Taylor Weixl

Volunteer Officer, Girls on Ice Canada Program Coordinator

Pronouns: they/them

I am excited to be involved with Girls* on Ice Canada because I wholeheartedly believe in the goals of these expeditions. Most of the best experiences of my life have involved self-powered travel, meeting new people, being outside for extended periods of time, and facing a healthy dose of challenge and type 2 fun. 

I hold a BSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of British Columbia and am an Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) Apprentice Hiking Guide. Backpacking, running, climbing and skiing are some of my favourite things!

In 2018 I thru-hiked the 4,265 km (2,650 mile) Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. After my hike I spent six years working at two backcountry lodges in British Columbia. I started my first backcountry lodge job with a lot of enthusiasm and very little experience. After my first winter working in the Kootenays, I spent five more years working in an incredible part of the southern Selkirk mountains - just south of where the Illecillewaet expedition takes place. I was lodge manager for my final two seasons, where I enjoyed the challenge of being responsible for the lodge’s power, water, and heating systems, maintenance and repair, and helicopter operations. 

I have also been a ski coach, ski instructor, and a camp counsellor at both day camps and an overnight camp where we went on a 6-week trip across the US and Canada. I have repeatedly witnessed the benefits of supportive ‘girls only’ spaces during my time at camps and while coaching an all-female freestyle ski team. I’m now looking forward to seeing how we can help provide experiences for even more youth, including trans and gender diverse youth, who have historically faced more barriers and have had less support.