First 50k Sisterhood applications open Dec. 27, 2025!
Curious about running a trail ultramarathon?
Host Angie Lake shares nine tips for running your first ultra, covering how to prepare your body, train your mind, and embrace what we call "the Spirit of the Wild Woman."
Plus, learn about the First 50k Sisterhood, a new scholarship program that will help 15 women train together for their first 50K at Wild Woman Trail Runs in June 2026.
Angie shares about:
Get ready to submit your application to the First 50k Sisterhood! Applications open 12/27/2025 through 1/10/2026. Learn more here.
Check out these resources:
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Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.
Summit Scholarship applications open on Dec. 15, 2025! Here’s the story of one of our past recipients.
Brittain Noel is a storyteller whose practice began in childhood and followed her through foster care, to Tibet, across Asia and into the mountains she climbs today.
Navigating an upbringing by adults with mental illness, Britt found nature and climbing as a way to heal. Her work blends documentary texture with a deep interest in how people find belonging, courage and humor in the moments that feel hardest.
Britt and Angie talk about:
Get ready to submit your application to the Summit Scholarships! Applications open 12/15. Learn more here: https://www.summitscholarship.org/summit-scholarship-2026
Check out these resources:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.
Dream about starting your own adventure club, community, or membership?
Lehigh Valley Women of Adventure went from just a wild idea to a thriving community of over 6,000 women who love to spend time outside!
Hear the LVWoA story and take away tips for building and growing your own outdoors community.
We talk about:
Why women need their own outdoor spaces
The challenges of going from 100 to 4,000 members in weeks
Member-created events: how to scale community without burning out
When and why to incorporate as a nonprofit
Vetting, waivers, and insurance: the unglamorous but necessary parts
Why passive engagement matters too
How "unfamiliar faces" push us in new ways and the power of hiking with strangers
Thanks to Jackie Seidman, Cathy Nelson, and Allison Young for sharing their stories and advice.
If you’re inspired by group adventures and want to join us in the Grand Canyon in March for a Rim to River to Rim hike, there are a couple spots left! Sign up now:
https://cairnproject.org/grand-canyon-rim-to-river-to-rim
Check out these resources:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.
We have just 3 spots left for our Grand Canyon team adventure in March 2026! Get a rare guided Rim to Rim hike, but with a Get Out, Give Back twist.
Free packing list and training guide
Curious about hiking Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon? Let us help you start planning! Listen to learn:
Our October 2025 team adventure in the Grand Canyon fundraised about $12,000 for gender equity AND wildfire relief. Congratulations to Tana, Lorri, Lisa, Ritzy, and Mary for completing an epic Rim to River to Rim hike!
Join us in March 2026 if there’s still space: https://cairnproject.org/grand-canyon-rim-to-river-to-rim
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.
Lucy Westlake started mountaineering at 7 years old through a highpointing project. In 2021, she set the record as the youngest person to summit the highest points in all 52 United States, including Denali. At 18, she set a record as the youngest American woman to climb Mount Everest (at the time).
Angie and Lucy talk about:
Send this episode to a teen who would be inspired by Lucy!
Check out these resources:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.
You can join Trailtober TODAY and still get a chance to win trail shoes, electrolytes, gear patches and more – sign up now! 🍂
The mountains themselves might be unbiased, but the systems we live in are not.
Kelly Fields is a rock climber, certified climbing guide, and owner of Athena Rock Climbing, a nationwide guide service with a specialty in multi-pitch trad climbing and a primarily all female guide staff.
Kelly’s been building a career around climbing since 2004 and took part in a historic Baffin Island expedition with a team of all women in 2025.
Angie and Kelly talk about:
Check out these resources:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.
(Psst -- Win trail prizes during Trailtober: a trail challenge supporting gender equity in October! Learn more here.)
Heather Anderson has hiked over 50,000 miles — including completing the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail multiple times, and often faster than anyone before her.
Heather shares why writing a memoir could feel as vulnerable and difficult as hiking alone for months. We talk about the mindset needed to write about your life (especially when it doesn’t follow a classic narrative arc), the challenges of maintaining a public presence online, and her tips for aspiring authors.
We talk about:
Love adventure books like Heather's?
Grit Lit is our quarterly subscription box meets book club, celebrating women and adventure.
Members get a box every quarter full of woman-created goodies, including a nature-inspired book.
Interested in becoming a part of Grit Lit? Head to cairnproject.org/grit-lit to join and get the fall 2025 box, plus a welcome box! It’s a great gift for a friend, too.
Join the trail fun of Trailtober, our October community challenge to spend time on trail, connect with others, and win trail shoes, electrolytes, gear patches and more! https://cairnproject.org/trailtober-2025-challenge
Find Heather on Instagram or explore her website. Make sure to read Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home.
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
Sarah experienced anaphylactic shock while trekking in the Denali wilderness. Her nervous system regulation practices were an important part of healing – and you can learn how to use them, too!
Sarah Histand is an Alaskan adventurer, a somatic nervous system educator, and a mental health-informed fitness trainer through her business, Mind & Mountain.
Angie and Sarah talk about:
Check out these resources:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
Have you been censoring yourself? 🤔
If you've ever softened your language, felt imposter syndrome, or kept quiet when you had a message screaming inside of you, buckle up for a pep talk.
We're breaking down 5 common self-censorship blocks in adventure storytelling and how to break through them, including:
Angie shares how our volunteer Trailblazers are using their voices for change, and offers experiments so you can practice what she calls "using your outside voice."
Ready to use your voice for the cause? Join us for Trailtober, an October trail challenge to spend more time outdoors while supporting other girls and women!
https://www.classy.org/campaign/trailtober-2025/c718566
Or, submit a personal essay for Field Notes, our episodes featuring your stories about how nature changed you. Email angie@cairnproject.org with your topic idea.
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond:
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Carlie’s running the Oregon Cascades 100 mile ultramarathon on August 23, 2025! Cheer her on (you might get your name on her race shoes) by supporting her fundraiser to get more girls and women outside: https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/6540872
Carlie Graham lives in Seattle, where she's pursuing a career in finance while staying deeply connected to the outdoors. Carlie led the climbing team at UC Irvine in Southern California and remains passionate about making outdoor recreation more financially and socially accessible through community based groups.
Angie and Carlie talk about:
Mentioned in this episode:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
How do you juggle chronic illness, unconventional work, and personal adventure challenges?
Christine Reed, author of Alone in Wonderland, joined us to talk about body challenges on trail, behind the scenes of writing and sharing books, and her company, Rugged Outdoorswoman Publishing.
We talk about:
Love adventure books like Christine's?
Grit Lit is our quarterly subscription box meets book club, celebrating women and adventure.
Members get a box every quarter full of woman-created goodies, including a nature-inspired book.
Interested in becoming a part of Grit Lit? Head to cairnproject.org/grit-lit to join and get the fall 2025 box, plus a welcome box! It’s a great gift for a friend, too.
More info:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
You’re invited to our free Trail Talk on July 31: Injury Prevention in Outdoor Adventure with Rachel Lee Boim, DPT. Bring your questions about pain, strength training, recovery and more. RSVP at cairnproject.org/trail-talks!
Rachel Lee Boim is a record holding endurance athlete and Doctor of Physical Therapy who has set Fastest Known Times on iconic routes like the Kilimanjaro Summit Circuit, Aconcagua, and the trail from Namche Bazaar to Everest Base Camp.
Rachel began her mountaineering journey at age 33. Since then, her on- the-go lifestyle has led her across six continents to compete in ultramarathons and high altitude ascents. Rachel's also a volunteer Trailblazer at The Cairn Project, blending her passion with philanthropy so other girls and women can experience the magic of time outdoors.
Angie and Rachel talk about:
Join us at the July 31 Trail Talk to ask Rachel questions about staying strong and healthy in outdoor adventure!
Mentioned in this episode:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
When 6 in 10 women struggle to name an outdoor female role model, how are girls supposed to know they belong in adventure spaces?
Cheri and Aubryanna were two of the young adults selected for the Summit Scholarship Foundation's 2024 Mt. Baker youth climb.
Spoiler alert: This all-women’s rope team didn’t reach the physical summit of Mt. Baker. But they gained something just as powerful.
Angie sat down with Aubryanna and Cheri to talk about ambition, fear, belonging, and what it means to come together in sisterhood on top of a glacier.
We talked about:
Send this episode to somebody who you think should turn their adventure into a force for good by becoming a Trailblazer!
Mentioned in this episode:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
🎙️ Introducing: Field Notes, a series featuring your written and read stories.
We're now accepting submissions from our community, and we’d love to feature your voice in the mix.
We’re looking for personal essays set in the outdoors. Think friendship, change, healing, ridiculous encounters, anything that captures a moment where the outdoors shifted your perspective of the world or yourself.
Find guidelines and how to submit your story at cairnproject.org/podcast.
✏️ Field Notes | Caught in the Current: Lessons from Surviving a Flash Flood in the Grand Canyon
In 2023, Angie got a life-changing opportunity to spend 21 days rafting through the Grand Canyon. On Day 13, a handful of mistakes led her group to be trapped in a side canyon during a flash flood. Hear about:
Send this episode to a friend who has an adventure story that should be featured on Field Notes by See Her Outside!
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
Think you need alpine access, fancy gear, or a mountain town zip code to train for a major expedition? Think again.
Rachel Fagiano is an avid hiker, mountaineer, rock climber and ice climber based in New York City.
They have a career background in racial justice, and now their work focuses on creating safe and welcoming environments and improving access to the outdoors for communities that have been traditionally excluded in those spaces.
We talk about:
Send this episode to somebody who you think should turn their adventure into a force for good by becoming a Trailblazer!
Mentioned in this episode:
By the way, it's not too late to sign up for the June 100 Challenge!
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
✨3 Adventure Opportunities:
Join the June 100 Challenge! Combine outdoor movement with storytelling and giving back. We’re uniting 100 women to accept the challenge and will give prompts for accountability and storytelling tips throughout the month of June! This is free to join and a wonderful way to make an impact through spending time outside.
RSVP for our free May 28th Trail Talk with registered dietitian Claire Shorenstein! Get your endurance and adventure nutrition questions answered. Sign up for free here.
Looking for a fun way to kick off the summer season? Check out the Wild Woman Trail Runs! The all-women’s 50k, marathon, half marathon, or relay team is a blast AND a perfect way to host an Adventure Fundraiser without having to plan your own adventure. June 21 in Washington State. Learn more here.
And for today’s See Her Outside guest…
Sharing an adventure with a friend can be an incredible experience, but that doesn't mean it comes easy!
Natalie Warren, author of Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic, joined us for a peek behind the scenes of her life as an adventurer, author, and parent. We cover:
Her adventure paddling from Minneapolis to the Arctic
Tips for finding and having a great adventure partner
How canoeing can be a fascinating way to observe society
How writing about an adventure far in the past can be challenging
The transition to motherhood and raising adventurous children
Grit Lit is our quarterly subscription box meets book club, celebrating women and adventure.
Members get a box every quarter full of woman-created goodies, including a nature-inspired book.
Interested in becoming a part of Grit Lit? Head to cairnproject.org/grit-lit to join and get the rest of the boxes this year, plus a welcome box! It’s a great gift for a friend, too.
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
📢 RSVP for the free Trail Talk on May 28: Adventure Nutrition and Q+A | Sign up for the June 100 Challenge!
🎧 Gunjan Utreja is a first-generation Indian immigrant to the United States who earned a master’s degree in engineering and built an 18-year corporate career.
A journey to self-care led her to co-found the HikeQueen Buddies community, which inspired the creation of MyTrailPals—a mobile app designed to integrate outdoors into everyday existence.
Angie and Gunjan talk about:
Send this episode to a woman who you'd love to go on a hike with.
Mentioned in this episode:
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).
Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher
Storytelling is a key element in closing the gender gap, outdoors and in. But it’s not always easy to speak up!
We’ve spoken lately with women who’ve said:
Angie shares a heart-to-heart for any woman who loves the outdoors but is hesitant to turn up the volume on their own voice, including:
Send this episode to a friend who you believe has an amazing story that the world needs to hear.
(And follow along with Angie’s Adventure Fundraiser here and on Instagram! $5 goes a long way to the cause.)
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond:
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!
Processing grief brought Carly to the mountains. Community gave her a reason to stay.
Carly Dykes is a mountaineer, University of Washington student, and 2024 Summit Scholarship recipient who climbed Mt. Baker in Washington last June.
Just before Carly turned 18, her dad died from cancer. Carly shares how she found solace in the mountains, why she decided to climb Mt. Rainier in his memory, and the life-changing experience of an all-women’s expedition up Mt. Baker through the Summit Scholarship Foundation.
Carly and Angie talked about:
Send this episode to a friend who you want to climb a mountain with this year.
You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond:
Is 2025 the year you shoot your shot and get out of your comfort zone? 💪
Colleen MacDonald is an ultra and trail runner specializing in the 50 mile and 100 mile distances. Based in Colorado and Minnesota, Colleen is known for her unshakable grit and love of flying down technical descents.
Colleen and Angie talked about:
Send this episode to a friend who loves to run or who has a race in 2025.
Follow along Colleen's adventures: https://colleenmacdonaldathlete.com/
Want to join Colleen as a Trailblazer with The Cairn Project and turn a 2025 adventure into a campaign to get more women outdoors? Learn more at cairnproject.org/trailblazers.
You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond: