Humans of UCSF: The Great Outdoors

“I grew up in Madison, WI dreaming of tidepooling, bioluminescence and biking Highway 1 through Big Sur. All of those came true when, after college, I sold everything I owned and took off on a cross country bike tour for a year and a half. After a few adventures, I decided that the Bay Area was where I wanted to base myself. In the following years I went on to lead a cross country bike tour from Baltimore to Seattle, did my own bike tour from Texas to Guatemala and back, and became a backpack, whitewater rafting, and sea kayak guide leading trips from Alaska to Belize. But home was definitely Marin and the Bay Area. Making the outdoors accessible and appreciated has been a passion of mine ever since arriving in California in 1986. I've worked with groups providing outdoor adventures to physically challenged and special needs groups, as well as leading hikes in the Headlands of Sausalito with kids who had never seen the ocean. Being able to take UCSF students to places they've never been or introducing them to their first camping experience has been a dream come true!”

Kirk McLaughlin

UCSF Outdoor Programs, Program Supervisor