About Us

Welcome to Exploring the National Parks. I am Ash, a former park ranger and the founder of Dirt in My Shoes, and I am thrilled to have you here. We believe the parks are best seen from the trail, and our goal is to make your trip planning simple and your adventures unforgettable. John is here too. He carries the kids, tells the stories, notices the birds, and keeps the fun rolling while I keep us on track.

In this first episode, we want to introduce ourselves and share what you can expect from the podcast. We will talk about the parks we love, the places that have shaped us, and the kinds of episodes you will hear each month. Think favorite hikes and viewpoints, gateway towns and restaurants, misadventures we will never forget, and a dose of fun facts for the curious.

Listen to the Full Podcast Episode:

Podcast Episode Overview

Welcome to the Exploring the National Parks podcast! 

We are Ash and John, and we are here to make national park planning easy. We are so glad you are joining us for our very first episode. To get things started, we wanted to share some fun things about us that will help you get to know us a little better. 

Join us as we cover: 

• Ash’s favorite things about being a park ranger 
• The top five things on John’s national parks wish list

This episode is light and fun, and we are so excited to share our love of the national parks with you! Make sure to tune in to hear some of our funny stories, tidbits, and dream hiking destinations!

What to expect from the podcast

Each episode, we will spotlight one park through a few different lenses so you can plan and dream right along with us.

• Favorite places: hikes, viewpoints, restaurants, and gateway towns we return to again and again.
• Adventures and misadventures: stories from the trail that made us laugh, learn, and sometimes sweat.
• Fun facts: a nerdy deep dive with John that channels the best of a ranger program.
• Trip planning basics: best time to visit, how many days to stay, and how to get there.

We keep things friendly and practical, and everything we share comes straight from our own trips. You will hear what worked for our family in real time so you can make the most of yours.

Who we are

I worked as a park ranger in Alaska, Utah, and Wyoming. Those jobs took me through dramatically different ecosystems and assignments, from backcountry dispatch to permits and trail patrol. I am not the ranger who can name every wildflower on sight, but I excel at helping people follow the rules, find the right trail, read a crowded parking lot, and squeeze the most joy out of the time they have.

John is my husband, the storyteller, and the guy who makes our hikes magical for the kids. He holds sticky hands, pulls little legs up steep hills, and spins tales to get us through the last switchbacks while I take photos and notice the details. Together, we balance spreadsheets and spontaneity so we can bring you along on trips that are both well planned and full of wonder.

Five coolest things about being a park ranger

To help you get to know me, I pulled together my five favorite things about ranger life. These are the moments and skills that still shape how I travel and how I plan trips for you.

1. The best excuses for being late

When you live and work in wild places, the commute gets interesting. In Alaska, I walked about ten minutes from my apartment to the backcountry office. Some mornings, a moose would be pruning the porch ferns, and the only thing to do was turn around, call my boss, and wait it out. Other mornings, a bear would be ambling down the trail. Giving wildlife space is nonnegotiable, so I would pause, appreciate the view, and let them move along before I did. As far as reasons for being late go, it beats traffic every time.

2. Epic skills you rarely use again

Ranger training is extensive and sometimes delightfully odd. In Glacier Bay, I practiced cold water survival in a bulky immersion suit that did not come close to fitting me. I bobbed around like a tiny astronaut while everyone else attempted synchronized swimming. We trained for small plane emergencies because researchers rely on flights to count wildlife and survey glaciers. I’ve taken bear training at every park and have sprayed bear spray, a skill I truly value. We even spent full days flipping ourselves out of sea kayaks into frigid water and climbing back in again so we would know what to do when the ocean flexed its muscles.

Those hours paid off later on a family rafting trip in Grand Teton. Our boat flipped, and the cold shock hit hard, but my body remembered what to do. I kept my feet forward, stayed calm, and started scooping up paddles. Training has a way of surfacing when you need it most.

3. Getting paid to hike

Trail patrol days were my dream. In Grand Teton, I would strap on a radio and spend a shift hiking favorite routes, answering questions, and watching for issues. I even paddled String Lake for patrol. You do not cover many miles when you stop to help every few minutes, but the joy of blending work and wilderness is hard to beat. The flat hat looks iconic in photos, though I usually hiked in a ball cap. Ventilation matters when you sweat on steep trails.

4. Instant conversation filter

Saying that I was a park ranger is a fast way to find your people. Some folks light up and want to swap trail stories, and others decide we have very different hobbies. I love that. It helps me find hiking buddies and trip companions who want to get out there. Ranger life might sound like one‑upping to someone who is not outdoorsy, but for me, it is a way to connect with people who get excited about the same things I do.

5. Uniform style points

I loved the uniform even when it made us laugh. In Grand Teton, summer days can be hot, and the issued shorts sit just above the knee. Pair those with calf‑high socks and stiff hiking boots, and the look becomes unforgettable. We teased each other whenever someone walked in wearing the full summer ensemble. The flat hat changes with the season, too. The straw version is for summer, and the felt version shows up in winter. My boots were never as comfortable as I wanted, and the daily polish rule clashed with muddy trails, but even that tension became part of the charm.

Five adventures John wants to tackle

John was not a ranger, but he has a heart for adventure. Some of these I will join, and some I will cheer for from the car with snacks and a camera.

1. Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim

Picture starting on the South Rim, dropping down the South Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River, spending the night near Phantom Ranch, climbing to the North Rim for dinner at the lodge, returning to Phantom Ranch, and then finishing up the Bright Angel Trail to celebrate with a meal at El Tovar. It is a monumental effort. The mileage is less important than the sustained steepness and the head game of endless switchbacks. We hike a lot, and it still feels like the hardest uphill we have done. It is beautiful and relentless. If we do this one, the kids are staying with grandparents.

2. The Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier rises from near sea level to over 14,000 feet, which makes it feel like it towers over everything. The Wonderland Trail wraps around the mountain for roughly ninety miles, weaving through forests, river crossings, and rolling foothills with constant views of ice and rock. On clear days from the Skyline area above Paradise, you can see other Cascade volcanoes on the horizon. The scenery is classic and lush, and parts of the mountain still build ice thanks to abundant moisture. If we ever land permits for the Wonderland Trail, we will reshuffle everything to make it happen.

3. Following the Oregon Trail

This one is the history buff’s dream. John wants to trace the path of pioneers across the plains and over the mountains, feeling the distance in his legs and the weather on his face. He lights up when we visit places like Fort Clatsop near Astoria or when we read about explorers carving a route west. The draw is the grit and the stories of people who moved toward a new life one mile at a time. I might join for sections, and I will happily handle resupplies, check‑ins, and practical support.

4. Mushing a sled dog team

After watching the Pedigree Stage Stop in Wyoming on a bitterly cold week when even our diesel fuel balked at starting, John fell hard for sled dogs. We also visited a kennel in Talkeetna where we rode summer training carts behind a championship lead dog. He dreams of building a team and gliding through winter behind eager paws. My challenge is that I am allergic to dogs, and sled dog breeds are generous shedders. We joke about neighborhood recruiting for a community team. If we can solve the logistics, I know he will be out there happily working with the dogs.

5. Walking to Mordor in New Zealand

Yes, it is a real set of hikes. Many filming locations from The Lord of the Rings are reachable on foot, and the idea of stitching together a multi‑day route to places like the slopes that stood in for Mount Doom sounds perfect for John. I am not always in the mood to watch the movies, but once they are on I am all in, which means I would happily hike this one with him. If he starts quoting Legolas, I will be right there spotting the next landmark on the horizon.

Why do we travel this way?

Our trips mix careful planning with space for serendipity. I bring the structure that keeps us on good trails at good times with realistic expectations about parking and crowds. John brings the laughter and the storytelling that get our family through the hard parts and help us notice the small joys. Together, we test everything we recommend and share tips that come straight from lived experience. If a route is monotonous but worth it, we will say so. If a place shines in winter, we will be there in the snow.

If you want help planning your own trip, come say hello at Dirt in My Shoes. Share, like, and subscribe so you do not miss an episode. Then lace up your boots and get some dirt in your shoes with us.

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Links mentioned in this episode:

• Glacier Bay National Park
• Grand Teton National Park
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument
• Rim to Rim to Rim Trail (down South Kaibab, up and then down North Kaibab, then up Bright Angel)
• Wonderland Trail
• Oregon Trail
• Fort Clatsop
• Pedigree Stage Stop
• Talkeetna Sled Dog Kennel
• Lord of the Rings Trail

Are you hoping to visit all of the national parks? Sign up for your FREE NATIONAL PARKS CHECKLIST so you can easily see where you’ve been and where you still need to go!