Meet the Team

Robin Walter, Founder

Robin Walter has a deep connection to horses, education, art, and conservation. She has worked as a teacher, outdoor educator, horse-packer, and conservation writer. She has 25 years of horse experience, 10 years of experience in outdoor education, and has led trips for diverse groups in different places, from the Rocky Mountains to Patagonia.

During a 3-month horseback expedition across Montana’s grasslands, she developed a fierce love for the prairie, learned to embrace the many joys of moving at a glacial pace, gained valuable horse-packing chops, and developed a unique perspective about the conservation challenges in the American West. Cloud Peak combines her passion for horses, creativity, and conservation, and she is excited to share her love of mountains and mules.

Carmen Taylor, Expedition Leader

In the 2nd grade, Carmen and a friend snuck out of the house to explore a nearby horse pasture. Since then, her life has been inextricably tied to these animals and their teachings. She believes that forging connections with our wild lands through horse travel opens up profound opportunity to connect with animal, plant, and human relations alike. Carmen holds a BA from UC Berkeley and is currently producing a film about Bears Ears National Monument. Carmen is interested in the stories that tie people to place, and she is excited to share her love of wild areas and horses.

Carly Fraysier, Expedition Leader

Carly Fraysier was born in Wyoming but grew up in Vermont. After a childhood of falling off ponies in fields, she dedicated herself to dressage, competing throughout the east. These days she prefers jeans over breeches, and mountains over arenas. She’s held a smattering of jobs including mosquito trapper, goat milker, backpack maker, farmer, construction worker for a small design-build company, and in various “horse” jobs including on a ranch in Laikipia, Kenya, and on pack trips in the Bighorns. She completed her undergraduate studies at St. Lawrence University and received an MFA in Creative Writing/Environment and Natural Resources from the University of Wyoming. She currently works for Ucross, a non-profit artist residency program. Her writing has been published in Western Confluence Magazine, Green Mountains Review, and she’s the recipient of the 2018 Creative Writing Fellowship in Nonfiction from the Wyoming Arts Council. She’s taught English and creative writing in various capacities.

Marina Van Stirum, Expedition Leader

The first time Marina got on a horse was at a dude ranch in the Big Horns when she was five years old. The ranch hands decided to put her on a pony in a fenced arena first, before setting her out on trail with a group. The pony decided that a sandy arena was an ideal place to lie down and take a nice roll, which is just what he did. Having the sense to jump off in time before being a part of that roll, Marina wasn’t phased by this peculiar first go and decided horses needed to be in her life from there on out.

Marina’s favorite way to learn has always been through experience more than books – whether it be traveling in far-off lands and learning a new language, backpacking across mountain landscapes, understanding people’s bodies through massage therapy, cooking food, or riding horses, Marina has always loved learning by doing. In recent years, she has been learning about the more subtle, albeit very deep healing that horses offer people and how they can be amazing teachers for us to better understand ourselves. She’s also been studying Liberty Horsemanship, learning how to create a more authentic relationship with horses by understanding their language and dynamics within a herd so as to communicate with them on a level that makes sense to them. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with a crew of horsey friends in the breathtaking Wyoming landscape this summer!

PEARL THE MULE

Meet Pearl, the heart and soul of the whole operation. Pearl is sassy, opinionated, and loyal. She will go to great lengths to get an ear scratch and is an expert at finding the best mud hole to roll in. She loves the harmonica, and will swiftly steal away your heart.

LIL

Lil is a quiet, soft, and brave little mare. She is a big fan of bossing everyone around and keeps the whole herd in line. Her spirit animal is likely Cher.

LONESOME

Lonesome is a sturdy old soul. He knows what it's like to be the only man in a herd of mares and is very patient. It is exceedingly difficult to ruffle his feathers, and he needs daily applications of sunscreen on his nose.

RAVEN

Raven is calm, cool, and collected. She is a grape jelly fiend. She is sure-footed and unflappable. She is an all around boss.

SALLY

Quarter draft horse, Sally towers over us all. She is an exceptional bareback ride, is exceedingly furry, and enjoys picking on Lonesome.

PIPIT

Pipit is a phenomenal ear and toe nibbler. She is a fearless little filly whose antics will keep you laughing all day long.

BANJO

Banjo is in charge of licking everyone's ears.