An inspiring ride at Barr: Two decades of growth and grit

April 3, 2025

In March 2023, Leah Gruhn was the first, and only, woman to finish the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational bike race in Alaska’s frigid winter. And last year, she was back for more, crossing the finish line as one of only two women to complete the race on bike.

In her two decades at Barr, Leah Gruhn has experienced firsthand what many say sets Barr apart: a flexible culture that encourages employees to follow their passions, both in and out of the workplace. For Leah, one of those passions is biking, a hobby she’s nurtured alongside her career at Barr. Here, we look back on Leah’s 20 years at Barr and how biking has shaped her approach to both work and life.

Charting her course

Like many university students, Leah’s career ambitions evolved as her education progressed. As a geology student at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities and Duluth), Leah took on a teaching assistant role and discovered her enthusiasm for working with her fellow students. This prompted her to pursue a teaching license after graduating with her Masters in geology.

“I loved the project and project team and was able to apply for a permanent position to stay on at Barr.”

While applying for teaching jobs in the Duluth area, Leah came across a job at Barr as a temporary project assistant for a large interdisciplinary Superfund investigation and remediation project in Michigan. “I loved the project and project team and was able to apply for a permanent position to stay on at Barr,” Leah recollects.

A few years later, she became the health and safety coordinator in the Duluth office, providing safety training to staff. “I loved being able to use my teaching background and apply that to conducting trainings and leading meetings,” remembers Leah. “My teaching experience helped me feel comfortable with public speaking.”

Shifting gears

Today, Leah’s workweek is split between two roles: serving as office coordinator for the Duluth office and working with clients on pipeline permitting and compliance projects. She’s found the most fulfilling projects are those that are large, complex, and multidisciplinary.

“For example, one project involved helping a pipeline client with environmental permitting and compliance for small maintenance projects. Our large, multidiscipline team worked on everything from environmental permitting and compliance to wetland ecology and protected species,” Leah explains.

More recently, Leah worked on a pipeline replacement and decommissioning project. “These projects are also fun, because it’s a big project that involves a lot of field work and many moving parts,” she recalls.

Pedaling with passion

Just five years after joining Barr, Leah discovered another passion that involves moving parts: bicycling. And Leah is no casual rider. After completing her first bike race in 2010, a 100-miler on Minnesota’s North Shore (Heck of the North), Leah was hooked and has since raced in over 50 bike races across the U.S. and Canada.

“The whole thing was brutally hard and took every last bit of willpower I could muster, plus the support and love from many.”

One such race, the Tour Divide, runs 2,700 miles from Banff, Alberta, and follows the Continental Divide south all the way to the Mexican border. “In 2017, I raced with my husband, Jeré Mohr, who also works at Barr,” says Leah. “We went up and over mountain passes and carried all our camping gear for a month.”

In March 2023, Leah, alongside her husband, completed her first Iditarod Trail Invitational, a 1,000-mile bike race in Alaska’s frigid winter on the famed Iditarod Trail. She was the first, and only, woman to finish the race on her fatbike. And last winter, she was back for more: “I finally made it to Nome!” Leah posted on social media. “There were about 100 times when I didn’t think that was going to happen throughout the trip, and especially in these past few days in the wet winter storm. The whole thing was brutally hard and took every last bit of willpower I could muster, plus the support and love from MANY.”

Juggling it all

These bike races require dedicated time away from work, often for weeks at a time. And, leading up to a race, Leah dedicates many hours to training, packing, and getting her bike in tip-top shape. How does she juggle it all?

“The key is planning,” says Leah. “I plan a lot of my personal things around work. For example, when I was in Alaska the last two winters, that’s typically a slow time for me at work since we’re not yet ramping up into heavy planning for summer field work and winter reporting is complete. I’ve found that’s a good time for me to disappear off the grid.”

Barr’s collaborative, team-oriented culture also makes this time away possible. “I have a supportive team of people who are plugged in and understand my project load,” says Leah. “I feel extremely grateful to my colleagues who are willing to step in when I’m away.”

Building bonds through biking

Barr’s company-wide alternative commuting program encourages employees to bike—or walk, use public transit, or carpool—to work. Leah’s passion for biking was instrumental in Barr’s Duluth office earning the Gold Bicycle Friendly Business award from the League of American Bicyclists in 2014, 2018, and 2022, an honor awarded every four years.

“Biking helps people network outside of the office and break down interpersonal barriers.”

“Biking helps people network outside of the office and break down interpersonal barriers,” explains Leah. “It creates a sense of shared interest and belonging, and helps people get to know one another. Plus, it’s a fun and healthy outlet.”

Leah also shares her passion for biking as a volunteer coach at Duluth DEVO, a local mountain biking team for high school students.

Interested in joining the Barr team? Check out our open positions.

About Leah Gruhn

Leah Gruhn, senior geologist and office coordinator, has more than a decade of experience providing fieldwork and logistical support for environmental investigation, remediation, and permitting projects. Her project work has included performing environmental review, permitting, and field compliance for pipeline maintenance projects, as well as investigation and remediation of contaminated sites.

Image gallery (below)

Leah and her husband, Jeré, race in the Tour Divide, a 2,700-mile race that starts in Banff, Alberta, and runs south along the Continental Divide all the way to the Mexican border.
Before the race kicks off, Leah and Jeré take some time to explore and enjoy the scenic Bow River in Banff.
Making a pitstop at the Grand Teton mountains, Leah and her husband continue on their month-long Tour Divide adventure.
Braving the Alaskan winter, Leah was the first, and only, woman to finish the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational bike race in 2023.
Leah captures the race on camera while trying not to freeze!
Despite the cold, Leah tests her endurance again in the 2024 Iditarod Trail Invitational.
While on the trail, Leah got to experience firsthand the beauty of Alaska.
Reaching her final destination in Nome in western Alaska, Leah rejoices after spending the last few days in a wet winter storm.
Leah paddles with her Barr teammates in the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival, a 400-meter race benefiting charitable organizations in the Twin Ports.