What do exploding soda bottles, thru-hiking the stunningly beautiful 500-mile Colorado Trail, and ancient Native American curses all have in common? CHEMISTRY! As a chemistry educator, Ryan Johnson has encountered many people who have "chemistry PTSD", due to negative experiences in the classroom. Through experiential education, mountains, and some twists on chemistry experimentation, he believes he has the answer to fighting the STEM stigma in the Colorado outdoors. Ryan Johnson is a high school and college chemistry educator from Manitou Springs, CO. He has served as the Board President of the Colorado Association of Science Teachers, spoke and presented research at many chemistry education conferences, and has published research in chemical modeling and engaging students with unique and fun approaches to chemistry. When he’s not sharing his passion for chemistry in the classroom with his students, he can often be found running or hiking the mountain trails near his house with his dog, Kuiper, or rock climbing at some of his favorite crags nearby. His happiest places are backpacking in the beautiful Colorado wilderness with his daughter Fiona, and watching the sunset over Pikes Peak from his porch swing. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx