There are so many nice bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, and photographers on the market creating superb outside content material every day.
Not solely did I need to personally get to know them higher, however I additionally needed to discover outside influences and keenness for nature.
Thus, we’ve launched the I Love The Outdoors Interview Series.
If you have an interest in collaborating within the collection, please contact us and tell us!
Paul Fiarkoski
- Tell us slightly about your self. How previous are you? Where are you from? Where do you reside now? Are you married? Kids?
I’m a Gen Xer residing within the coronary heart of Phoenix, Arizona with my stunning spouse.
We dwell inside strolling distance of a community of climbing trails within the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, so we log quite a lot of miles climbing near residence.
We moved right here from Colorado in 2012, after spending 17 years close to the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
Since turning into empty nesters in 2019 we changed time at our youngsters’ sporting occasions with time in our small however cozy journey trailer.
2. What is your favourite outside exercise?
These days I’d must say climbing is my favourite, primarily as a result of it’s what I spend extra time doing than another outside exercise.
My pursuits have modified over time. I’ve been into fishing, mountain biking, snowboarding, tenting, kayaking and climbing.
3. Where is your favourite path?
The path I’m at the moment in love with is the Arizona National Scenic Trail.
It meanders 800 miles by means of the state, from the Mexico border within the south to Utah within the north.
One passage goes proper by means of the Grand Canyon.
To date, I’ve solely hiked a number of segments of it, for a complete of about 60 miles, however each inch of it’s like strolling on hallowed floor.
4. Where is your favourite tenting spot?
Do individuals actually disclose their favourite tenting spots?
Okay, because you requested so properly, right here’s certainly one of my favorites in Arizona: Mather Campground at Grand Canyon, South Rim.
It’s nice for tent or RV tenting. You can stroll to the sting of the canyon from the campground.
Insider tip: Arrive at 9 a.m. for your best option of the restricted first come, first served campsites.
Bonus tip: I’ll share this tip: Campendium is my secret weapon for locating nice camp websites.
5. What was your first outside reminiscence as a child?
I lived on Air Force bases till I used to be nearly 8 years previous, primarily Clark Air Base within the Philippines.
Since it by no means will get chilly there, I used to be exterior taking part in with the neighbor children at any time when I wasn’t sleeping, consuming or attending faculty.
For household holidays, my mother and father used to hire a hut on a small, primitive island and we’d spend per week at a time there.
6. Who was your greatest outside affect?
My dad was my greatest outside affect. He grew up in Vermont and was an avid outdoorsman.
After he retired from the service and relocated our household to the states (Nebraska) within the early 70s, he usually took me and my siblings tenting, boating and fishing.
As I bought older, I surrounded myself with mates who loved comparable actions and started charting my very own adventures as I bought older.
7. What was your all-time finest tenting or climbing expertise?
Hands-down, my finest all-time climbing expertise was the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim with my spouse in 2018.
There are two methods to do it: The good manner, or the way in which we did it – straight by means of in in the future. Smart individuals break it up into two or three days.
We began out on North Kaibab Trail on the North Rim at 5 a.m. and emerged from Bright Angel Trail on the South Rim 14 hours later.
TBT two years in the past right this moment. My spouse and I hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim in a day, with a detour to Ribbon Falls. Was 50 levels after we began at North Rim and 110 as we started our ascent from the river. About 25 miles in whole. #azbucketlist #azwonders #grandcanyon #climbing pic.twitter.com/goDgKBk4gH
— AZ Wonders (@azwonders) June 4, 2020
If you embody the aspect hike we took to Ribbon Falls, the full distance was 26 miles.
To full this hike, you first descend 5,800 ft to the Colorado River, then climb 4,800 ft as much as the South Rim.
It was a complete beast and I couldn’t stroll usually for a number of days afterward, however the views and the expertise are etched in my thoughts perpetually.
8. Who is your favourite particular person to camp or hike with?
My favourite tenting accomplice is my spouse. We’ve realized how you can stability journey with leisure.
As far as climbing goes, I can’t nail it all the way down to a selected particular person.
I information hikes within the Phoenix space as a aspect hustle, and I like assembly and climbing with totally different individuals from all all over the world.
9. What is your favourite piece of drugs and why?
This might sound trite however my favourite piece of apparatus is my smartphone.
I don’t know what I’d do with out GPS-based apps.
Plus, the cellphone makes it so handy to take footage and video, and write up journey experiences whereas the experiences are nonetheless recent in my thoughts.
10. What do you like in regards to the outdoor?
Being out in nature is my remedy.
Whether I’m climbing, fishing, kayaking or simply chilling in a hammock, my worries appear to soften away once I’m having fun with the nice outdoor.
11. What outside locations are in your bucket record?
Here in Arizona, two key locations I nonetheless have to test off my bucket record are The Wave and Aravaipa Wilderness space.
Both require permits, that are issued sparingly by means of a lottery system.
Outside of Arizona, I’ve bought my sights set on the nation of Croatia. Someone described it to me as being like a hybrid of Colorado and California, with mountains and seashores.
12. What is your objective as an outside content material creator? How can we assist you and the place can we discover your content material?
In 2014, I created my very own private Arizona bucket record and began checking locations off. A pair years later, I created the AZ Wonders weblog to share footage, movies and classes realized from all my Arizona adventures.
I like getting suggestions from those who I’ve impressed them to see extra of Arizona’s pure wonders.
In 2019, I revealed the Arizona Bucket List Adventure Guide & Journal, that I promote on the weblog and on Amazon.
I additionally share loads of footage and experiences in (nearly) actual time on my social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Paul – thanks for the nice interview and collaborating within the I Love The Outdoors Interview!
If you have an interest in collaborating and sharing your story, please contact us and tell us!
Previous Interviews