Staff

Beth brings nearly 20 years of nonprofit management and a proven record of increasing growth, setting strategic vision and optimizing efficiency in organizations. She holds a Masters Degree in Management and Health Policy from Harvard, and through her tenure in healthcare work focused on hospice care, where she observed end of life as an incredible experience of authenticity, depth and sacredness. Beth imagines a world where these gifts are learned and experienced early in one's life and views pulling forth the strength of girls and women as an ultimate expression of personal health care. Beth's passion for the wilderness includes having climbed all 54 Colorado Fourteeners, assisting in outdoor education for avalanche, wilderness trekking, and ski mountaineering, and personal outdoor adventures around the world. When Beth isn't hiking mountains she can be found analyzing dreams and tending to her herb garden.

A full-time outdoor professional since the late ‘80s, Jody brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and know-how to The Women's Wilderness. With more than 1,000 days in the field during her career as a field instructor, Jody is passionate about the wilderness, group dynamics, authentic expression and the many ways in which a wilderness experience can encourage positive growth within an individual, a community and our larger global society. After years of working with Outward Bound and holding positions of course director, associate program director and staffing manager, Jody became the Program Director of Women's Wilderness in 2005. She has a Masters Degree in Psychology from Naropa University and also teaches in their wilderness therapy program. When Jody is not working in the office or leading courses in the field, she's probably outside playing. Her adventures include mountaineering in New Zealand and the French and Swiss Alps, and a 50-day unsupported canoe expedition within the Arctic Circle. Closer to home, you might find her ski-mountaineering on her teles, playing Ultimate Frisbee, ice climbing, dancing or playing her guitar. More about Jody at jodyradtke.com.

Wendy combines over a decade marketing and advertising experience with a background in experiential education and a lifelong love of the wilderness and adventure. Wendy's worked at advertising agencies in New York City and Boulder and has created communications campaigns for a variety of nonprofit organizations and consumer products including chocolate, children's games, peanut butter, and high-end sewing machines. Wendy also spent five years working with adolescents and is a first-hand believer in experiential education, having led wilderness trips across the American West and taught interactive government courses in Washington, DC. After many years in the urban wilds, Wendy is dedicated to spending as much time as possible playing in Colorado's mountains, golf courses, dog parks and rivers.

Lori shines with enthusiasm for working with youth, dedication to promoting wilderness exploration, and brings to TWWI previous experience in the nonprofit industry. As a young camper at an all-girls horseback riding camp in Michigan, Lori became inspired by the strong and confident women surrounding her and ultimately became a counselor, dedicated to helping help other girls build confidence and have fun in the wilderness. Lori worked for Outward Bound Wilderness advising students on courses and participating in outreach events to promote the importance of wilderness travel and environmental stewardship. She has volunteered with organizations such as Colorado 14ers Initiative and Wilderness Restoration Volunteers to help keep our Colorado mountains beautiful and sustainable for years to come. An avid backcountry mountaineer and skier, Lori also enjoys reading, photography, spending time with her friends and finds solace in quiet mountain mornings watching the first crease of sun cresting the horizon.

Lindsay graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Women and Gender Studies. Lindsay has led courses with Women's Wilderness since 2005. Before that she danced in NYC as a motivational dancer for bat mitzvahs and in Los Angeles in a salsa hip-hop company. Lindsay is also a Spanish Interpreter, salsa teacher, and jewelry designer. Lindsay's passion for working with girls, combined with her love of the wilderness makes her a great fit for TWWI.
A Boulder native, Lindsay’s travels have taken her backpacking through the vast desert and slot canyons of southern Utah, backcountry skiing and winter camping in the snowy Absorka mountain range, crack climbing in southern Colorado and swimming under waterfalls in the jungles of Venezuela. Lindsay loves combining her outdoor skills with dance, yoga and expressive arts to help girls build positive body images and feel great about themselves.

Ashley started climbing with her family when she was six, and while some teenagers might look forward to getting their first car when they turn sixteen, she was delighted to receive her dad’s climbing gear. Since then, her love for the sport has been a driving force in her life. Ashley is an AMGA-trained climbing guide, a member of the Colorado Women’s Bouldering team, and a co-founder and program director of The Spot Bouldering Gym. She has completed numerous technical alpine ascents around the world, and broke the world record for the longest “dyno” (the act of dynamically leaping to a hold) on her way to a second place finish in the 2005 World Cup competition. A Women’s Wilderness staff member since 2002, Ashley is a truly incredible teacher who loves sharing her passion for climbing with other women.

Cathy has been working for TWWI since 2006 as one of our lead fly-fishing instructors. A certified Orvis Guide, Cathy brings incredible passion, wisdom and experience to our fly-fishing courses.

Danika joined the Women's Wilderness staff in 2004 and specializes in rock and ice climbing, but leads trips in all areas. She is passionate about sharing her love of the outdoors with women, whatever the activity.
Her personal climbing resume includes summits in Peru, Bolivia, Nepal, and the U.S., including first ascents in Rocky Mountain National Park and Wyoming’s Snowy Range. Danika is a "science geek" with a Masters in Botany, specializing in alpine and desert plants, and did Ph.D studies in Biogeochemistry. She loves to travel, with climbing as an excuse to explore other mountains and mountain cultures. Danika lives in Ridgway, CO with her sweet dog Avellana who is a constant companion on runs, bike rides and ski adventures in the San Juan Mountains.

A professional outdoor educator of the highest degree, Joanne has led wilderness trips for TWWI and Outward Bound for many years. A professional ski instructor at Vail during the winter seasons, Joanne brings humor, dedication and humility to all of her endeavors.

Kelly has been working for TWWI since 2004 and instructing with NOLS since 2002. A Jill of all trades, and master of many, Kelly brings a joyful balance of instruction wizardry and personal passion to every course that she leads.

A world-class mountain bike and cyclocross racer, Kerry has been leading mountain bike courses for The Women’s Wilderness since 2007.

Laura comes to the Women’s Wilderness with more than 8 years of full-time field work at both Outward Bound and NOLS. A truly gifted educator with an amazing sense of humor, Laura leads a wide variety of courses for TWWI.

Founder and Former Executive Director, TWWI.
After taking a short sabbatical from working with TWWI, we’re incredibly pleased to have Laura join us once again as field staff on women’s courses. With years of wilderness leadership, philosophy and programming development, and a counseling background, Laura is a gift to have on any course.

With a rock climbing tick-list 3 pages long, Laurie has been there and done that. With incredible enthusiasm, Laurie shares her passion for climbing on our women’s climbing series of courses.

Sara comes to the Women’s Wilderness with a diverse background in adventure education (MA from Prescott College), women’s leadership (she started her own women’s hiking program) and down-home fun (she comes all the way out from MN to do our courses!). She is passionate, purposeful and does more in one day more than anyone should do in a week! You’ll laugh, you may cry, and you will surely connect with Sara on one of our courses.

Katie describes her life purpose as “bringing forth the innate wisdom within every-BODY,” and “opening people’s minds and hearts to greater possibilities.” An amazing facilitator with boundless creativity and a huge heart, Katie is a field staff on our contemplative & creative courses. More about Katie at www.namastehealers.com.

Sandra is an accomplished outdoor leader with deep appreciation for nature and a love for supporting people in discovering their authentic selves through personal reflection. A field staff on our contemplative and creative courses, Sandra brings a passion for authentic connection, mindfulness practice and helping others discover their deepest calling. More about Sandra at sandragaskill.com.

Lizzy grew up climbing on rocks in Central Park and discovered that her taste for the outdoors was better suited in the mountains rather than the city. Lizzy has her masters degree in social work and has been employed in the outdoor industry for over a decade. Lizzy currently facilitates junior high girls groups in the Ft. Collins school system. Her addiction to TWWI is the result of loving to see how each group of girls is different but how each group comes together. In her free time, Lizzy enjoys rock climbing, hiking and backpacking with friends. Lizzy has also taught herself guitar and “nose-flute” and has a deep respect for chocolate and cheese.

When Britta was a small child her mom always knew where to find her at a playground, because she was sure to be perched at the very highest point of the jungle gym. Britta still loves to climb to the top of things, but she has replaced jungle gyms with mountains. Britta joined Women’s Wilderness in 2007 and has also instructed mountaineering and backpacking courses for the Outward Bound School in Washington State. She adores TWWI’s community of strong, inspiring women. When not gallivanting outdoors, Britta works as an artist, silversmith and yoga instructor. She teaches backpacking, rock climbing, and telemark courses for TWWI.

Audrey comes to TWWI with a passion for inspiring and teaching girls about themselves and the wilderness that surrounds them. With a degree in Outdoor Experiential Education from Prescott College, and a minor in environmental studies, Audrey believes "strongly in the power of the Earth to heal and teach and simplify." On every Girls' course she leads, Audrey brings compassion and a wealth of knowledge from her extensive experience guiding trips in Alaska, California, Arizona and Colorado. When not leading trips, Audrey enjoys climbing, skiing, yoga and recently graduated from the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in Boulder, CO!

Mel has been leading wilderness trips with girls for more than ten years. Her backcountry experience began with leading remote canoe trips in the North East and has expanded to include climbing, backpacking, and paddling throughout the West. When not out playing, Mel works as an environmental education teacher for a school in Denver, where her lessons have taken the students everywhere from Disneyland to the Alaskan wilderness.

As a graduate of NOLS and the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, Alix knows a thing or two about spending time in the wilderness! She has taken her passion of playing, learning and exploring outside to become not only a Wilderness EMT but is currently working towards her Medical Degree. Fun, friendly and full of energy, Alix is a favorite Girls' Wilderness instructor. Discovering her own passions in the wilderness, Alix "loves helping women discover their own powers, especially outside!"

Coming soon...

Erin came to TWWI from Outward Bound's Connecting with Courage program in 2005. She is passionate about educational programs that empower people to speak their voices and be active members of their communities.  She is currently working towards a PhD in Educational Foundations Policy and Practice with a focus on community engagement at the University of Colorado.

Raleigh comes to TWWI with sixteen years of outdoor education and guiding experience and over twenty years of international travel experience. Guiding in various states across the US, Raleigh also has led trips in Asia, South America, Tibet and Nepal and is fluent in Nepalese! In 2003 she founded Lotus Expeditions, an adventure travel organization offering experiences in international destinations, and curently resides in Ouray, Colorado with her husband. In her spare time she enjoys all forms of skiing, climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking, kayaking and yoga, and her newest passion: fly fishing! Raleigh's shining personality and extensive outdoor travel background adds excitment and great stories to every TWWI course she leads!

Since completing her Bachelor's degree in Outdoor Education from the University of New Hampshire in 2003, Marli has spent her time working and playing a lot outside. She has experiences in a variety of wilderness settings and has built a solid foundation on which she can use her creativity to facilitate powerful and meaningful courses for the Girls Wilderness Program. She believes wholeheartedly the outdoors provides powerful tools for personal growth and self-awareness. Her passion for the outdoors combined with her electric personality and her ability to connect with girls makes any TWWI course she leads a blast! Some of Marli's favorite things are making and eating good food, spending time with friends, and being able to step right out her back door onto great hiking trails!

Sandra Gaskill M.S., L.P.C., is an accomplished outdoor leader with deep appreciation for nature and a love for supporting people in discovering their authentic selves through personal reflection. Sandra’swork is influenced by Hakomi—a body-centered practice that pulls from Eastern philosophy and Western psychology to connect mind, body and spirit. Her down-to-earth style, extensive international travel and life experience make Sandra an exceptionally accessible and effective leader. Sandra has led trips for TWWI since 2000, she’s also a whitewater guide and has a private psychotherapy practice in Boulder, CO. More about Sandra at sandragaskill.com.

Page Lambert was described in Inside/Outside Southwest Magazine as one of the most notable women writers of the contemporary West. One of fifteen writers selected to contribute to Writing Down the River: Into the Heart of the Grand Canyon, her annual River Writing Journeys for Women were featured in the January, 2006 issue of Oprah Magazine as “One of the Year’s Best All-Girl Getaways.”A recipient of literary fellowships for excellence in both poetry and prose, Lambert’s memoir In Search of Kinship, a Denver bestseller and novel Shifting Stars, a Mountains & Plains Booksellers finalist, continue to draw high praise.

Niobe Burden fell in love with photography while backpacking through Europe 17 years ago. Her passion is fine art photography, telling stories through her ability to capture the light gracing a landscape and delving into local cultures to reach the essence of people through her work. To complement her photography, Niobe enjoys backcountry skiing, rock climbing and traveling near her home in the Sierras and around the world. Her photography has been internationally recognized and displayed. Read more about Niobe at niobeburden.com.

Katie Asmus M.A., L.P.C. describes her life purpose as “bringing forth the innate wisdom within every-BODY,” and “opening people’s minds and hearts to greater possibilities.” Katie incorporates present-moment awareness, creative arts, relationship to the natural world, and body-mind connection to support people in connecting to themselves, others, and life more deeply. Katie leads trips for The Women’s Wilderness Institute and Outward Bound, is on the faculty at Naropa University and Prescott College, and has a private coaching and psychotherapy practice in Boulder, CO. More about Katie at namastehealers.com.