Meet Nancy East | Writer and Outdoor Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nancy East and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nancy, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I wasn’t actively looking for a business idea, but one began to take shape organically through my involvement with an all-volunteer, western North Carolina-based search and rescue team. In 2018, my team helped search for a missing mother, Susan Clements, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seven days after the search effort began, Susan’s body was found about three-quarters of a mile from the Appalachian Trail. She had succumbed to exposure, or more specifically hypothermia.

Susan had been hiking with her college-aged daughter, Emily, the day she got lost. The duo separated less than a mile from the trailhead after Emily expressed an interest in hiking ahead to visit the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower which was close the parking area. Search experts believe Susan missed the turn off from the trail that led to the parking area, and that’s when the downward spiral began, leading to her death.

This operation impacted me greatly since Susan and I were similar in age and both had three children. I also knew what it was like to lose a mother much younger than expected, as mine had died from cancer eight years prior. I was motivated to do more outreach to keep other park visitors from meeting a similar fate.

I collaborated with Friends of the Smokies, a nonprofit that supports the park, to raise funds for a burgeoning preventative search and rescue program they wanted to implement in the wake of Susan’s death. I paired up with a good friend to beat the speed record for hiking all the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, coupling the effort with a fundraiser. I figured a middle-aged, minivan driving mom trying to beat an accomplished ultrarunner’s record would draw attention to the cause! We succeeded and hiked 948 miles in 29 days, improving the record by nearly four days.

Over the 29 days I was hiking, I did a lot of soul searching about my 21-year career as a small animal veterinarian. Accomplishing this feat of endurance gave me the courage to retire from it and intentionally pursue a career path that would continue my mission to keep more hikers ‘safe and found.’ I published a book, Chasing the Smokies Moon: An audacious 948-mile hike, fueled by love, loss, laughter and lunacy, and its success has led to countless opportunities that have my built my business as an outdoor educator, speaker, and writer.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career has lots of moving parts–speaking engagements, leading workshops, guiding hikes, freelance writing, and authoring books (my second, Historic Hikes of Western North Carolina, will be published by History Press in fall 2024). At the end of the work day, my goal is to empower people to head into the backcountry with the knowledge and skills to return safely. Everything I teach starts from the vantage point of witnessing search and rescue incidents and the various scenarios where outdoor enthusiasts need help.

Along this career path, I’ve heard incredible stories of resiliency while learning people’s deepest fears about the backcountry. There is no better feeling than to hear from someone who read my book, heard me speak, or attended a workshop I led that I empowered them to take steps to succeed in their hiking goals, but in a safe manner.

Last summer, one of my former students even hiked the entire Appalachian Trail (and she had very little experience backpacking before that)! To have a small part in someone overcoming a fear, realizing a dream, or reaching a goal is the biggest reward of all. I’m honored that people trust my knowledge and experience enough to propel their own adventures. In return, I’ve received far more than I give in this job.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When I thru hiked the Colorado Trail in August and September of 2023, my favorite “trail town” was Salida, so that’s where I’d take a friend if I were to return to the state. By the time we reached Salida on our thru hike, “hiker hunger” was in full force, so we sampled a variety of restaurants in the town. We particularly enjoyed a couple of dinner spots just outside of the vibrant downtown district–Fiesta Mexicana and Sherpa Cafe.

For lunch, I indulged in a delicious sub from Sweetie’s Sandwich Shop, and I packed out some fun treats from their bakery for my trailmates and me to enjoy once we were hiking again. I loved Salida’s downtown district and spent the better part of a day exploring the shops and sitting on the banks of the Arkansas River, watching the river surfers.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Haywood County Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer team whose members dedicate hundreds of hours annually to training and operations that save the lives of outdoor enthusiasts who get lost or injured in our region’s mountains. I am proud to be a member of this team, but I stand on the shoulders of giants–my teammates. They inspire me daily to improve my skills and competency as a team member and often believe in my abilities and impact more than I do.

My family, particularly my husband, also deserve the biggest of shoutouts. They give me their blessing and time to pursue a career and volunteer work with unpredictable hours and workloads. Without their support, none of what I do would be sustainable.

Website: www.nancyeast.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancypeast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancypeast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSqs6LE2eu1ex2K1_dqcj1A