Arielle Shipe is an avid outdoor adventurer based out of Aspen, Colorado. She grew up competing in snowboarding competitions and started practicing yoga at the age of 17 to help support all the wear and tear she was putting on her body.

“Finally, in college, I got my ‘last straw’ injury — my third bad concussion and a low back injury,” she shares, “and decided to find other ways to push myself outdoors. I fell in love with rock climbing and hiking and set out to spend as much time in the mountains as I could manage.”

Shipe built a career as a full-time yoga teacher which, in recent years, has shifted into a career as an outdoor adventure/lifestyle blogger.

“After the ups and downs of my own health journey, I decided I wanted to explore my passion for nutrition so I could help others on their journey,” Shipe says. “I decided to go back to school last spring for a masters in holistic nutrition. I’m the kind of person who has many passions, so it’s not uncommon to find me perusing multiple things at once. But right now, my main focus is on school and my upcoming thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.”

Arielle Shipe. Photo by Sam Ferguson

YOU CREATE INFLUENTIAL CONTENT EVERY DAY — HOW DO YOU STAY INSPIRED?

Aww, thank you so much for saying that! Truthfully, it’s not always easy — especially now that I’m often creating content for brands and having to find ways to weave their message authentically into my own. That being said, I think the biggest advice that I can give is to not only trust, but follow those intuitional “pings” that come your way. For example, if someone tells me about something and I see myself getting really excited about the idea of it then I will try to organize my life around making it happen. Sometimes, that organization leads me to do “the thing,” but sometimes it ends up being a trail marker to something even more inspired. I think the universe is always giving us opportunities to live a more aligned and inspired life.

Often times, we just need to be brave enough to seize them. Sometimes my story seems random to people, but in reality, it has just been me constantly following inspiration — even when that required me to pivot.

FOR THE RISE ISSUE OF CO YOGA + LIFE, PLEASE SHARE WITH US HOW YOU’D LIKE TO CREATE IMPACT OR CHANGE IN 2021.

I’d love to be a beacon of hope for anyone who has felt disempowered by the circumstances of this last year and show people that they have everything they need to reclaim their power.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR FREE TIME?

My free time is spent almost exclusively in the mountains. I love to rock climb, mountain bike, hike, trail run and ski/snowboard. I like to call myself a “wannabe endurance athlete,” because I love the idea of doing big days, but, ultimately, I am a fast-paced, adrenaline seeker at heart.

arielleshipe.com

Sam Ferguson was born and raised in Aspen, Colorado. After traveling and living in some other places, he says he came to realize how special the Roaring Fork Valley and its community are to him.

“That and the fact that the Elk Mountains are right out our back door with access to skiing, hiking, biking, fishing and so much more,” Ferguson adds. “These mountains have raised me and watched over me my whole life, so it’s been hard to think about living anywhere else. I have been an avid skier since before I can remember and have been a ski coach with the local Aspen Valley Ski Club for the last 10 years. Recently, I wanted to create something of my own. I’m working on becoming a full-time freelance photographer to document and showcase the place that I love so much.”

Between the people, scenery, seasons, architecture and events, Ferguson says he has been able to see his hometown for something he hadn’t seen before.

“It has allowed me to explore different corners of the valley, meet new people, discover more beauty and document lifelong memories,” he adds. “I have a renewed sense of purpose and a reason to wake up early and stay up late.”

Sam Ferguson

HOW DID YOU GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY AND HOW HAS THE ART EVOLVED FOR YOU IN YOUR LIFE AND WORK?

I never found myself very creative as a kid. I couldn’t draw anything but stick figures, I didn’t get further than hot cross buns on the recorder and I had as much rhythm as a chair. But, I did enjoy sports. I played almost every sport — team and individual — as a kid. One sport reigned supreme in the mountains, so I latched onto skiing. As I grew up, I particularly loved skiing in the terrain parks, hitting jumps and rails. I always bought every ski magazine and flipped through every page.

I picked out my favorite shots, cut them out and made collages. I marveled at the places I had never been and idolized my favorite skiers with their pictures on my ceiling or wall. I saw art in skiing and developed an eye of what I liked and why it looked so alluring to me. I tried to emulate it in my own skiing with my own style. In high school, I got a digital camera with something around 4 mp, which was huge at the time. I would go out and shoot sunsets, flowers, the snow, or my friends and I hanging out. And then, the camera phone came out. I didn’t touch a camera again for probably 10 years and told myself “I have a phone on my camera, I’m good.” I found myself always wanting more zoom or better quality even with the camera phone technology improving year after year. In 2017 I decided I would start looking for another camera and a few lenses to have as a hobby to express myself as I transitioned away from pursuing my dream of being a professional skier. I was hooked. I could finally translate what my eye was seeing to something I could share and connect with people. All those years of flipping through old ski magazines helped me develop an eye for photography. I took classes in my free time or even while working other jobs. I was determined that I just wanted to become better, and I hadn’t felt that way since I was skiing competitively.

FOR THE RISE ISSUE OF CO YOGA + LIFE, PLEASE SHARE WITH US HOW YOU’D LIKE TO CREATE IMPACT OR CHANGE IN 2021.

The way I would like to create positive change and impact in 2021 is to continue documenting the beauty in the world, whether that be a gorgeous landscape with the perfect light, a genuine smile or tear, a thriving community supporting one another or the activities that make people feel their absolute best. I want to capture moments in time to evoke emotions, good and bad, in order to feel a deeper connection to this earth or the people on it. I want to create memories for those fleeting moments throughout our lifetimes. I want to showcase other people’s passions and capture a slice of time for them to hold on to forever. I remember the importance I placed on the images I chose and plastered on my wall. I hope I can have that same impact on others.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR FREE TIME?

During my free time you can find me outdoors and usually with Arielle and our dog Tabor. We always joke that we have so many activities and can’t discover any new ones. Skiing/ snowboarding, climbing, mountain biking, hiking and paddleboarding are on the top of our most recent list. Our adventure van only has enough room for so many activities, so when we go on an adventure, we have to plan our gear wisely. Otherwise, when not hanging with the family, I am exploring this valley and chasing light. I enjoy my time alone shooting photos. It is my solace and meditative process, and I feel most alive when everything feels as if it is aligning perfectly. I’m not going to lie though, I’m not all hustle. I also thoroughly enjoy being a couch potato from time to time and finding the balance of work, rest and fun.

photograferg.com

Originally published in the Winter + Spring 2020-21 issue of CO YOGA + Life Magazine.