Lorin Paley ’15 Chronicles Adventures in Outdoor Blog
If you’re looking for inspiration to get outdoors and enjoy the (finally) beautiful weather, you may want to check out the outdoor adventure blog “Raise the Bar.”
The blog, created by Lorin Paley ’15, chronicles her involvement with outdoor advocacy, the Dartmouth Outing Club, mountain biking and more. The website, which Paley designed herself, also includes sections on her favorite hiking gear and her latest projects in Dartmouth’s woodshop.
Paley, a self-proclaimed outdoor enthusiast, started blogging in 2010 to document her adventures as a professional telemark skier in high school.
“I’d be traveling for weeks in and around Europe and on the road,” Paley said. “[The blog] was a way for me to keep in touch with my family and to keep my sponsors informed.”
Now Paley blogs primarily about her work in outdoor advocacy, including her involvement in programs like Outdoor Idols and Outdoor Nation. Paley worked previously as an ambassador for Outdoor Nation, a non-profit that aims to connect millenials with the outdoors.
“I would help create programs for getting youth together to talk about issues of barriers to entry to the outdoors,” she said. “We gave away grants to groups who came up with ideas and wanted to execute them.”
In addition to advocacy, Paley participates in various outdoor activities at Dartmouth.
“I do a lot of standup paddleboarding, both with Ledyard and on my own,” she said.
Paley is also president of the Dartmouth Outing Club’s Mountain Biking Club and is actively involved in the woodshop, where she builds everything from furniture to salad bowls.
Paley cites mountain biking as her favorite outdoor activity. She especially enjoys biking around the Upper Valley because of its accessibility and proximity to campus.
“I feel really lucky that I go to a school where I’m able to get out pretty deep into the woods within a 45-minute drive of campus,” Paley said.
Paley sees herself pursuing outdoor advocacy work in the future, including after graduating from Dartmouth. She hopes to continue to create programs to encourage more people to spend time in the outdoors.
You can check out Paley’s blog at http://lorinpaley.com/.