While working at Gearhead Outfitters, we outfitted many people for all kinds of adventures. A few weeks ago, a couple came into the store to talk about the things they were needing in order to hike the Appalachian Trail next year. Cue Jackson. Jackson spent a good bit of time talking with the couple about…
A week ago today I was in Boston with one of my best friends and college teammate. Despite living hundreds of miles away from each other, our friendship remains strong. This is because of our shared experiences training and racing together and our dedication to continue doing those things now. A good teammate is your…
While managing Gearhead Outfitters in Springfield, Missouri, we had the opportunity to meet and work with some pretty cool people. During one interview with a potential hire we learned she had done trail maintenance on the Appalachian Trail the very year Jackson hiked. I still find this a delightful coincidence. Aside from her work with…
Last October we participated in this adventure race in Arkansas called Outback in the Ozarks. One of the teams was made up solely of women, and let me just say it appeared they were having a blast. A few months later, one team member stopped by our store and after following her on social media,…
It’s hard making friends at this stage in life. We’re young-ish, meaning we sometimes have a hard time deciding whether to go out on the town or curl up on the couch with ice cream and a bottle of wine… the latter usually wins out. Some of our friends are having kids and some are…
A lot of people talk about wanting to travel. You’ve heard your friends or family members say, “I love to travel. I want to see the world.” And then there’s people that actually travel. There are friends and family members that can actually tell you stories about their adventures. The difference between travelers and want-to-be…
A few months ago I was bustling around the store when our co-worker, Michael(featured in the previous blog post), called me over to introduce me to the lady he was chatting with. He told me she was an avid traveler and backpacker and figured I might be interested in talking to her. Bless Michael. After…
We sat down with our co-worker and friend, Michael Lopez, to talk about his experience as a dancer, a physical therapist, and bike-packer; and something really disappointing happened… I didn’t get hardly any of it recorded. I always record interviews so that I can write the story as accurately as possible and usually listen to…
If you read the most recent post (which was two weeks ago, because I’ve been a slacker) then you know our hostel host while staying in Salida, CO, just so happened to hike the AT the same year Jackson did, and I found that delightfully wild. It got better. While sitting outside the hostel and…
A few weeks ago we got back from what might be our favorite trip so far as a little family (Jackson, Kona, and myself). We spent seven days in Colorful Colorado and winded down our adventures in Salida where we stayed at the Simple Lodge and Hostel. We were able to walk pretty much everywhere…
