Originally from Los Angeles, California, Katie developed an early love for the ocean and the outdoors while camping and surfing with her family along the Southern California coast. These early experiences sparked a lasting curiosity about both the natural world and the places people call home.

Katie earned a Bachelor of Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she studied anthropology and geography. Her academic interests combined human history, culture and landscapes, strengthening her understanding of how people interact with the environments around them.

During college, Katie discovered backpacking and joined the university’s outdoor leadership program, experiences that launched her career in the outdoor industry. Her passion for traveling on foot has since taken her across the United States and around the world, including trekking adventures in Peru, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan and working a variety of backcountry jobs in remote landscapes.

Most recently, Katie expanded her connection to the natural world beneath the ocean’s surface. She earned her Divemaster certification in Indonesia and plans to continue toward becoming a scuba instructor while guiding in Alaska.

Katie is continually drawn back to Alaska’s rugged landscapes and abundant wildlife. She especially enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for bears, wildflowers and the often-overlooked life of the intertidal zone, helping travelers notice the small details that make wild places so remarkable.