Wild Rye

Cassie Abel spent years working in the outdoor industry — managing global communications for Smith Optics — and kept running into the same problem every time she got dressed to ride, ski, or hike. The options for women were either shrink-it-and-pink-it versions of men's gear or generic athleisure that fell apart on a real mountain. In 2016, she launched Wild Rye to build what the industry wouldn't.

The company started with Abel and a co-founder working from separate mountain towns. By late 2018, Abel took over as sole proprietor and relocated everything to Sun Valley, Idaho — Ketchum, specifically — where she tests every piece in the Sawtooths, Boulders, and Smoky Mountains surrounding town. The design philosophy is straightforward: technical outdoor apparel made for women who actually use it hard, in colors and fits that don't feel like an afterthought.

Wild Rye's line covers mountain biking, skiing, hiking, and trail running. The pieces are designed for specific activities with specific needs — articulated knees for pedaling, powder skirts that work, venting that hits the right spots on a climb. Production has doubled every year since launch, but the team stays small. Eight full-time employees as of recent count. Abel was named a 2022 Tory Burch Fellow for her work building the company.

What keeps Wild Rye independent is intention. Abel has spoken openly about choosing growth at a pace that doesn't require outside capital or compromise on quality. The brand collaborates with like-minded small companies — Skida in Vermont for headwear, Title Nine for retail — rather than chasing wholesale volume through big-box retailers. Every piece is rigorously field-tested in Idaho's backcountry before it ships.

The company donates to trail-building organizations and women's outdoor education programs. But the real contribution is the product itself: proving that women's outdoor apparel can be technical, beautiful, and built by a team that actually lives the life.

Products

• Mountain biking shorts, jerseys, and pants
• Ski and snowboard layers and outerwear
• Hiking pants and shirts
• Trail running apparel
• Base layers and mid-layers
• Collaborative accessories (with Skida, others)

Why We List Them

• Woman-owned sole proprietorship since 2018
• Designed and tested in Sun Valley, Idaho
• No outside investors or corporate ownership
• Small team, intentional growth model
• Technical performance apparel, not athleisure
• Collaborates with other independent brands