About Me

Hi! My name is Heather Balogh Rochfort, and I’m the voice behind Colorado Gal. Nice to meet you!

Adventure {ad-ven-cher}: an exciting or unusual experience

I think we all need to spend more time finding adventure: running on trails, sleeping in tents, exploring the open road, climbing big peaks, and traipsing about foreign countries. To that end, I’m trying my best: I’ve cycled my road bike across the United States, lived in a tent for four months, honeymooned in a van, climbed 45+ peaks of 14,000 feet or higher, and packrafted the Alatna after being dropped in the middle-of-freaking nowhere by an Alaskan bush pilot. I’ve lived on three continents and traveled to 30 {and counting…} countries and six continents.

Photo (top): Packrafting Canyonlands National Park

Photo (bottom): Trail Running in Portland, Oregon

Yet I’m just getting started.

I wasn’t always this way, though. In fact, I spent the first 20 years of my life as a dancer–a ballerina. I didn’t discover the Great Outdoors until my freshman year of college at the University of Colorado- Boulder. And as I progressed through my journalism degree, my love of outdoor adventure exponentially grew. By the time I graduated in 2004, I knew I wanted more than a simple post-collegiate job at a desk. Instead, I took a position as an associate editor for a local magazine for one year. Once I saved up enough cash, I quit my job, sold my belongings, and hit the road.

Photo: Our Van-Living Honeymoon Road Trip to Canada

It was August, 2005. That, my friends, marks the beginning of this little blog.

I covered 3,893 miles while cycling from Boulder to Miami, all while spending evenings in my tent and subsisting on copious amounts of Little Debbie’s snack cakes. Once I reached Florida, I bought a one-way ticket to South America. I didn’t know what I would do or where I would go, but Quito sounded like a great place to begin the next adventure!

Photo (top): Traveling in Iceland

Photo (bottom): Riding camels in Wadi Rum, Jordan

After 14 months of jungle journeys, Patagonian voyages and Spanish-speaking friends, I decided it was time to return to the “real world” back in Colorado. From there, life settled down a bit–but only just a bit.

Our little family: Will, Tally and Me

These days, outdoor adventure and travel are still near the top of my priority list. I’m a freelance writer and photographer in the outdoor and fitness industries and am passionate about environmental advocacy and encouraging women to get outside. I published my first book, Backpacking 101, as a guide to encourage newcomers to the sport. If you’re interested, you can purchase a copy at Barnes & Noble or via the link below:

Order Backpacking 101 Here!

My second book via Falcon Guides is entitled Women Who Hike and launches June, 2019. I am beyond excited for it to hit store shelves as it was a major passion project for me. It’s an unconventional hiking guide that blends trail beta with an anthology of women in the outdoor industry. I profiled 20 amazing women ranging from pro athletes to CEOs to founders of non-profits to social media influencers, and I can tell you that their stories are inspiring, uplifting, and incredibly motivating.

Previous two photos by Andrew Bydlon 

My husband, Will Rochfort, is a talented photographer and videographer and the two of us are fortunate to frequently travel together. We both enjoy hiking, backpacking, backcountry skiing, and trail running. I’m also an avid CrossFitter and former coach, holding my L1 certificate.

And did I mention I’m an outdoor mama?! October, 2017 saw the birth of our daughter, Liliana. She is the light of our lives and we love her more than ever dreamed. In her short time on this planet, I have learned a thing or two about getting outside with children, so I hope to encourage future women to continue their outdoor journeys–with or without their kiddos!

Looking for More?

I’m neck-deep in social media, so you can find me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.