Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Thru-hiking wordsmith

NSIDC

A person in a pink jacket, blue shorts, and hiking boots stands on a ridge with their hands up in the air. Tall, rocky mountains are visible in the background.
Audrey Payne on the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton National Park.
- Courtesy of Audrey Payne/NSIDC
Humans of CIRES

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.

A person in hiking gear with long blonde hair poses with a hiking pole in front of a mountain lake.
A person hikes along a rocky ridge under low clouds and a rising sun.
Two people in backpacking gear hiking down a trail toward tall mountains.
A person in a tank top and shorts stands behind a "Katahdin" sign while holding to hiking poles up in the air.

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!