Out & Back with Alison Mariella Désir

At just 12, Cecil Sherwood taught himself to ski using a pair he found at a rummage sale. Now an avid all-terrain climber, mountaineer and guide, Cecil has never let his circumstances prevent him from getting outdoors. He coaches Alison to face her biggest fear: heights! She attempts to scale a massive boulder at Little Si, and the two discuss representation in the climbing world.

PeiPei Sung did not consider herself an outdoor person, primarily because she rarely saw representation of people like her. Everything changed when she was invited to forage matsutake mushrooms, a prized delicacy gathered by Japanese Americans in the Pacific Northwest. Now a mycology enthusiast, PeiPei guides Alison deep into the North Bend forest seeking unique natural treasures.

Sara Campos has been skating since they were a kid but never felt welcome in the community. In the wake of the 2020 George Floyd protests, they decided to do something about that, co-founding Queer Skate PDX. Alison learns to shred with Sara at All Together Skatepark. Sara shares their experience with dominant skate culture as Alison discovers that in this sport, falling isn’t always failure.

Alison travels to West Seattle to meet Chris Porter, an activist, conservationist and avid beekeeper. As the two put on their beekeeping suits, Chris walks Alison through the finer points of bee safety before unveiling his two thriving honeybee hives. They gently remove frames of honeycomb and discuss the small steps anyone can take to fight the extinction of the species.

Erica Abel – a hiker, backpacker and community activator – fell in love with snowshoeing for its simplicity and accessibility. Marching through the powdery snow in the idyllic Methow Valley, Erica takes Alison off-trail, showing her not only the natural beauty of the northern Cascades but also the peace and solitude that comes when exploring the vast open landscape.

Maryanna Brown considers herself an outdoor renaissance woman: from cyclocross to backcountry skiing to mountaineering and trail running, she does it all. Maryanna is unwavering in seeking adventure on the mountains despite the many who have underestimated her abilities as a young Black woman. Her solution to combat discrimination in the outdoors has been simple: get more people like her outside.