All stories have a beginning, so we’d like to introduce you to the women behind the idea.
Since 2018, a group of women aged 60 and older has gathered for a Hurricane Island Outward Bound expedition along Maine's coast. With each year, this community grows to welcome new faces in search of adventure.
Working as an Expedition Leader on the 2022 trip, Co-Director Nicki Ripple was in her mid-30s and reflecting on the next chapters of her own life. Spending time with women who were pushing boundaries and exploring their own potential, Nicki came to realize the power of intergenerational role models. On that expedition was Peals Wrobel, a longtime friend and co-instructor of Nicki’s, who was a key part of that realization. With nearly 50 years of experience in the field, Peals has inspired Nicki and countless others throughout their careers. Alongside Peals was Dagny St. John, a former wilderness instructor who led the school's first all-girls course in 1973. Meeting Dagny on the trip set the idea for Beyond the Compass in motion.
As a former instructor and lifelong adventurer who navigated male-dominated environments with grace and determination, Dagny has spent her life challenging societal norms around aging and women’s capabilities. A true intellectual and physical powerhouse, she embodies a generation of women who refuse to be limited by age, instead choosing to continually explore, learn, and redefine possibilities. Her experiences with co-ed sailing expeditions, where she was often one of the few women, shaped her leadership philosophy: collaborative, curious, and rooted in the belief that individuals can achieve far more than they imagine.
Through countless group conversations about the evolving journey of womanhood, Dagny realized the strength and uniqueness shared in each woman's story. One day, she turned to Nicki and said, “You know what? We should really tell the story of us women.”
After the 2022 expedition, Nicki called her friend and filmmaker Lia-Lucine Cary, who she’d met during an outdoor educator training in 2016. Bonding over storytelling, a mutual respect for the Penobscot seas, and a shared sense of adventure, Lia’s response to Dagny’s vision was immediate: “I’m in.” Together, Nicki, Dagny, and Lia share the fundamental belief that age is just a number, and every woman has the potential to lead, explore, and redefine what’s possible. It's this shared vision and passion for empowering women that inspired the making of the film.
Finally, after two years of planning, Beyond the Compass was filmed over the course of 5 days in August 2024.
Behind the Scenes
Assembling the team for Beyond the Compass was a truly unique challenge. We needed people who weren’t just techinically skilled, but who could also create a safe, supportive environment where the women on the expedition could feel vulnerable and authentic.The team had to have exceptional expeditionary skills, capable of problem-solving in remote, off-the-grid conditions, and ready to work long hours—all pro bono. An easy sell, right?
To top it off, the preparation for filming was equally demanding. It involved countless hours of logistical coordination: prepping gear, organizing food pack-outs, arranging motor vessel and boat outfits, managing vehicle and boat transport, tracking weather patterns, waterproofing camera equipment, planning routes, lining up support staff, and last but not least, preparing for every possible “what-if.” For those of you familiar with the planning that goes into heading into the field, you know it’s no small feat. All of what had to be done was on top of all the usual expedition planning that comes during the days leading up to a major trip.
We’re happy to say that it worked out, and there’s one more thing that made it exceptionally special: all of our film crew, expedition staff, and support positions were filled by women (except for our Director of Photography, who we absolutely have to mention. Artur worked tirelessly, of course, but had to be taught by us women how to use a sleeping bag, identify the local creepy crawlies, and really embrace the expedition lifestyle).
Through it all, the Beyond the Compass team couldn’t have asked for a more qualified, hilarious, and compassionate group of people to capture this story.