I grew up in a small town called Wellsville, in northern Utah. My bedroom window looked out on the high peaks of the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness Area. Those steep mountains, smooth and bright with glistening snow in the winter, verdant in springtime, golden brown in the summer, and crimson-dotted-yellow in autumn colors, filled my veins at an early age with respect for wild places. My parents brought our family hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and exploring when I was young. One of my favorite childhood camping trips was to Goblin Valley State Park, where I was later hired for my first job as a ranger.

After I earned a Bachelor's degree in English at Utah State University, the Universe decided I needed more fresh air and critters in my life. I've spent my career serving as a ranger for state and federal agencies on the Colorado Plateau and in the Sonoran Desert. The Earth literally feeds my soul. My writing and artwork reflect elements of the wild places where I've lived, worked, and roamed. As a poetry editor for Deep Wild Journal, I am happy to help others find an audience for their writing.

The beautiful, unique, vast, and varied public lands of the west have inspired every aspect of my life. As a steward of the land, as a wanderer, and as a student who listens when the Earth speaks, I give as much as I can in return to this marvelous planet, and I hope you will too.