Marla communes with her favorite tree skinning up Little Agnes Mountain in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area, Routt National Forest, Colorado. Unceded Ute lands.

Photo by Jeremy “Shaggy” Bailey

This profile was originally featured in our Fall 2023 Trail Break issue.

“Public lands and natural resources belong to no one, while at the same time, to everyone: to experience, to connect with, to cultivate, to cherish in their purest uninhibited form. Winter Wildlands Alliance preserves such places for future generations to explore: benefitting our own independent tiny circles of experience in our own thin slice of time.“

As an avid backcountry skier, mountain biker, river runner, backpacker, and snowmobile owner, Marla’s passions to preserve wild places and protect their awe-inspiring ecosystems run authentically deep, fueling a drive to contribute her energy towards action-based conservation organizations like WWA.

“We depend on nature as much as nature depends on us (businesses and individuals alike),” she writes. “It’s our shared responsibility: one that should, and can, unite us all with a collective cause.” As our newest Board member, Marla’s energy is focused on ensuring Wilderness boundaries are respected by winter adventurers of all kinds and raising awareness of recreational impact through our forest planning and winter travel management work.