the kind of small, downtown retailer that has been hammered by the pandemic.

As we talk about more in this interview, the seed of Jenna’s idea was planted during her college years, when she started frequenting the local goodwill and consignment shops out of necessity, and stumbled across one of the OGs of specialty consignment, the Outdoor Gear Exchange.

Fast forward a decade or so and Jenna had a solid, stable career in product development for a notable east coast gear and apparel company, but was feeling less excited by the collateral damage her industry’s constant focus on newer and better was inflicting on the environment and the people who made the products.

Jenna got serious about her entrepreneurial dream, and in January 2019, Woods+Waters opened its door in downtown Brunswick, right up the road from Bowdoin college. Things were going predictably well until she slammed into the headwall of March, 2020.

You’ll have to listen in to hear what happened next - AND get Jenna’s recommendation for the item of outdoor gear that you MUST buy consignment every time!

Connect with Jenna and Woods + Waters Gear Exchange on both Instagram and Facebook @woods.waters.gear, and on the web at wwgearexchange.com.

Other links from our conversation:

• Outdoor Gear Exchange - Burlington, VT
• IME (International Mountain Equipment) - North Conway, NH
• Worn Wear (renewed Patagonia)
• Renewal Workshop
• Gear Aid
• Switchbackr
• Teens to Trails
• LiftedOutdoors
• Jenna profiled on CEImaine.org

I really, really hope you all will frequent your local small businesses as much and as safely as you can this coming holiday season. AND I hope you will find a way to incorporate some of your favorite Guides Gone Wild recommendations into your gift giving this year as well!:

• Gifting Gone Wild for Small Business Saturday (and beyond!)
• Guides Gone Wild Guide to Giving Tuesday (and beyond!)

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Even if you’re not in the hospitality or travel or restaurant business, you can appreciate what a craptastic year 2020 has been for these industries.

While I’m pretty ambivalent about the impact COVID has had on the Hiltons and Marriotts of the world, I’ve been super bummed to see some of the small businesses I know personally, or admire from afar, struggle, and in some cases throw in the towel, as a result of market conditions they had no way of predicting or preparing for.

So I’m super-duper stoked to bring you today’s conversation with Serena Ryan, the owner and queen bee of The Notch Hostel in North Woodstock, NH, just a few miles off the Appalachian Trail.

Serena is living the dream of many of us - she became an avid hiker in her early 20s, criss-crossing the White Mountains almost every weekend. And after spending several days killing it on a trip to Mt. Rainier, she basically decided to blow up her Boston life and open a hostel in the Whites, so she could live and work in the area she loved without having to wait for retirement.

Well, as you can imagine, the happy ending had a few hairpin turns, and dare I say, nasty-fiery-train-wreck moments along the way. But here we are in 2020, months into a global pandemic, and Serena is still at it. Her unique combination of passion, grit, determination, and respect for the power of a good shower has created a homey oasis for AT thru hikers and White Mountain enthusiasts for over five years.

Serena and I talk about The Notch Hostel experience, the challenges of hospitality in a pandemic, and the need for clear boundaries when work and home life are one and the same. We get a little raw discussing some of the life-changing speed bumps Serena faced along the way. And we land on some silver linings that this crazy year has brought, despite its challenges.

I hope you’ll check out the NotchHostel.com site - even if you’re not ready to book a bunk, there’s a fantastic merch store, tons of trip reports, and great resources for planning a hike or bike in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

You can also follow Serena's hostel (and other) adventures on Instagram.

Some other cool links from our conversation:

• Mt. Rainier via Emmons Glacier Route
• AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller
• The A.T. Guide by David Miller
• Franconia Ridge/Bridle Path (and other Notch Hostel favorites!)
• Mt. Jefferson via Caps Ridge Trail
• Haute Route in Alps (Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn)
• Sawyer Water Filter
• Article on the Summits for Solidarity initiative
• Summits in Solidarity

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Today I’m bringing you the amazing Sarah Canney, the founder of Rise.Run.Retreat and a member of the US Snowshoe Team.

If you enjoyed my conversation with Krista Alderdice back in Episode 17, I think this one will speak to you as well. And not necessarily because Sarah is an avid and accomplished runner.

Like Krista, Sarah’s running practice helped move her through a ton of healing and recovery. And while she is definitely focused on improving her speed and achieving new goals on the track and trails, Sarah’s main evangelizing is around mindset, intention and awareness.

The Rise.Run.Retreat and Rise + Run Collective membership group aren’t all about PRs and mileage and training plans. Instead, they’re built around the idea that running, especially running in community, can be transformational.

There are a few things that Sarah DIDN’T humble brag on in this episode that I think she should have:

First, not only did she have a chance to go to Myoko, Japan in February as a member of the US Women’s Showshoe team, she was actually the bronze medalist in those world championships (just 4 seconds behind the silver medalist!

She is also on the cusp of launching her Runpreneur Academy - a new membership group designed to help people interested in starting or growing a business in the running space. Sarah already shares a ton of resources and tools on her SarahCanney.com site, but through this membership Sarah will be sharing her ‘been there, done that’ entrepreneurial experience and mentorship directly. I’ve dropped a link to this new program here, and on our Guides Gone Wild website, so I hope all of you wanna-be entrepreneurs will head on over and check out Sarah’s Runpreneur Academy.

And as for the rest of us, Sarah would probably want to ask, 'what are YOU going to do this week to set yourself up for success'? I hope you’ll let me know what tiny steps you’re taking, or habits you’re committing to, by dropping a comment on the Guides Gone Wild Facebook or Instagram page!

You can follow Sarah on Instagram @Sarah.Canney, and dig into her other good stuff here:

• Runpreneur Academy
• Rise.Run.Retreat
• SarahCanney.com
• World Snowshoe Federation (snowshoe racing)
• Elliptigo bikes
• Snowshoes with customizable cleats

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Today I’m turning the spotlight on two amazing young women who are the future - and for that matter, the present - of White Mountain hiking.

Alexandra and Sage Herr, aka 'The Granite Gals', and their mom Trish, are rock stars of the New Hampshire hiking community. You might guess that it was because Trish was an avid hiker in her youth, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Instead, an overactive 5 year old Alex drove Trish into the woods, looking for an outlet that would bring some quiet and peace while dissipating some of Alex’s energy.

By August 2009, at the ripe old age of 6, Alex had hiked all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4000 footers, and her little sister, Sage, was gearing up to start her own 4000 footer list.

Trish, Alex and Sage subsequently embarked on several thru-hiking trips, both domestic and international, over school vacations, in many cases using them as fundraisers for non-profits close to their hearts, such as GirlVentures and FeedingAmerica. Their advocacy continues even while they’ve been more singularly focused on completing their Grid lately - almost every trip report they each write for their respective blogs starts with a mention and link to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a group that both are passionate about supporting.

This dynamic mother/daughter trio are also the creators of the Terrifying 25 list, found in the so-called 'bucket' of many a White Mountain hiker, and Alex recently created another great list for aspiring young adventurers, the 13 Before 13.

The Granite Gals shared all kinds of good stuff in this interview, enjoy!:

• Granite Gals Podcast
• Alex and Sage Hike the 4Ks - YouTube, Instagram
• Sisters Hiking on Facebook
• Alex in the White Mountains, Sage’s White Mountain Treks, Trish/Alex/Sage blog
• Up: A Mother and Daughter’s Peakbagging Adventure by Trish Herr
• Tecumseh
• The Grid
• Winter 48
• Camino de Santiago
• The Terrifying 25 - website, Facebook group
• 13 Before 13 List
• Cohos Trail
• Pemi Loop
• NOAA Weather Forecasting
• John Muir Trail
• Upcoming events with SheSummits
• Amanda Hatley of SheSummitsCo on Guides Gone Wild

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Today we're featuring Guides Gone Wild listener, Laura Siebert of 180Health!

You can imagine how stoked I was to get a submission on GuidesGoneWild.com with a nice note from a listener who was getting inspired from the stories she was hearing - inspired enough to be planning her own section hike of the PCT. So of course I had to reach out to her, and of course there was A LOT more to Laura Siebert’s story than just the upcoming backpacking trip.

Laura was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease when she was young, and has spent a lot of time working through the difficulties related to her illness, as well as the challenges that grew out of feeling unable to control her health and body as a teen.

Spoiler alert - she's doing pretty freaking awesome now, but it definitely wasn’t easy.

A few important points I need to make about this episode:
First, PLEASE keep in mind that neither Laura nor I are doctors, and we don’t even play them on TV - depression and eating disorders are serious business, and you are always advised to consult licensed, medical and mental health professionals when you are dealing with these diseases.

And also, about the Explicit rating – we do drop a few curse words during this episode, and some of our conversation veers into areas that you might not appreciate your 7 year old enjoying from the back seat of the car, so consider yourself forewarned. That being said, I hope all of you in the learner's-permit-and-above set will give this one a chance. We let it all hang out here, but it kind of makes sense in this context, this is what Laura is all about – moving past your past. Owning your sh*t. Glorifying in you, and all that that means.

It sounds serious, and some of it is, but we have a lot of fun too, so I hope you’ll come along for the wild ride.

Please make sure to connect with Laura through her website, Instagram, and Facebook, where you can also get more information about her Unladylike community and retreats.

Let me know how this one landed with you, you can shoot me an email at [email protected], send me a note through our website, or leave a comment or message me through the Guides Gone Wild Instagram or Facebook page. 

And I hope this episode will inspire some of you to share your OWN stories with me! Who knows, you might be the all-star guest on episode 50!

Other useful links from our conversation:

• What is Graves Disease?
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed
• What is Reiki?
• What is tapping/EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)?
• Joe Dispenza (meditation) 
• Aerial silks
• PCT Section Hike - Campo to Warner Springs
• SheWee

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I am going straight to the top!

My guest today is none other than Judy Camuso, the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. If you’re a guide, hiker, bird watcher, kayaker, hunter, game warden, fisherperson, whatever else in Maine, Judy has an impact on your experience in the outdoors.

Wildlife-related recreation brings more money into Maine's economy than downhill skiing and snowmobiling combined…. to the tune of $1.4 billion. That’s Billion, with a B.

Judy manages a division with a $32 million budget and over 300 staff. She’s the first female Commissioner of IFW, appointed by Maine’s first female governor, Janet Mills. And yet, about 5 minutes into my conversation with her, I got over being intimidated and was wishing I lived closer to Augusta, so we could get together for a socially distanced beer at some backyard campfire to extend the conversation.

Judy and I talk about owl banding, conservation, and the crazy balancing act that’s often required to stay atop the tippy, three-legged stool that is wildlife management decision-making (bonus points if you listen to the whole episode and figure out where I got that whole metaphor thing from!)

I hope you’ll all check out Judy’s Instagram, and also the array of offerings from Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife - you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube.

Finally, if trying new things outdoors in a safe, supportive environment is your jam, I personally recommend you look into the Becoming an Outdoors Woman programs in Maine or your home state - the one-day program I took my mom to on a Mother’s Day whim several years ago was what re-ignited the little spark inside of me that eventually became this podcast. (And yes, my mom is THAT cool - she shot skeet and had a blast, pun intended!)

More useful links:

• Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife - keep checking the website for “Next Steps” and other new programs Judy and the IFW team will be adding in the coming months!
• Maine Audubon
• BOW - Becoming an Outdoors Woman in New Hampshire
• Fish + Game Changers Podcast
• Maine Fishing Laws Online Angling Tool
• Maine Hunter Safety online course
• Institute for Bird Populations - course on bird banding
• Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

Looking for 'that thing' I talked about in a previous show? Make sure to visit the Guides Gone Wild website for more goodness from every episode!

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If you don’t wind up loving these two, we can’t be friends any more.

Today I’m bringing you my second ‘Real Womxn, Real Adventure’ feature episode (if you missed my first one with Mikayla Clarke, I hope you’ll go back and check it out at GGW Episode 8).

CJ Mauger and Becky Wright started hiking together when they were in their mid-40s…. Yes, that's right, mid-40s. From an inauspicious first hike, the two have gone on to section hike the entire AT and thru-hike the Long Trail together, and they're not even close to being done yet. We talk about their different hiking styles and approaches to long-distance backpacking, and the heartbreak and redemption that has been 2020 so far. The honesty and hilarity just keep coming with these two.

I happened to have recorded this conversation the same evening as the dumpster-fire-that-was-the-first-presidential-debate aired. As I reflected on that whole evening (after getting past wanting to smash my forehead against a brick wall), I was left with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for this podcast giving me a reason to connect with all these amazing humans. 

Whether you’re a 'destination' hiker or a 'journey' hiker, a hot food aficionado or a cold soak devotee on the trail, these are not earth shattering differences. But they are kind of a metaphor for what’s going on in the world right now - or should I say, what I WISH was going on in the world right now. 

Bex and CJ are constantly reworking and adjusting their hiking paces and practices, making compromises to benefit their collective good. They’ve spent the last decade discovering and refining what works best for themselves, while still making room to work together. Their common love of being outdoors, and spending days or weeks on the trail together, is elevated and supported, sometimes at the expense of their personal goals or comforts. If only....[sigh]

A big shout-out to my coworker, Stacie, who introduced me to these inspiring real womxn, and a huge congratulations to Bex, who welcomed a new grandson on the day we recorded!

Some helpful links and  info of interest from our chat:

• GGW Mikayla Clarke episode
• Carter Dome
• Section hiking the Appalachian Trail
• Long Trail - Vermont
• Madonna Peak
• Nüümü Poyo (John Muir Trail)
• DIY food dehydrating
• Cnoc Water Bag
• Montem Trekking Poles (the ones Bex couldn’t remember the name of)

And thanks again to our hosting sponsor, Evans Notch Lodge!

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Those of you who are Mainers might be familiar with this week’s guide-in training.

Jessica Carter is part of the Carter’s Cross Country Ski family of Western Maine. Her parents opened their first ski center in Oxford in the mid-80s, and followed it up with a second location in Bethel in 1992. The Bethel location took off, and is now the headquarters for all the Carter's operations, which include an extensive trail system, a retail operation, as well as a lodge and other guest accommodations.

Jes has been skiing and involved in the family business from the get go, but recently left a decade-plus career as a teacher to work side-by-side with her mom running the show. She has big plans for expansion of the Carter’s business to make it a year-round recreation destination, and has also begun the process of obtaining her Maine Guide’s license. 

As we discuss in this interview, Jes has already managed to take her tween daughter, retirement-age mom, and novice hiking sister on multi-day backpacking adventures to, or within, striking distance of Katahdin’s summit, so I think she’s got some solid guide skills to draw on already!

Connect with Jes on Instagram and Facebook, and make sure to check out Carter’s XC Ski on the web (but not too soon, Jes is working on updates and new functionality now for the upcoming season :-), Instagram and Facebook.

A few other links of interest:

• Feature on Jes and Carter’s XC Ski in the Lewiston Sun Journal (October 4, 2020)
• Fins & Furs Adventures - Maine Guide Training program
• Maine Sport Outfitters, Camden - Wilderness First Aid course
• Sunday River
• Mahoosuc Ridge to the River Challenge
• Baxter State Park - Katahdin
• Darn Tough socks
• L.L.Bean Stowaway Day Pack

And a special thanks to our sponsor, Evans Notch Lodge!

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