Ginger Schweikert was born and raised in Columbia, MO. Her family has been in the surrounding area since the early 1800s. Her father was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed camping, fishing, boating, and hunting. She and her older brother joined their parents on many outdoor excursions before either of them could even walk. Ginger started hiking at a young age, tagging along with her big brother on Boy Scout adventures before girls were actually allowed to be scouts. In high school and college, hiking and biking were her regular pastimes. After graduating from Mizzou, she left Columbia to live in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Then, she ventured west to get her Nursing degree at Cal Poly Humboldt in the great Red Woods of northern California. She left California and moved to New Orleans to help rebuild the city after Katrina, where she worked as a Registered Nurse for 13 years. Meanwhile, she started a costume seamstress side-business and became a circus performer. Her passion for the outdoors continued strong within her. She renewed her love for backpacking while living in Hawaii and trekking the 220-mile John Muir Trail in California. She also rafted over 200 miles through the Grand Canyon twice. In 2019, she hurt her back working as a nurse and could barely walk for months. When the pandemic hit hard, she decided it was time for a change and needed more nature in her life. She sold her home in New Orleans, sailed up and down the east coast, and lived in Colorado exploring the mountains. Next, she moved back to Columbia to be closer to her family. Back in Mid-MO, she continued to regain strength from her back injury and hiking was like her physical therapy. She started walking trails that she did as a young girl, and she discovered many more. She realized there were so many trails yet no centralized resource for them. Sure, there were apps and a few old books, but nothing that really captured the plentiful trails and history around Columbia. Thus, the idea to write this guidebook was sparked. She stepped or pedaled every trail in this book. Ginger hopes that you, too, can enjoy what Columbia’s trails have to offer.
