Stories from the ridgeline
Reflections on fatherhood, faith, healing, leadership, adventure, and the spaces between expectation and reality.
September 9, 2026
Some questions don’t feel like questions at all. They feel like that moment on a trail when the ground changes beneath your feet; solid dirt giving way to loose scree. You stop, not because you’re tired, but because something underneath you has shifted. This was one of those questions for me: What good is empathy […]
September 7, 2026
Above the Tree Line In 2023, my daughter Anna and I stood on the summit of Torreys Peak in Colorado. We had spent hours climbing toward that moment. The trail had been clear, our bodies felt strong, and when we finally stepped onto the summit, we had what every climber works for: the view, the […]
August 22, 2026
A while back, someone told me they didn’t think I was emotionally intelligent. The comment caught me off guard. Not because I believe I’ve mastered emotional intelligence. Far from it. I still get things wrong. I become overwhelmed. I retreat when I should lean in, and occasionally lean in when I should step back. I […]
May 14, 2026
There is a kind of person who stops on the trail after conflict and looks back. Not because they are weak. Not because they are guilty of everything. Not because they enjoy pain. But because something in them wants to walk honestly. They want to know if they stepped carelessly. They want to know if […]
May 10, 2026
There’s something both sobering and seductive about unfolding a trail map before a climb. At first glance, all you see are lines. Contour marks.Elevation gains.Switchbacks.Distance.Warnings. Sometimes, those lines alone are enough to make you question whether the journey is worth it. The terrain may appear too steep.The route too long.The climb too demanding. From the […]
January 18, 2026
Deep Questions Yesterday in my sixth-grade English class, we were talking about emotions. Not the tidy, laminated-chart versions that live on classroom walls and get trotted out during advisory periods; but the real ones. Anxiety. Fear. The feelings that arrive without asking, settle into the body, and refuse to leave quietly. The kind that tighten […]
August 30, 2025
I’ve spent nights in the mountains where the fire was my only anchor. The wind cut sharp, the dark pressed in, and no matter how close I pulled my sleeping bag around me, the cold stayed. But the flames gave just enough light and warmth to remind me I wasn’t completely undone. Life feels a […]
August 23, 2025
The Rope Between Us If you’ve ever stood at the base of a rock wall with a rope in your hands, you know the weight of responsibility. The climber ties in, checks the knots, and calls down the words that matter most: “On belay?” You respond with steady confidence: “Belay is on.” That simple exchange […]
August 21, 2025
The Canyon Isn’t Silent Grief is a canyon. Wide, but not quiet. Every sound, every memory, every doubt ricochets off the walls and returns in a different form. What starts as a whisper of sadness can come back as a roar of regret. What we thought we left behind suddenly sounds like it’s still ahead. […]
August 17, 2025
Holding the Map When you hike with someone who’s carrying the only map, you follow their lead. You watch the trail they choose, the pace they set, the way they decide whether to push forward or pause. In relationships, many women hold a similar kind of influence in the emotional landscapes of the men they […]
