Thru-hiking wordsmith
NSIDC

Thru-hiking wordsmith
NSIDC
Audrey Payne is a communications specialist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). She writes news stories, runs the NSIDC social media accounts, and supports media relations. Payne studied environmental science and journalism during her undergraduate, and she has a master’s degree in public relations. She’s an avid hiker and backpacker — she hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2018, and she traversed the Colorado Trail in 2022. Payne recently self-published a memoir about her thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, “Where the Rhododendrons Bloom." She’s “absolutely” a dog person, and she even dog-sits to help fund her travels.
Humans of CIRES Q&A
Q: What is your role at CIRES?
I work on the communications team at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. I run the NSIDC social media accounts, handle media relations, and write stories about the work of our scientists, data tools, and data set use cases.
Q: What is your educational background?
I have bachelor's degrees in environmental science and journalism and a master's degree in public relations, so my job is a perfect combination of my degrees!
Q: Tell us about a hobby of yours.
I am a hiking and backpacking enthusiast, and I especially love to carve out time to hike long distances. For example, in 2018, I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, and in 2022, I hiked the Colorado Trail from Littleton to Durango. It's my favorite way to move through the world because it combines two of my favorite things: nature and exercise. I self-published a memoir in 2024 about my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, titled, "Where the Rhododendrons Bloom."
Q: Dogs or cats?
Dogs, absolutely! I dog-sit on the side to pay for my travels, and I like to say that I have more dog friends than people friends in Colorado!