Outstanding Blogger Award Nomination – Interview With an Adventurer

Thank you Tia on the Trail for inviting me to participate in the Interview With an Adventurer. I am not sure if that means you nominated me for an Outstanding Blogger Award but if so I am very humbled. I love reading all of Tia’s posts but Tia, how could you forget your propane!!!

The nomination came with some simple rules:

• Provide a link to the creator’s original award post.
• Answer the questions provided.
• Create 7 unique questions.
• Nominate up to 10 bloggers and ensure that they are aware of their nominations.

This is such a cool idea to get all of us blogger’s who love to talk together and talking! Here are the questions that Tia asked of me.

1. What is your favorite photo that you have taken on an adventure, why do you love it?
2. Do you have any mantras or words of wisdom that keep you motivated when you are feeling like stopping?
3. What is the most delicious food you have ever eaten while out on an adventure?
4. Who inspires you to continue exploring?
5. Have you ever been surprised or seen something unexpected out in the wilderness?
6. What is the best lesson that you have learned from spending time in the outdoors?
7. What adventure are you planning right now?

My Responses to Tia

What is your favorite photo that you have taken on an adventure, why do you love it?

Oh wow, this is a little bit like picking a favorite kid isn’t it, hahaha. I have taken so many pictures and the other day I was going through my phone to clear up some space and delete some out and each picture took me back to that exact moment in time and that exact spot on the trail. I will try to break this down to two.

My favorite picture of nature: For me this one has to be at the Silver Dollar Lakes. This was only a few months into my hiking journey and my first time seeing a true alpine lake. Luckily on this hike there is not 1 lake but 3! So I took this picture on a perfect day while I was standing near the highest lake and looking down towards the other two. It was just one of those moments that stuck with me and I always love seeing this picture.

Secondly I will go with a selfie because the whole world is about selfies these days, right! For me the picture of me at Ooh Aah point at the Grand Canyon really was a good metric of my journey. Two years ago I never in a million years would have thought I would be able to hike down a foot of the Grand Canyon so this was a very special moment for me.

Do you have any mantras or words of wisdom that keep you motivated when you are feeling like stopping?

The mantra part is pretty simple for me and it is kind of my main motivation. “Screw It, I’m trying.” One of my earliest blogs was dedicated to this and it continues to be what I go to when I am feeling too tired or sore to make it to a hike.

In general Screw it, I’m trying” is just a way to remind myself that nothing good happens to those who sit on their butt. I used to be quick to say no or think that I wasn’t in good enough shape to try something and just wouldn’t even try. Now I KNOW I’m not in great shape but I give it a try anyway and more often than not I surprise myself by actually being able to do it. It has truly made a huge difference in my life to just try to get up and give it a try.

As far as words of wisdom I will say “Don’t Look down”! As a hiker who hikes up mountains but is also pretty terrified of heights it sometimes becomes a bit of an issue. I have learned if I can’t see the 9000 foot fall it can’t really hurt me. Haha!

What is the most delicious food you have eaten out on an adventure?

Well the FatMan part of FatMan LittleTrail makes sure that I always go to a great locally owned restaurant after each hike. I have had some amazing food and have chronicled them all here. As far as my favorites I will have to break down by category a bit.

My favorite dessert was definitely this sundae from Murphy’s in Evergreen. Absolutely amazing!

My favorites often come from unexpected places. I saw this food truck on the side of the road after my 15 miles hike and I was so hungry and I usually don’t stop at food trucks but I decided to stop at Olga’s. I have had dreams about the baked beans from Olga’s they were so amazing. I’m not sure what it was about them but they just were about the best baked beans I had ever tasted.

And my favorite meal was probably one of my most recent ones. I was driving through New Mexico and stopped at the El Rancho hotel. The food was good but the experience was amazing. The El Rancho was a hotel that John Wayne and Ronald Regan amongst hundreds other used to stay at while shooting old westerns. It was like walking into a museum that served food and the experience refueled me as much as any food could.

Who Inspires you to keep exploring?

This one is going to be a little corny but I inspire myself. I do a lot of hiking on my own and my journey started as one of weight loss and getting healthy but has turned into a journey of self discovery. I have learned so much about myself and benefitted mentally and physically through my explorations. It really has changed my life.

Secondly I would say people who read my posts and who are somehow inspired by what I am doing. I have gotten some great messages from a few people who said that they have started to hike or get outdoors because they have read my journey and that is a great feeling and keeps me inspired to get back out there and continue on.

Have you ever been surprised by or seen something unexpected in the wilderness?

Moose! I don’t care how big you think a moose is, they are bigger than that. The first time I saw a moose it was a mother and calf grazing in a field about 30 yards away. I was like, ok that calf is as big as the biggest horse I have seen and is half the size of momma. The next time I saw 2 males with full on antlers and I was instantly terrified. I stood about 150 yards away and still shook the whole time.

The second most surprising thing I saw was this mountain goat.

Not really surprised to see a goat but I had just walked up an incline and there it was like 10 feet from me and I almost yelped like a school boy. The goat started to walk towards me looking for snacks and I just awkwardly started climbing back down the incline. It was about the same size as me so that gave me a bit of a start.

What is the best lesson that you have learned by spending time outdoors?

This is a great questions. I have learned many lessons like: The sun will find the very tiny spot that you missed sunscreen, running out of water is terrifying, and bugs love to fly into an open mouth.

The most important lesson I have learned though has to be that you better like yourself if you are going to go on a long hike alone. There is plenty of time to think on a trail and other than screaming at the rocks that jump up to trip you, there might not be a ton of conversation. If you can spend a couple hours with yourself on a trail you will first solve all of the worlds problems in your head and then get to know yourself very well.

If you don’t like your company, you won’t like your hike and that goes for yourself too!

What adventures are you planning right now?

Well I just got back from the Grand Canyon which was amazing and now I am planning a trip out to Utah to see some of the amazing National Parks out there. I also have a Grand Teton and Yellowstone trip on my list as something I would love to accomplish this year!

My Questions and Nominees

First I’ll start with my questions:

• Are you more of a throw a dart at the map and just go adventure type or are you a planner for where your next stop is?
• What is your favorite spot that you have ever found?
• If you could go on your next adventure with three people in all of history who would they be?
• What is one adventure that you haven’t done that you have always wanted to?
• Are you a heavy packer or light packer? (I am a terrible over-packer!)
• What is your go to after hike/adventure food or drink treat?
• What keeps you going on adventures even if maybe you aren’t feeling it this trip?

Tia already took a lot of my favorite blog, lol, but I would like to nominate:

Rusch To the Outdoors

The Gen-X Travels

Strawberry Snaps