Board of Directors Feature: Aidan Smith
We’re excited to continue introducing the new members of American Hiking Society’s Board of Directors. Next up on the introduction trail is Aidan Smith!
Aidan Smith was introduced to the outdoors from an early age through his family’s business in the outdoor industry. The family’s weekends were spent hiking, fishing, and skiing in the Rockies, which instilled a passion for wild places and a deep appreciation for nature’s grounding beauty.
Aidan is the CEO of American Outdoor Products, whose brands include Backpacker’s Pantry and Astronaut Ice Cream. Under his leadership, the company pledges one percent of its revenue to improve outdoor access, conserve wild spaces, and educate the next generation of environmental stewards.
Previously, Aidan worked at Skratch Labs, a Boulder-based sports nutrition company as well as in a marketing position at American Outdoor Products. Aidan graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California where he studied International/Global Studies.
During college summers, Aidan dedicated three seasons to outdoor education, working with both an overnight program and a local camp focused on environmental stewardship, earth science, and nature connection for youth who had never been immersed in the outdoors. Aidan continues to inspire youth to embrace the outdoor experience and form deep connections with nature as a member of the Thorne Nature Experience Board of Trustees.
Aidan lives in Boulder, Colorado and is a dedicated trail runner, hiker, and enthusiastic foodie. Always on the search for global adventures, he has made it his goal to visit all seven continents over the next decade.
Highlights from our conversations with Aidan:
Why is hiking important to you?
I think hiking is one of the most accessible ways to connect to nature – it has something for everyone. Whether it’s a stroll through the woods, your neighborhood, or if you’re climbing a 14er – it appeals to people at different levels. There really is something for everyone.
For me personally, hiking has been a meaningful way to connect with the outdoors. Growing up it was always a constant for me. I would hike on the weekends. I would hike with my friends in middle school and in high school. I loved moving my body, getting fresh air, and just immersing myself in the forest and different ecosystems.
Over the years hiking has been something I’ve always taken with me. I’ve been fortunate enough to hike on four different continents and close to 20 different countries. Each hike has offered different landscapes and different ecosystems, but the constant through all of them has been the sense of reverence for and connection to nature, that you just don’t really get with other outdoor recreation activities.
What is one of your favorite places to hike?
Living in Boulder, we have some pretty good hikes right in our backyard. The Flatirons are these large flat and steep rock slabs in the foothills on the west side of town. They’re just unique enough that I get excited every time I go up there, and they have beautiful views. But, I think the desert is my favorite landscape. I love being in ecosystems like Utah, New Mexico, and parts of Nevada, where they’re dry, they’re arid, and they’re just so different from what I see here. I love being in a place that captures my imagination, so Moab is probably one of my favorite places to hike.
What is one of your favorite hiking memories, and how has it shaped your connection to the trails and the outdoors?
In 2019, I went on a trip to Nepal and Bhutan with my college class. We hiked to the Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan, which is a monastery perched on a cliff 3,000 meters above the valley below. The only way to get to the monastery is by hiking. When we got to the trailhead, there were monks who were going on a pilgrimage to the monastery.
In Bhutan, there is such a reverence for the connection with nature. It’s a four or five mile hike through the Himalayas, and along the way there are all of these cool quotes on signs on the side of the trail. Some of them read, ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’ and ‘Let’s celebrate the environment every day.’ There are also the colorful prayer flags and prayer wheels. It was such a powerful experience. I was so immersed in it – hiking through amazingly pristine nature in the Himalayan mountains – it felt like a religious pilgrimage. It was unlike any other hike I’ve ever done.
What brought you to your decision to join the AHS board?
I’ve worked with AHS for five or six years through their partnership with American Outdoor Products. AHS has always been an organization I’ve looked up to in terms of the mission to get more people out hiking and increase accessibility, while also focusing on stewardship. I am an outdoor recreationalist, but I’m not one of those people that needs to do the crazy adrenaline things. For me, connecting to nature really does mean hiking and just being slower and more intentional with things. I want to increase opportunities for other people to experience what I love about hiking, and to encourage them to become stewards of nature.
What advice would you give someone who’s new to hiking?
“Like it’s all new experiences, it’s scary at first – going to a new trail, trying to find some hiking shoes, figuring out what you think you need at REI, but you just have to dive in and do it. You don’t have to go to the hardest trail right off the bat. Go to your local trail right outside your back door, or the park a couple miles away. Then you can work your way up, and in no time, you’re going to be doing some things that you would have never thought you could. There’s a really good community around hiking and trails, so ask questions and dive into it. It won’t be scary in a couple months, I promise.
Is there anything else you want our community to know about you?
I’m young – I’m 27, almost 28, and it’s an interesting age to be in the outdoor community. There are many people my age in this community, but at the same time, I feel like I’m living in a community run by older people. It is time for the next generation to get involved in the stewardship of outdoor organizations, not just through extracurricular activities, but also in the management of the nonprofits. I believe that many boards have traditionally been composed of an older demographic. I really appreciate that AHS has made it a mission to diversify the board, because it is time for people my age, and even younger, to get involved, start volunteering, and start doing some of this work that needs to be done. It’s time for us to take the baton and run with it, so providing the space and opportunity for the next generation to get involved is important.
But like I said with people new to hiking, it’s scary at first. Being on a board or doing a new volunteer work might be scary because you don’t know the people, you don’t know the organization, and you don’t know the work. But you just have to dive in and take the opportunities, because one thing leads to the next, and opportunities stem from themselves, so I encourage everyone to get involved.
One extra question for you. Do you have a favorite Backpacker’s Pantry meal?
I really love the Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken. My brother and I grew up on that – we were the testers for all the new Backpacker Pantry meals. The Mac & Cheese is also a great go-to favorite, but now that my palate has matured a bit, I really like the Three Sisters. Really, they’re all good!
We are very thankful to have Aidan Smith join the Board of American Hiking and welcome his dedication to outdoor education and youth leadership development. Next time you see Aidan in the backcountry, be sure to share what your favorite Backpacker’s Pantry meal is!
Aidan’s Favorite Hikes:
Sanitas Mountain in Boulder, CO
Anywhere in Moab, UT
Tiger’s Nest Trail, Paro, Bhutan
