Cheryl Batson

President

Outdoor interests: Wildlife viewing, travel, culture, photography, conservation, birding, bicycling, mountain biking, canoeing, whitewater rafting, climbing, mountaineering, rollerblading, backpacking, winter camping, skiing.

Cheryl was born with more than her fair share of wanderlust and adventure. She grew up in the inner city of north Minneapolis but spent most of her spare time since 6th grade exploring.  

She  took advantage of every opportunity to join in the free or low cost opportunities offered to inner city youth at the time—going on her first backpacking trip in 10th grade and her first panniered bicycle trip at the same time. She started canoeing in the BWCA at 13 years old but had already explored the chain of lakes and rivers on her childhood cabin via her sturdy Grumman canoe. She began rock climbing in high school.

She started leading her first overnight backpacking and canoeing trips in 12th grade. On college summer breaks she guided whitewater canoeing, rock climbing, and bicycle trips  in Wisconsin. Her junior year of college she took her first extended 6 week bicycle pannier trip from California via the Grand Canyon up along the Mississippi River to Minnesota. This was the prelude to her six-month bicycle trip around the perimeter of the United States upon graduation from college. She spent the next 12 years doing adventure sports throughout the United States in between work of course.

The past 10 years or so she has been traveling the world to experience adventure sports in different locations as well as to experience the local culture. She currently has been to every continent but Antarctica.