Who's that Gal: Kerry Uhlendorf, Owner and Designer at Sherpa Ant
Name: Kerry Uhlendorf
Occupation: Owner and designer at Sherpa Ant and contract graphic designer
Hometown: Hudson, NH
Current Location: Westford, MA
Currently reading: Depends where you are catching me…Waiting for something: Steel on Stone ebook. In my car: Stamped From the Beginning audiobook (or a Children’s audiobook). By my bedside: Me and White Supremacy and The Last Traverse.
Favorite quarantine activity: Exploring local trails
I never leave home without____: Everything. I look like a crazy lady when I leave the house. I have every article of clothing for both my girls for spontaneous winter walks, water bottles, strollers and packs, and always an endless supply of snacks.
Favorite music to dance to: Guilty pleasure pop of course
Favorite local hike: Right now my favorite is where I can easily get to with 2 kids by myself (or with my husband on the weekends). Westford has a really good trail system that we can walk to.
Tell us a little about your work? How did you get interested in illustration?
My work has really taken shape the past few years. I decided in high school I wanted to go to college for graphic design after learning calligraphy and taking one drawing class. After college (Fine Art major at URI) I worked for 10 years as a graphic designer: 5 years at RueLaLa then freelancing for 5 years between Zipcar, EF, and Converse, where I currently still occasionally contract.
When I was on my Appalachian Trail (AT) thru hike I dreamed of future endeavours, but it wasn't until 3 years later, after my Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru hike, that I really started Sherpa Ant. The business started with the “Color-in” White Mountains hiking trail map and has since grown to include greeting cards, apparel and other gift items.
So much of your work features Northeast mountains. What drew you to that subject?
The Northeast mountains are where I grew up in every way. During my childhood, my family camped and hiked all throughout the summer. I took trips with the outing club in high school and I started the AT at a very vulnerable, unsure time. I was probably more confused as to what life would bring after my AT hike than when I started, but during the end of the hike in the Northeast, I was more confident and sure that it would include art and nature.
Do you have a favorite piece you’ve created? Can you tell us about it?
My first and best-selling piece is still my favorite: the Color-in Hiking Trail map. I know it has endless possibilities and I plan on expanding a lot more into that this year.
Your store name is Sherpa Ant. How did you come up with that name? Does it have a deeper meaning?
I came up with the name during my AT thru hike. We were rambling on and Sherpa Ant just came out and I said “if I ever have my own business that is what I will call it.”
While the brand name may have originated from thru-hiking ramblings, the “Sherpa” name has a very deep, cultural meaning. A “Sherpa” is a member of the Himalayan people from Tibet and Nepal who are often known for their mountaineering skill. While Westerners have admired their way of life and skill in the mountains, they have also evolved the name and coined a term more broadly connecting the traditional Sherpa name to mean “someone who carries gear or guides others in the mountains.” As more people ask where the Sherpa Ant name came from, I like to make sure the history of the Sherpa culture is understood and respected.
What do you love about your job?
Everything. I love talking to people about hiking and climbing, I love being able to envision a piece and make it a reality, and I love the challenges of small business ownership. I have had some big wins and some big failures but it’s all part of the process.
What’s hardest about the work you do?
Putting work down and not letting things I can’t control affect me. Small businesses really work hard to make everything perfect so when it isn't we take it personally, even when it is something beyond our control.
What skill is most important for you to be successful? Why?
Design and illustration. The rest can be contracted or hired out if needed and hopefully will be one day, so I can concentrate on the parts that I love the most.
How has COVID-19 impacted the work you’re doing?
Everything stopped selling for a few months and I had to pivot sales channels a little (wholesale orders slowed down with store closures). Thankfully around summer sales picked up because hiking was one of the few activities still possible with COVID restrictions. Also, my childcare situation was a little tricky last year with COVID and a high risk pregnancy, so work was harder to schedule in with the toddler.
You’re not only an entrepreneur, but also a mom to two young children. How do you find balance in your life?
That’s always a tough one but, I try not to get too ahead of myself. I am actively trying to grow my business and come out with new products often, but also realize my girls are only going to be small and home with me for so long. We go on lots of “adventures” and that is where I do most of my brainstorming for new ideas. I try to wake up an hour before everyone and I get my full day’s work done in that hour, so then all the other pockets of time are a bonus. I have an office assistant, Shauna, who has 2-year old twins, and does most of my packaging and is starting to help with business planning. We have big plans for the business once our girls are off to school but for now, play comes first.
How do you prioritize getting outside? Why is spending time in nature so important to you?
Outside is a good reset for everyone. Some days my toddler wants nothing to do with going outside (I also have those days), but once we are out there, she lights up. This year I set a goal of at least 100 days outside, mostly to get us out on the days pajamas are just too comfy. We are 15/20 days so far and during one of the coldest months!
You’ve thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) AND the Pacific Crest Trails (PCT). Can you tell us a little about that? What inspired you to take on those challenges?
A few years after college I got it in my head that I was going to hike the AT even though I had no backpacking experience. I did a ton of gear research and a few friends and I set out on a test hike of Maine’s 100 Mile Wilderness, a very ambitious first backpacking trip with almost no bailout spots. But surprisingly, it went perfectly and I fell more in love with the idea. A few months later I was starting the approach trail in Georgia.
When I met my boyfriend, now husband, he shared that he always wanted to hike the AT but since I had already hiked it he suggested we do the PCT. I had no idea that was in my future, but was immediately on board. Thru hikers have a saying “the trail will ruin you,” meaning you will always long for another journey. I know the adage is true because we will be out on another long trail again!
Any favorite memories of these hikes you’d like to share?
The people you meet are amazing and you see so much good in the world. Between hikers encouraging each other to complete that final mile of the day to trail angels giving you a cold soda or a bed for the night everyone is so giving.
One of my favorite stories is when I got my trail name on the AT. It was the second night when everyone was unsure what the trail was going to do to them and it was cold! My nose was running and a hiker nicknamed Vita-C caught on and named me “Snot Rocket.” Of course, I said that would never be my name but there were just enough hikers at that camp to make it stick. I agreed to a shortened “S’Rocket.”
But my absolute favorite moment on trail was on the PCT in the Sierra Range. The day after summiting Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous US, we were planning to go over a 14,000 foot pass but thunderstorms were coming around 1pm so we had to hike fast, you don’t want to be that high and exposed during a thunderstorm. I woke early and tried to get my boyfriend out of the tent but he wasn’t budging. I angrily packed up saying we needed to move or we would get stuck in a dangerous situation. He was hiking so slow and driving me crazy so I powered on ahead. Shortly before the pass, after a strenuous uphill, we got to this beautiful opening with a lake and amazing view and were huffing and puffing from the elevation gain and thinning air. When my boyfriend caught up he looked around, then got down on one knee! Little did I know he was knotting a ring out of tent cord while hiking which is why he was going so slow. Of course I said yes, and since we were a few days out from cell service we enjoyed the moment all for ourselves for a while. We got our first picture as an engaged couple on top of the pass, right before the thunderstorm struck.
Is there anything you learned to appreciate while long-distance hiking that you try to remember in your day to day life?
Water is amazing and getting wet isn’t that big a deal (as long as you aren’t in winter conditions). Water can change your whole day. On the AT it rained 80% of the time and we just learned being wet didn’t have to make us miserable, although some days it still did. In the desert on the PCT, seeing water was like winning the lottery. At home, water is so readily available I forget showers, flushing and drinking without filtering is also amazing.
Also spoons don't get enough credit. At home I only use a spoon and that is a direct result of thru hiking.
How can JUGs readers support you and your work?
You can find me at sherpaant.com and a few local retailers listed on my site. I am also on Instagram (@sherpaant) and Facebook and would love a follow or share.
Any final advice/words of wisdom for other professional ladies?
Just start and be flexible. Don’t force anything you aren’t passionate about, that will become a slog.
Love reading about inspiring women?
Lindsay Gardner is an Instructional Designer living and working in Boston. You can follow her on Instagram @lindsaygardner09.
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