Originally from Salt Lake City, Elizabeth (Pika) grew up rafting the rivers of southern Utah and running wild in the redrock desert. She came to First Descents as a volunteer safety kayaker in Glacier, MT. in 2011, and has worked with the Lead Staff since 2016. In her non-FD life, Pika has worked for years as a river guide and whitewater kayak instructor both stateside and abroad, and now strives to balance a continued guiding career with forays into conservation nonprofit work and environmental advocacy. After roaming the western U.S. for years, she landed in Missoula, MT. for graduate school in 2019, and currently calls that stunning corner of the country her home.