I was born in Tacoma, Washington. I wanted a horse since I was 4 years old, when grandpa put me up on his big black horse Smokey. I remember hanging onto the mane, my bright red Keds bouncing against horse fur. From that moment on, everything changed.

It’s hard getting a horse when your parents say no, and you live in the suburbs. I got tired of asking so I got summer jobs in the berry fields. Every morning I got up at dawn and hit the fields picking berries. By the time I was 14, my parents had resigned themselves. I bought my first horse, an Appaloosa named Kiowa Kid.  I had spent a good deal of time backpacking in the mountains, and now, I wanted to take my horse. It took years to make that happen.

I attended the University of Washington with a focus on English. Then I found court reporting and learned that I didn’t have to work all day and I could get out and ride my horse. I’d sold my first horse when I went to college, so I bought another at 27 after becoming a court reporter. I’ve had a horse ever since. And yes, I don’t have to work all day so I can ride my horse. But even better, I can ride him in the mountains.

For the last twenty-five plus years that’s what I’ve been doing. I met my husband riding horses and packing. We have two daughters that have grown up, of course riding horses, and left home. So now Mike and I ride. We are working on an ever growing bucket list. It started in the Pasayten and grew to the Eagle Cap, the Bob Marshall, the Bridger-Tetons and beyond. So many wildernesses and only so much time! In the winter we go to Arizona, Nevada, Utah and have more adventures.

I write my books to bring my readers into the mountains on horseback. I hope after reading my stories you will think about hiring an outfitter and doing a pack trip yourselves. You’ll see then what Dusty, Cassie, Mike and Terri find so alluring about horse sweat, pine trees and fresh snow.

Get a cup of coffee and enjoy the ride!