What is Wild Westendorf?

The catalyst that sparked my love of hiking and the outdoors happened in the summer of 2013. I was invited to join a group of people, some were new friends and some were strangers, on a hike up in North Cheyenne Cañon, hosted by my now great friend, Hiking Bob. Looking back on it, I can laugh at how miserable I was during that hike. We went uphill for a little bit then went all the way downhill for quite a while. I was expecting a loop that would be downhill the whole way, despite that hope not conforming to physics and reality in any way. When I found out we would have to go all the way back up from where we came, I wanted to cry.

I trudged back up the canyon with the rest of the group, heart pounding through my chest feeling like it’s trying to escape my body, and I felt happiness like no other when I saw us reaching the point where we would stop climbing up and start walking back to our cars. My legs felt like jelly and my lungs screamed as they had never worked so hard before in their life.

And I absolutely loved every moment of it.

The sights, the sounds, the smells, the conversations I had with others, the urge to explore and touch everything I came across. I suddenly needed more of this.

And now this is where Wild Westendorf comes in. That experience changed my life forever in limitless ways that I am still discovering to this day and with each new adventure ahead of me. I love it so much and the positive effects it has had on my mental health and overall outlook on life has been drastic.

I want to not only share my love for hiking and the outdoors, but to maybe, hopefully, sort of, absolutely, kind of inspire that same love and appreciation in others. This website will be the central hub for all my thoughts, words, videos, pictures, and anything else that tickles my fancy. I’ll be touching on the technical aspects of my hiking adventures but also on the mental aspects, along with the history of the areas I explore and plenty of other uncensored expressions of love for the outdoors I have.

If I can help at least one person discover this love, I’ll know my mission has been accomplished.