Hiking & Trail Running

  All of our trail runs and hiking activities offer guided adventure over a variety of terrains, distances and altitudes. Both of these activities are best experienced by participants who are healthy and in good fitness with at least some experience hiking and/or running. Participants should ideally arrive rested and be comfortable running and/or hiking over the variety of terrain, temperatures, grades and altitudes that they will encounter. Participants DO NOT need to be advanced competitive runners, or trail hiking beasts to participant. In fact, our hiking and trail running options are designed to be enjoyed by beginner to intermediate experience levels. Participants are encouraged to run and/or hike at paces they find comfortable and choose distances each day that best suit their comfort level. Whether you prefer running shoes or hiking boots, come out and enjoy the trails! We will depart on foot to trailheads surrounding our location at the institute for guided hikes and runs.

About Our Trail Guides and Running Gurus

Tracie Mitchem (Trail Running and Hiking)  Anyone who spends time in the outdoors alongside Tracie knows her story and experiences are best retold by the friends who have shared in those moments that have become part of their story, and return to do it again.

A few of the organizations Tracie has shared her time and talents with include:

Professional Ski Instructors of America, Special Olympics North America, National Outdoor Leadership School Wilderness Medicine, American Alpine Institute, Pacific Crest Trail Association, Washington Trail Association, US Forest Service.

Teresa Hagerty (Hiking)  is a Pacific Northwest-based hiker, backpacker, mountaineer, and experienced outdoor trip leader. She is the founder and Lead Guide of a women-focused outdoor adventure company Cascade Mountain Adventures.

Her passion is encouraging and educating outdoor adventurers to share the gift of the outdoors with everyone. She is also a Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Trainer, and AAIRE 1 Certified. 

Teresa resides in Seattle with her partner and a hedgehog named Snuffles. Her idea of a perfect day involves a remote mountain summit, a patch of sunlight, and a cold IPA.

Deborah McGlawn (Waterfall Hike)

Deborah McGlawn is the creative founder of Ch8sing Waterfalls.  Deborah’s mission with Ch8sing Waterfalls is to empower black women to explore nature and find the healing magic it has to offer.  She is passionate about forging diversity outdoors by increasing the presence of brown faces in green spaces.  She is a marathoner, a gardener, kayaker, GirlTrekker, an adventurer and true lover of nature.  Deborah thrives outdoors and loves the amazing healing  power of waterfalls.  

Deborah shares her healing story and love of waterfalls to anyone who will listen.  She remains humbled at the lives impacted by those who have chosen to embr8ce the ch8se with her in search of their own healing.  To embr8ce the ch8se has its own meaning, so does ch8sing waterfalls.  She looks  forward to sharing it all with you soon. 

Alicia "Ay Jay" Jones (Waterfall Hike)

Alicia (aka Ay Jay) moved to Georgia almost 30 years ago from New Jersey were she was born and raised. She loves the variety of outdoor adventures that the peach state has to offer. Ay Jay is an avid cyclist who took her passion for riding and became a certified bicycle instructor. She teaches adults and kids and loves to witness the excitement when they gain confidence to balance and pedal off for the first time. She also loves curating glamping trips for groups, kayaking, gardening,  kite flying and hiking. 

In 2019, Ay Jay completed emergency wilderness training and led groups of hikers in the Rocky Mountains with GirlTrek.  As a Ch8se Ch8mpion with Ch8sing Waterfalls, she scouts and leads hikes to waterfalls in the Southeastern region of the US. Ay Jay is a Holistic Health Coach who believes that there is an abundance of healing in nature so she strives to help people to find their wellness connection to the outdoors.

Beth Baker (Trail Running) hated running & it took her a year to train for a 5k. Then she was hooked, and started helping friends start running & created Running Evolution 13 years ago. Since then she has made over 2000 new runners. She launched Coach Running Evolution Certification to train people to coach new runners. These days she travels the world to help runners get into the sport on retreats and clinics. She also loves music and beer.