WRITER

Maren Horjus likes compelling ledes, surprising turns, blessed closure, and the sort of approachable, quirky characters that you can see yourself in. She believes there’s a place for quality storytelling in service copy and brand copy, which she excels in. She delivers clean, punctual drafts with adjectives and verbs that rarely necessitate adverbs. Find her bylines in REI’s Uncommon Path and Co-op Journal, BACKPACKER, Outside, Skiing, Mountain, Men’s Health, Sports Illustrated, and more.

The Goods

Trek deep into the heart of Peru to find a forgotten Incan refuge.

You don’t have to go far away to get far away in this winter-perfect national park.

Easy effort, big payoff: Turns out the same formula that works for you, works for your kid. But instead of wide views and boring grown-up stuff, these 18 backpacking trips offer rewards like water slides, dinosaurs, and pirates—and are 100

We long for the wild. We yearn for quiet peaks, undisturbed lakes, and stretches of lonely trail. Though we experience them alone, it’s this passion that bring us together. And, whether we’re grizzled vets or awestruck newbies, it all started with o

You think you’re psyched about the pow? Your dog is out of his mind. Here’s how to get him out safely.

Hibernation is for bears. Get out more this season with 42 tips on exploring the backcountry on snowshoes and skis.

Why go high? Because going down is so much fun.

The unwritten rules of backcountry travel are now written.

EDITOR

It’s more than commas, folks. Maren Horjus is a big-picture thinker with the technical know-how and ambition to pull off her ideas, no matter the platform. She enjoys the ideation process and bringing writers, designers, and teammates together in the concepting stage. Structure comes next, then tweaking and massaging language and voice to better convey the message. Then it’s back to commas: Maren brings the highest level of copyediting prowess to the table and views comma splices and serial em-dashes as personal attacks. Content rules all.

Uncommon Path

Whether it’s big elevation changes, big miles, or big moves, these 23 routes prove that the best hikes are often the hardest. So get fit so you can tick off these life-list trips. There’s a world of adventure out there—if you’re strong enough to sei

What’s better than climbing one peak? Climbing two. Or three—or five. Head to one of these summit-blessed basecamps and go up until your legs give out.

Nothing against life-list treks that take months to plan and weeks to hike. We live for those dream trips, too. But we live  through  dayhikes. The steady drip of local dawn patrols and backyard discoveries is where all hikers really level

The ultimate hiking life begins with a decision: Commit to the quest. Then start with these 33 ideas that will feed your passion, reward your effort, and inspire you to explore.

It’s easier than ever to get to the trailhead without a vehicle. Here’s how you can—and why you should.

Use your head to start checking off trips.

AUTHOR

There was a time in her life when Maren Horjus thought writing books “on the side” was a fun use of time outside the office grind. Sadly, that time has passed. She’s proud of her pair of passion projects-turned-books, but probably won’t be pitching publishers again anytime soon. Of course, if any publishers have sweet ideas in need of ambitious writers with penchants for the outdoors and Chicago Style, they should drop her a line. Maren’s been known to revise her well-intentioned boundaries for the right projects.

Haunted Hikes

Hidden Gems

Strange things happen in the woods. A rustling in the underbrush, a flicker of movement around the next switchback, a whisper behind your ear. It could be in your head—or perhaps it’s the next in a pattern of spooky happenings in the American backwo… — **Strange things happen in the woods.** A rustling in the underbrush, a flicker of movement around the next switchback, a whisper behind your ear. It could be in your head—or perhaps it’s the next in a pattern of spooky happenings in the American backwoods. *Haunted Hikes* tells 100 campfire stories about the ghosts, curses, monsters, and mysteries of our country’s wild places.
Author Maren Horjus delivers tales and hikes from across the country, including the curious disappearances from Vermont’s Long Trail, the ghost lights of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in North Carolina, the Lady of the Indiana Dunes, the Wailing Woman of Grand Canyon, and more. With a mix of day trips, overnights, and epics, there’s sure to be something for every hiker—if you dare step foot on these haunted trails.

Discover Mother Nature’s best-kept secret hikes. Nothing against the Bright Angel Trail, the Narrows, the Presidential Traverse, or Half Dome, which are all certainly worth of their popularity, but hikers don’t need another resource pointing them to… — **Discover Mother Nature’s best-kept secret hikes.** Nothing against the Bright Angel Trail, the Narrows, the Presidential Traverse, or Half Dome, which are all certainly worth of their popularity, but hikers don’t need another resource pointing them toward those conga lines. It’s time we rewrite the backpacker’s life list. Enter *Backpacker Hidden Gems*. **For the first time ever, here is a collection of Mother Nature’s best-kept secret hikes, chock-full of life list-worthy views, campsites, waterfalls, wildlife, and more.** This book spills every secret and pulls back the curtain to reveal the top 100 trips across the country, with information on how to reach them, when to go, and what you’ll see. With color topographic maps and over 200 gorgeous photographs to complete the package, this book is the perfect keepsake for anyone looking to expand their horizons.
*2018 Foreward INDIES finalist for Adventure, Sports & Recreation*

About

Maren Horjus

is an at-large editor at REI’s Co-op Journal and quarterly magazine, Uncommon Path. She is presently chasing powder and a humidity-free lifestyle in Boulder, Colorado. She was previously a senior editor and destinations editor at BACKPACKER, where she produced outdoor and travel content. Her trips section, the Play List, was a National Magazine Award finalist in 2016 and 2018. Before joining the squad at the co-op, she wrote a few books. She thinks winter camping is underrated.