Joan grew up in New England where she started hiking and biking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire as a child.
In 2001 she left a software career in Boston to start a guiding and climbing life in those mountains. She taught rock and ice climbing and winter mountaineering for 18+ years while guiding hikes and volunteering on Search and Rescue as well. In 2012 she became a nurse and worked in the medical field for 7 years, to supplement her guiding income. In 2018 she got the travel bug and sold her home and drove west for an entire summer visiting National Parks, hiking, climbing and exploring. Today she resides in the Leadville/Twin Lakes area working as a summer Recreation Ranger in the San Isabel National Forest and a Ski Patroller through the winter months. She has also worked as a storyteller off and on for 15+ years in the White Mountains and now in Leadville. Off the trail, she enjoys kayaking and playing her guitar and singing. She enjoys bringing people into the wilderness and helping them to be comfortable in difficult situations. She is excited to join the Timberline Adventures Team.