Growing up in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania I was taught to embrace and appreciate the nature around me by my father. Continue Reading…
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). Continue Reading…
I was laying in my hammock reading “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond, when finally it clicked. Continue Reading…
The following are potential hazards that a wilderness backcountry ranger on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest might face on a daily basis. Continue Reading…
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. Continue Reading…

My one person tent and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness have become my home and I am not ready to let either of them go. Continue Reading…
Upper Lyman lakes in the Glacier Peak Wilderness area is a truly sublime glimpse into Washington’s high alpine. As little as one hundred years ago, these lakes were nonexistent, and instead were covered by the Lyman glacier, now almost completely receded onto the side of Red Mountain. Continue Reading…
It has been barely over a month since I began the internship with Mt. Adams Institute. After spending a winter in Bozeman, MT, I became accustomed to so many luxuries that I didn’t realize how detached I was becoming to the natural world around me. Continue Reading…
I am stationed on the Entiat Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest as a backcountry ranger. Due to training and the terrain of my district, I have been loaned to the Chelan Ranger District for my first two tours. Continue Reading…
The sun shines high above the Pacific Crest Trail. Spinola Creek tumbles through basalt rock worn by millennia of meltwater. A northern harrier hawk crests over Cathedral Ridge looking to make a meal of a vole. It is noon – and like the predator above, I search for my next meal. My hunt is quick; a simple lunch is found in the top of my pack. From the time of wake up six hours ago, I’ve taken ten thousand steps, cut twelve logs, dug eight drainages, and engaged with twenty-six backpackers. In other words, I’ve ensured that five miles of this popular trail are clear for the hundreds of individuals who will hike this section in the comings months; I’ve educated two dozen backpackers on Alpine Lakes Wilderness regulations and Leave-No-Trace principles; I’ve consumed over a liter of water and perspired most of that out. The hawk was successful and returns to soaring the skies. Likewise, I’ve finished my lunch and get back to work. What lies ahead is what lay behind; ten thousand steps, twelve logs, eight drainages, and twenty-six backpackers. This is a day in the life of a US Forest Service Wilderness Ranger. Continue Reading…
The first time I crossed over Highway 20 and into the Methow Valley I was in a strangers truck hitchhiking from Bellingham, WA to Glacier National Park. Our driver pulled off the road at Washington Pass where Liberty Bell, Early Winters Spires and the Needles form a striking crown of jagged peaks. “Whoa!” Continue Reading…
It’s a quiet June evening here in the Methow Valley and I’m slowly soaking in the last few days off before heading back out into the Pasayten Wilderness. Continue Reading…
About two months in and every day is still unique, keeping me on my toes. I have predominantly been helping the Cle Elum Ranger District’s Trail Crew by clearing out trails in the front country. Continue Reading…
I recently had a lengthy conversation with my Dad about the future; my plans for it, my goals and expectations. I told him I was planning on staying in the Methow Valley for the winter and was applying for 2019 seasonal positions with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in the valley working with the wilderness or trails crew. Continue Reading…