As a youngster growing up in small town Indiana, Karen Warrick learned to appreciate music while determinedly avoiding practicing the piano and flute. She participated with the Portland High Marching band and in musical theater productions in high school. When selected as the editor for her high school year book, Karen’s interest and focus turned to creative writing. After graduating from Ball State University with a degree in elementary education, Karen moved to Phoenix, Arizona and landed a kindergarten teaching job. She enjoyed many outdoor activities, including trips to the mountains to ski. Karen met Jim Warrick while skiing at Purgatory near Durango. They shared the love of skiing, travel and adventure and married in June, 1985. Karen eventually left teaching to help Jim run his own engineering business and to pursue a career writing books for children and classroom educational materials.
Karen and Jim often camped, hiked, and skied in Colorado. While climbing 14ers near Breck in 2010 to train for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, they discovered the wonders of summer in Summit County. With the purchase of a home in Breckenridge, they also discovered the NRO and fell in love with music in the mountains. After several years of splitting time between Prescott, AZ and Breckenridge, Karen and Jim moved to Colorado in 2022. Now summers are filled with NRO concerts, volunteering with the community link program, and the active outdoor activities offered by our new home.