Picture Perfect: Curating Genuine Adventure Images

After my dad died two years ago I tried desperately to conjure up the memories of his life, to piece together all he was. I would sit on the sea foam blue carpet of our office and sort through box after box of old photographs, touching the worn edges and running my fingers over his

Finding Mindfulness in Motherhood

As I sit at the top of Multnomah Falls I follow the stretch of the soft green moss across the rocks, taking in the texture and the trueness of the green that I will never find in the home décor section of Target. I watch as the water runs swiftly over the rocks in the

Outdoors for Every Body: Ambassador Piece by Megan Puhl

“Shit. This is hard.” I’m thinking to myself as I huff up a super gentle incline, sweat pouring between my breasts, my daughter babbling to herself in the pack on my back. Literally, only 500 feet elevation in over 2 miles.  “This is embarrassing. How did you let yourself get like this?” That bitchy voice

Pregnant Backpacking: How I fought Prenatal Depression and Anxiety by Solo Backpacking

On April 6th, in the 33rd week of my third pregnancy, I pulled over on a completely deserted road, grabbed a loaded pack out of my trunk, stepped into the cold of 20˚F and set off on my first ever, completely solo backpacking trip. This year had been heavy, emotionally. Pregnancy is a hugely taxing

Might as Well Support Each Other Along the Way

Meet Lindsay and her son Finn:She’s got one helluva story about chasing your dreams with ferocity, humility, and curiosity and we think it’s worth telling. Lindsay is a single-mama to son Finn, double part-time employee, and school bus convertin’ + dwellin’ handy-woman. In her free-time (which means during naps and after bedtime), she’s also working

5 Rock-Solid Tips for Climbing Mamas

Those seduced by the climbing bug may find it hard to articulate exactly why this sport has infected our being. To outsiders the idea of clambering up rock faces, with only a thin rope and a good friend to catch us, must seem freakin’ ludicrous. But, of course, we know better. Climbing builds our strength,

Project Swaddle Then Send

Part 1: SWADDLE I’ve hesitated on writing this blog post for awhile. I’ve made it through the aptly named “fourth trimester”, I’ve completed my first outdoor lead climbs, and I’ve maintained my position at the nonprofit I’ve worked at for years. Really, I’ve done a lot during this postpartum year. But to write this post,

Why Being a Special Needs Mama has Changed How I Climb

Motherhood was something I always dreamed of, it was going to be my happily ever after, my ultimate fulfilment. Damn, if I could get married and have babies how good would life be?!! But I fell madly, stupidly, in love with a guy who didn’t believe in marriage, and was in no rush for children.

New Mama to Ultra Runner in a Year: How I Reconnected With My Pre-Baby Self

  When my son was around nine months old, our family was beginning to settle into a routine as a clan of three. Just when I started to think, “Hey, we’re getting this whole parenting thing down” is when the hormone-induced haze began to fade away and my mind started to wander back to my

Mount Adams: Learning to Breathe

  Let’s start at the beginning. In 2016, I made myself a promise that I would summit Mount St. Helens. I grabbed my hiking partner and told her that we were going to do this damn thing. No excuses. Halfway through the summer, we both got pregnant. We were determined and didn’t let that stop us from reaching