Profiles | Page 8 of 12 | The Filson Journal

The Filson Journal

fire lookout tower

Between Hell & Heaven: Burley Mountain Fire Lookout Restoration  

In part of our continuing partnership with the NFF, each year, a team of our staff helps renovate a historic fire lookout. Last year we headed out to an 88-year-old lookout in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. (Written firsthand by our own Nick Wojtasik)

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horses pulling logs in forest

Horse-Logging Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom

When Neil Fromm was twenty-five years old he drove his Volkswagen van from the Florida Keys up to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Known to Vermonters simply as “The Kingdom,” this mountainous, sparsely populated area is situated between the Connecticut River and the Green Mountains. That’s when Fromm got into horses.

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fly fisher casts into lake with pine trees and low lying clouds

Cooper River Trail

Some of us like hiking and some of us like fishing; a lot of us like both. The Cooper River Trail is the perfect trail for those who like both. Just outside of Cle Elum, WA, the Cooper River Trail is just that, a trail that follows along the Cooper River.

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people hiking toward waterfall on forest path

Franklin Falls Trail

Looking for a quick hike before work or an afternoon trek through the forest, Franklin Falls is a great option for those based in the Seattle area. This short two-mile trail has numerous features for its brief length.

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two people hiking up the side of a glacier

Heliotrope Ridge Trail

The Heliotrope Ridge trail is a roughly 6 mile roundtrip trail that features a trek through an old growth forest, several creek crossings, and an up close and personal look at the Coleman Glacier.

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lindsay fishing with her dog on the river

Crossing Community Lines

When it comes to the outdoors, Lindsey Elliott does it all- climbing, mountain biking, hunting, fly fishing, raising chickens, growing food, practicing citizen science, and running a business, Wylder Goods. Because she has perspective from multiple and oftentimes separate communities, we asked Lindsey to share her thoughts from the cross-section. Photos and words by Lindsey

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running water cascades through rocky river waterfall in green mossy old growth forest

Celebrating the Rivers of America

When I need to brighten my day, I go to the river. I walk along the shore or sit for awhile at the water’s edge and listen to the swish, or the babble, or the exciting bubbly rush of flow. Always moving when the rest of the landscape is still, the river holds me rapt, and

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Becca using a draw knife on a log

Working With the Earth

In the summer and early fall, my fiance, Eduardo Garcia and I wake early at our home in Bozeman, Montana. Between running our own businesses, we manage our ½ acre food forest, a permaculture garden that feeds us for eight months of the year. During the warm seasons, work days don’t stop at 5pm and

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two labs, a portrait

Mossy Oak Gamekeeper Kennels

Words are wasted on trying to describe the relationship between bird dog and owner. From the euphoria of lifting a mallard out of your retriever’s trained mouth for the first time, to the grief that comes with their inevitable passing years later, the journey must be experienced to be known. The first few years of

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portrait of Jim in flannel shirt and black vest

The Democracy of The Wild with Jim Posewitz

\ In August of 1953, 18-year-old Jim Posewitz stepped off an overnight train onto the platform in Bozeman, Montana. He’d come west for the first time on a scholarship to play football for the Montana State College Bobcats. Over the next few years, Jim, known as “Poz”, would prove to be a pretty darn good

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Robertson working on a bow

Robertson Stykbow: Traditional Archery with Dick Robertson

Dick Robertson is the owner and founder of Robertson Stykbow in Forest Grove, MT. Dick has been designing and crafting some of the most beautiful and high-performance traditional bows for the last twenty-five years. We sent Joel Caldwell to spend a few days on the Robertson ranch to discover the passions of the man behind

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woman butchering hanging piece of meat as man watches

Searching for Connection: Learning to Hunt with Erin Kiley

Erin Kiley is a grazier and grassland manager. For years she has found her connection to land and food through her work with cattle.

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Hunter holding his bow

Traditional Bowhunting Q and A with Hunter Rung

Hunter Rung is a hunting guide and traditional bowhunter from Montana. We caught up with him before he got into the mountains for fall hunting season to ask him about his beginnings with archery and what hunting means to him. Who taught you to hunt? How long have you been hunting? I started hunting

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Kim with dog, Floki, a 2 year old Belgian Malinois

Svalinn: Bred to Love, Trained to Protect

Kim Greene’s email signature reads, “Alpha Female” and in her line of work, that is exactly who she needs to be. Kim and her husband Jeff are the owners of Svalinn, a Montana-based breeder and trainer for working dogs. We sat down with Kim recently to ask her a few questions about her business and

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Marisa on a tractor with silo and mountains in background

Ploughgate Creamery: Vermont’s Cultured Butter

An average summer day at Ploughgate Creamery goes something like this: You’re up at quarter to six to start the churn. An hour later you’ve got golden butter and buttermilk (the latter you feed to the pigs). Next, you divide the butter into three thirty pound batches. The slow churn is what takes some time,

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chelsea grinding metal at workshop grinding station

PNW Workers: Force/Collide

Located in Seattle WA, Force/Collide is driven by owner Chelsea Gaddy’s distinct style that blends geometry, minimalism, and the raw characteristics of metals into high-end furniture and architecture. “The creative process behind fabrication is the most meaningful part of my work – it’s what forms the personality of the piece. And metal is my favorite

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man bending glass tubes in plaid shirt

PNW Workers: Western Neon

If you’ve walked Seattle’s streets after sundown, you’ve laid eyes on Western Neon’s craftsmanship. Since 1985 they’ve put their radiant stamp on our booming town. Along with the logo and working clock atop Filson Headquarters, they’ve created Seattle landmarks such as Rainier Brewery’s “R” and the iconic pink elephant outside Elephant Car Wash. Glass bender

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portrait of laura in white hat with blue plaid shirt

PNW Workers: Laura Burkhart

Laura Burkhart drew inspiration from the Pacific Northwest’s mountains, lakes, and trees – and used it to develop a refreshing, unique style of artwork. “Woodwork is such a physically demanding medium, forcing me to fully immerse myself in the process. This particular style came to fruition a few years ago when I was asked to

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hammering steel

PNW Workers: Meridian Forge

It’s not an easy process. “You have to beat it into submission…you have to tell it what to do,” he says, speaking of the metal being shaped by his hands. He grimaces and sweats as he brings the hammer down again and again on the hot steel against the anvil. Both the process and the end result are his art. Darryl’s signature pieces are animal heads: a bald eagle with piercing eyes and razor-sharp beak, a ram leaping forward in challenge. His skill in forging these creations is made possible through tools that are all handmade, including the hammer wielded with purpose to shape hundreds of animals. Such was the case when he hand-forged a tomahawk that sports the head of a wolf.

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carpentry worker rips board in shortsleeve plaid shirt and hardhat

PNW Workers: Dovetail General Contractors

Located in Seattle, WA, Dovetail General Contractors specializes in bringing clients’ visions to life by immersing themselves in every aspect of a project – from Japanese joinery to large-scale foundation work. Carpenter Lucas Trautman embodies this as much as anyone. “The residence we just finished on Whidbey Island is a sanctuary, personally and professionally. I

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woman hand sands small piece of wood in workshop

Might of the Pacific Northwest Worker

For 121-years, Filson has outfitted and partnered with makers, builders, fabricators and creators. These craftsmen and women work with their hands. They use brute force and extreme finesse to bring out the best in their chosen material: wood, steel, or glass. Watch Now

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hotshots hiking up the hill

Where There’s Smoke: Utah’s Alta Hotshots

Interagency hotshot crews comprise elite ground-force wildland firefighters who are the first responders to wildfires in any jurisdiction of the United States. Based just outside of Salt Lake City, the Alta Hotshot Crew is a faction of Utah’s Department of Natural Resources, fighting up to 30 fires around the country each summer.

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Alta hotshot crew all standing on a hillside

Faces in the Fire

This season, Utah’s Alta Hotshots roster is made up of 23 adrenaline-seeking conservationists ranging in age from 20 to 38. They come from all over the United States to be part of this high–functioning team, and even have a member from Sudan. While each crew member has their own motive for spending the summer chasing wildfires

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two guys sitting in a brewery

Montauk Brewing Company

When Vaughan moved back to town in 2010, the two built a home brewing system from an igloo cooler (which they still have) and started brewing. Initially, making beer was just something that brought their friends together. “We wanted to get everyone in one place. It’s a very tight-knit community, and we just wanted to throw a good party and put the beer on,” says Vaughan. It wasn’t long before the guys started to feel that they were onto something bigger.

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dog hanging out of rear window of a truck

Secret of the Sandhills: The Niobrara National Scenic River

Growing up in Nebraska, I quickly became privy to the longstanding joke that my home state offered nothing more than cornfields and pivots. Like clockwork, anytime I ventured outside the state line I was met with a tongue-in-cheek comment about Nebraska’s landscape or lack thereof. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I began to buy

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Garrett sitting on the fence ready to ride a bull

Come by It Honestly: Born into Bull Riding

Rodeo culture is often synonymous with small-town America: Everyone knows everyone, a strong work ethic is the norm, and more often than not, children pursue the same profession as their parents. The more time spent around the bucking chutes, the more apparent it becomes that bull riding is as vital to a family’s lineage as

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man in a canoe on the Yukon river, a large mountain in the distance

Wilderness, a River, and My Old Man

Peter Hall and his father set out on a Yukon Moose hunt, by way of canoe, into the remote reaches of the Alaskan wilderness. The time they shared on the river reminded them both that the glory of adventure is found far beyond the kill. At one in the morning the aurora fills the sky.

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portrait of Larry Ford, owner of Blue Heron Lodge

Blue Heron Lodge: Forks, WA

“I love teaching folks how to appreciate the water; the ruggedness and beauty of the river are something special. I like to share with people a means by which they can experience these places. A drift boat and a fly rod are just my preferred means. Passing on some of my knowledge to my clients,

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fishing guide russ rowing boat as woman behind him casts

A Normal Life

Living the life that you love does not shield you from loss. Fishing the remote waters of Alaska’s Alagnak River is a dream job for Russell Owen, but that dream has come at a cost. The life of a guide is not a normal life, but what he has learned from fishing has shaped him into the man he has become. Watch Now.

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Hilary standing with her horse with mountains in the background

Motherhood: Hilary Anderson

Hilary Anderson is a wildlife biologist who has been running the range-riding program in Montana’s Tom Miner Basin since 2013. She’s a rancher and a mother, raising her four children amid the natural beauty and responsibilities of the ranching life. We asked her to descibe, in her words, what it means to be a mother. This

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Jackie sitting on the porch with her daughter

Motherhood: Jackie Three Irons

Jackie Three Irons is an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe of Montana. She and her family reside just outside of Crow Agency, Montana near the town of Hardin. We asked her to descibe, in her words, what it means to be a mother. This is what she had to say. When I sit in calm

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