Women Outdoors Highlight: Rebe Dunn

Welcome to the Women Outdoors Spotlight Series: a space for women to share their stories, articulate what the outdoors means to them, and encourage other women to say yes to adventure.

This week’s series features Rebe Dunn.

Hey hey! I’m so excited to hear all about your adventures. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you!

Hi there! My name is Rebe (ree-bee). I’ve lived in Colorado for over 12 years now and love the Rocky Mountains so much.

I’m a business strategist and salesperson for all types of businesses, but mostly podcasters, influencers, and non-profits. I am so excited to go to work because I love being creative and helping people.

For fun, I love all things outdoors. I love hiking, rollerblading, snowboarding, pickleball, and travel.

My main goal in life is to be of service to others either strategically or by sharing my story, in hopes others can relate and feel like they are seen and not alone.

There is nothing better than loving the idea of going to work and being passionate about what you do! Tell us what inspired you to start getting outside.

I’ve always been in my element outside.

Even though I grew up in a big city, every time I’d go to summer camp or anywhere outdoorsy on vacation, I thrived.

And then in 2013, I quit drinking after years of intense substance abuse.

I lived in Vail, Colorado, at the time and I swear being able to be on an incredibly beautiful hike or world-class ski mountain in minutes kept me going during that tough time.

Being in the mountains and seeing all the beauty really made my ‘problems’ seem so much smaller, and that I was a part of something so much bigger than the little painful world I had created.

I remember that feeling of pure joy a lot and still feel it when I’m outside 10 years later. It’s still a super important part of my happiness and peace today.

What an incredibly beautiful journey — I’m sure so many of our readers can relate. Thank you for sharing that piece of you with us. Since the outdoors is such a part of your story, what is your favorite way to get outside?

Hiking and snowboarding are by far my favorite ways to get outside.

I love hiking for the incredible views and feeling of accomplishment. I love snowboarding for the rush, adrenaline, and opportunity to challenge myself.

As someone who loves hiking and is just learning to ski, I relate to this so much! Can you describe your most memorable adventure to date?

My most memorable adventure was a 7-day trek in the Colombian jungle with my now husband.

We trekked to lesser-known ruins called La Ciudad Perdida (the lost city). The most memorable parts were the pouring rain on the first day of the hike which made us basically slide down the muddy trail. We were just soaked and muddy and couldn’t stop laughing.

I also remember the sound of the rainforest at night. We slept in hammocks and listened to the rainfall all night – now I sleep with a sound machine that sounds like a rainforest.

And last, I remember an indigenous tribe member telling us about their lives, the jungle, and the land around a campfire one night.

I don’t usually like to travel to the same place twice because there’s so much world to see, but I would 10/10 do this again.

What an amazing experience! I felt like I was there with you. Do you have a favorite trail that you’ve hiked?

Honestly, my favorite trail is really short and now incredibly crowded, but it’s called Booth Falls in Vail.

I love it because it’s short, and I could do it before work quickly on a hard day, take friends and family when they visited, and get an incredible view of the Vail Valley in a short amount of time.

There’s also the option to hike in way further. I just have so many good memories of friends, family, and the beginning of my really big healing on that trail.

Ah, those trails that become a part of who we are. I have one of those too! What is an adventure (or hobby to learn) that is still on your bucket list?

The top place on my bucket list right now is trekking in New Zealand.

New Zealand would be SO epic! It is definitely on my bucket list as well! What piece of advice would you give to women who are looking to break into the outdoor space?

Don’t overthink it! There are no rules on what you need to look like, how far you need to go, or how high you need to climb.

Just bring water, food, and proper layers & start moving!

Remember that you see the best and most exciting aspects of peoples’ lives on Instagram, you rarely see how they started, and everyone starts somewhere.

Your advice is perfect! I couldn’t agree more! Tell the readers where they can connect with you further and continue to follow along with your adventures!

I would love to connect with you all! You can find me on Instagram at @rebeexplores.

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