Lisa G.

Lisa grew up in Virginia and enjoyed family camping trips. It wasn’t until a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) program in Alaska that she experienced the freedom, challenge, and exhilaration of backpacking. After years studying, living and working in cities, Lisa realized she belonged in the mountains, not among the sky scrapers. Lisa fulfilled a childhood dream of moving to Vermont, working at a wilderness focused summer camp and teaching Outdoor Education in the off season. She then went on to work at a farm based therapeutic community, where her official role was to manage the gardening program and organize a number of backpacking and winter camping trips for the clients. She also led day hikes, canoe trips, and backcountry and downhill ski trips. In 2020, she hiked Vermont’s Long Trail, and in 2023 completed a thru hike of the Appalachian trail. This cemented her goal of working as a hiking guide, helping others experience the freedom, challenge and exhilaration that comes from being in the mountains. Lisa also volunteers with Vermont Adaptive, assisting people with disabilities access outdoor recreation, especially skiing. When Lisa is not in the woods, she can be found playing music with friends, singing in a community chorus, gardening, weaving, or designing and sewing her own backpacking gear.