Why do you get outside?

My day job is a desk job in the tech industry. It's a remote job but I spend chunks of my day sitting. Getting outside first began on weekends as a way to get out of the house (I've been working from home for the past 10 years). Then I began to see the effect nature was having on me. I felt more confident with every hike, or backpacking trip. I would come back home feeling slightly altered, more connected, and that feeling that life's problems weren't all that big in the grand scheme of things. And soon it just became a lifestyle where I began to head out farther to explore our national and state parks and I realized there is so much open space to go out and disconnect, re-discover ourselves, learn, respect, understand why we need to preserve, and I began feeling more grateful overall. I also want to show other people of color that the outdoors IS for them, and that's also why I started the hiking club, to make space for a group of people that historically were not seen in the outdoors. As a kid I didn't have role models that looked like me in the outdoors. You only saw a certain demographic in Marketing materials. Today if I can inspire people to step out, then I feel like I'm making a difference.

What does ‘outdoorsy' mean to you?

I've often felt ‘unoutdoorsy' because of what I'm wearing or the activity I'm doing. Mostly it's because I feel like there is this elite attitude about what it means to be outdoors. I recently put out a video about how differently my husband and I each enjoy the outdoors. He for example will not camp but loves glamping so I showed a clip on how I introduced him to glamping and how much he loved the yurt + the hiking trails around it. I had so many people comment on how glamping was not real, how it's for sissies or how real men camp not glamp and that made me realize there IS a narrative associated with what it means to be outdoorsy. For me it means enjoying nature in whatever you feel comfortable. That could mean taking a walk in your local park, having a picnic in the garden, a stroll around a lake, a short urban hike, a 3-mile hike, car camping, fishing etc. You don't have to be a rock climber hanging off a cliff or peak bagging to be considered outdoorsy and I feel like media often only highlights this stuff as ‘cool' and ‘outdoorsy' worthy.

How did you start backpacking? What was the most intimidating thing about it?

I started backpacking as an adult out of college when some of my friends organized a trip to Inyo National Forest. It was supposed to be a 4 day trip but it was cut short due to heavy snow. The one night we spent on the mountains surrounded by a glacier fed lake was the most magical! The most intimidating part of it was the backpack weight. I remember thinking if I would even be capable of carrying so much weight and hiking uphill.

Tell us about your favorite hiking experience to date.

Omg there are so many how do I choose!? Okay I had an amazing experience this one time on a trip to Washington. The goal was a one-night backpacking trip and I was meeting up with three women whom I had never met before. We were just Instagram pals. We all decided to meet at Michelle's house, pack our backpacks and leave from there to Snow and Gem Lake. Renee and Mahna were the other two women.

Snow Lake is a moderate, 6 mile round trip hike with 1,300 feet of elevation gain. The trail goes up above the South Fork Snoqualmie River through forests and over a pass to a beautiful alpine lake. Beyond Snow Lake lies Gem lake. There are numerous waterfalls, pika habitats, and once you get past Snow Lake, the crowd dwindles dramatically. We camped at the edge of a clearing overlooking the lake.

What made it memorable was how empowering this trip was. Here we were four women meeting up for the first time, purely for the love of the outdoors and wanting to connect with like minded women. Cooking our food by the campsite and swapping stories, it felt like a sisterhood.

The next day we went down to the lake and the goal was to take a swim even though it was alpine and super cold. I had seen Renee do it once on one of her videos and it looked so beautiful, I had made a mental note to do it one day. But even though I can swim (but not very well), something about swimming in lakes and open water freaks me out. And I was really scared but Renee was so patient, and she was like you can do this. We all stood in the water together, everyone encouraging me. We held hands and then on someone's count we just went in shrieking as the cold water washed over us. It was absolutely amazing, and beautiful for me to face and overcome my fear with the support of these three amazing women.

What advice do you have for women who are just getting into outdoor adventures?

The outdoors starts at your own front door. I used to feel intimidated getting outside because I thought I needed to be scaling El Capitan or trekking to Base Camp Everest to be outdoorsy. The pandemic made me realize that you don't have to go to some far-flung destination to experience the outdoors. Choose places close to home for your first time, whether it be a hiking trail or a camping adventure and experience the magic of nature!

Fears + the outdoors: what was your biggest fear and how did you get over it?

My biggest fear in the outdoors is what if I get lost and what if I get hurt. I'm uncomfortable in the outdoors at times because I didn't grow up IN it or around it as an immigrant to this country from India. It wasn't part of the Indian culture and my parents were too busy re-building to expose me to the outdoors. So, the fear stems from that and a lot of the times some of the trails in certain parts of the country can be really intimidating with no one around. To get around the fear, I prepare well. I make sure to train for certain trips ahead of time, I'll have the appropriate navigation tools like AllTrails downloaded, backup charging devices, a Garmin emergency GPS that I can use to call for help, and I'll always tell someone when I'm heading out.

What's one thing you wish you'd been aware of when you started out?

I first research the trail I want to hike, including whether there's parking, entrance fees (some places are cash only), and read reviews on Alltrails to see what other users were saying about the trail recently.

Then depending on the length, altitude and how demanding it is, I'll make sure to get some cardio workout at least two-three weeks before the hike. I'll walk uphill on the treadmill 3x a week, and do the stepper machine 1x a week. This way my legs and lungs are prepared and I can have more fun enjoying the hike!

I prepare a hiking list the day before in the notes on my phone so it's really easy to keep track of.

Depending on the hike, I'll be sure to have any navigation tools handy like an Alltrails trail map downloaded on my phone for offline use, my 3 Liter water bladder from REI, hiking snacks, maybe a lightweight wind/rain poncho, a first-aid kit (REI has some travel size ones), SPF, a trash bag (I like picking up whatever trash I see on the way), and a hand sanitizer. I almost always wear a hat to protect myself from the sun.

I'll figure out what I want to wear based on the weather forecast and read the trail reviews to see if there's any poison ivy etc that I need to be aware of. I'll decide what type of hiking boots I want to wear based on the trail terrain.