From Horseback Trails to Hiking Peaks: How the Outdoors Became Melanie Reynolds' Refuge

For Melanie Reynolds, a student at Cal Poly, the outdoors is more than just a place for adventure – it’s a way to find clarity, connection, and strength. With a background in horseback riding, she has always felt at home on the trail, but hiking took on new meaning as she navigated the challenges of her father’s cancer diagnosis and her mother’s struggles with mania. Whether trekking through Maui’s ridges or conquering San Luis Obispo’s peaks, Reynolds finds comfort in the climb and the reward of reaching the summit. In this conversation, she shares her journey from childhood walks to discovering how hiking became a powerful source of resilience.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your connection to hiking?

Okay, a little bit about me is I enjoy being very active. A big part of my life has been horseback riding, so I guess you could say I have a background in trail rides. So why not connect that to doing the walking myself? I definitely got more into hiking over the past few years. I did one really cool hike in Maui, and I loved it, and it was kind of crazy. We had no idea how long it was going to take us, but I really liked that. I was like, “‘Dang, I should keep hiking.’” Especially with family, I love hiking with family and friends.

When did you first start hiking and what drew you into it?

I guess when I was little, we used to go on a lot of walks as a family on different trails. I don’t remember the name of the specific place, but there was this one place that was kind of near Morgan Hill/Bay Area. It had this big pond, and we’d always take my golden retriever there. She’d want to jump in and go to the ducks and whatever. That was always fun, so that’s like my earliest memories of hiking, but definitely what got me more into it was doing that hike in Maui. I think it was called the Waihee Ridge Trail. It was really beautiful, and it took us so high up in the fog. I was like, “‘This is awesome.’” Since then, I definitely got more into it.

Do you remember your first hike in SLO, and what was that experience like?

I guess it depends on what you consider a hike. I did go up to the Arch Graveyard with my WOW group, but my first thing that I really considered a hike was probably doing Serenity Swing with all the friends. That was something. It was so steep toward the end, and I was kind of freaking out. I was like, “‘Someone’s going to take a tumble.’” But nobody took a tumble, and it was really cool. It was really satisfying to get to the swing at the top. Yeah, that was fun.

Do you have a favorite trail in SLO, and what makes it special?

Well, now that I’ve done my basically second hike, maybe Bishop. I mean, that was really cool. It definitely takes some work, but being at the top was awesome. Climbing in between all the rocks, and, I mean, nothing could really beat that view, so I’d say Bishop. You know, that was very special, of course. Almost getting, you know, trapped out there in the dark, like, I’ll always remember that.

What has hiking taught you about yourself?

You know, everyone always says, “‘It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.’” But I think hiking has taught me that I prefer the destination over the journey. You know, doing all that hard work, getting to the top of the mountain, whatever you’re doing. That’s great, but I love getting up there, being at the destination, and being like, “‘I did that.’” So I love the reward. I chase the reward and that feeling of accomplishment.