I Love The Outdoors Interview #7

There are so many great bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, and photographers out there creating amazing outdoor content on a daily basis.

Not only did I want to personally get to know them better, but I also wanted to explore outdoor influences and passion for nature.

Thus, we’ve launched the I Love The Outdoors Interview Series.

If you are interested in participating in the series, please contact us and let us know!

Average hiker

1. Tell us a little about yourself. How old are you? Where are you from? Where do you live now? Are you married? Kids?

I’m 54 and grew up in the Southeast part of the country. I’ve been with my partner for 22 years and currently live in New England.

My grandparents raised me and were avid outdoors people, so I developed my love of the outdoors and wilderness from them.

2. What is your favorite outdoor activity?

I enjoy just about any outdoor activity, but of course my favorites are hiking and backpacking.

3. Where is your favorite trail?

This is a tough question since every trail is so different. I don’t have a favorite trail, but I have favorite sections of each trail.

On the West Coast I love the Sierras, Cascades, and the deserts of Southern California.

Out West, I enjoy hiking in Arizona and New Mexico, especially the big Ponderosa forests on the Kaibab Plateau.

I also love the Wind River Range, Rockies, Great Divide Basin, and Glacier National Park.

The Appalachians of the East Coast will always be home, so you will often find my hiking and backpacking among the hardwoods whenever I’m not traveling to other trails.

4. Where is your favorite camping spot?

Mather Campground (Photo Credit: Average Hiker)

I’m more of a hiker than a camper but I always enjoy camps with views – up on ridges if the weather allows.

5. What was your first outdoor memory as a kid?

My grandfather loved to fish, so I remember hiking through East Coast forests to find good fishing locations.

6. Who was your biggest outdoor influence?

My grandparents influenced me the most.

We spent all of our times outdoors and were rarely inside.

They loved to travel and were very comfortable outdoors.

7. What was your all-time best camping or hiking experience?

My best hiking experience was on the Continental Divide Trail in 2009.

At that time there were very few people thru-hiking that trail, and it was a very “wild” and challenging hike that really tested my limits and impacted my growth as a person.

8. Who is your favorite person to camp or hike with?

I’m a solo hiker, but enjoy meeting new people along the trail.

My favorite person to hike with is whatever new person I meet on a particular day.

9. What is your favorite piece of gear and why?

My new Sea-to-Summit pillow is my favorite piece of gear this year. It is the pillow I never knew I needed! It is also my first pillow.

I’ve always used a stuff sack and clothes, but always found myself adjusting it throughout the night as it flattened into a little block.

This does not happen with my little inflatable pillow, and it is worth those three extra ounces.

10. What do you love about the outdoors?

Grand Canyon Kaibab Trail (Photo Credit: Average Hiker)

The outdoors has always been a big part of my life and it has shaped me into the person I’ve become.

I am confident and independent because the outdoors forces me to make quick decisions and have faith in my own abilities. These are skills I have used in my professional life and why I have been successful.

I love the outdoors because it is home for me. My mind is always working, and I’m most at peace when I’m hiking.

The beauty and constant change of the natural world absorb all of my attention and focus when I’m hiking and backpacking.

Nature calms me down and boils everything down to the here and now. It is very calming.

11. What outdoor places are on your bucket list?

I would like to do some backpacking overseas – Scotland, Iceland, New Zealand.

12. What is your goal as an outdoor content creator? How can we support you and where can we find your content?

My content at Average Hiker is really a labor of love. I enjoy going back to read content from past hikes and to relive those hikes through my words and images.

As I’ve added content over the years the site has become more expensive to maintain so I’ve added links that provide small commissions if readers purchase through them at no added cost. It is really a reader supported website.

I try to provide content that offers value – planning, post trip guides, gear reviews, etc.

I don’t accept donations or monetary contributions because I don’t believe others should pay for my vacations, but if readers choose to purchase their gear through the site it is helpful. The commissions don’t cover the costs of the site, but they definitely help make them more manageable.

I also believe that giving back to help maintain the trails we use is important, so if there are any profits I donate a significant portion to the trails I hike each year.

Average Hiker – thanks for the great interview and participating in the I Love The Outdoors Interview!

If you are interested in participating and sharing your story, please contact us and let us know!

I Love The Outdoors Interview #7 – Average Hiker

Average hiker

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