Born on the Oregon coast, Todd Pederson grew up mostly in central Oregon, attending Central Oregon Community College and Oregon State University, where he earned a degree in natural resources with a specialty in hydrology. During college, Todd started fighting wildland fires as a summer job, which allowed him to work outdoors, see remote places all over the west, and pay for college. After graduation, he continued working as a firefighter, skiing and traveling in the off-season, and setting up his home base in McCall, Idaho, near the Weiser River and other rail-trail projects. Todd has traveled to all seven continents and met his partner Nora about as far from Oregon as one can get. Nora convinced Todd to move to her home in Wallowa county, where her family homesteaded five generations ago. Todd and Nora now live in the City of Wallowa with their two young children. Todd is excited about having a trail-with-rail near his home again, especially after seeing how beneficial these types of trails are for local residents in other places he has lived and traveled.