Guides Gone Wild

Today I’m welcoming one of my wild new Western Maine friends, Julie Sloan, an owner and the lead instructor at Maine River Runners (https://www.maineriverrunners.com/) in Bethel, Maine.

Maine River Runners came to town the summer of 2023, and jumped right in to the local business community with their fleet of kayaks, canoes, stand up paddleboards, and accessories for rent, as well as a lesson program and shuttle service that brings paddlers up and down the Androscoggin from their riverfront home base in Bethel.

But this is no ‘Julie-come-lately’ story - even though her business just celebrated its first birthday, Julie Sloan has more than 20 years of experience teaching (both in classrooms and on the water), and holds certifications in swift water, coastal kayaking, SUP yoga teaching, and as an ACA Paddle Sports Safety Facilitator.

Julie’s story is one that fills me with joy because she has managed to meld her many interests and curiosities into a life she loves, that’s also creating so much good in the world and in her community as a result.

So get that river adventure on your calendar ASAP!:

• Maine River Runners : https://www.maineriverrunners.com/
• Evans Notch Lodge

Are you a registered Maine Guide itching to get your community and clients on the water this summer? 

• Let’s talk paddle retreats!: https://www.evansnotchlodge.com/retreats

Or are you a land-lubber looking for some fun (and fabulous fundraising!) hiking opportunities this summer? :

• Join or Support the Guides Gone Wildcats hike for Alzheimer’s - July 27th
• Join or Donate to a Summits in Solidarity hike: https://givebutter.com/SummitsInSolidarity

Or has Julie inspired you to start your own outdoor business? Check out my Guide for Guides on Liability Insurance and Social Media Marketing!

A few more links from our conversation (come on over to GuidesGoneWild.com for the complete list):

• Ari Leach - Blackbird Guide Services
• Androscoggin River Watershed Council
• HALA inflatable paddle boards (CO)
• Zapstix Surf Shop (NH)

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• Rasputitsa - https://rasputitsadirt.com/
• @rasputitsadirt - https://www.instagram.com/rasputitsadirt
• Heidi Myers on Guides Gone Wild (debut!)
• Trish & Jen talk about Vertical
• Specialized
• WHOOP
• Bourne's Energy
• Zero Gravity
• Jay Peak
• MidSouth Gravel - @midsouthgravel
• GroundedNE - @groundedne
• Big Red Gravel Run - @bigredgravelrun
• For the Love of Food Catering
• Bivo
• Trash Gear Co (bike fenders and mud guards made in VT from recycled plastic!)
• Julbo Eyewear
• Castelli
• Plink!
• Columbia Forest Products

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In honor of it being National Volunteers Week, today we're talking to Cindy Hession - scientist by day, hiker and volunteer chair for the 48 Peaks Hike to End Alzheimer's every other waking moment she can manage!

Cindy and I talk about her love affair with the White Mountains and hiking, her personal connection with Alzheimer's, and how the 48 Peaks fundraiser grew out of one man’s devotion to his wife. Her enthusiasm and dedication to this event will pour through your earbuds and make it obvious why Cindy was recognized with a national award earlier this year for her volunteerism.

To lend my support to Cindy AND the 48 Peaks initiative, I have started a fundraising team called Guides Gone Wildcats, and we are going to hike Wildcat A (and D on the way there, for all you peak-baggers!) If you want to join me on this epic hike, or support our team’s fundraising efforts with a donation of literally any amount, you can do both over on our Guides Gone Wildcats Team Page: http://act.alz.org/goto/guidesgonewildcats. Let’s DO THIS!

I hope you’ll hang with us until the end on this episode, because I’ve got a special offer for the Longest Day 48 Peakers out there, too!

But first, a few key links:

• Alzheimers Association - alz.org - 24/7 Helpline: 1-800-272-3900
• 48 Peaks - A Longest Day Event
• Longest Day Fundraiser
• NewsCenter Maine feature on 48 Peaks
• Guides Gone Wildcats Team Page
• RekLis Brewing Celebration (Bethlehem, NH) - June 8th, 2024

AND - what would a podcast about hiking be without TONS of great hiking links (and even more over on our episode page at GuidesGoneWild.com!):

• Mt. Sugarloaf (South Deerfield, MA)
• NH48 (list of the 48-4,000 foot mountains in NH)
• Pioneer Valley - a hidden gem? (MA)
• Seven Sisters (MA) 
• 52 with a View
• Pemi Loop vs. Mt. Pemi (there’s a difference!)
• The Belknaps
• Mt. Moriah (NH)
• Mt. Watatic (MA)
• Wapack Range (MA/NH)
• Kula Cloth
• Hike Safe Card (NH)

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Sliding in better late than never this week (DAMN POWER OUTAGE!!) with my fabulous new friend, Tarin O’Donnell of the Tarin It Up Podcast.

Tarin and I met through a women’s podcasting group, and even before I listened to her podcast, I realized I had to have her on because she’s been living a life that a lot of us glamorize and feel a little bit envious of…. Picture snowy woodlands, gorgeous mountains and lakes, skiing, snowmobiles, yoga, avy training at a craft brewery... It’s Lake Tahoe for crying out loud. You know the jam.

But - the reason I wanted to invite her on was NOT to give us an even worse case of FOMO - it’s because Tarin also keeps it totally real when it comes to talking about the hard and challenging things that can be part and parcel of “living the dream”.

There’s so much good stuff here - Tarin has spent almost her entire life tearing up the list of traditional expectations that society tries to guardrail girls and women with (spoiler alert: yes, she's a wrestler!!). She’s also been super creative in the way she’s crafted a life she can live on her own terms - up to and including recognizing and problem-solving for the burnout and financial challenges that pop up like annoying whack-a-moles as a result of her seasonal, outdoor-oriented lifestyle.

So listen up! And if you agree that Tarin would be the coolest online fitness coach and trainer ever, you can check out her offerings on her business site, TKOYogaFit.com, or connect directly with her on Instagram @tarin.k.o , she’s TKOYogaFit on Facebook, or TarinODonnell on LinkedIn.

And you most definitely should click on over to the Tarin It Up Podcast right now and subscribe or follow, maybe even queue a few up for this weekend’s drive up to whatever adventure you’ll be getting at once this stupid weather blows through. You’re welcome for introducing you to a new adventure bestie in your earbuds!

Lots-o-Links:

• TKO Yoga & Fitness: https://www.tkoyogafit.com/
• Tarin It Up Podcast
• Work out with Tarin on YouTube
• Wild Women Podcast Society
• Emily Holland on Guides Gone Wild
• Angie Marie’s 'For The Love Of' Podcast
• Swell by Outspring :   https://www.theoutspring.com/
• Crystal Mountain (WA)
• What is a ‘tender’? 
• Wild Rye
• Dovetail Workwear : https://dovetailworkwear.com/
• Black Diamond Rechargeable Headlamp

Hope to see you at Guides Gone Wild's Tuesday Meetup - April 23, 2024 @ 6:30pm - True North Ale Company, 116 County Rd, Ipswich, MA - head over to GuidesGoneWild.com/meet for more details!

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Today we take a scenic ride through the intricacies of trail development, where the rubber meets the road in terms of community building, advocacy, grant writing, marketing... and bike riding!

Marianne Borowski is the absolute force of nature behind the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail.

For those of you who haven’t yet heard of it, the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail is an 83 mile long multi-purpose trail that spans northern New Hampshire, from Woodsville on the Vermont border to Bethel, Maine.

The Adventure Trail patches together pre-existing rail trails, bike paths, dirt roads and a few short pavement segments to create a fluid tour of the north country great for biking, hiking, cross country skiing, horseback riding, you name it - if it’s non-motorized, you’re probably good to go on this fantastic trail. AND you can get amazing support along the way, thanks to the countless resources available on the xNHAT.org website.

Such well-documented, well-thought-out trail networks don’t just magically appear out of the ether - there is always at least one extremely passionate advocate working behind the curtains to make their vision a reality for the rest of us to enjoy. 

Marianne is just such a passionate, action-oriented visionary, and she was kind enough to invite me up to her hill-top perch in Bartlett to talk all things trail. I loved every minute of our conversation, so I’m sharing them all!

Head on over to xNHAT.org to get all the details about the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail, including links to the Story Map, the GPS links, even how to get your very own copy of the OG waterproof paper map, so you can start planning your own Cross New Hampshire Adventure! And if anyone is interested in joining Trish and me on the ride later this summer/fall, shoot me an email - [email protected] - who knows, maybe we can do a whole group thing! That would be SO FUN!

In the meantime, more great links from our conversation:

• Katy Trail (MO): https://bikekatytrail.com/
• Erie Canal Bike Trail (NY): https://bikeeriecanal.com/
• C&O and GAP (Great Allegheny Passage) Trails (PA, WV, MD, DC): https://bikecando.com/
• Cross Vermont Trail: https://www.crossvermont.org/
• Ride with GPS: https://ridewithgps.com/
• Read more about bicycling in Québec, and the ‘Bienvenue cyclistes!’ program: https://www.bonjourquebec.com/en-us/to-see-and-do/outdoor-activities/cycling
• Bike Friendly New York: https://www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal/bikefriendly
• Dero Fixit: https://www.dero.com/product/fixit-plus/
• Spencer Hawkes: https://www.spencerhawkes.com/
• Israel River Campground: https://israelrivercampground.com/
• Lamoille Valley Rail Trail: https://railtrails.vermont.gov/trails/lamoille-valley-rail-trail/
• Great American Bike Tours: https://www.cycletheusa.com/

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Today I bring you another dose of practical, relatable, do-able inspiration with my special guest Val Hopkins from 365 Mile Challenge.

Val’s business is all about meeting people wherever they are, bringing them into a supportive community, and providing them with tools, resources and motivation to build a movement habit that works within the limitations of their life, time and physicality - whatever those look like.

That would be inspiring enough, but wait until you hear about how Val, the tech-challenged nurse forced to retire early because of an injury, decided that she and her biologist daughter-in-law were JUST the people who should swoop in and save an internet-based movement community on the brink of shutdown…  literally weeks before COVID locked us all inside, by ourselves.

The same drive that gets Val and her community moving "a mile a day, their way", served the 365 Mile Challenge business well, and Val and Kayla recently started their fifth year as stewards of the company and its app, offshoot communities, ambassadorships, and virtual races.

I hope you’ll check out Val’s website, 365milechallenge.org, as well as #365MileChallenge and @365MileChallenge on Instagram - and maybe even get involved in the challenge, or a virtual race, or just take advantage of all the useful resources and tips she’s curated on her fabulous website!

When you’re stuck in a rut, or life is going sideways for whatever reason, sometimes it only takes a teeny little prod to get a teeny little dose of movement to get you redirected to a brighter place. So why wait for the rut?? You can start building a movement habit now, in community with Val, Kayla and 365MileChallenge.org!

Links to the good stuff:

• 365 Mile Challenge: https://365milechallenge.org/
• @365 Mile Challenge on Instagram, @Official365MileChallenge on Facebook
• Outspring: https://www.theoutspring.com/
• Swell: https://www.theoutspring.com/events/ - watch the 2023 highlights here
• Amy Hopkins, Saltwater Mountain Co. on Guides Gone Wild (Sept 2023)

Join us for our next Last Tuesday Virtual Meetup on 2/27!: https://www.guidesgonewild.com/meet

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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!:

• Campfire Institute:  https://www.campfireinstitute.org/
• @campfireinstitute on Instagram
• The OUT Retreat Weekend 2024
• Check out the amazing work Campfire Institute does in this video: http://vimeo.com/jennywoodward/campfire
• OUTdoor Leadership Training with Maine Tourism & Campfire Institute
• Equality Maine
• Give the gift of Equitable Wilderness!
• Ari Leach of Blackbird Guide Services on Guides Gone Wild

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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.

How can you join the virtual meetup, you ask?

CLICK HERE or head on over to GuidesGoneWild.com/meet and sign up for the calendar invite and Zoom link!

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!:

• Bethany's inspiring episode on Guides Gone Wild: https://www.guidesgonewild.com/podcast/bethany-cass-ggw146 
• Trish and I talk about Vertical: https://www.guidesgonewild.com/podcast/ggw068-vertical-weekend-recap-with-trish-and-jen
• Trish and I talk about Rooted: https://www.guidesgonewild.com/podcast/rooted-mtb-festival-recap-ep111

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Read more about Emily's decision about GearME: 
https://www.gearmeoutdoors.com/sale-of-business

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 [email protected]

**

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: 

1. Someone listening will know someone who would be STOKED to take over this amazing business;
2. Someone listening will be STOKED to take over this amazing business themselves; and/or
3. 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

Enjoy!

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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!

GIFT IDEAS:
https://backcountryfoodie.com/ - use code WILD at checkout to save 20% on memberships
https://navitour.com/ - support local Maine Guides and trip leaders
https://www.cedargrovesauna.com/ - sweat and soak up and down mid-coast Maine
https://saltwatermountainco.com/ - treat your bestie to a luxurious DryRobe
https://www.arcticlynxmaternity.com/ - help those moms-to-be stay active and warm
https://www.carolinesdream.com/ for all the natural skincare (chamois cream is a fave!)

CAN'T MISS EVENTS:
https://www.summitsinsolidarity.org/ Me & White Supremacy Challenge kicks off January 30; watch for Solidarity Hike Day in June
https://camdensnowbowl.com/toboggan-championships/ Cheer on A Flying Flock - February 2-4
https://somersetsnowfest.org/ and Skijor Skowhegan- February 16-24
https://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org/adirondack90miler/ September 6-8

INSPIRATION TO SHARE:
Anne Parmenter - https://www.guidesgonewild.com/podcast/anne-parmenter-ems-climbing-everest-mountaineer-ggw122
Bethany Cass - https://www.guidesgonewild.com/podcast/bethany-cass-ggw146
Anyssa Lucena - https://www.guidesgonewild.com/podcast/climb-for-a-cause-anyssa-lucena-ggw147
Tori Gray - https://www.guidesgonewild.com/podcast/tori-gray-the-wilderness-guru-ggw137
Lindsay Currier - https://www.guidesgonewild.com/podcast/lindsay-currier-bikepack-maine-ggw149
Kat Ripley -  https://www.guidesgonewild.com/podcast/kat-ripley-juniper-moss-guide-services-ggw150

CAUSES TO CONSIDER:
https://diversifywhitewater.org/
https://latinooutdoors.org/
https://protectourwinters.org/
https://www.mainegearshare.org/

What did I miss? Who do I need to interview? What are you looking forward to in 2024? Let me know - [email protected]!

Happy Solstice, happy holidays, peace and love to you all :-)   ~Jen

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