Kathy Calvert grew up in the Canadian Rockies. In 1974, she became one of the first female National Park wardens in Canada; in 1977 she was a member of the first all-women's expedition to Mount Logan and in 1989 was on the first all-women's ski traverse of the Columbia Mountains from the Bugaboos to Rogers Pass. She is the author of two books: Don Forest: Quest for the Summits (RMB 2003) and Guardians of the Peaks: Mountain Rescue in the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains (RMB 2006). She lives with her husband, Dale Portman, in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.