I grew up in Yellowstone

Mammoth Terraces, Yellowstone

Moose Falls, favorite swimming hole growing up in Yellowstone

Joffee Lake - Where parents had first date

Cave Falls, Bechler

Yellowstone Lake

My dad was a park ranger in Yellowstone National Park. I also have three brothers that are rangers in Yellowstone. To say that Yellowstone is core to who I am is an understatement.

Growing up I didn’t realize just how lucky I was. My dad was a school teacher during the winters and a seasonal park ranger in Yellowstone during the summers. He ended up being a ranger for over thirty-three years with the last three being full time where we found ourselves living in Jackson Hole, Wy.

Every school year, our family would get out of school a week or so early and load up the car for the summer. We would make the eight hour drive and arrive at our summer home, which was really more of a cabin. No television. No summer camps. No summer sports. No school or neighborhood friends. All in exchange for access to one of the world’s greatest treasures.

I spent the days with my family. We played outside all the time. Between the rivers, lakes, trails, mountains, wildlife and abundance of woods to run wild in, that is really what we did. Run wild and free - able to grow our imaginations and live in a world that very few will ever be able to experience.

I would end up spending every summer of my life until I was 19 Yellowstone. I would later work as a ranger myself for another five summers while I finished college.

It has been twenty years since I spent a summer there. I still miss it and every spring I get that itch to load up and leave. To get back to my place where life seems to stand still and a respect for nature is demanded. Kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, working… it is missed.

I have spent a few trips as I have gotten older going back and photographing some of my most favorite places and those that have meaning to our family. My parents met in Yellowstone. I learned to swim in a river. I gained independence. The understanding of the fragility of life was first felt there. Amazement and wonder for things beyond my control was a daily reality.

So how has growing up there changed how I am with my family, business and in coaching? Well… I think the core element is appreciation. I am grateful for every day I get with my family. I am humbled for the opportunities I get to participate in and help create. I am inspired to teach gratitude and self-worth with those that trust me.