…I was once in your shoes, dreaming of my next great adventure… never once thinking it was possible in Iowa. The cornfields, brown rivers and lack of a natural skyline turned me off.
Having grown up in the spectacular Sierra Nevada mountains in California, I learned to hike, camp & backpack with my parents at an early age. Later, I went on countless adventures around the country & the world, learning new skills like rock climbing, river rafting and canyoneering along the way.
We moved to Iowa when I was 9 years old and I wasn’t impressed. The state was flat and boring compared to California. As an adult, I experienced wilderness withdrawal, spending months or years looking forward to my next out of state trip, which were costly and time consuming.
I even prioritized vacation time over income in my career because I wanted to spend more time in spectacular places.
I tried to make it work in Iowa… but hiking on “wide as a pickup truck” trails bored me to death—missing was the beauty & specialness I found in other places.
But even more than that I missed the experiences of renewal and inspiration I’d find elsewhere. There was something amazing about spending time in nature after a hectic or stressful time in my work or personal life.
Like clockwork, I’d experience a reset, a return to real, a reconnection with what truly mattered and I would come back like a new person, with a clear mind, new ideas and unstoppable motivation.
After meeting some great people on a backpacking meetup in Utah, I craved life closer to the wilderness and the incredible people it attracted. But due to my circumstances, I couldn’t move and I felt frustrated & trapped in Iowa.
Eventually, I realized complaining wasn’t going to make things better. I needed to do something about it.
With a lifetime of wilderness experience, I decided to take a chance and explore the places beyond the cornfields–leaving even the trails behind, navigating creek beds and deer paths in the pursuit of the impossible.
I didn’t expect to find anything remarkable but what I discovered blew me away. A whole, new world emerged and I returned from that first exploratory hike a changed person.
I experienced the same beauty and specialness of wilderness I’d only thought possible outside of Iowa… right here at home. And more importantly, I came home with a powerful sense of renewal & inspiration.
Though the scenery was different compared to other states, I found a special character & beauty that was uniquely Iowan, and it was spectacular. But it was only accessible if you knew where to look, and more importantly, how to look.
I realized that it wasn’t just the incredible places that made these adventures so fulfilling, it had more to do with my “off-the-beaten path” approach, as well as sharing the experience with others… the experience of “tribe”.
Over the past 10 years I’ve discovered the most amazing, secret, wilderness gems, showing others, like you, how truly incredible Iowa is on hundreds of exciting adventures… but even better yet, I’ve made lifelong friends along the way!
I remember how disappointed I was when I believed that I’d never find wilderness, adventure or others who shared my interests in Iowa. I was so wrong and now I never want to leave!
Not only have I found wilderness, adventure and a lot of great people… I’ve done it for many others… and I can do it for you too!
