TRIP LEADERS

DAVE BAUMGART

Bellevue, WA –David Baumgart has been hiking, backpacking, and mountain climbing ever since a family outing to Colorado when he was 17. His favorite mountain is Mt. Rainier which he finally summited on his 5^th attempt. David is a volunteer hiking leader for his church, his community, and the Northwest Parkinson’s Association. He always advises his hiking partners, Rule #1 is to stay within their safety comfort zone, and Rule #2 – have fun. His mantra is: “So Many Hikes, so little time.” David is a professional Sr. Project Manager, recently retired from the City of Seattle. David’s wife, Ruth, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s since 2016. They continue to enjoy hiking and camping – and their shared adventures as they explore our world. She agrees: their favorite hike is the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier.

KATIE MILLER

Olympia, WA– Born and raised in Washington State, I grew up exploring and backpacking with my Dad. Both of my parents helped instilled a love of the outdoors, as well as how to live  and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Now a days, I spend as much time in the mountains as I can! 

 Employed as a Recreation Therapist at a Behavioral Health Hospital, balancing my own mental/emotional/physical health is important to me. Backpacking, skiing, climbing, mountaineering, paddleboarding, trail running with my Golden Retriever Gus Gus and playing soccer all help keep me balanced. 

2024 was my first year working with Pass to Pass. My Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2014 and every time I am out in the mountains, I think of him. I love sharing pictures of my adventures with him when I get back. I feel truly blessed in the opportunity to work with Pass to Pass and all the incredible people involved.

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KARIN GORDON

Seattle, WA – I started backpacking in 2022 after deciding to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. I was born with a left club foot, and had limited mobility in my left leg after multiple surgeries until I went to massage school in 2018. Body work I received significantly increased my range of motion and sensation on my left side – with my newfound ability to walk in ways I never had imagined and with no prior backpacking experiences, I decided I wanted to take advantage of this newfound freedom and walk the 2,200+ miles of the Appalachian trail. That wasn’t enough backpacking, so in 2023 I walked the 3,000+ miles of the Pacific Crest Trail.

No thru-hiker is successful without the ample support of whole communities of people, and I knew I wanted to find ways to give back some of the kindness and support I had been shown – when I met a group of Pass to Pass hikers with llamas on the PCT, I immediately knew that I wanted to support folks who, like me, may have mobility or other health challenges that might otherwise prevent them from enjoying the magic of the trail. 

When I’m not on trail, I enjoy being at home with my two wonderful housemates, spending time with the beautiful people I’ve met throughout my life, cooking delicious and amazing vegan food, redesigning the interior of my not-so-liveaboard-right-now sailboat, paddling my folding kayak in and around Puget Sound, and generally being curious about just about anything.

LINDA LEE

Athol, Idaho –  My dad moved my family from Florida to western Washington when I was 8 years old. He immediately fell in love with the mountains and the Puget Sound,  and he brought me along for the ride. I grew up backpacking and sailing with dad. His influence continues to inspire me today. 

I have a passion for the outdoors and for backpacking and am committed to the benefits of exercise in the aging and disease process. My family has a history of Parkinson’s Disease, so when I learned about PasstoPass, I was excited to become involved. It is so inspiring to hike alongside people who have such a zest for life, and a positive determination and strength to push through the challenges of Parkinson’s to continue to live a full and adventurous life. 

I have been involved with PasstoPass since 2020. In that time,  I have observed firsthand the impact that the goals of preparing for and completing the hikes, the support and sharing amongst the hikers, and the laughter and fun have had on individuals living with PD. I look forward to continuing to share the love of the mountains, the love of adventure and the love of a challenge with others on the PasstoPass hikes this summer!

ERIC MATSON

Bellevue WA – I am a retired corporate lawyer who finds special joy in outdoor adventures, particularly wilderness experiences.  The opportunity to help others experience that joy is a very gratifying.  I will be 74 when we hike in 2022.  My wife and I moved to Washington State in 1980  and have experienced many outdoor adventures together and with our kids over the years, in the Pacific NW and far beyond.  In recent years we have done more expedition and wilderness sea kayak trips than backpacking, but among my (our) favorite backpacking adventures have been two completions of the Wonderland Trail (once in each direction), Section J of the PCT from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass, several trips into the upper Enchantments, the Goat Rocks Wilderness section of the PCT, the Coast-to-Coast walk across northern England, and the Olympic Coast North trail. I also enjoy day hikes, snowshoeing, X-C skiing, kayak day paddles, and playing pickleball.

TAKAHIRO SHIGEMITSU

Bellevue WA –I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018 at age 45. I have a wife and 2 children and they are my primary motivation to become more active and fight this disease.
Outside of work, I enjoy boxing class for PD, hiking trails, climbing mountains, and learning to play golf. 2019 was the first passtopass hike I joined and it was spectacular!! I am very fortunate and thrilled to join this hiking group again this year to raise awareness of PD in the community. I am grateful of all PD community’s support through various support groups and events.

JUDI SPENCER

East Graham WA – Judi Spencer was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, skiing and hiking the Canadian Rockies.  “The Mountains are Calling” is a phrase she uses often, knowing it is time to head to the beauty and peace of the outdoors.

Judi’s father, Ken Pritchard, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1995 and she has been involved with the Parkinson’s community from that point forward.  Today Judi is a music specialist leading rhythm, music and vocal workshops, performs as a concert marimba artist and is an inspirational speaker. She has lobbied in both Canada and the United states as a Parkinson’s advocate and currently is the WPC Choir Director, opening the World Parkinson’s Congress in Portland, Oregon (2016) and Kyoto, Japan (2019).  The next WPC conference is scheduled for July 2023 in Barcelona, Spain.

.Judith is a Warrior in Pink, touched by cancer in 2014, and has been cancer-free since. Judi and her husband currently live in Graham, Washington, near their three sons and four grandchildren. Judi’s Pass to Pass name, given on her debut hike in 2020, “Songbird”. www.JudiSpencer.com

DANIEL LORENSON

Hey, Daniel Lorenson here in Spokane, Washington. A lifelong outdoor and mountain enthusiast who started by sneaking outside at night as a child so I can roam the woods and has ended up rock climbing 1000’ walls in Washington. My love of the outdoors led me to study forestry and horticulture at the University of Washington where I met professionals to engage with backpacking, climbing, fly fishing, and ski mountaineering. Pass to Pass has provided me with the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people throughout the years which has been the most impactive aspect of the organization to me. I am looking forward to many more positive and creative experiences with the group, the people are truly the best. Stay well and stay strong…

BARNEY MANN

Rockville, Maryland – My parents never camped, but they took me to Boy Scout meetings, and age thirteen I went on my first 50-mile backpack. An 80-pound boy with a 40-pound pack–I fell in love with it. And it’s a good thing I did. If I hadn’t been a backpacker my wife says she wouldn’t have married me. Sandy and I are now 48 years married. Ten years ago, at age 57,
Sandy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
We never had a first date; we had a first backpack. By the time our firstborn turned one, we’d taken him backpacking three times. In 2007, our three kids grown, Sandy and I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. Since then, I’ve hiked four other major trails, the Continental Divide,
Appalachian, Arizona and Ice Age Trails.
Backpacking gave us so much, and we try to give back. From 2006 to 2024, we hosted starting PCT hikers at our San Diego home–over 8,000. As a volunteer, I served as board president of the Pacific Crest Trail Association and two other trail non-profits. I had a 25-year law practice in San Diego, but for the last fifteen years, I’ve been a writer and author. My first piece in Backpacker magazine was in 2009. I’ve have been a regular. My latest book, Journeys North, garnered an NPR interview, was lauded in the Los Angeles and New York Times, and Backpacker published a five-page excerpt.
Since Sandy was diagnosed, we have slept at 17,000’ in the Himalayas, gone to the Galapagos, Patagonia, and the Alps; we’ve slept on the ice in Antarctica. Last year, we went on our first PassToPass trek. My article about that trek was Backpacker magazine’s first-ever article about
Parkinson’s.
For 45 years, Sandy and I lived San Diego. But we just uprooted, moving to the Washington, D.C. area to be close to our kids and grandchildren.