Explorer Spotlight: Tori Marsh

Name: Tori Marsh  | Age: 26 | Location: Santa Monica, CA.

What’s your day job? 

I manage the data and content for an awesome digital health company in Santa Monica, CA.

What are your favorite things to do outside?

Hiking, backpacking, wandering with no plans, road-tripping, and reading a good book by the water.

What first drew you to the outdoors?

Growing up, my house backed up to acres of woods. My most favorite childhood memories are in those woods, exploring with my sister and cousin.

What’s your favorite hometown adventure? ...and, almost as important, where’s your favorite spot to get a beer after?

Easy. There is a small man-made teepee on the top of La Canada Flintridge in the San Gabriel Mountains. The trail is rough and is mostly vertical the way up. But the views are incredible, and I almost always bring some beer or wine for sundowners on the top. It's epic.  Favorite watering holes would have to be Angel City Brewery or Q’s in Santa Monica.

What’s your essential gear that never gets left at home?

100% never leave my house without my camera. And almost always, a flannel tied around my waist.

What’s your favorite trail snack?

Trail mix for sure. But each bite has to be the perfect ratio of raisins, chocolate, and peanuts.

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

My to go playlist has a mix of Ray LaMontagne, Brett Dennen, Ben Howard and Tom Petty. 

What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened while you were adventuring? And/ or funniest? 

I was on a kayaking/camping trip with my family in Glacier Bay, Alaska. One morning we were woken up by a grizzly sniffing around our campsite, about 5 feet from my tent. Our group ended up screaming and banging pots and pans to get the bear away from our camp. Luckily, she was just curious and walked away. Terrifying yet exhilarating.

Who’s your number one adventure partner-in-crime? Who inspires you?

My #1 P.I.C. would have to be my partner, Keaton. He’s the Yin to my Yang and is pretty much always down for any adventure I cook up. Few things are better than a night in the wilderness with him.

What are your top destinations for adventure travel?

Kenya, Cambodia and Big Sur have been my favorite adventures thus far, in no particular order.

What's on the top of your must-do adventure list right now?

I’m dying to climb Kilimanjaro and explore NZ, Iceland and Torres del Paine National Park!

Show us your most memorable photo, and tell us about it!

Definitely the proudest of this one. We stumbled upon two lion cubs and their mother while on a game drive in Kenya and watched them play for a couple of hours. I think I got over 1,000 photos of them playing, but this one takes the cake. When the cub grabbed their mom’s tail, our guide gasped and said: “well, I’ve never seen that before!” It was one of the coolest things to watch.

And last but not least…What’s your personal motto?

Nevertheless, she persisted.