All month long, we are celebrating some of the women leading organizations that work with Oboz. These women guide their businesses and nonprofits in a way that is aligned with the Oboz purpose of empowering the people of the world to blaze their own trail.

By working hard to protect wild places and access to the outdoors, and by educating users about why access is important to all people regardless of background, these women live by the Oboz mantra of being "True to the Trail."

Each week we will introduce you to a woman who inspires us:

We are kicking off with the leader closest to us, Oboz President Amy Beck. Earlier this month, we caught up with her on the trail just steps away from the front door of the Oboz office.

Oboz: What does the trail mean to you? 

AB: A place of solitude, a place to think and be peaceful in my own thoughts. 

A place of joy, especially when I’ve got my little pup with me. She makes me smile because she has so much fun just exploring endlessly and every time it’s a new adventure.  

Oboz: How can we invite others to come to the trail with us? 

AB: I think about this all the time. I am an outdoor enthusiast, but I am not an expert. I think about my first time on the trail; I went with someone who invited me. I had never been and didn’t know what I needed to do or how to act.

We can invite others by reaching out into our communities, going deeper, giving more access to more people. And when you invite people who end up not having the same experience as you, you gain even more by seeing it through their eyes. The collective power of people's stories makes you feel less intimidated – and you realize people are looking out for you.

Oboz: What is the best place that the trails take you? 

AB: A mountain lake. It is my favorite place to take the trail. So much joy and serenity is found at a mountain lake. Plus, the dog loves swimming! 

Oboz: Essential trail snack? 

AB: Chomps 

Oboz: Earliest memory in a National Park? 

AB: Yellowstone in my 20s. This also just so happened to be my first backpacking trip. It was also my first trip to Bozeman, as well as the Tetons. I remember being in awe. I like to think about the people who first discovered the park. For instance, what happened when someone first explored the thermal features? I loved learning more about the park and it’s even better now that we live close by and are able to access it.