How it Started
I was 29 years old when my journey into the backcountry began.
I had hunted deer and elk off and on in the fall since I was a kid, but never very far from the trailhead and always just for the day. As I approached my 30s, I grew tired of my own status quo and the sounds of vehicles motoring on nearby roads. I wanted more—more space, more adventure, more silence. So, I turned my attention to backpack hunting.
That year, I spent my first night in the backcountry as an adult on my own terms—I had a mixed bag of gear, some right, some wrong, but nevertheless, I had found what I was looking for and came away hooked and eager to learn more. There was only one problem—I was on my own to figure it out.
There was no one to guide me, point me in the right direction, or teach me the dos and don’ts of backpacking. Information on the Internet was sparse and YouTube hadn’t yet taken off, so I was left to my own devices, scouring personal blogs and talking to the “experts” in my local outdoor stores.
I learned everything firsthand through trial and error. I made many mistakes along the way, but had found the adventure I was hoping for.
The Pacific Crest Trail
I was only two years into my passion for backpacking when the idea of long-distance backpacking came into view. I was fascinated with how these thru-hikers could cover thousands of miles in a single summer, so I began studying their methods and techniques. Studying this new world of backpacking led me down a new path and on April 10, 2017, I found myself standing on the US/Mexico border at the Southern Terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail, looking north toward Canada, 2,650 miles away.
The PCT became far more than just another backpacking adventure. It became a sort of personal pilgrimage and taught me more about myself in five months than I had learned in over thirty years. The trail had also completely shifted my perspective on what backpacking is and isn’t. Thru-hiking had a way of simplifying life in the backcountry by stripping everything down to its core. It forced me to be efficient with my mind, body, and gear.
As I closed in on the Canadian border later that summer, I felt a kind of freedom I had never known in the backcountry. I was no longer burdened by the unknowns, the gear, or the “what ifs.” Instead, my mind was free to focus on myself and the experience.
The freedom and confidence I had gained on the PCT shaped how I approached every adventure. But soon, adventure took on an entirely new meaning.
Backcountry Dad Life
Less than a year after my hike, I became a father. As I held my little girl for the first time, I promised her I’d make the outdoors a central part of our family’s life. She deserved to feel what I felt, earn her own confidence, and feel at peace in nature.
That promise meant finding ways to make the outdoors easy and accessible. That led us to one of the best decisions we’ve ever made—we bought a camper van, our getaway vehicle to the outdoors. It was a big purchase, but we’ve never regretted a single penny spent.
That van has been one of the greatest blessings to our family, filled with memories that will live rent-free in our hearts forever.
Two years later, we welcomed our second daughter into the family and made the same promise—to give her the space to run, explore, and discover who she is through nature as much as possible.
Getting kids outside isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
Backpacking changed my life once, and now, as a dad, I get to experience it all over again—this time through my daughters' eyes. I don’t know exactly where this journey will take us, but we’ll do our best to be be out there, learning, exploring, and growing together.
The Trail Provides
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that the trail provides. It breaks you down, builds you up, and somehow always gives you exactly what you need—right when you need it most.
Maybe your backcountry story starts with a simple walk on a local trail, eventually leading to you standing on a mountaintop one day. You never know what’s possible or where the trail will take you—but I do know this: None of it happens if you don’t take that first step.
Find what pulls you in, do that, and see where it leads. One thing is for sure: You’re going to find places inside you that you never knew existed and some truly great people along the way.
I have no idea where my journey will take me—but when I find out, you’ll be the first to know.
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A comprehensive beginner backpacking course designed to fast-track your knowledge so you can hit the trail with confidence.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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-Emory