Forest Park

Hikes in the Gorge with my dad are one of my earliest and most vibrant memories.  I think spending time in nature, virtually untouched by man, I have always been in awe.  I went through my first backpacking experience when I was 17 in the central Oregon desert.  It was 2007 and I didn't bring a camera.  But I spent eight weeks outside, learned how to build a bow drill set, set up shelter, and live in the wilderness.  Then in 2010 I went on another three month backpacking trip.  I brought a camera, but it broke the second day. I climbed mountains in Colorado, canyoneered in Utah, rock climbed in Joshua Tree, and climbed a 19,000ft mountain in Ecuador.  I was going to work for Outward Bound.  But then my accident happened.  And I went through two years of recovery and therapy.  And then I married my soul mate.  And three months later we were pregnant.

It's wild how life can change in an instant.  Our experiences and values are in constant evolution.  Every second is a learning opportunity, our choices steer our direction.  But it feels like life moves in such fluctuating speeds and sometimes we feel a lack of control.

I remember climbing my first 14er in Colorado.  When we reached 13,000 feet, my vision started getting a little fuzzy. I was losing my balance.  Telling my friend I was getting dizzy, he suggested I practice my rest step.  This is a pace in which you focus on breathing and relaxing your muscles between steps. We know our breath is vital for life. But because it can be so involuntary, sometimes we forget to pace or even acknowledge our breath.  So I steadied my breathing, rested, between steps, and watched my pace.  And when I got to the top of that peak, I could see dozens of shorter snow covered mountains in the distance and felt the deepest sense of power and humility.

Life is mostly an uphill traverse.  Whether we're climbing a rock wall or a corporate ladder, we always seem to be seeking some type of summit.  But in my dash to the top, I sometimes forget the journey is probably more important than the destination.  Flying to the top of a 20,000 ft mountain is not the same as using my own body strength to get there.

So in this giant shuffle of time and space I want to keep my intentions in mind and in line.  Hiking has always been one of my biggest passions in life.  Of course my family and other obligations are top priorities.  But I want hiking and spending time in unadulterated nature to be a priority too.  

On this Memorial Day I am truly grateful for my country, and more specifically this state and every contributor to it all.  We can say what we want, wear what we want, and be where and who we want.  Amalee has the happiest squeal when she is free to run on a trail surrounded by lush forest.   And when she falls, she laughs and stands back up.  She isn't afraid to go off trail and rummage through the ferns.  But always finds her way back to us.  She can hike two miles at two years old and I have never been more proud and thankful in my life.  Thank you to every soul out there who has contributed to freedom in all its forms.