The Women Who Make It Happen: A Guide to the Faces Behind the Hike

Wilderness Heals would not be possible without the support of a large community of organizers, volunteers, team leaders--and, of course--you, the hiker! There are, however, a few names that tend to frequently pop up throughout the season. Here's a list to help hikers sort out who’s who.

Administrative Staff

Erika Whyte: This is Erika’s fourth year involved with the Hike. Erika grew up in the city of Providence, RI, and although she enjoyed hiking around the many state parks, she fell head over heals in love when she met the White Mountains in 2003. Erika began her love affair with the outdoors when she participated in the AMC’s Youth Opportunity Program’s Outdoor Leadership Training that spring.

For the past six years, Erika has had the opportunity to instruct for YOP but has recently taken a hiatus due to the birth of her son, Matthew. This afforded her the opportunity to delve deeper as a member of the Wilderness Heals community. Erika became the Wilderness Heals volunteer and committee coordinator last year and is thoroughly enjoying her second year on the job.

Erika believes "the quiet that nature provides allows us to be centered and thoughtful about our place in the universe. Wilderness does heal!”

Team Leaders
Team leaders lead all training hikes, and each team leader is in charge of one team during the three-day Hike. All team leaders are experienced hikers and have participated in Wilderness Heals at least once.

Marilyn Castriotta: This is Marilyn's second year hiking with Wilderness Heals, and first year serving as team leader. Forested mountains are her favorite landscape. She's an active member of the Appalachian Mountain Club's 4,000-footer club, having completed the New Hampshire 48 in 2009 and the New England 67 in 2010. Having participated in AMC's Leadership Training in 2010, she's now an AMC co-leader. This summer she'll also be attending AMC's week-long Mountain Leadership School, and a two-week permaculture course in Quebec. One of the 1,000 trained by Al Gore to give his climate presentation, Marilyn's particularly concerned about the effect of deforestation on climate change, as well as the effect of climate change on the boreal forest. A passionate and practical environmentalist, Marilyn's been working in the environmental field for 10 years and currently seeking work in forest conservation.

Jessica Cook: This will be Jessica's third year hiking for Wilderness Heals and her second year serving as a team leader and as a member of the recruitment committee. Jessica has spent the last five years leading groups of both children and adults through the backcountry and has always found the wilderness to have a profound effect on those who spend time in it. This is why she found Wilderness Heals to be the perfect event for her to contribute her time to, because Wilderness DOES heal. Jessica was incredibly inspired by the power of the Hike. Women, from all walks of life, coming together in support of other women was a truly moving and beautiful thing to experience, and that is why she keeps coming back for more. Jessica is particularly excited for the Hike this year because her little sister will be participating for the first time.

Susan Genatossio: Susan is descended from one of the original families that settled the New Hampshire seacoast region,which makes her particularly fond of all things New England, especially the White Mountains. This will be her eighth year participating in Wilderness Heals, and her sixth as a team leader. The Hike is Susan's favorite way to be part of a community of friends--old and new--who share the love of the mountains and the passion to hike. She looks forward every year to all Wilderness Heals adventures.

Susan has lived in Sandwich, Cape Cod, since college graduation. She live with her two best friends; her husband of 31 years, Charlie, and their golden retriever, Eagle. They have two handsome grown sons, one beautiful daughter-in-law, and one grand-dog, an elegant lab/hound mix. Susan is the gallery manager/appraiser for the Sandwich Auction House, and she works daily with the stewardship of objects from the past. Some other things she's passionate about are hiking and exploring the beaches, woods, and conservation areas of the Cape, quiet water kayaking, gardening and flower arranging, horseback riding (though she is currently horse-less), sitting by a campfire, spending time with her little sister at the beach, and she's also kind of a fanatic about recycling and Leave No Trace principles.

Most likely to be stashed in her backpack are an emergency supply of chocolate and powerful talismans from all prior Wilderness Heals Hikes: moonstones, goddess pendants, and beaded bracelets of rainbow colors.

Jenn Guiry: This is Jenn’s sixth year participating in Wilderness Heals, after taking last summer off to do some traveling with her partner, Vicky. The statement, “We’d rather be hiking,” was no more true than when Jenn, Vicky, and their dogs, Connor and Bailey, were driving down the Mass Pike, beginning their nine-day trip to Ohio.

This year Jenn is hiking in honor of a former client who was truly inspired by the event after seeing photos of ESH residents on top of Mount Major and knowing that people really do care.

Jenn is best known in the Whites--and pretty much everywhere--for her “Irish whisper” and for needing her “indoor voice” even when she's outdoors. She does not watch TV, and she loves to cook. Some of her favorite foods are eggs—some days as many as six--lobster, and asparagus. Jenn always carries a set of rosary beads in her backpack in case she is ever stranded or lost.

Angela Herring: Over the years, Angela has walked through the woods and over the rocks of the White and Green Mountains, the Colorado Rockies, the Olympic National Forest, and the Costa Rican Rainforest. She grew up in the Boston area and now lives in Jamaica Plain with her boyfriend and their dog. In addition to being a dog owner and a backpacker, Angela is also a chemist, a writer, a baker, and a furniture maker ….she has not yet taken up candle stick making, but it would not be surprising if she did. This is Angela’s second year hiking with Wilderness Heals and her first serving as a team leader.

Katie Kozin: The 2011 Hike will be Katie's seventh year with Wilderness Heals, and her sixth year serving as a team leader. She is also a former team leader coordinator. The bearer of trail names such as "Bunchberry" and "SmileMile," Katie loves her time in the mountains and is just three peaks shy from completing hikes to the top of New Hampshire's 48 4,000-footers. Anyone up for a hike to the Bonds? A seasoned hiker, Katie has taken her passion for hiking all over the world, including the Peruvian Andes, the Himalayan foothills, and a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro.

As a resident of Jamaica Plain, Katie sees volunteering for the Elizabeth Stone House as a great way to support her community, while at the same time explore new territory. She says, "Wilderness Heals brings together an incredible cross-section of women who may have different amounts of mountain experience but all feel passionate about raising funds for the important work that the Stone House does every single day."

Katie is a professional fundraiser for School Year Abroad, a high school study abroad program, and in her spare time loves to travel, watch movies, cross country ski, create mosaics, take zumba, kickboxing, and belly dancing classes, and speak Italian. Her favorite trail foods are good old PB&J without the J, string cheese, turkey jerky, and--of course--grapes.

Ashley Mattison: Wilderness Heals 2011 will be Ashley's second Hike and her first year serving as a team leader. Although she grew up in the country, she didn't bother with outdoor activities until she moved to the city. It has only been a few years since she started hiking, but the mountains have gotten a solid hold on her. Last year's Wilderness Heals was a first for Ashley - hiking with women only. A little unsure at first, Ashley was nervous, but it turned out to be one of the best experiences of her life. She is looking forward to this year's hike - a great time in a great place with some great women.

Nora O’Farrell: Nora started hiking with Wilderness Heals in 2009 after her sisters, Mary Kelly, Pat Ghannam, and Kathleen Carey (all veteran Wilderness Heals participants), shared exciting tales of mud, weather, slips, falls, great company, and amazing views. While always having enjoyed a walk in the woods, Nora’s hiking up to that point was pretty much limited to the Blue Hills.

Nora was hooked after her first training hike with Wilderness Trails. Hiking in the beautiful and rocky White Mountains, she relishes the challenges of the climb, expansiveness at the summit, and the meditative descents. Nora appreciates all the wisdom and skill veteran hikers shared on the trails. This year Nora committed to being a Team Leader as a way to share the joy of hiking with new participants as well as supporting the Elizabeth Stone House.

Nika Stoop: Growing up in Alaska, Nika spent a large part of her childhood camping and fishing. As a kid, her family regularly drove to Mount McKinley park and marveled at the wildlife and scenery. As she got older, Nika began exploring backpacking and the backcountry on her own, but she didn't fully appreciate the power of hiking until she became involved in Wilderness Heals. Nika lives in Medford and frequently takes her dogs hiking in the Fells and New Hampshire. "For me, hiking rejuvenates my soul," she says. "I have enjoyed the camaraderie and learned a great deal from the women who have hiked in Wilderness Heals." This will be Nika's fifth year hiking and her third year serving as a team leader.

Amanda Tweed: After trying out winter hiking this year, Amanda comes back for her fourth Wilderness Heals (her third as a team leader) with a greater appreciation for the summer hiking season. While she enjoyed her winter experiences and the opportunities they brought for playing with new gear (crampons can be a real asset on a trail of solid ice), she looks forward to delayering and traveling a little lighter this spring. She's also hoping to convince a few of her winter hiking friends to try out Wilderness Heals.

When not on the trail, Amanda enjoys yoga, Pilates, biking to work, tomato gardening, and hanging out with friends. Last year, she took a week off from her day job as a manager of statistical programming activities at a local biopharmaceutical company to hike in the Canadian Rockies. She is looking to repeat the experience this summer with an extra week added on for backpacking.


Vicky Waltz: After taking a hiatus from Wilderness Heals in 2010, Vicky is ready to hit the trails. Or rather, she will be once she awakens from her winter hibernation. This will be Vicky's sixth year hiking, and her third serving as a team leader. In previous years, she was a member of the recruitment committee, and she also manages the Wilderness Heals blog. This summer she's looking forward to reconnecting with her hiking friends while knocking off a few more 4,000-foot summits from her list.

In no particular order, some of Vicky's favorite things are sushi, coastal Maine, atlases, lupine, dogs, (specifically hers), and sarcasm. Her penchant for pigtails and sweet corn can likely be traced to her hometown of Wooster, Ohio, where Amish buggies are as common as pick-up trucks. A former journalist, she recently changed career paths and became a dog groomer. You can read about her grooming (mis)adventures at her blog, A Groom of One's Own.

Anna Wells: Anna has been hiking Wilderness Heals since the dawn of time. No, not really, but this will be her 15th year participating in some form or another. Over the years she has been a hiker, team leader, and team leader coordinator. Anna grew up hiking in the White Mountains with her parents and brothers, and at age 17, she participated in her first Wilderness Heals Hike with her mother. She returns to the Hike year after year because she deeply believes in the cause the hike supports, she loves hiking in the White Mountains, and she gains incredible inspiration from every person she comes into contact with along the journey, especially her fellow team leaders.

Recruitment Committee
Members of the Wilderness Heals Recruitment Committee are responsible for organizing tabling events at local festivals and performances, leading recruitment hikes, postering fliers throughout the community, and--in general--drumming up support for the Hike. Four years ago, it launched the Wilderness Heals blog.

Jessica Cook: See above.

Karin Downs: Wild mountain stories have been a part of Karin’s life for as long as she can remember. Her father, an Adirondack guide, told tales--tall and otherwise--as bedtime stories to rile her before she fell asleep. Hence, her dreams were always filled with impossible feats, incredible vistas, leaps over chasms, and near-death adventures. Karin transitioned from imagined to actual adventures as a teen when she began hiking in the Adirondacks. She later trekked in Nepal and Laos, first with friends, and eventually with her children. This will be Karin's seventh year hiking with Wilderness Heals. In previous years, she has served as both a team leader and recruitment committee member. Her favorite trail food is candied ginger, licorice jelly beans, and chocolate-covered coffee beans. Her goals for this year are to conquer and befriend multiple peaks, stay strong, keep her powder dry, and laugh a lot.

Danna Steinberg: Danna first got involved with Wilderness Heals as a hiker in 2005 and has since been in involved in the recruitment committee and again as a hiker. This will be her third year hiking and her third year on the recruitment committee. Danna is thrilled to stay involved with Wilderness Heals, which combines two of her greatest passions: the wilderness and community service. Her other passions include painting, travel, technology, and spending time with children and animals--especially her almost two-year-old son and her two pet rabbits. Danna hikes to experience nature's healing effects, and her favorite places to hike are deserts and Latin American rain forests and cloud forests.