Tell us a little about yourself, what are you ok with all the nice people on the interwebs knowing about you?
I grew up in Texas and did a lot of car camping as a Girl Scout.  From that, I’ve learned some important lessons- how to make a great s’more, how to tell scary stories in front of a campfire, how to make apple cobbler in a dutch oven over a campfire.  Anyone pick up that all my important lessons are food related?  I moved to Colorado with Nathan and then realized that I never knew what hiking was until I got to Colorado.  I would say that hiking in Texas is like walking around Wash Park with mosquitos biting you.  Hiking in Colorado gets your heart rate up.  And usually there aren’t mosquitos as long as you are moving.  

Why do you go backpacking?
I go backpacking because it’s lots of fun!  It’s a really good feeling to get away from all the noise and busyness of living and working, and it also gives me something to do that is challenging.  I also really like activities where I get to hang out with Nathan and Frisco & Charger all at once, as well as other friends.  

What goes on in between your ears when you hike?
A lot of nothing.  Or sometimes long term plans.

What comes out of your mouth when you hike?
Trail Talk or Trail Talk Trash.  You gotta be there to experience it.

What are the characteristics of your ideal hiking partner?
Someone who will carry everything for me, and will pull out of his pocket frozen Blue Bell ice cream sandwiches every 30 minutes, tell me what a great job I’m doing and give me foot massages at the end of the day.

Would you consider yourself a traditional, lightweight, or ultralight backpacker?
Between lightweight and ultralight.  I’ve discovered that my ideal total weight of my backpack is about 12-14 pounds.  18 pounds is okay but not ideal.  Anything more than that is too heavy and way too unpleasant for me and whoever else I’m hiking with.  I figure that if the dogs can only carry 10% of their weight, then I can only carry 12-13 pounds.  It’s only fair.

What has been your favorite backpacking trip and why?
Probably the 4 Pass Loop in Maroon Bells Wilderness after the Colorado Trail.

What food/drink do you like most on the trail?
I always like to pack at least 1 beer in, usually either a Mama’s Little Yellow Pils, or Blue Moon, or if we ever had Corona, I would pack that in with a little slice of lime.  That’s why I make sure my backpack is light, so I can carry one beer.  Then I like to find myself a good snowbank to cool my beer off while I’m setting up my tent.  My favorite food is Frito’s. I keep telling myself I need to make Frito Pie sometime while we’re backpacking.  I think that would be delicious.

What meal do you look forward to most after hiking?  Would you eat at Casa Bonita after a hike?
Usually it involves something with French Fries.  I’m also a big believer in double fisting my drinks.  I usually want a tall ice cold glass water, a coke, a beer, and then later a milkshake.  I wouldn’t eat at Casa Bonita after backpacking because the line is too long.  Instead, I would opt for a much finer institution, Taco Bell.  Taco Bell is quicker and it tastes delicious! I would get a crunchwrap supreme with fire sauce, and a mexican pizza. 

Are there any (backpacking) skills you’d like to learn?
I think that learning how to pitch a tarp would be a good skill to learn.  Also, I’d like to get better at dehydrating meals for backpacking.

What do you like to do when you’re not backpacking?
I like to take lots of naps.  And think about where I’ll be backpacking next.  In the summer, I like to take the dogs on long walks in the park, or day hikes, or I spend some time in the garden.  Shoulder season I like to cook.  Winter gets spent snowshoeing, snowboarding, and trying to convince Nathan that he should go winter camping with me.