In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Sarah, a Backpacking Badass client whose story perfectly captures what it looks like to step into an Adventure Era after everything changes.

Sarah didn’t grow up loving the outdoors. In fact, she openly admits she despised it. But after a major life upheaval, nature became a place of healing, and eventually, a doorway into something much bigger.

Since joining the Backpacking Badass Program, Sarah has gone from total beginner to:

1. Leading her very first backpacking trip within months
2. Building a real adventure community of women she met through the program
3. Stepping into leadership on trail — and in her life
4. Using adventure as a catalyst for reinvention, confidence, and self-trust

If you’re in a season of rebuilding…

If you’re craving adventure but unsure where to start…

If you feel the pull toward something bigger, braver, and more alive…

This episode is for you.

Where to connect with Sarah: @sarahlouiseschmidt

🥾 Ready to Start Your Adventure Era? Enrollment for the Backpacking Badass Program is officially OPEN January 19-23, 2026.

Inside the program, you’ll learn how to:

1. Plan backpacking trips you actually feel ready for
2. Build physical, mental, and emotional trail confidence
3. Master essential safety and navigation skills
4. And become a safe, self-sufficient backpacker without waiting on others

👉 Join us at: shedreamsofalpine.com/enroll

Whether you’re dreaming about your first backpacking trip, your first solo trip, or your boldest adventure yet... you don’t have to figure it out alone. We’ve got you.

Where to learn more about Allison:

1. She Dreams of Alpine Blog
2. Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

My client Sherry didn’t grow up calling herself “adventurous.”

She started backpacking in her mid-50s with borrowed gear, a lot of nerves, and a quiet pull toward doing something more for herself.

After her first challenging trips, she realized she didn’t just want more adventure... she wanted to feel calm, capable, and confident doing it. That’s when she found the Backpacking Badass Program, began building real skills, and took her very first solo backpacking trip.

Five years later, Sherry has completed solo backpacking trips, section-hiked long trails, trekked in Patagonia, volunteered in remote wilderness settings, and become a mentor to other women starting later in life.

In this episode, we talk about what it actually looks like to build confidence over time, and why it’s never too late to start.

In this episode, we talk about:

1. Starting backpacking in your 50s (and why it’s not “too late”)
2. How building skills changed Sherry’s confidence on solo trips
3. The mindset shifts that made solo backpacking feel safer
4. Learning to trust yourself in both solo and group adventures
5. Why small, local adventures can create big momentum
6. Letting your adventure era evolve as your life and priorities change

If you’ve ever felt the pull toward adventure... but wondered if you missed your chance, this episode is for you.

Where to connect with Sherry:

1. Instagram @sherryj402
2. The 52 Hike Challenge

Where to learn more about Allison:

1. She Dreams of Alpine Blog
2. Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

🎉 Register for our FREE 5-DAY CHALLENGE (shedreamsofalpine.com/challenge) - Your Adventure Era Challenge - January 12-16th, 2026 - If you want to go on MORE hiking and backpacking adventures in 2026, in this 5-day challenge, you'll make sure you finally check those trips off your bucket list!

⭐️ Upgrade Option: You can also grab the Challenge All-Access Pass (shedreamsofalpine.com/upgrade) for extended replay access plus exclusive Adventure Era bonus resources.

🥾 Want to join Sherry and a badass community of over 2,000 women as you step into YOUR adventure era? Join the Backpacking Course Waitlist...

What does it really mean to be a Backpacking Badass?

In this episode, Allison breaks down why being a Backpacking Badass has nothing to do with being fearless, extreme, or summiting at all costs—and everything to do with self-trust, decision-making, and knowing you have your own back on trail and in life.

If you’ve ever loved the idea of being “badass” but thought, that’s not me, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

1. Why the word “badass” is worth reclaiming—especially for women in the outdoors
2. The difference between being reckless vs. self-trusting on trail
3. What a Backpacking Badass is not (and why that definition keeps women stuck)
4. Why your power comes from making decisions, even when failure is possible
5. How to start stepping into your Adventure Era in 2026 with intention

This episode is a grounded redefinition of what badassery really looks like, and an invitation to step into it for yourself.

Ready to take the next step?

🎉 Register for our FREE 5-DAY CHALLENGE (shedreamsofalpine.com/challenge)- Your Adventure Era Challenge - January 12-16th, 2026 - If you want to go on MORE hiking and backpacking adventures in 2026, in this 5-day challenge, you'll make sure you finally check those trips off your bucket list!

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

1. BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
2. THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
3. ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

Want to see some testimonials about the Backpacking Badass Program? Read our student stories here. (shedreamsofalpine.com/stories)

Where to learn more about Allison:

1. She Dreams of Alpine Blog (shedreamsofalpine.com)
2. Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of how I’m planning my adventures in 2026.

From big trips to mini getaways, client adventures, and everyday ways to keep the outdoors part of my life, this episode is all about setting the stage for a year filled with exploration.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. How I reflect on past adventures to shape my future plans
2. The exciting client trips and retreats we’ve got lined up for 2026
3. Creative ways I’m integrating adventure into my weekly routines
4. What’s inspiring me to step out of my comfort zone this year
5. The BIG adventure goal I’ve set for 2026
6. And how I’m continuing to incorporate adventure with my puppy (Oliver 🐶) into my yearly plan

I hope it inspires you to dream big and start crafting your own adventurous vision for 2026.

🎉 Register for our FREE 5-DAY CHALLENGE - Your Adventure Era Challenge - January 12-16th, 2026 - If you want to go on MORE hiking and backpacking adventures in 2026, in this 5-day challenge, you'll make sure you finally check those trips off your bucket list!

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

1. BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST
2. THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST
3. ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST

Want to see some testimonials about the Backpacking Badass Program? Read our student stories here.

Where to learn more about Allison:

1. She Dreams of Alpine Blog
2. Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

In this reflective end-of-year episode, Allison reframes why so many women experienced 2025 as a season of closure, identity shedding, and quiet endings, and why that space matters.

Allison then explores why 2026 is uniquely positioned as a fresh start, a new cycle, and an invitation to step into your next adventurous identity with clarity, courage, and momentum.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. Why feeling slower or more inward in 2025 doesn’t mean you fell behind
2. How “ending” years often create the runway for reinvention
3. What a true “new beginning” year supports (and what it doesn’t require)
4. Why adventure is one of the most powerful containers for stepping into a new version of yourself
5. How to intentionally step into your 2026 Adventure Era, without waiting or outsourcing confidence

🔥 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the Your Adventure Era Challenge (Jan 12–16). Our free Your Adventure Era Challenge is BACK, and this year, we’re going deeper than ever.

Inside the challenge, we’ll work on:

✨ Building self-trust and adventurous identity

✨ Learning how to stop waiting and start leading

✨ Finding (and creating) your adventure community

✨ Turning “someday” dreams into real momentum

✨ Plus… a few surprises I’ve never taught before 👀

Register for the free here :👉 shedreamsofalpine.com/challenge

And right after Challenge Week, we open enrollment for our New Year cohort of the Backpacking Badass Program, where this kind of transformation becomes your lived reality. 👉 Join the Backpacking Badass Waitlist so you don’t miss a single January update.

Where to learn more about Allison:

1. She Dreams of Alpine Blog
2. Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

As we head toward a new year, many of us start thinking about goals, but not all goals are created equal.

In this episode, Allison shares 5 powerful reasons backpacking might be one of the most important goals you set for 2026, whether you’re brand new to backpacking or already love spending time on trail.

This conversation goes beyond backpacking as a hobby and explores how backpacking can become a tool for reinvention, confidence, aliveness, and building a life that feels deeply lived — especially in a world that’s becoming more digital, automated, and optimized by the day.

In this episode, we explore:

• How backpacking unlocks access to quieter places, deeper wilderness, and new versions of yourself
• Why backpacking creates real experiences that can’t be automated or simulated by AI
• How backpacking acts as an identity reset button
• Why time in the backcountry wakes you back up and reconnects you with presence and aliveness
• How backpacking builds the foundational skill stack for bigger, bolder adventures

If this episode stirred something in you, consider what kind of year you want 2026 to be... not just productive or optimized, but alive.

🔥 Save the Dates: Your Adventure Era Challenge (Jan 12–16). Our free Your Adventure Era Challenge is coming back, and this year, we’re going deeper than ever.

Inside the challenge, we’ll work on:

✨ Building self-trust and adventurous identity

✨ Learning how to stop waiting and start leading

✨ Finding (and creating) your adventure community

✨ Turning “someday” dreams into real momentum

✨ Plus… a few surprises I’ve never taught before 👀

Registration will open at the end of December. And right after Challenge Week, we open enrollment for our New Year cohort of the Backpacking Badass Program, where this kind of transformation becomes your lived reality. 👉 Join the Backpacking Badass Waitlist so you don’t miss a single January update.

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Your Adventure Era Challenge: January 12–16, 2026 (registration opening end of December 2025)
• Backpacking Badass Program Enrollment: New Year's enrollment opens January 19–23, 2026

Where to learn more about Allison:

• She Dreams of Alpine Blog
• Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

🎁 FREE GIFT: Grab the Outdoor Backpacker Starter Kit for FREE here to get started on your journey with backpacking.

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST: This is our signature program where we teach you how to become a safe, confident, and self-sufficient backpacker. It's an online course, coaching program, and community to support you in your journey to becoming a confident backpacker and step into your adventurous identity.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST

Join host Allison Boyle as she dives into an inspiring conversation with Marie Pier Tremblay about the transformative power of adventure and personal reinvention through the lens of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

Key Points Discussed:

• What inspired Marie to say YES to hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
• The courage to advocate for your big dreams
• Discussions on exploring options like sabbaticals and remote work before quitting your job for a thru-hike
• Navigating relationships when taking 6 months off to do a thru hike like the PCT
• Her remarkable personal growth, connections, and the joy of forming a 'trail family' during the PCT adventure
• Post-PCT reflections leading to career shifts
• Marie’s personal reinvention journey, encompassing explorations in relationships and embracing her true self
• The significance of self-talk, self-trust, and the art of knowing when to persist or change direction
• And SO much more

Tune in to hear how Marie’s adventurous leap of faith led to profound life changes and a newfound purpose in guiding others.

Where to learn more about Marie:

• Marie's Instagram
• Marie's Website
• Marie's Podcast (Self Growth Nerds)

Where to learn more about Allison:

• She Dreams of Alpine Blog
• Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

🎁 FREE GIFT: Grab the Outdoor Backpacker Starter Kit for FREE here to get started on your journey with backpacking.

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST: This is our signature program where we teach you how to become a safe, confident, and self-sufficient backpacker. It's an online course, coaching program, and community to support you in your journey to becoming a confident backpacker and step into your adventurous identity.

This week, I’m joined by outdoor writer and long-time mountain adventurer Meg Atteberry for a raw, behind-the-scenes look at what really happens when you have to hit the SOS button in the backcountry.

On day six of a seven-day high route in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, Meg and her friend found themselves in a true emergency — an injury miles from any trail, shifting weather, complex alpine terrain, and a 20-hour Search and Rescue operation that forced them to rely on every ounce of their experience, preparation, and mental steadiness.

This conversation is honest, gripping, and packed with trail-tested insight. If you’ve ever wondered “How would I actually handle something like this?” — or you want to feel more prepared and self-reliant on your own trips — this episode is a must-listen.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The exact moment Meg realized they needed Search & Rescue
• How she made the call early and why that decision mattered
• What the terrain, weather, and rescue logistics were really like
• How they chose a safe camp to overnight during the emergency
• The mental rollercoaster of staying calm when adrenaline crashes
• Why preparation beats “toughing it out” every time
• The gear, systems, and decisions that made a real difference
• What most people don’t understand about wilderness rescues
• Meg’s biggest takeaways now that she’s had time to reflect

How to Connect with Meg:

• Connect with Meg Atteberry on Instagram and TikTok @megintheforest

Resources Mentioned:

• YouTube Video: I hit the Garmin InReach SOS Button and here's what I learned
• YouTube Video: How I Was Rescued by Helicopter on the Wind River High Route (4k)
• YouTube Video: I hit the Garmin InReach SOS Button and here's what I learned
• YouTube Video: What Happens When You Push the SOS Button on Your Garmin InReach Mini

Where to learn more about Allison:

• She Dreams of Alpine Blog
• Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

🎁 FREE GIFT: Grab the Outdoor Backpacker Starter Kit for FREE here to get started on your journey with backpacking.

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST: This is our signature program where we teach you how to become a safe, confident, and self-sufficient backpacker. It's an online course, coaching program, and community to support you in your journey to becoming a confident backpacker and step into your adventurous identity.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST