Micah Ling

Micah Ling is a gear tester for GearJunkie and a freelance writer for several outdoor publications. She has been writing about hiking, trail running, cycling, mountain biking, and other outdoor adventures for more than 8 years. In addition to GearJunkie, Micah writes regularly for Bicycling Magazine and Outside Magazine. She is based in Salida, Colo., and spends as much time in the mountains as possible.

• Title: Contributing Writer
• Email: micahling007@gmail.com
• Location: Salida, Colo. 
• Social Media Links: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn
• Pronouns: She/Her

• Topics of Expertise: Mountain biking, gravel biking, trail running, hiking, fastpacking/backpacking, van camping, uphill skiing, climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, hiking, camping, trail running
• Years in This Expertise: 8+
• Number of Products & Number of Hours Expert Has Tested: 300+, 500+ hours

Education & Certificates

• Education: : MFA Creative writing, MA Literature
• Years of Writing: 20+
• Previous Publications: Trail Runner, GQ, Outside, Bicycling 

Experience

After teaching college and graduate school creative writing for over a decade, I decided to shift my focus to journalism and the outdoor industry. As a lifelong athlete, I figured I had some expertise in various areas of the outdoor space.

I started my writing career as a freelance writer for Runner’s World, and then expanded my publication list from there. Today I’m on contract with Bicycling Magazine, and have also written features for Esquire, GQ, Outside, Trail Runner, and Backpacker among others. I’ve also done content work for Strava, CamelBak, Tracksmith, and On Running. I really enjoy storytelling around outdoor adventure.

Career Highlights

• Last year I had the opportunity to travel to Nice, France to report on the Ironman World Championships with the Hoka team.
• I’ve traveled to Todos Santos, Baja Mexico, twice to report on mountain biking.
• I wrote a print feature for Esquire Magazine about a park ranger in Boulder, Colo., and how the job has changed over 20 years.
• I wrote a feature for GQ about Albert Yu-Min Lin’s experience recovering from injury.
• I’ve gear-tested jackets for Backpacker in some epic conditions in Colorado.