Tatyana Schmid
Tatyana Schmid
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tatyana was a Backroad Trip Leader for five years, spending most of her time leading Backroads trips south of the US border, from Panama to Costa Rica, Patagonia to Peru. She studied photography and Spanish at Bennington College in Vermont, spent one year living and working in Chile, and soon after graduating fell into her job with Backroads, becoming the Trip Expert for our Chile's Lakes & Volcanoes District Bike Tour. Sadly, Tatyana passed away in 2018, leaving behind a legacy of love and compassion for those she encountered in her many endeavors and adventures around the world. She was a self-described “lover of adventure, anything involving bikes, mountains, surfing, diving and, of course, delicious food, beer and wine.” She was perhaps best known in the Backroads world for her beautiful singing voice and her ever-present musical talents at Backroads gatherings, particularly as she played ukulele in various bands with other Backroads leaders around the Bay Area. Tatyana was a bright light that will forever be missed.

Articles Written

Backroads Hiker on Dock at lake in Chile

Finding Backroads in Chile

I’m often asked how I found my job leading Backroads trips… Fate. Magic. Luck… Well, perhaps a combination of those things. It’s a unique story that involves a photography exposition, a small community in northern Chile and two random backpackers high in the Chilean mountains. And it’s a story that put me on a path to helping develop a brand new Backroads trip for this coming December in a corner of South American that is easily one of my favorite places in the world.

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