In the beginning...

I have always loved the outdoors.  When I was young I enjoyed imagining I was lost in the woods across the street from my house, building forts in the sticker bushes, running through the grass that was taller than me and constructing routes throughout, as well as the occasional dirt meal - which unfortunately actually occurred.  As I grew older my adventures turned to scout camp and learning how to survive in the wilderness in a safe and controlled area.  This also included many family vacations that involved camping because it was a lot cheaper than hotel rooms for a month at a time.  Trips included Yosemite, Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, and the Tetons.  As I grew even more the safe and controlled environments of scout camp turned to wilderness in the mountains of Montana with mountain lions and the possible bear sighting, and a canoe trip across Detroit Lake in Oregon without our gear for an overnight spiritual experience.

As an adult the adventures slowed down, but have started picking up again.  In 2009 I went on my first backpacking trip in a long time in June leaving my wife and 2 sons (2 and 2 months) at home.  It rekindled my outdoor living spirit, and I would like to pass that on to my children (now including a little daughter as well).  Since then I have gone on at least one backpacking trip a year with several hiking trips throughout.  The last backpacking trip I went on was September 13-15 in the Wallowas in Eastern Oregon.  That is where the picture is from at the top of this blog.

All of my backpacking trips, excluding the horseback trip in Montana, have been in Oregon.  As a matter of fact, most of my hiking trips have been in Oregon.  That makes sense since I lived in Oregon for over 30 years.  I recently moved to Moscow, ID, and am trying to learn about the outdoor adventures available over here.

In 2011 I started keeping a hiking log to help me remember these trips.  "These trips" include hiking and backpacking adventures.  My intention with this blog is to write about my outdoor adventures - past, present and future.  Please feel free to leave your thoughts, advice, and experiences.

South Falls, Silver Creek Falls Oregon, July 2013