Jay's Intro to the Great Outdoors

I've always been a fan of the outdoors. Growing up, my first introduction to the outdoors was going on camping trips and doing Indian Guides with my dad. We'd go with friends and camp, fish, and hang out around the San Antonio area at  State parks. It wasn't fancy, or glamorous, but it was just great father-son time, sitting around a campfire, the kids would eat s'mores while the dads would drink whiskey.

We were never serious campers, hunters, or anglers growing up, but any opportunity to get out and go pond fishing, or camp with friends, or take out a bow and arrow, it seemed like we wouldn't pass it up. Time went by, and I went off to college, at the University of Kansas (go Jayhawks!) not getting much opportunity to do much other than study and attend KU basketball games. But, senior year, my friends and I decided to go camping in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and finally get to see Mount Rushmore. Being starving college students, we all scraped together what camping gear we could from friends, family, etc. That was a turning point it seemed, from then on, I was asked to go on canoe trips, kayak trips, some fly-fishing outings, never delving too deeply in them, but always having a blast.

Then, about a year ago, I was invited on a trip to go camping and fly-fishing in Wyoming. For those of you who have done this, you know it's not for the faint of heart, and shouldn't be done without proper fly fishing gear. I thought it'd be a great opportunity to hang out with the guys who had invited me, and to get to see Wyoming like I'd never seen it before. But once I got looking at the cost to go, it became apparent that it'd be a financial stretch, and hence the idea for Big Sky was born. I still love to do outdoor activities, whether it's hiking, camping, biking, fishing, and hunt. Some of which are new to me, others are not, but with opportunities to do more cheaply,