Visit The Wild
I had a pretty stereotypical New England upbringing in a pretty stereotypical New England town. Most people’s definition of spending time outdoors involved a beach umbrella or a fishing rod. Hiking wasn’t something that people did or talked about, as far as I was aware.
I did, however discover a love of travel at a young age taking trips to Germany to visit my mother’s family. By my teenage years, I was hooked, and determined to get a cushy office job that would pay me to travel!
I also spent my summers at a classic YMCA summer camp, and spent my college years returning to the sea each summer to teach kids how to sail and windsurf. It was the closest thing we knew to paradise. Sleeping in wooden shells that were our cabins, making campfires every night, and learning to worship the precious afternoon winds on which we sailed, my dedication to the outdoors was born. When I discovered rock climbing, and later, the mountains at large, my fate was sealed. I never did get the cushy office job, but boy did I travel.
I discovered guiding in 2018 and finally had the opportunity to become a full time professional adventurer. An avid hiker and climber, I was hired to guide backpacking trips to Havasupai, a reservation hidden deep in the sedimentary wonders of the Grand Canyon.
Showing people the magic of a place that was so special to me, it gave me the same sense of fulfillment I got teaching kids to love the win. I realized this was the big picture for me. Guiding allows me to work in amazing places, surround myself with adventure partners, and take huge chunks of time off to pursue travel and adventure, things I had now learned to combine.
In the years since, I have tried to become a human swiss army knife! I get excited about bikes, skis, climbing rocks, running rivers, and pretty much anything else that takes place under an open sky. Some of my favorite places to play are the Colorado Plateau, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and of course the unmatcheable epic wilderness that is Alaska.
“Can’t swim if you don’t try!”
I’ve built my existence on a few simple principles. Spend time outside, do cool things with cool people, and eat delicious food while you do it. The rest has seemed to follow along pretty nicely.
My Hardest Day in the field happened on July 4th weekend one summer in the Sawtooths. It involved an unplanned bivy, a helicopter, and a whole lot of gauze. Look before you leap kids …
One of my favorite quotes since my teenage years is, “Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”
I think this perfectly describes my relationship to the outdoors. There is always more to see, more to do, and if you listen close, you just might learn something along the way.
My favorite thing to cook in the backcountry is my famous backcountry risotto.
Reserved for the down days or mellow trips, with a little love and a lot of time, you can make magic at a palatable weight.
You won’t be disappointed!
When I’m out rock climbing something tall and mellow. Adrenaline sports are fun, but nothing compares with the zen of going for scenic cruise on a sunny winter day in the desert.
Is definitely by packraft. I love a good walk, but taking the river back out? The best!
With bonus points for fun whitewater, the packraft has been my go to adventure toy for the last 2 years in New Zealand
