We’re so excited to hand over the reins of the GOAT blog to someone truly inspiring — Sadie Wilde! 🌟 As an avid adventurer, outdoor enthusiast, and fierce advocate for getting more women on the trail, Sadie brings her unique voice and wild spirit to this special blog takeover. Welcome, Sadie!
By Sadie Wilde, MPH
I’ll always be grateful that I grew up in an outdoorsy family in Salt Lake City. Weekends were filled with camping, backpacking, and diving into alpine lakes. Nature was always my reset button, but somewhere in the chaos of adult life (grad school, kid’s soccer competitions, managing a household) I lost the ability to escape into the mountains. I stopped pitching tents and following trails. I forgot how much I needed the outdoors.
After my divorce, I suddenly had every other weekend to myself. Co-parenting meant free time I wasn’t used to, but my free time and priorities didn’t always line up with my friends’ schedules. I knew immediately that I wanted to go lay in the dirt and smell the pine trees, so much so that I slept up in a hammock on Timpanogos basin the weekend of my first co-parenting exchange. It was half not wanting to be at home alone without the kids, and half wanting to return to the trees, to solitude, to myself.
I was nervous to hike alone (I’ve had my fair share of snakes and moose encounters up Big Cottonwood Canyon), but I started adventuring again anyway. Eventually, I started a social media page to encourage other women to get outside, even if they didn’t have someone to go with. I talked about trail safety, confidence, and the healing power of movement and nature. It was part practical advice, part chaos, and part invitation: you can do this too.
This social media page led to something I didn’t expect. I found Carrie Gregg. She was also out hiking in the Cottonwoods, but had a very different goal in mind. Instead of focusing on solo adventure safety, she advocated for bringing groups of women together. She had recently moved to Utah and started G.O.A.T. (Girls Only Adventure Trips), a women’s hiking group built around exploration, friendship, and shared outdoor adventures.
We met up for a hike… then we kept hiking. Then I joined GOAT, and just like that, my solo hikes turned into group outings, happy hour, weekend trips, cold plunges, and the best kind of friendships, ones that are forged in trail dust, sunscreen, Nerdclusters, and happy hour.
G.O.A.T. now hosts multiple events each month. Some events are free, like hiking happy hours around Salt Lake City, but some are multi-day women’s trips across the U.S. There are gear swaps, post-hike hangouts, and even an alpine swim club that meets for cold plunges (yes, they’re just as intense and hilarious as they sound). One of my favorite group moments was visiting PLUNJ, a cold plunge spa in Salt Lake. The women involved are so supportive on and off trail and it was amazing to have a group of ladies cheering you on while voluntarily freezing your extremities. It almost makes it tolerable… but not quite. Sorry, PLUNJ.
As a health and wellness assistant professor at Utah State University Extension, I study and implement community programs focused on improving physical and mental well-being. Some of my research projects include exploring the effects of dark sky exposure and stargazing on mental health. (So yes, I’m a little biased when it comes to recommending time in nature.) I’m not alone in this. There’s growing evidence that awe, the kind sparked by vast views, night skies, towering trees, or pretty alpine lakes, can reduce stress and improve mood. Time near water bodies of water or streams can also enhance well-being. These aren’t just poetic, Walden-esque ideas, they’re evidence-based practices.
Then there’s the social connection, which is equally powerful. Research continues to show that friendships and strong social bonds are protective factors against loneliness, anxiety, and depression. There’s something about shared challenges in nature, such as hauling yourself up a steep climb or navigating back to the car during a thunderstorm that expedites bonding. Shared backpacking-induced trauma has forged some of my closest friendships (shout out to the women who got me through the heat dome of 2021 on the Pacific Crest Trail).
G.O.A.T. offers all of that: nature, connection, challenges, and celebration afterward. Carrie keeps the vibe easygoing but organized. There’s enough structure to ensure everyone feels safe and welcome, but enough freedom for a bit of chaos and silliness. G.O.A.T. is open to anyone who identifies as a woman, regardless of experience. All you need is curiosity, a sense of humor, good shoes, blister tape, and maybe a water bottle filled with Liquid IV (side note, Liquid IV also doubles as a great salt rim for a post-hike margarita).
If you’ve been feeling the pull to get outside, this is your sign. You don’t have to be an experienced hiker. Maybe check the elevation gain on the happy hour hikes if you’re a newbie, but Carrie always shares those details on her pages. Some events are free, and longer trips are paid but accessible. Everything is listed on the GOAT website. You can follow GOAT on social media or subscribe to the newsletter (link) to stay in the loop.
It’s funny how many of us were told growing up, “never meet strangers from the internet” and yet here we are, meeting online and then heading into the middle of nowhere together. What could have felt like a true crime episode turned into something real and essential: community, friendship, and someone to yell into the forest or desert with when it all seems too much to handle.
What started as solo hikes to stay grounded became something bigger: a return to who I’ve always been, but with the ability to share the love for nature with like-minded women. It was a reminder that even during transitions, we can find joy, strength, and community. Sometimes, the best way to find your people is to follow them into the woods.
Thoughts and opinions are my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer. G.O.A.T. is not endorsed by Utah State University. USU Extension DOES facilitate a program in southern Utah called Becoming an Outdoor Women (BOW).
G.O.A.T. and @sadie.in.the.wild are not sponsored by Liquid IV, Nerdclusters, or PLUNJ (but consider this an open invitation).
