Pizza and beer, what better way to start a relationship than with this fabulous, authentically American combination.  

His name is Dylan, mine Tessa, and yes we are a couple, but, this is not a boy meets girl in a bar kind of blog, but rather one that chronicles our relationship and adventures as hiking buddies in the Oregon Wilderness.  I have dubbed him my “Hiking Husband” because we spend virtually every weekend that doesn’t rain or isn’t 100 degrees, out on a trail together.  Before I get into our adventures, here’s a little more about us, I will be writing some of our adventures, Dylan will be writing others.  I hope you enjoy getting to know us, we certainly can’t wait to get to know you!

He is a USC grad, Southern Californian born, but Oregon raised. I am a University of Oregon Post-Bach grad, born and raised in Southern California. Aside from bonding over the greatness that is Hop Valley’s pesto-bacon pizza and beer list (a must have for anyone visiting Eugene), we have two primary things in common, a love of the woods and a passion for hiking. 

Dylan and I have been hiking together for about 6 months at this point and are looking forward to many more months of adventures.  Our blog will feature stories about our adventures in the Oregon wilderness, reviews of gear and trails, explorations of local restaurants as well as breweries, and lifestyle entries.

Dylan Garrett

Dylan’s early life started out in Manhattan Beach, California and then moved to Eugene, Oregon at the age of 5. Throughout his childhood his family spent their summers road tripping across the Western United States, camping in National Parks along the way.  Many of his fond camping experiences came from his grandparents.  He became involved in Search and Rescue with Lane County at 14 when he was told he could not start ride-a-longs with local law enforcement until he was 16.  His first Search and Rescue mission was a cold, snowy weekend where he was “miserable, but loved it.”  His next mission with them took him on a land navigation course, where he got to explore the woods off the trail, a true wilderness adventure.  It was at this point that he fell in love with the woods.

Tessa Jackson

Tessa is a recent Oregon Transplant, she grew up in Huntington Beach, California, and moved to Oregon to get a second Bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, Go Ducks! Growing up in Southern California, she spent the majority of her childhood at the barn riding horses. Yes we know, Southern California Girl growing up horseback riding was not how you expected that sentence to end.  She traveled frequently with her family and started hiking at a very young age, before she could walk. There are pictures of her in the circa 1990’s baby backpacker pack on her dad’s back going up some mountain in the Sierra’s, specifically at Mammoth Mountain and around Lake Tahoe.  Aside from one very buggy hike in the Boston Marshlands, her hiking experiences have been limited to California and Oregon.  She is still a camping virgin, but that will be changing this summer.