Who We Are

Welcome to Colorado Hikes and Hops! We are Tanya and Melody, two Colorado moms who love the great outdoors. We are thrilled to share our adventuring on hiking trails, favorite brews and spots, and gear recommendations with you. 

Melody grew up in Africa, tackling mountain climbing in East Africa—including Mt. Kilimanjaro—before she turned 18. Over the past 26 years, she has hiked many of Colorado’s 14ers, completed the Pikes Peak Ascent race, run a few marathons, and explored nearly every national forest in the state. As a guide with Hike for Life, a Colorado Springs-based hiking service, she’s passionate about helping others connect with the beauty of Colorado’s trails. Whether leading beginners or sharing local history, she makes the outdoors fun and accessible. Pre-pandemic, she led trips around the world, combining her love of travel with connecting across cultures. A certified 200-hour Yoga Alliance teacher, you might even spot her flowing on the trails.

Tanya grew up in Missouri where her love for the outdoors grew with family camping and Young Life experiences. In their second year of marriage, she and her husband backpacked across Europe, then promptly moved to Germany for six years. Their family grew as they led groups of teenagers to ski the Alps, hop trains and jump cliffs off the coast of Italy, and build school playgrounds in the Czech Republic, all while pointing them to Jesus. Fast forward to 2016, after a decade back in Kansas City and many Colorado backpacking adventures with YL teens, Tanya’s fam moved to Colorado Springs and met Melody’s fam via their two oldest. Thanks Caroline and Jackson!

We, Tanya and Melody, became fast friends as moms of tweens and teens with a shared passion for hiking in Colorado, topped off with a cold one. We adventure with our husbands and kids every chance we get.

We love to pick a new hiking trail and brew to try.  We talk about our favorite gear, our parenting challenges, and the joys of living in the most beautiful place on earth.  We look forward to sharing with you what we’ve learned.

Grab your hiking gear, go solo or find a hiking buddy, and join us for a hike and a brew.