Get Outside

It matters not where you live or reside, you can find solice out of doors. It is certainly easier to enjoy the land that God has created when you live in the mountains, but I have found as I travel that it is not limited to these amazing mountains. Every opportunity I get I look for ways to get out and be outside.

In the past couple of years I have had the privelege to explore New York’s Central Park, the trails along the Potomac River along Washington D.C., the trails and backwoods near Lehigh University, the Englisher Garten in Munich Germany, lake trails near Denver, the parks and riverwalks of Chicago, the trails on the outskirts of San Francisco and so many other great places.

I am drawn to dirt. I long for it. I thrive from it. It brings solace and comfort and when I can find these respites in the midst of my travels to cities much larger than my own I go for it!

I believe that it is in my blood to get outdoors. I grew up loving the outdoors and having a passion for fly fishing, backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, camping and just being in the out of doors. This has continued to my grown self. I have now experienced peak bagging, trail running, mountaineering, skiing and snow shoeing. I continue to do the activities of my youth as well.

As I am outside I find myself taking tin the scenery. I will pause amidst a trail run along the singltrack and I will admire the terrain of rolling hills, jagged mountain peaks, leaf laden trees and imense growth of foliage and wildflowers. The admiration of my surroundings is not limited to one season or location. I find myself pausing in the simplest of trail runs right up in the foothills to the great peak journeys in the far off wilderness.

The seasons can be greatly enjoyed from the beauty and newness of life of spring to the peace and solace of a freshly fallen snow in the dead of winter. There is always something new to be experienced. Often I will look for a new trail, a new route, a new loop or another peak to tackle, but to be honest I find great joy in experiencing the same route over and over again. A constant visit to the same trail can be thoroughly joyful as it can be a new experience every time. Often I will fish the same stretch of water because I want to learn what the fish in that stretch react to and how I can attract them from the depths.

The outdoors is a constantly changing phenomen to me. No matter how far I go, how much I explore, how long I spend, there is always more to do. The more I go the more I discover that I have not experienced and how much I want to go out and experience more. A few years ago a wise man once taught me about the sphere of knowledge. He expained to me that the more that we learn the more we realize that we really do not know and we still have to learn. I find this to be very true in regards to the wilderness and beauty of this world we live in as well. The more adventures I go on and the more I take my family to explore and the more I run and traverse across the trails, mountains and terrain then the more I know that I have left to explore and discover. There will never be a shortage of exploration.

There may not be many more first ascents out there, but there will always be a first ascent for me. There will always be a new stretch of river to fish for me. There will always be a new run for me to ski. There will always be a new rock to climb for me or a new trail to run. There are plenty of firsts for us to discover that are firsts for us.

It is a blessing to be in an industry that helps to empower people to get outside. There is no barrier to entry but the barriers that we place on ourselves. We can find accessible locations regardless of where we live. Adventure can be held in our back yard. Cling to the tools and the brands that inspire you to get out and enjoy more of this vast expanse of earth waiting to be explored!

Keep exploring and get outside!