I am so happy you’re here!

My name is Cate and I’m the voice behind Cates Compass (surprising I know). I grew up in the small town of Hudson, Wisconsin until I headed off to college in 2012. I got my BA degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota in 2016, and worked as a consultant for 6 years.

My husband went to medical school in 2018 so we moved to North Dakota. This forced me to explore new hobbies to stave off the boredom, so I picked up my first professional camera in early 2019. Little did I know that this would become a huge part of my journey!

In 2021, we moved to South Carolina for my husband’s residency and I started exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian Trail. I already loved hiking and backpacking and was so excited to explore a new area of the United States.

Four years later and countless miles under my belt, I’ve explored most of Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. We’ve been on numerous international bucket list hikes/treks and have a massive list of hikes that we want to complete before we die. I write about all of these epic adventures on Cates Compass and love sharing my insight with readers!