College Explorer Spotlight: Anna Webster-Stratton

Here at The Outbound, we are committed to enabling a new generation of outdoor explorers. In support of this mission, we are proud to introduce the winner of our first ever College Explorer Grant! Anna is currently pursuing a Master's and Teaching Credentials at Stanford University and is stoked to use her award to build up her mountain bike set up.

What’s your day job?
Teaching English Language Arts!

What are your favorite things to do outside?
Backpacking, mountainbiking, climbing, skiing, fishing, lounging and beering.

What first drew you to the outdoors?
YMCA Camp Orkila! Heaven on earth.

What’s your favorite hometown adventure? ...and, almost as important, where’s your favorite spot to get a beer after?
Tuesday morning powder laps at Alpental, spam musubi at Maruta, beers at Hopvine. (Seattle)

What’s your essential gear that never gets left at home?
My dirty, pink, half-zip shirt thing.

What’s your favorite trail snack?
Haribo Cherries

Any go-to soundtracks when you’re hitting the road?
Moondoggies

What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened while you were adventuring? And/or, the funniest?
Grizzly bear encounter on Kruzof Island, AK (while lost). Or tiger snake encounter in Walls of Jerusalem, Tasmania (while lost). Both funny in retrospect. Not at the time.

Who’s your number one adventure partner-in-crime? Who inspires you?
My partner Zachy. He always gets me into trouble and inspires the worst (/best) in me. (I'll blame the above animal encounters on him...)

What are your top destinations for adventure travel?
B.C., Olympic Peninsula...anywhere PNW.

What’s on the top of your must-do adventure list right now?
I would love to ski. Somewhere. Anywhere with snow.

How has the College Explorer Grant helped you to get outside?
I'm super excited to fortify my mountain bike and enjoy the new flow trail at the Demo Forest in Santa Cruz! THANK YOU!

And last but not least…What’s your personal motto?
You'll be fine.

Show us your most memorable photo (above), and tell us about it!
Up near Anderson Glacier in the O.N.P. for my 26th birthday, when I (finally) decided to go back to school to become a teacher. Crazy beautiful late-october weather, herds on herds of elk, a handful of cougar prints, and only one other, wonderful, human.

Think you've got what it takes to be a College Explorer? Look out for the Spring 2015 Contest!