“… my dreams were all my own; I accounted for them to nobody; they were my refuge when annoyed—my dearest pleasure when free.” —Mary Shelley, writer
What plans color your daydreams? What goals make you itch to get out there? What objectives were so beautiful, you had to turn them from dream to reality?
Last weekend we called women to the front. We asked for your greatest outdoor achievements. We got shouts of excitement, jumps of joy and endless happy dances. We got your highest highs, deepest yearnings and pursuits of passion. You showed us exactly what it looks like to be a #ForceOfNature.
Your triumphs inspire us to think bigger, reach further, play more. Thank you for sharing. These are our favorites:
“The Escape Artist in The Black Canyon of the Gunnison. This route had so many sustained pitches of challenging grade for me. It challenged both my physical and mental stamina. The canyon walls stretch high above until your almost to the top of the climb. Their enormity challenged my own perspective on life and my place in the world. Throughout the climb I continued to feel conflicting emotions of persistence, determination, uncertainty, doubt, fear, and elation. It wasn’t until the day after, when I hiked back to the canyon rim and looked down at the route I had climbed that I truly felt triumphant! I had overcome my fear, my fatigue, and accomplished something that for me felt immense. I had become a #ForceOfNature and I won’t ever stop.” —@ari.c.andr
“Just for REI…I was happy to hit my golden number of fourteen 14ers last year! And happy to say we have a STRONG community of women who love the outdoors in Colorado Springs. I have learned from them and adventured with them and I lack neither inspiration nor camaraderie here! #ForceOfNature” —@julijoann
“Throwing it back on a Monday b/c of @rei ‘s campaign around women and the outdoors.. 101 sport climbs w/my climbing partner @sarahlfree 24 hours, non-stop, w/zero sleep at #24hhh the worlds wildest climbing comp (according to outside magazine that is 😉 #ForceOfNature” —@jmariepurser
“This is a latergram. From the day before I got to Nashville. Mostly posting it here so I can use hashtags and also because it’s the only picture I have of me with my bike. #ForceOfNature” —@talkingbreads, currently riding a bicycle across the country
“My greatest outdoor accomplishment? Havasupai 2014. With just a week’s notice, @danicaganje and I packed our things to backpack Havasupai Falls with a group comprised mostly of guys we didn’t know. At the start, we heard their familiar murmur wondering if us two small girls would be able to make it. Well, make it we did. Not only that, but those same guys took the chopper out after being exhausted by the descent. I’ll never forget the moment I emerged from the canyon to see them waiting at the top. That trip taught me that I am capable of far more than I – and others – thought possible. #ForceOfNature” —@julietheroberts