Meet Us!

  • Cincinnati native, lover of teriyaki beef jerky (best trail snack) and is sunset-obsessed. She gets a thrill from the clinking of carabiners, when her hands smell like chalk, when she’s far from cell service, or when she’s graced with an animal encounter in the wild (her favorite). She’s happiest when she is traipsing around the wild or the world with her three girls and husband in tow (or doing cartwheels and handstands with Mandi in fields of wildflowers).

    Amy holds her Wilderness First Responder and is a Utah Master Naturalist. She’s an aspiring birder, a scats and tracks nerd, and a budding astronomer.

    She finds so much purpose in helping women and girls go beyond their comfort zones and find the magic of newfound confidence in the outdoors.

  • Growing up in an “indoorsy” family, Mandi longed for nothing more than to hike in the mountains, climb up rocks, and explore the big world. She saw people doing all these things she wanted to do, but didn’t know how to do them. When she went to college she finally had an introduction into the outdoors, and she was hooked. This perspective allows her to deeply relate to anyone who feels they are new in the outdoors.

    Mandi’s biggest outdoor passion is rock climbing. She also loves hiking, traveling, backpacking, canyoneering, and stargazing. This winter, she hopes to finally be the last Utahn to learn how to ski.

    Mandi was a photographer for many years, is Yoga teacher certified, is a Wilderness First Responder, a Utah Master Naturalist, and is working on getting her Single Pitch Instructor certification for Rock Climbing.

    She loves the smell of a climbing tarp, the sound of women laughing late at night in their tents, the taste of a hot Chai, and the feel of stepping on sandstone in bare-feet.

  • Rose Group

    I’ve always loved a good adventure on any scale: from visiting a night market in Beijing and trying new (read: unique) foods, to hiking to a cheesemaker in the Swiss Alps, to taking a polar bear plunge in a lake in Maine. I’ll never grow tired of the thrill of trying something new!

    These days I’m a mother to 3 and an Air Force Spouse, and have called Utah home since 2020. My family of 5 is checking off as many National Parks from the list as we can. We’ve tackled 21 parks together so far and have loved hiking, swimming, and camping our way through them!

    Our time in Utah has really crystallized for me a love of the magical outdoors, and being a participant in the Year of Adventure last year was one of my best adventure choices I’ve made to date. I’m honored to guide a group this year!

    So let’s go and get our next adventure started!

  • Alli’s love for the outdoors began when she was a little girl, forming her fondest memories while exploring the wildflowers and Aspen trees surrounding her gradnparents’ cabin. In highschool, she loved rappelling in the Uintas with her boyfriend—now her husband of 19 years. Together they have four sons, three dogs, and six goats.

    She lives in Alpine and enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, Canyoneering, reading, creative projects, spending time with animals, and traveling to beautiful places.

    As a two-year participant with Rooted & Wild, she discovered that familiarity, preparation and confidence allowed her to more fully experience Utah’s incredible wilderness. Now she can’t wait to help more women find joy through access to new friendships and fresh adventures.

  • Scout Group

    Hi! I’m Emily Johnson. I’ve been married to my best friend for 20 years and we have 4 rambunctious kids. We love the outdoors and adventuring together.

    I work part time as a surgical and Labor and Delivery nurse. I enjoy being active, and move my body daily with such activities as CrossFit, running, and hiking. In my spare timeI love reading and planning vacations on my front porch swing.

    I grew up exploring and enjoying the beauty and wildness of the outdoors. My love and appreciation for nature has continued to grow over the years. My spirit loves and craves adventure and new experiences.

    Rooted and Wild helped me experience nature and new adventures last year. I can’t wait to experience both with you!

  • Born and raised in Utah, Kristy has spent her life chasing sunshine, water and adventure. A former college soccer player turned SCUBA instructor, she thrives on building community and helping women dive—literally and figuratively—into joy.

    Whether she’s teaching underwater, surfing behind a boat, or kayaking, Kristy believes life’s best moments happen when you say yes and lean in!

  • After moving to Utah from Arizona (where she owned a gym and spent most of my time motivating people to crush their goals), Natalie needed something to help her connect with her new surroundings—and that’s when the algorithm gods worked magic to deliver Rooted & Wild to her IG feed. She felt signing up was the BEST decision! She’s met some incredible, like-minded ladies and had so much fun exploring the northern part of the state.

    While she absolutely loves Utah, she has missed coaching and that thrill of helping people overcome fears. Guiding a Year of Adventure feels like the perfect opportunity to blend her love for the outdoors with her passion for coaching—it’s like her heart’s happy place! Helping people try new things, push through challenges, and achieve big goals? There couldn’t be a better fit for her (really, there couldn’t!).

    So, big cheers & high fives to more adventures, more laughs, more fun and another year full of making friends & memories.

  • Magenta and Luna Groups

    When it comes to the outdoors, I would describe myself as a “late-bloomer outdoorswoman”. While surrounded by adventure in my home state of Arizona, I didn’t fully embrace my own interests in the outdoors until I became a mom and moved to Utah. 

    Through lots of trial and error, I can now say that I am an avid Nordic skier, an enthusiastic hiker, and a forever please-let-me-see-a-critter-er. 

    I’ve found a huge amount of confidence in doing new things in the outdoors, as well as having to frustratingly try things again that I had believed I couldn’t be good at because I failed in my first attempt (hello Nordic skiing). 

    In the past few years I’ve adopted the belief  of “doing it scared”, which has allowed me to hike to an active volcano, spend a summer abroad with my family, climb the Wasatch mountain range’s tallest peak, and to winter backpack during a record breaking snow year. “Doing it scared” has also been my mantra doing smaller things like driving in the snow, putting on ski boots by myself, and having to sleep in a tent because sometimes it’s the little details in adventure that intimidate me the most. 

    Outside of personal adventures, I currently work as a Recreation and Tourism photographer and love that every job is different. 

    This year I’m thrilled to join Rooted and Wild as a guide and can’t wait to work with other women finding the outdoors later in life, as well as any life-long adventurers joining in on the fun. 

  • Scout and Ruby Groups

    My roots are in Columbus, Ohio. I ran cross country and track at North Carolina State University, and then moved to Utah in 2012 and have never left!

    Being from flat farmland filled Ohio, upon arriving in Utah I quickly became obsessed with being in the mountains: rock climbing, skiing, canyoneering, and hiking/ summiting peaks.

    I’m a former data analyst by trade, and am currently home keeping my 4 small humans alive. Few things make my husband Eli and I prouder than when our kids come alive scrambling over rocks during our hikes.

    I enjoy volunteer coaching, empowering elementary age girls with the Girls on the Run program. Recently, I trained and hiked Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon. I still love running races and have high hopes to train for an Iron Man.

    I’m a wannabe gardener and a native plants enthusiast. I love nerding out over recent books I’ve read or a fascinating new podcast I’ve heard, and always have a stomach for ice cream (especially anything s’mores flavored).

    I absolutely love meeting new people and am constantly blown away by how incredible humans can be. As a previous participant of the Year of Adventure, I’m so excited to help introduce women to new adventures and experiences as I guide the Year of Adventure and backpacking excursions!

  • Brittany is a mom of five and a lifelong explorer who got her start as a participant and never looked back. She feels most at home in nature and loves how this program has pushed her to grow and discover more about herself.

    Passionate about canyoneering and reconnecting with her inner child, she believes adventure is for everyone and brings curiosity, excitement and community to every experience. She’s excited to be part of the time and can’t wait to adventure with you!