In 2003 Cindy was walking the Appalachian Trail and in the midst of it she decided that her next adventure undertaking would not be via feet but rather floating on a river in some form or fashion. She was able to take a NOLS course in 2005 where she canoed down a river in the Yukon for 10 days. It was an amazing experience and she knew she had to have more. The next summer Cindy got a job with the NOC and began to get friendly with kayaks. She kept at it every summer and then heard about Anna on her annual pilgrimage to WNC in 2009 and knew she had to get herself to Mexico. So, she did just that — got herself to Mexico — and she says it was the best thing ever, not only for her kayaking but for her soul. She has paddled with GAP twice in Mexico, the Main Salmon and in Western N. Carolina.
Cindy explains, “I feel alive when I am on the river, connected to what really matters. The river always has something to teach me as do the people I meet.”
As far as the stuff that pays the bills…. Cindy has been a firefighter for almost 5 years in Austin TX and previous to that she taught outdoor education at a middle school in Houston for 9 years. Here in Austin… she enjoys hiking with her dog Almond, trying to get things to grow in her backyard, laughing with good friends and backyard barbeques.
“I am so stoked and grateful for the opportunity to paddle with all the ladies of GAP on our adventures this summer and share all the goodness that kayaking brings! YAY!” — Cindy
