Trail Moments: Cas Marburger Is Shifting Gears in Missoula, Montana
Upon learning I’m the director of communications for Rails to Trails Conservancy, you might be tempted to make a few assumptions about me, so let’s level-set. I have no idea what the gears on my bike do. I click them until something feels better, but usually only get there after making things worse, worse, much worse, agonizing, confusing and then, suddenly, right about the time panic sets in, fine. The odds of the gears being right back where I started are high. This is one of several reasons I run and walk significantly more often than ride a bike, and I really only bike on trails where I can take a set-it-and-forget-it approach.
I can get lost in the neighborhood I grew up in. And have. More than once! Which is partially why I’m such a lover of rail-trails. It’s hard to get lost on a well-marked, reasonably straight trail with other people on it.
When it comes to being outdoors, I have no useful skills. And so, when I attended the Outdoor Media Summit in Missoula, Montana, in October of 2024, I was quietly terrified about the scavenger hunt listed on the agenda.
Lucie Patton, the events director for the Outdoor Media Summit, told me the scavenger hunt started as a way for event sponsors to showcase realistic use of their products and to foster networking through collaboration.
“When you’ve been sitting inside all day, an excuse to get out and explore the area is a nice way to break up the time,” she said. “You meet new people, and we get to highlight iconic destinations, like Missoula’s trails, while trying things that might not work indoors.”
In theory, I was all-in on a collaborative activity that got us out of conference rooms. But, look, if I was a bird trying to fly south, I would end up confused and shivering in Denali National Park. And, worse, I’m deeply competitive. This did not feel like an activity where I’d be showcasing my best self.
To my relief, the scavenger hunt was being predominantly held on the Milwaukee Trail, part of the country-spanning Great American Rail-Trail. Moving between stations along the trail, my team and I completed challenges including filtering river water using a variety of Sawyer filters (and learning about their incredible work in communities impacted by hurricanes), tossing throw bags for river safety and showcasing our outdoor cooking skills outside the Boone and Crockett Club headquarters, a beautifully renovated Milwaukee Road depot.
Being securely on the trail, where I was less likely to fall headfirst into a tree and be medically attended to by a squirrel, was confidence boosting. And while I aggressively suggest never getting into a situation in which you need to rely on me for a water rescue, I produce stunning pancakes. For reasons I can’t explain, I assumed dodging giardia would be tedious and was delighted by how easy filtering river water was.
Missoula is truly a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Most of my team had been there before the summit for hiking, paddling or camping. Getting to know more about them, and seeing firsthand how their experiences in the outdoors have bolstered their capabilities, inspired me to keep exploring—safely, on trails—after the summit concluded, finding gems like the Montana Natural History Center’s Nature Adventure Garden right along Ron’s River Trail.
Trails offer what I seek outdoors: adventure and respite, solitude and community, comfort and invigoration. They remind me that places and people contain multitudes, and I should adjust my perception of myself. No useful skills? Maybe not yet, but I’m confident I’ll be able to literally and metaphorically shift gears. Eventually.
Read more trail moments and share yours at railstotrails.org/trail-moments.
This article was originally published in the Winter 2025 issue of Rails to Trails magazine and has been reposted here in an extended format. Subscribe to read more articles about remarkable trails while also supporting our work.
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