blood sweat tears
contributing writers
Bethany Adams (she/her)
Wilmington, New York—ancestral Mohawk land and traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee peoples
Bethany is a writer and mountain athlete who grew up dreaming of exploring far-off places by the power of her own feet. She holds a master’s degree in community development and has been published in Trail Runner and Outside magazines. She is the first woman to achieve 100 fastest known times (FKTs), and in 2020, she and Katie Rhodes became the first women to climb all forty-six High Peaks in the Adirondacks unsupported. She is thrilled to share stories of the healing she has found in nature and the strength of the female athlete.
She can be found on Instagram @bethany.climbs.
Heather Anderson (she/her)
Washington - traditional territory of the Lummi, Nooksack, Samish, and Semiahmoo
Heather has hiked over 47,000 miles since her first thru-hike in 2003. She was the first woman to complete the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide National Scenic Trails each three times. This includes her historic Calendar Year Triple Crown hike in 2018 when she hiked all three of those trails in one March-November season, making her the first woman to do so. She holds female self-supported Fastest Known Times (FKTs) on the Pacific Crest Trail (2013), and the Appalachian Trail (2015). She was named the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2019. She is the author of Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home and Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail and co-author of Adventure Ready: A Hiker's Guide to Planning, Training, and Resiliency.
She can be found on Facebook and Instagram @_wordsfromthewild_ and at wordsfromthewild.net
Belinda Arndt (she/her)
Washington, DC—traditional territory of the Piscataway and Nacotchtank peoples
Belinda is a solo traveler who is happiest at the ocean, or out West. She holds an MA in public affairs. She feels most at home on the trails, where her wildness is accepted and she can be her whole self. She has found that the outdoors has taught her that her problems aren’t as big as she thinks they are, and that everything will work out, even if not in the ways she expected. She knows that sharing our stories is how we spread knowledge and connection.
She can be found on Instagram @Wandering_bel, on Facebook, and at www.wanderingbel.com.
Tatiana Corbitt (they/them)
Portland, Oregon—traditional territory of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla peoples
Tatiana is a Hispanic artist and writer living in the Pacific Northwest. They love mushroom hunting and a nice cup of coffee. They graduated summa cum laude from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, with their MS and BS in applied biological sciences. Tatiana is a volunteer facilitator for Wake Up Narcolepsy’s LGBTQIA+ Narcolepsy Support Group, and their writing is regularly published by Narcolepsy.Sleep-Disorders.net, RareDisease.net, and SocialHealthNetwork.com. They are looking forward to their first book, a poetry collection, being published by Curious Corvid Publishing in 2024.
They can be found on Instagram @saltytatertats.
Halle Homel (she/her)
Nomadic and living out of a camper. Originally from Los Angeles, California—traditional territory of the Tongva, Tataviam, Serrano, Kizh, and Chumash peoples. Currently based in Portland, Oregon—traditional territory of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and more
Halle is a backpacker, hiker, climber, and outdoor recreation guide. She holds a BA in creative writing and has been published by The Trek and Rootless Living magazine. Her biggest passion is the mountains and keeping them wild, and she believes in telling the stories of the places she visits, as well as the experience of the female body on trail. She travels full-time with her dog, Lassen.
She can be found on Instagram and other platforms @halletreks.
Katie Houston (she/her)
Asheville, North Carolina—ancestral land of the Miccosukee, Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East), S'atsoyaha, and Mànu peoples
Oats thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail shortly after graduating with a BS in environmental science in 2019. She realized she needed to make the trail community the center of her life, so she pivoted to freelancing in the outdoor industry. Now, when she’s not hitting the trail with her husky, Thru, she helps long-distance-backpacking gear and media companies engage with their audience in online spaces. Through this work, she fosters good trail ethics and an outdoor community where everyone feels like they belong.
She can be found on Instagram @oatshikes and at oatshikes.com.
Katie Ives (she/they)
Boulder, Colorado—traditional territory of the Arapaho, Ute, and Cheyenne peoples
Katie is a hiker and climber who reads about mountains, writes about mountains, and spends her time in the mountains. She has a BA in literature and an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She also attended the Mountain and Wilderness Writing Program at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, as well as a Leighton Artist Studio Residency there, the latter with a Paul D. Fleck Fellowship. Her work has appeared in many publications, including the New York Times; Outside; Atlas Obscura; Lit Hub; Adventure Journal; Mountain Gazette; Panorama: The Journal of Travel, Place, and Nature; and The Rumpus. Her short stories have been included in two anthologies, Rock, Paper, Fire: The Best of Mountain and Wilderness Writing and Waymaking: An Anthology of Women’s Adventure Writing, Poetry and Art. Her articles have made the Notable lists for The Best American Sports Writing and The Best American Essays. She was an editor at Alpinist for nearly eighteen years and was the editor-in-chief of the magazine for more than a decade. In 2016, she received the H. Adams Carter Literary Award from the American Alpine Club, and in 2022, her first book, Imaginary Peaks: The Riesenstein Hoax and Other Mountain Dreams, received a Special Jury Mention at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. She loves ice climbing, alpine climbing, rock climbing, backcountry skiing, trail running, skate skiing, hiking, and watching the sunset from the mountaintops.
She can be found on Instagram @katie_r_ives and on Facebook.
Anne Jobe (she/her)
Franklin, North Carolina—ancestral territories of the Cherokee (East), Yuchi, and Miccosukee peoples
Anne is a trail runner and hiker who seeks peace in nature. She has backpacked 400 miles on the Appalachian Trail and is a camp host at Lewis Mountain in Shenandoah National Park during peak thru-hiking months. She holds an EdS in educational leadership K–12. In addition to the outdoors, she is passionate about educating students, spending time with family, volunteering, reading, and traveling.
She can be found on Instagram @Seeking_the_Sublime.
Lauren Jones (she/her)
Englewood, Colorado—ancestral grounds and sacred land of Ute and Cheyenne territories
Lauren grew up camping with her family, which turned into backpacking in high school and thru-hiking the Colorado Trail in adulthood. It was on the Colorado Trail that she earned her trail name, an ode to her gear scattered around at camp, as well as to the idea of letting go of what was no longer serving her. She holds several degrees and certificates, including an MA in counseling psychology and counselor education and a permaculture design certificate; she is also a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC), a Certified School Career Development Advisor (CSCDA), an Ordained Clergy Person (OCP), a horticultural therapist certification candidate, and a certified postpartum doula (CAPPA). She has been previously published by Hyperlite Mountain Gear, with her piece “Putting It All Out There and Getting It Back Together on the Colorado Trail.”
She can be found on Instagram @sol_y_luna_soilpluslove and @stillaspiringjourney.
Jenn Joslin (she/her)
Portland, Oregon—traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River
Jenn has a BS in conservation biology, has worked as an environmental educator and freelance artist, and has written about her experiences getting to know the natural world after a childhood spent very much apart from it. She has numerous illustration credits and has written helpful family-friendly articles about outdoor adventure in the Pacific Northwest for the blog Embrace Someplace. Despite feeling wholly out of her element when she began exploring, she found she could still benefit from being on the trail in any capacity. She especially loves being out with her senior pup, Charlie, who has been with her through fifteen wild years of adventure and hundreds of beautiful hikes. She has come to realize that nature is accessible to everybody and that our lives can be greatly enriched by learning to connect with the outdoors, and with ourselves in the process.
She can be found on Instagram @jennjoslinart and at www.jennjoslin.com.
Skye Lammers (she/her)
Payson, Arizona—traditional territory of the Pueblos, Western Apache, and Hohokam peoples
Skye developed a love of trail running after a childhood exploring rugged Arizona terrain on horseback and on foot. She has completed the Whiskey Basin 92K and is currently training for the Black Canyon 100K. She’s been published twice in High Country Hunter: Hunting in Rim Country & the White Mountains. She thinks that nature heals and the world would be a better place if more people attempted to do hard things in the middle of nowhere.
She can be found on Instagram @SkyeLammers.
Meg Landymore (she/her)
Pasadena, Maryland—traditional territory of the Susquehannock and Piscataway peoples
Meg is an ultrarunner, a wife, a mom of two, a military veteran, a small business owner, a physician assistant, and an ultrarunning coach. She holds an MS in physician assistant studies. She has set course records and podiumed at a number of races from 50K up, and she has set fastest known times (FKTs) on the 144-mile Double SCAR and the 345-mile Appalachian High Route. While she has seen tremendous success with ultrarunning, she has also experienced failure, injury, medical complications, and chronic pain. She believes we should live in a world where women can share stories and resources to be able to find answers, as well as connection.
She can be found on Instagram @mxgrunfit and at www.mxgadventures.com.
Callie Liesure (she/her)
St. Louis, Missouri—traditional territory of the Osage Nation and Illini Tribe
Callie is a hiker, backpacker, and trail runner. She has completed the Foothills Trail and many sections of the Ozark Trail in her backyard, and she aspires to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. She is a psychology student at Saint Louis University and is on the equestrian team. She’s passionate about animal rights and adores her two rescue dogs, Honey and Scooter. She acknowledges her own complicated relationship with her female body and believes that mental health, body image, and feminine topics aren’t talked about as often as they should be; she doesn’t want anyone to have to struggle in silence.
She can be found on Instagram @callie.hikes and on Substack at calliehikes.substack.com.
Liesl Magnus (they/them)
Missoula, Montana—traditional territory of the Salish people
Liesl grew up hiking, backpacking, running, and working in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and later in the Adirondacks. They hold a BA in government and environmental studies and have been previously published in Appalachia and the Northern New England Review. They’ve completed three seasons on trail crews across western Montana and northern Idaho and two seasons as backcountry hut crew for the Appalachian Mountain Club. Trails and outdoor work are Liesl’s life, passion, and drive, and how they’ve met some of the most important people in their life. They believe in the power of authenticity, the expression of genuine experiences, and the importance of creating deliberate space for non-men in the outdoors.
Meaghan Martin (she/her)
Standish, Maine—ancestral territories of the Wabanaki Dawnland Confederacy
Meaghan has loved the forest as a friend since childhood, but the mountains and trails have challenged her to grow in ways she didn’t know were possible. She has thru-hiked the Long Trail and the Nüümü Poyo (John Muir Trail), and she is slowly chipping away at climbing New Hampshire’s forty-eight 4,000-foot peaks. She has a BA in English with a minor in creative writing, as well as an MA in social work. She has been published in Horses with a Mission: Extraordinary True Stories of Equine Service and Animals and the Kids Who Love Them: Extraordinary True Stories of Hope, Healing, and Compassion. She believes there is great power that can be found in lending our voices to discussion about the things we are told we aren’t supposed to talk about.
She can be found on Instagram and TikTok @meaghan_adventures.
Mikaela Osler (she/her)
Albuquerque, New Mexico—occupied Tiwa land
Mikaela holds the FKT on the Long Trail in Vermont and once held the FKT for the Colorado Trail. She has an MFA in creative nonfiction, and her work has appeared in Hippocampus, Trail Runner, Long Trail News, and Archetype. She was born into an outdoorsy family in the Green Mountains of Vermont and now works as a backpacking guide throughout the Western US. She feels that many of us interpret our outdoor experiences through a canon mostly written by men; she wants to work together to create a new canon that affirms who we are and how we walk through the world. She is currently writing a memoir.
She can be found on Instagram @mikaelaosler.
Alicia Gatto Peterson (she/her)
Mahtomedi, Minnesota—traditional territory of the Wahpekute people
Alicia is a Minnesota Master Naturalist and geeks out on identifying plants, fungi, and animals where she lives. Among other outdoorsy ventures, she has backpacked in the High Sierra and Denali National Park, and she worked and hiked in Mount Rainier National Park. She has previously published poems in Mothers Always Write, as well as flash/short stories in Feminine Collective and the Stillwater Gazette.
She can be found on Instagram @agattopetersen.
Bronwyn Preece (she/her)
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada—traditional territory of the Lil'wat and Squamish Nations
Bronwyn is an avid solo backpacker, a “backcountry poet,” and a community-based arts practitioner. She holds a PhD in performance and an MA and BFA in applied theatre. Previous publications include knee deep in high water : riding the Muskwa-Kechika, expedition poems (Caitlin Press, 2023); Sea to Sky Alphabet (Simply Read Books, 2023); Gulf Islands Alphabet (Simply Read Books, 2012); and an array of artistic and academic publications. She loves sending handwritten letters and is eager to see more female-authored narratives entering the outdoor literature canon.
She can be found on Instagram @poetichiker.
Holly Priestley (she/her)
Wherever the van is parked—always on native land
Holly is a freelance writer who was fortunate to have been raised in an outdoorsy family who took her camping and hiking from the time she was weeks old. As an adult, she thrives with her pups in a nomadic lifestyle. She loves getting out into nature and away from humans, seeing the seasons change, watching flowers bloom, and witnessing how nature works symbiotically to nurture life in all its forms, all while seeing what adventures her body is capable of. After growing up in a house and society where women’s menstrual realities were not discussed, she wants women to advocate for themselves and to not be ashamed of this super-human thing that we go through.
She can be found on Instagram @hollycpriestly and at www.hollycpriestley.com.
Rebekah Rafferty (she/her)
Laramie, Wyoming—traditional territory of the Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples
Rebekah is working on her PhD in the Monteith Shop at the University of Wyoming, studying the ecology of mule deer in the iconic Wyoming Range herd. She loves making good food, writing, and being outside with her husband and corgi-mutt. She wants to share the celebration of both the bodies and lives of the mule deer she studies.
She can be found on Instagram @tudorraff.
Christine Reed (she/her)
Full-time on the road, but most often in Denver, Colorado—traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples
Christine is the founder of Rugged Outdoorswoman Publishing, whose first publication, Blood Sweat Tears, is a perfect example of the mission to promote the adventure stories of women and gender-expansive folks. Her award-winning debut memoir, Alone in Wonderland, shares the story of her personal transformation via thru-hiking. She has been forged by nature and movement, and she firmly believes in the power of story and representation to invite every body into the outdoors where we can see ourselves more clearly.
She can be found on Instagram and TikTok @ruggedoutdoorswoman and at ruggedoutdoorswoman.com.
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Cecilia Castillo Saldivar (she/her)
San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta, Chile—traditional territory of the Quechua, Diaguita, Uru, Chichas, and Lickanantay peoples
Ceci is an adventure tourism guide in the Andes Mountains who always knew she wanted to live her life outdoors. After college, she sought certification in first aid, mountaineering, geology, flora and fauna, astronomy, and Leave No Trace. She lives her life boldly and confidently, and she feels that the key to making this a better world is to share our experiences. She loves to travel and experience new places and cultures and is interested in creating a community among women.
She can be found on Instagram @cecilia.csaldivar or by email at cecilia.csaldivar@gmail.com.
Saryn Schwartz (she/her)
Oakland, California—Ohlone land and traditional territory of the Bay Miwok
Saryn grew up camping, hiking, and exploring the redwoods near her home. More recently she has spent time backpacking in Europe and Southeast Asia. She is a current student at UCLA with a strong interest in environmental policy. She is passionate about the outdoors and has taken courses with NOLS; she also spent four months in Bhutan with the School for Field Studies, where she did a lot of hiking and conducted biodiversity survey research. Amid learning to navigate chronic illness, she has continued to find her peace in nature.
She can be found on Instagram @saryn.schwartz.
Maggie Seymour (she/her)
Beaufort, South Carolina—traditional territory of the Yamasee and Kusso peoples
Maggie is a midwesterner, a runner, a diplomat, and a Marine. She completed a transcontinental run from San Diego to Virginia in 2017 and is currently attempting to cross all fifty states on foot. She holds a BS in political science; MAs in military history, journalism, and sociology; and a PhD in international studies. As an occasional trail runner, she slowed down and hiked the northern half of the Pacific Crest Trail with her partner in 2017. She’s now focused on passing along that love of camping, running, and trails to her growing family. She is eager to see some of her favorite things combined—the outdoors, human bodies covering long distances, and the power of the feminine.
She can be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @runfreerunner and at www.runfreerun.com.
Ankita Sharma (they/she)
Currently based in Brooklyn, New York—Munsee, Lenape, and Canarsie land. Originally from Fremont, California—Ohlone and Muwekma land.
Ankita is a backpacker, a climber, and an aspiring horse-packer and long-distance rider. They hold a BA in dance and a BA in anthropology and have previously published academic work on the topics of decolonizing wildlife rehabilitation and primatology. They completed the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018, started the Continental Divide Trail in 2021, and completed the Pyrenees High Route in 2021. They have their sights set on the Sierra High Route in 2024. They want to see more Brown, Black, and LGBTQIA representation in the outdoors, not just with outdoor recreation, but in thinking about who belongs to and occupies land, how we care for the natural world, and whether land is accessible. They are excited to share thru-hiking stories with the world.
They can be found on Instagram @nki.creates and at www.ankitacreates.space.
Sarah Thomas (she/her)
St. George, Utah—Shivwits Band, Southern Paiute homelands
Sarah fell in love with the natural world as a child hiking short distances and exploring natural features slowly with her dad and brother. She holds a BA in English and creative writing, and recent poetry of hers can be found in the gorgeous zine Protect Red Cliffs: Art and Narratives of a Threatened Place. She believes that the earth is as animate and embodied as any person, and that wild places enjoy receiving the loving attention of people. She is passionately working to entice the next generation of wild women onto the trail with stories of confident adventure and raw honesty about the experience of being in a female body outside.
She can be found at https://ladymuir.wordpress.com/.