by mtadams | Oct 22, 2020 | Lands Stewards
One of the greatest opportunities of the Mt. Adams Institute’s Public Lands Stewards program is the fact that not only do you get to work for the Forest Service as a wilderness ranger but you also get to shadow other employees in different positions and learn a...
by mtadams | Oct 20, 2020 | Lands Stewards
“Choose your own adventure” is how I would describe the wilderness. Shear scree fields, deafening thunderstorms, and collapsing trees in burn areas are some of the obstacles that will be faced. Whether or not you want to attempt to slide 20 feet down the field, sleep...
by mtadams | Sep 21, 2020 | Lands Stewards
It’s not even August yet and this summer has been one of the most influential, awakening, and educational times of my life. Each week is a little different than the one before it. I might be hiking to new areas, completing different site work tasks, or even...
by mtadams | Sep 21, 2020 | Lands Stewards
First off: let me say that I never expected to be here. Friends and family always knew how much I love our public lands and wild spaces in general, but it simply never registered for me that my career path could involve helping others to enjoy the outdoors while...
by mtadams | Sep 21, 2020 | Lands Stewards
My journey began with a cross-country road trip from Bloomington, Indiana to Entiat, Washington. I had been to many areas of the country, most recently a guided trup in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. As of yet, I only knew the Pacific Northwest through pictures....
by mtadams | Sep 21, 2020 | Lands Stewards
The first few months of my time as a Mt. Adams Institute, Public Lands Stewards (PLS) AmeriCorps member have flown by- filled to the brim with stunning places, infinite amounts of mosquitoes (yikes!), and plenty of hard, rewarding work. As a PLS member in the Chelan...
by mtadams | Sep 21, 2020 | Lands Stewards
Hello everyone! Growing up building forts and fishing in the creeks of the Pocono mountains, I have never been a stranger to the outdoors. I love taking any chance I can to be dirty for days at a time in the backcountry, and experiencing new ways to enjoy the...
by mtadams | Sep 21, 2020 | Lands Stewards
Sitting in the cool, air conditioned truck sipping on fruit punch Gatorade, I felt elated. Ecstatic. Completely and purely happy. This moment was easily one of the greatest moments of my entire life. And all it took was a gnarly week of patrolling. Coming from the...
by mtadams | Sep 4, 2020 | VetsWork
Feeling inspired from a recent snowshoeing expedition to investigate a snow-covered mining claim, I decided to purchase a set of snowshoes and check out the terrifically named — Lake Valhalla. Living in Wenatchee, WA I had a little over an hour drive ahead of me...
by mtadams | Aug 5, 2020 | Lands Stewards
I grew up near North Bend, Washington and spent many years enjoying the outdoors with my family and friends. In the process of getting my Environmental Science degree at Central Washington University (CWU), I fell in love with our dry montane and shrub-steppe...
by mtadams | Aug 5, 2020 | Lands Stewards
Originally from Michigan, I currently call the beautiful state of Washington my home. My love for the outdoors began at a young age spending summers in the Adirondacks with my family and ultimately led me to thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017. This hike...
by mtadams | Aug 5, 2020 | Lands Stewards
When I discovered conservation work a few years ago, the entire trajectory of my life was changed. I jumped, whole-heartedly, into a lifestyle that was both simple and also incredibly fulfilling. My first love were the Rocky Mountains of south central Colorado- and in...
by mtadams | Aug 5, 2020 | Lands Stewards
From birth my life has been beset with a myriad of outdoor experiences ranging from windy peaks to deep, muddy caves. In between those adventures I’ve delved into a variety of hobbies including musicianship, carpentry, and gaming. My passion for motion leads me...
by mtadams | Aug 5, 2020 | Lands Stewards
Hello, my name is Jake Kendall and I’m from Roseville, Minnesota. I went to school at the University of Minnesota Duluth where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional studies. I focused on land management, public policy, and urban...
by mtadams | Aug 5, 2020 | Lands Stewards
I grew up in northwest Ohio where it is as flat as can be and so didn’t truly get into any adventure type sports until I moved into the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania. I dove right in after college doing a six weekend-long white water rafting training...
by mtadams | Aug 5, 2020 | Lands Stewards
Growing up in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania I was taught to embrace and appreciate the nature around me by my father. Being an Infantryman in the Army, my father was no stranger to walking tireless miles with a heavy pack. So it was no surprise when I had...
by mtadams | Jun 9, 2020 | VetsWork
I was an intelligence analyst with six years of service in the United States Navy. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, I enjoy white-water rafting, hiking, and reading (especially Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” series). I decided to become a Mt. Adams Institute...
by mtadams | Oct 23, 2019 | Lands Stewards
I was laying in my hammock reading “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond, when finally it clicked. The general thesis of the book is that environment and ecology are some of, if not the, biggest factors in determining how a culture, technology, and a...
by mtadams | Oct 23, 2019 | Lands Stewards
The following are potential hazards that a wilderness backcountry ranger on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest might face on a daily basis. This is not an attempt to scare anyone away from spending a season in this position, but serves as a list of some of...
by mtadams | Oct 23, 2019 | Lands Stewards
The purpose of this blog is to inspire anyone who is interested in a Public Lands Stewards AmeriCorps position with the Mt. Adams Institute (MAI), but has yet to fully commit. This specific blog is oriented towards the Wilderness Ranger position in the Methow Valley...
by mtadams | Oct 23, 2019 | Lands Stewards
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, …” – Wilderness Ranger, quietly muttering to himself. I could tell you about everywhere I...
