Welcome to Juniper Crossing Practice’s TrailBound Learning page! We’re so glad you’ve found your way here. TrailBound Learning is a unique branch of Juniper Crossing, specifically created by Kayli, based off of both her personal and professional outdoor experiences. As the foundational value of Juniper Crossing is to inspire the extraordinary in people through authentic connection and loving accountability, TrailBound’s trips are meant to facilitate this through adaptability, encouragement, and playfulness.

So what is a TrailBound Learning trip and why go? Well, as you read further, you’ll discover that Kayli has put together a variety of trips for a variety of folks — there are opportunities to camp, hike, backpack, and connect with the natural world as Kayli facilitates opportunities for both therapeutic insight and personal growth moments. A key component of each of these trip experiences is allowing for parallel processes to play out, both individually and within a group setting. That is — whatever a person may be experiencing within the natural word (i.e. frustration with the difficulty of making a fire) could parallel an emotional reaction or thought process in another part of their daily lives or relationships (i.e. how else do you find yourself frustrated when faced with a difficult relationship or circumstance?). While this may seem simple, this experiential process allows for each person to anchor insights and reflections more firmly within their bodies and minds. There also tends to be more of a capacity for learning when fully immersed in this manner. So — if this sparks any interest in you, we encourage you to read on!

2023 Women’s Backpacking Trip

When: Thursday, July 20th — Monday, July 24th

Where: Southern Colorado//Rio Grande National Forest

Cost: $1800. Payment plans are available. Cost includes group gear, backpacking backpacks and tents.

Registration/Full Payment Deadline: Friday, June 23rd

What this trip is about: Learning. We know what we know. We know what we don’t know. And then we don’t even know what we don’t know…need to read that again? At every bend in the trail, there is an opportunity to gain new information, to reflect, to implement and to move forward. At any age, at any stage of life — there is always more to learn. This trip will create space for you to be a student. We will play, we will work hard, we will anchor our insights and skills gained, and we will do it together.

What we will be doing: We will be backpacking!!! That’s right — hiking with packs, day hiking, cooking, camping, discussing and mindfully reflecting. We’ll be out in the field for 5 days and 4 nights. There will be a daily agenda that will include both learning and implementing hard skills and soft skills as well as time with the group and time to yourself.

Guides: Kayli Cross//lead guide (keep scrolling to read about Kayli and her outdoor leadership experience), Kelly Martin//co-guide, Mallory Martin//medic, & Levi//therapy dog.

Logistics meetings offered (virtual): Tuesday, May 16th at 7 pm MST or Monday, June 12th at 5:30 pm MST. Participants are welcome to attend either or both, but do need to be present for at least one.

Kelly is a mother of 2, dog and hamster owner, and a Brownie Girl Scout drop out :) By day she is a business owner, mental health counselor and play therapist for children and adolescents in Lubbock, TX. By night she is a mother and a sleeper. She is also an adjunct professor at Lubbock Christian University. Kelly enjoys CrossFit, yoga, and jogging outside. She thrives on making an adventure out of any place. She has experience hiking primarily in Colorado and West and Central Texas. She has summited two peaks by foot (with Kayli!) and one by train (also with Kayli). Kelly also has extensive leadership experience with ages of the entire lifespan, and is both First Aid & CPR certified. Her favorite camp food is campfire chili, and when she's not pushing through nature's terrain, she loves pausing and taking it all in.

Mallory aka Mal is a nurse practitioner by profession and (self-proclaimed) outdoorswoman. She loves all things outdoors no matter the season. Her hobbies include hiking, camping, paddleboarding, rock climbing, snowshoeing and most recently she’s taken up skiing. If it's an activity in nature, Mal will give it a try! She started camping regularly 9 years ago. Originally from Oklahoma, she’s lived in Colorado for 3 years now with her husband and two dogs. Her favorite backpacking meal is Pad Thai (yum!) She has been in healthcare since the age of 18 and has expertise in internal, family, and cardiovascular medicine. Mal holds certifications in both Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. She is so excited for this year’s adventure!

Kayli’s knowledge and experience

Along with her licensure as a Marriage & Family Therapist and as a Registered Yoga Teacher, Kayli is certified in Wilderness First Aid through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) & CPR through the American Red Cross. On a personal level, Kayli enjoys many of her own adventures with her dog, Levi. She recalls first being drawn into the solace of the outdoors when she was a kid living in Alaska. She would often find herself wandering to the creek that was a mile or so away from her house, with her two dogs, on long summer days. She found peace among the sounds found in the wild, along with a deep respect for nature and all that it holds. In college, she began dabbling in more hiking and mountain climbing. While she actually did not complete her first mountain summit opportunity due to fear, it sparked a desire in her to acknowledge these personal limitations and to keep at it, in hopes of expanding her capabilities.

Fast forward to a job in Houston a few years later that gave her the unique opportunity to travel and work in a therapeutic role with teens and young adults while out on extended backcountry trips. This experience inspired growth in Kayli in her skills as a clinician, in her backcountry knowledge, and in learning to integrate the two. Now, as a Colorado resident, she has the pleasure of creating and offering a variety of therapeutic backcountry trips as a private practitioner.

Since 2012, Kayli has summited a handful of mountains over 13,000 feet in elevation, has traversed several mountain passes, and has explored wilderness areas in Colorado, Utah, Oregon, and Idaho. She’s also hiked a small section of the Appalachian Trail and white water rafted through the Grand Canyon. She and Levi, who is a certified therapy dog, are so excited to invite you into the exploration of nature and into experiencing how it both nurtures and challenges our own inner worlds and perspectives. We hope you’ll join us!