People often ask me where I get my adventuresome spirit and love for the outdoors. I think a big part of it was how I was raised. We would often go hiking and camping as a family. My siblings and I were always encouraged to go outside and play. Television was a treat and video games were nonexistent. I was raised getting outside and my mom was the driving force behind this.
I remember my mom always getting so excited to go hiking when we were driving to beautiful places like the Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Great Sand Dunes, and more. My dad appreciated the beauty, but it truly was a joy and love for my mom. She’s the one I know will always enjoy hearing my stories of getting to the top of another mountain, backpacking into a new land, or finally sending a climbing route I’ve been working on. She’s the one I call when I’ve broken my rib in a mountain bike accident or I’ve just had a very close call with a mid-afternoon Colorado thunderstorm. Even though she worries, she understands the joy far outweighs the risk and continues encouraging me on (not without saying “be safe” of course). She’s been willing to climb a mountain with me and let me take her mountain biking. She doesn’t always understand what I’m talking about but she is always encouraging and excited for me. My mom’s pretty great. And I know she can’t be the only mom encouraging this love of the outdoors and adventure.
Outdoor, adventure, crusher moms rock (pun intended). They’re the ones out there doing their thing in the mountains, down the rivers, up the cliffs, through the hills while still taking care of their kiddos and husbands. They know what’s important to them and find a way to balance it all. They’re role models to their kids, community, and those of us who one day want to be killing it just like them.
So here’s to the moms who are strapping their young ones on their back as they hike. Here’s to the moms who climb mountains with their daughters even though they are scared of heights. Here’s to the moms who ride down dirt trails, who sleep in tents and gaze at the stars, and who aren’t afraid to get a little dirty. Thanks for not stopping, but instead sharing your love and passion of the outdoors with your kids. Thanks for letting us know there is more to life than work and television. Thanks for showing your sons and daughters that women can get outside. Thanks for crushin’. Happy Mother’s Day!
Written By: Lydia Huelskamp