Mark Wetherington began backpacking in 2007 while a student at the University of
Kentucky and obsessively explored the trails and landforms of the Southeast before
moving to Montana in 2014. Since arriving in Big Sky Country, he has spent as much
time as possible exploring the wilderness areas and other public lands of Montana,
Washington, and Idaho via boots, snowshoes, and cross-country skis. Seeking “the next
best place to wake up”—from alpine lakes, to hot springs, to abandoned fire
lookouts—serves as his main inspiration for backpacking.

Mark has worked in outdoor retail, libraries, freelance writing, and as a visitor
services information assistant for the US Forest Service in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge.
He has been lucky enough to find a career working in public libraries and lives in
Hamilton, Montana just a few miles away from trailheads to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.