About Me
Let me introduce myself.. If you didn't catch it throughout the blog, I am Samantha. :)
Born and raised in Boston, MA. I was raised a city girl. My mother would always send me outside before dinner and off into the woods I would venture. There wasn't much that was taught to me as a child when it came to activities in the great outdoors. In the summer we would always rent a cottage "down" the Cape, and sometimes rent a campsite in Plymouth, MA at Pinewoods Campground. The winters were nothing but brutal and boring.
I very much enjoyed my time at the campground as a kid growing up. It was a place I found freedom most. My mother would let me run off with all my friends I would meet, and she would only hear from me when I had to be back for check in. The camping we did is what I know consider "glamping", in a camper is where we slept, we brought the grill, there were flush toilets, laundry facilities and coin-operated showers. Not to mention an arcade and Bingo night!
At the age of 19 I was a Sophomore in college, and ready to get the heck out of dodge to a warmer climate. I packed up my few bags I had and moved to La Jolla, CA to become a beach bum. San Diego was the start of my independence. I lived here and worked two jobs and never had time to do anything fun. The sunny days were nice, but I just never had time to enjoy actually being a beach bum.
At the age of 21 I moved back to Boston, I got a job as a receptionist in a hair salon where I met some really great people. One of which is the person that got me into hiking. A co-worker of mine started talking about her new adventures hiking, and it intrigued me. It sounded miserable, from all the things she had to learn as a beginner, blisters and such. More so exciting and seemed like a great feeling of accomplishment no matter how many downfalls there were to learning.
Mount Monadnock was my first ever hike. I hated and loved it all at the same time. This is where I fell in love with hiking. I continued spending the weekends venturing out, Tuckermans Ravine to watch spring skiers, Blue Hills, The Baldfaces, and then right into Kathadin, and the White Mountains. I continued doing these hikes until I lost my job and was unemployed.
While being unemployed I just so happen to pick up the book Not Without Peril. This book changed everything for me and my future. I started googling some of the incidents in the book and came across the Mount Washington Observatory's website and MWOBS Facebook Page. I immediately applied for an internship up there in hopes I would have a chance to live and work on top of the highest peak in the Northeast. Then I noticed the membership, it was $35/year to join and I could use my membership to get into the Boston Science museum for FREE and I had the option to volunteer for an entire week to stay with the staff during a shift week and cook them dinner. I signed myself right up!
Shortly after finding all this information I saw the MWOBS was hiring for a Retail/ Museum Attendant for their Summit retail/museum gift shop. I applied without hesitation and was hired on the spot back in April of 2012. The book NWP inspired me to want to help other hikers like myself be safe, and educate them, and also made me want to join a volunteer rescue team. After working on the summit for a few weeks I got to know a lot of people in the local communities who told me how to get on a team.
November 2012, I had my shake down or "test hike" to join Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue. I have been volunteering my time to help those in need in the back country to save them or carry them out when needed. It's exactly what I aspired to do. I got myself WFA (wilderness first aid) certified and AED/CPR certified as well to help with this process of being on the team. I have since been part of the Board of Directors and most recently voted in as President.
In May of 2014, I took a job with Backpacker Magazine. This job consisted of living out of a vehicle for 5 months, sleeping in a tent the majority of the time, and giving presentations at outdoor retailers across the country helping to inspire and educate women specifically on gear knowledge and tips and tricks in the back country. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had this opportunity and learned so many things about myself and our country along the way. I got to see all the lower 48 states in 5 months, hiked and explored in the vast majority of them.
October of 2014 I returned to my home in North Conway, NH and back to my job at the Mount Washington Observatory. I now currently work in the Weather Discovery Center offered right here in town. In the winter months, in my free time and days off I co-lead and lead some of our Summit Adventure Day Trips and Overnight Trips up in the Snowcat.
There are many things I now enjoy doing in the outdoors. I enjoy hiking, trail running, paddling, yoga, skiing, ice climbing, mountaineering, rock climbing, road cycling, and many other outdoor sports. Everyday has been a new adventure for me and it never stops. I love to learn new things and educate others who aren't so sure. If you have any question and want to contact me personally you can reach me at sbrady1880@gmail.com
Hike Safe & Keep on Trekking
Born and raised in Boston, MA. I was raised a city girl. My mother would always send me outside before dinner and off into the woods I would venture. There wasn't much that was taught to me as a child when it came to activities in the great outdoors. In the summer we would always rent a cottage "down" the Cape, and sometimes rent a campsite in Plymouth, MA at Pinewoods Campground. The winters were nothing but brutal and boring.
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| Acadia NP |
At the age of 19 I was a Sophomore in college, and ready to get the heck out of dodge to a warmer climate. I packed up my few bags I had and moved to La Jolla, CA to become a beach bum. San Diego was the start of my independence. I lived here and worked two jobs and never had time to do anything fun. The sunny days were nice, but I just never had time to enjoy actually being a beach bum.
 |
| Rocky Mountain NP |
Mount Monadnock was my first ever hike. I hated and loved it all at the same time. This is where I fell in love with hiking. I continued spending the weekends venturing out, Tuckermans Ravine to watch spring skiers, Blue Hills, The Baldfaces, and then right into Kathadin, and the White Mountains. I continued doing these hikes until I lost my job and was unemployed.
While being unemployed I just so happen to pick up the book Not Without Peril. This book changed everything for me and my future. I started googling some of the incidents in the book and came across the Mount Washington Observatory's website and MWOBS Facebook Page. I immediately applied for an internship up there in hopes I would have a chance to live and work on top of the highest peak in the Northeast. Then I noticed the membership, it was $35/year to join and I could use my membership to get into the Boston Science museum for FREE and I had the option to volunteer for an entire week to stay with the staff during a shift week and cook them dinner. I signed myself right up!
 |
| Grand Canyon NP |
November 2012, I had my shake down or "test hike" to join Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue. I have been volunteering my time to help those in need in the back country to save them or carry them out when needed. It's exactly what I aspired to do. I got myself WFA (wilderness first aid) certified and AED/CPR certified as well to help with this process of being on the team. I have since been part of the Board of Directors and most recently voted in as President.
In May of 2014, I took a job with Backpacker Magazine. This job consisted of living out of a vehicle for 5 months, sleeping in a tent the majority of the time, and giving presentations at outdoor retailers across the country helping to inspire and educate women specifically on gear knowledge and tips and tricks in the back country. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had this opportunity and learned so many things about myself and our country along the way. I got to see all the lower 48 states in 5 months, hiked and explored in the vast majority of them.
October of 2014 I returned to my home in North Conway, NH and back to my job at the Mount Washington Observatory. I now currently work in the Weather Discovery Center offered right here in town. In the winter months, in my free time and days off I co-lead and lead some of our Summit Adventure Day Trips and Overnight Trips up in the Snowcat.
Hike Safe & Keep on Trekking
It sounds like you're living the dream! I often look back on my life and wish I had pursued a different path that would have lead me in a similar direction. I definitely wish I had discovered hiking and backpacking earlier.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jeff. It's never too late. Keep exploring and finding new adventures. :)
ReplyDelete