There are such a lot of nice bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, and photographers on the market creating wonderful outside content material every day.
Not solely did I need to personally get to know them higher, however I additionally needed to discover their outside influences and fervour for nature.
Thus, we’ve launched the I Love The Open air Interview Collection.
If you’re thinking about taking part within the sequence, please contact us and tell us!
Justin Hikes
- Inform us somewhat about your self.
Hello, I’m Justin Hikes.
I’m 50 and I’m married with two youngsters in school.
I’m initially from New Jersey however I’ve lived in Colorado for the final 10 years.
2. What’s your favourite outside exercise?
My favourite outside exercise is mountain climbing.
I really like day mountain climbing and backpacking in nature.
I additionally simply love strolling anyplace. It’s the place I get my considering carried out! I attempt to stroll 5 miles each day.
Typically that’s only a stroll round my metropolis. In 2021, I walked each road in Longmont, Colorado. All 1,100 streets. It was a enjoyable problem.
Right here’s a hyperlink to a newspaper story on my Longmont walks: Longmont resident walks 97 days, 586 miles and each road within the metropolis.
3. The place is your favourite path?
It’s not possible to select a single favourite. When issues are going effectively, no matter path I’m mountain climbing is my present favourite.
Nonetheless, a few of my prime trails have been:
- The northern Washington part of the Pacific Crest Path from the Canadian border to Stehekin.
- The rim-to-rim of the Arizona path via the Grand Canyon.
- The Appalachian Path in Autumn within the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
Word: I haven’t thru-hiked everything of the PCT, Arizona Path, and Appalachian Path talked about above however I’ve accomplished part hikes of no less than 100 miles on every of them.
4. The place is your favourite tenting spot?
One other powerful one!
For me the most effective tenting spots weren’t essentially the spots with the most effective views. It’s the individuals I’m with that make them so memorable.
My spouse and I did a giant street journey via British Columbia within the late 90’s. We had so many nice campsites on that journey.
Specifically, I bear in mind tenting in Jasper Nationwide Park surrounded by unimaginable mountains and elk calmly strolling via our web site. That was one in all my favourite tenting spots.
One other favourite tenting spot was on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon after I was part mountain climbing the Arizona Path.
My buddy and I had the place to ourselves and the setting solar lit up the Grand Canyon in a method I’ll always remember.
5. What was your first outside reminiscence as a child?
I had an aunt who would take me mountain climbing within the mountains of northern New Jersey.
Many individuals aren’t conscious that New Jersey really has a number of nice mountain climbing!
We might hike to a lookout and browse youngsters’s books. I will need to have been in elementary college on the time.
6. Who was your greatest outside affect?
I had a university professor named Howard Horowitz. In the summertime he led a 5-week program the place we traveled all through the American West studying about geography.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime studying expertise.
Howard had spent a few years touring the American West earlier than turning into a university professor.
He introduced us to many less-traveled areas that I’d in any other case by no means have been conscious of. This was earlier than the web.
That type of data and expertise was hard-earned again then. 🙂
In some ways, Howard was an enormous affect on my appreciation of the outside. A number of years in the past, I used to be fortunate to run into him at an airport.
We talked for some time and I launched him to my household. I used to be in a position to inform him how influential he was in my life.
7. What was your all-time greatest tenting or mountain climbing expertise?
Within the Autumn of 2020, I hiked round 200 miles southbound on the Arizona Path from the Utah border to Flagstaff. It was a difficult hike.
Arizona continues to be scorching at the moment of yr. It was over 100 levels on the backside of the Grand Canyon.
We needed to plan our water entry fastidiously and ended up carrying as much as a gallon at instances. It was a blast!
8. Who’s your favourite individual to camp or hike with?
My spouse. I believe she loves the outside much more than I do!
9. What’s your favourite piece of substances and why?
I’ve gear that I’ve used for a very long time however I wouldn’t say something is a selected favourite. I’ve a ULA Circuit backpack that has served me very well on many trails.
As a substitute of a favourite, how about I inform you the “luxurious merchandise” I take when backpacking? It’s my PJ bottoms.
It won’t sound like a luxurious merchandise however I believe a number of long-distance backpackers, notably those that attempt to be ultra-lite, would skip packing pajama bottoms.
Hey, I sleep higher with them so into the pack they go!
10. What do you like concerning the outdoor?
There’s a lot to like concerning the outdoor. Firstly, time spent outdoor is sweet for each my bodily and psychological well being.
Second, longer hikes generally is a problem and may push me each bodily and mentally.
They aren’t at all times enjoyable within the second, however I’m at all times glad I did them by the point I get residence.
And lastly, there’s simply one thing particular about being within the wilderness that’s laborious to elucidate however everybody who loves it understands.
11. What outside locations are in your bucket checklist?
I’d like to complete the Arizona Path.
I’d additionally prefer to hike within the Alps and New Zealand.
12. What’s your purpose as an outside content material creator? How can we help you and the place can we discover your content material?
My major purpose is that sharing my outside adventures will in some small method assist encourage people to get out in nature and spend extra time strolling.
The bodily and psychological advantages are profound.
My secondary purpose is to share fascinating historical past and geographical details about the locations I go to.
It provides me purpose to analysis and study locations relatively than solely stroll via them.
These days, I’ve targeted totally on short-form movies which can be 60 seconds or much less. This time constraint really helps my creativity.
Telling a narrative about a spot in lower than a minute forces me to concentrate on what’s necessary.
If you’re inclined, please test me out on the socials under. And please give me a shout for those who discovered me from the Wilderness Instances.
Justin Hikes thanks for the nice interview and for taking part within the I Love The Open air Interview Collection!
If you’re thinking about taking part and sharing your story, please contact us and tell us!