If you meet her on a trail ā steady pace, Bernese Mountain Dog beside her ā you might assume Monique Reed grew up in the Sangres. But she didnāt. Her path to Westcliffe began far south, shaped by Texas work ethic and a lifelong dream of living closer to the land.
Monique spent nearly 20 years in banking across San AntoĀnio and Austin, raising her daughter while earning her bachĀelorās degree from St. Edwards University. Evening classes, full-time work, full-time motherhood ā she made it happen because her dream, even then, was simple: keep growing.
Her mother was born on a Wyoming ranch, and that legacy tugged at Monique for years. “I always felt the mounĀtain and agricultural life calling. Goats. A donkey. A small place of her own. Land and sky.
Colorado offered the chance.
A relationship brought her north ā she moved to ColoĀrado Springs in 2016 ā but when that chapter ended, she stayed. Not for love. For the mountains, and for herself.
The crossroads that changed everything
Before Colorado, Monique believed her career would remain in banking. She was moving toward management, completing leadership courses, and thriving.
Then came the moment that changed her life. A toxic boss. A targeted campaign. HR that didnāt intervene. āThat experience never left my mind,ā she said. āI realized I wanted to be the person I didnāt have ā someone who stands up for people who feel unheard.ā
Years later, working retail at Ace Hardware, opportunity knocked. Owner and VP Retail Sarah Handy interviewed her and asked which path she wanted: office manager or human resources. She didnāt hesitate. She chose human resources ā for the underdogs.
That decision led her from Ace to the county, where sheāll celebrate her one-year anniversary this December. And sheās not stopping: Monique is earning her master’s degree in human resources, positioning herself for future leadership and consulting roles.
A girl, a dog, and the courage to go anyway
After divorce, turning 50, navigating menopause, school, and work ā Monique refused to shrink her world. She downĀloaded hiking maps, packed her bag, grabbed Ripley, her BerĀnese Mountain Dog, and started walking the Wet Mountain Valley and Collegiate Peaks near Salida one trail at a time.
She met women along the way ā some confident, many nervous to hike alone. She learned about Trail Sisters of Buena Vista, CO, a safety-minded womenās hiking group, and began sharing her own adventures. Not as a brand. As encouragement.
āYou donāt have to wait for someone to go with you,ā she said. āYou can take precautions and still live your life.ā Her message ā to women facing reinvention, menopause, or small-town solitude ā is clear: youāre not alone, and the mountains are big enough for your healing, your courage, and your next chapter.
Her webpage group is now public, and it carries the same name as her journey, Just a Girl and Her Dog: https://m.faceĀbook.com/groups/1500865187756734/
Where sheās heading
Monique sees herself completing her masterās, continuĀing her HR career, and helping employees who need an advocate. āI believe in helping those who donāt feel safe speaking up,ā she said. āIf thereās a will, thereās a way.ā
And every week, somewhere along a trail in the Sangres or the Collegiate Peaks, a girl and her dog walk that message into the world.
ā KC Stark, Tribuneās Man on the Street
