Trail Cookie owner Desi McGee is merging her love of baking and the great outdoors, by creating decadent cookies made to be savored on the trail.
Desi is a veteran and takes pride in the fact that Trail Cookie is a veteran-owned business. The values of the Army resonate deeply with her—selfless service and integrity. Desi believes in supporting her neighbors and wants to contribute to the growth and vitality of the Grand Valley, where she was raised. “Good views and a good cookie, it’s bliss,” she says.
Desi’s passion for baking was fostered in the many days spent in her Nana’s kitchen. Some of her earliest memories are of sitting on her grandma’s countertop next to a classic white KitchenAid mixer. A holiday or special occasion wasn’t necessary. It was a way of spending time together—time they would both come to cherish. It was time that would bond and inspire. “If I wasn’t baking with Nana, I was outside. The mountains, mesas, and desert canyons of western Colorado were my playground,” she said.
That time in Nana’s kitchen served her well. It helped her succeed as a cook in the Army and now creating Trail Cookies.
She knew the joy of the outdoors needed to be shared. Desi believes that no matter the adventure, hard work deserves reward. “We live in an outdoor mecca on the Western Slope of Colorado, where pushing our limits in the wilderness is culturally understood,” she said. “Conquering challenging terrain or immersing ourselves in the natural landscape gives us the opportunity to embrace the great unknown. What better way to compliment an adventure than indulging in a treat on the trail?”
Desi has spent many a day on the trail herself. It’s hard – maybe impossible – to name an outdoor activity that doesn’t appeal to her. “I love hiking, camping, mountain biking, skiing, paddle boarding. If it’s in the sun I love it. I wish I had a budget and enough time to try it all. Backcountry overnight trips are my favorite,” she said.
Desi started Trail Cookie in her home kitchen, but quickly outgrew a one-oven operation. Moving her business to the Business Incubator Center’s commercial kitchen gave Trail Cookie a place to churn out hundreds more Big and Lil’ Hunks each week. The commercial kitchen program allowed her to obtain the wholesale food License necessary to expand into stores, where increased visibility is growing her business and revenue. More cookies means more opportunities to share the joy. Trail Cookie is now available at 15 locations across Colorado. The full list of stores they’re available in is on the website: https://trailcookie.com/pages/cookie-locations.
Trail Cookie offers custom boxes and local pickup. The menu’s classic Forever Flavors include “Nana’s Oatmeal” with the Monthly Flavors bringing a revolving variety of specialty cookies, like Strawberry Milkshake and Salted Nutella Truffle. Whether you go big with the six-ounce Big Hunk or the two-ounce Lil’ Hunkies, you’re going to bite into a divinely delicious cookie, baked to buttery perfection. There’s no wrong choice at Trail Cookie.