Amanda Foster - Community Leader and Owner of Happy Hiker

Episode 3 - Anatomy of a Mountain Town - Ruidoso, New Mexico:    Amanda Foster is the owner of Happy Hiker, the premier outdoor store in Ruidoso. Amanda is a passionate advocate for the outdoors. She loves running, hiking, and getting outside with her three daughters Eva, Lola, and Emmy. She is also married to my co-host and producer of this series Jerod Foster. They moved to Ruidoso in 2021 and purchased Happy Hiker in 2023 and have become fixtures within the community. Their presence in Ruidoso elevates the outdoor vibe and stoke of their sky island paradise.    This series was recorded during the Texas Tech University Adventure Media bikepacking excursion on the Billy The Kid and Smokey Bear route in the Lincoln National Forest. I sat down with Amanda the day after we got off the bikes. We fired up the mics inside Happy Hiker (no wind noise in this episode) and talked amongst the backpacks and adventure accouterments in the showroom.  We chatted about the endurance race scene proliferating in Ruidoso, mountain town life, and living a purposeful life. Amanda was a great guest with thoughtful insights on what it means to live the mountain life dream.