It's Just What We Do in Our Family

           Back in the summer of ’09, me, my Uncle Chad and my Uncle Mark set out from the Big Sandy trailhead in pursuit of Black Joe Lake, to try to catch a fish or two. It was supposed to be about an 11 or 12 mile hike, which already was quite a fair bit for a little guy like me, being only eight years old. So, we set off. At first, everything seemed alright. I was happy, we were headed the right way, the weather was good, and all was well. Then, things went badly wrong. We got lost, dreadfully lost. We got so lost that we left the trail and, relying on only compass guidance, began bushwhacking. We had to climb a near vertical mountainside, with nothing below but a huge drop and rushing whitewater rapids. We finally, through an extreme round about way, got to our destination and got back safely home. When it was all said and done, I had walked 17 miles over extreme terrain, not always on a trail. When we got back, we were super tired. When my grandpa, (also a member of this blog) asked why we had done it, I responded, “Grandpa, it’s just what we do in our family.”

          A line of speech that was to become famous for years to come. And it was absolutely true. We fish. We hunt. We hike. We pick grouseberries in abundance by the cabin in the summer. We take a nap in the hammock in the warm sun of a Wind River summer’s day. It’s just what we do in our family. We all share a common goal: love the land and be a part of it.

        I suppose a little “about me” would be nice. I'm thirteen years old, and I am born and raised in Wyoming. We have deep roots here. I completed my Cutt-Slam in the same year that the above story happened. I shot my first antelope and deer last year, and had a great time doing it. (See Don't Stumble.) I have a love for all things wild and outdoors. Me, The Apprentice, and Grandpa created this blog in the hopes of allowing others to be able to experience the beautiful outdoors. We hope you’ll be able to feel the Wyoming spirit and the Brotherhood that brings us all so much closer to the land.

-The Ranger