Photo by Suzie Mauro
Adrienne grew up outside of Philadelphia and lived in Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and Montana before a friend of hers mentioned Alaska. “The biggest mountains of all,” he said. Adrienne knew she had to go. She came to Alaska in 2000 to work as a backcountry ranger in Denali National Park. Like so many others, she intended to spend just one summer in the Great Land.
Living in Alaska has given her an opportunity to hike, bike, ski, and boat through some of the most storied landscapes on earth with an adventurous, open-minded, compassionate community of friends and neighbors. She advocates for wilderness preservation, believing it is the wildest places that inspire us to be our best selves, that provide refuge from the stresses of our fast-paced society, and that remind us of the values of humility and interconnectedness.
Adrienne earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Richmond and a M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana. Since 2000 she has worked for the National Park Service as a backcountry ranger, park planner, compliance officer, and natural resource manager. She now oversees the Wilderness Stewardship Program for the national parks in Alaska.
Twenty years ago, Adrienne published several instructional books about backpacking as well as a memoir of her 2,100-mile hike of the Appalachian Trail. More recently, her stories and essays have appeared in a variety of journals and magazines.
Adrienne’s most rewarding and demanding life experience has been being a mother to her three children.
Her husband, J.T., teaches high school students in the Anchorage School District, is an acclaimed athlete and dedicated father. He is also the founder and race director of the Little a Triathlon, an annual fundraiser that supports a local family who has a child undergoing treatment for cancer. http://www.littleatriathlon.com/home.html
For Adrienne, writing personal narrative allows her to forge a connection with others who may have experienced something similar. She sees memoir as an expression of vulnerability and a source of healing.