SHARA

I love the outdoors. I love the way it makes me feel and the peace it brings me when I'm out in nature. It’s like going home - going back into my childhood state of mind. Its playtime for grownups who need to get away from T.V., bills, family chaos, structure and time. Time is not as important when you’re in the wild. My passions are hiking, skiing and horseback riding.

I was born in 1965 in the small town of Bishop, Ca., in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas. The Sierra Nevadas are known for their grand high elevation peaks, glacier basins, fishing, and hiking. This was the backdrop for our childhood.

My sisters and I grew up outside. Our playground was called Round Valley at the base of the Pine Creek Canyon. We spent our days exploring, making forts, swimming in the pine creek and climbing trees. My childhood had a huge impact on who I am today.

I moved to Mammoth Lakes at the age of 19 and became a ski instructor, skiing over 200 days out of the year. After my divorce, in moving back to Bakersfield, I had to adjust to a new environment and new physical activities. I found places to walk and hike in the foothills and eventually got back into horseback riding. I now ride a couple of days per week and love the constant challenges of teaching and learning from my horse. I would love to get her in the backcountry for an overnight camping trip.

realized that the best place for me to live was now 5 hours away. This turned longing for the mountains into planning trips to ski camp and hike. This eventually led to planning backpacking trips with my sister.

Planning backpacking trips with my sister has become as much fun as doing them. My passion is researching hiking gear, learning how to use the gear, and researching maps of the trail. Google earth has been a great asset in trail information. So far, we've done short trips and half of the John Muir Trail, that was 15 days long.

I am excited to be a part of this tribe and to contribute my knowledge of gear and trip planning and guiding for many adventures ahead.