Hike Inn Newsletter - Peaks & Geeks
Written by the Hike Inn on staff Naturalist, Brandon Acuff
The Hike Inn was fortunate enough to host one of the co-founders of Peaks & Geeks, Sarah Mack, this July. Peaks & Geeks is a group that provides “outdoor experiences, education, and empowerment for all” through a variety of classes and curated experiences. Classes and experiences they offer include women’s solo hiking classes, wilderness survival classes, day hikes, night hikes, curated hikes and beginner backpacking trips.
Sarah Mack fell in love with backpacking and began working as a guide and wilderness educator for REI where she led groups backpacking in the Rocky Mountains and taught outdoor skills. Her work in the outdoors continued with No Barriers, “a non-profit focused on getting people with barriers in their lives outdoors.” Sarah’s love and respect for nature paired with her experience as an award winning guide make her a top-notch resource for beginner hikers and outdoorsmen to consult for their hiking
inquiries.
Sarah held two programs during the days she stayed with us. In her first program, "Bite Club," Sarah discussed mosquito, tick, and other insect bites. Sarah also settles common misconceptions about mosquitos and ticks. In the program, the group learned that mosquitos target a person based on how much carbon dioxide they exhale, their body heat and odor, the color clothes they wear, and even their blood type. She covered diseases from bites and what you should do if you think you’re at risk of infection. Capping off the program, Sarah offered up her knowledge and experience on the best ways that we can go about preventing mosquito and tick bites all together.
Her second program, "Wilderness Survival," focused on the basics of survival. In the program, she taught the group how to prioritize their time and energy when in a wilderness survival situation. Guests also learned about the survival rule of threes; a guideline for prioritizing needs in a survival situation. Throughout her program, Sarah covered the major aspects of survival and provided the group with resources they can
use to improve their technical survival skills. At the end of the program, she invited the group outside to learn how to tie a hitch knot.
Throughout her stay here, Sarah Mack engaged and inspired guests with her wealth of experience and knowledge. We look forward to having the founders of Peaks & Geeks return to the Hike Inn.
Peaks & Geeks was so appreciative of our time at the Hike Inn and of the shout out in their newsletter! If you’re interested in visiting the Hike Inn, check out our tips for your visit here! And sign up for our newsletter because we’ll soon be offering trips with Peaks & Geeks to the beautiful Inn!
