Ivy was raised in a trail building family in White Salmon, Washington, with Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge as her playground. She grew up with a passion for mountain biking, trail running, backpacking, and skiing. In her recent years, Ivy has created a love for fishing, kayaking, the North Cascades, and the Salish Sea. She grew up visiting her family on Lopez Island and has had a connection for the San Juans her whole life.
Along with her love for the great outdoors, Ivy is a very passionate cook. She has a large file of recipes that she chooses carefully for each trip and loves the cooking almost as much as the kayaking. Dutch oven? You bet!
What’s your favorite “luxury item” to bring with you camping?
Ivy’s favorite luxury item to bring is handpicked herbs and berries to include in her meals. This ranges from lavender brownies, fresh blackberry crumbles, to sage butter pasta and rosemary fried eggs. This quirk of hers stems from her passion for gardening and forging, both as an adult and as a child.
What do you do in the off season when you aren’t paddling in the San Juan Islands?
She has spent most of her “off-seasons” working as a ski instructor, ski race coach, and kayak instructor for the local college in Bellingham, Washington. She recently completed her undergraduate in Recreation Management and Leadership at Western Washington University and minor in Communication Studies. With her education and socialization in the outdoors, Ivy’s passions are finding ways to make recreational opportunities more inclusive and accessible for all humans to enjoy. She believes that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the love and joy of recreating outside and actively wants to find ways to do so.