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Ruby Crest Trail Finale

Most of the folks hiking the Ruby Crest trail that we had met were planning on spending an extra day in one place or another.  As the night gave way to the morning sunlight, we started to pack up.  There was no real sense of urgency like the day before.  This would be a shorter day and probably the most picturesque.  The thought of seeing the boys again was all it took to have a little pep in our step. We had only spent two full days away from them; however it was the first time that we had both been away from them for any extended time. It took little time to load up our camp.  Down the trail once more we headed.  The thoughts of hugs from 2 little boys and steak sandwiches were filling our minds. 

We made our way out of the valley that North Furlong sits in.  The quiet morning and the rugged landscape seemed to call us to stay and take it all in.  Brandi and I spent some time enjoying the beauty.  We pushed on down the trail, stopping to take in the sights from time to time.  The landscape on this end of the trail provides a great contrast between the barren cliffs and the lush green forage in the valleys.  Both of which were contrasted by the blue of the high mountain lakes.  We continued past Farve Lake and started to climb once more.  We continued the climb to Liberty Lake.  We spent some time enjoying Liberty Lake and refilling our water before making the push up and over Liberty Pass. Over the past 3 days, we had run into only 3 groups and a lone runner.  For the most part, the time on the trail had been just my wife and I with an occasional interaction with someone else. From our stop at Liberty Lake on, that was no longer the case.  As we started to climb our way up to Liberty pass, we ran into numerous groups of people.   Each and every one of the groups was out on their own adventure.  Many of them were families enjoying the time together outdoors.  Ironically, that was the part of the day that slowed us down the most.  We stopped and visited with many neat people on our way up. 

Reaching the top looking out over Liberty Lake was a cool sight.   Ending the trip on this side of the Ruby Crest Trail was the right choice.  The beauty on this end of the trail was worth every step.  We took a few minutes and looked out over the vast landscape before topping over into Lamoille Canyon. We were in the home stretch now.  We worked our way down the mountain. The closer that we got to Lamoille Lake, the more and more folks we ran into.  We visited with fewer people on this side of the mountain.  Each one that we did visit with was planning their Ruby Crest Trail adventure.  We continued our way down to the parking area that we had planned our pick up from my Mom and Dad with our two sons. The closer that we got to

The reward at the end of the trail.

the turnaround, I noticed their car making its way up the road.  The timing could not have been better. We were hitting the end of the trail as two little boys came running to greet us.  Their little hugs felt like an Olympic medal around my neck.  We piled our gear, including the small apartment on my back, into their Explorer and made our way down to the picnic area to enjoy the lunch that they had brought us. While this was the first time on the entire trip I saw my wife actually have an appetite, I knew that there was no way that Jimmy Johns was going to replace the Star’s steak sandwich that we had both been dreaming of.  We spent the rest of the day playing with the boys at Grandma and Papa’s house.  While they had a great time with their grandparents, they definitely wanted to catch us up on all of the adventures that they had.  I think Grandma and Papa probably needed a rest as well!  After an afternoon of playing with the kids and a night of sleeping in an actual bed, there was only one part of the trip left undone.  I had promised my wife a steak sandwich at the end of this journey, so we headed with the whole family to the Star.  While it was not a little umbrella drink sitting in the sand down in Cabo, the steak sandwich smothered in garlic and a side of fries was signified a Nevada vacation. The look on my wife’s face when she bit into that steak sandwich told me that the vacation was a success.

 

Daddy time with my little buddies.

Daddy time with my little buddies.

Ruby Crest Trail Day 3

It didn’t take long for Brandi to fall asleep.  As tired as I was, my mind just could not shutdown. My mind was racing thinking about everything from the day that we had, the day that was to come, to work, family, and projects that I needed to get done. It always seems to be that way. The mountains haveFullSizeRender (4) always tended to recharge my soul and clear my mind. I knew that we would have to be up early to make the 13+ miles we were hiking and do it at a decent time while still taking in the trek.  As I started to drift off to sleep, I could hear hooves moving up the trail.  As the sound drew closer, I thought I must be dreaming.  The voice in the distance sounded like an old friend and college roommate. I opened my eyes trying to decide if it was a dream. I realized it wasn’t when I heard him talking about the tent.  My wife had apparently moved the tent from where I had set it up while I was fishing.  Now we were closer to the trail than I would have placed us, but it was a more level spot. I started to laugh, deciding to let Mitch ride by knowing that he must be camped at the far end of the lake and just going up to check the pass. The next morning came fast.  We started to break camp and pack up.  Unlike yesterday, there was no Mountain House breakfast.  As my wife went on to explain it later, her body typically goes into “survival mode” as she puts it.  She does not feel hungry or a need to eat. I started to see this the previous day with trail mix for lunch. Picture a small economical Prius travelling with a big old pickup truck that watched the gas gauge drop every time the gas pedal gets pushed.  On this trip, that would accurately describe Brandi and I.  The down side for the old pick up was that the Prius was planning the fuel stops.  In my thought process, I decided to make sure we had all of the gear on my pack and I left her in charge of the food so she would have what she wanted to eat; making the trip more enjoyable for her. Luckily I had thrown in some meal replacement shake mix in my pack.

We made our way down the trail and around the small alpine lake.  As we came to the old cabin at Overland Lake, we met a group of ladies packing up their camp to proceed down the trail on their adventure. We exchanged pleasantries and moved on to the horse camp at the end of the lake.  Sleeping bags filled with bodies were scattered around the camp as three men were setting to the task of making breakfast and coffee.  As the trail turned away I walked into their camp as I was greeted with a polite hello from Mitch. I laughed and greeted him by name to his surprise. We laughed and visited foIMG_2417r a bit.  I was as surprised at seeing him as he was seeing me.  Typically this time of year would find him in the hay field working, but this large group had booked him for a pack trip. He had packed them in with 22 horses and mules complete with all the fixings!  He offered us coffee, bacon and eggs.  The smell was absolutely enticing, but we had to move on.  Sitting down for such a meal would probably kill my motivation to go the rest of the way, especially travelling with the Prius (although she says more of a fiat)! The smell of eggs, bacon, and coffee filled the air. Brandi and I joked that next time we might need to book with High Desert Outfitters because his mules looked stouter than I am.

Dropping down out of the basin that held overland lake was some beautiful country to say the least.  The rugged mountains with sheer cliffs give way to the lush green growth still fed by the snowy runoff and eventually down to the valley below. The down side to this is we were once again losing much of the elevation that we had gained.  That is the theme of this hike, that and the amazing views that surround you.  Since we had stopped and visited with Mitch and stopped to take in the views, it wasn’t long before the group of ladies caught up with us.  We spent a good portion of the day passing each other on little breaks and visiting as we did. This was the long day, without water for a big portion of the trail.  Knowing that I usually use a lot of water, we did not pass up any water source. Luckily there were still patches of snow along the trail in July, so worst case scenario we could just melt snow on our stove.  Making our way down the trail, we would stop to glass the area and watch wildlife. Every time we would crest a ridge, we would watch the trail drop back down across a vast expanse only to rise and cut back on the far ridge.  As the sun continued to beat down on us, we were thankful to be at such an elevation that the temperature didn’t hit the highs that the valleys below were getting. My wife remarked a little rain would be a nice thing. We continued on throughout the day hiking, glassing, and taking small breaks. As we moved into the afternoon I could see storm clouds out in the distance.  We kept on.  The smell of bacon and eggs still running through my mind mixed with the story Matt had about his steak from the Star that they packed with them for dinner the first night. I told Brandi that we were going to the Star for steak sandwiches.  This became a joke and driving factor.  IMG_2425Each time we stopped for a break, I would tell her that we were that much closer to the boys and a steak sandwich! Being the first time we had ventured out without the boys, it was in both of our minds.  We were excited to get home again to them.  Thankfully I was carrying a SPOT satellite phone so we could call the boys each day.

 In late afternoon we were met by a runner.  He was in training for a race and was running from the Lamoille canyon trail head in.  He was making great time. Even without the small apartment I was carrying on my back, I would not have been anywhere near that pace. As he ran passed us in the opposite direction, he told us he wasn’t going much further as he was starting to cramp up.  Soon he was flying by us again.  We kept on the trail towards camp and ultimately our family and steak sandwiches.  The runner disappeared in the distance.  The storm clouds were moving closer and closer.  We discussed setting it to wait it out or try to make the next ridge. Although Brandi had asked for a little rain earlier, I knew this rugged country doesn’t know the meaning of a little anything.  We pressed on up the ridge.  The storm caught us with wind and rain. The strong wind added to the climb for sure.  We pushed on to crest the ridge.  I decided that we would drop over the ridge and wait out the storm.  We pushed on as the rain whipped against us in the wind.  Dropping over the ridge I grabbed the tent and told Brandi to dive inside.  She held the tent down as I set it up around her.  Once the tent was secured, I climbed in and we waited out the storm.  The warm tent provided a perfect place for a little nap during the storm.  After the storm passed, it took a little coaxing back out and down the trail.  Knowing that we were close to North Furlong Lake, we packed up and headed back down the trail.  It was only a short hike and our trail friends could be viewed through the trees.  As we made our way into the clearing we were greeted by cheers and waving.  As we got to their camp, we talked about that day’s journey.  We moved down the trail a bit to set up our camp.  As I was setting up the tent for the second time in the same day, they came to visit with their friend Jack.  As they handed us what they saved for us in tIMG_0262he small bottle, we laughed and talked some more. We talked about the gear that we had and what seemed to make the biggest impact.  I lent them the satellite phone to check in with family and friends. As the evening gave way to night, we sat back and enjoyed the picturesque backdrop.  We talked about the beauty of the country, the trail itself, and the fact that we were able to do this together.  The double serving of Mountain House dinners made for a great night sleep.  The realization set in that we were just hours from being done.  The adventure was almost over.

Ruby Crest Trail Day 2

After half a day hike followed by a moonlit night, Wednesday would be our first full day on the mountain.  As the sun started to hit the valley in the distance, we arose and started the day.  The beauty of the full moon and the slow morning sunrise reaffirmed that this saddle was the perfect place for our first night’s camp. A Mountain House breakfast was followed by breaking camp, packing up and heading down the mountain.  One thing that is imperative to realize if you take on this trip is you will not seem to do a whole lot of contouring. The second day we dropped down into the bottom, which ended up leading us into the south fork of Smith Creek, then back up.  This is followed by a trek down to another fork of Smith Creek. You gain elevation and continue to lose it again only to climb once more.  This seemed to be a recurring theme on several posts that I had read.  As I came to realize when I was putting all of my gear together, my backpacking has been fairly focused around one particular activity. As a hunter, following the trail is not really something that I focus on.  When there is one that will help me accomplish the goal of where I am going, I take it, otherwise I use the landscape and contour around when I

Looking down toward Smith Creek

Looking down toward Smith Creek

can and go straight on if I need to. Not that this trail is bad in anyway (it is actually a great trail); I just kept hearing the advice of my dad and grandfather in my head telling me to contour.  Every side hill trail lead us back down into the bottom and back out and up. It felt more like the Ruby up and down trail than the crest trail at this point. I am sure my wife was wondering how her vacations went from drinking a Miami Vice on the beach in Cabo to dehydrated lasagna and water.  In hindsight, I probably should have brought her an umbrella for her Mango Bango Hydrate and Recover.  While this part of the trip has some beautiful scenery, I chose to start on this end for a reason. The rugged beauty of the Ruby Mountains is more picturesque as you head towards Lamoille Canyon.  The heat of the day in those lush green creek bottoms followed by the open, sun baked climbs back out can definitely take some pep out of your step.  At one of the forks of Smith Creek, I was loading up on water near one of the many potential campsites in the area, when I somehow tweaked my back.  I once read that when you are caught between a rock and a hard place, the only way out is through it.  The only way we would be able to complete this hike in the time we had was to just keep going.  Any time that I am in the mountains, I like to marvel at the landscape and its creation. As we took a few minutes to rest before trudging on, I looked around the country side. This is some big country. We started back on the trail taking small breaks as we needed, stretching my back as I could. Choosing to go with a heavier pack load as conditioning and training for the upcoming hunting season did not make that final pull out of the bottom toward Overland Lake on that sun baked slope feel like a vacation. The heat kept beating down on us as we topped out.  The rugged beauty of the Ruby Valley side of the mountains seemed like a fitting back

Heading down into Overland Lake

Heading down into Overland Lake

drop to sit back and enjoy some lunch.  I started to learn something about my wife at this point.  She handed me a small bag of trail mix.  As I sat there pondering whether I had asked for lunch or a snack, part of another group topped out behind us.  We sat and visited for a bit with Matt and his son as they waited on his wife and other child making their way up. They were the camp at McCutcheon Creek the night before.  As we talked, Matt mentioned that they brought the left over steak from the star up for their first night’s meal. Little did I know that steak would haunt my mind for the remainder of the trip.  We

 

said our goodbyes and off we went around the mountain.  The snowball fight my wife and I had was fairly lackluster but it felt great on a hot July hike. As we followed the trail, we hit the pass that dropped us down into overland.  The snow drift forced us off the trail and around, but greeted us with a beautiful sight below.  We made our way down to Overland Lake where we set up camp once more. Watching the water look like it was starting to boil as fish came to the surface to feed was all of the motivation I needed to set camp in record time. It didn’t take very long before we added some fresh trout to the dehydrated menu. We shared the lake with several other camps including Matt and his family. As we enjoyed our evening camping on the lake, you couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast in where we had hiked that day and where we had camped.  As we settled in for the night, my mind started wandering.  The longest day awaited us in the morning.

Some days you need a little mojo. Had to represent my friend Jimmy Herman with the Mojo shirt on the Ruby Crest Trail.

Some days you need a little mojo. Had to represent my friend Jimmy Herman with the Mojo shirt on the Ruby Crest Trail.

Ruby Crest Trail Day 1

IMG_0164

The view heading in from Harrison Pass

 

The clock on my dash showed me just how late this trip was going to be.  Already over an hour late leaving work, I still had to load all of the gear into my wife’s SUV.  After loading the car, driving around the block to come back for something we forgot, we headed to my wife’s office where she thought she left her sweatshirt.

Somewhere during the middle of the night we arrived at my parents’ house.  We loaded gear into the garage to await the departure the next day.  The next morning came fast.  We spent some time with my folks and getting the boys situated.  They were perfectly content playing with Gamma and Papa.  It was my wife and I that were dreading the thought of being away from them.  This trip would be the first time we were both away from the boys overnight since the birth of our first son.

We loaded up the truck and Dad drove us down to Harrison Pass.  We talked about a whole host of topics including the trip.  A year earlier, my wife had said she really wanted to do an overnight backcountry backpack trip. With a newborn baby it did not seem like a great idea at the time.  However, I took mental note of this desire to backpack in and made that into part of her Christmas present.  I gave my wife a host of gear and a choice of the area and amount of time that we would be out there.  Basically her own vacation, backcountry style, and she chose the Ruby Crest Trail.  Granted this was not the vacation of umbrella drinks in the sand at a resort in Cabo, but this was a majestic area that I knew she loved.

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The trailhead sign showing Ruby Crest Trail and Green Mountain Trail.

As we took off, it was evident that I was built to haul and not for speed.  I took this opportunity to train myself for the upcoming hunting season by hiking with a heavy pack weighed down with gear.  My wife on the other hand only had to carry clothes, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, water, her coffee, and our dehydrated meals. By contrast I was carrying the tent, the stove, the fuel, extra water, water filtration gear, my sleeping bag, sleeping pad, my clothes ( although since my sweatshirt was never available to me she decided to carry it the last day), fishing gear, cookware, SPOT satellite messenger, satellite phone, goal zero, and the list goes on. Like I said, my build isn’t that of speed, so I might as well haul a small apartment with me. (Maybe I had to read “Ordeal by Hunger” too much as a youth, but I always pack more than I need.  As a dad, that seems to have shifted some.)  Dad’s truck faded into the distance as we walked the road toward the trailhead.  I reasoned that this, although beautiful country, was far less majestic than the views would be coming into the Lamoille Canyon side of the trail. Starting in the heat of the day is anything but ideal, but we had fresh legs and energy to push us through.

After finally getting to the trailhead we joked that this would have been a better starting point.   The sun was beating down and every time you made it into the aspens it became muggy. As we hiked on we came across the occasional vehicle until the road gave way to nothing more than a well-worn trail.  Since I had never made this trip, I did as much research as I could prior to the outing.  The goal was to get to McCutcheon Creek since we had a late start.  Winding through such green and lush area was a stark contrast to the landscape on either side of I-80 as we traveled here. Hunting this unit with my grandfather and father, this area always seemed toIMG_0193 humble me.  From any vantage point you are looking out across the vast valley toward another set of mountains, with another set behind that, followed by another and another.  As we made it to McCutcheon, we saw another family had a similar idea.  We waved and continued on past their camp and decided it was a great time to have dinner before moving on toward Smith Creek.  I am not sure dehydrated lasagna had ever tasted so good.  After a hearty Mountain House meal we were off again to find the place we would set up camp for the night. We hiked on for a while and the sun started to head down for the day as we finally set up our tent on a saddle overlooking Mound Valley and beyond.  Looking out over the area brought back memories of friendships, 4-H, and hunting.  After watching a gorgeous sunset, we watched the full moon climb into view.  It is amazing the scene change on the very same land that once had sun.  After taking in the views, we climbed into our bags for some much needed sleep.

Hokey Poké

I am sure by now most of you have heard about this new app/game taking the nation by storm, Pokémon Go.  It seems to be everywhere.  I have heard of companies calling in employees to human resources for playing a game while at work, people walking into dangerous situations without paying attention.   Driving home Tuesday night, two boys walked into the road next to me without even looking up at traffic.  I am sure my wife is cringing as she reads this, worried that I will sound like a member of the cast of “Grumpy Old Men.”  She warned me I was going to sound old if I approached this topic, however I keep getting asked about this app.

I have to be honest. I did not know the purpose of the game, but some people seemed to be fanatical about it.  After looking into it, I was told that the game was made to get people off the couch and move. While I am sure that is not the only reason, it was the reason people kept landing on.  Years ago prior to my wife and I tying the knot, she and some of her family were doing challenges on Nike+.  I found myself joining the Nike+ movement.  I can admit that I am ever so slightly competitive on occasion.  Yes, I have gone for a run just before midnight to win a challenge.

After my pregnant wife’s insurance offered her a Fitbit to track her movement in hopes of bringing down her BMI, she started using it. Yes, you read that correct.  Due to being pregnant, which the insurance company’s program could not account for, they wanted her to lose weight. Ironically she did just that months later when our son was born, no Fitbit needed.  The neat part of the Fitbit was that it was cumulative on steps/miles. Soon I was changing over to be able to join the challenges. There were whole online communities that revolved around finding the group that you most associate with.

Now there are numerous companies that have such products, such as Garmin and Under Armor. Each of these products has their own version of apps that track and encourage society to get up and move.  So as someone that has used such devices as a fun and entertaining way to get myself up and going, I understand and appreciate what the Pokémon Go app is doing for people. Just remember to be safe and use some sense while following the game.  After all, tracking and hunting for Pokémon can lead to drastic life changes for some.  As my cousin Ryan told a group of Pokémon enthusiasts (maybe they are called Pokés), if you like Pokémon Go, you would love hunting… or looking for sheds.

Shed Hunting with my oldest

Shed Hunting with my oldest

The Big Why

It always amazes me how life unfolds.  Over the past several months I have caught up with or run into many friends and business associates that I had otherwise lost touch with. The same daily lives that dominate your time causing you to lose touch with people can bring them right back smack dab in your life. It got me thinking of the times that we have all shared and the way our lives have played out.  It got me thinking of what we had learned together. One such event happened sitting in a seminar on business several years ago, we were challenged with coming up with our big why.  The reason that you do what you do. Our “Big Why” should be the driving force behind our business and personal life.

At that time, I thought I had it figured out.  The top priority was spending time outdoors with friends and family. Shocking I know. The other was helping with various organizations and service groups. As with most of us, obligations and running my business interfered often.  I always justified it to myself as necessary for the business to be able to focus on the “Big Why” later in my life. I spent time with friends and family enjoying the outdoors as I could, but did miss quite a few as well.  No matter what you do, life throws you a curve ball from time to time.

Merely months after my wife and I said “I do,” she said “We are.”  We had talked about having kids down the road; little did we know that road was only about a block or so. The emotions ranged from joy to panic to anxiety and back to joy.  Soon the time came to have our first son. Honestly, that was the most helpless I recall feeling.  Spending time outdoors, your success and failure many times depends on you.  Putting in the effort and work to get back into the back country, stalking the animal, packing it out; all pit your perseverance and stamina against Mother Nature.  This was different. I was just moral support.  Not really even the camp cook, I was more like the person that tags along that has never left pavement and ends up just sitting in camp needing people to take care of them. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to help and was very supportive.  I didn’t even hit the wrong buttons on the bed, unlike my sister in law! However, no amount of effort I made to push helped bring that child out.  No amount of energy I willed to my wife made her any more comfortable. My world was changing and all I could do was sit there and being supportive.

Now my outdoor adventures have grown to include 2 boys that couldn’t be more content than they are when they are outdoors. The great outdoors always have provided me with an opportunity to recharge my soul and my passion for the outdoors had been what I thought of as my “Big Why.” I was wrong.  It was only my why. Spending time with my boys in the outdoors changed my ever evolving idea of what the outdoors meant to me.  I cherish every memory I have of the adventures I had growing up. I enjoyed it all whether it was fishing, horseback, camping, exploring, or my favorite; hunting with Papa and Dad. I now know why they spent that time with me.  To them it was more than teaching me the respect, conservation and heritage; it was the bond.  The bond that made the outdoors common ground those years that wwdblog2e couldn’t really agree on much. I now see the wonder and excitement in the eyes of my sons.  I have the opportunity to teach them the respect for nature and the heritage of those who have come before us. I find myself planning our next adventure, large or small.  I find myself safeguarding those times as much as possible. That is not to say that life doesn’t still throw curveballs, just that I find myself focused on making things work.  The things that I used to just pass by to make it to the top of the mountain, I now look at through new eyes.  Places I used to 4-wheel to get to, I find myself packing into.  I always took in the vast beauty and ruggedness of my surroundings, but the goal was mainly the destination. For the first time in my life, my wife and boys have brought my “Big Why” into focus.  As cliché as it sounds, the journey has far exceeded the destination. Focusing on sharing time with my family and having the opportunity to transfer the love and respect for nature with another generation of outdoorsmen. My “Big Why” is passing along the heritage and outdoor lifestyle.

The Journey Begins

Growing up in northeastern Nevada helped fuel my passion for the outdoors. Most of my favorite memories growing up involved excursions into the great outdoors.  Whether it was loading up to go hunting with my Dad and Grandpa, fishing, gathering pine nuts, swimming in lakes, or just exploring the outdoors; I loved it.  Not only have those memories stuck with me, they have molded me and the lifestyle that I live.

About 9 years ago I changed careers to join an industry that mirrored my passion.  Through this change I have had the opportunity to meet some truly amazing people that share similar passion for the outdoors.  This career change is what lead me to meet my wife, which in turn placed me in the delivery room to welcome a bouncing baby boy…twice.  The trade off to this career switch was going from creating my own schedule to working rotating shifts. Don’t get me wrong, I would not change it for the world. Not only did the career bring me into and industry that I truly enjoy, it brought me the amazing gift of my family.  It also seemed to bring with me an eating lunch or dinner on the run lifestyle. I got away from the routine I had and working out. I was making gains in my life, and many of them were on the scale.

As an outdoorsman, my mind is always wondering about what is over the next ridge. I would find myself pushing further and further on my hunts, only to realize that my mind was writing checks that my body was struggling to cash. I started to think of the dream hunts, dream trips, and goals I had for myself.  I thought about my son. How would I teach him about the back country if I couldn’t get there?  I was done. I started hiking more.  I came up with reasons to push myself beyond what I knew I could do.  I learned from some amazing back country athletes. Yes, they are athletes.  They push themselves hard in every element Mother Nature throws at them, while taming rugged terrain.  These friends offered support and encouragement.

As it seems to happen, it started to pick up steam.  I had become friends with the founder of Wilderness Athlete. Mark started checking in on me and what I was doing. I had been using some of their products and was very happy with the results. I started the 28 day challenge before telling Coach Paulsen that I was doing it.  My weight started coming off and my energy level started to increase dramatically.  It was noticeable.  I was doing more with my family, which now include 2 little boys.

Soon it was very obvious that my lifestyle change was yielding results.  I had lost nearly 50 pounds and was spending a lot more time in the outdoors, which had a profound impact on my outlook and demeanor. In today’s society it seems that people are suspect of change. This apparently was also the case with my lifestyle switch and healthier living.  I was approached by an acquaintance who asked me if I was having a midlife crisis.  I laughed at first, as they went on to ask if I was slimming down to become more marketable.  It took a few moments for the intent of the conversation to sink in.  This person thought I was looking for someone new! I was in shock.  My reply was fairly curt.  I was doing this for my family.  I wanted to be able to share more time and energy with my beautiful wife and amazing boys.  That was it.  The reason I changed my lifestyle was to get more out of the outdoors.  I wanted to share these adventures with my wife, sons, family and friends. While I have not hit the elite physical Adonis type of stature, I really have not had a desire to.  My goal is the adventures with my family. It is about passing along the love and knowledge that I have about the outdoors.   It is about creating memories for my family.  It is about the adventure. It is about the WildernessDadlete lifestyle.

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