Changemaker
Abby Taylor
TL;DR
Abby Taylor rode 4,700 miles across the United States with Seth Orme in 2017, picking up trash for Packing It Out. Her longest ride to date had been a 50K.
Abby Taylor was born and raised in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Georgia. She had been returning to the Northwest Outward Bound School for four warm seasons. She was a commuter on a fixed gear bike, and her longest ride to date was a 50K.
She gave up an Outward Bound contract to ride 4,700 miles with Seth Orme for Packing It Out. On Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park she was struggling, and Orme took the weight of her panniers onto his bike. She says the trip taught her to accept help and not be embarrassed for needing it.
Taylor calls herself a weekend warrior with asthma. In Montana, smoke from that year's fires started to creep over the mountains and haze out the landscape. Her essay about the trip for She Explores is titled Packing Out Trash and Unpacking Myself.
Why OGSP Recommends It
One Good Story Project recommends Abby Taylor because her experience with Packing It Out gives an honest account of taking on a difficult outdoor challenge and finding community along the way. After about a week off her bike, she doubted she could complete the climb up Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. With breaks, she reached the summit in six and a half hours.
On the road, Taylor and Seth Orme also found local cleanup organizations. Her advice to pursue ideas that seem too big comes with an invitation to find people to join you, giving anyone interested in caring for the outdoors a practical place to begin.
Related Resources
Key Takeaways
- Took six and a half hours to get up to the summit of Trail Ridge Road and about 45 minutes to get down the other side.
- Helped pack out a ceramic toilet found off a cliff at a swimming area in Washington state.
- Spent the final night of the trip at a hiker hostel and pushed the remaining 73 miles to Seattle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Abby Taylor in Leave It Better?
Abby Taylor is Seth Orme's riding partner in Leave It Better, the 2017 Packing It Out trip from Georgia to Seattle. She was raised in northeast Georgia and calls herself a Leave No Trace trainer.
Had Abby Taylor done much bike riding when the trip began?
No. She called herself a weekend warrior, and her longest ride to date was a 50K.
Why did Seth Orme carry Abby Taylor’s panniers on Trail Ridge Road?
She was struggling at the gates of Rocky Mountain National Park. Seth Orme took some of her panniers, and the ride to the summit took six and a half hours.
What does Abby Taylor hope people take from the film?
She hopes they feel capable and pursue ideas that seem crazy or too big. She also hopes they find their community, the way she and Orme found so many local cleanup organizations on the road.