#NatureWritingChallenge: How my public lands experience changed in the last 15 years

Well for starters, 15yrs ago I actually lived on public land. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest land, just off the northeast edge of Mount Rainier National Park at Crystal Mountain. At the time I didn’t see myself ever living anywhere else. I pretty much lived for skiing and snowboarding in the winters, hiking and backpacking in the summers. The options for those activities are endless up there.

It was there that I met my wife, I won’t even attempt to put into words how cool it is that’s where it started for us. Shortly after we had kids. It was a harsh reality that raising children up there just wasn’t practical. Being so far from stores and doctors and family willing to help made the move back to being “flat landers” unavoidable.

I was no longer living in the mountains. It was hard for me. I actually battled with a bit a depression over the move. At first I just wrote off my love for mountains. Just telling myself I couldn’t do that stuff anymore. To just forget about that life because thinking about it will only make you more depressed. So I spent quite a few years not visiting the mountains.

None of this is to discount the joy and fulfillment of having children. But after a couple years I realized a void was still there. I needed to get back. I needed to start integrating these two sides of my life.

We started car camping a lot and doing short day hikes. That turned into longer hikes and then backpacking trips. As a family, these are possibly my most cherished memories. For the last five years I’d guess my children have spent just as many nights in a tent in the summer as they do in their own beds. We really do hashtag get outside.

The other aspect that has changed is the internet’s influence. This incredible outdoor community of individuals that have found each other over the years. We share a common passion for these places. We get outside as often as possible and when we can’t, we’re tweeting or blogging about it, leaving trip reports and sharing concerns. I have learned so so much from all of you. Even the concept of public lands has a whole new meaning for me thanks to so many of you.

A pretty big health scare years ago had me flashing back through my life. Majority of all the moments that stood out, the things I’m glad I did, were outside. That hit me hard. They were all outside. I told myself that I’m gonna keep making memories like that as long as I possibly can.

I’ve now learned to balance my time better. I work hard so I can play hard. I don’t pass up any opportunity to get out there. Any chance I get to visit the mountains, I’m going. And my love for public lands is no longer just a selfish obsession but something to share with my family. There’s also time to share it with my friends and even still time for myself.

In 15 years a lot has changed, but in summary I’ll say this: I left the mountains, but have found a way back.