Today we’d like to introduce you to Elisabeth Barton

Hi Elisabeth, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

When I was just a toddler—no, I’m totally kidding. Now that I’m nearing 45, I feel like I’ve lived five different lives, and I have no idea where to start when someone asks me this question. So, maybe I’ll start with the things that have been constant through all those incarnations of myself:

I’ve always been loud, super talkative, opinionated, adventurous, and a little righteous (but I’m working on that last one). I’ve always had a strong ethical center and a lot of determination and grit—both under my fingernails and in my spirit.

These traits left me feeling pretty isolated in most work settings, where I never seemed to succeed the way I thought I should. There was always an alienated boss or a dejected coworker giving me grief about how I could and should be different. I spent a lot of time fretting over how “obnoxious” I was. It wasn’t until I started Echo Adventures and Aspen Outdoor Management Services that I finally found my stride and felt sufficiently challenged and fulfilled every day.

I didn’t actually begin to full appreciate these characteristics until a few years ago. I was at a seminar as part of my MBA program, where they interviewed three different entrepreneurs. Each one of them kept getting excited and leaving their seat during the interview, cussing, talking with their hands, and making wildly hyperbolic statements about the world around them. I just sat there, mouth agape, almost in tears. I had finally seen myself in another person, I had met my people! Seriously, I had spent years thinking I was broken, and eventually just accepting that I was different. But here were these men, acting and speaking and moving just like I do. It seems silly in hindsight, but it was an amazing moment that allowed me to finally embrace my own brand of insanity.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Yeah, absolutely, as already I explained, I’m a total hot mess! But in all honesty, I’ll argue that struggle is a precondition to growth.

I’ve never had it easy, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I never let it get to me. When things got tough, I’d just leave the situation and move to Portland, hike the Appalachian Trail, disappear into remote Alaska, or go back to college.

In 2015, I was in a weird place in my life and felt a bit lost, so I decided to go back to school to become a Physician Assistant. Later that year, my sister died of a drug overdose, and I completely lost myself. It’s hard to explain, but I couldn’t run, hide, learn, or adventure my way out of feeling like shit. So I dropped out of school and went back to the only place I’d ever felt comfortable: Yosemite.

I crashed at a friend’s house, worked for a few outfitters, and just tried not to die. Eventually, little bits of me started to come back online, and I was back to solving the world’s problems and pissing off my employers. But something had changed—there was more motivation, more courage behind my words.

Late in 2016, a few friends from the outdoor industry were sitting around my apartment, bitching about low wages, poor housing, long hours—the usual. And I said, “Guys, we could fix this! We could start our own guide service and do it right.” So we did! With 4,000 bucks and my desperate need to think about anything other than my sister, we dove in and started Echo Adventure Cooperative.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?

Ahem.. I feel like I have to get a little more serious and professional for this question.

So, Echo Adventure Cooperative is a worker-owned cooperative offering socially and environmentally sustainable guided adventures, vacation packages, and travel experiences in Yosemite National Park and throughout the Sierra. Founded in 2016, Echo was built on the principle of prioritizing quality guest experiences, member empowerment, environmental sustainability, and community development over profits.

We operate as a collective board worker cooperative, meaning every member has an equal say—a single seat and a single vote on the Board of Directors, regardless of how long they’ve been with us or how much they work. We also reserve one seat for a member of the Employee Advisory Committee (EAC), which represents employees who aren’t yet co-op members. This model puts the company’s decisions in the hands of frontline employees and administrators. You know those water cooler conversations about the boss? They happen in the boardroom now and it’s magical!

Beyond ending the exploitation of employees, we’re committed to addressing the broader issues we see across the recreation and tourism industry. We operate under four guiding principles: Guests, Environment, Team, and Community. Every decision we make as an organization has to consider its impact on these groups before it’s voted in.

A great example of this in action is our Adaptive Tours. We had a popular trip to Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point—a lot of driving, which guests loved, but guides grew to hate. At a Board meeting, someone suggested limiting that trip to once or twice a week. But as we walked through our pillars, we realized this tour was the closest thing we had to an accessible adventure. By the end of the meeting, we’d revamped the tour to involve little to no walking, lowered the price, and added a similar tour into the high country. We ended up doing the complete opposite of what we’d intended, but in the process, we increased access for an entire group of underserved adventurers.

What makes you happy?

In all honesty, I’m a pretty happy person in general. Maybe I was born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline, but most likely, it’s because I externalize everything before it can get me down!

Actually, I have a lot to be happy about! Echo did as much in sales last month as it did in its entire first year of business! What?! My other company, Aspen Outdoor Management Services, is finally seeing gains and is looking for investors in the Yosemite Basecamp, a micro-resort with lodging and an outdoor shop. I got married in 2022, and I just graduated with my MBA this spring. I mean, come on!

But honestly, all of these ventures are about something bigger than money. They are about sustainability, they about equity and access, they are about doing no harm. That’s what truly makes me happy. I’m learning to be good at doing good, and I’m able to give more than I take. That feels amazing!

Pricing:

• Private Tours start at 850.00 for up to 6 people
• Adaptive tours ranges between 150.00-180.00
• Guide hikes ranges between 150.00-220.00
• Backpacking is 300.00 per person per day.
• Fly Fishing ranges between 180.00 – 515.00

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.echocoop.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/echocooperative
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EchoCoOp/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@echocoop
• Other: https://www.yosemitebasecamp.com

Image Credits

These are all from Echo Adventure Cooperative Member-Guide Bryant Burnette