The 12 Best Women’s Hiking Boots and Shoes, by Katherine Gillespie and Liza Corsillo, New York Mag’s The Strategist, November 16, 2022
Melissa (alongside other outdoor experts) shares her best recommendations and advice on what to consider when purchasing women’s hiking boots, plus she gives tips specific for adding traction when trekking in Winter.
Wellness TODAY: The Healing Power of Nature with Sheinelle Jones, 1st airing on TODAY All Day, May 24, 2022
On Melissa’s TV debut, she dishes out some practical tips about how to safely head out for a hike this summer! The special includes a slew of segments about the importance of spending time in the outdoors, and highlights some other amazing outdoor leaders too! Watch the whole thing, (or skip ahead to catch Melissa at 13:30)!
Backpacker Radio Podcast: Episode 130, December 13, 2021
What an honor to be a guest on Backpacker Radio, the crème de la crème of backpacking podcasts! Melissa sat down with Zach “Badger” Davis, (founder of The Trek and beloved member of her 2011 AT thru-hiker family), and co-host Juliana “Chaunce” Chauncey, for a seriously fun trip down memory lane! It was also an amazing opportunity to boast about the greater Girl Gotta Hike community and share some outdoor guiding stories. Plus, Melissa’s hubs makes a brief (and funny) guest appearance!
‘I Should Have Known Better’: Travel Planning in Uncertain Times, by Julie Besonen, New York Times, May 13th, 2021
Travelers and travel businesses are learning (the hard way) how to navigate in our post-pandemic world. As you start to plot out your summer plans, you may want to heed some advice from Melissa and some other tour operators about how to make the best of it. (Beyond stoked, btw, to have been included in this awesome piece by Julie Besonen! Eeeek! The New York Times!!! 🤩)
Turmeric & Tequilla Podcast: Episode 89, March 24, 2021
On this episode, T&T host Kristen Olson got the PodFest band back together! Kristen, Melissa, Sara McInerny Hauck (of Facing Fear) and Viviana Soto (of Life Whispers) , reminisced about meeting at conference in Orlando one week before the world shut down, how a year of podcasting (and life) has been going, and how the last year’s events have been reflected in their work and what they choose to talk about. Cheers!
Guides Gone Wild Podcast: “Take the Train and Bring Some Newbies” Episode 36, February 11th, 2021
Melissa talks (and laughs) with GGW host Jen Clark about the incredible rewards and some of the challenges of being an outdoor guide based in NYC. Like how great it feels to introduce city women to the woods, but also, how to store all that gear in a tiny apartment?
She Explores Podcast: Where We Walk: Ep 1, September 21st, 2020
She Explores teamed up with some amazing hikers and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to create a special 6-part mini series all about the A.T.! Melissa shared her memories of being on trail and how she had no idea how much impact it would have on her going forward.
New York Magazine, August 3, 2020 Issue
The Urbanist’s Guide contacted Melissa to give first-time hikers advice on where to hit the trails outside of NYC. Major thanks to writer Nikita Richardson for the interview and photo editor Stella Blackmon for featuring Melissa’s photography as the lead image!
WNYC’s All of It with Alison Stewart, July 29, 2020
Melissa called in to give newbie-hiking New Yorkers advice on how to hit those lesser-travelled trails safely with a Licensed Outdoor Guide. Melissa comes in at 11:24, but the whole segment is worth a listen as writer Erika Owen and fellow WNYC listeners give great advice!
Wildprenuers Blog, July 26th, 2020
Author, adventurer and eco-resort owner Tamara Jacobi, (as heard in GGH the Podcast Episode 5), interviewed Melissa for her book Wildprenuers and in this blog post, readers get an extended version of what ended up on the printed page.
Mighty Blue on the AT: Episode 213
After a chance meeting at PodfestExpo 2020, fellow thru-hiker Steve Adams / Mighty Blue, interviewed Melissa / Click, about her time thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail with her dad Mike / LongTime. It’s a fun and touching conversation about her life-changing journey.
Contributing Photographer, The Appalachian Trail: Backcountry Shelters, Lean-tos, and Huts
Photographer, friend and AT thru-hiker, Sarah Jones Decker, invited Melissa to contribute over 40 photographs to her gorgeous book highlighting every shelter along the 2192-mile Appalachian Trail. A must have for any AT fan! Published by Rizzoli in April of 2020.
Turmeric & Tequilla Podcast: Episode 34
Melissa met host Kristen Olson at PodfestExpo 2020, who almost immediately invited her to record an episode on the spot alongside fellow podcasters, Viviana Soto, Sara McInerney Hauck & Heather Snow Sheldon. It’s super-fun and there’s even a guest appearance by William Hung of American Idol fame!
Interview in Wildpreneurs, by Tamara Jacobi
Part memoir, part how-to-guide and part inspiration for creative entreprenuers, Wildprenuers features advice from nearly 50 small-business owners carving their own paths and Melissa is one of them! Published by Harper Collins Leadership in early 2020.
National Parks Conservation Association Blog, November 2019
The NPCA interviewed Melissa about her history of hiking & backpacking, what inspired the founding of Girl Gotta Hike and where she sees it going in the future. In the fall of 2018, The NPCA and the HVATC (Harlem Valley Appalachian Trail Community) awarded Melissa with a Public Transit Award for connecting women with the Trail.